Dress Up Party Time

The Grand Tour rides always attract the dresser upper. Can be anything from the Pink Panther (Giro) to the Devil with fork.  The theme tonight at Good Golly Miss Molly's 21st is Travel/World related. We have been to many places so we have picked out Mexico and France, just add a sombrero from Taco Bill's and a beret from Air France and there you have it.

Paris Opera House

Tulum

Amigos

Chocolate Milk Cake

I am expanding my patisserie skills by trying the choco milk cake.  This is a complex business requiring 700ml chocolate milk, 1Kg mixed fruit and two cups self raising flour.  I didn't use the full quota of 1Kg of fruit more like 800g.  Previous observations showed that a slightly less dense fruit cake was better.  After mixing in the fruit with the choco milk I  left it fermenting over night. Sift in the powder and place in the paper lined tin. I had this bun in the oven for 2hr 15min at 150° with no fan forcing.

Brunswick St

Went for a ride passed Meatballs & Sons. Is that a comedy show or maybe a butcher shop? No they sell Meatballs. I rode right past it as the signage isn't so good. According to Nick the IT Guru this is the place for meatballs.  I didn't actually call in but now I know where it is eg if you have reached 'Get Naked for Satin' (tapas) then you are almost there and if you see 'Kinki Gherlinki' (clothes) then you've gone too far.  On the way back I checked out the old Fitzroy oval. The inner circle bike trail goes right by.

Get Yer Meatballs

Darebin Bridges

Checked out the new bridges connecting the Darebin path to the Yarra trail.  It should all be finished by summer time. I've heard that before. In the meantime we crossed the Yarra further upstream at the old JLL launch spot.  Start at Wilson reserve (Good looking rope swing near here) via the Boulevard and follow the track upstream to Kew.  The other old favourite Kew pumping station is just across the way. The compulsory coffee stop is at the Polytechnic.

One of three new bridges

Greta Garbo in Queensberry St

I am continuing to tick off the old haunts, this time the old St Joe's College North Melbourne.  It doesn't look like a thing has been changed since the last change when we dug out the basement to put in a billiard table. That was 43 yar ago. I was chatting to one of the new teachers out the front. It seems the place is going to have a huge refurbishment in its new role as a school for wayward boys and girls. I think Manfred Mann and Greta Garbo would like this incarnation.



Queensberry Rules

SloMo Sandridge

The redevelopment is a slow process at Sandridge beach. I can see the new lookout is finished but the barriers preventing access are still in place.  The passing boat parade can still be seen like the two masted galleon that was cruising by as I was sitting on the beach. Not something you see every day.



What flag is that?

Collendina Update

The high tides combined with a storm or two have attacked the foreshore dunes again. I would estimate a slippage of at least a metre  in some parts. The jogging was slow due to soft sand. Bike riding was easier as there was little wind however our old mate George caught us on top of the bluff and regaled with stories of his efforts at the end of WWII. He is 88 yar old and remembers every date as if it were yesterday, particularly the story around the Cowra breakout where he was a guard. Also ran into Munster trying to have a dirty weekend on account of he and Christine's wedding anniversary.  Everybody knows everything when the internet is around.

No camping below here

Good Old Collywobble

Went for a ride to my first ever work place. It was 52 yar ago that I started working at Collingwood Football  ground handing out pennies to kids who would collect the soft drink bottles. I was 8 and most of them were older. They would try to steal the bottles again to get another penny so you had to have eyes in the back of your head. Half the ground is demolished eg the Outer but the main Grandstands are still there.  One of the food stalls is still there where I did the hot dogs. 

No Magpies here

No seats either

No Supper for You

Next time you are in Italy this post may be of use.  I have spent two days trying to track down the whoha of getting into view the "Last Supper".  Selling internet event tickets is all the rage these days. I have used this method previously to cut the queue in Kuala Lumpur and also Dubai.  I have just now organised tickets for the "Statue of David" but Leonardo is proving tricky. You need to be ready on the web page (www.CENACOLOVINCIANO.org)  three months in advance.  The cost is 8 euro at the door however the tour operators charge 100 Euro with a two hour walking tour.  There is a telephone service (+39 02 92800360)  but all I get is error messages. Elsewhere tickets for the Leaning Tower (www.opapisa.it) are bought only 20 days in advance which means we will already be in Europe.

No Surname required

30th Just in Time

I'm going to parties where the celebratee (a new word?) is half my age. There is another party soon where the ratio will be a third. Perhaps I shouldn't dwell on the maths, as long as the food, drink, music and laughs are all there then who cares.  Except it took me a while to get going this morning.

Excellent party planning

Stockland Exit Strategies

I went to a seminar cum lecture cum info session on the tricks and traps of exiting a retirement village. Stockland is stretching the definition of the renewal clause into an upgrade clause.  The gist is, to get the unit back to something like new for the incoming lessee, the current lessee's estate must pay that cost of approximately $15000. Only Stockland have been charging $55000.   So the key points are

• Know your contract (eg Government changes post 2006)
• Attempt the renewal yourself or get some quotes before signing the vacant possession release
• Challenge the Stockland cost of works for the renewal
• Keep informed of similar unit values in the same village
• Negotiate the units' resale price and agree on it.

Packed house at Burnside

The old days Remapped.

Rode into town today to meet up with an old cartography mate. Robyn is featured in the photo below from 1976. I last saw her during the 1984 metrogaine which co-incidentally I plotted on my Google map the other day. People roll their eyes when I mention that I am plotting X and they are asking Y. (see shirt slogan).  There is now a lunch for old cartographers on the cards. Watch this space.

Final year excursion

PS I have my own cartography joke...

"Why are you using such a fat X  and such a fat Y ?"
"... because the plot thickens."

T Shirt Mania

I previously mentioned the tour of the Airport Tower some months back.  Maybe the tour controller could use a uniform such as below.  It seems someone out there has a lot of shirts and one printing press for different slogans. Then again someone I know can stitch on the design for a fee.  Just to keep it in the family I have included the nod to the bookkeeper.

ToadRooms and MushStools

My front yard is looking like the site of a pixie's paradise or fairies fracas. Another one of those "Signs of Winter" that I don't like. Sounds like a book title. It could be worse like a blanket of white stuff blocking my door.  I did check out that other book  "Winds of Winter". I believe even the pre-orders have sold out the entire print run for the hard copy edition and its not published until next year!


Amanita Muscaria

Toady Pie

Mushy Gloop

 

                               

                                                  Two days later - with Cherub

                                     

                                    

May Day May Day no help required

Sydney is pouring down with rain, Brisbane not much better but we are basking in sunshine here and no help is required.  I am always amazed at how many surfers are out and about mid week. 13th beach car parks are jammed full. There must have been a few hundred surfers spread out along that stretch. The plover update suggests that plovers operate in families ie there are currently 9 plovers which means another 12 have flown off. Perhaps another family group.  The shore has been scoured to leave some tightly packed shell shoals.  I could vary the old tongue twister.

"Shall she sell sea shells from a shell shoal on the sea shore? She sure should."

Shell shoal.