Melbourne

Over the Past weekend JB and I took off from Hobart for a weekend in Melbourne.
We flew out on Friday afternoon and returned Monday evening after taking in the sights and sounds of Melbourne as well as a few footy games.

A weekend as such has the potential to be one very big blog entry, so in an attempt to not have you drooling into your keyboards ill try to break it up with a picture or two and a couple of nice BOLDED headings.


PREPERATION AND TAKE OFF



Thursday night before heading away one of my best mates who I havent seen in ages as he moved to QLD to live was in town. Unfortunately his visit was due to some very sad news, his nan passed away after a battle with illness, god bless her, may she rest in peace.

The mood was subdued, but the beers flowed quickly and I soon realised it was after 2am. I had to be up earlyish to pack and get some last minute things in place. The Boys left and I staggered off to bed.

I woke the next morning and got myself togethor, JB and his lady arrived about 12 to pick me up and after a quick stop at the chemist for supplies (No not them.....Panadol) down to the airport we went. The airport was a very smooth experience, through check in, through the terrorist check point and onto the flight, an hour of perusing my newly acquired edition of FHM and we were landing in the big smoke.


THE MELBOURNE CABBIE



During our trip we jumped into a few taxis, and we basically came across 2 types of cabbie, The friendly heres my life story type and the sit down shut up and dont make me tie a plastic bag over your head type.
I can gladly say that in 4 cab rides we only had to deal with the silent crazy killer type once, and fortunately for us that was a 4 minute ride from the Crown to our hotel. The other fellas were legendary telling a story, having a joke and making our time spent in cabs a friendly one. I think too many times cabbies cop a raw deal, so next time your in a cab and wether the driver is Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, or an Aussie (and so forth) say G'day, ask them how there days been and enjoy your trip. Unless of course you see a roll of cling wrap beside his chair and some sticky tape in the console then politely decline a lift and RUN.

FRIDAY NIGHT GAMES
We arrived at out hotel checked in and headed for the city, We stayed at the lovely Rendezvous Hotel in Flinders Street, 30 seconds from the train station and 3 minutes from Bourke Street Mall. We walked up into the city, got a bite to eat and the customary visit to JB HI-FI, Back to the hotel for a quick change of clothes and down to what we thought the highlight of our trip,
Western Bulldogs V St Kilda at the Dome. I had never been to the Dome before and I learnt during the trip JB had never even been to an AFL game before.



Let me just Say that the Telstra Dome is a tremendous amazing stadium and just being there was unbelievable for a couple of Tassie boys, however the match sucked. The Dogs got flogged, JB cried and Geeva lost his voice yelling at Fraser Gehrig. After the game we followed the crowd to the Crown Casino where we got a few beers in the Steakout/Sports Bar and sat for awhile, it had been a big day for these two now battle weary Tassie boys so we grabbed a feed at KFC about 1am (yes thats right at 1am) and headed back to the hotel.


SUPER SATURDAY
Saturday came and we were up and at them reasonably early, Down to JB's favourite breakfast spot for some eggs and bacon and then off to find some MLB merchandise at the Queen Victoria Market. We left the market dissapointed, the usual 2 stalls that sell jerseys had nothing that caught our eye. we wandered about the shops in Melbourne for hours and finally settled into a place called The Old Lion which is on level 3 in Melbourne Central and came highly recommended by our good mate Jacko. We got the Bar staff there to put on the Geelong V Melbourne game for us and we ordered a Chicken Parma each which was splendid. 15 minutes into the game I wanted out, Cats down by a truck load and I was relieved we didnt travel down to Sleepy Hollow to watch this debacle first hand. As the arvo went on the Cats made a game of it, But it was getting close to start time for the Richmond V Essendon Game at the MCG, we cut the Cats replay short and headed off to the Hotel for a change of clothes, Watched the end of the Cats game at the hotel and realised that the Cats had faught on for a draw. They had been done by 1 second (game was a draw but a Geelong score was 1 second too late) and the Cats season was over, bring on the fat lady.



