February 2011 – Anthony Malloy

February 27, 2011

My Tweets For The Week

Great to see as we walked in this morning Bert's new friend come belting across the yard yelling at the top of his voice "Hey buddy!!!!". #
Nice, a three year MSDN sub. That should get me through to the next version of Windows. #
ooooooooooh, Baraka is on at The Astor tonight… #
For sale. Two naughty twins, aged 3 1/2. Job lot, lowest bidder. #
Went to watch Media Watch online this morning and I'm geo-blocked. @abcaustralia #notmyabc #
At last, my Kindle now has a nice leather home. #
Well done Google : http://christchurch-2011.person-finder.appspot.com/ #
Frustrating that I can buy the physical book but the Kindle version isn't available to Aus. Grrrr. #
Woo Hoo. Real page numbers on to the Kindle. #
Hate early morning flights. #
Hello Sydney, nice to see you again. #
Charging phone off laptop battery. Had to use the phone as a modem for two hours today so it's not done too badly. Need to find power. #
Enjoying the free wifi at Sydney airport, thanks @Optus #
Home again, now let us off the plane! #
Pancake catastrophe – no eggs in the house this morning. Dissapointed children. #
Pizza for dinner, what are you having? http://t.co/gp1qOD1 #
Chinatown – what a movie. #
Pancakes, coffee, The Age and some classic @billybragg. Now that's how to start a weekend. #
Even though I'm working today I'm enjoying having every window open in the house. Must type faster and get out to enjoy our summer day. #
Today I bought myelf a hand beater and a big pyrex mixing bowl. #livinthelife #
The cat is growling at me because it is raining. I think she overestimates my roll in her day. #
No donut van @sthmelbmarket today. What's going on? #
Is it really as bad as I think it is to have a whole bag of cashews for lunch? #
So very happy. New Lego set for Bert was too complex so I have just spent one whole hour building Lego for him. #

February 27, 2011

Sunday Afternoon Heaven

Rae is out cruising around the Yarra Valley today on a Hen’s day, having a wonderful lunch and sampling more wine than is possibly healthy.

She can have it.

A little while ago I found some Toy Story Lego on sale and I’ve kept it for a day like today when it’s just me and the young ones. The set was a little too complex for Bert so I got to make it all by myself, and I was in absolute heaven. They’re all happily playing with it now and Bert’s still smiling. Truly a perfect way to spend a wet late summer Sunday afternoon.

February 20, 2011

My Tweets For The Week

Dear Westpac. The folder name is not the same as the physical path. #yourapidocumentationsucks #
Attention @hawkshow and @6MusicSlev . If there's no news today we'll all get moderately annoyed. #
Lots of smoke from burn offs in Derrimut. http://yfrog.com/h4ot6yaj #
Faith shaken. Book Depository not the cheapest option for a book I want to buy. #
Online price is 60% less than we saw in Borders yesterday. No wonder Borders now has so much non-book stock. #
Good luck on your first day my love. #
Just trying to get my Tweets going back to Facebook. #
And trying again to get Tweets across to Facebook. #
As a Tigers supporter I'm accustomed to saying "there's always next year", but I'm generally talking about footy, not summer. #
Take your hat off at the table! #mkr #
Ugh. Slept, but if feels like I haven't in days. Boys up and playing at 6.00am. Already not a good feeling about today. #
Dear Bert's school. Sorry, we'll return the contents of the sandpit tomorrow. #
Sad to hear A&R and Aus Borders have gone bust. A&R kept me in Dr Who books as a kid and Borders was amazing when it opened…. #
…althought I guess I haven't helped them much in the past couple of years with Book Depository and now the Kindle. #
Just realised I accidentally parked in a no standing zone AND opposite a solid unbroken line yesterday. Used up good dose of parking karma. #
Overdosing on fizzy cola bottles. My wife bought me a 1kg bag. #
We we're never being boring because we were never being trivial. #
We're number 1! (@ Werribee Community Centre) http://picplz.com/Wx1n #
Woo Hoo! We won the trivia night, even with a round of 2 for sport #
I swear I just heard a frog croaking in our front yard. #
My wife appears to be heating slippers in the microwave. #
Cat doesn't actually eat her food, just licks the gravy off. #
Coffee and calzone, Sunday breakfast rocks. #
Oh dear. it appears Moo has Bieber fever. #
Footy on the radio, summer really has ended. #

February 17, 2011

Books Go Bust

It’s sad to read that Angus & Robertson and Borders (the Australian version) have gone bust.

Angus & Robertson were the first book chain I can remember in Shepparton, original tenants of the Capri Centre when it opened (I can only remember Lyric Music and the video store as other shops). I must have spent a small fortune there as a young lad. It got to the stage where whenever a new Doctor Who book came in they’d automatically put it under the counter for me and leave it there until I next visited. They’re all still on my bookcase here, $3.95 a pop.

Borders was a revelation when it opened at the Jam Factory. It was just sooooooo huge. And they had chairs where you could sit and read the books! And a cafe! How positively American. It was a great place to have a browse before or after catching a movie and they too must have taken a large chunk of my pay.

