Suzy McHale’s Diary: 2015
Events of note this year: Michele and Chris’s church The Gap closing and domain name renewed on 13/6.
February
Thursday 12/2
1:38 p.m.: Not much has happened so far. January was cooler than usual – a mercy, after the four consecutive 40°C days of last year (see 15/1/2014 entry). The weather has warmed up again this week, though at least it looks as though we will escape 40°C days this year.
My sister Michele and her husband Chris Perona visited Melbourne for the week – they departed today – and Mum and Dad went into Melbourne CBD on Tuesday by train to have lunch with them. They were staying in a hotel in Melbourne.
Michele and Chris’s Facebook pages are full of photos of their various meals at restaurants – wonder how they can afford to eat out so often? Michele is still very overweight – close to obese, in fact – and doesn’t look to have lost any weight despite having her gallbladder out last October (25/10/2014 entry). She is around my height – perhaps a couple of centimeters smaller – and must weight 70 kg at least. I am around 53 kg, within the healthy range for my height (160 cm) (I was around 60 kg 2 years ago!).
Chris Perona with Michele Perona at Bergerac French Restaurant, 9/2/2015
Mum’s 77th birthday was last Wednesday 4th, so we went to McKinnon Hotel for lunch. It was nice, but cost around $140! I had Chicken Parmigiana, as I usually do ($25); an enormous serving but I managed to eat most of it. Didn’t need dinner, though!
Dad
Mum
Me
My right thumbnail somehow got infected and has been sore for a few weeks; I went to the GP at East Bentleigh Medical Group (where my parents go). Dr Lapin gave me a short antibiotic course to complete; he couldn’t see any obvious cause for the infection.
Friday 13/2
6:31 a.m.: I went to the city today by train (Frankston line) to buy a new Darth Vader comicbook – something I only do rarely, but this one features one of my favorite villains :-). There were no delays or incidents during the journey, at least, though the weather is unpleasantly warm and humid (until Sunday).
I do not enjoy traveling to the city (Melbourne CBD) as it is crowded, noisy and dirty; I much prefer local shopping centers/malls such as Southland, which are enclosed – though these are privately-owned and the variety of shops are limited; bookshops are scarce and there are no specialist ones like Minotaur Entertainment in the CBD.
I was dismayed to see that a house in Caulfield visible from the railway line had been demolished and the land razed – 3 Normanby Road, one that had been there for decades. It was the sole house in an open oval, which was a bit unusual, and had a large garden and backyard. Units are to be built there, sadly and predictably enough. I remember reading a local news article about it some years ago; the owners had not wanted to sell.
Saturday 14/2
1:13 p.m.: We (parents and I) went to Southland shopping center as usual this morning for a cappuccino and wander around; I walked there as I normally do (in about 45 minutes or 4.3 km). This routine has been going on for years.
A random older man wished me “Happy Valentine’s Day” on my walk to Southland, which was odd but nice! I have never had a boyfriend, and seem unlikely to in this lifetime.
There was heavy rain and storms yesterday afternoon to this morning; humid tropical weather.
Sunday 15/2
Hot and humid again today. I can’t wait for summer to be over so I can pile on layers of clothing!
Parents went to Church (Bentleigh-Korean Baptist Church) as usual this morning. I have been doing the weekly newsletter for it since 2004!
We had a McDonald’s meal for dinner – something we only do every few months (over $26 for 3!). It is not a particularly satisfying meal, and I don’t know how people can have that sort of food every week, several times a week. We used to go on Sunday drives to country areas outside Melbourne, and after going to the Dandenongs we would sometimes have dinner at a McDonald’s – think it was the one still on the corner of North and Springvale Roads. The hill along the road further east that slopes down toward Mt Dandenong still appears in my dreams.
Had an issue with TiddlyWiki not being able to link to external local files (other .html webpage files in this case, in my Journal). Found out I have to write the link in conventional .html markup, not WikiText.
Monday 16/2
5:55 p.m.: To Southland this morning with parents for our daily cappuccino, a ritual we have done for years now. I have mine with skim milk and no sugar (use a sweetener). Cappuccinos are now around $3.60 for a small one, unfortunately, and they are not getting cheaper. It is perhaps an unnecessary expense, but one has to have some enjoyments in life.
Tuesday 17/2
11:47 a.m.: In a dream last night I was at Gran’s home for dinner and my cousin Heather was there. It was evening. Being at Gran’s home (14 Bridge Street Elsternwick, sold and demolished in 1997) is a recurring dream – I miss going there very much.
A following dream was another recurring one: I was writing an essay for a school exam but froze up and could not think of anything to write. This also happened in reality in my last full year at school (Year 11, 1987); I never finished Year 12 as I had a nervous breakdown and left after Term 1. Something I have regretted ever since, for obvious reasons.
I wish very much that I could somehow time-travel and live my life again and make different decisions so that I did not end up where I am now (long-term unemployed and broke with no future). It’s one of my favorite topics for daydreams.
