It’s been a whirlwind week, not because of the speed that it has passed, but the tumultuous time it has been. That’s not to suggest it was a torrid affair. In fact, it was anything but. Work was a generally great time. Monday I had been expecting to receive notice that my trial period was over. It didn’t happen. But I was informed on Tuesday! I’d forgotten that Monday was a holiday in Australia for Australia Day. My boss is based in Melbourne. Moreover, my employer bent the employment rules. Instead of giving me a contract to the end of…
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Plans to write a blog post today turned out to be a bird-brained idea. Our rosy faced lovebird hijacked our computer keyboard because it’s the warmest place in the house. There wasn’t a great deal to write about anyway. So all I’ll be skipping on is the minituae and other space-filling fodder. Work is becoming a little more intense, but also more enjoyable, and each day is a new reminder of how fortunate I am to be there, and to be surrounded with such wonderful and supportive teammates. A downside is that my cycling has been drastically curtailed, but I…
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Even though it’s the middle of winter, I’ve turned my attention to trying to conjure up some pretty plants by propagating cuttings from the star of Kangaeroo Corner, our grevillea. I set up a propagation station using cuttings from our tree. I’ve dipped the cuttings in growing hormone and hope they will sprout roots after a few monnths in the solution stored on the station. We started the garden in 2022, at which time I had no idea or interest in gardening. I didn’t know what a grevillea was. But ours has me smitten. This winter, it has remained in…
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January is the coldest time of the year in Japan, and the Fountain of Strewth has turned to ice and the Croc of SHITE* is more a Croc of Spite as ice drives it to the bottom of the fountain until the morning sun thaws it, almost as a reminder of the harshness of the winter. With the still short days, the lengthy dark periods make the cold seem colder. But this year seems to have been a return to the past. The two most recent winters have been comparatively warm, but cloudy. Cold, wet, dark winters are common in…
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Continuing a run of at least four new year seasons, I’m ailing yet again. After a cold, covid, the flu and another cold, this new year I’ll be welcoming in with a case of lumbago. Worse still, I owe it to a case of hubris, having twinged my back by bending too quickly to pet a neighbor’s dog because I fancied myself as having something of a magic touch with pooches. The immobilizing pain over the past few days has become a constant reminder to be a bit more thoughtful in my actions. One benefit has been slowing me down…
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On Christmas Eve, I thought any wrapping I’d be doing would be presents, not bloody jacarandas, but between a hectic time at work that was exactly what I found myself doing. Amazing (and incredibly patient) Alex Endo, who created our Aussie garden at Kangaeroo Corner, wanted to protect the tips of the tree’s branches so they could be protected from the frost and increase the likelihood of flowering. Our jacaranda hasn’t flowered for three years now, and we hope that next year will see it flourish florally. Alex also let me know that I am wasting my time waiting for…
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Although the harsher than normal seasons this year have made it tough for our garden, our consistently strong grevillea has survived and thrived. Related posts: Saying It With Flowers Slice of Heaven Paws Before Thinking Doxing Paradoxes Feast of Flowers Bloomin’ Freezing A Fern Native Action Jacaranda Journey Provides Purple Haze Welcoming In Winter Just Flowers Powered by YARPP.
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Running out of time with a busy schedule ahead, but a flourishing garden at hand, what better way to say anything than to do it with flowers? So that’s what we’ll do, courtesy of Kangaeroo Corner’s enduring grevillea. Related posts: Slice of Heaven Paws Before Thinking Doxing Paradoxes A Pheasant Makes Things Pleasant Feast of Flowers Bloomin’ Freezing Get Your ‘Thinking’ Paws From Me, A Damned, Dirty Mate! Jacaranda Journey Provides Purple Haze Open Up Your Eyes, An Everlasting Bud! Just Flowers Powered by YARPP.
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Enshittification has been chosen by Australia’s preeminent dictionary as the word of the year for 2024. The Macquarie Dictionary, which is regarded as the main chronicler of Australian English, defines enshittification as “the deterioration of a service brought about by a reduction in the quality of service provided, especially of an online platform, and as a consequence of profit seeking.” Most Strine speakers would probably refer to enshittification as things going to the shits. Macquire notes that the term is now being used to describe many things in life, not just tech-related, citing the example of shrinkflation of products as…
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An amphibious reptile has taken over the Fountain of Strewth, and that’s no crock. Well, it is, but more croc that crock. A large crocodile is occupying the rim of the Fountain of Strewth. Mrs. Kangaeroo bought it and placed it there, using it to replace a tiny replica crocodile she had initially attached to the new lettering on the fountain. We’ve always had lettering on the fountain, but it got a new, metallic upgrade over the summer, in addition to a Beware of Crocodiles replica road sign. Ironically, the solar-power fountain that worked so tremendously well and gave the…