We went down to the MCG the sporting Mecca, we saw a very well contested game, we sat at ground level and it was inspiring, its not just a game to people in Melbourne its good to know people like me exist, people who yell and scream, laugh and cry during a footy game. We sat with some pakistani kids behind us, they were big Richmond fans, at 14 or 15 years of age this 1 little fella could name every player, Who needs Dennis Commeti when he called it for us, beautifully too I might add. JB had bumped into some friends (Mads and her Dad) whilst eating breakfast today and they joined us for an Ale or 3 at the footy. The Tigers got up, Bowden gave away a 50 metre penalty right at the end giving Scott Lucas a gimme goal and blowing the spread wide open. Until that point the Tigers had the spread of 19 points covered, Lucas's goal made it 16 points and with that went $50 for JB and his sense of humour too as I ribbed him about managing to get back to even.
From here it was back to the Crown, a feed of ribs at the Steakout and then to the hotel for a well earned rest.

CARLTON MID....WHAT?


Both the games of footy so far we have only been served Carlton Mid Strength beer. The AFL or somebody has a ban on full strength beer during night games. I would just like to say I think it is ridiculous and doesnt make much sense. They sell Bourbon and Vodka post mix drinks which are higher in alcohol content so how does selling mid strength beer help keep people under control? Plus Carlton Mid Strength tastes like soapy dishwater, God I was glad to get home and crack a Cascade.

SUNDAY BLOODY SUNDAY
Sunday was going to be a big day, Carlton V Collingwood at the MCG. In years gone by the G would be sold out for this match, It attracted a crowd of 58,000 which was 10,000 more than the previous 2 games we attended.
We got up late Sunday, grabbed a bite to eat and then headed for the G, we got there about an hour before the game started. First thing we noticed walking in and past a bar was that the cup said Carlton Draught, Hurray a full strength beer day!
We decided to sit in the Great Southern Stand today, we sat in level 4 which is the highest, the view was amazing. We had a bar just behind us as well as a shop, I was timed at approx 90 seconds to leave my seat get 2 beers and be back with the first mouthfull on its way down.



The game was a cracker for 3 quarters, Didak showed what a dirty player he is and Carlton hung in there after having an early lead, However in the last quarter Collingwood pulled away. As the final siren sounded so did JB's Phone, I asked who is that? He said "a friend" I said "what does this friend want?" The words that JB mumbled under his drunken breath next would forever change my life, I felt so many emotions (mainly hatred) all at the same time "were going to the Lexus centre".

THE LEXUS CENTRE


We started heading out of the MCG, me declaring that under no circumstances am I going to the Lexus Centre, for anybody who lives in a cave the Lexus Centre is the clubrooms of Collingwood. Collingwood and I have a love hate relationship, I love to hate them. Im thinking my Dad will disown me if I step foot in that building. But what if I use my trip for Evil? I Could maybe hit Tarrant or Didak or better still Eddie with a bar stool and run before anyone realised. I decided to go and plot destruction once inside.
We met up with JB's Friend, The Lovely Ondine, To be honest when he said were meeting a friend I didnt realise he meant a lady friend, especially as he had mentioned that this friend was at the footy with there dad and heading to the Lexus Centre for Beers.
What was even more Amazing is she is a Carlton Fan, and following her Dad who is a Collingwood supporter to the Lexus Centre, so we tag along, To my total surprise anybody can walk into the Lexus Centre, No membership required.
I head straight to the bar and help prop it up as it looked a little unsturdy, as the cheap Collingwood beers flowed, so did the Carlton club song for some reason, ohh thats right it was us singing it "We are the navy blues, we are the old dark navy blues" not one bite from a drunken Collingwood supporter damn! Next Alan Didak comes in to the clubrooms to do an interview for the fans, as the crowd silences to listen to him "Hows your elbow Didak" is yelled out by some drunk at the back of the club, even the Collingwood supporters had to laugh at that one, It wasnt quite a bar stool to the back of the head like I had hoped but it would have to do. Geeva 1 Didak 0

By 7pm the place was dead, obviously Collingwood supporters as well as being mentally insufficient are soft when it comes to drinking so we set off.


