Suzy McHale’s Diary: 2007
Events of note: I got my first-ever filling on 25/1, much to my dismay, but perhaps not surprising as my last visit was in 2002. Mum lost an expensive gold bracelet in Chadstone Shopping Centre carpark in April; it was never found or handed in. Sasha the dog got his ACL repaired (right hind leg) in August as it had torn. Chris Perona also tore his ACL in October! My parents had to get a new stove in October as the old one stopped working.
March
Sunday 4/3
Nothing of interest. My boring life drags on.
Melbourne’s water supplies continue to drop ever-lower (currently 34.1%) while our clueless State government does nothing. Stage 4 water restrictions are threatened. There was also the unwelcome news last week that Melbourne’s population is the fastest-growing in Australia:
Melbourne is experiencing its biggest growth surge since the 1960s, with its population now increasing by almost 1000 a week and dwarfing that of any other Australian city.
Melbourne added about 49,000 people in the year to June 2006 – far more than Sydney (37,000), Brisbane (29,500) or Perth (30,000), according to the latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
And the figures, showing that Melbourne’s population reached 3.68 million, understate the real growth. Thousands more people are settling just beyond the official boundaries in areas such as Bacchus Marsh, Gisborne, Kilmore, Wallan and Warragul, in search of cheaper housing.
[…]
But Melbourne is also booming closer in. For the first time in memory, every suburban municipality grew in population, as increasing redevelopment saw a third of the city’s population growth go into built-up areas.
[…]
Treasurer John Brumby was jubilant. “The secret is out: regional and rural Victoria is a great place to live, work and raise a family,” he said.
“The Bracks Government has directly facilitated more than 390 new investments worth $7 billion outside Melbourne, that have directly contributed to the creation of 113,000 new jobs.”
A redefinition of the Gold Coast with wider boundaries has seen it overtake Newcastle to become Australia’s largest city outside the five main capitals. The bureau now estimates the Gold Coast has 554,628 people, and has grown by almost 80,000 in the past five years.
The government is very happy (the usual “good for the economy” blather) but it is bad news for the environment and our water storages (which, as noted, continue to drop). It also means increased traffic, overcrowding, overdevelopment, more pollution, more violent crime (especially if there are more young males), overinflated house prices, etc. The streets are so crowded with cars that it is almost impossible to move. As I keep repeating, population growth is bad. The government badly needs a reality check – they should be aiming to stabilize or decrease the population, not increase it, if Melbourne is to be a liveable city in the future rather than an overpopulated ghetto. They are too obsessed with “growing the economy” to realize this, though.
I wish my parents could afford to move, but where would we go if we did? I have lived here all my life and am attached to the place despite the increasing unliveability and unpleasantness, so l would be dreadfully homesick if I were to leave; all my childhood memories are embedded here.
I put my website on temporary hiatus, deleting all the files; it has become a chore and I stopped enjoying it long ago. I am tired of the space program and all the politics and bickering, and it seems to be going nowhere slowly, with grandiose plans that never quite materialize. I will drop the “Kosmonavtka” identity; I am tired of it. I am still interested in the Russian space program but don’t want to do a website about it anymore. Problem is, I have gained a bit of an online identity with the site, so deleting it means I lose this. In the real world I have no identity at all. I don’t know what I want to do.
Dad bought the new Windows OS, Vista (the Home Premium edition) about three weeks ago, and seems reasonably happy with it.
Michele, Chris and kids continue their lives in Queensland. I rarely hear from Michele; I tend to forget I have a sister.
I also visited the dentist on 25 January (last visit was on 31 December 2002) and much to my dismay I had to get my first filling, in my right bottom molar; it had the signs of a developing hole. The visit was also horrendously expensive – totalling $230! The filling itself was $110. So I was not very happy.
I think I will continue this journal in HTML format; it is much more accessible and “lighter” than Microsoft Word, and can be opened in any browser on any computer. Converting from Word to HTML is a nightmare because of the incredible amount of “junk” markup Word inserts. I will keep the style for this journal very simple; just basic HTML.
~ Ended 2:40 p.m.
Thursday 29/3
After deleting my website I reinstated it after a week – missed it more than I though I would! (A few people emailed me to say they were glad it had returned!) I guess I was depressed, and perhaps had some PMS.
Dad’s 74th birthday is tomorrow.
~ Ended 7:54 a.m.
April
Thursday 12/4
I have another cold developing (my second for this year); my throat is dry and scratchy and I feel off-color.
Mum lost a gold bracelet at Chadstone last Thursday; it seems to have slipped off in the carpark. It was an 18-carat gold chain bracelet that she paid over $900 for in 1991. She reported it to the shopping center but no one has rung to say a bracelet was handed in, so it looks as if whoever found it decided to keep the bracelet for themselves. Hope it brings them bad luck.
July
Thursday 5/7
The year passes; halfway through. Time passes inexorably and my life remains in limbo. I will be 37 this year.
Mum and Dad are going up to Queensland to see Michele next week (leave Tuesday 10; return Thursday 19) which I am not happy about; they went to Kyneton in May, so I will have another week (just over a week – 9 days) stuck at home by myself. I can’t drive so I become very isolated.
