My Anniversary Weekend

The weekend was absolutely amazing. We headed off Friday morning and enjoyed the scenery on the drive up to Tununda. We had looked at a few different places to stay but in the end picked the expensive one. We were unsure if it was worth spending the extra money but once we got there and saw the units we were very happy. Our accommodation was situated on the side of a hill over looking a huge valley. We had our own little self contained unit with a kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and a room with a two person spa in it with windows looking out over the valley. It was heavenly. We had plans of going into Tununda and some of the surrounding towns but got sidetracked and just had a spa instead.

After our spa we drove into the town of Lyndoch and had tea at the Lord Lyndoch which was a really great place with different but incredible food. We ate too much as usual and then headed back to the unit. The wasn't a light too be seen over the valley and it was incredibly peaceful.

Every morning we woke up to the sun rising over the hills and shining in our bedroom. The unit was an open plan and had sliding glass windows all along one side which provided amazing views. Saturday started at a reasonable hour and the girl and I enjoyed complimentary breakfast before driving into Tununda to have a look around at the town and the Wineries surrounding it. We had a look at the car dealership that I have bought my last two cars from and then walked down to a huge furniture store called Wohlers. Wohlers is full of custom made furniture and was very enjoyable to walk through. The furniture is exquisite and ranges from small coffee tables to a table that could seat 22 which would have looked more at home in a castle. The furniture, though, is very reasonably priced and then girl and I found a dining table that we would love to buy when we own our own home.

After seeing the sights of Tununda we started hitting the wineries. I don't drink wine so was more interested in the buildings and people than grapes but enjoyed it anyway. The first winery we stopped at was Cockatoo Ridge and after hearing that I wasn't a wine drinker, the girl being the counter presented me with a sparkling black which she said most beer drinkers liked. Being polite I said it was different but it was utterly horrible and it was off to the next one. The girl bought a few bottles of different wines and we enjoyed our few tastings. The only low light was wine snobs. At one particular winery there was a group of people who obviously knew nothing about wine but thought they had better sound snoby anyway. They were incredible rude to the staff working there and treated the girl and I like we weren't even there. The funniest part was that the girl and I had one taste and ended up buying a box of wine and after tasting the wines the other group did not purchase a thing. I think they were just out to get pissed for free. Bloody wine snobs.

We relaxed after our hard day of cruising around with another spa and then decided to get take away pizza and come back to enjoy our view/room. We ended up with the best BBQ chicken pizza the world has to offer and an incredible night.

We packed ourselves up early Sunday morning and the weekend was over. The room was a bit pricey but god it was worth it. It was absolute bliss and made for such a relaxing weekend. I would do it again in a flash and it made for a perfect anniversary weekend.

This week has been pretty crazy so far, but more later. Byes.

My Karnivool Atmosphere

This week has been really really good but so flat out its not funny. Work on Monday was the easiest with us just digging the footings for an addition and bathroom. Tuesday was a different story. I worked by myself Tuesday because my old man was on another job. I had to put all of the reinforcing steel in the trenches and get it ready so we could pour it today. God damn was it a struggle. The job would have been a easy three quarter day for two guys but by myself I nearly died. I could barely lift some of the steel for the trenches and then dragging the 72kg sheets of mesh around was a huge struggle too. I got it done though but I was absolutely dead on my feet.

Just as I was leaving the job I got a message from Layno asking me if I was going to see Karnivool that night. I had already bought a ticket but had forgotten it was that night. I made it home and recovered for a short time before heading back into town to meet Steve and Layno for pizza. We chilled out and enjoyed our meal and a beer before heading to the gig. We went in and just caught the end of Mere Theory's show and then decided to go across the road to the Colonel Light Hotel for another beer. We chatted for a while and then headed back in to meet up with the Rogers boys and to see the start of Karnivool's set. As usual the concert sold out so there was a huge crowd there and as usual they put on an incredible show. They are such an intense band and the crowd was really into all the new songs they played as well as trying to compete with Ian the singer in the old songs. This is the fifth time I have seen them and they are one of the only bands that I will always go and see just because there live shows are so incredible. It was a really great night in the end and after the Karnivool boys played about 30 minutes over time I headed off. I didn't get home till 1am and was up five hours later to go back to work. I did not want to get out of bed that morning, believe me.

