As they cooked me Mexican barramundi fish tonight, 'The Children' were also playing with their growing collection of model cars. A New York City hop on hop off double decker bus is the newest addition.
There are bad floods in New South Wales. One of the most stupid pieces of advice I've ever heard was, if you have not evacuated your home and you are under threat from flooding, move to the highest point in your home. Nah, not for me. I'll just stay at the bottom as I slowly go under water and drown. Even small brained animals know to go to higher ground to avoid flooding.
Speaking of home safety advice, at least this one seems to have stopped now. At times there are factory fires and what can be released into the air can be very toxic. Good advice, keep your doors and windows closed. Stupid advice, turn off you air conditioners. This may have been appropriate decades ago when people had in the wall or window air con units that could bring in a minor amount of fresh air, but nearly everywhere now has a split system, used for both heating and cooling and the internal part does not bring in outside air. I don't consider evaporative cooling to be air conditioning.
Phyllis is trying to pass his learner driver permit, which is all online now with some rather impressive graphics. You are given thirty on road situations and the pass level is 27 out of 30 correct. His first attempt ended with a score of 26/30, so just a fail. He sought my help for his second attempt and his score was 24/30, a worse fail. A fat help I am.
I was taken back to school days where the question wasn't phrased clearly enough. I think Phyllis clicked one choice that he didn't mean to, but where did I go wrong? Illegal parking, one in a loading zone, two cars in a bus lane, and I missed the fact that the nearest car was too close to an intersection. Twenty metres is apparently the limit.
Bicycle laws, and I am not up to speed with those. I thought it was a one metre distance to pass by, but we got something wrong in the multiple choice.
Now this to me is very odd. The question was can you drive through a red light to allow a police car with flashing lights to get past. Apparently yes. But recently I heard the question asked of an ambulance worker, and the paramedic spokesperson said the opposite. That is, no. Don't do anything illegal or dangerous. We are trained to deal with traffic and congestion situations.
Later edit: What the law says: You must give way to emergency vehicles with flashing lights and sirens and may proceed through a red light if it's safe and the only way to make room for the emergency vehicle.
Today was shopping day. Unlike when Ray was alive, the shopping is minimal. I now shop nearly daily for a few things when I am out and about, and aside from staples, Phyllis and Kosov buy most of the food. Nevertheless I was instructed to buy from the supermarket delicatessen a kilo of basa fish for no more than $10. I don't know the fish.
Basa fish, also known as Mekong catfish or Vietnamese River Cobble, is a farmer white fish native to Southeast Asia. It's popular due to its mild taste, firm texture and affordability. Basa is a good source of protein and healthy fats, but it's important to ensure it's cooked properly to avoid potential food poisoning risks
The supermarket didn't have basa so I bought a kilo of barramundi for $9. That sounded incredibly cheap to me. You can book a boat trip in Queensland to go barramundi fishing for a fortune. I assumed it was an expensive and prized fish.
I don't take my reading specs with me when shopping, and so I asked the obliging lad to read out the barramundi small print. "Sourced from Vietnam and Sri Lanka", the label said. Oh well, it tasted nice, and no ill effects yet.
Centrelink sent me a letter, our social security government organisation, asking me to update my financial situation. I wanted to reply, I am still living in poverty and I need more assistance.
Instead I handed the letter over to company who deal with Centrelink on my behalf, and charges me a fortune. Now that I do receive an old age pension and my affairs are now simple, I wonder if I couldn't just do it myself. This is the first time I've considered this. I will see what the company wants to charge me next year.
I keep hinting to Phyllis that I and they need more green vegetables. Beans, peas, broccoli, broccolini, cauliflower, silver beet, spinach, but to no avail. I will keep going on about that. They barely eat anything green. Are onions considered green?
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I read this earlier and went away to think about it. I wonder what the ramifications would be if someone ran a red light to let the ambulance or police through and caused an accident? Which would also further delay emergency services get to their original job.
ReplyDeleteHimself would love a diet free of greens. The only vegetables he willingly eats are potato, onion and tomato - which have been given honourary meat status.
EC, check for my edit to the post. I read of a western man imprisoned for a few years in a Russian gaol and he was perfectly healthy when released although his gaol diet was only potatoes. It does make you wonder about food advice. We know what is good for us, but we seem to be able survive without all the beneficials.
