64 Mls Later

Thursday afternoon the showers suddenly turned into a torrential downpour.  There were 64mls in the gauge this morning. Needless to say the bike remained under the back veranda.

Despite the inclement weather I did journey to Golden Beach and the Li Noodle Bar last night to purchase my take away tea.  For $10-80 I had oodles of Kway Teow noodles!  I just managed to finish them the serve was so generous.  The noodles are the genuine thing but a lot of the other ingredients are nowhere near as good or varied as what we get in Melbourne.  Still, I really enjoyed them last night.

The neighbours have a new pup.  It is going to be a big dog when it finishes growing.  It hasn't been walked since the showers started and before that it is only 'to school and back', a little over a km.  When they go out and leave it on its own, it barks almost incessantly.  The other day they were out for 90 minutes and it barked for almost 80 of those minutes. I didn't deliberately time it, you just noticed when the barking stopped!

It is a deep growl of a bark, not like it is a yapper. I mentioned to Brett that their dog was barking while they were away.  His answer was that it is only a pup at this stage and doesn't know any better!  It would improve as it got older.

They were a little stricter with it yesterday, any small bark as I moved about the back yard was greeted with a scold.

They have gone out again today, (it is Caloundra Show Holiday here) and there is no noise from next door at all.  I am not sure what is happening.

Ian is popping around for a few beers later today which will be good.  It seems it will just be the two of us which suits me fine.

With Trish due back Sunday I have prepared myself a Chicken Satay casserole which will do me for the two remaining evening meals.  To extend it out a bit I have added peas, carrot and potatoes.

Looks alright I reckon!

I took a few minutes today and swapped my two media players over.  The former one in the lounge room gave a 'restarting device from fatal error' message several times.  The sound delay problem didn't seem to be getting any better either.  So I reckon a swap over of the units wouldn't do any harm.  To ensure I have covered as many options as possible, I also put one of my best quality HDMI leads between the media player and the amplifier.

I don't reckon it will make any difference though.  I suspect the problem with the lip sync is in the TV/Movie files themselves.  Most movie/TV Show sound tracks now come as AAC which is one of the more difficult formats for many media players or receivers to play properly.

Your everyday TV plays it as an mp3 audio track and it loses some of its depth and quality of sound.

If the Movie or TV Show file is .avi it usually has an mp3 audio track on it and it plays perfectly.  However many TV Shows now come as mp4 and have an AAC audio track on them.

Edit:  Several loud barks coming from next door now, but not incessant barking like the other day.

All Dressed Up And Nowhere To Go!

The post below speaks of a gorgeous late autumn day here on the Sunshine Coast.  I can now confirm the Weather Bureau was absolutely spot on with its forecast for Tuesday.  Clouds and showers did roll in later on in the afternoon and have been on and off ever since.  This morning (Thursday) I awoke to blue skies and dressed for my morning bike ride.  We had some heavy showers overnight so I reckoned about 9 am would be a good time to ride as things would have dried up from the overnight rain.

By 8 am more showers had arrived curtailing any ideas I had of bike riding this morning.  The photo shows the sky just before 10 am this morning.

Click on the photo for a larger view.

The TV Series Spartacus has now come and gone.  I have watched a total of 26 episodes over the last week or so while Trish has been in Melbourne.

Eventually 5 of us ventured to The Curry Bowl on Tuesday night for an evening meal and ate till we could eat no more.  At $20 a head it was extremely pleasant.

I am considering Kway Teow Noodles from the Noodle shop in Golden Beach for tonight.  I am also considering heading to the Buderim Meeting of the Computer Club this afternoon, but I may not as well.  I have another TV Series I might check out instead.  If the weather stays like it is right now staying around home becomes a more attractive alternative.

I bottled yesterday so there is another task out of the way.  I was pleased to note there were no further breakages with bottles splitting as I shunted brews around from box to box.  This shunting around keeps the latest brew on the bottom of the pile until it slowly works its way to the top.  Each brew takes up 1.5 boxes.  It takes around 2 months for a box to work its way from the bottom of the pile to the top.

I gave each of the bottles a quick rinse prior to bottling just in case there was any taste contamination possibly arising from the 'sanitizer'.

