Joan Lock

Today marks five years since my Joan died.    We had 46 wonderful years together.  Miss her every day.

A few pics of our time together. Click to enlarge

1965

1973

1990

?

From Bridgetown, Yogyakarta, Agde (France),Bali and Penang

Honour among thieves?

A friend, Joy, had her purse stolen from a shopping trolley in a store at a large shopping centre.  She only realised it was gone when she fronted up to the cash register to pay for her purchases.

She immediately cancelled her bank cards and tried to remember what other details one does keep in a purse or wallet.  I don’t offhand know all the cards etc I have in my wallet. 

Yesterday she received a parcel from Australia Post’s Returned Mail Office containing her purse, minus the cash, her bank cards and drivers licence.  She enquired with Australia Post as to how her purse became returned mail.  It seems that opportunistic theft of purses and wallets is mainly to get cash and credit cards.  The rest is often dropped into an Australia Post mailbox and when sorted is dispatched to any address on ID in the purse.

Joy has already sourced a new driver’s licence card and her bank cards will take a few days to arrive.

Edison Amberola Phonograph

Apart from computers, I am working on refurbishment of an Edison Phonograph I have owned since building it from bits I found under a house in 1965.  It needs a touch up of the box and I have readjusted the needle height and drive.  The phonograph was manufactured in 1917.   It runs well after all those years, but I thought I would pretty it up before I fall off the perch.   I have 110 cylinder records in excellent condition.  Click on pics to enlarge them.

Edison Amberola...batteries not supplied.

 'When the Corn is Waving'

by the Knickerbocker Quartet

Edison visited the Eiffel Tower and met Eiffel in his apartment at the top of the tower. When my wife and I visited France we looked in on the mannequins of Eiffel meeting Edison

This article is well worth reading. Copy and paste in your search engine.

http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/gustav-eiffel-s-secret-apartment

Astronauts

click to enlarge

The visit

Yesterday I had a visit from two sisters, Kris and Danielle I ‘taught’ at Willetton SHS some 18 years ago.  It was a wonderful morning with reminiscences about teachers and students and the school itself.  These two gals made my day.

Kris, who took this snap on her phone explains the shedding of 40 years off my life, telling that it was taken using the Meryl Streep filter.   I am going to contract her to take all my photos from now on.

click to enlarge

Hiri Motu

Some 18 years ago when I was still teaching, I was rounding up 13 years at Willetton SHS in Western Australia.  I had occasion to be in the front office when a family came to enrol their son.  I could see and hear that they were Motuans from the Central District of Papua.  I had learned a pidgin version of their language called Hiri Motu and in the crowded office I said loudly.  Umui be daika...Lau be Kerema tauna.  (who are you..I am a man from Kerema).  The family looked around for a dark skinned male but couldn’t see one.  I introduced myself and met the lad who was enrolling, Hane Nou.    I retired and Hane finished high school.    His father was in W.A. doing a PHD at a local university.  When he finished his PHD they all, except Hane, went back to Papua New Guinea.

I taught Hane in my last years at WSHS.  Hane is still here in W.A. and we are to catch up next month.

Walter Mitty

Walter Mitty is a fictional character in James Thurber's short story "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty"  I have just watched the remake of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.  Wonderful; confusing, somewhat unsatisfying, but  stimulating to the point that I must re-watch it again.  I can remember the saying ‘A Walter Mitty character’ when I was a youngster describing a person who was a bit of a dreamer and quite unbelievable. 

Post war ramblings

My father was a skilled carpenter/builder and just after WW2 finished, my parents bought a housing block in the suburb of Bicton for £30.0.0.  Dad went on to build our family house, finishing in 1947.  Building materials were scarce after the war and parts of the house and Dad’s workshop were completed as materials became available again.

A few days ago I was looking through family memorabilia in a bit of a nostalgic trip and found an old newspaper advert for kitchen cupboards.   I recognised the cupboards as being the same as the ones in our family home.  Dad had copied the arrangement and built his own.  I remember helping him with the glueing of the frames.  The glue back then was animal glue and I was the glue boy who had to be very quick at poking glue in the dowel holes as Dad clamped them together.  Animal glue had to be used hot and fluid.  I do not recall any of the glue joints failing even up to the time we sold the house circa 1998.

Click image to enlarge

Car Warranty

I bought a  Kia sedan just over 12 months ago.   I remember all the hype about a 7 year warranty.    The dealer I bought it from has been writing to me reminding me that if I don’t service my car with them, the warranty is void.   It is past the original warranty time of three years and they remind me that the new warranty runs out in 2020 and if it is not serviced by them I am no longer covered.

It seems that the extended warranty is offered by Kia dealers and not Kia.  I like the car and will take my chances and get it serviced by a local service centre at around two thirds of the dealers price.  Shonky deal that most people would not know about without reading the fine print.  

Look back at the past

Our Bicton home on Canning Highway was built in 1897.  We were the second owners to occupy that grand house with many of the belongings of the last family to live there still intact; artefacts of a family gone.  One is an autograph book belonging to Elsie Murray.  Over the years I have looked at this book with drawings, poems and well wishes from an era long gone.

One man named George D’Arcy-Evans painted a couple of pictures for Elsie in her autograph book in May 1914.

