Suzy McHale’s Diary: 2016
Events of note this year: Mr Basil Hendrikse (Bentleigh Baptist Church member) died of a stroke on 3/2. The Claret Ash street tree outside #91 (next to and south of us) was felled on 8/3. Our favorite coffee shop in Southland, Romano’s, closed on 30/6. Josiah Perona came to stay from 29/10-2/11. The local milk bar (corner Patterson & Tucker Roads) closed in November (29/11) after operating for decades.
January
Friday 1/1
7:32 p.m.: I had a quiet New Year’s Eve as usual; too hot to do anything anyway. The fireworks in Melbourne were audible here. I could have gone up the hill opposite us (Pollina Street) for a glimpse of them – perhaps I will next NYE.
Southland Shopping Centre did not open until 11 a.m., annoyingly, so my parents and I did not go for our regular cappuccino. I did ride my bicycle there later (20-25 m) to get a T-shirt at Target, an uncomfortably sweaty ride.
I got my cappuccino at Tucker Road Coffee in the nearby shopping strip; it was also open Christmas Day, surprisingly.
The night was unpleasantly warm, but today was somewhat cooler – though now unpleasantly humid.
Saturday 2/1
12:13 p.m.: I saw a tawny frogmouth bird on my early morning walk, up the top of Pollina Street, sitting on a wire. Saw one south down Tucker Road earlier this week, perhaps the same one, and that one a few weeks ago outside 38 Tucker Road. It has a distinctive silhouette and birds are not usually up at that time (5 a.m. or so). I wonder where it could live as there is not much habitat for one now.
Went to Southland this morning as usual with parents.
Neighborhood notes:
- An elderly lady who lived at 66 Mortimore Street in a somewhat rundown house moved out – or had to move out – last year, and the house was subsequently rented out.
- Nancy and her husband still live diagonally opposite us at 92 Tucker Road; they have been there since Mum and Dad moved in, in 1968. They are visibly older, though.
- A middle-aged woman lives at 26 Lahona Avenue in a rundown weatherboard house. She seems to live by herself; I have seen her occasionally when walking past.
Wednesday 6/1
4:05 p.m.: A couple of recent photos from Michele’s Facebook account:
Michele, Timothy and Chris Perona at Timothy’s Army cadets march out parade (28/11/2015)
Trinity and Michele; Trinity achieved an academic excellence award and a distinction for visual arts (4/12/2015)
As can be seen, she has not lost any weight and her appearance is, to put it bluntly, not attractive. She is perhaps at least 70 kg and a size 16; she is around my height (160 cm), or a centimeter or two shorter. Mum said Michele told her she hadn’t had any issues after her gallbladder removal over a year ago (or she might not be admitting it). I wish Chris would encourage her to lose a bit, but he seems to be enabling her (he probably calls her “cuddly”).
Thursday 7/1
6:28 p.m.: Mum and I went to Chadstone today, the trip taking a rare short time of 12 minutes or so due to lack of traffic and no rail level crossing delays. It normally takes up to 30 minutes or so just to cover the 6.6 km or so.
Sunday 10/1
1:36 p.m.: I forgot to mention in my last entry that a huntsman spider was lurking in an upper corner of the laundry porch when I went in there that morning! I dispatched it with a mop and copious amounts of flyspray. Ugh!
I was looking up the place where Gran died in October 2000 – Siesta Private Nursing Home at 11 Sheppard St., Moorabbin – on Google Maps and it still seems to be operating. I still wish she could have died at her home, in her own bed, surrounded by family – much preferable to dying in a strange place by oneself.
Google Maps and Streetview (May 2013) images for Siesta Private Nursing Home
Wednesday 13/1
2:10 p.m.: After a relatively cool week, today is up to 41°C or so – the first for this year – then back down to half that tomorrow.
I put my 2002 and 2003 Journal entries onto two pages each – they were divided by month before, but I wanted to lessen the number of pages. They are quite long sections, though, so I still had to divide them up (two per year). Going through them is extremely tedious; as I was in the depths of my spaceflight obsession then, most entries are devoted to that. Just came across this quote (18/5/2002 entry):
I don’t read that much sci-fi and fantasy any more – I prefer novels set in the reality I know, or the near-future, with fantasy or sci-fi elements. I’m not much interested in other authors’ imaginary worlds, perhaps because I have my own!
I am just the opposite now!
I finished adding brief summaries of family events for each Journal year. Reading through my writings is depressing; my situation is worse than in 2001 as I am older and effectively unemployable now (14 years unemployed!), cheap imported labor is plentiful – the job market is very much in favor of employers – and attitudes towards welfare are even harsher under a conservative Liberal government.
Thursday 14/1
3:06 p.m.: Yesterday got to a very unpleasant 42.4°C, a dust windstorm lashed Melbourne in the late afternoon, then an overnight cool change saw the temperature drop to 19°C today, with some much-needed rain.
Went to Chadstone with Mum today. Saw Uncle Brian there where we have coffee. Heather has been unwell with some unspecified illness, perhaps related to food poisoning.
I bought the Sasha Tote Bag yet again (5th time!) – it was reduced on sale to $48. The gold was the only color available – metallic products seem to sell out very quickly – but I liked it too. I will see if I keep it this time! Witchery products are very overpriced for what they are, as are a lot of women’s fashion brands – they are mostly made in Chinese factories with the cheap exploited labor there, and so are not top quality. If I had the money, I would have my clothing and accessories commissioned and hand-made, and dress in fabrics such as silk, the texture of which I love.
Friday 15/1
6:06 p.m.: The brick house at 17 Delhi Street (westwards behind us, in a street at right-angles to London Street) was demolished today; yet another small part of my suburb’s history destroyed.
Saturday 16/1
1:56 p.m.: I bought a wallet from Colette, a double-zip around wallet with a rainbow pearlescent sheen that caught my eye – similar to that on the inside of an abalone shell. Unfortunately it was not discounted, but I love iridescent metallic items and it is a small treat or “comfort” for myself. I am, however, reluctant to actually use these items as they will eventually wear out and become damaged! So, it’s a dilemma.
Friday 22/1
2:07 p.m.: The weather has been humid and there was a thunderstorm this morning, after which our Internet connection was not working when we returned home from going to Southland. Dad rang the ISP who informed him that a lightning strike had taken out the Bentleigh area network exchange, and Telstra (the communications network provider) had informed them that it would not be reconnected until Tuesday 26th! Which is obviously very dismaying and a real nuisance as an Internet connection is now a necessity. So I am going to be in withdrawal until it is repaired :-(.
Saturday 23/1
6:21 p.m.: Dad rang Chariot ISP earlier today and apparently the outage is a planned ADSL upgrade, not due to a lightning strike. Still won’t be back until Tuesday, though. I did manage to get WiFi at Southland this morning on my iPad. Michele and Chris are currently at Hall’s Gap.
Monday 25/1
10:47 a.m.: Dad went in to the Telstra shop at Southland this morning to find out our Internet reconnection status: not available until tomorrow evening at 7 p.m.! Which is just pathetic. There was no information about the upgrade on the Chariot or TPG websites, though (via Soutland WiFi), oddly. (Chariot is a subsidary of TPG; the latter company bought it a few years ago.)
Friday 29/1
3:07 p.m.: We got our Internet connection back on Tuesday, around lunchtime; earlier than expected. It was a great relief to have it back! I had a lot of catching-up to do. A technician from Telstra came Wednesday afternoon for a look at the phone line; he didn’t take long.
The weather has been humid and stormy for much of the week; there was a brief loud storm yesterday afternoon. Today is cooler and rainy. Temperature has been in the mid-20s, which is bearable; preferable to a 40°C heatwave!