Wednesday, thankfully, was a really easy day for me. I did two loads of concrete from a job to the dump and then brought 60 tonne of rubble from a quarry to the same job. It was a relaxing day driving the truck. It was exactly what I needed though, but I was still buggered when I got home that night.

Today we poured the job that we dug Monday and I steeled up Tuesday and it went really really well. It was a tough day physically but everything went smoothly and by 3pm we were finished. I needed an early day and even though today is only Thursday it felt like Friday and that felt fine to me.

Tomorrow is ANZAC Day which will make this weekend a long weekend and it means that it is the girl and my two year anniversary. Looking back on what has happened in our relationship it feels like so much longer than two years but in the same regard it doesn't feel like two years has passed. After two years we have become so close due to everything that has happened and everything we have experienced. We decided we wanted to go away somewhere so we booked a unit over looking the Barrossa Valley for Friday and Saturday night. It should be a really relaxing and peaceful weekend so I cant wait. Happy Anniversary my gorgeous girl. I love you.

Byes

My Home Alone

Well its official, the girl and I are home owners.... For the next six weeks anyway. We have been really busy with just life and everything else lately. Its been weird living at the girls mums house by ourselves but it has been good. We incited Tilney and Luke around Wednesday night for tea and had a bit of a laugh which was good. I had to do all the dishes after which was a challenge. I never knew four people could make such a mess.

It was a good week though and the weekend was just as good. We went out Friday night to the Holdfast Hotel to see Steve's band, The Lost Show, play. They played after a band called Shickle who were ok but not really my style. There was a bit of a delay before their set due to not having any microphones because the Holdy does not supply mics and they never told the guys that. They had to drive back to the drummers house to grab some mics and then race back. They started about 15 minutes late but pulled it all together and played an awesome show to a really good crowd. There was a lot of people we knew there but also a lot we didn't and everyone was into it. It was easily there best show I have seen them play so that was really good. The girl and I were both really tired after working all week and so headed off after they finished playing. She fell asleep in the car and I just made it home. It was such a good concert though.

Saturday was spent cleaning the house and doing washing which was ok. We watched the footy which the crows won and then watched the motor racing which Holdens won which made me smile. The girl has been a bit sick lately and a bit under the whether so she decided to have a bit of a quiet one Saturday night. I headed back down to the Bay to celebrate Courtney's 21st birthday. I went to school with Courtney but she now lives in Ceduna in the states north. She was back in town for a week to celebrate her birthday and spend time with her family. It was really good to catch up with her and everyone who was there. I had a quiet night and headed home around 11 which was good because I wasn't feeling that partyish. Work really took it out of me this week. I had a few early starts and working by myself really took it out of me. It was a good week though.

I am finally going to put some photos up on the Spud Photo Blog so do check them out and if you could go and check out The Lost Show myspace and give them a listen because if you saw them Friday you would have fallen in love with the music. Bye now.

My Oily Day

Today was a good day and it went well until the afternoon. My dad is unwell at the moment so didn't work today which left me to go to a job to rip up some concrete and dump it. I had taken one load to the dump and had just about finished loading the second when I got sprayed with hydraulic oil from the bobcat. I was lifting the last bucket into the truck and upon opening the bucket a hose burst and covered me, the truck and the bobcat with oil. It sucked hardcore. The only saving grace was that it wasn't hot. Last time a hose broke on me I had been using the machine for about 3 hours and the oil was red hot and burnt me. I would have had an easy early day but in the end I had to struggle to get the machine in the truck and then get the hose replaced. It was an ok day before that happened.

The weekend was pretty good. The girl and I had tea Friday night with Cat and her boyfriend Sean and it was a pretty cool double date thingy. All four of us were tired due to such a flat out week and so ate tea and then headed home without ice cream to get some rest. Saturday night the girl and I drove up to Aldgate for the 21st of one of her school friends. The 21st was quite good and very emotion for her friends and family because the girl fell pregnant when she was 16 and managed to raise her son while finishing school and now studying and working. Her son was soo funny and during the speeches walked up and fell asleep on her feet. It was damn cute. The other highlight was during her brothers speech. He got a bit lost and stopped to find his place on his notes and came out with the line "I got lost, I think my cursive is too cursive'. It was gold. Not a bad night really.

