- Caught up with Simon. Went to Gobble, had a flat white + a slice of an odd caramel/banana cake, bit of a chat. Turns out that he has ordered his solar panel; Horsham is going well (enough), and as he pointed out, worse case scenario, he could retire to Horsham, to the old flat; and, that he is tired of fighting onwards, but is comfortable. Oh, and Gobble has been sold;
- Collected Felix and went back to do spinach (silverbeet) + cheese pie, which worked out really well. Whilst it was resting, went to play pool at the Eagle, where I got roused on by the strange done drone for not treating the table with respect. Seriously detracted from the pleasure(s) of the afternoon, even though his friend came up and apologised for his behaviour;
- Maybe it is because it is the full moon just gone? Bus driver snatched my ticket out of my hand, refused to give it back, and told me that he had checked with V-Line and McHarry management, who had all said that what I had was not a ticket, that I was a fare evader ... Had a TA that morning who started the conversation with the 'Are you a real person or a machine?' gambit. Then proceeded to refuse to identify himself ... Really must remember to just go 'POI fail' when that happens;
- Went for a ride down Horseshoe Bend Road (to Blackgate Road), and noticed a 10% difference on the return, as there was a lot more significant wind resistance. Was good to motivate myself, get out there and ride, at least keep the legs turning over. Originally had planned to go into Torquay, turn around ... then thought just to ride length of Horseshoe Bend, turn back at the roundabout ... then realised that I was even later than I dared realise, so spun around at Blackgate. Got home with plenty of time, but after pottering about getting ready, I barely made it in time to meet Simon. Who was late anyway;
- Went home and ran the mower clean - went to mower shop, and they explained that if the mower was starting, but was blowing a lot of smoke and oil out of the exhaust (not the air filter as I thought!), then just start it and run it until it stops spitting and fuming - then mowed the lawn. Which was alright on the footpath, but once I got into the yard, the grass was a lot longer and wetter, so the catcher was not coping too well ... ended up taking the catcher off, lifting it up another 2 notches, and just taking it slowly over the remainder of the yard;
- The plants (2x (plums, hazelnuts, wasabi, and blueberry and asparagus varieties), viet mint + some rock dust and activated charcoal) arrived from Diggers Club, probably on Thursday. So on Saturday, I had a bit of fun trying to get to the Post Office in time to collect them - including reading the bus timetable backwards ... Very windy out there too. Ended up getting a lift back from Felix, eventually. Also measured up the yard in general terms, then prepared a pen/paper map (or outline) to give me some idea of what will fit where ... did I mention there is a lot of rosemary plants? Anyway, got most of the plants in over the w/e, but scared myself when researching how to cultivate the wasabi :o although, I did find a rather nice page on cultivating them by hydroponics ... seems that, like saffron, the cleanliness of Tasmania has transpired to allow a bit of an industry to develop there. However, I am unlikely to follow through on THAT idea! Seems the best thing to do is replicate their 'natural' growing habits, of being in 80% shade (from growing beneath tree cover), next to a clean, crisp mountain stream ... so maybe using gravel to replicate the easy flow, keep it in the shaded area, give it fresh (cool) water may suffice ... Anyway, the grand schemes still are being considered, where things will fit, how ... must get rid of more rosemary, however, Sunday was supposed to have been a hard ride with Greg, but with all of the wind, I did not even bother turning up. However, I suspect he may have. More fool me! Realise that I am not riding, using the wind as an excuse to not do something ... as I discussed with Simon, having somebody else, to create a sense of peer pressure, does wonders for active involvement. So I worked in the garden instead, trimming around the lattice, tidying up the plants, and again trying to sort out where everything would go. Actually, now that I think about it, I believe Felix may have still been there at like 0300, and that would have not helped matters - thought I was going to stop doing that? All very well to acknowledge self-destructive patterns of behaviour, it is another to do something about them; and,
- Cooked up duck + roast vegetables on Saturday night. Found the duck to be quite 'thin', especially not very meaty in parts where I would have expected it to be ... took about 2 hours, then rested on a warm plate over the top of the stove whilst the vegetables finished off. As usual, a bit of a struggle getting everything to coordinate their readiness ... but it was fun :) then I sat by fire in front room, listening to Nova Nation, which was quite entertaining. Ari's show played the winner of 'Your shot' who was called CJ, and I was quite disappointed by what the set included ... Mind you, when I heard what Billy had put up, his version of 'psy-trance' I realise what a significant difference in styles they had presented. CJ had provided a very smooth blending of what a 'normal' playlist of Nova Nation would be, so I felt that I was just really listening to one of their bland sessions, you know where you know all the songs? CJ has a slot at StereoSonic, as part of the winning, so I think this also indicates that CJ supplied what was to be expected, without necessarily providing significant difference to entice or encourage the listener?
Friday, August 23, 2013
Full moon antics?
Feel tired today - was in bed (sleeping) probably not much after 2100 - jamming mix on Nova Nation - but then awoke at midnight, and had a lot of difficulty falling asleep again :( Even got up to have a piece of toast and a cup of peppermint tea, which seemed to help? But even after that, troubled sleep, seemingly spending most of the time fluctuating between the top and middle layers, rarely achieving the tertiary layer given by deep sleep ... consequently, feel a bit wobbly today ... In other news:
Monday, August 12, 2013
Cor blimey ...
