The Kite Runner

I've just watched a stunning film, The Kite Runner, a story of two childhood friends in Kabul and what happens to them before, during and after the Russian invasion of Afghanistan and the rise of the Taliban. It is both beautiful and heart-wrenching, inspiring and depressing. It is a story of loyalty, betrayal and the search for redemption, and the importance of family.

I haven't read the book so didn't know anything about the story but with close friends Phil and Julie back working in Kabul have more than a passing interest in all things Afghanistan.

It is not a film for the feint hearted but it is brilliant none-the-less.

One memorable line talks about stealing:

There is only one sin, only one. And that is theft. Every other sin is a variation of theft... When you kill a man, you steal a life. You steal his wife's right to a husband, rob his children of a father. When you tell a lie, you steal someone's right to the truth. When you cheat, you steal the right to fairness.

At the Movies

Carolyn and I went to the movies tonight. We started out watching The Brave One with Jodie Foster but the violence and predictable story-line prompted us to switch and go and see Fracture instead. It was a good move as we both enjoyed it. I always enjoy a good court room drama and this one had a couple of interesting twists, with Anthony Hopkins trying to get away with murder.
It's not brilliant but it was entertaining and had me thinking a bit. The thing that intrigues me is how movie makers are able to manipulate their audience into barracking for the bad guy. In this film, the good guy becomes the bad guy and vice versa.

I spent the rest of the evening working on a painting. In fact I entered 4 paintings in the Busselton Show this morning. The show is on this weekend so perhaps I'll get a ribbon or a commendation, or maybe I'll get passed over for yet another landscape of the jetty!

Tuesday

Slept in pretty late this morning, as a direct result of staying up very late last night, as a direct result of indulging in my football addiction in the shape of watching Footy Classified, which for no good reason (other than ratings presumably) has been switched from a 10:30pm to a 1:00am time slot, and surfing around one of my favourite websites, BigFooty.com. I did at least fold 240 bundles of junk mail, comprised of 13 different pamphlets while I was watching TV and found discounted underpants on sale at Best & Less in my preferred style. I know there are all sorts of good sound ethical reasons to despise junk mail (and underpants too possibly), but slavery to the dollar counter-balances most of them, and if we don't do it someone else will. I know it's a weak argument but it's the best I've got and right now I'm trying to earn as much extra money as I can in preparation for our impending 6 week trip to Victoria and Queensland; just over a month until we set off. Along with the taxi money and maybe some window making for Dave over the next couple of weeks, the bank balance is growing nicely, which is just as well because we haven't yet settled on a means of transport home from the east coast and if we do take the quick easy option of flying we've still got to buy some tickets. My preference is still to drive, enabling us to call into Vicki and Rex's place for a visit at Wudinna, and give the boys the chance to experience the drive across the Nullabor, something everyone should do at least once I reckon. I myself have done it numerous times, the last time as recently as March, a post/pre-wedding crossing with Dad. Several crossings involved hitch-hiking in my late teens and early 20's. There is a turn-off to Whyalla, just west of Port Augusta, which is the last place you get a lift to before the big crossing really starts and I've spent more than one night camped on the side of the road there, jumping up every hour or so to stick my thumb out to a passing car or truck. It's fry pan hot through the day, and fridge cold through the night and I always felt greatly relieved when I finally got picked up from there and was on my way home, albeit home was 2-3 days away still.

I used one of my discount tickets to go to the movies for $5 at lunchtime. At that price any movie seems good value. I indulged in a dose of adrenalin pumping action adventure "violentertainment" (a Holt Press coined term Zac just in case you want to play Beat Bad Grammar Man) courtesy of Die Hard 4.
"That will be $5 thanks and your brain at the door! Please suspend belief and deposit all sense of realism in the receptacle provided as you enter."
Under those conditions few do escapism better than Bald Bruce Willis. There was plenty of computer caused chaos and wildly implausible shoot-em-upping and escapeeing on a roller coaster ride, with a few funny lines thrown in to provide the necessary comic relief amidst the death and mayhem!
Not high-brow. Not Oscar material. Not intellectually stimulating. But certainly entertaining!

Next stop Margaret River for an appointment with my therapist which was quite good. I've had a good week, low stress, no work (school), no conflict, so it made me more relaxed and at ease. We talked about anger but I stayed calm throughout.
I've got a little homework to do before next week. Nothing too heavy thankfully because homework has always been one of my weaker subjects.

Stopped at the Fish and Chip shop on the way home to get some dinner for the boys. It wasn't bad but it's always a meal of mixed emotions. Tastes good but ...!

