Christmas Eve Eve

I love the holidays!

Knowing you can relax, that you don't have to go to work in the morning, that you're free to do what you want for days on end, that's a great feeling.

Having said that, I drove the taxi both Friday night and last night and will be in it again on Christmas Eve, but that is work I choose to do to earn a bit of extra money, and most of the time it's fun. The new laws about drinking alcohol in public mean we have to enforce the no booze in the cab rule a lot more strictly but most people accept it without a hassle. Some of them scull the rest of their drink before they get in which I don't advocate! We have a new GPS based computerised system in the cars now which 95% of the time makes our job much easier and considerably more pleasant. There are a few bugs we're all trying to iron out as we get used to it but it's a vast improvement on the old system.

This afternoon I did a shift in the gallery which was typically quiet until the last ten minutes when there was a flurry of last minute purchases, Christmas shopping with class! I worked on a painting all afternoon while listening to the ABC's Grandstand Wrap, with one more recap of Geelong's wonderful season the personal highlight but I also discovered that a yacht from Busselton is entering this year's Sydney-Hobart Yact Race, a first for the Geographe Bay Sailing Club. In honour of the ABC and for the benefit of Cam, and any other fans, I'm posting this picture of myself with ABC commentator Gerrard Whately, taken at an O.B. in Geelong a couple of days before the Grand Final.


Fashion Boy returned home this morning for the Christmas break from the work on the harvest. He'll be here for 5 days, although already tonight he's gone to stay at a mate's place in Dunsborough. Favourite Daughter and The Heir have also gone to Dunsborough for a party so Mrs Holt Press, Sport Boy and I took advantage of the reduced numbers (and noise) to go and get some chocolate mousses from the 24 hour garage and spent an hour driving around Busselton looking at Christmas lights. Tiredness and a sprained ankle (the result of a bad landing while going for a rebound while shooting hoops) finally wore SB out and we got some respite from his constant chatter and questions! Kids are always 20% cuter when they're asleep!

We're having our own family Christmas tomorrow because The Heir has to work on Christmas Day. After the exchange of gifts (kept to a minimum this year as a protest against the increasing over-commercialisation of Christmas) I'll crank up the Barbie and prepare a feast of prawns and marinated chicken and other goodies. Our BIG traditional Christmas Dinner with the extended family will be at Bridgetown on Saturday night when the Perth-based family members can get away for the weekend.

As Sport Boy said in the car as we appreciated another wonderful light display in someone's front yard, "I love Christmas". Christmas that is kept simple, free of needless extravagance, with an emphasis on family and time spent thanking God for the original and best Christmas present that is.

We're All Going on a Summer Holiday

No more school for 6 weeks, yeehaa!

I spent the last few hours of the working year cleaning up and disposing of piles of rubbish and recycling. By the end, my office looked twice as large and 4 times more useable!
The sad part of the last day was the large number of teachers who are leaving/moving on! Not only was there a large quantity, but they were high quality too! Half the Country Week coaches have gone! Most significant of all is Duth (John Duthie) a legend at Busso and one of the nicest blokes you could ever meet who is taking 12 months off, which we all fear will be the prelude to retirement! I will miss him.

I've just gotten home from my cab shift which went well, the new system is great (so long as everyone uses it correctly!)

Tomorrow I'm going to Mandurah for a Beach Mission meeting, with a stop in Bunbury on the way to deliver a gift to the lady who gave me her Grand Final ticket.
Tomorrow night is one of the highlights of the Holt Press social calendar, it's the CFFL Winner's Dinner, where we honour the premiership coach in our fantasy football league, and get together to reminisce and talk footy one last time for the year. It's always a good night. This year we're having a BBQ at Letchy's and gathering around his fire-pit. I can't wait.

One Day to Go

One more day!

The kids broke up today.

The staff finish tomorrow!

Hallelujah!

I know I had long service in third term so have already had an extended holiday this year but I'm tired and really looking forward to the break. Hopefully it will help recharge my batteries and see me start the new year fresh and fired up. I need to put in a better effort at work and to feel I am making a more consistent contribution.

I went and watched Sport Boy's basketball game this afternoon and he played well in a 24-20 win over his friend Sam's team. They enjoyed playing against one another and he couldn't stop grinning at the end cause the other team had been saying how much they were going to win by before the game!

The house is quiet tonight. Fashion Boy is sleeping over at a friend's place in Dunsborough. He's about to leave on Sunday to go and work on the harvest for Ozzie, a friend of ours from church, so wanted to have some time with his friends before he goes away. The job on the harvest is going to be hard yakka, I'm not sure how he'll handle it but hopefully he'll knuckle down and get the hang of working hard. He stands to earn plenty of money of he does.

Favourite Daughter is away at an SU Camp on the holy mile and despite being a bit out of her comfort zone seems to be having fun. She's not working at the moment so hopefully this will inspire and motivate her to get out and find another job.

