Annoying internet access and networking of a different kind

'kin hell - just spent an hour typing up my thoughts and the freakin' internet wouldn't let me save the post. Most annoying. Debi had even written up a couple of notes too talking about my drunken stature after a business networking lunch last Friday. This was at Glenelg footy club, who PHT sponsor and I have to do my duty and hold up the companies end. Arrived at 12.30 and left after 8 - obviously not making it back to work. Still someone has to do this work!! The speaker was a Paul Gascoigne character a local aussie footy star who has come across bad times and recently turned to alcohol, drugs and women.

The cruise site at work is now launched - http://www.cruiseworldwide.travel/ check it out. Just now need to promote it and get the bookings coming in. Been to Sydney for a days business trip this week and am going to the Adelaide City Rotary Club now every possible Wednesday lunchtime. A good networking event, a spot of lunch at a great venue - the Adelaide Oval, combined with some charity work, can't be bad.

Kids have just finished the school holidays - I imagine Debi is quite happy about that! We all went to see Harry Potter the day after its launch here, we are all big fans. Debi and I were even to be found on the Wii last night - Debi was Hermione (all attitude and opinions) and I was Harry (lasered 4 eyes, scarred forehead (old football wound), baggy trousers and a battered old wand (my credit card - which Debi now shares!))

Won't mention my golf handicap. Oh alright - I came here with a decent 7.5 and have already slipped to 9.5 so back in double figures, a nightmare. Really playing badly and in danger of not having enjoyed a round for many weeks now.

Enjoyed watching the Ashes over here. Starts at 7pm and if you see all the days play its on til 2.30 am. Flintoff last night was superb. My boss was at Lords, but I'm not sure he'll need me to wind him up any more. I have a contract to be renewed !! I do know however that he has been badly let down by the UK ticket agent and ground arranger.

Not sure I've mentioned it before, but we have an excellent range of walks and countryside around us. The pictures in this post are all from where we now live. One is the moody winter sky from out the back of our current rental. One is the Sturt River Dam just 1 mile walk from the new house. The bike and horse trails are also on the doorstep and Debi is there every day walking/ running with Charlie. If I can get my lazy arse out of bed before work its a real buzz running in there with Charlie. Easier said than done as I am a night person not a morning person.

The beach shot is at Seacliff, just 15 mins drive away, where we took Charlie for a treat (off lead) last Saturday. Actually we were picking my car up from work following the drink up at Glenelg footy club as mentioned last Friday.

The Drought has Broken

It's raining

Typical that the kids should be off on their holidays when the rains finally came to Adelaide. We have had loads of rain, high winds and stormy weather over the last few days. It has been a very welcome occurrence and personally its been great to see such a downpour as farmers, rivers reservoirs, crops and gardens (not to mention the vineyards) have all been desperate for a dousing for many a day.

We can do wind and rain here too. Glenelg 4pm Sat >

The only real shame is that the government here have not done more to harness this natural element to ease the burden on the drought ridden land. They do not harvest the water anything like they should. All new houses (including ours) all come with big water tanks to catch the rain water and use it throughout the house as grey water in showers, toilets, sinks and the like. Crazy to think only a few weeks ago were record temperatures and fatal fires, now we have flood and storm warnings...

Kids Easter Hols
Debi took the kids along to Adelaide Zoo, were they had a fine time with friends, Ashley, Hannah and Lewis. They also did a kids try golf at Blackwood (Jamie loving it, Georgia putting up with it)

and went along to an afternoon in the Adelaide Hills at Stirling with Annette (the HR Manager at Phil Hoffmann Travel) and several other Mum's and kids. All about getting to know each other a bit better.

Glenelg Footy Club fund raising corporate lunch

Friday lunchtime through to 4.30 pm (beats working). We are a sponsor of this club and it was a good event. The main speaker was an old footy player (Aussie Rules - Hawthorn) and Coach. Supposedly voted player of the century, a bloke whose won everything there is to win as a player and a coach. Suffice to say I'd never heard of him, but he was a good speaker and can see why they hold him is such high regard. He gave a pretty good motivational speech - without any F or B words.

Adelaide Power v St Kilda - Adelaide Now Corporate Box

Tore myself away from the lunch above to go to AMII stadium to see Adelaide Port Power get summarily dumped on by St Kilda. We were in a box hosted by Adelaide Now (the Online version of the Advertiser newspaper - equivalent to the Times or Telegraph online over here). Had a nice dinner, a few wines and took the Micky out of the Power Fans (who's the home team? Aren't you meant to kick the ball between the sticks? Why do they keep dropping the ball? Why are they running round in circles? Why do they keep passing to the opposition? Etc Etc. ) Can't understand why my boss Peter as a Power fan mentioned my trial period was still not up.....

