A progress report from home
Back to Abbotsford Street where I read the new swag of biography number two but haven't responded yet. It is a very moving read, though there is still a bit more to come. A very short nap, then back to Collingwood where we had fritatta part one for dinner, then fairly indifferent teev. We should have read books.
Yesterday, (Sunday), P. went down to Abbotsford for secret U3A business, while I read more Rationalist Society newsletter and Sylvia Lawson autobiography. We had Sally's chili pasta sauce for dinner then not-bad TV: Mystery Road, Killing Eve, Shetland. Today, I went down to Abbotsford where there was no Alex, as promised, but a wine delivery. Is it a public holiday, go figure? However, I finished off the biography no 2 but almost immediately received another swag of chapters. Home again after a nap where Sally delivered another fritatta, we had premade lasagne for dinner then normal Monday night teev.
Yesterday (Friday), we picked up Heiko and I dropped P. at the laundromat (Soapranos, get it) while I went back to Abbotsford to get working. I've now got more chapters on biography number 2, plus the huge autobiography and the natural history. Alex the builder is making good progress. He now has the washbasin and trough in place with the linen cupboard almost finished. Left to do is the wall tiling, the toilet and the shower screen. He is working on Monday, he says, so stands a good chance of being finished by the end of the week if all the bits turn up. I picked up P. and we went home with the washing, then had a nap. I made anchovy pasta for dinner which was a bit thin because I used too many anchovies last time. We then had a good night on the teev: Gardening, Capture (final) and Spooky Music (Silent Witness). Today, I've come down to Abbotsford to try to get some work done. I made progress on biography number 2 and the natural history, had lunch and a nap and now am back to Collingwood for a less than inspiring night on the teev, but there's nothing else.
I went back to Abbotsford this morning, finished autobiography number two (the chapters so far) and sent some comments off to the author. Alex the builder arrived by then with the vanity basin. He has finished the floor tiles in the bathroom and has gone off this afternoon to get the cupboard from Ikea readymade. Meanwhile, I have been sent a new autobiographical work of 160,000 words so I now have the natural history book and autobiography number three. At least the natural history (minus the photos) is relatively short. Never a dull moment. Now for a very short nap and back to Collingwood. P. made a fairly complicated chicken Florentine for dinner which was delicious.
This morning we got Heiko the Yaris and went to Victoria Gardens for Noel's shopping and ours. We went to Noel's, who was in good spirits, dropped in at Abbotsford Street, then went back to Collingwood to drop the shopping and have salmon patties for lunch. After lunch, we had a nap then had salmon and beans for dinner, then fairly indifferent teev.
Today, I'm back early at Abbotsford to let in the Three Musketeers (Danny the architect, Giuliano the builder and Alex the builder) as the keys have gone missing. (Giuliano has cut a new set.) After having a bit of a conflab, the three of them have agreed on a solution which will enable us to be back here before our Airbnb runs out on 2 May. We'll have a return glass shower, with a premade cupboard and vanity, to avoid the absent cabinetmaker problem. So Alex has started the tiling today. Phew! Meanwhile, I've sent back some notes on one biography and am getting on with the other one. To keep me busy, an author has sent a very unusual wildlife manuscript with pictures. It will probably wind up as an online publication as there are so many photos.
On Sunday (yesterday), P. came down to Abbotsford to do secret U3A things while I spent most of the day re-reading Jumpcuts by Tsiolkas and Soldatow in Collingwood. We had leftover 50-50 bolognese for dinner then watched three 'cop' dramas in a row: Mystery Road, Killing Eve and Shetland. All were quite satisfying though Eve is getting a bit silly. This morning, it was my turn to come to the computer in Abbotsford to catch up on my admin. and to start up properly on one of the biographies. It is working quite well so far, even though its content is a difficult ask. Giuliano the builder turned up at lunchtime to deliver some tiles and suggested that we might be at least a week after 2 May before the bathroom is operable. After a short, late nap, as I was very busy with work I went back to Collingwood and P. made Sally's pasta sauce with ravioli for dinner. Then normal Monday night teev.
After staying the night in Abbotsford, P. went back to Collingwood while I tackled the mountain, well, hillock really, of work on my desk. I've despatched the short story translation and had a quick read of the new chapter of one biography. I'll return to that on Monday. Now for a quick look at the other biography. Then lunch and a nap before returning to Collingwood. We'll have Noel's curry for dinner.
One day merges into another during lockdown. On Wednesday, P. came back to Abbotsford for a U3A committee meeting on Zoom while I stayed at the funky studio to catch up on reading. We had pizza for dinner, or was that another day? It is hard to tell. On Thursday we went shopping to Victoria Gardens, dropped off Noel's shopping and prescriptions, then came back to Collingwood for oysters and garlic prawns (from the Gardens). Today, we got Heiko the Yaris again, and P. did the laundromatting while I went to the Health Centre for pills and a consultation with new doctor Tim. I'm seeing him again next week for a Health Plan which I need to do to satisfy government requirements to see a podiatrist. Ho hum! P. and I went back to Collingwood for fish patties for lunch, had a nap, then came back to Abbotsford where P. made roast lamb dinner with spinach, potatoes, carrots and sweet potato which was delicious, then teev and we stayed the night. There is much discussion about the bathroom as Alex the builder has ideas to alter things which his boss Giuliano does not agree with. Danny the architect might need to arbitrate. Part of the problem is that the cabinet maker is not available for months, probably as a result of TAFE cuts which mean no one is training to do it. However, the builder might be able to work around that. We'll see. The course of true renovations never ran smooth. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I've got a new translated short story to check and more chapters for two biographies. Never a dull moment.
