Hello, I have been back for a while spending time cleaning up the garden and writing (as you do). Off on my first trip next week...to South Australia.
However, in the meantime, plenty of observations:
Festival Season
It's festival season in Bright currently. We have had the Autumn Festival, Oktobefest (picture below), the Rod Run (with all the noise, tatoos and black t-shirts that brings - I stay away from the centre of town), the Great Victorian Bike Ride, and next week is the Tour of Bright cycle race.
In between those we had the Spartan race. Incredibly 6000 people came here to kill themselves racing through obstacle courses. I'm not sure whether it's just a fad sport or a masochists' convention. Either way, apparently. you need a lot of loud music to participate and it involves a lot of shouting.
Doppleganger
When I went to vote they had a few difficulties finding my name (there are several variations). In the course of this I found out there is another Mick Ogrizek who apparently predates me (i.e. he is a lot older, which means he is really old). I don't know what the chances of that are as we are only aware of one other family (unrelated) of Ogrizeks in Victoria. It looks like this other Mick Ogrizek has been keeping a very low profile all these years. More likely it's some mix up with their records....I hope.
Interesting People
I saw a person the other day wearing what I initially thought was a grey hat. As I got closer I realised that she had just dyed the top of her hair grey. I am not sure whether she just ran out of dye or what.
Phone Scammers
Scammers can't even bother ringing you personally anymore. I got an automated call from "ABN" to sign up with them for the NBN by pressing the number 1. You can't even get any pleasure anymore by hanging up in their ear.
Animal Farm
The animals continue to take over my property. Found two blue tongue lizards trying to add to the population in my vegetable patch, and another one was licking the window near my front door. I also spotted what I think was a rabbit the other day. I have no idea how it got in. The ants got in the house the other day apparently attracted to the fresh bed I baked (no need to panic - I use a machine). They weren't interested in any other food.
New Shop
A new shop has opened in Bright calling itself a "juice and sanga bar". It took me a while to work out that its just a sandwich shop.
Public Transport
Things are bad when I am watching a TV programme on the Indian Railways (who have a 90% punctuality rate) and wishing we had a train service like the one in Mumbai.
Verbage
A TV reporter, reporting on bushfires, said people had "self-evacuated". Is this opposed to being forcibly removed?
Labelling all sorts of things "organic" is all the thing now. Even stuff for the garden like potting mix and pea straw is now organic. I don't know what they were putting in it before. All I know is that "organic" is another way of saying "more expensive".
Milk
I have given up on the packaged milk and gone back to fresh milk. One thing I have noticed is that they must put some heat inhibitor in UHT milk as it is very difficult to boil compared to fresh milk. I guess it is at least safer.
Shrinking Packages
Increasingly, some companies instead of increasing the prices of their products, just decrease the pack size. They should be congratulated for keeping inflation down and helping to reduce the obesity problem in society through this initiative. I guess it's just coincidental they also increase their profits.
Random Thoughts & Tales (2nd Edition)...Available Now with a 35% Discount
My recently published book is now available with a 35% discount today only. Just type the discount code CM35 at checkout to get the discount.
Order by clicking on this link: http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/Mogbooks
However, in the meantime, plenty of observations:
Festival Season
It's festival season in Bright currently. We have had the Autumn Festival, Oktobefest (picture below), the Rod Run (with all the noise, tatoos and black t-shirts that brings - I stay away from the centre of town), the Great Victorian Bike Ride, and next week is the Tour of Bright cycle race.
In between those we had the Spartan race. Incredibly 6000 people came here to kill themselves racing through obstacle courses. I'm not sure whether it's just a fad sport or a masochists' convention. Either way, apparently. you need a lot of loud music to participate and it involves a lot of shouting.
Doppleganger
When I went to vote they had a few difficulties finding my name (there are several variations). In the course of this I found out there is another Mick Ogrizek who apparently predates me (i.e. he is a lot older, which means he is really old). I don't know what the chances of that are as we are only aware of one other family (unrelated) of Ogrizeks in Victoria. It looks like this other Mick Ogrizek has been keeping a very low profile all these years. More likely it's some mix up with their records....I hope.
Interesting People
I saw a person the other day wearing what I initially thought was a grey hat. As I got closer I realised that she had just dyed the top of her hair grey. I am not sure whether she just ran out of dye or what.
Phone Scammers
Scammers can't even bother ringing you personally anymore. I got an automated call from "ABN" to sign up with them for the NBN by pressing the number 1. You can't even get any pleasure anymore by hanging up in their ear.
Animal Farm
The animals continue to take over my property. Found two blue tongue lizards trying to add to the population in my vegetable patch, and another one was licking the window near my front door. I also spotted what I think was a rabbit the other day. I have no idea how it got in. The ants got in the house the other day apparently attracted to the fresh bed I baked (no need to panic - I use a machine). They weren't interested in any other food.
New Shop
A new shop has opened in Bright calling itself a "juice and sanga bar". It took me a while to work out that its just a sandwich shop.
Public Transport
Things are bad when I am watching a TV programme on the Indian Railways (who have a 90% punctuality rate) and wishing we had a train service like the one in Mumbai.
Verbage
A TV reporter, reporting on bushfires, said people had "self-evacuated". Is this opposed to being forcibly removed?
Labelling all sorts of things "organic" is all the thing now. Even stuff for the garden like potting mix and pea straw is now organic. I don't know what they were putting in it before. All I know is that "organic" is another way of saying "more expensive".
Milk
I have given up on the packaged milk and gone back to fresh milk. One thing I have noticed is that they must put some heat inhibitor in UHT milk as it is very difficult to boil compared to fresh milk. I guess it is at least safer.
Shrinking Packages
Increasingly, some companies instead of increasing the prices of their products, just decrease the pack size. They should be congratulated for keeping inflation down and helping to reduce the obesity problem in society through this initiative. I guess it's just coincidental they also increase their profits.
Random Thoughts & Tales (2nd Edition)...Available Now with a 35% Discount
My recently published book is now available with a 35% discount today only. Just type the discount code CM35 at checkout to get the discount.
Order by clicking on this link: http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/Mogbooks
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