Weekend Adventures

 Well now. That was a busy weekend.

It started with a Japanese lesson at 7:00 on Saturday morning. I do online lessons most weeks on Tuesdays and Saturdays, at 7:00 in winter and 8:00 in summer, Lindsey usually does the Saturday lesson too, but she is more likely to do a Wednesday morning lesson rather than Tuesday.

Then we made our way out to the lake for the market. The weather was cold and rainy. We left Mount Helen at about 9:15. And even so, the market was busy and it was hard to find a parking spot. Until, miraculously, someone pulled out of a spot right by the start of the market. It was parking worthy of Ian and Ross and absolutely rivalled the spot I found a few weeks ago when I went on my own.

We were lucky that it didn't properly rain while we were there. Just chilly drizzle. And we were dressed for it so it didn't particularly bother us. The people I wanted to be there were there - olive oil, tomatoes, citrus, spices. And other stalls, of course. We shared a spit roast beef sandwich. And went to Aldi and Mount Clear on the way home.

Around 12:30, Wendy and Sue turned up. We met Josh and his girlfriend in Mount Clear for lunch, then Wendy, Sue and I went out to the Farmgate Shop formerly known as The Mushroom Farm. And then Wendy and Sue loaded up Wendy's car with a pile of Stella's things (which is why they had come) and an extra TV I had lurking in a wardrobe and went away.

I watched Frannie-curated highlights from the Paris Olympic Opening Ceremony in the evening. It did not bother me that it had obviously been designed for televisuality - that, after all, was how I was watching it  📺

Sunday found me at the railway station, intending to catch the 11:15 train to Melbourne. In fact, the 10:15 train was still there when I arrived at about 11. A problem with the brakes, apparently. So I boarded it. I might have been better to wait for the train I was expecting to catch, for the train I was on was absolutely packed. Apparently there was a footie match at the MCG which almost everyone on the train was intending to go to.

I was not. I hadn't even thought about football matches at the MCG. Or anywhere else. I was on my way to Docklands for an exploratory mission. I had read an article in one of the weekend papers a few weeks ago claiming that Docklands probably counted as Melbourne's worst suburb. I thought this was a bit harsh. I quite like Docklands. I don't get there very often but when I do I think it looks like quite a nice place to live. I read the article and then had a look at the real estate websites to see how far out of reach property prices are there.

In fact, they aren't really out of reach. If I were happy to have a small, one bedroom flat, I could probably afford to buy in Docklands, maybe even with water glimpses, or a balcony from which I could watch the trains at Flinders Street or Southern Cross stations.

So I went to have a poke around. I met Simon for lunch at The District shopping complex. Freyja joined us later for coffee and a potter around. There are lots of things there. A Woolworths, an interesting Oriental supermarket, Dan Murphy's, Uniqlo, H&M, Toyworld, little shops, eating places, coffee places.  Lots of parking. A tram stop in the free tram zone (and the tram is the one that goes out to Bundoora, via Reservoir). A 1.5 km walk to Southern Cross station (or, of course, the tram would take you there). Plus, a small harbour, the river, the docks, the Bolte Bridge, a large football stadium. It seemed to be an alright place to live to me.

We had hoped to go to an inspection of a flat across the road from The District, which was advertised for 4pm in the afternoon. I have to say that this sort of time on a Sunday seemed unlikely to me, but I had registered for it anyway and it was on my Inspection Plan. Alas, no-one turned up and when I rang to see why, they didn't know about the inspection. I noticed, when I logged into the real estate app this morning, that I had had a notification that it had been cancelled - but only on the app. It hadn't been emailed or messaged and wasn't obvious on the website. And it was still in my Inspection Plan.