I also have a slight cold, with a sore throat since yesterday; bleargh :-(.
February
Tuesday 2/2
12:16 p.m.: Basil Hendrikse, who has attended Bentleigh Baptist Church for as long as Dad, and who is the father of Charmaine, collapsed this morning and was taken to Alfred Hospital in Melbourne. He is apparently bleeding from the brain and may not last the day. Dad and Pastor Kang went to visit him.
On coming home, Dad said Basil had a stroke and was on life support, so things do not look good :-(.
Neighborhood notes:
- Another house in Delhi Street behind us, number 18, was demolished last week.
- Number 31 Tucker Road – mentioned in my 23/7/2015 entry – has demolition fences around it, so it is soon to go.
- An old woman has been living at number 80 Tucker Road for many years; she is stooped with short brown hair. An old car has been parked in her driveway; it has not been driven in many years. I have seen her occasionally walking up the footpath; she looks increasingly frail.
- There used to be an old woman who would walk to the Patterson-Tucker Road shops from somewhere east, along Mawby Road; she pushed a shopping cart with a hole cut in the front for her little dog (a terrier mix) to ride in. She even got a feature on the front page of the local newspaper in the early 2000s (I wish I had cut it out!). I last saw her walking along Corolla Avenue, or in the nearby streets, in 2011, but not since then. Perhaps she had to leave her house and went into a nursing home?
I have made a “My Neighborhood” page, so I will put observations in there also.
Wednesday 3/2
3:18 p.m.: Mr Basil Hendrikse died today yesterday at 4:30 p.m.
Thursday 4/2
3:16 p.m.: Went to the Bentleigh RSL for lunch with Mum and Dad for Mum’s birthday. I got my hair trimmed today also.
Friday 5/2
12:10 p.m.: Funeral notice in today’s Herald-Sun:
HENDRIKSE Sebastian Christian
Dear husband to Johanna, loving father to Greg and Charmaine, father-in-law to John and grandfather to Stephanie and Erica, passed away suddenly on Feb. 2, 2016, aged 76.
Our lives will never be the same and you will be in our hearts forever, Amen.
Wednesday 10/2
1:53 p.m.: I have been having episodes of almost-constipation – or at least somewhat sluggish bowels – on Saturday and yesterday. My diet has not changed so I don’t know what the reason is. I usually go at least once a day and am concerned if I don’t!
The Council is still having random mature street trees felled, quite distressingly – one of the paperbark trees lining Harper Avenue was felled earlier this week (see 18/11/2015 entry). Looking at one of their Street Tree strategy documents (from 2007), four trees I like are designated as “Problem Trees Species” (table below reproduced from the document):
| Problem Trees Species | Recommended Replacement Species | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Common Name | No. | Undesirable Characteristics | Replacement Species | Common Name | Benefits |
| Fraxinus excelsior ‘Aurea’ | Ash | 576 | Aggressive Roots / Infrastructure damage / Rapid decline and dieback/suckering habit |
|
|
|
| Liquidambar styraciflua | Sweet gum | 579 | Aggressive Roots / Infrastructure damage/ Suckering nature of roots | Acer platanoides | Norway Maple |
|
| Melaleuca sp. | Paper bark | 6338 | Aggressive Roots / Infrastructure damage Issues with shed leaves/debris | Tristaniopsis laurina | Water Gum |
|
| Prunus | Flowering Plum (pink blossom, red leaves) | 4819 | Short life / Poor branch and stem attachment / Soft wood and rapid decay development | Acer platanoides | Crimson Sentry (red leaves) |
|
Surely they could plant replacements of the same species and put root barriers around them?
On a more frivolous note, I like these Liam Sneakers from Witchery; they are leather with a rubber sole and gold detail. I bought a pair during a special offer, but have had trouble with the sizing – European sizing is used. EU size 38 is approximately Australian 7½ and EU 39 is AU 8½. I am an AU 8 in sneakers (and 7-7½ in dress shoes and sandals), so the smaller size was a little tight (toes touched the top) and larger a little bit roomy, though I found the larger more comfortable and the size chart recommended the 39. I ended up buying the 39, but am as yet undecided whether to keep them – they don’t have half-sizes, and a 38½ would fit perfectly. This lack of size choice is quite frustrating!
I did measure my feet, and they are 10 cm at their widest point, and 24 cm long (more precisely, around 23.9 cm).
Friday 12/2
12:27 p.m.: I did not go to Basil’s funeral as I felt too uncomfortable; I can never think of the appropriate words to say and am useless at giving comfort to others.
I ended up buying that Sasha Tote silver bag yet again yesterday (9/11/2015 entry); it was reduced and using some rewards points brought it down to $50. So I have two bags for nearly the full price of one! ($8 more than the $90 full price.)
I am still undecided upon the sneakers mentioned last entry due to the size issue; they feel a little clunky and big.
The weather has been in the mid-20s all week; warm and a bit humid, but better than baking hot.
The renewal notice for my Driver’s Licence arrived in the mail today – $260.40 for 10 years :-(.
Friday 19/2
6:27 p.m.: I renewed my Driver Licence on Wednesday (Mum had to pay); the new one should arrive in a couple of weeks.
I have been typing up my family tree on computer (in a Word document for printing, and on a page in this site); from 1998-2000 I did a bit of family tree research and typed up some trees on the electric typewriter I had back then (I had not begun using a computer then!). I may also do some individual web pages for family members with more details.
Saturday 20/2
6:40 p.m.: I have done the family trees, but will have to check them to find any errors. Trying to lay out the trees is quite an exasperating process! The deepest I can go back is ten generations, to the 1600s on the Enderby side (Dad’s maternal line).
Sunday 21/2
6:40 p.m.: Forgot to mention that 76 Mawby Road, on the corner of East Boundary Road, was demolished a couple of weeks ago (early February, week beginning 7/2). It had been doomed for a few years, and rented out in the interim. Two of the by-now usual double-storey, cramped townhouses will crowd the space where the house and garden were. It could have been renovated and lived in, so a waste of yet another house.
The weather is heating up again after a nice cool spell, to 37°C on Tuesday, though cooling off after that. Hopefully the worst of the summer heat is over?
Monday 22/2
2:54 p.m.: I was dismayed to see that a beautician on Tucker Road in McKinnon, Estetica, is closing soon, at the end of February. I visited her in the last couple of years for a few sessions of electrolysis to eliminate those annoying dark hormonal facial hairs, which were mostly cleared. She was nearby and affordable, and there are no other similar places.
Thursday 25/2
1:49 p.m.: My Driver Licence arrived in the mail today, so that is that task done for another 10 years. Sadly I have not used it for its intended purpose, as I lost my nerve soon after (barely) passing my driving test and quit driving after that. I really wish I had not. I would need a few lessons before driving again.
The beautician, Charmaine, said yesterday she might be moving to a shop somewhere in East Bentleigh, so hopefully I will hear from her again about it when she does (I left my email contact).
Monday 29/2
12:15 p.m.: I made an appointment with the dentist (Dr Smitha Gaikwad) for a checkup and clean – I have not had a clean since last year. My teeth are very coffee-stained, though I rinse my mouth with water after having coffee, and only have 2 a day (no sugar). I hope there won’t be any more fillings; I dread visits for that reason. It is $155 for a checkup and clean. I still get dull aches and pains from various places in my jaw and teeth.
I decided to keep the Witchery sneakers (10/2 entry) – they are a little clunky and quite sturdy, but comfortable.
March
Monday 7/3
1:27 p.m.: My dental appointment went well; no cavities this time, so another reprieve. Cleaning them took 30 minutes or so; the dentist said the brown staining was likely from the mouthwash I was using (Colgate Plax), which is a bit frustrating! I had the same problem with another brand (Dentyl) some years ago. She wants me to visit every 6 months, so I will have to try to persuade Mum (checkup and clean are currently $155).
