Trying to organise my weekend in Docklands

I went to Melbourne on Monday.

I had an appointment with my optometrist. My distance vision has strengthened in my left eye and is now almost perfect. Not so much in my right eye but my existing distance glasses don't need replacing. My near vision has worsened. My reading glasses might have been ok for another 12 months but I decided to get new lenses. I do not enjoy reading because it is hard work on my eyes and a slight adjustment in the prescription might improve matters a bit. Fortunately, I can just get lenses. The existing frames don't need replacing.

Then I met Freyja for lunch

This is what you get at Kissaten if you ask for a karaage burger without the bun:

And this is what you get if you ask for a vegan onigiri set:

Iced chocolate for me:

Me with my iced chocolate:

On Tuesday I had an online meeting with Freyja and her mortgage advisor. She (the mortgage advisor) is looking into whether I can get a mortgage if I move to Docklands. If I sell this place for the upper end of the estate agent's estimation I might not need a mortgage. On the other hand, I might and it would be useful to know how much, if anything, I could reasonably expect to borrow and for how long. I owe very little on my current mortgage and it is possible that my bank would lend me another small mortgage, but I thought it might be worth exploring some other options. Now, of course, the mortgage advisor wants me to fill out wads of paperwork.

My weekend trip to Docklands has proved to be a bit problematic. Not the trip itself but finding a place to stay. I noticed, more or less at the 11th hour, that the apartment I had booked required a credit card and a security deposit of $1000. I don't have a credit card and every time I apply for one online (which I don't do very often) the computer says "NO". I don't really understand why - I know there is no provision to include overseas income on the online form, but my local income should be enough for a credit card with a small limit. Eventually I will go and talk to the bank in person. But in the meantime, I had about 6 hours to cancel my apartment booking. Which I did.

I booked instead an apartment on the edge of the city centre, just into Carlton.  Didn't require a credit card but was not-refundable if I changed my mind. I wasn't likely to. Then on Monday evening I had a rather dodgy looking message saying that the apartment was no longer available because of damage and would I like to have an apartment in East Melbourne instead. I wasn't sure that this was genuine so did nothing until Tuesday morning.

It seemed it was genuine. However, an apartment in East Melbourne wasn't really convenient. Apart from the fact that I was getting further away from Docklands - if I had wanted to stay in East Melbourne I would have borrowed Lindsey and Ian's flat. I said no and asked for my money back. Then I got an even more dodgy SMS, offering me a very dodgy apartment in Southbank (you should have seen the reviews!!!). I said no and asked for my money back. They suggested I should contact Booking.com and cancel my reservation. I don't think so! It was non-refundable and I hadn't cancelled. They had.  I suggested that they might like to cancel through Booking.com and asked for my money back. 

I think getting my money back may be an interesting activity, but I booked through Booking.com and paid with PayPal so I expect it will eventually come back.

So now I have booked a third apartment, back in Docklands, where I do not need a credit card, nor a security deposit. Fingers crossed!

Just before Christmas I had a solar battery installed in my garage. It hasn't ever worked properly. Instead of charging from the solar panels during the day and then powering the house in the evening, it was charging itself from the grid, very expensively. My power company, who were supposed to be sorting it out eventually declared defeat and referred me back to my installer. I contacted the installer, and turned the battery off. Yesterday morning at around 7:20, while I was pottering around in my nightshirt and dressing gown, preparing for an 8:00 Japanese lesson - there was a knock at the door. It was the installers, who were passing by and called in to see if I was at home and awake. 20 minutes later they went away. And yesterday, my battery charged from the solar panels during the day and powered my house in the evening and overnight. Even with the aircon on in the evening, I drew no power from the grid. Just how I had expected it to work! Let's hope that continues.