RICHARD HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS!*

 * Although, if he had I'd be thanking him for trying to stop holidaymakers coming north to  interrupt my peace and quiet.

The more observant of readers of The Curmudgeons Inc.ⓒ (which might qualify as an oxymoron) will notice that this post is brought to you by The Curmudgeon Express who hasn't posted for years (the idle bastard - ed).

This is because a pedantic old ex-schoolteacher gets off (creakily no doubt) his high horse to croak "filler!" when any member of The Curmudgeons Inc.ⓒ posts a short post.

In the interests of full disclosure though The Curmudgeon wants to tell you that he actually forgot about me given that he has so many other Curmudgeon blogs to manage. He said to say "mea culpa" - probably an auntie of his.

Anyhoo - here's what I wanted to tell you:

A BRIDGE BUT NOT TOO FAR

It speaks for itself really.

Have a good weekend (at your own place hopefully).

LIKE MATRYOSHKA DOLLS

 

I purchased a kitchen mixer repair set on-line from Bunnings.

It arrived yesterday in this box:

The set I ordered is very small and 50 or maybe a hundred could have fitted in that box:

The part I wanted is a small horseshoe washer:

This is to anchor the kitchen tap mixer where the old washer has disintegrated.

I went to Bunnings, Mitre 10, Plumber's World and other trade stores but was unable to buy a single washer. The kit that I eventually bought from Bunnings on-line cost $23. The same kit at Plumber's World, after a trade discount that the embarrassed salesman offered, was $70. I only need the little washer not the whole kit but relented and paid the $23. 

Somewhere in the word is a factory pumping out millions of these washers that are sitting in boxes on shelves in their warehouse.

Go figure.

LOOK-ALIKES

 Have you ever wondered if there's a doppelgänger out there for you?

Well, Richard doesn't need to wonder as he's got at least two (one now dead) in New Zealand plus that trombonist somewhere.

Richard

Robert Muldoon

Chris Luxon

Max Collie

CANTO III

Level-2 could move to level-1 soon. I'm not happy with either of these and would prefer we moved back to Level-3. The rush to shops, bars and entertainment spots when we moved to Level-2, and the assumption by people that it's OK to forget about the protocols that were in place, and observed, in the higher levels is worrying. If we don't watch out we'll be at death's door like the stupid Americans who've abandoned all sense and are congregating again.

When shopping I still wear disposable gloves, use hand sanitiser and have a mask in my bag or in the car so as to comply if asked. I was surprised yesterday that the hospital staff weren't wearing masks although they were actioning the distancing and sanitising rules.

COMMUNITY HUMOUR

This pic turned up on Parua Bay/Whangarei Heads Neighbourly site today.

It's great seeing people with a sense of humour to do this. I live in a nice area.

The background is that the Laundromat has been advertised as coming soon for may months and has been held up by some sort of council permit issue. It still hasn't opened.

ALAN

ALAN

I think our friend Alan is coming to visit soon from Scotland.

The Old Girl will call him to check if he will be here at New Year.

".... YOU UNDERSTAND NOW WHY YOU CAME THIS WAY".

CROSBY, STILLS AND NASH

After being dentisted by Mr Fang yesterday I was half expecting  that my cardio consultation would be with Dr Hart but no, it was Dr Lee. Dr Lee is also Chinese like Mr Fang. Both are very competent.

Dy Lee examined my ECG readings and history and suggested that continuation of the drug therapy is a good idea and that, to reset the continual arrhythmic heart beat (AF) an electric shock might work.
I asked him for a change in medication from beta blocker to calcium channel blocker which he agreed to. He said 'Good idea" and showed some surprise. I told him that my sister is a doctor and it was her suggestion.
I asked him about ablation which is a cardiac operation (by catheter) that corrects heart arrhythmia. He nodded and said that the waiting list is at least two years and that it was best to stick to the drug regimen. I then uttered the magic words: "What if I went Private?"

Dr Lee's eyes lit up and he said that he could recommend  a surgeon right now. I told him that we have southern Cross insurance and so he wrote down the name and number of the Auckland surgeon. He said that he would write a reference letter straight away and send it to him. The likelihood is an operation early next year.
He explained that the cardio ablation procedure costs over $50,000 and that the health service hasn't the funds to do many of them hence the long wait. Having waited seven months just to get this consultation I thought that his "at least two years" wait was probably an underestimation.