Dad had a fall when getting up to use the toilet early this morning around 3 a.m. and cut his right jaw; it bled quite a lot. He hit it on the bathtub somehow. He may have slipped on the bathroom mat. I did hear an awful loud bang which I thought was a possum on the roof! He is going to the GP tomorrow as a precaution.
Tuesday 8/3
1:31 p.m.: The Claret Ash street tree next door, outside #91, is currently being felled – I can see it outside my window. It is old and has been poorly trimmed so many times that it is almost splitting down the middle. It is sad to see it go as it has been there for decades; all my life so far. I will miss its deep mahogany autumn colors. It is one of the street tree varieties deemed unsuitable and targeted for removal (see 10/2 entry.)
Two views of the Claret Ash street tree outside #91 Tucker Road in Autumn foliage, taken 11/5/2014 from across the street (looking west) and my bedroom window (looking east).
Claret Ash street tree from outside my bedroom window on 8/3/2016 – before and after; felled in an afternoon.
3:33 p.m.: Can’t see the tree anymore; it has just about vanished into the wood chipper. R.I.P. old tree :-(.
Saturday 12/3
2:22 p.m.: Went into the City by train to go to Uniqlo and I bought the hoodie I wanted. The journey went smoothly for once. I walked back through Melbourne Central, then the Royal and Block Arcades. I like these hidden and convoluted lanes and arcades, though the overcrowding and noise spoils them.
Tomorrow is Mum and Dad’s 48th wedding anniversary; they are going to Bentleigh RSL for lunch (I won’t come this time).
I got an email from Charmaine at Estetica on when she will be re-opening:
Hi everyone, Charmaine here! Thankyou for your patience.
I am starting to take bookings for Monday 21st March onwards. There may be a few teething problems initially, but i’m hoping to get everyone ready for the long easter break! So please send me your requested days and times & I will call/email you back to confirm an appointment.
The new address is: 689B Centre Rd, East Bentleigh 3165 (Entrance is on Malane St).
Kind Regards, Charmaine.
So it is local and no further away, thankfully.
Sunday 13/3
12:55 p.m.: Mum and Dad’s 48th wedding anniversary today. I ended up going to Bentleigh RSL with them for lunch after all (we just arrived home). I had crispy fish (barramundi) and chips with salad – a $16 half-serve – which was nice; not too big a serve this time, and it filled me adequately.
Monday 14/3
2:56 p.m.: I have been feeling mentally and creatively dead for quite some time; I have not done any pencil drawings since last year, and have barely used my Wacom tablet in the last few months. All I do is sit at my computer and click through webpages, rather like a gambler sitting numbly at a poker machine.
Tuesday 22/3
6:25 p.m.: I bought a new printer today; it was on special in Southland Post Office for just under $30, nearly half-price. It is a Canon Pixma MG 2560, a basic printer, but it has print, copy and scan facilites, which are all I need. I hope it will perform OK and not turn out to be a dud. My previous Epson printer kept rejecting the (cheaper non-Epson) inks I had at random, its printouts looked awful and was a few years old, so it was getting towards its use-by date. I will not buy Epson again, or HP. Printers are a scam generally (extremely over-priced inks) but there are no other options currently.
Had some hot weather last week, though not as bad as the previous week, and a very windy day on Friday. It has been cooler since then, thankfully. Hopefully the Autumn weather will continue from now on. The deciduous tree leaves are starting to turn.
Easter is happening this weekend. No Easter eggs for me this year. Since last year I have managed to mostly wean myself off a daily chocolate and cake anyway.
Dad’s birthday is next Wednesday 30; he will be 83.
Tuesday 29/3
3:11 p.m.: I managed to get an infection under my right upper eyelid; there has been a feeling of irritation there since Saturday evening (I went to sleep in front of the TV as usual, and woke thinking I initially had something under the eyelid). I saw Dr. Lapin today who prescribed me an antibiotic ointment to use for a few days. I don’t know what caused it as I have never had that issue before.
Dad’s 83rd birthday is tomorrow, so I guess we will go out for lunch.
Wednesday 30/3
2:37 p.m.: We went to the East Boundary Hotel for lunch, for Dad’s birthday. I had beer-battered fish and chips; probably most of the day’s calories, so I won’t have much for dinner.
My right eye seems a little bit better; the irritation has eased. Getting the ointment under the lid is difficult, though.
Thursday 31/3
1:25 p.m.: Got a planning permit notice in the mail that the house diagonally opposite and south of us – 8 Durban Street – is to be replaced with one of the the obnoxiously oversized double-storey duplex houses that are invading the suburbs. The one to the north – 12 Durban Street – was demolished and developed in 2008-2009 (see 1/11/2009 entry in my Web Journal in the “My Site” folder) and looms over its neighbors.
8 Durban Street is to the lower left – the house with the red roof. Our house is the small one to the right.
April
Monday 4/4
5:27 p.m.: I went on my usual afternoon walk around the local streets. Some things converged to make it relatively pleasant today: Daylight Savings ended on the weekend so it was an hour later; it is school holidays so the streets are a little less clogged with traffic; and it was sunny and clear but not scorchingly hot – perfect Autumn weather. My walks are not particularly enjoyable because of the surrounding environment – increasingly overcrowded and overdeveloped. There are a couple of parks nearby – Hodgson Reserve and King George V Reserve (which I have to cross busy East Boundary Road to get to) but they are also quite busy, no thanks to the increasing population.
Wednesday 6/4
1:07 p.m.: Heavy rain today, after a warm (29°C or so) day yesterday, though the intense heat of a few weeks ago has gone away, thankfully.
I am still feeling apathetic and lethargic, and creatively dead; I have drawings and writing in my head but can’t find the motivation to get them out.
I wrote a letter to Gran yesterday (reproduced below), on various things I have regretted not saying or doing before she passed. It felt a little better to put that into words. I don’t feel the same way about Granny Kirk (Dad’s mother), unfortunately, as I only saw her physically 3 times in my life (visiting England twice when younger, and when she came over to stay with us in 1983). That is the big downside of having family members living in various countries.
Dear Gran,
I miss you.
You died in 2000 but I still think of you every day. I miss seeing you and the happy look you had when we came over to your home. I miss going to your old house at 14 Bridge Street Elsternwick every week and your wonderful cooking: the roast lamb and potatoes, the jam tart or apple pie you made. I miss the family gatherings of you, my parents and sister (and Grandpa when he was alive, though I was a bit shy of him). Also the Saturday afternoons spent in the dining room around the open fire, eating toast and listening to the footy on the radio. Sometimes Heather was there too and we talked about a lot of things. I miss going on long drives to the country around Ballarat and having lunch with your sisters.
I was difficult and grumpy at times when younger and I really regret that now; I did not appreciate you enough when you were alive as I was rather self-absorbed with my own problems. I wish I had made more of an effort to see you frequently in your final years. I am sad you died by yourself at night in a strange nursing home rather than be surrounded by family. You were the last of your siblings, which must have been a lonely place to be. You grew up in a vastly different era to mine, one now passed from living memory.
I did not know you when you were younger. You were old – in your 70s – when I was born. I wish I had asked you a lot more about your earlier life.
You were my maternal grandmother, my favorite and closest grandparent, and I miss you more as the years go by. I daydream of somehow meeting you again in the next world, if there is some sort of afterlife; of again walking up the garden path to your front door.
– Suzanne McHale, 5 April 2016
Sunday 10/4
1:03 p.m.: I did not sleep at all last night; my brain did not turn off for some reason, as happens sometimes. I did get two or three microsleeps and the beginnings of dreams around 3 a.m. or so, but I got up after 4 a.m. so did not sleep any further. Not surprisingly, I am feeling lethargic today.
