Sounds like you do enjoy a road trip @Zappa, me not so much. Too many memories of 10 hour trips to visit grandparents in a car with two smoking parents and feeling as sick as a dog.
I think your rain gauge has gone on strike due to overwork @Foaming Draught and no wonder, the amount of rain up north is just beyond a joke and shocking winds elsewhere, just awful.
Nice steady rain here over night, I'm not looking forward to going out later, to collect son's girlfriend for a visit, as most drivers here seem to think that rainy weather means they need to increase their speed to get to their destination, in between the raindrops! Drives me crazy.
Once the girlfriend is here, I plan on vegging out in front of TV, it's a bit too wet to do much else, today! I also have books to go on with if the mood strikes and an unopened magazine to peruse as well.
To celebrate the day of love, Cheery husband has bought me a servo sandwich for lunch, so I am feeling appreciative today!
There is a python that frequents our garden and those of our neighbours. It's curious, but not aggressive. Today it did not have a large bulge, so perhaps it will be on the lookout for possums and rabbits.
Just been surprised by a 2 metre python on our back deck and peeking in our back door. Dissuaded him/her from coming in the house.
Where's your sense of hospitality?
One of the things about living in Aotearoa/ NZ I am grateful for is having no snakes. I do wish possums which destroy native bush and Canada geese which seem to poo their own body weight daily hadn't been introduced here though.
Hope it was cool enough (3.2°C) for you overnight, @Cheery Gardener. I’m going to a 70th birthday lunch shortly and have had to completely revise my outfit plans.
You know how scientists say that just observing a phenomenon is enough to affect it? Well, we bought ourselves a weather station for Christmas, and first, it affected rain by observing >1,500mm in a little over 2 weeks, and that event over, now it's affecting temperature by observing 39.7 at lunchtime.
Lols @WormInTheGrass, I had to get up in the night find additional bedclothes, eat a snack and try to get back to sleep. I have a long sleeved top sorted for tonight, but have not put away the summer nightie, because, well, you never know!!! I hope your lunch has gone well.
I was expecting a friend to visit, but they've had to call off due to unwell offspring, maybe next weekend ...
Sometimes @Foaming Draught it seems as though we live in totally different countries. You've had record breaking rain, and we've had record breaking cold overnight. I guess we have to expect it, when it's such a big country!
I think this week may be summer in Christchurch, as only one day has a maximum temperature under 20C. I don't know why we've had such a lousy summer. Met service predicted better but they were wrong. I'm wondering if a government outfit can be sued for breach of promise.
Just been surprised by a 2 metre python on our back deck and peeking in our back door. Dissuaded him/her from coming in the house.
Where's your sense of hospitality?
We do host a cane toad refrigerator and a freezer as a morgue for cane toad "collectors". There is a charity that collects them and extracts the poison to make a bait for the tadpoles in dams. The toads and tadpoles are cannibalistic. The tadpoles prey on other tadpoles.
It's a wonder people living there don't have webbed feet!
Today I was going to try mounting the cross stitch rainbow heart that worked for a friend's March birthday. I washed it in the bathroom basin and pressed it. I didn't discover for a while that I had left the plug in the basin and some water was still running. I raced over the road as I had just given then a pile of old newspapers to burn in lighting fire over winter, and thought to soak up some excess moisture with them.
F who is far more organised than I could ever be, lent me some old towels which are even better. She also came over to help. I haven't finished yet, but I feel so fortunate in having wonderful neighbours, both over the road and next door. I do have to stop having disasters that happen just around tea time though.
In my stressed state I wrote but didn't post this yesterday. I'm still working on this. Fortunately the cat's expensive dry food is kept in a plastic box in the bathroom and the water didn't get to it.
I'm glad to hear that Aroha's food was safe @Huia! That must have been a big relief, I hope there has been no lasting damage in your bathroom. (I wiah!)
Am enjoying a very slow day today, but have sorted out some stuff in anticipation of Cheery son's long term follow up appointment, on Friday. I have been stressed about it all night, so am glad to have this sorted and clarified. Some aspects have made me very grumpy, but I'll survive!
It seems my sleep seems to swing between exhaustion and restless nights. Hopefully tonight will be a good one! I have noticed though that having commitments the following day always makes for a bad sleep. Unfortunate as not all commitments can be ditched!! - I should be so lucky!!
Just had a visit from a friend who has a gadget for almost everything. He brought his dehumidifier which is chugging along drying the carpet outside the bathroom. Added to that summer has made an appearance so I may yet recover from the flood.
@Huia, I'm so glad your friend has a de-humidifer, I hope that really helps with the recovery and resumption of business as usual.