Wednesday 18/2
6:02 p.m.: A cool and gloomy overcast day, so not good for line-drying washing. Unfortunately the heat and humidity are coming back from tomorrow until Sunday.
One thing I like that has appeared in recent years are garden solar-powered lights; they look quite nice in the garden. I have a few to use indoors as night lights – plain white ones and color-changing ones (cycling red-green-blue).
Thursday 19/2
6:32 p.m.: Went to Chadstone this morning with Mum and saw Uncle Brian, which we often do now; had a coffee at Gloria Jeans. Getting there (Mum drives – I can’t) is an ordeal as traffic is very heavy – it is in the direction of Melbourne CBD – and can take 30 m or so, though it is only around 6½ km away. On a quiet day, such as during school holidays, it can take less than half that. A level crossing at Poath Rd and Hughesdale Station is also a cause of major frustrating delays.
Power went off abruptly yesterday afternoon – an appliance Mum plugged in tripped the Clipsal surge protector in the meter box. My computer was on as it normally is (for most of the day) so it went off also. A drawing I was working on got corrupted. I had backups at least, but from a couple of days ago. A UPS would be a consideration but they are expensive (starting at $100).
Friday 20/2
5:31 p.m.: Decided to go back to a static HTML page as it is the easiest to maintain. If I want to convert a Tiddlywiki file to static HTML pages I have to go through a convoluted process in Node.js. I do like being able to add tags to pages, though, which I can’t with static files, so I am still a bit undecided. The program is currently open-source, but may not be that way forever, and I prefer not to be dependent upon a program just to view and edit my files (HTML, in contrast, can be edited in any text editor as well as specialized website-making programs).
One recurring dream (I had this recently) is an odd one of being in my bedroom and water starts coming through the roof from gaps in the ceiling, inundating the room.
What are my interests these days? My main focus since December 2006 is my “Star Warrior” creative project which involves lots of cool stuff such as aliens and spaceships. It is a creative outlet – daydreaming, writing, drawing and making a language (conlang). Much of my work for it is in digital form, on my computer – I hope it will last, given the uncertainty about the longevity of digital products.
I have mostly lost interest in real-world spaceflight, compared to my Journal entries of 10 years ago (!); I have become disillusioned with the attitudes of many in the online spaceflight community who dismiss environmental concerns (and activists) with contempt – the former believe humanity can solve its issues by colonizing space. Not for a long time yet, and not with current technology (at least, with great difficulty). It is an attitude that regards Earth as a disposable planet, and I am thoroughly disgusted by that.
Tuesday 24/2
11:50 a.m.: A large liquidambar tree at the top of the hill (21 Pollina St) opposite our (my parents’) home appears to be in the process of being felled. It is the last such tree in that street. There used to be two at each end of Pollina Street (20, 90, 94) but all were felled from the 1990s onward. A great loss as they were nice shady deciduous trees, a haven on hot days.
Ongoing development (vandalism, in my view) has seen the loss of a lot of gardens and large trees, replaced with oversized houses or cramped multi-townhouse complexes. It is not improving the neighborhood and is detrimental to liveability.
The root cause is the seemingly endless population growth Melbourne and other capital cities have been enduring for the last few decades, exacerbated by a housing market that favors investors rather than people simply wanting somewhere to live. Overseas investors and developers especially are contributing to declining quality of life here – they care nothing about the neighborhoods they buy into, but just want to make a profit. It is extremely wrong and if I were in charge I would ban overseas investing in residential properties. Access to shelter is a basic human right and the current system works against this. Slowing population growth (such as greatly reducing immigration) would also help reduce housing prices by reducing demand.
Wednesday 25/2
6:50 p.m.: I made an appointment on Tuesday with the dentist (Dr Smitha Gaikwad) at Southland Dental Surgery for next Wednesday for my annual checkup and clean (and hopefully nothing else!). My lower left jaw is achy again; I am worried there might be more decay where my third filling is (lower left 2nd molar) that was done in 2013. She told me I only needed to get a bitewing x-ray every 2 years as it involved rather a lot of radiation exposure. I may need a spot x-ray anyway to check that side of my jaw.
The bill last year was $145 ($100 calculus removal, $45 check) so I suppose it will be more this year :-(.
I rather dread these for the expense and possibility of yet more cavities (I have 3 fillings for them to date). If I ever need a root canal and crown I will be in trouble as I simply do not have the funds for one (both total around $2000). They like you to go every 6 months now, but it is just too expensive – dental was never included in Medicare, annoyingly. A government that truly looked after its citizens would ensure full health care coverage, but that is a dream, sadly.
My mouthguard at least is comfortable to wear at night; it is doing its job. I hope I get a few years out of it.
Mum and Dad only go sporadically – mainly when something hurts – which is not good practice; they seem to have lost motivation.
March
Sunday 1/3
2:59 p.m.: My lower left jaw and molars are still a bit achy so I am dreading the prospect of another cavity, or a new filling for the one already there (2nd lower molar, filled in 2013). I just want the appointment for this coming Wednesday over and done with as I am sick of worrying about it.
