9 Days to Go

The Grand Final was a draw! A very tense and exciting draw. 

I'm all for it being replayed. Two Grand Finals are better than one after all!

Best of all, 1000s more real footy fans and members will get the chance to go to the game instead of all the corporate/business/sponsors and people who could afford to pay a couple of thousand dollars for package deals etc. This is a victory for the ordinary everyday footy fan who usually misses out.

Chris came from Esperance for the weekend so we could watch the game and barrack for the Saints together.

We joined the crowd at the Esplanade pub and loved the game and the atmosphere.

Mind you we had to put signs up at the massive garage sale we've been running all weekend: "Closed until after the Grand Final, Carn the Saints"

We've sold heaps of stuff and made over $1000! woohoo!

The Heir came down for the weekend too and brought Spike as far as Bunbury where he's been playing at Sportsfest. We picked him (Spike) up tonight and we went out for dinner at the Thai restaurant, very nice.

Sport Boy left for Country Week in Perth this afternoon and Favourite Daughter had to work tonight so we weren't all there.

We'll have a final family dinner on the 5th when I take Mrs Holt Press and Sport Boy up to the airport for their flight to Melbourne. It is just over a week till we move and we have a LOT of work still to do to be ready. The movers will be here this Friday to pick up the furniture!

I've done my last bus run and taxi shift so this week will be devoted to packing and preparing for departure.

I'm having an art sale and auction next weekend at the Esplanade, hoping to sell lots of my pictures. We can't take them all with us and I don't want to leave them in the shed so I'd rather sell them or give them to friends and have them be appreciated rather than collecting dust.

In other move-related news, we have found tenants to rent our house: both of us felt very positive about a lady called Angela who came to look at the house on Friday. Her referees checked out and they can move in as soon as we move out which is really helpful as well.

Everything is falling into place very nicely as we draw closer to the biggest move we've ever made as a family.

In non-move related news, we won the A Grade Volleyball Grand Final on Thursday night. I had a pretty good game in a very close and exciting contest though my back was very sore and by the end of the game was moving very stiffly. It was nice to conclude  my volleyball career in Busselton with a premiership.

A HUGE Weekend

First order of business: Friday night's football.

Turns out the Mapies were the "omenous" ones!

Collingwood blitzed Geelong with intense unrelenting pressure and the Cats had no answer.

Like all discerning footy fans I hate Collingwood but I can acknowledge how well they played and how much they deserved to win. The Cats have been up for a long time and got some sweet rewards for their time at the top but all good things come to an end some time and Friday night was the end for my beloved Cats.

My only hope is that StKilda can do what we couldn't and knock off the Magpies to win the premiership.

Carn the Saints!

My sadness about the Cats was short-lived because on Saturday morning I got one of the best prizes I've ever had. Cornerstone won the Cup Final!

It was absolutely fabulous.

Readers will remember that Sport Boy's soccer team, the Cornerstone Giants, won through to the Knock-out Cup Final of the LNJSA 13's Premier League with victories over GMAS in the first round and Dunsborough in the semi-final. We were up against the Busselton Redbacks who won the league title, going through the season undefeated and with a goal difference of +37 (ie. they score 37 more goals than they conceded!). They beat us both times we played them. We finished 5th on the ladder at the end of the season. No-one expected us to win, in fact no-one even really gave us a chance, but I had a plan!

The game was at Margaret River at 9.00 o'clock Saturday morning.

We had a scare the night before. Sport Boy and I went to the Esplanade with Pop for dinner and to watch the footy  because our TV gets very poor GWN reception and we wanted to have a decent picture to watch the game. (By half time with the result clear we decided  we could put up with a lousy picture to match the lousy result and went home to watch the second half). Before that Sport Boy was still hungry so we got him a bowl of wedges. He happily munched away on them until a look of doom suddenly appeared on his face as he remembered that wedges contain gluten (in the flour & spice coating they're cooked in). Sport Boy is gluten intolerant and eating it can make him sick for days!

