Candle-lit Romantic Benj
Nov. 8th, 2003 02:11 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
the_benjSo the power's out at the Warehouse. Not a black-out. Not line-work. They cut the damn power.
Not because we haven't paid the bill, but because we haven't "regularised" the bill. Previously, the bill was being payed somehow informally. Unclear on that little detail.
But now Energy Australia have decided that that's no longer alright and demanded that we make things formal immediately.
Which includes paying the old owner's power bill.
Now I hadn't known that the previous owner hadn't been paying his power bill. But apparently it's a lot. A lot to the point where they won't say how much it is until we've said "Yes, we'll pay it." Which is screwy.
Anyway, the real point (because beauracracy is merely the setting, not the story) is that I have no power. The main problem with this is that it means my fridge isn't working.
So I've moved all the perishable food over to the flat's fridge. That's not a huge problem, I just have to migrate in order to eat. Whatever.
Lighting is less of an issue. The main, enormous room is topped by huge skylights, so they let in lots of light, making it straight daylight in the day, starlight at night. If I feel like reading I can use candles (as I have been).
The office is plate-glass walled, so that lets in lots of light.
The bathroom only has light coming in from the kitchen. Now, the kitchen being a long, windowless corridor, whose own light only stems from the main room, means that this is not a lot of light.
At night, it is pitch black.
Which I've known for months. I played around with it a while ago. It's fun.
And I don't need to go to the bathroom, as the hot water system is electric, so I can't have a shower, even if I do want to brave having one in the pitch blackness.
Which is, again, quite cool actually. I did so yesterday, when it was only half an hour after the power went out and I still thought it was a temporary black-out.
I recommend it as a weird thing to do. If anyone would like to try it when my power returns and I can offer hot water, I am more than happy to oblige, as I'm all for doing weird stuff.
This does, however, leave me in the position of having to LEAVE THE HOUSE TO SHOWER. Which is, currently, irritating. Today I had a shower at the flat, but the hot water is not great there, plus there's no shower curtain, so I end up spraying water everywhere, which irks me. This seems to be a pattern with my family, as there's no curtain at Mum's house, either.
Which is where I am right now, by the way. As Georgia said, about an hour ago "I was trying to figure out how you were online by candle-power."
So, right now, I am rustic and candle-riffic. Which I got somewhat used to at Hopetoun Street, as there were a bunch of black-outs in the early days there.
I like candle-light.
I had my medical exam for this librarian job for which I am applying. They did the usual slew of tests. I check out fine, and discovered a number of things which are very pleasing:
1. My blood pressure is great
2. My heartrate is absolutely great. 60 Beats per minute! Benj = Clock!
3. I've lost FIFTEEN kilo since last time I bothered weighing myself.
This last one is the one about which I am excited. A number of people had mentioned that I looked like I'd lost weight, but I hadn't been able to see it, myself. Which is probably a combo of gradual shift and poor self-image, but it's good to see that something has actually been happening.
Now, I'm not a believer in "low weight=healthy", as I've seen far too many cases where that's not at all the case (and find really skinny people terrifyingly unattractive, but that's a separate rant), but I have no illusions that I hit a 115 kg through high muscles mass. So knowing that I've lost 15 extra kilo of baggage is great news.
My peak flow and other results would indicate that I'm really quite healthy, I'm just storing more energy than I'm using. So I need to excercise more.
What to do?
Not because we haven't paid the bill, but because we haven't "regularised" the bill. Previously, the bill was being payed somehow informally. Unclear on that little detail.
But now Energy Australia have decided that that's no longer alright and demanded that we make things formal immediately.
Which includes paying the old owner's power bill.
Now I hadn't known that the previous owner hadn't been paying his power bill. But apparently it's a lot. A lot to the point where they won't say how much it is until we've said "Yes, we'll pay it." Which is screwy.
Anyway, the real point (because beauracracy is merely the setting, not the story) is that I have no power. The main problem with this is that it means my fridge isn't working.
So I've moved all the perishable food over to the flat's fridge. That's not a huge problem, I just have to migrate in order to eat. Whatever.
Lighting is less of an issue. The main, enormous room is topped by huge skylights, so they let in lots of light, making it straight daylight in the day, starlight at night. If I feel like reading I can use candles (as I have been).
