Stories

I hope you enjoyed part 1.  Ralph was one of the people who made being a property manager a joy. Ralph has vacated and Lauren came with me to do the final bond inspection. There’s been a shuffle around in the office and she’s going to manage the property now. I’m glad. I want to remember it as Ralph’s home. We walked into a dull box-like space with yellowing, off-white walls and an exhausted carpet. The curtains have gone and the Venetians are pulled up to give a view of the driveway from the lounge. The passing traffic is now…

I have been browsing my book Mayhem in Melbourne – Behind-the-scenes at Caruthers Real Estate. COVID has given me time to do this. It’s about my life as a Residential Property Manager, the people I worked with, the ups and downs and the fun.  I’ve been re-visiting some of my favourite characters.  It is fantastic to meet up with them again so I have taken them out of the pages to spend time with them.  These characters are a composite of people I worked with but now with their new identities they are friends I know under their new names…

**   This is part two of me taking you for a ride along this tram route.** Walking is my go to exercise especially now that COVID has made its home with us. A favourite walk is from St Kilda along Chapel Street into Richmond alongside the tram tracks. Last Sunday when I got to Swan Street I was hot and sticky and feeling the effects of the distance.  Coles is good place to pick up a few groceries.  I did that and scrambled onto the 78 tram as it trundled towards my home and a reviving coffee. The crowd on…

It’s taken me a while to write this post … I don’t want to offend anyone or lose a friendship… it is more that I’m writing to get an understanding of my friends who aren’t writers or readers. Writing and publishing my book ‘Mayhem in Melbourne’ has been a huge mile-stone in my life.  Yet I have at least three friends who I thought were close friends, who four months after publication haven’t read it.  I put a copy in their hands so it’s not a problem with access or the cost. When I see them, I don’t say ‘Have…

The end of the year and it is time to review my year’s writing. This is a piece I wrote for my writing group.   Parade Day   I had an empty day at the end of the working week. Empty days are rare in my life especially since I began the on-line course, ‘Self publish your book with Joel Naoum’,  that has become very demanding. I don’t follow AFL so it took me a while to realise that it was the Grand Final Parade Day and therefore a public holiday. Not knowing this meant no social arrangements booked in.…