Author: awmalloyadmin

Rae woke up this morning with a brilliant idea.

“I’m sick of sitting in here looking at all these boxes, let’s go to Shepparton.”

So we did, half an hour later we were on the Hume, two hours later we pulled in to Emerald Bank Heritage Farm and Theme Park (beware – strange music that goes forever at this site). I’m not sure what the theme was meant to be although if they were pitching for a theme of ‘good idea gone to seed’ then they succeeded brilliantly. They even have the old water slide from the Raymond West before it became Watermove, or Waterworks, or Waterplace, or Waterworld, or whatever they call it.

Anyway, after the jumping castle, the hay ride, the pony ride (all for Phee) and a look at the motley collection of guinea pigs and rabbits that was the animal nursery one of my childhood dreams came true. I got to ride on a hovercraft. It appears that the one and only hovercraft in Shepp runs as a an attraction on select weekends and lucky us, it was running today. First off we sent my dad, who is 82 but thinks he’s 20, and Phee. Then it was time for Rae and me. All I can say is WOO HOO! So the ride only went for 3 minutes max but the rush of heading off land and on to water, spinning around a couple of times to make sure we got wet then repeat was a whole lot of fun. Unfortunately there were no explosions, or villains pursuing us on jet skis but I think we did scare a duck. After the ride we asked dad what he thought. “Should have been longer” he muttered. Go dad.

Please, no body tell Tigerland.

My Doggies membership turned up today. Yep, me, Mr 100% Tiger himself is a member of the Dogs. It started a few years ago just as I really getting in to footy and shortly after I met Rae. The Dogs were in such financial strife they were existing day to day and were in very real danger of folding. After having seen how much the team meant to Rae, and not wanting to see another Victorian team go under, I bought a membership. And have every year since.

So, while I bleed yellow and black there’s one tiny drop somewhere inside me coloured red, white and blue. Just don’t tell my real family.

The best way to remove weight, say of the world on your shoulders, is to get a message from your gal telling you the agent has said yes to the house you really want to move in to.

Yep. We got the place so the story ends as it should and goes to prove yet again it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.

So, moving day is Sunday Feb 1. Early start (we’ve got the truck booked and can pick it up at 8.00am) and loads of hard work but with pizza, beer and good karma still on offer – any takers?

My honey knows how to cheer me up.

Super Grover, you’re my hero.

Dear Channel 7,

Seeing as how I went to all the trouble of investing in a set top box (pdf)so I could watch digital television on my widescreen TV would it hurt you to actually broadcast any of your major sporting events in widescreen? No, the Rugby World Cup didn’t count ’cause that was Rugby and that never counts.

Yours sincerely

Anthony Malloy

For two days now we’ve been sitting in the car, driving from dump to dump, finding a good place only to then be told it’s already gone. Rae’s grumpy and my neck is so tight I don’t think I can turn my head but we have signed the notice to vacate so there’s no turning back.

This whole endeavour has made me realise we need a house of our own, renting is fine when it?s just two but when a family is involved the whole security aspect takes on a dimension a single person or couple without kids just couldn?t comprehend.

We’ve both resolved to live a life of austerity for the next year or two to get what we need, a place to call our own. It will be tough, we will probably have to swallow our pride, eat our words and build or buy in a new estate somewhere just so we can get a start. Our hearts will always be inner city, that will continue be our aim, but for now we will do what we have to do; we are never doing this again.

You can’t find a place to live, your team loses, the weather is getting bad, you spend two hours driving around looking at hell holes and then, perhaps, a ray of sunshine in an otherwise mournful day.

Rae tells the tale.

The one place we wanted to look at and another on the maybe list are both gone.

Anyone know where there is enough bark lying around to cover threee people, two cats and two fish?

20+ places looked at, just the one we want to see inside of. Another 20 or so tomorrow.

Disheartening to say the least. I don’t cope well when I don’t have a secure place to call home, here’s hoping tomorrow’s lot throw up at least a couple more options.

Even with all the crap flying around today my Tigers can still make me smile.

Driving home over the bridge I realised that the tooting of a horn was coming from the van beside me; not doing anything wrong I ignored them.

They tooted again, and them some more.

Oh so casually I glanced sideways to see two young guys grinning like crazy and waving a Tiger t-shirt at me. Big thumbs up from both sides and they sped away.

Oh we’re from Tigerland, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.