Chong Quinlem – my grandad, circa 1946. I feel like I’ve just met my grandfather (on my dad’s side) for the first time. Which is a bit strange, since he died long before I was born. It may be a bit odd, but my dad’s never gone in much for sentimental stuff, and it’s taken ... [More]
I have reached a point in my life that I never quite expected to reach. I know two people with the same name, that is, the same given name and the same surname. I suppose it’s the kind of thing that can happen sometimes – for instance, I’ve worked with an awful lot of people ... [More]
I spent Wednesday morning as sick as a dog, that is, as sick as a very sick dog. In fact, as sick as a dog that’s spewing up everything it’s eaten in the previous day, and has truly revolting stuff coming out of its bottom. (Oh dear, is that too much detail?) I think it ... [More]
The peaceful town of Wallan… newsagency… Internet… butcher… I always wanted to be a tram driver… Today I went on a nostalgia trip to somewhere I’d never been before. The tramway museum at Bylands. When I was a kid, we never had a car, and I used to travel by tram a lot. These days ... [More]
Only 29 cents going the government’s way in my first real GST transaction. Hmm, so this is the brave new world of GST is it? I think I’ve come to the conclusion that GST is the government’s way of moving the work of tax collection from the ATO to just about everyone who runs a ... [More]
The cable modem arrived today… and it flies like a rocket, especially on the new computer. Brilliant stuff.
Bang! – Scccccrrrreeeeeecccccchhhh. The aftermath of my first real prang. Well, a milestone yesterday: I had the first prang in which I actually did some damage to my car. I was in the carpark at Dick Smith, stocking up on LAN cards (well, just one really). As I parked, I got a little too close ... [More]
Some progress on the cable internet connection I ordered. After I rang up and badgered them a bit, they started moving into action. Ah yes, that’s how you deal with big companies: disturb them enough from their slumber to do something. On Thursday morning a friendly bloke arrived in a van, fiddled with a box ... [More]
Today I did my good deed for the week. Taking $90 out of the ATM down the street, I was rather surprised to find it gave me an extra $20, kinda wrapped around the other notes. Now, if it were a definite case of ripping off the Commonwealth Bank, most of us wouldn’t think twice. ... [More]
Today I ordered a new computer. The last time I bought a new computer was almost exactly five years ago. At the time, it seemed quite fast, but maybe this was an illusion, as it seems to have gradually got slower and slower over the years. I did get it upgraded last year, but after ... [More]
I’ve had some relaxation this weekend: the kids are away, staying with their mum for the long weekend. Not that I don’t like my kids of course, but it’s good to be given me a chance to get out and about and see some friends. Not to mention to be able to sleep in. On ... [More]
You might think that the big monolithic corporations are the ones who got that way by giving their customers what they want, and taking vast amounts of cash in the process. But it seems to me that some big corporations get so big that they move so slow that it’s a wonder that they’re still ... [More]
One of my challenges as Primary Caregiver to two young kids is shoving enough nutritious food down them each day to keep them healthy and growing. And I think I’ve worked out now that it’s all a matter of packaging. For instance, (ignoring my version of the food pyramid for a moment) we all know ... [More]
For those of you following my domestic adventures, early on Monday morning, L came back to Melbourne. She’d rung a few days earlier and said she’d be coming back. We met up with her for a little while on the way home from the airport. I suppose it was to be expected – I knew ... [More]
We celebrated Isaac’s fifth birthday with chocolate cake, presents and lots of running around in the park. Then we somehow managed to pack up all our gear back into the backpack and headed (over the bridge once again, naturally) to the airport. There was no queue at all for check-in, and we had to double-check ... [More]
Just passing through Town Hall station again… with a good view of people’s feet Those Sydney Cityrail people just don’t like any fun Luna Park Sydney: is there an amusement park anywhere in the world with a better view? We headed back into central Sydney, bound for the totally awesome Powerhouse Museum. It’s a mish-mash ... [More]