An ordinary life

Bizarre behaviour on a bus

/ Robert / 6 Comments


When catching the bus to and from work there are certain seats that I prefer. Being broad shouldered I have found that sitting towards the back of the bus provides more room. The seating area is elevated to such a level that the bottom of the windows are under my elbow, allowing one arm breathing space.

One day this week I got on a bus, a short walk from my home. All seats were occupied except for the back seat. I wouldn’t normally venture this far down the bus as it can be hot and noisy sitting above the engine. With limited leg room this seat is designed for five people. In my experience four is the maximum for those with a fuller figure. Today was no exception; there was movement as I approached; two dubious looking individuals scooted in opposite directions towards either window tugging belongings onto their laps. After sitting down to face the front right hand side of the bus the person behind me sat down on the left.
I caught myself gazing absent mindedly at the back of the head of a stocky man seated next to the aisle in front of me. A crazy paving like pattern of faint pink veins ran up from his neck across the surface of his light coloured scalp, snaking through the stubble of a closely shaved head. It reminded me of a river system seen from above the Earth. 

After travelling uneventfully for about ten minutes, I heard a quiet jingling noise to my right. I did not catch the words the older looking lady seated next to Pink River System Man (PRSM) was uttering, however from her agitated manner and hand signals I realised she had spilled the contents of her bag on the floor. She spoke loudly to a darker skinned chap in front of PRSM. A number of passengers assisted to retrieve the runaway items. 

When it looked like calm was returning to my journey I was fascinated to see a fist appear in front of PRSM. It proceeded to grind into the back of the head of Darker Skinned Chap (DSC). The goodwill of fellow passengers quickly faded as the woman continued to hurl rapid directions at DSC. I wondered if they were related, then thought, “Well they aren’t sitting next to each other.” 

PRSM informed the woman that rather than abuse DSC she should search for her belongings herself. She muttered that he was in a better position to see where they had fallen. The woman began sorting through the contents of her bag. For the rest of the trip she took out and replaced items in a frenetic manner. 

All in all, bizarre behaviour on a bus! 

I have included a picture of an equally bizarre Paisley pattern I developed a while ago.

Patience pays off

/ Robert / 9 Comments


To report that our backyard is small is an understatement. When we moved into the house two years ago we had great plans for an outdoor room, small pool and plants; the car has to fit too. We achieved our plans with the exception of somewhere comfortable to sit. 

Many boxes and pieces of furniture have added to the eclectic clutter of our home, until now. Plastic pallets, plywood, a gazebo kit, café blinds, a shade sail, careful planning and patience have resulted in an outdoor room. I am happy to say that we are protected from the sun, rain and even evil mozzies. Unfortunately our achievement is at the expense of the washing line and pool. 

Invisible

/ Robert / 5 Comments

I lost so much weight overnight that I became invisible!

On the pedestrian crossing his morning people dropped  their heads like bulls about to charge and attempted to walk right through me. 

I wonder if this is the norm, or is the meditation paying off and I’m experiencing reality in the moment. 

Happy Thursday. 

Brass doorknob 

/ Robert / 3 Comments


I have a thing for old buildings. Most of the homes I have lived in have been pre-21st century. This is in stark contrast to my parents who relished the new. 

Our current house is a modernised Australian federation property that has retained many original features. It is quirky; I don’t mind that the solitary toilet is located as far from the front door you could possibly get without being in the back garden. 

This brass doorknob is at its best when viewed from the light of two ceiling mounted heat lamps in the shower room. Winter of course is the ideal time for this endeavour. 

Its scratched surface and paint remains do not make it the most attractive pieces of door fitting, however I like its honest simplicity. A combination of opening device, push plate and key hole. 

