Son of Notes from Down Under

21/11/2019
What a weird day.  It hit 36C at midday, then fell to 16C by 6pm after the wind swung from northwest to southeast.  I was in the city this morning for an 11.30 appointment with my endocrinologist and couldn't wait to get home.  Apparently there were similar feelings on the part of my white cat Nelson who seems to disapprove of my being out three days in a row -- he spent two hours welcoming me home before curling up for a nap.  I decided to follow his example.

4:41 PM 28/11/2019
This week saw Gene's annual visit on Julie's birthday.  We laid some flowers on the grave, opened a bottle of champagne to toast her memory, then repaired to the Boathouse restaurant for lunch and discussion of our many stories about her.  I picked some flowers from my own garden, which seemed to me a fitting tribute to the years she lived here. 
 Took photos of Gene and his daughter lunching with friends from St John's on the day they arrived from their trans-oceanic flight.

10:40 PM 2/12/2019
Spent Sunday afternoon and Monday morning quietly at home, resting after last week.  Went out for dinner with friends, then relaxed on the couch with the cats while listening to one of the Big Finish audios about Doctor Who.
And if you weren't confused by the half-way mark, you obviously weren't paying attention!

5:01 PM 12/12/2019
Weather a little unsettled but went over to the Croquet Club in the morning and played a couple of games with some new members.  After lunch, I listened to a podcast based on the first of Dashiell Hammett's 1923 Continental Op stories from "Black Mask" magazine.  Looked bright and sunny so I spent the evening out at the Bocce Club.

17/12/2019
Tuesday was a competetive day.  Spent the afternoon playing croquet, then after a short rest it was out to the final quiz night for this year.  We did fairly well, but finished third after one team scored an amazing 91/110 points.
(We bought dinner for five people and only had to pay two dollars and sixty cents  --  we saved up all our prize money from the rest of the year)

18/12/2019
Resting after lunch on Wednesday I dozed off on the couch.  When I woke up, I couldn't move my right arm.  
(The  black cat was asleep on my hand.)

19/12/2019
Thursday was a fairly busy day.  Set my alarm clock to give me plenty of time to get to the Croquet Club's 10 a.m. start, then spent two and a half hours playing.  After that, out to get stuff at the pharmacy and the pet store, the latter being for sun screen for my white cat who insists on going outside during the hottest part of the day  (he doesn't understand "Slip, Slop Slap").
After meeting Keith at the Salvo's for a late lunch, did some shopping and found myself fighting peak-hour traffic on the highway, a rarity for me.
Made it to the Bocce Club in time for their end-of-year evening.  Ate too much, but hey it's Christmas  ("The was made with sheep's cream.  I would have liked to leave it in the cheese cave for another week, but it shoud be all right.").

4:31 PM 22/12/2019
Parking was a nightmare in the city this morning.  It ended up costing me $42 to go to church for our annual Christmas Carol service.
You can probably infer my opinion of city authorities who pay parking inspectors to go round on the last Sunday before Christmas and fine motorists who park near the church of their choice.  I should write to the Prime Minister and ask if his new religious freedom bill covers this.

In the evening, next door for the neighbors' traditional  Christmas drinks.  Many familiar faces from previous years, and the champagne was flowing as it usually did.  A brief chat with the Deputy Lord Mayor -- she must get tired of people talking about council issues but she didn't show it. 
Several children playing in the backyard.  At one point, two of the little girls were chasing the dogs round and round the garden -- not sure who was enjoying it more, the kids or the dogs.  One youngster made repeated trips inside to dip a carrot stick into the pate, showing very advanced taste for her age.