12/08
Really, really, really must start publishing these things ... :o
Greg came by for dinner on Saturday night. Did a bolognese sauce using 'roo mince, which worked out rather well, by letting it bubble for a few hours. He bought some Cascade cider over, which turned out to be made by CCA :o although, when I looked at the bottle the next morning, it may have been that CCA bottled it, as a subcontractor, rather than as a producer? Made up a little garden (lettuce, black russian tomato, kalamata olives, lebanese cucumber) salad to go with it - reminds me that once my own garden gets going, I will be able to add a lot more to it. Also had a bread stick which I chopped up to mop up the juices, of which there was quite a bit. He also bought me a house warming present of 2 pairs of work gloves and some flower seeds. Not quite sure where I am going to put the seeds, but maybe by the side. amongst the natives? Scrape up some of the soil, scatter the seeds, water in? He was a very pleasant guest - even offered to wash up! :o It was interesting to discuss what we both notice by not driving cars. Just hope that I did not ask too many 'personal' questions?
As for the rest of the Saturday ...
Dragged my scraggy arse out of bed, put a load of washing on, realised it was a bit empty, went back to the room, could not find anything else to add, so went to put the machine on, and then discovered that I had missed a pair of undies (again) ... Rather windy/sunny day, so put them out on the line ... Not quite sure what I did whilst the machine was on??? Ate? Drank coffee? Checked eamils - turns out that DJ has found that the XO is available, will be going ahead sending to me (?) - and found that there has been heavy frost (snow?) up with Terry/Mel? Anyway, the time passed ... oh, and got ready for a bike ride, carefully selecting clothes, bag, what to take, drinks, etc.
Took the Yukon out on Circuit + to get a bit of miles in the legs, as it were. Rather strong tailwind out there - touched 40+ kph on the rolling hills after Leopold. Stopped at Wallington Rural, where I discovered that despite efforts to get ready for this, I still managed to leave my beep-beep card behind :o The place was like a virtual cave of exciting odds and ends, with many bits and pieces that I had not seen before, including secataurs by people I had heard of, but never seen. They also had a rather large home brew section, but I am unsure if there was any malodextrose - there was malt, there was dextrose, but they seemed to 'never the twain shall meet' ... found some rainwater diverter (but only the one design), and it took awhile to work out how they are to be utilised - diverter sits at the downpipe, attached to a length of pipe where the length determines what volume of water is diverted, with a ball inside, which rises with the water flow. When the ball rises to the top, it allows the rest of the water to flow on into the tank. So much for my memories of one which fills 5 litres, then tips over, simultaneously emptying the 'waste' water and allowing the rest of the water to flow into the tank ... Anyway, checked my cash reserves, and had enough in notes to purchase a seed ring for the birds and some soft cloth ties (from Spain) to tie up my errant branches. After that, turned into the wind, came back over Curlewis Road, got amazed at the differences that trees make as windbreaks, then back along the Portarlington Road, before turning into Vaughan's Nursery. Where it turned out that it was the last day for any business :o $2.50 for any plants on those 3 shelves, except the $5 kangaroo paws and the $1 tubestock. Had my bag with me, so I am unsure how I managed, but put 2 pots in there, and took off again, back into the wind. How bad was it? Came over the top of Leopold, looked down and I was doing 18.3kph, so thought I would just roll down the hill ... except that my speed started to drop ... even though I was on a descent :o Finally crawled into Geelong - did not even try to sprint past Apco! Popped in to see Felix, as I had promised to come and help sort out clothes, etc. But he had got sick of waiting and already started sorting - even had put some washing loads on :) Anyway, his son was coming by, so I left him with it and wend my way home. Drank some Corona, cooked the meat, then realised I needed the ingredients for the salad, so jumped back on the bike and went up to East Geelong. Put the lotto in, grabbed some vegies, went to get some Coopers Stout, and $30. Came home and finished off preparations for Greg's visit. Felt more than a bit wasted - riding into the wind really takes it out of you!!! Admittedly, I did wear the 'new' Lake shoes - still (quite) unsure whether to take them with me on CQ13 ...
And then there was Sunday ... although I had only the 1 bottle (stubby) of Coopers Stout that night, I awoke a tad befuddled, and the cold, blustery weather certainly did not help! But I had plans for the day, and managed to achieve most of them:
25/07
Cor blimey it has been some cold mornings of late! This morning was particularly difficult, as I was getting up to start the monthly cycle of pruning and cutting ... however, in all fairness, this had more to do with running out of time than it being too cold. It is just that this did not help matters ... I have until 0730 (or thereabouts) on 27/07/13 to catch up on the 'discrete editing' of branches, etc. In particular, I want to trim the eucalyptus branches, open up the stone fruits, and prune the roses ... oh, and digging a hole for the other Cecile Brunner rose - maybe on the O'Neill side? - would also be helpful ... I am sure that I will find things to do; it is just getting them and/or the time in which to do them. Hence the cold considerations ...
Was 'supposed' to go for a ride yesterday morning, but instead just kept rolling over and sleeping :o Not the best preparation for the CQ ride ... still, there is always the weekend, and the following weeks ... or so I keep telling myself ... Anyway, the trick is to get out there and ride, keep riding, keep having fun ... might even work out why my arse hurts when sitting on the seat? Stranger things have happened ...
Strange nights sleeping of late - go to bed early, wake up frequently throughout the night, need two (2) cups of coffee to get going in the morning (actually, probably do not need the 2nd cup, but it is a nice treat) ... which reminds me, completely irrelevant/non-consequential, but I saw a blind (sight-impaired) fellow the other day, and he had the same shoes, but of different colours on each foot, brown on one, black on the other ... anyway, the last couple of mornings have been odd, with Tuesday morning having the boom gates go down at 0706, and the train did not depart until 0709, so I had the choice of either ducking through the security gates or catching the later train ... needless to say, I took the latter option ...But it has been good walking of a morning, through the brisk air, seeing the neighbourhood, as it were, and the sunrise this morning was sensational, I tell you!