~ Ended 5:46 p.m.
Saturday 14/7
Mum and Dad are away, and I am bored and isolated. Literally no-one to talk to. I can’t drive, which limits my options a lot. I rode my bicycle to Chadstone on Wednesday; a rather perilous journey due to the usual heavy traffic and the age of my bike.
I noticed that the middle gear wheel on my bicycle has some worn-down teeth, which is probably why it makes a dreadful clank when I press on the pedals in some gears. The bicycle was bought in 1991 and the gears and chain are the originals from then – and they are showing their age! I also noticed, to my dismay, that the bike shop in East Bentleigh (where I took my bike sometimes) has closed, which is a real nuisance as it was in a convenient location (I could take my bike up to be serviced, and walk back home in 15 minutes each way); it has been there for years. I guess the proprietor could not keep going forever, but it is still dismaying when shops that have been open for years or decades close down; they become part of the identity of a shopping center.
Found this topic, Purchasing a New Bike, at the PAL Gaming Network; some useful advice (not that I can afford a new bike at the current time, but useful to keep in mind). Described in this post: buy a bicycle from a bike shop, not a department store (the latter sell cheap-and-nasty “Made in China” bicycles), and avoid the ones with suspension forks (which add weight and complexity). A lot of bikes seem to be sold with suspension, though, rather annoyingly (seems to be a fad).
One house northwards up the street was sold at auction for some ridiculously expensive price at the end of June, and as it is on a corner block it seems likely it will be demolished. Another on the opposite side of Tucker Rd. was demolished earlier this year and a two-storey duplex house (two side-by-side houses joined together) will be build; there is another down the road and it is an ugly, hulking monstrosity. I feverently wish the housing market would catastrophically collapse and these damned investors lose all their money. I hate the way my suburb is changing; it is not for the better.
Sasha the dog was born on 2 September 1995 and will be 12 this year. He is now showing his age; his eyes are becoming increasingly cloudy (most likely from cateracts) and he limps a bit sometimes (his right leg seems to be sore).
For some reason, the site owner of the NASASpaceflight.com decided to give me access to the restricted, subscriber-based L2 section of the forum:
Hey Suzy –
Was doing the usual search to make sure nothing was leaking out of L2 and noticed a comment you made on one of your sites about not being able to afford L2, and that you’re missing out on the Daily On Orbit Status Reports (which I was checking for leaks – we’re yet to have one). Anyway, I’ve put you on L2 for free and all we require is the occasion mention on your sites. Then everyone is happy :-)
[…]
The information in L2 is obviously exclusive to this site (by way of acquiring) – and thus we ask members to respect confidentiality and to request permission before using any information in L2 elsewhere. We adhere to omitting Export Controlled or ITAR information, as L2’s goal is to increase the information, awareness and respect for the space industry and those that work within it.
– Best, Chris.
Which is rather awesome! That cheered me up a little. Though I now feel guilty as I don’t really deserve it … As I don’t have a credit card (or an income for that matter!), I simply can’t afford to subscribe. Payment is also awkward because of the usual factors of the exchange rate and being overseas.
I mentioned this here as I obviously can’t mention it on my public Internet journal. So I have downloaded a few documents (including the coveted Soyuz Crew Operations Manual!) and the Daily ISS On-Orbit Reports (which I used to read at SpaceRef, but they stopped in October 2006).
I have become disillusioned with the manned space program though; my interests this year have turned towards science fiction and fantasy. Reading science fiction only makes me become even more disillusioned with the dull, limited reality I live in.
~ Ended 10:56 a.m.
Thursday 19/7
Mum and Dad returned home today (no delays this time – their flight up to Brisbane was delayed 1½ hours due to heavy fog at Melbourne) leaving at 11:05 a.m. in Brisbane on Virgin Blue Flight DJ316, arriving 1:30 p.m. in Melbourne, then eventually home around 3:30. As I can’t drive, they had to get a taxi from the shuttle bus drop-off at Moorabbin Town Hall to here. They were glad to be back (and Sasha was happy to see them)! Ten days was a bit too long. They generally liked Brisbane as it is pleasant in winter, though not so in summer. They updated me with gossip about Michele and Co.
Had some cold, wet weather from the Antarctic on Tuesday and Wednesday; very unpleasant! On Tuesday two cold fronts came through: one in the morning after 9 a.m., with a NW wind and rain, then a more ferocious one at 3 p.m. with hail, some thunder and a SW wind. Temperature dropped to 4°C after the second, and there was snow in the outer suburbs and country areas (not here, unfortunately!). I stood outside briefly before the second front hit; the sky was ominously dark and I could hear the approach of the leading edge of the hailstorm. The temperature reached 9°C, the coldest day since 9 July 1998 (8.9°C). The cold weather moderated today, and it will be fine into next week.
~ Ended 6:22 p.m.
