Athletic Carnival!!!!!!

It may be a bit late, but better late than never. On the 23rd and 24th of October Kings Meadows High School held it's annual athletic carnival. And as usual I was ready for TAMAR to take out victory, we have not won since I have been there.

The first day was the novelty events. I was stationed on the beachless flags for the second straight year. That is where you lie on your stomach facing the opposite way and when the whistle blows up jump up and run 10-15 meters and grab a tennis ball, there is always one less ball than competitor!! It can get rather physical and violent, that is why I was stationed there! :)

Starting off 0ne of the heats.


Mayhem at the end!!

Tamar's Grade 9 Tug-O-War Team!!

On the second day we were at St Leonards track for the main day. I was once again Head Time Keeper, as I have been for the past 4 years. I enjoy the role, but there is never a break!!

My spot at the finish line.

Timing one of the races!!

Working with students to organize times!!

This year I got a flag to show if we were ready or not!!

There was a little bit of rain throughout the day, but it did not pour like it did 2 years ago. There was however very little sun!!! Once again Tamar did not win or come second and as usual it was because lack of participation!!

Ahh well there is always next year!!!

One of those photos that bring a tear to my eye!!

I just found this photo on WWE.com, it is of John Cena meeting a little boy in Melbourne this week through the make a wish foundation. The smile on the boy's facesays alot, but what gets me is John's face, you can tell that meeting the boy means just as much to him as it does to the boy.

Having Noah you see the good and the bad of some people. Luckily a majority of famous people (mostly hawks) we have met have always been very nice to us and Noah. The major people that have been extra nice to us have been, Crawf, Alister Clarkson, Sam Mitchell and especially Robbie Campbell. When people are nice to your children it make you feel nice and fuzzy, but when they are extra nice to Noah, it puts them on a special pedistal. For all the horrible/selfish stories you hear about celebrities, it is great to see so many give back and touch fans!!!!!!!

Not Your Average Day At School!!!

Today was the Grade 7 Science excursion to Lowhead to "look" at the Ecosystems around the area. Or in other words a walk along the beach!!!

I must say I was not looking forward to going, I only teach one grade 7 class and don't know any of the other students. I was even less excited when I woke up to see an overcast windy day. Fortunately the weather cleared by the time we hoped on the bus and as I sat with all my friends (by myself) I thought this was going to be a long day. Luckily four girls from my science class started to talk to me, I think they felt sorry for me.

By the time we arrived I was ready for the adventure. We started out walking along the beach heading towards a big sand dune, when we got there the students decided to jump/fall/roll down the dune, they had a ball. I decided to amuse myself by throwing large rocks into the water, right next to the students that were wading up to their shins. It was way too easy to splash them!!!!

The Walk


Fun on the dune


Going back to the top

A sea dragon one of my students found

We had a BBQ lunch and played a bit of sport. Between mucking around with my science class and meeting new students I ended up having a really good day!!!

When Tigger Attacks!! Or When Kobe Attacks!!!!!

This morning I decided to put batteries into the "Bouncing Tigger" for Kobe. He loved it!! We tried the TJ Bearytales first, which he liked, but once Tigger came out, he was in love.

I started by holding while he watched, but soon decided to sit him up with support of the couch and pillows. Here is the video of what happened next!!!

Not much to do on a Friday night anymore!!!

Friday nights officially suck!!!!

I don't want to watch wannabe models and i definitely do not want to watch Tom Cruise.

So I made this video clip!!!

I bet you can't guess what it is about!!!!

My Team! My Love! My Passion!

My family will always be my first love, but this is about my second.

If you know me well, you know what this post is about, if you have only just gotten to know, probably through Lisa’s blog, you could probably guess and if you don’t know me at all. Get ready.

This post is about my beloved Hawthorn Hawks, not that Tassie Hawks team that to me does not exist. I have been a die hard supporter for 33 years, which means from the ripe old age of 2 I have bled brown and gold. This is a journey with many ups, but just as many downs.

This is about me, how I feel about things, my beliefs, not everyone is the same, most aren’t like me, most would not want to be like me, But I do.

Let’s go back, way back. Growing up my life was concerned with three things that my life go round, football, Hawthorn and Peter Knights.

18 months - In my North Launceston jumper (state football was huge back then)

2 days after the 1975 Grand Final.

