Melbourne Excitement

It was hard not to get excited this Friday as in front of 100,000 spectators the Los Angeles Rams lost to the San Francisco 49ers, and without knowing the scoring system, it sounds like a score 7 to 27 is a decisive win to the 49ers. A trouncing perhaps.

This made Melburnians very happy. The US football team, the 49ers had been in Melbourne for several days before the match, acclimatising to the weather, around a cool but ok daytime average of 15/59 this week, and of course the time change. The team made itself popular by being out and about around town, spotted my many. Melbourne chalked up great respect for the team.

This contrasts with the LA Rams, who arrived the day before the game, and we never got to know them. All about hearts and minds, and don't forget that.

I suppose it was a coincidence that the match was played on 9/11, or 11/09 here, probably 8/11 in the US. Now that vile creature #47 is claiming he was carried from the site by firefighters, without any trace of evidence that anyone can find. But he is not spoiling my post. 

The match was a great spectacle for our city, although there are only guesses about what it cost our State of Victoria, AU$15 million to AU$45 million. It is, psst, commercial in confidence. I have the view that taxpayers are entitled to know. 

Sister and Bone Doctor arrived at 3pm the evening before to stay the night. They went into town to soak up the atmosphere, and returned at 5.15 for drinks and nibbles and I had invited HH up to meet them for the first time. They were super impressed to learn about her son who was an international Australian Rugby Union champion player, and her daughter's son being a worker at Hobbiton in New Zealand.

I had invited HH to join us for dinner in town but she had tickets to see the stage show musical Pretty Women with a friend. We three dined at the Swiss Club in town and soaked up the atmosphere in the city.

Next morning was an early start as they needed to be at the football venue by 9.00 and we went out for breakfast first, at around 7.30. That totally turned my normal morning upside down, and my arthritis kicked in with a vengeance. I try not to take painkillers, but I did Friday morning.

Eventually by midday I felt ready to go out again, where I visited Hosier Lane to check out the NFL murals. I'll post them Monday.

A woman boarded the tram as I did, with two young boys. She looked familiar. Here is an edited text of what I sent to HH. The woman on the tram was our neighbour for a couple of years.

I boarded the tram below to travel to the city today and a woman got on at the same stop with two young boys. She looked familiar. I thought is it or isn't it? I was guessing the age of the boys and it added up. I was going to get off at Flinders Street to take photos of the NFL murals in Hosier Lane, but they left at the Arts Centre. I made a last minute decision and jumped off too. I still wasn't 100% sure, so with her back to me I called out S. No harm if it wasn't her. She spun around and sure enough, and funny that we mentioned her the other day, it was S and her boys R and D. She has lost weight and looked pretty good. I had a chat to her for a few minutes and then the boys began to get restless, so they went off to visit the Gallery and I caught the next tram to Flinders Street. She and T are living in Mount Martha, and he is working in Emergency at I assume, F Hospital. He was at the NFL match, having caught a bus from F at 7.00 this morning and they were all staying a couple of nights in the city, perhaps nearby. Of course she didn't know about Ray's death so I filled her in but there wasn't much time to chat.  

Anyway, it was a nice little catch up.   

After the match Bone Doctor went back to Geelong Station by train, to take Jo's car home. Sister arrived back here around 5.00 and Jo is in town with friends as I type and she will come here and then Sister and Jo will drive home.

Phyllis has cooked butter chicken, rice and Kosov is heating some roti for dinner and there is enough to share with Sister. 

I suppose we all know a bit more about NFL now, and what we used to call Gridiron, has been a great success. Probably just a one off though, although we will remain 49ers supporters if we ever hear any news about them.

Photos from the evening before:

Flinders Street Station.

               

Senior Moments

Ray's sister gave us a money box, which if you had an incident of a senior forgetfulness, you were required to put a coin in the money box.

For some years, from the beginning of Covid, I never paid cash anywhere. Now at times I do, and I get change back, with coins going into the Senior Moment money box. Today I emptied it into the device at the bank and it slowly counted the coins, rejecting one foreign coin, and the total was $30. Amazing how it mounts up.  

Senior Moment fell out of fashion for 'brain fog'. 

Call it either, I have no idea where I was going with this post below. I really should have pasted in the FB link, and I would have remembered. But wait, I did put the link in that takes you to Huffington Post but to nothing specific. Oh well. Tough tittie. My words of wisdom will not be written. 

A horrible irony: The Internet was a boon to introverts, who have found a social life they never had and "met" countless people on Facebook, etc., and who are very comfortable in correspondence, such as in interviews like this,

A grave cosmetic error

Josh Cavallo is a nice looking guy. He is a champion soccer/football player, once for our national youth football team.

He has played for many different leagues as a champion player and it seems he is now playing for England's National League North side, Peterborough Sports. 

He identified as being gay in 2021, and it is said he was the first top rated professional player to do so. It probably goes without saying he subsequently suffered a lot of homophobia.

