2023-May

The place is coming along. During May Marie and the guys put up the gyprock on the garage walls. The bike in the picture means I rode up, pretty sure we drove back through. The floor is hebel something that levels itself out. It's some kind of soft concrete.

This is the laundry. Pretty sure the walls went up, plumbing roughed in, electricity roughed in, roof is on, insulation in, inner wall gyprock is on. Marie has been sanding and getting the paint off the doors for the laundry and garage.

Also during May, we had Justin and Theo over. We played Cthulu, where you lie abou the cards, plus some monster thing that's similar to Pandemic.

Oli cooked dinner, by himself, 2 nights in a row. Last night, I couldn't be bothered so I offered to go out. But they're not into leaving the house much at night. So he says I'll cook. What do you want me to do? Checking the fridge, and googling recipes, we picked risotto. He cooked the onions, added the butter, thyme, then coated the rice with the resulting butter mixture, add the stock half cup by half cup. Man it was delicious as it sounds. Talk about "nailed it!!" I'm happy he is getting more independent and getting them skills. The other recipe was a Nachos, layers of chips, cheese and beans with a salsa, sour cream, and his home made guacamole. Again, fing delicious. 

Lou cooked once this week. It was boiled pasta. But he did it himself while I lay on the couch, in the stink of the cat. I chopped some tomato, or random stuffed peppers to go on top. So filling and nice work Lou.

Lou's bday! Sunday, had some school buddies over to play WII, have a Nerf gun war, do some card games like Muffin Time. I made Sandvich (insert image) by Lou request. Sunday night, dinner at the Majestic (old Majestic Theatre) with the McCabes.

Saturday - had the neighbours over-Christina, Tony, Connaugh, Jamie, Tim, Trish-kids played with the dogs. Simple BBQ, ate too much.

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I'm amazed at how Marie can multi task. For example today, Marie got some washing done and went to Robbie's to help do some cooking. She just shoved the washing in the machine then walked out. I went to Bunnings this morning to pick up some taps, looked at more taps online, stopped for a phone call from her to wash out some ramikins for her sister to pick up. Then I folded up the old washing on the line, so that I could hang up the new stuff.  Marie has achieved the washing, ramekins and tap procurement all while cooking. Males are hopeless. I can't even do my day job.

Saturday, oh lala- went to Jacky's for a French theme lunch. Seafood souffle, Beef bourgignon, and profiteroles. She spent ages cooking it up, v impressive. I rode from Homebush station via Olympic Park, M4, Livo rail then on the Sydney Pipeline path - magnificent, low stress all the way.

Went to Fils for lunch. Sat in Johns car while the tyre guy told him there's nothing wrong. He probably never fills the tyres. Despite the man being helpful and straight, John then informed everyone about which ethnic heritage he felt he had without knowing. He drove me crazy.

Goldie the dog just loves the hose. Drives her mental.

Jaime from next door borrowed my hat and bolo tie. He is a well known talented musician, part of the "A" team.

2023-April and Anzac Day

 

on the 30th of April we went to lunch with the family - Will, Ceal, Lilly, John, Cherice

Lilly, John, Cherice, Darcy, Ava, Olie, Marie, Fil

To celebrate the return of Jaime's family from Peru, I made a Peruvian dish which required a red oil made from the beans in the middle, the chillis on the left, and for dessert we had the Alfa Pack on the right, which is a sugary disaster but delicious. The recipe was Tallarines con Pollo, and it seemed to work pretty well, just needed to evaporate the sauce down a bit more for the stronger flavour, but still delish.

On the Anzac day long weekend. The holiday fell on a Thursday so everyone took the Friday as a holiday to make the pont jour.

I went up with Marie to do some serious arse construction work. 

This is the garage in the pictures here. Vince reattached the bottom joist with bolts to made a neat A frame. I whizzed these back with a wire brush in a drill. Then Marie oiled them, very pretty.

The white boards are Vilaboard, some kind of concrete fibre to make them water proof.

Working in harmonyyyyy to get the Vilaboards on the garage rooooof.

Me after whizzing back the rafters to clean them down, and reveal their original non-dirty colour.

The before shot, after the rusted metal sheets came off the garage.

John helped out in his own special way, which the serious construction boys found very confusing and amusing. He watched in a very encouraging way.

Vince getting hands on. This is not a quick job, d'oh.

Me and Marie painted the sheets before they got put on, so yes I screwed up the order of the photos here and can't be bothered to re-write everything afterwards and put the photos back in the right order.

