95% Finished

It was around 7:30 am this morning when the concrete guy returned ready for the arrival of the Mini-Mix at around 8 am.  To be truthful, the mini-mix arrived around 7:45 and the work began.

I headed off the Computer Club but with the promise I would be home around 11 am.  At the club I was trying to help a lady who had only ever used her laptop as a 'typewriter'.  Now she wanted to connect to the internet.  It have never been updated and was an old Windows XP machine without wireless.  She had a wireless adapter but the thing would hardly work.  It had never been updated.  It sure took up some time to even get it ready to update!

When I arrived home at 11 am this was the sight which greeted me.  It sure will be great.  The spoon design was a little more than the concrete guy (Gary) had expected.  I was delighted with it.  With this deep gradient, heavy rain won't be an issue!  The only problem will be if the storm water system can handle all the water to release it to the front street.

Gary will return Sunday morning to do some final 'cleaning up' and remove his form work ready for the next job.  There are a couple of little spots which he will fix when everything is dry!

The concrete fix to the leak will probably work perfectly as well.  There is quite a bit of concrete around where it was leaking.  I think this lump of concrete should fix any leak though.

Click on the photos for a larger view, then on the "X" in the top right hand corner to return to this page.

Gary and myself then had a couple of beers and chatted while we continued to wait for things to set.

Around 4 pm this afternoon I will cut away the plastic covering the drain.  We are expecting showers later this evening and then again over the next few days.

I will need to find some dirt to finish off the drain.  Most likely I will put the border stones in place on Monday and get some timber to create a 'skirt' between the old fence level and the top of the border stones.

We expect around 27 degrees today but a cooler 22 and showers should greet us tomorrow.

But now it is off to the TV and the 2012 Grand Final! 

Almost There

We continue to be greeted with lovely fine and sunny days with the temp around the mid 20's.  It does cool off overnight which means any temperature the pool has gained during the day is lost overnight.  At just over 20 degrees in the pool a swim is usually completed in a short time!

I have been riding most mornings and enjoying a refreshing (but brief) dip in the pool afterwards.

It has been a "Computer" last couple of days.  On Wednesday a friend was over to swap some movies and for me to load Paint Shop Pro X5 (PSP) onto his laptop.  John is a bit of a whiz with PSP so he was looking forward to seeing what was in the latest version.

Meanwhile the concrete guy completed the drain yesterday.  There is a bit of a leak so the connection to the drain under the clothesline will have decent lump of concrete around it to seal the leak! See the photo left.  Where the weed mat is flapping around is where a shovel load or two of concrete will be used to block the leak to the drain.

Click on photos for a larger view.

Most of the form work and 'reinforcement' mesh is in place this morning ready for the 'pour' tomorrow at 8 am.

I have relaid much of the area after the drain was finished.  I look like I might need a few more stones and pebbles but that will wait until next week.  It is a quiet week for the concreter so it is a couple of hours here and a few more there.  However I reckon Saturday morning will be the busy one.  He hopes to be here around 7:30 am tomorrow for when the Mini Mix truck with the concrete arrives.

Needless to say the most time spent on any decision was the color of the concrete.

Another Computer Club member was around this morning for some help. I spent an hour or so over the road yesterday afternoon updating a neighbour's movie collection.

I grabbed 45 minutes and put another 'brew' on this morning after my bike ride.  Drinks this afternoon at 3pm should be very enjoyable!

Another Day Closer To Completion

The concrete guy has been successful in getting a 'mini-mix' concrete truck to deliver the concrete.  However right now they are all flat out and the concrete can't be delivered until Saturday morning.  So the next day or so will be spent getting everything ready for the 'pour'.  He is moving along slowly.  He may even get Friday off the way it is looking right now.

Instead of having a skip for the dug out earth to go into, he is putting the soil on the back of his truck and taking it to the tip himself.  He hasn't any other work right now so this method takes longer but saves him money.  But time isn't important right now.

He said if he had to, it could have taken him around two days to do the job. But as it is quiet this week he will take his time and do things the slow way.

As the photo above shows it has now all been dug out, the concrete cuts have been done and the large pieces of concrete have been removed to the tip.  He said that before today's trip to dump the soil he had carted away weighed over 2 tonnes.

Click on either picture for a larger view.  Then click on "X" in the top right hand corner to return to this page.

Today saw the trench dug for the drain pipe as well.  The pipe will be fitted tomorrow, the final contouring of the site will be completed and he will set out the form work and the get the reinforcement mesh in place.