As I mentioned, I think he is nice looking, ok a hot guy, that is until...

he opens his mouth. His teeth are an absolute disaster. What possessed him?

With his to be husband, Leighton.

Not Dead

It's a bit of a story here whereby a hospital began to notify relatives that a woman had died, when she hadn't. In fact she had no connection to the hospital aside from once receiving a referral to the hospital, which she never followed up.

In Queensland police were sent to inform her elderly aunt of the hospital patient's death.

It is hard to imagine how this could happen. If you attend a hospital, every medical person you see will check your details, including your birth date and at times your home address and phone number. 

Believe me, I know, and I am repeating what I wrote at the time.

I was to have surgery to remove a melanoma on the back of my neck. I attended the hospital to see a consulting specialist and this was the one time when I wasn't asked my birth date.

She began detailing the planned treatments to my chest, how deep the cuts would go, all the information I needed to know, but I was puzzled. She was clearly puzzled herself, as the realisation dawned on her that chest treatment wasn't matching the neck issue. Eventually she said, 'There something really wrong happening here'. Details were checked, and of course she was so apologetic about the mix up.

It took me time to realise what had happened. There was a patient there with the same first name as mine, and a similar sounding surname. When his name was called, I thought it was my name and stood up and went with the surgeon to a consulting room. 

And she was the only medical person in a hospital who did not check my date of birth. 

There was also some confusion once at the pharmacy that provides my drugs, and I expect it was the same person who was wrongly confused by the hospital.

Never get tired of having your birthdate checked in hospital. It is so important, and if you suspect you are wrongly identified, speak up straight away, because none of you want to know the extreme treatments you might undergo when it was not about you and your treatment will be much simpler. 

Your wrist band should be checked if you are an inpatient. I'm sure Nurse Pixie was always thorough about this. 

My Doc

Dr Beng Eu has been my doctor for nigh on  thirty years. Always have a doctor younger than you was the mantra, and I did. But as I haven't aged at all, I've noticed he has. He was a pretty hot and sexy guy when he was younger.

One should not think about one's doctor in any kind of sexual manner, but still... 

Beside him being my GP (general practitioner doctor) he is a bit of a high achiever, with him being an early part owner of the practice, Prahran Market Clinic. While most of the clinic's patients are LBTQ... what ever else, straight people and conventional families also visit the clinic.

https://academicmedicaleducation.com/people/beng-eu-mbbs 

While I used to have to pay a fee, with our government paying about half the cost, now as an old age pensioner, I am no longer pay anything to see my doctor.

He is not afraid of the media.

He was quoted in our local electric newspaper about peptides here just this week, about two thirds down the page. I'll just paste it in.

Dr Beng Eu, a general practitioner and co-director of Prahran Market Clinic, said there had been a sharp increase in patients using experimental peptides for muscle building, skin care or biohacking. These products can be swallowed, injected or rubbed into the skin.

The doctor, who has been studying the rise of peptide use and is pushing for tighter regulations, said many of the substances had not even been tested on humans.

“It’s quite dodgy because they’re relying on studies which have been undertaken on rats,” he said. “There is no real safety data.”

Then there was the time when one of his patients died, but didn't. I can't find the YouTube clip now, but Beng's practice was informed one of its patients had died, Beng was surprised to see the dead person made an appointment to see him, and turned up, alive and well. There was some media coverage. 

Menfolk of a certain age, listen to what Beng has to say about prostate issues on our gay tv channel. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HHeFnXB3GA&list=PLspznn4QfUteeR8GIT79uwp9bKbm27uB2

Catch Up

My neighbour HH's foot is healing much slower than she expected. She never asks until I offer, which I do almost daily, if she wants anything at the shops, as she can't drive and can't really walk, only hobble around. Last Thursday she asked for a loaf of Abbott's wholemeal bread when I went out shopping.

Yesterday she asked if I could get her a prescription medication, plus painkillers. 

Late that afternoon Phyllis cooked her a meal of spicy air fried chicken, a dressed salad and a fried egg, and served it to her hot at her dining table. She said it was the first proper sit down meal she'd had for two weeks.

Gratuitous photo of Jass as she waited for an answer to her question, did we think she is pretty.

Andrew, said Sister's wife, while I know you don't wear tee shirts, I couldn't resist buying this for you. Bone Doctor was right about me wearing tee shirts but I do like this one featuring different Melbourne tram models. Kosov wears it well. I've told him he must hand wash it.

Saturday morning I met up with my Sydney friend Victor for brunch before he went to see a local performance. He was only in Melbourne for the day, and jetted home later that day. 

Once home, we three went off to the big green shed to buy cat grass, grass for cats to eat. It was absurdly expensive for a tray of a bit of grass, but we bought a tray. So far, Jass has shown interest but not eaten any.  

