Posted on

Sailing Search Begins

Dear Diary,

You wouldn’t believe the predicament I find myself in! My day started with an unusual guest – a young lad called Lint who bumbled onto my ship with a tale of adventure and, against my better judgement, I found myself entranced. You see, Melbourne is now more ocean than city, and Lint claimed to have a map to the legendary Quadforce, now scattered in pieces across this sunken cityscape.

Off we set on the SS Lionel, slicing through the submerged streets with hope on our horizon. I had Lint on navigation, a mistake I’d come to regret. His idea of directions, it seemed, involved leading us straight into a churning reef. The screech of metal on rock echoed in my ears as the hull protested loudly. A flock of frenzied seagulls, upset by our intrusion, swooped at us, damaging our precious combing racks.

The SS Lionel, my trusty vessel, had seen better days, and with Lint’s help, worse ones were on the horizon. We limped along the flooded streets, the skeletal remains of skyscrapers looming overhead, until we found our saviour. A floating shop bobbed on the waters, manned by a character as bizarre as Lint himself. Beetle they called him, and he promised a quick fix.

A sight for sore eyes, Beetle’s shop offered marine fabrication services close to Melbourne, which we desperately needed. He patched up our hull with ease and fixed our combing racks, all the while chattering about the quality of his work and the multitude of services he offered. One such that caught my eye was his professional boat catch installation services, a handy addition that I made a mental note of for future mishaps – and with Lint onboard, I was certain there would be plenty.

With the repairs done, the SS Lionel was as good as new, ready to set sail on the morrow in search of the first piece of the Quadforce. Lint, I realised, was a disaster waiting to happen but he was also a beacon of resilience and optimism, traits I found myself appreciating amidst the ruin. The search had indeed begun, and I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of excitement.

Tomorrow, we sail into the unknown.

Till then,

Captain Lionel

Posted on

Milperra Racing Stop

Welcome back to the thrilling climax of the MF1 Australian Grand Prix, as our racers hit the final lap! The mini machines are pushing the limits, reflecting the sheer determination of their pilots. They’re racing through Queensland and New South Wales, covering the last sections of our vast, rose-bedecked Australian track.

The last pit stop is located in “Milperra,” a crucial waypoint in this decisive stage of the race. It’s here that the importance of brake servicing comes to the forefront. A race is not just about speed, but control as well, and brakes play a significant role in maintaining this delicate balance.

One of the top contenders, “Rocket Emu” Eddie, dashes into the pit lane with squeaky brakes – a clear call for an urgent car brake service. As spectators, we hold our breath while the pit crew work with precision and speed. Their quick response underscores the importance of having regular brake servicing. Ignoring such signs in the real world can lead to reduced braking efficiency, or worse, complete brake failure.

As Eddie returns to the race, the action doesn’t let up. A sudden mechanical failure forces “Wombat Warrior” Wendy to pull over. Immediately, an emergency Milperra mechanic is at her side, a testament to the efficiency and readiness of our on-site mechanical team. Like in real-life situations, having access to an emergency mechanic is vital. They can quickly diagnose and fix issues, reducing downtime and potential damage.

As the race reaches its thrilling conclusion, “Koala Cruiser” Kevin crosses the finish line first, followed closely by “Lightning Kangaroo” Kelly and “Rocket Emu” Eddie. The roar from the crowd is deafening as they celebrate this momentous achievement. The beautifully decorated track, teeming with an array of stunning roses, only adds to the spectacle.

In closing, this MF1 Australian Grand Prix has been a testament to the sheer skill and determination of the racers. But it has also underscored the vital role mechanics play in keeping these mini machines in peak condition, whether it’s regular maintenance or handling emergencies. It’s been an exciting ride, and we can’t wait for the next MF1 racing weekend. Until then, keep your engines purring and remember. Like our mini machines, your car deserves the best care too!

Posted on

Final Podiatry Memories

Elena opened her eyes to see a brown wall with large words in green before her.

WELCOME. EVERYTHING IS FINE.

It was a strange message, but she supposed it made sense, given that she had no idea where she was or how she’d gotten there. She took a moment to assess her surroundings, noting the slightly uncomfortable armchair she sat in and the uninspiring drawers behind her. 