Despite being careful, a substantial amount of dirt has finished up in the pool.  He would swing his mattock up high and some bits and pieces of soil would fly off and frequently finish up in the pool.  I took a good 30 minutes to clean the pool this afternoon and a heap of time then to clean the filter afterwards.  The worst of pool cleaning should now be completed as well.

Roll on Saturday!  At least I can get to the area around the clothes line after tomorrow and get the pavers up to the shed back in place!

One final point, the concrete guy much prefers the Lager I make to the Black Ale!

It Is Now a Saga!

As the photo shows much of the area where the 'new' concrete will go has been dug out.  It took the guy around 4 hours of digging.  He arrived around 9 am left around 2:30 pm.  There is the threat of a storm so he packed up and left early.  It was over 30 degrees in the backyard today so it was hot thirsty work.  He will possibly need to dig down another inch or so to get the 'depth' he needs.

As he was leaving he mentioned he was having a problem getting the mini mix concrete delivered and at this stage he was looking at around Thursday or Friday depending on availability.

Before he arrived I made the area where the drainage pipe will go a little wider for him.

His wife works tomorrow and it is school holiday time so he is looking after his 8 y.o. son and expects to be back on Wednesday.

We have decided to cut a section of the old concrete away and put the new stuff there.  This will also help with drainage and solve a problem!  In the top photo the cut will go from the top left corner of the 'red' concrete to level with the sewerage observation point. There has been an adjustment in his quote.  Despite the added cost I reckon I am getting a super deal.

Both Trish and I went to the cardiologist this morning.  Trish is fine while I need to go onto a 'stronger' cholesterol tablet.  My levels are fine but there is some plaque buildup there.  To be on the safe side he wants to 'up' my cholesterol tablet to try and stop any further plaque forming.  This is strictly precautionary!

And to top the day off, I managed a bottling as well.

Right now the storm clouds are building up again and we could get another thunderstorm.  We still need the rain!

Sunday And No Footy!

The storm anticipated late on Friday afternoon from the post below eventuated around 4pm.  Originally there were warnings regarding hail but as the storm front approached the hail warnings were withdrawn.  Nevertheless we had 18mls of heavy rain in a pretty short time, too much for the pool to handle and a test for the backyard without any drain for water to get away.

The pool level rose over an 1" and there was some backup from where the concreting is due to be poured on Tuesday.  Overall it wasn't too bad with some debris getting into the pool but it sure could have been worse.

Despite there being no footy on TV today, we saw a couple of great games on TV over the weekend.  Trish has very few fingernails left but eventually her team won its way into the Grand Final next Saturday.  What was supposed to be a walk in the park for Hawthorn turned into an epic struggle.  Sydney is the other team which won its way into the big game next Saturday.

Drinks with Kerrie and Ian was as pleasant as ever on Friday.  There has been some talk of a group of us going to Malaysia next year.  Ian and Kerrie are unable to join us as only just last week they have booked something else instead for earlier in 2013.  Other friends from Melbourne may be having second thoughts as well as they could upset another couple who hadn't been included in the proposal.

It is only very early in the planning stage and already it is looking like being 'too hard'.  But it is fun thinking about it.

The new estate just 'over the road' is powering ahead.  The blocks are small with some homes having virtually no backyard.  This is all done to keep prices down in the quest for 'affordable' housing!  The park areas look very impressive as this photo shows.

We are in for a busy week.  We have the cardiologist for a follow up visit on Monday morning, the same day the concrete guy arrives to begin work. I have a beer bottling to complete.

Trish has a chiropractor and doctor appointments on Tuesday for her shoulder.  We are set to have lunch at the Tavern on Tuesday with Ian and Kerrie.  If all goes OK, the concrete should be poured as well.  On Wednesday Trish has Stitchers while I have a mate coming around to check out a computer program.

Wednesday may also be busy finishing off the new concrete area, I will need to put stones back and reset the stepping stone pavers from the patio to the garden shed.

After my 12k bike ride this morning I had a quick swim.  The pool temp at 8 am was a little over 21 degrees and a little on the brisk side!

It is all looking busy!  

D-Day Delayed

The concrete guy turned up this morning to discuss the job with me onsite but also brought the news he wouldn't be starting till Monday.  This is the first time I have spoken with him face to face.  I was able to detail all the concerns regarding drainage that needed to be addressed.  There was also the question of levels and the how the drain would be installed.

He is now all set and ready to go.  Weather permitting he will be here on Monday with a view to pouring the concrete on Tuesday.