23/07/13
Went for GTC ride (with Brother John, Elizabeth, Ian and Peter), out along Queenscliff Road to Banks Road, to Swan Bay Road, to Murridoloc (?) Road, duck + dive into St. Leonards for coffee. Then along Esplanade through Portarlington, over hill + dale, through Drysdale, along the Portarlington Road, with a slight detour along High Street, back to Queenscliff Road, then onto Carr Street, after which I turned off. Literally ... bit cold, very windy - spent a lot of time out front, trying to protect others, but that was not wholly a success - especially along the Esplanade! But, had fun on the ups + downs out of Portarlington into Drysdale, so I suppose that made up for some of it? ;) Extremely wrecked when I got home - 2 beers, $4 chips, 'Fist of fury' DVD, then went to bed :o Barely managed 20kph average speed, but did cover 85km ... And, as it turned out, the final stage for Le Tour did not begin until 0200 ... although, when I awoke at 0115, I got up and watched a documentary about Cadel's victory in 2011 ...
Next day was a bit of cleaning/clearing day - Felix was to bring some girl around to look at the place, so I gave the kitchen, bathroom, fireplace the once over ... but, as it turned out, she was a tad young, and was after carpet, so it was not for her alone that this work was done ;) Then took the Yukon out to Greg's for the once over, in preparation for the CQ ride. But this involved following the river around on the Belmont side, stopping at an outdoor furniture store (behind the Fyansford cafe), up Cementies Hill :o then followed the path to La Madre for bread, before dropping bike off. Then popped down for espresso/chocolate, haircut, cider, groceries, dropping off library materials, and heading home. Where I coated the swordfish in macademias, salt, coriander, thyme crust. Let it sit for awhile, before panfrying it, putting it on top of some steamed vegetables, and (again) having an early night :) Which was alright, except ... I awoke at 0030 ... had peppermint tea, did not help ... had some beer, passed out, feel a bit wobbly now :(
Saw a rather interesting recipe for slow cooked (4+ hours) beef cheeks, which used 500ml of red wine, thyme, and some rosemary, which suited my inclination(s), so I gave it a go ... Must say it work rather well. Used beef casserole steaks, sliced up into 3 smaller pieces; added plenty of garlic, and some red onions; served on cous-cous ... yum!!! Possibly could have done with some parmesan over the top, but as I had none, what was a man to do, but enjoy it a la natural?
Have been watching a reasonable amount of Le Tour - saw Greg the other day, and he said he had seen a couple of nights coverage; I said that I had missed a couple of nights - and so had set my work hours accordingly to 1015-1800 each day ... which meant that I was actually 'underworking' six (6) minutes each day, but I made it up by working back on a few nights. Moved the television into the fire room to stay warm, and spent many nights lounging in front of the fire watching it all go past. Am quite a bit surprised that Cadel did so badly this year - the most 'highlight' being the time trial, where climbing 2 Cat 2 climbs, he comes in slower than Mark Cavendish :o
Oh, and Paul has been replaced by Patrice, and he returns to Moonee Ponds :(
The only other thing of note is in regards to Chez Carleton, where the nut grass goes crazy, I run out of fuel for the mower, and I am glad of all that wood, for it has been rather cold of late, with many cold nights watching Le Tour passing by in front of a warm fire :)
16/07/13
Hmm, impetus seems to have faded considerably with blogging - what happened to regular weekly updates?
Anyway, have been quite ill since previous notations, with chest infection, coughing, croaking, etc. I think it came from going for a ride with Felix on Sunday, as the dip prior to Moolap (on the Portarlington Road) was very, very cold, and I breathed it in through my mouth (it being too cold to breathe through the nose), so by the time we crested on the way into Leopold, Felix was pulling away from me :o And he just kept going!!! Waited for me at the top of Leopold, but as soon as I started to get closer, he took off again! Tried to croak out 'Stop' but he just kept going, so I started to turn around, which is (possibly) when he got the message? Went to Panache for coffee, where I discovered that the front tyre had gone flat ... of course, did not have a spare tube, and the pump was still a bit wonky ... but got it working, and got home again :)
Ws walking home on Sunday, having spent 3 hours :o chatting to Simon, and came across a bloke ripping an elkhorn off his magnolia, so asked him for 2 small pieces; instead he gave me 1 huge one ... challenge will be to get it to keep growing now ... actually, the real challenge will be where to situate it. At the moment, I have put into a gum tree, next to the orchards and other staghorn pot. See that goes for the moment ...
Am having fun feeding birds. Have put out a 'huge' seed block in a tree near the fire pit, which is slowly being devoured, and usually put out some mince for the magpies each morning. The magpies are certainly getting a bit cheeky - particularly on the weekend, they will come to the door, and cry out, seeking to be fed. I mean, they probably do it during the week as well, but as I am at work, I am unaware of it! Suspect that there are several family (?) groups who come around at different times, so the early bird may not get the worm, but would get the mince.
Which reminds me, went out the other day and found that the worm beds were quite heavy with water ... so had to dig out a proper drainage hold to stop them drowning ... poor little things! Possible risk of mass escape, but where are they going to go? Into my garden? Not like they are itching to set off for Timbuktu with swag in 'hand' is it? Of course, there is also the matter of where the food is too ...
