RICHARD'S LAST RESORT

I've mentioned in past blog posts how Richard's Bass Bag is a shadow of its past self (most recently on 22 August 2020).
This blog was once powerful influential leading OK and, believe it or not was the catalyst for the creation of the Wine Guy and The Curmudgeon blogs. Who would have thought?

Unfortunately Richard's Bass Bag posts slipped in both frequency and quality. There were a couple of disasters that accelerated the decline.

The first was unforeseen and resulted from an attack from Richard's fellow educationalists - people who were looking for an excuse to bring him down. They, being jealous of the reputation (among other educationalists) of the blog engineered a situation where Richard deleted his blog. This meant that many years of excellent (and to be fair, also a lot of crap) posts disappeared.

The second (and remember that word as it is prescient) disaster was when Richard himself, with seemingly no external forces operating deleted his blog for a 'second' time!
Why?  Well, obviously the quality, frequency, relevance and importance had already declined at this stage but - given that he regretted deleting the blog the first time - why would he do it again?

Perhaps Shakespeare's King Lear could help us in this investigation. Maybe Robert - A CLOSE RELATIVE OF RICHARD - who is also known to go by the name of SECOND! - had a 'Lear family' influence on Richard, convincing the old fellow that he was going mad and to destroy his works and give up his realm. It was Robert after all who suggested that Richard was going to Hell.

Anyway - what's done is done. Richard's Bass Bags 1 and 2 are no more and the blogging world now has a failing Richard's Bass Bag 3. No one really bothers to read it and, given the spelling, grammatical and factual errors in recent posts, neither does Richard!

In a last ditch attempt to restore some semblance of credibility poor old Richard has blundered stumbled on a Trumpian tactic of trying to bolster readership by inflating readership statistics. He does this by writing his own comments to his own posts to make it appear that there is a lot of interest in Richard's Bass Bag 3. FAKE NEWS! - and, poorly executed as most of those comments merely state the ascending number of the comments.

Sad really.

UBER

The word 'uber' comes from the German root 'über', which means 'over'. The word is used to denote an extreme degree of something. The proper way to pronounce it is ˈ'uːbə' (Oo-ber), with a stress on the 'u', followed by a softer 'ber'.     -www.quora.com

When UBER taxis or car sharing came on the market I was against it as I usually am with anything new (I still haven't accepted The New Testament). I felt that it was unfair to taxi drivers who had invested a lot of money into their companies or cars and who paid for licenses from the government and councils.

I had no particular love for taxi drivers as this post attests: TAXI DRIVERS

and have for years put up with overpriced and grubby rides. A couple of times though I have asked the driver to pull over and let me out - once when the driver seemed and smelled drunk and another when the seat belt didn't work. I didn't pay them in both cases. Once, in London after a nightmarish ride, when I paid the driver the exact amount on the meter he asked "What about a tip?" I replied (making sure I had all my belongings with me) - "How about driving a bit more considerately next time". I had to jump as he swore and roared off.

The Old Girl has been using UBER for a few years now and I have to admit, when I've been with her the experience has been good with clean and safe cars, courteous drivers and knowing how much the ride will cost before paying and ordering.

I finally 'bit the bullet' and downloaded an UBER App to my phone. I used it for the first time today on arrival in Wellington. The Airport bus isn't operating between 11AM and 4PM due to COVID-19 for some inexplicable reason. I arrived at 2.30 and wasn't going to hang about until 4. Also, if I did take the bus at 4 my Gold Card wouldn't be valid between 3 and 6 PM and I would have to pay (about $18 I think). I decided to try out the UBER App. It was easy. I entered the pick up location - Wellington Airport and the destination - Egmont Street. The App immediately told me that a car would be there in 3 minutes, the make and rego of the car, the driver's name and the cost of the ride - $20. Sure enough the car turned up in 3 minutes. It was new and clean and the driver was courteous and drove well. He didn't have music blaring. He didn't argue with other drivers. He didn't engage me in long and unwanted conversation. He didn't make loud telephone calls while driving. I'll use UBER again.

