The Liberty Swing in Action

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I have just put together this clip which I took at the recent Variety Children's Party. I hope you like it as much as I do. Just seeing the smiles on the faces of these special children is so heart-warming.

Variety Christmas Party

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Yesterday I helped with the annual Variety Children's Christmas Party at the Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour in Sydney. There Were over 5,000 disabled and disadvantaged children and there carers there. It always is an emotional time, seeing wheelchair-bound children with huge grins on their faces. One of the highlights for me were the wheelchair swings where children and their wheelchairs can experience what we take for granted, the sensation of swinging. This is another example of what can be done when people think about access, inclusion and safety.

Together For Humanity

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Last week, we attended a meeting for Together For Humanity, which is an Australian venture. The idea is for people of different faiths, to go to schools and show that people can accept and respect other faiths without compromising their own. We met Rabbi Zalman Kastel, who is the National Director, Haisam Farache, a muslim Sheikh from Lakemba Mosque, and Mohamed Dukuly, a muslim from war-torn Liberia. We videoed a short interview with each one and I was greatly encouraged by these wonderful people. Here are the videos.

UKTV and K9

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Yesterday we went to the headquarters of UKTV, the principal sponsors of Bash Car K9, to show off our trophies and to thank them for their support.
I was asked what I do with the car between Bashes. The answer to that is easy. We work on it to get it ready for the next one. At the moment, we are reconditioning a gearbox so that we can get it into third gear without it crunching embarrassingly. Not much else needs doing except all the things we say we are going to do next year, but never get round to it.

Full of Gas

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A weekend of drama at Everapominoz's place. For a few weeks we had noticed some water leaking around the base of the water meter by the front gate. The appropriate people were informed and on Friday Pommygran8 and I went for our usual coffee. When we returned, the street had been cordoned off, and we were unable to go back into the house. There happened to be a loud hissing noise and a geyser of gas rising from our front garden. The plumbers digging around the water meter had ruptured the gas main supply.

So now we have a hole in the front garden, with some gas bubbling through the water which is still leaking. At least we have a temporary gas supply (see the pictures), so we (or rather I) can still cook.

Cooking gefilte fish

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I have always enjoyed cooking and since I have retired, I have taken up the cooking duties of the household. One of many traditional Jewish dishes is gefilte fish balls. I never knew how to make them until a colleague at work, big Kev, gave me a recipe which is impossible to spoil. Pommygran8 made a couple of videos of me cooking both boiled and fried gefilte fish and here they are.

Sculptures By the Sea

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On Friday I went to Access Innovation Media HQ to learn how to caption my own videos. It seemed straightforward enough so I came home with the freeware program and a foot pedal to assist transcribing the video.

At the weekend, Pommygran8 and I went to look at the Sculptures by the Sea between Tamarama and Bondi Beach. I took many stills and some video, so I decided to load the software to caption the footage.

After 2 frustrating hours, I finally managed to get the foot pedal working. Then I started on the software package. It would get so far then ask me to find more files. Then when I did that, it couldn't open them. Many, many hours later, after installing, and uninstalling the program about half a dozen times, suddenly, it worked. I have no idea why. Perhaps it took sympathy for me, or more likely, I scared it with my screaming obscenities at it. Breathing on it didn't work.

So all I have to do now is upload the file to You Tube, which at the moment is undergoing maintenance. (Breathe and relax). So watch this space for my first clip.

Books

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What is it about books? In this day and age of digital images, and computerised information, it is still good to hold a book and read it at leisure.

Yesterday we babysat for our beautiful granddaughter, aged 15 months. She has many toys but her favourites are the books. She loves to be read to and look at the pictures. I hope this augers well for the future.

Today I went to the gym and took a "new" book to read. I actually bought it for $3 in St Vincent De Paul. It was printed in 1991 but appeared unread. Riding the stationary bike does get a little boring and I do enjoy a read, so I combine the two. However, when the exercise was over, I had forgotten to bring a bookmark. I just could not bring myself to fold over the corner of the page. It's amazing how one's upbringing, (I had always been taught to respect books) remains with you throughout your life.

Goldfish

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Today I bought some more plants for the pond, and I couldn't resist buying three more goldfish. If I keep buying them, maybe all the hiding places will be filled and I might see them.

The dreaded green algae is making its appearance unfortunately. Hopefully it won't get as bad as before.

Necessity is the mother of invention

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We have decided to recondition the gearbox from the spare engine. We found that a couple of critical nuts were loose. One was circular, ie no flats on it to accept a spanner, just three dimples for a "Special Tool" which of course we don't have. So we made one using available box spanners. We even managed to fit the torque wrench to tighten to the correct degree. Here is the photo. I don't think we will win any design awards, but, hey, it worked.

Goldfish

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The three goldfish deemed to visit me today. I filmed the pool this morning trying to get a glimpse of them but to no avail. Then this afternoon, in the heat of the day, they flashed into existence, first one, then two, then the third whom I had given up for lost. Anyone who has bought and actually read Stephen Hawking's book, a Brief History of Time will be familiar with the concept of matter spontaneously coming into existence. For those who don't believe it should study my fishpond.



This weekend is the long weekend so I have been informed. Being retired, every weekend is a long one. Also clocks go forward on Sunday. A big job ahead for me. I have to take the engine out of the Austin in order to change the gearbox. The synchro on 3rd gear does not function so it has to come out. Luckily I have spares, several in fact. Finding one that works is another thing. Wish me luck.
More later.

