Category: Diary

Kate, you may wish to look away now.

I’ve mentioned many times before how I was raised to respect books and that I am of the firm belief you shouldn’t be able to tell a book has been read once you’ve finished this. Evidence of this would be my 100 or so Doctor Who books that, even though they are about 30 years old now, look as if they have just come off the shelf from Angus and Robertson at the Capri Center in Shepp.

Well, Dad, I’m sorry but I’ve had to do the unthinkable. You see, I’m teaching myself a new computer language. It’s been over a decade since I’ve updated my programming skills (which is an eternity in computer times) and while I’m very good at what I do I want to make sure that I’m not left way behind; and right now my skills are so out of date in terms of what the market demands I may as well be coding using punch cards.

So I bought a book. A lovely shiny book full of information I need to start getting me up to speed and (really Kate, look away…) to make sure I use it properly the first thing I did was fold the cover the back and push it down. I know, shocking. Then, as I read, I made notes. On the pages. (Pass the smelling salts, I’m having a turn.) Admittedly I couldn’t quite bring myself to use a pen but there are many, many pencil notes – not only in the margin but actually on the text.

Now I’ve started with this one I have my eye on a cook book. I’m thinking I may even lay it on the bench and turn pages without washing my hands. There’s no stopping me now.

The epic saga of The Lemon of Hope reached its conclusion today when TLoH was plucked from the tree. The scent was amazing and its juice made a lovely flavouring in a glass of soda water. I’m now looking forward to many years of lemons to come.

I had my annual trip to catch up with my Sydney clients. It was a great couple of days full of meetings. I brought two new clients on board (one with two sites), had an old client invite back to work with them again and locked in a whole heap of work from my existing clients. From a business perspective it was well worth it.

It was also great to catch up with the people, many I’ve known for a decade now. I stayed at the lovely Radisson Blu where I had the choice of two beds (went with the one on the right) and wasn’t woken up at 7.00am by the sound of kids rummaging through Lego. I only had an hour or so free before heading back on the Tuesday and the weather had closed in so I took myself off for a walk up and down Pitt St to kill the time.

All of this was great but the personal highlight was getting to hand out a couple of business cards. I know, I know, but it’s such a rare event as all of my clients come through recommendations and quite often I don’t get to meet the people behind the phone and email until after the project launches. At the rate I get to give cards out I’m set with my current supply for another 250 years.

With each passing day it seems that Henry is more and more like me…

Mum loves to tell the story of how, on my 5th birthday, she learned a harsh lesson about dealing with young boys. It was my birthday party and I had school friends there but all I wanted to do was stay inside and play with my toys. Apparently she tried and tried to get me to come out and it devolved in to crying birthday boy and distraught mum.

This morning I received an sms from Rae. She had planned to take all the kids out to a play center today but Mr H said he wasn’t feeling well. Rae soon realised what was actually going on – he wanted to stay home and play with his new Lego. A gentle chat and the promise he could come home and play with his new toys and suddenly he was feeling well enough to head out to play.

Here you go mum, you said you wanted to see them blow out their candles.

Our beautiful twins turn five today. Five, I can’t believe how quickly those years have flow.

Happy birthday Mr Henry and Miss Kennedy.

I have hardly any photos of me with the kids, generally because it’s me behind the camera or phone, so I’m really happy to have this one of Henry and I. I snapped it while we were waiting to pick up Bert the other day, one of the ways we pass the time on cold days waiting in the car. Must do it more often.

Tonight Rae and I were able to have an evening out thanks to Zita sitting the kids. We headed off to Carlton as Rae had scored free tickets to ‘Cabin In The Woods’.

There were a few lessons from the movie.

1. Joss Whedon is very, very clever. The movie was fantastic – funny, witty and scary all in equal measure. It was a great self knowing horror film and I absolutely loved it.

2. Some people should not be allowed to go to the movies. If you are old enough to attend this film you are old enough to know to turn off your freaking phone. For most of the movie one patron a few rows down to the right had her phone on and in a darkened cinema its white screen was doing a fair impersonation of a lighthouse. When I rule the world the world these people will be placed in stocks and told the endings to movies such The Sixth Sense and The Crying Game before they get to see them.

3. The Nova. I haven’t been there in almost ten years and it was looking a little tatty back then. Things haven’t changed and you get the feeling that it could do with a little TLC.

Even though the movie was fantastic the best part was just getting to spend the evening with my beautiful wife. Having dinner, going for a walk, just spending time together. A great way to finish off the weekend.

The Age reports today that NME have declared Joy Division’s Love Will Tear Us Apart and Pulp’s Common People are the number one and number two greatest tracks of the past 60 years. I’m more than happy with this, although I can hear the cries of rock and roll purists from here, and I’d be just as happy to have them swapped around.

The greatest thing for me though is that I’ve seen both of the songs performed live by the band (or remnants there of) in the past 12 months.

Three years ago mum gave us a belated house warming present – two fruit trees. One lemon and one lime. It’s taken a while and despite the fact I have two brown thumbs we finally have lemons. This years crop numbers three and here is the Lemon Of Hope I mentioned almost two years ago. You can even see the tree on the day it was planted.

While we’re not at the stage of trying to offload excess lemons on neighbours and friends it’s still very exciting to have grown our own fruit. The lime tree is still struggling along and had a little spurt this year so maybe in three years time our lemons may be joined by the Limes Of Hope.