Tuesday 12/4
2:14 p.m.: Last Friday we received another Planning Application notice, this one for the house directly behind us, #10 Durban Street (it had a unit built behind it in 1997) – see photo in 31/3 entry. They want to add another storey to the original house. This means that we will lose what remains of our western sky view and become even more hemmed in.
My right eye seems to be mostly better. I do get dry eyes too and they can become scratchy, so this might be a contributing factor.
My current weight is around 49 kg. I did a rough estimate of what I ate today (using an online food database at http://www.calorieking.com.au/foods/):
- Breakfast: 1 cup Weeties (450 kilojoules) with 8 or so blueberries, a prune (~80 kj) and some banana slices (not counting these); ½ cup almond milk (~115 kj); 1 thick slice toast (50g – ~500 kj) with scraping of reduced-sugar marmalade
- Latte (skinny, small): 370 kj (medium: 504 kj; large: 672 kj)
- Lunch: 2 bread slices (100 kj) with tomato slice, ½ hard-boiled egg (~129 kj), cucumber slices, left over meat slice , ½ apple (~140 kj), large banana (~624 kj)
- Coffee in afternoon (with small amount of almond milk)
- Dinner: 2 salmon cakes (740kj) and veggies (not counted); yoghurt tub (317 kj)
- Conservative total: 3034 kj; probably closer to 4500-5000 (1075-1195 calories) with veggies, etc. According to these nutrition guidelines, an approximate intake for 160 cm woman, 31-50 years, 60kg, moderate activity is 9800 kj/2350 cal; and sedentary is 7600 kj/1800 cal.
Mum’s cooking (dinner dish) on some nights (e.g. dry curry or macaroni cheese) also complicates things as I can’t accurately estimate kilojoule count. Perhaps add 2000 kj or so.
Do I have an eating disorder again? Only mildly, and it is more restriction on some things. I am at the age where I just don’t care – I certainly don’t care what my parents think – and would embrace it again, though not to the extreme of last time in my early 20s (I don’t have the energy for that now, in any case!). I am an adult now and will do as I please in that regard. I like the way I look now, compared to 2013 when I was 61 kg (see 5/3/2013 entry in my Web Journal in the “My Site” folder). I felt bloated and ugly at that higher weight.
The challenge now is, can I maintain this lower weight for the rest of my life? Last time after my eating disorder faded, I put on weight over the next few years and overate and comfort-ate a lot – I still have a tendency to do this. If I feel deprived I will end up binging or comfort-eating. I have cut out sweets such as my daily chocolate cake at lunch and afternoon snack chocolate bar – I trained myself out of this (also not wanting more cavities is a major motivating reason too).
Saturday 16/4
4:08 p.m.: I went to the city today, just to visit Uniqlo; got a pink hoodie and wheat-colored top, both reduced a bit. I also went on Thursday but didn’t get those then. The train journeys went smoothly, at least. McKinnon and Ormond stations on the route currently don’t exist as they are being rebuilt as part of the State Government’s level crossing removals along some stations on the Frankston line (Bentleigh will also be rebuilt in a few months).
Tuesday 19/4
2:43 p.m.: Mum and Dad are going to Kyneton Bushland Resort, their annual short break (from Thursday 28/4 to Thursday 5/5) so an isolated week by myself awaits again. Wish I could drive as I am otherwise limited by what I can carry when going out shopping. Mum says they might not go on such holidays for much longer as the Melbourne traffic is so horrendous now.
I wish my parents had been wealthy and money were not a concern. I wish we could have lived in a big old house and large garden in a leafy suburb like Toorak (I look wistfull at such places on Google Street View). I cannot cope with being independent; I tried when younger but it always ended in failure. The outside world scares me and is overwhelming. I have no ambition and nothing I want to do. I will never be a famous artist, writer or anything else. All I do is exist. I am now virtually unemployable and without my parents my situation would be dire. I wish I could be supported by someone so I can live in my own internal world as a recluse.
Thursday 21/4
2:24 p.m.: Another Claret Ash street tree is being felled with an ugly buzzing of chainsaws as I write, this one on the corner of Lahona Avenue and Tucker Road, outside 82 Tucker Road (and another was removed this week, further north outside #138). I really don’t see the need for removing these trees; they have been there for decades and are all of a sudden unsuitable? (See 10/2 entry.) Council was planting them up to around 10 years ago; there is a young one opposite us (#90) that was planted around then when the older one there was felled. The ugly Brush Boxes (Lophostemon confertus), like the one outside our house, are not being touched; they are being planted to replace the Claret Ashes and others, and the street looks the poorer for it as these do not have the Autumn colors of the deciduous trees.
Friday 22/4
2:15 p.m.: A curious thought I have been having: my cousin Heather’s children are all attractive (see 24/12/2013 entry), but my side of the family isn’t – or rather, Michele, her children and I are somewhat plain. I have been wondering why and concluded the genes responsible come from Dad and his ancestors. English people as an ethnic group generally seem rather odd looking – inbred perhaps? – and as Dad is an English immigrant those genes are undiluted. Whereas Mum’s side of the family have been in Australia for a few generations (though of English/Scottish descent) and perhaps the cleaner environment in Australia helped. The related science I am thinking of is epigenetics, where “external or environmental factors that switch genes on and off and affect how cells read genes instead of being caused by changes in the DNA sequence.” These changes are much more rapid than traditional DNA evolution. So if epigenetics is a factor, Michele and I got shortchanged with our genes :-(. England also went an intensive industrial revolution with the accompanying pollution, and cities before then were horrid unhygenic places, so this might have negatively affected the epigenetics of the population also.
Thursday 28/4
5:35 p.m.: Mum and Dad departed today for Kyneton around 12:30, so isolation for me until they return. I watched the Blu-Ray of the new Star Wars movie, The Force Awakens, this afternoon. It was reasonably good and entertaining, but I can see the problems many people had with aspects of the story; it is an imitation of the original trilogy in many places.
I took some photos of my current weight and appearance, small images below:
Me on scales, current weight of around 49 kg (assuming they are accurate!), and a couple of mirror shots of me
I haven’t been this low since my early 20s. Will I be able to maintain it over time? I don’t want to outgrow all the smaller-size clothing I have bought over the last year or so!
Saturday 30/4
3:45 p.m.: I walked to Southland Shopping Centre and back today – 45 minutes each way – so that is 1.5 hours of walking, plus the 30 minutes or so I do early every morning. Not surprisingly, my legs are tired! I feel too mentally tired to do much of anything. I will probably do that a couple of mornings next week, and take the bus home on one or two days. The fare for a 2 hour or less trip is nearly $2 even with a concession, so I want to save on fares a bit.
Saw the familiar regulars at the Romano’s café‚ today: a family with an autistic son, Joan the older lady, the two Maltese sisters, one of whom is talkative, the other does not talk very much as she can’t speak English well. Being shy and no good at small talk, I don’t talk unless they happen to talk to me on occasion. Mum and Dad are better at that sort of thing. Sitting there by myself is a bit depressing though. Going out for a daily latté does get a bit expensive (currently $3.60 for a small, $4.20 for a medium), but it is an excuse to go out and be in company of others, even if I keep to myself.
I tried microwaving some chicken pieces last night for dinner – our old microwave has a chicken cooking setting – and they came out very nicely, being moist and tender. I rolled them in breadcrumbs and spices before. It is much easier and less messy than frying (and not as fatty!). The night before I had 5 fish fingers and a pile of steamed vegetables; tonight I will have an omelet and another steamed veggie pile (and had the veggie pile last night). I dislike cooking – following a recipe – so I want to exert as little effort as possible.
