Bits

I leave the home for five minutes, and chaos ensues. Well, I was away for a few hours.

With my able assistant Jass, we have been fighting against the Mynah birds nesting on the balcony below. I shoot at them with a great atomiser bottle, and Jass makes her low growl bird noises at them. While they are a terrible bird, attacking other birds twice their size to defend their territories, and while keep their distance from humans, they have no issue at all with attacking Jass with flying near her as if to attack. She crouches down lower. 

Given one bird is now bringing food for the other bird who must be sitting on eggs, I have ceased my failed deterrence. I wrote a note to the apartment dwellers but I sat on it for a couple of days. Then I saw a bagel sitting near their nest, far too big for the birds to bring up, so I guess the birds are welcome to rear their young on their balcony. 

Friday night I went to a pub for dinner with two friends, a couple, another couple of friends who are partners who I haven't seen for a few years, and three people who I didn't know. I suspect one in his fifties had been clued up that I was 'rich' old widower and was quite forcefully and overtly friendly towards me. He was nice enough, but no. I don't want any kind of personal and proper relationship. 

Not long after I devoured my delicious pork chop with vegetables, I felt social overload and made my apologies and left, to tram home. I'd been there for two hours.

"Annedrew," said Phyllis, once I was home, "we had the balcony door open and a Mynah bird came inside to attack Jass". "Jass cowered while we chased the bird around and eventually it flew outside."

JFC, can't I leave home without a disaster happening. Jass has developed post traumatic stress disorder, not eating properly and will have nothing to do with Phyllis and is spending most of her time in the linen press. She'll get over it. I noticed when she transports a toy around, she has her front legs wide apart, space for a kitten dangling from her mouth. She may be desexed, but I am sure her hormones are still partly working. 

I have ten great nieces and nephews and for Christmas I am giving them a miserly $20 each. Ray's ghost was in my ear telling me to not be so mean, but hey, that is $200. When I was but a lad, I would be grateful for a sixpence.

Today I will have lunch with my neighbour HH, except many cafes around here have closed for Christmas. I will be adventurous and suggest Republic Econmica.  We will need to catch a 58 tram to South Yarra Station.

By the time this is published, Sister, Bone Doctor and Jo will be in York, after spending time in Germany and London. They had one day in London where they all felt unwell, but rallied themselves to see Starlight Express. What they have seen in London in a short time amazes me. My sister is a busy go go person. Fom York they will travel to Newcastle to spend Christmas with Ray's family, visit Glasgow and then Edinburgh for Hogmanay, New Year's Eve. At the age of 18, Jo has already seen so much of the world. I was about 25 before I first went overseas, to New Zealand. 

It is hard to believe that in 2023, we were in England, catching up with Fun60 in York, seeing Ray's family and thinking this will a be final overseas journey. But never say no. My mother died later that year, Ray in 2024 and my stepmother in 2025. By age, Step Mother's 97 year old partner will be next, then my surviving uncle, and next will be me. Cheery thoughts. 

But as I recently remarked on a post by Wise Web Woman, which I did partly hear elsewhere, I am a lucky person to be born white in Australia, had a long and loving relationship with Ray, I'm financially secure and live in a great city, I have a great and large family and some really good friends. And I'm now with the company of Phyllis and Kosov. I really am one of the luckiest people in the world, but why don't I feel like that at times?