With the moon now full in the sky we can be sure the cursed three weeks is well and truly over. Indeed anciently this is how Jews knew for certain that the three weeks is over, they look up the sky and see the full moon. Tisha B'Av falls on the 9th of the month of Av, the full moon marks the 15th day. And being in the days before there were any computers, internet, electronic devices, atomic clocks, etc, in which they could keep up with the days of the month, they needed to look up the sky. Indeed the full moon of Av marks the Jewish holiday of Tu B'Av known as the Jewish Valentine Day, generally a happy day when they knew for certain the three weeks is over for another year, but also is traditionally a day when weddings are held and Jewish couples goes out on dates - much like the Roman Valentines Day on Feb 14. The day anciently marked the start of the grape harvest, and on this day single Jewish ladies would go out dancing in the vineyard and no doubt plenty of eligible young Jewish guys turned up to the show!! ;) It also happens to be the day when Sally and I met back in 1998 unbeknown to either of us at the time!!
However it has been a rough few days. Sally's condition took a turn for the worse last Saturday being Tisha B'Av, and without going into the gory details we were left to deal with issues connected to her health which took up both my time and energy. Hopefully *touch wood* things are beginning to settle down. There are still no end in sight to the sores, the legacy of the Tisha B'Av period of 2011.
We have had no eviction notices nor any word from the landlord during the three weeks. This does not mean we are out of the woods for such a letter could come at any time, and a likely scenario is that the decision was made to evict us during the three weeks, and the decision just needs to be formalized with a notice - the date of the notice would determine that.
It is noted that the London Olympic Games began on Tisha B'Av. What has this got to do with Jews aside perhaps the few Israeli athletes participating? Well the same could have been asked for the start of World War I also on Tisha B'Av. Afterall the war began in Europe not in the Middle East, and Jews were not involved with the war. But it wasn't until many years down the track when the implication for Jews started to be felt culminating in the holocaust.
Yesterday we received a txt message that $500 was deposited into our bank account, and we had no idea whatsoever where it could have come from. We thought perhaps a Centerlink bonus payment since Sally is on the pension, or some tax compensation though I haven't yet submitted my tax return - I never do during the three weeks!! So I gotten online to check my account and saw that the funds were neither from Centerlink nor the tax office, indeed it wasn't from anyone that we knew. It appeared to be a mistake. So I buzzed off an email to the bank querying the deposit, afterall as it is said, honesty is the best policy, well its a good idea anyway! ;) And within two hours I gotten a reply!! Banks are very quick to attend to queries where funds are CREDITED by mistake, but when it comes to funds being DEBITED by mistake such as possible overcharging of fees, etc, it is forever before we hear back from them!! Nevertheless I was glad to hear from them so soon to have the issue resolved. There had indeed been a few accounting errors with customers receiving deposits by mistake, probably a computer glitch of some sort. The issue would be resolved, and the $500 would be going to its rightful owner - unfortunately not me!! LOL!!
Tuesday 31 July 2012
Saturday 28 July 2012
Reading of Lyndy's trip to the US and the trip to Disneyland I wonder if they had been on Space Mountain and whether they still had to wait in a queue for 90 minutes to get on that ride. It was my favorite ride but was only able to go on there twice cos the total wait time was over 3 hours!!! But in spite of my wide travels across the USA I had never been to the north-west (eg Montana, Yellowstone, etc) therefore could not compare notes! LOL! And speaking of their trip to Yellowstone, I thought to mention that Yellowstone is on top of a dormant volcano but just not terribly high compared to the area it covers, and many scientists are predicting that anytime soon the volcano could blow its top wiping out the whole national park and affecting a wide area of that part of America with dense ash clouds, etc, it would be an utter catastrophe, the worst disaster in US history WHEN it happens, its not IF it happens but WHEN. It could happen tomorrow or it may not happen for 100 years, but it apparently has happened a long time ago and is due to happen again. I am glad it didn't happen while Lyndy was there!!!! hehe!!!
I also see noticing one of the pixs being of a gas (petrol) station the fuel is still very cheap in the US even if not as cheap as back in 1998. But allowing for the conversion rate from gallons to litres it is equivalent to about 90c/litre. Here in Perth we are paying aroung $1.40-$1.50/litre!!! And the exchange rate can't be blamed cos the Aussie dollar is now virtually the same as the US dollar. Back in 1998 it was about 60c to the US dollar.
Anyway back to my more mundane existence.... here the pixs of the new driveway as promised. How sad it is that my life is so boring that something like a new driveway courtesy of the council is deemed worthy to be included on this blog. My current life is so depressingly boring, being reduced to nothing more than a home nurse for a partner whose condition seems to be getting no better, indeed there is no end in sight. It all can be traced back to that fateful night back in 1980 when I saw that UFO, it was that sighting that changed my life and its direction. Most contactees (those who experienced UFO and ET contact, and I experienced both) either end up in the looney bins or join religious cults. Since I had already been in a kind of a "looney bin" at age 5 or so I took the other option - religion. And look where it has gotten me....... I wish I had a Tardis and could go back to 1980 all over again. Anyway......
Today is Tisha B'Av, and Sally's sores has indeed taken a turn for the worst. The leaks have turned into a torrent, you could actually see the fluid dripping out like a tap. Previously it was merely just oozing out more like a slow leak. And the color has changed, from nearly clear with a slight yellow tinge to bright yellow!! Now I am a Physicist and not a Medical Practitioner so I wouldn't know what the color changes means, but being on Tisha B'Av my feeling is it cannot be a good sign.
So far nothing else has happened yet today but then the day is not yet over.
Here's the pixs of the driveway taken early morning before sunrise - must be a good camera phone cos it turned up remarkably bright. But it was another clear day turning out to be sunny once again, the drought on the west coast continues...........
I also see noticing one of the pixs being of a gas (petrol) station the fuel is still very cheap in the US even if not as cheap as back in 1998. But allowing for the conversion rate from gallons to litres it is equivalent to about 90c/litre. Here in Perth we are paying aroung $1.40-$1.50/litre!!! And the exchange rate can't be blamed cos the Aussie dollar is now virtually the same as the US dollar. Back in 1998 it was about 60c to the US dollar.
Anyway back to my more mundane existence.... here the pixs of the new driveway as promised. How sad it is that my life is so boring that something like a new driveway courtesy of the council is deemed worthy to be included on this blog. My current life is so depressingly boring, being reduced to nothing more than a home nurse for a partner whose condition seems to be getting no better, indeed there is no end in sight. It all can be traced back to that fateful night back in 1980 when I saw that UFO, it was that sighting that changed my life and its direction. Most contactees (those who experienced UFO and ET contact, and I experienced both) either end up in the looney bins or join religious cults. Since I had already been in a kind of a "looney bin" at age 5 or so I took the other option - religion. And look where it has gotten me....... I wish I had a Tardis and could go back to 1980 all over again. Anyway......
Today is Tisha B'Av, and Sally's sores has indeed taken a turn for the worst. The leaks have turned into a torrent, you could actually see the fluid dripping out like a tap. Previously it was merely just oozing out more like a slow leak. And the color has changed, from nearly clear with a slight yellow tinge to bright yellow!! Now I am a Physicist and not a Medical Practitioner so I wouldn't know what the color changes means, but being on Tisha B'Av my feeling is it cannot be a good sign.
So far nothing else has happened yet today but then the day is not yet over.
Here's the pixs of the driveway taken early morning before sunrise - must be a good camera phone cos it turned up remarkably bright. But it was another clear day turning out to be sunny once again, the drought on the west coast continues...........
Thursday 26 July 2012
Well I got to "christen" our new driveway this morning, was finally able to use the car again and "christen" the driveway by driving on it on my way out to work. It is sad when the most exciting part of one's life is a new driveway or at least a new bottom part of the driveway. I will post pixs when I get home, this computer at my workplace is not quite sophisticated enough to accept uploads from my cell phone but my computer at home is set up for it.
We are close to the end of the three weeks with Tisha B'Av being the lunar anniversary of the Temples' destruction starting sundown tonight though being a Sabbath the Jews defers the fast until Sunday - Jews does not fast on a Sabbath except if Yom Kippur happens to fall on a Sabbath which happened last year. The end of the three weeks is often the most intense, and indeed some of the worst calamities to befall Jews happened on the day of Tisha B'Av. The 1st World War began on Tisha B'Av, this led to the holocaust some two decades later, and the eviction from the Warsaw Ghetto also started on Tisha B'Av, those Jews were fated to enter into the holocaust.
This brings me to the football tipping, granted that it is less than miniscule compared to the holocaust nevertheless one's suffering is relative. When things are going relatively well, that is, there is no wars happening in our immediate vicinity, not under occupation of hostile foreign forces who hates Jews, and etc, our "suffering" tends to be focused on more trivial matters - such as my tipping scores!!! And tonight we have Essendon and Hawthorn. On paper its a no brainer but we all know Essendon is good at pulling the rabbit out of the hat, they could turn around and thrash the Hawks thus adding to my already catastrophic points variance given I pick the Hawks. I haven't submitted my tips yet so not going to say who I will pick. Then my beloved Magpies plays tomorrow, Tisha B'Av day, and well again it should be a no brainer but knowing my luck the Giants could turn around and beat us!!! Afterall the match is in Sydney.
Now on not so trivial matter though still miniscule compared to the holocaust..... eviction of another kind, our eviction from our house. As yet we have had no indications of our eviction, no letters from real estate companies, no eviction notices, and no visits from the landlord though had to deal with him in regards to the footpath/driveway. But given that the worst calamities occurs on Tisha B'Av, and in our situation our eviction would be close to the worst calamity to befall us at this particular time, I will be very nervous if we are paid a visit by the landlord tomorrow even just to inspect the new driveway!! Sooner or later he will want to see the new driveway, and he usually comes by on Saturdays if he comes by at all.
I guess we shall wait and see how it all pans out.