Example of my dinner, 28/4/2016: steamed veggies and fish fingers
May
Monday 2/5
5:44 p.m.: Yesterday and today were quiet. I went to the city today, just to visit the City Basement secondhand bookstore on Flinders Street. I then alighted at Bentleigh station (still operational, but closed for rebuilding from June to August) and walked home. Weather was fine again and windy, but this morning was chilly; only 9°C. I had half of the dry curry Mum cooked and left for me, along with ¼ cup (dry measure) of rice, and vegetables; it was nice and filling. I will have the same tomorrow night.
I do feel tired, stressed and overwhelmed; I would not cope if I had to live by myself and also work. (That is if I could find work, given my dismal history, lack of qualifications and long-term unemployment.) There are also bills to pay and appliances that will eventually break, and house maintenance, not to mention all the work and hassle that comes with owning a car (which I don’t). My parents have provided a buffer between me and the world out there, and I fear their passing. I just cannot “adult” very well. I remember in my late teens (1989) when I was staying with Sue Calandro in Geelong during my short-lived ASTA apprenticeship; I could barely cope then, with trying to fit in exercise around shift work. Ultimately I dropped out and retreated back into the familiar cocoon of home.
Michele posted a wedding photo on her Facebook feed as it is her and Chris’s 24th wedding anniversary today.
Facebook caption: “24 years ago … our adventure began”
Wednesday 4/5
4:08 p.m.: Mum and Dad return home tomorrow (hopefully safely!).
I walked to Southland and back again today. Yesterday I walked there and caught the 822 bus home. The weather yesterday was very windy, with gale-force winds. It was initially fine and sunny, but a change and rain arrived in the afternoon. Today was fine and sunny again, but with a much-reduced wind (and clouded over in the afternoon).
Dad bought both the prequel and original Star Wars trilogies on DVD (3-pack each, and only $20 each). I have watched The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones, and quite enjoyed them. They are visually spectacular and there is a lot of detail to absorb. I have only previously seen them on TV when broken up by interminable ads, and watching the movies on DVD straight through is a much better experience. The prequels get a lot of rabid fan hate, but in my view they are being unreasonable (I detest fans and fandom generally; they tend to ruin what they are a fan of).
For dinner I had microwaved chicken breast again, which came out nicely (I did not eat all of it and saved some for lunch leftovers), and my pile of steamed veggies. It is quite filling.
Thursday 5/5
3:13 p.m.: Mum and Dad arrived home around lunchtime, so all is back to normal again. I really wish I could drive (and had kept it up since I initally learned in my late teens); it would save a lot of hassle, such as getting groceries. The prospect of driving is quite daunting to me, though, both because of my lack of co-ordination and practice, and all the angry aggressive drivers on overcrowded roads now.🚗
Friday 13/5
1:44 p.m.: Back to the usual routines again. Been wishing I (or Dad) could afford Apple computer products; they just seem better designed and more stable. Sadly, even a basic iMac is over $1000 (currently $1,699 for the 21.5-inch screen model). I look wistfully in the Apple store in Southland every time I walk past.
Don’t get me wrong; I am grateful for the computers I do have. My “Dad-built” desktop PC is chugging along with no issues at the moment (still on Windows 8.1; I will have to upgrade to Windows 10 by 29 July while that is free). My iPad 2 is still working OK at least, though its small RAM capacity is slowing it a bit now. It was released in 2011, so it is 5 years old. I received the iPad 2 in 2012 as a birthday gift (I mentioned it in my 10/11/2012 Web Journal entry in the “My Site” folder); Dad originally bought it for Mum, but she is as technologically-illiterate/-phobic as Joan Clifton was, so she would not have used it. It is supposed to be more easy to use for older people.
Before they went on holiday, Dad did give me a 2009 Toshiba Satellite L300 laptop (originally bought for Joan Clifton in that year, but it was too much for her and Dad ended up with it). I upgraded it to Windows 10 and it works quite well. It is nearly 3 kg in weight so it is not very portable, but should be OK as a desktop alternative (hopefully for a few years yet!). Dad has his own laptop, an ASUS.
Thursday 26/5
1:49 p.m.: Two more houses have been demolished in the streets behind us in the last two weeks: 9 Durban Street and 15 Delhi Street, both to be replaced by what are now the usual ugly oversized double-storey attached dwellings that fill the whole block. :-(
Some repair was done on Tuesday on the sewer at the back of our yard; new lining put in to cover cracks. The outlet is there – two drain covers – which means any access is via our backyard, unfortunately.
I tried ordering a discounted ultra-light down jacket from Uniqlo (last year’s stock) – there were none left in the Melbourne and Chadstone stores. I ordered on Saturday and it was delivered yesterday evening; I was having doubts as to whether it would arrive as the couriers, CouriersPlease, had some bad reviews on the Uniqlo Facebook page and elsewhere. It was $55 (including voucher discount and delivery charge), so nearly half-price from retail this year ($110).
Sunday 29/5
1:20 p.m.: The old backyard lemon tree is practically dead; Dad has cut off all the branches so only the trunk remains. It has been ailing for a few years, and an infestation of citrus gall wasps finished it (they apparently are a problem across Melbourne, according to this 2015 article: “Save Our Citrus group campaigns to rescue Melbourne’s lemon trees from gall wasp”).
Remnant of our lemon tree, 18/5/2016
Mum and I did not go to Chadstone SC this week; with the increasingly heavy traffic getting there is an ordeal, and Mum’s driving is deteriorating as she ages. We often see Uncle Brian there. He came to Southland on Saturday morning, and my morning latté was rather spoiled. I have never really been comfortable around him, and age has made him more disagreeable. He dominates any conversation and gets argumentative if disagreed with. He talks very loudly, which is embarrassing.
June
Friday 3/6
4:55 p.m.: The big liquidambar tree at 13 Delhi Street (westwards behind our home, off Durban Street) was cut down last week :-(. I did not realize until I went past there today. Below are the last two photos I took of it, on Friday 22 April.
Saturday 11/6
5:50 p.m.: Parents were getting upset over my eating restriction yesterday evening; I get very defensive and snappy in return. These conflicts are when I wish I could live by myself, but I can’t cope with other life issues. I like the way I am now – fitting into smaller-size clothes is a nice feeling – and do not want to return to my previous eating behaviors and higher weight. To maintain that, I have to control what I eat. I still eat enough to feel satiated at meals; around 1500-1800 calories or so a day (these are estimates), so I am certainly not starving myself. My weight is around 48 kg. My periods have been absent since last September, but I don’t care – good riddance (osteoporosis be damned). Could also be due to being pre-menopausal, when periods get erratic anyway. I seem to be “drier” overall; my hair is more dry and brittle, and my skin less oily, but again I don’t mind these side effects.
Sunday 12/6
1:26 p.m.: Continuing from yesterday’s topic, my parents have bad eating habits, consuming rather a lot of biscuits, cakes and sweets – annoyingly, there are packets of these in the cupboards. Mum eats little at main meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) but snacks during the day and into the evening. She has put on some weight. Dad nibbles on lollies and similar; he has got a few cavities in the last few years. I would simply not keep such food around; if it isn’t there you aren’t tempted to eat it. But they are not going to change their eating habits at their age, unfortunately, and will not listen to me. They have no right to lecture me about my own eating – I have no desire to end up as obese as Michele is.
Sunday 19/6
5:39 p.m.: I forgot to mention a murder in nearby London Street back in April; a domestic dispute, as briefly reported in The Age:
Homicide squad investigates as woman’s body found at home in Bentleigh
April 27, 2016
Anna Prytz
ReporterHomicide detectives are treating the death of the elderly woman, reportedly found on Tuesday afternoon with severe lacerations, as suspicious.
