The Waiting Man

In a sign of things to, probably, come... my newsfeed threw in this story today, about the best board games to play at home

Given that we'll certainly be spending NYE at home & possibly a lot more nights to come, as Sydney's Covid clusters expand & multiply, maybe it's time to learn a few games. I've always though that Terry Pratchett's semi-fictional Cripple Mr Onion sounded a bit far-fetched & complicated, but apparently, there are real rules & cards... so it could be the trick to whiling away those evenings at home

I wonder if anyone's come up with a Thud board yet? Why yes... Yes they have...

To the sea...

I had plans for the day... do some photo work, maybe fire up the guitars & effects, re-design the computer/music room to accommodate more stuff. Well - one out of three will have to do... We did get other things done - take Laura to the mechanic, only to be told we'll have to bring her back in a few weeks, once the warranty repair is authorised, then headed over to the inner-west to pick up a 27" monitor screen & visit a recommended butchery, then a 3 store search for a particular sauce. Dinner had better be worth it!!

And we watched Monty Python's Meaning Of Life this afternoon, part of L-SP's voyage of discovery, learning where I get a lot of my everyday quotes & expressions from. So many have come from Python & its offshoots - Fawlty Towers, Ripping Yarns... I don't know how I feel about having my sources revealed - a little less clever & a bit more of a shameless plagiarist... or a highly selective bower-bird with exceptional taste in humour?!

Day off today, in what's shaping up to be a bit of a fractured week - I think I've got Thursday off as well, then working through to & over the weekend. Blargh...

The weather has settled a little bit, though it's still pretty cold. With L-SP sleeping off her 12 hour night shift, I'm wondering how to spend the day. Hopefully not answering any more texts & calls from work, like I've been doing for the last 2 hours. I'm not the one supposed to be working from home!!

From the 2016 USA Trip Archive:

A peaceful sunset on Marina Beach, California

From the top of Hunt's Mesa, above Monument Valley... it's a loooong way down!!

Sunday, so... off to work, pretending it's Monday

Yesterday was a pretty typical lockdown/isolation day - helped by the fact that L-SP was on day-shift... so I went up to our current favourite café for food & coffee, then found ways of amusing myself around the place, including recording a bassline for a friend to either learn, dissect, or dismiss for a piece I wrote a while ago, then recording some quick bass sample sounds for another project with another friend... I do have friends... I'm just not as good as I could be at keeping up with them...

Then some work on old photos with my newer version of Photoshop, that does stuff the old versions didn't do, so a trawl through the archive to see what can be done with shots I thought were misses. This is one...



Taken back in 2016, so long ago I have no idea where - it's not like clouds give you any kind of reference landmarks... Definitely on Earth though

Spotted these guys growing on the side of the road, while taking the 4-legged houseguest for her last walk before handing her back to L-SP's sister, whose home has returned to animal-friendly mode. Only had my phone on me, but as L-SP says - the best camera you can have, is the one you have with you

We had our canine houseguest for 6 weeks... it didn't feel like that long, except for some times - usually when she was being a little annoying &, especially, at 6am every day, when I had to hand-feed her a tablet she was quite adept at seeming to swallow, before letting it drop out of her mouth... sometimes I didn't discover that until hours later. My record was 4 attempts... eventually learning to keep my hand under & around her mouth for about 30 seconds, to be sure it had gone down

My PC is home at last, having had the equivalent of a heart transplant & being kept for observation. A new power supply is expected to solve the recurrent BSODs that 'hospitalised' it in early December, under threat of, at best, replacement with a Mac, at worst, reprogramming with a 12 pound sledgehammer. So this may be the last entry done on the borrowed laptop with the dodgy space bar which has played havoc with my grammarphilia... or phobia. I'll be spending the rest of this morning, probably, re-plugging & re-installing, then downloading the sizeable backlog of photos from my 2 main cameras... stand by for photospam - even more than usual. On the plus side, it means I won't rant about pandemic politics for a little while, despite the Don's daily attempts to appear more stupid than he did yesterday

