The algorithm

No, Face Book algorithm, I do not want to join the Gay Illinoi Farmers group and the guy in the teaser photo does not appeal to me. But where in Illinois does he live? Contact? Do you know him Kirk?

Face Book is not just for Boomers. 

Ray left a stack of his English family's photos in my smart leather 1978 valise and over the past few weeks, I've scanned hundreds of them, that is all of them. There is anything between three and six photos in each scan, depending on the photo size, with 122 scans. The photos were sent to Ray with letters from his Mam in the 1970s,1980s and 1990s. 

I've set up a private Face Book group and invited something like 25 of Ray's family to join and view the photos, some 55 years old. 

I have a history of showing or sending people history and it has generally been a fail. No matter, I will continue to do what I do to preserve history. 

An outing with the lads

If you you are flying with Singapore Airlines from Chennai to Melbourne via Singapore, you will receive a lot of solicitous attention by airline staff if you are a nice looking dark skinned Indian lad with perfect white teeth and a wide smile, along with an outgoing personality and beautifully painted fingernails.

Yesterday's visit to Costco with Phyllis and Kosov was very interesting. It was a bad arthritis pain day for me, but they were patient with my need to sit on a chair with a back for as few minutes at times. 

Are these sculptures interesting? I didn't find them so. There was some external seating but gum trees at best offer dappled sunlight, not shade. 

We did travel on the wheel with Hippie Niece many years ago, we didn't find the view of train shunting yards or distant views out to sea very interesting, which is why I guess the wheel sits there unused and waiting for a buyer. 

 

While I knew Costco sold large quantities, I did not imagine the variety of what was available. Just the food was quite astonishing. I did note CK men's shirts at a bargain price of AU$40, probably two years old but generally, you have to buy a lot of things there to make decent savings. Fine if you have storage space and a large and hungry family. Even the cakes were impressive. There is a cafe within where you order your food on a screen and it is quickly delivered to you. The area was so busy and I knew not what to do, I insisted we go somewhere else where there was somewhere proper to eat, and we ended up at Urban Alley Brewery, where we shared some food. 

Phyllis linked his arm with mine on one side and Kosov's in the other as we walked. What will people think, I wondered, but I didn't care. While we were a bit separated on trams going to Cocklands Docklands, we boarded a tram at the Waterfront City terminus to return home and quickly nabbed a facing set of seats. The foreplay was on! They poked each other, they tried to bite each other, they punched each other, they hugged each other, they ruffled each others hair and they cuddled. I alternated between looking out the tram window at the passing scenery and seeing what other tram passengers were noticing. No one was noticing at all, as I could see, except for the man who's reflection I could see in the glass partition in front of me. He was of Chinese heritage and was watching their shenanigans intently.  

I kicked them off with running them a bath with Japanese salts a couple of days ago, and they chose to bathe early this evening, this time separately, which was much quieter and less splashy. The bath salts were a gift from Our Friend in Japan, who is currently in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. 

My dinner was left overs in the fridge, mostly their food. They spent about three hours in the kitchen cooking puff pastry envelopes filled with...I know not what but they are very tasty. Phyliss' short hand recipe. 

This may be a place to place a video filmed by an acquaintance a few months ago, of two lads in love walking along Swanston Street. Gay men being affectionate in public is a bit alien to me, but I like it. 

Home life

The custom for The Highrise tenants is to sleep until 2.30pm, if not later. I don't approve of such a waste of daytime, but it is not my business.

"Andreeeew", said Kosov about NYE. "We could see some (illegal) fireworks from your balcony at midnight." I was fast asleep. "We went to bed at 2(am)." Interesting because the dishes in the dishwasher were quite warm, and the kettle very warm at 7.30 in the morning. I monitor my electricity usage and watch for spikes. That also informs me of who is up and awake and using energy in the small hours. Again, not my business, but I like being told the truth.

I know nothing of Costco, aside from that you have to buy large amounts and I don't have storage space for large amounts. Phyll is allowed to take a guest to Costco and it will be interesting to see what it the shop is all about when he takes me today, as long as he rises at a reasonable hour. I suggested 11am. 

I admire the written English skills of Phyll and Kos. Kos has become my scribe, writing for me. Sometimes they speak English, sometimes Indian Tamil, and they mix the two up. Phyll doesn't haven't much of an accent but Kos's is a bit stronger, and he rolls his r's like a Scot. I can't speak for Kos, but Phyll's arithmetic is poor. He could not work out in his head that three small cans of tuna was near enough to one large can of tuna. My arithmetic was perfect for the spicy crumbed spicy tuna croquets.