Police are investigating the discovery of woman’s body at a home in Bentleigh.
A Victoria Police spokeswoman confirmed detectives were at the London Street address in Melbourne’s south-east after the body of a deceased woman was found.
An elderly woman has been found dead at Bentleigh. Homicide squad are on scene https://t.co/VIYgymOMKS pic.twitter.com/5YBqspC5RD
– 3AW Melbourne (@3AW693) April 26, 2016
Police first arrived at the home about 4pm Tuesday. An Ambulance Victoria spokeswoman confirmed ambulance officers had also attended the scene.
The woman is yet to be formally identified.
Channel Nine has reported the woman may have been in her 70s and suffered severe lacerations suggesting she may have been stabbed.
The Homicide squad and forensics were no longer at the scene on Wednesday morning, however two police officers were still stationed outside the taped-off house.
The front door of house remained open and the verandah light was still switched on.
Detectives could be seen scouring the front room of the house for clues as part of the investigation.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/womans-body-found-at-home-in-bentleigh-20160426-gofk54.html
Son arrested after elderly woman found dead at Bentleigh home
April 27, 2016
The 44-year-old son of an elderly woman found dead at a Bentleigh home on Tuesday has been arrested.
Police were called to London Street around 4pm following reports of a stabbing.
Neighbours said the woman, 74, was kind and friendly and had been living at the home.
Her son was arrested at Cafe Crema in Bentleigh almost 24 hours later.
I remember riding my bike home along London Street a few years ago and seeing a man and woman arguing furiously in the front yard of a house there (can’t remember the house number – though looking at the TV report image on Google Maps it seems to be 12 London Street). Perhaps that was them? A sad end for the woman in any case.
Saturday 25/6
5:49 p.m.: The ball of my right foot and outside of the lower leg became sore on Monday and still are; I think due to doing some low-impact exercise videos barefoot sometimes over the last few months, and perhaps that caught up with me. I was having trouble even walking. From the feel of it, and some Googling, I thought I might have Peroneal Tendonitis, an inflammation of the tendon along there. So I have cut back a bit and am not doing any bouts of jogging during walks for a while (probably should not do them again). It may take a while to heal :-( – I hope it does not become chronic. It is a reminder that I am older and I need to be careful (and to always wear sneakers when exercising!).
Real winter weather has set in; a severe cold front came through yesterday with hail and rain, and snow above 500 m. 4°C tomorrow morning – and I go out on my bicycle then! It makes getting up early to go out walking unpleasant; one reason I like the warmer weather for that. I don’t tolerate the cold well at all, especially with my poor circulation; my hands seem to be chronically icy.
Sunday 26/6
1:54 p.m.: Freezing this morning; only 4°C. I did not go out on my bicycle ride due to the cold and the ball of my right foot being sore again (pressing on a pedal aggrevates it). I think it might be Metatarsalgia; the soreness is just under the pad of my second toe.
My weight today came out as 46 kg. I am wary of how accurate or stable this is, as it can fluctuate a bit. This gives me a BMI of 17, which is a little underweight. I like the way I look now and do not want to go back to over 50 kg.
Monday 27/6
11:36 a.m.: Dismayingly, the café – Romano’s – where we have had a daily coffee since Gloria Jeans closed in 2012 (11/8/2012 entry) is to close this week after Thursday; the staff there were only given notice today. The Chinese owners did not want to renew the lease (they buy businesses in order to aquire a citizenship visa; a loophole that should be abolished). Now we will have to find somewhere else and the familiar regulars will disperse again. It was a reasonably enjoyable routine and to have it disrupted again is frustrating and stressful.
Thursday 30/6
2:12 p.m.: My parents and I had our last coffees at Romano’s today. Not a happy occasion. The Chinese owners turned up around 9 a.m. (two women, or one was the wife of an owner; not sure). They had apparently gained their citizenship after two years, so were discarding the business with no regard for customers or staff at the end of the financial year (presumably for some tax benefit). I hope the owners have great misfortune in life.
My last latté at Romano’s, and a view of their kiosk on the third level at Southland SC
Don’t know where we will go next; a lot of the places that serve coffee are indifferent at best (mainy focused on food). There are few if any specialist coffee cafés.
July
Friday 1/7
11:41 a.m.: My parents and I had our morning coffees at Jody Mac’s in Southland. We have been there before occasionally; it has been there a few years. It wasn’t too bad, though I don’t really like the location (next to the Karen Street entrance). At least it is in a shop and not outside.
The Federal election is held tomorrow. I will put either the Greens or Labor first (Liberals last). I am dreading the prospect of the Liberals remaining in power, which seems likely.
Tuesday 19/7
11:31 a.m: My sore foot seems to have healed after nearly 4 weeks; however now my left hip has begun aching! Seems to be one injury after another. I have not done anything to injure it as far as I can see as I have just been walking. I have increased my exercise a bit in the last few months, from around 1 to nearly 2 hours a day (in segments throughout the day). It is not strenuous or high-intensity exercise, though; I have no energy for that now. It might be tendinitis. I came across this Wikipedia page on Snapping hip syndrome, which I have noticed in my left hip for years on occasion while walking, though it has not been painful.
Mum had a blow-up at me last Friday at dinnertime. She tends to bottle things up until she explodes, which makes her tense a lot of the time and uncomfortable to be around. (I am a major cause of this due to my not having a job, etc. but I am almost unemployable now and don’t have the mental and physical capacity to cope with looking for work.) Once things had calmed down the next day, Dad said that she did not like the sarcastic remarks I made to her sometimes, she was old, had health issues (Type 2 diabetes and aging ailments generally) and I had to make allowances for that. So I will make an effort to, though I am also impatient and find it hard to deal with other people’s frailties.
The Liberals unfortunately were voted back in, though with a reduced majority, and are continuing their socially destructive agenda. A pox on the deluded fools who voted for them. They care nothing for the less well-off in society.
August
Monday 1/8
1:28 p.m.: Michele’s 44th birthday today.
Michele and her family, from her Facebook page: “Thanks to my family for the early b’day celebration. I enjoyed a bbq, yummy cake and them finding a cd that I thought impossible to buy (from Germany) to my favourite movie ’Open Range’.”
My sore left hip seems to be a bit better. My weight is around 45-46 kg (if the scales are accurate).
Little of interest. The days and weeks pass quickly. I am sick of the cold wet weather and am almost looking forward to summer now. I am sick of living in an old poorly-insulated house that is freezing in winter and boiling in summer. I am increasingly wishing we could move into a new modern (but not large) one, but that is not possible under our current circumstances.
Friday 12/8
2:58 p.m.: I filled in the Census online on Tuesday afternoon, for my parents and I (last time was in 2011 – mentioned in 7/10/2011 entry). It went smoothly for us but the site crashed under the load later in the day as a lot of the population logged on to do theirs. There was quite a lot of controversy over this Census, and the bungled operation did not help.
The signs of Spring are emerging: pink blossom on the cherry blossom street trees (that have not been cut down by Council – 10/2/2016 entry); lighter mornings; some warmer days. This winter seems to have been especially cold and wet.
Thursday 25/8
3:48 p.m.: Dad had to call a plumber today as the sewer pipe extending down the backyard had become partially blocked. It was a tree root; don’t know which tree yet. Cost was $200! The plumber lives up Pollina Street (#20), opposite our house.
I did my renewal application for my Health Care Card online today, through my MyGov account. Hopefully a new one will be posted soon, like last year (7/9/2015 entry).
Parents are going up to Kyneton for a week in September, from Friday 9/9 to 16/9.
