Thursday Extra, published on Saturday

The bleeding spot has caused me untold problems, soaking my bedding more than once and Sister's bedding. Towels when I forgot to be gentle after showering and rubbed my face to dry it. When Phyllis said I had a couple of long hairs near the wound that looked bad and I should use a trimmer. Fail, and I think that was the last bleed. 

My doctor wasn't concerned about the spot in so far as it not being a skin cancer. Not long after I saw him, the main scab fell off. Maybe I am through the woods now. I will still put a band aid on before I sleep. 

Phyllis and Kosov took a bath again this afternoon. Great I thought. That is much less water than two twenty minute showers. But no, they took showers after the bath, but at least shorter rinse off showers. 

My meeting with my estranged friend went well. It was like old days, but without any tension from his late partner and my late partner. After brunch, he invited me back to his place, which I know very well. He has massively improved the outdoor area with an almost enclosed decking. I got off lightly dealing with Ray's estate. He had to hand over his partner's computer to one organisation for it to work out the finances of its organisation, then pass it on to another organisation to go through its finances. He was quite overwhelmed and he readily admits he had been spoilt and has had to learn how to do so much on his own. He has a part time house guest, a guy from Hong Kong who is also a friend with benefits. He was a nice enough guy and spoke Australian. You would never guess he is gay. Via another source, I've seen revealing photos of him, tall and very slim and certainly not behind the back door when appendages were handed out, and rock hard.

When I changed the car road side assistance, car insurance and home insurance from Ray's name to mine, I received his no claim discounts and his long membership benefits. But why was the premium I had to pay higher than Ray's renewal? I should have pressed further on the point at the time. Today I received a cheque for $48 from RACV as the benefits hadn't been properly applied, which made Ray's  renewable premium the amount I ended up paying. 

But a cheque? What do I do with that? Neither of my bank's branches that I use has tellers anymore. There are assist staff to help you with technology though. I tried to deposit the cheque to a machine, but to no avail. I think it was a security guard who said I had press the I want a receipt button, and then I was fine. I poked the cheque into an open slot and the machine read the cheque and put the money in my account. Quite amazing. It must be twenty years plus since I've deposited a cheque and the system has changed a lot, for the better. I thanked the big black bruiser guard on the way out. 

Roast pork Meals on Wheels tonight. I add more apple sauce. Very nice.

I offered to take Phyllis and Kosov somewhere on the weekend. 

Where Andrewww? 

You choose. Have you broken your Google?   

Friday Funny

The comedian who recorded what is being played on the car sound system is one Tim Hawkings but I felt like American comedian Bob Newhart would have done it better. Whatever, it made me laugh. 

Err, Tim Hawkins is American, but this clip is in a right hand drive car. I think the clip might be Australian. 

A train west

It's not the first time I've been to Werribee by train. Once I even took Ray by train to Wyndham Station by VLine, we caught a bus to Werribee and then home by train. Naturally we had something to eat in Werribee, as we and I always do. Ray only complained about the hard seats on the train home. 

I am trying to be polite but generally Melbourne's western suburbs are a less desirable part of Greater Melbourne to live, but there are some very nice areas in the west. 

I like the main street of Werribee. It's very racially mixed and has a nice atmosphere.

I took a few photos to share with you.

Werribee is a suburban train terminus with the high level platforms accessible by what I guess are disability compliant ramps. Lifts would be nice for we older people. 

You have to look a bit before seeing what a good effort has been made to make it attractive.

Exiting the platform ramps you are confronted with an old train carriage, in the livery of the time, and a cafe within the carriage.  

This tiling along the walkways to ground level is just lovely and if you embiggen the photo, you can see a lovely bird picture on the glass. 

I have no idea what these sculptures in Watson Street are about, but no matter. I like them. 

Lovely. I did find a nice mural or two as well for later use. 

Stand back

 

I was recently thinking about the passionate Australian anti nuclear campaigner Dr Helen Caldicott. Australia is a better place for her efforts. Dr Caldicott has been awarded numerous honours and doctorates, but as far as I can see, not an Australia government award, even of the lowest order. 

Here is a very dated snip from a university website. She's been an activist for pretty well sixty years. 

Dr. Helen Caldicott has been an international advocate for peace and the environment for twenty-five years. The founder of Physicians for Social Responsibility and Women's Action for Nuclear Disarmament (WAND), Dr. Caldicott has been called a "peace warrior" because of her opposition to nuclear weapons and her devotion to the welfare of the planet earth.

Our conservative opposition party coalition want to build nuclear power stations in Australia and restrict the expansion of renewable energy. This will be hugely expensive and take decades to build, while renewable power and battery storage technology are advancing at astonishing speeds, as the infrastructure to deal with and direct the power also proceeds. Some Australian states have laws banning nuclear production energy, (thanks for your work Helen). Nuclear power is just not going to happen in Australia as it simply not needed, even if the conservative party is elected. At best in its first term in office it may make plans, if re-elected once, it might do surveys. The next Labor government would probably just chuck the plans in the bin. 