I've just woken up after sleeping for almost 10 hours and feel so much better than yesterday, thank goodness.
Cheery husband and son have gone for the blood tests, I'm waiting for them to return to see how much the financial pain will be for those, after changes to pathology billing.
Looks like we are gradually returning to summer this week, I hope you might get some in the next couple of weeks @Huia!
Breakfast up the back garden. The Whip bird pairs were calling one another. A couple of balloon flights over the valley could be seen. Our "Monty" python seems to have taken up temporary residence on the cover of our shed roller door. S/he normally sticks around for just a couple of days, but this is now the fifth day. The last time it was here it had a large bulge, but this time it doesn't seem to have recently eaten.
Although Malcolm Turnbull (who in other respects I quite liked) did his best/worst to kill NBN at Murdoch's behest, Australia is at last moving into the broadband 21stC. Not quite evening peak.
That sounds like an idyllic breakfast @LatchKeyKid - how often would your python normally eat? You might have a new resident!
Things are quiet here today after a busy morning. Cheery son did his echo today and his Oncology telehealth as well, good to have those out of the way.
I am hoping my friend (who was sick last week) is well enough to come for a cup of tea over the weekend. I have done the vacuuming just in case and if motivated will do some baking tomorrow!
@Foaming Draught I didn't mind Malcolm Turnbull either, particularly as the family foundation sponsored my son's ward in the hospital. I am not sure if they still do so, but I used to like looking at the sponsors of each ward and then doing some research on the various organisations - there was a lot of time to fill when inpatient!!
How is your drying out going @Huia? Any news from your end of the world? @Worm In the Grass
I think it would be at least a week between meals. Usually he turns up and stays just a few days and then it's weeks or months before he returns. This time it's more like a week. This time he's found a place where he won't get disturbed or rained on.
I hope Cheery son's test results are ok.
I've had a few "turns" in the last few weeks and have been referred to visit my cardiac specialist for a comprehensive ECG.
The clean up is progressing well, except for the other day when it was 28C and I couldn't bear having the de-humidifer on. Unfortunately the water got to the carpet outside the bathroom which is totally out of the reach of the sun. If tonight's cooler I'll put the de-humidifier on again.
I gave up trying to sort out how to display the needlework I was washing when I overflowed the basin and took it to my favourite framing shop yesterday. They quoted a week until it would be ready, but rang today, They stretched it over a frame and it has a small hanger on the back. I am so relieved it's finished and in good time for the recipient's birthday. Quite frankly I just want to get rid of it.
I think my next small project will be a pukeko - known in Australia as a swamp hen I believe.
I have a small pattern that will make a bookmark for my brother in the U.S. I am secretly hoping it will make him homesick and he will move home with his American partner.
Realistically I know this isn't going to happen.
I went to Mitre 10 twice in the last week, and didn't buy any mini roses.
Now there's a name from the past. I hope he's doing well.
Today is the 14th anniversary of the most destructive of the Christchurch quakes. It's a while since I have felt even a tremor - and long may that continue.
Why on earth would anyone be taking their guns to church?
In Ulster's sunny clime,
Where I used to spend me time,
a-serving of Her Majesty, The Queen,
I had to be armed at all times off base. I advised the Reverend Presbyterian Gentleman whose shack I attended of this, and we would meet in his vestry before the service where he locked my pistol up in the church safe. The first time this happened, the offertory-counting deacons who didn't know of the arrangement, came rushing up to the minister at the door, "Dr MacGillicuddy, there's a gun in yer sa-e-ffe!"
Today we land care people said a goodbye to one of our number.
The land care site is now officially known as John's Forest. It had been a tarmacked site between a school and a bowling club. It had some beautiful old trees on it and the school wanted to put temporary buildings on it.
John found that it was actually native title land and land care could be done on it. The tarmac was ripped up and native plants planted. This was about fifteen years ago when I first joined land care. Now it is a protected area open to the public and the local indigenous owners have the right to hunt and fish there.
John died last year (I took him to hospital, but he never got home). His wife brought some of his ashes and we had an unveiling of the plaque ceremony, an Acknowledgment of Country, a morning tea, and a walk around by the land care group from those years back to now.
@LatchKeyKid - what a lovely way of using the land. A group of people are also doing this in on Banks Peninsular. Early settlers left the hills stripped ( at least I was told it was themby someone with a greater knowledge of the area than I have ).
I should not go googling needlework patterns. I have found one of an angry cat with the words "Hissed Off" that is very tempting - and it's available in NZ. I will think about it but I do know several people who I could stitch it for.