I hadn't realised either and we were both worried that he would get sick and not be able to play soccer in the morning. I rang Mrs Holt Press to tell her what had happened: "Hi. Don't get mad. Just help us know what to do..." She was pretty confident that he would be able to handle the relatively small amount of gluten and that it wouldn't have an immediate effect so he should be right for the game. I felt reassured as did Sport Boy. I prayed with him when we got home and apart from the footy result the night worked out pretty well.

Come Saturday morning he was showing no ill effects and we set off for Margaret River. Mrs Holt Press had decided not to come so she could go up to Perth with Pop and Greenie and be sure of getting to the wedding on time.

When I pulled up at the soccer ground a bloke pointed out that I had a flat tyre! I'm glad he spotted it cause if I hadn't noticed it it would have caused a major drama and time delay in me getting away after the game. I rang Graeme and he and a group of the soccer Dads came and fixed it while I went and got the team ready for the game.

I had put a lot of thought into our tactics for the game. I knew that if we just went and played our normal game we would lose. To have any chance of winning we needed a different strategy and a changed line-up.

The key was to strengthen our defence and make it harder for Redbacks to score then try and score on a breakaway or from a free kick. With this as my plan I lined the kids up in an unorthodox 4,2,2,2 formation, creating in effect a 6 man defense, 2 in midfield and 2 forwards. I brought Ben C  back to partner Jozeph in defence and Sport Boy back from his usual striker position to partner Josh just in front of the back 4. 

I hoped that by clogging up the defence we could stifle Busselton's attacks and then send long balls to our forwards to try and score on the rebound. I figured that if we were to win it would be by 1-0.

It worked perfectly! In fact it worked so well it was even better than I'd hoped. Not only did the defenders stop Redbacks from scoring or even creating many chances, but our midfield were inspired and continually cut through their defense with great passing to feed our forwards so that in the end we had a lot more chances than Busselton. Every kid in the team played well, they were great and because of how well they were playing their confidence grew and the opposition began to struggle. We had more scoring chances and looked more dangerous and on the odd occasion when Busselton did penetrate, Ben A in goal made great saves and clearances to further deny them. It was 0-0 at half time and I told the kids the game was there for the taking: if they kept playing that well the goal would come. Sport Boy was playing brilliantly, beating Chris M, not only the best player for Redbacks but the best player in the league, in a couple of one-on-one situations. Jozeph was inspired and time and again he raced back to beat his man and win the ball before sending it forward again.

The ref did a great job, paying every free kick that occurred (something that usually didn't happen throughout the season!) and 80% of them were to Cornerstone. Several of them were in potential scoring positions but we hadn't been able to capitalise until finally, at the 15 minute mark of the second half we got a free kick about 5 metres outside the penalty area. 

This was our moment!

We had practised and prepared for just such a situation. This was our chance.

Redbacks had 2-3 really big kids, way taller than anyone in our team, in fact our fleet of forwards and midfielders, Josh, Callum, Jacob and Paul looked like mosquitoes buzzing around the feet of dinosaurs at times. The Redbacks wall was filled with these big kids, a smart move by them.

Ben C had the responsibility to take the kick.

He lined it up, stepped up to the ball and struck the sweetest free-kick you could ever hope to see, chipping it over the wall and the out-stretched arms of the goalie and into the roof of the net!

It was sublime, perfect, magnificent and stunning.

As we erupted in cheers on the sidelines the whole team mobbed Ben and danced and celeabrated his goal and our 1-0 lead. I picked Graeme up in a bear hug and we danced for joy on the sideline.

Cornerstone Giants: Cup Winners 2010
Jemma, Georgia, Jozeph, Jacb, Graeme, Jack, Morgan, Josh, Ben C, Me, Callum, Tim
Sport Boy, Georgie, Jarrad, Ben A

 

Then came the most nerve-wracking final 10 minutes imaginable! Busselton responded as a good team should and redoubled their efforts to score but time and again they were unable to get through as the defence thwarted them with heroic determination. A couple of timely substitutions helped steady the team and as the minutes ticked down I hoped they could hold on for a famous victory.