He had a couple of suggestions as well for the small concrete slab already there which will solve a problem or two.

The photo gives you a clue as to how this morning's ride finished up.  Or more importantly how the pool is now almost 21 degrees and is almost swimable.  It was a fairly brief 'in and out' swim this morning as you could guess being only September 21st.  But it is a sign of things to come.

I managed to get the next brew's bottles washed and dried yesterday so all is ready to further supplement my supplies.  This one is a Black Ale.

We are expecting a possible stormy 28 degrees this afternoon and the possibility of stronger winds as well.  At least by being warm, this afternoon's 'drinks' should be pleasant.

Friday Is D-Day

D for Dig that is!  I had a call from the concrete guy this morning saying he would be at our home between 7 and 8 am on Friday to dig out the area ready for the concrete to be poured.  The pouring is most likely to be on Monday.

It is around 28 degrees up in the back corner right now.  There is hardly a cloud in the sky and we are looking at low 30's later in the week. The pool will be welcome!

Yesterday was spent doing the pool.  After having the water tested and buying the chemicals to get it all 'back' I spent time vacuuming and adding salt and various formulas to the pool.  Some 'rubbish' from when the palms were removed got into the pool.  Darren used a chain saw and despite all efforts some of the 'saw dust' found its way in.  My experience has been that any 'live' matter that gets into the pool (gum leaves etc) knock the chlorine level around like crazy.

Along with the ever present dust from the new development and no rain for almost 3 months, means heaps of fine dust has found its way in as well.  Each time I vacuum, I get rid of 70% of the dust in the water.  The rest swirls up as the vacuum head comes through and then settles again a couple of hours later.

I bought some 'blue blocks' to aid the filter to trap the smaller particles and the pool is looking pretty good right now.

Today I have removed the stones and pavers from the pathway from the pergola to the back shed.  This is preparation for a trench being dug to take the drain I want installed to get rid of rain water. There is a small 'drain pit' under the paver in the photo foreground.  I want the drain to run from the new concrete area into the pit.

Later (top pic) I pressure water cleaned some of the 'border stones' I will use around the new concrete area.

I had my first 12k bike ride in three weeks this morning.  I enjoyed it very much and there weren't any magpies to annoy me either!

Trish is at Stitchers this morning and then is off to a card afternoon with some ladies.  In between doing stuff outside and my computer I have been busy as well.  We are looking at an official top of 26 degrees today!  Just glorious.

Home Again

We have arrived safely back home at Caloundra after 18 nights away with family and friends in Melbourne.  We have managed to bring some of Melbourne's rain with us as overnight we had 18mls of rain, the first recording in the rain gauge since July 19th.  That is almost 9 weeks without rain.  As we drove home from Maroochydore Airport all the grass was yellow and many trees were in distress.  It was quite surprising.  With a few more showers it won't take long until everything is green again.  Despite the long dry spell we are still around 600mls (24") above the total rainfall we average for a full year.

Back in Melbourne things were a little busy when we awoke Sunday morning.  Kate and Arj were in Brisbane and Trish and I were baby sitting (more Trish than I).  Trish always likes to tidy things up before leaving so there were loads of washing to do, a quick vacuum, sort out the kids and our bags to pack.

All four of us drove to Kim's for lunch in Kate's car.  Kim's small flat overlooks St Kilda beach, The Palais and Luna Park.  It is a great spot with so much within easy walking distance.  We were joined by one of Trish's brothers, Billy who was after some family documentation Trish had brought with her at his request.  It was great to see him and catch up.  A 'cheap' lunch at a local Malaysian restaurant followed.  James and Charli devoured a couple of plates of Coconut Rice while the grownups had Nasi Goreng, Char Koway Teow, Chicken Curry and Beef Rendang.  No one was hungry afterwards!

We farewelled Billy and left Kim's for Chris' where we would spend the night before transferring to Tullamarine Airport for our 2+ hour flight home first thing Monday morning.  We spent quality time with Chris and family and were joined by Kim for a BBQ.  Kate and Arj flew in from Brisbane around 8:30 pm (the school aerobics teams won a gold and a silver) where Trish met them in their car, was dropped back at Chris' and they headed homewards to Berwick with two exhausted youngsters asleep in their car seats.

Monday morning was an early start with Chris wanting to beat the heavy Monday morning airport traffic.  As a result we arrived at the airport soon after 7 am for our 10 am flight.  We had a bite to eat and lounged about waiting.  The plane was delayed around 20 minutes while a disabled boy was loaded on board and then we had to wait for an appropriate seat belt to be delivered.  Because we were so early at Tullamarine our bag was loaded on first but loaded off last at Maroochydore! 