We are close to the end of the three weeks with Tisha B'Av being the lunar anniversary of the Temples' destruction starting sundown tonight though being a Sabbath the Jews defers the fast until Sunday - Jews does not fast on a Sabbath except if Yom Kippur happens to fall on a Sabbath which happened last year. The end of the three weeks is often the most intense, and indeed some of the worst calamities to befall Jews happened on the day of Tisha B'Av. The 1st World War began on Tisha B'Av, this led to the holocaust some two decades later, and the eviction from the Warsaw Ghetto also started on Tisha B'Av, those Jews were fated to enter into the holocaust.
This brings me to the football tipping, granted that it is less than miniscule compared to the holocaust nevertheless one's suffering is relative. When things are going relatively well, that is, there is no wars happening in our immediate vicinity, not under occupation of hostile foreign forces who hates Jews, and etc, our "suffering" tends to be focused on more trivial matters - such as my tipping scores!!! And tonight we have Essendon and Hawthorn. On paper its a no brainer but we all know Essendon is good at pulling the rabbit out of the hat, they could turn around and thrash the Hawks thus adding to my already catastrophic points variance given I pick the Hawks. I haven't submitted my tips yet so not going to say who I will pick. Then my beloved Magpies plays tomorrow, Tisha B'Av day, and well again it should be a no brainer but knowing my luck the Giants could turn around and beat us!!! Afterall the match is in Sydney.
Now on not so trivial matter though still miniscule compared to the holocaust..... eviction of another kind, our eviction from our house. As yet we have had no indications of our eviction, no letters from real estate companies, no eviction notices, and no visits from the landlord though had to deal with him in regards to the footpath/driveway. But given that the worst calamities occurs on Tisha B'Av, and in our situation our eviction would be close to the worst calamity to befall us at this particular time, I will be very nervous if we are paid a visit by the landlord tomorrow even just to inspect the new driveway!! Sooner or later he will want to see the new driveway, and he usually comes by on Saturdays if he comes by at all.
I guess we shall wait and see how it all pans out.
Wednesday 25 July 2012
Well it was Scenario 2 and option 1 - refer to previous blog!! Sally duly informs me the concrete has been poured and the driveway blocked off. So I booked online a taxi for a specific time and as I waited at the front doors the taxi was on time but was shocked to see TWO taxis arrive!! Well there are often others at work, the more wealthy and higher level office people, who regularly uses the taxi for commutes to and from work, only this time there was no one waiting with me!! So utterly confused as to which taxi to approach, one opened his door and called out my name!! That answers the question. But I will never know whether both taxis responded to my booking or the other was simply waiting for someone else who was either later coming out or the taxi was early.
Anyway we were on our way to the medical supplies place, but such as the curse of the three weeks, when I gotten inside the shop there was another customer before me and she was really taking her time thus costing me money!! The wait time for taxis are I think charged at a higher rate than actual drive time. You see there are two ways to purchase items at the shop, you either order online and you pick it up a day later, or you walk in and order the items in the shop. Unfortunately we both go to the same counter. Pre ordering online is cheaper than simply purchasing the items instore, which is why I take the former option. But the customer before me looked like the type who wouldn't know the meaning of "online" nor ever used a computer in her life! There's a certain look about people who are dimwits when it comes to computers. And she was REALLY taking her time. Its not unusual to be waiting for other customers before being served but they don't usually take so long. This one was taking forever, and the taxi driver was about to come into the shop to see where I was when she FINALLY was through and I was able to simply pick up my order within 5 seconds!! The taxi driver loaded them in the trunk for me. But the taxi fare was at least twice the amount I would have paid if I was served immediately and gotten my order!! Indeed the fare was at least as expensive as if I took the taxi all the way home!! The curse of the three weeks always finds a way to inflict its sting on me!!
But the rest of the exercise went relatively smoothly. We gotten back to my workplace, then I packed up my items and brought with me from the order what I needed only for tonight. And I gotten home on the bus before dark!!
The driveway remains blocked this night, and unless the contractors comes really early and remove the barriers, it seems likely I will be back on the buses tomorrow. I am not sure how long it takes for the concrete to dry but I tend to think it is 24 hours, and according to Sally, they didn't start work until after 1PM...... anyway tomorrow is Thursday and there are only three more days to go before the end of the cursed three weeks. Saturday is the anniversary of the Temples' destruction.
Anyway we were on our way to the medical supplies place, but such as the curse of the three weeks, when I gotten inside the shop there was another customer before me and she was really taking her time thus costing me money!! The wait time for taxis are I think charged at a higher rate than actual drive time. You see there are two ways to purchase items at the shop, you either order online and you pick it up a day later, or you walk in and order the items in the shop. Unfortunately we both go to the same counter. Pre ordering online is cheaper than simply purchasing the items instore, which is why I take the former option. But the customer before me looked like the type who wouldn't know the meaning of "online" nor ever used a computer in her life! There's a certain look about people who are dimwits when it comes to computers. And she was REALLY taking her time. Its not unusual to be waiting for other customers before being served but they don't usually take so long. This one was taking forever, and the taxi driver was about to come into the shop to see where I was when she FINALLY was through and I was able to simply pick up my order within 5 seconds!! The taxi driver loaded them in the trunk for me. But the taxi fare was at least twice the amount I would have paid if I was served immediately and gotten my order!! Indeed the fare was at least as expensive as if I took the taxi all the way home!! The curse of the three weeks always finds a way to inflict its sting on me!!
But the rest of the exercise went relatively smoothly. We gotten back to my workplace, then I packed up my items and brought with me from the order what I needed only for tonight. And I gotten home on the bus before dark!!
The driveway remains blocked this night, and unless the contractors comes really early and remove the barriers, it seems likely I will be back on the buses tomorrow. I am not sure how long it takes for the concrete to dry but I tend to think it is 24 hours, and according to Sally, they didn't start work until after 1PM...... anyway tomorrow is Thursday and there are only three more days to go before the end of the cursed three weeks. Saturday is the anniversary of the Temples' destruction.
Tuesday 24 July 2012
The saga of the footpath takes more twists during this cursed 3rd week of the three weeks. As stated in yesterday's blog I took the bus in to work today in case they decided to pour the concrete and block access to my driveway for however long it takes for the concrete to dry. But discovered another problem. The need for me to pick up my order of bandages etc TODAY. Silver Chains never provides us with enough bandages and tape, indeed there are days when they don't provide anything at all to get us through the days to their next visit. So we have to provide our own bandages and tapes. And they don't provide the protection sheets that would prevent the fluids from Sally's sores from ruining the chair, so we have to provide our own. This is why we spend $350 or more per fortnite on such supplies hence our life and other priorities are permanently on hold as there is no end in sight to the sores. We order all three items from a medical supply place less than a mile from where I work. So to save on the delivery charge I call in after work to pick them up. And last night we used the last of the bandages so I will need to pick up more today. Problem is I am on foot, and though the place is within walking distance from work, there is simply no way I could carry the large box back to work. Also the box would be too big for carrying on the bus. But I will have to pick up the delivery TODAY, there is no other option. So we have a couple of possible scenarios....
Scenario 1 - They have not started work on the path, or the path hasn't reached our house. Therefore I will take the bus home, then immediately get the car out and travel back to the place. It will be peak hour traffic but for the most part the traffic would be in the opposite direction as I would be traveling towards the city. As long as I get there before 5PM closing time all will be OK.
Scenario 2 - Work had started on the footpath outside our house and our driveway is blocked to vehicular access. This is where I will need to utilize the more expensive taxi option.There are two basic options.
Option 1 - Take taxi to the place, pick up order, then have taxi to drop me back at my workplace, then retrieve only a couple of items which is needed for tonight, leave the box with the rest of the items in my office at work, then take bus back home.
Advantage - Cheaper as it is less than a mile between my work place and the medical supplies place.
Disadvantage - It will take me longer before I reach home. Likely to be dark when I finally reach home. Don't like traveling on public transport in the dark. Dinner will be late, takeout option not available as there are no takeout joints within walking distance of home and don't like walking in the dark anyway. Late start to changing bandages, making it a late night all round.
Option 2 - Take taxi to the place then straight back home.
Advantage - Home quicker, indeed almost as quick as if I drove myself though the taxi is unlikely to know the traffic shortcuts options and won't take them as he would seek to maximize the fare. The whole package will be home with me. Evening routines relatively normal.
Disadvantage - Far more expensive as it is 5 miles back to home as opposed to only a mile to work.
However in spite of more inconveniences I would take Option 1 should Scenario 2 takes place. We have flexi time at work, so can stay up later and come into work later the next day. It remains to be seen what will happen.........
Scenario 1 - They have not started work on the path, or the path hasn't reached our house. Therefore I will take the bus home, then immediately get the car out and travel back to the place. It will be peak hour traffic but for the most part the traffic would be in the opposite direction as I would be traveling towards the city. As long as I get there before 5PM closing time all will be OK.
Scenario 2 - Work had started on the footpath outside our house and our driveway is blocked to vehicular access. This is where I will need to utilize the more expensive taxi option.There are two basic options.
Option 1 - Take taxi to the place, pick up order, then have taxi to drop me back at my workplace, then retrieve only a couple of items which is needed for tonight, leave the box with the rest of the items in my office at work, then take bus back home.
Advantage - Cheaper as it is less than a mile between my work place and the medical supplies place.
Disadvantage - It will take me longer before I reach home. Likely to be dark when I finally reach home. Don't like traveling on public transport in the dark. Dinner will be late, takeout option not available as there are no takeout joints within walking distance of home and don't like walking in the dark anyway. Late start to changing bandages, making it a late night all round.
Option 2 - Take taxi to the place then straight back home.
Advantage - Home quicker, indeed almost as quick as if I drove myself though the taxi is unlikely to know the traffic shortcuts options and won't take them as he would seek to maximize the fare. The whole package will be home with me. Evening routines relatively normal.
Disadvantage - Far more expensive as it is 5 miles back to home as opposed to only a mile to work.
