Month: September 2018

I arose about midnight and watched Channel Nine’s replay of the highlights from this year’s United States Open, which was played at the Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma. American Hubert Green won the event with a score, for the seventy-two holes, that was two under par. His compatriot, Lou Graham, finished in second place, just one stroke astern.

I returned to bed at twenty past one and barely stirred until Tiki woke me at ten to seven. We stayed in bed until nearly half past the hour, which was when we set out to walk to the newsagency at Miranda in order to purchase a Fathers’ Day card for “Dad”, in addition to a copy of “The Sun-Herald”. The newsagent remarked on how it appeared to be a lovely day, however, even as we walked home we could observe that the dark clouds to the south were coming ever nearer.

It began to teem before ten o’clock, only to fine up around noon. At one, on Channel Seven, we watched the film, “Hard Time For Princes”. It bears the copyright of 1964 and stars the English actress, Joan Collins and the Italian actor, Vittorio Gassman. We found it to be quite humorous!

Frank Hyde’s description of the minor semifinal began on 2SM from three o’clock. It involved the Eastern Suburbs ‘Roosters’ and the Balmain ‘Tigers’. The former was playing by far the better football and as I washed the dishes Frank was given to remark that Balmain was “…just not the side who beat Manly last weekend.” Eastern Suburbs went on to win the match by a commanding twenty-six points to two.

“Mum”,”Dad” and Wendy arrived just as the breeze was turning into an icy gale. Tiki presented her father with a small bottle of the liqueur, Grand Marnier — for which she had paid six dollars and thirty-one cents — and wished him a happy Fathers’ Day.

We all watched “Seven’s Big League” and its replay of this afternoon’s minor semifinal, with commentary by the former dual international, Rex Mossop. “The Bionic Woman” followed, at half past seven, on Channel Ten. Our three visitors departed as the graphic motion picture, “Badlands”, was commencing. This offering from 1973 features Martin Sheen, Sissy Spacek and Warren Oates. It is about a young man whose mind snaps and he begins to shoot indiscriminately at those strangers with whom he comes in contact. We found its content stirred an abhorrence within us so overwhelming that we could not turn the television off soon enough.

It took me from a quarter past seven until a quarter to nine to wash last night’s dinner dishes. Although it was still a nippy seven degrees Celsius I hung out the washing to dry further, as it was sunny. In doing so I delightedly noted that the pink buds on the tree in the centre of our backyard are, indeed, those of the waratah.

I left at ten o’clock to walk to Miranda Fair. After having made a deposit at the local branch of my bank, I was informed that the balance of my account would have to be telephoned to me because the manager had locked himself in his office with the ‘balance sheets’ and wasn’t about to let anyone in.

At the dry cleaners, I handed over one dollar and fifty cents in exchange for the trousers I wore at our wedding. I returned home by five past eleven and watched a replay of the other night’s “David Jones’ Spring Fashion Awards”, compered by John Laws and featuring his third and present wife, Caroline. Designer, Trent Nathan, won the grand award.

It was twenty past two when someone from the bank rang, as promised, to tell me the balance of my account. At three o’clock, on Channel Seven, “The Saint”, centres upon a blind man who shoots company managers with his cane.

From five past four, after seeing a girl by the name of Blondie — she reminded me of Brigitte Bardot — sing “In The Flesh” on ‘Right On’, I walked, and even ran a little, to Tiki’s parents’ where I arrived just as she did, in her father’s red utility. We walked home together and, in doing so, took my tally for the day to five miles and that overall to four hundred and twenty-one.

Our viewing of “Flashez”, “The Big Match” and “Willesee” was followed by an elongated edition of “The Rockford Files” after which we adjourned to bed. Tiki disturbed me at midnight as she was in the process of preparing to visit our outside toilet and, unable to return to sleep, I watched Channel Nine’s screening of “Savage”, a film from 1972, which includes within its cast Martin “Mission Impossible”/”Space 1999” Landau and Barbara “Mission Impossible” Bain, who are husband and wife in real life, Michele Carey and Susan “Petrocelli” Howard.

 

 

It began to rain before midday and continued for a couple of hours. From half past two on Channel Seven I watched “Billy Liar”, which was followed at three o’clock by “The Saint” and, at four, by “Right On”. I departed on my second walk of the day during which it felt uncomfortably cold.