She sat, simply trying to get her bearings, for a couple of minutes. Eventually, a door to her left opened, and a man who looked to perhaps be in his sixties stepped through. He wore a grey suit and a blue bow tie.

“Elena, come on in,” said the man, waving for her to join him in the adjacent room.

Still not at all sure what was going on, Elena pushed herself up and headed into the room. Despite her lack of knowledge about her situation, she was surprisingly calm. The last thing she could remember was heading to the professional pediatric podiatrist close to Cheltenham to pick up her nephew. 

The white-haired man smiled at Elena as she stepped into the plainly decorated office. He sat behind his desk, inviting Elena to take the chair in front of him.

As Elena sat down, the man spoke. “You, Elena Caltrop, are dead.”

“Oh. Cool,” said Elena, not sure what to make of that. Somehow, she was both shocked to her core and completely calm at the same time. “So, is this like, you know…” Elena did a thumbs up, followed by a thumbs down, not quite able to find the words for heaven or hell.

Distantly, she wondered if Todd had gotten home from his children’s orthotics appointment in Cheltenham alright. He probably could have walked… but, well, he did have bad feet. That’d been the whole reason he needed the appointment. Man, Dylan would have killed her – if she weren’t already dead – for failing to pick up his son from the podiatrist.

“Well,” said the man, “this isn’t your traditional idea of the afterlife. There’s a Goopie and a Bapie – short for Good Place and Bad Place. You’re in the Goopie, Elena.” 

“Oh,” Elena said. “Nice.”

Posted on

Candy Maker’s Home

There has never been a time in my memory when my parents and I had gotten along. While they lived happy lives without technology and sugar, the things that they didn’t allow also caused me to struggle to make friends.

At the end of high school, I finally decided I wanted to be a candy maker. My family were not happy. They said I had to give up on my dream and help tend to the family farm instead. I refused, so my family disowned me and cut me off.

That was almost two decades ago now, and my family are currently selling their farm as it isn’t bringing in a profit anymore. I, on the other hand, am doing quite well myself and I have plans to expand my candy making into a factory to sell lollies around the world.

I looked down at my table, littered with pamphlets all about conveyancing near Highett. Today was the big day. I sent a conveyancer on my behalf to finalise the purchase of my family’s land and begin building a candy factory on top of where the house was. I knew they wouldn’t sell to me personally, so I needed to use a buyer’s advocate and then have the conveyancer hide my identity from them.

After a long few hours of waiting by the phone, my conveyancer called me. He told me congratulations and that the purchase of the farm had gone through. I blew out a sigh of relief and thanked him before hanging up.

I was so glad I went with Reggie the conveyancer because clearly, he was one of the better conveyancing lawyers near me. Malvern Farm was now all mine, and my family had no idea. 

I grabbed my keys, wallet a document to go down to finalise the paperwork. Once I finished that, I planned to pay the previous owners a little visit. Just to let them know that their land is now in good hands, and it isn’t even leaving the family, technically. Oh, it will be great to see the look on their faces when I tell them my plans for the property.

Posted on

The Glass Investigation

The rain had subsided by the time I arrived at the Ruffley estate, a sprawling mansion on the outskirts of Melbourne. I’d been hired by Chris Ruffley, who’d reported that his father’s glass installation had been destroyed. Before I could get started on my investigation, I needed to meet with the family and gather some initial information. Mostly, I wondered if any of them had a history of glass balustrade destruction.

As I stepped out of my car, I was met by Chris and a young woman. 

“Thank you for coming, Ms Callahan,” Chris said, leading me into the mansion. “This is my sister, Emily.”

“Pleased to meet you,” I said, shaking Emily’s hand.

Chris led us to a spacious living room, where we sat down on plush couches. “So, we’ve visited the scene of the crime, but what can you tell me about the glass installation?” I asked.

“It was our father’s pride and joy,” Emily said, her voice cracking with emotion. “He spent years working on it. It was the centrepiece of his art collection.”

“And now it’s gone,” Chris added, his face set in a grim expression. “We need to find out who did this. It’s not like I can book Melbourne glass repair to get it fixed, so we need to bring them to justice.”

