Electrification meets Gentrification
A chance wander into the local bike shop presented the opportunity to look at and talk about, e-bikes. Of course I knew that they existed and were maturing but the sales pitch regarding the Specialized e-bikes sounded pretty compelling. Different models for different use cases (of course) made identifying a bike to suit what our needs MIGHT be seemed really quick and easy. As attractive as it all sounded, two main questions remained. The obvious ones - would we ride them and could we afford them? With more thought over a few weeks, we developed a good dozen or more questions that would help our decision making.
Well, early November we managed to make it back to the store, get our (minor) questions answered appropriately but with the two 'biggies' still hanging out there. The size and model of bike Robin liked was in stock and mine wasn't… The floor stock might move soon so what do we do? We made a few pathetic steps towards the door before looking at each other and deciding to take Robin's and place an order for mine. All it took was a quick credit card transaction and seven days wait and the bikes were in our driveway. Outstanding!
At this point I should recognise the excellent pre sales and delivery support from Mornington Cycles. A number of guys in the shop attended to us and were supportive, pateint and suffered many 'newbie' questions with patience and dignity.
In between the purchase and delivery, a friend recommended the Thule range of vehicle bike carriers and fortunately for us one was available locally. Again, great sales support and after going in to enquire, we drove out with the rack solidly locked on our towbar!
For those interested in teh technology involved in our Specialized COMO e-bikes, the specs can be found here.
Part of the 'would WE ride them question was really 'would Greg ride after five years and tangible weight gain'… Fait question and made me not want to try my bike when Brad delivered it. After he left, my first attempt made me depressed. I tried on grass so I wouldn't damage me or the bike too much if I fell but I couldn't even get enough momentum to get rolling. After paying all the money, I had an awful feeling that I was physically unable to ride. Flexibility, balance etc. Over the next sixty seconds I thought negative things.. I made my way to the 'top' of the drive and with a smooth pavement, slight downhill start, I wobbled badly but stayed vertical and actually RODE! Phew…
I hadn't actually sat on the bike at this point… - 2018
Here is a silly, short video of my first ride. So the great news is that we survived the delivery and our initial laps.
My COMO is Platinum over Black and Ronin's in Lava & Gray - 2018
Transporting the fleet - 2018
The sun rose successfully the next day and we committed to a fully fledged test ride on the Peninsula Link trail between the Moorooduc Cool Stores and Baxter, approx 10 kms return. Again, I partially wobbled at the start, but with the words 'cycling is a lifetime skill' echoing around in my head I found my stroke and easily made the return trip. Now Robin, being much fitter than I (doh) didn't lean on her electrical very much I was at least keen to explore the technology that we had purchased!
I must say that I was extremely impressed with the technology. In pure 'manual' mode, my bike seemed smoother and more comfortable than my old bike, and with the electric motor kicking in, it was smooth and easy to make decent progress with reduced pedal effort.
Buoyed by the success on Day One, we planned another run the next day. I was proposing a 50% longer trip, and we couldn't find anything suitable locally, so I chose a ride for Somerville to Hastings that we had done many years on normal bikes.
Lunching at Hastings Marina - 2018
Our first overnight adventure in Central Victoria has already been planned.
Bye for now, BomberBoy
Two days in old Sydney town
View from the State Gallery of NSW
Dreamy Tuesday lunch in Spring at Manly Beach - 2018
Darling Harbour - 2018
Bye for now, BomberBoy
New K'a'rcher K5 with stuff!
A wonderful K5, with a seven year warranty, 9 litres / per minute water flow and 2100 psi of pressure. And with both the standard and 'after-market' foam lances at the ready there should be no excuses why the fleet isn't in pristine condition at all times. But I have a few up my sleeve just in case…
Sadly, when the warranty runs out I will be 70 years old and probably sucking my meals through a straw and not worrying too much about sucking water through a pressure washer to clean my cars!
Bye for now, BomberBoy
Coral Expeditions - Kimberley Cruise
First stop was flying from Melbourne to Broome. First time for us in the 'Pearl City'. Very remote, very friendly and the weather in the middle of 'winter' was spectacular. Three days, two nights before our boat departed. The usual tourist highlights were done - walks along Cable Beach, pearl tours, eating & drinking at Matso's and of course the obligatory sunset viewing.
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The Coral Discoverer - Our home for ten nights -2018
My highlight - the trip to Montgomery Reef and this sunset shot of it - 2018
Indigenous art, unexpectedly moving - 2018
Plenty of rock formations in the Kimberley - 2018
Bathurst 12 Hour Sports Car Event
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Mount Panorama, Australia's most iconic motor sports location - 2018.jpg)
My home for the weekend. Primo! - 2018
Where have I been???
Apart from a pacemaker insertion in February 2017, there has been nothing life threatening or major BUT during the year there have been so many other varied ailments that any individual might have one of over their lifetime but I have had most of them over one year!
For scale let me list the approximate number of procedures:
- General anaesthetic - 10
- Local anaesthetic - 3
- Emergency admissions - 3
- Hospital admissions - 7
- Imaging appointments - 6
- Blood tests - >50
- GP / specialist appointments - >30
Not a lot of time left for living life sadly. Just miserable… That said I am really grateful for the support of my really good friends through this tough period. You all know who you are! Thank you so much.
All the said, I am now back feeling healthy again. Fingers crossed!
Bye for now, BomberBoy
At last - A TNQ holiday
View from our balcony - 2017
Our home for the week was the Hilton Hotel, situated on Trinity Inlet with a delightful view of the waterways and tropical forests beyond.
Hilton Hotel Cairns - 2017 - 2017
The weather to be honest didn't exactly live up to Queensland's tourist promises, but fair to say it was MUCH better than Melbourne! The first couple of days we spent walking and becoming familiar with the many changes in Cairns since our last visit maybe 15 years ago.
As for highlights, the first was the food. Obviously seafood for me was a priority and I wasn't disappointed nor did I miss out! Prawns were a staple for me and they were uniformly fresh, expertly prepared and delicious!
BBQ prawns at The Boatshed - 2017
The second highlight was the local coffee scene. Cairns has superb tap water, combined with trendy / hipster cafes made for excellent brews at many, many establishments around town. We didn't have to give up our coffee fix while travelling Excellent!
Great place for cool coffee - 2017
The next highlight was a visit to the restored historic township of Herberton. Not normally my cup of tea, but Robin was keen and I was impressed. It is a huge property, 15 hectares or more from memory, with everything original AND catalogued. Many sites of this type have the words 'recreation' mock-up etc but I saw that on only one item in one of a thousand exhibits, each consisting of hundreds of items. The property is a credit to the owners, collectors and restorers involved. Not everything s 'new' in fact, that is the point it is all original and for many metal items (think cars, tractors, mining machinery etc) rust is now the winner but metal treatments have slowed down the decay.
