Chair covers

I was vacuuming today and suddenly realised that Warren's armchair was looking rather grubby in spots.

The day was a bit cold and gloomy so i didnt want to clean it when it probably wouldnt get dry so i had a brain wave instead.

I would make a cover for it. Then the covers could be taken off and washed. I would leave the cleaning of the chair for summer time when it would get dry.

I was pondering what material that I may have in my stash as it would take quite a large piece to make covers. then i remembered that I bought a large piece of fleece with the idea of making a blanket for charity but I had not done anything about it. The fabric was on special at the time.

This was the end result and it didnt take very long to do, there was enough for the back as well as my chair too. The material is in panels.

There is one panel left and I am going to make a cover for Lucy's bed when we pick it up on the weekend. yay another big piece of fabric out of my stash used to good purpose.

Last nights dinner

I read this recipe somewhere and decided to try it, something different.

I took a chicken breast made a pocket and filled it with cream cheese and spinach, secured with a toothpick, rubbed the outside of the chicken with salt and spices. Had sweet potato and a salad with lettuce cucumber, red peppers and olives with an avocardo cream dressing. Yum, I will be doing this again.

Broken camera, oh no!

I would/am lost without my camera. I know i can take photos on my phone or my tablet but to me its not the same.

Actually its not my camera that was broken but the SD card. I guess because its in and out of the camera and the computer, it wore and the tiny clip on the side fell off making it a write only.

Warren told me I needed a new one.

I was at the post Office the other day to send a couple of parcels and something was niggling me that I needed something else but while there, I couldn't think of it. Got home and saw my camera forlornly sitting by the computer, then it hit me like a sledge hammer, That was it a new SD card that i should have bought at the PO. I hate making a trip out for one little thing so I put it off til I was going shopping.

Then Warren had to check in at the Drs and then Office works as our yearly calendar, which goes financial years. Office works had SD cards so i asked him to pick one up while he was there.

Ahhhh, now i can take photos again.

The Solar System

Being down in New South last week, dotted along the highway are the planets complete with information about them. We have stopped at some of them.

This is one quite close to where we were staying.

As you can see this is one is Uranus, they have been placed in rest stops and about 80 to 100 kms apart, some are on the left of the rod and others are on the right. This rest stop [s quite large with toilets and picnic tables but not all have those.

Dirty Dogs

What a name for a business! We contacted them the other day and got Lucy a bath and her nails clipped for $24.

Lucy has been bathed before by me in our bath at home and although she hasnt struggled or tried to get out, she has not been terribly helpful. I have put her lead on and taken her into the bathroom and shut the door behind us. She had then made herself quite heavy and planted her feet pretty firmly on the floor. I have had to lift her front feet first then rear feet into the bath where she will stand while I soap her and finally rinse her off. She gets out herself and of course gives a few shakes before we get to the back door and outside.

Fourty minutes it took me to clean the bath, the floors and walls last time.

The trailer comes to the house, Lucy gets treats, Warren did need to help her step up into it but she loves it and the girl Jackie who bathed her. Jackie and the Dirty Dog trailer will be back again next month for Lucy's bath.

An Unexpected Road Trip

I was on my way home from taking Lucy for a walk when my phone rang, as I was driving I couldnt answer it until I pulled up at home. It was Sheridan, her and the boys were in our neighbourhood. She had a proposal for me of a road trip.

11 am saw us leave after I located some snack food for the boys. Road trip was about 180 kms up the road heading north. Success as we found what she was looking for and a few others as well on the way home.

Rang Warren and asked him to take out some chicken for dinner. Later, when we were only a few minutes away from home, he messaged me to tell me what we wefe having for dinner. Chicken drumsticks with mushroomand tomato with cauli, broccoli and sweet potato.

A good day and then to have dinner cooked for me, a bonus.

Steam Punk Costumes

I have been asked to make a steam punk costume, its not the one above but in a similar style.

Wow they used so much material back then. As the skirt is very full, I have started by making a rope petticoat to make it stand out. so far the pattern doesnt look too difficult. At least i have a few months to do it but definitely dont want to leave it until closer to the date.

I may update here as i move along with it. The one I am making will be black skirt with a blue coat.

A Portabella Burger.

John told us about this place in Shanghai, it was called Carl's junior burgers, later when we visited Shanghai together we sampled the burgers and the chips. Oh my when one has been on a diet of rice and very little meat, a genuine burger was very welcome.

The burger place was at a metro station and so very easy to get to and back, we also stayed in a hotel just across the road at one time.