However in spite of more inconveniences I would take Option 1 should Scenario 2 takes place. We have flexi time at work, so can stay up later and come into work later the next day. It remains to be seen what will happen.........
Monday 23 July 2012
This the final week of the cursed three weeks and is always the most chaotic week. I think this time it will include the saga of the footpath. As I mentioned a few blogs ago the council is fixin to install a concrete footpath down MY side of the street, and they were to start work on it this week. Well yesterday while I was at work they dug up the front part of our lawn and the bottom part of our driveway in preparation for pouring the concrete. So I had to drive through sand to get back home from work. Then there was a note in the mailbox from the contractor stating that the concrete will be pour "tomorrow" - which now means today.
So I thought.... well.... if they pour the concrete it is going to take some time for it to dry, therefore, if I went to work in the morning I would not be able to get the car back into the driveway and into the garage when I come home. Leaving it parked in the street is not an option due to our high crime rate, this being the 3rd week of the three weeks therefore if anything was going to happen to the car then it surely would then, and furthermore the alarm is not working making it more likely for something to happen to the car. Well it's not that the alarm itself is not working but rather the key clicker that activates the alarm, indeed it has been out of action for some time. Battery is not the problem, I had installed a new battery into the device and double checked to make sure the battery was inserted correctly with the correct polarity in the correct position. So it can't be the battery. It must be something to do with the electronics. And when we spend $300 to $400 per fortnite on bandages etc for Sally, there are nothing left for such things as getting the clicker fixed. So the car continues to be devoid of an alarm, but as long as the car remains locked in the garage each night it should reasonably be OK. Fortunately I am able to park the car just outside the door of the warehouse at work, and my office is next to it, and there are always my colleagues near the door as well as couriers and delivery people, so the car is relatively safe at work. It's just the shopping malls that is the worry but I take simple precautions, not leaving valuables in sight, and etc, and I am never in the shops for too long - I am in then out again usually within the hour. And if I can possibly help it I don't go to the malls at night.
However even if the alarm was working I would still balk at the prospect of leaving the car parked in the street overnight, it is simply not an option without the alarm. Perth being the crime capital of Australia, probably the crime capital of at least most of the western world. It is a fact that our crime rate is higher than that of New York City. The only reason there seems to be more crimes in NYC is simply due to the population being close to that of the whole of Australia as amazing as that is to fit into such a small area of land. However on a per capita basis of population you stand a greater chance of being bonked on the head and having your life savings stolen from you while in Perth than in NYC. During my America trip I visited NYC catching the bus there on my own and was to meet a couple of friends on a NYC street corner just above the underground bus station. They were late due to being held up by the trains so I waited on a NYC street corner on my little lonesome for probably a couple of hours watching all kinds of people passing by, black people, white people, red people, Jewish people and all inbetween people, and I felt perfectly safe. Not once did I feel even remotely threatened by anyone. But if I was to stand on a Perth street corner I'd be forever watching over my shoulder, making sure to keep out the way of any shady characters, and keeping my life's possessions very close to my chest!!! Anyway back to the footpath saga........
Therefore I thought of a bright idea, throw a sickie and stay home. That would eliminate the issue of access to our property by car. However as they say even the best laid plans comes unstuck especially during the three weeks!! This is now mid-afternoon and they still haven't started on the concrete pour, absolutely nothing at all in our whole street. So it seems they would not start until at least tomorrow, and I can't take two sickies in a row - well technically we can, under public service rules we can take up to two consecutive days off work without needing a medical note. However my boss is perfectly within his rights to require a medical note if he gets suspicious that I am just throwing sickies, and this being the three weeks of curses, I am not about to push my luck or lack thereof. So regardless of what happens with the concreting I will have to go to work tomorrow.
So public transport it will be. It's been a while since I caught the bus, and I hope my smart rider card still works and that I still have credit on it. I can check on the Transperth website only that I am not sure if I remember my password, and the email addy I submitted to them probably doesn't exist anymore as I tend to keep separate email addys for separate things and I discard them when no longer used. And I have not much change on me. So I will have to sort that problem out in a bit.
So I guess.... watch this space for updates on the saga of the footpath and the curses of the final week of the three weeks.
So I thought.... well.... if they pour the concrete it is going to take some time for it to dry, therefore, if I went to work in the morning I would not be able to get the car back into the driveway and into the garage when I come home. Leaving it parked in the street is not an option due to our high crime rate, this being the 3rd week of the three weeks therefore if anything was going to happen to the car then it surely would then, and furthermore the alarm is not working making it more likely for something to happen to the car. Well it's not that the alarm itself is not working but rather the key clicker that activates the alarm, indeed it has been out of action for some time. Battery is not the problem, I had installed a new battery into the device and double checked to make sure the battery was inserted correctly with the correct polarity in the correct position. So it can't be the battery. It must be something to do with the electronics. And when we spend $300 to $400 per fortnite on bandages etc for Sally, there are nothing left for such things as getting the clicker fixed. So the car continues to be devoid of an alarm, but as long as the car remains locked in the garage each night it should reasonably be OK. Fortunately I am able to park the car just outside the door of the warehouse at work, and my office is next to it, and there are always my colleagues near the door as well as couriers and delivery people, so the car is relatively safe at work. It's just the shopping malls that is the worry but I take simple precautions, not leaving valuables in sight, and etc, and I am never in the shops for too long - I am in then out again usually within the hour. And if I can possibly help it I don't go to the malls at night.
However even if the alarm was working I would still balk at the prospect of leaving the car parked in the street overnight, it is simply not an option without the alarm. Perth being the crime capital of Australia, probably the crime capital of at least most of the western world. It is a fact that our crime rate is higher than that of New York City. The only reason there seems to be more crimes in NYC is simply due to the population being close to that of the whole of Australia as amazing as that is to fit into such a small area of land. However on a per capita basis of population you stand a greater chance of being bonked on the head and having your life savings stolen from you while in Perth than in NYC. During my America trip I visited NYC catching the bus there on my own and was to meet a couple of friends on a NYC street corner just above the underground bus station. They were late due to being held up by the trains so I waited on a NYC street corner on my little lonesome for probably a couple of hours watching all kinds of people passing by, black people, white people, red people, Jewish people and all inbetween people, and I felt perfectly safe. Not once did I feel even remotely threatened by anyone. But if I was to stand on a Perth street corner I'd be forever watching over my shoulder, making sure to keep out the way of any shady characters, and keeping my life's possessions very close to my chest!!! Anyway back to the footpath saga........
Therefore I thought of a bright idea, throw a sickie and stay home. That would eliminate the issue of access to our property by car. However as they say even the best laid plans comes unstuck especially during the three weeks!! This is now mid-afternoon and they still haven't started on the concrete pour, absolutely nothing at all in our whole street. So it seems they would not start until at least tomorrow, and I can't take two sickies in a row - well technically we can, under public service rules we can take up to two consecutive days off work without needing a medical note. However my boss is perfectly within his rights to require a medical note if he gets suspicious that I am just throwing sickies, and this being the three weeks of curses, I am not about to push my luck or lack thereof. So regardless of what happens with the concreting I will have to go to work tomorrow.
So public transport it will be. It's been a while since I caught the bus, and I hope my smart rider card still works and that I still have credit on it. I can check on the Transperth website only that I am not sure if I remember my password, and the email addy I submitted to them probably doesn't exist anymore as I tend to keep separate email addys for separate things and I discard them when no longer used. And I have not much change on me. So I will have to sort that problem out in a bit.
So I guess.... watch this space for updates on the saga of the footpath and the curses of the final week of the three weeks.
Sunday 22 July 2012
This weekend's football tipping and this is rather freaky, exactly the same scenario happened this weekend as had happened two weeks ago at the start of the cursed three weeks. That is I managed to score 7 points with every team picked coming up with the goods EXCEPT Essendon and my beloved Magpies, and the Friday night match suffering a big loss blowing out my points variance. Only difference is, while two weeks ago it was the Magpies who suffered a big Friday night loss, this time it was Essendon who suffered a big Friday night loss blowing out my points variance even more!!!! This all seems strangely synchronistic!! I learned from an early age that there is no such creature as "coincidence". So as far as tipping results goes I managed to escape the curse of the three weeks with a score of 7 from 9 on each of the three weekends but it is the points variance that is killing me and may cost me any chance of any prize money at the end. Where the points are equal when prizes are decided, the one with the lowest points variance will win the prize, this will certainly not be me!! For each of these three weekends my points variances have blown out and is now impossibly high as it is cumulative from week to week - if that makes sense! ;) But I am not out of the woods yet. The cursed three weeks ends next weekend so we have a final weekend where I will once again need to perform my tipping against the background of the three weeks curse.
Saturday 21 July 2012
Well just as I thought would happen being now in the more intense final week of the cursed three weeks the football is rapidly turning into a catastrophic disaster area. Essendon was thrashed last night, losing by a large margin which is another nail in the coffin of my points variance, that I will kiss goodbye. And now my beloved Magpies let me down this afternoon. And so thanks to the curse of the three weeks, this will be the first season where I won't win any prize money.
Thursday 19 July 2012
We're now into the final week of this dreaded period, traditionally the most intense time. Jews traditionally observes more stringent traditions during this what is known as "The Nine Days of Av" being the nine days of the month of Av to the anniversary of the Temple's destruction. I follow no traditions except my own set of "traditions" which is based on personal experiences. Indeed this is how "traditions" evolves in the first place, only that we human tends to adopt the "one size fits all" approach and imposes the traditions on everyone else forgetting that we are all individuals and what works for one may not necessarily works for another. The Jewish traditions, for example, would have been based on the personal experience of a certain Rabbi or other religious leader, and for whatever reason, he decides the traditions which works so wonderfully for him should work for everyone else, hence he imposes them as religious dogma. For example all Jews are commanded to fast on Tisha B'Av, but I do not fast, I just adopt my own personal "traditions" that works for me.