Then the ref blew the final whistle and there was pandemonium! The kids rushed together to jump and hug and dance and cheer in celebration. Graeme, Neil the club president and I had our own hug and dance then I ran onto the field to embrace every one of our players. They had all played fantastically well, every one of them played their part and made a vital contribution to the team's success. I was overcome with emotion and pride. I looked for Sport Boy and saw him surrounded by kids from Margaret River who were hugging him and buffeting him in celebration: the kids from MR really love him and they were as happy for him in victory as if  they had won the cup themselves. 

The Redbacks players were understandably subdued, stunned really but they were gracious in defeat and after the three cheers I spoke to them and commiserated with them, we had lost the cup final the year before, but congratulated them on a fantastic season and their success in winning the league. Mark their coach is a really good bloke and he spoke glowingly about how we had played and that we had deserved to win.

Then it was over to the parents and supporters on the sideline to continue our celebrations.

I had very little time as I needed to leave for Perth and Aimee and Luke's wedding but I did have time to speak to the kids and our supporters and congratulate them on their superb performance and wonderful achievement. I hugged a few more kids and shed plenty of tears and thanked everyone for their efforts and their support.

As it was my last game as coach after 6 years with this group of kids and I wasn't able to stay for the trophy presentation or the club wind-up back at Busselton, Ben A the captain presented me with a lovely gift bag on behalf of the team and Neil gave me a framed award thanking me for my years of service to the club and the team. Graeme's family is moving to Perth at the end of the year and with our departure for Victoria it was Ben C and Sport Boy's last games for Cornerstone too so it was an absolutely perfect way to finish the season and our time at Cornerstone. I had plenty of hugs and handshakes and a few more tears before jumping in the car and heading for the wedding, leaving Sport Boy to enjoy their triumph in the company of his teammates and friends.

Later in the day, in between the wedding and the reception, Graeme set up a "link via sattelite" (holding his phone up to the microphone) so that I could speak to the audience at the club wind-up back in Busselton and acknowledge the kid's achievements once again before they received their trophies and medallions. There was a great party atmosphere happening by the sound of it.

Sport Boy has declared it was "the best day of his life" and has vowed to always remember the 18th of September.

I made it to the wedding with about three minutes to spare and despite having to change into my suit in the carpark was seated in the church in time for the arrival of the beautiful bride.

An Omen?

I am not superstitious. 

But I did have a strange experience the other day and who am I to say it wasn't an omen of things to come?

While driving Glass Dave's ute back to his place there was a huge crash and thudding noise and I was certain someone had thrown a rock at the car.

I got out to survey the damage and was very surprised to find there was none.

Then I looked back up the street and saw a dead bird on the road with a few seagulls hovering around it as if inspecting it.

I drove back and discovered it was a magpie.

Although I never saw it, I'm sure it was the magpie that had crashed into the ute causing the loud bang. I suspect that the seasgulls had been chasing it away and in it's attempt to escape had flown full speed into the side of the ute and and had thus committed inadvertent suicide. 

Without wanting to be too macarbe, I had to take a picture.

Is it a coincidence that a magpie came to a sad end in a head-to-head contest with a Cat (fan)?

Is it a coincidence that the Magpies are playing the Cats in the Preliminary Final tomorrow night at the MCG?

We'll have to wait and see if the result reflects this "omen"!

Carn the Cats.

NB. I am not celebrating or advocating the killing of magpies, it just happened, and took me completely by surprise. But, when there's a BIG footy game on, I'm open to possibilities!!

A BIG Weekend

Saturday: LNJSA 13's Premier League Knock-Out Cup Semi-Final result

Cornerstone 3 Dunsborough 2

It was a very close and exciting game that went right down to the wire before we prevailed. Sport Boy scored two goals and Ben C got the 3rd from a penalty. Earlier Dunsborough had taken the lead and missed a penalty of their own. There were a few contentious decisions which got me a little hot under the collar although I'm blaming my emotional state on tiredness, having driven a 12 3/4 hour shift in the taxi Fri night that didn't finish till 1/4 to 7 Sat morning. The three hours sleep before having to get up and go and coach the soccer team didn't seem quite sufficient!