As we had plenty of time on our last day in Shanghai we decided to take the metro to partake one of the yummy burgers again.

It turned out to be a three hour turn around trip as from our hotel we walked to the metro station, the receptionist assured us that it was about a twenty minute walk. Turn left out the front door, then turn left and there we would be at the station. Hummm, directions were a little vague for me, how did we know when to turn the second left. Warren was convinced that we would be able to find it. I told him that if we were in the middle of Whoop Whoop after 20 minutes, I was hailing a taxi and going to the airport for a meal. Which would have been fine except we didnt see a taxi.

It was about twenty minutes when we came to a T-junction and had to turn left and of course there were signs to the metro station pointing to it and reading 150 metres away. Thank heavens for that.

As that station was the last of the line we were able to get a seat.

We thought we needed to get out at door two but although we were in the area, door two wasnt quite right. We walked around and then I recognised the street it was at the end. ha, a nice burger and chips coming right up.

Being foreigners we were given a picture menu when it was our turn to be served. Warren choose one, the portabella burger, I was surprised but figured he was trying something a bit different, being adventurous, I said to the server that we would have two.

Warren took one bite and said to me "This is what I ordered, I wanted the bacon one" "Sorry but that was the one you pointed too and thats what we got" He stated "Who on earth would put mushrooms in a burger?" I enjoyed mine. He does like mushrooms but apparently thinks they have no place on a burger.

Back on the subway and a twenty minute walk back to the hotel, no seat this time as it was almost peak hour but after a few stops, people got off and so we did get seats for the last half.

I love getting parcels.

Last month after being away for a month, a parcel was waiting for me. It was an embroidered towel with my name and flowers in my favourite colour purple on a teal green towel. I belong to a group and we are matched up with someone of similar interests and it is expected than we will be in contact at least once a month. Could be a letter, card or a gift. I then in turn send to someone else in the group, so I dont send to the person who sends to me.

Yesterday again after getting home from a short caravanning trip, another parcel was waiting at home for me. This time it was a journal that had been prettied up and again with my name on it plus a kitchen hand towel with a crocheted top. To have some thing with my own name on it is very special as my name can be spelt several different ways and while I dont think mine is an unusual spelling, I have never found my spelling on anything that can be bought in shops.

Today as I was sitting down to write, Warren brings me a small parcel that had just been delivered. It was my earrings! When we went to Alice Springs, Warren went and did a Gem fossicking tour and turned up some four mm rubies. We decided to have them cut and made into a pair of earrings, we were told that it would be about a six weeks turn around and yep, it was.

They came packaged separately and it a red velvet bag.

The Gemtree caravan park had examples of how they could be cut , I choose this design. They describe them as 4 mm as that is how big they are around.

They are not that big once they are in but I know that Warren put a lot of blood sweat, maybe not tears into finding them. Our brother in law used to tell us stories about going to the Gemtree and finding rubies, Warren has always wanted to do it since hearing about it, now he has and he enjoyed it.

The Warrumbungles

We have had a few days near to the Warrumbungles.

There is a great look out on the way into Tooraweenah, this was a Lion's project. It is a large structure with seats to sit and view the mountains. Warren is admiring the view and reading the information board. The main mountain is called the Bread Knife.

A Heritage Walk through Tooraweenah

Such a great little place just off the highway to the North. Last time we were here we really didn't have the time to do the town walk. Yesterday we set out to rectify that and what a great walk it was. Actually we didn't even do it all in one go then as we got talking to one of the locals, although he has only been living here for 6 years, as we all laughed about the fact that he may be classed as a local in another twenty years or so.

We are staying at the caravan park, nice park, happy hour each night around an open fire and it was stew and damper night last night for $8. One of the points is just outside the caravan park so we started at no 17 which was the site of the first hotel in the area.

The walk is around 3 kms with 26 points of interest and takes approx 2 hours to walk. A very pleasant walk in a very quiet town.

This s the one that is outside the local playground and park.

It has been well done telling about the history of the town.

This morning we walked out the other way and finished the heritage walk which took us past another church and the local school.

A lady that we met at a happy hour was a teacher here for two years, arrived 54 years ago, she said that growing up in Sydney, and then coming to the countryside Tooraweenah was a real wake up for her. 

Teeth!

Like a lot of things, when they are fine we dont usually think much about them but when they become a problem, boy are they a problem!

Warren's teeth have never been that great. The Army did a wonderful thing and gave him eight post and crowns, great until several years later they start to break down and literally break off.