September
Thursday 1/9
1:37 p.m.: My replacement Health Care Card arrived in the mail today! Only a week after I sent off the online application for it, so that is an immense relief (expires 22/9/2017).
Spring is here at last! The pink plum blossom is fading, and the white Ornamental Pear blossom is now blooming on the street trees.
One object I have taken a liking to recently are what I call fluffballs – pom-poms on keyrings. They are soft and comforting to hold! There are cheap ones at K-mart and more pricey ones at various retail shops such as Seed and Witchery, which are nicer. The Seed ones are below $20; the Witchery ones were a ridiculous $30, so I certainly are not buying the latter. Cotton On had some last week going out for $1. They are almost like little creatures. I just like them! Yes, it is a bit childish, but I don’t care – I need any comfort I can get.
Fluffballs from Cotton On (mustard and brown) and Seed (ticked beige-pink); K-mart fluffballs
Comfort objects are a psychological trait, and they are not limited to children! Since childhood my comfort object has been a small pillow or cushion covered with a slip that is worn down to just the right sensation of softness. I keep it on until it disintegrates (I wash it periodically of course) then I have to find a new one. The cushion also needs replacing every few years. My childhood pillow had a green checked cover from what I can remember. Some might see such objects as an embarrassment, but I don’t care!
My current comfort pillow
Saturday 10/9
1:53 p.m.: Mum and Dad left for Kyneton Bushland Resort yesterday after lunch; they arrived there OK. Mum rang last night. Unfortunately the fine weather we had all week ended with rain yesterday, and there will be rain through next week. I would be happy if it never rained again!
I walked to Moorabbin yesterday; the Corner Lamp Books secondhand bookstore on Station Street will be closing at the end of September, sadly. It has been there a few years; the man at the counter said it was not viable anymore (though he might reopen in a year or so). That will be the end of only other bookstore there; another one in the shopping center, Moorabbin Book Exchange, closed a few years ago (2009 or so); it was also there for a few decades.
Today I walked to Southland Shopping Centre and back; I am rather tired (45-50 minute walk each way). There was rain this morning but it fortunately had stopped by the time I left. Might not be so lucky next week. I am planning to go to the City and Chadstone also. Not being able to drive is a real limitation in what I can do and where I can go; I am limited in what I can carry.
When at Southland on Thursday morning (visiting with my parents as usual), an older/middle-aged woman came up beside me when going up the elevator and complimented me on my clothing! She liked my hoodie (a blue jacket from Uniqlo) and shoes and said some nice things; she apparently saw me around the place a bit. Then she moved on. It was a bit odd but a nice thing. I never know how to accept compliments gracefully, though; I never feel I am deserving of them.
Tuesday 13/9
1:48 p.m.: Wet weather has set in again; there has been almost continuous rain today, which made my walk to Southland SC and back miserable. There is flooding across the State. If I never saw a drop of rain again, I would not be unhappy. Can’t go anywhere without much discomfort, can’t dry the washing quickly by hanging it on the clothesline. The garden is soggy and dirty, and I am sick of this old, unclean and dilapidated house. I would reconsider my antipathy towards living in an apartment, as long as it was not one of those awful towers; I would prefer a medium-rise block of flats.
Mum and Dad have been visiting various places around Kyneton. As it is one of the areas affected by flooding, I hope they won’t get into trouble. Perhaps they will come home early. If only they had been able to go last week when there was fine weather.
I went to the city yesterday; a waste of time as the City Basement Books secondhand bookstore there happened to be closed 3 Mondays in a row for some reason. I bought a medium-weight pair of tracksuit pants at Uniqlo ($40) but found when I got home that I already had two other grey pairs! So I will return them, probably at Chadstone SC tomorrow. The small size is also rather loose on me now.
Wednesday 14/9
3:30 p.m.: I took the bus to Chadstone SC today and returned the sweatpants with no issues. The journey there and back was uneventful, though I think I might have exceeded the 2-hour fare window (which is ridiculously short and inadequate) and gone to the all-day fare. Even the 2-hour concession fare is nearly $2, so I can’t afford to be taking public transport often. There was more rain overnight and this morning, but sunny breaks appeared on the way home and for the afternoon, happily – though there is more rain due.
I feel tired and overwhelmed; I cannot cope with life on my own.
The iPhone 7 was announced earlier this week, and is being released in Australia on Friday. Of course I will not be able to afford one (or a phone of any description). I suppose Heather and her family will be upgrading to one each. There is also a new operating system being released, ios10, but it is not compatible with the iPad2, so my iPad and Dad’s have reached the end of the road as far as ios updates go. The updates have slowed them noticeably as their older processors and small RAM can’t meet the demands of the newer versions. I now find my iPad invaluable; it has, for most of the time, “just worked,” unlike my Windows PC. I don’t know what I will do if and when the iPad expires as I simply cannot afford another – I have only $1000 or so in savings in my bank account. Every time I walk past the Apple Southland store, I look wistfully inside, wishing I were one of those who could afford their products. I actually want to become part of the Apple ecosystem and “cult” as their products are beautifully designed and better-integrated than the utilitarian Windows.
Friday 16/9
11:34 a.m.: Mum and Dad arrived home about an hour ago, so all is well again. I did not sleep at all last night, so I am quite tired. I walked to Southland and back again yesterday – at least it was not raining, though more showers moved through in the afternoon.
Saturday 24/9
3:32 p.m.: I have not had my period for a year now (last was on 22/9/2015). Don’t miss it. Have not told anyone so far and don’t intend to, though I suppose it will be found out sooner or later.
I tried ordering a book from the Book Depository using the debit Mastercard that came with my Streamline Basic account (opened in 2014, my second bank account), and to my surprise the card was accepted! When I tried it in 2014 I was unable to use it online – from my 5/3/2014 entry in my online Journal:
I decided to open a second bank account so I could use EFTPOS if needed and do online ordering – my current one does not allow this. I opted for the basic form of the account (no fees), then once my debit card was activated I tried to order an ebook online from Amazon.com – but it was not accepted. After going to the bank to enquire, I find that I can’t do online ordering with that type of account! Which was not made very clear on the webpage describing it (“Select a Debit MasterCard if you want to pay with your own money online …”). I ended up borrowing a relative’s card to pay (only around $6 for 2 ebooks). I am rather annoyed as online ordering was a main reason for getting the card. If I want to do that I would have to change to the normal fee-paying account, which I can’t afford in my current situation. I guess there is always a “catch” to any account.
So has something changed in the interim? Or perhaps Book Depository is different as it uses Australian currency to order? I’ll try Amazon again sometime and see. But now I don’t have to pester Dad for his card if I want to order a book online, at least.
Josiah Perona – my nephew and Michele’s firstborn – is coming to stay next week, from Friday to Sunday, as he wants to visit some friends and also drive up to Bright (in a hire car) and take his bicycle. I don’t know how it will affect my routine; our house is also small and it is bad enough sharing a bathroom and toilet with 3 adults, let alone 4. I have never actually spoken to him (Michele’s children probably think I am a reclusive weirdo, which is essentially the truth), so there is discomfort with having a stranger around.
Michele and Chris both have iPhones (version 6) and Michele bought an Apple Macbook earlier this year (doesn’t know the model). How can they afford these products, seeing as they are nearly or over $1000 each? I am a bit envious :-(.
October
Sunday 2/10
3:00 p.m.: Josiah’s visit was postponed until the end of October.
Daylight Savings began today. I don’t seem to mind it so much this time as I have been sleeping early in the evening and waking early in the morning for a few months – if I can’t get back to sleep I pace, read and browse the Internet; use the time productively.
The book I ordered was delivered Friday, so I can use that card now.