Another reason that I now like UBER, in addition to knowing what the exact fare is going to be, at the destination you just get out. You don't have to search your pockets for notes and coins or go through the rigmarole of processing a credit card. This is all done automatically as when you sign up, UBER has your credit card details.

Another advantage is that because the agreed fare is already paid you don't have to worry about tipping unless you really want to. I don't know how many times I've paid taxi drivers extra even though I didn't really want to because it's uncomfortable waiting for the change.

***************

When we dine out I prefer to let The Old Girl pay at restaurants (even though it comes out of the same bank account) because I hate the process of paying at the counter especially if you don't want to leave a tip. It makes me anxious.

It'd be great if restaurants employed a dining-in UBER-type system.

A BIT OF INTEREST?

We've had a second wonderful day in a row. I've now finished the house painting (the new weatherboards and some touch ups).
I bought a small painting sponge and attached it to an extendable hose brush (with the brush detached). This worked brilliantly and didn't put me at risk in going up an long ladder at the highest corner of the house.

I then played 9 holes of golf in ideal conditions (no wind). The golf was good and I found 7 golf balls without really trying. They were either on the fairways or just off so I didn't have to clamber down into streams this time. The Old Girl would approve I think. Actually, she'd approve of me not putting myself at risk again but would frown on me bringing home more golf balls - "You've got hundreds of them in the shed Matey" she'd say if I told her.

One of the balls I found has an inscription on it that says:

 HOLE IN ONE

Saint Four Golf Resort

2010. 10. 28

I checked on-line and Saint Four, in South Korea is listed as one of the top 100 golf courses in the world. So some South Korean visitor (or someone who had visited South Korea) played well enough to get a hole-in-one there and won a or some golf balls. He or she then came to New Zealand, played on my local course out here and hit the ball badly enough to go off the fairway. We've had some tremendous rainstorms recently with flooding. The course has had streams diverted, fences down and mini-mud slides. I found this ball to the right of the fairway on the 6th hole, in some mud that had been carried along. I figure that this ball had been unearthed and carried down to me - maybe after some years.

CATHARSIS

(Or,  - tears rain down on me)

I had a sad day today.

I apologise if, in the following, I seem to be self-indulgent but in what's becoming the vernacular - It is what it is.

I play tennis - weather, travel and bodily ailments permitting - at our local club on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. There is a nice bunch of people in the club with most, believe it or not, being even older than me. This morning, as I set my alarm at 7.20, I awoke to make a cup of tea and to take it back to bed to read the latest news on my iPad - when the siren from the local fire brigade sounded. "Oh no" I thought, "I hope it's not serious".

I headed off to tennis at 8.30 and a member said that the fire brigade wagon had set off to B's place (another member). B, aged about 80 is a really nice chap - educated, experienced, travelled and with the enquiring mind of a schoolteacher and a nice playing partner and conversationalist between games, is one of those people who make going to play tennis worthwhile. As events unfolded - the fire brigade followed by St John Ambulance etc. it became apparent that it was the worst scenario. B had died. I had played tennis with him on Tuesday - two days before.

Later in the day I was told of the circumstances - B had dropped to the floor (dead?)  just before 7.30 while dressing for tennis and while his tennis partner wife K was preparing breakfast. He was pronounced dead at 8.45 after the ambulance crew had arrived but it was probably earlier than this.

B had gone in the way that many of us wish to go. Quick, efficiently and without lingering stays in hospitals or hospices. Nevertheless, today I felt bereft. B's going affected me greatly and I felt devastated during the day. Why? Apart from playing the odd game of tennis with him and the occasional chat I hardly know (knew) him.  I've thought about this and the feelings I have are greater than when closer people have died including my brother. Why is this? Is it because I've (as is usual with me) bottled up the feelings? Maybe.

