Okay, three doonas is too much. Might keep me warm on a cold night, but I can’t damn-well move under the weight of them. The third doona is relegated to the cupboard, and I went and bought some flannelette sheets instead. Meanwhile, you know that things are getting desperate in the public education sector when ... [More]
I think it’s safe to say that I live in the Coldest House in the Universe(tm). In fact I’m thinking of getting Guiness to come down here and declare it to be so. This morning, for instance, I awoke just the wrong side of 6am, and despite the double doona deployment on my bed, felt ... [More]
You remember in Day of the Triffids, particularly in the excellent TV version, how the plants would eerily click before attacking. It’s a bit like that at my house, at night when the wind blows. The enormous bush next to the front veranda, the one that defeated Cable And Wireless Optus Corporation, moves around in ... [More]
When I was starting primary school in the mid-70s, the second world war had been over for about 30 years. It was still in people’s minds — they still talked about it, a whole episode of Fawlty Towers was based around the recent memory of it. By the time I was in high school with ... [More]
Winter is coming. And I have conclusive proof. a) Last night I was freezing my arse off in the kitchen while on a phone call, and vowed to seek out a new battery for the cordless phone, so I can make calls from the comfort of my superheated livingroom. Or from my double-doona-covered bed. Either ... [More]
There was a cat on my roof the other night. First bats, now cats. What next… gnats? rats? meerkats? wombats?
Tickets for The Who went on sale last Sunday. At $99 to $199. Yikes. I considered booking, depending on whether or not good but cheap seats could be had. But then I found the damn Ticketek web site demanding some long-forgotten username and password (with no hints on the e-mail they had sent me), so ... [More]
A guy got on the train at Prahran yesterday. Very torn jeans. Obvious safety pins in one spot on them. Studded belt. Multicoloured jacket. And a luxurious coiffure of Fabio-style hair, but tied up… and carrying his very own hair dryer. ‘Cos hey, you never know when you might need it. Had a quick look ... [More]
I don’t normally post cutesy kiddie stuff, but I’ll make an exception this time. My eldest son Isaac, nearly 9, has reached a coming-of-age, of sorts. A big step on the way to adulthood. Last night, independently, with no help or pushing, he looked at, read, comprehended, “got” and laughed at, his first Far Side ... [More]
Footy tips not too good. Only 3 out of 8. Bah. I don’t like this anymore. On my way out to the west on Friday night, suddenly realised apart from my shoes and socks, I was entirely dressed in blue. Spent a substantial amount of Saturday daytime lazing. And a substantial amount of Saturday nighttime ... [More]
Update on the cable: Optus initially said “Well, we don’t prune bushes”, but after hearing the whole story (especially the bit where it’s at risk of damaging lots of their equipment if it comes tumbling down) have been convinced to come and get their cable. They say they’ll be out on Thursday morning to take ... [More]
In my front garden next to the verandah is a humungous bush, featuring bright purple leaves flowers and green branches with soft thorns. It’s growing, Triffid-like, out of control, and I regularly have to take the hedge clippers to it to prevent its spread blocking (or at least making awkward) access to the front door. ... [More]