But, we won and we're through to the Cup Final this Saturday morning.

Ordinarily I'd say that was great, but consider this:

The game is at Margaret River at 9am.

At the earliest it will finish at 10.15.

At 2pm we have a family wedding in Perth!

Margaret River to Perth is over 300km.

With a wedding to get dressed for.

Not ideal.

As it is, Mrs Holt Press won't be going to the game and I won't be able to stay around for the post-game celebrations/commiserations let alone the trophy presentations as they don't happen till later in the afternoon.

We'll also miss the Club wind-up and presentations which are scheduled for 3pm in Busselton, although Sport Boy will be able to stay and attend all the ceremonies.

We'll hopefully be in Perth for a different sort of ceremony by then: my niece Aimee's wedding to Luke.

There'll be a big family gathering in Perth for the weekend which should be plenty of fun. Dad and his mate Warren are enroute to Perth as we speak on another of their round the country jaunts.

Vicki will be coming from SA too. I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone, and it will also give us a bit of a chance to say goodbye as well as it is now less than three weeks till we leave WA and head back to Victoria.

WAGS Dinner

On Saturday night we went up to Perth for a couple of dinners. Sat night was supposed to be the Wives and coaches dinner for the CFFL, a footy comp I've been part of for about 10 years. We were going to a Thai restaurant in Mt Hawthorn. Or so I thought! Turns out Cam and Broadie had arranged a BIG surprise for me, a "Farewell to Chaplaincy" dinner in my honour and 2 dozen people were there instead of the 8-10 I'd been expecting.

It was a fantastic night, very special and very humbling that my friends and colleagues had got together for me. There were lots of stories and lots of laughs, great food, great company, great memories. It gave me an opportunity to explain the reasons behind my somewhat sudden departure from chaplaincy last year. It was also a chance to explain our reasons for moving back to Victoria.

I know many of you will be surprised to hear that I became a bit emotional, and even shed some tears on the night! 

It was something I never expected to happen and a blessing I did not expect or even hope to receive so it was a very memorable and special occasion.

Broadie and Cam did a great job pulling it all together at short notice, and keeping it a complete surprise. Thanks guys, I deeply appreciated the whole evening.

Surprise Dinner Guests

The weekend finished on a high with the annual CFFL Winners Dinner at Letchy's and as usual there was great mirth and story-telling as we celebrated another year of  (fantasy) footy.

13 Mermaid Av Ocean Grove

We now have a place to live when we move to Victoria, which incidentally will be in less than three weeks!

Plenty of room for visitors, hint hint.

Vic Progress Report

I got the job.

Passed the medical, the drug screen, the blood, sight and hearing tests with flying colours.

I can start as soon as we get over here. Our planned departure date from Busselton is October 4 so should be able to start work by the 11th at the latest.

Awaiting news on housing: we've applied for two houses in Ocean Grove, hopefully we'll get one of them.

Managed to change over to a Victorian driver's licence.

Couple more hoops to jump through before I'm legal but shouldn't be a problem.

All of which is better news than the footy on Friday night! We'll have to win it the hard way now.
Glad the Dockers won, for a couple of reasons!

Just caught the train up to Melbourne. Flying back to WA in 4 hours so got a little bit of time for a look around

And in some very exciting news: The editor of the Busselton Dunsborough Mail just rang to tell me that their story about the Behind the White Crosses program won the Road Safety Council Media Award at last night's award ceremony! A nice feather in the cap for BTWC. I'm hoping to do a handover of the program to some staff from Busso before I leave town and I'm also keen to see if I can develop and introduce the program over here once we move to Victoria.

Cheers

Victoria Bound

Just heading out the door.

Glass Dave's ute is loaded with Spike's stuff.

Headed for The Heir's place to drop it off before he drops me off at the airport.

Arrive Melbourne 6.45am

On to Geelong then down to Barwon Heads and Ocean Grove to look at houses.

Praying we'll find one that meets our needs (size, price, warmth, proximity)

Footy tomorrow night, carn the Cats

Job interview and medicals Monday and Tuesday, hopefully just formalities!

Home again Tuesday night.