One broke in to pieces we were on our way back from Alice Springs last month. As his partial plate wasnt fitting that well, he couldnt put off going to the dentist anymore. At least he didnt have any pain with the broken one.

We could see big bucks needing to be laid out. I suggested he ask to have them all out and a full plate but dentists dont want to do that.

Third apt was Friday afternoon and he came home after with a swollen mouth and a bit woozy. Soup and scrambled eggs was all he could manade to eat over the weekend and many snoozes.

By Saturday morning he looked like an ape, as it was only his top lip that was swollen and gave the appearance of an ape. Thankfully it has gone down to almost normal.
He had a check up on Monday morning, everything was fine and he bounced home and said lets go. We were going to leave for a few days away but then didnt think he was okay to go but he had improved out of sight overnight.

Hopefully thats the top lot of teeth sorted but he has another apt after the school holidays to see what needs doing on his bottom teeth. More money, damn.

Kaiyuan Shaoxing

Our trip across to Shaoxing went smoothly, not many people on the bus so we ended up in one double seat each. There was a 'comfort" stop which surprised me as it was only about a two hour trip. we got off the bus just to stretch our legs. I have on one time used the facilities at a comfort stop but they are not or were not the most comfortable, cleanest or convenient so pass on them now where possible.

We avoided the touts at the bus station as we knew where we wanted to go and grabbed the first taxi off the rank. The hotel is called The New Century grand hotel, they are part of a chain but locals or people in the know just call it the Kaiyuan. Its funny that I thought that was like a nickname but on our bank account, it states Kaiyuan.

We were settled in our room by mid morning which was good as we were meeting a friend for lunch. Andy would be working that night and couldn't go to the reunion dinner that was planned but he could make lunch. We wandered the streets near the Kaiyuan and ended up settling on a Sth American place for lunch. It was tasty, i think we were the only ones there at the time. Warren and I went back one other night for a meal as well.

These orchids were in the entrance of the lift area and I'm blowed if I could tell if they were real or not.

One afternoon we came back from a walk and our room had not been done, Warren realised that he should have turned on the switch that said "Make up My room". He turned it on and we reclined on our beds, these were twin beds. Not long after our door bell rang and as I was closest to the door I opened. it was the housemaid and did she go off when she noticed my bare feet and processed to grab a pair of slippers from the trolley and press into my hands.

I brought them home plus the pair that had been in the room to use.

Breakfast was a buffet each morning and it was so nice that the staff all greeted us in English. We have found out before that none well none that we spoke to anyway, were locals, they come from many different parts of China. We did recognise some of them from years ago.  

Nightlife in Fuyang

As it was hot we went out at night the two nights that we were in Fuyang.

A seafood or at least a crab eating place with a couple of electric police vans parked outside.

No problems with electricity here

This is in a courtyard of a large shopping centre, many people came out in the evening when its cooler, young  kids skate, older kids play basketball or throw hoops, parents and grandparents sit and chat. Often they bring their own low plastic chairs, what we would deem as a kiddie chair, no way would I sit on one.

Waiting for the bus the next morning, ours wasn't there just yet. Security is quite high with having to check all bags through a scanner like at an airport, although one does have to load and unload own bags underneath bus. Tickets are checked before going through the door and sometimes checked again by the driver before entering the bus.

A nice photo of one of the parks, its amazing how much the trees have grown.

A broken door leads to.......

A trip to Bunnings of course. We werent sure if they would have the door lock to suit but thought it was worth a shot. Warren took photos of it before we went. It is the lock on the sliding glass door, thankfully we could still lock the screen door behind it so it was secure.

Of course they had one, just a little different in appearance but a lock and handle that fitted and worked.

I wandered around and also picked up a couple of things that can be used for caches.

A letter box, a pot plant lady bug, no smoking sign and a red reflector, now i just need to buy a combination lock, Bunnings had them too but I thought I could get one cheaper than the heavy duty ones they had.

Warren had the door fixed in an hour or so, probably saved $100 although the lock wasnt cheap at $70 bucks but i wouldnt like to think how many times it has been opened over the last fourteen years.

Bush walking with Lucy

Lucy and I set off for a walk and to find a cache. A bush walk led to it or we could have gone around the roads and parked fairly close. I decided to take the long way although I didnt realise it was quite so far until I parked the car.

888 metres as the crow flies. it was a nice day so we got going. Lucy's nose was doing over time, she could smell something in the air and so could I at times. Kangaroos have a distinct smell and once you have smell it and identified it, it stays with you.

