Questions

Where do you get your news?

I like to listen to the news on the radio when I wake up. I find that the 7am news service on the station I listen to has quite a comprehensive rundown of the major stories of the day. After that it is on to the computer where I can read more about any subject that particularly interests me. My preferred sources are the ABC (Australia) or SBS news services and “The Guardian”. I generally avoid video reports as I prefer to read the news. I rarely watch the news on television these days. I used to watch news on TV to get local, Tasmanian news but now two of the commercial channels don’t have a local news desk anymore and I am not interested in the local Melbourne news. I don’t buy newspapers any more. Hobart’s Mercury is a Murdoch paper so there is no point in reading that. I am not sure about who owns “The Advocate” the paper for northwest Tasmania so I must find that out.

What ‘old person’ thing do you do?

Probably that I complain that music, movies, television etc was better back when I was young. Also my knees creak when I get out of a chair.

When was the coldest you’ve ever been?   The warmest? 

I can’t mention a specific time for either, my brain blots out unpleasant experiences. David and I travelled to Europe via the Trans Mongolian Express in February 1990. I would say that the temperatures we experienced there were probably the lowest ones I’d ever been in but I don’t remember the day in Irkutsk as being particularly unpleasant. The sun was out, the sky was blue and I took some nice photos. I think I have been colder and more miserable standing outside my house in Geeveston at 7 am on a winter’s morning waiting for the bus to work. I do recall that Moscow was cold and I think there was one day when it snowed so much that we gave up sightseeing and went back to the hotel early. The hottest, Singapore was hot and humid the whole time we were there. I found that very uncomfortable although the temperature was probably only in the low thirties. Adelaide summers when it could reach the low forties on a regular basis were also horrible. I am only glad that I don’t live there now as this past summer the city has experienced temperatures above forty-five degrees Celsius and in parts of the state up to forty-nine. It was never that hot when we lived there. The hot summers were the main reason David and I left in 2002, a wise move I think.

Do you eat food that’s past its expiration date if it still smells and looks fine?

If it is a “Best Before” date and it looks and smells fine I’d have no hesitation about using it. If it has an expiry date instead I’d be a little more cautious but if it was just a day or so I’d probably risk it although I would not offer it to anyone else. I can’t afford to waste stuff.

Gratitude

This week my gratitude spot goes to a new acquaintance here in Sisters Beach. As I may have mentioned there is no public transport from Sisters Beach to Wynyard so when Naomi is not here I am more or less stranded. Mind you there are worse places to be stranded. However, sometimes I have to go out. I have appointments with my Job Search Provider in Burnie and if I want to do volunteer work to fulfil my obligation I have to be able to get to Wynyard at least twice a week. I had no option but to rely on the kindness of strangers so I asked on the local Facebook page if anyone travelled to Wynyard regularly who would be willing to give me a lift. Almost at once I had a reply from Lena who works at the chemist there. She would be happy to give me a ride. I had never met her prior to her pulling up in my driveway on the first day. I would never have had the nerve to ask strangers in this way prior to moving to Tasmania. I never even hitchhiked before that but living in the Huon Valley taught me that country people are kind and look out for their neighbours and so it has proved to be here as well.