Text 37350, 152 rader
Skriven 2010-05-03 22:30:01 av Ruth Haffly (1:396/45.28)
     Kommentar till en text av Glen Jamieson
Ärende: HEATING UP THE KITCH00502
=================================
Hi Glen,

 GJ> We found the oven in one rented place had a pool of oil underneath it.
 GJ> Definitely a fire hazard, so it pays to check and clean.
 RH> Scary!

 GJ> That took quite a lot of effort to mop up and remove, as it was a gas
 GJ> oven, plumbed in and immovable.

Makes you wonder how it got there but very grateful that it was
discovered and cleaned up before any harm was done.


 GJ> That history got me reminiscing, so I listed the places where I have
 GJ> lived, not including hotels.  It totalled 7 temporary and 2 owned
 GJ> homes in Australia, 8 government houses in PNG and 2 temporary and 1

 RH> Counting all we've lived in for over 2 months, this is our 16h place
 RH> since Steve & I got married.  We know there will be at least one more,
 RH> were under 2 months but I'm not counting them.  Lots of different
 RH> kitchens with different cooking set ups.

 GJ> After a while you get to be good at sorting stuff into "take" and
 GJ> "leave", and packing or preparing for others to pack.  When moving

A lot of our stuff stays with us; it's "disposables" like spices, mops,
brooms, cleaning spplies, etc that get tossed or given away.  Usual
procedure among military families is to make boxes of what you don't
want to or can't take, & start it circulating in the neighborhood.  Each
familiy takes what they want & passes it on.  This worked well in
stairwell living as the box (or more than one) was left in the central
laundry area.  Other time, it gets circulated at church or among close
friends.

 GJ> around in PNG at the behest of the employing government department, a
 GJ> patrol box survival kit was provided to enable life to continue while
 GJ> waiting for own goods to be delivered.  As that kit of cutlery and
 GJ> crockery had already been used by many expatriates, most of whom had
 GJ> swapped the best stuff for their own rejects, the knives were all
 GJ> blunt, the forks bent, and the crockery chipped!

Sounds like the 90 Day Kit we got when we moved to Berlin and when we
left.  Other times we've gone to the Lending Closet and picked up what
we needed.  The chinaware in Berlin was really nice; I wished I could
have kept it.  We got some commercial grade pots and pans in HI but
other than those 2 exceptions, there was a lot of junk.  Some things
(like the pots/pans) were marked "Property of A(rmy) C(ommunity)
S(ervices)  or similar so we couldn't sub out when we got our stuff.  A
few times we mailed ahead stuff like a paring & general purpose knives,
a cutting board, measuring cups & spoons, a wooden spoon or 2, a rubber
spatula, and other small kitchen items.  That way, even if I had to wait
to get most of my kitchen set up, I at least had some things I knew were
decent.  It was also handy when the household goods got there--the first
few days of setting up a new kitchen and finding spots for everything
were a challenge.  If I had enough clear working room, I could actually
put together a meal without having to figure out where I had put things
I'd just unpacked.

 GJ> haven't seen the latest one (2 months old) in Alice Springs, or the
 GJ> first great-grandchild (4 months) in Auckland (NZ).
 RH> So when are you planning those trips?  Robert hasn't asked for any
 GJ> After I return from Europe in June, I have my cataract operation, then
 GJ> I will look at going North to get away from the Winter, so will
 GJ> probably call into Alice Springs then.  NZ will have to wait until

 RH> And you're counting the days.

 GJ> I only get excited over the next trip, wherever it may be.  I leave
 GJ> for Austria, Czech Republic and Poland on the 13th of this month.  I
 GJ> will arrange the next trip after I return from Warsaw.

That sounds like an interesting trip.  My dad's family came from an area
in what's nowpart of Poland but was, at one time, part of Germany.  I'd
like to get over there and try to find some relatives.

 GJ> closer to Summer.  From that daughter's house was where I first saw
 GJ> snow falling, a couple of years ago.
 RH> I saw my first probably before I was 6 months old.(G)

 GJ> I was 73 when I made and threw my first snowball!  It was fun!

Did you make a snow man?  I had a thought earlier today--do you hear
songs like Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" and such like over there very
often?  I always thought they were a bit incongruous to hear them in
places where I knew we would not have snow for Christmas.

 RH> Some people enjoy moving; I did when Steve was in the Army.

 GJ> Learning a new house is always exciting.

Decorating one can be fun too.  Every so often when we move, we spluge
on redoing a bathroom.  We had 2 full ones plus a half one in GA; the
master one got a blue & white beach/fish theme and brushed stainless
pewter colored accessories.  The guest bathroom was done in a Hawaiian
theme, using greens & yellow and palm trees on the accessories.  I
intended to do the half bath in a southwestern decor but never really
got to it other than a couple of pieces.

 GJ> Having power and influence helps.

 RH> Most dfinately!  But, it can also get you into trouble, as Gordon
 RH> Brown is finding out. (G)

 GJ> Haha!  Yes.  Those small TV microphones can get politicians (and
 GJ> others) into serious trouble.  Quite a few years ago our then Prime
 GJ> Minister, Bob Hawke, was questioned at length by an aged pensioner at
 GJ> a public mall meeting. On his way back to his car, Hawke was heard to
 GJ> mutter, "Silly old bugger!".  He was never allowed to forget that
 GJ> comment, particularly now that he is one, himself!

Probably remembering and rueing his comment every day.


 GJ> Although the Eurostar only takes 3 hours from Paris to London, that
 GJ> would be exhausting for older folk.

 RH> Say, anybody above the age of 25.  Even a lot of us "not quite spring
 RH> chickens except in our hearts" would have a rough time standing for
 RH> that length of time.

 GJ> I don't think my arthritis would take that too well!

Same here, I could be on my feet that long if I could move around a bit
but I'd really be feeling it later.  Given a choice tho, I'd much rather
have a seat for 3 hours than stand the same amount of time.

 GJ> It is getting better all the time, but if we got stuck in Kuala Lumpur
 GJ> I'm sure we could stand it.  Flying Malaysian Airlines Adelaide to
 GJ> Amsterdam, so we should get good service.  It is many years since I
 GJ> have flown with Malaysian, but I have good memories of the food.

 RH> Let's hope that's not changed. USA carriers have really gone down hill
 RH> on food services.

 GJ> A recent survey of overall quality and value for money of
 GJ> international economy flights to and from Australia put Singapore
 GJ> Airlines at the top on almost all routes. United was firmly at the
 GJ> bottom.  Qantas was about 3/4 of the way down.

3/4 down beats bottom. (G)


---
Catch you later,
Ruth
rchaffly{at}earthlink{dot}net  FIDO 1:396/45.28


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