Antique car display - 2017
Bye for now, BomberBoy
The AMG has landed!
I reluctantly took the decision that while my track days are definitely not over, my level of focus and preparation is probably not up to the desired level to warrant trailers, wheel changes, early arrivals, pre-practice, late departures and all that goes on when you need to be serious about your motorsport. I would just like to arrive and drive, so my towing days are over and sadly, it means goodbye to the Cayenne as we don't need two SUVs in the family any more.
But an everyday four door sedan would meet the criteria for daily driving and country and interstate touring with occasional passengers.
After some lengthy consideration we decided that some sort of sport Mercedes Benz would be appropriate. The current model E-class was deemed to be 'an old man's car' even in AMG form, and the new model is still six months or more away and way, way out of our price range. Sitting a couple of cars away in the dealers lot at Mercedes Benz Melbourne was a 2016 Mercedes Benz AMG C63 S Edition 1. Phew, what a name, but what a car!
It is my first ever 'sports' V8 vehicle and the sound it makes is just spine tingling. Very cruise-y around town in 'Comfort' mode but it bites and barks when slipped into 'Sport+' mode on the open road. The vehicle has almost every safety feature known to man (with a mind-boggling array of acronyms) and an extremely comprehensive (meaning complicated) suite of HVAC, satellite navigation and surround sound and video entertainment systems. I am still learning…
It is very early days, but the driving experience is sensational. Unlimited power, pleasant (for a performance car) ride, limitless entertainment options and active and passive safety features all add up to a fabulous machine to own and enjoy. We are really looking forward to our trip to Maroochydore in late June in to. Should be wonderful!
Bye for now, BomberBoy
New Konro Charcoal BBQ
Robin and I have very fond memories of our many, many yakitori dinners in Tokyo (anyone remember 'Dodo'?), and some discount Tuesday evening 'sticks' at 'East' in Manhattan and decided it was time that we took that culinary experience home to Mt Eliza.
I stumbled across a great business 'Chefs Armoury' in Richmond, VIC, who sell many things Japanese cooking-related, including the Konro range of BBQ's.
Our 'small' Konro Charcoal BBQ - 2017
We went small, just enough grill space for 2 or 3 serves at a time, but as the charcoal lasts several hours, any sensible numbers of servings or pieces can be prepared at a sitting.
The Konro is now starting to season and my management of the charcoal is improving with each meal.
Tosa Binchotan - White Charcoal - 2017
Chicken skewers with spring onion and cherry tomatoes, lamb cutlets and mushrooms have been on the menu so far and the flavour from the fresh ingredients sizzling over charcoal is certainly addictive. Full disclosure: My yakitori sauce or 'tare' is not up to scratch yet, and I can't seem to get the consistent 'stickiness' and flavour profile of restaurant quality sauce. I won't give up!
Yakitori skewers - 2017
Bye for now, BomberBoy
Welcome Zaidie!
Zaidie is a 12 month old, black & tan female Kelpie / Huntaway cross. Fair to say at this stage she is an independent thinker with a mind of her own!
The ears have it! - 2016
Bye for now, BomberBoy
Tamworth - Sydney Road Trip
We hit the road VERY EARLY to beat the traffic to get to the Hume Highway and on our way. Some toasted sandwiches and beverages at the Nagambie Bakery kept us watered and fed and we continued on our way past Shepparton going north. Inexplicably I now wanted to go to sleep. Very badly. So before the border I had to relinquish the driving duties to my co-pilot and within a couple of kilometres I was fast asleep in the passenger's seat, for a good half hour or so. Morning tea was at Jerilderie when I took over driving again and was fine the rest of the trip. Quite strange. Day one was long and we arrived in Dubbo around 4.30pm-ish with just enough time to unpack, and find a dinner destination.
Night 1 - Dubbo (The Comfort Inn, Dubbo City)
After much discussion and debate, dinner was at The Lions Pride Restaurant, a convenient 50 metre walk from our motel. The food was fine but the wine list left a little to be desired. Anyhow we were well fed after a long day in the car. We chose an after dinner walk down the 'Main Street' which was pretty lively on a Thursday night. Also the architecture and general feel of the town was very positive.
With a night's sleep behind us, we checked out and looked for a breakfast venue. The Grapevine Cafe caught Robin's eye. What got my attention was the temperature (see below). Yikes! Anyhow we ate well and hit the road.
After an uneventful drive we had a late lunch at Gunnedah. Not expecting any great foodie locations and about to continue on to Tamworth we found the Chatter Chinos Cafe. With a modern look and feel and excellent food it was a great find. My steak sandwich was especially fine. In another hour or so we were in Tamworth.
Nights 2 & 3 - Tamworth (Ashby House Motor Inn)
The usual debate regarding dinner venues started shortly after our arrival in Tamworth. Especially once I found out that there (again) no coverage of the British Open golf on the motel TV system, Bah! Red Embers Italian restaurant was the chosen venue and a good choice it was too. Robin's lamb rack was excellent but the highlight was the churros for dessert. Especially fine!
After arriving at Tamworth we had the 'Check Oil Light' come on on the Cayenne. Hmmmm. After some hand wringing we went to Autobahn early on Saturday morning for advice an hopefully some Porsche diesel appropriate oil. And we got both. but wait there is more. We asked the young guys on the checkout what was good breakfast spot in town. One recommended Hopscotch. They didn't let us down on the oil and they kept their strike rate up with breakfast. It was truly excellent with creamed corn for her and savoury mince for me. And probably our best coffee since we left Melbourne.
Well fed, we started out touring. First was the Oxley Lookout which gave panoramic vista over the town. Then onto the marsupial park where I got to pat a wallaby. Aw shucks! Then a stroll through the Botanical Gardens, followed by a visit to an Art Gallery where Robin bought a couple of framed drawings then a late morning coffee to draw breath. Not sure where to go next we chased to visit the Big Golden Guitar Tourist Centre for inspiration. Boy was that expensive as one of the brochures we picked up was for The Aussie Bush Leather store in the middle of town. Sounding like a nice place to visit with probable food destinations in close proximity we made a bee-line to Peel Street.
The ABL store had two awesomely restored 'vintage' hard-wood frame lounge chairs recovered in soft 'Cigar' leather in his and her sizes. We were smitten and after a futile break for a light lunch 'to talk about the purchase. Of course we walked straight back to the store and signed up. The chairs should arrive in two weeks via ABL's preferred courier.
