Category: Diary

We’ve been offering Bert the treat of a lunch order for a while now but he hasn’t been interested, even though his friend James gets one very Friday. Today it was just Bert and me in the afternoon and a little voice pipes up from the back seat “Dad, can I please have a lunch order tomorrow?”.

So tomorrow Bert is having his first lunch order and it will be :

Two party pies
A strawberry Big M
A jelly cup
A lunch order bag (‘cause we weren’t organised).

And that will come to princely sum of $4.75

I just confirmed his order and the smile on his face was worth a million times that much.

Tonight I’m off to see Baraka at The Astor.

I first saw Baraka on VHS, I guess, about 15 years ago and it was mind blowing, even in letterboxed tape quality. When I bought my first DVD player (it was a drive for a computer) Baraka was the first DVD i purchased. Again it looked amazing, even on an old analogue. I still haven’t invested in a BluRay drive, don’t see the point really with digital copies being the way to go but if someone gave me one Baraka would again be the first disc I purchase.

I can’t wait for tonight, to see this movie in 70mm on The Astor’s wonderful screen is the ultimate way to see this masterpiece. Hopefully everyone in the cinema will be as enthralled as I am not notice that yet again I’ve dropped chocolate on my jumper from the choc top.

It’s the long weekend and rather than spend three days at home not doing anything we jumped in the car and headed up the highway to Shepparton. It was a perfect day for a drive and Shepp really turned the weather on. It’s not how I remember Shepparton in June from my youth. We were able to sit outside in the sun, the kids ran around until they were ready to drop, did some shopping at the SPC-Ardmona outlet,  got to see Helly and the boys and made it home in time for Rae to see Gia on Before The Game. All in all a perfectly relaxing way to spend a perfect Winters day.

Honestly, what have I ever done to Toll? Do they have a god I have offended? Does an unknown archenemy work for them? Twice they’ve said they tried to deliver and said no one was home, an outright lie on both occasions as I work from home. Another time I ended up going to pick up the item from them to save further hassles.

Today I was waiting for my new Android tablet to be delivered (no mum, it’s a small computer, I’m fine). In their online tracking system it showed as at the depot last night and then again this morning. By 1.30 I knew it wasn’t coming today so I called them at 1.45. It was a bit of a mystery to the person on the phone, she got my details and said she’d forward the query as to what was happening to their investigation team, who would call me back.

Hands up who isn’t surprised that I had to call them back at 3.50. I got put through to the investigation department who only then called the depot. I was on hold for a while to be told that they weren’t sure where it was. I said “so, it’s lost?” to which I got the classic reply “it’s not lost, it’s just not where it’s supposed to be.”. In short it’s at the depot somewhere. Just not on the dock, not in the delivery van and very much not in my hands where it belongs.

Yesterday was my birthday and I had one of the best birthdays in years, 2nd to my 80s do last year. This year it fell on a Saturday which meant I got to spend it with Rae.

Lucky for me Zita (Mother In Law Of The Year 10 years running now…) offered to look after the kids so my birthday started Friday afternoon, A quick goodbye to the three young ones and I was free, free! Rae was still in Sydney so I had a few hours to myself and went to the movies at The Sun. The less said about the only film that suited time-wise the better, it was a shocker but there’s still something great about getting the opportunity to go the movies.

After the movies i headed down to Williamstown where Rae and I were staying the night. I took myself off to Tai  Hong Cafe on Nelson Place for some noodles and people watching. I love sitting in windows just watching the world go by and this night proved just how old I had become. Two lovely young ladies walked by in micro dresses, dressed to kill. My first and only thought was “oh, go home and put something warm on, you must be freezing”. I think that makes me officially over the hill.

The Quest Williamston apartments were lovely, although the bed was like sleeping on a rock. I don’t think I’ve slept in a bed before that has absolutely no give. We woke up to lovely peaceful views across to the city, the gentle clanking from the boats in dock and sea birds calling. It was early so we wandered on down to Nelson Place looking for some breakfast. If you’re ever in Williamstown for breakfast we highly recommend Accents. The coffee was perfect and the breakfast was without fault. It was an amazingly mild morning for winter so we could sit outside and eavesdrop on the cyclists who had stopped for a coffee and watch one poor seagull try to protect a triangle of toast.

Then I got to do one of my most favourite things – a walk around Queen Vic market. I have no idea why I love this so much but nothing makes me as happy as strolling along the aisles of the Queen Vic, ever since I first visited their as 14 year old on holiday with mum and dad. We spent two hours meandering and apart from some pens for the kids walked away empty handed.

We finally headed home and after an unscheduled detour to the local shops Rae got to see the kids for the first time in two and a half days and I continued to be spoiled rotten with gifts and attention. The night was topped off with my favourite dinner, Rae’s home made chicken parma and a movie on the couch. It was a perfect day, Thank you Zita for taking on the kids overnight and thank you my love for making feel like the only person in the world. Mwah.

It’s street day. For the past three years I’ve taken a photo of our street on this day, so who am I to mess with tradition.

2011 – Not many visible changes this year, no new neighbours. Given how bare the street looks I really should switch to taking this photo in summer.

2010 – Every block built on, every house lived in and five changes of occupants in the past year including two new neighbours for us.

It’s getting to the stage where people have recovered from building and are now beginning to start working on the front of their houses. Still a long way to go but the street we hope to live in for a long time yet is slowly coming together.

2009 – Every house built and lived in and one remaining block is underway.

2008 – Four houses under construction and empty blocks everywhere.

Despite the fact we’re all wheezing, coughing, rasping, barking and generally unwell we bundled ourselves up and went for a drive to Hurstbridge this morning. We picked up Rae’s new bracelet and went for a stroll in the lovely early winter air.  It’s lovely in the hills this time of year, and well worth the trip.

We’ve been here two and half years now and slowly it’s beginning to feel more and more like a community. In the past week I’ve met, befriended and then made a client of the local pizza shop owner, said hi to the kid’s hairdresser in Coles, had the postie wave to me when I drove past him around the corner and had our delivery guy drop off some treats he had too many of ‘cause he knew the kids would love them.

We know a couple of the neighbours, next door is six months pregnant, and it seems every kid in prep knows Bert. With such a new development and no old timers it’s going to take a little while for the roots to grow, but it really feels like we’re getting there.

This is what I found when I went to put the breakfast on the table today.

For Mothers Day I asked Rae what she wanted. Frilly knickers (no, more Fathers Day), a book, dinner out?

She said no to everything I suggested, her wish was for a new best drill press.

So that’s what she got; a spanky new Ryobi drill. Today it’s getting its first work out.