Mrs Holt Press has also got a new job, starting in January working in reception at one of the resorts between Busselton and Dunsborough.
With this about to happen we have officially given notice on the junk mail rounds, and will not be the slightest bit sad to say farewell to it!

Departure Day

We are nearly packed and ready to leave for the airport. In a few hours we'll take off for Perth after nearly 6 weeks on the road.
We've been to Melbourne, Geelong, Gympie, the Gold Coast, Leongatha, Doreen, Mansfield, Mt Buller, Shepparton, Mildura and finally Adelaide.
We've been to an AFL preliminary Final, the Grand Final, Movie World, Wet and Wild World, AFL World, and a succession of "Relly Worlds" as we visited aunts, uncles, parents, grandparents, cousins and friends in 4 different states.
We've flown in planes, driven borrowed and hired cars, taken a ferry across the heads of Port Phillip Bay, ridden on buses and trains and walked plenty of KM over the last month and a half.
It's been a great trip, one of the best holidays I can remember and a satisfying way to use the second half of my long service leave.
Returning home will be good but returning to work for me, and to school for the kids, will be a shock to the system. I have two BIG projects to organise and execute as soon as I get back to work so I'll need to hit the ground running if I'm going to get them done on time.

I've had a great time but there's no competition as to what the highlight of the trip has been.
Seeing my beloved football team Geelong finally break their 44 year premiership drought and win the Grand Final at the MCG will live with me forever as one of the greatest days of my life.
I've waited my whole life to see it and can now die happy!!

Carolyn and the kids have had a great time too but I sense they are keen to return home to their own beds. They'll sleep in them tonight.
I have another few days to wait for that particular pleasure because when I get back to Perth I'll be going straight up to New Norcia for a chaplains retreat until Friday.
I always enjoy the retreats but I'm not sure if any of my close friends in chaplaincy will be there this time. I'll have to wait and see. Whether they are or not I'm sure it will be a good time of rest and reflection within the Benedictine community and amongst my colleagues.

I'm grateful to all the family and friends who have hosted us over the last 6 weeks, it's been great to see so many people and get to spend some time with them.

I know Favourite Daughter is hanging out for us to get home, she's been a bit lonely without her family around. And the next big event on the horizon will be the return of The Heir after nearly two years away in Tasmania and the UK. It will be special to have the whole family together again for the first time in a couple of years and to have a family Christmas back in Busselton and Bridgetown.

Blogging opportunities in New Norcia will be very limited so this will probably be my last post for a few days.

Bon Voyage

The Rising Sun Inn

We had a fantastic meal tonight at The Rising Sun Inn, the restaurant where Carolyn's brother Ray is head chef. It was the boy's first experience of fine dining and they were suitably impressed. Fashion Boy had kangaroo, Carolyn had Salmon and I had chicken and we were all very impressed but the piece d'resistance came at dessert time; there was chocoalte pie and raspbaerry panacotta and Bailey's ice cream and much savouring and satisfaction!
The extra bonus was that Ray was able to come out and join us for most of the time we were there. It was the first time the boys have met him and vice-versa and provided a really good finishing note to our holiday.

And so this is our last sleep before heading home tomorrow. We've had a great time, been to lots of fun places, visited many family and friends and enjoyed many good days and activities, been to 4 states, spent a day at the snow and saw geelong win a premiership. It doesn't get any better than that!

Now we're homeward bound.

Adelaide

Our holiday is winding down, one more sleep before we fly home.
It's a bit of a veg-out day in suburban Adelaide. Sport Boy is eating ice cream, I'm blogging and Carolyn has taken Fashion Boy to get his ear pierced. I offered to do it for him but his mother insists on things like hygiene and safe practice! A block of ice and a large needle did the trick for me when I was in year 11!

We went into town yesterday and Vicki, one of the world's great shoppers, took Carolyn on an expedition round Adelaide while I renewed acquaintences with one of the coolest shops in the universe, Raw Space. This time I resisted the urge to buy aything, though as I confided to my sister later, I could spend thousands there! The restrictions of suitcases and bank balances had a sobering effect on me and I just contented myslf with browsing. No Airzookas to liven up family weddings this time!

We went out for dinner at The Hampstead last ight where I enjoyed a very nice filet mignon.
Tonight will be another culinary treat, we're going for dinner at the restaurant where Carolyn's brother Ray is the head chef. Woohoo!

Adelaide

We arrived safely in the South Australian capital about 7.00 o'clock last night, which was actually only 6.30 because having crossed the border we were given the free gift of an extra half an hour to add to our lives.
We used it watching Thank God You're Here which seems vaguely appropriate, and awaiting the arrival of Vicki and Rex, who had some unforseen delays mainly due to Rex leaving home without his American Express Card, and the wallet he keeps it in!

