So 2014..... it has been a bad year in 3D terms but a good year spiritually, the highlight being the discovery of Celestial Temple. That is the one and only highlight for 2014.
Anyway I am well and truly back on my bicycle, riding in all weather to and from work. My bicycle rides replaces my after-work walks though I still go for walks during my lunch hour. I still do go for walks during the weekend, mostly Saturdays. In theory my bicycle rides saves me $100/fortnite on petrol though as yet I am not seeing the benefits of this savings as other unexpected expenses crops up. For example my router broke down, well it was an ancient router, so I needed to get a new one, so invested in a top range model. I didn't spend much on Xmas, indeed I would not have spent more than $150 on Xmas. So hopefully in the New Year nothing else will happen and I can start saving my pennies, though it will take a little more than 12 months to save the funds for fixing my car, quoted to be $4500. I can still drive the car, but it is the case the less I drive it the better.
I'm now on vacation break, and I sometimes go for bicycle rides as well as walks. Yesterday I rode 54kms on my bike. As they say GPS does not lie.
When I do go for walks, I ride my bicycle to the train station which is about 5kms on the GPS, then I take the train to any of my walking spots, most of them are within a short distance to any of the train lines. So for example I may catch the train to the city, then walk to Fremantle via the river shoreline which has a path for most of the way, then catch the train from Fremantle. I registered for use of a bicycle shelter at the train station, so I access it by means of my SmartRider card, then park my bicycle inside, then catch a train. I have gotten a top of the range bicycle lock, one of those D-locks made of toughened steel virtually impossible to cut, and is operated by a key. Well afterall I did pay over $700 for my bicycle.
All my shopping is done online, and have my groceries home delivered. Coles have free home delivery on Wednesdays, so I always have them home delivered on Wednesdays. Woollies have a different system, you can purchase an online "voucher" which gives you free delivery for whatever time period you purchase. The 12 months option is the cheapest, and it costs about as much as the delivery fee you'd pay if you use it only once per month - and well I use it more than once per month. Of course for free home delivery by both chains you still have to spend more then $100. In any event where I don't need $100 worth of groceries I simply just catch the train to Joondalup which stops within the shopping mall complex then do my shopping there, and with things being so expensive, there's not much to get for under $100.
And I found an organics place that does home delivery. They deliver to different areas of the city on different days, and for my area it is Saturdays. I order enough to last me two weeks, and the delivery fee is less than half of what Coles and Woollies charges (when you don't take advantage of the free delivery options with them).
Also I am starting to do bulk cooking and freezing, what I used to do back in my bachelor days before I met Sally. For example I make a tray of lasagna, then cut up in portions and freeze them, and it would last me a month. These days of course I use vegetarian options. The meat components in most recipes such as Mother's recipes which I still have, the meat can usually be substituted with mushrooms. It is really not difficult to be vegetarian except with 3D people who doesn't understand, such as my family who thinks being vegetarian means eating only salads - the bunny rabbit myth - so rather than trying to explain it to them, I just go ahead and consume the meat offerings on Xmas day and other rare family events. I don't see my family often enough to warrant trying to explain my new dietary regime to them.
Um... what else..... I still do hear from Caroline but she is really suffering.... and well, me who suffered with Sally's health problems it all happens for a season, nothing lasts for ever, I just hope the end of the suffering is near for her..... options are limited in a place like India, there are no support services for domestic violence, no women's refuges, and there's no pensions/benefits for those who chooses to leave a marriage and try to survive as a single parent.
And I do keep in touch with Karen through FaceBook. She plans to come visit me sometimes. Her car is very ancient, it almost qualifies as "vintage"! LOL! And there are always things that needed to be done to her car, and she relies on whatever odd jobs she can find, such as at shows and fairs in the York area, to pay for the repairs. But she does occasionally make the drive to Perth, depending on the current state of her car. My car however is pretty well near-new, theres not many issues with it. Just that cracked head gasket which came as an utter shock to me. It must be my karma cos just about every car I ever owned ended its life with cracked head gasket. My current car really has not much else wrong with it, so if I could just somehow get together $4500 then it be like a near-new car again. The car is insured for about $6000 so it is worth my while to get it fixed.
As for Xmas..... me and Xmas does not get on well together..... I prefer to say I celebrate the summer Pagan holiday of Litha on the Summer Solstice - 22 December. However there are still the family obligations. I was with my Aunty and Uncle for breakfast. My cousin who works for Fisheries was not happy to see my Sea Shepherd sticker on the back of my car, apparently he has had some less-than-friendly interactions with them, and well it did make for rather delicate situations while there at the house. Uh well I am a Light Worker and I DO support Sea Shepherd, it is part of my calling, and that is that..... no apologies.
Then it was the usual lunch at my half-brother's house with that side of the family, and well, it was relatively painless.
Ummmm..... I think that is it for now....... more later, hopefully a little sooner than before.....
Here's a vid for my life in 2015......