Anyway - it's catharsis.

Tonight when, in our daily Facetime call, I told The Old Girl about this she was wonderfully understanding. She had had a tough and challenging day at work but instantly knew what I was talking about. That's what a good relationship is all about and I'm really happy to know that our best friends have the same. We must have done something right.

After the call a song came into my mind - one of the greats. It was Neil Finn's Crowded House song 'Fall at your Feet'.

I think it was really apt.

FALL AT YOUR FEET - ACOUSTIC

NEW POST - THE MUSIC CURMUDGEON

Here's a Guardian article you might find interesting.

HIGH AS A BIRD

NEW POST - THE MUNDANE CURMUDGEON

The Mundane Curmudgeon published a new post today. Be nice to him as he has a sore arm (he claims that is was twisted up his back a bit).

Enjoy (or, if you are Richard - be careful).

(RET)AILING

"IT MADE ME CHUCKLE"

Robert is often chuckling when he posts on my and Richard's blogs.

Now, if we could get Richard to do the same instead of being grumpy we might be onto something.

THE CHUCKLE BROTHERS

REARRANGING THE DECK CHAIRS ON THE TITANIC

(Idiomatic) To do something pointless or insignificant that will soon be overtaken by events, or that contributes nothing to the solution of a current problem.

I had to laugh when I read that Melania Trump has organised a revamp of the White House rose garden and this has been unveiled prior to the Republican Party's conference.

ROSE GARDEN REVAMP

The Titanic certainly came to mind.

IT'S TIME FOR A REAL POST

Are you tired of reading the old, not updated self-congratulatory posts of Richard's Bass Bag where he comments numerous times on his own post to get the comments number up?

Are you bored and unengaged with Robert's latest post?

Here are the highlights: *

"Inspired by Peter I've ordered a pair of shoes from Skechers.
They seem a bit cheaper than his because I want to walk rather than run.
I had an unusual request for violin rosin today.
Petone ponderer's sewing machine belt is slipping.
I gave her some old rosin but not the good stuff from Richard.
I spent the day painting.
Why are there so many whites?
In the end I had Sue, Petone Ponderer, and her friend Kevin trying to judge if my ceiling white is white.
We all agreed it looked purple."

 Well, wait no longer. Here's a real post from 'up north'.

We've had quite a run of bad weather up here - most of which I missed by being in Wellington but the last week was horrendous. High winds rocked the house to the point where I (with help of mate Rod) took down the shade sail that covers the western side of the deck. Rod, when he and his wife were renting our house while we were overseas (7 years ago now), took the shade down for the same reason and cleaned the lichen off it. Lichen, in coastal areas settles on trees, window ledges, weatherboards, roofs and, in this case, the shade sail.

Lichen

I'll borrow Rod's water blaster and get this stuff off.

Heavy rain during the week meant that I couldn't paint the new weatherboards, do the washing or mow the lawn.

All bad but - today when I woke at 7.30 (sorry Robert) it was a beautiful sunny day. Blue sky, no wind, warm and sunny. Beauty! I dived out of bed (after having a cup of tea and reading the news and checking emails and blogs) at about 8.30.

From there on - after breakfast (weetbix, hot water and milk and a couple of spoonfuls of the delicious cereal additive I prepare and keep in the fridge which is a mixture of All Bran, applesauce and prune juice - it was all action.

I put through a large wash for hanging out and, while that was going through I set up everything I needed to paint the weatherboards.

Last month, along with some other improvements we had builders replace some dodgy weatherboards on the house. They applied undercoat to them but painting was recommended within three weeks. I was worried at the rain we've been having and was itching to get the painting done.

I got out the two Gorilla ladders and the extendable plank and applied the first coat to the boards.

The Gorilla ladders are great as it's easy to adjust the height and for the slope. Here I have them at a low setting and raised them later.