Have been watching the TdF fairly regularly, and it is very exciting - must say that Froome is doing a lot better than I expected, the way that he keeps taking off on the mountains, really putting time into his rivals ... conversely, Cadel is doing a lot worse than I expected :( although, knowing Cadel as I do (not), the result in the Giro is possibly where he best to go this year? Contador has certainly made some significant gains in the 2nd week too ... So, many nights I put the fire on, have Felix around, and kick back to watch it late into the night (having moved the television into the front room), then get up (relatively) early in the morning, before toddling off to work again ...
24/06/13 Welcome to Chez Carleton
:o
Really, really, really must start publishing these things ... :o
Greg came by for dinner on Saturday night. Did a bolognese sauce using 'roo mince, which worked out rather well, by letting it bubble for a few hours. He bought some Cascade cider over, which turned out to be made by CCA :o although, when I looked at the bottle the next morning, it may have been that CCA bottled it, as a subcontractor, rather than as a producer? Made up a little garden (lettuce, black russian tomato, kalamata olives, lebanese cucumber) salad to go with it - reminds me that once my own garden gets going, I will be able to add a lot more to it. Also had a bread stick which I chopped up to mop up the juices, of which there was quite a bit. He also bought me a house warming present of 2 pairs of work gloves and some flower seeds. Not quite sure where I am going to put the seeds, but maybe by the side. amongst the natives? Scrape up some of the soil, scatter the seeds, water in? He was a very pleasant guest - even offered to wash up! :o It was interesting to discuss what we both notice by not driving cars. Just hope that I did not ask too many 'personal' questions?
As for the rest of the Saturday ...
Dragged my scraggy arse out of bed, put a load of washing on, realised it was a bit empty, went back to the room, could not find anything else to add, so went to put the machine on, and then discovered that I had missed a pair of undies (again) ... Rather windy/sunny day, so put them out on the line ... Not quite sure what I did whilst the machine was on??? Ate? Drank coffee? Checked eamils - turns out that DJ has found that the XO is available, will be going ahead sending to me (?) - and found that there has been heavy frost (snow?) up with Terry/Mel? Anyway, the time passed ... oh, and got ready for a bike ride, carefully selecting clothes, bag, what to take, drinks, etc.
Took the Yukon out on Circuit + to get a bit of miles in the legs, as it were. Rather strong tailwind out there - touched 40+ kph on the rolling hills after Leopold. Stopped at Wallington Rural, where I discovered that despite efforts to get ready for this, I still managed to leave my beep-beep card behind :o The place was like a virtual cave of exciting odds and ends, with many bits and pieces that I had not seen before, including secataurs by people I had heard of, but never seen. They also had a rather large home brew section, but I am unsure if there was any malodextrose - there was malt, there was dextrose, but they seemed to 'never the twain shall meet' ... found some rainwater diverter (but only the one design), and it took awhile to work out how they are to be utilised - diverter sits at the downpipe, attached to a length of pipe where the length determines what volume of water is diverted, with a ball inside, which rises with the water flow. When the ball rises to the top, it allows the rest of the water to flow on into the tank. So much for my memories of one which fills 5 litres, then tips over, simultaneously emptying the 'waste' water and allowing the rest of the water to flow into the tank ... Anyway, checked my cash reserves, and had enough in notes to purchase a seed ring for the birds and some soft cloth ties (from Spain) to tie up my errant branches. After that, turned into the wind, came back over Curlewis Road, got amazed at the differences that trees make as windbreaks, then back along the Portarlington Road, before turning into Vaughan's Nursery. Where it turned out that it was the last day for any business :o $2.50 for any plants on those 3 shelves, except the $5 kangaroo paws and the $1 tubestock. Had my bag with me, so I am unsure how I managed, but put 2 pots in there, and took off again, back into the wind. How bad was it? Came over the top of Leopold, looked down and I was doing 18.3kph, so thought I would just roll down the hill ... except that my speed started to drop ... even though I was on a descent :o Finally crawled into Geelong - did not even try to sprint past Apco! Popped in to see Felix, as I had promised to come and help sort out clothes, etc. But he had got sick of waiting and already started sorting - even had put some washing loads on :) Anyway, his son was coming by, so I left him with it and wend my way home. Drank some Corona, cooked the meat, then realised I needed the ingredients for the salad, so jumped back on the bike and went up to East Geelong. Put the lotto in, grabbed some vegies, went to get some Coopers Stout, and $30. Came home and finished off preparations for Greg's visit. Felt more than a bit wasted - riding into the wind really takes it out of you!!! Admittedly, I did wear the 'new' Lake shoes - still (quite) unsure whether to take them with me on CQ13 ...
And then there was Sunday ... although I had only the 1 bottle (stubby) of Coopers Stout that night, I awoke a tad befuddled, and the cold, blustery weather certainly did not help! But I had plans for the day, and managed to achieve most of them:
- Markets at the Showground were rather quiet, but the old couple had returned - was too cold for them last week, so they packed up and went home. Sensible IMHO, as I recall that last Sunday was a tad dreadful ... Anyway, bought some apples, lettuce from my little man; some chats (and not too many were THAT small) from my local farmer; and, some bread + 3 chibattas, then a bunch of jonquils from the flower seller on the way out. Yesterday they had been '2 bunches for $4' at the local F&V shop, today they were $3/bunch ... but they do smell delicious :) Did not see much else worthy of comment, although there was a fellow selling off some rugs there that I may need to keep an eye on, and the fellow who has been polishing bits of wood (didgeridoos maybe?) was also there;
- Moved a lot of wood from the woodlot, closer to the back door, and to get some more bits to put into the garden. Plus, with all the new purchases from Diggers, I will need to put them into the ground around there. Still not sure how this garden design is going to work, but am playing with ideas, and really just need to 'buckle down' to get things in action ... if only it was so easy, hey? The idea of mandalas, with spiral, or connecting circles, seems practical, on paper at least, but the actioning of them will require some considerable 'negotiation' with the existing rosemary bushes ... Planted the 2 natives I bought yesterday - 1 up at the front behind the Cecile Brunner rose, the other around a bit further, in under the lilly-pilly tree (which I sampled some of its 'berries' too, very nice!), as both are ground covers, so it will be interesting to see if they do a good job suppressing the nutgrass?
