Going home......

[bhk]

After eight years in the coastal town of Yamba, we have made the decision to return "home", to Canberra, where we spent the vast majority of our married lives.

This decision was brought about by (a) the continuing decline in my wife's (Shirley's) health, (b) her inability to care for me when my health starts to decline and (c) our desire to be closer to our two kids and their families - we haven't even seen our newest granddaughter, now nearly three years old.
There is also the desire to reduce any inconvenience for our son and daughter that 900 kilometres of distance would cause when it comes down to them having to care for us.

So the house here went on the market last Friday (16th,) and we have a villa being held for us in a retirement complex in Monash (Canberra), less than a km from where we lived for 30 years!
Daughter is 15 minutes away in the next suburb and son is 30 minutes away.

Now having made the decision, we are both looking forward to "going home" and hopefully will be there before Christmas.

Just thought you'd like to know.

[sgtmajor]

Bruce my friend....I know it must have been a hard decision, knowing how much you enjoyed Yamba, but it sounds like a wise decision and one were benefits out way everything else. I must say that I don't envy you though.....I HATE Moving...but sometimes it's neccessary. Sure wish I was there to help with the move but know my thoughts are with you and Shirley & family while you make the transition. On a side note.....I do still have a visit to Australia on my bucket list...(smile) and Canberra is a much easier distance to travel from Sydney. (smile) If it hadn't been for this Covid stuff....I would have already been there I'm sure. I've been deliquent on my e-mail's...but will try to get something to you in the next day or two with all our updates.

Best wishes and God Speed,

[bhk]

Thanks, Steve.
Nice to read that you are still hoping to make it Down Under for a visit, mate.
I'll update this thread as and when things change.....such as the house being sold - soon, I hope.

Cheers!

[nige]

I recently sold my Jaguar to a guy who lives in Cook, so if you see a British Racing Green Jaguar Mark 2 with chrome wire wheels on Club plates that will be my old car.

[bhk]

Oh no! How come you sold it, Nige?

[nige]

It is the car I had always wanted but I had owned it for twelve years and, frankly, the novelty had worn off. I had spent a truckload of money on it and it had caused me a fair amount of grief, so it is a nit ironic that now it is in the condition I wanted it I decide to sell it! But there you go. I had some good times with it and had some good trips away, but things move on.

I would like to get an early Toyota MR2, purely for nostalgia, as I had one when I met my wife in London in 1990 and we had some great trips in it. So we will have to see how things pan out.

[bhk]

Sept 19, 2022 15:26:49 GMT -5 nige said:

I would like to get an early Toyota MR2, purely for nostalgia, as I had one when I met my wife in London in 1990 and we had some great trips in it. So we will have to see how things pan out.

Okay....I fully understand re the Jag and the love wearing off. The same thing happened to me with an MG-TC, a car I always wanted to own. After a year of ownership, being driven on anything other than Canberra's sm-o-o-th roads was most uncomfortable! So it went, around 1998, I think.

Now, with regard to the MR2 .......the only pic I have of my car. Bought in August 2009 and I had it for a year or so. Great little machine but oh, so twitchy on a greasy road!

Attachments:

[nige]

So you had one! Golly! My car was a 1985 model in bright red with black bumpers and side rubbing strip. It had the little sun roof same as yours which must have also been an early one. It was a brilliant car with just enough luggage space for two people to go away for a weekend. Unfortunately, the MR2 seems to have been 'discovered' and the prices have shot up. Still, I can certainly get one for less than I got for selling the Jaguar. We will have to see how things pan out.

[bhk]

I had the engine in mine fettled by Neil Bates (Toyota rally driver of renown back then) and the difference was significant.
When I sold it I got a very good price for it....more than what I'd bought it for. It went to a bloke down the coast somewhere, if memory serves.

I hope that your desire to get one bears fruit, Nige.
I'd certainly own another; not the later series but that first series. It had a character all its own.

[nige]

If your car was twitchy on greasy roads it is possible that your tyres were not suitable. When I bought my car it had retreads on it! I didn't realise it until they went oval on a motorway! I replaced them with Pirelli SP Sports and the difference was amazing.

[nige]

This is not my car but it is exactly like it.

[bhk]

That's an earler model than mine, possibly. I think mine was a 1988 model......exactly like this (but not supercharged).
MR2

I never thought about the tyres being wrong. They were in good nick....plenty of tread. I should have asked Neil for his advice.

[bhk]

Well, we are still in Yamba, having not had a buyer for our place over the past two months. Several lookers but no-one cashed -up.
The place in Canberra, on which we had placed a deposit, had to be let go as they had another buyer ready to commit.
We are leaving our home here on the market and when we have a serious offer we will contact the people in Canberra and see what might be available to fit our specs; then we'll see what happens.

In the meantime I have only recently returned from an eleven-day stint in hospital (on the Gold Coast - two hours north) after being admitted urgently.
The urologist wanted me in that afternoon but I needed to get back home first so drove back, then the next morning returned to the hospital and straight in.
Problems caused by prostate enlargement causing bladder to retain too much thus placing the kidneys in a critical state.
For the first six days (after being immediately catheterised) the focus was on getting kidney function improved and, when that was done, they did a procedure on the prostate (not removed...something called a TURP).

Upshot of all this drama is that my kidneys were saved from the point where I would require dialysis for the remainder of my life; the bladder now retains more urine than that of a normal adult male of my size - it will never reduce to normal as it is over-stretched; I can now get a night's sleep without having to get up time after time after time and I have lost 8 kg in weight, bringing my BMI down to right in the centre of the green!

Checkup at the end of January to see how my PSA sits as well as checks on bladder and kidneys.

Cheers, guys...........and remember to get an annual prostate check. I didn't.

[nige]

Sorry to hear about your health problems and I hope you pull up OK with no long-term after effects. The do say that old age aint for sissys. As for your house not selling I am not surprised. When everyone from the Reserve Bank downwards says that house prices will continue to fall then why would would anyone decide to buy a house? Better to wait until prices drop a bit further. A friend had a house auction about a month ago and it didn't get one single bid. Hope you got your deposit back on the Canberra property.

To change the subject completely, I will not be getting a Toyota MR2. I decided not to get one until the Jaguar was sold as I had nowhere to store it under cover. I didn't realise that with covid and all the Jaguar would not sell for three years. In the meantime the MR2 has been discovered by the collectors and the prices have skyrocketed. Oh well. Just press on.

[bhk]

Thanks, Nige. Gradually getting back to feeling closer to normal after a week out of hospital. Still get tired quickly....had a game of lawn bowls yesterday (about 90 minutes) and was stuffed at the end. From bowls!!

We have been told that our ten-grand will be refunded in full as they know we are serious about moving into their facility once we sell. Just a matter of waiting but, as you pointed out, why would you contemplate moving/buying with the uncertainty at the moment?

Sorry to read about the MR2, mate.
I had noticed that prices have shot up....just out of curiosity after your initial post about getting a "Mister 2" I wandered across the internet and yeah....realised that I should've held onto mine!
Also I should have held onto the Monaro I had between 2010 - 2012. Similar thing with their value now.

Take it easy, Nige. Stay well.