The office is plate-glass walled, so that lets in lots of light.
The bathroom only has light coming in from the kitchen. Now, the kitchen being a long, windowless corridor, whose own light only stems from the main room, means that this is not a lot of light.
At night, it is pitch black.
Which I've known for months. I played around with it a while ago. It's fun.
And I don't need to go to the bathroom, as the hot water system is electric, so I can't have a shower, even if I do want to brave having one in the pitch blackness.
Which is, again, quite cool actually. I did so yesterday, when it was only half an hour after the power went out and I still thought it was a temporary black-out.
I recommend it as a weird thing to do. If anyone would like to try it when my power returns and I can offer hot water, I am more than happy to oblige, as I'm all for doing weird stuff.
This does, however, leave me in the position of having to LEAVE THE HOUSE TO SHOWER. Which is, currently, irritating. Today I had a shower at the flat, but the hot water is not great there, plus there's no shower curtain, so I end up spraying water everywhere, which irks me. This seems to be a pattern with my family, as there's no curtain at Mum's house, either.
Which is where I am right now, by the way. As Georgia said, about an hour ago "I was trying to figure out how you were online by candle-power."
So, right now, I am rustic and candle-riffic. Which I got somewhat used to at Hopetoun Street, as there were a bunch of black-outs in the early days there.
I like candle-light.
I had my medical exam for this librarian job for which I am applying. They did the usual slew of tests. I check out fine, and discovered a number of things which are very pleasing:
1. My blood pressure is great
2. My heartrate is absolutely great. 60 Beats per minute! Benj = Clock!
3. I've lost FIFTEEN kilo since last time I bothered weighing myself.
This last one is the one about which I am excited. A number of people had mentioned that I looked like I'd lost weight, but I hadn't been able to see it, myself. Which is probably a combo of gradual shift and poor self-image, but it's good to see that something has actually been happening.
Now, I'm not a believer in "low weight=healthy", as I've seen far too many cases where that's not at all the case (and find really skinny people terrifyingly unattractive, but that's a separate rant), but I have no illusions that I hit a 115 kg through high muscles mass. So knowing that I've lost 15 extra kilo of baggage is great news.
My peak flow and other results would indicate that I'm really quite healthy, I'm just storing more energy than I'm using. So I need to excercise more.
What to do?
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2003-11-07 09:57 am (UTC)Has there ever been an organised sport that you like? It could be either a team or individual sport. I used to find rollerblading reguarly was a good use of energy that kept me in shape (I don't know if that is considered a sport or a form of exercise).
no subject
Date: 2003-11-07 04:10 pm (UTC)Sorry, I joke. Couldn't help it. As a child of the late 80s/early 90s, I have been known to engage in a fair bit of rollerblading in my time...
no subject
Date: 2003-11-07 08:29 pm (UTC)Thanks for the suggestion, though.
The only team sport I ever really got into was metal-weapon reenactment.
I do rather feel like a game of croquet, though.
no subject
Date: 2003-11-07 06:05 pm (UTC)Oooh, you and I should buy rollerskates (which are more comfy and cooler than blades) and go rollerskating. Like the retro kids we are.
no subject
Date: 2003-11-07 07:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-11-07 08:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-11-07 09:15 pm (UTC)And won't I GLADLY take on the challenge!
Zzzzzzzz z z z z z
no subject
Date: 2003-11-07 09:19 pm (UTC)Sleeping's great, but I'm not a competitive guy, really.
Any park will do for croquet, if a set can be acquired. I have a couple of friends with sets, but no-one most of you know.
I've been thinking of getting my own, I must admit.
no subject
Date: 2003-11-07 09:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-11-08 02:17 am (UTC)I would giev it to you but it's fuck-off big and I haet to carry stuff on trains.
Or maybe I will, one day, when I can carry stuff on trains.
no subject
Date: 2003-11-08 02:34 am (UTC)message ends.
TheJob for TheBenj
Date: 2003-11-07 09:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-11-08 03:53 am (UTC)I don't know all the details, and you've probably got a cunning plan in action, but you may wish to have a chat to the good folks with the Energy & Water Ombudsman NSW, particularly about the fact that they won't give you the billing details.