Saturday night we three met up with a couple of my friends, the Fijian Indian heritage guy and his Hong Kong born partner at a Pakistani restaurant in St Kilda. It was very popular with South Asian community and locals. It was quite good, and I wanted to take the very handsome waiter home with me. Noooo, Ondrrrrewww. You cannot, I was told. This catch up was to celebrate Phyllis' 23rd birthday. 

Come the day, Sunday, gifts were unwrapped, one wrapped by about 20 metres of cling wrap, and gifts spread all over the place.

I had said ok to visitors Sunday afternoon to help Phyllis celebrate his birthday. I think five people came. I left them alone, taking with me half a meals on wheels sandwich, a strange Asian small cake and a couple of chocolates. At Albert Park Beach I sat on the bench where Ray and I so often sat during Covid lockdown and consumed my food with a takeaway coffee.

Sitting on my own on a bench, eating and and drinking my coffee as I stared out to sea and a stormy sky, just as old people do.

I went on to Port Melbourne shops to buy something, then to the Mazda car dealer to look at a a new car, but it was closed. I did walk around looking at cars. I found my way to Westgate Park to look at the salt water lake and lean back my car seat to untenion my body. 

I returned home while the afternoon party was in full swing with all guests sitting at the dining table consuming a feast. I went to my bedroom to play on my tablet while fun went on until I was called out for the birthday cake. Last year Phyllis bought Kosov a sword online. So much for our strict weapons laws. 

The cake was cut with the sword, but later divided by a proper knife, and at my suggestion, served by a cake slide, on side plates, with a dessert forks and serviettes.  

Browsers

I updated the desktop from Windows 10 to 11. It was quite painless, but there are some changes that I will adjust to in time. The first evening as I moved the cursor to shut the computer down, the button had gone. How do I turn it off, safely without just pressing the physical on/off button? 

I found its very discreet placement, but I wonder what was the point of changing its placement.

I was at my pharmacy today to buy my drugs. I used my last Covid test kit when I came down with this cold. My goodness, the kits now test for RSV and flu types A and B as well. The wonders of medical science. I don't have to test to know I have a common cold. 

The news today from Hungary was joyous to hear. The extreme far right leader Orban has been voted out of office. Restoring Hungary to its former progressive status will take some time, and I don't know enough about the new leader to offer an opinion beyond what I have said. Graphs indicate it has in many ways performed poorly against its comparative counterparts.

Can you believe about two months after my car had a punctured tyre that was a slow leak, I now have the same tyre punctured with a slow leak. This time I can see a piece of wire protruding from the tyre. If I pull it out, I am sure the tyre will quickly deflate. I have to fix that today. I am sure Phyllis picked up the metal somewhere in the outer areas when I allow him to take the car one day a week for work. He was prepared to take the car to get the tyre repaired, but the tyre repair place said they could not fit that in. When I had the last puncture fixed, I wasn't charged. I wonder if Phyllis would have been charged, although they probably have the record of my car stored in a database. So, yes, I wonder if young dark guy would have been charged when the old white guy wasn't. Believe me, if the job was the same and he was charged, I would make it rather uncomfortable for the Australia wide chain. 

While I didn't think doing anything physical today was a good idea, I did manage to wash my doona cover and put it back on the bed. My doubled over summer sheet that I use instead of the doona from about October to April was washed, dried and put away. I washed it with the doona cover and it balled up inside the doona cover and did not dry properly, needing another half an hour of the washing machine drying cycle. 

Photos improve blog posts.

Sunday night chicken soup for dinner, guaranteed to cure a cold. It didn't but it was rather nice and did no harm.  

Kosov is trying to make Jass into a lap cat. I don't think she ever will be, but she does love him.

Lacking energy on Sunday while I was dying from a common cold, I still managed to have a wander at the Sikh festival at Federation Square. Ah, the mysteries of southern Asian men wearing turbans. There was even a display showing how to put one on and wind hair into the scarf. 

 

Ignore the subject line. I never got around to talking about web browsers. However, I put yesterday's mural post into AI and I am informed it is a Banksy work, in Park Street, Bristol. Yeah, nah. 

The best I can do

Two days ago I developed a cold. It seemed to be a 24 hour variety cold, but it wasn't and this Saturday evening I feel like shit quite unwell, poorly if you like. I think medicinal brandy will help.

I can't concentrate enough to deal with photos, but I can still type.

Sister arrived and parked behind my car, so I had to move her car to get mine out. I pressed the start button and the instruments lit up but the engine didn't start. I looked around for something else to press, but there was nothing, whereas my car would display 'Press the brake and press start'. I turned it off and on again, no change. I pressed and held the button down, nothing. Hang on, this is a hybrid electric car. I'll just put it into reverse and see if it moves, and it did, silently.

Kosov resumed his driving lessons today after a break following his scrape of the car. I have had one quote for the repair of my car, which seemed outrageous, and I am awaiting another. I will see what this one comes in at and decide whether to buy a new car or not. Both he and Phyllis started from a very low base, but Kosov seems slower to pick up skills. We'll get there.

