Hey Hey. It's Saturday

Hey Hey It's Saturday began as a children's programme broadcast Saturday morning. It went a bit further than just being a kid's show and gathered an adult audience. The show was moved to Saturday night and became very successful. There were some terrific moments in the show over the years. It eventually fell out of favour and was cancelled, and a revival attempt several years later did not succeed. 

It was often entertainment in the background for us as we primped and preened ourselves before going out Saturday night at around 10pm. Yes, kiddies, we went out early back in the olden days, not at midnight. 

One of our favourite segments was Media Watch, no connection to the current hard hitting ABC Media Watch now broadcast, with it's focus on poor media and journalism.

Typos, poor grammar and poor punctuation have alway been with us. I had a good laugh at the not so subtle humour. 

Feline Friday

You are all dying to know how Jass has settled in. No? The girl likes the boys, with Phyllis being second in line, after Kosov. I am third on the tree. 

Official portrait photo of the High Rise Queen Jass wearing her regal purple hat. 

Haz I settled in and feeling relaxed? She keeps sitting on the warm chair that I have left. I can change lounge chairs, but not my computer chair. I metaphorically kick her off. 

What tv show is this, wonders Jass.

I'm a girl cat and I need to feed my kittens. This interests me.

Food, close by.

I can catch food.

"I don't like the boiled and cooled water from my bowl. I like the chlorinated and fluoridated water straight from the tap best." That the rule that she isn't allowed on kitchen benches seems to be ignored. No one told Jass this important hygiene point. I pick her up and put her down, but no one else does. 

Oldest Niece's cat Trixie, rather like Jass. 

One week has passed and today Jass will visit a vet nurse to check that her spey wound has healed nicely. It has, and that she is thriving. She is due a flu vax too, so I hope that can be done at the time.

The shelter suggested Jass could come down with a cold once she left the shelter. She has. Kosov thinks she is dying and must be rushed to a vet hospital. She has sneezed a few times and made coughing noises.

Ondrewww, she is lethargic during the day and sleeps a lot. 

Yes, Kosov, that is what cats do, and she just jumped up onto the bench, so that doesn't indicate lethargy. 

Ondrewwww, she is unsettled and awake at night.

Yes Kosov, that's because she has been sleeping during the day and cats are nocturnal animals. 

Ondrewwww, there is muck running from her eye. 

Yes Kosov. I know the experience well. She has a cold and that is to be expected.

Ondrewwww, her poo smells bad. 

Yes Kosov. Cat poo smells bad.

Ondrewwww, I am worried about her health. I've never had responsibility for a living creature.

I hugged Kosov and told him not to be a silly duffer and not to worry, and to stop being a hypochondriac on behalf of Jass. He lightened up then.

I talked on. We had three cats, one uncontrollable and killed by a car, the other two dying of old age. I kind of know about cats. Trust me Kosov. If I judge she needs medical treatment, I will take her straight away. 

Apparently a cat harness with a pretty pink bow has been ordered from Temu. Jass may then visit 'the outside world'. 

I wouldn't be dead for quids. 

Thursday Thoughts

No matter how much many despise MAGA, what it stands for and what it preaches, no one should be killed for their political views, and they are entitled to voice their opinions in public, as long as it isn't hate speech.

From what I can understand the victim, one Charlie Kirk, was a preacher of hate speech. As he was shot, he was talking about transgender people being guilty of more mass shootings than??? I know this 'fact' has been well and truly debunked. So, I suggest he was talking hate speech. That of course doesn't make him in any way a target for murder.

It disturbs me that such a preacher of hate is allowed to speak on university campuses, and if he holds strong MAGA views, that automatically makes him a chronic liar and distorter of the truth.

What further disturbed me was that a man in the crowd who was interviewed by media, had brought along his three year old daughter to hear lies and hate. I think MAGA and #47 are so bad, letting children hear the vitriol they spout, it is a form of child abuse. 

What is obviously happening in the US is not democracy at work but an extreme abuse of power. The country has turned into one where political differences can no longer be ignored to keep society polite and workable, but of two different sides venomously hating each other. I think this began with #45's presidency, exacerbated by Covid and the planted doubt about the result of the 2021 election leading to criminal behaviour as the White House was attacked. 

Murder is wrong, but don't expect me to shed any tears over Kirk's death. 

