Old bag pride

Phyliss is not a person who keeps his opinions to himself. I am quite proud of my collection of old plastic supermarket bags that I still use. I think I have enough to see me out, and then there are some brown paper carry bags too. No further environmental impact by me. 

"Andrewww, I bought you a bright and colourful shopping bag. I don't like those old supermarket ones you use." I used the bright and colourful shopping bag yesterday. It wasn't as practical as my old supermarket bags. Thanks Phyllis. I will continue using the bags I have. 

"Andrew, the tissue boxes are boring. Coles has more colourful tissue boxes."

"Quite so Phyllis, but Aldi 3 ply tissue boxes are quiet and calming colours. If you want other more expensive tissues, you buy them, and given the number of tissues you use, you will be barely able to afford them. Be grateful that I pay for your tissues. It wasn't part of the deal."

"Andrewww, can you tell Kosov that he dresses so badly when he comes to meet me after I finish work". Phyllis did have a point. I told Kosov to dress better, and he did, in pale blue close fitting jeans, with a nice tee and his rough canvas looking jacket over the top. He really did look quite hot, as one might at the age of 21.

My old age care package roast lamb is ok, but a little boring. Phyllis deconstructed my meal, removed most of the gravy and added pepper gravy, spiced up the the vegetables and it was a whole lot nicer than it normally is.

Another deconstructed meal by Phyllis. 

This is a close up of a ripe black plum. Delicious. But where the patch is in the photo, is where I ripped off the product sticker, and the skin came off with the sticker. When my hand bled after a group hug with Phyllis and Kosov, I applied a Band Aid. The next morning when I ripped off the Band Aid, my arm skin came off with it. Jesus, I ended with a bruised arm and two scabs, which thankfully fell off a day ago. 

Years ago Ray and I discussed over bench lighting when our kitchen was renovated. We asked our electrician about the cost of getting bench lighting, and decided no. Tech has moved on since then, so as a kind of toy for me and of benefit to Phyllis who is frequently in the kitchen, I bought a Mag Light from the inty netty thingie.

 

The lamp was substantially discounted and the website said a 40% discount would be applied at check out. It wasn't. I complained. The discount applied at the checkout was the discount that I saw for the price. I complained back that it was deceptive marketing, and the company again replied with such soothing words, I gave up. I am happy with the new lighting, above the air fryer. 

It's Grand Pricks weekend here. Ingrid will be glued to the tv screen for the car racing, in memory of her husband Ricardo's interest in motor sport. No, Ingrid? 

GP means the bogans invade the bougies. I am not saying my niece is a bogan, but she and her husband, with two of their friends will park in one of my car parking spaces today as they visit the car racing event. The husband has some kind of motor business, and so has a professional interest. I wonder if Oldest Niece will want to bring their friends up to see her old age pensioner uncle's flat. I don't care either way, but I have instructed Phyllis and Kosov to ensure the place is spotless, and remove their bucket and bailing dish from the main toilet.

Two days ago my right hand middle finger swelled up and became red. Thy body will heal itself, I thought. It wasn't. I saw my doctor yesterday and he prescribed antibiotics for fingernail bed infection. Once home, I noticed that above my elbow on the underside had swelled too and was red. Clearly thy body was not healing itself. The antibiotics will work, I am sure. 

I made a return visit to a neurologist at the public hospital movement disorder clinic this week. After drawing spirals with either hand on the paper, we agreed to maintain the status quo with the current drugs I take for my shaking hands. She did explain other more interventive treatment options. Apparently, you can grab and grip some balls for a short time to give temporary relief before you go out for dinner at night, and the vibrating balls will give you temporary relief. I will be reviewed in six months.

I don't know why I do it, but I like to charge up Ray's phone, tablet and watch every so often. It went wrong today with the charging bar flashing orange lights and not working. I Googled and it was to do with plug interface, it seemed. I tried two other charging leads, with the same result. Third time lucky and I was able to charge Ray's Samsung watch, charge and update his phone and its apps. So all is ready for his return, except he won't. 

 

So that's my bloomin' lot.

Friday Funnies

League of Gentlemen was a British tv show. Rather than make you laugh, it was very good at making you feeling uncomfortable. 

This is not the worst. I wasn't sure if to post the original or this one by the US guy made while watching it. I thought the guy watching it was worthwhile. 