I left the first coat for two hours before applying the second and, in the interim mowed the lawns. Well, to be honest I couldn't get the bloody lawn mower to start so used the excellent E-GO weed-eater which is easy to use and did a good job. I brought in the washing before I did this as, empirically, I learned (from an ear bashing from The Old Girl) that mowing the lawn next to washing on the line is not recommended.

I also painted the extra weatherboards that I had made up. I will keep these in storage in the basement in case any further replacements are needed. There were a couple of tricky bits on the house to reach where the scaffold set-up couldn't reach.

I went up the ladder and dealt to as much of the new boards as I could reach, even using an extension I made by taping the paintbrush to a broom handle but, there a still a couple of spots that need doing. Next week I'll go to Mitre 10 and buy one of those lightweight painting sponges and attach it to the extendable house washing contraption we have.

The result was better than I expected. During the week I went to RESENE paint shop taking with me a piece of the old weatherboard. I trusted them as they successfully matched up a ceiling sample for when we had the new architrave fitted around the attic ladder installation.

I note that Rober has had trouble with white paint - remember his blog post? - I SAID "REMEMBER HIS BLOG POST?"  - REMEMBER HIS BLOG?



Never mind, here's a reminder. Robert said in his latest post:

"I spent the day painting.
Why are there so many whites?"

In this case he's right. There are so many whites in the world of paint. I thought that our house is painted a sort of grey colour. When I got the colour match done and produced the paint pot stated:

LINEN (G80- 020-097) Lumbersider Waterborne low sheen WHITE

I guess that I can only suggest that Robert takes an original sample with him next time. From my experience, trust RESENE (a paint advertisement allusion there).



********************************



Now I was going to bore you - regale you - inform you of my dinner choice tonight after a fulfilling day, but, as it's still cooking and I'm not sure how it will turn out I'll let The Food Curmudgeon post on this tomorrow.









* I lied about the highlights. That was the entire Post!

HOW GOOD ARE THESE?

 

I ordered some SKETCHERS Sport memory foam track shoes yesterday - $79.

They were delivered today!

These babies are so comfortable it just makes me want to get out and do some kms - but it's threatening rain. I don't want to take them off now.

I've recently discovered SKETCHERS and wish that I'd done so ages ago.

They are doing my poor old feet good.

A QUICK UPDATE

 We've had another massive storm up here with high winds and heavy rain.

There have been lots of slips and reports of trees down across some minor roads.

My rubbish bin and the two recycling bins were blown down to the back of the house but ....... you'll be pleased to know ....... no deck furniture was blown over in this storm. None.

                                                            THIS DID NOT HAPPEN

A FILLER

 Look I know that you're waiting for a new post and I am home now but ..... Hey Hey!

Does it get any better than this?

TINY DESK CONCERT - ALDOUS HARDING

I'm an old joker - even older (by 12 days) than that old guy Richard (of Richard's Bass Bag).

I've listened to and watched the performances of a lot of musicians and I prefer the edgier stuff. Harding does it for me - big time.

I'M NOT DEAD

I FEEL HAPPY!

In this new Covid-19 world we are more aware of our neighbours coughs and sniffles. The other day I moved seats to get away from a woman in the seat in front of me who was coughing. Now I've got a heavy head cold and when I'm out and about and blow my nose into a paper towel I get nervous glances from passers-by. Fair enough - I'd do the same.

I've been using face masks on my air travel to Wellington and on buses and trains for the last few months. I was getting strange and almost angry looks from people including the flight crew but I bet that won't happen on Monday when I go home as Air NZ have mandated the use of face masks. These are very useful but still, it didn't stop me picking up the cold germs which may well have happened on the flight from Queenstown to Wellington last Saturday. It could just have well been Covid-19. It makes you wonder.

KUPE'S PENIS

I took the bus to Seatoun this afternoon, riding all the way to the  end of the peninsular.