Local meteorites

When Covid travel restrictions were imposed in 2020 and we stopped using public transport, we would drive to Prahran about once a week for shopping and a bite to eat. Even when the weather was at its coldest, we always sat in Prahran square with whatever food we bought, and coffee. The fountain was comforting. I still do the same some five years later, except I now do it on my own. 

I love the fountain, especially in warmer weather when kiddies run through the water and get soaking wet. Some are tentative and some are full on into the jets. Some dogs like getting wet and the pigeons like to bathe there. 

But a month or so ago, I observed a meteorite had fallen on the fountain. A guard had been placed and he was smoking hot, but I neglected to stalk photograph him. 

More meteorites fell. It was cool to walk among them, to poke them to find out the surface was a soft fabric. Then I found the fans that kept them inflated. It was a bit of a fun experience. 

I believe they made fine night time light displays, but old people like me don't go out after dark 

  

Not right

In reference to yesterday's post, the women I mentioned were all strong women and had the fortitude and self confidence to leave their abusive partners. As we know, not all women have this personal confidence, or resources to do the same. 

Anyway, just to go on with even more negativity, I had a hospital appointment yesterday at a branch of our major hospital, The Alfred. I caught the 605 bus to Caulfield and was there in time for my appointment at 4.10. It was originally 3.50, then 4.00, then 4.10. Such time precision should lead to timely appointment. 

It wasn't. Staff began to leave, the waiting area cleared, no staff seemed to be around anymore. There was one other person in the waiting area, who had arrived before I had. At 5.10, one hour later, I went back to reception to query the wait. Reception staff had gone home, and so did I, catching the 5.16 bus. I missed the appointment.

I am prepared to suffer the consequences of the hospital breaking the appointment and me leaving. Eff 'em.

I caught the bus partly because I prefer public transport around the inner city, but the 605 meanders a lot and it is slow trip, but about the same if I caught a tram and walked a few hundred metres. What I have preferred was to take the car. There is adequate parking, costing $10. But, you have to pay for the parking with gold coins, so a minimum of five $2 coins or ten $1 coins. This is hard to believe. Apparently there is a change machine inside, where you can change a note for coins. Well, I used to carry around a $20 note for emergency purposes, but after a couple of years of not using it, I just don't carry cash of any kind. 2025, and you need a pocket full of coins! How absurd.

So that was three hours of my life absolutely wasted, except I caught up on some podcasts, and quite enjoyed the passing scenery, and observing how the bus was used by other travellers. It is quite an on/off bus service, meaning there are never a lot of people on at once, but people are constantly getting on and off. 

I will make a complaint to the hospital.

I hope to post something a bit more positive tomorrow. 

Busy

My step mother was about 87 and her partner 97. They lived in northern Victoria and a couple of weeks ago, he went into a care facility, where he was doing very well and thriving. Step Mother moved to her daughter's in the Latrobe Valley a few days ago.

Yesterday in the very early morning, she had a massive stroke and under the care of ambulance folk, she died. It was a full on day for me as I met up with Ex Sis in Law to see my step mother rather too late. I last saw her two years ago. I lived with her and my father for about five years when I was young. 

Her body was still in the bed until the funeral directors arrived and took her away. Her dog was under her bed and had to be pulled out and taken away as her body was removed. Her dog will fret for a time. 

It was five hours of driving and lots of emotions and memories. I and Ex Sis in Law weren't short of conversation during the long drive, with her at the wheel. 

Step mother suffered domestic violence by her first husband. 

I was on a roll. 

Step sister suffered domestic violence from her first husband. After leaving him, she was 27 and met a 17 year old guy, and they have been happy ever after, in spite of all that has been thrown at them. He is the loveliest of people.

Step mother's sister in law suffered domestic violence by her husband, that being step mother's brother.  He's an arrogant prick and I will try to avoid him at the funeral. 

Rough, and I feel rough. I'll get back to the world of blog soon.  

Monday Mural

Along with Sami and others, here is my effort for the day with a couple of sweet little murals, taken back in August last year.

We are catted

The joke line about pussy hunting had worn thin, so I did not use it today. 

Ok Phyllis, I replied, we will leave at 11.00 to go to the Lost Dogs' Home to choose a cat. We left home at 11.30. We were going to catch a train to Macaulay Station and walk from there, but Phyllis asked if we could drive. He did, through the city with me guiding him.