“Country Road”, at six o’clock, was hosted by the veteran Australian singer and songwriter, Slim Dusty. It included film of Kenny Rogers singing his recent hit, “Lucille”, and Jimmy Buffett performing his latest release, “Margaritaville”. Slim is probably known best for his smash hit of 1958, “A Pub With No Beer”, which reached No.1 in Australia and spent thirty weeks on the national pop chart. The single also received a warm reception in Britain where it peaked at No.3, in the first half of 1959. The song was composed by Gordon Parsons.

“Willesee” was followed by “The Dick Emery Show”, which Tiki watched while I washed the dishes. The pair of us opted for an early night and were asleep by a quarter past eight.

We awoke at half past six to an additional overcast and rainy day. It was eleven degrees Celsius, which was only four less than today’s maximum.

Bill Collins was a guest on “Jeanne’s Little Show” at half past one. He listed actors, Clint Eastwood and Charlton Heston, as being nice blokes before he showed a brief interview he had conducted with singer and actress, Barbra Streisand, whose principal hobby is her garden.

In “The Saint”, a man plans to freeze Simon Templar’s body in a scientific experiment, which is aimed at the prolongation of life.

“Country Road”, hosted this evening by Reg Lindsay, includes footage of Ronnie Milsap, who was born blind, as he performs his hit of two years ago, “(I’d Be) A Legend In My Time”. Reg’s recording of John Stewart’s minor American hit of 1969, “Armstrong”, reached No.7, in Australia, in 1971.

“This Day Tonight”, at half past seven, is followed an hour later by the ordinary movie, “River Of Mystery”, which features Vic “Combat” Morrow, Edmond O’Brien, Claude “Movin’ On” Akins and Louise Sorel. The film, which was produced for television in 1971, is set in Brazil.

 

I used the new lawn-mower for the first time and from five past two, washed the breakfast dishes. A salesman for Permalum called at our door unannounced, but I told him that we were not interested in borrowing any further money.

On the British series, “Billy Liar”, at half past two, Billy, played by Jeff Rawle, gives Christmas presents to members of his family. Little do they know that he has stolen them from the funeral parlour at which he works.

At three o’clock this afternoon’s programme from “The Saint” — the series of the 1960s, in which Roger “Ivanhoe”/”The Alaskans”/”Maverick”/”The Persuaders” Moore is cast as the suave Simon Templar — centres upon a disreputable record producer.

We visited the dentist at a quarter past four and were both given the all clear. Tiki hasn’t required a filling since 1965. I walked to her parents’, where we partook of dinner, and thence walked home.

Tiki was driving along Ringroad 3, en route to the Lane Cove River Park, when we noticed that a huge hot-air balloon was about to be launched from a playing field, near a canal, at Wiley Park. Tiki chose to remain in the car while I walked across to witness its launch at close quarters. Unfortunately, the wind was too strong and in spite of the balloon having extended its tether to its full length at one stage, the flight had to be aborted.

The balloon was red, blue and a dirty shade of beige in colour and possessed many patches in addition to a few tears. Its job had been to advertise on behalf of Frisco’s stores, in Hurstville and Punchbowl. The pilot’s wife mingled with the crowd and handed the middle-aged man to whom I had been talking, and myself a small balloon each. Mine was blue, and when Tiki used a pin to burst it a slip of paper informed us that we were in receipt of two free tickets to the icerink in Canterbury.

Tiki drove on to our intended destination, where we paid just sixty cents to enter the park. She continued on, up a dirt track behind the boat-shed and kiosk. As she had forgotten to bring our plates and cutlery, we ate the steak, bananas, tomatoes, onion and potatoes she had brought, with the utilisation of our hands. After lunch we walked across the causeway and kept pace with the paddleboat, “Turraburra”, until the trail along the river’s bank came to an abrupt end.

The street directory was produced and, having not been there previously, I chose to visit Centennial Park. We walked around the enclosure which harboured horses, emus and kangaroos. At a tiny forest of pine trees, Tiki decided to chase me. Once I had allowed her to catch me, we kissed passionately before remarking on just how seldom we embrace in such a manner.

We continued to walk around the lakes and admire the park’s statues. I drove home by twenty to five. Paul Makin interviewed guitarist, singer and songwriter, Jose Feliciano, on “Willesee”. Jose, who is blind, was born in Puerto Rico. “The Muppet Show” was followed, at eight o’clock, by “And Mother Makes Five”.