Well, my horsie tried really hard but just wasn't good enough.
I decided to stop talking about it and actually clean my light shades. Of course while I was doint that I noticed how feral the ceiling fan was looking. Plus all the cobwebs around the corners of the ceiling (and I have exposed rafters in the lounge, so there are a lot of corners). Cleaning all that meant that dust went everywhere so I needed to vacuum. I'm finally finished now and it does look much better. I really should sweep the front porch off too... Why does housework never end 😭
Edit: Have now also swept front porch.
That's handy to have. I just have Mr Woof and Miss Meow, that are not great at cleaning and probably contributed most of the fuzz.
I have those too. Cleaning them has been on my To Do List for months now, but I never quite get around to doing it. Maybe today will be the day!
Miss Meow is trying to convince me that public holidays mean she needs 24hr lap provision to be able to relax properly. I am concerned about this plan as it is blocking my access to caffeine.
Edit: It's alright, she's decided she really wants to have a day of progressive sleeping and use all of her beds instead, as long as she has intermittent lap access we should be ok.
Mr Woof declared it was up time just after 6. I have tried explaining the changing day lengths, that the sun is rising earlier and that it is not actually late. He won't accept my explanation and just believes I'm lazing in bed half the day and that when the sun is up I need to be too.
9 is a good number. I'm happy with that. Odd name. A French horse, apparently. Do you think he neighs with a French accent?
A waffle cone with all the flavours of gelati please.
They are so annoying, aren't they? I get DoorDash drones flying over my place, I absolutely hate them. Door Dash claims they are really quiet and fly high enough they are not annoying, but I am regularly being annoyed by the sound so that claim is obviously rubbish.
Sadly I am at work. We really need today to be a public holiday too.
I did a complete overhaul of my jar collection a few months ago - I had them in a bunch of different spots and once I rounded them up into one spot it was a bit alarming how many I had! I now have a space limit and only jars that fit are allowed to stay - I'm working on collecting sets of matching size jars sizes and when I manage to get a jar I prefer one of the others has to go. I do a lot of preserving so can justify a lot of jars though.
I'm also nervous about what comes after the election. It's pretty clear that Trump and his supporters won't accept losing and will do everything they can to overthrow the results, so whoever wins there will be trouble. And trouble in US flows over into trouble for the rest of the world.
Tortellini today please. With some sort of creamy sauce.
24.7 degrees? What sort of stupid temperature is that for 4am? Someone clearly forgot to turn down the thermostat overnight.
It's stupidly windy and random things keep creaking and banging. Mr Woof was a bit alarmed by a plant pot that was walking itself down the street.
You should notice they don't smell right before you get to the point of taking a bite
Second batch of soap (the one I messed up and had to re-cook) is now out of the moulds and looking good. Now I just have to wait a couple of months for drying.
I think it is supposed to be pikelets, so that's really on me. I presume picklets are some sort of pickle pikelet hybrid. Maybe a version of okinomyaki, which would be pretty awesome. Just not with cream and maple syrup 🤣
In an exciting start to the morning I have done some more updates to my budget spreadsheet. I have now mastered the use of TRUNC, ROUNDUP and EVEN functions. Hopefully my pay calculations will now match my actual payslips without rounding errors.
Another factory fire has broken out in Melbourne's west, just a little over a week after a massive explosion and blaze in a neighbouring suburb.
Isolated incidents of EV batteries landing in the tip will become more common as the first wave of electric vehicle batteries reaches its end-of-life, the sector says, posing more risk of a "catastrophic" landfill fire.
I'm not sure how we're supposed to believe that disposal of nuclear waste won't be a problem when we can't manage systems to properly deal with the waste we are creating now.
In 2024, you are invited to rediscover your city—to seek out new places and to reconnect with old favourites.
Open House Melbourne will be held over the weekend of 27 & 28 July this year. The full program is being released on 26 June - tickets sell out fast, so if you are interested in attending any of the events you should book as soon as possible once the tickets are released.