I wasn't on social media yesterday. No Dreamwidth/LiveJournal, no Instagram... I did my usual rounds of news & info websites, so I'm pretty up to date, but have no idea what people think of any of it, or which parts they've made jokes or memes about... & I don't have any FOMO about it, apart from ending a pretty good run of consecutive days posting on here, but I'm sure no one else noticed

We're preparing to spend Easter the way Jesus apparently did - locked up in a tomb with no visitors. Maybe we'll take the re-enactment a step further & just sleep through it as well... emerging blinking & stumbling into Sunday at some point, thinking it's a miracle. My guitar student & his Dad want me to come over on either Friday or Saturday, but given the travel restrictions in place are being strictly enforced, I don't fancy explaining to the police how guitar lessons are an essential service & I can certainly do without the $1000 fine that would surely be issued

There is the possibility of my PC being ready for collection on the weekend though... which is a more impressive feat than Jesus - he was only dead for 3 days before coming back to life, my PC has been dead for 4 months!!! Which is even better than Lazarus, so JC loses out on 2 counts there. And with L-SP's work-issued letter of travel exemption, I'd have a much better chance with the police if I tell them we're picking up a computer for the home office. Now to find a good USB external soundcard & software to record music with - my 1st band, who came back to life last year (more resurrections... maybe I'm the Messiah... I've certainly been a very naughty boy, in my time) & there is talk of recording more tracks for an album release sometime soon, so I'll need that software sooner or later, especially if this social isolation keeps up for the months they're predicting. I fired up our digital piano on Tuesday & have a few little ideas worth keeping, on something better than my phone...

Today was my normal weekday off, while L-SP is working from home, because she can... It almost felt like a Saturday, or maybe Sunday from my childhood around the neighbourhood - hardly any cars on the street, lots of children (& parents!) on bikes & dogs being walked up & down the street all day - poor things, they're probably not used to this - even if they do get walked every day, it's usually by the dogwalking service, but now it's 2 or 3 of the family unit instead... My first duty of the day was to take our canine houseguest to the Vet, for a follow-up on a lingering ear infection. The Vet was pleased with the results, so off we went to buy breakfast rolls & coffee to take home, as L-SP had started work pretty early & besides - who makes Portuguese chicken, avocado, bacon, chilli & cheese rolls for breakfast, other than one of our favourite semi-local cafés?

Once that was done, the reality of the new normality set in... I had nowhere to go, couldn't go out & find a photogenic spot, most shops were closed, no pub, club, or cinema... not that I go to any of them that often, but it's nice to know the option is there - & now it isn't. I was loath to pursue my normal internet habit of reading about 5 different news & info sites, as I'm trying to cut back on reading things that make me angry...

So, out with the acoustic guitar (no electric, as L-SP was on a conference call & didn't need a soundtrack, or even hold music) for about an hour of brushing up on techniques & some of my pieces earmarked for development. Then I spotted my Irish Bouzouki in a dusty corner & picked it up to give it a clean, tune & a play. Well... one & a half out of three ain't bad - while tuning up, I broke an admittedly quite rusty string. Which at least means I now have an excuse to go to one of the more esoteric guitar shops to get a new set of 8 strings... that's a silver lining!

A load of washing, some catching up on 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, a walk round the block with the 4-legged guest & now it's time to feed 2 animals & 2 humans, before watching the latest episode of WestWorld. All very peaceful, but I think I need a project... Is this how ill-advised & prepared home renovations get started? Is our insurance paid up??