Just to remind you, once my inheritance came from my mother two years ago, my youngest brother wanted to repay money he owed me. I had kept a record for a while and then deleted the file. Mother was an animal lover, so I told him to donate the $800 to the Lost Dogs Home, and he did, in my name, in person, in cash. Maybe three times I have caught the train Macaulay Station to donate old but still reasonably ok towels. 

I saw what the towels were used for today, and they are put to many uses. 

Phyllis confidently drove us to look at cats. I was prepared to choose one and then return later to collect it, after buying what we needed for a cat. It took forever to find a parking space. We should have caught the train. 

We arrived at 12.10 and a guard greeted us with, sorry, staff shortages. It is closed for lunch between 12 and 1. I Googled and found The Goat Cafe, or something like that. A bite to eat and coffee for me killed some time, then we saw there was a Woolworths across the road, and I could get one item that I needed at home. Phyllis and Kosov bought a bahn mi to share. We had walked through an off leash dog park to get there. I only saw one small pile. People are very good about picking up dog droppings. 

Back at the shelter, I had to fill in an online form. I was stressed and my hands were shaking badly. I handed my phone to Phyllis to fill in the online form. As soon as it uploaded, we were taken to see the cats on offer. All the cats on offer have been humanised, if that is a word. They are fine to take home as a home pet. They are turned over quite quickly, and so once we chose, the cat could not be held for us. We had to take it then and there, but we had no cat care equipment. Can we do this guys, I asked of Phyllis and Kosov. Yes, we can. Back in reception there was more form filling in, and auto registering with the local council, free for old people like me. Scan of driving license, scan of pension card for council registration, free for old age pensioners like me. 

At reception there was a package of a litter tray, litter, a dual food and water bowl, and a catnip filled fish soft toy. We bought the pack, along with the some discounted high quality food that the cat was used to. That required a lot of work on my phone. I handed it over to Kosov to finish this time. My hand tremors had become worse. 

Choosing the cat was heartbreaking. They were all great. We narrowed it down to two, a four year old male and a one year old female. 

Back and forth we went, what do you think, no, what do you think, no what do you think. Kosov and I were more inclined to the four year old grey male, but Phyllis was enchanted by the one year old female, though he liked the male cat too. This went on for half an hour. Eventually I said to Kosov, look Phyllis really wants the female. If Phyllis is not happy, we won't be happy. 

Her introduction to The Highrise went well enough. We decided Phyllis' and Kosov's bedroom would be her safe space and she slept with them overnight. Kosov slept well but Phyllis did not. She had her toilet tray there, and food and water bowls. The toilet tray is now in the bathroom. 

The next day we went out for shopping for cat stuffs. We bought a collar, a cat play house come tower, different cat litter that didn't look like chook food pellets, and something else I can't remember.

We came home to find a lump under my bed doona, and there she was. 

She once scratched at my sliding wardrobe door. Then I actually saw her push the door open and go inside my wardrobe where she curled up. If I go out onto the balcony, she really wants to come with me, to the outside world. I think she has crammed a lot into her one year of life.

Phyllis and Kosov have made a great effort with her. She was fed more mid afternoon, forcing me to spell out the food rules. Dry food at 7am and wet food at 7pm. If she doesn't finish her food, it goes in the bin, and give her less the next time. She can have tiny snacks during the day. 

This Saturday mid cat 'thing' shopping, Bone Doctor sent me a message that she would be passing by this evening and could we have a Thai dinner across the road Of course. That was nice, but my head is done in, and I am looking forward to Sunday with nothing to do, aside from self indulgence, and monitoring the cat.

The cone is to stop her licking her spey wound. 

I never knew there was a gap under the oven, but she found it. I blocked it off with the old keyboard and something I grabbed. Once the cone is off, I will unblock the gap. I doubt she will be interested. 

So, here she is, on my vanity.

In their bedroom, uninterested in the catnip fish toy. 

Assembling the cat entertainment house, which has not interested her at all, yet. 

What can you say beyond, aww bless. 

We did not like her name, and after about 30 hours (No Phyllis, she is not going to be called Blaze), I think we have decided on Jass. Does Jass look a bit like Cloudia's Pixie?

Thelma's cat is 22 years old. That takes me to being ninety years old. If the lads can't keep her should I die, my sister or niece will take her in.