"The foundations of our streets
This collection of Melbourne survey maps is a missing piece in the story of Melbourne’s development. They give an account of streetscapes, civic spaces and social development from a pivotal time in our city’s history.
The maps are in archive, waiting to be conserved, catalogued and digitised. They are a treasure trove of history with value for researchers, families and students alike."
The inquest into the death of Nick Panagiotopoulos, 47, who died after a long wait for an ambulance call-taker, is examining whether enough was done to act on warnings before the tragedy.
https://12ft.io/https://theage.com.au/national/victoria/government-was-warned-of-extreme-triple-zero-call-volumes-and-delays-before-father-s-death-20240325-p5feyo.html
Melbourne's iconic Moomba Parade has been cancelled to ensure safety in extreme heat this weekend.
As Victorians head into a hot and dry Labour Day long weekend, authorities are urging people to avoid travelling to state parks and forests if they don't need to, and advising festival-goers to prepare for temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius.
Data obtained by The Age shows hundreds of callers in a single month last year had to wait at least one minute before their emergency call was connected. Insiders fear the delays leave people in life-threatening situations exposed.
Authorities remind the public constantly that floodwaters and cars don't mix, but drivers continue to take the risk. Here's what experts say about why people do it.
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The change of year is always a good time to reflect on the past and plan for the future. I invite everyone to post here with their New Year reflections and resolutions. Next Year I will make another post and link back to this one so we can read our past thoughts and ideas.
You are free to use any format you like, but I would suggest: What are the major milestones and changes that occured this year (and further back if you like)? What good things are happening in your life that you would like to keep going? What would you like to change or add into your life in the future? What challenges do you expect to arise over the next year, and how do you plan on dealing with them?
Violent thunderstorms are likely across eastern Australia this Christmas, rivalling some of the most intense and widespread storm outbreaks of the past few decades.
It looks like Melbourne won't get the worst of this, but we could have some heavy storms over Christmas.
Remember if you are driving to slow down and pull over if necessary, and don't drive through floodwater. Driving through floodwater can be extremely dangerous, and if you try to drive under a bridge and get stuck we will also all point and laugh at you (this applies whether it is due to flooding or excessive height).
Residents in Dandenong South are urged to shelter indoors immediately as firefighters battle to contain a blaze at a paint factory fire, which has sent thick smoke over nearby suburbs.
From Melbourne Zoo's Facebook page:
Melbourne Zoo is closing today due to high winds in the area.
Our priority is keeping our Zoo Members, visitors, staff and the animals in our care safe, so we will be closing for the remainder of today. If you have purchased a ticket online and had not entered the zoo before midday, you will be automatically refunded and you do not need to call us.
Werribee Open Range Zoo, Healesville Sanctuary and Kyabram Fauna Park all remain open today. Melbourne Zoo will reopen tomorrow morning at 9am. We look forward to seeing you then.
University of Tasmania currently have a Certificate in Climate Change Action and Awareness, and a Certificate and Diploma in Sustainable Living available with a HECS waiver - meaning that if you are eligible for a Commonwealth Supported Place you can enroll and they will waive the student contribution. The courses are fully online with no fixed times you need to be available, so are quite flexible to fit around other commitments.
I am halfway through the Diploma of Sustainable Living, and have also enrolled in the Certificate of Climate Change Action and Awareness for next year - there is an overlap of subjects, and the main climate change subjects are available in both. Many of the sustainable living subjects are practical and the assignements relate you your own situation and local area.
One of the subjects available in both courses is "Living with Fire" which I would highly recommend for anyone who could be effected by bushfires - as well as learning more about bushfires in general the final assignment is the creation of a personal fire plan.
Victorian police and protective services officers begin industrial action as part of an escalating pay dispute with the state government.
Close to 200 vehicles used by Victoria's volunteer firefighting organisation are more than 30 years old, leaving some rural brigade leaders worried about the safety of their teams heading into summer.