Not that it really mattered. I am not in a position to buy even a tiny flat in Docklands at the moment and I am not minded to put my place on the market in the immediate future. I really went because it was on a Sunday when I had no plans, and a potter around Docklands seemed a pleasant little adventure.  And it does seem that Docklands might be a nice place to retire to, when I am ready to sell up here and move somewhere smaller, even if the ferris wheel is defunct and Costco is about to leave. I don't have a Costco membership anymore, so that doesn't worry me. And maybe someone will revive the ferris wheel, which was a casualty of covid.

I came back on another very crowded train. It was a "football special" and was almost exclusively filled with people returning from the MCG. I got a seat in both directions, so the crowds weren't a problem for me. Parking at the station is free. At least it is on Sundays, I don't know about weekdays. And I have a Senior's travel card so I get reduced rates on public transport, which are even more reduced at weekends. The whole trip cost me less than $4 for the trains - and the trams because the trams were in the City Free Tram Zone, so didn't cost anything at all. I should go to Melbourne on the train on Sundays more often!

I was home by 6:30. Freyja and Simon went to see Wicked. Austin, Kaori and Tatsuki had gone into Nagoya to a concert, and Tabitha, Gareth, Cally and Flynn were at the Tramways festival in Sheffield. We were all well occupied yesterday!

This came by email today:

The Ballarat mayor and our federal MP.
And me

Frances' Busy Day

Yesterday evening, my dining/lounge room was full of flowers:

 The fire was lit

And the Pretty Kitty Kats were snug on the heated throw on the couch

You might almost have forgotten about the absolutely dreadful weather we had had in the morning. Cold, wet, windy and horrible, clearing to quite a pleasant late afternoon. And warm and cosy in my house.

I had quite a busy day. I was at the post office in Buninyong by 8:15 to send off my passport application. There was a bloke in there, propping up the counter, chatting to the post office people and keeping out of the rain. A lady came in with her toy poodle puppy, to see if she had any parcels. A young man came in, also to make a passport application. It's a nice little post office. Friendly and chatty.

I went home and tidied up a little. I went to the IGA to buy biscuits. I had a couple of deliveries.

Gillie came around in the afternoon for tea and biscuits and to talk about my portable induction hobs and my all-electric kitchen. My kitchen is made up of mostly portable equipment. Two portable induction hobs, two air fryer ovens and all the usual bit players such as the toaster and kettle, not to mention the equipment that lives in the hall cupboard and comes out when needed (slow cooker, toastie maker, blender, food processor). I do have a proper oven, but I only use it very occasionally. And the gas stove is still in place, but is never used. I've covered it over and the air fryers live on top of it. And now there is no gas coming into the house. Gillie had watched me making Sunday lunch for five people the last time she was around and wanted to talk about how well I thought it all worked (I did use the proper oven on that occasion!) She brought with her the jonquils.

After she left, Lindsey came around and we trundled out to the Smythes Creek Farmgate Shop, returning via the supermarket in Sebastopol.

I treated myself to steak with roasties for dinner, went to bed nice and early and actually slept quite well, at least until around 4:00.

A good day, in which quite a lot was accomplished.

This morning, my dining/living room is still full of flowers, but the cats are in their boat bed by the front window. The heated throw on the couch has been turned off.

A Watery Adventure

Back in the summer, when Freyja, Simon and I were staying in Tooradin, we went to the Somers Beach and Freyja and Simon went swimming

It looked as though they were having lots of fun. I went paddling and the water was nice and warm.

I might have gone swimming too, except that I didn't own any bathers and I am a touch too old to go swimming either in my day clothes or in my underwear.

When we got back home, I bought some bathers, put them in a drawer - and forgot all about them.

Then I ran across them again and thought that perhaps they should have some sort of watery outing. I investigated what was happening at the Ballarat Aquatic and Lifestyle Centre, bought ten tickets and considered going to water aerobics. I used to do water aerobics, both before I moved to England and again in Sheffield. I enjoyed water aerobics.

It didn't happen!

More recently I thought I might go to basic yoga classes, also at the Aquatic and Lifestyle Centre. I used to do yoga, back in Sheffield, before I moved to Tupton. I liked yoga. I booked a class.