Having said all that, the last few days has been relatively quiet, no major incidences just many "minor" incidences which in itself individually are not unusual but the frequency of them are, more than we usually contend with!! For example being woken up by Sally in the middle of the night one time too many I decided to throw a sickie from work yesterday. That morning turned out to be near the coldest on record being only a degree above freezing. The days are sunny and relatively warm but the nights are freezing cold. Such is life on the west coast, no rain during winter just freezing cold nights.
Next week they are planning on installing a footpath along one side of the street - OUR side!! It will mean a certain amount of interruption of access to our house at least by car, not really sure how it will work out or for how long. It seems certain to create problems for the Silver Chains carers who visits Sally three times per week but I am sure it will not be the first time they will encounter a house with construction works outside!! If I can figure out when the construction of the path reaches our property then I may throw a sickie or catch public transport. But being coincident with the last of the three weeks it will be interesting how it all pans out. When it is finished it will make it easier for me to maintain the front lawn, not only because there will be less of it, but the edgings at the bottom of the driveway where it is all bitumen is a pain in the arse with the lawn growing directly into the bitumen making it almost impossible to pull out - the path which will run directly adjacent to the street will take care of that little problem!! The rest of the driveway is concrete and raised a bit about an inch or two so is easier to maintain the edges.
The football tipping..... so far my tipping seemed to escape the curses of the three weeks aside from the points variance and unexpected loss by the Magpies on the 1st week. This week the Magpies faces a tough opponent in Hawthorn, and well the Essendon/Geelong match is hard to pick as well, that is tonight when we also submit the points variance, so I played it safe and chose a low value, and Essendon to win. I remain loyal to my Magpies at least for this week!! ;)
Having said all that, the last few days has been relatively quiet, no major incidences just many "minor" incidences which in itself individually are not unusual but the frequency of them are, more than we usually contend with!! For example being woken up by Sally in the middle of the night one time too many I decided to throw a sickie from work yesterday. That morning turned out to be near the coldest on record being only a degree above freezing. The days are sunny and relatively warm but the nights are freezing cold. Such is life on the west coast, no rain during winter just freezing cold nights.
Next week they are planning on installing a footpath along one side of the street - OUR side!! It will mean a certain amount of interruption of access to our house at least by car, not really sure how it will work out or for how long. It seems certain to create problems for the Silver Chains carers who visits Sally three times per week but I am sure it will not be the first time they will encounter a house with construction works outside!! If I can figure out when the construction of the path reaches our property then I may throw a sickie or catch public transport. But being coincident with the last of the three weeks it will be interesting how it all pans out. When it is finished it will make it easier for me to maintain the front lawn, not only because there will be less of it, but the edgings at the bottom of the driveway where it is all bitumen is a pain in the arse with the lawn growing directly into the bitumen making it almost impossible to pull out - the path which will run directly adjacent to the street will take care of that little problem!! The rest of the driveway is concrete and raised a bit about an inch or two so is easier to maintain the edges.
The football tipping..... so far my tipping seemed to escape the curses of the three weeks aside from the points variance and unexpected loss by the Magpies on the 1st week. This week the Magpies faces a tough opponent in Hawthorn, and well the Essendon/Geelong match is hard to pick as well, that is tonight when we also submit the points variance, so I played it safe and chose a low value, and Essendon to win. I remain loyal to my Magpies at least for this week!! ;)
Monday 16 July 2012
I wake up and go to work before dawn during these long dark nights of winter, and this very cold and clear morning I saw the thin crescent of the moon in the eastern sky just prior to dawn. Jews from ancient times witnessing this same phenomena will have known that the end of the month is near, the New Moon a day or so later marking the end of the month. Then the next evening the thin crescent of the setting moon in the west will have marked the start of a new month, the 1st of the month known as Rosh Chodesh. These days the Jews works on a set calendar over a 19 year cycle, nevertheless, even now the New Moon more or less marks the end of the months within no more of a margin than a day.
However this 4th New Moon since the Northern Hemisphere spring will have marked the end of the cursed month of Tammuz and herald to start of the even more intensely cursed month of Av, the most cursed month of the Hebrew year, when the worst of calamities occurred. Three of the worst calamities are the destruction of the Temple in the 6th century BCE, the destruction of the rebuilt Temple in AD70, and the start of World War I which set in motion world events that led to the Jewish holocaust two to three decades later - the worst calamity to befall Jews during these modern times. Indeed all three events occurred on Tisha B'Av that is the 9th day of Av. Related to the third event, the Jews were deported from the Warsaw Ghetto on Tisha B'Av 1942 leading straight to the holocaust. And as recently as 2005 the Jewish settlements were ordered to be dismantled and the Jews expelled from their own land in the Gaza strip on Tisha B'Av, such a tragic order coming from their own government!!! A year later in 2006 the Lebanon war occurred EXACTLY during the three weeks, starting on Tzom Tammuz and ending on Tisha B'Av!! Only a Jew can understand what a terribly cursed month Av is.
It is not yet Tisha B'Av but the month of Av is soon upon us, and last night I burnt my dinner!! I was cooking as I usually do, then Sally needed attention with the bandages, so I turned down the stove. However in spite of this precautionary action I ended up burning the vegies to a crisp, the pot black and unusable. Cleaning it will be pointless. I have killed a pot that I have been using since I first moved out from mother's so many decades ago. Indeed if I remember rightly it was mother who had given me the pot. Now it is a hopeless black mass, the carbon baked on so thoroughly that Gillard would have a field day taxing that one!! LOL!! Needless to say I was rather devastated. That was day 11 of the three weeks........
However this 4th New Moon since the Northern Hemisphere spring will have marked the end of the cursed month of Tammuz and herald to start of the even more intensely cursed month of Av, the most cursed month of the Hebrew year, when the worst of calamities occurred. Three of the worst calamities are the destruction of the Temple in the 6th century BCE, the destruction of the rebuilt Temple in AD70, and the start of World War I which set in motion world events that led to the Jewish holocaust two to three decades later - the worst calamity to befall Jews during these modern times. Indeed all three events occurred on Tisha B'Av that is the 9th day of Av. Related to the third event, the Jews were deported from the Warsaw Ghetto on Tisha B'Av 1942 leading straight to the holocaust. And as recently as 2005 the Jewish settlements were ordered to be dismantled and the Jews expelled from their own land in the Gaza strip on Tisha B'Av, such a tragic order coming from their own government!!! A year later in 2006 the Lebanon war occurred EXACTLY during the three weeks, starting on Tzom Tammuz and ending on Tisha B'Av!! Only a Jew can understand what a terribly cursed month Av is.
It is not yet Tisha B'Av but the month of Av is soon upon us, and last night I burnt my dinner!! I was cooking as I usually do, then Sally needed attention with the bandages, so I turned down the stove. However in spite of this precautionary action I ended up burning the vegies to a crisp, the pot black and unusable. Cleaning it will be pointless. I have killed a pot that I have been using since I first moved out from mother's so many decades ago. Indeed if I remember rightly it was mother who had given me the pot. Now it is a hopeless black mass, the carbon baked on so thoroughly that Gillard would have a field day taxing that one!! LOL!! Needless to say I was rather devastated. That was day 11 of the three weeks........
Now into the 2nd week of the three weeks of horror Sally's sores continue to spread at an ever quicker pace with seemingly no end in sight. It has been an intense weekend.
Today I was at the mall spending Sally's pension check, needing a few items of groceries, and was given permission to get myself some new underwear. To me I see clothing purely as a means to an end and somewhat of a necessary evil, to help abide by society's laws and morals, and at this time of year, to help keep warm. I therefore rarely buy clothes for myself as I find it positively boring. Since my childhood I never liked receiving clothes for my birthday or xmas. I'd get excited at unwrapping toys, etc, but when it comes to clothes I'd be somewhat disappointed. And so even through my teens, and now long into adulthood, I never buy clothes for myself unless I really have to. Underwear least of all. But as my current supply of underwear slowly dwindles due to normal wear and tear, to the point where I have only a single pair and it too developing holes where it shouldn't, I still refuse to spend the money on any new pair. When Sally queries it, I say we spend too much money on bandages etc and so can't afford it. Now Sally orders me to go buy new underwear with her pension check.
Now Jews traditionally do not purchase new clothes of any sort during the three weeks. But I don't necessarily follow Jewish traditions. I simply follow my own set of rules based on personal experiences, such as, never making any purchases of electronic or mechanical items and never doing my tax return during the three weeks. However I don't necessarily have a problem with buying new clothes, certainly not new underwear during the three weeks. I do not belong to the Jewish religion, indeed I don't belong to any religion. I never liked religion with all its rules and regulations, which is why I spent half my life drifting from church to church. I could never reconcile my personal spirituality with the rules and regulations imposed by churches, especially where what one church deems as "evil" another church deems as not only desirable but indeed necessary to be truly "saved" or at least "better" or "more spiritual" than members of the church down the road. I am way over all this kind of crap!! As a saying goes, "religious people are those afraid of going to hell, spiritual people are those who have already been there!!" And those knowing my life story will know I have already been to "hell" several times over!! Therefore I prefer to consider myself "spiritual" rather than "religious".
Anyway I arrived at the mall during my lunch hour and at first I needed to get some cash out of the ATM. First sign of trouble, my bank's ATM was out of action!! So I went to look for the ATM of a "partner" bank, what I can use to withdraw cash without attracting the fee that is normally charged when accessing the ATM of a "foreign" bank. However the ATM of that particular bank was also out of action!!! Two ATMs of two different banks being the two I needed to use both out of action while every other ATM of other banks were working normally only that to use any of the others would attract a transaction fee, it is only $2 but I consider it a rip off. Banks here in Australia are a law unto themselves, they rake in huge profits and can charge whatever fee they wish to charge. It does NOT cost $2 to access what is essentially an internet connection to access the data associated with my account and then to effect the transaction, indeed the real price is only a few cents. But like in everything else the banks way overcharge on everything hence their huge profits. But on this occasion I needed to use a "foreign" ATM and hence wear the $2 fee, its either that or starve, as I needed the cash to purchase my lunch!!