95% of what I am enjoying from my home brew right now is fine.  Most of the poorer tasting ones have been consumed.  Usually I would mix them in with another brew.  The Lemon Lager brew I made was excellent for this.

Showers?

Today's forecast is "Showers" but right now it couldn't be further from that.  Clouds are beginning to build out over the ocean and, as the easterly wind picks up, they should make landfall and give us a shower or two later today.

Click on all photos for a larger view, then on the "X" to return to this page.

As you can see from the photo above it is lovely and bright.  I took 20 minutes or so and mowed the front lawn along with next door's lawn as well.  By doing both just makes our little place look a lot better.

The driveway color has settled down (or we are becoming more used to it).  We have received several positive comments on it from bypassers and neighbours.

Monday afternoon saw me head around to a friend's place to help him out with his computer.  He was after a program called "True Launch Bar" which is a program for the desktop which allows easy access to programs for a particular 'group' of programs.  The screen shot is one I just took of the page on which I compose the blog.  I just put the cursor on one of the group icons at the foot of the screen and up pops all the associated programs.  The pop up in the photo is my general "Computer" associated programs.

Anyway I get around to install True Launch Bar for him but he already has it.  I had put it on for him previously.  He had inadvertently 'turned' it off.  After a few other 'jobs' he wanted done with computers and his phone I headed home late in the afternoon. I did update True Launch Bar to the latest version for him.

I watched another 4 episodes of Spartacus Series 3 last night.  I have only 6 left to see.

This morning's bike ride was for around 13k's.  It was a little brisk but after a few K's I did warm up considerably.  As this photo shows this is a beautiful place to ride especially when there isn't a cloud in the sky.

6 of us in total are off to "The Curry Bowl" this evening.  I am being collected about 5:40 and will be driven there and back.  I am pleased about that.

I drew some beer off the brew this morning and it seemed a little frothy.  I will give it another day to brew hoping it settles down a little.  With several bottles splitting the last few months I will err on the side of safety!

Busy Monday

Not as sunny as previous days but not cold either today.  We have showers on and off for the next few days so I was up and at it earlier on today.  I put a load of washing on hoping to beat the showers.

Then the clouds rolled in so the drying process is taking longer than hoped for.

I had a Meeting Place Opening ceremony this morning and this afternoon I am off to a mates' to sort out his Computer for him.  Computer playing around isn't his forte so I will pop around and help him out.

Tomorrow will be a day for 'bottling' I reckon the way the brew and the weather are looking.

Much Improved Weather

The post below spoke of an expected top of 19 degrees for Wednesday.  In Brisbane it only got to 17 or so.  We don't get much colder than that up here.  Since then it has been low to mid teens overnight and around 23 during the day.

Life continues to roll along while Trish is in Melbourne with the family.  Bills have been paid for the solar and submissions have been made for solar rebates.  That is all up and running now and seems OK, (It is hard to tell really!)

I had lunch at Mooloolaba Surf Club on Thursday.  $12-50 for 'Seniors' Fish and Chips and open access to the roast vegies smorgasbood.  It was great and I finished up quite satisfied.  Thursday morning I put another brew on (a "Blonde" mix this time).

Later in the afternoon I poppped around and helped an older couple set up their wireless modem. Not surprisingly what was meant to be an under an hour job took several hours and calls to the Bigpond "Help Line".  In the finish it is all up and running but Bigpond sure do things strangely when creating new accounts.

I think the same person designed the online rebate form for converting to the Energex Tariff 33.  It sure wasn't as you would have expected it to be put together.  Anyway we eventually got there.

Drinks was as pleasant as usual around at Kerrie's and Ian's on Friday. To lighten the load on hosts we had all decided not to have major eats and nibbles at drinks.  Hostesses were preparing 'meals' and it was just too much.  So I expected to be home by 6pm on Friday.  That wasn't the case because the little boys, party pies and other hot nibblies were produced at around 6pm.  This puts the pressure on others to do the same after we had agreed not to do it any more.

At this stage it looks like "The Curry Bowl" is on the agenda for Tuesday night's meal.

