The holidays are here and so it’s time for the dreaded retaining wall, I’m really looking forward to getting on with it. On Monday I picked up a new drop saw and most of the timber that I’ll need, I’ve already picked up concrete, although I think I only have enough for about 3 posts.

The ground slopes behind the shed and so I have been pondering on the best way to build the wall. It’s only once I get started that I’ve decided on the design.

First I took down the old chain link fence. Used my new fancy DeWalt reciprocal saw to cut through the bent galvanized posts, it’s a very powerful beast, made light work of them. The timber wall that was there was only held together by a few small timbers and nothing was fixed into the ground, so I’m thinking that when I get finished with my design it will last for another 20 years which should see me out.

As you can see above the existing bit of wall is not square, it was just too difficult to remove the old steel fence which was holding up the old timbers and so I just built around it. The new section I am doing now that will join to it will be square to the shed and I don’t think it will look out of place once it’s done.

We had a wee bit of rain over the weekend and this has made the ground that wee bit more difficult to dig. It’s black soil which is very sticky, so every shovel full has to be helped off the spade. It’s taken me three days to get to the point where I will put in the posts and concrete them in. I’ve only dug two holes, although they are connected by a trench. I’ve moved quite a bit of soil. It’s been hot, so I’ve only worked for about 4 hours in the morn and then inside during the middle of the day and then back out late afternoon. My body feels like it has had a workout, but no lasting pain. By Friday , I’m knackered and have a lazy day, just as well really because the rain came for a bit so I didn’t feel bad for not being out there. Tomorrow I’ll get the posts done.

Went out and got me a new library book called, “That was a shiver” by James Kelman, another Scottish author whom I have never read before. It is a book of short stories and so far I have finished the first one as I sat in the “Rafter & Rose” cafe drinking my double shot latte, which is run by the beautiful Portia………….and so if you are looking for great food and great coffee then I suggest you pay a visit very soon!

I returned my Irvine Welsh book “Resolution”, another episode in the life of “Ray Lennox, which brings of course a resolution to some unanswered questions in his life.

A week of the holidays has past already, it just flew by. Tomorrow I’ll get on with the wall in-between the predicted showers and then hopefully on Sunday I’ll get back out on the bike for a wee jaunt.

Friday was my last day of work for about two months, oh happy days. Finally get away from
these mental feral children. There is one family that gets on and they always make too much noise or will be at the centre of the drama on board. The boy got suspended this week because he smashed some other kid into a glass door and so I guess because he is not on the bus one of the other kids have to take his place to be a fucking nuisance.

So as not to disappoint on the return journey home on Friday the two eldest children decide to get out spray paints and have an art class on the way back. I mean, What the Fuck! The stuff is running all over the place and they wipe it over their clothes. I told them that one drop of paint on the bus and the shit will hit the fan. They care not a jot. I asked, “Why do you think it’s a good idea to use this on the bus?”

“Because we can’t do it at home”

“Why do you always have to be a pain in the arse, why do this on the last day?”

Just a shrug of the shoulders and a look of distain. Earlier in the week the eldest one had told me how that she likes to go the supermarket and steal, well whatever she wants. This particular morning, she had pinched some crushed ice drink thing and was extremely pissed off because it didn’t taste nice. Another day she was telling me how that she had been suspended for using Chatgpt to write her homework and that she had stolen the school’s account details so that she had full access to it. So, she is obviously very proud of her criminal endeavours.

Saturday, I headed over to Capalaba to see Peter and Cheryl, haven’t seen them for nearly 12 months. Headed to the Grand View Hotel at Cleveland for lunch, I had a Seniors fish and chips and saved nearly $10…. I like this old age persons card Spent most of the day there and managed to resolve most of the problems in the world which was great.

Sunday, well I had to go out on the bike of course. Had big plans of going for a monster run but in the end, I only did a short run, I just could be arsed. A leisurely stroll into Ipswich and back, I have to ease into holiday mode. However, I have plans to do a few extra long runs coupled with a bit of hiking.

I picked up my new JBL soundbar. The old one has been playing up, sometimes going to sleep
for days at a time before showing signs of life. The JBL mind you seems to have a better sound
quality.

By 3pm the temperature was in the mid 30’s and so I retired to the aircon, switched on the Pc and thought I know I will write a few words for me blog and then low and behold my VPN will not allow me to access my site. Even after switching it off my site will not load, so I’m not sure what is happening, however I can still access it via the phone.