Our arrival back at our home in Caloundra saw a cooler change come through and it wasn't long until we were searching for tack suits and slippers.

As you can guess most of my afternoon was spent transferring files collected in Melbourne on Trish's laptop to my 'big' computer and in turn to the media player.  As the computer hadn't been turned on for 18 days, some of the time was spent 'updating'.  All my backing up from the laptop worked perfectly.

We enjoyed a very light evening meal! Remember to click on all photos for a larger view, then click on the "X" to return to this page.

After a couple of good detective shows on the Media Player (A Mother's Son and a new episode of Inspector George Gently) bed was a welcome spot.

Tuesday morning saw me on the road at 6 am into Caloundra for a Blood Test.  I have an appointment with the cardiologist early next week and he wants to check my cholesterol.  After two weeks in Melbourne the level may well be well up on usual!

Needless to say I needed to put a brew on first thing this morning after getting back home from the blood test.

We are into spring, the humidity is rising and the pool needs preparing for the summer and other cleaning jobs are lining up to be done.  With the overnight rain and more showers predicted, lawn mowing will be added to the list of chores to be done.  All in all, today will basically be another R&R day with a few minor jobs getting done after a hectic time down south.

If all goes to plan, I will be back on the bike (and ducking magpies) first thing tomorrow, weather permitting!

In The Midst Of Babysitting

Yesterday and today look like being quiet for us after our overly busy times earlier in the week.  Kate and Arj have gone to Brisbane to attend a school gymnastics competition and Trish and I are in the midst of babysitting.  In all truth it is Trish doing the running around.

Yesterday Trish managed to get Kate and Arj to the airport after getting James to kindergarten and Charli to school.  Then it was pick up James at lunchtime, Charli after school and later get James to tennis and Charli to a kids' party.  Finally it was collect James from tennis and Charli from the party!

Right now on Saturday morning Charli is at 'Dancing' and James has taken to the computer like a duck to water!  He is having a ball with a school website and its Treasure Hunt Game and the Wiggles website. But it keeps him occupied.

Yesterday I rang home to ensure our pickup ride for midday Monday at Maroochydore Airport was organised and later I contacted the concrete guy to confirm a day to start our job at home.  It looks like concreting things will happen on Thursday and if all goes well it will be finished on Friday.

As much as we enjoy visiting family it will be great to get back to our own beds and for us to be enjoying some warmer weather.

The hospitality we have received this trip has been warm but the weather has been cold.

We will leave our 'Melbourne' car with friends Keith and June on Sunday morning and then head over to Chris' place.  We will take the kids with us in Kate's 4WD as Kate and Arj return Sunday night.  On the way we will spend an hour or two over lunch with our daughter Kim and then around mid afternoon we will head to Chris' and family for our 'last' night.  Chris lives close to the airport and will drop us off there on his way to work on Monday.

Friends Keith and June came with us to the Hoa Tran our favorite Vietnamese restaurant on Thursday night.  The meal was just sensational.  Keith and June are not well known for their adventurous taste buds and just entering Springvale was an experience for Keith.  But the Spicy Beef with Lemon Grass, Chicken with wide noodles, chicken spare ribs, Hokkien fried rice and salt and pepper squid was all just to die for!  At around $20 per head is was just amazing.

Click on the photo (Hokkien Fried Rice and Salt & Pepper Squid) for a larger view.

Then it was back to their place for a nightcap and I set up a DVD player for them on the 'big' TV.

This morning the weather is overcast and very cool.  The promise of getting back to warm sunny weather is attractive to us.

Now In The Home Straight

It has been very busy (and alcoholic) for us the last few days.

My footy team put in a shocker on Saturday night at the MCG and is now out of the finals race for 2012.  They played poorly in the first quarter and were soon in dire trouble.  They did improve after that but never enough to catch up with the first quarter shocker.  The weather was cold, wet, windy and miserable.  I think I have seen my last live game at night from the MCG.  Later as I drove home and the rain tumbled down in the pitch black at 11:30pm did not make for a better end to the night.

The only good things was the pleasant hour or two I spent in the Frank Grey Smith bar where I had a lounge chair, enjoyed a couple of ales, listened to the two piece band play their music and kept an eye on the scores where Melbourne Storm were involved. See the photo above.