But that was not the end of the problems. I then went into Target to get a particular kind of underwear that I had gotten from that very same store at the very same mall before. I wear only a particular sort of underwear, am not prepared to go into details on this public blog site! But for reasons which I am also not prepared to reveal on this public site I will wear only that one sort of underwear and absolutely none other. So I went into Target only to find they no longer sell this particular kind!! They had it seems every other kind of underwear EXCEPT the one that I wear. By then I had no time to visit any other department store as I needed to be back at work, and am not likely to be back at the mall until Thursday when I get the privilege of spending my own pay check!!
The football tipping and 7 seems to be my number of choice as once again I managed to score 7 points out of a possible 9. Both my beloved Magpies and also Essendon doing their bit for me!!
Today I was at the mall spending Sally's pension check, needing a few items of groceries, and was given permission to get myself some new underwear. To me I see clothing purely as a means to an end and somewhat of a necessary evil, to help abide by society's laws and morals, and at this time of year, to help keep warm. I therefore rarely buy clothes for myself as I find it positively boring. Since my childhood I never liked receiving clothes for my birthday or xmas. I'd get excited at unwrapping toys, etc, but when it comes to clothes I'd be somewhat disappointed. And so even through my teens, and now long into adulthood, I never buy clothes for myself unless I really have to. Underwear least of all. But as my current supply of underwear slowly dwindles due to normal wear and tear, to the point where I have only a single pair and it too developing holes where it shouldn't, I still refuse to spend the money on any new pair. When Sally queries it, I say we spend too much money on bandages etc and so can't afford it. Now Sally orders me to go buy new underwear with her pension check.
Now Jews traditionally do not purchase new clothes of any sort during the three weeks. But I don't necessarily follow Jewish traditions. I simply follow my own set of rules based on personal experiences, such as, never making any purchases of electronic or mechanical items and never doing my tax return during the three weeks. However I don't necessarily have a problem with buying new clothes, certainly not new underwear during the three weeks. I do not belong to the Jewish religion, indeed I don't belong to any religion. I never liked religion with all its rules and regulations, which is why I spent half my life drifting from church to church. I could never reconcile my personal spirituality with the rules and regulations imposed by churches, especially where what one church deems as "evil" another church deems as not only desirable but indeed necessary to be truly "saved" or at least "better" or "more spiritual" than members of the church down the road. I am way over all this kind of crap!! As a saying goes, "religious people are those afraid of going to hell, spiritual people are those who have already been there!!" And those knowing my life story will know I have already been to "hell" several times over!! Therefore I prefer to consider myself "spiritual" rather than "religious".
Anyway I arrived at the mall during my lunch hour and at first I needed to get some cash out of the ATM. First sign of trouble, my bank's ATM was out of action!! So I went to look for the ATM of a "partner" bank, what I can use to withdraw cash without attracting the fee that is normally charged when accessing the ATM of a "foreign" bank. However the ATM of that particular bank was also out of action!!! Two ATMs of two different banks being the two I needed to use both out of action while every other ATM of other banks were working normally only that to use any of the others would attract a transaction fee, it is only $2 but I consider it a rip off. Banks here in Australia are a law unto themselves, they rake in huge profits and can charge whatever fee they wish to charge. It does NOT cost $2 to access what is essentially an internet connection to access the data associated with my account and then to effect the transaction, indeed the real price is only a few cents. But like in everything else the banks way overcharge on everything hence their huge profits. But on this occasion I needed to use a "foreign" ATM and hence wear the $2 fee, its either that or starve, as I needed the cash to purchase my lunch!!
But that was not the end of the problems. I then went into Target to get a particular kind of underwear that I had gotten from that very same store at the very same mall before. I wear only a particular sort of underwear, am not prepared to go into details on this public blog site! But for reasons which I am also not prepared to reveal on this public site I will wear only that one sort of underwear and absolutely none other. So I went into Target only to find they no longer sell this particular kind!! They had it seems every other kind of underwear EXCEPT the one that I wear. By then I had no time to visit any other department store as I needed to be back at work, and am not likely to be back at the mall until Thursday when I get the privilege of spending my own pay check!!
The football tipping and 7 seems to be my number of choice as once again I managed to score 7 points out of a possible 9. Both my beloved Magpies and also Essendon doing their bit for me!!
Saturday 14 July 2012
Well I have survived week 1 of the three weeks relatively unscathed except in regards to Sally's sores which has literally exploded over her body in the past week or so. My bandages budget is proof of that. Previously we have been spending $150-$200 per fortnite on bandages, tapes, protection sheets, etc, but in this past fortnite we spent a whopping $350!!! We can't all blame it on the carbon tax! LOL! Indeed the prices for the items have not gone up at all despite the carbon tax. But if some people are to be believed we can blame everything on the carbon tax, so if we vote for Abbot next year and abolishes the tax as promised Sally's sores will start getting better!! LOL!! Anyway I have made it known that we cannot continue to spend $350 per fortnite!! But with two more weeks to go I am experiencing a sense of utter dread, things are going to get worse before it gets better.
Our financial situation thanks to Sally's condition has been so dire that a while ago I needed to take out a loan. My credit rating is a disaster area so I didn't think I would get the loan, but to maximize my chances I went for minimum amount and minimum repayment terms. Much to my surprise I had been approved, and it has helped to get rid of the larger bills and keep our heads above water. I will have the opportunity to extend the loan in six months if I keep a perfect repayment record. At this current rate of things with the bandages I will be needing such an extension. It's not ideal to go deeper into debt but we have no choice, the current situation is unsustainable. We never go out, we don't have luxuries, I cook most of our meals, and we get by on just basic necessities.
Anyway much to my surprise the finance company as part of their promotion gives us a free $50 voucher on successful approval of the loan. I have had no knowledge whatsoever of this promotion. I just googled loan companies and just did an online application with the first one that came up. When I gotten a registered mail from the company I wondered what's the hairy heck was going on!! Well it turned out I received a free $50 gift card that can be used at Coles, K-Mart and a couple of other stores. Well just for a change I am going to spend it on myself! I never get anything for myself. My wages goes directly into rent, bills, groceries, and Sally's bandages etc, being supplemented by her pension. There is never anything left over for me!! So bugger it, I am spending this gift card on myself. I have some radio controlled models and robot dinosaurs etc I have my eye on at K-Mart. I am surprised at how cheap these things are now, as little as $20 for what seems to be a reasonable size radio controlled model 4WD!! For such prices I can get two items on my gift card!! I remember years ago such items were 100s of $$$$s, indeed when I got my first job back in the 1980s I bought myself a radio controlled 4WD for several hundreds of $$$s, granted it was a big one almost big enough to ride on it, but a similar big one now is less than $100.
However I won't be buying anything during this three weeks. Jews traditionally does not make purchases aside from necessities during the three weeks. There is a good reason for it. A few years ago before I even knew about this period I bought a new computer with my tax check and had nothing but problems with it!! It would crash constantly for no apparent reason and the shop could not find anything wrong with it despite repeated trips to the shop with the computer in hand!! It was utterly frustrating!! I became so exasperated!! After several months of angst and pain the shop finally agreed to replace the computer. But when I found out about the three weeks, the date on the original sales receipt for this doomed computer proved that it was purchased during the three weeks!!! Ever since then, when I look to buy new computers or other items with my tax check, I make the point NEVER to perform the purchase during the three weeks!! Indeed I NEVER do my taxes during the three weeks. I wait until well AFTER the three weeks before I do my taxes then make purchases. And so I will not be using my gift card nor buying myself any treats or toys during this three weeks. But it is something to look for if I survive this three weeks of curses and horrors.
Football tipping..... so far it has been reasonably kind. North Melbourne did win as predicted but it was a thrashing, and since I safely nominated a low points variance, I still ended up with a catastrophic high points variance!! It gets added to each week, so mine is going to be huge by the end of the season!! Nevertheless at least my tip was correct. I'm happy to say Essendon won as I tipped, and so far in the lead up to half time the Magpies are looking good. So tipping fortunes has been mixed, the final score will be known this time tomorrow night.
Our financial situation thanks to Sally's condition has been so dire that a while ago I needed to take out a loan. My credit rating is a disaster area so I didn't think I would get the loan, but to maximize my chances I went for minimum amount and minimum repayment terms. Much to my surprise I had been approved, and it has helped to get rid of the larger bills and keep our heads above water. I will have the opportunity to extend the loan in six months if I keep a perfect repayment record. At this current rate of things with the bandages I will be needing such an extension. It's not ideal to go deeper into debt but we have no choice, the current situation is unsustainable. We never go out, we don't have luxuries, I cook most of our meals, and we get by on just basic necessities.
Anyway much to my surprise the finance company as part of their promotion gives us a free $50 voucher on successful approval of the loan. I have had no knowledge whatsoever of this promotion. I just googled loan companies and just did an online application with the first one that came up. When I gotten a registered mail from the company I wondered what's the hairy heck was going on!! Well it turned out I received a free $50 gift card that can be used at Coles, K-Mart and a couple of other stores. Well just for a change I am going to spend it on myself! I never get anything for myself. My wages goes directly into rent, bills, groceries, and Sally's bandages etc, being supplemented by her pension. There is never anything left over for me!! So bugger it, I am spending this gift card on myself. I have some radio controlled models and robot dinosaurs etc I have my eye on at K-Mart. I am surprised at how cheap these things are now, as little as $20 for what seems to be a reasonable size radio controlled model 4WD!! For such prices I can get two items on my gift card!! I remember years ago such items were 100s of $$$$s, indeed when I got my first job back in the 1980s I bought myself a radio controlled 4WD for several hundreds of $$$s, granted it was a big one almost big enough to ride on it, but a similar big one now is less than $100.