Been playing guitar a bit more, lately... Been playing more guitars lately too

... on the just & the unjust alike.
But mainly on the just
For the unjust hath stolen the just's umbrella

After a baking hot weekend, which saw us use 3 fans in our bedroom at WaitingManor, just to bring the temperature down to a level you could sleep in, the rain began last night & continues this morning. Not stormy downpours, but a nice, constant fall that is more useful - as it gives the soil & plants time to soak it in, without having the topsoil washed away by too much water, or trees losing their limbs from too much wind

One of our large gum trees in the back yard did drop a branch though... Not a huge one, but big enough to do some damage to the plants underneath it! Fortunately Bella was neither climbing that tree at the time, nor walking past it at the wrong moment

Having finally picked up a copy of Leonard Cohen's posthumous album 'Thanks For The Dance', about 10 days ago, I played it for the first time last night & came over all misty-eyed. It's a short album, only about 35-40 minutes & you couldn't say Leonard does much singing on it (some may argue he never did!), but he intones & recites in an affecting way which, barrel-scraping future releases aside, we'll never hear again - signing off with the words:

"Listen to the hummingbird, whose wings you cannot see
Listen to the hummingbird, don't listen to me..."

Sorry Len, I think I'll still be listening to you in both my near & distant futures. Besides, there aren't many hummingbirds around in Sydney at the best of times

Ahh... Saturday, according to the calendar on the PC...

It's been a pretty draining week actually. Work has officially entered the end-of-year, crazy, "Oh my god, it's nearly December, the family are coming from out-of-town & this place is a mess. I know, I'll install new flooring everywhere, that shouldn't take long, right?!", period, so I've been doing a lot of driving around, then doing marathons on the computer estimating & quoting, then out on what I refer to as 'Fuckup Patrol', doing the rounds of various jobs in progress bringing more materials, or replacing wrong ones

L-SP has been on various day & night shifts, so I've hardly seen her for the last 7-8 days. We are, on the plus side, a lot closer to our mutual time off in early December & neither of us has killed a cow-orker yet

The work ute may be dead though... or at least, coughing up blood. I was driving home on Thursday evening & as I turned a corner, there was a clunk & all of a sudden it sounded like an entire Chapter of Hell's Angels were behind me & the ute lost a fair degree of get-up-and-go. There's obviously an exhaust/muffler issue & while I was able to nurse the now extremely loud invalid home, I took Laura to work on Friday, as the thought of driving the ute, with its horde-of-angry-motorcycles exhaust, in peak-hour traffic did not appeal. I may take it tomorrow though, just to get it out of WaitingManor's garage & make it someone else's problem & a none-too-subtle reminder to the Boss that we now really need that new ute he's been promising for 18 months

I made it rain today!! I did a load of washing & hung it out to dry this morning. It hasn't been a stinking hot day, for a welcome change & it's been a little cloudy, but good old Murphy ensured that, just after I decided everything needed maybe another 45 minutes on the line to be properly dry, it rained for 5 minutes. Maybe if I'd decided to wash the car, it would have rained a bit longer...

Or, another thing as rare as that... 2 days off in a row!!

L-SP & I actually had 2 days off together... nice to get re-acquainted with the person who lately I've only seen asleep, in passing, or in various photos around the place. I feel like I've been living at work recently, with early starts, late finishes, long days, then cancelled days off, while L-SP has been getting used to her new work schedule & dealing with altered sleep patterns & pretty long days too. anyway, the good news is we seem to still get along well !!

There has been one major change to the household recently... Out with the old...



And in with the new...



We sold off the little hatchback we've had for a few years as well as my beloved OBluV8 who, after 15 years with me, has gone to, literally, live on a farm somewhere in outback New South Wales, about 100kms from the nearest big town, so every day will be a road trip for him. The guy who bought him seemed like someone who knew the foibles of older cars, but loved Fords & I felt comfortable letting OBluV8 go to someone who will look after him for the next 15 years of his life... So, if you include the work ute that I use, we have gone from 3 cars down to 2. We look forward to many road-trips (& especially off-road trips!!) in Laura - a name derived from the Vietnamese for "A long time coming", as the whole process of preparing paperwork, financial planning, delivery time & installation of optional extras seemed to take forever. For a couple of days, it looked like we'd be without any car at all...

The downhill slope to the end of the year has begun & I don't feel ready for it...

For the moment, my weekend has been split up, to Wednesday & Saturday. Not happy & hoping it's not a permanent measure, but I have a feeling the only way it will change is with a change of employment. How many straws does it take to break a camel's back?

