Revelations: March 2010

Anyone know whether Austar carries Fox Sports?

Last weekend involved canasta, movies and rather too much booze in the traditional Avoca fashion.

We were supposed to be attending the scuttling of HMAS Adelaide off the coast in order to create a dive site. As there were several divers in our party, it was a pretty exciting prospect. However, a last-minute legal intervention by a well-meaning but probably misguided group of protestors, er, scuttled that plan. Red wine filled the resultant gap in the schedule.

B1 got chickenpox of the most pathetic strain. No pain, no itching, no sympathy from dad.

After all this excitement, we need a break. For the long weekend M&I&Bs are heading north to picturesque Barrington Tops for a rain-affected holiday. A portable DVD player is on the shopping list in preparation.

Amazing what they can do these days...

http://en.tackfilm.se/?id=1269384824574RA93

Utterly splendid, I think its promoting the Swedish licence fee or something. Make your own.

Too much

I've had a very strange week. I've had to deal with the death of a colleague at work and the hospitalisation of my Dad, which has been rough but obviously rougher for other people so I can't pity myself. Plus, my Dad is out of hospital already which is a relief.

Obviously one finds oneself cleaving closely to immediate family in traumatic times and M and the kids have been great all week. I also take great comfort in the supposed ephemera of life that are actually very important to me; drinks with friends, books, movies and music.

Its a simple point of perspective I suppose, at which point the temptation to quote Nigel Tufnel becomes overwhelming so I'll leave it there.

Blue jumper

B1 made me laugh like a drain this morning while we were watching the football.

In order to understand my hilarity, one must first be familiar with Father Dougal's second encounter with the fearsome Sister Assumpta:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLVrNht9q_0

Our conversation went like this.

Me: "Arsenal are playing a team from Portugal. Do you remember going to Portugal?"
B1: "No"
Me: "We were with Lari and Rob"
B1: ""
Me: "We stayed in a lovely house"
B1: ""
Me: "There was a swimming pool"
B1: ""
Me: "You attached some pegs to a goal net"
B1: "Oh yeah! Portugal!"

Absolutely gorgeous.

Range Life

Busybusybusy times. In the last week I have crammed in a Pavement gig, a trip to Avoca, a dreadful music festival, get-togethers with pommie friends, get-togethers with Aussie friends, a couple of exciting Arsenal games and the usual family stuff.

So,

1) Pavement gig was amaaaazing. Only their second show in 10 years and they aced it. Lou says it was the drunkest she’s ever seen me. Which is a concern.

2) Avoca with C&V (see point 4) – canasta, beach etc.

3) The horrific festival was Future Music, at which we collectively felt extremely old, sober, and baffled by the young people's music. Why on earth would you want to stand in an overheated dustbowl with 25000 other people and watch a bloke playing somebody else's records? And when did I turn into my dad? Thankfully, the ever-reliable Franz Ferdinand provided some consolation and we got away early for dinner at Circular Quay.