Torch lilies

/ Robert / 2 Comments


Red hot pokers are a childhood favourite of mine. I was pleasantly surprised to learn from Wikipedia that they are known by other names; excerpt  below:

Kniphofia also called tritoma, red hot poker, torch lily, knofflers or poker plant, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asphodelaceae, first described as a genus in 1794. It is native to Africa. All plants produce spikes of upright, brightly colored flowers well above the foliage, in shades of red, orange and yellow, often bicoloured. The flowers produce copious nectar while blooming and are attractive to bees. In the New World they may attract sap-suckers such as hummingbirds and New World orioles.

Thank you for the music

/ Robert / 13 Comments


When I was at secondary school it was totally uncool to listen to, let alone like ABBA. I spent many hours alone in my bedroom listening to music that transported me to far away places. It’s funny how things turned out for the shy boy from Birmingham. Who would have thought he would move to Australia 20 years after buying ABBA: The Album. It features music from the documentary film of ABBA’s Australian tour, ABBA: The Movie. 

We used our father’s redundancy money to go on our first overseas trip by aeroplane to Jersey in the Channel Islands. It was 1978, my parents, two brothers and I stayed full board for ten days at the Golden Sands Hotel. This is my first memory of live entertainment. I remember the soulful sound of a young woman in the bar, singing and strumming the guitar, while disco music pulsated from the ballroom. 

I look back with embarrassment at a naive 14 year old proudly taking his brand new vinyl album down to the ballroom because the DJ had not played any ABBA. Thankfully one of the tracks was played and this holiday was filed away in the recesses of my mind as a happy memory. 

I was filled with nostalgia as I read that last weekend was the 50th anniversary of the musical duo of Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson joining force and the first time in 30 years the group had performed together. 

I now say with pride that I was and still am an ABBA fan, thank you for the music!

Do you have a happy ABBA memory you would like to share?

Three steps to recovery

/ Robert / 5 Comments


1. Guilt

I don’t take sick leave from work lightly. My conscience tells me that I shouldn’t let my team mates down. The weighing up of the severity of my ailment against the potential for poor performance and the risk of infecting others determines the likelihood of my being away from work due to illness. Even so, I feel guilty when I’m at home. 

2. Perspective

Being ill provides space for me to think as I don’t instantly fall into the ‘being at home’ routine. Thinking leads to creativity; yesterday I moved a knitting project forward after weeks of slumbering on the shelf next to my chair. Wanting to write is a sign of inner equilibrium and a step to recovery. 

3. Reconnect

During my short stint of incapacity the Autumn temperatures have been a warm 22 – 28oC during the day. Mornings have been in the teens, ideal for reconnecting with my love affair with cravats. When the weather turns cool I eagerly make use of a silk cravat and lambs-wool scarves I bought in Italy around thirty years ago. I wonder if the cravat reminds me of creative types portrayed in the media of my youth and my wish to be like them. 

Alas, tomorrow I fear I will be free from mind numbing medication and the malady that sent me to my bed. I shall return to the reality of of the everyday with a renewed aim to record my thoughts so that I can be more productive in my blogging. 

Celebrate diversity 

/ Robert / 3 Comments

  
Apart from the fact that working in education energises me, I love that diversity is celebrated. 

Happy Sydney Mardi Gras courtesy of UNSW Australia (formerly known as the University of New South Wales). 

Eat me

/ Robert / 11 Comments

 
While growing up in the UK I would make multiple Christmas cakes, puddings and chocolate logs for friends and family. Since living in Australia, whenever moving house we have tried to reduce the volume of chattels. The various sized round and square cake tins went to the charity shop some time ago.

To celebrate the visit of our niece from England for New Year, I have come out of retirement, so to speak. The above is the result of a trusted Harrods Cookery Book recipe after I burnt Delia’s; it wasn’t her fault, I had the oven too hot. Most of my cookery books predate modern fan forced ovens. I was amazed to find the decorations in the biscuit tin where we keep birthday cake candles, piping nozzles and cutters.

As I enjoy a second mince pie for breakfast this morning, the pudding and cake are silently calling “eat me, eat me”.