Of course they can both look at me and say thanks for the sympathy but we would have preferred your dollars. Guilty as charged. A few years ago I discovered Book Depository and with prices generally half those of local book stores, often significantly less, I couldn’t justify buying local. Just this week we were in Borders with the kids and I found a fantastic book on Lego, but it was $69.95. I can get it delivered for $32. And the only reason I’d buy the physical book is that’s it’s a huge coffee table book. Now I’m buying books for my Kindle, and they’re even cheaper.

It’s hard to imagine a world without book stores, but with two giants failing I’m beginning to wonder if books will increasingly become a collectable, like vinyl LPs are today.

February 16, 2011

SEC, Gas and Phone

It’s still a functioning milk bar so it’s not for Our Fading Past but I loved this old sign.

I wonder when the last SEC bill was paid here?

A sign for SEC, Gas and Phone on the outside of a milk bar.

And just around the corner, a bonus old Pepsi sign.

February 15, 2011February 15, 2011

Morning

Today was Rae’s last day as an unemployed layabout so to mark the occasion we went out this morning. It was a different sort of out though because the two eldest were at school so it was just the four of us. It means we can leave the van in the garage and just take the car. It means there’s less arguments (parent’s with three kids will know what we mean). It meant we didn’t have to do head counts.

A mug with the 1980s Doctor Who logo. We took the little ones to Borders to spend a voucher we had. They loved it, reading some books and browsing the goodies on display. Moo ended up with Little Miss Giggles and Henry decided on a new Faraway Tree for when we finish the one we are currently reading. We chose for the two big kids and I scored a cool Doctor Who mug that features the logo from my era Who.

What better way to follow up book shopping than with a coffee? Off to Max Brenner for coffees and baby chinos for the kids. On the way we stopped at Darrel Lea ‘cause you can never have too much sugar on a morning out with mum and dad. Finish off the shopping with some sushi for Henry (that’s ma boy!) and chips for Moo (who is surprised there?)

On the way home I said to Rae that one day we have to go to the sorbet/gelato place in Ardeer that we drive past all the time. “Why don’t we go today?” she said. Oh boy. Bad move. The lovely Italian guy there took a real shine to Moo and Henry and kept on bringing out samples of their amazing products to try. Henry scored his own little tub that he polished off in record time. We only bought two small lots to bring home but we’ll be going back. So many flavours, all so good. We can’t recommend Traino (47 Holt St) enough. Go, you won’t be disappointed.

It was a perfect morning. Relaxed, unplanned, fun, spent with my wife. I love days like today, they really are the sort of days you live for. Now Rae starts her new job tomorrow so holidays will be a long way off. I’ll keep the memory of this one for a long time. Good luck tomorrow my love.

February 15, 2011

Android Me

February 13, 2011

My Tweets For The Week

Bert's big day. #
Happy Bert. I didn't cry, just exercised my tear ducts a little. http://t.co/sru2B39 #
Biggest change – the house sounds so different with just the twins playing together. #
Can someone please explain what on earth the new @iinet is about? #
And that would be one deliriously happy boy home from his first day at school. #
"Greenbay are world champions". World? Give us a break. I guess that makes Collingwood the world champions too, and no one wants that. #
A monday night bbq. Novel AND yummy. #
In a post @tacobill stupor. So glad my new pyjama pants have elastic. #
Bert home today. The house sounds normal again. #
Why, of all mornings, would my database connections suddenly go flaky today. #
Woo Hoo!! Yellow pages delivery people just rolled up the street and bypassed our house. #
School Dad 101 : when you give your son a fruit tub for snack time make sure you also give him a spoon to eat it with. #hungrybert #baddad #
It's official, Rae has just left work for the last time. I'm now married to an unemployed layabout. Well done hon! #
Wondering if this thumping headache has anything to do with no caffeine today… #
One double strength short black later and headache going. Guessing that's not a good thing. #
Some of the crap on my bed side table. http://picplz.com/nMmD #
Ah well, the best laid plans of mice and men… #
Last Day Of The First Week http://picplz.com/nsW3 #
The award for worst api documentation for a payment gateway goes to……Westpac. #
Bert and Dad Time http://picplz.com/n8v0 #
The End Result http://picplz.com/n9Vh #
Lotso Lego http://picplz.com/n9V0 #
Footy's back! Go Tiges! (please, oh, please…) #
"Don't expect too much from your Tigers tonight." Le sigh. #
Bloody impressed with Tiger cubs to half time, but should be 3 more goals ahead. #gotiges #NABCup #

February 7, 2011

Bert’s Day

Well, Bert had his first day of school today and he loved it. Normally when you pick Bert up from somewhere you won’t get a peep and you have to wait for him to talk but not today. As we walked across the oval to the car he started talking and didn’t stop until we got home. He was on a high all afternoon and is most likely still smiling in his sleep.

Couldn’t be happier, he seems to love the surrounds, smiles when talking about his teacher and has made sure his uniform is ready to go tomorrow. Hopefully it’s the first day of a long love of learning.

February 7, 2011

Off To School

Bert heads off to school for the first time today. He’s jumping out of his skin to get there.

He’s been home every day with me for the past five years, I’m going to miss my little man.