From a our sedate drive around Albert Park Lake, and a few parking manoeuvres, Phyllis took over and drove us to Port Melbourne where we three bought bahn mi. While I was hungry, I could only eat half and took the remainder home for later. I bought coffee while the pair shopped at the Reject shop and the supermarket.

As the afternoon progressed, everything and everyone started to annoy me. Jass is an ungrateful cow. Sister returned and put the kettle on. Please, don't stay longer than necessary. She didn't, and made tea to take home with her. Phyllis and Kosov, stop annoying me. 

Phyllis had cooked lasagne and served mine up on a plate as he was going to travel with Kosov to work where they would separate and Phyllis go to a party with Kosov's workmates while Kosov worked. I could not eat a proper meal, as I am so unwell. So I had a couple of slices of ham, a tomato and half a leftover curried egg sandwich. 

Phyllis called in sick for the party, as there were two people there he did not like. He said he would have gone if Kosov was with him. But then oddly he got out some wet food to feed to Jass and asked if I could feed her. Why? You will be here. 

No, he went out soon after Kosov left. I know what gay men are like. I once was one, and I am very suspicious. I hope my suspicions are misplaced. 

It is not my business and as much as I love them both, as soon as I met Phyllis I knew he was a person of the world and could look after himself. Not so much Kosov, and as I said to him in the past when Phyllis was back in India, I will always be there for you Kosov. Well, until I die, then he'll be on his own, in Australia at least. But his family are good and care about him.

If I don't post a Monday Mural, I am probably deaded by manflu. 

Our ABC and the personal

While our ABC is very similar to the BBC, a publicly funded independent media broadcaster, the funding is quite different, with the BBC's funding coming from tv and radio? licences paid by all, in theory. Our ABC is funded from general taxes gathered by our federal government. I don't know how Canada's CBC is funded, but I know some Australian ABC programmes are broadcast by CBC, for which it must pay.

ABC staff have been on strike, and while I am sure their demands are worthy, it is not a great experience for ABC viewers or listeners. I heard the ABC was to use some BBC news content, but I never heard any. It already uses BBC content on News Radio station. I tried to listen to the commercial alternative to ABC Melbourne radio, but it was cringeworthy. 

Being a unionist all of my working life, I judge it as poor management skills when staff are driven to strike and lose pay. I won't win friendship with a certain blogger, but I believe like many organisations, public and private, management is very bloated. 

I, rather my apartment, is slowly drying out. Fans and dehumidifiers are still roaring away and my daily electric bill has risen from $3 to $30. I will attempt to claim from owners' corporation insurance, but I don't fancy my chances. I could always ask the apartment owner for compensation, but I would add more than just the cost of the electric. Last resort, as an old age pensioner, plead for sympathy from the electricity company for this unexpected event and offer to pay back $20 per electric bill to eventually cover what will be an extraordinary bill. 

I knew it wasn't right, in spite of me providing all information as requested. The company who sort out my old age pension warned me last year of this. My pension was overpaid $9,000 in 2024 by our government organisation, Centrelink. That was soon after Ray died and I turned 67, and I inherited a small amount from Ray, and my mother's estate was eventually finalised. My finances were complicated at the time, but as I said, I supplied all information as required.

I am now on repayment plan of $20 per fortnight deducted from my pension. 9,000 divided by 20 equals 450 fortnights, equals 900 weeks, equals 17.3 years. My age, 68 plus 17 equals 85. My arithmetic is probably wrong, but I think the debt will die with me. Will the balance come from my estate? That won't be my problem.

Three weeks ago I visited my cardiologist. All good, but have a precautionary CT scan, see you same time next year. Following that I visited the dentist, teeth are ok, just a clean. Annual full blood tests across the road earlier this week after delaying breakfast to fast, all good. A visit to my GP for script renewals, and an eye test with new glasses ordered, kaching.

Socially, nothing since English family departed and my great niece's birthday, although today I had lunch with Ex Sis in Law. 

I've put a new photo of myself on my profile. I am not sure if I like it or not. It was the most flattering I could find, and there aren't many photos taken of me. I am normally the one who captures moments. 

There is a fierce southerly wind buffeting outside, coming in from the Antarctic, our first really cold evening since summer began. We are heading into the cold, but our cold never restricts me like our summer heat does, never mind that we only had a couple of days over 40/104. I am not sure what the stats say, but it seemed a mild summer to me. 

Medical treatment around the world

Free and universal health care is not exactly what it sounds like. In Australia you may well pay for certain prescribed drugs, but at minimal cost. I pay over $5 for each of my seven medications per month. But around October I reached the pensioner ceiling, and henceforth, my medications were free to me until January this year. Non pensioners pay about $25 per prescription. There is also a higher ceiling level for people who pay the $25 maximum. 

In England when I needed one drug because my chemist screwed up, it cost me £10, but only because I insisted on the brand name drug I knew. The medical appointment cost me nothing. 