CROWN ON A SUNDAY



As mentioned, for the first time this weekend we have enjoyed a football game and a full strength beer at the same time, fair to say we took advantage of this situation and were well on our way even before partaking in some Lexus Centre hospitality.
We decided to make our way back towards the city so we walked along the Yarra river towards Federation square, We stopped for a quick visit to the public loo on the way and after spending a few minutes getting god knows what off the bottom of Ondines thongs we got back on the scent of Cold Beers.

On the way we discussed were we would go for a few amber beverages and just to be different we decided to go to the Crown. Being as though it was karaoke night and I was travelling with the king of karaoke I thought it best to do the right thing and let him have his 5 minutes of fame.

JB went solo and ripped out his usual eardrum bleeding rendition of Rock DJ. The rest of the night was spent drinking and chatting to complete strangers and watching the great Dirk Nowitzki steer Germany into the next stage of the World Cup Basketball Championships.

To Blondie from Perth, sorry love but your business cards are in the Bin. Not sure im going to have time for your love triangle when im in Perth later in the year, ..........sorry!


JB, Ondine & Geeva

TOO SICK FOR BUFFET BREAKFAST

Monday morning and we are awake early so we can get in breakfast before check out.
We arrive at breakfast completely unaware that its a buffet, normally this is a bonus but I aint feeling so flash, I make a modest attempt at demolishing $19 bucks worth but fall somewhere way short. Back to the room and JB is keen to head for a coffee, He heads for coffee I opt for an hours sleep.

We check out and head for Smith Street (yes bloody Collingwood) to do some factory outlet shopping. We look about and pick up some gifts and then spend the rest of the day cruising around town. About 3:30 pm we head back to the hotel for our bags and out to the airport. I get Explosives tested going through check in today which was a bit of an experience might have had something to do with the Middle Eastern Beard ive grown over the past week. I get the all clear from the huge security guard and were homeward bound.

And that is a huge weekend!


If Geeva wins Tattslotto he will do Melbourne every weekend

Pics taken on mobile phones or sourced from Google pics

Times are a changing

At age 27 I feel im now qualified for those "when I was a boy" stories your dad told you when you was a kid. You know the ones "I had to chop 10 tonne of wood with a blunt tomahawk", "we would get a smack for talking at the table" and my personal favourite "I had to walk 10km to school in plastic sandals in the snow"

The best parts about these stories is the way the amounts get worse everytime, it started out as 1 km to school the first time I heard it. By the time dads 75 and im hearing this story again im sure its going to be " I bushwalked through dense forest for 45 km in bare feet to get to school"

I started thinking, My boy is getting close to 5, pretty soon he is going to appreciate a good yarn of some amazing feat I have performed. And then it dawned on me, I dont have any. I got dropped to school and picked up everyday, if I didnt I got bus money, if I chose to walk so I could spend the bus money does that count? No its not quite the same.

We have always had electric heating, I have had to cut a total of 30 pieces of wood in my life. Each time ive moved to a house with a wood heater ive replaced it with a heat pump before the next winter. And everybody knows I never shut up, dinnertime being no exception.

Our parents tell stories about going into the bush and building cubby houses, leaving at dawn and arriving home at dusk, I too have memories of venturing bush but for me it was a nearby creek running behind the local primary school that had blackberries and a few big gum trees. The bush areas my parents hold memories about playing in are now gone, replaced by sub divisions as far as the eye can see.

Aa a kid our parents didnt have TV so there is no comparison there but I think about my childhood and TV barely existed. In the morning we would maybe sneak in a cartoon or two whilst eating breakfast on the floor in front of the electric heater, and then it was off to school, there was no coming home from school and watching tv, it was home and onto the bikes, play cricket or kick the footy. I guess I was lucky having a brother so I had somebody to do these things with, there were also plenty of kids within a close proximity of my house always keen to do something.
After 5 when we got called in for tea we would have a bath (during daylight savings we would bath later) and sit down to watch Inspector Gadget, The Mysterious Cities of Gold, Belle and Sebastian, Roger Ramjet, Mighty Mouse, Voltron, Dr Who or my dads favourite you cant do that on television which eventually got banned after they named an episode "The Muppets Get Stuffed".
Walking out of the corner store two nights ago a kid ran into me he was about 7, I put my hand out to steady him and said "sorry matey" he told me to "get fucked", Gee thanks for protecting me dad.

