General Chat

Congratulations Allan,
On your new passport.
It's still pleasant here but I am sure winter is on its way. According to the weather bureau Sydney gets rain fairly evenly all year round. Summer storms, Easter rain, spring showers and I don't know what to call winter rain, except cold and miserable and dark as I make my weary way home from work.
Hello Persey, hope the leg is not only bootless, but free from pain. Are you turning heads again?
Hello CC, I always get a giggle out of your posts. By the way, my sister's birthday is on the cusp of Sagittarius but she prefers to be a Capricorn. Some astrology newspaper columns put her birthdate as Saggitarius though. Me, I don't believe in all that stuff for good astronomical reasons. Harmless bit of fun though, especially comparing one newspaper with the others.

Hi Colin

The Post Office staff were bl**dy fantastic.

Pleasant.

Helpful.

In this day and age, what a nice suprise!

Allan

Yes Colin - a few blokes got whiplash when I walked past the other day. cough cough ahem.

Allan I worked for the Post Office here for many years and I was very very good on customer service - that is how I met my friend from America - I was helpful. Actually I was good at my job - I built up a philatelical clientel list as well when I worked at one place. Berona would have got her flowers if I had been working there.

Persey

Perse - would you have let them through with only a one cent stamp on them? That's all Allan puts on them and expects them to reach their destination!

Allan - our weather reports say that your weather is improving. However, they are never right about OUR weather, so why should they be right about yours?

Colin - you can't be far away from me and it has been a beautiful day here. Nippy mornings and nights - but you might have to wait until you are retired to enjoy them the way that I do! (still in bed). Where I am is in some kind of a trough - it can rain only a couple of kilometres away, and not here. On the other hand, we had a violent storm here once, but only in our suburb and one kilometre away, it didn't even sprinkle.

Good evening everyone.

It has been a pleasant day today, but according to the forecast, it is going to be frosty with wintery showers again next week, so not time to break out the shorts quite yet.

OH dropped his glasses on the floor and broke the frame at the start of the week.Luckily he had kept his previous pair and his prescription hadn't changed,so he has been able to wear them. The problem is that the protective coating on them had become scratched,so they are not brilliant, but better than nothing.
He was almost due for his eye test in any case, it is just seven weeks before the two years would have been up. Obviously there was no point in just getting new frames,so he booked an eye test as well. As he was sixty in January,the test should have been free - but no, he had to pay for it because it is not two years since the last test. I don't understand it as he paid for the last test, it is not as if he was asking for two free tests within two years. The money doesn't matter, it is just the principle.

It's been a lovely day here too, a little cooler than of late, but pleasant enough. I did a few more little jobs in the garden, nothing too strenuous as I'm rather tired at the moment - poor old soul - getting past it!.

I took the dog for a walk this afternoon - set off feeling happy and contented as one does. Unfortunately, by the time I got back I was seething, with blood pressure probably off the scale.
The village recreation ground, given to the village in perpetuity over a hundred years ago, was completely refurbished last year at a cost of over £40,000, raised by the villagers holding lots of fund raising events over a three year period. There is a well equipped play area for young children, swings, roundabouts, climbing frames etc, all painted in primary colours, picnic tables and benches. Then an area for football, cricket etc.
It really is a great asset to the villagers, and visitors. Last year the perimeter was planted with hundreds of daffodil bulbs, and until today looked beautiful.
As I walked past today, there was a man in his 30s, and a small child. Father and child were busily ripping up armfuls of daffodils and just throwing them everywhere. The little boy was whooping with delight, and the father roaring with laughter. The whole area was strewn with flowers.

I called out to him, asking him to stop doing it,and was greeted with a mouthful of abuse. The language was very colourful, which was particularly disgraceful in front of the child.
Thankfully, most of our visitors appreciate this lovely place, but sadly, not all.

Rant over.............................

Linda, I am surprised that your OH had to pay for his eye test. I would have thought that as he is now 60 yrs of age, and paid for his last test, then he should have qualified for a free test under the present rules.
I agree, it isn't the money, but the principle.

CC, I am an Aquarian, but not given to day dreaming - well not often.

Tec.

I am calm now thankyou CC. It was vandalism, but what hope is there for that child with a father like that.
Policeman? - I've forgotten what they look like - we do sometimes hear a police car screaming through en-route to somewhere, but I've never seen a policeman here except for the Arrive Alive speed trap vehicle that sits in a layby in the village a few times a year.

Tec.

Thank you for the link CC, it is so annoying.

Hello Tec, wed see visitors picking all the daffodils as well, I suppose they think that just because they are on the verges, that they don't belong to anyone. Picking them to take home is one thing, but just throwing them around is a couple of years ago, with a small group of neighbours, we planted hundreds of bulbs on the verges of the road where I live. It is lovely to see all the crocuses and daffs in the spring and to know that I planted lots of them.