After showering in our diminutive shower, P. decided to stay at home today to catch up on reading for U3A while I came down to Abbotsford Street to catch up on work and emails. Alex is busily working away installing walls in the bathroom. The biography is going well though I am seeing it in a fairly fragmented way (odd chapters here and there) which makes it hard to see how it all hangs together.
On Sunday morning, we returned to our temporary home and a new mountain of papers (they get delivered to the house in front so there's a delay of half a day). Later, after lunch (leftover bean casserole), Sally delivered a food parcel which was very welcome and some of which we had for dinner, followed by a mildly funny recap of the comedy festival. The finish of Line of Duty was as gripping as last time. Today, we're back in Abbotsford to 'finish' tidying and catch up on computing, like this blog. Sangos for lunch, then a nap then back to Collingwood. In spite of having worked very hard cleaning out the cupboards and bench, P. made a 50/50 bolognese for dinner (half meat, half vegies) which was delicious and there are probably two meals left. We watched fairly lacklustre teev (no Four Corners or Media Watch).
We haven't been back to Abbotsford for a few days so this is a catchup post on Easter Saturday. We're here to do a bit tidying preparatory to the removal of the wood heater on Tuesday/Wednesday. Attila (not the Hun) has bought it on Gumtree within a half hour of me posting it. On Wednesday, we had a bit of a horror day. We started by doing the laundromating (or P. did) while I attended to some work. That too nearly two and a half hours. We had planned to do it after the shopping but Noel wanted us to come later so he could get organised. We then shopped and delivered Noel's stuff to him, took our stuff to our garage in Collingwood. I'd extended Heiko the Yaris to 4pm and by then we were a bit frazzled. When I tried to return Heiko there was another GoGet car in the pod! It took over an hour to sort out the mess, which was done by P. spotting the other car on the road, so we retrieved our spot. The next two days were spent at 'home' in Collingwood with P. cooking one pot wonders (a chicken curry and a bean stew). We also had Sally's fritatta. Today (Saturday) we came back to Abbotsford, did a bit of tidying up, had a nap then a night of teev. Back to Collingwood tomorrow. We also had a Zoom conference in lieu of our Kelly lunch with sadly only Sal, Ann de H. and us, but no Rennis or either Polly, but it was well worth doing.
I came down to Abbotsford this morning. Alex arrived a bit later to work on the bathroom. I finished the new chapters of the biography and sent my notes to the author and did some other chores including putting the old wood heater on Gumtree. I had four replies within half and hour and one of the takers will be here shortly. In other news, as well as Pell getting off, there was a stolen car on its roof in Valiant Street and I had a call from the Health Centre that my bowel screening had blood in it, so I'll have to have a colonoscopy. Probably a long wait for that. I'll have lunch here and a nap before going back to Collingwood to make dinner: garlic and chilli pasta. At last, something normal.
This morning, I came back to Abbotsford (home) where Alex was busy redoing the bathroom floor. I had a few housekeeping things to do before getting back to work on the biography. Some new chapters came over the weekend and I haven't had a chance to catch up with them. With all this living in two houses, my head is shpinning. I went back to Collingwood for lunch and a nap and P. made a very nice chicken curry for dinner, then normal Monday night teev.
We got Heiko the Yaris, round the corner, for the shopping yesterday (Saturday) and got Noel's things and ours. Back to Collingwood and Abbotsford for various unloadings and inspections, then lunch and a nap. We had fish soup for dinner from stuff from Victoria Gardens fish shop, then settled in for another good night with the Country Music program which is excellent, then Johnny Cash. Today, after our very cramped shower, I came back to Abbotsford to do a few chores and tasks (including this blog). I'll have a nap here before going back to Collingwood for dinner: the leftover anchovy pasta plus baby cheeses. As P. says, 'Australian teev shows are no good at endings' and Stateless was no exception.
After both having a shower in our tiny bathroom,we breakfasted then had a conflab with Airbnb owner, Marcus, who is a paramedic about how to work the microwave and collect the papers and other matters. He is very nice and cooperative. I then came home to Abbotsford to check the computer and collect some things we'd forgotten or hadn't realised were not in the bnb. The bathroom has been demolished. Back in Collingwood, I made anchovy pasta for dinner which wasn't bad, and we settled in for a night of teev.
I had an early shower to prepare for another move, this time seriously to Collingwood. After a bit of tidying around the house (OUR house), we'll go up to Collingwood and get Heiko the Yaris and come back to pick up heavy stuff which we can't carry. Giuliano and Alex arrived to start ripping the bathroom apart and we settled into Mater Street. After lunch and an arvo nap, P. figured out how to work the teev and I made anchovy pasta for dinner with a bit of difficulty with the tiny kitchen. We watched the skewering of George Pell and the Catholic church, then had a good sleep.
This morning, I tidied up all sorts of things on the computer and in the kitchen. P. went to collect some things from Mater Street. He came back early having been interrupted by an inspection of our Airbnb at a different time from what we had been told. After a nap, I made French onion soup for dinner then leftover duck. Normal Tuesday night teev.
Live in a two storey house with Peter, work as a freelance editor and like good food! I'm not an Aries as the computer says but Aquarius. I'm a Pig not a Rat. Peter is an Aries.