See ya

Footy Sites

I was browsing a few websites today and found some cool footy drawings.

Bob Murphy

The last couple are done by an artist called Bren Luke.

The Footy Almanac is a very cool fan based footy site where non-journos write match reports that are personal, funny, passionate and sometimes moving. John Harms and Paul Daffey are behind the site and the accompanying books.

All of which stemmed from research I'm doing for my book. I've clocked up 28,300 words so far.
Slow but steady would best descibe my progress.

And in other footy news, I'm going to Melbourne/Geelong for a job interview this weekend and to look for a suitable house for us to live in when we move.
As luck would have it, I'll be there at the same time as this Friday night's Qualifying Final between the Cats and the Saints at the MCG :)

Glory Glory Tottenham Hotspur

The day started extremely well with the news that my beloved Tottenham Hotspur have qualified for the group stages of the European Champion's League following a 4-0 victory last night over Young Boys from Switzerland.

It was a meritorious victory given Spurs trailed 3-0 after 30 minutes in the first leg before fighting back with 2 crucial away goals to leave Berne with a 2-3 deficit.

Peter Crouch was the hero scoring a hat trick in the 2nd leg to put Spurs through for the first time in their history.

Sport Boy Scores a Hat Trick

Is it possible to be too proud of your children?

I guess if that pride leads to bragging or arrogance it may be. 

I'm asking because I'm feeling an immense sense of pride in my youngest child, Sport Boy. He is called Sport Boy because of his great love of sport, and his not insignificant talent at most sports. What's prompting this feeling is a series of pictures taken by a parent at yesterday's soccer game and emailed to me today. Looking at them reminds me how well he played, he scored three goals in a 7-1 win. But it's not just the skills and talent he has that make me proud, it's his attitude. He is a truly lovely kid. He plays with great determination but also with fairness. He never shirks a contest but never tries to hurt anyone. Yesterday he stopped after a clash with an opposition player to check if he was OK. I enjoy watching him play for his talent, I'm proud of him because of his character and conduct.

These photos can't capture what I'm talking about but to me they are a perfect reminder of what I mean.

The team played really well yesterday despite having three players missing and no subs. Jacob also scored a hat trick.  Ben asked if he could switch with Joseph in defence so that Joseph would have a chance to score a goal. To everyone's delight, he did! 

The last game of the season is next week then we play in the knockout cup where, as the name implies, we have to win to stay in. If the team reproduce the sort of form they showed yesterday they'll have every chance.

Tired

Friday bus run.

Fri night cab- many ferals!

Sat morning coach soccer, loss.

Sat arvo- bus

Sat night cab till 4.30am

Scooter home wind chill factor "minus a lot"

Sun morning up at 8.30 to umpire footy at Marg Riv.

Rest of day of rest devoted to rest.

Watched replay of Cats destroying Dogs, that's more like it.

Going to bed early.

The Breakfast Club

I drove up to Perth and back last night. I try and avoid that usually but this was a special occasion; the last Breakfast Club gathering for the foreseeable future.

Phil and his family are about to return to Afghanistan for the fourth time, working in international aid, relief and community development. I don't need to say how acutely aware of the risks and dangers we all are on his behalf, especially in light of events there this week. It is difficult for people to understand why they are going but as Phil describes the calling he feels and his commitment to the nation and people of Afghanistan it is hard to argue against it. He is one of the most intelligent and committed people I know; this is not a decision taken lightly or without due care and consideration and should decisions and choices be made simply on the criteria of difficulty? ie. If it's too hard should we not do it? Imagine if people stopped doing things because of adversity? Afghanistan is a difficult place to live without doubt but it needs the help of citizens and governments from around the world and I admire and respect Phil for his dedication to its cause.

 

With the Holt Press family also about to relocate, admittedly to a far less hostile environment, we don't know when the next time will be that we're all together again.

With that in mind I was very keen for Breakfast Club to happen last night and thus the decision to go up and back in the one night.

