2023-September

Friday night, went out with Justin in Crows Nest. Played some cards where you are applying for a job. Hilarious. Drank some delicious whiskey.

Rolled out of bed very slowly. We'd arranged to pick up a sofa bed at 9am. So we wrestled it out the door, gouging the Eden's floor (the girl offering the item). Had to tumble it vertically to get it out and down the stairs. Couldn't shut the tail gate. Rather than battle it into the house at Petersham, we drove up to the Central Coast to drop it off. Decided to try get another while up there. Really max'd our time there. An English couple had a newish looking one for $80, bargain, hope the kids use it a bit.

Saturday night at Jason and Christie's for her surprise 40th. Nice time for all. That's not a bonfire, sheesh.

Marie's away this week. I like her going off with her friends. But when I'm doing the single parent routine, you are not allowed to come home and complain about the state of the house, and the kids being behind on their homework.

Left: Lou, Max, Marie measure up Oli and Charlie.

Right: our neighbour Christian and Marie checking out the explosion of Jasmin at the front. With any luck soon, the cage will be covered!

Well the kids had an ok week I think. 4 mornings out of 5, I was out with work, so said they have to get their own breakfast, their own lunch, and get themselves to school. If they're late or not, too bad, up  to them! Have to admit, I didn't get to do any shopping, so we ran out of muesli bars and bread. No idea what they ate at school, except for Lou's regular Vietnamese pork roll on Friday. 

Friday night went to dinner with Chap and Riet at Chico's Mexican at Milson's Point, a nice place. Chap is nearing completion with the building of his home, should be ready for visitors by December. He'll be back November. His dad has dementia, and his mum is struggling to look after him. He hides tools from under the house around the home because he's worried about theft, then can't find them, and thinks they've been stolen. Riet is the diversity senior manager at her law firm, so seems it's going well. Really nice to see them after so long.

Saturday night me and Rie went to the Re bar - claiming to be sustainable with recycled bench tops, that kind of thing. Not sure how sustainable drinking spirits is, but anyway... The boys stayed with Vonne.

Sunday, had a nice sleep in, walked the dog to the library to return a book on Rutherford and Oliphant, two scientists who were buddies from Aust/NZ, and very much started the nuclear age- nuclear power, microwaves, radar and leading to the atomic bomb. Walked to Evonne's to get the boys and walked home. I think Goldie is tired, but always hungry now. She loves human food, and my cooking.

The year of the cat: Mumma seems appreciative on a level that humans can only hope to achieve one day.

I'm on S1s today! (12th) This means I can take a call 24 hours, and work up to 14 in one day. There are stand down rules for those who get exhausted. Fingers crossed the night thing doesn't happen this time!

So far so good. It's Friday as I write. Up at 6:20 this morning with one at Warriewood that resolved itself. Was right near Andy's place but sadly I only had his work number, so missed him while there. Got 2 hours through an audio book on environment and taking action. Now feeling guilty for doing incorrect stuff and not doing enough protest. 

Saturday, spent the afternoon and evening at Christina and Tony's. I'm sobre being on call. Lou came to hang with Oliver Sceats. Met Sean and Allee, good times, crazy stories. 

Sunday, had lunch at Vonnes with Tim and Suzie. Tim was an old house mate of theirs. Ate too much. Walked the dog home. 

Left: a photo of our newly resprayed bridge. After the buildup and a weekend, not sure if they did too much though. It is a historic bridge, iron, the oldest of its type still used in NSW apparently. Built in 1883, designed by George Cowdery. Rests on brick piers, steel trestles, refurbished in 1992. The riveted metal lattice work underneath is original. Currently getting a repaint using two tone heritage colours.

I'm on S1s today! (12th) This means I can take a call 24 hours, and work up to 14 in one day. There are stand down rules for those who get exhausted. Fingers crossed the night thing doesn't happen this time!

