ding, ding - tickets please

Today was my first day back on public transport, and also the first REAL rainfall in Melbourne in months!


I went to bed last night with a sense of excitement, eager to embrace my politically correct and socially responsible move from car travel to public transport. The signs when I awoke, didn't bode well - I could hear the rain on the skylight (so many exciting features in my new home)!


However, by the time I had readied myself for work, the rain had cleared, to be replaced by a brisk westerly wind. Armed against the cold with a coat and colourful scarf, I walked jauntily to the tram stop and joined Melbourne's early starters on my way to work. I even travelled down Melbourne's Punt Road by bus.


It reminds me of my favourite Merv Hughes story so I smiled all the way to work.


During the 1991 Adelaide Test, Javed Miandad commented that Merv Hughes looked like a fat bus conductor. Big Merv dismissed the Pakistani soon after, running passed the batsman yelling, “Tickets please!”.

ch-ch-changes

I have been told that the only thing that stays the same is change, and recent events are backing that up.

As I sit in my new spacious family room, tapping away on my flash new laptop, I'm keeping an eye on the cricket score from the West Indies via wireless broadband.

Yesterday I bade farewell to my psychologist boss, who is off to work in the transport industry.

last night I listened to the further demise of the West Coast Eagles (my second football side)

oh, and today foxtel will be connected, or at least it had better! yippee!!!

but right now it's time for golf. That short 12 minute trip gives me a few extra minutes to blog and surf.

even David Bowie is changing - he is now a character on SpongeBob SquarePants (or so his own blog tells me). No photos of Ziggy Stardust, but a lovely picture of SpongeBob!

all the key numbers

It is 18 days since I took possession of my new home (also known in this street as 'Mary's house')

15 days ago I moved in!

I have unpacked all boxes, except for 14 boxes of books

In 28 days I settle on my old unit (that's also the number of days I have to clean it)

1959 is the year that the neighbour who greeted me on my arrival moved into this street

My colleague lives 3 doors away, and we have only had the $10 Wednesday parma at the local pub once (so far)

Golf is a 12 minute drive away at 6.40am on a Saturday morning

It took me 16 minutes to walk to Punt Rd (and 2,569 steps), and I was in my cushioned seat at 'the G' 25 minutes after leaving my front door.

My internet connection took 14 days (and help from Katrina at Bigpond)

...and I still have to wait 8 more days for my Foxtel connection!

On my first Friday night here, it took me 8 minutes to 'jiggle' the lock at my back door - not a good sign

It took me 2 more days to work out the secret jiggle ... but I still want to change the locks

I picked 23 lemons from the 2 trees in my back yard last Saturday (and there are more to pick tomorrow)

I still have a lo-o-o-o-ng list of things to do, but I have plenty of time ... and now I have my internet to help with the relocation process. Welcome to number 21, it's great!

doing my best impression of a piece of wool cloth!

Yesterday was meant to be the day after which I could relax, leave stuff lying around my place, and start packing for the big move.


... however ... after a fair bit of interest there were no bidders and therefore no sale. After the auction, 4 parties wanted to be kept informed and still held interest knowing the reserve price. If they haven't expressed their interest (by way of an offer) by now, I reckon they have a plan A that may very well be auctioned next week, and I'm their plan B.


So now I'm on tenterhooks. Which leads me to ask, what is a tenter, and why does it have hooks? Well, a quick trip to Wikipedia and a cross reference to my Latin dictionary tells me that it's from the Latin tendere meaning 'to stretch'. A tenterhook dates back to the the textile industry, and refers to hooks attached to a frame on which woven woollen cloth was secured while it dried. As those of us who have washed a fluffy jumper in warm water know, wool shrinks, so a tenter (with attached hooks) was used to hold newly woven cloth in place while it dried.


Now I'm off to Mater's place for a Mother's Day brunch. Croissants & champagne all around! Today's task is to use a conjugation of the latin verb tendere in conversation ...

security matters

I think I just moved into the high tech world! I logged on to my blog, using not a password, but a fingerprint!

My new laptop has cajoled me, ever so gently, into the current millennium, and all I have to do to log on is swipe a single finger. How amazing is technology?


In other news, my lovely neighbour, Lady Magpie, expressed just the right level of regret that I am selling my unit and moving. In her caring way, she passed on a recent article in the local rag, highlighting a robbery at a home that was open for inspection. Apparently someone inspected said property and unlocked a window. At a later time, they then accessed the house through that unlocked window, removing valuables.


When I arrived home after a lunchtime open for inspection today, I discovered that while closed, my back door was unlocked. I'm sure that it was an oversight by my agent, but it did activate me into a frenzy of checking in cupboards and drawers before I sat down with a well needed glass of wine.


I'm very pleased to say that you, my fancy new laptop, were still hiding in your secret place and nothing was touched.
Just as well, I would have been out tracking fingerprints faster than Sherlock Holmes!

I'm back!

It certainly has been a while, and so much has happened!
(sorry for sounding like dear diary)

Basically it's like this ...
my computer broke and as the great corporate master has blocked all blogs, I couldn't even log on at home through my work laptop.

see, it's sort of a 'dog ate my homework' story, and with my swift (?) decision making ability, it took me a while to diagnose the terminal illness in my last computer, shop for a new one (and ask BM Roogirl to shop for a new one for me), buy said computer, transfer data from old to new etc etc. Yes it's prevaricating, but it's me and I'm fine with it!

Anyway, after a few days of beautifully fine autumnal weather, it has clouded over and is about to rain ... off to collect the washing.

Stay tuned to see if I record any secrets, secret crushes, dramas or angst - believe me, there's a lot going on!

Urgh, the heat!!!

It is now well into March, and while I subscribe to seasons by the sun rather than seasons by the calendar (ie Autumn starts at the equinox, not March 1), it is still unseasonably warm in Melbourne. Yesterday it topped 37, and it is predicted to be the same again today, with the same trend continued all week. (I hear Adelaide is hotter ... I feel for you!)

I suppose this is a good thing - it reminds the footballers that it still cricket season, so rack off until next month ... or something a bit less aggressive. But forgive me for snapping like that - I'm hot and bothered!!!

As we in Melbourne recognise Labour Day (you know, 8 hours of work, eight hours of play & eight hours of rest), I've just logged off my work computer after a few hours of preparing presentations. Yesterday was the analysis, today was the pretty-ness. Yeah, I know it's analogous on Labour Day, but remember that this is the same corporate master who flew me to London 1st class last year.

I have done little but work, sign forms (the less joyous part of buying a lovely new house), and sleep of late. Hence no blogging.

Today, despite the heat, I've made the commitment.

I have seen a movie and a new DVD of an Austen adaptation (sort of) recently. Back a few weeks when the weather was cooler (when it was definitely summer by any one's calendar) I saw The Jane Austen Book Club. Right up my alley and a definite 'thumbs up'. I also visited My friend Delamare's house and was privileged to view the inaugural screening of her new Sense & Sensibility. But rather than me relive it, just visit her very astute observations on her blog, here.

It is that busy time of the year for me at work. By Easter it should settle back to a steady pattern, with fewer peak workloads. Maybe then I can settle down to regular downtime!

Maybe the heat and heavy workload has also been contributing to Andrew Symonds' apparent anger management issues