Anthony Malloy Between Coffees

It was 3.00am when I realised what was going and it was a sleepy Rae who pointed it out. I was lying on the couch trying to ignore the pain in my toe wondering how I’d broken it when Rae stumbled out and pointed out the obvious - “It’s not Gout again is it?”

Of course. Sudden on set, located in my big toe, excruciating pain (I couldn’t even tolerate the pressure of a cotton sheet) and swelling/hot toe - every classic symptom of gout. I’ve been to the doctor and have the wonderful yellow pills that are making everything better (such a lovely warm glow after taking them). I’m taking his advice directly which was to sit down with my foot up and watch the footy. He’s a good doctor that one.

I can’t sleep. I want to, I’m completely exhausted, but two things are stopping me.

The first is my beautiful, loving, caring, pregnant wife who is snoring like a road train that’s badly in need of a service going full throttle across the Nullabor. Seriously, I’m at the other end of the house and I can hear her. The snoring will reduce, maybe even stop, when the babies arrive. Phew, at least I’ll be able to get some sleep then…

The second is my toe. My big toe on my right foot (the other foot to my previous toe episode) is throbbing with excruciating pain. It started off as a niggle this morning, got worse during the day and whilst shopping at Highpoint this evening it really began to scream. I’ve taken the strongest pain killers we have in the house but they’ve had no effect at all.

I’m now sitting here, foot up watching the footy on my PC waiting for the truck to stop rumbling in the bedroom. I’ll then go back, run headlong in to the wall, thereby hopefully knocking myself out and falling on to the bed in the process. I have a funny feeling it’s the only way I’ll get my eyes shut tonight.

I dropped the car off for a service today and rather than catch a couple of trains I decided, armed with my camera phone and iPod, to walk the four k’s home along Williamstown Rd. Warm winds and huge low grey clouds rolling in over the bay gave an atmosphere that something exciting was brewing. I love days like that, it’s how I picture the start of Something Wicked This Way Comes.

Hi hate this time of year and where we are heading. Hate the early sunset and late sunrise. Hate the cold. Hate the grey. I’m already counting down the days to daylight savings starting again but there’s a fair bit to get through until then, the least of which is adding two members to the family in one go.

Apart from this one bright spark scheduled for the dead of winter (guess this year we’ll find out how much it costs to run a heater 24 hours a day) there are two positives and both of them start this week.

First up is the footy. I’m not confident of the Tigers chances this year. A couple of injuries in pre-season has really highlighted the lack of depth in our team. One or two more and that’s it as far as being competitive goes. I’m actually predicting a small fall down the ladder this year - 10th or 11th is where I think we are. Go on Tige’s, prove me wrong.

Of course footy season means footy tipping and this is a late reminder to join my footy tipping competition. Do it for the glory. Do it for The World’s Ugliest Trophy. Do it for the Grand Final BBQ. Just do it. If you know nothing about the game you’re probably in a better position than any of us who claim to.

The second bright spot for the winter season is Doctor Who starts again this weekend. Well, in the UK at least. God only knows when the ABC will get around to showing it. I can’t wait to see Mr Tennant (with new suit) back in action, complete with new companion.

Two years ago, at the end of winter, we had just watched the final episode of the first season of the reborn Who on the ABC. It was a cold night but we went for a walk afterwards regardless. Three hours later Bert was born. Couldn’t tell you if the TIgers won that weekend though.

Yeah! Happy NPD to me. Yesterday was my biannual NPD, and there’s nothing like NPD to make me happy. I’m still happy today, even though I’m already looking forward to my next NPD.

Okay. NPD is New Phone Day and yesterday I gots me a shiny new Nokia 6300. It’s slim, it’s stainless steel and it’s pretty sexy. The camera is only so-so (no flash and just 2 megapixels) and I need a new hands free for the car but this NPD was a overall a good one.

Roll on 2009.

Here’s the QANTAS jet circling our place before its fly over at the start of the Grand Prix. You can clearly hear the cars if you stand outside, on such a perfectly still day the sound must carry clear across inner Melbourne. I wonder if Andrew is walking around his place with ear plugs in?

I’ve had the plane crash dream again. It seems to be getting more frequent. This time it was  a huge jet whose tale snapped off as it flew overhead. Oddly though it then morphed in to a train crash that I had to run four blocks to check on.

I wish I knew what this meant.

Happy 11th birthday Phee.

I got a huge surprise shopping at Altona Gate today. I was walking along with Bert and Phee when I noticed a woman in front of me wearing a sport top.

Hmmmm. That Reebok logo placement looks familiar.

Hmmm. That side design looks familiar.

Hmmmmm. (By now she’s a few metres ahead and has just turned around to head downstairs on a travelator thingy).

Hey! She’s a Canucks fan and that’s a brand new practice jersey!

To get how weird this is imagine you’re a Tigers supporter and had moved to a suburb of Vancouver and noticed some walking towards you wearing a Tigers jumper.

I called out to her, pointed to the Canucks t-shirt I was wearing and she came back up to have a chat. Ends up she was just back from Vancouver and had purchased it at GM place where she caught a couple of games. She’d also purchased a game worn jersey - but not just any jersey, it was one of our captain’s, Marcus Naslund.

I’m sure the lovely shade of envy-green I have gone will wear off within a month or so.