For my records, my current weight is around 52 kg. I weigh myself around once a week.
The weather yesterday was warm, but the sun didn’t come out until later in the day. A violent cold front – in the form of a horizontal funnel-shaped cloud – came over Melbourne around 8:30 p.m. or so, with strong winds and rain.
Someone at the Reddit r/Melbourne forum made up a map from images of Melbourne in 1945 and recently (around 2014). Looking through it I can see where my parents’ home would be build later in that decade – still open paddocks there – and also where Gran’s home is in 1945, though the resolution unfortunately is not very detailed. Screenshots below:
93 Tucker Road Bentleigh:
14 Bridge Street Elsternwick:
The liquidambar tree mentioned in my previous entry (24/2/2015) is still standing but looks very mutilated.
The local council (Glen Eira) have been felling a lot of mature street trees in the last few years as part of a so-called street tree “renewal” scheme, but many of the saplings planted die, or are vandalized, and seeing perfectly healthy mature trees removed is infuriating. The species planted are limited in variety – the Queensland Brush Box seems to be a common choice (the mature one outside my parents’ home is one), and it is a rather ugly and messy tree. I like the Flax-leaved Paperbark trees, which flower into creamy blossom around Christmas time, but many of these have been felled. Mawby Road has some nice large liquidambars, but some of these have also been removed.
Wednesday 4/3
2:15 p.m.: My dentist visit today had no issues, thankfully – no more cavities, and the pain I was experiencing was likely due to my misaligned bite and lower left jaw playing up yet again. I saw Dr Smitha Gaikwad at Southland Dental Surgery and charges were $45 for the checkup and $100 for the clean – same as last year.
She did say when I asked that my remaining top wisdom teeth should ideally be extracted – something I have been thinking about myself – but I don’t currently have the finances. If one did get a cavity I would have it extracted in any case – they are not worth saving.
Saturday 7/3
3:47 p.m.: I had to replace both hard drives on my PC as they developed problems – the C: drive (500 GB) got a bad sector and my backup 1TB D: drive made a scratching noise every so often and would freeze. Dad bought a new 1TB drive (I paid $70) and dug out another 500 GB drive, then I spent an extremely tedious evening installing Windows 8 from the OEM disk, updating this (95 updates totalling 1.2. GB), then updating to Windows 8.1 from that (over 3 GB download, then various updates to that). Nearly 6 hours it took! Then I had to install my programs and transfer my personal files – some had got corrupted, much to my annoyance. The new drive itself seemed to have a disk error of some sort, but Windows disk scan appears to have fixed it – I hope. The drive (a Western Digital Blue) was manufactured on 1/1/2015 so it is very recent.
Wednesday 11/3
I decided to reinstall Windows again yesterday – via the Whirlpool forum, I found out I could download a Windows 8.1 install media from Microsoft, burn it to DVD and do a clean install using my Windows 8 OEM product key – the process only took around an hour this time! A lot less tedious (though I still had to reinstall all my various programs). The 8.1 version is not the Pro version, however.
I am still uncertain of my hard disk drives; I think there might have been corrupt files on the secondary one, but I don’t know where they would be.
Friday 13/3
2:26 p.m.: Today is Mum and Dad’s 46th wedding anniversary, so we went out for a pub lunch – at the Marine Hotel in Brighton this time. I had my usual Chicken Parmigiana, which was nice.
The Brighton area is pleasant but expensive – a lot of large houses with abundant gardens and big trees (though overdevelopment is eroding the pleasantness here too). It is right next to the beach – Port Phillip Bay – so a lot of wealthy people live on Beach Road along the foreshore.
A few years ago I used to ride my bicycle on my early morning Sunday bike ride down South Road and along Beach Road for a way, but I stopped that after my 2008 surgery. I now just ride down Tucker Road to South Road, up some back streets and along East Boundary Road to North Road, and return along some more back streets; about a half-hour ride.
Monday 30/3
5:34 p.m.: Dad’s 82nd birthday today. Did not got out today, but we are going out tomorrow for lunch, probably to the nearby Boundary Hotel (a pub) on East Boundary Road in East Bentleigh, so I will have my Parmigiana again.
April
Monday 6/4
6:15 p.m.: Easter is over. I did not get a chocolate egg this year as the manufacturer Mum usually buys from, Hillier’s, unfortunately went out of business earlier this year :-(. I did receive some money and some chocolate freckles from Dad, at least.
There was a lunar eclipse of the full Moon on Saturday night; unfortunately I missed it! Daylight Savings also ended at last – it extends for 6 months now and is just too long. I am habitually up around 4:30 a.m. and it is annoying not to have more lighter mornings.
We (parents and I) had lunch last Tuesday at the Boundary Hotel and I got through most of a Parmigiana and chips.
The hot weather is mostly over and deciduous trees are starting to turn shades of gold and red; it is my favorite time of year.