However I won't be buying anything during this three weeks. Jews traditionally does not make purchases aside from necessities during the three weeks. There is a good reason for it. A few years ago before I even knew about this period I bought a new computer with my tax check and had nothing but problems with it!! It would crash constantly for no apparent reason and the shop could not find anything wrong with it despite repeated trips to the shop with the computer in hand!! It was utterly frustrating!! I became so exasperated!! After several months of angst and pain the shop finally agreed to replace the computer. But when I found out about the three weeks, the date on the original sales receipt for this doomed computer proved that it was purchased during the three weeks!!! Ever since then, when I look to buy new computers or other items with my tax check, I make the point NEVER to perform the purchase during the three weeks!! Indeed I NEVER do my taxes during the three weeks. I wait until well AFTER the three weeks before I do my taxes then make purchases. And so I will not be using my gift card nor buying myself any treats or toys during this three weeks. But it is something to look for if I survive this three weeks of curses and horrors.
Football tipping..... so far it has been reasonably kind. North Melbourne did win as predicted but it was a thrashing, and since I safely nominated a low points variance, I still ended up with a catastrophic high points variance!! It gets added to each week, so mine is going to be huge by the end of the season!! Nevertheless at least my tip was correct. I'm happy to say Essendon won as I tipped, and so far in the lead up to half time the Magpies are looking good. So tipping fortunes has been mixed, the final score will be known this time tomorrow night.
Thursday 12 July 2012
Welcome to Friday the 13th! Me superstitious?.... nah.... as three black cats walked across my path this morning, having to walk under a ladder to get to the fridge at work, and me dropping a mirror from one of the science kits watching it smash into a zillion pieces on the concrete floor! haha!! Indeed Friday the 13th holds no fear for me, indeed I normally look forward to such a day.
As for the three weeks however, well many would call me superstitious in regards to the three weeks. However we make an important distinction. The superstitions we are familiar with such as those associated with Friday the 13th are based on mythologies and false traditions. Friday the 13th combines two elements that are considered "unlucky" in western traditions - Friday and the number 13. Friday is considered unlucky because of the Christian mythology of Jesus death occurring on a Friday hence is why they we have the "Good Friday" holiday associated with Easter. But if we look at the facts based on the records of the Jewish calendar we in fact arrive at the conclusion the Jesus' death occurred on a Wednesday not a Friday and not very many of us would consider Wednesday to be particularly "unlucky". And as for the number 13, there are Christian mythologies associated with that number. However under Kaballah numerology 13 is certainly not considered unlucky. Indeed there are 13 tribes of Israel, and well opinions vary as to whether the Jews have been particularly "unlucky" or not but I'd consider them to be very lucky - there are still Jews on this planet in spite of several attempts by enemies through the ages to wipe the race from the face of this planet - most other races under such persecution would have been wiped out a long time ago!!!
The three weeks however are based on facts. The destruction of the Temples are facts of history and amazingly both Temples were destroyed on the same lunar date though six centuries apart. And the calamities befalling Jews during the three weeks are all verifiable through historical data by simple correlation between the Roman calendar dates and the Hebrew calendar. It is this same correlation that establishes the record of the calamities befalling myself during this three week period. Sally does not agree with me, she says I am superstitious and all this is a whole load of baloney but that is her opinion and I respect her right to be wrong! I know my own life more than anyone else on this planet. No one has lived my life for me so no one has the right to judge me on my views of the three weeks and my life's calamities.
With this in mind the football tipping, and it seems to be shaping up as very much a "three weeks" tipping nightmare with several matches that can go either way including the Friday night match tonight when we have to nominate our points variance - to tip not only the winner but the winning margin. Carlton and North Melbourne are difficult to separate with even expert tipsters divided on who is likely to win. I have gone with North Melbourne and nominated a low points variance so even if Carlton wins my already catastrophic variance score won't be too much more catastrophic. The Magpies match is also hard to pick but I decided to remain loyal to my beloved team. And as for Essendon.... hmmmmm..... well perhaps Essendon is expected to win this one but based on last week's performance.... well..... I will stick with Essendon this time even if I may live to regret it!! But yes it is one of those times where if anything can go wrong it will and I could really bomb out badly in the tipping!! If this happens I blame it on the three weeks!! But if luck is on my side and I get a good score, well I just put it down to Friday the 13th!! - I call that my lucky day!!
As for the three weeks however, well many would call me superstitious in regards to the three weeks. However we make an important distinction. The superstitions we are familiar with such as those associated with Friday the 13th are based on mythologies and false traditions. Friday the 13th combines two elements that are considered "unlucky" in western traditions - Friday and the number 13. Friday is considered unlucky because of the Christian mythology of Jesus death occurring on a Friday hence is why they we have the "Good Friday" holiday associated with Easter. But if we look at the facts based on the records of the Jewish calendar we in fact arrive at the conclusion the Jesus' death occurred on a Wednesday not a Friday and not very many of us would consider Wednesday to be particularly "unlucky". And as for the number 13, there are Christian mythologies associated with that number. However under Kaballah numerology 13 is certainly not considered unlucky. Indeed there are 13 tribes of Israel, and well opinions vary as to whether the Jews have been particularly "unlucky" or not but I'd consider them to be very lucky - there are still Jews on this planet in spite of several attempts by enemies through the ages to wipe the race from the face of this planet - most other races under such persecution would have been wiped out a long time ago!!!
The three weeks however are based on facts. The destruction of the Temples are facts of history and amazingly both Temples were destroyed on the same lunar date though six centuries apart. And the calamities befalling Jews during the three weeks are all verifiable through historical data by simple correlation between the Roman calendar dates and the Hebrew calendar. It is this same correlation that establishes the record of the calamities befalling myself during this three week period. Sally does not agree with me, she says I am superstitious and all this is a whole load of baloney but that is her opinion and I respect her right to be wrong! I know my own life more than anyone else on this planet. No one has lived my life for me so no one has the right to judge me on my views of the three weeks and my life's calamities.
With this in mind the football tipping, and it seems to be shaping up as very much a "three weeks" tipping nightmare with several matches that can go either way including the Friday night match tonight when we have to nominate our points variance - to tip not only the winner but the winning margin. Carlton and North Melbourne are difficult to separate with even expert tipsters divided on who is likely to win. I have gone with North Melbourne and nominated a low points variance so even if Carlton wins my already catastrophic variance score won't be too much more catastrophic. The Magpies match is also hard to pick but I decided to remain loyal to my beloved team. And as for Essendon.... hmmmmm..... well perhaps Essendon is expected to win this one but based on last week's performance.... well..... I will stick with Essendon this time even if I may live to regret it!! But yes it is one of those times where if anything can go wrong it will and I could really bomb out badly in the tipping!! If this happens I blame it on the three weeks!! But if luck is on my side and I get a good score, well I just put it down to Friday the 13th!! - I call that my lucky day!!
Wednesday 11 July 2012
Tuesday 10 July 2012
Day 4 of the 3 weeks and something of a "miracle" had happened..... well I don't know if "miracle"is quite the right term, but let's say, extraordinary at least.
Yesterday I lamented the fact that I had left my approx $20 worth of chocolates, cookies and other sweets at work. I was so certain that I would come into work this morning to find that the resident rats population will have helped themselves to this unexpected free meal at my expense. I was most shocked yet pleasantly surprised to find that my precious supply of sweets was totally and utterly untouched, not so much of even a nibble mark!! This was in spite of the fact that the bag was open and it was on the bottom shelf. On every other occasion in the past when I accidentally left food at work, just a single chocolate bar or packet of cookies, the rats had ALWAYS helped themselves to the meal overnight much to my lament!! This is even when I leave the food item on the higher shelves or even in my desk drawers - the rats climb up the space behind the drawers to get at my food.
Now I am scratching my head as to why the rats had apparently left my bag of food alone!! Perhaps they decided to go on diets and cut out on sweets or chocolates!! Or perhaps it was the weather, it rained a lot last night, and perhaps they hibernate when it is raining?? Or.... clutching at straws.... even the solar flares, cos in the past few days there has been particularly severe solar flares which explains the intermittent computer problems I have been experiencing. As I say, I am a physicist not a biologist, so though I understand about the recent alleged discovery of the Higgs-Boson particle - the so-called "god" particle, I have very little understanding of animal behavior especially rodent's behavior - all I knew or THOUGHT I knew is that leaving food behind at the warehouse is an open invitation to a free meal for its resident rats population!!! Why this didn't occur this time around is utterly beyond my scope of understanding, nevertheless, I am grateful for it. I take it as a reprieve and I certainly will do my best not to repeat the mistake - leaving my bag of sweets behind at work - for I may not be so lucky the next time around!!!!
Yesterday I lamented the fact that I had left my approx $20 worth of chocolates, cookies and other sweets at work. I was so certain that I would come into work this morning to find that the resident rats population will have helped themselves to this unexpected free meal at my expense. I was most shocked yet pleasantly surprised to find that my precious supply of sweets was totally and utterly untouched, not so much of even a nibble mark!! This was in spite of the fact that the bag was open and it was on the bottom shelf. On every other occasion in the past when I accidentally left food at work, just a single chocolate bar or packet of cookies, the rats had ALWAYS helped themselves to the meal overnight much to my lament!! This is even when I leave the food item on the higher shelves or even in my desk drawers - the rats climb up the space behind the drawers to get at my food.
Now I am scratching my head as to why the rats had apparently left my bag of food alone!! Perhaps they decided to go on diets and cut out on sweets or chocolates!! Or perhaps it was the weather, it rained a lot last night, and perhaps they hibernate when it is raining?? Or.... clutching at straws.... even the solar flares, cos in the past few days there has been particularly severe solar flares which explains the intermittent computer problems I have been experiencing. As I say, I am a physicist not a biologist, so though I understand about the recent alleged discovery of the Higgs-Boson particle - the so-called "god" particle, I have very little understanding of animal behavior especially rodent's behavior - all I knew or THOUGHT I knew is that leaving food behind at the warehouse is an open invitation to a free meal for its resident rats population!!! Why this didn't occur this time around is utterly beyond my scope of understanding, nevertheless, I am grateful for it. I take it as a reprieve and I certainly will do my best not to repeat the mistake - leaving my bag of sweets behind at work - for I may not be so lucky the next time around!!!!