On Sunday we headed down to Drouin for a two night stay.  The first night was spent with friends Russell and Irene.  We had a great meal, worked out a few hassles with Russ's Media Player, had too much to drink and relived times from the past.

We awake to a foggy morn and brisk temperatures.  Around mid morning we left and arrived at the home of the Beecheys, long time neighbours from when we lived in Melbourne.

Mid afternoon we were joined by another couple (and very good friends) John and Sue Logan.  The festivities continued on into the night with too much again to eat and drink.

We arrived back at Kate's mid morning on the Tuesday for what eventuated into a quiet Tuesday.  Tuesday night we baby sat which was just about ideal for us.  We went to bed early and slept well.

The next evening (Weds) was spent with the Riordans and we stayed there overnight.  This involved even more eating an drinking.  I think I may have added a couple of kilos in our time down south.

It was a quieter day on Thursday again catching up with more friends Pat and Graham for lunch.  Tea on Thursday was again with friends and back to our favorite restaurant in Springvale. Bed on Thursday night looks very attractive right now!

We are due to fly home on Monday morning.

Blowing A Gale

After some sunny and unusually warm days for this time of the year in this part of the world a cool change blew in yesterday bringing with it cold and gusty winds and a few scattered showers.  Outside it is quite cold, the wind chill factor making it feel much colder than it actually is.

The trees in this photo are really blowing around, there are broken limbs on the ground and even the odd tree or two blown over in the wind.  The cold will put a stop to me getting to the footy tonight.  It will be just too uncomfortable.  My team plays tomorrow night so I will be there, hail or shine.

Click on the photo for a larger view.

Lunch on Monday with Eddie and Patsy was good, great food, a few drinks and wonderful company.  Over the next couple of days we had my brother and his wife Jeanette over for a very pleasant catch up and chat, On another evening we had a meal with friends Carol and David.  Carol is known for her great culinary skills and the roast meal we enjoyed with them was no exception.

Last night we went over to our daughter's place (Kim) who had a voucher for 4 to a Malaysian Restaurant, all you can eat.  We had Char Koway Teow, Gado Gado, Beef Rendang, a sweetish Chinese dish followed by a double serve of Coconut Prawns.  I may never eat again!  While we there the cool change with monstrous winds and very heavy rain arrived.

After the meal it was back to Kim's for more of a chat.  Kim is 'minding' a flat for a friend who is overseas.  Though small, the flat overlooks Port Philip Bay right near Luna Park in St Kilda.  Despite the bad weather, the view from her lounge was spectacular.

Everywhere I go I take the hard disk drive with me to update everyone's movies and TV Shows.  Last night was no exception.

Today was based around me going to the footy but the extremely inclement weather has put a stop to that.  The big game is live on TV so we won't be far from the TV around 7:30pm. 

Lovely And Sunny

With my team winning against one of the top four on Saturday it was a happy weekend for me.  Trish's team sits on top of the ladder after its win and we both head into the finals next weekend.

Much of the weekend just gone was spent with family.  I watched my team play 'live' on TV which I enjoyed.  A quick stop on the way home at our favorite restaurant in Springvale capped off the night. It was just amazing to see the queue waiting at the door for a seat.  The queue extended out the door onto the footpath as we were leaving.

Sunday was a lovely sunny day.  Some of the morning was spent walking our neighbour back home through how to download a movie and then process it so it will play on the media player.  It was a little exasperating but we got their with the help of patience and Skype!

On Sunday afternoon I at last got to see my first live action of AFL footy when I went to the MCG and watched 97% of Richmond and Port Adelaide.  I left a few minutes early and missed the draw.  I was meant to be at Clayton and the Malaysia Garden Restaurant for an early meal.  Being Father's Day they had quite a few bookings and asked we be in and out ASAP.

This is the view I get from the area I prefer to sit when at the MCG.  I took the photo with my phone so it isn't the best quality.  It is a great place to sit. Click on the photo for a larger view.

When we arrived at Malaysia Garden we were greeted by Ivan who manages the place along with his mother.  Ivan is selling his Brighton restaurant and coming back to "MG" to work.

We had two noodle dishes for our meal, Char Koay Teow and Mee Goreng.  It was great.

Today we are back to Springvale for lunch with Eddie and Patsy.

Much of the two weeks here is already 'booked' and we are flat out finding spots for those who wish to catch up with us.  With yesterday being Father's day and many already involved with family affairs, with Kate and Arj going to Brisbane in a fortnight and us baby-sitting, means two of the three weekends here are out for visiting, even with commitments for me at the footy.  We will work it out.