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It’s official

/ Robert / 15 Comments

A few days before the deadline, the finance was confirmed; relief. Now we can finish packing up the household and ticking off our to do lists.

In around five weeks we will have moved into our new single storey three bedroom home on a 686 m2 sized block of land. Sporting forty solar panels, we can easily add a rainwater harvesting system.

There is space enough and northwest facing back/side garden for growing veggies, herbs, and fruit plus a covered outdoor area and room for a pool.

Liking resort style living, this property has the potential for us to make adjustments to suit our inside/outside lifestyle.

It differs from the Palm Springs mid-century modern I had in mind we were looking for.

I find it amusing to think we will be ninety when the mortgage is due to be paid off.

Feeling at home

/ Robert / 3 Comments

We recently spent a delightful evening, dining at a new Italian restaurant, Sasso in Woolloongabba.

From arrival and being shown to our table, I instantly felt at home. The staff were attentive, friendly, approachable, funny, and cheerful.

Upon reflection, I wonder if I felt so comfortable because there were similarities in the way I’m described at work; caring, cheerful, empathetic, funny, helpful, supportive.

CMW

/ Robert / 1 Comment

Our Contemporary Mobile Workfore (CMW) policy allows employees to work from home five days out of ten.

One of the conditions for lockdown week two not happening, wearing of masks at work for two weeks even if one can socially distance. My role includes a reasonable amount of time on the telephone.

The CMW rules have been relaxed for two weeks. I have opted to continue to work from home. One week down, one to go.

The above picture is a memory from a lunch time walk last month. Shadows at play from the glass porch at the north eastern doorway of the gothic revival Cathedral of St. Stephen.

Lockdown week 1

/ Robert / 10 Comments
Pre-lockdown memory, juxtaposition, cathedral of St. Stephen

It started shortly after my last post, Not in lockdown . Delta variant attempting to run havoc through the antipodes, detected in Brisbane.

Apart from the initial lockdown last year, Queensland has been largely spared from long lockdowns. Victoria and now New South Wales are shouldering the burden.

What a frustrating working from home week!

Monday
The cloud based telephony software was upgraded. The adjusted functionality resulted in me missing a huge number of calls during my 2.75 hours of loop time.

The GP called us in early for the second Pfizer vaccination. I took an hour off work.

Tuesday
After working for about two hours, flu symptoms started. No more work for me today. By the evening a fever was making me feel decidedly uncomfortable.

Wednesday
Feeling 80% of my usual self, I spent the day catching up on unfinished work until the database went down around 3:30 pm.

Thursday
A reasonably productive day.

Friday
A fault in the Woolloongabba national broadband node resulted in an Internet outage of about one hour before lunch time. This resulted in no phone, email, Teams or database access.

We will find out on Sunday if the lockdown is being extended.

Quelle horreur

/ Robert / 4 Comments

The thought of being deprived of Google in Australia is monstrous! Fingers crossed we will not succumb to have to Bing things.

On a local level the winds of change grew to hurricane proportions. We signed up with a realtor, booked times for staging, photographs, and the first viewing.

Then the realty of the market dowsed our spirits. Everything is on hold until we can find somewhere suitable to live.

Deciding we will rent for a while, we are well beyond dirty, pest infested, rundown garrets. Is it unreasonable to expect air conditioning, dishwasher, covered outdoor area, space from the neighbours and undercover parking?

There are suitable rental properties however, as in stories of unrequited love, our advances are spurned. Why? We have an ‘inside’ Stan.

Tide of change

/ Robert / Leave a comment

Once upon a time, in a sleepy street, near the brow of a hill, stood a single storey red brick cottage, bordered by hardy grassed paths.

The owner loved the home so much, they attached a sturdy white wrought iron bracket. Suspended beneath by two rings, a white oblong marker declared the house’s location.

Being a fan of swashbuckling heroes, the chosen placque featured a galleon, perpetually travelling the oceans at full sail.

Many a long year did that building provide shelter and comfort to its inhabitants. While number 37 gently swayed in the breeze.

Being but five kilometres from the city, the growing populace demanded increased housing density. Standalone dwellings were gradually consumed by multi-storey, hemmed in developments.

Today a refurbished ship 37 voyages upon a shiny new ‘boutique’ apartment block.

What am I?

/ Robert / 2 Comments

Seemingly hard polished outside,

Smooth, shiny and cool to the touch. 

Perfect for travels far and wide;

Pochette for cleansers, paints and such.

What am I?

Outer marching ants stitched just right. 
Inside cheerful stripes on white.

Timeless, long lasting luxury;

A welcome gift for you and me.
What am I?

The perfect gift for Father’s Day!
I am promoting the Kangaloon Leather Toiletry / Storage Bag (available on Amazon) for my dear friend Libby. The same friend I mentioned in my post The way of the gull. 
  

Far from home

/ Robert / 2 Comments

20140702-205348-75228227.jpg
Lone visitor, a clown,
Left to own devices
On a street of vices.
An unfamiliar town.

Enticed as music woos,
Sway in time with the beat.
Too chilled to go and eat,
Perfect night for the blues.

To leave, it seems too soon.
Cars go by with whishes
To the clink of dishes,
By the light of the moon.

Restless nights; a strange bed,
Dubious caffeine fix
Is no help as time ticks.
Pleased to go home instead.

(c) Robert Jones 2014, All Rights Reserved

Peace at home

/ Robert / 11 Comments

20130629-105611.jpg
I had planned to write about this topic by listing the words I believe to describe “success” in achieving hearth side harmony. On reflection this would indicate that once one has reached this place all is right with the world. Unfortunately this box can never be ticked off.

In the photograph the intensity of the shadows changes as clouds pass in front of the sun. At just the right moment the shape of the tree will be clearly revealed on the wall. This illustrates the balance between light and dark; the clouds act as a barrier. When the sun is obscured by clouds the shadow disappears, does this mean that it did not exist?

Similarly, the window connects the inside with the outside. An obscured window reduces the information that is available for the human brain to process which in turn can lead to an untruth.

Perceptions and assumptions behave like clouds and dirty windows, they distort reality. I believe that peace is achieved by members of the household being present, taking a moment to see beyond the clouds and consciously acting rather than reacting.