Daily Archives: January 17, 2012

The renovations – day two.

Posted on January 17, 2012 by OzDJ| Leave a comment

WOW! A day of complete and utter destruction – and a few nice surprises.

Progress today included:

  • 90% of laundry gutted
  • 30% demolition of dining room fireplace
  • 80% demolition of study/spare bedroom (to be bathroom) fireplace
  • 50% demolition of fireplace in kitchen
  • old air conditioner removed

The builders discovered some interesting old artefacts stuck way up the top of the kitchen fireplace flue on a brick ledge:

  • hand-addressed envelope for a street address that doesn’t actually exist any more. 230 Elizabeth Street is now in Surry Hills. Even house numbers for Elizabeth Street in Zetland start at 876 these days. Must find out more.
  • cigarette packets
  • match boxes
  • magazine and newspaper fragments (oldest that we can positively identify dates back to May 1916)

Solid progress. The builders are clean bunch and are using huge dust collection units, in addition to old fashioned brooms and dustpans, which seem to be keeping the place surprisingly tidy.

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Australia Post has done it again.

Posted on January 17, 2012 by OzDJ| 3 Comments

17Jan12 (sometime before midday)
Postal worker (employee or agent) leaves a “Postal Article Awaiting Collection” card at house when I don’t get to the front door in time. Fair enough. Card says to attend Strawberry Hills Business Centre to collect the Express Post parcel “after 4.00pm today”. Too easy.

17Jan12 4.39pm
Fought my way through afternoon traffic and miraculously scored a car park within 500 metres of the post office. Once the customer queue finally cleared, I presented the delivery card and my ID. The Australia Post employee disappeared. Five minutes and four other customers later, he returns empty-handed.

Him: “It’s not here mate. The driver won’t bring it in until early tomorrow morning.”
Me: “But the card says pick up after 4.00pm today?”
Him: “It’s not here, though. He hasn’t come back today. He won’t bring it in until early tomorrow morning. Many of the drivers won’t come back here the same day.”
Me: (WTF?! – so much for “express” post) “So could I grab it at 6.30am tomorrow on the way to work?” (the Strawberry Hills BC opens from 6.00am)
Him: “Oh, I don’t know about that. I don’t know what time he gets in.”
Me: “Perhaps my wife can collect it at 9.00am then?”
Him: “You’d just have to turn up and see. I don’t know what time he drops off in the morning.”
Me: “But you did say it was early?”
Him: “I don’t know what time he gets in to do his pick-ups, unfortunately.”
Me: “Thank you. Might see if I can get back here tomorrow afternoon or early Wednesday morning, then.”
Him: “Pleasure.” 

Australia Post – this is NOT the first time this has happened and it’s a basic expectations management failure. Please sort this out. Soon.

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