Thursday 9/4
5:45 p.m.: Went to Chadstone Shopping Centre with Mum today as usual; it is school holidays so the roads were mercifully quieter. Had our coffee for the last time at Gloria Jeans there as the food court will be closing for months while the new section is constructed (this began last year), so we will have to find somewhere else. It is very annoying as the addition of yet more shops to Chadstone seems unnecessary and greedy, not to mention very disruptive (parking is an ordeal).
Uncle Brian was there; he said Heather has a couple of lumps on her throat that were biopsied and being analysed.
I have another cold, annoyingly; this time it went straight to my nose and bypassed my throat.
Thursday 16/4
11:56 a.m.: To Chadstone again; the food court was closed off and we had to have our coffee elsewhere. Uncle Brian met us again. Of the lumps on Heather’s throat, one was drained and the other needs to be removed surgically. She also received an anniversary diamond ring from Craig – one designed and made for her in Singapore – worth $60,000 or so! To be honest, an obscene amount of money (diamonds are hugely overvalued anyway – supply is tightly controlled and if the market were flooded their price would drop dramatically). More money than I have ever earned in my lifetime (current savings around $1000, superannuation around $10,000).
The modem has been dropping our Internet connection a lot, so Dad ended up buying a new one today – he has to install it this afternoon. Getting overheated tends to damage them over time.
Thursday 23/4
3:07 p.m.: The liquidambar tree mentioned back in my 24/2/2015 entry has been felled :-( – it was done in stages. I can see it no more from our driveway; the ugly whine of a chainsaw has been assulting my ears all day (I would have these banned if possible). Too many large trees have met a similar fate over the last decade or so.
Found out the name of another tree I like: Claret Ash. Specimens were planted as street trees around Glen Eira decades ago, but many have been felled in recent years (so-called “tree renewal”) and not replaced with the same species – a rather drab and ugly tree called Queensland Brush Box is being planted almost everywhere, though (there is an old one on our naturestrip). In its favor it is a native, but there are nicer such species around, such as the aforementioned Paperbark Tree (1/3 entry). The Claret Ash turns a lovely shade of deep red in Autumn – right now. There is also a variety called Golden Ash with bright yellow leaves in Autumn.
There has been no more problems with the Internet connection; the new modem has improved things.
Mum & Dad are going away for their annual stay at Kyneton Bushland Resort next week, from Friday 1 May to 8 May.
May
Saturday 2/5
1:09 p.m.: Mum and Dad left for Kyneton yesterday around 12 p.m. and arrived there safely. There was one hitch, though: Mum forgot her handbag! It has all her necessities (wallet, credit cards, license, etc.) in it, so not having it is a major hassle. It is too far to drive back for it, so she will have to make do until they return home. If I could drive, I could have couriered it up, but I can’t.
I walked to Southland Shopping Centre this morning, had a cappucino and got the bus back, which is my major activity for the day. I will have a week of relative isolation again.
Friday 8/5
11:34 a.m.: Mum and Dad just arrived back not long ago. I had a quiet week as usual; walked to Southland on Tuesday and took the bus back; went to the city yesterday.
Thursday 14/5
3:47 p.m.: We encountered Uncle Brian and Heather at Chadstone this morning. I have not seen Heather for a few years; we last saw her there on 24/11/2011. Heather has just had surgery to get a lump in her throat removed; she now also has to await the biopsy results for a breast lump.
Wednesday 27/5
4:23 p.m.: I met Pastor Robyn Song today, ostensibly to try to figure out a new design for the Bentleigh Baptist Church newsletter (which I am still producing every week). She is from South Korea (the Church combined with a Korean congregation in 2006 or so), and is quite nice; she is around my age. Dad drove me up to the Church and she and I had a coffee (and sweet!) in a café in Bentleigh. I also met Pastor Kang there.
June
Saturday 13/6
12:21 p.m.: Some unfortunate news for Michele and family: The Gap church where Chris is pastor is closing, as recounted in her email to Dad:
Subject: Fwd: Announcement
From: Michele Perona<micheleperona@me.com>
Date: 07/06/2015 11:54
To: Ron & Bev McHale<enderby@vic.chariot.net.au>Hi Dad
This announcement regarding our church closing was read out by Chris at our church service today. No great surprise to him and I as we have seen this coming for years. We have the support and love of many of our congregation but as you know it is always only a few that serve faithfully and regularly and they and our family are tired. Our children have also put in a huge commitment of their skills and time to The Gap church and need a break too.
At this stage it’s possible the last service will be in August sometime. Chris has more than 5 months of long service leave and holidays owing to him. Details regarding us staying in this house are in process so I can’t elaborate on that any further. Long term, we simply don’t know regarding where we are and what job Chris has. We are tied to living in The Gap as the high school is very good and three of us attend university. Chris and the elders waited an extra year so that Margaret could complete year 12 in peace. Chris went for a job opportunity last year which took several months but that fell through and it left us feeling devastated for a while. I won’t elaborate on that any further either.
