It's Time to Go

HM is ninety five years old. That is very old in human age. She cancelled a trip to Northern Ireland and now to Glasgow because of ill health. It is clear she will no longer travel overseas to visit her colonies. She is no longer able to perform royal duties as we would expect of a monarch. 

It's time Liz, it's time to hand over. You dun a good job. Give your lad Charlie a chance before he is too old and you are too old to appreciate his skills you have imbued to him. 

I don't think Charles' wife will be Queen. Will she be something like a consort? I like that word. I don't want to be R's husband and partner is so wishy washy, even though I use it. Could we be mutual consorts? 

I hope people in the UK are ok now about Camilla. From what I learn from media, the couple are so well suited and share a mutual love made in heaven. This can be rare in modern life and I am happy our future King has such a loving wife consort beside him, however she is titled. 

Oh, I am sounding too nice. Let's take it down a peg or two. I thought this was a bit funny the first time I saw it but upon reviewing it, maybe not really. Oh well, publish and be damned. The printing press is already set by 20.40 on a Friday night. 

I need a footy team

(One at a time please) I really need an English football team to support. Each year I choose an Australian football team to support by which team has the hottest players or one hot player in particular.

Naturally R has an affinity to Newcastle United, so I can't support that team. Harmony and agreement in The Highrise is not the norm. 

Ronaldo is playing for Manchester United. He is nice but he is a commodity to be bought and sold. Who knows who he will play for next year.

Chrystal Palace...such a pretty name, but I don't know where it is. Is it to do with The Great Exhibition? 

Southampton...I think that's a nice enough place on the coast. It seems it is rated as the 99th best place to live in England. One player, Shane Long is not too shabby. Good hair, Irish accent, an interesting tattoo indicating he can read and write.

Any suggestions for a footy team? Argue your case and I will listen.

Many football fans in Britain and Europe will have heard a player here has 'come out'. If players ever do, it is usually at the ends of their careers and at 21 Josh Cavallo's is just beginning his. He is a courageous young man and I hope it will be to his benefit. I understand he is the only out there male football player in the world who plays for a major team. He has the support of both his family and team.

Of course the commercial tv station Channel 7 had to spoil its otherwise ok story with its pre advertisement break promotion to this story by saying a something like a significant sports player has made a major confession. Stay tuned until after the break.  Isn't the usual sense of the word confession is that you have done something wrong or made a mistake? Maybe I am being overly picky, but that is how I see it.

A Magistrate Crompton Outrage

Why on earth was this man given bail? His surety was his $4 million home and the police have already began the process to confiscate the property and its value may be realised by the NSW State Government to the benefit of taxpayers.

Police were confident of an early arrest of the escapee but others suggest, more likely, he headed straight to his private jet and flew overseas.

Would I be cynical in thinking he was given bail because he is a rich and popular in some circles restaurateur? How is Magistrate Michael Crompton sleeping, considering the huge investment of resources invested in Baluch's capture and court appearance? What a disgraceful decision it was by Crompton to grant bail. A tonne of coke, rich, friends with influential people, good criminal connections, a private jet...what could possibly go wrong. I am not a great one for being critical of judges and I admit I don't know all the facts, but still, I think the magistrate should stand down. His decision does not pass the water cooler, pub or sniff test.

Why do so many alleged drug king pins have such similar appearances? You whistle and I will point. 

Moustafa Baluch is charged with conspiracy to import almost a tonne of cocaine

He was released on bail last week

• Police say his ankle monitoring bracelet was removed about 10.30pm last night.

• 
  

A Housing Oddity

This is how I would like it to be.

I noticed a few houses in Kerferd Road, Albert Park somewhat different to the rest of the housing in the street. Most of the housing is probably late 19th century.

But here are some more modern houses and apartments, apartments being unheard of here in the late 19th century. Why is this so? Something was there beforehand. A large building occupying several several house blocks? 

While investigating and having a proper look at the houses, I came across this plaque that tells the story. Briefly the plaque says that the factory when the nectar of the gods known as Vegemite was located here in Kerferd Road, the factory once occupying where the newer housing was built.

Actually, this happened in reverse. The plaque is mounted on a decent sized rock. I wonder why there was a large rock in the middle of a grassed area and I investigated and then I began looking at the housing. 

It is rare that anyone likes Vegemite who did not grow up eating it as I do and did. Former radio broadcaster Red Symons described it as 'salty, yeasty, black breakfast spread made from beer slops'. Yes, it was or still is made from the left overs from the beer making process. It is most commonly used as a light smearing over toasted and buttered bread but can to be added to many things. Soups and stews/casseroles come to mind. It has a rich, bitter and salty taste. Maybe if you like salty Dutch liquorice, you will like it.

Vegemite fell into foreign ownership some years ago but is once again Australian owned. 

NB, No one spreads Vegemite as thickly on toast as the girl in the clip did.