My tenant Kosov after been bitten by a dog when crossing a road, paid nothing for a tetanus vaccination. While it wasn't a claim, overseas students are compelled to have private health insurance, as they are not Australian permanent residents.. 

New Zealand also has public health care, even though it does not seem to appear on this map. 

It took me a while to understand the US health care system, and correct me if I am wrong, but it seems your life will be saved after an emergency situation. If you don't have health insurance, and say for a car crash, you will get care until you are able to go home. But after that, you are on your own so far as recovery goes. So, you will receive free care, until you are kind of ok. Buy your own medications near the exit door at extortionate prices compared to the rest of the world.

Most of you in the US who are reading this will have good private health insurance, so not so much of an issue, but it certainly is for many citizens in the US. 

PS I don't actually understand the US medical system, just kind of what happens in an emergency.

Stress

This was written a couple of weeks ago. I may as well publish it. Don't feel the need to comment. 

Tuesday I had forgotten Ex Sis in Law was going to park here, catch a tram to St Vincent's for a procedure, and I would have to pick her up after, post anesthetic. There was some car shuffling involved. 

She was due to arrive here after 11, so my plan of a leisurely trip to buy new lounge room chairs was thwarted. I/we decided on what we wanted a week or so ago, so armed with monies, I went early, leaving home at 9.20. I chose the fabric and double checked what I was ordering. It went smoothly but the shock was it won't be delivered until March. I guess it is made to order in China, and then sent on a ship to Australia. 

She set off on a tram, and at a bit after 2.00, I received a call that she would be ready to collect at 3.30. I was only a few minutes late, not bad considering I had to check out the pick up patient parking, of which there was none available and then park in the pay car park. Oh, this is going to cost!

From when I parked until I was back at the car with Ex Sis in Law was about 15 minutes, and I was charged $0.00 for parking. I was impressed.

Once back home and finding stuffs to make her a cup of tea, she felt fine to drive, and off she went. 

Disability

Today is International Day of People with a Disability. This piece by my friend James O'Brien is well worth a read.

The Victorian State Library also published an interesting read, showing a photo of a woman from olden times who could sew with her feet. In the post, I really liked seeing the very obvious joy de vivre of the two people in wheelchairs, the photo taken by the marvellous but late Rennie Ellis. 

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. 

The week that is was

Monday was the usual hanging around for my meals on wheels delivery. Each three course meal costs $11, but I never sit down to a three course meal. I can choose three main meals, three sandwiches or soups and three deserts. Of sandwiches, I choose two, and one soup, potato, leek and bacon. Of deserts I normally choose two fresh fruit, which gives me four days of fruit for my cereal, and one naughty and very sweet bread and butter pudding. 

Before my meals arrive, I cross the road to sit and have coffee. That was after I had gone down a paper rabbit hole after my Dead in Bed neighbour HH asked me question about my council rates. I didn't go out until late, just to Prahran for something I can't remember.

Tuesday I was back in Prahran, to see my doctor. I requested new scripts for medications, asked him to look at my hernia surgery scar and his opinion, he reassured me that my recent MRI indicated no further action needed to be taken about a suspicious mass within my pancreas, prescribed an ointment for some dermatitis looking spots on my ankle. The ointment is Kenacomb, one I'd never heard of. 

Some time after four, a man came to check before quoting to supply and install a new air conditioner. His tan tradie boots had a velcro siding to remove them easily. He began to take one off when I said, no need. Just as I was letting him out the door, Phyllis and Kosov arrived home. 

Ondrewwww, your special friend has just left. 

Don't be silly. 

Ondrewwww, why are you blushing? We don't judge you. 

I'm not, and why do you think I would be interested in an older man like him?

Ondrewwww, your breath smells of something! 

Can you both just piss orf. 

When our car used to need servicing, Ray would book it in for 8.00am. I once asked him why so early? He replied, so that it is finished early. I found that 8.00am car delivery very unsettling. I booked my car in for its annual service at 10.30. It would be ready by 4pm. I changed the name of the business's account to my my name. I had to catch a tram to the city and then one from the city to get home, and reverse to pick it up. There were complications because I changed the day from Friday to Wednesday, but not a big problem. I then said, damn it, I will pick the car up tomorrow morning. 

Back in the city, I bought some new socks at Big Trouble You (Big W) at QV and some milk. I was struggling with walking by then. I don't walk well in the mornings. I stayed home for the rest of the day and paid out a horrendous amount of money, $2,200 for the quarterly body corporate fee, $1,200 plus for council rates, $370 for my October train trip, and about the same for my October air flight. 

I don't know why, but who handles my Centrelink dealings with our social security government department, wanted all my bank statements back to when I began receiving my government pension, that took me about forty minutes to do online. My government pension has dropped from about $860 a fortnight to $300. The maximum government old age pension here is about $1,200 a fortnight, a bit higher if you are a home renter rather than a homeowner. If I inform Centrelink of all my expenditure this week and my bank account balance, adding about $700 for the car service, I should see my pension rise for a time.