I bottle washed this morning.  I have now got that down to around 50 minutes so it isn't the major chore it once was. The dish washer went on around 10 am to make best use of the available solar energy.

Footy has been most enjoyable yesterday.  It is much easier when my team plays a lower ranked team, there is little pressure and it is a lot more fun.  I especially enjoyed the St Kilda-Bulldogs game.  It was great entertainment and quite exciting towards the end. Earlier in the day I had been to Computer Club where I had a hassle trying to solve someone's email problems.

More footy today and then possibly a movie tonight.  Trish returns home in a week.

VFL Park Underwear!

As the title probably suggests, we have a cold day here today with a top expected of around 19 degrees.  We have heavy cloud and have had a few spots of drizzle already.  More light rain is expected later this morning and it should extend to early tomorrow.  It is the cloud which keeps the temperatures low stopping the sun and its warmth.

The local power company came by yesterday and replaced the meter.  The new meter is to accommodate both the solar power and the 'Tariff 33" (a reduced rate for pool pump use).  It is impossible to get much advantage from solar on days like today though.

I did a little more cleaning around the house yesterday giving the mildew covered border stones at the front of the house and along the rear fence a pressure hose clean.  Over 12 months or so there can be a build up of mould which requires regular annual cleaning.

We put the border stones along the back fence because when the pool was installed, the ground was made 'level' with the house patio (to prevent the necessity of needing a step).  This means the level near the back fence is about 10cms below the neighbouring property.  We can get a little seepage from over the back.

The area behind the border stones is almost filled with fine river pebbles allowing the seepage to drain away before finishing up on the new concrete.

The photo also shows the red concrete area we are going to paint the same color as the driveway.

Yesterday I also did all the windows in what we call the 'Beer Garden" area. These had looked dreadful following all the dust we had received blowing in from the nearby housing development and an extended dry period prior to Christmas. 

So all I have now to do is the windows along the sideway and at the front of the house.

Shortly I have a meeting to chair for the local Community Association.  When the estate was first being developed, Stockland built a great Land Sales Office overlooking the lakes.  This estate is now completed so there is little further use of the Land Sales Office by the developer. 

The thought is to 'gift' it to the Council as a Community Centre in lieu of requirements to provide space for another purpose built community building. The developer would carry out any 'reasonable' upgrades required.

Local Council says the building falls well short on criteria to be considered a 'community centre'.  However this size is perfect for our needs and the position is outstanding for local residents.  Any alternative building may be years away from becoming a reality so the feeling is despite its shortfalls, let's grab this one.

We meet with Council later today.

Day One!

Trish has arrived safely in Melbourne and caught up with Chris' family.  From the brief phone call I had Sunday afternoon it seems Wendy's Mum and Dad are staying there with Chris and Wendy, Wendy's dad has had an operation on his back for a disc problem.  Our youngest daughter Kim had popped over as well.

Spartacus, The Prequel has been 50% watched.  The Spartacus series of TV shows is rather blood thirsty so it is one I watch when Trish heads south.  I will have the final 3 episodes of the Prequel series to watch tonight.

A beautiful day after a somewhat cool (6 degrees) start with some cloud stopping the sun from shining through early.  But by the time I had finished my ride about 8:30 am the clouds were thinning and the day was warming up.  Our back liitle corner gets rather warm and it was showing 25 dgrees recently.

I have cleaned the back of the house, I have washed the windows and given under the patio a good wash down as well.  Windows never look 100% when finished but I reckon it is very close to 95% anyway.  I used the hose on method and it seems to have worked OK.  I quick final wipe over with glass cleaner and a new cloth tidies any missed bits.

Click on the photo for a larger view.

The traditional "Curried Sausages" casserole is bubbling quietly on the stove and that should do me for a couple of meals throughout the week.  I have tried not to make too much this time because come Saturday and if there is still some left I have become sick and tired of it!

Not much more news.  My footy team suffered its first defeat on Saturday in a narrow loss.  I don't think I have seen them make so many unforced errors as they did in the opening of the game.  One hand ball from one of our best players hit an opponent on the chest about 15 metres out for a 'gimme' goal.  When you lose by 6 points, that sort of play comes back to haunt you.