I would appreciate that when you tell Mum that you would also stress to her from me that is not a topic of conversation to be had within her church or with other family members. There’s nothing I hate more than being the source of conversation in that way and that happened when we left our previous church.
The support from Presbytery has been very positive which is completely different from our previous time. Chris has the support and friendship of his elders too. It’s just unfortunate that the larger church doesn’t seem to get behind smaller churches and better support them by boosting their numbers for a time to help them get a foothold. There is politics at play in the church, most definitely.
Please pray for us over this time. In some ways we are experiencing relief as our family can unshackle itself from the burden of ministry. Obviously, the cost is highest for our family as we face many uncertainties. I have exams in a couple of weeks and really need to focus on studying. It has been really tough at times and very isolating. Maybe now our family can enjoy some normal friendships.
If you have any questions it’s probably better for you to talk to Chris,
love Michele
So it is almost a repeat of their leaving Rochester (see 22/1/2006 entry).
My domain name, SuzyMcHale.com, came up for renewal on 5 June after 10 years. The person who bought it for me, Alexandre Koukarine, stopped contacting me for some reason in 2006 (see 29/11/2006 entry) and I have not heard from him since, despite him still being around (he currently has a profile at LinkedIn). Fortunately the one hosting my website since that time, George R. Kasica, renewed the domain for me as I am unable to use online transactions due to my annoyingly limited bank account (the domain is registered with GoDaddy, a U.S. company). He kindly renewed it for 5 years (expires on 29/8/2020 – details are currently stored in my My Personal Stuff > Website stuff > Domain folder). I wish I were able to repay him! If it were not renewed a domain squatter would likely buy it and demand an absurdly high payment if I wanted it back, effectively holding it hostage – very annoying. This happened to Bill and Pam Waters when their domain lapsed. It seems to be currently owned by www.hugedomains.com but their server is offline when I tried it.
Thursday 18/6
4:14 p.m.: Went to Chadstone with Mum and saw Uncle Brian as usual. Apparently Heather’s diamond ring is worth $86,000! That is just over $14,000 short of the cost of the cheaptest Tesla Motors electric car model ($106,900), one of which is on display outside Myer Chadstone. I know which I would rather have (not the ring!).
Tuesday 23/6
5:48 p.m.: Went to the doctor today (Dr. Lapin) to renew a prescription for Spiractin; he also wanted me to have a fasting blood test to check my B12 levels, so I will likely do that Friday (which means no breakfast :-(). I also need my stupid ears syringed yet again – the left ear has wax build-up this time – so I will have to go back after 3 nights of ear drops. My weight is currently 53.3 kg.
Friday 26/6
3:29 p.m.: Went back to the clinic this afternoon to have my ear syringed; there was quite a lot of build-up! I also had a blood sample drawn this morning at the pathology clinic near the Centre-Tucker Road intersection. I am seeing Dr. Lapin again next Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. for my blood test results.
Sunday 2/6
12:48 p.m.: I had constipation all day yesterday into today, which is unusual for me as I normally go at least once a day. I did have a couple of BMs later this morning, which was a relief, but will have to see how things go over the next day or so. The surgeon said to avoid getting constipated after my surgeries, so it is a particular concern for me.
July
Thursday 23/7
3:40 p.m.: Four more houses have been, or will be, knocked down on Tucker Road: #29 and #33 were demolished last week, and #31 in between it, a mint-green weatherboard, is to follow soon. An old man used to live in #31 who was meticulous about keeping the garden tidy, but he moved out a few years ago and the house was rented out and became rundown, as is too often the case now. (The Google Street View screenshots (1, 2) of the three were taken in June 2013.) They are being replaced by the usual ugly oversized duplex houses with no room for backyards or gardens; the corner block has two townhouses crammed on it. Further north up the road, #63 (165 KB) also went a couple of weeks ago; another corner block to be crammed with 2 townhouses.
Neglected to mention that the Koreans at the Church bought me a copy of Microsoft Office Publisher 2013 to use for the Newsletter a few weeks ago in June, as I had been using Publisher 2000 up to then, and it was showing its age! (It was also not a bought copy ;-), obtained from the unlamented Pastor Mitch). The 2013 edition (bought at Officeworks, who had it marked as $150) is a big improvement. I wish I had more uses for it than just that one task!
Sunday morning was the coldest of the year so far: just above 0°C! (0.6°C to be precise.) Apparently it was the coldest in 18 years in Melbourne, and Monday was almost as cold. And I went on my usual early morning bicycle ride too! (Just a half-hour trundle around the streets on my 20+ year-old heavy and deteriorating mountain bike.) My hands nearly froze off; the gloves I wore are not adequate. I should have bought some ski gloves a few weeks ago when some cheap ones were on sale in a supermarket. I don’t think I could tolerate really cold weather.