Monday 9 July 2012
Day 3 of the three weeks started off without any incidence of significance. Well technically the "day" on the Jewish calendar begins and ends at sunset, so starting from sunset last night the day began with no significant incidents. We had dinner, changed Sally's bandages as usual, attended to her other needs without too much fuss, and went to bed.... woke up this morning and well there was a minor incidence. I wake up 5AM to get ready for work, and at this time of year it is dark, indeed it stays dark until about 7AM when I normally arrive at work. Anyway I try to wake up Sally so I can get her brekkie, help with any bandages and other things, making sure she has her lunch ready in the cooler bag, and etc, before I go to work. Sometimes it is difficult to wake her up, sometimes kicks up a lot of fuss about being woken up, but I had always managed to wake her up with time to spare for me to get to work on time. However this morning for the first time since the start of the health issues I could not wake her up! Nothing I did woke her up, at times opening her eyes only to close them again...... so in the end I gave up, and I was late for work. But being school holidays it wasn't such a big deal, and we do have flexi-time so can arrive at work between 7AM and 9:30AM, as long as we work an average of 7.5 hours each day. So being late for work this morning was nothing more than a minor inconvenience and would hardly count as an "incidence". I mentioned this only because this is the first time it happened.
And so the day went reasonably well, nothing much happening due to school holidays, so enjoyed a quiet day. So I thought day 3 was an uneventful day - until I pulled into my driveway after driving home from work only to discover that I had forgotten my bag of sweets - chocolates, cookies, and other treats that I nibble on through the day. This is the first time I had forgotten it, and since I had left it at work I can pretty well kiss it goodbye, cos when I arrive at work tomorrow morning, I will find that the rats will have helped themselves to a free meal overnight at my expense!! We never leave our food at work. On occasion I had left perhaps a bar of chocolate at work, or a packet of cookies, and always by the next day the rats had helped themselves to it, even when the packet is unopened - the rats always find a way to chew through the packaging and to get to the food. This happens nomatter where I leave them, the rats will always find a way to get to them. So for the past few months I have two of the recycle shopping bags, one containing various items for work, the other containing my sweets. I take them to work each day, and I bring both home from work each day.
But today for the first time ever, and for unexplained reasons, in spite of the fact that the two bags are always kept together, I had picked up only the work bag and not the sweets bag. And I was blissfully unaware of this lapse in concentrating even as I took the bag out to the car, and I drove on home with the bag next to me. It was not until I had gotten home and went to pick up the bag that it struck me I had left the sweets bag at work containing about $20 worth of goodies. So I now accept that I can kiss those goodies goodbye as the rats will have overnight helped themselves to $20 worth of goodies.
So it goes to prove that nothing can be done about the curse of the three weeks. It will always hit you one way or the other even when we thought we had escaped from it.
And so the day went reasonably well, nothing much happening due to school holidays, so enjoyed a quiet day. So I thought day 3 was an uneventful day - until I pulled into my driveway after driving home from work only to discover that I had forgotten my bag of sweets - chocolates, cookies, and other treats that I nibble on through the day. This is the first time I had forgotten it, and since I had left it at work I can pretty well kiss it goodbye, cos when I arrive at work tomorrow morning, I will find that the rats will have helped themselves to a free meal overnight at my expense!! We never leave our food at work. On occasion I had left perhaps a bar of chocolate at work, or a packet of cookies, and always by the next day the rats had helped themselves to it, even when the packet is unopened - the rats always find a way to chew through the packaging and to get to the food. This happens nomatter where I leave them, the rats will always find a way to get to them. So for the past few months I have two of the recycle shopping bags, one containing various items for work, the other containing my sweets. I take them to work each day, and I bring both home from work each day.
But today for the first time ever, and for unexplained reasons, in spite of the fact that the two bags are always kept together, I had picked up only the work bag and not the sweets bag. And I was blissfully unaware of this lapse in concentrating even as I took the bag out to the car, and I drove on home with the bag next to me. It was not until I had gotten home and went to pick up the bag that it struck me I had left the sweets bag at work containing about $20 worth of goodies. So I now accept that I can kiss those goodies goodbye as the rats will have overnight helped themselves to $20 worth of goodies.
So it goes to prove that nothing can be done about the curse of the three weeks. It will always hit you one way or the other even when we thought we had escaped from it.
Sunday 8 July 2012
Day 2 of the three weeks turned out to be relatively quiet after the torrid start yesterday. The football tipping results is interesting. I unexpectedly scored 7. It seems ironic that the two teams who let me down were Collingwood and Essendon!! grrrrrrrrrrrr...... But the Magpie result is destined to cost me as my margin "variance" is now blown to bits so more likely to lose out should there be any tie results in our tipping competition.
Reading on Lyndy's adventures in the States I lament the fact that my travel days are long over, with Sally being housebound, and her sores appearing to getting worse. I have a terrifying sense of doom, my future is very bleak indeed. It has been over a year since we been on any outings, day trips, or even just a drive to the beach or the hills. Sally simply cannot travel, she cannot ride in the car nor even walk out into the yard. Things are looking very grim indeed with no hope of any improvements, there is no light at the end of the tunnel.
With me being back at work, and Silver Chains coming over for their weekly visits, the potential for mishaps and calamities increases for tomorrow.
Reading on Lyndy's adventures in the States I lament the fact that my travel days are long over, with Sally being housebound, and her sores appearing to getting worse. I have a terrifying sense of doom, my future is very bleak indeed. It has been over a year since we been on any outings, day trips, or even just a drive to the beach or the hills. Sally simply cannot travel, she cannot ride in the car nor even walk out into the yard. Things are looking very grim indeed with no hope of any improvements, there is no light at the end of the tunnel.
With me being back at work, and Silver Chains coming over for their weekly visits, the potential for mishaps and calamities increases for tomorrow.
Saturday 7 July 2012
Day 1 of the three weeks of horror. The waning July moon heralds a time of darkness and calamities, the 17th day of the lunar month Tammuz.
This has been a chaotic start. First the stuff-up with Silver Chains. What SHOULD happen is the home carer first comes, she gives Sally her wash, then the nurse comes and checks her sores and change the bandages. However on this occasion this did not happen. The home carer was late. This was not the first time the carer was late but she always manages to get there before the nurse and so Sally still gets her wash. But for the first time, this did not happen. The nurse arrived BEFORE the home carer, and she was already changing the bandages before the carer came. So Sally missed out on her wash for the first time. This marked a fine start to this three weeks period.
Then my football team! The Magpies!! Don't even talk about it! It's not that they lost that is the issue, afterall, our beloved teams do lose on occasion regardless of any 3-weeks curses. It is just the nature of sports. But it is HOW they lost and the CIRCUMSTANCES. The Magpies were EXPECTED to win, almost a universal opinion of our newspaper's tipsters, it would just be a matter of how much they would win by. They won 8 matches in a row and were looking good. Carlton were way down the ladder, barely top 8. And being a Friday night match it really messed up my tipping. It's the Friday night matches where we also predict the winning margins, and the difference between our prediction and the actual margin is added to our total for the season. So where there is two or more people in the tipping competition with equal scores, it is this total margin "variance" that decides the winner. It's very rare to jag the margin on any given week but as long as the team still wins the variance is not that large. But when the team loses, the variance goes through the roof - I need not explain any further!! So it looks like my tipping will be diabolical for this first week of the 3 weeks, and it will certainly cost me any chance of winning any prizes.
This has been a chaotic start. First the stuff-up with Silver Chains. What SHOULD happen is the home carer first comes, she gives Sally her wash, then the nurse comes and checks her sores and change the bandages. However on this occasion this did not happen. The home carer was late. This was not the first time the carer was late but she always manages to get there before the nurse and so Sally still gets her wash. But for the first time, this did not happen. The nurse arrived BEFORE the home carer, and she was already changing the bandages before the carer came. So Sally missed out on her wash for the first time. This marked a fine start to this three weeks period.
Then my football team! The Magpies!! Don't even talk about it! It's not that they lost that is the issue, afterall, our beloved teams do lose on occasion regardless of any 3-weeks curses. It is just the nature of sports. But it is HOW they lost and the CIRCUMSTANCES. The Magpies were EXPECTED to win, almost a universal opinion of our newspaper's tipsters, it would just be a matter of how much they would win by. They won 8 matches in a row and were looking good. Carlton were way down the ladder, barely top 8. And being a Friday night match it really messed up my tipping. It's the Friday night matches where we also predict the winning margins, and the difference between our prediction and the actual margin is added to our total for the season. So where there is two or more people in the tipping competition with equal scores, it is this total margin "variance" that decides the winner. It's very rare to jag the margin on any given week but as long as the team still wins the variance is not that large. But when the team loses, the variance goes through the roof - I need not explain any further!! So it looks like my tipping will be diabolical for this first week of the 3 weeks, and it will certainly cost me any chance of winning any prizes.
Thursday 5 July 2012
The dreaded "three weeks of horror" begins sunset tonight (Friday night) though this is by no means a "magical boundary" by which bad things suddenly start happening. In reality the curses and chaotic energy start to build up through the month of Tammuz (from the June New Moon) reaching a climax in the first few days of the month of Av to the anniversary of the Temples' destruction on the 9th day of Av known as Tisha B'Av. The curses subsides through the remainder of Av to the August New Moon. Indeed in this past week I had been having problems with my computer and the internet that I don't normally have.