Then someone at work said she couldn't do lots of yoga poses anymore because they are done on the floor and she can't get back up. I definitely can't get up, or not easily, if I find myself on the floor. I cancelled the class.

But I still had ten class tickets sitting about doing nothing and my bathers still hadn't had a watery outing. So yesterday I went to a warm water exercise class. It is meant to be "gentle warm water exercise for seniors". Certainly, the participants were seniors. And the water was warm. Gentle? Perhaps not so much - although perhaps I might find it gentle if I do ten weeks worth of classes and get ever so slightly fitter. I am hopeful that it might improve my balance and also my grip. We did lots of exercises that challenged my grip. And my balance. Especially my balance. I was, in fact, completely unbalanced - and kept floating away 😂

Busy - and Lucky

Last week was a bit intimidating when I looked at in on the Sunday afternoon. Lots of things to do, places to be, things to do, places to be. A lot to remember. (I have argued for decades that if something is not on the calendar then it is not happening. Last week's calendar was very full.)

In the end, of course, it wasn't as intimidating as it looked. I was at work on Wednesday, and on Thursday and Friday mornings. The weather was cold, wet and windy, so no real impetus to go out, even into the garden. I did go up and visit Hugo on my way home on Thursday and Friday. I haven't seen him for a while and he seemed pleased to see me.

I have been thinking for a while that I really wanted to go to Daiso for a bit of Japanese shopping. There are branches in the Melbourne CBD, but I knew there were also a few suburban ones. So on Friday I checked to see if there were any remotely handy to Reservoir and discovered there was one at Highpoint. You could, almost, perhaps, describe Highpoint as being vaguely on the way home. So I went there.

I  don't very often go to shopping malls. Very occasionally in the CBD, but much more often when I am in Japan. I kept expecting to find Japanese shops, food outlets, signage. It was a bit odd. There is a Daiso, although it is smaller than the ones in the city. I had a wander around, but cautiously so I didn't get lost, or misplace the car.  I had fish and chips for lunch in the food hall and then made my way home, stopping for fuel on the way.

I got to Hugo's house and went to put subscription TV on. Funny. It was down. Mind you, the weather was atrocious and satellite TV often isn't reliable in wet, windy, cloudy weather. But then you don't get the formal screen apologising for the downtime, just a message that says the signal is down.

Just as I was checking Down Detector, I got a breaking news alert to say that systems were down around Australia - oh yes, and internationally as well.

Uh Oh!

I was very lucky that it happened when it did. I had done my shopping, bought my lunch and paid for my fuel before global IT systems collapsed. The worst that happened to me was that pay TV didn't work. My wifi stayed up, my laptop, tablet and phone behaved impeccably, free to air TV worked. Had it not been for the fact that the TV, radio and news sites turned their attention from wall to wall US politics to the worldwide IT outage, I might not have noticed.

Hugo didn't notice, and didn't care:

Happy with a rawhide bone
and the ABC on the TV

I had a very quiet weekend. No markets to go to. I went to the IGA in Mount Clear on Saturday.  Apart from that I didn't go anywhere. It was a weekend for staying at home in the warm, fire lit, cups of tea, biscuits. I perhaps should have taken the opportunity to do some deep cleaning of the house, or decluttering. But I didn't. Or at least, not much. I did do a bit of cooking and tidying and I have made Hugo's food for the coming week. Now I just need to take it up to him!

This week shouldn't be quite as intimidating. The calendar is relatively quiet. So far!

Sunday afternoon, Mount Helen

Ceremony

So. Last October, I finally, finally got around to submitting my application for Australian citizenship. It had only taken 2 years or so for me to fully fill the form in. I kept getting distracted! (You might equally argue that it took me 50 years to fill it in, and you wouldn't be wrong).

Anyway. Off the form went and I more or less forgot about it. The expected wait time for a response was 12-18 months.