Life is going to change a bit for the girl and I for the next couple of weeks because the girls mother leaves tomorrow to tour Europe for six weeks. It means we have to stay at her house almost every night instead of going back and forth between both of our houses. Its going to be good because we have so much freedom having the house to ourselves but its going to be hard on the girl without her mum because they and so close. She will love the trip though so thats a good thing to think about when we say goodbye tomorrow.

Anyway, I plan on putting up a huge amount of photos on the photo blog so check them in the next day or too. Woot. Byes.

My Awkward

This weekend has been good and bad. I don't know. Its been a bit up and down. I have been a bit uneasy I guess. There is something on my mind but I don't know what it is. I don't really know whats wrong but I have felt funny, odd maybe. I want to write a bit tonight but I'm not in the mood really. I'm still a bit funny. I think I will have to catch up later in the week.

My Extremes

Well Thursday and Friday couldn't have been any more different. Thursday was a beautiful day. The sun was shining and there wasn't a cloud in sight. Where was I on such a beautiful day you may ask? Well unknown reader I was inside pouring a concrete floor and not outside enjoying not being rained on. Now Friday on the other hand was the opposite. It rained all day and was windy, cold and reasonably shithouse. Where was I on such a horrible day you may ask. Well unknown reader I was outside getting rained on. I was putting up with the wind and cold and not enjoying it. Life always happens like that I think. If everything was perfect all the time you would get used to it and having to stand out in the rain and cold wind would become a detrimental event instead of something to complain about on your blog. I guess I just have to put up with a bit of rain and cold numbness every now and then. Byes.

My Easy Easy

I had a good day today. We didn't have a lot on so decided to finish up some small jobs. The first job was to level out the backyard of a house where we had previously poured the foundations for a big addition. They had decided to build a deck on from the addition and needed a level start. After a bit of a scrape with the bobcat, a bit of soil here and a bit of soil there, we were done. The next exciting job was a small concrete pad. The owner of the house was planning to re-do the pattern pave on his driveway but wanted to extend it slightly. It was going to be an easy job because the concrete just had to be flat and the finish did not matter. The only problem was that we had to wait forever for the concrete. After two hours it finally arrived and we learnt it had come from Norlunga which was about 45 minutes from the job. There had been a bit of a mix up and that is why it took so long. We were not happy because it made an easy quick job an easy long job which sucked. It was easy though and the day was done. Woot.

My Cake and Tibet

So whats up? My blood sugar is whats up fool! Lately I have been eating a lot of Balfours Frog cakes which if you don't know are little square cup cakes with cream on top covered in frosting and slightly resembling a frog. I used to eat them when I was a kid and have just rediscovered them. I think they are great and they will take you from zero to diabetes in about 2.4 seconds which is way faster than a Ferrari.

Today I did something very different from my usual. As is the continuing trend with my job, today was completely different to any other day. We went to look at a job and I ended up helping two blokes put the gyprock on the ceiling of the job and then helped them flush it ready to be painted. I had never done that before. It was a pretty average job so I didn't mind when we were finished and the fact that I'm over 6 foot and the other two guys were barely 5 foot made it all a bit awkward. It was different I guess and at least I can tick that box off.

I came home to watch the news tonight and heard all about how protesters had interrupted the Olympic torch relay in London. Now I completely agree with their cause and I completely agree that we should fight to free Tibet but I do not agree with the way they went about it. Protesters ran out and grabbed the torch from the relay runners and were then tackled by police. I feel sorry for the people holding the torch because that is a once in a life time opportunity and it was ruined. One of the women that was shown on the news looked quite scared as the man ran towards her. Now I know Tibet is a very serious issue but I think stunts like this, although bringing huge media attention, can harm the process. Tibet stands for everything that is peaceful and I really do think a violent protest in this instance is degrading to the cause. I do think something needs to be done and I do not agree with the Chinese occupation. I think that if the Chinese media wasn't so censored the Chinese people would think differently about the occupation but I don't know if those media bans will be eased any time soon. I just hope the world does not continue to turn a blind eye on Tibet. Free Tibet.

My Up And Down

This week has been a really odd, up and down week. Somethings have been good and somethings have been bad. Well life has been good but work has been shit. I don't know what it is but this week everything has been going wrong and my old man and I haven't been getting along at all.