I need to go and stir the casserole!

Winter One Day, Perfect The Next

We had a top temperature of a mere 18 degrees on Thursday and a day full of Melbourne like rain.  It rained all day and we had a total of 5mls.

Then came the perfect Friday.  23 degrees, not a cloud in the sky and just delightful.  We had Friday Drinks at our place and we were still sitting outside at 5pm in our shorts and shirt sleeves.  It sure cooled down quickly when the sun went down though!

I have been riding most days and just pottering around the PC!  I have been updating my movies and TV Shows, adding something to the Community Association website and packing away the last of the outdoor summer stuff.  The beach umbrella was stored away the other day.

The solar hardly even registered on the wet Thursday but it worked flat out on Friday.  It is another sensational day today and even at 8 am it was producing enough electricity to run the house this morning.  However the big usage comes when the pool filter starts up.  It doesn't make enough electricity to cover the pool filter.  But then we put it on to cut costs on top of a reasonable investment and it should do that OK.

We had footy on TV last night and it is just about to get underway again this afternoon.

Computer Club was a s busy this morning but I did enjoy it.

Time to charge a glass and turn the TV on!

This Gave Me A Laugh!

Two Aussies, Ferret & Knackers, were adrift in a life boat.

While rummaging through the boat's provisions Ferret stumbled across an old lamp.

He rubbed it vigorously, sure enough out popped a genie .

This genie, however was a little different. He stated he could only deliver one wish, not the standard three.

Without giving much thought, Ferret blurted out,

"Turn the entire ocean into beer. Make that Victoria Bitter!"

The genie clapped his hands with a deafening crash, and immediately the sea turned into that hard-earned thirst quencher. The genie vanished.

Only the gentle lapping of beer on the hull broke the stillness as the two men considered their circumstances.

Knackers looked disgustedly at Ferret whose wish it was had been granted.

After a long, tension-filled moment Knackers said, "Nice going Dickhead!

Now we're going to have to piss in the boat."

"Training" Run For When Trish Goes To Melbourne

It is absolutely glorious here right now.  The temp is around 24 degrees and there is oodles of sunshine outside.  We have a blue sky and some very high clouds.  Just delightful.

Trish is 'off' on a Bus Trip day she has organized for around 30 ladies from Stitchers.  I am not sure where they have gone but usually they visit a town which has a couple of crafty type shops, a great spot for lunch and they have a bit of a look around the countryside.  They have quizzes and raffles on the bus and an all round great time.

I have been left to my own devices here at home but I can always find something to do.  It is good practice for the next fortnight when Trish trips down to Melbourne again.  I am to remain here in Caloundra.  I will have a little time on my own which I don't mind from time to time.  I have a heap of episodes of "Spartacus" to catch up on anyway. That is a series which Trish isn't that keen on so I sit back and enjoy them when she is 'down south'.

Today is the first real sunny day we have had the solar on for.  When it was being installed they guy said the 'third' light might flicker sometimes.  This indicates the Inverter is working at 75% of its 2.5KW power range.  It has been a rock solid three lights for several hours today as the photo shows.  Our roof is just perfect for solar so the guy said and that seems the case today!

Some of my home brew has been a bit 'just OK' lately.  I have tried everything.  I have replaced bottles and 90% of the equipment.  I have upgraded my cleaning procedures to do a brush bottle wash every time.  I use 'extra strength' sanitizer to ensure all germs have been eradicated but still I get a slight taste from time to time.

As I was going to be bottling today I checked a couple of the recently cleaned bottles last night.  There was a bit of a strange smell coming from them.  A quick rinse cleared the smell.  I reckon it was the residue of the new super strength sanitizer I have been using.  The instructions did say it was a no rinse sanitizer but maybe because I am user a super strength version I need to give the bottles a quick rinse prior to bottling.

That isn't a problem with the new washing container I purchased recently for $5 from The Reject Shop.  It had lost its lid so I got it for $5. I can rinse 9 bottles at a time using the container and it is plenty large enough for me to give a good clean out to the brew barrel after I have completed the bottling as well.