Richard will appreciate this information on Steeple Rock:

"Seatoun as a suburb looks out on to Steeple Rock, which is the largest rock of Barrett Reef at the west of the entrance to Wellington Harbour, rising 7 metres (23 ft) above sea level. Its Māori name is Te Aroaro-o-Kupe (The front of Kupe), after being officially changed on 3 September 2009 from Te Ure-o-Kupe (The penis of Kupe). Kupe, the legendary discoverer of Aotearoa, is said to have injured himself on the rock while swimming."

- Wikipedia 

There's a nice beach walk by the Oruati Reserve along to Point Dorset. I took a few pics:

I like the wit of the person who tied the seahorse to a hitching post. Nice that.

I only walked about 4 kilometres as, ever parsimonious, I had to get back to the bus stop before 3PM to take advantage of the free bus fare (also I didn't have any coins to pay if I couldn't use my Gold Card).

Back home I sorted out some wine for when Geoff comes around for an after-work drink. I selected Bell Hill Pinot Noir. Maybe Richard can advise whether I should serve it chilled or not.

IT'S ALL OVER NOW BABY ....

 .... DONALD (and you will be blue).

GRAHAM BONNET - BABY BLUE

Kamala Harris has been announced as Joe Biden's running partner in the US Presidential Election. That silly old fool Biden has finally got over his huffiness at her skinning him in the selection debates and, no doubt on the advice from his team, been convinced that Harris is his best chance of getting elected.

KAMALA HARRIS FOR PRESIDENT-  VICE-PRESIDENT

Harris is a star and, if and when Biden craps out or bows out over the next four years Harris will be a worthy step-in replacement from Vice President to President. Go the USA!

I told you that Harris was the best bet some time ago. Remember?  HERE and HERE

This woman is powerful and I bet idiot Trump is shaking in his Italian loafers. This, more than anything that the idiot does - and he's doing lots of idiotic things - will be the end of him.

HE WAAHI e MAUMAHARA ANA*

 * A place of memories

I rode a bus to Island Bay today, tootled about the beach area and walked back home. It was a reasonably long walk but it's part of my plan for doing things in Wellington - taking a bus to the end of the line and walking back. I'll do this with Karori, Seatoun, Miramar, Brooklyn and some other city suburbs. I used to do this in Toronto - taking the Metro train to the end of the line in various directions and walking back to the centre of town. The distances there were greater but hey, I was seven years younger, didn't have a dodgy knee and hadn't had a stroke yet.

The beach area at Island Bay has hardly changed since I was a kid. Tapu te Ranga (Rat Island) looks the same and hasn't had a casino built on it yet. There's a small reserve and playground there now but the bay looks the same, with the same houses lining it, and the Italian fishing boats still bob on the water. I remember on Sundays Dad would drive us around the bays and we'd stop and buy fresh fish off the boat from the fishermen. This was a treat, as was buying fresh bread hot out of the oven at Denhard's or Tip Top bakery in Newtown. In those days (1960s) all shops would be closed on the weekend so this was special.

I walked past the little shops on The Parade and had a coffee and a scone at Betty's cafe. I used to stop there when driving the Murray Robert's delivery truck to buy some outstanding chocolate fudge slices. The place has changed (a little bit - not much) and obviously has new owners - it was nearly 50 years ago after all. The chocolate fudge slices are no longer on offer but the cheese scone was pretty darned good.

I looked for the old wine shop that Alan Layton from Murray Roberts owned before he got into financial troubles and Murray Roberts/Wrightsons traded it out of trouble. We took turns at MR to run the shop during the week. This was diabolical as trade was slow (a couple of customers a day) and the offerings were crap. In those days (late 1970s) wine shops were only allowed to sell New Zealand wines and sherries and only at retail prices. They could not sell imported wines, spirits, liqueurs or beer. This was a licensing industry (run by cartel groups) rort to protect their interests in their ownership of wine and spirit merchant wholesalers and hotel bottle stores. This all changed in the mid 1980s. I found the shop but it, like a few others was empty. This is a shame as, in Island Bay, there aren't any large format retailers so  'village-like' shopping is a possibility. Maybe some people have tried it and it didn't work.