I also called Dad on the way home. I've been wondering how his shares are holding up in light of recent dramatic events on the stock market. He was pretty calm and pragmatic about it. Yes the value is down but it only matters if you have to sell, and he doesn't, so he can afford to ride it out, the market is bouncing up and down a fair bit but should recover and improve in time.
He assured me that the inheritance was still in good shape!! I told him to feel free to start selling off the country music CD's if things got worse! (That's another story, one which will have it's last humourous act in the execution of his will whenever that day comes. Who knows, hopefully it will be so many years from now that my brain will have softened to the point of thinking Country and Western is a valid musical style!)

Just had my weekly dose of House M.D. tonight, one of my/our favourite TV shows. Predictable unpredictability and caustic brilliance from the drug addicted genius medico.

Tomorrow Carolyn and I are going up to Bunbury for the day. She wants to go to Spotlight (aaaggghhh!) I'll get some blank DVD's so I can continue the mammoth project of transferring my old video tapes onto DVD via the Hard Drive Recorder. It's a slow process but ultimately worthwhile, A. to preserve the good stuff and B. to create considerable free space on my bookshelves once I dispose of the old technology. If time permits we may go and see "Amazing Grace" the story of William Wiberforce, a Christian Hero of the 19th century responsible for bringing about the abolition of slavery.

Saturday

I had planned to give an analysis of my injection in this post but I haven't had time to do any prep or research, I've hardly stopped all day.
After between 3-4 hours sleep I had to get up to coach the soccer.
Unfortunately there was a stuff-up with the fixturing and nobody told us that our game time had been brought forward an hour!!! The opposition came, and waited, and went before we even arrived! There were some pretty disappointed kids, no doubt on both teams! We improvised with a 5-a-side scratch match and brought the parents on for the last 10 minutes to play in defence. I can see some physio visits looming!

After lunch Carolyn and Favourite Daughter went out for coffee and a chat, Jordy went to work at Red Rooster and Sport Boy and I went to the cinema to see Mr Bean's Holiday which turned out to be better than I expected. We were the only two patrons at the screening so finding a seat wasn't difficult!

We visited a garage sale on the way home and I bought some down lights which I hope might be able to be fitted to replace the fittings we have in the lounge room, which are not only unattractive but also chew up power and blow globes repeatedly.

Gavin rang me at lunchtime to see if I wanted to drive a cab again tonight so I've just spent the last 9 hours driving one of the maxi taxis around on a very busy night. There were two big parties and a home footy game and we were on the run the whole night ferrying people to and from and around their various social events. Favourite daughter rang me at about 1.00am hoping for a lift home and was surprised to realise that I was sitting in the cab at the footy club not more than 20 metres away from where she was standing at the time! I gave her and her Canadian co-worker Ian a long and convoluted lift home, having to squeeze it in around paying fares Drunkeness is in the main, an ugly state of being. I concede that there are all sorts of drunks, happy drunks, funny drunks, melancholy drunks, talkative drunks etc etc, but all of these are overwhelmed by obnoxious drunks, crude drunks, aggressive drunks, idiotic drunks, disrespectful drunks and violent drunks and I had a fair smattering of each variety in the van tonight. I confronted one group I was taking to Dunsborough, challenging them on their horrendous treatment of one girl in particular that we had just dropped off. To their credit they pulled their heads in and were pretty quiet the rest of the way home.
It was a profitable night which is the other bonus.

It's 4 o'clock now so I need to sleep which means I'll miss church in the morning. Hopefully I'll wake up in time to watch the footy, in the hope of seeing my beloved Cats be the first team to beat the Eagles this season! There's a bag of Freddos riding on the result with the soccer team, most of whom have the handicap of being West Coast supporters!

Truth be known I don't expect Geelong to win, but as ever I live in hope. I think Mum is going to the game as she and Walter left for Victoria this week for a month. The funny thing is Mum can't watch a game of football on the TV because of her nerves, she almost becomes apopleptic, but apparently doesn't suffer the same ill effects at a live game. Mind you, it must be a very long time since she went to a live AFL game!

2

Holt Press reporting in from deepest East Victoria Park, home of Phil and Julie, Pieta and Elijah, he of the wide eyes and calculated defiance! He consented to allow me to read him a story at bed time, "A New House for Mouse".

After getting everything I needed to do done at work this morning I left for Perth at 12.35 and just made it to Kelmscott in time for Grant's farewell. Hewas pleased and impressed that I'd made it. It was a good occasion with many positive affirmations and kind words said about him and his 11 years at the school. As one of the speakers remarked, it sounded a bit like a eulogy, but Grant's not dead! It is a good thing I reckon when we take the time and effort to acknowledge and affirm people and thank them for the impact they've had on our lives and this was such an occasion. A special bonus was that John and Fay Foran were there, he as the MC. John was the Anglican minister at Kelmscott for 22 years and they are close friends of my mum who used to live in Kelmscott. I haven't seen them for well over 10 years so it was good to catch up and exchange news and family updates.