The old laundry is in the background.

Stuff everywhere - the look of the place when the grass was still alive.

2023-April

 

Ah bless Westconnex and the triple smoke stacks rising out of the concrete at Rozelle. Hopefully one day, people will wake up and condemn this project. Apologies people of the future for the stupid of today!

We visited the new place up at the Central Coast with our boys, Charlie, Anna and three of her grandkids - Lucas in the pic here, playing games with the big boys. Oli, Lou, Charlie and Lucas ->

Oli, Lou, Charlie, Marie, Lucas, Mila, Anna and Paige shielding her eyes from the fire with Goldie the dog.

Making burgers by the looks with Lou, Charlie, and Oli

One of the very few photos I have of Oli looking serious, concentrating and getting stuff done, rather than screwing up his face and giving the finger - here drawing on the tablet. I'd love to see some of the stuff he's drawing.

On another visit to the Central Coast, Ange and Steven stayed, here with Marie at Nat and Scott's place for a BBQ.

Scott, Kathy, Nat and Melissa - who came in from the US and took the chance to come up to visit the place. Feel free to stay any time Mel!

Ang, Steve and Marie check out the neighbourhood.

Mum's mum's parents. The grandpa on the left is the spitting image of Adam.

Marie and Baka on a video call to her sister Teta Ivka, niece Jelena and nephew Ivo, who remarks pretty much every time on the fact that I cycled to their home after 400kms once. Wish I could understand the rest of it!

At the very sad funeral of Stephen, John and Julie's nephew, brother of Damian. Stephen passed away due to brain cancer. I didn't know him much, but sounds like he had a full and interesting life, and some very good friends who spoke very well on his behalf during the funeral. Here's Kathy, Julie, Amber, Issi, Ang

Mark, John, Thomas, David, and Adam at the funeral of Stephen.

Marie and the boys at Blue Bay, about a k or 2 away, very beautiful.

In the kitchen at the Central Coast.

There for posterity: the old laundry, which we found out later had been completely eaten by termites, so had to be replaced. The old roof can be seen on the garage, just prior to it being replaced.

2023 March

 

We did a charity walk. Not sure who paid, was it organised by Emily? anyway, Marie, me, Emily and Vonne had a very nice walk to Watsons Bay, Bondi and Randwick.

Transporting awkward stuff to the new weekender. We stopped at Drummoyne after one of the straps came loose. Lucky that wasn't on the Gladesville Bridge! This mattress felt like it was going to fly off the roof.once we tied it down properly.

Got a new wind up clock. The warranty starts from July 1939, just before the war.

On the Bondi charity walk.

More shots on the walk.

In the home of Jaime and Claudia, also with Trish and Tim.

I've been a fan of Clannad for like 30 years. Finally ticked this off the list! Saw them in concert. Marie Angela and Steve said they actually enjoyed it, which is a nice change from when I used to put their stuff on to a round chorus of Mate! What is this??

Live, they're like a loud Irish pub band, singing songs about the drink, girls, etc. Now I've decided I need to visit each pub in Ireland to listen to some more of this trad live music.

That's Moya's daughter in the middle, who smashed it singing Bono's bit for "In a Lifetime". She looks like the work experience girl but was just amazing.

The original members have been playing for over 50 years. This band is legendary.

The venue was the gorgeous heritage State Theatre near the QVB/Town Hall.

We went to visit Kylee down the south coast.  Another lovely time. Oli stayed home, but he's allowed to. Sang Karaoke on Saturday night until our throats were hoarse. Marie says I kept taking the microphone to sing, but I'm a bit blurry on that. I have never sung NWA's Straight Outta Compton and "Forget" the Police before, out loud, in front of people, but it was very liberating!

At the local beach with the doggos.

Met up with my old mate Mario Traversi, who was in town. I think he lives in Brissy. Spent many years in Maputo.

Vince is checking out the new house, thinking of knocking down walls.. As time goes on, I think my plans keep getting smaller, as the bigger jobs would just take forever.

Me Marie and Evonne rode to the place from Tuggerah Station. Even bumped into Scott Falconer the Real Estate agent, who actually did a good job. I appreciate the way he handled everything and kept it all moving along quickly and fairly. I'd use him if we had to do something again.

Me, Louis (pronounce the S), Claudia, Anna,Time, Trish, Lou, andrea, Esteban

Just me and the girls out for the night. Was supposed to include husbands?? Emily, Rara, Maggie, Jaqui, Vonne, Robbie, Me and Marie.