Dr Caldicott wasn't the only anti nuclear campaigner, with her being in good company. Nevertheless, she was the anti nuclear campaigner figurehead and we are indebted to her. She is 86 now, and still busy doing what she has always done, that is trying to make the world a better place.

A former Prime Minister brought a lump of coal into Parliament and handed it around to fellow politicians. "This is coal", he said. "It is nothing to be afraid of". I wonder if the leader of His Majesty's Opposition Party will bring some uranium into parliament to hand around, with the advice it is nothing to be afraid of. 

A shocking discovery

of my unfitness

I felt a little stir crazy this morning as I had to stay home to await my meals on wheels food delivery, and even though the lady came early, it had been pouring rain all morning.

Phyllis and Kosov were cuddling down in bed as the raindrops banged on their window. They did arise around noon, and promptly had a moment on my smart new carpet. There were no stains.

The rain stopped and I went into town after Debbie brought my meals on wheels. I had coffee and cake at Flinders Street Station, then caught a train to Southern Cross Station where I thought I might have more food. But no, I caught a 58 tram home as I was on a promise.

We will swim, in our building's pool, proclaimed Phyliss and Kosov. I haven't been there since Ray died, and even then, over the last few years I only went there to take photos of Ray and the greats when they visited. 

Phyliss said he would not swim, so Kosov and I swam and then took a spa, even though the jets had failed. The spa water was a  warm 37/99 degrees and it was cold outside now. Phyllis read his book. 

Shocko. I can no longer swim. I can lie on my back in the water and go backwards, but I can't swim forward over arm. I couldn't get my bottom half up from the bottom of the pool. I was kind of half dog paddling. Before you say it, I know a swimming trainer would get me swimming properly again, but I find swimming rather boring. 

After forty minutes of water experience, I returned upstairs to shower the chlorine away. Phyliss with his book and Kosov in the water stayed on. Kosov can swim very well although he said leg muscles were hurting. Good Kosov. You need to swim often to build your leg muscles. Yes Andrewwww. You can swim with me too. Fine Kosov, we will swim when I get up at 7am. That was the end of that.

About an hour and half later, I looked at the pool reflection in the glass building next door, and there was mop of black hair in the spa. Phyliss is in the water. They stayed at the pool for at least two hours, maybe more. 

So there you go. Today I learnt that I have lost the ability to swim and I am aerobically very unfit. I'm not surprised about the latter but losing the ability to swim? WTF? 

Monday Mural

Well, what do I have in the mural photo folder? 

Phyliss and Kosov went off to church tonight after spending three hours in the kitchen cooking fresh tamarind something with the outside temperature being 38/100. The air con must have been working hard. Phyliss wanted me to make bread in the bread maker, and I did have a packet of bread mix, just add water. I had a heavily buttered slice, but they have eaten a whole loaf! I did tell them it doesn't keep very well. 

As my father would say, Phyliss went off to church dressed up like a pox doctor's clerk. Kosov, his usual not noticeable style of dressing, although at times with a cap on, he can look like a threatening hoodie. St Francis apparently accepted the nominally Hindu Kosov and the pox doctor's clerk into the church. I asked Phyllis to say a prayer to St Francis for me, and Kosov to make a Hindu chant. 

Oh, yes murals. Faces! What are they thinking? 

Sunday Selections

Along with Elephant's Child, River and others, this is my contribution to Sunday Selections.

This bag was dumped in Footscray. It was stinking hot and in full sun so I did not check what was in the bag, but you can see an earphone lead hanging out. 

Another photo from one of our landings. I meant to make it a project to take photos of them all, but I am so busy with retired persons stuffs, I didn't follow through. 

The roof of the Elsternwick Hotel. 

At the corner of Swanston Street and Little Collins Street.

Flowers sent by his sisters for Ray's 75th birthday in March last year. 

Ian (Molly) Meldrum is a music legend. Unfortunately he fell a few years ago while putting up Christmas decorations and suffered a brain injury. I saw him a couple of times at his local, DT's hotel in Richmond in the '90s. 

The Corner Hotel in Richmond is famous and infamous as a live music venue and one night back in the mists of time, The Rolling Stones made an impromptu performance. Very few knew in advance. 

I believe this is Berwick library, where I've stopped a couple time to buy coffee nearby as I was on the way to family gatherings. 

Newish suburb, goodness knows where. I do remember taking the photo. 

"I needs sunflower seeds, please". 

No, you broke one of my porcelain pots a couple of decades ago. I know you live for decades, so it may well have been you. 

Hmm, some funny business has been going on here. Look at the oddly coloured petunia. The scissors sit there for deadheading.