I am not Jewish, not that there is anything wrong with that

Did ThyssenKrupp think I am Jewish and locked me in the lift deliberately? Or maybe in revenge because we won the war and by us winning the war led to a loss of the company's mega profits in Germany during WWII? Too soon? The company has modernised and now calls itself TK. Schindler and Otis have not seen the need for a name change.

I plea, I am not Jewish and don't lock me in a lift. The above makes as much sense as anti vaccination people make.

TK is replacing our lifts. It is a big project and in the meantime our lifts have been dreadful.

We had a lovely family gathering Sunday, chaotic, loud, trying to constantly monitor children. Mother is going deaf and did not once complain about the noise level of eight adults cross talking and five children. 

I drove on the freeway to ABI Brother's and supplied $80 worth of Red Rooster take away food to the gathering. ABI Brother supplied soft drinks and cakes, and more cakes were brought by Ex Sis in Law. Mother wobbled out to the back garden and threw jelly snakes up into the air which landed on the grass and they were quickly gathered by the kiddies. So hygienic, Mother. Later she threw wrapped lollies into the garden beds and again this went off a treat with her great grand children. Some plants were injured during the gathering process, but none required hospital treatment.

It was a great few hours and we had a lot of fun and good chat.

Hard work though and a simple meal planned at home for the night. R unerringly serves dinner at 7 to the minute. R pointed out I had not taken my 6.30 medication at 6.45. My phone must be on my bed muffled and I did not hear the alert. No, I have left in down in the car. 6.55 I just had time to retrieve it before dinner. The lift behaved oddly and stopped at the 10th floor and would not move. I pressed several buttons but it would not move. I pressed the call button and within ten seconds someone answered. He was very reassuring and said he will attend to it and if you don't hear back from me within five minutes, call me back. Btw, do you have a mobile phone with you. No, I replied. I was going down to the carpark to collect it.

The nice man called back within two minutes. Someone is on their way but they are forty five minutes away. Is there someone I can call for you to tell them what has happened? Yes, call R please and tell him. I struggled for a minute to remember R's phone number, mainly because I was trying to state it using zero rather than O. I sat in the corner of the lift on the floor but that was hurting my shoulder. I folded up a plastic supermarket bag I was returning to the car into a pillow and lay on the floor for half an hour. I hoped to doze off, but I did not. I had to get up again when the intercom person called me back to see if I was ok and how was I doing. Nice.

There were noises of people trying move, or kick lift doors, as the sole working lift for the building I was in was not moving. After about forty five minutes a soft alarm began sounding, then a few minutes later, a louder alarm. Then the lift pressed button panel lights cleared. I could hear boots tramping up the stairs. The lift repair man stopped off at the 10th floor to tell me I would be soon be out. He of course had to walk up 22 flights of stairs to reach the lift motor room. As I thought, it was a simple reset. The lift began to move to the ground floor and I then went straight back to our floor. The phone can wait. I was a bit cold and hungry.

I was traumatised and I need government funded counselling and strong drugs to recover and stop my fear of lifts. 

It was an hour out of my life. It wasn't a great experience but TK was very good and I will send the company a complimentary note about their staff. 

No Post

 Blogging time was spent locked in our building's lift. 

Sunday Selections

I'm joining in with Elephant's Child and River for this week's Sunday Selections. Just some randomness. I wish I was quick enough to capture the mudlarks, small birds, seeing off cockatoos, large birds, in flight for a couple of hundred metres. 

Point Ormond, Elwood Beach. Blissful.

Hoardings around Metro Tunnel works change at times. These are rather good and seem to stretch to infinity.

Trams used to run along Domain Road, South Yarra. Not anymore.

Clivia at a nearby building.

Stomped out cigarette butt here, rubbish bin a metre or so away. Too far to walk.

This 'tip pruned' pretty tree was I thought a Cheels cherry, sitting above an azalea, but I now don't think it is.

A rather nice single malt Scotch whiskey as a birthday present, with a handwritten label no less. Ok, ok, a printed handwritten label.  

A couple of weeks ago we were freed to the point we could travel 15 kilometres home for one of five reasons to leave home. We went to Altona Beach for food, as did many people. We bought food and coffee and the two old grannies sat on a park bench.

Such light only lasts a minute or so. 

I've learnt my stretching band is called a resistance band. The freebie from my physiotherapist snapped and gave a nasty flick to my hand. My muscles have grown.

I ordered this superior one by click and collect. I was cross with Rebel Sport because I could not do so without giving my exact home address. Why, if I am collecting it? 

We had to move a side table near where the Christmas tree normally stands and came across a few baubles that had rolled underneath. I stuck them in this bowl and they are still there.

Clearly not my photos and the photographer is identified. The number 6 tram overran the Glen Iris terminus and hit the buffer planter box. It is not the first time this has happened.

As you can see, the tram actually derailed. I understand a motor car was somehow involved.