Phyll paid me $400 two nights ago for board. That didn't make sense until I asked him. That's two weeks rent, Andrew. Yes, Phyll, but Kosov must move out because he can't afford to stay here. 

Once Phyll said told me it was for two weeks board, and Kos couldn't afford to stay here, I realised Pyll's poor arithmetic. Because of Kos's financial situation, when Phyll was back in Chennai, I said they could both stay here at half price rent until the end of Kos's lease, half price being $150 per week. 

I am sure I was quite clear about this, nevertheless, Kos had to leave because of financial matters, about which I was quite firm.

My arithmetic is not too bad, clearly much better than Phyll's. To me two tenants jointly paying $150 per week sounds better for them than one tenant paying $200 per week. Kos is over the moon at not having to move out. Aunty Andrew is too kind but not an old fool. 

Happy NYE for some

Year after year, our New Year's Day ABC 7am radio news tells us police are generally happy with the the NYE crowd behaviour. 

As the radio news goes on throughout the day, we hear of stabbings, murders, assaults, illegal fireworks, fire bombings, arrest numbers, people injured by illegal fireworks, grass fires started by illegal fireworks, youth arrested for carrying illegal weapons, and one year when African heritage youth maraudered through the city with the intent to scare, if nothing worse. Where is the figure of how many women were raped on NYE?

But no matter, as the media department of our police force paint it all white, generally most were well behaved. Generally! 

2025 ahead

2024 was not the most favourite year of my life. I can't say I've moved on but I have made changes to my life to improve it, specifically having Phyllis move in, but also some home improvements that were partly planned earlier this year. I added replacing some window tinting, blind cleaning, a new desk chair and fridge, monitor stand along with the planned new carpet and a complete repaint of the apartment.

Phyllis arrived home the evening after Boxing Day and Kosov and I went to the airport to meet and greet him and return home. I said to Kosov, we will leave home as his flight lands and still be there in plenty of time, but I lacked confidence in my words, so we left a bit earlier. An hour's parking at the airport costs $17 but stay into the extra hour, and it is $31. One less hug at the airport would have had us out under the hour. We were one minute over the hour so, $31 thank you very much. Kosov took Phyllis a bunch of purple flowers, his favourite colour, and the pink were Kosov's and my choice for home.

On my doorstop was a gift from my friend and neighbour H, a jar of mixed nuts and dark chocolate in the shape of bottles filled with scotch whiskey. 

It is not for the lack of effort with Kosov having lodged many job applications online and done quite a bit of foot slogging but he remains out of work. Phyllis pays $200 per week and when Kosov's lease ends where he now is supposed to be living, they will pay $300 per week. I know Kesav has little money so I offered a deal that until his lease expires, they can both stay here for $150 per week. 

They have both worked hard to be kind and helpful to me, but no. Kosov must move back to his digs if they can't even afford my generous offer.

I am cat sitting for Sister again in January as they take their annual short holiday in the lovely town of Bright. Otherwise I have no holiday plans at all. Travelling on my own seems to be such a big stumbling block. 

Our Friend from Japan. is on a cruise ship and after visiting Mauritius, there was a stop at Reunion and she is now in Madagascar. I've never looked at the island before. What an unbelievably straight eastern coastline. And look at all the ship traffic passing the island. 

I will pop downstairs to view the kiddies fireworks at 9.30 at the tram stop, as we did last year. So here is a photo and video I prepared earlier. 

A very happy 2025 to you all.

My Christmas

My ABI Brother arrived by VLine (country) train in the early afternoon of Christmas Eve. There wasn't a rush to get to Sister's. We stopped at Dan's along the way to stock up on liquid refreshments, then for a bit to eat, and then very cheap petrol. Driving without a break might have taken 1.40 but it took us 2.30, as we also stopped in Geelong to see the floating Christmas tree. 

We settled in at Sister's and had a nice barbeque meal. Jo wanted to watch a film she had not seen and subsequently I've learnt it is a Christmas classic, to be avoided. I quickly tuned out of Love Actually. What a load of .... We agreed that Christmas morning we would ring Step Mother and Mother's best friend forever to wish them a merry Christmas. We did neither. 