 

Right: me and Lou at the BBQ place in Burwood, while Marie and Oli had gone up the Coast already. Very genuine: not much English spoken. You cook your own stuff. 

So far so good with the S1 jobs. It's Friday as I write. Up at 6:20 this morning with one at Warriewood that resolved itself. Was right near Andy's place but sadly I only had his work number, so missed him while there. Got 2 hours through an audio book on environment and taking action. Now feeling guilty for doing incorrect stuff and not doing enough protest. 

Saturday, spent the afternoon and evening at Christina and Tony's. I'm sobre being on call. Lou came to hang with Oliver Sceats. Met Sean and Allee, good times, crazy stories. 

Sunday, had lunch at Vonnes with Tim and Suzie. Tim was an old house mate of theirs. Ate too much. Walked the dog home.

So far, so good, only Tuesday I had to roll out to North Head in the morning for a no responsive rack (just needed replacement comms module), but then got a panic call from Bondi, since server 2 had died (there is a redundant one, but if that goes, they lose control of the plant). Had to drive to Parra to collect a replacement, then drive to Bondi to swap it out, following the checklist. Managed to kill the plant for a few seconds, stopped server 2 replacement, then worked out I had one ipaddress wrong. Finished 9:30pm.

Friday we saw the Syd Uni med review - ChatGP with Jaime, Claudia, Marie and Tim. Some funny skits in there, for example the doctor who has a zombie wave of patients, like in a video game-it was well done.

Saturday clean up, walk dog to the shops, set up some stereo speakers in the kitchen, a bit of a disappointment with the average volume.

Saturday night, went to dinner with Julian's parents, Enno and Andrea. They are both PhD people. They met at UTS. He works for the ABC in complaints. She works for a prime minister's library - the Whitlam Institute at Parra, that I ride past on the way to work all the time, on the river, at UWS. 

Left: at North Head Sewerage works aka Wastewater Treatment Plant probs soon Water Resource Recovery blah.

Andrea did her PhD on cultural memory/history *something like that, and visited Mostar to see the divisions caused by the war, as an example, along with a couple of other cities.

Sunday, another call to Bondi - a switch port was off, so they thought the switch was throwing out problems. Turns out the mains supply power was a bung for a moment, throwing off several machines, including shutting off the one reported as a the switch port problem. It was 2pm to 6pm, so no drama sleep wise.

So finished the s1s on Tuesday morning. Dinner with Lou Tuesday night as per the photo above. Wednesday me and Lou finally went up to the Central Coast Wednesday. Worked two days while Trish, Tim and fam were up. Oli got Julian, Curtis and Felix up. Charli came for a day or two. 

  

Right: Fil in Belgium somewhere.

Ceal cocking a leg in Belgium. Good times.

2023-August

Weekend  Saturday big sleep in, went for walk to Marrickville library with the boys as a buddy of Lou's is moving there, then to Mcabe's but noone was home. Charlie asked them over as he had friends coming and Tone and Vonne were both away. Marie was up the coast with her and the girls. Boys decided to prank them at 3am. 

Went to resto with Jaime Claudia Tim Trish Marie, see resto review. It was fantastic. At 3am Marie drove the boys to Charlie's house. Not sure what the prank plan was except they were trying to pretend they were there the whole time. Sunday went for bay walk with Duls and Andy. Duls father in law died. Andy's kids have struggles. Andy's oldest is acing some IT course at UTS with Ds and HDs.

The growth chart on our wall at home. Oli is in the lead, I'm shrinking and Lou is catching up! Marie is now coming last in the height race.

Saturday morning, went to the knife show with Oli, Steve and Tim (pictured here). All kinds of knives, swords, even pikes and some medieval armour. Bought a round Japanese wood rasp, and a two sided Japanese wood saw of all things, no knives for me. 

It being Oli's birthday the tomorrow, he wanted a sword, but I talked him into getting some throwing knives instead. Good parenting eh. Not sure when throwing knives become a responsible possession. Anyway we had a bit of a throw in the back yard. We'll have to take them to John's property or some such to try them out more. 