You don't have to sit the citizenship test if you are over 65 years old but you do need to attend a meeting. So when an email arrived in my inbox in March, I expected it to be an invitation to a citizenship meeting. But no. It was to tell me that my application had been approved and I should expect an invitation to a citizenship ceremony. In the fullness of time. Eventually.

That was unexpected. And exciting.

I had a look at the Ballarat City website to see when they were holding ceremonies and there was supposed to be one at the end of May. I hoped that I might be invited to that one. But then it disappeared from the schedule. The next one was mid-July.

It wouldn't really matter, except that I want to go to Japan in October and once you have been to the citizenship ceremony your Permanent Resident's return visa is revoked, because you should be using an Australian passport. Also, they recommend that you wait at least 10 business days before applying for a passport, so that all government departments will know your citizenship status.

Fortunately, I was invited to the July ceremony. Freyja and Julia came to watch. And it was quite cute, especially when there were families with children involved. The children were wearing their very best party clothes, or their national costume and were very excited. And after the ceremony, there were party pies and sausage rolls, sandwiches, jelly slices and mint slices and cups of tea and coffee.

Freyja and I went to the Beechworth Bakery for pies and hot drinks. They serve vegan friendly pies and cakes, as well as pies and cakes suitable for omnivores.

Freyja's photos:

Freyja and Julia, with cups of tea
before the ceremony

Ballarat Civic Hall
They had flags from all the countries
represented among the conferees

Party pie?

Don't mind if I do

I worry about the little trees, though. New citizens are given a native sapling to mark the occasion. Mine was a myrtle wattle. I saw 80+ saplings going off to their almost certain doom.  I suspect that of the hundreds of saplings that are given out each year at least 99% will die.  I don't have anywhere to put a wattle tree, although I suppose I could put it in a pot. It might be less wasteful, and just as symbolic, to give everyone a small posy of native flowers instead. Native flowers have a long life expectancy

That was My Week

On Tuesday I pottered around at home. Then I went and bought flowers. And then I drove back down to Northcote, where I was spending the night with Ghost.

In contrast to Sunday evening, when, you may remember, the view from the bedroom window looked like this:

On Tuesday afternoon, it looked like this:

Fortunately, by the time I was due to meet Lindsey just before 7, the rain had turned to a steady but light drizzle.  We went across to Station Street in Fairfield, a mere five minute drive from Ghost's Pad, where we had dinner in Okami, an all you can eat Japanese restaurant. You pay a set price for two hours' worth of whatever food you want, drinks extra. We went to one in Sunbury early in December and rather enjoyed it. The chain had announced that it would be closing most of its restaurants, including Sunbury and the one in Ballarat. We were surprised, because the one in Sunbury was very busy when we were there. I think, though, that they must have changed their minds because the Fairfield one is definitely still open, and was also very busy. I checked and the Sunbury and Ballarat restaurants are also still open. Must visit the Ballarat one sometime.

I was once again opening at work on Wednesday. It was such a pleasure going from Northcote rather than Mount Helen. Instead of rushing out into the dark, rain and cold at 5:30, I left in a much more measured manner at 7:10 and walked into work at 7:25. Much better! I may need to move to Northcote. 

Getting back to Mount Helen after work was an altogether more challenging adventure. There was a very large chemical fire in a factory not far from the ring road which, unsurprisingly, was closed to traffic. Everyone was diverted along the Calder which was, also unsurprisingly, very busy. Still, I got home at a reasonable time, the cats were pleased to see me and we were warm, fed and cosy in no time.

On Thursday Lindsey and I went out in search of a new power cord for my bedroom clock. The plug on the previous one had cracked and fallen apart when I pulled it out of the socket. I had brought Stella's clock into play as a substitute, but it was like sleeping under an arc light and I couldn't find any way to make it dimmer. We tried JB Hi-Fi, but they didn't have any and referred us to Jaycar across the road, a place I had never heard of, but which did have what I was after. I now have a functioning clock in my bedroom, without being blinded (and kept awake) overnight. 

