The fifteen minute network
During the school holidays, the kids and I will often leave the car at home head out to not just attractions in the CBD, but also to parts of the city we might not normally get to. Partly for the joy of exploration, but also partly because Jeremy is keen on hunting down secondhand video games, so we’re gradually ticking off visits to the various branches of Cash Converters around the place. (Though new discovery GameTrader is also worth exploring.)
We can get around fairly easily with PT on weekdays, as the network in my neck of the woods hangs together quite well for spontaneous travel because many of the main routes run every 15 minutes or better.
Even the government has figured out that this is appealing to people:
“This high-frequency bus service, with a bus arriving every 15 minutes during peak periods, is a viable alternative to the car.”
…
“In just a few months of service, we have already seen a 37 per cent increase in weekday usage along this route. That makes this SmartBus service the most popular bus route in Melbourne,” she [then-Minister Kosky] said. — Government press release, July 2009.
The problem is that the network of frequent services only serves some suburbs, and it really only applies on weekdays, which unfortunately is when white-collar workers like me are least likely to be wanting to go anywhere other than work.
Is every fifteen minutes perfect? Hell no. I think at least every ten minutes should be the target, but the key is that it applies all of the week, to all main routes, so you can get from anywhere to anywhere at (almost) anytime with a minimum of waiting.
So anyway, during the holidays just gone we headed to Northcote, where we found no good games, but I did get a couple of cheap CDs.
Another trip was to Frankston, where no games or CDs were found, but we had a nice lunch (this time avoiding the “I’m amazed they don’t get sued” Hungry Zak’s which we’d tried the previous time… a bit horrible). And as a bonus, within minutes of arriving I saw a guy try and swipe a can of drink from a shop, only to be chased and caught by the shopkeeper — classy, Frankston, classy.
On these and other recent excursions, we didn’t have to wait more than a few minutes to hop on trains, trams and buses. When it all works, it’s a very relaxing way to get around, and I get to talk to the kids way more than when I’m concentrating on the road. (Not to mention a quick trip down to Frankston for $2.02 full fare/$1.01 concession using a Myki or 10×2 hour Metcard is a flippin’ bargain.)
I’m more inclined to use PT for these kinds of trips for a number of reasons, but one I consider very important is that I’m getting my kids acclimatised to the world around them. I’m making sure they know how to get themselves out and about (not just on PT, but as a pedestrian too) so that at the point they’re old enough to (which isn’t far off), they can do it with ease. You just don’t learn any street smarts being chauffered around.
The heat in the house
I spent the day working at home yesterday rather than venture out into the world of 43 degree temperatures and train heat troubles, though admittedly I also missed out on comfy air-conditioning at work.
My house doesn’t have air-conditioning. It does have internal blinds in most rooms, the exceptions being the kitchen and the bathroom, which get a little warmer than the rest of the house on days like that.
It’s fine if the internal temperature stays below the mid-20s. Much higher than that, and I’m not going to pretend it’s pleasant, but running a fan (and forgoing a shirt) and drinking plenty icy cold drinks is generally enough to make it bearable.
As Monday wore on, the temperature rose steadily outdoors; more slowly inside. I tried to keep track of it by checking the thermostat temperature every so often, and comparing to the Bureau of Meteorology’s observations for Moorabbin Airport, which is probably the closest weather station.
By 10am it was 30 degrees outside, but 23 inside. Outdoors it peaked at 43.4 around 5pm, but inside the peak was 32 degrees around 7:30pm — as hot as I’ve ever seen it indoors — and it stayed up that high until bed time, by which point outside it had started to drop, though not very far.
This morning as I write this, the BoM says it’s 33 outside. The thermostat says 30 inside, but opening up the house makes it feel like cool air is coming in, since there’s a bit of a breeze.
On my shopping list to help deal with the heat is a ceiling fan for the livingroom (the only main room lacking an antique light fitting), and having seen how external blinds have made a huge difference at M+J’s house and also at my mum’s (and they’re quite cheap, even professionally fitted), I’m considering those too for the NW-facing rooms.
Air-con? I doubt it; for a few hours of a few days a year it doesn’t seem worth it. Evaporative cooling? Maybe.
And I’ll keep the icy cold drinks coming.
How did your place cope?
Tags: air-conditioning, cooling, heat, house
28 comments
Smug – the washing machine
The washing machine is going well.
Reading the new Myer catalogue, I thought I could feel smug that I’d paid $200 less than their sale price of $1099, then I noticed that the mob I bought it from has since dropped it by $80. Ah well, still happy with it.
The only question is — should I peel off the energy and water rating labels, or leave them there for prolonged smugness?
What do the rest of you do? Peel them off, or leave them on?
Leave them on only until better ratings are commonplace, perhaps, and the 4 and 4.5 star stuff seems sad and pathetic and wasteful?
Tags: efficiency, laundry, Myer, washing machine
20 comments
Moving house (literally)
I hate moving house. Glad it’s not me.
Tags: moving
4 comments
Overhang
One of the things you really notice as a pedestrian in wet weather is low-hanging branches over the footpaths.
I don’t know if the wet weather we’ve been having causes the trees and bushes to put on a growth spurt, or it’s just more noticeable because every time you brush against something lots of water falls on you, or because it’s harder to avoid head collisions while dodging puddles and holding an umbrella, but it’s been particularly apparent the last couple of days.