I used to love cricket as well, all Aussie kids did, but it was always football for me. No one in my family ever went for Hawthorn, how I started at a young age I don’t know, all I can think of is that a few of the teenage boys in our street supported the Hawks, but as a 2-3 year old I can’t see that would influence me, maybe it was pre-destined.

Here a few of my memories of my past that may paint a picture for you, Lisa would say a scary picture!!!!

I remember:

. . . yelling obscenities at the radio on Preliminary Final day 1982 at the age of 9. Carlton beat Hawthorn to advance to the Grand Final.

. . . Meeting Peter Knights at Fotheringhams Sport Store at Invermay, looking up at him as he signed my picture.

The autograph picture I got that day ( I was 5 or6)

. . . . taking part in a training session, I didn’t want to learn I just wanted to impress Knightsy.

. . . A bedroom where everything was brown and gold, bed, walls, football displays everywhere.

. . .Taking two cricket wickets, spacing them out and spending every afternoon, all afternoon kicking at goals!!!!

1981

. . . Football cards everywhere. I collected them every year, anything football was collected. I even use to make my own football cards, I still remember making a set of Victorian football team cards, Michael Tuck with the big V on his chest. I would even make the cards play games against each other.

. . . When I was little all we had was the radio to follow football. I remember crouching down close to the big speaker in the lounge trying to hear the Melbourne stations over the crackle.

. . . The Saturday Express being delivered in the evening with the football scores in it. Then recreating the game with a balloon in the lounge. This happened every week. I think Peter Knights always kicked 5-6 goals in my game!!!

. . . Grand Final days during the 80’s, there was some good ones, but also some bad one. Then the glossy cover of the herald newspaper on the Tuesday, this was before it amalgamated with the Sun, we were always a day behind Melbourne.

. . . Football books everywhere, it was all I ever read, magazines as well. It hasn’t changed much.

. . . We didn’t know who won the Brownlow, until the next morning and the only live game we would see was the one day in September.

. . . Jumping into my dad’s arms, when Gary Buckenara kicked the winning goal against the Dees to put us into the ’87 Grand Final. Unfortunately I also remember the next week also.

. . .The hurt as we waited outside the sports store to meet Dermott Brereton, who never turned up.

. . .The euphoria 12 years later when I finally got to meet him. The only person I have met that made me get goose bumps from meeting them.

Dermie & I

. . .The whole Merger crap. The tension during the ’96 finals game with Sydney, not knowing if it would be our last game. Then the love for Don Scott, who saved us!!

. . .Crimmo’s cup. Seeing the photo of the players with Peter Crimmins and the cup a few day’s later in the paper is still very clear in my mind.

. . .2001 finals. We had just found out about Noah’s condition and the emotions running through my body were at a lifetime high. I remember the night we had to play Port in Adelaide in the Semi-final and Noah was in hospital and when w won. I collapsed on the floor a cried. I cried again the next week, but only because the devils team, Essendon beat us and the emotions ran free again!!!!

There are soooo many memories that have lived with. I have had or have so many Hawthorn things that I couldn’t tell you where they came from, I have an autographed poster from the 1978 grand final, but I don’t know how that came about.

1978 Grand Final autographed poster

This team means so much to me that at times it is scary, but I have been this way since I was 2-3 so I don’t see, at times I get glimpses of it, but I am not going to change. This love is 33 years deep and since being a member, meeting and talking to players it has grown and grown

Jalen, Noah, Shane Crawford & I


Clarko, Noah & Jalen

Browny, Noah & Jalen

I am that loyal that the thought of wearing another teams colours, even if I had to or even for a joke, makes me feel dirty and sick, I just can’t do. It is a bit of a disease or addiction, but rehab is out of the question.

Being so passionate makes me protective of the club. If you are a part time fan or only relatively new to supporting the team and I seem stand offish or something like that, it is not personal, I just have seen many people jump on the bandwagon and then jump off, or stay and act like a fan and bag out the team, which to me is a sin. I can not stand it when supporters bag out our club, never!! I can’t play any better than what they can, so I am not going to criticize them, so neither should you!!!!!

So as I wrap this journey to my strange mind, just remember that to you it is just a game, to me it is not!!! I wish I could just watch the team play and relax, but I am consumed by it from Feb-Sept, my life revolves around it, just ask Lisa. She has had to put up with a lot of crap, because of my love affair with the Hawks, but she seems to understand now. I am lucky I have such a wonderful understanding wife; I love her so much it is not funny. I think she is starting to have fun watching the Hawks too.