Another of my 'new' plastic beer bottles has split so that gave me an extra cleanup job to do this morning before I got right into the bottling.  That is 3 new bottles that have split in a couple of months.  I only split two of the older bottles in 10 years previously!

As I had the car I decided a quick trip to the brew shop was in order!  I was delighted to see I had a balance of $55 waiting there for me.  People want to pay me for helping out with their computers or media players and I suggest they go to the brew shop and leave some cash there for me. $55 was a great total to have waiting for me!

I told the Home Brew shop guy about the new bottles splitting and about the taste which was possibly from the sanitizer.  We both agreed a quick rinse prior to bottling was a good measure.  I grabbed a new decent bottle cleaning brush, a can of Canadian Blonde, a can of Toohey's Old and a can of Lager.  I now have a two month supply of home brew mix! He will raise the bottles splitting with the 'rep' when he next comes into the shop.

The Sound Of Drilling!

Around 7:30 am the door bell rang.  We had expected the Solar Panel Installers 'just before lunch' but there had been a change of plans and they were here at 7:30 am.  Since then there has been a lot of drilling on the roof.  The tracks to hold the panels are in place, the inverter has been installed in the garage, wires are hanging into the power meter box and there is a ladder from the front drive up onto the roof.

Two vans are in the front yard, one backed up the drive, the other straddles the front lawn.

This photo was taken about 30 mins ago (10 am) and shows some of the rooftop activity.  Our lovely whitish driveway has boot marks all over it from the red dust on the roof.  It will need a quick hose down after the guys finish sometime just before lunch!

Click on the photos for a larger view and then the X to return to this page.

Surprisingly there were 11mls in the rain gauge this morning.  I hadn't noticed but Trish said it was raining when we went to bed last night.  We still have mild days and high teens overnight.  Our 'normal' winter pattern returns later in the week with cooler low humidity south westerlies becoming the prevailing wind.  This wind comes in off the inland so it is a very dry wind.  This is where Queensland gets it dry sunny but brisk winter weather from.

Foolishly I decided to bike ride this morning.  The 11mls of rain had left plenty of dampness around with some seepage across the paths I like to ride on.  The sky clouded over and became threatening as I was on my ride, causing me to curtail the trip and head for home early.

Since then the sun has re appeared and eventually I will get the bottles I washed yesterday completely dry and ready for the bottling.

Tonight and tomorrow are predicted to be wet with light rain!

Time For An Update!

I didn't realize it was so long since posting!

Trish's swap to the Kogan Mobile has gone without a hitch.  She can call anyone she wishes, at any time she wishes and for as long as she wishes.  All is going very well and I can't wait to swap my "Virgin Mobile" sim in my phone which is attached to the Optus Network (and very ordinary reception here) to the better Telstra Network.  I only have about 4 more months to go.

The driveway has all dried now after painting and we have waited the mandatory 5 days without driving on it.  We are again able to do so now without a problem.  It sure is bright though, especially as we were after a 'duller' color!

Trish has been to Stitchers and Quilters this week and I got to Computer Club yesterday.  The footy has been on whenever possible and both of our teams have won this round.  The footy scene is looking positive right now for both sides at the moment.

I helped a guy setup his "Media Player" on Thursday.  His really doesn't know a lot about it but now I have updated the firmware, attached the media player to the internet and to his home wireless network and have enabled him to copy and delete files between his laptop and the attached media player. He was absolutely bewildered but delighted with the outcome.

I am expecting to go back this week and help him out with downloading movies and TV Shows.

I helped another lady whose Yahoo email address had been hi-jacked.  We were able to give it a new password eventually.  She was most grateful for the help and advice.  She presented me with a full box of "Roses Chocolates" which Trish now has her eye on!

Regular friends Ian and Kerrie had family up from Sydney this weekend so they were not available for Friday drinks.  However John and Margaret had had a torrid week and invited us around there for a few hours on Friday.  John had worked a couple of days and a good friend had suddenly collapsed and died mid week.  John and Margaret are great people and very friendly towards us so we enjoyed the time with them on Friday very much.