I am thinking that, if I could afford it/had an income, I would not be averse to living in an apartment. Not one of the awful inner city towers, but a smaller complex (3-4 storeys) in the suburbs close to amenities. I would not have the energy to maintain a house and garden; my parents’ house is increasingly run-down and overgrown as my parents age. Dad can’t do the maintenance work he once did. I would like to retreat and huddle inside, create my own urban cave and live in my own world. I can’t face the outside world; can’t cope with it. It is hostile and daunting. Alongside the basics, I need Internet access (and a computer obviously) and access to health care. That’s why I wish we had an enlightened government that would introduce a Basic Income for all citizens; enough to live modestly on.
Saturday 8/10
3:19 p.m.: Today is bright and sunny for a change. The weather is slowly warming up.
I was thinking today that 100 years ago, it was 1916 and Gran was 18 years old (turned 18 on 19 April). The world and society was so different then. I wonder what she was thinking and doing then.
Wednesday 26/10
11:35 a.m.: Parents have to buy a new fridge/freezer as the one we have is beginning to fail. It is supposed to be delivered today.
Josiah is coming to stay this weekend, which I am annoyed about as it is disruptive to my routine. We also don’t have an extra toilet (have 1 only) and the house is too small for 4 adults.
Saturday 29/10
6:34 p.m.: Josiah Perona arrived this afternoon (he hired a car for the duration, to drive from Melbourne Airport and back). He is leaving Wednesday. I talked to him OK, surprisingly. He brought his bicycle (a carbon-fiber racing bike, around $2000) along to ride also; he packed it away and reassembled it here.
November
Wednesday 2/11
6:13 p.m.: Josiah departed for Bright around 8 a.m. this morning; a 4-hour drive. He arrived there OK. We took a couple of photos before he left:
First photo: Josiah, Dad, Mum; second photo: me, Josiah, Mum
Yesterday was the Melbourne Cup public holiday, so we went to Southland Shopping Centre for a coffee. Sunday morning he went for a 70 km ride down to Frankston (!) along Beach Road; it turned into a 3-hour effort due to a strengthening north wind on the way back (northwards along the Bay). Monday he drove to Arthur’s Seat and rode up and down the mountain a couple of times. He also visited some friends and family. So having him stay here was not bad like I feared (though I was a bit stressed still from the mild disruption to my meal preparations). I don’t know what he thought of me (the weird reclusive eccentric aunt!).
One week until my 46th birthday! I don’t know what I want for a gift (a new iPad would be nice, but after my parents having to buy a new fridge – a Westinghouse – probably not).
Tuesday 8/11
6:32 p.m.: My last day of being 45. Nothing planned for tomorrow, as usual. U.S. Presidential elections are held tomorrow also (Tuesday in the USA). Like most sensible people, I am hoping Hilary Clinton (Democrats) will be elected!
Saturday 19/11
2:29 p.m.: Sadly, controversial Republican candidtae Donald Trump was elected U.S. President – quite a shock to progressives in America, and the rest of the world. So now the USA, Australia and the UK all have nasty right-wing Conservative governments; bad news for the less-well off in society.
Received money for my birthday. A quiet day as usual. Did not go out for lunch as I no longer want to have the high-calorie pub meals.
The weather is warming up; Monday is set to be 35°C.
Tuesday 29/11
3:29 p.m.: The milk bar at the corner of Patterson and Tucker Roads appears to have closed in the last couple of weeks; the Chinese-looking man who operated it for a few years seems to have decided to sell up and has been putting out shelving and such on the pavement. A pity as the milk bar has been there for decades, though it has become neglected in the last decade or so; milk bars are generally dying out, unable to compete with supermarkets. Being open 7 days a week for most of the day is not much of a working life.
I vaguely remember going to a children’s party at the back of the milk bar when young, when it was owned by a woman; it had a variety of owners over the years. There is still another milk bar further up, owned by another Chinese couple (I think?); that one used to be on the upper corner.
What used to be the newsagent there (closed in 2012 – 3/7/2012 entry) is still closed up with nothing done to it. At the moment on the shopping strip (street numbers 183 to 83 Tucker Road) there is the Tucker Road Coffee Merchants on the south corner (doing good business) with apartments above it, a closed shop, the Tucker Road Pharmacy (been there decades, still going strong), a Fish and Chips shop, what used to be the south corner milk bar, some sort of solicitor, a hairdresser and salon (Studio 77), the closed newsagency, a pizza shop, a new cookies and coffee venture (Secret Cookies), another new shopfront not yet opened with apartments above it, and the recently-closed north corner milk bar.
Google streetview of Patterson-Tucker Rd corner milkbar, June 2013, and a Google Maps view of the Tucker Road shopping strip
December
Friday 9/12
1:33 p.m.: I had a letter published in The Age today, a quick response to the privatization article mentioned in my 6/12 entry – it was slightly edited (original by me is below it):
Heading down dysfunctional US path
I am dismayed to read of yet another push to privatise essential public services. Such proposals only add to the stress and anxiety of those who are less well-off and dependent upon such services, as profits will inevitably take precedence over quality and affordability. Do we really want to imitate the dysfunctional US system, where only the wealthy can afford treatment?
I am dismayed to read of yet another push to privatise essential public services such as health care and housing (“Hospitals, housing and dental services ripe for privatisation, says Productivity Commission report,” 5/12). Proposals like these only add to the stress and anxiety of those who are less well-off and dependent upon such services, as profits will inevitably take precedence over the quality and affordability of care. I cannot understand why the government wants to imitate the dysfunctional American system, where only the wealthy can afford treatment. Is this the type of society Australians want?
I visited the GP today for a prescription renewal. My current vitals:
- Weight: around 45 kg (home scales read around 43 kg)
- Height: 160 cm
- Blood pressure: 107/44 (I think?)
He did point out I am underweight and asked if I were vomiting (gently querying if I were bulimic) – I am not throwing up, being well aware of the consequences of going down that path. He didn’t press the issue any further.
Last Sunday I rode my bike past the nursing home – Siesta Private Nursing Home at 11 Sheppard St., Moorabbin – where Gran once stayed and passed away in (10/1/2016 entry), and saw that it had been sold, to be converted to apartments. Very disappointing.
Thursday 15/12
6:31 p.m.: Mum and I drove to Chadstone Shopping Centre this morning, for the first time in months. Getting there was not quite so much an ordeal as traffic was decreased due to some schools already being on holiday for Christmas next week. She found the new Chadstone section overwhelmingly big, so we will not go there very often by car. We saw Heather and Uncle Brian there (I met them, and Mum saw them separately). I only spoke to them briefly as we were going opposite ways.
Sunday 25/12
6:21 p.m.: A quiet Christmas as usual; at home with Mum and Dad. Very hot – a heatwave; today got to around 35°C and it will be hot until near the end of the week, as well as somewhat humid. I received some money, a beauty case with some skin lotion, a diary, some underwear, and a Mimco glittery purse (a green one; last year I received a blue one). I seem to have a glitter purse fetish!
Mr Seawright, who used to be a pastor at the Bentleigh Baptist Church, passed away earlier this week. His wife sadly has dementia and is in a home. My parents used to go see them once a week on Wednesdays for a Bible discussion up to a few years ago (they lived in a unit in Cheltenham).
Saturday 31/12
3:56 p.m.: Another year gone. Not much to show for it. I managed to maintain my weight.
The weather all week was unpleasantly humid, culminating in a monsoonal storm and downpour on Thursday afternoon from around 3 p.m.. It caused the usual havoc and damage across the city and suburbs. The humidity has mostly gone today, thankfully.
A large liquidambar tree in the front yard of 49 Tucker Road was cut down earlier this week. Now the only large trees on that block are from 39A to 43 Tucker Road.