I nodded. “Of course. Do you have any idea who might be responsible?”

“We have our suspicions,” Emily said, her eyes narrowing. “There are a few people who had a grudge against our father.”

“Such as?” I prompted.

“Well, there’s our cousin, James,” Chris said. “He was always jealous of our father’s success.”

“And then there’s our former housekeeper, Mrs O’Malley,” Emily added. “She was let go a few months ago, and she didn’t take it well.”

“Those are no good,” I said. “In my vision, while touching the shattered glass, I heard the word ‘dad’ whispered as the crime was done. Therefore, the only possible suspects are you two. Unless you have another sibling?”

Emily and Chris shared a look before they both turned to me and said, “Ricky.”

Posted on

Elara’s Magic Kitchen

When magic was released back into the world, Elara quickly realised she was one of the most skilled magicians. It was a natural talent, and since she was only a teenager when she came into her power, her mother insisted she be entered into the new magical school that had just opened in order to study the art.

But before magic appeared, Elara had always wanted to be a kitchen designer. One day, as she was walking through the city streets, she overheard a group of people talking about the best kitchen design company Melbourne has that had just opened up a few blocks away. Her classes didn’t start for another hour, and Elara was intrigued. She switched her route and decided to check it out. Upon arriving at the store, she was greeted by a friendly staff member who gave her a tour of the showroom. The designs were breathtaking, and Elara was immediately hooked.

She skipped class and stayed in the showroom. She didn’t care about her grades; instead, she spent hours poring over the different styles and imagining what her own kitchen could look like. She was just about to take out her notepad and write down her first ideas when she heard a loud crash from the back of the showroom. Her instincts kicked in, and she rushed to investigate. A group of trolls had broken in and were barrelling through the showroom, wreaking havoc on the marble sinks and the delicately-crafted cabinets. Elara jumped into action, using her magic to subdue them. Ropes flew from her fingers and tangled themselves around the trolls, sending them spiralling to the ground.

The showroom owner rushed into the room with a concerned look on her face. When Elara explained what had happened, the owner congratulated Elara for her bravery and expressed her sorrow at having to install a whole new kitchen due to the kitchen replacement cost. Thinking quickly, Elara waved her fingers and fashioned a whole new kitchen from thin air. This was a type of magic she had never tried before, since it involved conjuring a lot of really difficult parts and materials.

Posted on

Discovering solar energy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Receiving my energy bill the other day was enough to give me a heart attack. I could not believe how astronomical the fee was! To top it off, that was only the bill for my home. I dreaded the thought of what the energy bill for my company was going to look like. I had been running heaters all day trying to keep the team warm in this blizzard.

As expected, I saw my energy bill for my company the next day and was ready to fall off my chair. The fee was tremendous! I’d have to start laying off staff members if this was the bill I was to expect each month here on in. Then I remembered something a friend had told me. She recently was in touch with the most recommended commercial solar panel company. Melbourne businesses swear up and down by this company, saying that their panels have helped them save money hand over fist. Soon after the installation of her panels, she joined the list of happy Melbourne businesses that were saving money on their energy bill.

With the hike in bills and living costs over the last few years, I think it made sense for me to also join the businesses who have made the switch. After some brief research, I discovered that there were actually many benefits to using solar panels. I stopped wasting time and decided to contact the highest rated energy solution providers near me. Our conversation was pleasant, productive, and informative. It didn’t take me long to realise that this was the correct decision to make as a business owner. Not only would I have been lowering my costs, but I’d also be making a positive impact on the environment.

We arranged a time for the installation to take place, and within the next few days I was the owner of a partially-green business. The benefits really presented themselves the next time I received my bill. It was a huge money saver! Who would’ve thought that solar panels would be able to power a whole company?

Posted on

Spooky House Sale

Spooky Sam had always been fascinated by the paranormal. So, when he heard rumours that the haunted mansion on the outskirts of Kew was for sale, he was ecstatic. The mansion was beautiful and eerie – a Victorian home with a rich history of ghostly encounters.

Samuel knew he had to have this mansion, despite its dark reputation. He contacted a buyer’s agent named David. David ran a buyer’s advocacy for Melbourne properties of the spooky and strange, or so the internet claimed. When Sam met with David, he explained his desire to purchase the haunted mansion, and David agreed to help.