A panorama of the city of Tamworth - 2016
The entrance of the main equestrian & livestock arena - 2016
Inside the main arena - 2016
Fabulous street art - 2016
Nights 4 & 5 - Sydney (Sir Stamford Hotel at Circular Quay)
Panorama of the Botanic Gardens from our balcony in Circular Quay - 2016
Gratuitous photos of the Sydney icons - 2016
Night 6 - Albury (Albury Manor House Motel)
I thought the last night of our trip might be a slap-up dinner in high spots of Albury / Wodonga but Robin had other ideas. She figured we should just eat in the motel dining room. Oh dear… Well, she was right and I was wrong. The dining room had a bar with outrageously comfortable Chesterfield chairs that we used for pre-dinner and post dinner drinks. The food was very good and the wine list contained some enjoyable local varieties.It was indeed a fine end to our trip!
Ah, those chairs - 2016
The run home was largely uneventful. An enjoyable and safe trip duly concluded.
Bye for now, BomberBoy
Vale - Suzie Q
Very sad news today with the passing of our gorgeous kelpie cross Suzie Q. Unfortunately she quickly deteriorated with inoperable liver disease. Brave, loyal and loveable to the end. And we will miss her 'shadow-like' presence around the property.. RIP little one.
A typical pose with bright eyes and wagging tail - 2016
Bye for now, BomberBoy
Uluru & the Red Centre
If we had a 'Bucket List', one item would have been ticked off with our recent trip to Uluru and surrounds.
Ships of the Desert, our camel train - Photo by Nina Moradkhani (Desert Flash) 2016
We had a great time, and will return with access to our own car so that we can be a bit more flexible in scheduling and travel a bit further afield to really experience the 'Red Centre'.
Bye for now, BomberBoy
NGV - JM Whistler Exhibition
The forecast for Sunday was pretty bleak. Windy and rain. Aarrghh. Robin challenged me to come up with an interesting plan for the day. No pressure then….
We had been out and about up country recently and with the weather I was thinking about something a little closer to home. Somehow the 'Whistler's Mother' exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria seemed a good idea. Not too far away, easy parking, a wee bit of culture and I am sure we could squeeze in a decent lunch somewhere in Southbank.
A great morning was had at NGV, St Kilda Road - 2016
It was less an exhibition of the artist's work and more a collective view of the artist's world when he painted his most famous work and the public review and subsequent acceptance and / or critique.
'Portrait of the Artist's Mother - 2016
It had been some time since we last visited the NGV, and were impressed by the number of exhibits (in addition to the Whistler), 'other' use areas, such as an international book / publishing fair, multiple restaurants / cafes and a very diverse book / souvenir shop. We will be back!
BBQ prawns at Breslin Grill, Southbank - 2016
One of our favourite restaurants on Southbank is The Breslin Bar & Grill who specialise in slow cooked pork or beef ribs. And we managed to find our way there again! Robin suggested that I try the BBQ Queensland prawns for entree and what an inspired proposal that was! They were superb. The pork ribs as usual just fell off the bone, however the chef recently decided to make his BBQ sauce with a little extra kick but it was almost too much for us. Robin doused the heat of the ribs with some Bread & Butter Pudding and ice cream!
For such a gloomy day, we had a super time of it!
Bye for now, BomberBoy
A wild weekend
On an otherwise quiet Friday morning at about 8.30AM, there was a large 'bang' close to the rear of the house.
Upon closer inspection, a very large pane of glass in our hallway shattered caused by some sort of impact which 'dented' and put a jagged hole in the 1/4" glass. Various theories of what caused the damage but no tangible proof was visible on site.
A quick call to our insurance company who instructed us to contact O'Briens Glass got the ball rolling. Late morning the O'Briens guy came, assessed the issue and set about clearing the damaged glass and boarding up the opening. He then sourced a security guy who arrived late afternoon to put the metal shutters on to physically secure the area. Great work to have it all done inside seven hours.
Fast work on a Friday to secure the area - 2016
After Friday's incident, there were some severe winds on Saturday evening and overnight. Then early Sunday morning a crack came from the garden near the veggie patch and another large branch had come down. This has been a pretty regular occurrence on our property unfortunately.
Another one bites the dust - 2016
Should all be repaired and cleared by mid week. Update: The branch has been cleared, and the new pane of glass has been installed, all 70kgs of it!
Bye for now, BomberBoy
Cooking updates
I have been manning the pans recently and mostly with decent success.
I found a bolognese / pasta sauce recipe that sounded OK, tweaked a bit for our tastes and have now made it twice and it worked both times so it will be a keeper. The slower I can simmer it ,the better it tastes (of course) but can still still be acceptably whipped up in about an hour.
Greg's Secret Bolognese Recipe - 2016
On the Weber grill side, I tried two slow cooked cuts of meat, lamb shoulder and pork shoulder. Although I cooked the pork for some five hours it still came out more like roast pork than pulled pork. Successful from a taste point of view but wasn't the pull apart with a fork tenderness I was looking / hoping for. Will try even lower temps for longer next time. Then to the lamb, four hours fully covered on low heat and it was delicious. This one really did fall off the bone. At last I might actually be learning to cook low and slow!
The side burner on the Weber has been getting a serious workout with pan-fried tomatoes for breakfast and then various combos of vegetables for dinner, like the potato and spinach dish below.
Fillet tournedos with sautéed potato & spinach - 2016
Bring on winter!
Bye for now, BomberBoy
A new Mac has arrived!
Exciting times upon delivery & unboxing - 2016
The purpose of the purchase was to manage and 'process' my ever growing digital libraries of music and photos. The additional performance will help the likes of Lightroom edit and render the rather large RAW image files that the Canon 5D Mk111 produces.
The machine is just gorgeous in style and the 5K screen is brilliant in it's brightness and contrast for DVDs and photos. As I don't have any 5K video (who does?) I can't speak to the ultimate end of it's performance envelope.
My new desktop 27" 5K Retina iMac setup - 2016
The wireless keyword and mouse have fantastic battery life (i am yet to re-charge) and both are very usable and responsive.
Overall, I am delighted so far.
Bye for now, BomberBoy
Easter Saturday road trip
We planned a drive on Easter Saturday to do some reconnaissance on a lunch venue for a future PCV GT3 Register event.
Up early to wash the 4S - 2016
Robin thought Kyneton was a likely destination so we duly drove up the Calder Freeway and started to take a look at what was available. Plenty of options but we had trouble choosing one that would fit our numbers, price point and taste preferences. After walking several kilometres around Kyneton we finally decided on the Albion Hotel which was 100 metres from where we parked the car!
The Albion is an old-style pub with exposed brick and beams, plenty of atmosphere but well maintained. The food is hearty and comforting - think corned beef and mustard sauce for her and crispy pork belly for me. And the serves were huge and moderately priced. Excellent!
