Anything's Better Than Nothing - Part 2

Hello again! As I'm approaching the middle of this year when winter here will be approaching, I'm not too phased out about the cold weather with many things happening since my recent post here.

With work, I've been filling in at the Pakenham Repco store for 2 months and having a lengthy process of re-learning to do trade and retail sales, picking orders even for click and collect sales, filling in some delivery driver duties and even fulfilling material requests from other stores. But then, I'm also filling in at the Narre Warren store only mornings. Along the way, I've been tidying up trade aisles where parts were located in wrong spots. That's a problem when other staff members have to pick the parts when times are flat out busy.

This reminds me on the earlier days working at the Doveton store where everything's quite a mess and potentially being the busiest store in the south-east of Melbourne, that's when moments get sour. I can even remember various tough moments that can spoil my passion and at worst felt like quitting if I got too overwhelmed, run down and not fitting in with other staff members became too problematic.

However, the store has been steadily improving with more trolleys to take out trade and retail stock items, more shelves and spaces to store more items, smaller loads to break up as earlier, it received around 8 pellets which was too much. Not only it was overwhelming, it hadn't done my back greatly especially when all the stock had to be scanned and out efficiently. And then, more staff members helped me until my shifts are done and some not-great staff members left. Nowadays, I no longer have bad feelings about working at Repco and another better thing is I see less point going back to an employment agency if I keep working sufficient hours.

My best hope is if I keep working plenty of hours, I'll look to commence my aim to move out and back into the south-east of Melbourne where I've built up my life and also felt a definite belonging there.

But I won't end here just yet.

In the meantime, I've been working on this particular art project for the upcoming group exhibition at the SECAN arts hub. Earlier, I was going to exhibit one of my paintings but it unfortunately didn't meet the criteria. This'll be another version. A good way to open up another genre or medium if you like but this is what art is all about.

Now, the version I've been working on is a collage adhered to the square canvases measuring 61 centimetres (24 inches) each side we've ordered. Here, I've worked out the layers of strawberries from the sketch on the left page. I then started cutting the red strawberry shapes according to the sizes of the appropriate layers.

I also have some green paper to cut up the leafy shapes on top of the strawberries (calyx technically).

With all the shapes cut to recreate strawberries, the exciting step is to create the artwork on the canvas.

I first stuck the bottom layers using PVA glue although a bit excessive. Earlier, I've painted the canvas with black acrylic paint as it's a good alternative to oil paints in some ways. One of them is the time it takes to dry which is a big difference.

Eventually, all of the shapes have been stuck on and once the remains of the PVA glue have dried, I'm on the final stage.

The final stage is using my coloured pencils to shade and draw seeds on the strawberries. There lies a chance to use my white pencil to colour in the seeds bearing in mind it hardly gets used apart from some few applications. Once completed, this collage version will be good to go.

Aside from this, I hadn't thrown away my obsession with cars so I had a good opportunity to go to this month's cars and coffee meet with the Unique Rides car group.

This month's cars and coffee meet was at Gardenworld south of Springvale. Here are some sporty Fiats particularly the Abarth 500s.

There's this AE86 Toyota Corolla Levin GT-APEX. These kind of cars don't usually get spotted or mentioned unless you're into Gran Turismo games throughout the years.

And then, there are those Hondas including those sixth generation Civics.

But one owner of the dark blue Civic sedan went all in to turbocharge his. A few people including myself were fascinated about his car. He mentioned with this engine rebuilt and turbo fitted, the car can produce up to 230 kw (308 hp) of power but can also be driven daily.

As much as these things are a pleasure, I hadn't felt too great in the end. Seeing the cars more exotic than my Ford Puma and with people I don't know, I felt out of place like I don't belong. And whilst my hobby working on cars is currently on hiatus, that also didn't help. I was disheartened when I left but there are stages in life you're stuck for now. That happens.

And with some Aspergers Victoria meetings, I felt that there should be more. Even social outings to cinemas to watch our desired movies. More varieties help if we want to meet people having all kinds of tastes.

But why not finish this up with some random bits. There's one time I've stopped at this service station and my car's parked next to this blue Ford Falcon although it's an XR8 model. Whilst mentioned, I do like to bring my Ford Puma on some certain car meets or shows. I'd really like to bring mine to exclusive Ford events being a completely fascinating small car compared to the rest of other nostalgic Falcons, Fairlanes, you name it.

With everything else, life goes on. With some faithful possessions I've had over the years, my back-pack gave me years of service until one main zip no longer holds itself together from last year. I've stopped using it apart from it's last use carrying littered cans and bottles to exchange for money through the Container Deposit Scheme.

Satisfied with how many cans and bottles I've taken out around Neerim South making it more tidy, it's time for this back-pack for it's much deserved retirement.

Since then, I've returned 210 containers to be recycled with $21 AUD into my bank account.

Other than that, see you next time!