- Did try to mow too, but ... seems when I tilted the mower to clean it last time, I tilted it the wrong way, and have managed to get oil into the air filter. Not a good look, with oil exploding out, smoking pouring from the side, etc. So I gave away the mowing for another day ... was not helped by the fact that I have little to no mechanical aptitude, which meant that I am as yet still unsure how serious this is ... do I just need to replace the air filter?
- Anyway, round about then, Felix popped over, so I finished my 'chores' (including pruning the tree by the front which a lady 'complained' about its overhanging branches), then we headed off to Fagg's to get some grass clippers, have a look at some bike hooks, and explore the whacky world of hoes. Felix bought himself some big plastic boxes to store some clothes in, as he is currently doing a lot of sorting out (not too sure how much effort is going into the actual removal of goods), so at least things will look tidy? Originally I had intended to pedal along the riverwalk to La Madre, get some bread, but with Felix there, I offered him the choice of where to go next, and (not surprising) we headed off to Anaconda. Which really had a lot of nothing ... but it gave me an opportunity for me to go to Chas Coles, pick up some more Pinot Gris from Scothman's Hill (2) and Mt. Moriac (1), plus a pack of beer. Then headed back to pick up dinner things and some plants (native violets, crucifex orchids, 'Green godess' lily) from Eric. So whilst Felix played around in the kitchen, I got to trim some of the edges with the new clippers. Dragged him across the road to kick the ball around, but only lasted for about 15 minutes, as I found my heart rate just rocketing - exhaustion from yesterday? After watching X-factor on TV, I coerced him into going to White Eagle for a few games of pool, and some beer. Did some absolutely amazingly brilliant/arsey shots ;)
25/07
Cor blimey it has been some cold mornings of late! This morning was particularly difficult, as I was getting up to start the monthly cycle of pruning and cutting ... however, in all fairness, this had more to do with running out of time than it being too cold. It is just that this did not help matters ... I have until 0730 (or thereabouts) on 27/07/13 to catch up on the 'discrete editing' of branches, etc. In particular, I want to trim the eucalyptus branches, open up the stone fruits, and prune the roses ... oh, and digging a hole for the other Cecile Brunner rose - maybe on the O'Neill side? - would also be helpful ... I am sure that I will find things to do; it is just getting them and/or the time in which to do them. Hence the cold considerations ...
Was 'supposed' to go for a ride yesterday morning, but instead just kept rolling over and sleeping :o Not the best preparation for the CQ ride ... still, there is always the weekend, and the following weeks ... or so I keep telling myself ... Anyway, the trick is to get out there and ride, keep riding, keep having fun ... might even work out why my arse hurts when sitting on the seat? Stranger things have happened ...
Strange nights sleeping of late - go to bed early, wake up frequently throughout the night, need two (2) cups of coffee to get going in the morning (actually, probably do not need the 2nd cup, but it is a nice treat) ... which reminds me, completely irrelevant/non-consequential, but I saw a blind (sight-impaired) fellow the other day, and he had the same shoes, but of different colours on each foot, brown on one, black on the other ... anyway, the last couple of mornings have been odd, with Tuesday morning having the boom gates go down at 0706, and the train did not depart until 0709, so I had the choice of either ducking through the security gates or catching the later train ... needless to say, I took the latter option ...But it has been good walking of a morning, through the brisk air, seeing the neighbourhood, as it were, and the sunrise this morning was sensational, I tell you!
23/07/13
Went for GTC ride (with Brother John, Elizabeth, Ian and Peter), out along Queenscliff Road to Banks Road, to Swan Bay Road, to Murridoloc (?) Road, duck + dive into St. Leonards for coffee. Then along Esplanade through Portarlington, over hill + dale, through Drysdale, along the Portarlington Road, with a slight detour along High Street, back to Queenscliff Road, then onto Carr Street, after which I turned off. Literally ... bit cold, very windy - spent a lot of time out front, trying to protect others, but that was not wholly a success - especially along the Esplanade! But, had fun on the ups + downs out of Portarlington into Drysdale, so I suppose that made up for some of it? ;) Extremely wrecked when I got home - 2 beers, $4 chips, 'Fist of fury' DVD, then went to bed :o Barely managed 20kph average speed, but did cover 85km ... And, as it turned out, the final stage for Le Tour did not begin until 0200 ... although, when I awoke at 0115, I got up and watched a documentary about Cadel's victory in 2011 ...