Yum, pork belly & sautéed cabbage - 2016
Enjoying some of the local wine - 2016
After the sumptuous meal, our next planned stop was the picturesque town of Daylesford for afternoon tea. Except we made two rookie planning mistakes. Firstly, Daylesford was less than thirty minutes from Kyneton and there was NO room to add any more food in at that point, and secondly, on Easter Saturday it seemed almost all of Victoria's population was descending on the main street of Daylesford. Wow, what a zoo, but great for the town.
So on we went, not quite enjoying the restricted 80 km/h speed limits until we saw a sign that said 'Geelong'. Sounds good we thought 60-odd kilometres and we would be at the recently developed waterfront in Geelong. A pleasant drive through the Brisbane Ranges duly got us there, found a park a moderate stroll away from the restaurant strip and we were mightily impressed. Family friendly, but still modern and trendy the area was very enjoyable. Even more so after Robin chose a creperie as our afternoon snack destination!
Panache Creperie Geelong- 2016
I decided not to risk a crowded and expensive ferry ride across the bay, in favour of a leisurely loop the long way back home. After a nine hour trip we were safely home after a most enjoyable day.
Bye for now, BomberBoy
Health gremlins again!
Your humble correspondent laid up - 2016
Many thanks to the medical and nursing staff at the Beleura Private Hospital in Mornington for their fine work and support.
Bye for now, BomberBoy
2016 AFL Predictions
Ladder
Hawthorn
West Coast
Geelong
Collingwood
Fremantle
Sydney Swans
Footscray
North Melbourne
GWS
Richmond
Adelaide
Port Adelaide
Gold Coast Suns
Melbourne
St Kilda
Brisbane
Carlton
Essendon
Premiers - Hawthorn
Coleman Medal - Lance Franklin
Brownlow Medal - Patrick Dangerfield
No real surprises above. If Hawthorn stay relatively injury free, they should be too consistent, strong and professional over the year and especially in finals with their experience.. Lance Franklin looks to be in terrific condition and could go on a goal kicking rampage, and Patrick Dangerfield seems to have slipped into the Geelong side perfectly and will get plenty of ball.
Essendon
Best & Fairest - Brendon Goddard
Leading Goal Kicker - Joe Daniher
Most Improved - Kyle Langford
The major issues for us this year as I see will be a lack of pace, some inexperience and physical presence and strength in defence and a query on crumbers around goal to help kick a winning score. The upside will be to watch the development and fast tracking of our new recruits with no expectations on a high ladder finish. It will be a tough year for Essendon but go the kids and bring on 2017!
Bye for now, BomberBoy
Happy Anniversary to us!
The happy couple celebrating - 2016 (Photo by Julie Mason)
Bye for now, BomberBoy
EFC visitor to 'Windy Hill'
Bye for now, BomberBoy
Caribbean Chicken...
A couple of nights ago I broke out an old Caribbean-influenced Humphries family recipe, Calypso BBQ Chicken. West Indian spices and oils, combined with subtly managed pyrolysis via the rotisserie, delivered the traditional coloured exterior and moist, succulent flesh. Yum!
Blackened chicken - 2016
OK, so I burnt it. The rotisserie got stuck and the infrared burner really did a job on the garlic olive oil basted skin. But in all honesty, the chicken tasted superb and was moist and delicious! Honestly!
Bye for now, BomberBoy
Vale - Jean Sheppard
Rest in peace Aunty Jean.
Bye for now, BomberBoy
Merry Christmas
Christmas dinner was out our place this year with Margaret, Libby, Lani, Jessie, Denise and Monica joining us for seafood and cold meats on what was a pretty warm afternoon.
Bye for now, BomberBoy
2015 Grand Final Eve Lunch
More images of the day can be found at our official Facebook page for the event.
The gang at the 'G on GF Eve - 2015
Bye for now, BomberBoy
Living on the edge...
Nearly ten hours later after a 6+GB download and a 45 minute install, I had a working system.
Only one issue to be honest. And it might be a biggie, but the OSX Mail app seems bit flaky or at least Google's Gmail isn't playing nicely with Apple Mail. Otherwise it seems OK if frankly not a heap different to Yosemite on the surface. Changes to the Photo app are nice and integration with IOS seems even more seamless. Will post any other major observations / issues as they come to hand.
All in all I am happy to be an early adopter!
Bye for now, BomberBoy
Father's Day 2015
Wish I could share it… - 2015
'Never forgotten' - 2015
There was a regular stream of well-rugged up visitors to the Mornington Cemetery mid morning today to pay their respects and remember loved ones.
Bye for now, BomberBoy
Mindshop Excellence - Frankston City Council
Millicent Bainbridge (FCC), Suzanne Whitmarsh (ME Facilitator), EMC students & GH (ME Facilitator) - Photo by Julie Mason
Bye for now, BomberBoy
An unfortunate hospital stay
After a few days on a drip getting some much needed fluids in, I was released feeling much better. To date the tests have not uncovered my underlying issues and more examinations are required over the coming days to try and get to the bottom of the problem.
Anyway, many thanks to the fine nursing and medical staff at Beleura for their professional care and support.
Bye for now, BomberBoy
Bucket List Trip - Travelling on the Ghan to Darwin
Adelaide
- Australian Wine Centre
- Discovering the East End
Adelaide to Darwin
- The Ghan
- Sunrise at Marla
- Alice Springs tour
- Katherine Two Gorges cruise
Darwin
- Litchfield Park Falls tour
- Darwin Harbour Dinner cruise
- V8 Supercars at Hidden Valley
- Arnhem airboat wetlands tour
- Dining Out
It was certainly a holiday to remember!
Bye for now, BomberBoy
New toy on the block
My Apple Watch has landed!
More to come when I figure out how to use it!
Bye for now, BomberBoy
Some concerns about the mighty Bombers
After the most recent exoneration of the players by the AFL, I was expecting the side to finish somewhere around mid table but with a good chance of playing finals footy again this year. Those hopes appear to be slowly but surely evaporating.
After the disappointing Matthew Knights coaching era, James Hird, then Mark Thompson and now James again implemented a more structured defensive game plan to attempt to stop the avalanche of goals especially by the stronger opposition teams. To be fair this has in the main been effective, possibly also because it suits the most talented section of our team, which is the defence. Fletcher, Hurley, Hooker, Baguley, Hibberd are especially good at locking down, intercept marking and pretty efficient by foot.
Sadly that is where the positives mostly stop.
The injection of the experience of Cooney, McKernan, Gwilt and Giles over the trade period (partly a defensive measure if the drugs saga decision went against us I suspect) gave us a little more bench strength while some of the kids develop. Apart from Adam Cooney (has played well but a little fragile), the others haven't really been given an extended chance to make an impact. First year player Kyle Langford has showed great promise in a couple games already and Jayden Laverde is close to senior selection as well.