August
Wednesday 19/8
3:38 p.m.: My computer has been malfunctioning since a couple of weeks ago, throwing up many BSODs and obscure errors. Dad and I tried reinstalling Windows and also doing this on different blank hard drives but nothing was successful. He took it to a local computer repair shop in East Bentleigh today and the man there said it was likely a software fault; Microsoft does not allow Windows 8.1 installs any more as they want to move everyone onto Windows 10 (released this August). I thought it might be a motherboard or BIOS error, but apparently not? I will have to see what happens and if it is affordably repairable. I want to keep it as it has 8 GB of RAM and was my 2013 Christmas present (see 29/12/2013 entry). I am currently using an older one of Dad’s, but it is not quite as fast (only has 4 GB).
Dad has Windows 10 installed on this computer. It works reasonably well but is still unpolished and the forced updates are a real annoyance. A lot of people have had various problems with installing it, as it was released unfinished and will be improved with continuous updates over months and years. It is still a stressful way to introduce a new operating system, though.
Monday 31/8
2:51 p.m.: My computer appeared OK for about a week, then began the BSODs again on Friday 29/8 until I was unable to start it. So much for the repairs! Dad installed Windows 8.1 retail on yet another hard drive – and this was done with no issues, so what was the repair man talking about?? – and now is running with no issues again – so far. I still have to reinstall various programs and updates yet again, which is tedious. If it malfunctions again it will likely be due to a memory or motherboard error somewhere; 3 separate hard disk failures in succession would be very unlikely. I want to keep it as it has 8 GB of RAM and was my 2013 Christmas present (see 29/12/2013 and 21/10/2013 entries). I was using an older spare one of Dad’s in the interim, but it is not quite as fast (only has 4 GB). So it has been a very frustrating and mentally tiring few weeks!
I wish I could get an iMac, but the basic 21.5 inch model starts at $1,549 (the lower Australia dollar does not help either), and goes up to $2,099 if more processing power is wanted. I want a computer that just works, and the Apple fits that wish, but it is simply not affordable, and a high-performance PC could be built for the lower price. As I am unlikely to gain employment it will remain a wish.
My teeth are also causing worry yet again; my lower left jaw has been aching at intervals, and there is a dark fissure in my first lower molar – the one I was concerned about back in 2013 (see 31/12/2013 entry). I may have to go to the dentist again for a look, which I am dreading – it is my last lower molar without a filling.
My Health Care Card expires on 22 September, and I have reapplied for another, so now I wait. The MyGov computer system is very dysfunctional, and Centrelink is chronically understaffed (you need to put aside a day just to try to get through on the phone), so trying to renew a card is even more of an ordeal than it used to be. At least it has been changed to annually from last year, not biannually.
September
Tuesday 1/9
6:36 p.m.: Dad’s main computer has begun malfunctioning now! He turned it on today and it began getting BSODs and reboots, like mine has been. It was working fine when he last had it on a few days ago. We are stumped as to what could have caused it. He tried installing on different hard drives and from a Norton backup, but nothing has worked so far.
Monday 7/9
5:30 p.m.: I got my Health Care Card in the mail today, which is one worry over! It expires 22/9/2016. I get bulk-billing at medical clinics, discounted medicine and public transport concessions when using it, so it is vital I retain it.
Dentist appointment tomorrow, so I will be fretting till then. I have aching in my lower left jaw, and my first lower left molar has a dark fissure in it so I am worried this is decay, given my past history. Sealants are in the others, but that fissure did not get one for some reason.
Dad’s computer is working again – one stick of memory was faulty, causing all the BSODs. He put his memory into my computer, so that perhaps was the issue with it; I don’t know. I have not had any BSODs so far, though there are a few corrupt sectors on the C: drive, as a backup attempt told me. The cost of taking it to the repair man was $150 – a waste of money! (The place is IT-Tech in East Bentleigh.)
The winter chill has left the mornings, though it still is cold. Pink cherry blossom and magnolia trees began blooming early in August, but are almost finished now. White plum and pear blossom is currently out, but those are finishing too.
Street tree cherry blossom, Fairbank Road, 17/8/2015
Ornamental Pear blossom, Patterson Road, 5/9/2015
Our backyard plum tree in blossom, 5/9/2015
Tuesday 8/9
2:05 p.m.: The dentist (a different one, Dr Rakshith Shetty, I think – Dr Smitha wanted him to look at me as he is a TMJ specialist) could find nothing obviously wrong – said I had no obvious cavities – and put the pain down to my TMJ disorder or whatever it is again. He suggested that, as I can’t afford braces, I get my bite adjusted to help with the pain, but I am reluctant to do anything more, so will have to just bear it. The pain in my left jaw is hard to locate exactly; it feels variously achy, numb, stabbing and like exposed raw nerves – similar to what those in this Trigeminal Neuralgia forum post are describing.
Heather bought an Apple Watch a few weeks ago; one of the lower-priced models at “only” $800 or so.
I feel creatively dead; I have not done a pencil drawing since last December and just feel dull and uninspired.
Friday 25/9
4:55 p.m.: Mum and Dad are going away to Kyneton next Thursday 1/10; a bit later this year in hopes that the weather will be a bit warmer (see 20/9/2014 entry). The cold mornings seem to be lingering this year – 5°C yesterday morning!