House & Home show

As it was peeing down so heavily on Sat, found ourselves at the above. Less said the better. Only upside was a food and wine exhibition at the same place so we did try some food and wine as well. Always look for the upside I say.

Seen any Kangaroos lately while walking the dog?

I'll let Debi describe what happened to her today, from an email she sent me earlier;

"Just walked Charlie down the bottom of road. A few little boys were playing at the cubby house tree and Charlie started running through the bushes. He disturbed this Kanga, must of been about 8 feet tall, which went jumping past the boys practically touching them much to their delight. Charlie was bouncing after it, but it just as quickly disappeared, what a sight. I was worried that Charlie was going to get boxed, but obviously he never caught it. How cool is that?"

Aussie footy, Internet TV and no Camping!

I left a few of you swithering over the last post. No prizes for guessing, we never made the Cub camp and Debi never had to face her demons in the shape of juicy bugs, creepy crawlies and blouse eating moths, by the River Murray. A shame but we will make it there one day.

In its place was a weekend of activity nonetheless. Friday of course was the end of week Aussie wine sampling undertaken under duress by both Debi and I. It's a trial and a tribulation but we force ourselves through the pain barrier each week.

Saturday morning was Jamie's Kanga Cricket, with yours truly coaching. Our new tactic of bowling wides, meant the young opposition had no chance to hit the ball and we ran out comfortable winners by 1 wicket !!! Ashes combatants take note.

< The "wide boys"

On the subject of the Ashes series, some of you may well have viewed by now, my appearance last week on the Internet TV Sports Show KG & The General. I was promoting my company - Phil Hoffmann Travel's escorted tour to take in the Ashes in London. It's a fun clip. Watch if you can be bothered or have a spare 10 mins. You can't beat a bit of Aussie bashing....My 15 minutes of fame.. Can't believe the number of comments I've received on this clip that I've picked up an Aussie twang. No way Cobbers - it's a real ripper, no worries there mate.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_Y-4naiXq0

In the afty on Saturday, I went along with a colleague from Phil Hoffmann Travel to attend a sponsors lunch at Glenelg Football Club (Aussie Rules). PHT are sponsors so we enjoyed a good lunch, with wine and beer included and some controversial speakers (They pull no punches here mate - telling it how it is) including accusations of transfers via full brown paper bags full of loot. It was an SANFL game - 9 teams in the South Australian league - these are semi pros akin to our div 1 and 2 football league. The best of these get picked for the national league teams like the Adelaide Crows and Port Power here and other bigger names like Carlton, Essenden, Geelong, Hawthorn and Collingwood from Victoria. Had a good afternoon, got quite tanked and by the time Debi G,J & Charlie picked me up, was not good for a lot else. We nipped down the beach to let Charlie loose in the Twilight. By the time we got home and I sank in my chair I was a goner. Well It was a Sat night, what else do us old gits do after a few hours at football (even if it was Aussie Rules).

Got out for Golf Sun Morning and by the time I'd played 18 holes (30 points) and got home, Debi G & J were only just surfacing.... If you don't get out - you don't get up! remember that one boys... Sunday afty was a very sociable and enjoyable time spent at local Geordie friends Ashley and Andrew, along with Vanessa & Steve from the 'Boro. I did mention two of the teams represented were in the bottom three, and it wasn't Spurs (thankfully - have I mentioned our resurgence??)

On the new house, the Pool was dug last week, we await the steelworks and pipework and then the concreting later this week. The Roof frame and brickwork is nearly complete, so we expect them to start the roof tiles any day now. Getting exciting. My problem is the serious stage payments have started. The bank balance, is not so attractive anymore!!

OOps we hit rock in digging the pool - more cost! >

Finally - for those who know Debi well. This weeks venture has been baking Mum's favorite recipe Chocolate Cake. No ordinary cake I can tell you - it's Gluten free, no eggs or sugar. Yum really tasty. Well the First 5 have been, my waistline has gone from not so slim to not at all slim. Supposedly there is a hole in the market and these cakes are gonna fill it. They filled the Dams in Holland with just one finger. These cakes would go down well in an Amsterdam cafe too. Just need to find a local supplier of the necessary ingredients......