I was not disappointed, it was a GREAT night. We ate at a Vietnamese restaurant in Vic Park that the boys recommended then complained about, nothing new there! Hugh bagged the Indian restaurant we went to last time and Broadie's whinging about the teriyaki beef at the Vic Pk food hall the time before has reached epic status.

To me the food is immaterial, it's all about the company and the relationships. (I had the prawns in chilli sauce, Mmmm!)

We have been meeting for 17 years so there is a huge shared history and experience. I started the Breakfast Club as a support group when I commenced as school chaplain at Carine in 1993. We met one Saturday morning a month for breakfast, each of us bringing some sort of food stuff to share. My contribution was bread and spreads. Broadie brought juice. Hugh supplied milk and cereal. Phil had the "interesting" brief so lychees or coconut milk or dried yams or whatever else he could scrounge would appear.

We mostly met at Hugh's when he was live-in weekend caretaker at Lisle Lodge in Claremont.

  Me, Broadie, Phil, Hugh- The Breakfast Club

There were a few other members and visitors along the way, the most significant of whom was Kerry aka Beaker aka Kristo. I won't mention Terry the Cat Dumper for risk of upsetting Hugh.

Phil is a founding member but came and went a number of times as he and his family did stints in Afghanistan.

Hugh and I are the only ones who can claim a 100% attendance record.

Broadie was recruited after Beaker went off to Iraq to protest against the war and has become a staple member, if somewhat erratic in attendance. Basically if there's the possibility of a Book Club/ Knitting Group/ Leftie Gathering any time within a week of Breakfast Club he bails but we retain his membership because he makes us laugh. He always complains about insufficient notice but the point to note here is that he always complains.

Hugh is the "senior" member of the group, having pushed on into his 7th decade on the planet recently and is responsible for funny voices, accents and smoking impersonations. Probably the most conservative member of the group, he is also the most generous.

I convene the group though our meetings have become irregular and further apart due to our sojourn in Busselton.

We met at Phil and Julie's last night and before going out to dinner prayed for their children, for safety and protection as they return to Afghanistan.

I had reflected on  TBFC as I was driving up from Busselton after work and decided to do a little exercise together to look at the history, connections and memories we share as a group, starting with our families then tracing TBFC story.

I put it all on paper in a rough diagram and we added notes and dates as we remembered various incidents and episodes. I intend re-drawing it and sending copies to everyone; a document chronicling our group.

I met Hugh via SU after being recommended by Laurie Haynes and ended up running a number of abseiling and caving camps for him and his kids from Perth Mod in the early 90's. He has no children; his only family is his brother David who still lives in the UK. Hugh is held in such affection by my family that Sport Boy asked if he could come to Hugh's 60th birthday party last year.

Phil and I met when he came to RYLA in 1992 and then came on the team the following year. We also worked together at Chip Inn, the drop-in-centre I ran at Warwick Church of Christ. We did heaps of camps together and lots of stuff with kids.

I was in their wedding party, I baptised Phil, dedicated Pieta who survived a serious heart condition as a baby and recently led them in a recommittal of their wedding vows. Phil says the only thing left to do now is bury him. Hopefully that won't be necessary for a very long time. He and Julie have three kids.

I knew Broadie by reputation but we met properly at Sailing Camp in about 1997 and then did numerous camps together including MAD Camp, Leadership Camp and the legendary Footy Camps we ran for SU. It was Broadie who first suggested Adopt-a-Crab which lead directly to Digby Morrell being drafted from West Perth to North Melbourne. Broadie is the "junior" member of the BFC and is gifted with a quick wit and the art of the acerbic comment; he likes his humour dry.

We don't have an agenda at TBFC, we just get together for a meal (usually dinner now but the name hasn't changed) and talk about what's been going on in our lives. The topics of discussion range from marriage, families, work, church, politics, current events, sport, art, vocation and whatever else may come up. We have shared significant events in one another's lives: Phil and Broadie's marriages, the births of our ten children, Broadie 3, Phil 3 and me 4, changes in jobs and career paths, overseas travel and work, moving away and now moving even further apart. We are never lost for words.

Humour has been one of the lubricants that keeps the Breakfast Club running, we always laugh when we're together, even when the topics we talk about are serious.

