Seeing Doctor Smiley

After a morning coffee at Ruby's I had a visit from Peter the Antenna Man, who came to fix the reception problem - he tightened a screw and told me I needed a set-top box! So after catching up with JJ who gave me important info about a magnesium oil foot bath, I bought the box and and tootled off to Kariong to see my new Iranian doctor Dr Amir Esmailie. He was just as lovely as M had told me and after half an hour's chat he reassured me my health was excellent and I went home to get my TV working, whch it finally did, to my amazement. It was so simple and Damien my neighbour who had battled through being on the roof several times, was happy too. So today I saw the French News for the first time in about six years! And it was pretty horrifc with the camion smash and twelve dead in Berlin. Another terrorist attack it seemed. Fifty civilians injured as well. A bad day for Angela Merkel, and indeed all of Europe.

The owner, perhaps, or rhe boss, doing his job...

This is sad but so true....

Sounds like my kind of burger.....

And this is certainly a dessert I want to make....

Reminds me of Guy Jian, my lovely Chinese acupuncturist who saved my back many times...

Zsa Zsa is now gone but at ninety-nine!

The Pakistani were glorious in their close defeat yesterday, bravo to them!

Wake-up call...

Gout! More water please!

Today, Sunday, was a bit critical for me health-wise, as I discovered I was victim of gout. M mentioned the cause may be tomatoes and I realised immediately it was that as I had eaten a whole bag in less than a week. My brother who also suffered once from gout, was very sympathetic and counselled medications, but I feel that increased water and reduced acid will make all the difference. Already I feel better but it did make me aware that my long road trip to Brisbane, alone, might he ill-advised, especailly in the height of summer, so I went on the net amd found a cheap return flight with Jetstar from Newcastle. Gone are my visits with MaryLou and Jan, but I wll do them another time when I am not in a rush and it's not summer!

The lovely feeling of the books in Ruby's Café

Mad cricket fanatics but Pakistan is showing some true fightback material.

More attention to youth sucide is necessary and this young footballer is showng the way.

Dev Patel, a great actor, is a must-see in this movie with 'our Nicole'.

Another enormous talent from the Pasifikas, Parris, she is a wonder!

...and she had a billion downloads in her video clip dancing with Justin Bieber, who did not even appear in it! 

At Ruby's

My Melbourne guest arrived for the night and was able to make do on the floor. She is always adaptable Di, and her beautiful pooch Harold was also a delight. The next day Di invited me to Ruby's for breakfast and then was on her way to Brisbane, telling me she'll be back in ten days on the way home. My hospitality is always there.

Enjoying the moment...

The attentive Harold..

Later at the Ettalong Markets I was entertained by Elvis at this café before I went to see a great movie by Iran Sachs called 'Little Men'. It was an excellent portrayal of families in Brooklyn, their complications and the resulting sadness of their two young boys who had been forging a firm friendship, now all gone because of others' pecuniary interest.

Di and Harold on my new 'grass' verge.

My first visitor, on the floor!

More heat...and unbelievable cruelty!

We just had two days of 38 centigrade heat and it hasn't been too bad after all. The air-con was on for a while and it was a bit sticky at night, but the little cabin survived a heat test with only one picture falling from its place in the heat. That fixed up, I am now prepareing for my first overnight guest, with her pooch called Harold, coming tomorrow night from Melbourne on her way to Brisbane. Will be another interesting test for the cabin.

Aussie kids in the pool....

What is the story with the NBN roll-out, I am wondering if I will have to participate in this unilateral takeover of the communications?

Cathy Wilcox says it all with this cartoon....dangerous ground ahead.

The peaceful scene at Ocean Beach where I have a swim every dusk...

Great young dancers in the waiting-room...

Ruby's showing Christmas spirit.

The post traumatic stress from warfare cannot be underestimated..it is horrific.

This is the state of so called justice in the Northern Territory, unbelievable, and now we have a Royal Commission to prove it but will anything happen I wonder?

Shirley Hazzard, expat author dies after great career....

FitzSimons showing the lead, no sugar, no alcohol....

Meeting with JJ at 40degrees C

Today I caught up with an old friend from years ago Jean-Jacques, who is now doing Psychic Readings at the Gnostic Forest, something which I had forgotten he was adept at. We had a coffee a at Mana and he related to me the mending of of his relationship with his wife of forty-eight years, he now seems like a different man from when we last spoke at length in New Zealand. We will keep in touch.

The new reigning couple in NZ.

This is a wronged woman who made a small mistake which cost her her job and for some, her reputation...a tragic passage of events as she is a great woman and activist for social justice.

This unholy alliance writ large on posters in Russia...!

The empty Café Mana at 40 degrees with no air-con, crazy!

Today had the hottest night in recorded history so it is going to be a very hot and long summer.....I went for a welcome swim at seven pm at Ocean Beach with a few others.