David knew that buying a haunted mansion would not be easy, especially since the owner of the property, Mr Thompson, had a history of putting the property on the market, only to pull it down after a short time. It would also be difficult to navigate through the unique and strange legal requirements of purchasing a haunted property.

Mr Thompson was a reclusive man who had inherited the property from his ancestors many years ago, and ever since, it seemed he was unsure whether to sell it or not. David had to use all his charm and charisma to convince Mr Thompson to sell the mansion to Spooky Sam, assuring the old man that the history and importance of the property would be respected.

But they didn’t call David the best buyer’s advocate Kew had ever seen for nothing. Before long, he had convinced Mr Thompson that Sam had what it took to be the new owner of this spooky house.

Sam hired the best paranormal investigators around to come and assess the property. They discovered that there were indeed ghosts inside the mansion, but they were not violent and could easily be appeased with simple offerings of burnt toast.

After much preparation, Sam moved into the mansion, and even though there were some strange occurrences from time to time, he loved his new home. Every so often, he would think back to David the buyer’s agent, knowing that he would not have had this spooky place to call home without his expert assistance.

Posted on

Tinting Ruse

Lost in the darkness, Redman wasn’t sure how long had passed. Time became an abstract concept until eventually the rumbling all around him stopped and the roar of the engine went silent. 

He waited, senseless, for almost a minute before the boot of the vehicle opened. In that long moment, all he could feel was the rope bound tightly around his wrists and ankles. Hands grabbed Redman and hauled him out of the vehicle, tossing him harshly to the ground. He hit the dirt hard, the air viciously sucked from his lungs.

Now in the light of the Mornington Peninsula bubble, Redman saw Jesse standing above him. The young man grinned and ripped the duct tape from his captive’s mouth.

Giving Redman a swift kick in the ribs, Jesse said, “Remember, don’t say a thing, or else our window tinting experts will come for you. They’ll show you just how efficient they can be when it comes to handling glass.”

“I got it,” Redman said, wishing he could rub his upper lip, now flaring with pain. “I won’t say a thing about how I was taken by a commercial window tinting business from Melbourne that believed I was here to do some tinting for Gideon. Don’t worry, I’ll keep my lips shut.”

“Great,” said Jesse, walking back to his car. “Then our business here is done. Good riddance.”

“Yeah, I’ll see you in hell, buddy.”

Jesse got back into the vehicle and started the engine up, then drove off, leaving Redman in front of the mansion he was supposed to meet Gideon at earlier that day. Redman wasn’t really sure what they expected him to do now, given he was a little tied up.

It wasn’t long, however, before the automatic gates of the mansion began to retract, and a man in a red robe approached. From his angle on the ground, Redman could just see the man’s face tattoos.

Lorenzo had come for him.

Posted on

Window Tinting Decisions

I am feeling really anxious, lost and confused. I hate that I’ve been put in a position where I have to decide whether my happiness is worth delaying for someone else’s. It makes me feel sick to think about the fact that the person who is supposed to love me the most, only wants to make decisions that suit himself. He’s made these decisions with zero regard for my happiness and I either have to be okay with the decision or make my own decision that will hurt us both. I am so sad about it and as I sit with my sadness, I don’t know what I’m going to do.

I don’t want to do what I’m leaning towards doing. But both my options don’t feel right. My partner has just gone ahead and chosen a commercial window tinting company servicing Melbourne offices without me. I’m talking about my business partner – if that’s not obvious. He’s made this massive decision without me and I’m considering leaving the business as a result. I don’t think it’s fair of him to just choose his favourite commercial window tinting company without consulting me in any way. In fact, it’s quite insulting that he doesn’t even care about how his decisions impact me. I want to work with a business partner who treats me like an equal in our partnership. If we’re not equals, then what are we?

I wish he had chosen the office tinting company in the Melbourne area that I had recommended. My proposition was perfect for both of us. It was the middle ground. It had elements that I appreciated in commercial office tinting in addition to the elements that he so desperately needed. But alas, my proposition fell on deaf ears and my partner went ahead and made business-altering decisions without me and now I have to make decisions that are best for myself.