I feel a deep and abiding affection for the members of TBFC, they are amongst that small group of people who I call my closest friends in the world. I would feel comfortable talking to them about anything; I would feel confident seeking their help in any situation. I can say unashamedly that I love them.

They are and have played a very important part in my life and I anticipate they will continue to do so, regardless of whatever distance or circumstance may separate us.

We prayed for one another before we departed last night, mindful that our future is uncertain but our commitment to one another and the Breakfast Club is not.

NB. I listened to ABC radio as I drove home to Busselton (240km) and rang in to try and answer a question in the quiz. (Turns out it wasn't The World According to Garp as I thought!) Talking to the announcer I mentioned where I had been for the evening and the nature of the event and Phil's imminent return to Afghanistan. It felt good to put The Breakfast Club onto the national stage for our 15 seconds of fame!!

Catching up on a few pics

I'm having trouble making the words and pictures cooperate so you'll have to decide which caption goes with which pic.

Confusing sign.

Kermit the Beetle

Rob, an old mate from Carine who I bumped into in Busso a couple of weeks ago.

Obviously there's no spell check on hand written street signs.

A couple of recent drawings.       

I have a 30 min layover in Dunsborough on my Saturday bus run, here's where I get to spend it.                                                        

The BIG News

After significant deliberation, the Holt Press family have made a big decision.

We are leaving Busselton and moving "back" to Victoria. I say "back" because both Mrs HP and I were born and raised there, but we haven't lived there for over 25 years.

The reason we're moving is in order to be closer to Carolyn's Dad Alan who regular readers will know is quite elderly and in failing health. Living on his own is both difficult and lonely. With us living closer Carolyn in particular will be able to help him in lots of ways and be a blessing to him.

We will also be much closer to Carolyn's four brothers and their families.

We are hoping to live in one of the coastal towns near Geelong: Barwon Heads or Ocean Grove being the most favoured destinations.

We are aiming to move in October.

Obviously that leaves us with a LOT to do to get ready.

We need a place to live, a new job for me, a new school for Sport Boy and a whole lot more.

We love living in Busselton and are not discounting the possibility of coming back here at some point but for now our future lies in Victoria.

Favourite Daughter and Sport Boy are coming with us. They are both very excited about the impending move.

The Heir is staying in Perth to complete his uni degree. 

Spike is also planning to stay on in Busselton for the time being.

We anticipate that they will both end up joining us at some stage.

It's a big move but there are some compensations: I'll treat any home-sickness I may feel for WA by forcing myself to go and watch Geelong play football every week! 

11 Things About My Weekend

1. The flight to Melbourne was torturous. Tiger. The price you pay for the price you pay.  Jammed into a space too small for a man half my size, for 4 hours, overnight. No comfort. No sleep.

Very glad to be on the ground in Melbourne.

2. Picked up hire car and headed for Gary and Christine's at Laurimar, for some much needed sleep and a shower.

3. Hunted around Melbourne for footy badges. Went to a GREAT game of footy on Friday night at Docklands, finished in a draw between Hawthorn and StKilda.

4. Saturday morning drove down to Geelong. Visited Mrs Holt Press' Dad Alan who had forgotten I was coming. A pretty good visit. It's the first time I've seen him since Mother Mary died and there is a sense of sadness and emptiness in him.

5. To Kardinia Park to see the Cats belt the Lions, a most enjoyable afternoon. Gazza was in great form and kicked 5 goals. Have to make the most of  the chance to see what will probably be one of his last games for Geelong. I feel pretty sure he's going to sign for Gold Coast next season.

6. Back to Melbourne and another good game at Docklands, Essendon and North Melbourne. The Bombers first win in a couple of months. Met a couple of lovely older Ladies, one of whom gave me one of her Essendon member's badges for my collection.

7. Sunday morning, quick trip to the South Melbourne markets in search of footy badges then onto Docklands again for the Dockers v W Bulldogs. Freo's bubble has burst and they got pummelled.

8. Left at 3/4 time and went to the MCG to see the last half of Melbourne v Sydney. In a big upset the Demons thrashed the Swans.

