Category: Diary

I’ve been keeping this blog for over 8 years now (I know, just a spring chicken in comparison to the dedication on show by the person who inspired me to begin blogging), I started on Blogger, then I moved it to my own install of Movable Type before settling on the wonder that is WordPress. Somewhere along the way, I think it may have been the MT – WP move, all of my pictures disappeared. On the rare occasions I glance back through the archives I was always disappointed with empty spaces where photos should have been.

That is, until today.

I found an archive that contains almost all of those lost pictures. They’re now in place and the blog feels whole again.

The first picture I posted was on July 15, 2002 – an old building in Collingwood.

20 minutes lining up and no sausage sizzle. Sigh.

You’d think that living in the third safest Labour seat, fourth safest seat over all, that today wouldn’t really mean that much. The fact that we haven’t received one single piece of election material in our letter box shows just how little this seat means to the result. While I’d love to live in a seat where my vote really could make a difference the futility of casting my personal ballot doesn’t stop me from finding today incredibly exciting.

I’m not a political animal, or even a political junkie, but there’s something about election day that has me devouring the papers and booking the television the day (or sometimes days before) the election is called. I’ll be set up in the theatre room tonight with the telly glued to the ABC coverage and my laptop (okay, maybe two laptops) flicking through online coverage. I’m even considering digging out my old USB tuner to have the option of another channel screening on one of the computers.

Rae has become quite dizzy at the amount of eye rolling this obsession has caused, she’s already got her night planned and it doesn’t involve sitting with me hanging off every excited Antony Green word. Given how tight everyone expects this election to be I’m guessing she will be long asleep by the time I drag myself off to bed.

Now it’s time head off and vote, then it’s time to stock up. It’s going to be a long and interesting night.

It was hard garbage collection here again this week. Lots of piles of junk out but a quick glance shows some interesting trends. Lots of people have been replacing beds (five mattresses in our street alone!), CRT televisions are yesterday technologies (two wide screen versions put out on our block, several older 4:3 models) and CRT computer monitors are on the outer too.

Hmmmm. Last time I was in Sydney Terry Wallace resigned as coach of the Tigers. I’m off to Sydney tomorrow and it looks like Ben Cousins is going to announce his retirement.

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.