Sunday we went to lunch, then tried to get to a movie, but seems that Burwood was closed, so we went back and saw the Dungeons and Dragons movie on the big TV. It wasn't bad at all. Happy birthday to one of the most beautiful things in the world , my Oli.

Friday, Marie visited Baka, then had to come home to get the dog, so got delayed, so we all went up the coast in the car. Stopped at Mad Toppings pizza at Hornsby. Raced in, but Marie wasn't happy as the dog was pulling like mental on the lead.

Saturday, spent time sifting rocks out of the compost dirt, then grouted a couple of joins/one hole/holes next to the shower floor, in the laundry. Zdenka and Tim arrived at about 3pm. Tried to watch the World Cup Women's soccer finals, Aust v England, but the internet was terrible, so went to the Mingarra club. Nat and Scott rolled up.

Sunday was Natalie's baby shower. We walked in to see a half swept floor with Twiggy sticks. In the weekend heat, it stunk. The kitchen was also a mess, and the fridge totally full of food. We hauled the BBQ, presentation platters, boxes of soft drink, beer, used glasses etc outside, and the contents of the fridge got piled up in a storage room inside. Everyone got busy to clean the mess, take out the rubbish, sweep the floor. I wiped out the fridge. We cut up stuff for a nibbles board.

After phone calls, the happy couple turned up - it was their engagement party, and were profusely apologetic. They thought noone would be there.

Sat with Vince for a few hours during the event and resolved a few world issues, like where to put nuclear waste, or quarried rock from tunnelling for the massive roads projects. Then went back to eat ice cream cake left over from the other people, and run around with Harley, Maddie and my two boys. 

Marie and Vonne dropped us at the train, as they are staying up there for Monday, then drove off, car beeped as I had the car key in my pocket. Vonne ran, got that. Then we stepped onto a train that rolled up as soon as we got on the platform. I was in strong pain for the last half hour trying to hang onto my bladder. Bolted for the can at the end, and got there ok, phew!

Saturday, went to Skein Sisters to get darning needles and thread. This is part of "mending with a purpose". We save the socks from going in the bin, by running some repair thread across the thin and holy parts. And it looks pretty.

In the arvo, popped into the Petersham Bowling Club Medieval fair. 

There was a forge, with a guy doing steelwork on the anvil, very pretty. Plenty of swords, leatherwork, fighting, wrestling displays, and a couple of beers. Jaime came later, then we had everyone over to our place for takeaway pizza. Big news is that Trish is getting her hip replacement done on Monday. She wondered if Jaime had anything to do with it. He said he didn't, but that he asked a director if that was his area, and about Trish's job, and voila she got a call in shortly after, so seems he really did.

Sunday I went for a beautiful bike ride in the Western Sydney parklands, via the City Farm and Parx Cafe. The train we were on had all its stops cancelled, then we got on the next one to Liverpool, which went via the wrong line. So we got off at Cabramatta, and rather than go back to Guildford and get on the pipeline path, we went from there and came back with the group. Met Ishan at Lidcombe, and rode with him out to Parx Cafe Abbotsbury, and Lizard Log. A very nice day. Went to the shops with the boys to get some books and groceries.

...Here are some random photos from things I've been following on the internet.

Above is a photo of an American baseball field surrounded by acres of car parking, not nice.

To the right, can you believe it, was the old Commodore Hotel, a perfectly beautiful building. And the next shot below, is the building they replaced it with. 

Nice work developers. I always thought the Commodore was a characterless dump, and now this explains the architectural hit job, and subsequent architypal ugly building crime of the 1960s.

This is a screenshot from an excellent presentation from John Pucher, Professor of Planning,  and Peter Norton, author of Fighting Traffic. American cities (and Australian ones) all had excellent tram networks, and heaps of bike riders. It's sad that the machines have taken over our cities.
 