I had my phone on silent during the proceedings and by the time I turned it back on I had 7 missed calls!!

One was from Broadie giving his usual lame apologies for not coming to The Breakfast Club, although he did invite me to drop in and see him for lunch or coffee tomorrow if I'm in the neighbourhood.

I made it to Phil's place in time to see the kids before they went to bed then Phil and I caught up a bit following his most recent trip to Afghanistan. He does development work so we operate in different worlds.

At 9.00 we ventured out to the movies and saw a very good new Australian film called "Noise". It's pretty heavy, dealing with the aftermath of a massacre on a suburban train in Melbourne and is very well acted and made.

We were both amazed at the amount of nightlife happening in Northbridge for a Wednesday night and stopped in for a kebab on the way home. It was quite tasty but I made a mess of it, spilling sour cream and tomato all over the place.

I spoke to Jordan earlier and it sounds like the house is still standing in my absence.

Sport Boy is staying with friends from church for the night. Sophie was at work when I rang. She's been in bed with a cold most of the day so I'm impressed that she got herself to work, although from a hygiene perspective perhaps....

I have a number of small jobs and things to attend to tomorrow before collecting Carolyn from the airport and high-tailing it for Busselton, hoping that I might make it back in time for my volleyball game. Not a strong likelihood I'll get there for the start but hopefully I'll get some court time.

It will be good to have Carolyn home again, I hope she's had a good rest and feels refreshed.

A Little Bit of This and a Little Bit of That.

While Carolyn and Sophie set off to spend the day in Margaret River to celebrate Sophie's birthday, she turns 18 tomorrow, I went back to the doctor's to talk about my progress. He was encouraged and mostly satisfied although has not dismissed the possibility that I have depression. I'm feeling better with each passing day and more optimistic and enthused than I have for a long time. I did ask him about testosterone replacement therapy which Harvey (the resident family pain specialist!) had told me about while I was in Adelaide. The Dr had heard of it and was open to the possibility of trying it based on a blood test, so I was despatched next door for said blood test, which was carried out in about 60 seconds with zero pain. I'll get the results next week.

I dropped into the office to check my emails and send off a couple of important ones. I should be back at work next week so other stuff can wait till then.

I then went to the midday screening of the new movie, Babel, which you may recall was nominated for Best Picture in the recent Oscars. It is a very powerful and harrowing film centreing around a Moroccan family who purchase a rifle which is subsequently used to accidently shoot an American tourist. The stories of a Mexican housekeeper and a Japanese schoolgirl are then caught up in the strange web of violence and pain and heartache. It is not an easy film to watch but I'd still highly recommend it, one of the best films I've seen in quite a while.

Picked up the boys from school and delivered them to squash. They are both very enthused about playing squash at the moment which is good.

I dropped round to see my mate Dave at the glass factory to get a couple of pieces cut that I need. We got talking about his business and the difficulty he's been having finding staff. He's got plenty of work but not enough staff to get it done. I offered to give him a hand if would be useful and he jumped at the suggestion so I'll do a few days with him in my "spare time" to help him with a big job he's got coming up.
I bought a big canvas at a great price from Makro. I had to resist the urge not to buy more, not because I didn't want them or that they weren't good value, but because I'd told Carolyn not to spend any money because the credit card has reached it's limit!! I transferred some money to pay it off today but that probably won't clear for a day or two.

I sorted through the various frames and wood for painting on at home and then used my new power saw and Triton work bench to cut and trim them to size. I could grow to enjoy the feeling of using power tools!! My mate Birchy will smile if he reads this! AAAAGGGGHH!!

Then it was off to drive the taxi. I was in the Maxi tonight, the 14 seat mini bus, which always brings with it a different experience! As usual there were the usual groups of part and pub goers heading out early in the night, and the same groups returning home several hours later and considerably worse for wear. I took one group home to Dunsborough and Yallingup and by the time I'd finished dropping the last one off the fare had risen to $82.90! After a slow start it was a pretty good night in the end which is good news because I'm planning to take Sophie and the family out for lunch tomorrow to celebrate her 18th birthday and the extra cash means we can spoil her a little and go somewhere really nice.

I had an SMS tonight from my good mate Phil asking me to look after a couple of things in the event of his death. Considering he was at the airport awaiting his flight to Afghanistan at the time it's not such a far-fetched request!!! I promised to take care of his requests, but obviously urged him to take the utmost care and do all he could to return home safely. What different lives we all lead. I'm enjoying the safety and serenity of life in Busselton, he's heading off to Kabul for two months, one of the more dangerous locations on the planet. I need to pray for him, and for Julie and their two lovely kids Pieta and Elijah.