Next day was a bit of cleaning/clearing day - Felix was to bring some girl around to look at the place, so I gave the kitchen, bathroom, fireplace the once over ... but, as it turned out, she was a tad young, and was after carpet, so it was not for her alone that this work was done ;) Then took the Yukon out to Greg's for the once over, in preparation for the CQ ride. But this involved following the river around on the Belmont side, stopping at an outdoor furniture store (behind the Fyansford cafe), up Cementies Hill :o then followed the path to La Madre for bread, before dropping bike off. Then popped down for espresso/chocolate, haircut, cider, groceries, dropping off library materials, and heading home. Where I coated the swordfish in macademias, salt, coriander, thyme crust. Let it sit for awhile, before panfrying it, putting it on top of some steamed vegetables, and (again) having an early night :) Which was alright, except ... I awoke at 0030 ... had peppermint tea, did not help ... had some beer, passed out, feel a bit wobbly now :(
Saw a rather interesting recipe for slow cooked (4+ hours) beef cheeks, which used 500ml of red wine, thyme, and some rosemary, which suited my inclination(s), so I gave it a go ... Must say it work rather well. Used beef casserole steaks, sliced up into 3 smaller pieces; added plenty of garlic, and some red onions; served on cous-cous ... yum!!! Possibly could have done with some parmesan over the top, but as I had none, what was a man to do, but enjoy it a la natural?
Have been watching a reasonable amount of Le Tour - saw Greg the other day, and he said he had seen a couple of nights coverage; I said that I had missed a couple of nights - and so had set my work hours accordingly to 1015-1800 each day ... which meant that I was actually 'underworking' six (6) minutes each day, but I made it up by working back on a few nights. Moved the television into the fire room to stay warm, and spent many nights lounging in front of the fire watching it all go past. Am quite a bit surprised that Cadel did so badly this year - the most 'highlight' being the time trial, where climbing 2 Cat 2 climbs, he comes in slower than Mark Cavendish :o
Oh, and Paul has been replaced by Patrice, and he returns to Moonee Ponds :(
The only other thing of note is in regards to Chez Carleton, where the nut grass goes crazy, I run out of fuel for the mower, and I am glad of all that wood, for it has been rather cold of late, with many cold nights watching Le Tour passing by in front of a warm fire :)
16/07/13
Hmm, impetus seems to have faded considerably with blogging - what happened to regular weekly updates?
Anyway, have been quite ill since previous notations, with chest infection, coughing, croaking, etc. I think it came from going for a ride with Felix on Sunday, as the dip prior to Moolap (on the Portarlington Road) was very, very cold, and I breathed it in through my mouth (it being too cold to breathe through the nose), so by the time we crested on the way into Leopold, Felix was pulling away from me :o And he just kept going!!! Waited for me at the top of Leopold, but as soon as I started to get closer, he took off again! Tried to croak out 'Stop' but he just kept going, so I started to turn around, which is (possibly) when he got the message? Went to Panache for coffee, where I discovered that the front tyre had gone flat ... of course, did not have a spare tube, and the pump was still a bit wonky ... but got it working, and got home again :)
Ws walking home on Sunday, having spent 3 hours :o chatting to Simon, and came across a bloke ripping an elkhorn off his magnolia, so asked him for 2 small pieces; instead he gave me 1 huge one ... challenge will be to get it to keep growing now ... actually, the real challenge will be where to situate it. At the moment, I have put into a gum tree, next to the orchards and other staghorn pot. See that goes for the moment ...
Am having fun feeding birds. Have put out a 'huge' seed block in a tree near the fire pit, which is slowly being devoured, and usually put out some mince for the magpies each morning. The magpies are certainly getting a bit cheeky - particularly on the weekend, they will come to the door, and cry out, seeking to be fed. I mean, they probably do it during the week as well, but as I am at work, I am unaware of it! Suspect that there are several family (?) groups who come around at different times, so the early bird may not get the worm, but would get the mince.
Which reminds me, went out the other day and found that the worm beds were quite heavy with water ... so had to dig out a proper drainage hold to stop them drowning ... poor little things! Possible risk of mass escape, but where are they going to go? Into my garden? Not like they are itching to set off for Timbuktu with swag in 'hand' is it? Of course, there is also the matter of where the food is too ...
Have been watching the TdF fairly regularly, and it is very exciting - must say that Froome is doing a lot better than I expected, the way that he keeps taking off on the mountains, really putting time into his rivals ... conversely, Cadel is doing a lot worse than I expected :( although, knowing Cadel as I do (not), the result in the Giro is possibly where he best to go this year? Contador has certainly made some significant gains in the 2nd week too ... So, many nights I put the fire on, have Felix around, and kick back to watch it late into the night (having moved the television into the front room), then get up (relatively) early in the morning, before toddling off to work again ...