It may rise further, because after collecting my car this Thursday, I drove it to do my weekly shopping. I was home before noon. The early bird does catch the worm, but generally I have little desire for worms. I went back to the city for a haircut. Phyllis rearranged my delivered corned beef with mustard sauce and salad to something a bit more palatable. Some of the meals I receive are great, some are not, and the corned beef was very tough.

On the way home from town, the quote came in for new air con, $3,500 or a better unit, $3,700. I will take the latter as it has a feature of self mould cleaning. My old unit does have a little visible mould inside. So, that will be installed in a week or so. 

Phyllis gets it when I said we are going pussy hunting on Friday, Kosov, hates it. No Ondrewww, don't say that. 

I can't decide if we will tram and train it to the Lost Dogs Home to find a homeless cat to adopt, or Phyllis should drive us in the newly serviced Pearl. We may choose a cat tomorrow, but we won't bring it home until next week, when we have all that is necessary things to home a cat.

Cat problem is; my age nearly 68. A cat may live for twenty years. I will be 88. I think it is unlikely I will live to that age That's ameliorated somewhat by we won't be buying a kitten but an adult cat. What if Phyllis and Kosov can't stay in Australia? It will then be my cat. What if I die? Well, Sister or Oldest Niece would take it on. 

Kosov told me of when his family got a cat when he was young, and it was quickly established that his sister wae allergic to cats, and within one day, it was decided the cat had to go. He cried for three days afterwards. He told me he doesn't want any more heartbreak like that. I understand. In the 80s Ray and I took on a dog from the Lost Dog's Home, and she was totally unsuitable for us, and we made the hard decision to return her to the home. She was a lovely dog, but not right for us and our existing dog and cats. I had tears in my eyes as I took Tess back, and the staff understood. 

Something is kicking off at 'The 'Gog' tonight. Barriers have been erected, all leaking water. When I first saw these barriers in Melbourne, perhaps in the 1990s, they were called New Jersey Barriers. Does Boud know why?  They are no longer called that. 

My Wednesday

Tuesday was a bit queer. My appointment for an MRI scan was at the strange time of 5.50pm. The Alfred Centre was very quiet but it was clear MRI scans were happening for a couple of others. The thirty minute scan is not pleasant but I was out of the hospital before 7.00. I picked up pizza for dinner on the way home. Once again The Alf did well for me at no charge. 

Wednesday this week was my chosen day for a longish public transport trip, so I visited Coburg. After a tram to Melbourne Flinders Street Station, my intended train at 11.32 was cancelled and it was twenty minutes before the next train. I would have thought off peak, train services would be quite reliable, and there not be cancelled trains. I left the station and returned in time for the 11.52. If you just missed the 11.12, it would be a long wait for the 11.52. Train services in a city of 5 million people should be every 15 minutes, at least. Ten minutes, excellent. 

The main street of Coburg is Sydney Road, once the only main road from Melbourne to Sydney, and at the top end is the mega busy with traffic and noisy Bell Street. 

I found a shop where I bought a doner kebab which I ate at an outside table, while watching the passing parade of Greeks, Italians, Turks and others from the Middle East. The kebab was stunningly delicious and too large for me to finish. I got close. The bag your meal will come in has check marks for your preferences to be ticked.

I then walked around a corner into the traffic closed Victoria Street, where so many people were sitting, eating, drinking and lounging about in the bright winter sunshine.

The law that says smoking is forbidden at outdoor dining tables was ignored. A number of Middle Eastern women could be seen smoking too. I sat at an outdoor table where there were signs on the table that smoking was forbidden and smoked, enjoyed a cup of coffee.

I knew the time of train to return home and slowly wandered back to the almost new station. 

It was a pleasant outing, and to be among people and environs that I would not normally meet where I live.

The tech and more

Technology can certainly be exasperating. 

I've just received an email from the online travel company Expedia, with holiday promotional specials in celebration of Labor Day. Labor Day in Victoria was in March. I suppose I shouldn't care, as a special is a special to take advantage of. But I do care that the system is not correctly set up to know when Labor Day is in Victoria. 

Everytime I look at a a product online, Google bombards me with advertising, hence the Expedia email. I spent quite some time looking at lounge suits online, and it took well over a month for the advertising to stop. Next was air conditioning, as I am thinking of replacing my quite old unit. The ads for that didn't last too long. Of late though, I've had the worst bombardment of travel emails. The thing is, all these emails keep arriving long after you've bought a product. 

I found a setting in Google to turn off personalised advertising, and I wonder if, having switched it off, I will stop receiving emails. It's a moot point because this week I installed the browser Duckduckgo. My searches there won't be picked up by the behemoth that is Google. 

