20th November - scamming problem fixed (I HOPE)

Thursday 20^th November

So this is how I look today…slightly happier; cautiously optimistic…

Yes this is another Waterworks Picnic photo but I can't quite capture cautious optimism on my iPhone
right this minute...

I spent two hours with my Mac101 Officer – Gary Waterson, a man of infinite patience.  He tried this way, this way, forwards and backwards and we now think he has fixed The Problem.  He has no idea how the Bad People got into my contacts list but he thinks/hopes he has prevented them from doing it again.  And I DON’T have to change my email address, which is a big plus.

He also showed me how to use my new mouse and how to re-instate my podcasts.  All is well once again in my ComputerWorld.

Other than that I have had a lovely day in beautiful Hobart with my beautiful friends.  And family.  Life is good…

Another beautiful West Hobart cottage

19th November - very crabby - email hacked AGAIN

Wednesday 19^th November

This is how I look when I miss an international flight. 

And also when my email gets hacked for the second time in a year…

This time I am, apparently, in Istanbul and I need all of my email contacts to pay my hotel bills.

SIGH.  I am of course happily in Hobart with no outstanding hotel bills…

Tomorrow morning I am going to see my Mac101 man, Gary, and I hope he will be able to fix things.  He says they have not used my actual yahoo address – my name is spelled incorrectly, and it is yahoo.com.au, which my address is not.  (Also…I can actually spell my own name…)  With a bit of luck they haven’t got hold of my special secret password so I will be able to keep my address.  SUCH a nuisance last time, notifying people once, twice, thrice…not to mention the 500 2XS calling cards which have already been changed once…aagghh.

18th November - Presiden Xi Jinping in Hobart

Tuesday 18^th November

Today Grace Darcey, Pete’s granddaughter, is meeting the Chinese president, at a secret location (probably Government House….)  A few months ago one of her Grade 5 teachers at Scotch Oakburn (Launceston) set the class the task of writing to the president, telling him what they particularly love about Tasmania.  They expected maybe a letter back from the Chinese Embassy, saying, nicely, many thanks for writing to us in Mandarin and telling us about the peacock feathers in the cataract Gorge, and the beauty of the Tahune Air Walk.  Instead they got an invitation to meet Mr President himself!

Grace in a rock pool at Ironhouse Point

Late yesterday afternoon I walked down into the city, through lovely West Hobart.

Browne Street houses

Past our old house in Devonshire Square (our last family dwelling…I LOVED this house.)

My iPhone captured glimpses of the city from the hills.

But this morning we went to the 9^th floor of what used to be the AMP building and got an even closer higher view.  Zoe and Rose looked down, thoughtfully, from the window-ledge where I had hoicked them.  "It would be TERRIFYING if the window broke and we fell," said Zoe.  "But it would be OK if there was a big soft trampoline."

I hope President Xi Jinping enjoys his brief glimpses of Hobart, and his chats with Grace and her class!

17th November - it's all GO in Hobart

Monday 17^th November

So what is this, seen from Pete’s deck, with a bit of help from my zoom lens?  A submarine??

ZOOM!

The Derwent is full of mysterious objects…

And Tasmania is heaving with Chinese dignitaries – hundreds of them!  Overflow from the G20 meeting in Brisbane.  President Xi Jinping will be in Hobart for a few hours – maybe this submarine-ish object is part of the massive security?

It is actually all GO in Tasmania.  There are feature films and TV programs being made, huge foodie extravaganzas at MONA, masses of VIP guests flying in and out.  All quite breathtaking…

Just as an example, here is a photo Pete Harmsen took at the huge MONA event on Friday night…

The snake table next to Sydney Nolan’s Snake mural.  Sensational!

On Saturday Pete and I went to see the Christmas pageant in the city centre.  Well it is the sort of thing we would DEFINITELY do in any other city where we are visiting as tourists…so why not the Hobart parade? 

It was all improved by the fact that we found some children to be with…

Felix

Felix waved his flag appreciatively for each and every float.

We were astonished to see that the biggest contingent by far, in between the fairy shop, the girl guides, the Catholic schools, the pipe bands, was – the Buddhists!  Of course!  They had two dragons and many enthusiastic marchers and fan-clappers.

On a much smaller, quieter note…in Leo’s class the other day I noticed that the teacher has quite a tongue-twister to contend with…. Five of the students have names beginning with L:

Leo, Leo, Layla, Leya, Lola!

Aint life grand?

15th November - beautiful Lauderdale Beach - trouble with the WRX

Saturday 15^th November

Tonight is our big family reunion dinner at Mures Upper Deck, to celebrate Dad’s 90^th birthday.  Chris, Karen, Kate and Max are here from Sydney.  All of the Harmsen offspring here except for Michael, who can’t escape the clutches of the armed forces right now.  Too sad…

I am here in Pete’s house, showered, changed, ready to go.  And where is Pete??  Well he is in Lauderdale, outside the shop, wielding a rusty wrench… The darling WRX decided that we had had too much fun and excitement for the day.

We had spent a happy hour or so with Lynne, Melissa, Evie and Olive.

Lynne is still being very brave while still being immobilised by having two non-weight-bearing legs. 

Her house is beautiful, right on the beach, bathed in sunlight.

Stella Maris

The beach is beautiful.

She has a new friend/admirer, called Paul, who spends all of his days trying to get inside. 

He occasionally succeeds…

Then we left, to buy potatoes for tomorrow’s birthday celebration picnic. 

And the WRX resolutely refused to start.  Pete had to disconnect the batteries.  When he does this, he has to wait for two hours before he can re-connect, otherwise the whole sorry cycle starts over. 

A beautiful succulent in Lynne's garden to introduce a note of cheer in this sorry tale

I abandoned him and caught a taxi back to West Hobart.  At 5.50 a handy bus will come along the street and I will get to Mures Upper Deck in good time.  Poor Pete – who knows when we will see him??

This is NOT a good advertisement for WRX-es…