Personal bits

Yesterday I was burnt by liquid nitrogen at The Alfred Hospital, under my right big toe, a wart apparently, and under my left eye for sun damaged skin. At times, waits can be a bit too long, but on the whole I have received excellent treatment as a public patient at The Alf. Our Medicare system ensures no cost to the user of public hospitals. Generally, that is.

On the way home into the lift came my 'dead in bed' neighbour HH, who I communicate with daily to ensure we are both alive. She has her older sister staying with her, and the older sister spoke very old school posh. I said as I was leaving after being invited in for a chat, 'Today's trivia is that in the old and tall flat block we can see in South Yarra, lived Una Fraser, the mother of the late Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser'. 

HH's sister chipped in with an amusing anecdote. "We were leaving a reception at the Australian embassy in Seoul when out taxi driver yelled at us, 'Look, look, your king has fallen into the gutter'". The driver was referring to Malcolm Fraser. I remember Fraser losing his pants somewhere in the Tennessee, and there was another indiscretion too. Marcellous? NB, he was not our king but Prime Minister. 

Last night was take away pizza, except I had it delivered and did not take it away. Peri peri chicken pizza, very nice. 

Last Sunday was the family party for Jo's 18th birthday. All the family were there and it was a great gathering. The venue was perfect, a boating venue on Swan Lake. The water looked so clear and beautiful. The decking has seats and tables overlooking the calm water. The gazillion young kiddies caught crabs from boat ramps. No child fell in the water, and the crabs were returned safely to the water. 

Phyllis and Kosov were with me, and while they had met some family, they met all and people were very nice to them. They connected well with the kiddies, but the load on their social batteries was high. Quite high on mine too. 

Sister had cooked three dishes for around 25 people, and Phyllis contributed a curry and brought along his rice cooker.

Sister teaches senior boys at a posh private school, and is inclined to be bossy. She is a great organiser, but can be bossy out of school too. We three adoring brothers don't take too much notice, but I did apologise to Phyllis regarding her snappiness on the day. Phyllis replied, she was very stressed, which is quite true. A good time was had by all. 

We were right next to the railway line of the Bellarine Express, with the train passing by several times. The first time it passed everyone went out to wave at the Thomas train. I took a last minute video.

Friday Funny

This is a clip from a comedy tv show, broadcast after the kiddies have gone to bed. You are warned. Three metres in the old money is close to ten feet. The bridge has its own website and Facebook group. A couple of weeks ago, the bridge was slammed three times in three days. The bridge always wins.

Ghost Trams

There was some botheration in Chapel Street last Saturday night, with hoons doing car burnouts and general bad and risky driving. I suppose the Route 78 tram was disrupted, probably just running from North Richmond to Toorak Road where it can turn back a short distance past the beginning of Chapel Street. It was also a possible a tram could run from the southern Balaclava terminus to Dandenong Road. That still leaves quite a gap in between. 

I thought I would take a look at the Route 78 on Saturday night, and down the rabbit hole I went. Route 78 is one of two Melbourne routes than don't travel via the city. It would probably have the highest count of hop on hop off travellers for its distance in Melbourne, and probably the highest fare evasion too. I've never seen ticket inspectors checking tickets. 

Here we go, and I'll try to keep it simple. Route 78 is operated by Kew Tram Depot a few kilometres from the North Richmond terminus.  That means when the service closes for the evening, all trams return to Kew Depot, via the North Richmond terminus.

The last three trams from North Richmond arrive at the Balaclava terminus at 1.18am, 1.37am and 1.55am, and the last service from Balaclava to North Richmond leaves at 1.24am. We can assume the tram that arrives at Balaclava at 1.18 becomes the 1.24 to North Richmond. 

But there are still two trams to arrive at Balaclava, 1.37 and 1.55, that need to return to the Kew Depot. Why aren't they shown on the timetable as returning to North Richmond then Kew Depot? They can't just go 'poof' in a cloud of smoke and disappear, so how do they get back?

Obviously they do return via North Richmond and Kew Depot, as ghost trams. They are not listed on timetables and I don't know if they show on apps, but after contacting my tram driver contact who knows all things trams, they do take customers passengers. So the last tram from Balaclava to North Richmond is not actually 1.24 but some time after 1.55. 

Twenty years ago, Chapel Street traffic on Friday and Saturday nights could be diabolical, with trams not moving faster in some areas than walking pace, or stationary in traffic for long periods. I don't know about the current situation and I have no intention of staying up late to find out. So, the above could be quite theoretical if the service falls apart as it used to on those two nights. 

I expect the same would happen with the other non city tram, Route 82, but your brain is already hurting so I won't check.

The service is operated by small and boxy A Class trams, one of two routes where they normally operate. They were the last trams built without air conditioning in the mid 1980s, and have high steps to enter. Chapel Street does not have one platform stop, all are at road level. Air con was installed in the driver's cabins at each end a number of years ago. 