Some individuals are having decent seasons, the likes of Dyson Heppell, Zach Merrett, Travis Colyer and Marty Gleeson have done their reputations no harm so far. Apart from the odd shocker, Joe Daniher is starting to look like the player we all expect him to be. And Jobe Watson and Brent Stanton have been most consistent if not as dynamic or impactful than in previous seasons. Likewise Brendon Goddard's excellent form so far has been let down by too many unforced disposal errors. Honorary mentions to Will Hams and Patrick Ambrose who both always seem to give 100%.
Injuries have played a part in our average start - Zaharakis, Chapman, Carlisle, Hocking, Kommer, Myers, Dempsey, Winderlich, Fletcher (he is now 40 yo come on!) to name a few. The biggest loss has been David Myers, yet to play a game in 2015. His penetration kicking has been sorely missed in trying to break the lines.
OK, so who is not going well. I' afraid it is the usual whipping boys - Tom Bellchambers is not impacting the game at the centre bounces or around the ground or up forward as much as he should for his size and talent; Jake Melksham and Ben Howlett have a break out games every three or four then go missing for a month; and when he is in the side Chapman seems to have lost the edge he had even last year and can look pretty slow when in space and while attempting to evade in one on ones.
Is there a solution? I think there is. It will be tough and it might not save us in 2015 but changes to game plan and personnel are required.
Shaun Edwards, Elliot Kavanagh and Ariel Sternberg (depending upon Rookie elevation status) need to be given a bigger chance in the senior side to see if they can hold down a permanent spot. Kavanagh as a mid fielder with genuine pace, Edwards as an elusive goal kicking small to medium sized forward and Sternberg as another swingman forward or back and my best bet to replace Fletcher when and if he finally retires. Sternberg did well in 2014 and was stiff to miss selection early this year (to Gwilt) which didn't seem like an investment in the future to me. Also skill levels across the board by hand, by foot and especially in front of goal needs to improve and the list management guys need to focus on bringing execution skills to the list, not just guys who can nail the beep test at the draft combine…
No sense in bringing in new players, if we don't have a game plan or a method of spreading quickly and getting the ball forward to better options. Too often we kick the ball on the head of the little guys and at the feet of the big blokes. It is frustrating for the fans and it must upset the players as well.
I haven't given up on season 2015 yet but I hope we can turn it around this coming weekend against the Cats.
Bye for now, BomberBoy
RIP Tyson
Rest in peace my little mate.
Bye for now, BomberBoy
Not happy with How-old.net!
Microsoft as released some technology that analyses an individuals face from a submitted photo and selects their gender and estimates their age. My result is below. Hot happy Jan! Apple would never release such offensive technology!
68, bah - 2015
Bye for now, BomberBoy
The Ivanhoe Grammar School Centenary Dinner
The night started with pre-dinner drinks and canapés generously hosted by Nigel & Freya Preston and it really got the conversation going. It was a real treat to catch up with many of my former student friends, some of whom I haven't seen for about 43 years! The meal, wine, musical interludes and speeches were all well received but the highlights of the evening were a warm rendition of the school song immediately followed by a rousing version of the IGS war cry.
Ego-ya indeed!
Bye for now, BomberBoy
2015 so far...
In analysing 2015, there are major themes, supporting tasks and bubbling undercurrents. Sounds almost like a spy thriller!
The major themes are turning out to be motorsport and music. Last year during the GT3 rebuild, I did commit 2015 to be the year of performance and focus, both in terms of mental and emotional commitment and financial… I am off to a positive, if not stunning start, but my interest levels and passion for success are actually increasing by event. Bring it on!Those of you that follow my hifi musings will know that I am deeply smitten by the awesome products produced by Kyron Audio, and that I have ordered an 'enhanced' version of their Kronos system. As happens with bespoke manufacturing, better options open up, complexity & quality overcomes the players and delays occur. The latest estimate is that our system will arrive late March. All of the proceeding notwithstanding, the communications with Kyron Audio during the purchase and delivery process have been transparent and first class.
One of the supporting tasks is that I am doing more and more cooking at home. The good news is that Robin is a grateful guinea pig bravely trying my creations and even doing the cleaning up afterwards.
And finally, I seem to have found some newfound enthusiasm to seek part time work a little more enthusiastically. One promising lead unfortunately failed to produce a result, and there is at least one other opportunity currently in train. I am really looking forward to helping significant organisations achieve their IT and corporate gaols. Watch this space!
And it is not just all about me. No really, it isn't! Robin is off to a great start to the season with State Championships with 'Lily' and 'Jimmy' at Werribee in early March. Well done her!
There is a flip side for me of course. I have to admit that my interest in, and results on, the golf course have suffered of late. Even though it would help my fitness levels, I just don't have the motivation at the moment. Maybe it will return…
Stay tuned!
Bye for now, BomberBoy
Antony Kinnear's 60th Birthday
Well this is going to be a longish and personal post.
Antony Kinnear and I, or more accurately our mothers, met sometime early in 1961-2. Forgive me if my memory is a little shoddy….Antony and I were pupils from Grade 1 at Aberfeldie State School in Essendon and from the above you can get a sense that our parents pallied up quicker than and Antony and I did! But we certainly made up for lost time and were BFFs a good generation or so before the term became famous.
I will now refer to my friend as Ant. His mother called him Antony, his father called him Tony (or Anto) and after starting at Geelong Grammar School, a master there called him 'Gus' after a previous Kinnear family boarder which quickly caught on throughout most of his adult life. All very confusing, but not for me, as my mate will always be 'Ant'!
As I was arriving on Saturday afternoon for the evening soiree, I was delighted to be asked to stay as a guest of Ant's mother, Phyllis and sister, Judy at a property 'just down the road' from Ants. As Ant told me, it was THE best available accommodation in the area.
Just to confirm our 'status' I drove into Ant' property as he was walking out towards the gate. A quick glance, a welcoming smile and it as like fifty years disappeared. A warm hand shake, followed by very relaxed conversation about everything in general and nothing in particular. Wonderful!
Guests soon started to arrive.
Bye for now, BomberBoy
Early New Years Eve...
However do we like a life away from domestic responsibilities, so an arrangement was made to meet up with our friends Chris and Julie Mason in Mt Martha for some pre-dinner drinks and snacks to celebrate our friendship and to toast the year ahead.
A loose timetable of 3.30PM to 6PM was assigned to the transaction. As an ominous sign, we were 5 minutes early…. Just to be sociable, I bought along two bottles of wine, and as a decent card player, Chris saw me my two and raised me another! We also bought smallgoods, cheese and biscuits and in turn they were trumped by Julie with gourmet pies, sautéed chorizo and crudite.
..
The host and hostess - 2014
After many tall tales, some almost believable stories and laughs it was about 8.30PM. Robin keenly sensed that perhaps afternoon tea was almost over (!) and decided we should leave, much to the chagrin of our hosts. I suspect they had BBQ duck and lobster ready if we had stayed…
Although I put up a modest fight, it probably was time to go home while I could still find the driveway… But what a great afternoon snack! Many, many thanks to the Masons for being such gracious hosts and wonderful friends.
