Guggling

This is written on the evening of the 21st, so when you read it, it could be today for you or yesterday. 

Is there an autumn equinox? Yes.

Is there a winter solstice, like a summer solstice? Yes, and we've just had one today, the shortest daylight hours of the year. Our shortest Australia day has a sunrise about 7am and sunset about 5pm. The  summer solstice, without a daylight saving adjustment is sunrise at 5am and sunset at 8pm. 

There is a full moon tonight in our eastern skies. 

Does a full moon coincide with a winter solstice? It has this year, but no. It happens about once every two decades. 

Do I have moon photos to make my post more interesting? Yes. 

Just a day and a remembrance

I had two consecutive appointments at our major hospital yesterday. I was there from 12.30 to 4.45. One doctor was a customer at my workplace but of course I didn't remember him, nor him me. 

Today I have my six monthly skin cancer check at 12, then a CT scan back at the hospital at 1.00.

Friday I have an appointment at 9.15 with my GP, mainly to to get more repeat medications for ongoing issues. My GP met Ray just this year and I am sure he will be sympathetic when I tell him my Ray is no longer. I can stretch this grieving widower out for longer yet.

Before Ray said he did not want a funeral, he did suggest a couple of songs for his funeral. No one has done it better than Judy Garland.

But Iz Kamakawiwo'ole's recording is quite simple and just so nice.

The other track was Louis Armstrong's Wonderful World. 

Street Scandal

Take a look at this Google Map. Google Maps is far from perfect but calling St Kilda Road as Park probably arises from so many changes at the location as the underground Metro Rail Station is built, almost completed. Roads and tram tracks have been moved more than once. 

If you are travelling south to north along St Kilda Road, that is bottom to top almost vertically on the map, on the left you will encounter Albert Road where the green patch is and then Park Street.  

This is a very large sign facing south to north bound traffic and if you've followed what I wrote above, it is clearly wrong. Albert Road is first and then Park Street. I know the cost of some road furniture, but not a sign like this. However, I would not be surprised if it was in four figures. Clearly it will have to be replaced and indirectly taxpayers will foot the bill. What sheer bloody and unbelievable incompetence. 

Ray's Memorial

The two hour plus gathering of around thirty people went well, the music the food, the venue. I am $1,000 poorer.  My voice quavered at times as I read the speech and afterwards, a good nose blow was needed. Tradie Brother spoke about the connection between Ray and Mother with tears running down his face. Ex Sis in Law read a poem, and she too became quite emotional. Ray's ex workmate spoke with cheerful memories of Ray and her connection...for rather a long time, but that was fine. She is lovely.

Children had created art work with their memories of (great) Uncle Ray. I may show them later. 

Tradie Brother presented every attendee with a china mug. I knew there was something special about the mugs, but I didn't know what it was. I saw a black mug and a white mug. I ended up with seven to bring home. Three will be sent to Ray's sisters. I heard something about needing to make your tea or coffee in the mug for all to be revealed. 

Once home, I checked the seven boxes and they were all black mugs, no white. Ah well, the others took the white mugs, and I am left over with just black mugs. 

I no longer drink coffee or tea at home, but what if I just boil the kettle and pretend I am partaking?

I did, and the photos tell the result. 

The mug changed from black to white.

And look what was revealed on the mug once it had boiling water poured into it. How cool is that. Not quite perfect as Ray looks like his arm is deformed but what a brilliant thing for my brother to do. Oldest Niece packed up a box for me with the mugs and the children's artworks remembering Uncle Ray. Tradie Brother asked me for a photo of Ray a couple of weeks ago. I sent him some and then this one where I cropped out the rubbish bin in this photo, taken in Singapore. Today, Monday as I write this, I found the receipt in the bottom of the box. Mug @ $10 x 30.

The Friday that was

It was a normal morning. Plenty to do at home. More paperwork. Visit the bank. Damn it. I want to go for a decent train trip and I decided to visit Werribee in our western suburbs for brunch. I want to travel on a a suburban train at 115km/h, 71 mph. Our suburban trains can travel faster but 115km/h is the speed limit. So instead of attending to afore mentioned matters, I caught a train.