October
Thursday 1/10
5:54 p.m.: Mum and Dad left for Kyneton today, just after lunch, to return next Thursday, so an isolated week for me as usual. The weather is warming up – into the low 30s in the next few days. Daylight Savings also begins this weekend. Tomorrow is also a public holiday for the Grand Final parade, which is an annoyance as it disrupts my routine.
Thursday 8/10
3:33 p.m.: Mum and Dad returned from Kyneton around midday. I had a quiet week as usual; limited where I can go without being able to drive a car. I walked to Southland and took the bus back on Saturday, Monday and Wednesday; went to the city on Friday and today. There was a heatwave with temperatures into the mid-30s on Monday and Tuesday; the earliest-ever such temperatures in October since records began in the 1850s. Yet yesterday morning and this morning were in the single-figures again; quite hard to adjust to such extremes.
Thursday 15/10
1:44 p.m.: The washing machine failed today so Mum and Dad went out to buy a new one, to be delivered tomorrow; it is a South Korean brand ($750 or so!). They bought the old one (Fisher & Paykel brand) in 2000, so it has functioned quite well.
The weather is hot again, into the mid-30s today. My teeth/lower left jaw are still bothering me; the dark fissure on my lower left 1st molar looks rather ominous.
November
Thursday 5/11
6:11 p.m.: I thought I felt a small earth tremor this morning, at 12:20 a.m.; just a slight shaking of my bed for around 3 seconds. There have been no media reports of one, though, so perhaps it was very localized.
We are into the humid part of the year; a lot of rain fell this morning and there were some strong storm cells passing over Melbourne with heavy rain.
My 45th birthday is on Monday 9.
Monday 9/11
2:59 p.m.: My 45th birthday today; I received some money. Mum, Dad and myself went out to lunch at the Bentleigh RSL (Dad is a member and can get a discount); I had my usual chicken parmigiana and chips, which was satisfying.
I bought a bag from Witchery, a silver-colored “Sasha Tote” style – I paid just over $60 with discounts, originally $90, ridiculously expensive for a synthetic made-in-China bag, but pretty much standard for products in Australia now, unfortunately. I love shiny metallic objects, so the bag was irresistable.
Thursday 12/11
6:23 p.m.: I went today to Chadstone as usual with Mum. Saw Uncle Brian there as usual now also, where we get a cup of coffee. He mentioned that one of Heather’s daughters (Brittany I think) bought another laptop, an Apple iMac. Uncle Brian has one too. Apple computers are a luxury item now; even the basic model is over $1000.
An older woman called Lyn (not sure how her name is spelled) who used to visit the café (Romano’s) at Southland where my parents & I get an almost-daily coffee has terminal cancer. I have not spoken to her; Mum found this out through another regular who goes there. She had breast cancer previously and it has returned, unfortunately.
Wednesday 18/11
4:07 p.m.: The paperbark street trees, Melaleuca linariifolia, have been out in creamy blossom (“snow-in-summer”) for the last two or three weeks, though they are fading now; they seemed to bloom earlier this year. Unfortunately the local council seems to be felling many of these as part of their so-called “tree renewal” and not replanting the same species (see 23/4/2015 entry), which is upsetting and wasteful as these trees provide good shelter and shade, and the mature ones that were removed seem perfectly healthy.
Paperbark trees, Harper Avenue, East Bentleigh
Sunday 22/11
2:42 p.m.: I ended up taking that silver bag back to the Chadstone Witchery store as the silver coating was wearing off on the folded edges after only two weeks of use. Quite annoying considering how much it cost. Products here are very overpriced and still are not of good quality.
I went by bus, which I am getting used to now; it is a very convoluted and crowded route, as the streets are narrow and cluttered with the parked cars of residents. Chadstone SC itself is not a very pleasant place to visit; too big, too many people and the seemingly endless construction work does not help. I really miss the Borders bookstore that was there (closed in July 2011 – see 7/10/2011 entry).
Wednesday 25/11
1:13 p.m.: Forgot to mention in my last entry that Mum’s cousin Dawn Harbour rang on Sunday (she rings Mum every few weeks or so). I answered the phone and we had a short conversation. She later rang when Mum was home (they had been at Church) to tell her she was going into hospital for a knee joint replacement. (I last mentioned her on 15/3/2008 and earlier on 29/1/2002.)
Sunday 29/11
9:10 a.m.: So I bought that silver bag again (for the 3rd time! Returned one last week) as I still have a fixation on it (I love shiny metallic/iridescent objects); this time I bought it from the Witchery David Jones outlet in Southland. The silver seems to be a popular color so it tends to sell out quickly (other colors were gold, rose gold or black). There was a 25% discount on full-priced items so I paid a little more ($67), but not too much. Yes it was a frivolous purchase but sometimes I need the comfort! I think I have a mental disorder there as I have an awful time deciding upon things. If I don’t buy something I may regret it, but if I do buy it I may realize I don’t really want it.