I called in to Berhampore golf course where I used to play after school and on Saturday mornings. A lot has changed but a few of the fairways and greens were just the same. I couldn't resit it but had a quick look in some gorse bushes by the first hole and found six good golf balls and a 'golfing' frisbee. I'll have to hide these from The Old Girl.

Continuing on I walked up Adelaide Road where the Athletic Park rugby ground and the Millard Stand used to be. It's all housing and retirement homes now. Passing Lower Macalister Park I spied the changing shed. These were exactly the same as when I used them as a nipper when my older sister, brother and I trained in athletics at the park. 

It also has a memory for me as the place of my first beer drinking in 1970 when I was in the seventh form at St Patrick's College. Wayne Chelman, Ray Christensen and I bought a little 6-pack of lager - it was that horrible Steinlager Blue) and sat on the step outside the building drinking it. It tasted like crap and I remember it making me feel ill later. After this we 'blatted' off down Adelaide Road for some reason. Chelman had just bought an Austin A30 circa mid 1950s (I had earlier bought a 1948 Austin 8 which certainly didn't 'blat'). He drove Christensen and I and, at the intersection of Adelaide Road and John Street accelerated when the lights turned red. We yelled at the silly bastard to stop which he did .......... after running the red light and being pulled over by a police car. 

Just along Adelaide Road, Christensen and I sat in the car while Chelman was being interviewed, and admonished by the police officer. We were sure he was for it and didn't know what the rules were for us having consumed all of two bottles of beer (illegally as we were underage). The policeman told Chelman he would be getting a ticket for running the red light but didn't mention his beery breath. In those days the Traffic Department and the Police were separate entities and, it seems, didn't get on well with each other. In retrospect it might have been a good thing if Wayne had been reprimanded as he had some issue with alcohol later.

Walking further along Adelaide Road I passed the former location of Murray Roberts where Richard, Robert and I worked on Saturdays and in our university holidays. It's no longer a wine and spirit merchant having been given over to a lot of different commercial operations since. The structure of the building is the same however and I smiled when thinking of the boss Bruce Campbell sweeping the carpark early in the morning (to make us workers feel guilty) and the end of the building where the beer bottle empties would be stored and the delivery trucks loaded. All good.

I walked around the Basin Reserve and past the location of the old school (St Patrick's College) and back to the temporary home (the base camp) in Egmont Street. It was only about 8 kilometers but my knee was sore and, on arriving home I had a long soak in a bath with Epsom Salts.

A good day that Robert would say, as per his comment on my previous post - 

"Glad you enjoyed our wonderful city. The phrase coals to Newcastle pops into my head!"

This doesn't really surprise me though as I've always thought that he has rocks in his head.

SUNDAY IN WELLINGTON (BASE CAMP ONE)

The Old Girl and I enjoyed a day out and about in Wellington yesterday. 

We were treated to a lovely winter's day that was more like spring. The jonquils and daffodils we saw indeed thought it was spring - silly little buggers. Wait until late August and Wellington's notorious mid winter southerlies - that'll sort them out. Mind you though, the Milne Ice shelf collapse in Canada shows the effects of global warming so maybe those flowers are smarter than we think. See: MILNE ICE SHELF  COLLAPSE

We rode the Cable Car up to Kelburn and in the museum I showed The Old Girl the old cable car from the 1960s and 1970s that I used to ride on, sitting on the outside in the days when there were two cars - one going up and one going down that passed each other somewhere in the middle. This went on until some guy stepped in front on one and got munted*

We walked around the magnificent Botanical Gardens for a few hours (8 kilometres worth) and rediscovered many of the treasures, Finding the Henry Moore sculpture above the Lady Norwood rose garden, I gave The Old Girl a rundown on its provenance.