I wasn't paying a lot of attention to the tv story, but AI is now being used in schools to assist students. One student was using AI to write computer code to create an online competitive game to clear plastic and other pollution from our seas. Another was using AI for guidance to write an essay about the play Othello. I put Shakespeare up there with my horror of algebra and trigonometry.

I do love what technology can do for us, and I embrace it when I want to.

It is four days after the second anniversary of my mother's death, on this Thursday the 14th. Yesterday was Ray's closest sister's birthday, and today is one year since Phyllis moved into the then chaotic home, post repainting and recarpeting. I wrote his initials on the calendar for today, and he asked about what was on that day. I don't think he remembers the date he moved in. I might buy him a single rose. It was hard to work out the date he moved in, but I then remembered the weekend after he moved in I went away for two nights, remembering that some of you didn't think it was a good idea to leave him here on his own, with friends visiting, just after he moved in. I had judged his character correctly in two or three days. 

I was away for two days, and I had a record of that, on my great niece's birthday, just after I had a melanoma removed from my scalp, still with the bandage on my head covered by my cap.

Today is shopping day but I buy little normal fresh food now.  Phyllis looks after most of that. I will replenish the wine cellar, buy a pepper steak pie for myself to bring home, have coffee from my newest cafe in South Melbourne (naturally the barista is hot) and if Phyllis is at work and Kosov is home, I'll buy Kosov a pie too.

I need a photo. Phyllis and Kosov are both reading this book series as they travel on public transport to and from work. I've no idea what Wings of Fire is about, and I am not interested, but if you know, feel free to say so.

Beach and the overview of Port Phillip

It was an impromptu visit to Elwood Beach when Phyllis (correctly spelt, unlike in a previous post) was driving. The waters of Port Phillip are normally quite calm, but not this day with a high tide and large waves. So exciting in our humble not so little bay. The lads have been there before in calm times, and so were also impressed. 

And a few photos from our visit to The Eagle at Arthurs Seat. This is looking up to Arthurs Seat from the pier at Dromana. 

Views to north west

The gondolas travel about up and down for about one kilometre in each direction. It was a devil to pay because while we ate at the cafe, I looked online and if I had booked The Eagle in advance, it would have cost about $17 less for the three of us. I went to the counter and asked, and sure enough, if I stepped back and booked online now, I could save that money. I suppose it was worth it. I needed a QR code and apparently I downloaded the required app using one email address, and the tickets with the QR arrived to the different requested address. Old man became confused with matters tech, but I did get there in the end. Kosov tried to help, but couldn't understand what happened either. 

In the lower centre of this photo, you can see a grazing kangaroo. The skies were quite cloudy but we could just see the tall Melbourne buildings. My usual joke, "Guys, you left your bedroom window open", fell rather flat. 

Looking south towards Rosebud. We stopped off for food in Mornington, and then headed home. 

I visited the doctor today, Monday, and he took off the clear plastic bandage and proclaimed I had healed. I was impressed by how good the wound looked. There will be a scar I suppose, but what is one more. 

A crabbit old woman

Think back to when you were young, your hopes and dreams, your lusts and dislikes, your insecurities, the pleasure you had from successfully rearing a family, maybe not perfect, but you did your best.

Ingrid lives in her care home Nonna's Castle in Waterloo and she posted something that caught me.  You can read Ingrid's post here, but a snip to read.

At the next table was a man sitting with his wife severely handicapped. She lay in a special wheelchair, couldn't speak and eat alone and what was awful was her look she always had her mouth wide open and two teeth were missing. At the beginning I really was afraid and disgusted when I saw her and admired her husband who came each afternoon to look after her.  

Ingrid became used to the woman's appearance, and the woman referenced may have once been gorgeous looking, outgoing and the life of a party. In old age you don't know what people's lives were like.

One of Ray's sisters told me she wants a photo of herself in her young and party days next to her future aged care bed, just to remind staff of who she once was. 

The use of the word crabbit indicates this is quite old, but it's still very apt. 

"Look Closer Nurse"
What do you see nurse, what do you see
Are you thinking when you're looking at me 
A crabbit old woman, not very wise
Uncertain of habit, with faraway eyes 
Who dribbles her food and makes no reply
When you say in a loud voice, "I do wish you'd try" 
Who seems not to notice the things that you do
And forever is losing a stocking or shoe 
Who, resisting or not, lets you do as you will 
With bathing and feeding, the long day to fill
Is that what you're thinking, is that what you see
Then open your eyes nurse, for you're looking at me

I'll tell you who I am as I sit here so still 
As I use at you biddings, as I eat at your will
I am a small child of ten with a father and mother
Brothers and sisters who love one another
A young girl of sixteen, with wings on her feet
Dreaming of soon her lover she'll meet
A  bride soon at twenty my heart gives a leap
Remembering the vows that I promised to keep
At twenty five now I have young of my own
A woman of thirty, my young growing fast
Bound to each other with ties that will last
At forty my young sons will now grow and be gone
Af fifty, once more babies play around my knee
Again we know children my loved one and me