Someone, somewhere mention the English comedian Harry Enfield, who is unknown to me, and down the rabbit hole I went. Close to two hours later, this clip grabbed my attention. The woman's brain made me laugh heartily. Lol at the first mention of BBC (try Urban Dictionary, if you don't know), and towards the end, I was surprised he didn't know the name of the most famous media broadcaster in the world, BBC. 

Listen to the Stentophone

Stentophone is a new word to me, and apparently a new word to spellchecker.  How about you?

I found this a great read,

https://www.ianvisits.co.uk/articles/the-birth-of-stand-on-the-right-how-londons-first-recorded-escalator-announcement-shaped-tube-etiquette-79638/

It has always seemed a queer thing to me that while British drive on the left, I think generally walk on the left, and trains mostly run on the left, on an escalator you pass by on the left and those standing on the escalator, stand on the right. As far as I know, convention around the world follows the side of the road you drive on; you overtake on the right of a left travelling vehicle, or person. I note for Japan, it varies from area to area.

In Melbourne I am always interested in guessing about those who stand on the right of the escalator, clearly ignorant of the stand on the left custom. At some underground railway stations, it does say stand to the left. Department stores are even worse. Such people will not be regular users of escalators, and so I can mentally place them in a box. "You aren't folk from around here then?", to quote a line from something. 

Didi, the bad and good

When Phyllis travelled home to southern India last year, he was so overloaded with luggage. Students receive a special luggage allowance, about 60/133. While Kosov was going with him to the airport using public transport, they would have to leave two hours earlier than if they took a cab. I felt sorry for them and ordered a Didi at my cost, which is like Uber but better in my opinion.

As we walked out the front door of the building, the Didi pulled up, luggage was loaded, goodbyes said, and off they went. 

A email receipt arrived promptly with a breakdown of the charges, and there was a $1.10 waiting charge. That was annoying as there wasn't any waiting. I should have complained but for $1.10? Doing so would be a bother.

Then came an expose of scandalous activity by taxi drivers and those who manage them. This is good timing to complain about the $1.10. 

I received a flight refund rather than a flight credit when Ray died, I believe partly because I made the request right when there were scandalous headlines about airline companies. (Bit of a pattern here, no?)

I looked at the Didi website and lord help you if you need to contact the company. I could not find a way to do so. The next time I used a Didi, I noticed on the app, a button to dispute charges, so I did so with a brief written line or two. Within a minute or so, my phone alerted me to a bank transaction, and sure enough, the $1.10 had been credited to my account. Yes, it is nothing to me, but if a driver does this multiple times, it can add up. It seems Didi's driver monitoring systems are vastly superior to our taxi industry.

While for a different reason, a similar thing occurred to a friend when he disputed a charge. 

I've used Didi a few times since, usually when I go to a pub to meet friends for dinner, and there hasn't been a charging problem. 

The email receipt gives a good break down, and the app works very well. This was from Sunday night when I was coming home from a pub, hence no Monday Mural post. I was going to catch a tram but it was just too hot and a bit of a walk. 

Total $11.37 Fare Breakdown Fare $9.80 Duration 11 min Booking Fee $0.55 Government Transport Levy $1.32 Fuel Surcharge $0.12 Handling Fee $0.17 Voucher -$0.59 Payment Method Credit / Debit Card -$11.37

 

Sunday Selections

I'm joining with River and others for Sunday Selections.

I will guess this is the horse water trough near Lonsdale and Russel Street, somewhere near there. No sign of a thirsty horse.

The Montague Street Bridge is frequently hit by vehicles. It is low. In the very early 20th century, the pavement was raised to prevent flooding of the roadway. It is 3 metres in height, (see if I can remember how to write it), 9'10".

I felt sorry for the couple who arrived by ferry from our island state of Tasmania in their campervan. They drove under the bridge and Monty took off their roof top aircon unit. 

These overhead rubber slapper strips hit the top of over height vehicles to warn them, yet the warning is ignored and trucks and vans proceed, only to have the top of their vehicles removed by Monty.

 

It is nice to see people battle a chess game in public. 

With a tram stop and the entrance to Melbourne Central Station and shopping centre across the road, the State Library forecourt is always so busy. 

Aw, bless. He was very good.

A dog cooling off at the water feature at Prahran Square.

Before Ray died, we had bought the airfryer, and he was becoming expert at cooking with airfryer. The barbeque was no longer being used. Hippie Niece and her partner now have it, and are using it. Even though you barbeque with the lid down, it still made a mess with fat everywhere. 

All stuff that has gone to the charity shop.

A handsome dude in an advertising display at a tram stop. His teeth are a bit too white.