Ah, so newly named Tropical Cyclone Alfred (Cat 1 at the mo, forecast to be severe Cat 3) should have been Anthony, following naming conventions. But whoever dishes out these monikers thought that was impolitic with a looming Federal election, hence Alfred. Pity, we could do with someone/something to blow Herr Dutton into oblivion.
No-one seems to know where Alfie will end up. Might stay offshore, might rampage through Central Queensland. Just keep clear of Townsville, eh, bro. We lost enough sleep with yr girlfriend Kirilly last year.
I fell in love with a needlework pattern I saw online of a very annoyed tabby cat with the words Hissed Off and have managed to successfully order it. I think this is only the second thing I've ever bought this way, so I have a great sense of achievement.
Today I had a long overdue appointment with the audiologist and she made some adjustments to my hearing aids that make it sound like the bird outside the window is yelling at me. She turned the sound up, but more importantly it is much clearer than it was. Time for a trip to the Botanic Gardens to be yelled at by the native birds.
For a minute there, @Foaming Draught, I thought you were saying that the cyclone was being named after the boss cat at the FD & C establishment, until I realised that you were referring to the current and future wind strength of said cyclone. @Cheery Gardener we are OK, but have had a bit of a run of extra outings and appointments. As well as the previously mentioned 70th birthday lunch, which went very well, last Wednesday we had a lovely afternoon tea with friends at “On the Lake” cafe in Bowen Park, and on Sunday I went to a book launch in Bungendore and then we both went to the Canberra Bach Ensemble concert at St Christopher’s. Plus getting the latest Covid vaccine.
We are also getting organised to go to Adelaide for Writers’ Week.
Remember that forecasting where and how powerfully a cyclone crosses the coast, a few days out, is an imprecise art, but this is the Met boffins' latest best stab.
YaY! My Hissed Off chart arrived today. I was a bit concerned because the senders spelled the name of my street incorrectly, but all was well.Now I have to search my stash to see which of the colours I already have. There are only 8 colours and I know I already have enough black.
Having a frustrating time with MyGov, MyId, and getting to the ATO to update a Tax return.
I got scammed on a Centrelink payment. Had my account locked, and then had a new account created. I'm trying to link the ATO to the MyGov, but now it's saying it can't verify my ATO registration.
Back in 1998 I registered a change of name before buying a property, to a name (reversal of first and second given names). Years later I found some government agencies did not accept this change of name registration and the ATO use the birth order, while passport, driving licence, and car ownership use the changed name.
I love the sound of your stitching @Huia, a stash of threads is always good! Lovely news @Worm in the Grass, lots of interesting activities going on.
Feeling for your @LatchKeyKid, I recently tried to access my old tax returns and my goodness the faffing around! Good luck getting through to anyone to provide assistance.
Good to see you here @Gee D - how are things with you?
If you click the arrow you'll see that Alfie is forecast to stay offshore, although he might belt Bundaberg with some rain. As a cyclone travels south to cooler water, it loses strength. And Rae (Fiji) looks set to miss populated Pacific Islands.
If you click the arrow you'll see that Alfie is forecast to stay offshore, although he might belt Bundaberg with some rain. As a cyclone travels south to cooler water, it loses strength. And Rae (Fiji) looks set to miss populated Pacific Islands.
So sorry to hear. Linking different services on the MyGov app can be an utter nightmare. Best of luck for tomorrow.
Thanks.
First call was rejected as the queue was too long.
The second gave me a call-back in 29 minutes.
But I struck lucky with the person on the call-back. She was very patient as I searched for various documents (our marriage certificate is from over 50 years ago and doesn't have a reference number) and finally I provided enough evidence for her to give me a linking code.
So success at last.
We are doing pretty well thanks. From time to time the usual hiccups that go with aging crop up, but so far nothing serious. We do quite a bit of walking, but given that it's pretty hilly around here, what seems like quite a bit may not be all that much. The regular morning and afternoon ones both involve a coffee shop - a good incentive. The morning shop is a suburb north, the afternoon is one south. Our own suburb remains business free and as that is due to interlocking restrictive covenants rather than zoning, it's almost certain to remain so.
St Sanity is not the parish it had been for ever and a day. The previous rector was very much in the Sydney school and the numbers dropped dramatically even before covid hit. We kept going and we're probably too old now to make a change. There is a new rector to a non-Sydney parish a few suburbs south from us. He is a good fit for the parish, and is a pleasant man.
Skimming over the posts above shows names that have been absent from the Ship for quite a while, and it's good to see people back.