Another batch of home brew went on on Thursday and this morning (Sunday) was bottle washing day.  The ale bubbles along nicely while the bottles are trying to dry between light showers.  The photo above left is typical of the weather this week.  It switches between clear blue skies to suddenly being dark and overcast.  Any shower quickly passes.

Click on all pictures for a larger view.  To return to this page click on the "X" in the top right hand corner!

Even today while bottle drying there was a 5 minute shower of "Melbourne drizzle" and then back to bright and sunny again. The pool was cleaned today as well, all after I had completed my 13k bike ride.

It was very cool after several heavier showers of rain on Friday afternoon. With the rain the outside temperature was only 17 degrees!  I went and put a singlet on to keep the cold out.  Most nights now it is track suit pants and warm shirt time.  However it doesn't cool right down overnight so every now and again the doona gets flung off as it is too hot!

Latest On The Phones

Late last week a new mobile phone SIM card I had ordered arrived from "Kogan".  For $29 a month you get all calls in Australia, all SMS messages and 6GB of Data, all on the Telstra Network (except for the new Telstra 4G).

It was a little difficult to 'press' the card out of the plastic it came in.  It is a either a full size or mini sized SIM I have discovered.  The mini bit came out first and I thought I would try it in my Samsung. You can see the mini bit inside the full SIM card in the picture.

The mini SIM went in OK but didn't come out the same way.  I managed to break a small connector in removing the card.  For all intents and purposes it was now unusable as a phone.  A small dob of solder in the right place (and $25 poorer) the phone was repaired on Monday afternoon. I was a pretty relieved guy I can tell you.  I still have another 4 months of my plan to run.

I got my old Samsung out, charged it up and at least I had a phone.  Now my Smart Phone is repaired all is OK.

Today we bit the bullet and tried the new SIM in Trish's phone.  It is a $49 special and pretty basic.  But it is all that she wants.  We applied online at 1 o'clock and by 3:30 the new Kogan service was up and running.  The hardest bit was getting the "Contacts" across. But all is perfect now.

Much cooler weather the last day or so, low 20's and showery in between bright sunshine.

I chaired a Community Association Public Meeting last night and then put a huge post about it all on the website.  The Solar people were in today and swapped the pool to Tariff 33.  Energex still need to come out and install the new meter and officially turn it all across.

The solar energy is due to be installed on Monday weather permitting!

Driveway Spruce Up

Our 'orange' driveway gets a shade lighter each time I do a pressure wash on it and the gutter in the street comes alive with orange run off water. But all that has changed today.  Neighbour Brian has recently turned 80.  He was a former house painter back in his working days.  I keep him up to speed with movies and TV series and usually I pop over a couple of times a week, update his movie collection and sort out any PC problems they might have.

He has always wanted to do something in return for us.  He volunteered to repaint the driveway for us, all I had to do was supply the paint. He suggested 8 litres would probably do the job. Actually it took 8.25 litres, we had to buy some more top up paint but the smallest size was 2 litres. But it certainly looks much better.

In due course we will paint the individual 'brick' border, most likely a reddish brown color.  The excess driveway paint will do the 'red' piece in the backyard up near the pool filter which will tone in much better with what is currently there now.

We expected the color would be a little darker than it turned out.  However it matches well with the house.  It will be ready to drive on in 5 days!

Yesterday was a glorious 28 degrees, clear blue skies and heaps of sunshine.  Today was a lot cooler with a shower hanging around.  Fortunately the first coat of the driveway paint had been put on before the shower.  Later today we had heaps of sunshine, perfect pavement paint drying weather for the second coat!

Computer Club was as busy as usual.  I had problems with printers, how and what to back up, general queries on a new laptop, how do I prepare photos etc for eBay and a few other issues on the way through.

Both Trish and my footy teams have had wins on the weekend so far.  Trish's team Hawthorn eventually got over Adelaide, while after half time, my team Geelong finished strongly to defeat Richmond by 7 goals.

With driveway painting happening today, my bike ride was a little shorter.  I still managed around 9 kilometres.

Friday drinks was extremely civilized, we started around 3pm and people were on their way by 6:30.  It was a very pleasant few hours.