We tried to go to the market on Saturday but it was impossible to find a parking space. So we went out to Elaine and visited the farmgate shop instead. We had been out to Smythes Creek on Thursday. Plus, Lindsey's veg box had come on Friday so we are well placed for fruit, veg and meat.The veg box had mysteriously transformed itself into a fruit and veg box, so we are even better off for fruit than usual. Although we don't eat a lot of fruit, so I have changed it back to a veg only box. We do eat a lot of veggies.

The weather continues to be cold, wet, dismal and grey. Brandy and Whiskey are unimpressed by this if they want to go outside. They enjoy it while they are inside - the couch blanket and the fire are nice and cosy

A Ghostly Cat

A Good Day

I had a good day yesterday.

It started with cups of tea, watching the sun rise over the Dandenongs, talking to Ghost and pottering around.

I walked up to The Red Door Cafe, which is under a kilometre from Ghost's apartment - and, mercifully, is just before you get to the VERYSTEEP hill, which leads up to High Street. It was a lovely morning for a stroll. The cafe is very cute and the food was not bad, although the coffee could have been hotter. It was surprisingly busy for a Monday morning.

Inside the red door

I had a hearty breakfast 

I wandered back to Ghost's place and had a rummage in the general store under her feet.

Then I went out to La Manna, where I had a lovely fossick around. I had to be a bit restrained, though. I couldn't buy every tasty morsel I chanced upon!

And so back to my place, where Brandy and Whiskey were quite pleased to see me. I wiled away the afternoon with a little gentle tidying, some pottering and a bit of reading, and made dinner with some vegetables that were patiently waiting in the fridge and some lamb from La Manna.

The weather was pleasant all day.

It is not pleasant today! It is cold, damp, dismal, rainy and foggy. I shall stay inside until I absolutely have to go out. Which I will, at some point. I need to get some nice flowers and I am due to meet Lindsey this evening. Perhaps the weather will have improved by then. In the meantime, I might tidy the kitchen and perhaps even go wild and get dressed!

Weekly Round Up

I went out to the crematorium on Monday and picked up Stella. I also picked up Tony and The Bear. Stella had taken Tony's bear, and thus his ashes, everywhere with her and we thought she should perhaps take them on her final journey. So now I have Stella, Tony and Jim's ashes at my place. All I need now are Rupert's and I would have a Full House!

Before: Tony and The Bear, with Farley
at my place

After
(For the avoidance of doubt
Farley is still on my couch
and has not made his way into the hereafter!)

We are intending, eventually, to scatter Jim and Rupert around the scrubby bits of the garden at Hill House - where it won't matter if they poison the plants. There are mostly blackberries and other undesirables in the area we have in mind. There will, however, be a good view. Stella and Tony's ashes will eventually go back to Mount Martha, with a tiny amount held back to return to England, the next time someone is heading that way.

We have had communication with the probate solicitor and I have communicated with the British pension people and with Centrelink. We have cancelled all of Stella's direct debits, apart from her phone payments. We need to keep her phone active for now.  Fortunately, I am not an executor of the will, so have no formal actions to take.

We have noticed recently that the Smythes Creek Farmgate Shop has become extremely busy on Saturdays, to the point that you can't move properly to look at things. They are open 6 days a week, and until later on Thursdays. So Lindsey and I went out onThursday afternoon to see what was what. Much better. They still had a fully stocked shop, and there were a few other people there. But it was much easier to move around and you could have a proper look at things to decide what you might want to buy. We might go on Thursdays in future.

We did go shopping on Saturday, but not out to Smythes Creek and nor to the market. The Lakeside market wasn't on and we don't usually bother with the Bridge Mall market. We went into town for a potter around, then to Wilson's.