Comments
I think your rain gauge has gone on strike due to overwork @Foaming Draught and no wonder, the amount of rain up north is just beyond a joke and shocking winds elsewhere, just awful.
Nice steady rain here over night, I'm not looking forward to going out later, to collect son's girlfriend for a visit, as most drivers here seem to think that rainy weather means they need to increase their speed to get to their destination, in between the raindrops! Drives me crazy.
Once the girlfriend is here, I plan on vegging out in front of TV, it's a bit too wet to do much else, today! I also have books to go on with if the mood strikes and an unopened magazine to peruse as well.
To celebrate the day of love, Cheery husband has bought me a servo sandwich for lunch, so I am feeling appreciative today!
Where's your sense of hospitality?
One of the things about living in Aotearoa/ NZ I am grateful for is having no snakes. I do wish possums which destroy native bush and Canada geese which seem to poo their own body weight daily hadn't been introduced here though.
I was expecting a friend to visit, but they've had to call off due to unwell offspring, maybe next weekend ...
Sometimes @Foaming Draught it seems as though we live in totally different countries. You've had record breaking rain, and we've had record breaking cold overnight. I guess we have to expect it, when it's such a big country!
We do host a cane toad refrigerator and a freezer as a morgue for cane toad "collectors". There is a charity that collects them and extracts the poison to make a bait for the tadpoles in dams. The toads and tadpoles are cannibalistic. The tadpoles prey on other tadpoles.
In the subtropics Summer, or actually Jan-Mar is known as the Wet season by the Bundjalung nation. They have six seasons in the year.
Today I was going to try mounting the cross stitch rainbow heart that worked for a friend's March birthday. I washed it in the bathroom basin and pressed it. I didn't discover for a while that I had left the plug in the basin and some water was still running. I raced over the road as I had just given then a pile of old newspapers to burn in lighting fire over winter, and thought to soak up some excess moisture with them.
F who is far more organised than I could ever be, lent me some old towels which are even better. She also came over to help. I haven't finished yet, but I feel so fortunate in having wonderful neighbours, both over the road and next door. I do have to stop having disasters that happen just around tea time though.
In my stressed state I wrote but didn't post this yesterday. I'm still working on this. Fortunately the cat's expensive dry food is kept in a plastic box in the bathroom and the water didn't get to it.
Am enjoying a very slow day today, but have sorted out some stuff in anticipation of Cheery son's long term follow up appointment, on Friday. I have been stressed about it all night, so am glad to have this sorted and clarified. Some aspects have made me very grumpy, but I'll survive!
It seems my sleep seems to swing between exhaustion and restless nights. Hopefully tonight will be a good one! I have noticed though that having commitments the following day always makes for a bad sleep. Unfortunate as not all commitments can be ditched!! - I should be so lucky!!
I've just woken up after sleeping for almost 10 hours and feel so much better than yesterday, thank goodness.
Cheery husband and son have gone for the blood tests, I'm waiting for them to return to see how much the financial pain will be for those, after changes to pathology billing.
Looks like we are gradually returning to summer this week, I hope you might get some in the next couple of weeks @Huia!
Things are quiet here today after a busy morning. Cheery son did his echo today and his Oncology telehealth as well, good to have those out of the way.
I am hoping my friend (who was sick last week) is well enough to come for a cup of tea over the weekend. I have done the vacuuming just in case and if motivated will do some baking tomorrow!
@Foaming Draught I didn't mind Malcolm Turnbull either, particularly as the family foundation sponsored my son's ward in the hospital. I am not sure if they still do so, but I used to like looking at the sponsors of each ward and then doing some research on the various organisations - there was a lot of time to fill when inpatient!!
How is your drying out going @Huia? Any news from your end of the world? @Worm In the Grass
I think it would be at least a week between meals. Usually he turns up and stays just a few days and then it's weeks or months before he returns. This time it's more like a week. This time he's found a place where he won't get disturbed or rained on.
I hope Cheery son's test results are ok.
I've had a few "turns" in the last few weeks and have been referred to visit my cardiac specialist for a comprehensive ECG.
I gave up trying to sort out how to display the needlework I was washing when I overflowed the basin and took it to my favourite framing shop yesterday. They quoted a week until it would be ready, but rang today, They stretched it over a frame and it has a small hanger on the back. I am so relieved it's finished and in good time for the recipient's birthday. Quite frankly I just want to get rid of it.
I think my next small project will be a pukeko - known in Australia as a swamp hen I believe.
I have a small pattern that will make a bookmark for my brother in the U.S. I am secretly hoping it will make him homesick and he will move home with his American partner.