Kids of Today have far too much incentive to sit inside, my 4 year old is addicted to "the kids shows" he means Nickelodeon Junior on Austar, he would watch it all day if you let him, if hes not watching that hes pestering me to put on a dvd.
Luckily we have him hooked on some of the old classics like Voltron and some really really old Warner Bros cartoons I picked up for $2 at chickenfeed. He will sit and giggle at them for hours.
Other kids are playing games like Grand Theft Auto on there $500 dollar xbox's (something feels really good about bashing a granny with a baseball bat) and watching M rated movies that my dad would have had a fit about us watching 20 years ago. The best it got for us was Summer Games on the Atari 1600 and the Never Ending Story was the calibre of movie we were taking in.

Far too much we read about Kids on the rails, Or kids drugged out of there minds. 14 and 15 year olds trying to get into pubs (I once snuck into a pub at 17, and even then I stayed 15 minutes for fear of being caught.....dont tell dad!) and even convicted of rape or murder.

I never wanted to do anything wrong as a kid because I didnt want to hurt my parents,I knew that they were proud of my brother and I and we didnt want to let them down. Im not saying we were angels, we got our fair share of slappings, But weve never stolen anything in our lives, never been in trouble with the law, never taken drugs, and dont plan on changing that now. (Is alcohol a drug?)
Most of the trouble we got into was for fighting each other, isnt that what brothers do?
We were raised with good honest values and learnt to respect others and the world around us.

We need to limit the rubbish kids see and hear, teach them whats wrong and right from an early age.
Get your kids outside, help them beat the technology addiction, take them bush, when they winge they want to go home, get in the car and drive to a park.
Take them to sports matches, show an interest in what they like, teach them about respect and discipline.
Make sure they know your proud of them, you will be surprised how upset they will be when they do something wrong and realise your not proud for that split moment.

Most importantly make sure they know they are loved and cherished.



The only counselling naughty kids need comes in the form of a smacked bottom

Boomers v Tall blacks

A couple of weeks have gone by since JB and I headed to the Boomers v Tallblacks played here in Hobart.
Here are our thoughts and comments.


JB: So we went out and before we even get to the game let’s talk about the seats. I didn’t mind the seats, we were sitting about 10 metres behind the base line and could see the court and that is about all you need. But the people around us weren’t to happy. What were your thoughts??

Geeva: The seats for mine were fine, we were behind the basket had a view of the court, was close enough to hear the baa baa sheepie boy comments from the aussie boys.
Nasty wife next to me was cutting up rough though wasn’t she?
Could have been worse could have been stuck in one of those cramped box's with waiters annoying you constantly for free food and drink.

Tough times walking on the court to get to your set though JB, how did the crutches go on the slippery surface?

JB: Yeah it was ok, the court looked in good nick. Apparently the Aussies had a problem with it in the 1st quarter though because they played terribly. Trailing by 17 at quarter time. Anything stand out to you in the 1st quarter mate??

Geeva: nothing stood out to me other than Boomer getting his nipple pinched by my brother sitting in the first row. Boomer seemed to like it because he hung about. (Boomer is the Aus mascot, he’s a big kangaroo of course)
The Aussies seemed to look very rushed in offence and lets face it the kiwis didn’t miss. Jones was the stand out early . Bogut and Anstey never got in the game in the first quarter and the Aussie young guys looked like they would be more at home playing on a Wednesday night in the AYC.
Thought the refereeing was a little questionable what seemed to be some heavy defence from the kiwis was going unpunished. The game evened out in the 2nd quarter although the Aussies didn’t really make use of their possession on the scoreboard, how did you see it big fella?