Not so normal is my recent DIY efforts have resulted in back pain, at times bad. It will disappear within a few days, but I could have done without that. 

Sister called and she will stay here Saturday after seeing a football match and seeing a stage performance. That will be nice. I have Chinese sausage in the freezer, so I can make us my most excellent fried rice, just to use up the sausage. I will have to buy a capsicum and some spring onions. I will probably never make fried rice again. Ray loved my fried rice but I can't see a reason for the effort anymore.

Sister imparted the news that her wife's mother has a variant of Motor Neuron Disease. Bone Doctor, her mother and Jo are flying to Queensland later in the year for the celebration of BD's mother's mother's 100th birthday. BD's mother is a lively person, a retired nurse, and has just returned from travelling all over the 'Stan countries with her friend. She has travelled to the strangest places in the world, places tourists don't generally visit. It is a cruel blow. It is expected that she may survive two more years but they won't be pretty as she rapidly deteriorates. Sister saw her MiL last at Christmas and mentioned to Bone Doctor, your mother is slurring her words. Bone Doctor replied, yes, she's had a couple of drinks. So much for doctors. All very sad.

I enjoyed my trip to Werribee. But luckily Werribee is a train terminus so no rush to leave the train. After sitting for over half an hour, I could hardly stand up. At a cafe I looked at the menu and decided on bruschetta but as I waited to order, I spied as sausage roll. Yes please. It was just an ordinary sausage roll, enlivened by some tomato sauce. My train to Werribee was a German built Siemens model. So, smooth and quiet.

The return trip was a French built Alstom train. The train bucked, bounced and swayed at high speed. I didn't know that about this model of train. Also the air con was blowing down on me. It was heated air but it didn't feel like it. There wasn't anyone interesting to look at, aside from a large young white woman with her quite attractive South Asian husband and their say four year old son. The son was funny and made me laugh. 'We are on an electric train. I want to travel on a purple train (regional diesel powered train)'. He'll be a train nerd, for sure. 

Whatever, I enjoyed my trip. I snapped a mural photo and came across these couple of little delights outside Southern Cross Station. 

A rainbow revolting revolving door and a mention of 1700's Melbourne.

There won't be a Sunday post. It is the day of Ray's memorial, a celebration of his life. I might have a Monday Mural ready to post. 

Words #397

I pronounce words so differently to many people in Australia. I don't know why. It is just how I speak. Here are some  examples.

Integral. I put the emphasis on int, but mostly people put the emphasis on teg, inTEGral rather than my  INTeGral. 

I say KILOmetre. Most here, even in England people, say kilOMetre. I recall then Prime Minister Gough Whitlam telling us of the correct pronunciation when the metric change occurred, and that's how I've pronounced it ever since. 

I pronounce secretary as SECretry. Most say SECreTARY. 

I say REPortarge as a French word, which it is, but others say rePORTage. I was far from being young when I first heard the word, and the way I say it is how I first heard it said by radio broadcaster Elaine Canty. I don't think I've ever heard said the word aside from in media.

ProTESTors and not PROtestors. ProTESTors do PROtest.

Your suburb might be Reservoir and you pronounce it as Reservor, and I happily do the same. Your suburb, you have the right to pronounce it how you like. But if you have a body of stored water in Reservor, I will call it a reservwha in Resevor. 

None of this is intentional on my part. It is just how I speak. I would guess I had some strong influence at a young age from someone or something. I am too old now to change the way I speak.

I've not finished yet, sorry. My hearing aids speak to me with a very limited vocabulary. I think I've heard them say, Maximum volume. I am not sure. I can't make them say that now. But the other word it says, and I've heard this a number of times when one of the batteries is exhausted, is battery. Except it is pronounced baddery. They are two very different sounding words. Where would that come from? It sounds so weird. What other words are there with double t between an a and an e? Cattery. Caddery. How amusing.

