Go east, young men, so they did along with me to the town of Marysville. I'd forgotten about this nice art work at the entrance to the Mullum Mullum Tunnel.
The park was fairly quiet on the Thursday night and we were without immediate neighbours in the row. Friday night, the hoards arrived.
He did it. While I wasn't in the car, Phyllis passed his test, and received compliments from the tester, and a couple of words of advice. She made him reverse parallel park with a twist, on top of a spend hump.
I didn't quite understand what Kosov was telling me, as I don't think he did himself, but Phyllis couldn't take the test driving my car because of its electronic brakes! What? The car is four years old. Many cars have electronic brakes. Staff in the centre told him he had two minutes to find a driving instructor among the people there to in the testing centre to take him in the instructor's car. He did and kaching, an extra $180 to pay.
Kosov and I stayed in my car while Phyllis underwent the test. Eventually I worked out that it was the electric hand brake that was the problem. I searched the VicRoads website and found the answer. If using your own car, it must have a centre mounted conventional brake handle for use by the tester or instructor in case of emergencies. That is, they can reach to the centre and grab the handbrake.
However, certainly at low speeds, my handbrake comes on if I lift the button and it is within reach of the passenger. I can't imagine it would not work at higher speeds. Phyllis passed, but he was annoyed by the extra cost, especially as he said the car he was tested in had the same electric handbrake as mine. Yes Phyllis, but the instructor in his car has a brake pedal on his side as well. I do think it should be made clearer to drivers who about to sit their licence test. They are already nervous enough without the extra botheration. At the end of the day, he would have had to pay regardless.
I have a question for those of you who have taught their children to drive a motor car.
As learner drivers, you constantly correct them as you teach them driving skills. At what point do you stop correcting their driving and keep your mouth shut?
I think I will struggle to stop correcting Phyllis' driving now, even now he is a probationary qualified driver and allowed to drive on his own.
Nevertheless, I am rather proud of him for passing his driving licence test. And just a bit of tiny pride in myself for getting him there in about six months when initially he didn't know which way to turn a steering wheel.
Next year it will probably be Kosov who I will teach, but he has a better idea of driving than Phyllis did, and he has often been in the car while Phyllis was learning.
Well, I will be away for a few days, taking the lads to the countryside, that is Kosov's belated birthday present. When I say taking, Phyllis will be driving, and over the (treacherous?) Black Spur to a place where my maternal grandparents used to stay at a holiday guesthouse.
Tata.
That's Hexham in the north of England, not the one in New South Wales, Australia.
Ray's sister and her third husband owned a semi permanent caravan there, which Ray and I mostly used as accommodation the first time I visited England in 2008, I think. It was very comfortable, connected up to power, water, sewerage and gas, and only a short walk to the market town centre.The gas fire kept us warm, but I clearly remember the freezing cold unheated bathroom area. I found it too cold to shower with limited hot water pressure, and so I used the bath.
At the bottom of the park was the River Tyne, and one day it rained steadily the whole day. As we say in Australia, the river was running a banker, but it didn't flood. I had never seen narrow fast flowing rivers like the Tyne before. I was super impressed. Australian rivers tend to be lazy, without a rush by the waters to reach the sea.
The town centre was lovely, and very historic. The locals, as I subsequently learnt, tended to vote conservatively. Being surrounded by farms, I wasn't surprised.
What to write about?
I had lunch today with neighbour HH. Her sister has returned to Sydney, I think somewhat to HH's relief. They are not at all alike. We chose a new cafe, where we had to drive to, Halcyon Days. It was not cheap but that staff were so nice and the food was good. Within ninety minutes, we had caught up on everything, and sorted out some of the world. I expect our basic political views are different but that is really just a guess.
Phyllis received a very good pass for his English test, 7.5/10. I had no idea how difficult it was. Kosov is going to send me the sample paper test.
I was a bit surprised that the gubbermint has cut my pension by 2/3rds. I felt poverty stricken. Phyllis noticed I had received a letter from the gubbermint and I told him how was now in a state of poverty. I don't know how he so quickly picked it up but, "Andrew, you have too much money and that's why the government has cut your pension". I think I am repaying some money that I shouldn't have been paid after I received my inheritances from Ray and Mother.
Well, if I have enough money, I should spend some and get my pension back. I haven't spent money on a proper holiday since Ray died.
Tuesday I booked the overnight sleeper train from Sydney to Melbourne. I had to book two bunks to get a sleeper cabin on my own, but there was a pensioner discount. I also booked a flight to Sydney and after a taste of business class when Ray I flew to and from England in 2023, via Sri Lanka, I decided I would do so for the single flight to Sydney, and so found a reasonable price with Virgin Australia. The trip will happen in October, for about eleven days. It will be a whole new experience for me to travel alone. I am full of doubts, especially the number of days I am away. Now I need to focus on accommodation.
The two red cushions on the lounge room chairs looked grubby, without zip off covers, and misshapen. I wanted new cushions. As usual, I looked and looked, Myer, Big W, Kmart and Bed, Bath & Table. There was one I liked in Myer, and a possibility in BB&T. The Myer price was ridiculous,and the BB&T price not much better. I saw cushions for $4 in KMart. I looked again at the Myer cushions...yes, I liked them. I showed photos to Phyllis and Kosov, and they liked them.
Yay, on sale, half price. They were still expensive but I wanted them. I tried them on the chairs and they were ok, but then I thought to swap the smaller sofa cushions to the chairs and put the new cushions on the sofa, and they looked perfect. Happy, happy, happy. All done without Ray's advice and the consultation. I think I've made some very good choices on my own, getting the new carpet and the painting done, the new fridge and the new microwave. The holiday remains to be seen.
The lounge room is so old fashioned, but I like it how it is. The two single chairs are up for replacement, one with a broken spring and sagging and the other just sagging. Only visitors sit on the couch.
For the last couple of days, Phyllis and Kosov came down to join me at Sister's. I picked them up from South Geelong Station, the L plates went on the car, and off we went towards Torquay to visit Fire Fighting Nephew, his wife, five year old daughter and two year old twin boys. Phyllis and Kosov charmed the socks off the kiddies with so much fun. It was the first time they had met. Along the way, we had stopped somewhere at an Aldi for some dinner requirements.
By the time we left Torquay the light was failing and Phyllis experienced some night time driving on the way to Sister's.
Go east, young men, so they did along with me to the town of Marysville. I'd forgotten about this nice art work at the entrance to the M...