Christmas Day, Sister was up at 8 and busy in the kitchen. Aside from her wife Bone Doctor slicing the ham, Sister roasted a full turkey in her oven, roasted vegetables, cooked greens and served her Christmas pudding, made from her grandmother's recipe, written down n 1964. It was a great feast. The recipe went on to be used by Mother and I wondered aloud about how Mother dealt with measurements as the recipe would have been in pounds and ounces. Australia has been metricated for fifty years. Sister said some nonsense about Mother knowing how to convert measurements. ABI Brother and I howled her down. Mother had no idea of metric measurements. As Sister was busy in the kitchen, Bone Doctor took us for a drive to Portarlington and the ferry had just arrived and there were plenty of people enjoying themselves with picnics and barbeques.

Sister and Bone Doctor went out for two walks, two cycle rides and two ocean swims during the day. I felt rather discombobulated.

"Jo, give Andrew his Christmas present".

"What is it?'

"You remember. We bought it for him."

"No."

It was a rather good insulated flask mug for keeping liquids cool or hot. And, branded Snowgum, so expensive. 

The next morning, Boxing Day, it all went so wrong. A spot on my face that had previously bled, bled again during the night, all over the bedding, fortunately not through to the mattress. I was up at 5.30 trying to deal with it and although I am as quiet as a mouse, I disturbed Sister's sleep and she did not go back to sleep until 7. Come 8, they needed to be up to catch the ten o'clock ferry to Sorrento to journey on Somerville for the Boxing Day Christmas gathering. The weather forecast was for 38/100 degrees, so with blooded bedding, hot weather, lack of sleep and sleeping too late, Sister, Bone Doctor and Jo bailed out of the trip.

It was quite pleasant for ABI Brother and myself to take the ferry. It is a great 40 minute trip, but costs $99, but as it was a public holiday with a 10% surcharge, $109. With my car placed in the queue, I went and bought coffee to drink before the ferry arrived. 

The floating Christmas tree in Geelong.

The bollards are well known in Geelong.

The distances displayed amused me.

The band strikes up.

Sister later set the table quite nicely, except where I was placed, there was a tumbler glass, a beaker if you Hyacinth describe it. My shaky hands apparently mean I can't have a stemmed wine glass. Don't you believe it. Oreo had to be disturbed from his slumber after feeding on offcuts. 

As Sister ordered us out for a drive, Bone Doctor took us to the lovely Portarlington. The ferry had just arrived from Melbourne and had disgorged its load. There was a light boarding for its next trip, to Geelong. 

There she goes, fast. 

This luscious car was parked near my car, an Oldsmobile, not converted to right hand drive and wearing car club number plates. 

After a careful examination of the panel, it did have cruise control but I could not ascertain that it had aircon. 

Boxing Day, our ferry to carry us from Queenscliff to Sorrento arrived.

The maw opened the second as the ferry stopped moving and the first car appeared. 

Looking up the channel leading towards Swan Bay. Once onboard I bought a sausage roll to eat for a standard price. as tasty as a Greggs'. But I baulked at $7.50 for a 350ml/35cl/12oz bottle of coffee flavoured milk. I might not be poor, but I not paying that price.

By 11.30 we arrived at oldest niece's house. The Cafe Latte Twins are in New Zealand with their father for their first visit to meet family and the family matriarch, their grandmother. While Fire Fighting Nephew, also  Bellarine Peninsula residents, wasn't working, he, his wife, their daughter and twin boys bailed out because of the heat. 

Before leaving home, with Kosov's help at cutting, I made a large quantity of fried rice. One lot was quite spicy for us two, the other two serves less so, with one lot eaten at Sister's and the other on Boxing Day. I received compliments, which was nice. Ray always made baked cauliflower in a cheese sauce for Christmas. While I was urged to, I didn't. There aren't second prizes. Oldest Niece made the dish though, and was regaled with, "Not as good as Ray's". 

We had a slap up Christmas lunch and there were still quite enough children, six, to make a racket. The day wrapped up quite early

I didn't take anymore photos on Boxing Day, but I should have. I just wanted to be in the comfort of home. While enjoyable, obviously it was quite a different Christmas for me, and everyone was aware of of the absence and there were a couple of brimming eyes at times.  Hippie Niece's partner's dog had pups and while they left the mother at home, they didn't want to leave the pups at home in the heat, so they brought them along. Pups need to sleep and the heat made them very drowsy. 

Monday Mural

Sami is away in Arab territory, so I am not joining her this week for Monday Mural. 

I don't know of any bird that looks like this black one (wattle bird?), but the other is sort of like an Australian kookaburra.