Tiki prepared for her last day at her job for this year. Following the “2KY News” at eight o’clock, Phil Haldeman’s guest was the recording artist, Col Joye. His first three releases, “Bye, Bye Baby”, “(Rockin’, Rollin’) Clementine” and “Oh Yeah Uh Huh” all reached number one in Australia in 1959. His last entry, a cover of Tommy Overstreet’s “Heaven Is My Woman’s Love”, peaked at number three four years ago. Both Phil and Col live in the desirable suburb of Woolwich, in Sydney. By the time I’d washed the dishes, George Gibson’s programme, “Music Machine”, which is also on 2KY, had commenced.
Between twenty-five minutes to ten and five minutes to the hour, I cleared the back lawn of leaves from the rubber tree and moved Tiki’s potted plants from the sunroom to the garage where her elder sister will water them for us in our absence.
Having done that, I carried the seeds of four mangoes into the backyard where I planted each in its own separate pot prior to watering them. We know nothing about growing mangoes, but decided to try our luck, anyway.
I left at twenty-five past the hour to go in search of a diary for next year. Finally, in Myer, I selected another Collins at a cost of seven dollars and fifty-five cents. Today’s edition of “The Sun” newspaper is only comprised of thirty-two pages. Nevertheless, I still bought a copy. By the time I arrived home at ten minutes to one I’d increased my tally of miles walked to seven hundred and fifty-six.
It was then time to mow the lawns. As we are embarking on a holiday tomorrow, I lowered the cutting height to its absolute extreme.
Tiki rang at two o’clock, just as today’s edition of the series, “Ripcord”, was about to commence. She’s still fed up with the goings-on at work as, I believe, she has every right to be!
Actor, Ron Hayes, whom I remember used to speed around in an air boat in the series, “The Everglades”, is a guest star in this offering of “Ripcord” from circa 1963. His character plots with his sister to blow up a large dam. The series has Larry Pennell and Ken Curtis cast as the skydiving daredevils, Ted McKeever and Jim Buckley.
After shaving for the first time in two days, I settled down to watch “The Mod Squad” from three o’clock only to realise that I’d witnessed it previously. A boy bumps a man as he picks up a loaded gun and Julie, played by Peggy Lipton, receives a resultant wound to the side of the head. At four o’clock, Channel Ten’s “Right On” began with some loud Australian rubbish, hence I turned it off after just five minutes. I have nothing against loud music, but I refuse to listen to that which I consider to be of a discernibly lesser quality.
Tiki rang again, at twenty-five to five, to say that she’d just had a few drinks and some delicious prawns and, therefore, wouldn’t be home until after five. She was somewhat irritable when she did arrive because her boss, who just so happens to be her brother, had denied her of the holiday loading of seventeen and a half per cent due to the fact that she’d worked there for ten months and not the full year. What has irked her even more is that he’s given his secretary, of just a month or two, the day off tomorrow on full pay.
The three hundred and ninety dollars in Tiki’s pay packet means that we can allocate four hundred dollars towards our trip. She packed belongings in readiness for our early departure tomorrow. I placed the bottle green suitcase on the back seat of the ‘Galant’ and our golf clubs in the boot; prior to hosing the front lawn by hand.
The brother of the reigning Miss Australia, Gloria Krope, has been arrested for allegedly killing their father in Melbourne. Bill Hayden is interviewed on “Willesee”, this evening, after he was today elected to the leadership of the Federal Labor Party. John Newcombe and Sue Barker also appear on the programme and talk about the pros and cons of being a professional tennis player. “Bob Hope’s Christmas Special” of last year screens from half past seven and includes among its guests Neil Sedaka, Dyan Cannon and John Wayne.
Due to the heat, our brown zip-up suitcase had become stuck to the top of the wardrobe in the spare bedroom. I prised it free and Tiki packed it with some cutlery and sheets. We retired to bed at half past nine, having watched the continuation of “Cop Shop”.