The fat guy eating KFC, is attacking it as if his life depended on it. He has a never ending red and brown bag, which quite frankly seems to be bottomless. A bag of chips on the table seems to be no more than another breath as he pulls another heart attack from the bag.
He’s young, but fat and that ain’t going to change anytime soon. All of this is washed down with a soft drink in a green can. I’ve been sitting here for about 15 min and he has been grazing the whole time. Meanwhile my stomach growls because I haven’t eaten much today. All I have to fend off the hunger pangs is water.
I wonder if this is him getting his exercise, his jaw muscles are certainly being tested. Mind you, you can’t really see his jaw because it’s all become one with his neck. The moon faced young guy will have a lifetime of pain for such a short piece of pleasure.

It’s been two weeks since I’ve been able to get out on the bike, the weather has been fairly unsettled, many storms and just being wet has been the norm.

The storms have been fierce, but thankfully we have missed the worst of them. It’s been hot, extremely hot. Everyday last week was over 35C, and the humidity was mental. Driving the bus was quite miserable too, driving into the western sun gives the air conditioning quite the workout and me also. I’m wearing driving gloves and looking like a right wanker, but the sun is so strong coming through the windows that it burns the back of my hands.

Yesterday went to the Logan Village Hotel to have lunch with friends, haven’t seen them since this time last year and so it seems like an annual get together although we always say we will catch up soon. I had Lasagna, Mum used to make great Lasagna but she never ate it herself. Never took a picture of me food but it was marvelous and I would have licked the plate if it weren’t frowned upon.

The promised storm never arrived and so the drive was fairly uneventful. I got home about 5pm and retired to the aircon, it seems to be the way of life at the moment. The humidity is so high that there is no other choice really.

Sunday, (Today) I got out on the bike. It was 30C at 9am, however the breeze made it more palatable. I set my phone and watch to record my route and both of them didn’t manage this simple task which makes me think there are some underlying problems. The phone has been getting slower and when I was using Google Maps the other day the phone got really hot and so I’m hoping I can get it replaced soon. Hopefully I’ll buy one duty free for my trip in March. I’m going to go back to Samsung I think, even although the Xiaomi is cheaper and higher specked. One reason for this is that the Samsung supports around 6 years of software updates compared to the three of Xiaomi. Mind you I also think that this Xiaomi is not so good because it came from India and not Hong Kong. My older phone is still better in many ways.

So the last week of school, marvelous. So from next week I’ll be able to chill for a couple of months and finally get started on the list of jobs that need to be done.

Chat GPT translated my post to Scottish………

Gawn tae the library’s usually sound, right? Quiet, calm, books, aw that civilised shite. But having tae drag masel through the shoppin centre first is like being marched through purgatory by some twisted cosmic bailiff. You’re no even two steps in the door and you’re surrounded by this aimless herd of wobblin bodies, aw movin at half-speed, like they’ve been tranquillised for everyone’s safety—including their ain.

They waddle aboot, these units, drifting intae ma path every five seconds, sniffing for snacks like bored pandas. Half of them are already eatin as they walk, toppin up the calories like they’re worried they’ll collapse before they reach the car park. Oversized water bottles clutched tight—pure “hydration queens”—but you just know the contents are ninety-eight per cent sugar and one per cent self-delusion.

Then there’s the fashion. Christ. Lycra stretched so thin it’s practically screamin for help. Moo-moos everywhere—massive polyester tents billowing like somebody cut up a cargo parachute. Probably aw ordered from the same three quid warehouse in the arse-end of the Internet. Curtain department might’ve had a sale, right enough.

Baggy shorts hangin halfway doon their arses, like they’re lettin the baws get some airflow. Fair play, though—summer humidity in this place is like bein slow-cooked in a human stew.

And of course ye cannae get through the mall without the charity bairns tryin tae save the planet through pure optimism alone. Wee shiny-faced zealots bouncin up tae you:
“Do ye care aboot polar bears, sir?”
Aye pal, but I also care aboot payin the leccy bill, so gie’s a break, eh?

But the best tribe, the one that really brightens your day, are the walking canvases. Every inch of skin blasted wi ink, declarations tae the world that they’re “unique” even though every one of them looks like they were tattooed by the same blind apprentice on his second day.

There’s this guy on a scooter—midlife crisis on wheels—covered head tae ankle in tattoos. Except the forehead and a wee patch under the beard, these weird islands of pasty flesh like unfinished paintwork. You’re lookin at him thinkin: mate, did the artist run out of ink, or did you lose consciousness halfway through?

Now, I dinnae hate tattoos. Some of the Yakuza stuff? That’s art. Proper mythic, deep stuff. Ritual. Craft. Meaning. But this? This mall shite? Looks like half these folk got hammered, passed out in the tattooist’s chair, and woke up lookin like the back page of a 90s sticker book.

Then there was the lassie—Christ almighty. Full body mural. Skin absolutely rammed wi dark ink, every inch scribbled ower like a notebook belonging tae an angry teenager. Nose pierced wi some gold dog-bone thing, like she’d robbed the pet aisle. Handy for snot, maybe. I could never go near it; my nose produces enough mucus tae fill a paddling pool. Ren & Stimpy once said ye could “surf the backwash”—aye, that’s me on a bad day.

Finally made it tae the library, sanctuary of the sane. Picked up Irvine Welsh’s The Long Knives—same characters as Filth, so I’m expectin blood, filth, moral corrosion, the usual cheery stuff. I’ll no spoil the opening scene, but if ye’ve got a weak stomach maybe read it near a toilet.

Dropped aff Dead Men’s Trousers anaw—breezed through that one, sittin up half the night till ma eyes went blurry. Proper page-turner.

But the real highlight? The wildest part of the whole trip? A steam train, an actual steam train, chuggin through the heart of the shopping centre like it missed its turn at 1910 and jist kept goin. Folk barely looked up. That’s the modern world for ye—steam locomotive in the mall and everybody’s too busy crashin intae each other tae notice.

Going to the library, via the shopping centre is not one of my favourite things to do, going to the library however is.

There’s just too many people for starters, and as they amble and waddle along they just get in my way.

Mind you there is plenty to look at or should I say stare at. I often wonder why there are so many fat folk, surely it’s not all medical issues causing this and of course the answer is no! Many of those waddling along are refueling themselves even as I speak, maybe they’re worried they’ll waste away before the finish shopping and get back to the car.

Many are clutching oversize water bottles, no doubt filled with coke. Lycra is in high demand here and being stressed to the extreme. Moo moo’s are also common and all seem to come from the same shop, don’t think you can get then on Temu, but they do sell curtains.

Baggy shorts set at half mast, I guess to allow more air flow around the genitalia, well it is summer and the humidity is through the roof.

It’s not for the faint hearted coming to the shopping centre. You also have those annoying young people that haven’t had their enthusiasm beaten out of them yet trying to convince you to give your money to Greenpeace or the Polar Bears, when most folk here have barely enough money for essentials. A sign of the times, to quote Prince.

There is another fascinating tribe here and that one is the one that likes to use the skin as a canvas, to experiment and to proclaim to the world that “I am an individual!”

I wasn’t sure what I was looking at when the not so young guy on a scooter was coming towards me. He’s wearing shorts and T-shirt, all flesh has tattoos, but I struggled to focus on his head, it’s only when he got closer I realised that his neck below is scruffy beard is also tattooed along with his forehead, which leaves this strange looking area of pasty white flesh staring out on the world.

I don’t have any tattoos myself, and have no desire at the moment to get one. I don’t dislike them, however I’ve not seen many in my life that I think enhance the subject or that I think are good. The Yakuza take it to the extreme of course and they are amazing, the colours and complexity along with meaning is stunning.

But none of that here, most of what is on show pails into insignificance. I don’t think I saw any that enhanced the individuals look or made them look interesting or exotic, In my head I wanted to ridicule and at the same time curiosity would lend me to ask them, why? Why that?

I’ve often said that it seems that they all go to the same tattoo artist that is just learning his craft and only has a few designs under his/her belt, but then once on a rare occasion you are provided with an artistic work of art strategically placed which makes you stare and admire rather than be repulsed. I’m not against body art but I think that most people in the shopping centre that day were either drunk or smoking crack or maybe both when they paid a visit to the “Tattoo Artist” and just picked a random selection and plastered them all over their bodies.

There was one young lady that obviously has had an existential crisis because not only was every available peace of skin on show covered with mostly dark colours, but her nose was pierced with what looked like a gold dogs bone which could help with snot removal maybe. I’d be in a hell of a state if I got my nose pierced, most of the time the amount of snot my beak produces is quite unbelievable and to quote another pair of Icons…”Ren & Stimpy” who said that there was so much snot that you could surf the backwash………..

But I made it to the library and got my new book to read, which is another by Irvine Welsh….”The Long Knives” It’s the same characters from “Filth” but it is a lot easier to read although it gets off to a very gory start which I will not regale here, you can find out for yourself.

And I returned “Dead Men’s Trousers” which was a far easier read than “Filth” and I really enjoyed this one……..found myself at times reading till I was bleary eyed.

So the highlight of the trip by far was seeing the steam train going through the heart of the shopping centre, not everyday you are treated to this………..

The boss, of the bus company I work for, sent a text message the other day, it read…

So who would have thought eh? If your bus seems to be on fire, switch it off… Who would have thunk that? And maybe get your passengers off the bus or at least get ready to evacuate… not let them sit there in air conditioning comfort. Some folk are just Fucking amazing and never disappoint 😂

It turns out that there was an oil leak and the oil seeped into the exhaust and of course when it got hot it began to burn but luckily there were no flames as such which would have been catastrophic.

The same driver, let’s call him Eegit, is a scatter brained creature. OCD or some other acronym applies. He seems to say, what I would class as inappropriate language with customers.

He’s 53 and single and is desperate to find a woman but at the same time criticises them for not giving him a second look. I’m not surprised! He’s a drinker or should I say a weekend binge drinker because he has to be sober during the week. However you only have to take one look at him to see the closest alcoholic. The beer gut, the fat face with a few tiny veins already making their mark and of course he smokes. He’s such a catch 😎

I personally don’t feel he should be driving a bus and I think the boss would move him along if it wasn’t so difficult to find another driver. Bus drivers are in high demand, there is a shortage of them, which is across the board really when it comes to skilled workers. There’s also a housing shortage and finding a trademan is next to impossible if you don’t know people. And even then you have to wait.

Bus drivers are on a minimum of $37 an hour although I think government drivers get paid more. If you want to find a tradesman, plumber or electrician then you are looking at over $100 an hour.

Again word of mouth or a recommendation is necessary because the climate is ripe for dodgy characters.

So far Eegit has had no other major dramas whilst driving but I think it’s only a matter of time before something gives.

On another note I’ve finished back filling the wall at the end of the shed and put down pavers over a ground sheet and I’ll finish it with gravel. Any further work on the main wall will have to wait till the Christmas holidays in about 5 weeks time.

The rain certainly greens the place up.

I got a cube of soil delivered on Friday so that I can begin to back fill the retaining wall beside the shed. I had to cover it with tarp because they predicted storms and rain over the next few days, however I thought it would be better to get it delivered in case the ground got too soggy.

So first thing this morning I began to shovel the dirt a wheelbarrow at a time and then I used the sledgehammer to compact it. I need to raise the level as much as 200mm in places. I worked for about three hours and was pleased with the results, but I’ll need another few hours to finish it. Because of the predicted storms I covered the area with sheets of bubble wrap just in case the rain washes away all my hard work.

The first storm hit at 1pm, and was fairly loud but not fierce. The second one arrived around 3pm and that packed more of a punch. I sat out on the deck keeping an eye on things while being serenaded by the young butcher bird. The Noisy Miners were trying to shelter on the deck too, but I took great pleasure in hosing them away. For the past few weeks they have been feeding their young and making one hell of a racket and so I’ve been using the garden hose to move them along. It’s getting to the stage that I just need to show my face and they bugger off. However when the rain is battering down they always seek shelter on the deck, now if they just sat there and shut their beaks then I would not need to remove them with the hose 😁 But I enjoy it!

So that was it for the day really, watched TV and ate, checked the house for any problems. Some water came in to the garage earlier but I managed to fix that and it didn’t cause a problem. When I insulated the wall a few months back I deliberately kept the sheets off the ground just for this scenario. Sometimes I might just be smart.

The third storm of the day arrived at 8pm and this one was fairly mild although the rain was pretty heavy for a while. We’ve been lucky here but a few miles away there has been a lot of hail which had caused a fair bit of damage. There were people hospitalised because they got hit with hail. They are predicting more storms through the night so I’ll be keeping the windows closed and my toes crossed that everything will be OK in the morning.

Sunday morning and all is well. No further storms to report and it looks like it will be dry. The humidity is rampant after the storms, however it’s only 26C so I’ll head out on the bike for a wee run. I only cycled around 17KM but because I have been able to use the large front cog again then my speed has increased somewhat and it my cadence feels a lot more natural. I’ve increased my speed by about 5kph and I’m not even trying. Of course this will allow me to cover a greater distance. Today I wanted to get a few other things done so one hour or so was sufficient.

Click the play button above……Not the big green one but the wee one on the left 😁

After lunch spent a bit of time in the garden filling the green bin and then moving some pavers that Mick does not need anymore. I’ll need to get back into moving the soil by the shed and once I’ve reached the desired levels I’ll use the pavers that I’ve pinched from Mick. It should get drier closer to the end of next week and then I can move on to other things. Glad to see that the bubble wrap worked a treat, so I’ll just leave it in situ until I can get back to finishing it off.

It’s 59 days to Christmas and it’s beginning to warm up. I’ve been looking at the weather forecast because I want to get a cube of soil for the garden, however I don’t want to get it delivered if it is going to rain for a week and unfortunately, it’s a coming.

On Saturday I eased into the day, went into the library to return my book titled “Filth” written by Irvine Welsh. It’s quite the read! This has got to be one of the most disgusting, disturbing books that I have read in a long time, but I loved it because I can relate to much of the content and it reminds me of the world that I grew up in. I don’t mean that I am like the character, however I knew folk like him and just the language and sexism is so refreshing compared to world we live in today. It was not an easy read; it took me a few weeks to get through it due to the stomach-churning events. Definitely not for the faint hearted.

In the afternoon I did a few jobs in the garage that I have been putting of for way too long. The architraves around the window and hanging a curtain was the priority due to the anticipated rising temperatures during the day. This window is on the eastern wall and so it gets the sun from very early in the morn. This is the wall that I sheeted and insulated earlier in the year and does it make a difference…….so much easier to keep the house comfortable even on the hottest days.

Sunday up at the crack of 7am and after a slow start out on the bike. Took a route that I haven’t done in years, still local but it has many hills. The hills were not really the problem; the heat was the problem. The air temperature didn’t feel that bad, it was the UV I think that was like a knife to the skin. Even my headgear was getting hot. They were predicting afternoon storms and they came to pass late afternoon. One of the worst storms that we have had in many a longtime. The hail combined with the winds made for a very noisy and house shaking wild ride.

The power went off minutes after the storm passed as a huge clap of thunder resonated nearly overhead. The power was off until about 2am when I was awoken by the sound of the doorbell ringing. It’s plugged into the mains and very loud. But at least I knew I could make my toast and have coffee for breakfast rather than having to have cold pizza. Oh yes, I got a pizza after my bike ride even although I didn’t ride that far, it was a fast-food weekend after all.

Today Monday, back to work and the temperature reached 38C. The humidity was only 20% which was quite amazing after yesterday’s mental storms. There is more rain on the way this week and the temps are supposed to fall which is great news, but I think I will have to postpone the delivery of me topsoil. So,…….. only 59 days till Christmas…………….

The temps have been rising this week, although not unbearable. Mind you, the sun through the bus window when I’m heading west, is extremely hot and as long as the air con is working I can tolerate for the short time that it takes to get back.

The back room that leads to the deck has a sliding door and I always leave it open, but a cat at some point has pissed at the door and the room now smells of Fucking cats. I bought a can of spray which is supposed to negate the cats urine, so far I’ve sprayed it twice and there is still a whiff of cat through the apple spray enzyme killer. I think it will take a few more weeks to finally eradicate it. I might have to get the carpet steam cleaned.

I bought some Dogbane or coleus canina whose smell apparently annoys cats and therefore they should stay away. I have two plants at the back door and I’m hoping that they work. I have another coleus in the garden that I’ll put in pots and leave near the bottom of the stairs because they have a similar smell. I personally would rather bump it off but that might be too much paperwork and drama.

Friday was a busy day and so Saturday turned out to be a lazy day partly due to the weather. It was hot hot hot. Air conditioning was on early in the day, however I had to venture out for an hour or so to back fill the retaining wall behind the shed before the rain came. They were predicting storms and of course they were correct. About an hour after I had shifted the earth the hail, winds and rain came thundering through.

After the storm the temps fell and it was a lot more pleasant. No damage thankfully, although the downpipe at the front of the house came loose, I’d forgotten to glue it into place, I shall do that this week. So many jobs to do around the place.

Sunday morning was overcast and cool and prefect for a wee jaunt oot on the bike. I did just over 20km and got back before it got too hot. After lunch did the shopping and then back to the air conditioning. Oh it’s Jacaranda season 😁