August
Sunday 5/8
Sasha the dog has to get a rather expensive operation on his right knee next Tuesday as it has deteriorated in the last 2 months or so; the anterior cruciate ligament is torn. He used to tear around madly when chasing a ball or just running around, and the abrupt changes in direction can harm the knee. He has injured it before sometimes (he is prone to such injuries); this time it has just gone completely and he has been limping for 2 weeks or so. I do not know whether the operation would be worthwhile; in earlier times he probably would have been euthanized. The operation is nearly $1000 – not exactly affordable. Can it be justified for a dog?
If I lived by myself I would not own a pet; I would not want the responsibility (and expense) of looking after it.
Michele’s 35th birthday was last week; we are both heading toward middle age. Scarey to contemplate! I have to wonder if she is content or if she wishes she had done more with her life (I have enough regrets about the waste of time my life is). Neither of us have had interesting careers (or careers at all), which is my biggest regret. I am just nothing.
~ Ended 2:58 p.m.
September
Wednesday 19/9
Email from Michele (to Dad); update on their family:
It feels like Summer at the moment, but the morning walks are nice and cool. We were promised thunderstorms three times last week and had nothing at all, so I’m not impressed.
You would have noticed that we have a new lady premier now. Nothing much seems to have changed but I believe she is harder to get alongside. Some of these women in politics seem harder than the men!
The DVD’s you mentioned sound very interesting for the children, and will be good for them to use as fill ins on the afternoons during school. I hope they won’t be too expensive to send.
We are all well, apart from some colds. Josiah attended his third cadets (220 Squadron) last night. He will be given a uniform next term, and is required to go on a weekend camp in October called BIVOUAC ( whatever that is!). He also has been given a little blue book with all his details in it as well as an ethical code of conduct, and dress code, right down to how he should iron his uniform (that will be interesting). Josiah seems to like it and I can see it will be a good life experience for him (at least it upholds good moral conduct). Only trouble is that it’s a 25 min. trip there for Chris, so we’re hoping we can soon find someone to share the driving with.
We’re all off to the dentist today – it’s taken me this long to book one in that was recommended to us. I kept putting it off because it’s always expensive, but I know that Josiah needs a filling now. As long as they don’t mention the word braces to us (I’ll have a financial fit!).
Josiah has joined the Australian Air Force Cadets (he is now 13), so it will be interesting to see how he goes there! (I get all the news from Mum 2nd hand.) The activities look interesting (include flying and parachute training *envy*). Perhaps he will end up joining the Air Force.
~ Ended 1:53 p.m.
October
Wednesday 3/10
Chris managed to tear his anterior ligament in a knee when going down some stairs and missing a step! An email from him to Dad on his situation:
The Rev’s Knee
Thanks
Thanks to everyone for your prayers. My appointment with the knee specialist went very well.
It’s busted
I have disrupted (severed) my anterior cruciate ligament. This means I will be able to walk but not turn or twist as my knee will collapse outwards.
Immediate treatment
Before anything can be done I have to regain mobility and reduce the swelling in my knee. This will involve physiotherapy. I have another appointment in three weeks.
Surgery
To fix my knee I need a knee reconstruction, just like the footballers. This means that I should regain normal use of my knee in due course.
Prayer
Please pray that my knee will recover in time for my next appointment. At this stage it hurts. The MRI shows bruising to the bone but not damage to the cartilage.
Monday 15/10
Two rather dismal anniversaries coming up: 17 October marks 10 years since my last-ever visit to Gran’s home after it was sold, and 26 October marks 6 years since I quit That Awful Place (Safeway) and thus 6 years unemployed.
My parents had to get a new kitchen stove as a part on the old one stopped working and could not be replaced; the maker no longer existed. A real hassle and more expense. Kind of sad to see the old stove go as it had worked for 16 years or so.
~ Ended 6:50 p.m.
November
Saturday 10/11
My 37th birthday yesterday. Just the same as last year: went out to the Foodstar all-you-can-eat restaurant with Mum and Dad. Received some money from them and a Borders bookstore gift voucher from Michele. Only 3 years until I turn 40 – unbelievable.
Chris had his knee operation done last Monday for his torn anterior ligament (Wikipedia page about the operation procedure). His birthday is on 12 November, born in 1968 – he turns 39! From an email Michele sent to me:
Chris’ op. went well – apparently he had one of the best knee surgeons there is in Queensland, and that’s comforting to know! Basically the surgeon took a long slice of his hamstring tendon, folded it, and attatched it to inside his knee bones with a couple of titanium screws, all using keyhole surgery. He’ll be a great candidate for setting off the alarm at airport security.
Chris has to be on crutches and in a splint for at least two weeks with little moving around. Then he will start expensive physio twice a week and have to join a gym (another expense). He loves lap swimming and squash but is not allowed to do these for a few months.
The weather is warming up – into the low 30s next week. Had some heavy rain last weekend, but nothing since then (except a little yesterday evening).
Another anniversary coming up: Granny Kirk died on 17 November 1995, so it will be 12 years since her death. Michele and I only met her 3 times in our lives (twice when we went to England, once when she came to Australia – I wasn’t on my best behavior then, unfortunately), so we never really knew her. (Dad’s father died on 1 August 1950; the day and month are the same as when Michele was born.)
~ Ended 6:27 p.m.