Author: awmalloyadmin

At last, the day has come – the kids now have a proper back yard, and what better way to celebrate than kicking around a footy in it?

I mowed the lawn for the first time on Thursday, it was saturated and has taken a couple of days to dry out completely so the kids have been anxiously keeping an eye on Dad, wondering if they’d finally be able to jump off the deck and start playing properly. Today was the day and they’re making full use of their brand new back yard, running, jumping, yelling and kicking the brand new footballs they scored at the South Melbourne Market this morning.

I’ve been waiting for this day for so long, and the fact that we worked pretty bloody hard to make it happen makes it all the sweeter.

There’s an old saying that a watched pot never boils. I’d like to change that to ‘a watched Australia Post van never delivers’. Three days of waiting finally came to end today when the van rolled up and the friendliest postie in the world handed me the box I had been waiting for.

My coffee grinder has arrived!

Yes, it’s only a domestic model but it matches my machine and my, um, what do you call the things you bang your spent grinds in to? So now I’ll have fresh coffee whenever I want it, no more getting the deli to grind for me and making the most of that first, fresh day. I’ve just had a couple of experimental grinds and so far, so good. No doubt this will keep me happy for a couple of years, then it will be time to upgrade. Hmmm, maybe I should start doing the research now…

PS

A quick word on pricing. After reading lots of reviews I settled on a Breville BarAroma Coffee and Spice Grinder. Their web site says it’s $199, fair enough. I went and had a look in Target where it was $169. Okay, better yet. Then Rae found one, brand new in it’s carton, on Ebay – $99 delivered. That’s a bargain in any language.

One of my strongest memories of winter afternoons when growing up is of mum listening to the footy on the radio. Now any one who knows mum will see her as a gentle cake making soul who wouldn’t say boo to a mouse. Obviously they never saw her listening to her Saints play. Her pained cries of “don’t handball it, kick it!!!!!!!” would have been heard 250 kilometres away where the game was being played. I also have no idea how the arm chair managed to survive the thumping it got as her boys lost another game.

Now, 30 odd years later I’m sitting here listening to my wife yelling “kick it Minson!!!!” as she thumps the arm of her chair.

It’s all a bit scary and disturbing if you think about it too deeply.

When Dale finished the garden we were left with a rather large pile of dirt that couldn’t fit in to the skips. As tempting as it was to leave it there and let nature take it’s course over the next decade or so we decided we had better do something about it before the kids were teenagers.

We had to move this pile.

In to this skip.

So we set to work.

After a while we took a break and the cavalry, in the shape of Rob, arrived. A cup of coffee and a couple of hours later we were done.

The pile had now gone.

And the skip was full.

Now we are done for a while,. The bin will go Monday morning, leaving us with a completed front yard. We still have to do the paths down the side of the house, but these can wait for muscles and bank balances to recover. 2 days shy of seven months here and we’re pretty proud of what we’ve managed to achieve with the help of family and friends.

 

I have no idea why but the sort of weather we have right now is when I’m at my most productive. Low grey clouds, threatening storms, warm breeze – makes me a working demon. Maybe I should move to the tropics.

Things I want right now but can’t afford.

• Internet Radio
• A burr grinder for my coffee beans
• Wood table for the deck (saw one in Bunnings that was perfect, only $300).
• Seat for the front door.
• iPhone 3Gs
• Wireless Skype phone to replace the one that just stopped working for no reason
• Babysitter for another day a week.
• Microsoft Natural Laser Mouse to replace my broken one.

I know I don’t need any of them but it doesn’t stop me wanting them none the less.

Okay, for those who didn’t like the theme I switched to I’ve had a play around, is that better?

It’s been a great week, Rae has been home on annual leave and it’s been fantastic to spend so much time with her and the kids. It’s going to be a rude shock when she returns to 9-5 next week, not sure who will cope the least, me or the kids.

Yesterday in particular was everything a holiday day should be.

I took the day off work and we made the most of it. In the morning we went for breakfast at our old haunt, The Famous Blue Raincoat. They say you can never go back but that just ain’t true when it comes to breakfast at The Coat. Just as good as ever. The plan was then go and buy four plants from Bunnings, Dale had suggested lilly pillies, but at $45 a pop we re-evaluated. We trundled on down to the Newport Lakes Native Nursery to see what we could see. And we saw a lot. For the price of one lilly pilly we left with enough tubes to start our entire front yard and best of all, being natives suited to the area, we just have to plant them and forget about them. I would take a photo to show you but we woke this morning to find our front yard covered in polystyrene balls. Strange things happen in the burbs.

In the afternoon Rae decided on a much needed nap so I took off. After a couple of chores I headed to Yarraville for a good browse through The Sun Bookshop. I eventually picked up one of the new $9.95 Popular Penguins, John Wyndham’s The Chrysalids. We were supposed to read this book in Year 10, or maybe it was 11 (Miss Marita, can you remember?). I have no idea why but I never finished the book back then so I figure I should make Mr Kemp happy and get around to it now. Thankfully the bug-person cover of my memory has been replaced by the cool original Penguin style. I wandered around to Try This, ordered a coffee and had a read in the front window.

And how do you finish a perfect day? Have the lovely (and currently internet-less) Ren over for a roast dinner, red wine and a movie. After some to-ing and fro-ing we ended up watching Sweeny Todd, which was fantastic. I also have some great news for anyone else sitting on a 1992 Brown Brothers King Valley Cab Sav, it has matured very very well.

You can’t top that sort of day easily so now it’s catch up with work for me and catch up with housework for Rae. All good things must come to an end, but every time I look at that garden in years to come I’ll remember yesterday.

Excuse me while i change things around a bit here. The old theme was getting a bit tired so I’ve switched to a new one. I’ve also added a ‘Now Reading’ list to the side and just for Daniel I’ve put the comment link at the bottom of the post.