The girl and I went to the motor show Thursday night which was pretty cool. There wasn't a huge amount to see but there were a few stand outs. Holden released the wagon version of my car and a two door version of my car which looked absolutely incredibly and pretty much stole the show. There were also a few of Holden's concept cars on show which was great too and the Efigy hot rod was there as well.

Friday sucked so badly. I had the worst day and was not in the mood for anything when I got to the girls house. We had organized to go out to tea with Groke and his overseas friend Line, pronounced Li-na, but I also found out Hoggot was having farewell drinks at the Dublin so as usual we were double booked. We went to tea and that cheered me up so much it was incredible and I was happy for the night. Groke has just come back from overseas so he told us all his stories and we spoke to Line about her home and all about Australia and what not. She is from Norway and had the most incredible bluest of blue eyes. She was really cool so it made for a good tea. We finished there and invited them down to he Dublin to celebrate Hoggots temporary going away. We had a few drinks but didn't stay long cause the girl and I were both tired and were staying at hers so there was a long drive back to her house. She fell asleep in the car and I nearly did to so it was an adventurous drive home.

I had promised to get the girls mum some soil for her garden a few weeks ago but hadn't had the chance to actually do it yet so Saturday I drug myself out of bed and went and got some. I manages to get about three times the amount she needed but she was still over the moon. Once I had spread it all around for her I grabbed the girl and we headed back to my house so we could get ready for Ashley's 21st which was that night. On the way we decided to pick up her present, a jewelry voucher for a Pandora bracelet. We stopped at the Bay but couldn't find a Jeweler so went to Marion and were told no one there sold them so had to rush back down to the Bay and with 5 minutes until they closed, bought it.

We got ready and caught a lift to Ashley's with Hoggot. The party started really slowly but after an hour or two more and more people came and it turned out to be pretty good. The speeches were pretty long but not as bad as some of the other 21st speeches I have sat through lately. I saw some people I hadn't seen for a long time including my friend Briny who has been overseas for over a year. It was so so good to see her again and we had a good ol chat. We left pretty early because Hoggot was heading home to pack and the girl was feeling a bit under the weather but I didn't mind. I wasn't in the mood to party so a chilled out night was fine with me.

Today it was off to the airport again. This time it was to farewell Hoggot for five weeks while he cruises around Europe with Susi and Jess. We nearly slept in due to daylight savings changing but made it to the airport with plenty of time to spare. We walked through the metal detectors and talked to everyone for about 3 seconds before the idea of going to the bar was pitched. We all cheered and made our orders for beers and scotches and dry and took no notice of it being 10am. We had one round and then it was time to say our goodbyes and after a lot of extended waving Hoggot was out of sight and there was one less. A bit depressing but at least he is only gone for a few weeks.

The highlight of today however was the fact that the Crows beat Port Adelaide in the AFL showdown. The crows suffered a lot of injuries and ended up having tree players on the bench due to being knocked out but still pulled off a really good win which was bloody fantastic. Byes

My Rainy Day

Alright so I'm sorry but there is only one thing funnier than someones umbrella blowing inside out in the wind and that is someone getting splashed by a truck. Especially when I was the one driving the truck. It was kind of an accident. It was hilarious though. I might be an ass hey?

This week has been pretty good work wise but the weather has been disgusting. It went from torrential rain to sunshine and heat to unbearable wind. The wind picked up at around 12 and didn't slow down. It was horrible and it only made the dust worse. I got home and was covered from head to toe in dirt. It was even in my ears.

Last night was a bit of an event. I organized to get everyone to the Kentish to listen to my make Coutts' band Ibis play. They got a gig on the Adelaide Uni radio station and played a 45 minute set. We had tea but didn't want to stay at the pub so headed back to Calvins to listen. They were good too. They played a couple covers and a few of their own songs but sounded really good and cracked a couple jokes during the set which were terrible, but still funny in a Coutts way. If you want to give them a listen check out their Myspace page at Myspace/Ibisrock. Do it.

As well as the music being good, it was a great night. A whole heap of people turned up and even Layno came even though he was flying out to New York this morning. Its going to be weird in the next couple of weeks because a few of my friends are heading over seas. Layno is hitting New York for a work thing and Hoggot is heading over to Europe to see the girls, Susi and Jess. I'm running out of friends. Maybe I'm the reason they are all leaving, lol. BYE!