More footy this afternoon and then probably a couple of movies to see out the day.  I have a Public Meeting for the Community Association to chair tomorrow night. In the afternoon I have a trip to Maroochydore to try to have my phone fixed.  I have broken a small connector which reads the SIM card.  Hopefully it can be fixed.  I have resurrected my old mobile phone but it is like taking a step back into the dark ages!

Renewable Here We Come

Whilst on a bike ride the other day I met another of my regulars and got talking to him about Solar Energy.  He has had a small system on for around 4 years now and he has been happy with it.  I asked him about his inverter's brand and he also answered "Latronic" which is the model made here in Caloundra.

We have decided to go with the smaller 1.6kw system from the local guys.  As we drove around to their factory to place our order and pay a deposit we noticed a huge new modern looking building almost completed and ready to be occupied.  It turns out that is the new site of Latronic.  They have been going great and have needed to expand.  It seems very likely they are a highly viable concern so should be able to provide long term backup service.

With recent government rebate cutbacks the tariff for your own solar generated power going back into the grid is 16c.  It used to be triple that!  It was suggested we put the pool pump onto Tariff 33 (there is a $250 Rebate to do this).  Electricity on Tariff 33 is charged at 17c.  Tariff 33 is guaranteed to run for a minimum of 18 hours per day.  It turns 'off'' during the evening peak hours.  So our pool running costs will go from 25c to 1c.  Being a 'small' system (and therefore cheaper to put on in the first place) it should more than cover our electricity needs for the day and hopefully reduce our power bill between 40% and 50%.

It all gets installed on Monday week (May 20th). The boss of the company popped out this morning for a quick site inspection.  All is 'go'.

At last we had a few showers overnight and a total of around 8mls.  This gave the pool a bit of a top up.  Despite being cooler, the water was still evaporating even though at a slower rate.  This is the first rain we have had for around 2 weeks.

Kerrie and Ian are around for drinks this afternoon, I am not sure about John and Margaret who have Marg's ill mum still with them.

Much cooler today than previously so winter seems to be getting closer.  I haven't dared get into the pool in case the cold causes some 'damage' to me!  28 degrees expected tomorrow but it looks like low to mid 20's all next week.

All About Solar Energy

Quite a few solar Energy Companies are now 'down' and we only have one to go.  Don't buy off them they don't test every panel.  The inverter they give you is poor.  Make sure the panels are connected properly to the tiles. Our system is newer and safer so we are the best (despite being almost double the price)!  Attach a "Sunny Boy" inverter they are the best and only $700 extra! The last guy is due this afternoon.

We have just about heard them all now and we have one more to go today and then it is over.

We have found one company which is a local company based here in Caloundra.  They use an inverter which is made here in Caloundra.  Local company, local service and not far to go if there is a problem.  Most likely we will go with them I guess at this stage.

I even had a swim in the pool this morning after my 12k bike ride.  The temperature in the pool is just above 20 degrees so the water is just bearable for a brief brisk swim.  It was brief this morning and it wasn't too bad.  Not bad though to be able to swim on May 1st!

With Community Association and Caloundra Arts we have been around home a lot lately.  We decided to treat ourselves to 'lunch out' yesterday (Tuesday).  We drove to the Palmwoods Hotel around 20 minutes from here through extremely picturesque countryside.

The lunch meals were reasonable, the price was OK and the service was lousy.  I had a Guinness Lamb Pie while Trish had a "Seafood Basket".  The environment to enjoy the meal was exquisite as the two photos show.  It will be a great spot to take visitors and show them some of the 'hinterland'.

I am not sure we will tackle the Seafood Basket again though.  You can only handle so much greasy deep fry for lunch before reaching for a "Quick Eze".

We sat at the table in the photo above.  Click on both photos for a larger view.

Media Players have become popular with people because they give the user control over what they are watching on TV.  No adverts, watch what you want to watch when you want to make it great. I spent some time this morning setting up a media player for friends of our neighbour Brian.  As usual things didn't go as expected.  But we got there in the long run.

We experienced problems connecting to Brian's wireless network. We brought the player over to my home, and it connected immediately.  Anyway we found a wps button on Brian's router which eventually connected the media player effortlessly.  We may take it around to his friend's home later today and set it up for him on his TV.