Yesterday afternoon I went out with the clippers to ensure the tree outside my house that overhangs the path isn’t in anybody’s way.
Of course, I shouldn’t have done it straight after it had been raining, as it resulted in masses of water showering down on me every time I nudged a branch.
But oh well, anybody walking down my street (and we don’t get heaps of traffic, foot or otherwise) can rest assured, they won’t have to duck when passing my house.
It’s worth a few minutes’ work to make life easier for my fellow pedestrians.
I must check if there are council bylaws about this kind of thing. Checked your overhanging trees recently?
Tags: pedestrians, rain, trees
11 comments
Getting stuff done (or not)
Marita’s gone off overseas with Justine to explore San Francisco and surrounds.
Management of time is often an issue for me, and I in no way want to say that her presence is a cause of me not getting things done.
But I thought that while she’s gone for three weeks, I might have some time on my hands. So here are some things I intended to do while she’s away:
- My tax return, which was due at the end of October
- and my Dad’s
- Ceiling fan for the livingroom
- The new washing machine (I’ve pretty much settled on the Bosch)
- Clear our my Dad’s unwanted books from the house
- Replace the kitchen halogen lights with low-watt LEDs
- Start my next blockbuster eBay auction
Reality is though, I’ve found myself busier than ever. For example, tonight there’s a dinner, tomorrow I’m going to a protest and then Trish’s wedding!
Marita will be back next weekend, and all I’ve got done so far is the washing machine, which arrived on Wednesday. (Just as well — when the old one got moved, I found bits of metal and ball bearings. It was not well.)
Tags: eBay, San Francisco, taxes
3 comments
Rubbish goes user-pays
I didn’t spot this myself, but apparently Glen Eira is revising its bin charges: 120 litre bin charges are dropping from $138.40 to $120, and 240 litre bins are going up from $151.20 to $240.
I switched to a small bin a couple of years ago when I realised my big bin rarely had more than a fraction of its capacity filled. I think I must have been a tad annoyed to find I was only saving $13 a year. Even now, the 120 litre bin is usually less than 20% full each week.
A huge amount of stuff can now go into the recycling (since 2006 they’ve taken codes 1 to 7). The 240 litre recycling bin only gets emptied every second week, and mine is usually full, or close to it.
I know some big families probably do fill a big bin every week, but really, people do need to be thinking about the waste they generate, particularly the waste that’s headed for landfill. I hope this encourages more people to switch to the smaller bins, and in turn to look carefully at what they can recycle and put into compost.
Besides, why should my meagre landfill requirements cross-subsidise those who chuck heaps of stuff away?
Update: Graphic of council advert added.
Aldi product reviews
So, in my quest to become a cheapskate, I’ve tried a few Aldi products.
Having pretty-much restricted myself to Aldi products made in Australia (food miles, though it’s something of a generalisation), and ruled-out some categories I’ve been warned about (fresh fruit and veg, meat), here’s what I’ve found so far:
The Weetbix clone — I’m a Weetbix snob. I have in the past rejected Vita Brits for being un-Weetbix-like. The Aldi version is close, but… not the same, somehow. The consistency is different. I’ve gone back to buying real Weetbix, which when on-sale isn’t too much more expensive than the Aldi version.
Light milk — as I noted previously, the Aldi milk is a fair bit cheaper than other brands. I’m not that keen on 2 litre milk bottles; they’re especially awkward for pouring small amounts, unlike the 1 litre cartons. But in any case I’ve started buying the Safeway brand milk as it’s more convenient than trying to get to Aldi every week. (An article a couple of months ago noted that milk prices are slowly dropping.)
Yoghurt (plain) — there’s something not quite right about this. It seems too watery. Will go back to the Jalna etc. Not much price difference anyway.
Homestyle mixed grain bread — Great, close enough to Helga’s, though the first loaf I bought included about 4 slices that had a noticeable hole in them, and it’s worth hunting around in the rack to find one with the latest possible expiry date. Other than that no complaints. Slices are a good size for jaffles.
The Sultana Bran clone — the “bran” isn’t really bran, it’s small flakes of wheat. So probably not as healthy. This isn’t a staple in our house, so just buying the real stuff when it’s on sale (and the price isn’t much different) is probably sufficient.
Long life juice — seems about the same to me, though the flavours are limited.
Tomato paste — fine, does the job, and unlike the Leggos stuff, it’s in a clearly recyclable glass jar. Not available in reduced-salt though.
Passata — great.
Recycled toilet paper — seems a little thinner and slightly more ragged than the Safe brand, but works fine. The savings aren’t compelling on this one, mind you, at about 6 cents difference per roll.
Muesli — good. Tasty.
Diced peaches in juice — good, yummy.
Hillcrest nut (Muesli-ish) bars — not that brilliant, at least not compared to the Carmans or Be Natural (a Kelloggs brand) meusli bars. I’ll wait for those to be on sale.
Bramwells Honey — sameish as the name brands.
As for non-grocery items, some cool cheap stuff shows up from time to time. But I’m very wary of Aldi’s consumer electronics, which seem to have a very mixed track record. Fine, they’ll replace anything that breaks down, but I’d rather stick to name brands and avoid the hassle in the first place. (My Pioneer DV-344 DVD player is still going strong after six years, for instance.)
See also: More reviews and a whole web site dedicated to the topic
Related: Woolworths to revamp its house brands
Tags: Aldi, groceries, supermarkets, Woolworths
12 comments
