Construction craziness

Across the road and diagonally, new buildings now.

Everyone is high fiving getting in on the real estate action, except for those who can't get in. People's parents are the fastest growing lender in the country, since without them, it is becoming impossible to get into the market. People keep warning of a property bubble. They're building apartments just all over the place. If there is a slight glitch in the economy, or rates go up a bit, everything is going to crash! Let's see.




For now, we have about at least 10 different projects going up, all at the same time, within 100m of our home. There's going to be a train station in our street. We don't expect to keep living here, as the owners will sell out if offered a good price. Then the construction craziness will continue.

This makes 3 new buildings in Albany St.

Corner of Albany St and the Highway, 2 more mega towers.

One block off, on the Highway, another one.

A bit further up on the highway.

Nearby on the highway.

On Albany St another about 20m down.

At the end of our block, Albany St and Willoughby, BIG one here.

Atchison, one over from Albany, the whole street is going up.

Atchison on the right. The super fresh will be last to go.

General fun

Roll your own Japanese pizza - sushi.

Both our boys love sushi. What could be more fun than rolling it yourself? Even if it's probably 40% less tasty.




There's a shot here of Aus Tag. This is to get kids into Rugby League. Lou is just starting. We haven't tagged too many etc. Last week was a practice run. One of the other parents got on the field too. It was better than a real game, as we could try to get them in line, run up, tag each other etc.

This piggy went to market.

Ollie has been doing basketball. I've only had the chance of glimpsing a game while picking up Lou for his sport. Ollie looks like he is doing really well, dribbling while looking out for his team mates. He told us he scored a few. Marie is working, I have to get there after work and drive Lou to his thing, so only the nannies Margaux and Celine have seen the game. Marie has seen a practice. Am looking forward to catching the action.

Lou getting close to the action - AusTag like League.

Ollie partying on in the Lego box.

Ollie takes over our bed, Lou takes over Ollie's other book.

More birthdays...

Lawrence's birthday

Lawrence turned an unspecified age. I suppose it is not polite to ask, so it will stay a mystery. His boys Kevin and Michael are in Ollie's year at school. David is one year above. Anka put together a picnic at the park. The weather was cold so we went back to theirs. Pizza was ordered for dinner. Maybe we overstayed our welcome! So did Justin on the right of the shot here.

Me and the boys went to learn archery Lou Robin Hood.

Me and the boys went to Olympic Park to do some archery for something new. Ollie was putting arrows right on the target. Lou may need a year or two before he takes it seriously enough to stop having fun, and start trying a bit. But they did enjoy it all. Lou gets bonus points for wearing the correct attire complete with hood.


The shot here of Lou under the bright lights was after a dinner out. Ollie was at Charlies place I think, for a sleepover.

Louis hits the lights near Gillroys pub

Finally, Sandy had her 70th at the sailing club at Milson's Point, a very ritzy and old place. She's done an impressive amount of entrepreneuring. Lets see what happens next! Seems like she has one customer locked in in any case, so most likely will get a few more.

Dan, Charlie, Chris, Marie.

Sandy's 70th bday

Weekends, cousins staying over

Funny front wheel.

On my way in to town to volunteer for the council election, and some guy turning left failed to give way on the Kent St cycleway. My bike kinda went under the front of his car, while I stepped off and had to run to keep upright. After $200 repairs, a new wheel, all good no worries, and the guy paid up. He seemed very apologetic.

Glebe foreshore.

Me and the boys went for a walk in town, as I'd wanted to do the new Glebe foreshore walk. An example of the mayor of Sydney doing stuff for people, not major corporations and donors. A great great walk, nice park, the Anzac bridge needs a sound barrier for the stinky cars.
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We've been doing a bit of rock climbing at the indoor centre. The boys really like it. There's a little cave thing in the middle which requires a torch to see. Lou does a few rounds there. Ollie's more into doing the harder vertical ones.

Lou tells another tale.

We've had a few sleep overs with the Charlie Holly and Lola. Everyone gets on very well which is so nice.

ANytime is a good time to climb.

A sleep over with the cousins.

Charlie buried in the sand.

Lola buried while Holly giggles away.

Ollie's birthday!

If they're sleepy still, they're not showing it.

For Ollie's birthday this year he wanted to have some people over for a sleepover. Besides driving us completely nuts trying to get them to go to sleep, it all went pretty well. We played loud music, everyone danced, we wandered up the street to get hamburgers for everyone, play some Terraria where they all joined in the same game, then on the following day they all did some Laser tag, plus played the pinnies / spacies / coin slot games. A great time had by all.

Still pumped after the laser tag session, St Leonards station.

Marie's ice cream cake. Terraria bosses; Skeletron, Eye of Kathulu.

Weekend away

Ollie getting into it at the park near the Woy Woy Bowling Club.

I really love weekends away. It's like a mini holiday. Plus this one was for free, since we just swapped our homes. Shame we don't get out there more!

Umina beach.

We went up to Umina beach. The place was close to the shops, and a short walk to the beach. The boys burned out too fast. We should have let them spend more time goofing around on the sand rather than marching them around to see more stuff.






We went to a distillery and picked up some awesome vodka and liquor gifts for our buddies in France/US. We spent a morning at the tree tops flying fox place. The boys really enjoyed it, as you can see in the pics. Ollie did a run while another kid was still on the line, but no harm done.

Ollie and Marie Umina Beach.

Lou on the  platform.

Hang on Ollie!

Wandering around Woy Woy

A thank you note from our house guests!

Do not get your hair cut on the Central Coast...

Blah te blah

Just a collection of shots here. One from when the cousins stayed over, one from a birthday party where the hosts made some amazing cakes in the shapes of Minecraft computer game, and one from when we had my family over for no special reason. I cooked a Cassoulet, which is the southern French casserole; meat and beans basically. Hard to go wrong with it - it just needs a few different things, salt peper, and crust it up in the oven, too easy.

I scream, you scream, we all scream in general.

Minecraft cake- top effort.

My cassoulet comme les anciens - nailed it IMHO.

Volunteering for Clover

Clover speaks to the vollies with her impressive team.

You know I'm a bike nut, and part of a political party etc, so when Clover Moore mayor for Sydney called for volunteers, I felt duty bound to give some time. She put the bike lanes into the centre of Sydney's CBD while the papers, the state politicians, and commentators in general lambasted her as some crazy hippy lady. Despite what they say, she keeps on getting re-elected by listening to what people want. Sounds like something they should all be doing, rather than attending dinners with doners and allowing Packer to build the biggest casino/phallus on prime public land.

Me Marie, and the (still) Mayor of Sydney fundraiser dinner.

At the volunteer information night we nibbled on cheese and crackers, drank wine and wandered around meeting like minded people and the lady herself. I volunteered for voting booth info person.
This involves standing at the entrance during polling days (2 weeks of prepolling), handing out leaflets on how to vote, and answering odd questions. I met the sister of Tony Abbott (recent former prime minister of Oz), most of the other candidates and Ian Roberts a footballer famous when I was younger (Rugby League), really nice guy. A couple of guys explained that I couldn't possibly be gay since my shoes were too ugly and spattered with paint. Fair point.


She got about 60% of the primary vote, while the nearest competitor got about 15%. Listening to people, making decisions on principles and evidence, and making the decisions into concrete, got her an overwhelming vote. All in all great fun, and a great experience.

On a side note, my school mate Sean tells me our year 3 teacher Mrs Collins was Clover's mother. She was very strict and proper!