Anyway, I had today off... Being a weekday, it was a good opportunity to catch up with some admin & business-related chores that sometimes don't get done when I'm at work. Trouble is... I didn't achieve completion on any of them!?!? Return some items to a store for L-SP? - I went to 2 of the brand's outlets - was told to go to the 2nd, bigger one by the 1st, then found out the return couldn't be completed without L-SP's credit card - even though I have a card linked to the same account, with the same numbers. So, we have to go there together, later... Trying to chase up the NSW Public Service to find out where my RSA (Responsible Service of Alcohol) card is, so I can work in bars, should the bottom fall out of the flooring industry? I was told by one department I needed to speak to another via phone, was given the number, then spent 25 minutes on hold being told every few minutes that I was 4th in the queue. God only knows what the 1st person was rabbiting on about for all that time... Needless to say, I reached my patience threshold long before any progress in the queue was made & I'll tackle that one tomorrow at work, when I can be paid for waiting

The remote control for our garage door is on its last legs - having faithfully opened & shut the door for 15 years or so, its buttons are just about gone. The first locksmith I went to told me they didn't have the right one, would have to order it & it would cost $66, but try the place down the road & see what they say... The 2nd place had a generic replacement unit that also cost $66, but said they might have an old one like ours & if they do, they'll replace it free. I'm still waiting to see if they'll call me to tell me they do. Somehow, I doubt it... OBluV8's locking remote has also done faithful service for 16 years, but the buttons are going on that as well & it's getting harder & harder to unlock the doors. This came to a head on our recent weekend up in the Blue Mountains where the temperature was 0-2 degrees Celsius pretty much the entire time we were there & rapid access to OBluV8's interior & air-con was urgently needed to prevent frostbite & loss of digits, only to be stuck, shivering, swearing & walking around the car, jabbing repeatedly at the recalcitrant remote. The first locksmith I went to had the replacement remote, but told me it wasn't just a case of replacing the outer casing, the whole thing needs to be programmed & I had to bring OBluV8 down to them for about 10 minutes, then pay them $135. So $200 to fix 2 remotes... Needless to say I'll think about that one, get clearance from the Ministry of Finance & tackle it another day...

It wasn't a complete waste of a day. I set up our new compost bin in the back yard, washed the kitchen windows & sills (& most of me in the process!), did a load of washing & got keys cut for our front door & the work Showroom front door to replace the ones I've managed to lose somewhere between here & Oberon in the Blue Mountains. They were on the same key-ring &, you know what? Don't ask... I have no idea, obviously, otherwise they wouldn't be lost!!

The day has also been soundtracked by my old iPod on random & at considerable volume. It contains probably about 1/2 my CD collection, plus a lot of iTunes purchases & is only about 2/3s full. It's an ongoing personal challenge to fill it eventually... It's been throwing out some gems today, from all over the music spectrum. While I've been writing this, I've heard Jeff Buckley, Chet Baker, Mark Knopfler, Harmonia, King Tubby, Debussy & the Divinyls. I wonder what's next?

It was a normal week... It had its good things, some annoying things, a lot of driving around, fun times with friends, we won our Trivia night after a month or so's absence... watched the latest 'Game of Thrones' episode, like most of the world did, saw 'Avengers: Endgame', like most of the world did...

In other words, we just loped along in the human race, neither falling behind, nor improving our places

We went to Taronga Zoo, thanks to our annual memberships & were reminded how closely we are related to chimpanzees



Not sure who's more bamboozled by that 2% difference...

Well, how about that... A quiet weekend! Nothing much to report or comment on, so have a photo of a pelican...

How de hegg do you ged a code id de middle ob Summer?!?!

No... I don't know either, but I suspect it has something to do with air-conditioning & two cow-orkers who've had mild coughs over the last week. Revenge will be served slow & cold (of course)

It does mean I left work early today, due to plummeting energy & care-factor levels... it also meant I had to cancel plans to see the Spooky Men's Chorale with friends tonight



But every cloud has a silver lining... & there were quite a few of them that rolled across town tonight...