Surprise Surprise

A package turned up in the mail today. From Vega 91.5fm the station I listen to via streaming radio when the nights are balmy and I am half crazy, when Ron turns up to play me at darts and when we are dusting and vacuuming the house. I play it on my own domestic frequency through a usb radio transmitter card.
Anyway I entered the AC DC competition for the launch of their new album in New York, Black Ice, but some of the people who entered had a lot more local exposure to AC DC in the early years and the guy who won the trip for two to the launch had actually watched them in old concert venues in the suburbs when they were a back up band and had a T shirt signed by Bon Scott.
However my reason must have struck a chord as the package contained the new CD courtesy of Vega! So that saves me buying it!
It's playing now over every radio in the house and on the computer speakers.
It's right in their traditional mode.Its like the 90s and hip hop never happened, which they shouldn't have anyway! and will be played the next time Ron comes here!
What's that you want to know the reason why I should have won?
Well they are going to play at my funeral........Highway to Hell!
I plagiarised that from Tony.

Summer darts

Got a phone call late Sunday to say that the summer darts were starting at the Park Hotel on Monday! Great notice but no worries for a retired man. Or should I say men as Ron was OK to make it too when I phoned him up to let him and Martin know. Poor Martin was working on afternoon shift so had to miss the first night.
There are new organisers this year who do not have the efficiency of Will Leamey but eventually- without the draw sheets and the score sheets and the envelopes for the money and the white board markers for the scores, thank god the boards were stored at the Park, we got under way. With borrowed markers, team sheets from the Millicent Association who luckily run a round robin in their competition and two roped in players to make up the numbers. Still it was fun and the Millicent sheets are better than Wills old ones, in my opinion, and team 2 of which I suddenly became captain owing to all other players taking a step back when asked to volunteer, leaving me with the pen- won on the night.
I paired Betty with me in the doubles and we proved formidable winning 3 out of the 4 games and then one of the roped in players Andrew West played like an A grader, which he is, and in no small measure helped get us over the line. I won half of the singles so held my own just couldn't get both games although I had my chances. I scored a 171 on 271 to stun my opponent in one game and duly pegged out in 21 darts, mind you he had done me earlier by getting 140 on 160 to get double ten when I had stuffed 58 by getting triple 18 instead of the single and then left myself on double 1, so what goes round comes around. Well it did last night. Summer darts that is.
Nuran and Mary were both there and stunned the players when they loudly applauded my peg on double 12, not often done in the summer, applauding that is. Still added to the atmosphere.
The Park didn't know that summer darts had started so the cook had to prepare a rushed supper, which turned out to be the best supper we have ever had there. Some times it is better to surprise. Instead of left over sandwiches we had dim sims, hash browns, chicken wings and party pies.
And a good night.
Today is a perfect day for cutting the lawns, mild breeze to dry the sweat off my brow, the Melbourne Cup is on and the bets have been placed by Len for us as he knows how to do it.
All that is missing is the BBQ but it is goat fried rice tonight so that's not a bad substitute.
Come on Proud Beauty, I changed my mind from Bart Cummings.