The brass dedication plaque was a bit hard to read (especially as I made sure that my shadow obscured it) so I paraphrased it for her thus:

"This statue commemorates an historic event in the gardens circa 1962 when a football game was terminated with no result when Robert Prowse took his ball and went home. "

Aquila non capit muscas.

We walked down through the Bolton Street Cemetery, past the Beehive and then along the waterfront to  base camp in Egmont Street. (I just noticed a mountaineering connection there).

On the way there I saw this ........

..... where some wag has put a mask on the face of the statue. Quite apt this, I thought, as the government is maybe considering reintroducing Level Two or more restrictions which will make the wearing of face masks mandatory for travel and close social interaction.

More later.

* Just in case some pedantic old school teachers who used to live near Kelburn object - yes, that image was from San Francisco but I couldn't find one of the Wellington cable cars passing each other. Hopefully this will keep your knickers from getting too twisted.

BASE CAMP ONE

 I'm back in Wellington at base camp after having been in Queenstown for a few days holiday. It's stressful being retired so I deserved a break in case you are wondering.

We had a good time there even though the weather wasn't great. Murphy's Law dictated however that the morning we left it was clear and sunny. Go figure.

The anticipated helicopter flight to The Remarkables didn't happen as it was too cloudy and threatening rain so we did some other things like going up on the gondola and a trip on The Earnslaw.

In a bar/restaurant I spied an image that Robert will appreciate. It was part of a sardine motif wallpaper.

Things have been a bit weird on the blogs while I was away.

Richard has a new alter-ego, appropriately maned Wally:

 - and Robert is getting onto Christian martial arts:

More later.

MONDAY

After 4 days of heavy rain and cyclone-like wind today is shaping up better.
From Thursday night through last night the winds have been so strong the house has shaked and I've been worried about the roof becoming like Robert*.

I picked up a lot of debris and sawed up a large fallen tree branch and loaded it all into the trailer. I won't be able to take this to the tip until after I get back from Wellington.

I also repositioned the CLEAN UP AFTER YOUR DOG sign that I got from the council and mounted on the grass verge leading down to the beach in front of our house. This got blown over in the storm so I dug a deeper hole and packed it in tighter with dirt, gravel and rocks.

The builder called around and we discussed what needs to be done with the retaining walls in the front and back of the house. I hedged my bets and asked him to get the basics done with a view to adding the fancy bits later when The Old Girl is in residence. I'm hoping that the quote won't 'break the bank'.

The lawns need cutting but will have to wait until I'm back when the grass is hopefully drier.
I'll use my EGO trimmer to do this even though the grass is getting quite high.
My old petrol lawnmower is very temperamental nowadays and might refuse to do the job.

Maybe I need a more modern one.

*Unhinged

IS THIS WHAT YOU WANT ..... WHAT YOU REALLY, REALLY WANT?

Robert commented thus on The Aluminium Foil Curmudgeon's latest post:

"Why did we have to read this nonsense? My own blog makes more sense."

In that post I put in some very interesting links to Cleaview ai. and John Oliver's recent essay on facial recognition. Obviously Robert was unable for some reason or other to read these.

Maybe I should follow the style of his own posts which, according to him make more sense.

Here's a paraphrase of his most recent post adapted to The Curmudgeon's day:

So here is my log.
Wake up at 7.30AM. Doze until 8AM. Reach out to touch The Old Girl's hand and remember that she's in Wellington. Get up.
Make tea. Mental note to buy more tea.
Drink tea on my own. Think about kitchen alterations.
Sort out my medication for next week's trip to Wellington.
Prepare Weetbix for breakfast with another cup of tea.
Walk around the bay hoping for solitude. Several people are using the walkway, interfering with my privacy .
Get home and clean the dishes.
I would clean the car but the area still has a water restriction.
Go to the supermarket.
Cook dinner roast vegetables and meatloaf.

Oh yes. This makes a lot more sense. What was I thinking before?

NEW POST - THE ALUMINIUM FOIL CURMUDGEON

I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW ...