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The WHAT'S NEW! page contains the latest medical updates. If you're wondering how I'm going as far as health is concerned, this is the place to start. Latest: Wed 27 Nov 2013. 7.20AM

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Takeaways, Boules and Railway Carriages

[An extended report from WHAT'S NEW!] Additions are in green.

Tuesday, 4 January 2011  8:30 AM.
It's been a pleasant few days, for me anyway. On the medical side I have nothing much to report, though my right foot doesn't like warm humid weather and swells up a bit. It seems the more exercise I do with it in hot weather, the greater that reaction. But it's not life threatening. It just means that the underlying condition that is capable of producing clots hasn't been resolved. But then, we knew that already.
   It seems that my stomach doesn't react well to commercially prepared takeaway foods any more. Alice and Sylvia treated us to Chinese food last night. Sylvia has an ulterior motive, of course! She loves the Honey Chicken from one particular Chinese restaurant here and apparently in all Melbourne no-one prepares it like they do here, so it's a must-do one night at least when she's in town.
   But I've discovered a couple of times recently that I have to be very judicious about takeaway foods. Don't ask!
   Sunday in the Park with Parkour to celebrate Christian's birthday.... which was very pleasant, the ambience extended by Tracey's bringing the Boules down there for us to play. I think she gave them to me nearly 5-7 years ago, and though we enjoyed playing them in the past, we just hadn't got round to it!
   It is a beautiful set of them - as C J Dennis would describe them, 'Bong Tong yeh know' and anyone can play a fun game. It's probably good exercise for me  too. 
   Oh! I just remembered - both Johnny Gee and our friend Austin Rummery insist that for boules to be played properly, all participants must have in their non-boule hand a glass of wine at all times. I would happily have conformed except I run out of hands after one. It has to be boules or vin in my case. 
   As it was, I had to play with my left hand. I used to throw a ball right handed so that was a minor handicap - but I did as well as anyone. 
   That reminds me of a slogan on a milk truck I heard about: "Jake's milk. Good as any, better'n some." That was apt for my boules game!
   We went for a little drive yesterday to Joan and Carl's property out towards Yarrowyck. How to describe them? I don't really have to.... you can see for yourself if you take a short wander around their website. Artists, craftspeople, scientists, polymaths, philosophers.... just go to their virtual home and say hello.
   Their real home is fascinating. After buying the land many years ago, they bought 'used' railway carriages and had them transported up to their place, and by an ingenious arrangement of the carriages connected by outdoor and additional indoor living spaces, they have a unique home.
   Carl was telling us yesterday that one carriage alone, with its full complement of bogeys etc weighs nearly 40 tonnes. That's three Tyrannosaurus Rexes! Sturdy they surely are.
   Trust me to focus on something virtually irrelevant. Just see for yourself.
   Alice goes home tomorrow. We'll miss her. Sylvia can stay on a bit longer. I think it's all about the Honey Chicken really. :)

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