Now you find me in Northcote. Freyja and Simon have gone to the Dandenongs for a few days. I can wave at them from their balcony

I can see the city from the bedroom:

My gaff for the night:

And my housemate:

I won't be here for the whole time they're away. I'm heading home later this morning to play with my own housemates. In the meantime, I am  drinking tea and enjoying watching the sun rise over the Dandenongs. Meanwhile, Ghost is enjoying lounging on her electric couch blanket

Last Weekend in June

Friday was an interesting day.

We were supposed to be transferring from one medical management system to another over the weekend. We had been preparing for weeks. We had arranged to close the clinic at lunchtime so everyone had a chance to ensure that everything was as ready as it could be and for us all to have a play on the incoming system.

In the meantime, one of the management team had found a cheap-ish second hand fridge on one of the medical Facebook Groups. The Practice Manager there wanted it picked up either on Thursday or Friday. Thursday wasn't possible, so Friday it had to be.

On top of that, Emily, Andre and the babies were supposed to be coming in for lunch. Emily, you may remember, works with us when she is in Melbourne and people were keen to see her and (especially!) the babies.

By Friday morning, it was clear that the transfer to the new system was not going to happen, for logistical reasons outside our control. There was much discussion about whether to call it a day after lunch, and for everyone to go home, or whether to open up the diaries and see what happened.  In the meantime, Reception Alex and I trundled out to Balwyn, in the wilds of the eastern suburbs, to collect the fridge.

We could not find the medical centre and ended up in the wrong one. They were slightly surprised to hear that we had come to take away their fridge. They thought they might like to keep it! They did give us directions to the right clinic. But even then, it was difficult to find. It did not help that their address is on the main road, while their location is on a side street and is not visible from the main road.

We collected the fridge.  Disaster! We had not brought any money with us (I had assumed the fridge was already paid for). They couldn't take a card payment (I had a card I could have used), only cash or a bank transfer. Fortunately, a means of payment was sorted out, after I rang our surgery and asked what they expected us to do. Then we tried to put the fridge into Lindsey's car. It didn't fit! We juggled and jiggled and wiggled and wobbled. Eventually we managed JUST to get it in the car.  But where to put Alex???? I really didn't want to leave him in the wilds of Balwyn. We jiggled and juggled and wobbled and wiggled a bit more and managed to get the passenger seat far enough back that there was JUST enough room for Alex.

Then we drove carefully and cautiously back to the surgery.

Alex, folded up very carefully
and implanted into the car

We got back to find everyone getting ready for lunch. Pizza. Chicken. Chips. Salad. We did try opening the afternoon diaries, but we had been advertising for some time that we would be closed on Friday afternoon, so weren't gathering much interest. So we closed the books again and people ambled off, one by one, into the weekend.

The Sunday training session for the new system was cancelled

Dr Emily, Dr Lindsey and our
two newest recruits, 
complete with their stethoscopes

For me, the weekend was very quiet. It hasn't been as cold as it was earlier in June, but it is not by any stretch of the imagination warm. It's been drizzly and dreary and gloomy. I have long imagined that when I no longer had to go to the care home each afternoon that I would get lots done in the garden. The weather is not conducive to gardening! I am merely nibbling away at the edges of the things that need to be done. But really, there is no hurry. Things will happen as they do.

I have, though, found the missing trowel. It was, of course, exactly where I had left it, waiting for me to come and carry on with what I had been doing. Although, I hadn't stopped in the middle of something. I had finished weeding one little bed and planted some broad bean seeds. The trowel was waiting for me to come back and start on the next bed. But I think that might be a mid to late August job. I have put the trowel away, next to its new friend. Now there are two trowels in the garden tool stand.

I have also been prepping food. A Farmers' Pick box arrived on Friday. I have made stuffed baked zucchini, stuffed baked tomatoes and a selection of steamed veg. I have prepped most of the rest of the veg ready to be used. I am planning a traybake at some point. And Lindsey has taken some of the prepped veg for tonight's Steak Night in Melbourne. We are not going to starve in the foreseeable future