Good evening/morning to all

~~~~~~~~~ to Berona, CC, Linda Susanwith numbers, Persey, Tec, and Uncle Tom Cobley and all.

Berona, we have the same weather pattern as you do it seems. Bunbury is 9 kms south of Australaind and is where the local weather station is situated. It can be bone dry here yet in Bunbury they can have up tp 5mm of rain.

Busselton bore the brunt of yesterday's storm. 38mm of rain a bit of structural damage, and some boats broke from their moorings.

Apart from heavy rain we were OK.

Tec, I, too, would have been furious with that father! What an example to set. I hope that he wasn't local

Allan

Eye tests in Oz, provided they are done every two years or over, are usually free for everybody, regardless of age.

Opticians tend to bulk bill, so the charge goes straight to medicare

Allan

Good Morning Allan;
GoodEvening Linda,

Allan thankfully the daffodil man wasn't local - in fact during his tirade of abuse at my objection, he stated that where he came from, people had more to worry about than a few daffodils. It wasn't put as politely as that.
I do sometimes wonder what goes on in some peoples heads.

Linda, When I came here, the garden was inundated with bluebells, the garden having been neglected for years. It is apparently illegal to dig up or destroy them (not sure about ones own garden) but anyway, I dug up a wheelbarrow full, and took them down to the riverbank in the village and planted them there - took hours - but now they've spread, and every year I'm pleased to see them there, and know that I planted them.

Tec.

Hello everyone. I've looked through the posts, but forget already who is here.
Noticed the subject of eye tests. I had a test in September, and replaced the specs - at a cost to me of $700 plus what Medicare paid for the test. The lady who tested me completed her part of my RTA form, which I now have to produce each year for my licence.
Since then, after having leg problems, I have been urged to get a Parking Permit - so I downloaded (the same) RTA form and took it to my doc, who said she can't complete it until the Optometrist did his/her part of it. Rang the Opt and had to make an appointment. First thing they did was ask for my Medicare card. She (a different Opt) told me to read four letters on the wall, then another four - and that was it. Did n't seem to know what else to do - so told me about a 'new' camera she has which takes photos of 'behind the eye' (only $25 extra) and since they didn't have it when I was tested before, I should have the test. I agreed to it - then she said I should have a Glaucoma test (apparently not necessary six months ago) but it sounded like she only intended to sign the form if I took the test - so I did. When finished, I collected my RTA form, paid my $25 and the receptionist said that my printout didn't come out properly and that I should do the test again in three weeks - so she made an appointment and said that it won't cost me anything - "just bring your Medicare card with you".
I came away thinking that what should have been free to an existing customer, had just cost me $25 and the government a consultation fee - with the promise of costing the govt another consultation fee in three weeks' time...What a ripoff!..I will not be keeping that appointment - and I still wonder why an eye test would be necessary to obtain a Parking Permit anyway?
No wonder our Health system is in a mess with vultures like that around.

Good morning Berona

That sounds so frustrating.

I'm so used to the so-called medical service, or lack of it, and that was why I was so surprised at the positive attitude of the staff in the Bunbury Post Office yesterday. Pleasant, helpful, and very obliging.

I'd forgotten what real service was

Allan

It has been very quiet on this thread today, or last night, or whenever.

I hope that you are all ok!!

I'll try to come back later!

Take care and keep warm for those in the Northern Latitudes and for those in Oceania, have a great day.

Allan

Good morning people. Berona, the $700 sounds like it's mostly for the frames although it is a couple of years since I got a set.
For me, being diabetic, the photograph of the back of the eye is worthwhile at $25. An ophthalmologist charges a lot more.
CC, I am more a typical Scorpio, which is odd since I am a few days into Sagittarius.
Work calls so I will call in tonight our time. Hello Persey, Tec and anyone I have forgotten.

Our post office staff are quite polite and helpful - also the postman who delivers the mail - but I can't say the same for the various amount of parcel post couriers!
Occasionally, I get a pleasant one - but they don't seem to last. Mostly, I get those who will not walk or drive to my door (a villa). It is much easier to park in the street; fill in a card and drop it in my mailbox - telling me that I wasn't home (when I was) and that I can pick up my parcel at the Post Office after 4pm.
If it was easy to get to the post office, it would be ease to walk around stores - but it's not easy for me - and that's why I do a lot of my shopping by mail and pay to have things delivered to my door.

Hello Colin,
I wasn't complaining about the cost to me. I just felt that what should have been a five minute visit to get a few words and a signature as a courtesy to a customer, turned into a money-making venture. I noticed there were no other customers there so wonder why I couldn't have taken the second test then, instead of making an appointment. It had no effect on my eyes. Also, I'm still wondering if an eyesight report is really needed to get a Parking Permit and if so, why the earlier report given at the time of my licence renewal, wouldn't be sufficient for the permit.

Hello Berona, sorry about the misunderstanding. I see your point- I got my photo in addition to the eye test and glasses. Not much change from $500.
Re the shopping, I may be a bit more able bodied than you but getting my green reusable bags from the car to my unit is difficult, especially with 2 or 3 litres of milk, fruit and a couple of tins in one bag. I am am only one level up.
I also agree about the eyesight test for the parking permit. Perhaps you should buy a 4WD. They seem to come as standard equipment with those, judging by my local shopping centre. Then again, the height of a 4WD does help people with limited mobility.
Lastly, I am only about 10 miles from where I think you are but it really does seem to make a difference, especially with rain. You are further from the coast so I understand about the temperatures, but not about the rain. Also, there seems to be a storm alley that runs near Blacktown in a SW to NE direction.
Colin.

It's strange how it rains in one place and not another. I was once treasurer of the local Little Athletics, and arrived at the field to find others carrying out equipment which should have been set up an hour earlier. The canteen lady told me that they had been going to call off the morning's program because of the 'deluge'. I could see that every thing was wet and mud puddles all around us. I asked "what deluge?" and she told me they had had a storm! I then realised that I had left the bag of change at home, so I returned home (1.2kms) to get it and found everything dry as a bone - not a sign of rain
At other times, I have driven my boys to soccer training and driving on Old Prospect road, we went through rain for a couple of hundred metres, then dry for the same, then wet again, then dry. The kids (and I) were fascinated by it. This happened on many occasions.. That road is close to and runs parallel to the western freeway, so it no doubt happens there too.

Hello to Berona and Colin.

I hope that you both have had a good day.

Still stormy looking here but not much rain today.

I felt sorry for the young lass sailing solo around the world. Gets to the home leg and encounters the most recent storm off WA's south coast :0((

Allan