Bye for now, BomberBoy
Devil Bend Reservoir Visit
Late in the year we saw a Mornington Peninsula promotion about the Devil Bend Reservoir Park. As it was only 15 minutes from home and we hadn't seen it, we figured we should go check it out.
There are several short-ish (less than 3 kms) walks around the banks with some interesting vistas and flora. The local Park Ranger was in attendance and was chatty and engaging, willing answer any question visitors may have.
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A cliff jumper and a fly fisherman, gotta love diversity! - 2014
While predominantly flat, some nice angles and pictures can be had if you can be imaginative and creative. I can't (!) and these pictures were all taken around lunch time. I am sure the locations would look much better early AM or late PM.
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A secluded bay - 2014
I would whole heartedly recommend a visit to the Devil Bend Reservoir Park for an easy, photogenic walk with excellent facilities. Enjoy, we did!
Bye for now, BomberBoy
The latest toy
So a new weapon was required. Despite the above issues, the old workhorse had done a great job on our property for 12 years so we decided on the latest tech from the same supplier, the Australian Greenfields brand.
Now with a V-twin 20HP Briggs & Stratton engine and lots of sensible engineering it will last us anther dozen or so years. Today's first outing was extremely pleasant with the additional power, comfortable seat / steering wheel combo and cutting deck clutch engagement all working a treat!
Promotional photo only, DO NOT mow in slip ons! - 2014
Robin's Birthday Celebrations
Robin celebrating at Trofeo Estate Winery, at breakfast! - 2014
On Thursday we enjoyed lunch with Margaret Cleland and Libby Cleland at Veraison Restaurant at Bluestone Lane Winery. The view from the table across the vines was superb as was the food.
Family birthday lunch at Veraison - 2014
Happy birthday Sweetie - 2014
Bye for now, BomberBoy
Mt Eliza CFA Open Day
CFA community briefing - 2014
In addition, the fire trucks were available for inspection, with the adults asking technical questions about the pretty impressive onboard technology while the children were happy to wear their plastic fire hats and crawl all over the trucks. As luck would have it, in the middle of the update, an emergency call came through and the fire station scrambled their two units which was an exciting sight for all those in attendance.
The team on the move - 2014
Thanks to the CFA for putting on the day and helping the community to help themselves.
Bye for now, BomberBoy
My 60th birthday celebrations
The big day dawned overcast with the prospect of clearing later in the morning. Robin had organised lunch at my favourite seafood restaurant, Rubiras in South Melbourne, where some crisp white wine and a tasty King Island Crayfish Mornay greeted me. And I reciprocated enthusiastically!
Yummy, my favourite - 2014
And the evening turned out to be just glorious so we ate on the back patio, more seafood with BBQ snapper fillet and yes some more crisp white wine!
Snapper & riesling, perfect - 2014
But more was still to come. On Saturday Robin organised a 'surprise' party at The National Golf Club with ten of our best friends in attendance. What a great day. A window table with a gorgeous view over the links, delightful food and wine and superb company. If that wasn't enough, the highlight was my birthday cake, a handmade replica of my Porsche GT3 racing car. Just awesome! Well done Robin for the superbly secretive organisation and to my friends for their wonderful support and fellowship over the years.
The luncheon guests on the balcony of The National Golf Club - 2014
Birthday boy and the Flying #48 birthday cake - Photo by Julie Mason 2014
Bye for now, BomberBoy
My new iPhone 6
This story starts a couple of months ago. My trusty iPhone 5 developed a 'stain' on the camera lens that wouldn't go away and my battery performance meant using the after market extender battery almost mandatory. Then came the recall of certain iPhone 5 models for a battery replacement. I checked the serial number range and found mine was indeed faulty. I took it to an Apple Store, who physically tested it and indeed it needed a new one. I wandered the mall for 30 minutes while they swapped batteries and returned to a very glum looking 'genius' who advised that in removing the battery, they inadvertently ripped a couple of cables out so I would actually get a new iPhone 5 rather than just a new battery. Woo hoo!
So I wasn't really in a rush for the '6' as I was flush with enthusiasm for my new '5' that was suitably upgraded to IOS 8 and did indeed feel fresh and new. Robin's old 3GS was started to show it's age so I started to study the specs and availability of the new model more closely.
I finally decided to chase one seriously last week and studiously tracking Apple's iPhone availability tool, and I found a 128GB model in white / silver at the Apple Doncaster store. I staked my claim in the morning and duly arrived to execute the transaction and left the store a hamper camper. That happiness turned to something darker when I got home and tried to swap SIM cards and set the phone up. The screen was DOA. Not happy Jan!
A terse phone call later that day allocated me a replacement but it was a three hour round trip to pick up the device. It had to be done, I did it, stayed in store to see if this one actually worked! Suitably satisfied I returned home and completed the set-up process with minimal aggravation.
Was it worth it, well read on!
The Panorama function is still effective - 2014
Now that I have it, I love it! Bet you are all shocked by that…
It took a couple of days to get over the increased size (length / width) versus the iPhone 5 as well as get comfortable with the smaller depth, even with the Apple leather cover. I would be nervous about the phone slipping out of my hands without some sort of grippy cover.
The screen appears better but not staggeringly so in day-to-day app usage. I tend not to consume videos on my phone where perhaps the better screen would be really noticeable. A big plus is the Touch Id feature. It took just a few minutes to setup my thumb and forefinger and it has worked flawlessly since. Bye-bye passcode!
Performance is fantastic, very snappy in most apps and a noticeable step up from the 5. It responds more like my MacBook Pro than a 'laggy' phone.
I always believe in getting the biggest, fastest electronic device you can afford as one can't have too much grunt or too much space. So, the128GB option was ticked and I can continue my undisciplined practice of adding apps and any music I like and still have some free space to play with.
The Photo app and enhanced camera are both real highlights. My poor old point & shoot camera is languishing in the bag now. If and when the iPhone gets a semi-decent optical zoom then that will be the death of P&S cameras IMHO.
Pretty crisp for a phone & the car is uber-cool as well - 2014
With Telstra (my Australian telco provider) I am on a two year plan which puts me on Apple's 'whole number' iPhone release cycle and that seems to suit me just fine. I get a mid-cycle bump with an IOS upgrade and then a two-model bump for the phone hardware which keeps my tech-geek side happy and I don't feel that I am wasting too much money on what is still, just, a mobile phone. Albeit in the case of the iPhone 6 and IOS 8, a very, very good one indeed!.
