Author: awmalloyadmin

I was amazed to hear of people queuing up at Melbourne General Cemetery to secure a very rare release of burial plots.  I was then stunned people were willing to pay over $200,000 for the privilege.

To put it bluntly, what a bloody waste of money.

I have what I suppose are fairly non-traditional views about what I want to happen to me when I die. Strictly no funeral, no burial – just cremate me and scatter my ashes. If anyone would like to get together and have a couple of drinks to say goodbye then I’m happy to leave some money behind. If people want to remember me then they shouldn’t need a bit of rock or a plaque to go to to do that. I’d me much happier if they passed by a place we went together and had a smile..

Imagine if that $200,000 was put towards a scholarship for needy kids, or donated to a charity, the good it could it do. Instead you’ve bought a little block of land that in 20 or 30 years time people will walk past and wonder who you were. I guess death is a big business these days, but one I will contribute to as little as I can.

Today may have been Bert’s birthday but it’s been a great day for me.

Why?

I got to sit with my boy and help him build his first Lego set.

Life is good.

One bike, assembled by Rae.

Off and Racing

Our big boy turns 5 today. Happy birthday Bert.

Bert’s unwrapping skills on display.

After complaining recently about the waste of receiving the White and Yellow pages I was happy to see an article in The Age this morning about environmentalists calling for an end to them. Couldn’t agree more, although it’s not likely to happen.

The good thing is that you can opt out of having them delivered. To cancel your White and/or Yellow pages being delivered call Sensis on 1800 810 211. They also say you can go to the Sensis website but when you eventually find the page (http://about.sensis.com.au/Sustainability/Environment/Choosing-not-to-receive-director-print-products/) it directs you to call the number above.

I took Moo to the footy this afternoon to see our mighty Tigers take on the Crows. Come half time Moo wanted to leave and as we had barely put a whimper and a storm was heading in I didn’t try to persuade her to stay. We set off across the park to our car park in a Richmond side street and chattered all the way. Back at the car I put our coats in the boot and just as I was about to close the boot I noticed Moo had left a toy on the footpath. I told her to go pick it up and, without even thinking or looking I shut the boot.

I then went to get my keys out of my pocket.

There’s nothing quite like the moment you realise you’ve done monumentally stupid and there was nothing like this moment. For the first time in my life I’d locked the keys in the car. For some stupid reason I hadn’t opened the car first and for another stupid reason I’d tossed the keys on top of Moos jacket, probably as I took mine off.

Crap. Stuck in a side street in Richmond, storm closing in and no keys. I did the only thing I could, I called Rae. Luckily she was at a game on the other side of the city and I’m lucky she loves me ‘cause she gave up most of the 2nd and 3rd quarter to drive over and unlock my car. We drove off listening  to the hail pelt down and to the Tigers storm home in a come from behind win as Rae headed back to find a park and watch her boys win.

Now that, my friends, is love.

Okay, that was a spectacularly crappy start to the day. It featured :

• Waking with migraine
• Raised voices
• Trawling through the garbage bin that had been put out
• Wading through recycling bin
• Cat scratches on arm
• Cat bile
• Poor wife being bitten by cat
• Internet down when needed

And to top it all off the newsagent didn’t deliver my Age so I’ve nothing to read with my coffee and Friday morning pancakes. Just wondering if I should head back to bed and wait until it’s tomorrow.

I posted recently about how cool it was to have Coles open, it made Derrimut feel like a real suburb. Over the past couple of weeks some of the other shops in the centre have started to open so this morning we all (we must have looked like Jehovah Witness’ walking up the street) went for a walk.  I found the takeaway place around the site are almost ready to open, the $2 shop is doing a thriving trade and the tatts/news agent is open.

Rae is particularly happy that there is a fruit and veg place open. She’s already commenced the charm offensive to win the owner over and the kids scored a mandarin. Sadly it looks like our trips to South Melbourne market will become more infrequent, although the call of a Sunday morning calzone will still be strong, but we’re locals now, with local shops and that’s a good thing.

An article, ‘Derrimut starts to come of age’ was in the Brimbank Leader 16/7/2010.

I was amazed to see that the population of Derrimut was only 9 in 2001 – the year I met my wife. When our estate, Brimbank Gardens, is finished next year it’s population alone will be 4500 residents.

UPDATE

Ooops – this was meant to be posted to my Derrimut blog.