Spitting Into the Wind

It's that time of year when all the schools are having their class plays. Alex is an alien in his play. I dragged the sewing machine out last night to make him a costume and ended up using an old tablecloth to make a brown top for him. He made some antennae and a cool mask that looked like one big eye (like Leila on Futurama).

Today the school put on a matinee performance but Carly and I are going to the performance tomorrow night. Alex said it went well today, so I'm looking forward to it.

Carly has gone to Wagga with her friend Elise to play touch football in the ladies senior competition. It's a late night when we all go over so I was grateful that she got a lift. My turn will come soon enough to be the driver.

Saturday Alex played touch and Mum came along to watch too. We were talking and I missed Alex's try. Later we went out to Warren and Julie's place for a get-together. David and Pauline came, with Leslie and Steve, and Lauren, Daniel and Zeke, and Emily and Kai were there too. Mum and I were nearly the last to leave and got back to Junee around midnight. It was a great night, and I'm sure Mum enjoyed herself. Next time we all get together it will be at my place, probably a couple of weeks before Christmas.

Sunday Alex had arranged to meet Braidy at the skate park in Wagga around 11, and later we all went to the Eunony River reserve and the boys gave the jumps there a workout. Daniel and his mates have modified all the gullies so the bikes go smoothly around the tracks, they've added piles of dirt all over the place. Braidy was rapt when he saw the place and reckons he'll be going there more often now. I dropped him home around 6 and I don't think Julie was too impressed with him being gone all day. We all had a great day though. The weather was beautiful and the paddocks are green. It won't be long and it will be dry and dusty and way too hot.

I sneezed all day on Sunday and every time I put my head down my nose ran. And I never usually get hayfever, so I'm not sure what it was. I'm fine today and think it may have been a last effort by the nasty flu I've had to keep a grip. By now the antibiotics the Doctor gave me on Friday would be kicking in, so today I'm feeling much better. Thank God! Three weeks of feeling lousy has taken its toll. I've had to soldier on, no matter how bad I was feeling. Life goes on and I don't have time to be sick.

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I need my head examined. Friday Carly and Alex signed up for the touch football summer competition, and it cost me $150 just in fees. Both Alex and Carly are playing in a Saturday comp in Wagga, and Carly is playing in the ladies comp on a Tuesday night in Wagga. Alot of travelling to Wagga but there's two other Junee players so we might be able to work something out. Now Alex tells me he's grown out of his touch shoes since last year so there's another $80. It just doesn't end.

This Saturday is the grand final for the junior boys rugby league football to be held in Gundagai. Touch starts on Saturday in Wagga but I think someone is trying to organise a bye for us for the first round of the touch. As much as I'd like to get there, I think it will be physically impossible. Gundagai is an hour from Wagga. Last year the boys got beaten in the grand final after going through the whole season on top of the ladder, so we're hoping for a better result this year.

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I took Alex and Carly and their friends to the circus tonight. It's been here since Friday and from what I've seen, they've had good crowds for each show. Lots of families had blankets and pillows and after sitting on the wooden bench seat for an hour, freezing, I was sorry I didn't think to take some too. Apart from that though, it was okay. A bit lame, I thought, but then again, I can't juggle or walk a tightrope, or ride a 7 foot unicycle, or twirl fire-tipped batons. I left there thinking that it was a helluva way to make a living.

I had a family sitting behind me with little kids and they laughed so hard at the clown's antics that it reminded me of when I was little and we went to the circus. How fascinated I'd been with it all. There was a couple of camels that walked around tonight that most of the little kids thought was wonderful. There was a little dog act and dancing ponies had them laughing and clapping. Listening to them and enjoying them enjoying themselves made it a good night.

Carly and Alex went off with their friends after harrassing me for 10 minutes to buy these silly flashing light balls. Every other kid had one so eventually I gave in. At $5 a pop I didn't see what was so good about them, but seems there must have been something, because people were lined up to get them.

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Yesterday Alex played football in Tumut and because their skatepark is next to the footy grounds I let him take his skateboard. It was a beautiful day and the scenery was exceptional. Tumut is in the hills on the way up to the snow country and usually cold this time of year. The trees were dressed in their autumn finery and the colours were vibrant. We stopped on the way at Gundagai and had a McDonald's breakfast. I needed petrol but when I saw the price at the bowser ($1.49 / ltr) I decided to wait till we got back to Gundagai.

Poplars in the Tumut ValleyOn the way out of Tumut I turned before I should have and we ended up on a windy country road that was 31k from Gundagai. I decided to risk it even though the petrol warning light was on. Carly and Alex were both panicking about running out of fuel in the middle of nowhere, but I kept saying it was a beautiful day and we could always walk. I wouldn't have minded, though I'm glad we didn't have to. I only saved 5c /ltr on the fuel but I'm sure every penny counts!

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ANZAC Day for Australians is like Rememberance Day, where we remember all those who have lost their lives fighting for their country. Junee is a small town with a population around 5,000 and during WWII there was a naval ship called the HMAS Junee that patrolled waters around Darwin and Port Moresby. During the ANZAC day ceremonies the Navy provides 4 seamen to stand guard at the cenotaph. It's a proud day for Junee residents and yesterday was no exception. A huge crowd lined the parade route, the day was glorious, and I had the job of handing out Australian flags to the children. I had 250 flags and ran out before I could get around all the kids. It was a nice ceremony.

• ANZAC is an abbreviation for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.
• April 25, Anzac Day, was the day the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps landed on the Gallipoli Peninsula in 1915.
• The first dawn service on an ANZAC Day was in 1923.
• The ANZACS were on the Gallipoli Peninsula for only 8 months, around 8,000 of them died there.
• The ANZACs were all volunteers.

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Talk about frustrating: I had a whole page of words, and lost the lot in an instant. Definately one of the negatives when using an online editor.

Anyway, what was I saying before it was rudely wiped from my eyes never to return? Ah yes, Alex slept at a mate's place last night and was home around 9 and decided to make himself scrambled eggs. He's 11 but managed a very decent breakfast. He even indulged me with a cup of coffee in bed. He had lots of questions, like how much milk to add, but from what is left over I'd say he enjoyed it immensely.

Emily and Lauren came over yesterday and it was nice to see them. Emily put a colour through the hair of a friend of Carly's but it didn't work out. $25 later the kid is not happy! Not Emily's fault, though we all felt rather guilty for the waste of money.

A guy came to see me about re-financing my house, and claims it can have my house paid off in 3-5 years instead of the 10 it will take with my current financial plan. It sounds too good to not look into more thoroughly, so he's left me a few figures and facts to mull over. I think I'll be definately looking into it. Who could afford not to?

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Around the corner I have a friend,

In this great city that has no end,

Yet the days go by and weeks rush on,

And before i know it, a year is gone.

And i never see my old friends face,

For life is a swift and terrible race,

He knows i like him, Just as well!!!

As in the days when i rang his bell.

And he rang mine but we were

younger then, and now we are busy tired men.

Tired of playing foolish games,

Tired of trying to make a name.

"Tomorrow" I say! "I will call on Jim,

just to show that I'm thinking of him."

But tomorrow comes and tomorrow goes,

And distance between us grows and grows.

Around the corner, yet miles away,

" here's a telegram sir, Jim died today."

And that's what we get and deserve in the end.

Around the corner, a vanished friend.

Remember to always say what you mean.

If you love someone tell them.

Don't be afraid to express yourself.

Reach out and tell someone what they mean to you.

Because when you decide the time is the right time,

It might be too late.

Seize the Day. Never have Regrets.

And most importantly, Stay close to your friends and family,

for they have helped make the person that you are today

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