The times are a changin'. During AM this morning, ABC radio's thirty minute current affairs programme, the host was talking about period bleeding, 'a new treatment for women and others who suffer from excessive bleeding during their periods'. I don't have a problem with 'others' and I just thought it was interesting to note as a society and media marker. 

DIY

Must go on. Got to keep the place to a standard, as Ray would say. But then of late as we ummed and ahed about the painting, carpet and bathroom regrouting, he suggested we should go shabby chic.

When the cleaners were here a couple of weeks ago, the man ripped the seal off my shower door to clean it. Pointless really and he broke it. As you can see, it had yellowed as well. He put it back cleaner but didn't say he had broken it. 

I took the damaged one with me to the big green shed, deliberately choosing to visit when the sausage sizzle run by each weekend a different volunteer organisation operates, and naturally bought one. I felt like another one when I was leaving but I resisted. 

The seals were a bit hard to find, but I did. Oh, is it 8mm or 10mm, as these were the options. I carefully matched up the old one to the 8mm one, and I was sure that would fit. Cost, $13. Happy.

Once home I cut it down to size and pushed it into place. While my shower door opens in or out, opening out was best but for the seal to be in the correct place when showering, the flap part need to face into the shower. It wouldn't as the seal was large and didn't give much, and so I put it on backwards as a temporary fix, making the door usable at least.

I called the company who supplied and fitted the bathroom furniture and it has moved stores. Nah, not driving all the way to Ringwood. They can post it. Staff brought up the information from when the work was done and she straight away knew what I needed, but ouch, $20 plus $10 postage. Well, I have to have it. 

Normally if it is sent by Australia Post and you aren't home  to receive it, it is left at the post office, which is across the road from us. It should have arrived and I checked using the tracking facility and it was at the post office. A card should have been left in my mailbox but it wasn't. When I collected it, staff wanted to see my ID, which I showed, but it wasn't there under my surname and neither of the first names I'm known by. Staff asked for the tracking number, which I showed in an email on my phone, still puzzlement. Then as was about to close the email, I noticed the information from the job  seven years ago was in Ray's name and that is who it was sent to. Duh. Proof of address was now needed. I apologised to staff.

It was in a tube, capped and taped, with the seal wrapped in bubble wrap. (Hey, I can pop bubble wrap at home with no one to complain.) I thought the postage cost and the good packaging, perhaps $10 wasn't so bad.

This seal was a tight fit to get on, but just perfect. I was happy.

The old one on the right, the chunky one that did not work in the centre and the new perfect strip on the left.

Two days ago we had a howling northerly wind, which knocked out power in one area. It disturbed the sleep of my neighbour HH who is on the north eastern corner of the building. Me on the south eastern side, was quite unaware and I slept soundly. 

It was a different situation the next night, with squalls coming across the bay from the south west. Twice heavy showers beat against one of my bedroom windows and woke me. Wind from that direction at that strength only happens in winter. Every year the same things happens, a terrible draught comes in under the balcony door. My lounge chair is a bit over a metre away and I can feel the draught. I've looked online at options to seal the door at the base but I found nothing suitable. 

I know. An old fashioned solution, a sausage dog. The store I call Big Trouble You had several different types but they were all 90cm and not the 110cm I needed. I had to visit South Yarra today to buy some meals, so firstly I went to the store. I eventually found them, quite logically with door mats, and while they didn't seem to have the expensive ones I saw online, they had the cheap type, just over $5. One weighs just under 2kg and I had something undeveloped in my mind but and so I bought two. There was cream, black and grey. As the new carpet will have grey highlights, I chose the grey.  At nearly 4kg they were quite heavy to carry and then the meals I bought weighed around 1.5kg, I had quite some weight to carry and tram my way home.  

I made them a bit tidier than when I took this photo, but it seems I will have to do some cutting and sewing to turn two draft excluders into one. Do they work? Oh  yes. Brilliant, and although the sliding door rests against them, they don't interfere with the door's operation. When they aren't needed, most of the time, I can put them beside my armchair, almost invisible.