Dark days are upon me, my husband is dead
I look to the future, I shudder with dread
For my young are all busy, rearing young of their own
And I think of the years, and the love I have known
I'm now an old woman and nature is cruel 
Tis her jest to make old age look like a feel
The body, it crumbles, grace and vigour depart
There is now a stone where I once had a heart
But inside this old carcass a young girl still dwells
And now and again my battered heart swells
I remember the joys, I remember the pain
And I'm loving and living life all over again
I think of the years all too few - gone, so fast
And accept the stark fact that nothing can last
So, open your eyes nurse, open and see
Not a crabbit old woman, look closer, see ME

It's my life

Phyllis and Kosov want to travel on the Puffing Billy train, but it is booked out well in advance. I think possibly because tour companies take out block bookings for their clients. I may be wrong but I think if you rocked up on the day, you might be able to buy a ticket because of no shows, or whatever.

Next week I will be away for a week as I catsit at Sister's.  The last full day of my stay, Phyllis and Kosov will come by train to Geelong where I will pick them up from the station and they will stay the night with me at Sister's. The next day, Phyllis will drive us back home. 

They want to see the area, and so I told them to come early on the day they arrive, and lucky lucky, the Bellarine steam train is running on that day.

Today, with Phyllis at the wheel, we will visit The Eagle chairlift at Arthurs Seat. If the sky is clear, the views are great, as is the whole experience. I've done it before twice but oddly, I can't find the blog posts. Miss capital city of Peru may join us, or not, as I hope. 

I am mending well enough after surgery, and I took specialist advice to take painkiller medication if I felt pain. However, a subsequent call from the hospital pharmacy, once the person realised I was sensible to speak to, said, generally avoid pain medication if you can. Specialist doctors don't have to pick up the pieces of painkiller addiction. 

Yeah, I know. My mother was addicted to pain medication and her doctor had to make special calls to a federal health department to authorise her strong painkiller prescriptions. 

My grief at Ray's sudden death has reduced. Ray is a memory of 45 years, but I've moved on. I was prepared to live alone until Phyllis arrived into my life, and then Kosov. I can't believe how well I've done in life, to have caring people around me. 

I can't avoid mentioning Ray to Phyllis and Kosov on a day to day basis, but they ignore anything I say about Ray. They are not interested. And why should they be? They are 22 year old young men. I can't expect them to understand how lost I feel without Ray after being together for such a long time. 

No matter, I function, each day and every day.

Recovery and driving

I am not allowed to drive, lest I need to make an emergency stop and apply full brake pressure, which could set back my surgery recovery. I haven't made an emergency car brake stop since the 1990s when twice I had to rapidly impede the progress of my Humber Super Snipe, once when someone turned in front of me, and once when a car pulled out in front of me. The power assisted front disc and rear drum brakes performed well to slow the beast very rapidly. Or course it was nothing like how a modern car can stop on a dime, and what kiddie would know what a car without power brakes was like to drive, let alone stopping a car of extreme weight.

But I can be a car passenger, so I took Phyllis out for another quite challenging driving lesson. He was quite chuffed when I told him that some country folk would be terrified of the driving he had done today, Kingsways, Burnley Tunnel, Church/Chapel Street, Commercial Road, Prahran Square Car Park, Greville Street, Punt Road, High Street, St Kilda Road, then to be faced with a demonstration in St Kilda Road, so Kingsway, Albert Road, 3 point turn, Albert Road Kingsway and home.

Trams were disrupted, so Kosov was struggling to get to work, even in spite of trying Ubers. He cancelled work, called, pick me up. He called mid driving lesson, Andrewww, I don't have keys to get home. He is due a lecture about taking keys. (It was given)

He was supposedly catching a bus to Doncaster from Latrobe Street, but  met us in Prahran by catching a 246 bus from St Kilda Junction (don't ask) and then walking. 

As all this was happening, American le bomb went off in Iran. Very disturbing is an understatement.

I am slowly recovering from surgery. As per usual, medical staff told me to not be a martyr and take pain killers. Unlike for arthritis, painkillers do seem to work to ease the surgery wound pain. 

Skipping to the next day, another driving lesson for Phyllis, over the West Gate Bridge to Williamstown and then via the Altona ford that's been been remade, to Altona Village for coffee and then back home across the bridge. Again quite challenging driving, with the outbound bridge being quite congested, but I felt quite relaxed once back in our carpark, without an aching right brake foot. He did well but he needs to pay more attention and care at intersections and roundabouts. Or maybe he is absorbing what he sees more quickly than I do at my age. 

The new range hood will be fitted tomorrow, as I write. No driving lesson for a couple of days. I need some time alone. 

"Kosov, what is that blue thing sticking out from the loin of the robot and what is the dinosaur doing? Shame on you, Kosov. You are terrible Muriel".