Realistically I know this isn't going to happen.
I went to Mitre 10 twice in the last week, and didn't buy any mini roses.
@Huia, I would find miniature roses a real temptation too - I just don't have a good spot for them (which I think Cheery husband is relieved about!
I've been thinking of @MaryLouise and @Gee D, hope you are travelling OK.
Except now he is a Peaceful Prelate
Today is the 14th anniversary of the most destructive of the Christchurch quakes. It's a while since I have felt even a tremor - and long may that continue.
Why on earth would anyone be taking their guns to church?
In Ulster's sunny clime,
Where I used to spend me time,
a-serving of Her Majesty, The Queen,
I had to be armed at all times off base. I advised the Reverend Presbyterian Gentleman whose shack I attended of this, and we would meet in his vestry before the service where he locked my pistol up in the church safe. The first time this happened, the offertory-counting deacons who didn't know of the arrangement, came rushing up to the minister at the door, "Dr MacGillicuddy, there's a gun in yer sa-e-ffe!"
The land care site is now officially known as John's Forest. It had been a tarmacked site between a school and a bowling club. It had some beautiful old trees on it and the school wanted to put temporary buildings on it.
John found that it was actually native title land and land care could be done on it. The tarmac was ripped up and native plants planted. This was about fifteen years ago when I first joined land care. Now it is a protected area open to the public and the local indigenous owners have the right to hunt and fish there.
John died last year (I took him to hospital, but he never got home). His wife brought some of his ashes and we had an unveiling of the plaque ceremony, an Acknowledgment of Country, a morning tea, and a walk around by the land care group from those years back to now.
I should not go googling needlework patterns. I have found one of an angry cat with the words "Hissed Off" that is very tempting - and it's available in NZ. I will think about it but I do know several people who I could stitch it for.
No-one seems to know where Alfie will end up. Might stay offshore, might rampage through Central Queensland. Just keep clear of Townsville, eh, bro. We lost enough sleep with yr girlfriend Kirilly last year.
Today I had a long overdue appointment with the audiologist and she made some adjustments to my hearing aids that make it sound like the bird outside the window is yelling at me. She turned the sound up, but more importantly it is much clearer than it was. Time for a trip to the Botanic Gardens to be yelled at by the native birds.
@Cheery Gardener we are OK, but have had a bit of a run of extra outings and appointments. As well as the previously mentioned 70th birthday lunch, which went very well, last Wednesday we had a lovely afternoon tea with friends at “On the Lake” cafe in Bowen Park, and on Sunday I went to a book launch in Bungendore and then we both went to the Canberra Bach Ensemble concert at St Christopher’s. Plus getting the latest Covid vaccine.
We are also getting organised to go to Adelaide for Writers’ Week.
I got scammed on a Centrelink payment. Had my account locked, and then had a new account created. I'm trying to link the ATO to the MyGov, but now it's saying it can't verify my ATO registration.
Back in 1998 I registered a change of name before buying a property, to a name (reversal of first and second given names). Years later I found some government agencies did not accept this change of name registration and the ATO use the birth order, while passport, driving licence, and car ownership use the changed name.
I have had no success online or by phone.
Giving up until tomorrow.
Feeling for your @LatchKeyKid, I recently tried to access my old tax returns and my goodness the faffing around! Good luck getting through to anyone to provide assistance.
Good to see you here @Gee D - how are things with you?
How are things weatherwise with you now @Foaming Draught ?
If you click the arrow you'll see that Alfie is forecast to stay offshore, although he might belt Bundaberg with some rain. As a cyclone travels south to cooler water, it loses strength. And Rae (Fiji) looks set to miss populated Pacific Islands.
I must be a cyclone.
Cyclone Frank.
Thanks.
First call was rejected as the queue was too long.
The second gave me a call-back in 29 minutes.
But I struck lucky with the person on the call-back. She was very patient as I searched for various documents (our marriage certificate is from over 50 years ago and doesn't have a reference number) and finally I provided enough evidence for her to give me a linking code.
So success at last.
And he's discovered the relevant posts on another social medium. Likes the poster, btw. Should I out myself?
St Sanity is not the parish it had been for ever and a day. The previous rector was very much in the Sydney school and the numbers dropped dramatically even before covid hit. We kept going and we're probably too old now to make a change. There is a new rector to a non-Sydney parish a few suburbs south from us. He is a good fit for the parish, and is a pleasant man.
Skimming over the posts above shows names that have been absent from the Ship for quite a while, and it's good to see people back.
We got the book when it came out. Much of the book reminded me of my younger Open Brethren/UK Baptist days.