Bye for now, BomberBoy
Vale: John Maxwell Humphries 1926 - 2014
The following is the text of my Eulogy at Dad's funeral service held at Tobin Brothers Mt Martha on Thursday September 25, 2014.
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John Maxwell HUMPHRIES
My Eulogy for Dad - 25 September, 2014
Good morning everyone and thank you all so much for your attendance and support today.
Earlier this week, I was thinking about what to say this morning and researching the music choices for the service when I noticed that ‘My Way’ was a popular bereavement song. I couldn’t really understood why until I studied the lyrics a little closer.
‘What is a man
What has he got
If not himself
Then he has nought’
Hmmmm, OK, the words ‘If not himself’ led me to thinking about what was the essence of Dad? What were the attributes, the principles in his life that I saw, and felt, and lived with over the last nearly sixty years?
So the following few words are about my Dad. Not Father, not Pop, not the Old Man, certainly not Max, but Dad. He was always, simply, ‘Dad’.
I have distilled everything down to what I have called ‘The Four Pillars’
- The first pillar is ‘Loyalty & Respect’
- Firstly in his working life. Almost everyone in this room would know of Dad’s love affair with the Ansett Airlines company in general and Sir Reginald Ansett in particular over more than 30 years. He gave everything he had to the company and it was a period in history in which those sorts of efforts and contributions were responded to in kind. Apart from the debilitating effects of his migraine headaches during much of this period he loved the job, loved the notoriety that came from his close working relationship with ‘the boss’ and he had a real passion for driving, for the transport industry and for flying. This is certainly where my passion for driving and cars came from.
- He demonstrated loyalty and respect in his social life. As we have heard Dad was an eager participant in social activities especially mid-life onwards. He was an excellent listener with an engaging smile that added depth and breadth to social situations, and to those conversations in which he was involved. In short, people wanted him around their social circle. Dad was non-judgmental, saw the positives in people and never had a bad word to say about anyone. Ever. If he didn’t agree or get on with someone he would just shrug it off with an ‘Oh well, that’s OK’ or ‘That’s just their way’, with no remonstrations or recriminations.
- His personable and respectful style allowed him to mix and move easily through age groups. He related well to small children, teenagers, their parents, people his own age and those more senior. Many of our friends are not only here today to support Robin and I, but for themselves to farewell Dad who they have got to know so well over the years;
- He had respect for people AND creatures. Somebody once said ‘Don’t trust anyone that doesn’t like animals’. Dad was a bit of a pied-piper where animals were concerned. Soothing of voice, engaging in action, he enjoyed the simplicity and naturalness of their responses and behaviours.
- Finally (and critically) he had respect for himself. It is hard to impress, attract or engage others, if you don’t respect yourself. Dad never wavered from his standards of upstanding behaviour, personal grooming and appropriate sobriety. He looked after himself and treated HIMSELF like he would treat others and would like them to treat him in turn.
- The Second Pillar is that of Family
- What I remember of life growing up was really just a ‘bubble’ - safety, serenity, love, food was plentiful, my clothes always fresh and I can honestly never remember it raining as a kid! I didn’t have a care in the world, I knew, with absolute certainty, that if anything ‘bad’ was to happen, Dad would fix it, organise it, deal with it or just generally make it go away. Now I would come to understand later that there must have been plenty happening behind the curtain that I didn’t see to make this idyllic scene function but it was Dad’s (and Mum’s) familial role to make that happen. To my eternal gratitude.
- Dad wanted his family to be happy and regularly made sacrifices so that Mum or I would get what we wanted if there was a ‘conflict’. He was often the peacemaker!
- He was also a teacher, and sadly perhaps there were some lessons I didn’t learn as well as I should have from him. He shared his knowledge with a quiet patience and he would install confidence in me after I had made a mistake or be positive when I was trying new things. Two examples stand out.
One was when I was in my mid-teens in Strathmore. We had a steep driveway down to some parking spots in the rear. Mums old Beetle was at the top of the drive way and I asked if could drive (or roll it) down the hill and park it. That would be OK, so off I went but mis-judged the distance from the passenger’s side door to the retaining brick wall and ‘scraped’ the side of the VW pretty badly. Hearing the noise Mum and Dad rushed out, Mum berating me for probably speeding and being irresponsible, while Dad leapt to my defence, arguing that it was important that I got some driving practice to improve my skills and that I would learn from this mistake while assuring me that the car would be ‘easily’ fixed. Even then I knew that wasn’t entirely true…
Then, later in life I discussed aspects of my working life with Dad from time to time. But as he had a no real clue what I actually did for a living he couldn’t really offer any ‘professional’ assistance. But when it came to me needing help with a decision, he would patiently listen, check that I had had done my research on the subject, made sure that I had considered the wider implications of any decision on Robin, and always concluded with a variation of ‘You seem to have thought it through son, I know you will make the best decision when the time comes. Good luck with it’. I always left those conversations with a clear head and a warm inner glow of confidence to move forward.
- The Third Pillar is Work Ethic
- No one who ever met Dad would be surprised at references to his work ethic, which I am sure he inherited from his father.
- Dad worked hard, he worked long hours and he worked multiple jobs to support his family. He worked with purpose, with skill, with determination and with perseverance;
- He worked diligently to be successful at each task, in each job, for each ‘career’ which subsequently led to the overall success of his working life
It may or may not be true now, but throughout Dad’s life, opportunities existed and the harder you worked, the luckier you got and he deserved all that came his way resulting from his mental and emotional focus and physical exertions.
- The Fourth Pillar is Self Worth
- Dad had a clear perception and understanding of his position in life and was most comfortable with his ‘lot’. He was not a dreamer, perhaps not even an optimist but he was always happy & positive
- He did have modest but definite aspirations for himself and his family. He knew want he wanted to achieve, understood what he was good at and used that knowledge to set, plan and reach his objectives and life goals
- He was predictable in a positive way (not to be confused with boring), and dependable in the sense that people could rely on him for actions or support knowing that he would always follow through on his commitments.
At the end, until his final illness, Dad grew old gracefully - he stayed the same, just got older, a little greyer, a little slower but with the Four Pillars of Respect, Family, Work and Self still guiding his life and clearly on show.
The final musical selection today will be a song by George Harrison titled ‘All Things Must Pass’. It is a moving piece of loss and renewal and of transitioning from the darkness to the light. There is a line that reads:
‘Daylight is good at arriving at the right time
It's not always going to be this grey’
Perhaps today will carry our ‘daylight’. While our hearts have been full of sadness and grief over recent times, maybe those feelings can be replaced, and our spirits refreshed and renewed, with happy memories of the joy of Dad’s life. A life that was well lived, and lived well.
I will miss you Dad. Love you. Rest in Peace.
