Hairdresser Friend's birthday was last Friday. We had tried to make an arrangement to catch up and kind of settled on the following Monday, but Friday morning she called me and asked if she could come for a drink and maybe have a meal across the road that night. So we did at Gentleman George, and I invited neighbour HH to join us. It was a really nice night together. Phyllis and Kosov were at work.
Phyllis had asked a week earlier if he could use my car on the Sunday to visit Healesville Sanctuary and I said yes. They packed up an Esky with food at 8 o'clock and set off. Instead they drove on to Marysville where we stayed a couple of nights last year, so they could see the avenue of honour of poplar trees in autumn colours. Nice.
Tuesday, with Phyllis having the car for work, I decided we desperately needed a can of gas to fill stove lighters, used here to light large deep candles. Don't ask. Carless, I decided to go to the big green shed in West Footscray, a quick trip thanks to the new Metro rail. However, I stopped off at Footscray first for coffee at Maples Cafe. As I walked along the street I passed a cigarette shop, paused and backtracked to the shop, and sure enough, it had cans of butane. No need to visit the big green shed.
I was just finishing my coffee in Footscray when neighbour HH called. On her way to Morning Melodies at Hamer Hall, she had fallen over and hurt herself. She limped in and sat through the performance, then afterwards a first aid person on duty strapped up her foot and she made her way home. She asked if I could take her to emergency at The Alfred, and I replied I would be home in half an hour and would do so. Thanks to a bit of luck with the Metro train and a tram, I was home within 25 minutes. Phyllis had my car at work, so I drove her in her car to The Alfred and dropped her off. Some detail has been left out, but no matter.
We messaged back and forth and she had to stay in overnight for a full round of scans and tests, as they would do with an 80 year old.
Kosov and I were just heading out the next morning to shop for girlie pants for Phyllis for his birthday when HH called to ask if I could pick her up. Sorry Kosov, and I drove my car to pick up HH. She had a chipped bone in her foot and a hairline fracture of one rib. She should be pretty well ok and out of any pain by the weekend. I offered her food and shopping, but she had all she needed in stock at home.
Today Kosov and I did go to the city, to a shop called Valley Girl to buy pants for Phyllis. Kosov knew exactly what he wanted. I assume the name Valley is a reference to the valley in California and not our industrial Latrobe Valley or Brisbane's 'interesting' Fortitude Valley. Valley of the Dolls was quite enlightening book to read for a rather young Andrew.
Oh, it is hard to write for an international audience and keep track of today and tomorrow, when as I write is today and tomorrow is my tomorrow but could be your today.
Tomorrow I am meeting up with Ex Sis in Law for lunch in Elwood, after I shop for Vim and topping up the cellar supply.
I have not heard back for the second quote for my car repair, but I have almost decided to buy a new car. I have not heard back if I will receive cash to compensate me for the extra electricity used to dry my apartment out after the flood, and today I submitted a painter's quote for paintwork damage for consideration by the Owners' Corp manager to forward to the insurance company.
Cooking can happen anytime in my kitchen, just not by me, and it is utter chaos. This evening the rice cooker was bubbling away, the range hood roaring, the microwave singing its tune regularly. Voices were loud as the pair bitched at each other, and a lovely meal was prepared for them to eat immediately and for me to eat later. Jass sat watching them and then after eating they both went to work. Jass looked quite desolate at the end of entertainment and the disappearance of her two fave men, with silence reigning over the apartment and just boring old me at home. She sat near the door, hoping they would soon return, but they won't until after midnight.


Lovely photos, Andrew! So you use a gas stove. I have an electric one. There used to be many gas stoves here in Montreal but it seems they are slowly replacing them with electric ones. (safety reasons, I think)
ReplyDeleteIt is not a boring life, by any means! Electric here, had gas in Montreal and it terrified me!
ReplyDeleteHow could all that be boring ? Sounds like a whirlwind of activity to me.
ReplyDeleteI thought the same thing. lol I cannot get over how pretty Jass' coat is. Best wishes to all, my dear. And good luck on getting fair compensation for all the trials and inconveniences.
DeleteWay less boring than my retired life!
ReplyDeleteThat's a week's worth of activity around here! Boring, no.
ReplyDeleteI wonder, do Phylis and Kosov know how Jass pines for them when they leave for work?
ReplyDeleteWill Jay
They do. I told them.
DeleteI'm a bit awkward with matches, so I can understand using a stove lighter to light a candle.
ReplyDeleteLonely yes, but boring hardly! You go to coffee shops and country towns I don't even know about. And then fix your excellent memories in the blog.
ReplyDeleteYou had a very busy day and I'm glad that your neighbor is ok and that you guys could help her out.
ReplyDeletePoor Jazz. She's so pretty.
You are a very kind person, Andrew. Your dear friends are lucky to have you as their friend.
ReplyDeleteYou've had a busy time. HH must be very glad to have you as a friend and caring neighbour.
ReplyDeleteCats have a particular gift for making their humans feel bad!
Poor Jass, all alone with no one to play with. I am glad the fall wasn't more serious, some 80 year olds are quite delicate. I wonder about her pain being gone by the weekend though. My own hairline cracked rib hurt for a month! I remember those stove lighters, I had a couple and gave them to my sons when I moved here where the stove is effing electric.
ReplyDeleteThursday evening River, she is still in pain.
DeleteNot boring at all! What on earth are "girlie pants"?!
ReplyDeleteGlad HH escaped serious damage in her fall.
i am curious too. I guess in my mind pants are by definition unisex.
DeleteI would like to know more about these "girlie" pants too! Pictures would be helpful.
DeleteSee tomorrow's post River.
Delete"an esky" - what the hell? I had to check and found that it derives from an Australian brand "the Eskimo cooler." So now I know another Aussie term along with "Afo" etc. Roderick
ReplyDeleteI did link the word to Wikipedia's article, Roderick. The correct spelling for the slang for afternoon is arvo. Servo for service station, petrol/gas, is another popular one.
DeleteSomehow the days fill up, Andrew.
ReplyDeleteIt all sounds wildly exciting to this 82yo. You are out and about and being super helpful to all who know you. Bravo from me, housebound and admittedly a little cranky. I have some work that is frying my brain and some old films on Criterion which distract me. Throw in a bit of knitting and that's me.
ReplyDeleteXO
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