Goldfish

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I hurried down today to see if the fish had survived. I could not find them. The pond appeared empty. I looked everywhere, even lifted out the bridge mad from a brick to see if they were hiding. Not a thing. Just as I was wondering whether the Kookaburra which occasionally takes a bath in the pond was to blame a streak of gold flashed across the pond. Wow, they are fast. I still have not worked out where they hide but I have seen two of the three now. Just awaiting for the third to appear.

It still looks like an empty pond but they are there....somewhere, perhaps in another dimension? With the dolphins?

Goldfish

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We have a little fish pond on the back patio. When we moved in last year I fed the fish regularly, there were five of them. Gradually over a period of time they turned belly up and the fish pond turned green with algae.

Last week, I decided to clean out the pond and remove the algal bloom. There was so much of it. I realise now that I had overfed the fish causing the overgrowth of the algae and used water from the tap to top up the pool. I refilled the pond and put water conditioner in it. It seems Sydney Water straight out of the tap is toxic to goldfish!

Today Pommygran8 and I bought three goldfish to put in the pond and also some plants. I am in sole charge. So far so good. They are still moving! Feeding them 3-4 flakes of food every 2 or 3 days seems to be the order of the day. At that rate they shouldn't outgrow the pond.

Time flies

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I can't believe it's a week since I last blogged. Time seems to go so fast these days. I noticed this a couple of days ago with my coffee card, you know the type, get a free coffee after so many. It is almost full. I seem to be measuring my days in coffee stamps. I mentioned this whilst supping my soy latte to Pommygran8 who surprised me with a quote from T. S. Eliot's The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock:

"Have known the evenings, mornings, afternoons,
I have measured out my life with coffee spoons;"

So some else has noticed it too.

Pommygran8 can still surprise me with her hidden depths.



Saxophone lesson later today. I was give a piece last week to improvise, Watermelon Man by Herbie Hancock. My efforts so far have been less than spectacular. My fingers do not seem to have any connection with my brain. I feel my progress this week is very much underdone. I have time this morning to practise some more though. I found this on You-Tube, the tenor saxophone solo is what I would like to be able to do.

Liberty Swing

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I just read in the Wentworth Courier that Variety has unveiled a second Liberty Swing in the Eastern Suburbs at Bronte Park. For those who have not seen one it's a good opportunity to have a look at one.

Sunday Pommygran8 and I took the Bash Car to Rouse Hill for the Rouse Hill Family Fair. Unfortunately the weather was atrocious and so the number of people who attended was down a lot. This was a great shame because everyone had gone to a lot of trouble to make the day an enjoyable one. Still we managed a photo when the rain eased off for an hour or so.

Saxophone practice

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Yesterday afternoon I had a saxophone lesson. I have been having them every week for a few months. I had been getting a bit despondent as I did not see much improvement. I felt I was making the same mistakes all the time. I told the tutor this and he said that I was wrong. I may have been having some problems, but the exercises have been increasing in difficulty and it is only by challenging that improvement will occur. To emphasise this, he gave me 4 times as many exercises to do for next week. Should have kept my mouth closed. I must say I felt elated after that and couldn't wait to get stuck in.




More photos of the Bash. Our Trophy presentation.

Gym Day

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I go to the gym 3 mornings a week and burn off a few calories on the bike and cross trainer. I used to take the ipod and listen to music but I got bored with that so now I take a book to read. The gym is usually quiet but sometimes, like today, I am distracted as when 2 women get on the machines together and talk, usually non-stop. I have learnt to tune out but it can be annoying. I am amazed how they can manage this as usually the sweat is pouring off me and my heart rate and respiration rate are elevated. It is unusual for this to happen with men, they just nod and smile and get on with the exercise.

One of my favourite people on the Bash is Super Hubert (his real name!). He entertains children in schools on the way and never refuses to perform in impromptu stuations. No matter how many times I have seen his act, I am always entertained and his rapport with the children is excellent.

Here is a clip of part of one of his many performances on the recent Bash.

The K9-K9 (Can-Can)

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Well, here it is, the Bash Idol prize-winning performance at The Da Vinci Club, Wangaratta. First clip is the rehearsal, (there was only one), and then the performance. Thanks to the ladies of car 656, (last year's outright winners and joint Bash Idol Winners with K9) for the makeup and the video. It was perfect for the occasion.

Soap

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In the shower today I noticed the soap had reached its carbon footprint critical point in size, ie it took longer to work up a lather hence longer shower, hence use more hot water. But what does one do with the remnants? Throw them away or let them soften in a small amount of water and squeeze them together to make a larger, multicoloured bar?

They don't make soap like they used to. I remember as a child in England (many years ago), a bar of soap used to last a lot longer. We used to bathe every Friday night whether we needed it or not.

We do take a lot for granted nowadays. I can remember as a child, before bath time we turned the immersion heater on to heat the water. I used to have to feel the water tank to see when there was enough hot water for the bath and then turn it off thus saving electricity. These days we have tanks full of hot water for instant use. But at what cost to the environment?

Knitting

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So I had to post that picture with the Dr Who scarf in it. Pommygran8 found a special ball of wool in our usual Department Store, (read Charity Shop) and gave it to me. "So knit me something", she says. I think the fact I have retired and have "nothing" to do is getting to her, especially now, when she has to get everything regarding her business ready for the accountant.

Most people I meet ask what I do with my time now I have retired.

I now have time to pursue all my hobbies. In fact, I don't have time to pursue all of them. Too many. I will eventually get round to them.

Last year on the Bash, we led the parade as we were winners the previous year. Here is a link to some photos of that trip courtesy Zoom Productions.