DeleteI wouldn't think you can drive through a red light because of emergency vehicles behind you. Doesn't make sense.
ReplyDeleteBob, see my edit to the post. You can.
DeleteYour stories are a lively mix of wit and wisdom. Keep pushing for those greens (onions don’t quite count!), and maybe next time Phyllis will ace that test with your sharp eye on intersection rules!
ReplyDeleteHe passed today Roentare, with a score of 28/30.
DeleteWhere I am the rule is pull to the side of road for police car or ambulance with flashing lights and wait for it to pass. Unless you're smack dab in the middle of six-or-more lane highway packed with cars. Then you stay where you are and wait.
ReplyDeleteKirk, apparently you can move out of the way of an emergency vehicle by going through a red light. See my edit to the post.
DeleteOnions supply vitamin C and the mineral potassium. But are great for taste and aroma.
ReplyDeleteGreen vegetables supply far more vitamins and minerals like calcium, magnesium and potassium. But most are not very tasty.
Sorry, forgot to sign. Hels
DeleteHels, I think the food I miss the most that Ray nearly always cooked for meals is broccoli, which is a bit weird as I had never eaten broccoli as a young person.
DeleteIt can be a problem those questions as some of them are not worded easily, I think that is done on purpose sometimes. We have one granddaughter going through the motions at present.
ReplyDeleteThe fish is cheap and I've brought it from Vietnam many times and I'm still here..lol I do prefer Australian though.
I love broccoli, cauliflower, beans and so on and don't understand why Phyllis doesn't cook with them.
Margaret, perhaps they are testing your analytic skills with confusing questions. Phyllis passed the theory today. They just don't really know how to include them. He is 22 and only been away from home for a year, and his mother cooked for him. They have learnt a lot from me, including how to keep the kitchen clean, and a few cooking tips.
DeleteGreens are eaten mostly for their fibre content and of the boys are getting enough from their regular diet then they don't need greens. If their meals are mostly curry based then that is okay too as curry is a natural laxative. But just for variety's sake, keep encouraging the greens.
ReplyDeleteI suggest you learn to deal with Centrelink on your own and save the $$ the company is charging you.
I will keep pushing about greens, River. I want them myself. I really will have a good look at what I am paying when it is up for renewal. Aside from the considerable work they saved me to receive the pension, they aren't doing much now.
DeleteYou could buy some salad leaves and green vegetables and arrange individual pots of salad to serve alongside the main meal. Salad goes with everything and raw broccoli and cauliflower are delicious, as are small courgettes, baby corn, sugar snap peas.
ReplyDeleteJB, I can to that for them and myself. I've bought salad leaves, only to see them go off in the fridge. I will keep trying.
DeleteI wonder how many older people like me could pass a driving written driving test now. I know I couldn’t .
ReplyDeleteI did not like Ray's erratic driving style, but when his driving was checked by a driving instructor for his volunteer driving job, about three years before he died, he passed with flying colours. Passing a test is one thing, but the practicalities about driving are more important. Follow the rules as you know them and use common sense.
DeleteRichard Hammond and his daughter Mindy, went out with a driving examiner. Mindy passed, he failed the British driving test, this is the automotive journalist who has driven all over the world. (Top Gear, The Grand Tour and others.)
ReplyDeleteTP, I think a certain amount arrogance comes with being an experienced driver
DeleteI got a survey from medicare that was to evaluate local care. The questions however were not worded well enough so that I could respond in truthfulness. So the survey went to recycle. Some of the test questions for driving seem not so direct either.
ReplyDeleteStrayer, I really hate surveys like that. Sometimes you can't answer a question because it can't be boiled down to a single answer without being misleading.
DeleteHope the flooding in NSW has eased. Here, we are allowed to go past the red light to allow an ambulance to get ahead.
ReplyDeleteIt has now somewhat Pradeep. That's interesting about the red light.
DeleteI would hate to have to write a written driving test now after all of these years of driving.
ReplyDeleteI love green veggies and always include them even if it is pre-made coleslaw with a burger.
Pat, I have tried to keep with changes in the law, and I would expect to do above average in a written test.
DeleteGotta have those greens!
ReplyDeleteI think so Jackie.
DeleteConfusing questions and instructions are the bane of my existence! I actually must have a pretty good existence I suppose....
ReplyDeleteYep Cloudia. Clarity of instructions leads to clarity of thought.
Delete