9. For the first time since I got to Melbourne, got to spend some time with Gary when I got home. Always good to see him. Our Dads were mates so I've known him since we were little kids so he's not only one of my best mates but also my oldest. Talked footy, politics, work, health, ebay and Masterchef! 

10. Monday, headed into the city again. Met with a guy from Leading Teams to discuss some business ideas. There is the possibility of some BIG news in the Holt Press world. I'll keep you posted.

11. Dinner with Gary and family. Packed. Dropped off hire car. Hung around airport for two hours before flying home. VERY happy to score an exit row seat with decent leg room. Tried to sleep but failed. Still felt fresh enough upon arrival to pick up my car from Cam's and drive home rather than stay the night in Perth.

A good and quite productive weekend.

Up Up and Away

Gotta fly, literally.

Just heading to Melbourne for a few days, a mix of family, business and footy.

4 hours till flight time, no time to waste.

May blog from there time and technology permitting.

Health Scare

We took Sport Boy over to Bridgetown on Wednesday to stay with his Nan for a couple of days.

Mum brought him home on Friday and is now at our place for the weekend.

Just as well.

She developed very bad stomach pains at about 2 o'clock Saturday morning and I ended up taking her to the hospital it was so bad.

They gave her some morphine which thankfully took away the pain and enabled her to sleep. Various tests showed no sign of gallstones or ulcers the next morning. The Dr thinks it was a reaction to her arthritis medication.

I'm pleased to report she is back to her normal happy healthy self now.

Work is progressing on my book, I've written 25 pages so far.

Viva Espana

Spain 1 Holland 0

Sport Boy and I are both very happy.

Finally Bitten the Bullet

My sporadic blogging is set to become even less regular for a while because, after thinking about it for a number of years, I have finally started writing a book!

It's called "Nine Lives".

I've written 13 pages so far!!!

It is hard work!

I'll be happy if I crack 100 by the time it's finished.

You read it here first. (Pronouced "red")

No Rest for the Wicked

I got home from Country Week about 8 o'clock Friday night and an hour later was taxi driving, not quite the way I'd planned it but they needed a driver and I needed the money.

By 2.30 I was too tired to continue even though it was unusually busy.

I needed some sleep because I was rostered to umpire a reserves game at Margaret River at 12.20 Saturday arvo. I was not the picture of speed across the ground but managed not to upset too many players with my decisions. The captain of Donnybrook's reserves only has one arm, it's pretty inspirational watching him play footy and compete with the best of them.

I grabbed a few hours sleep when I got home before heading out to drive the cab again on Saturday night. It was a lot quieter and I finished fairly early! Sort of! I got my second wind and watched the Spain v Paraguay quarter-final of the World Cup when I got home.

Sunday at last was a day of rest, watching the Cats beat the Kangaroos round at Glass Dave's on Foxtel and Rafael Nadal winning Wimbledon last night.

I was up early this morning and drove the long shift of town services buses all day today.

Interspersed with all that Mrs Holt Press worked two shifts at Eagle Boys so we haven't seen much of one another for the last week.

Things will quieten down for a few days now which will be a welcome relief.

Before I left Perth I got a new phone, an iphone in fact. $0 up front on a $49 plan with Telstra, a much better deal than I expected to get. It is pretty cool!

Favourite Daughter did her final sums today and is very pleased with how much money she made for doing the lunches at Country Week, well worth all the stress and occasional tears!

I knew I had spoken too soon on Tuesday night when I said I'd had no trips to the hospital with injured kids!

Two on Wednesday.

Two more on Thursday and one last one to the dentist on Friday morning after breaking a tooth playing football!! I told David I want a bonus for hospital trips next year!

Country Week ended up very well, the kids were great and had a really good time. Busso won the boy's and girl's soccer and were runners-up in football and boy's volleyball.

I had to feel sorry for my mate Dave who managed Bunbury's CW team. Bunbury were announced as overall Country Week Champions at the closing ceremony but the next day the organisers discovered they'd made a mistake in adding up and the actual winners were Albany! Bad luck mate!