Fish and Chips

We made a trip to the Rocks tavern yesterday evening to test their Fish and Chips out. We had the best plate of beer battered flake since we retired from the fish and chip shop when we visited the Rocks tavern during the darts season and I have been hankering to try it again ever since.
So Banjo was taken to the Mount with us and together we walked around the Blue Lake and then watched cricket on Reidy Park for an hour or so before heading down to the coast. We went via Kongorong to have a look at the old stamping ground when Bill and Jim were playing football down that way and we had the mail run for the area. It looked much the same and it brought back memories of the old run as we motored past their mail boxes. We took a detour down to Pelican Point as the road is now bituminised all the way from Kongorong and then along to the coast past Livingstons Bay where our wooden dinghy used to be moored, well beached, and then into Carpenters Rocks.
The wind was blowing a gale so there was no walk on the beach for Banjo just a wander around as I scoffed a dozen oysters bought from woollies. There is no doubt that the oysters from woollies are better than any dished up in the pubs around here and with a dash of lemon and a stubby of Erdinger a suitable entree before heading into the Tavern.
Our fears were confirmed when the fish was served up. It WAS better than what we used to cook, well at least AS good. Magnificent. Two thick fillets of local flake covered in beer batter,crisped and not oily, lovely chips and all you can eat salads that were as good as Nuran's. Two stubbies of Pale Ale washed the whole lot down and meant that Nuran had to drive me and Banjo home.
Banjo had had his tea too, being tied up to the tow bar but still getting his usual dinner of kangaroo pilaf.
We were a bit early to go to the game of women's basketball at the Ice House, the Adelaide Lightning vs the Bendigo Spirit in a round of the WNBL being played locally, so stopped at the local lawn cemetery to give Banjo a run and see if we could find anyone we knew. We found heaps of people and Banjo disappeared after a rabbit or something , maybe we shall buy a double plot in the Carinya Gardens as its a lovely view from there, not that any of the inmates can view anything but visitors can and we shall be in good company.
Anyway off to the Icehouse where Banjo was left to guard the car and went to sleep whilst we watched an excellent game of basketball. Some of the skills the women showed were superb and the ball flew up and down the court. Adelaide won in front of a large crowd so all in all a good time was had by us and Banjo.
The only downer was when we checked the cross lotto ticket and found that we had the supplementary numbers more times than the main ones. never mind don't want $10 million anyway, haven't got enough time left to spend it.
Just give me fish and chips and a dozen oysters and the world is my pearl.

The meaning of Life or the Life of Malcolm

Some things never change, warm evenings on the veranda, home brew... when brewed by me, Banjo willing to please you no matter what, Nuran being a fabulous cook and Geelong losing grand finals they should win.
The sun always comes up in the East and then shines for the rest of the day out of my sons arses,until it sets on the back veranda.
So pondering the meaning of life and the exchange rate it occurred to me that we should purchase a prepaid funeral and a plot of land in a cemetery somewhere. I thought Melbourne would be the best place to be buried as at least there someone would come on Mothers day to place a flower on Nurans grave and, maybe. open a stubby on Fathers day and pour it over mine. Better still if we were in a double grave as then Nuran would have her first taste of beer and I would get a flower as well.
And the sight of a stubby being spilt on a grave in the Muslim cemetery would be unusual, which sums up my life.
Anyway it's the weekend and too late to do any more than think about it.
Banjo and I went to Nangwarry today and the ride in the morning was delightful with 'roos hopping away in front of us like a bow wave. The ride back was not so good as it was stinking hot and all the water holes had dried up so I had to go slowly as poor Banjo was feeling the heat a bit. So I washed him when we got home and turned him from a smelly dog to a pampered pooch.
And a cool one too. He of course went ape shit when let off the lead after the wash so I took him over the oval to get the adrenaline rush calmed. He chased the tennis ball with gusto until the circuit was completed then calmed down on the back veranda.Just for once he didn't want to come in to the games room and watch me play darts. Nuran went for a walk and he followed her for company though.
Nothing like a kelpie for keep on coming on.
I threw three 171 with my new darts, just watch out Ron I have the weight now! This put me in a very good mood so dinner was eaten on the back veranda. Beef fried Rice! Just how Nuran does this , cook delicious meals time after time,I don't know but I know I deserve some luck in life!
We went to the dog food shop on Wednesday and Nuran was dressed up like Elle Macpherson and I told the guy she only dresses up for you, he was quite please and knocked 2 dollars off the meat and then said, Mate if I could walk around with a smile on my face after being married as long as you have been I would be happy man! He has heard about how good Nuran can cook from Ralph and also knows a man heart is conquered by his stomach not his ....!
So its been another warm Friday night and all is well.
Who knows why we are are here but its better to Be here than the alternative... Melbourne and the Springvale Necropolis.
For the moment that is.