McBlog

Last year Kitt and I took yet another step down the dark path of domesticity: we started going to Bunnings, the hardware/home improvement/garden/DIY/whatever place that has warehouse sized stores all around the country. It all began when we moved into a house that had a garden so we went there & picked up some gardening gear.

Then we figured it would be better to mow the lawns ourselves so back we went for a lawn mower. Of course any house has some maintenance required, even if you’re renting, so soon enough it was back for a few tools. Then Kitt decided to rennovate a table so it was multiple trips to buy a couple of sanders (be aware that the idea of power tools in my hands is a terrifying thing), more trips for sand paper and then brushes & stains.

Like an addict starting from “just a small taste”, our first little step had become a slippery slope and now we’re going there about once a month for plants, pots, pH kits (the new place has a fish pond), CAT5 networking cable, lighting, pegs, wood & nails for Nykolai’s latest school project (don’t ask :) and even seeds on a recent trip. Fortunately we’re not as bad as those who cannot leave Bunnings without spending lots more than they anticipated and mostly we leave with only the items we had intended to buy. Mostly.

Maybe it’s ‘cos the main thing I find of interest at a Bunnings Warehouse is the sausage sizzle going on outside the front doors every Saturday & Sunday. There’s always a school, sporting or charity group there running a BBQ cooking up sausages & onions to have in a slice of bread. For a few bucks you can get a quick bite, a drink and get a happy glow from the thought of helping a (hopefully :) good cause.

It certainly means that a mid-week visit to Bunnings just isn’t the same and, in fact, is something to be avoided. What’s the point of exposing yourself to terrors of a home improvements, handy man, DIY, gardening super store if you’re not even able to get a bit of BBQ?

Hmmm – I wonder if we’d ever go to IKEA if they had cheap BBQ food available out front? Nope – doubt it. Nothing can make going to IKEA bearable…

It must be spring in Melbourne: Spring Carnival horse racing has started and there are ladies to be seen in town wearing light & often skimpy spring fashions on their way to & from the races. We’ve just had a week or so of clear blue skies and relative warmth (20-25 degrees Celsius) to get everyone feeling like Spring has sprung and it’s safe to shed a few layers of clothing.

So what does Melbourne’s weather decide to do? Why, flip to cold and start the rain bucketing down, what else? We’re back to 12-16 degrees, it’s raining, there’s storms (with hail, no less) and lots of wind. The Bureau are predicting coldish temperatures into next week and there are currently warnings for flooding in the catchment areas, severe winds across the bay & district (gale force & damaging) and potential for flash flooding.

Great time for my parents to come down from their place in tropical Thailand to visit us, no? :)

NOTE: Actually, the flooding in the catchment areas is not all bad – we need the rain to help refill our water supplies as the 10 year drought we’ve been in had them getting worryingly low.