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Many thanks to all those who attended the simple and respectful ceremony beautifully led by the celebrant Nola Coulthurst, and for the wishes and thought of those who could not join in the day. All of your support was of great comfort. And a very special thank you to Bruce Riley, a life long friend of our family and Dad's Godson. Thank you Bruce for the contribution of your very personal and moving tribute and remembrances of Dad. And while we did not want to dwell on Dad's recent illness, Robin and I would like to thank Dr John MacKenzie for his personal and professional and attendance to Dad and to at the management and staff at Somercare in Somerville for making the final years of Dad's life as comfortable as possible.
Attendees
- Greg & Robin Humphries
- Bruce & Marie Riley
- Pam & Greg Hobbs
- Elaine Sheppard
- John & Carol Sheppard
- Russell & Trudy Sheppard
- Pam Webb
- Julie Coleman
- Chris Humphries
- David Humphries + 2
- Matthew
- Pam MacKenzie
- Denise Banks
- Monica Clifford
- Darryl Luttrell
- Reuben Nicholson
- Peter & Peta Garriga
- Rod, Louise & Catherine Prior
- Julie Mason
- Linley & Helen Baxter
- Joyce & Rob Taylor
- Elva Parker
- Sue (SomerCare) + 1 (36)
Apologies
- Margaret Cleland
- Chris Mason (Flowers w/Julie)
- Libby Cleland (Flowers)
- Geoff O’Neill
- John MacKenzie
- Beverly & Gerard Goris
- Margaret Norrish
Dad and Mum will be interred at the Mornington Cemetery in Mt Martha later this year and may they both Rest In Peace together. Forever.
Bye for now, Greg
Bad luck Bombers...
Unfortunately the Essendon Football Club's 2014 campaign came to an end on Saturday night with a 12 point loss to North Melbourne. Sadly we were well up (33 points in fact) during the third quarter but unfortunately couldn't go on and close it out. P7 for the season is a pretty fair result. My year end summary and player and coaching ratings will be released piece by piece.
Who was Impressive:
Dyson Heppell was a running, possession grabbing machine all year. Seems 'slow-ish' but is always around the ball with time to use it. His disposal was a big improvement on 2013. A standout performer for the year and should run a place in the Brownlow and will win his first Crichton Medal.
Paddy Ryder's ruck work / palming skills was under-rated by non-Bomber watchers this year. His leap and accurate taps were exciting to watch at centre clearances. Paddy also kicked valuable goals when he went forward.
Michael Hibberd and Cale Hooker were absolute rocks in defence. It is one thing to be negative in defence, but it is a rare skill that combines that with intercept marking and run off half back. These guys were brilliant.
Who wasn't...:
We have a middling (pardon the pun) range of mid-fielders who I don't believe have come on enough. Melksham, Howlett being two who just need to step up and take more games by the scruff. Too invisible for too long in games.
I probably hoped that Paul Chapman would make a bigger impact on the scoreboard than he did. Maybe my expectations were just too high. 'Chappy' did provide leadership and competitiveness however.
Harsh call but Patrick Ambrose didn't seem to be a top four centre half forward to me. Tries hard and is mobile but doesn't demand enough of the ball in the right spots at the right moments.
Another harsh call, but Brent Stanton did not have an impact this year commensurate with his experience and skills. His outright speed seemed down and running distance / patterns appeared to be lessened. Injuries maybe, I don't know but disappointing nevertheless...
Jackson Merrett started the season OK, but was overtaken by his younger brother and will need to increase his work rate and slot more goals from his limited opportunities to be a regular in 2015.
Leroy Jetta sadly sunk without a trace. Disappointing.
Tom Bellchambers year was cruelled by serious ankle issues early, and I hope that this was the only reason that he failed to have an impact in the games that he played.
Who surprised:
Zach Merrett had a sensational debut year. Looked better as the year went on will be even better with another pre-season under his belt.
Mark Baguley continues to be indispensable in defence. He plays his heart out in every contest and leaves absolutely nothing in the tank after every game.
Pass Marks
Skipper Jobe Watson, Joe Daniher (just snuck into this category with his last few games of the season), Michael Hurley, David Zaharakis (almost made the 'Impressive List'), David Myers (was almost surprisingly effective and the only to player to have an appendage with it's own hashtag #leftleg) , Heath Hocking, Dustin Fletcher (his first half of the year was excellent), Jake Carlisle, Brendon Goddard (needs to kick straighter), Jason Winderlich (thanks for your career), Courtenay Dempsey and Travis Colyer (he needs to be given running patterns and a license to RUN as he is just about our only genuine fast runner over distance and line breakers with foot speed).
Would keep
The likes of Ariel Steinberg (showed he wasn't afraid of the big stage after 2+ years in the 'magoos'), Elliott Kavanagh, Orazel Fantasia, Nick O'Brien, Jason Ashby, Martin Gleeson all did enough at senior level to keep them on going into 2015.
Injuries
Best wishes to Alex Browne, Nick Kommer and others who are recovering from serious injuries.
Coaches
Thanks to Mark 'Bomber' Thompson for stepping into the breach at a difficult time and doing an outstanding job of giving the club a rudder and having the ability to steer the ship in a sensible direction in a turbulent year. I really enjoyed the coaches member communications after every game.
However I didn't enjoy our games as much as last year. The defensive structures, limiting our speed going forward was to less interesting to watch than last year. Did it win more games, yes, but ultimately didn't seem to materially move us forward. Especially as the coaching team weren't able to teach / structure our players / game plan to maintain six goal plus leads in games. Something was seriously amiss in our thinking and responsive in-game.
More to come soon...
Bye for now, BomberBoy
Happy Father's Day Dad!
Happy Fathers Day Dad! Although up and dressed, he was a bit sleepy and dopey this morning. And he would probably say the same about me if he could! I heard that Roast Lamb and chocolate pudding was on the lunch menu today. Yummo!
Sleepy on Fathers Day @ SomerCare - 2014
Bye for now, BomberBoy
Sunshine Coast Holiday
Our annual winter escape to Maroochydore on the Sunshine Coast was again enjoyable.
Looks like fun - 2014
More details to come shortly.
Bye for now, BomberBoy
A visit to Bomber HQ
I knew that this new facility was out near the airport and thought it was probably in some wind-blown plain and a bit desolate. Well, to be honest, it did seem a little breezy but there is a lot of development in the area and in a few years it will be surrounded by light industrial factories, business accommodations and various commercial ventures.
The facility itself is attractive in a red and black industrial sort of way, and is especially spacious particularly the indoor training area. I dropped a few dollars in the 'Bomber Shop' and we enjoyed a coffee in the cafe overlooking the two ovals, one the size of the MCG and the other mirroring the dimensions of Etihad Stadium. Interestingly the cafe also is where players get meals and refreshments and the choices are particularly healthy, not a pie to be seen. Sadly...
Bye for now, BomberBoy