24/06/13 Welcome to Chez Carleton
:o
- Built a garden bed: or maybe that should be finished it off? Really needs to have some other layers (such as mushroom compost and/or soils) added, but time/opportunity were against me - besides, at least it is done, and I can look at which way the sunshine goes in terms of where is the most effective/efficient areas to grow. Some of the sweet peas have begun to sprout, so have surrounded in some of the ash from the fireplace, which was a perfect excuse to clean it out, and it will inhibit the encroach of snails;
- Been sick: firstly started with a rather severe headache, like a migraine, so had to spend a couple of days hiding beneath my pillow. Then I got knocked about by a virus, so was laid out for about 1 week. Think it may have been initiated by getting rained on when I walked home one night? That was on Wednesday night - do not recall much of Thursday or Saturday, tried to go to Doctor on Sunday but it rained again, and then slept in Wednesday morning, before getting up to void bowels. Now I am starting to get a very sore throat, probably from the ride on Saturday afternoon;
- Went to Alley Cat's. Not really too sure how I got talked into that one, apart from an undertaking to attend to celebrate the birthday of Felix ... instead he turns up a week (or so) before that particular date, and coerced me into going ... tried not to drink too much :o Was really kind of boring, but then Sophie + Patrice got up there, and really added some vim! I think one of the most enticing aspects of their performance is that they actually smile and engage with the clients? Managed to 'waste' some more money on them, but still managed to avoid going for a lap dance, so all was not lost ;) Felix was very keen to snaffle the seats right up the front, giving us a nice view of all that went on, especially the midnight flout ... personally I prefer my little table in the corner, away from people (men) watching me. But that is me, I suppose?;
- Painted toilet. This painting business is a really, really drawn out experience - managed to get the primer down, have painted the panels, but am still to do the 'skirting boards' on the edges. Thought I will do them in a fetching highlighting pink, similar to the high panel in the rest of the bathroom - have a bit of fun, as it were!;
- Went riding. Not quite sure where, or when (especially as I am adding this on16/07/13), but one of the more memorable rides was one organised by Nick for the GTC. Out from South Geelong Station along beside the ring road to Lara, before stopping for coffee, etc. Except I actually stopped about ~1k out of town, due to getting a puncture in rear wheel, and on those Gatorskins, it made for a very, very slow task ... So pushed the bike to cafe then sat outside to change the tube: Nick came out to lend some moral support (and went in to order a coffee for me), Brother John came out to take some photos of me, and the others sat inside, enjoying their coffees, etc. in the warmth - oh, did I mention it was a rather wet, cold, windy day? Anyway, came back along the 'foreshore' from Lara, where the rain really started to come down ... I was getting a bit bored, so I waved goodbye to the rest at the carpark, and took off. Got about 5 minutes down the road, and from about where the refinery through into North Shore, it just pelted down! Fortunately I was wearing my 'thermals' so did not really notice how cold it was until I got back home ... actually, have a photo which John took of me in the carpark, which I later sent to Wendy ... but that is a tale for another time, I suspect - especially given the ramifications of that;
- Gave bike 'away': after much deliberation and planning, realised an opportunity, so I exploited it - by giving the bike to Brother John, who can then utilise it for his school, etc. I will be able to write it off on the 13ITR :);
- Moved work locations: have the same team leader, but was required to move down further, so am now opposite to where Paul used to sit. Very noisy, was quite noticeably harder to concentrate with people moving about, standing around and discussing what ever it is that people seem to discuss when in groups;
- Met with Robert re Paul, and what a waster of time, effort, and energy that was!;
- Jesus Christ Superstar: went to see the stage show on 14/06 with Felix and Kristy. Travelled up by train, had dinner at the nice little Japanese organic shop, drank copious amounts of coffee, wandered the streets of Melbourne, joined many others in enjoying the trams. Was remarkably mediocre, and they had a lot of fun, with many +ve comments from both. Shows that I really need to get out more, and do things;
- Read Hamilton book: funnily enough, it was a really, really good idea to get that book from the library, as 2 mornings in a row I awoke at 0130, and really, really struggled to sleep again. On the Tuesday morning, I eventually got up, got a beer, then went back to bed to read for ahile, before sleeping again. A rather remarkable book, with an intertwining storyline folding back onto itself, which then had elements reappear later in the book, often through other characters, that was then tied in together by the end. Not a huge amount of science, but what was there was quite realiseable?;
- Lots of walking ...
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Chez Carleton, Pt I
:o
So long, so very, very long ... into the new place for ANZAC Day, out of the old place a week later, leaving myself time to clean/clear up ... Frankly, did not need that much time, and took some time off from work - mostly flex time, but then discovered that they provided a day of miscellaneous leave for moving, so that helped :)
Sarah Beale said if you are out the day before, that extra day you do not have to pay for - the logic being that the lease was for 366 days, not 52 weeks ... anyway, she reneged on that understanding - "oh, I am sorry for the confusion" Guess that will never have to happen again ;) The irritating thing is that if she had been clear at the outset (see above), I could have structured my moving/cleaning in a less time detrimental manner!
What is it about me doing things on socially important dates so that they have significance for me also, but in a different way - 9/11 with Ray, now ANZAC Day for the house purchase ...
One of the first things I have done is arrange with a bloke to move a toilet inside - the original one is out the back, in the laundry/shed area. Rather cute Australian natives in the place, particularly at front and along side to gate; 2 apples, apricot, peach, 2 lemons, mandarin, orange ... and plenty of rosemary (why, I am still struggling to contemplate). However, there are also a few other herbs scattered about - thyme, oregano, rosemary (did I mention that there is LOTS of rosemary bushes?), comfrey, etc.
Really must move on, and accept that I am now living there permanently (or at least for quite awhile) and remember to ask myself 'what do you want to do'? One of the first things is (of course) to set up vegetable garden; however, the decision is whether to go for the raised garden beds (900mm high, 3000/2500 mm long), or whether to look at a no-dig garden, at least initially ... thinking about it, the preference will be for the latter, if only because of two reasons: pricing + assessing the viability of the premises, e.g. sun exposure, soil conditions, etc. So, that is this (long) weekend's project ... that and doing some pruning, weeding, and general tidying up of the property, now that I am a 'property owner' ;)
There is a rather nice little fire in the front room, which is where I have also put my computer and study gear (desk, books, etc.), along with the mid-size lounge to enjoy. There is an interesting view out of the front window, as it looks out over the front garden, and then crosses the road to Thomson Reserve, which often has sports (AFL) on, particularly on the weekend - there is also a sizeable netball area, but that is over the other side of the park. May need to get out there a little more, do some exploring? Interestingly, there is less emphasis on exploring, but whether it is because I am older, do not have anyone (Cameron) to go exploring with, or whether, as a home owner in the area, I do not want to get to carried away, I have yet to decide ...