I dare say that roos would go through there quite often, we didnt see any which I as thankful for, dont know how Lucy would react if she did see one and some kangaroos in the wild can be aggressive.

Got the cache it was near a bridge and honouring one of the police who were shot in the course of his duties, sad. Coming back we crossed a small creek which told us that platypi  (think that is the spelling) had been seen there.

We didnt see, actually we didnt see any wildlife. The path certainly meandered though and it took awhile to get there and back. We had to cross under a highway and there is nice art work on the under side of the bridge.

I

Fuyang Zheijang China

This was a very small city when we worked there with the main industry being the manufacture of paper. It is about 45 kms from Hangzhou the capital of Zheijang roughly an hour to the South West, it is situated on the Fuchun river.

Warren had booked a hotel on-line using C Trip a website that we had used quite a bit when living in China. The hotel was placed between both schools that we had worked at and we figured we knew our way around.

The road that the hotel was on, had been the last road of the city but not any more. The city seemed to have more than doubled in size, we walked for a few blocks out from our road and it was high rise and shopping centres in abundance. However we did find that not many places had English speakers. We ventured into KFC for dinner one night and no one spoke English and unlike other KFC's they did not have a menu printed in English, I couldnt be bothered trying to make my self understood so we walked out and into Pizza hut next door where there was an English menu.

The weather was cool for the full that we were in Fuyang and we walked several kilometres retracing places and memories.

This was our hotel room, with the shower and toilet tucked away to the right, the white square near the TV in photo is a bath. Very nice room.

This was one of the window displays with just everything red.

At night this is a great water display with streams of water sent skywards to the notes of classic music, fun for all the family but mainly only kids run through the water. Quiet when we were there, with just a few grandmas and their charges but as there were a couple of drops of rain they had packed up and left. Dad was with this little boy and Dad was keen to go home but young johnny was staying over the other side, he wasnt ready for home yet.

This is the oldest bridge and it is still in use as a foot or bike bridge.

Then we turned and went up the street that is/was the top end in fashion and everything else, I dont think i ever bought anything here as it was more expensive. Would love one of those but getting it home (after re-mortgaging the house!) would be a nightmare. It would probably run into the tens of thousands.

I thought they had all gone but as it was trying to rain, there was one lone shoe shiner out, this was outside the long distance bus station.

Electric cars

These little beasties have taken over from the push bike rickshaws.

We saw quite a few of these on the roads in cities, not on the highways. There is room for the driver and one adult and small child in the back. Ideal for hailing to bring the shopping home for the day.  Chinese families shop regularly maybe two or three times a week, some i know shop every day and they dont use a fridge, which means only one or two shopping bags each trip.

This one was spotted in Fuyang. .

Fashions in Shanghai

We noticed there were some different looking fashions from when we were in Shanghai last.

Many girls and young women were wearing a net over coat over their normal clothes. The net or tulle like material came about 10 to 15 cms past the end of their skirts. It was usually black well thinking about it I think I only saw black over black.

A photo of one of our meals in Shanghai, I had forgotten that I had snapped it. It was beans and egg plant yum!

Read in a China Daily newspaper

A small article in the China Newspaper tells of a man who has been held in custody for fraud.
His wife had complained that he didn’t earn enough money so he got a bank deposit slip and showed that he had put 500,000 rmb (roughly $100,000) into the bank. Nothing more was said, six years later she tried to withdraw the money, apparently the shit hit the fan and police arrested him. That doesn’t seem right to me. He didn’t try to rip anyone off.
500,000 rmb is about $100,000.

