Anthony Malloy

This morning I asked Bert what he wanted for breakfast on his birthday.

He paused for a second, smiled and said “Ladies!”

Ah, that may be a few years away yet my boy. I have no idea where he got that from. He ended up with Cheerios and a smiling dad.

I can’t believe it but Bert turns 3 today. 3 years of nothing but joy from our boy, he makes me smile everyday.

Happy birthday young man.

There are many things you have to talk about before you make the commitment to marriage. Do you have common aims and desires, what are you views on children, what do you want from life are some of the things it’s best to iron out before walking down the isle (or watching a movie in our case).

One thing you don’t talk about but probably should is books. Most importantly how you read a book.

I’ve always been of the opinion that books are to be treasured and when finished there should no evidence that you have even picked the book up, let alone read it. A row of perfect spines on the shelf makes me smile. Now, my beloved is of the opposing camp. Twisted covers, dog ears and raggedy spines are her mark of a book well read. It sends me in to conniptions to see what she does to beautiful books; we almost came to blows over her treatment of  Wicked.

For now, while I try to straighten out the pages as I read Wicked we’ve agreed to disagree (and she doesn’t get any of my books!) but what about you? Whose side of the page are you on?

I had my haircut last Saturday and as always I went to see Doug, a good old fashioned and slightly eccentric barber on Melbourne Rd in Seddon. After my cut and collecting the three lolly bags and balloons he always sends home for the young kids I pulled out the $15 it normally costs.

“No, it’s $10 now.” he says.

I asked him why he lowered his prices and his response tells you what a great guy he is.

“I think things are getting tough out there.”

Thanks Doug.

…and Bruno comes alive.

I’m sad to admit that underneath this ultra cool 6 Music loving musical exterior beats the heart of a music tragic. I was raised in a house where the musical was king, growing up a highlight of each annual two week holiday in Melbourne was the musical we would go and see in the city. Oklahoma, They’re Playing Our Song, Pirates Of Penzance – what ever was big that year we would have fantastic tickets to. Dad loved the stage and my sister now runs a drama, singing and dancing school in Shepparton so it’s no great surprise that I love a good musical. Billy Bragg be dammed, gimme a star, a chorus and an encore and I’ll love it.

All this leads to me saying Rae and I went to see Wicked last Friday night and we loved it. For a musical the songs are probably the weakest part of the whole show but when you combine the music, the book, the production, the cast and the magnificent Regent Theatre you have a fantastic experience. The tickets were gifts from Zita, and if I could afford it I’d happily go again.

The night was even better because it was just Rae and I together, no kids, and to top it off as we strolled back to the car through Federation Square we saw that Collingwood had been thumped by The Hawks. What a wonderful night indeed.

There’s a chemical spill on the Westgate Bridge, and it’s traffic chaos on the freeway.

And the Herald Sun used one of my photos on their site. Just for the record – I’m strictly an Age man.

Rae and I are in training. The room I’m looking forward to the most in our new house is the theatre room. I guess in the 80s it would have been called a rumpus room, in the 90s a retreat. Doesn’t matter what it’s called, it’s where our DVD collection and the good telly/sound system is going and it’s where you will find us most Friday nights.

To get in shape for the nights ahead we’ve been watching a few classics on. Recently there’s been The Sugarland Express, Goodfellas and last night it was Bullit. If we watch one movie a week it will take us just over 7 years to get through the collection assuming we don’t add any more. Then we go back and watch them all again with the commentaries, and then back to watch to the special features so that’s next 21 years or so of Friday nights taken care of. Talk about taking the long term view.

We had a phone call last night from our builders. Apparently there is a massive shortage of brick layers at the moment and those they do have keep on running in to problems at other sites (just how many problems can there be when it comes to laying bricks?). This means the builders are about four weeks behind so it’s on to plan B.

They are now going to reverse build the house, effectively constructing it inside out. The plasterer starts on Wednesday and with no brickies in sight we have to hope that the insulation provides enough weather protection. Of course the builders say this isn’t a problem but it still makes us nervous.

The upside is that this means lock up, and the biggest part payment, is still a while a way and that some of the post-lock up work will be completed which will save us a little. Given how lax the builders are with security though we are going to have to hope wandering gangs of youth, spray cans in hand, don’t stumble across our block.

We also had to rush through pre-wiring for out telephone and thankfully found a company who could do it in the three business days notice we were so generously given. That sh0uld be going in this morning, although if all goes to plan there will never be a phone connected and then wire will only be used for Internet access. We’ll most probably go VOIP for our home phone needs and as kids seem to be born with a mobile in their hands these days my reckoning is the land line is a thing of the past. Sort of like doing things the right way round.

It must have been the muffins…talk about a day where you achieve things – Miss Kennedy finally decides she wants to stand under her own steam! All I could hear was grizzling so I turned around. It took me a few seconds to realise that I hadn’t helped her up. We’re in so much trouble now ‘cause next step for both of them is literally the next step.