2023 July pt 2

Saturday night, there was a dark beer fest at the PBC. The beer was mostly disgusting. Abramo, Melita? his wife, Eoin + his youngest son, Tony and Vonne, Cathy, Andrew+their buddy Liz were there, met Hezy and Mikaela who runs the Thrusday readers group. Sunday, went to Yum Cha with Has, Amir and Fiona, then went to Tony and Evonne's. I sharpened their knives. Tony totally butchered the edge on their chefs knife. It's better now, yet still moderately crappy. We took the dogs for a walk. A pretty good weekend I'd say.

Nice weekend - lazy Friday, Saturday went on a knife sharpening course with Steven Pavicic. Beforehand I felt that going to a 4 hour session on knives may be overkill, given the average YouTube video goes for 5 minutes. But we were all following closely as he thrilled us with info on metal structure, the advantages of Japanese vs Western knives, different stones, and the effect of different honing steels. It's clear why diamond honers are no good, as they will deeply score the blade point; take off a lot of material and giving serrations the edge. He showed how to use the index finger to keep the angle, and work the burr off. With some amazement, we tested on paper. Everyone sliced through with ease. 

Me parking at the Bondi WasteWater Treatment Plant (formerly sewer plant). Rockstar parking, work on the train, why would ya drive?

Went to the Central Coast on Friday night. Holly and Lola came with Frankie and Ruby, so with my two boys, no space in the car. I went on a 70 stop bus ride down every street with a speed bump or roumdabout for the 14kms home. Let's say I went through a lot of new places, but couldn't see anything in the dark.

Saturday - lazy day, sharpened the knives, went to the dog beach and found a new way home via Swadling Park which chops a half km off the walk, had snooze, cooked chicken over the fire and potatoes in it. Played Scattergories with the girls.

Sunday put up two bike hooks and shelves in the shed. Took a couple of hours, sanded the door on the garage and filled it. Came home late!

Had the local roof co make up a custom flashing, dropped it into place. It fit like magic. Next door thought it was a pro job.

Mark got himself a new car. Can't say it's the most environmentally friendly.

2023 July pt1

School holidays! Went up the coast, had a week off. 

Jaime, Claudia and fam came up for a few days. then Vonne and Tony+co, and in the second week, Steve and Ang, plus Kathy. Plus Felicity and Mill came up for a night or two. Tim, Trish and fam popped in to have a look and stayed for lunch. The kids went for a swim.

I did some tiling with Vince, amoung other odd jobs like gap filling around all the wood details, architraves, doors. We put the door on the shed and installed the striker. Vince said he was going to give Tony some shit next time as the door was rattling in the hole. The striker needs to go back a bit.

We sat around the fire and relaxed. 

2023 June pt 3

Jean Claude, Francois Houyez, Marie, Ellen, Anne Sophie and me - I think we'd popped over once before but they weren't home. Jean Claude has mesothelioma from working at Peugeot, and blowing the brake dust around. In the old days, they used asbestos for high temperature applications. Given he smokes as well, he's been lucky up to now. So we called to arrange to visit, and just happened to be when Francois flew in from France, plus Anne Sophie from W.A. We brought over some cheese, bikkies, a bit of chicken, and they made a salad. A very pleasant night.

Midweek, we dropped in to visit Jaime in his new workplace at Sydney Uni.

It has a lot of new buildings that weren't there when I was there about 35 years ago (eek). Swish but a bit sterile. The crusty old professors who never changed their lesson plans were there back when I was studying.

It's great to land a job - they've been in Australia for a long while, but paperwork etc took a long time. All the same, this job involves catching a lot of complaining from people. I guess that's the trouble with managing people, is just dealing with problems all day long.

The office is impressive.

The former heads etc make for some nice paintings. You can see Jaime is not in it for the glamour - more to get work done and moving in the right direction, helping the general public as best possible.