An A Class tram. By Bahnfrend - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=37653884

Point Lonsdale 3

For the last couple of days, Phyllis and Kosov came down to join me at Sister's. I picked them up from South Geelong Station, the L plates went on the car, and off we went towards Torquay to visit Fire Fighting Nephew, his wife, five year old daughter and two year old twin boys. Phyllis and Kosov charmed the socks off the kiddies with so much fun. It was the first time they had met. Along the way, we had stopped somewhere at an Aldi for some dinner requirements.

By the time we left Torquay the light was failing and Phyllis experienced some night time driving on the way to Sister's. 

 

I had checked out my grandmother's china, now in the possession of Sister. 

This is a huge dinner set, with I think some pieces missing.

The cats soon became used to the visitors, working away in the kitchen.

My dinner, delicious. 

I took them to explore Queenscliff, well Phyllis drove. This diving helmet charging station was a bit weird. 

I had booked a train trip on the Bellarine Express steam train.

School holidays, so we were being towed by the Thomas engine.

We visited Ocean Grove and some el cheapo shops. This amused me, as there were lines for you name, the websites and your passwords. 

Phyllis and Kosov cooked a chicken curry for the evening meal. The next morning, the cats found my remaining shower water rather interesting. 

Does that mean they like me? 

I can't remember where I took this photo. 

Oh dear, the shadow. 

Never stop complaining

I heard it on the radio, so it must be true.

Not so. A public figure made a statement on radio that I instinctively knew was wrong. I immediately sent a detailed message to the radio station pointing this out, but after he had left the studio. The station called me and asked if I would like to go to air to speak about what I had I messaged. I declined. I am not a great speaker and I would have needed time to think. I checked a couple of websites and I was right, the public figure wrong. 

There was some doubt on the radio about the validity of what the public figure had said, but the broadcaster has more important things to focus on than small detail.

Let me tell you, I was cross as patch. The station dropped the matter and I stewed on it for a couple of days. The public figure is an ok guy, and has similar political views to myself, but that makes it worse. It is harder to hate and attack someone on your political side.

It became too much and I sent him an email. I know some of you will have guessed who I am talking about, too bad. Here are some excerpts from my email and his response, which I was quite surprised to receive. I consider his response was very decent and honest. There was a bit more that I am not displaying. So people, when public figures get it wrong, call them out. Just maybe not #47, who is immune to criticism. Misspoke in his response is as good as a mea culpa you will normally receive from a public figure. 

Me: 

I am very disappointed at your spruiking of misinformation about the closure of Bourke Street to trams on the 8th of August. You clearly stated the reason for the closure was for Yarra Trams works in Bourke Street, when it has become clear that the closure is for the opening of Mecca. 

It is very odd that Myer window Christmas crowds of a hundred people or more can safely be in Bourke Street with trams running, yet the opening of a shop needs to have trams stopped. If there is disruption to Bourke Street trams, they are normally rerouted to Latrobe Street. This may well cost Yarra Trams but if it happens for an event, I expect Yarra Trams wants compensation, and it seems obvious that Mecca was not prepared to pay.

The whole matter stinks...

Response:

I’m really sorry for the disappointment caused by my earlier communication regarding the Bourke Street tram closure. My intention was never to mislead or obscure the facts. I was just back from leave and invited to discuss the Mecca opening.

At the time, I was not across the detail on tram disruption and misspoke.

and when commercial interests appear to influence decisions that affect many. Your point about past events (like the Myer Christmas windows) proceeding without tram closures is a fair one, and raises valid questions.

Thank you again for holding me to account. I value thoughtful, constructive criticism like yours, and I’ll aim to do better in future.

Monday Mural

Yesterday was Jo's family birthday party. I am mentally exhausted and my social battery reached zero, but it was great. More detail later. 

I'll find a couple of not so good mural photos, and Sami's photos might be better, along with others.

A nicely painted utilities box.  

This one is pretty damn good. Be afraid. That's a serious flesh ripping beak. 

Point Lonsdale 2

This blinding flood light was coming straight in the kitchen from the neighbour behind. 

Shining through the leafless grape vine, the light at least it made some cool shadows on the back wall of the house. 

Sister said the couple with two young children, who have just moved into the house probably aren't aware of the light beam. 

Passenger trains from Geelong to Queenscliff ceased in I think, 1931 and I did not want the bother of parking in Geelong, so I drove to the suburban Waurn Ponds station and caught the train from there to Geelong.

Very few people like Melbourne Southern Cross Station, partly and although reasonably new, contains diesel fumes exceptionally well. It can be unbearable if the wind is in a certain direction. Back in the 1800s, the designer of  Geelong Station knew how to deal with fumes and smoke from steam trains, and it still works effectively today for diesel trains. 

I exited Geelong Station and meandered through the nearby Johnstone Park. The skies may be blue, but it was chilly. 

Its newish library.

The rotunda.

The art gallery.

It is such a well maintained park.

Looking up the street towards the town hall.

After food and coffee and a little wander around, I returned to the station and made my way back to Sister's. It became my afternoon habit to go to the local shops for coffee between three and four. 

Children don't feel the cold like adults. At Point Lonsdale Village it might have been about 13/56, cold.

At Point Lonsdale Beach, a couple of people did briefly enter the water for two minutes. Getting yourself salty and sticky for two minutes of cold water shock therapy seems dumb to me.