I’ve been tolled

 And, now to get your mind off the election and on to things that matter. 

Before you get excited looking at the title of this blog, that’s not a misprint – tolled: Yes, polled: No

A few weeks ago I did a trip to Sydney for a book launch. Now I’m paying for it. 

I go to/ through Sydney intermittently. I have an account with one tolling company that owns Sydney Roads, but obviously not with the 10,000  others that do – OK, I suppose that is an over exaggeration, but if you could see the number of notices that have landed in my mail box since the trip you would understand.

Here’s how the trip went:

 Day 1.

• ·         Canberra to Paddington
• ·         Paddington to the Hills district

Day 2.

• ·         Hills District to Brighton le Sands; and
• ·         Brighton le Sands to Canberra.

 I tried to contact Roam Express via their website the day after the trips to pay my toll.Their billboards said I could. But, either you cannot do it online, or the link is so obscure you need a higher degree in Information Surgery of the cunning of a hacker, to be able to get access.

Anyway, I used the ‘contact us’ button eventually, telling them I was trying to pay my toll, that I could not find any toll owing, and that I did not want to be charged an administration fee if a toll notice turned up thereafter. So, now there are seven separate notices from Roam Express for the two trips – each with a $10 administration fee.

I’ve sent them all back with a cheque for $19:70. That’s what the tolls were!

I failed to realise that Roam Express doesn’t do the tolls for the M5, nor for the Sydney Harbour Tunnel…that belongs to two other someones, so I’m still up for more tolls worth a total of $7:40 with a bill for $20 administration fee..

I don’t mind paying a toll, but I do mind being absolutely ripped off…and don’t get me started on what they do if you forget to pay.

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Art Work of the week
Just a random selection from the gallery today

Coffs Lillies. Acrylic on Canvas.

Media Blockout

I have torn out my fingernails, stapled my eyelids together and stuffed my ears with peanuts, but I can’t keep the static out. I will be so pleased that next week will bring an end to the polling, the speculation, and the endless dissections; if not to the entertainment that will arrive if indeed Tony is let loose and we are ricochet back in time.

Now everyone knows I’m not averse to time travel and that a good TARDIS  could pop up in my front garden anytime it likes – provided of course that it is still being piloted by David Tennant and has Capt’n Jack Harkness on board. I keep looking for the rift in time to appear on my wall, but have to really concede that the crack in the lounge room really means I have to get someone in to look at a mundane problem that will cost me a motza..........................  I’m off the track again.

Oh yes….Back to the Future….but alas, I fear it will be Back to the Past, and I just never looked good in shoulder pads and frizzy hair.

Given it’s election eve, I’m wondering if tomorrow at the ballot box I will get a surprise that some vertically challenged little fellow from a far away northern place has tinkered away at. Oops I hope it’s not another fantasy dinosaur or titanic replica . 

I think I need an escape plan, so it’s off to Norfolk Island for me.

PS: I still haven’t been polled!

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Art work of the week

The tea cosies just keep on coming - at least they will fit in a new retro world

Cumquat juice