Click images to enlarge

  Just today I googled the name D’arcy-Evans and had two hits.  One is a GP and I left a message at his surgery to see if he was interested in having the paintings.  

Another couple of pages featured the visit to Fremantle Harbour in 1916 of the Japanese Cruiser Iwate....Allies in WW1; the baddies in WW2.

Last drinks at the Thirsty Camel

It’s last drinks for the local bottle shop near my home.  Chelsea is one of the staff doing the last shift before the new owners take over tomorrow.  Not one of the dedicated staff of this bottle shop has been offered a job by the new owners. 

Sad that I will not be able to enjoy their pleasant service especially the charming Chelsea.  She should walk into a job easily with her pleasant personality and charm; hope so.

Click the photo to enlarge.

Bare shelves 

Bye Bye Psoriasis

Today I finished the Ultraviolet ray treatment for Psoriasis.  In all I had 47 treatments.  There are a few residual bits of Psoriasis, but nothing serious.  The nurse in charge is reminiscent of Nurse Ratched; bossy and a bit offhand.  I am happy to have done with the treatment.

When I left the treatment rooms I told her that I hoped that I would not see her again.  She merely replied........’You’ll be back’.

Moses has gone

Today I received a message from the son of one of my ex students from 1962 in Papua.  He informed me that his father had passed away.  

Moses Hailai was a cheerful, intelligent and friendly lad in my class at Arehava Primary School in an isolated village in the Gulf of Papua.   I was Teacher in Charge at the PS for three years before transferring to Madang Technical School.   Moses trained as a teacher and he too became Teacher in Charge of a school in Lae, New Guinea.

He retired some three or four years ago and his son, also Moses Hailai, found me on Facebook and we have been corresponding for a couple of years.  Moses senior and his wife are both gone now.  Life expectancy is not great in PNG.

I have thought of returning to PNG for a visit after leaving there some 40 years ago.  If I am to do it, I should make plans soon.

Click to enlarge

Moses with hibiscus flower

A printer bargain

An Australia-wide store advertised Canon printers for $12.00 (one per customer)  I visited two branches and bought a printer at each and my daughter and husband James were out shopping so I asked them to buy me two more.  They will go with computers I give to needy people. I usually either get given printers or buy second hand ones and spend hours getting them running and buying ink cartridges. Either way is still more expensive than a $12 brand new printer.   These printer cartridges can be refilled either by yourself or exchanged for refilled cartridges at a cartridge store, much cheaper than the original/genuine cartridges.

Rebecca Baumann..Artist

A few days ago I visited the Fremantle Arts Centre to view an installation by one of my fav ex-students, Rebecca Baumann.  I confess that I am not as familiar with art in its many forms as I am with the workings of an internal combustion engine, but I did enjoy Bec’s show.

You might like to know more about Bec here.   She is world-renowned and has exhibited in quite a few countries.

   Video of part of the installation

Remembering Mike Treasure

Yesterday evening, family and friends of Michael Treasure gathered in the gardens of the University of Western Australia to dedicate a bench seat as a memorial for Mike.  His body was donated to the university medical faculty to serve the training of MDs and hopefully research into Parkinson’s disease.  Mike wanted it so.   

The bench is made from English Teak and the price included a perpetual maintenance contract.   After the dedication, the group of friends and family enjoyed some champagne, food and then a movie in the university outdoor theatre.

The University of Western Australia is this year, 100 years old.  The grounds are quite wonderful with huge trees and a variety of plants and ground cover.

Dorothy, Mike's wife; Brian and Lilli and on the right Katherine and Rick

Pliny the Elder

My niece’s husband Rick, gave me a nice Xmas present of two bottles of a California beer named Pliny the Elder. He brought it into Australia in his luggage. It is bottled in 510ml bottles and cannot be shipped outside of California; for what reason I know not.  Another difference with Pliny is that when you go to a store you can only purchase two bottles.     Pliny is 8% alcohol and maybe that is somehow restricting.    I enjoyed it.  Thanks Rick.

I will catch up with Rick tomorrow evening and find out the reasons for the two bottle only deal and why it cannot be shipped out of California.  Rick and Katherine are heading back to the U.S. on Wednesday.

If you are so inclined, you can read about this brew here.

Christmas Day

Daughter Helen and hubby James drove me ‘north of the river’ for Xmas Day at my sister-in-law Dorothy’s place for a major calorie upload.  Fab food, wine and conversation with niece Katherine and her husband Rick who are here in Western Australia visiting from San Francisco. My nephew Brian and his wife Lili rounded off a good day.

Helen was elected as Father Xmas to hand out the presents under the tree.  When I received a large package from Dorothy, I joked that I hoped it was one of her watercolours that I have always admired. Dorothy insisted I take it down off the wall and take it home. I was quite taken aback, thinking she must be a bit angry, but no, she knew I have liked it for years and now it is mine. Yeah!!

When I was dropped off home by James I was asked to come in to my neighbours’ house for a glass of French Champagne which turned into a lovely meal.  A good day!

The South of France

We spent a month in France in 2005 (?) mostly based in Agde on the med coast. Wonderful!
A couple of roadsigns on the outskirts of Beziers. Very effective.

Translation..On this road between Beziers Vias and 29 deaths since 5 years SLOW

The grandkids visit

Me with my grandkids Rosie and Ruby.