After a rash of one-line comments from sources with a Polish flavour and $earch engine 0ptimization tendencies, I have disabled comments.

In other news, I'm profoundly hacked off with the semi-frozen shoulder that's giving me gyp just now. Physio has done little so far, and the next step is a cortico-steroid injection into the inflamed bursa. If it were my left arm, it might not be so bad, but I'd still have to jump through hoops for it. My lovely other half has sewn me a bag of wheat that is making regular trips between microwave and arm, to help ease the ache, so there is great temptation to lie around reading or snoozing, while the heat does its thing.

We've had the pleasure of the company of Lisa and Julia M. for the last couple of days, as they came up to buy a double bass for Julia. The bass was successfully procured yesterday, and today's mission has been some big-city shopping - which I've manfully resisted joining. (Actually, I had a prior engagement with the dentist this morning, that prevented my joining them; said medico totted up a bill in excess of $500, were I to go ahead with his planned work, so I postponed to let my wallet prepare for the shock.) It has been nice to see friends for longer than a flying visit, which has been the norm since we relocated to Qld.

I'm on conventional Mon-Fri work for the next 5 weeks, as we go through some facilities upgrade and maintenance at the Planetarium. I quite like the varying routine inherent in my normal roster - it makes for a less monotonous work cycle - but to have several weekends on the trot when I can do as I please will be a nice change.

Our numbers have increased this week, augmented by the patter of tiny feet. Fortunately, they don't belong to us.

Just before going away for a few days, Heather went next door to procure cat-sitting services, and learned that our neighbour's daughter-in-law was desperately in need of a child-minder - hence her announcement on returning: "I've got a job!" One doesn't normally nip next door for employment opportunities, so she had to elaborate upon this unexpected statement. The outcome is that she has charge of a toddler and a baby, four days a week, for the foreseeable future. I'm happy to find that they are pleasant children, but dismayed that the three-year-old cannot properly form a gerund. What is happening to educational standards? He does ask questions though, which is encouraging, but the question is usually "why...?". For example: "Why have you turned the TV off?" "Because we're not watching it just now." "Why not?" I felt a discussion about the merits of daytime television would not prove rewarding, so left it there.

Needless to say, we will have to consider child-proofing for the first time in a dozen years (although visiting teenagers have been cause for concern in more recent times).

In more personally satisfying (and less challenging) news, I have set up my newly-retrieved telescope once more, and shall point it at a celestial sight ere long. I left it with a friend in Coffs Harbour when we left last year, as there was neither the space in the truck, nor an likelihood that I would do anything with it for some time. However, it's nice to see my old friend again, even if it is like something from a byegone age, compared to the current offerings in Sky and Telescope. With Jupiter now rising before midnight, it's time to put it to use again though, perhaps even with a camera at the sharp end. Watch this space.