We did have one minor emergency on the way involving Sport Boy, his urgent need to go to the toilet, not for number ones!, and the fact we were 33km from Waikerie when this occurred. It was an anxious and painful wait before we finally made it to the sanctity of a dunny at the Waikerie Bakery. There's a song in this, or at the very least a limerick but time does not permit me to compose it now.
We've got a hire car to return.

On the Road Again

Some of our wonderful hosts and hostesses on the trip:

Auntie Merle in Shepparton, my Dad's sister.

Auntie Ev (my Mum's sister) and Uncle Ken in Leongatha.

Dad, Grampa Peter, who we stayed with in Gympie.

We'll be leaving Mildura in an hour or so for our last stop before home, Adelaide, capital of South Australia. We've had a lovely stay with Julie and have really enjoyed the river town of Mildura.

It's been relaxing, the weather perfect and there's been a good mix of activities, hanging out and catching up.

Ahead of us is a 5 hour drive then a rendezvouz with Vicki and Rex at their unit in Adelaide.

We fly home on Wed 10th.

We've had a great trip and it's sad that it's nearly over but on the bright side, Favourite Daughter says she is missing us terribly and it will be good to see her and be home in our own home. And as Sport Boy just said, The Heir will be home in two weeks as well from his long trip overseas.

Flinders Peak

From the summit of the You Yangs. I know the picture suggests otherwise but we had a really good day!! Believe me!

Mt Buller, Shepparton, Yarrawonga and Nathalia

We found snow. Sort of. It was cold and white and wet but it was more like ice than snow, but that didn't matter, especially not to Sport Boy who later descibed it as the best day of his life! Imagine if there'd been fresh falls of powdery snow instead of months old and rapidly melting pack ice!! I hired a plastic toboggan from the Merrijig Motor Inn and the boys spent a couple of hours sliding down the hill on it then clambering back up again. They both took a few spills but eventually got the hang of it and could get all the way to the bottom without mishap.
It was good fun and we all had a good day except when a couple of unfriendly ladies had a real go at Fashion Boy for using their toboggan, which had been lying unused on the snow for some time. Sport Boy was soaking wet by the time we left and the legs of my trousers were pretty wet so the dry warm car and a change of clothes were welcome.

We arrived at Shepparton by about 7.30 and managed to find Auntie Merle's place at about the third attempt. She was glad to see us and to meet the kids and we had a lovely couple of days there. She made a fuss of Sport Boy who lapped up the attention but he was polite and well behaved which won him some points. Fashion Boy was just glad to find a computer he could use and managed to sort out the problems associated with buying his ticket to the State of Chaos concert, his birthday present.

On Wednesday we took a drive to Nathalia, the small town about 35km from Shepparton where my Nanny used to live. "Nanny 'falia"(Little kid speak for Nathalia) as we always knew her died 30 years ago but I still have vivid memories of our trips to stay with her during school holidays when we were kids. Auntie Merle and the Gallagher cousins lived next door so our visits were always full of fun and adventures.
I knocked on the door of Nanny's old house and was delighted to be invited in, whereupon I found Norma who has lived there with her husband for over 20 years and knows Merle. She was happy for us to come in and allowed me to show Carolyn and the kids around the house that held so many special memories from my childhood. It had changed a little due to some renovations and alterations, but was still essentially the same house I knew and loved.
(Pictures will follow.)

We visited the cemetery where Nan is buried, the first time I've been to her gravesite. She was a wonderful Nan whom I loved very much and it was both special and sad to go to her grave.

From there we drove on up to Yarrawonga to visit Gary's Mum Jan who retired there with Allan many years ago. Allan died three years ago but Jan has picked herself up and is making the most of her life. her family are often there, as they were when we arrived, Joanne and Colin having come up for the school holidays. Carolyn had never met Jan before but they hit it off and we enjoyed a lovely visit, albeit a brief one as we had to head back to Shepparton where Merle had a yummy roast meal waiting for us for dinner. It got the seal of approval from both boys, quite an achievement!!!

Geelong

We arrived in Melbourne ok, got a car and drove to Geelong, found the Caravan Park and settled in to a very nice chalet, getting to bed about 2.00am.

Not much has gone right today though.

I discovered to my horror that yesterday was the only day to register for the Grand Final ticket ballot and I missed it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Disaster!!!!!!!!

There was only a limited chance of getting aticket via the ballot, but not being in it means no chance at all!!!

I'm not giving up (should Geelong make it) but it may mean trying to buy one from a scalper or some other source!!!

I'm determined to be there if at all possible!

Meanwhile the Ticketmaster debacle took a bizarre twist when I discovered that my "aborted" order yesterday morning was actually successful!
So, instead of 3 tickets to the preliminary final I now have 6!!!!!!
At least the three of us will be able to sit together but it leaves me with three extra tickets to dispose of.
Hopefully I'll find some fans still looking for tickets at the ground.