Well, it's 4am and the effects of the Vanilla Diet Coke should start wearing off soon and I can get some sleep.
Tomorrow is a big day for my beautiful daughter and I want to be as fresh as possible for it. I'll post some pictures tomorrow.

Tuesday

It's late.

Sport Boy has only just settled down and gone back to sleep after a couple of hours of pain and discomfort with a tummy ache. Sophie comforted him for quite a while and he eventually succumbed to the sandman.

Sophie drove me to Dunsborough today for my Dr's appointment. The Doc spent extra time with me, had good insights, made some good suggestions and referred me to a good counselor.
He's of the opinion that I don't need medication. I'd thought the same. Got stuff to work on, alone and together.

After the Dr. we went for a drive to visit a couple of galleries and saw some great art work before headinh home. Sophie's driving is getting better all the time. I'm not sure she's ready to pass her test yet but she's getting closer. It's her 18th birthday on Saturday. Wow!

Carolyn and I went to a movie, Tuesday night being cheap night. We both enjoyed the film, "Music and Lyrics" (Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore). It was pop and nonsense but well written and acted and a feel good film.

I spent the rest of the night adding countless layers and colours to a painting I've been working on, trying to get it "right". Not as easy as it sounds, or than I anticipated. It's close, but probably not quite there yet.

Stu is taking me out for breakfast in the morning so I'd better get some sleep before then!

I was going to bed but then...

I was just going to blog for a minute before bed but discovered The Heir on Skype asking questions and needing me to fax him things.
I've found what he needs and will send them tomorrow.
A mate posted a message about Skype that will definitely interest any of you who are Skype users. Here it is:

[9:41:47 AM] Phil Sparrow says: Dear all. Just to let you know: Skype can detect that you have unused bandwidth on your computer, and, being a P2P program, start using your computer as a 'Super-node'. This just happened to us. Hundred's of MB of data started being routed through our account, rapidly exceeding our quotas. The solution is to go to Skype/ Tools/ Option/ Connection, and uncheck the 'use port 80 and 443'. Skype is still a great program, but super-noding is a great hassle. Google 'Skype bandwidth use' if you want more info.

Sneaky little rats!!

Went to Bunbury with Sophie this afternoon, she drove, so I could check out FoodBank, a food distribution service which we're going to utilise for The Big Brekky this year. We hung around Bunbury, shopping etc until 9 when we went to the movies to see Blood Diamond. It was very violent and pretty heavy but also an excellent film on a serious subject.

Started the day at the physio whose diagnosis of the continued swelling and pain in my ankle (injured in September) is due to a hairline fracture, and that I need to get my foot put back in a cast for two weeks!! That's a nuisance but hopefully if he's right it will mean it will properly heal and I'll regain mobility without pain, and be able to resume playing sport.
So I'm off to see the Dr in the morning and I'll be back on crutches for two weeks!!

The Kids Have Returned

While I've been back at work for a couple of days, the real start of school was today, with 1000 odd students arriving at Busso High School to begin the new school year. That's not fair really, they're not all odd, just the year 9's mainly. I'm really hoping that the particular group of girls who buzz back and past my office every recess and lunchtime acting out their own version of Home and Away will grow up soon and leave the gossipy/bitchy soap opera behaviour behind! Mind you, by recess today the signs were not good!
More prayer required!
I continued the cleaning up/sorting out/decorating process today in my office, hanging a few paintings and photos, sorting out toys and puzzles, disposing of rubbish and creating a useable space. The new air con is sensational, worth every cent.

Tonight was beach volleyball with Carolyn making her comeback after returning from Melbourne. She did well but we still lost to the boys from The Goose who are all ex-school kids who played volleyball at Country Week and won the A Grade! Sport Boy seemed to be stuck in 2nd gear tonight in his ball boy duties and didn't even hang around for the third game to maximise his earnings, the first day back at school must have tired him out!

I went to see Deja Vu tonight.

I went to see Deja Vu tonight.

Sorry, I couldn't resist that; you could probably see it coming!

It was OK except for a dodgy ending which didn't remain true to the plot line in my opinion, Jordan disagreed when I told him what I thought later, trying to convince me with the sort of argument that might cut it with a 15 year old boy but was not good enough for me.

I also hung a stained glass window in the patio that we bought at a garage sale on the weekend, it looks good and will catch the afternoon sun nicely. I also repaired and hung a mobile wind chime I made out of old silver forks a while back. I'm not much use in the garden but I can add a few artistic touches to the decor!