JB: Firstly I’m glad you brought up Boomer. Do you remember the guy running around with Boomer?? Captain “Lemon and Lime” Cruiser, what a fruit cake. Funniest thing about him (just coming in front of his hair cut and the shirt he was wearing that was 5 sizes to small for him) was that he speaks with quiet a high voice but he was trying to fire the crowd up with a “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie – Oi, Oi, Oi” chant he finished with “Go You Boomers” in the deepest voice he could but still sounded like a 8 year old putting on a “Big Boy” voice, hilarious.

The 2nd quarter I remember as when the Boomers first started to look like they remembered they were playing basketball and not tiddlywinks. But still the younger players were making some big mistakes and your right some of them looked totally out of their depth at times. Lowlight of the half had to be Halliwell missing a wide open dunk midway through the 2nd quarter

I think the NZ lead got down to 10 at one point then quickly blown out to 18, before the Aussies got it back to 14 at half time.

Did you give us any chance at half time??


Geeva: At half time heading for the door was not out of the question. I do believe you are referring to sea fm's captain Bacardi Breezer?? What a goose, I think the human relations officer at Sea FM must have had a gripe and was about to quit when he hired this bloke.

At halftime I was hoping for the Boomers to challenge at least, maybe a spectacular dunk (Bogie and Newelly didn’t let me down) but not in my wildest dreams did I think the Boomers could pull it off. The crowd seemed pretty flat at half time and there was a few calls of “We want out money back” as the second quarter drew to an end.

Call of the night came late in the second quarter as Bogut missed some three throws "Give the bloody kangaroo a shot" sent a ripple of laughter threw the fans sitting behind the basket. Although an obvious call I couldnt let it go unheard. That’s when it all changed.

The Boomers got on a run and would have only been 11 down at the half but for another Jones bomb close to the buzzer.

As the fans slowly made there way back to there seats the second half began, the Boomers came alive as did the crowd, biting finger nails on defence and rising out of there seats as Smithy lit up the DEC on offence. How were you feeling in the 3rd when it got back to 1 point? I had goosebumps.

JB: It was great, the crowd really started to get behind the Boomers and they started to get on a roll which was great. As I said at the time "any time an Australian team is playing a New Zealand team and there is time on the clock we are half a chance".

The 2nd half saw the Boomers play their older players a lot more then the first half and Jason Smith decided to take over and started hitting shots from all over the floor.

When the scores were tied and Brad Newley drove down the baseline and got up for that huge 2 hand dunk the crowd went up as one and I don’t think we trailed for the rest of the night.

The last couple of minutes were close but that little kiwi missed 3 free throws that would have got them even again with about 20 seconds to go. But then again New Zealand were terrible from the free throw line all night just 9 from 22 for the game is not really good enough in international basketball.

Overall it was a good game, not the best game I’ve ever seen but the last quarter was probably the best of the game, both teams had a chance to win but the Aussies held on.

Geeva: Your right it wasn’t the classiest game of basketball I’ve ever seen but I don’t think I’ve ever been as captivated by a game as I was in the last half.

The boomers did the right thing by the crowd and played the big guns in the last half Smith was on fire, Anstey and Bogut were both solid. Without the late withdrawal of Sam Mckinnen I’m sure the scores would have been a little tighter throughout the match.

Newley’s dunk right in front of us was huge, he seemed to hang onto the basket for an hour, Boguts alley-oop was priceless, the timing was great, the crowd was already whipped into a frenzy and the roof nearly blew off the DEC as he hammered it home.

I was pretty disappointed to see that the series was decided on aggregate and NZ were awarded the Ramsey Shield although they drew the series at 2-2 after getting a victory in Melbourne. Funny thing was not even the coaches realised how it was decided, until they presented the shield to NZ everybody thought that Australia had retained it.

All in all the match in Hobart was worth the admission price despite the seating scandal (as nasty wife will atest to) but the series was a shocker for the Boomers, there is a lot of work that needs to be done before the upcoming world cup and although there are some players to come back into the team I don’t see them breaking into the top 5.

How do you like Australia’s chances JB?

JB: It is hard to see the Boomers getting into the top half dozen, but not impossible. You only have to have a couple results go your way and you’re laughing. CJ Burton coming back will help give them some leadership but I think not having Matt Nielson will cost them in the end.


Tassie Needs more international events