I was pretty stressed out by all this making things tense in the Holt Press world.
The stress leves rose higher when we tried to return the hire car and couldn't find the place to drop it off as the address was wrong on the form and the peak hour traffic was making driving difficult.
So, we still have the car and will have to drop it off first thing in the morning and hope we don't get penalised.

Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day, and especially tomorrow night will give great cause for celebration.

Cars and Caravan Parks

I spent a disappointing day looking around for a way to fit an extra seat belt in Mum and Walter's camper van. I found a seat belt ok but the problem is not having suitable anchor points to fit it. I could see the problem leading to big dollars even if we found a way and a place to get it done.
So, back to the drawing board for a vehicle to get around Victoria for a few weeks when we come back from Queensland. Buying a cheap car is an option but getting something that will do the job at an affordable price may be difficult.
Hiring is an option but a bit more expensive.
I've been having second thoughts about driving any car we might buy home to WA, partly because of the "risk" and partly because my sister Vicki said she and Rex would happily come down to Adelaide to see us if we go that far.
We hope to visit my Auntie Merle in Shepparton and my step-mum Julie in Mildura before going to Adelaide, all in the week after the Grand Final.

I also went to check on our booking at a caravan park for when we come back from Queensland on the 19th, only to find that the CP had no record of our booking, or of the $100 deposit I paid! They took the booking while I was there, but upon further checks when I got home to the Armstrongs, it turns out I had booked, and paid, at a different caravan park just up the road!!
Tomorrow I'll have to go back and try and sort it out, although Russell tells me the one I found today is in a better location so we may stick with it if I can get a refund from the first one! If you're confused don't worry, so was I!

D-Day

We're off!

Next stop Perth, then Brisbane and Gympie for Carolyn and the boys (Fashion and Sport).

Melbourne for me tomorrow morning.

Gonna be great.

Carn the Cats!!!

D-Day minus 1

One more day until we depart for our holiday. Still got some packing and prep to do but Carolyn and the boys don't have to be at the airport until 10 tomorrow night so we've got enough time to get everything done tomorrow. I opted out of the meeting in Perth tonight which freed up a lot of time and eased the pressure significantly, so much so that I was able to get the bedroom painted.
Cream on 3 walls and a blue feature wall, it looks good although mysteriously the paint hasn't masked the polyfilla underneath which we used to fill in the holes and chips, I don't know why, it usually works fine. I'll give the blue another coat in the morning and hope that that fixes it.
Then we'll move the bed and furniture back in in preparation for the girls when they come to house-sit.

I drove the cab for a couple of hours this morning, my last shift before going away, last chance to add to the bank balance, which is looking very healthy I must say.

The good news on the fantasy footy front is that I won both my Grand Finals in the Dream Team comp on the AFL website!
The bad news is that Matthew Egan has a broken foot and will miss the finals for Geelong after being a star player all season.
I bought my ticket today for the Geelong v Kangaroos Qualifying Final at the MCG on Sunday, I can't wait.

The Holidays Have Begun

The Holidays have begun, starting with Easter this weekend, then the two week term break. One of the best things about working in a school is the regular cycle of work and "holidays". I am still at work during the three term breaks but obviously with the schools closed, the nature of my duties changes significantly and there is plenty of scope to use my time creatively.
We're going to Bridgetown tomorrow for a few days.
Then I'm working for a mate in his glass factory helping makes frames and windows for a few days to help him out of a bind, he's got plebty of work but not enough workers so I offered to give him a hand.
I've got 4 doctor's appointments in Bunbury for a series of cortizone treatments on my still injured left ankle. I really hope it can improve enough to allow me to play volleyball again in a few weeks time.
At the end of the second week there's a three day chaplains retreat at Fairbridge. I'm rooming with Birchy and Cam and I think we're all looking forward to hanging out, and playing plenty of sport in between teaching sessions and prayer times.
And just in case there is a moment of spare time in the next fortnight, Sophie and I are going to paint her bedroom.
Throw in a couple of taxi shifts and by the time school restarts I'll be looking forward to going back to work so I can have a break!!!
Keeping busy and having plenty to do suits me fine, I get bored and fall asleep if I haven't got a task or a job to work on!

The taxi shift went well tonight, I drove one of the maxis and was kept pretty busy with a constant stream of customers. I pulled the cab over and warned one bloke that he'd be walking if he didn't quieten down and discontinue the swearing and obscenities. Drunkenness is no excuse for the sort of filth he was spewing out. The cab was full of girls for whom he had no regard nor respect. He did quieten down significantly, with on-going reprimands from the rest of the group. A couple of the girls thanked me when they got out for my having said something to him about his behaviour.
Apart from that the customers were well behaved and a pleasure to drive.