Last month we had many very warm days. There were plenty of opportunities for me to dip into some water. I enjoyed this very much! I think the following picture was taken on Thursday, the 24th of Jan 2019. We met Monika with little Carter (2) at Dapto Pool. And a bit later Ebony joined us with Lucas (6) and Alexander (4).
So, it is February now. After a few very hot days when the temperature went up to close to 40C, it is all of a sudden remarkably cooler. We even have quite a bit of rain today.
A couple of days ago, on Thursday, we spent quite some time in Stockland Shellharbour. Peter was able to settle the payment that occurred due to the car accident from the other week. The lady at the NRMA branch office was extremely helpful. To visit the bracnh office was a good idea. Communication was so much better than on the phone. It would have been too difficult for Peter to settle everything on the phone. Being in the Stockland Shellharbour Shopping Centre on that day, had also the advantage that we had air-conditioning. I mean it felt pleasantly cool in the Shopping Centre, whereas outside we had 39C on that day. However later in the afternoon the temperature dropped by about 20 degrees, and there were some strong gusts of rather cool wind!
We had some coffee in the Shopping Centre. And we bought grapes, peaches, honeydew, sprouts, some lovely stone baked sourdough bread plus a lot of other things in a huge fresh food store.
Now I still want to mention a few things about the accident. In that area in front of the Stockland Shellharbour Shopping Centre, where the accident occurred, there should perhaps be some speed restrictions. That would make it much easier for people to line up in the correct lane. So there are two lanes. One leads accross an intersection straight ahead, the other one also leads to the intersection with traffic lights and with the possibility to turn off right to another intersection with traffic lights. We wanted to go straight ahead. We had come from ALDI furter down on the right side. With no problem at all Peter joined the right lane where a lot of cars had piled up. They were all standing waiting to be able to move to the intersection. There were no cars in the left lane which Peter wanted to join for he had planned to go straight ahead when crossing the intersection. Peter looked whether there were any cars coming from behind on the left lane. There were no cars. So he indicated he wanted to turn into the right lane. Maybe this is where his mistake was. I mean he would never change lanes without indicating. I am sure this comes automatically. But why not first indicate and then look whether the lane was clear? It is possible that he indicated a f t e r he looked back and then proseeded rather slowly but without looking back again. In the meantime a car bumped into him that definitely had not been going slowly for in front of that car there were no other cars. If that cardriver had been able to see Peter’s indicator, she would probably have slowed down. But apparently for some reason she had not been able to see Peter’s indicator and Peter had not seen her approaching. Peter thought it was best to admit his fault and pay for part on the other car’s damage. The NRMA insurance comes up for the rest if the damage is such that there is more to pay. We think the door on the other car probably needs replacing.
AuntyUta 
Hopefully, no one got hurt. I used to not insure the car but now, on the urgings by others, I took out a damage to others but not my own, damage insurance with the NRMA. Just in case I hit a Ferrari. 😉 As I get older driving might become a bit less safe. Even so, most accidents are caused by the very young.
We love the cool weather now and go again for walks.
No Gerard, no one got hurt. We have the same insurance that you have. Good, that you can go for walks again. This probably makes Milo happy too! 🙂
I am a great believer in never taking out any insurance. The Insurance companies have the better deal. The risk is always weighted in favour of them, and not to those that pay for the insurance.
Apart from compulsory car third party and lately the third part car damage we have never held any policies.We have no house or contents insurance but I believe in our Body corporate we all pay for the exterior of our units.
Instead we took out the offer from the NRMA when they floated on the stock market to take up their shares instead. They have done extremely well. It just proves that being on the side of the winners is better than on the side of the losers. I am sure we saved thousands on not having insurance.
People are made to feel so scared!
The pool likes the perfect antidote to that awful heat! Fender benders are the pits, even when they are not big and spectacular. Good luck with all that.
Fender benders
Linda, I did not know this expression and looked it up: “A collision between motor vehicles that produces minor damage.” Yes, luckily it was only minor damage and no one got hurt.
Since Peter accepted that he was at fault, we have to pay for the damage on our car, and we are not insured for that. But since that little bump on our car does not affect the driving, we might just leave it as it is. 🙂
The Dapto Pool is warm enough even in winter for it is solar heated. I hope I can keep it up to go to the pool more regularly again. 🙂
I was just looking leisurely for blogs centered around the theme (old), and this one popped up. I found it ironic in a number of ways: 1) I have a Facebook friend, Kristy Johnston, who lives in Sydney. She writes inspirational pieces and blogs under the handle, “Fruitful Today’; 2) One of my daughter’s friends is about to marry a young man from Perth. She’s also immigrating to there; 3) I write a blog on WordPress titled, old and blessed (https://oldblessed.com) I’m from a small state in the U.S., Arkansas. It is indeed a very small world in which we live. I enjoyed reading your musings. While you’re experiencing the extreme heat of summer, we’re freezing (unusually so) in the southern part of the U.S.
Hi Uta that pool so lovely and what a place to cool down. It was good to hear sorted out the accident, so much better than phone calls. Oh and course no one was hurt .
Good and enjoy your lovely weather although quite Hot!
Sheila x
Thanks, Sheila 🙂
Hi, aunt Uta,
I don’t have a comment to the accident, but to the old photos of your youth and your family. I found it great that you are sharing them and that you talk about your experiences. I am the granddaughter of your aunt Olga, Gerd’s daughter. I got the link of your blog from my cousin Gaby, daughter of your cousin Ursula. Gaby and I just decided to look together through all the photos we inherited. Have a good day!
Hallo, liebe Agi, ja wir sind verwandt. Mit Gerd und Ursula habe ich immer viel in Verbindung gestanden. Ich bin jetzt 84 Jahre. Und ich kann dir nur sagen bei mir haben sich eine Unmenge von Fotos angesammelt, auch einige von der Familie Spickermann.
Dies ist meine Mail Adresse:
utahannemann@hotmail.com
Kannst du mir bitte eine Mail schicken?
Also dann, bis bald. DeineTante Ute 🙂
Hallo, liebe Tante Ute, Deine schnelle Reaktion hat mich sehr gefreut! Ich finde aber deine Emailadresse nicht, vielleicht hast Du Zugriff auf meine, die ich bei dem comment angeben muss. Sonst bitte ein bißchen Geduld, ich habe bei den Verwandten nachgefragt. Liebe Grüße, Deine Agi
Ja, Agi, Ich habe jetzt oben die Email Adresse eingebaut. Ich hoffe, das geht jetzt in Ordnung. Grüße aus Australien von Aunty Uta ( Tante Ute) 🙂
Liebe Agi. ich habe eben ein paar alte blogs herausgesucht und gebe dir hier den link dazu. Du kannst in diesen blogs einige Bilder finden, die dich vielleicht interessieren werden:
https://auntyuta.com/tag/grandfather/
Der ‘Tag’ bezieht sich auf Grossvater Joseph Spickermann, dein Ur-Grossvater! 🙂
Hier ist noch ein Link: Ein Bild mit Georg, Gerd und Ursula; und Horst und ich (Ute) im Kinderwagen!)
https://auntyuta.com/2017/10/12/my-paternal-grandparents-in-lodz-visiting-lodz-on-a-joined-passport/