The Search Ends!

For the coffee maker, at least. Still searching for the perfect house.

Another day in Tasmania. And a new parrot on the pear tree out front. This one went to town on the piece of fruit, looks like I should have picked a few yesterday.

Can you see him? Here’s a close up. He’s not the bright green one from yesterday, but just as stylish.

Oh well. He’s probably hungrier than I am.

Herr Zen did a little more research online and found one last Harvey Norman’s smack dab in the middle of Hobart whose inventory showed a drip coffee maker on site. (Well, the last one did, too, but it’s a pretty day for a drive. Let’s give it a try. AGAIN.)

We drove back over the hill and easily found the place. I had my own wish list - I need a hair dryer with a diffuser, the one I brought doesn’t convert to Australian voltage, so I did a little research as well on my phone as he navigated. I found the perfect one at the same Harvey Norman for $72 Australian.

Harvey Norman’s has a free parking lot - thank the LORD, since I’m still researching parking meters so we don’t make another costly mistake - and we zipped into the lower level of the garage and took the escalator up.

Ooh…. this is a NICE store, no comparison to the outlet we visited yesterday. I found my hair dryer - but in the store it’s priced at $89. I cut my eyes at Herr Zen to let him know I was about to pull the helpless American act. (I’ve found it’s the best way to get information - just admit I’m stupid right up front, they’ll figure it out soon enough.)

I put on my confused face and turned to our polite salesman. “I’m sorry, I’m not from here - obviously! (I dragged out the Southern twang a bit more.) I found this for $72 on the internet website, but in the store it’s $89. Does that mean I should have ordered it and had it delivered? Or (I circled my hand in the air helplessly) did I miss the sale and the price hasn’t changed back on the website?” Just call me Blanche DuBois, reliant upon the kindness of strangers.

He took pity on me - really, people here are SO NICE - and said, sure, we can match that price. Oh, THANK YOU!

Next, he made Herr Zen happy. The drip coffee maker had sold out, but he let us have the floor model. Happy day, big coffee tomorrow!

I even prevailed upon Herr Zen to look at sofas with me. This Harvey Norman must be the mother ship, because the entire front area was filled with nicely arranged furniture, from Chesterfield chairs to modern futuristic sleek lounge sets.

We met the main salesperson, Michelle, who is sharp as a tack. She could tell by my shining eyes that she just has to play her cards right and reel me in over a few more trips and she’ll make a nice commission. (Do they use the commission system here? Hmm. Something else to research. Lucky I’m retired with time on my hands.)

On our way home I did some more searching on the parking meter snafu. Apparently, the city started installing sensors in parking spaces back in 2017. The in-road sensors alert a parking officer about a potential infringement, and the officer uses the payment data from the parking meter to determine if a parking fine should be issued.

I can but surmise with my little bitty old school brain that you drive over the sensor of the space - 1666 in our case - then you walk to the meter to pay with the app, your credit card or coins - and the minute the time runs out and your car hasn’t moved, the officer is alerted.

He’s probably circling the block like a great white shark.

Then he comes back and must have some way to read the meter and see that the car from an hour ago is still there - the sensor hasn’t been retriggered, I guess - and he puts the pricey ticket on the windshield with tape.

Read it and weep. Directly from the city webpage.

If a sign says "METER" or "PAID AREA", you must pay for parking either at the meter or on the EasyPark app. You must also abide by the time limit indicated on the sign. The vehicle must not remain parked in the zone beyond the time period for which payment has been made. Even if that period does not exceed the maximum parking time displayed on the sign.

Time starts as soon as you stop in the bay. You must vacate both the parking bay and zone when the maximum time limit is reached. Making extra payments (known as 'feeding the meter') will not reset the time limit.

(The example sign indicates that the maximum length of stay is 30 minutes between 9 am and 6 pm Monday to Friday. During those times, payment must be made to adequately cover the length of stay, up to a maximum stay of 30 minutes.)

Huh. I thought ‘feeding the meter’ was part of the social contract of civilization? If not, it should be.

I found a website - and I’m assuming there’s an app - called Parkopedia that locates all the parking areas around Harvey Norman’s - my example address in Hobart. I can organize them by cost, walking distance, time allowed and so forth. VERY HANDY. And it looks like I can use in a ton of other cities around the world. Just tried London, Gatwick Airport. Fun! Another one for the list.

ANYWAY, we’re beating a dead horse here. Let’s move onto something a bit more entertaining. At least to my little brain.

I am SUPER CURIOUS about how the water storage system works at our little house. I see the big tanks everywhere, and some houses have two or three. Here’s what ours looks like.

It’s the one on the left. The little Tardis-shaped one in the garden is for compost. I’m emptying our metal compost can from under the sink into it for the first time tonight. I don’t think you can mess up compost - I made sure I didn’t put leftover onions in it - but I’m a little nervous nevertheless.

I probably won’t understand the tank system, even after Herr Zen explains it - the man knows everything. It’s annoying. But helpful.

I’m the same with airplanes. I want to know how they work, but it still doesn’t make sense to me that something as heavy as a huge metal tube can get off the ground and fly through the air. Good that I decided to be an attorney rather than an engineer. Or handyman. It’s all beyond me, but at least I’m entertaining in my ignorance.

I found this video that shows a tank being assembled. And you get to hear the Aussie accent and have a little fun at the end. It’s a short one. (I have a tiny attention span, what can I say.)

I was in more of a groove today. I spent some time on the lawn chair in front of the view, with my bare feet on the grass. I thought I would try this grounding thing that everyone talks about. And I have to say, I think it works!

Hanging clothes to dry outside has also been therapeutic. I don’t know where it came from, but a voice in my head was quite insistent that I pin my jeans upside down, with a clothespin for each leg, rather than hanging with two at the waistband. Maybe one of my grandmothers talked me through it when I watched her as a little girl?

I don’t think it was Mom. I remember we did hang clothes in our backyard on Walton Way on a long, skinny clothesline strung between two poles. I can still recall my horror when a bird took a bathroom break on my little bathing suit. But Mom wouldn’t have had time to talk me through it. She and Dad had four kids in seven years. Mom barely had time to breathe.

Maybe I’ll remember tomorrow. Memories come at the most unexpected times.

Even jumping out of the passenger seat to open and close the gate as we drive in and out makes me happy. And calm. Then I broke two nails snapping the lock back in place and swore like a sailor. Typical.