I have seen a red fox at times on my early morning walks, usually on Abbin Road off East Boundary Road; I saw one last Friday on that road, as well as there a few weeks ago and also on Tucker Road near the shopping strip. They are feral animals here, and there are quite a few in the suburbs. This morning, though, I saw the body of one on the road outside the Tucker Road Bentleigh Primary School; it had obviously been hit by a car. It may be that one I have been seeing.
It is 10 weeks since I had my last period. I had an 8-week break between June and July – and, conversely, only 3 weeks’ break in January. The medication I have been on since 2013, Spiractin, tends to make periods irregular; I am also nearing menopausal age so those could be factors (I am within the healthy range for my height and weight). I notice that I seem to have been starting to get what feels like hot flashes/flushes since the last month or so – I feel overheated for a minute or two.
December
Thursday 3/12
5:31 p.m.: I will probably end up taking that bag back yet again as I am still unsure about it. I have also bought some other Witchery smaller accessory bags then taken them back this week as I can’t justify spending that much on China-made synthetic items; they are probably twice the price they are really worth.
Went to Chadstone today with Mum as usual (though we probably won’t anymore in the weeks preceding Christmas) and met Uncle Brian. He is really not pleasant to talk to after a while as he tends to take the opposite viewpoint and gets argumentative; traits he’s had for decades, exacerbated by alcohol intake and which aging is making worse – he will be 90 in 2017! Mum feels the same way about him.
It is 3 years today since Sasha the dog was euthanized (see 3/12/2012 entry). I still miss him sometimes; my parents do also.
Sunday 13/12
5:39 p.m.: I saw with dismay that Heather had posted an anti-fluoride meme on her Facebook page (reproduced below).
Anti-fluoride scaremongering nonsense
For some reason a lot of supposedly well-educated women subscribe to this and other discredited “alternative” views (anti-vaccination, using “complementary” medicine and so on). Her eldest daughter Dior runs a shop called Soul Press, a health food store – a lot of so-called “health” food, though, has as much sugar and fat as conventional confectionary, and the claimed benefits are dubious. Anything mentioning “detoxing” should be regarded with skepticism.
Dawn’s knee replacement (25/11) went well and she was undergoing rehabilitation. (In family relations she is my 1st cousin once removed – a daughter of Clarise Mary “Aunty Day,” Gran’s next-eldest sibling.)
Monday 14/12
3:36 p.m.: I went to get my ears syringed today at the East Bentleigh Medical Group clinic as I was getting some wax build-up again; second time this year! (26/6 entry.) Thankfully they bulk-bill, unlike the previous clinic I went to all my life – Eastbound Medical Clinic, also in East Bentleigh; the latter charge a gap fee of over $30 just for a concession card. I am still annoyed that I was unable to obtain my analog medical records from them in 2013 as they were destroyed after being digitalized; I did not apply for them in time.
Thursday 24/12
6:24 p.m.: Christmas Day tomorrow. I am not expecting anything much, unlike last year, so I am not particularly looking forward to it. The weather has been hot today (35°) and the same tomorrow, with a warm night, just to make things worse. Last weekend saw a scorching heatwave with the temperature reaching 41°C on Saturday, 28°C overnight (the warmest December night on record in Melbourne) and 39°C on Sunday before an afternoon cool change with rain.
Saw a grey-and-white cat with long fur slink under our house this morning; another stray. There has been a black-and-white stray cat with yellow eyes hanging around our house and area for a few years also; I saw it last week. Cats are a feral nuisance in Australia so I am not sentimental towards them anymore.
Stray black-and-white cat in the front garden of our house, 7/5/2015
Parents and I went to Southland this morning for our cappuccino; it was quite busy as could be expected, but at least we got parked and seats at the Romano’s café. Boxing Day on Saturday will be even busier.
Saturday 26/12
5:20 p.m.: Christmas Day was hot; up to 35°C, but we had a nice roast lunch anyway (stuffed chicken for me) and a small pudding bought from David Jones. I received a Sussan kimono-style nightgown, Mimco coin purse, some money, earrings, and various bath products.
Mum, Dad and I at Christmas lunch; our Christmas tree; me in my kimono present; Mimco Tiny Sparks pouch
A cool change with heavy showers came through this morning; I got a bit wet when walking to Southland. Parents and I got seated and had a coffee with no delays, though finding a parking spot took a bit longer. I did not go to Chadstone this year; it would be even more chaotic with the construction there.
Thursday 31/12
2:16 p.m.: Another scorching day; close to 40°C, which means there will be a lot of hot and cranky New Year’s partyers roaming around.
Nothing noteworthy for me this year. I did write a bit more in this journal. I have managed to maintain my weight loss; I don’t want to again outgrow the clothes I bought! I have done some purging of books and clothes; I need to do this at least once a year otherwise I would be buried under my possessions. I have lost most interest in spaceflight (see 20/2/2015 entry), so those books have gone.