Nevertheless the worst of the times is the 3-week period from just after the July Full Moon to before the August Full Moon. Full Moons falls on the 15th of the lunar months. Tzom Tammuz falls on the 17th of Tammuz as this Hebrew name of the day infers. This marks the start of the three weeks, it is given as the anniversary of the siege of Jerusalem and cessation of Temple rituals which ultimately led to the destruction of the Temple. This day in 2012 falls on this Saturday beginning sundown Friday (July 6). Jews traditionally fasts on Tzom Tammuz, but when it falls on the Jewish Sabbath as it does so this year, the fast is deferred to Sunday. Jews does not fast on the Sabbath except if Yom Kippur happens to fall on a Saturday as it did last year. I personally do not fast on Tzom Tammuz, I just mark the day in other ways!!
Anyway each year I keep records of things that happens during the three weeks, and this time I will use this blog for the records. It is these records that verifies the reality of this three weeks. Every year since I have been keeping records in 2003 there has always been some calamities happening during this time. In some instances it is possible to trace back to past records, such as my 1998 trip to America, and again verify the calamities that occurred during this three weeks period. Indeed it is these past events prior to 2003 that is most valuable as it disproves any theory that the calamities are "self fulfilled prophecies" or that we somehow "create" these calamities because we expect them - I have had no knowledge whatsoever of this three weeks period nor the date of the Temples' destruction prior to 2003. The 1998 event is most compelling. I have kept a daily dairy of my America trip, and so by looking back in the diary and correlating with the Hebrew lunar dates at the time, I can establish that the car rental fiasco which ultimately led to my bankruptcy ALMOST EXACTLY coincided with "the three weeks" of 1998, my car rental being from the day after Tzom Tammuz through to the day before Tisha B'Av - as I say there is no such creature as "coincidence"!!
I record events that doesn't normally happen at any other time of the year, such as, problems with my computer. I normally have no problems with my computer, so any serious problem that crops up during this three weeks can be attributed to such a curse. I learned from a young age that there are no such creature as "coincidence", such a creature does not exist.
Of course it is not every day that something happens during this period. There are often several days when nothing happens. Indeed last year during this three week period nothing much happened except the morning when Sally woke up to discover an oozing sore on her leg. That sore would mark the start of her health problems involving two hospital stays, and what we are still grappling with today almost a year later!! Indeed her sores seems to ebb and flow but at the moment it has been slowly spreading. Anyway depending on how things pans out this time around I may give updates each day, or every few days.
Interestingly the much dreaded "Friday the 13th" occurs during the three weeks, indeed next Friday. However I have no fear of Friday the 13th, I don't consider it as being particularly unlucky. This is referring to the Roman calendar so is not relevant to the Jewish lunar calendar. Friday the 13th being Christian-based superstitions, Friday being the day traditionally believed to be when Jesus died (though in reality according to the Hebrew calendar records it was actually a Wednesday), and the number 13 referring to the Knights Templar but also often attributed to the "Last Supper" with the 12 disciples + Jesus making up 13, Jesus being the 13th hence his death the next day. There are no such superstitions with Jews.
Now a different subject.... the football. This the time to submit my tips for this weekend's round, hopefully not affected by the curse of the three weeks!! I tip both the Magpies and Essendon for their respective wins. Although I usually do well in the tipping, the office competition this year is stiff. Last week I picked 8 winners, but four others in our office competition picked all 9. It looks like for the first time ever I will go through the competition without winning any prizes. Uh well such as life........
Nevertheless the worst of the times is the 3-week period from just after the July Full Moon to before the August Full Moon. Full Moons falls on the 15th of the lunar months. Tzom Tammuz falls on the 17th of Tammuz as this Hebrew name of the day infers. This marks the start of the three weeks, it is given as the anniversary of the siege of Jerusalem and cessation of Temple rituals which ultimately led to the destruction of the Temple. This day in 2012 falls on this Saturday beginning sundown Friday (July 6). Jews traditionally fasts on Tzom Tammuz, but when it falls on the Jewish Sabbath as it does so this year, the fast is deferred to Sunday. Jews does not fast on the Sabbath except if Yom Kippur happens to fall on a Saturday as it did last year. I personally do not fast on Tzom Tammuz, I just mark the day in other ways!!
Anyway each year I keep records of things that happens during the three weeks, and this time I will use this blog for the records. It is these records that verifies the reality of this three weeks. Every year since I have been keeping records in 2003 there has always been some calamities happening during this time. In some instances it is possible to trace back to past records, such as my 1998 trip to America, and again verify the calamities that occurred during this three weeks period. Indeed it is these past events prior to 2003 that is most valuable as it disproves any theory that the calamities are "self fulfilled prophecies" or that we somehow "create" these calamities because we expect them - I have had no knowledge whatsoever of this three weeks period nor the date of the Temples' destruction prior to 2003. The 1998 event is most compelling. I have kept a daily dairy of my America trip, and so by looking back in the diary and correlating with the Hebrew lunar dates at the time, I can establish that the car rental fiasco which ultimately led to my bankruptcy ALMOST EXACTLY coincided with "the three weeks" of 1998, my car rental being from the day after Tzom Tammuz through to the day before Tisha B'Av - as I say there is no such creature as "coincidence"!!
I record events that doesn't normally happen at any other time of the year, such as, problems with my computer. I normally have no problems with my computer, so any serious problem that crops up during this three weeks can be attributed to such a curse. I learned from a young age that there are no such creature as "coincidence", such a creature does not exist.
Of course it is not every day that something happens during this period. There are often several days when nothing happens. Indeed last year during this three week period nothing much happened except the morning when Sally woke up to discover an oozing sore on her leg. That sore would mark the start of her health problems involving two hospital stays, and what we are still grappling with today almost a year later!! Indeed her sores seems to ebb and flow but at the moment it has been slowly spreading. Anyway depending on how things pans out this time around I may give updates each day, or every few days.
Interestingly the much dreaded "Friday the 13th" occurs during the three weeks, indeed next Friday. However I have no fear of Friday the 13th, I don't consider it as being particularly unlucky. This is referring to the Roman calendar so is not relevant to the Jewish lunar calendar. Friday the 13th being Christian-based superstitions, Friday being the day traditionally believed to be when Jesus died (though in reality according to the Hebrew calendar records it was actually a Wednesday), and the number 13 referring to the Knights Templar but also often attributed to the "Last Supper" with the 12 disciples + Jesus making up 13, Jesus being the 13th hence his death the next day. There are no such superstitions with Jews.
Now a different subject.... the football. This the time to submit my tips for this weekend's round, hopefully not affected by the curse of the three weeks!! I tip both the Magpies and Essendon for their respective wins. Although I usually do well in the tipping, the office competition this year is stiff. Last week I picked 8 winners, but four others in our office competition picked all 9. It looks like for the first time ever I will go through the competition without winning any prizes. Uh well such as life........
Sunday 1 July 2012
Last week I wrote about what appears to be the inevitable eviction from our rental house. I hope this is not a bad omen of things to come but this morning at work we learned that we have been given an eviction notice from our current premises!! We have until December to find a new warehouse and new offices!! It would seem that evictions are the topic of the month for this cursed month of July, or the cursed lunar month of Tammuz!!
However while there is a housing crisis, there is not a warehouse/office crisis. In these hard economic times with businesses going out of business and others cutting back I would imagine warehouse owners would be falling over backwards to give us leases of their warehouses!! It is just a matter of finding a suitable warehouse for our needs in a reasonable location. And I don't have to deal with the stresses and logistics of finding a warehouse/office complex and arranging for moving the huge number of items that we have stored here! The headache is left to the management and they are paid to deal with such headaches!!!! Nevertheless my workload will have increased. I have already been handed the task of doing a stock take of the contents of our warehouse - at least the area of my responsibility - the Post Compulsory Schools section, that is, Years 11 & 12.
The reason behind our eviction notice. Departmental changes and shuffling!! We have been a part of the Department of Training and Workforce Development, and our warehouse is currently housed on the premises of this Department. However the govt in their wisdom or lack thereof decided to split the departments, and our area to be now under the Department of Education. So I have effectively been transferred to another department though my physical location remained the same as does my salary, position title, etc. The only changes up until now being my work email address and new work computer!! This happened a few months ago, and we were told initially that we would not be moving. But you know, never trust what the govt says!! We all knew instinctively that we would be moving to another premises, and our suspicions had been confirmed this very morning!!!! Ironically I am back to where I started - I first started my tenure as a govt employee at the Department of Education, this was close to 22 years ago now!!!
Football tipping, and this has been a good weekend. Yet another win by the Magpies *yawn* hehe.... and I managed to pick 8 winners from 9. I think it was North Melbourne that threw the spanner into the works. Uh well, at least 8 is a good score!!
However while there is a housing crisis, there is not a warehouse/office crisis. In these hard economic times with businesses going out of business and others cutting back I would imagine warehouse owners would be falling over backwards to give us leases of their warehouses!! It is just a matter of finding a suitable warehouse for our needs in a reasonable location. And I don't have to deal with the stresses and logistics of finding a warehouse/office complex and arranging for moving the huge number of items that we have stored here! The headache is left to the management and they are paid to deal with such headaches!!!! Nevertheless my workload will have increased. I have already been handed the task of doing a stock take of the contents of our warehouse - at least the area of my responsibility - the Post Compulsory Schools section, that is, Years 11 & 12.
The reason behind our eviction notice. Departmental changes and shuffling!! We have been a part of the Department of Training and Workforce Development, and our warehouse is currently housed on the premises of this Department. However the govt in their wisdom or lack thereof decided to split the departments, and our area to be now under the Department of Education. So I have effectively been transferred to another department though my physical location remained the same as does my salary, position title, etc. The only changes up until now being my work email address and new work computer!! This happened a few months ago, and we were told initially that we would not be moving. But you know, never trust what the govt says!! We all knew instinctively that we would be moving to another premises, and our suspicions had been confirmed this very morning!!!! Ironically I am back to where I started - I first started my tenure as a govt employee at the Department of Education, this was close to 22 years ago now!!!
Football tipping, and this has been a good weekend. Yet another win by the Magpies *yawn* hehe.... and I managed to pick 8 winners from 9. I think it was North Melbourne that threw the spanner into the works. Uh well, at least 8 is a good score!!
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