mikeandkerrynsblogspace: June 2008

Monday, June 23, 2008

THE NIGHT BEFORE LAST I THOUGHT THAT I HAD SET UP A BLOG SITE FOR KERRYN AND I, BUT, ALAS, YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS LIKE WHEN YOU GET OLD? THINGS TEND TO GET AWAY FROM YOU WITHOUT YOUR EVEN REALIZING THAT NOTHING HAS HAPPENED. MUST BE A SIGN OF ELDER STATESMANSHIP? MAYBE JUST A SIGN OF JOINING THE SENIOR GENERATION.
THE ONLY REASON FOR THIS SITE IS SO THAT KERRYN CAN (ONCE IT IS SET UP) COMMUNICATE WITH THE KIDS OVERSEAS IN ONE RATHER THAN SEPERATELY WHICH TAKES HER ALOT MORE TIME, MEANING THAT SHE SPENDS LESS AND LESS TIME CLEANING THE HOUSE OR DOING SOMETHING CONSTRUCTIVE. (ONLY KIDDING WIFE)
BYPASSING WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK IN PALM COVE 'CAUSE YOU ALL NOW KNOW THAT WE WERE THERE AND MOVING RIGHT ALONG TO WHAT HAPPENS FROM HERE ON.
TOMORROW, YOUR GRANDFATHER POPS AND I ARE MAKING A GB PILGRIMAGE TO DALBY AND TOOWOOMBA IN QUEENSLAND. HE WANTS TO SEE THE OLD PLACE ONE MORE TIME BEFORE HE IS UNABLE TO MAKE ANOTHER TRIP. WE PLAN ON LEAVING HIS PLACE AT 6.00 AM WEDNESDAY MORING AND DRIVING MOST OF THE DAY. HOPEFULLY WE'LL MAKE DUBBO IN NEW SOUTH WALES BEFORE TOMORROW NIGHT. HE IS NOT TOO KEEN ON STAYING THE NIGHT THERE AS HE SOMEWHERE OR SOMEHOW HAS BEEN TOLD THE ABBA DIG INEES, (THANK YOU WALLY) ARE PRETTY BAD THERE. (AS IN ALCOHOL INFUSED) LAST TIME WE STAYED THERE WE WENT TO AN INDIAN RESTAURANT WHICH WAS AN EXPERIENCE IN ITSELF. ( THAT'S ANOTHER STORY FOR ANOTHER TIME) I WANT TO STAY THERE AS IT IS A LARGER TOWN AND SO THE MOTELS WILL BE MORE COMPETETIVE AND ALSO OF A BETTER STANDARD THAN IN A SMALLER TOWN. SAFER, I THINK TOO.
BRINGS TO MIND THE QUESTION. WHAT IF WHEN I AM YOUR GRANDFATHER'S AGE I DECIDE THAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO A ROAD TRIP? WOULD ANY OF MY KIDS BE PREPARED TO MAKE THE TRIP? THINK ABOUT IT?
THE NEXT DAY, (AFTER LEAVING DUBBO) WE WILL MAKE DALBY AND TOOWOOMBA MOST PROBABLY BY 4.00 IN THE AFTERNOON ON THURSDAY. WHILST THERE, POPS WANTS TO SEE ROMA AND DESLEY, (COUSINS) AND ALSO GO TO HIS OLD PRIMARY SCHOOL (NEWTOWN PRIMARY) WHERE HE WILL NO DOUBT TELL ME AGAIN HOW HE USED TO CAPTAIN THE SCHOOL RUGBY AND CRICKET TEAMS WHEN HE WAS A YOUNG BOY. MUST HAVE BEEN A GOOD ALL ROUNDER SPORTSMAN. HE ALSO WANTS TO GO TO BRISBANE TO SEE THE OLD AREA WHERE HE USED TO LIVE WHERE HIS FATHER TRAINED HORSES BACK IN THE LATE 1930'S. WE WILL NEED TO LEAVE QUEENSLANDFOR OUR RETURN TRIP TO MELBOURNE ON MONDAY 30THY JUNE TO BE BACK IN MELBOURNE BY WEDNESDAY 2ND JULY. I'LL NEED TO HAVE AT LEAST THE ONE DAY AT WORK BEFORE HEADING OUT TO HAT YAI IN THAILAND WITH POPS ON FRIDAY NIGHT OF THE 4TH JULY. ( INDEPENDENCE DAY)
WE WILL SPEND 2 WEEKS IN HAT YAI AT POP'S HOTEL CALLED LEE GARDENS WHICH IS NOT QUITE THE RITZ BUT IT SEEMS TO SUIT HIM. GOLF EVERY DAY PROVIDING HE IS ABLE AND THEN AT SOME STAGE BRIGITTE IS COMING DOWN FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS. WE ARE BOOKED TO RETURN ON SUNDAY MORNING 20TH JULY, GET BACK IN TO TULLA AT 8.00PM IN TIME TO START WORK THE NEXT MORNING AT 9.00AM. ALL VERY RUSHED BUT POPS WILL ENJOY.
AM CLOSING HERE HOPING THAT ALL OF YOU ARE WELL AND THAT ASH N OWEN ARE VERY CAREFULLY CARING FOR MY 1ST GRANDCHILD AND THAT THE 2 GIRLS ARE GETTING READY FOR THE BIG MOVE BACK HOME.
LOVE TO ALL,
DAD. (MIKE)

Trip to hat Yai with pops during July 2008

O.K. here we go again. Last time I entered just the photos Mum told me that it was boring but I figure a picture is worth a thousand words. I guess you are all wondering how Pops is after his exhausting trip to play golf in hat yai? You judge for yourself, I must say that he has since returning, deteriorated a little and I think he was carrying aches and pains that he never told me about whilst we were away. He has told me that I tell Mum too much so I guess he may not have wanted me to know when he was uncomfortable. Suffice to say that, yes, he very much enjoyed his time away and to boot he met up twice with an old friend from Malaysia. (Taiping Ang is his name) Yesterday he had an appt. with his oncologist Romain Holmes who is as Mum tells me a paliative care doctor. He later in the week has an appt. with Max Esser and I think next week has an appt. with some other doctor. All in all he is o.k. at present.
I suppose that Mum has told you all that she is going into hospital in August? She has a shoulder injury, she has torn the muscle in the shoulder which is causing pain and prevents her from doing the things that she wants to do. (Like housework!) I beleive that it is only an overnight stay but the recovery will be much longer and may see her out of tennis for up to 6 months. In that time, she is going to be unable to do too much and her caring for G.B. will be a challenge as she runs him around all the time. Perhaps if he is without Mum caring for him and being at his beck and call as she has done for years he may learn to be a "tad" appreciative for the way she puts herself out for him.
Harley has started his new job and I think within 6-12 months he will be very comfortable in his new role and most probably ready to take on much more. I hope you are all supportive of him as both Mum and I are extremely proud of the way in which he has developed as a valuable and confident member of the work force. I can say that he is the best emplyee that I have had work for me since being here at Peninsula Pools. At "Cashies" he helped me but was nowhere near the value he has been for me since starting with me 18 months ago. Well done Harley, if I haven't told you before, you've now had it from the horse's mouth!
Keep well and stay in touch, we love (and miss) you all. Owen, look after Ash, I am sure that you will. Looking forward very much to the safe arrival of my Grandchild. To Blaire and daena, GET HOME quickly, you've both been gone for too damned long.
Dad