Then there is my bedroom, on the quiet side, away from McNeill. Furnishings are light - a (plush) seat, futon/base, and an old school cupboard, which pretty much fits in everything, except shoes are lined up next to the doorway, and bags, which sit on top of the cupboard. But, to be honest, I could easily enough arrange to put everything into the cupboard ... really, really do not have a lot of stuff. In some ways ... Suprises me sometimes how quiet the room can be - especially as I am nowhere near the train station now. Although, sometimes I can hear the trains, floating across the airwaves, filling the silences of surburbia ...
Gas stove + HWS, kitchen has quite a bit of cupboard space, and I do not think I am utilising as best as I may/should? Perhaps the best option, with the limited amount of available bench space, would be to arrange to put the toaster and kettle away when not in use? Certainly could be something to explore, I suppose ... Think that I will hold off doing much with the kitchen ATM so as to get a feel for what is required, to see what could possibly work? Of course, one thing will be to get the benches raised, but beyond that? All an interesting mind experiment, some room to manuever in terms of what fits where, what is required, and how to work it all in together.
One thing I am struggling with is what to do about the tools of Father ... what I 'should' do is fly up there for the weekend, look over what is available, pack what is required, and then arrange to have it shipped down ... Hmm, decisions, decisions, hey?
Geelong Cats have had lights put in, and on 01/06/13 they tried them out for a night match against the GC Suns, with the star player being the son (not 'sun') of the Geelong great Gary Ablett ... Was kind of funny watching it at home with Felix, him noticing that they had fireworks, and me telling him to go outside to see/enjoy them ...
So long, so very, very long ... into the new place for ANZAC Day, out of the old place a week later, leaving myself time to clean/clear up ... Frankly, did not need that much time, and took some time off from work - mostly flex time, but then discovered that they provided a day of miscellaneous leave for moving, so that helped :)
Sarah Beale said if you are out the day before, that extra day you do not have to pay for - the logic being that the lease was for 366 days, not 52 weeks ... anyway, she reneged on that understanding - "oh, I am sorry for the confusion" Guess that will never have to happen again ;) The irritating thing is that if she had been clear at the outset (see above), I could have structured my moving/cleaning in a less time detrimental manner!
What is it about me doing things on socially important dates so that they have significance for me also, but in a different way - 9/11 with Ray, now ANZAC Day for the house purchase ...
One of the first things I have done is arrange with a bloke to move a toilet inside - the original one is out the back, in the laundry/shed area. Rather cute Australian natives in the place, particularly at front and along side to gate; 2 apples, apricot, peach, 2 lemons, mandarin, orange ... and plenty of rosemary (why, I am still struggling to contemplate). However, there are also a few other herbs scattered about - thyme, oregano, rosemary (did I mention that there is LOTS of rosemary bushes?), comfrey, etc.
Really must move on, and accept that I am now living there permanently (or at least for quite awhile) and remember to ask myself 'what do you want to do'? One of the first things is (of course) to set up vegetable garden; however, the decision is whether to go for the raised garden beds (900mm high, 3000/2500 mm long), or whether to look at a no-dig garden, at least initially ... thinking about it, the preference will be for the latter, if only because of two reasons: pricing + assessing the viability of the premises, e.g. sun exposure, soil conditions, etc. So, that is this (long) weekend's project ... that and doing some pruning, weeding, and general tidying up of the property, now that I am a 'property owner' ;)
There is a rather nice little fire in the front room, which is where I have also put my computer and study gear (desk, books, etc.), along with the mid-size lounge to enjoy. There is an interesting view out of the front window, as it looks out over the front garden, and then crosses the road to Thomson Reserve, which often has sports (AFL) on, particularly on the weekend - there is also a sizeable netball area, but that is over the other side of the park. May need to get out there a little more, do some exploring? Interestingly, there is less emphasis on exploring, but whether it is because I am older, do not have anyone (Cameron) to go exploring with, or whether, as a home owner in the area, I do not want to get to carried away, I have yet to decide ...
Then there is my bedroom, on the quiet side, away from McNeill. Furnishings are light - a (plush) seat, futon/base, and an old school cupboard, which pretty much fits in everything, except shoes are lined up next to the doorway, and bags, which sit on top of the cupboard. But, to be honest, I could easily enough arrange to put everything into the cupboard ... really, really do not have a lot of stuff. In some ways ... Suprises me sometimes how quiet the room can be - especially as I am nowhere near the train station now. Although, sometimes I can hear the trains, floating across the airwaves, filling the silences of surburbia ...
Gas stove + HWS, kitchen has quite a bit of cupboard space, and I do not think I am utilising as best as I may/should? Perhaps the best option, with the limited amount of available bench space, would be to arrange to put the toaster and kettle away when not in use? Certainly could be something to explore, I suppose ... Think that I will hold off doing much with the kitchen ATM so as to get a feel for what is required, to see what could possibly work? Of course, one thing will be to get the benches raised, but beyond that? All an interesting mind experiment, some room to manuever in terms of what fits where, what is required, and how to work it all in together.
One thing I am struggling with is what to do about the tools of Father ... what I 'should' do is fly up there for the weekend, look over what is available, pack what is required, and then arrange to have it shipped down ... Hmm, decisions, decisions, hey?
Geelong Cats have had lights put in, and on 01/06/13 they tried them out for a night match against the GC Suns, with the star player being the son (not 'sun') of the Geelong great Gary Ablett ... Was kind of funny watching it at home with Felix, him noticing that they had fireworks, and me telling him to go outside to see/enjoy them ...
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