Afl in Shanghai

We were given our football tickets when we checked into the hotel. I dont know the price but there was a scalper wanting 400 yuan near the gates for one ticket. We were also given a 24 hour metro ticket and told what line we could use to get to the ground.
We arranged to meet another couple who we had meet up with in Guangzhou when our plane was cancelled. I think they were concerned that they wouldnt be able to cope with the subway. We walked through to the main mall Nanjing road and down to the subway, activated our cards and got on the train when it came in. China subway, trains etc are brilliant, it is in all dual languages, there were seven stops and we were able to get a seat, first time ever I had got on the subway and got a seat straight away. The stadium was sign posted but mainly we just followed the crowd, so many Port Adelaide fans and most were wearing Ports colours of teal grey, black and white.
There was the usual security checks and then we were in. We had row 3, seat 23 and 22. Sitting on concrete steps with a thick pillow that opened up to have a back rest as well. Thankfully the seats were spaced with a fair bit of room between. The foam pillows had the footy book in them and a sign on them saying take me home.
The Chinese and Australia anthem’s were both played but ours was mucked at the start, dont know what they played but did get on to Australia Fair. Everyone had stood and hats were off and the Aussies sang our song, probably about 8 or 9 thousand Aussies singing with gusto.
It was hot and the game was a bit one sided. The Port supporters were amazing, so passionate and at the end after they had won, every supporter was on their feet signing their song.
There were a few problems though, our area run out of water early. I went out at quarter time, my knees were killing me and thought I would buy something to eat as we had left the hotel at 11.30 am, game started at 1.20 pm. There were only 6 porta potties and they had sent for more drinks, waited and then two people raced in with a case each of soft drink. There was no water, i grabbed some and thrust money in to the guy hand as i reckon that was all they brought, there was no food to buy either.
It seemed that if seats were upgraded by another fifteen dollars then there was eats and drinks available but that was co  ordained.
We didnt stay for the pre match which was actually after the game, it was between two Chinese teams with ten minutes each quarter. I would have liked to but after sitting in full sun for three hours already we had had enough.
Wandered back to the subway, got a seat again, had lunch/dinner at pizza hut on Nanjing road,a Peking duck pizza, wish they were here.

Dr Hook, going to a rock concert

Last night we went to see Dr Hook. Oh my goodness, it was brilliant. They were one of my favourite bands in the eighties and although the lead singer is the only orginal band member left, it was truly Dr Hook music.

It was loud, it was entertaining, it was GOOD!

The guy on the left of picture is Dennis who did the show. He and the band were on for an hour in the first session, he said that they didn't have a support band/act as they had too songs that they wanted to play for us. After a 20 minute break, he came back on for a bit of a talk fest and then he introduced the band members, there were six including one female vocalist, three of the members are Australians. The second session went for an hour and a half.

One time he said that the next song was probably the one that a lot of people may have heard him sing it on radio in 1971, that was the year we were married. I though that he would have to have been 60 but Mr Google tells me today that in two weeks he will turn 68. He still plays an awesome harmonica. Great night out oh and as we were there early we found an Italian restaurant, very satisfying night.

Finally in Shanghai

No bus or car waiting for us so we lined up for a taxi. The lined snaked in and out several times before we got to the top of the line, where staff were directing patrons to each car. we estimated the queue to be about one hundred and fifty people when we joined but it did move quite quickly and there were guards/staff directing things so no queue jumpers.

Seventy yuan got us to the hotel or about $13. We had to check in with the travel agents first and they did most of the hotel check in then we got our football tickets, room keys/cards one each which was a first and breakfast vouchers. I am sure that my passport went in and out of my handbag half a dozen times in a few minutes.

The room was nice and clean with a window seat, large lounge chair and a window to the bathroom, which can be a bit offing.

The hotel is not far off where we used to stay when we came to Shanghai when we lived in China, sometimes we would go there for a sanity break as there foreigners just blended in with every body else, after a rest we went for a walk in familiar territory. One of our meeting places, a maccas were not there but the butcher street was stil there and operating. These are shops facing the road side and the sides of lamb and goat are hanging with a large butchers block which they cut the cuts of meat to the customers wishes, some places cooked the meat as well, things like kebabs.

The park outside our old hotel was very shady the trees have grown tall green and bushy, it has a running track around the outside and many people used to exercise their dogs and people would also run or walk around it. To get there was to negotiate a six lane roadway under an overpass so we didn't go over as we were heading to our favourite place to eat in Shanghai, an authentic Italian restaurant.

Damn and blast! it is now a fast food pizza takeaway place. I guess still Italian but not what we wanted or expected to find. We walked back in the circular route that we used to do after eating there, which included going near the Bund, past the Westin Hotel and foreign bookshop looking for a place to eat and eat. many places but no appealed or a couple we went into, where only serving coffee and cakes. We wanted dinner!

Almost back to the hotel and we saw a StarBucks, i am not keen on their food but i knew Warren was hungry, again on offer was coffee and cakes and a couple of sad looking sandwiches. We walked out and saw a golden arch, not McDonalds but we were hoping it was one that we had been familiar with, a Yemeni restaurant we went in hopeful.

Yes, it was, menu was in pictures and better yet the girls spoke English, we ordered green beans rice eggplant sweet and sour pork and a platter of bread. Yum, a delighful meal for 88rmb approx $16.

Funny thing, we had been poured green tea, in many places that just happens without ordering, I had almost finished mine so I grabbed the teapot that was on the table and poured into my glass, oops, I had just topped my glass up with soy sauce. We asked for a coke after that.