After all this you probably think I am stranger than before you read it. As much fun as it has been watching games, going to trainings and all that it has been made so much more fun by having my boys and Lisa with me.

“Were a happy team at Hawthorn!!!!!”

The Greatest Day Ever!!!!

I told you we were not scared and we would win!!!!!

Here is my unbiased, :), view of the 2008 AFL Grand Final.

What a day, I felt sick at around 11am, finally had everything in place to watch the game and the emotions and everything else hit me. I was ready!!!! Before the coin toss, I noticed the smug arrogant look on Tom Harley's face and thought "what a tosser!!!", as stated in previous posts, Geelong thought they were going to take the prize.

From the opening bounce it was a tense and pressure filled game. When The Mighty Hawks kicked three goals after Kidney man had kicked one for the cats. I was pumped.

Speaking of Lonergan, did you notice he lost his balance and fell over in the last quarter, that was because his insides are unbalanced with the missing kidney!!!!

As usual the cats came back and hit he front at quarter time, no worries we were close enough, to mount a charge. The second quarter was full of selfish/arrogant Geelong play, Ottens missing from 30 out when two cats were alone in the goal square. Then Croady hurt his foot and my number 2 man Campbell Brown went back and gave the cats headaches.

Buddy finally got into it and handed Willow a goal, followed by Young's booming goal from the center and we were in front at the half.

We came out fired up in the second half, butlost our best player of the first half to injury!!!! The cats tried, but Cyril and Stuey Dew put a 5 min burst that put us up by 30. Then the umpires handed the cats a goal and then another to the druggy's son (Ablett) anthey were back into.


Into the last quater and the pressure was on, see Lisa's blog, but when held firm and beat them. Emotions started to flow after RickyLadson kicked a goal with 8 mins left, but really flowed after the siren

.

Let me express my feelings on a few of the players from today's game:

Stuey Dew: Damn star, we would not have won without him today.
Cyril Rioli: It was his first year, we have a genuine superstar in the making. Turned the game for us.
Luke Hodge: If you have read previous posts you know how I feel. I am proud to #15 on my guernsey.
Shane Crawford: This is who we did it for. After today he could go again next year.
Sam Mitchell: Quiet first half, but stood up in the second.
Brad Sewell: Stood up when needed gave us drive in the second half.
Campbell Brown: Same as always, hard/desperate. I love that man.

The best for the cats:
The umpires: How many dodgy free kicks did you want to receive. They kept you in the game in the second half.

I could go on and on about the team, I know I probably missed some, but people are probably getting bored.

One last one though:
Gary Ablett Jr: Sook!!!!!!!!! Didn't win the Brownlow, sat there sooking, although he claimed it didn't matter that much. Then today sat there at the end sooking his eyes out. You won it last year, it is not as if you haven't tasted premiership glory!!!! Sooky Sooky La La!!!

All in all what a day, now I can look forward to a wonderful 12 months, after years of hearing about how Hawthorn sucked, sticking by them fanatically and riding every bump with them, no one can say anything, anymore. We beat every team this year, everyone!!!! And I have all the games on dvd to prove it!!!

We're a happy team at Hawthorn!!!

Now I am going to watch the game again. Crazy, yes. Fanatical, um hell yeah. Passionate, always. i really love my team!!!!! I mean really love!!!!!!

WE ARE NOT SCARED!!!!!!!!

The AFL Grand Final is only 6 days away, this could be one of the best weeks ever!! Although, the way the media and Geelong have been talking, I must of missed it, because it seems Geelong have already won!! All we have heard is Geelong this, Geelong that. Fair enough they have only been beaten once, if we could kick straight it would have been twice!! Aker says they are arrogant and I am starting to believe what he is saying. I must admit I am sick of hearing about only one team and how good they are, when there are 16 clubs in the league. Do 7 cats deserve All-Australian honors or are they the flavour of the month!!

One word of warning for the kitty cats, Hawthorn are no Port Adelaide. Nick Riewoldt said during the week that experience would help the saints, yeah right, you got smashed. The Hawks are hungry and a meal wont satisfy the hunger. We want this for Shane!!!!

Bring on Saturday and those cats!!!!

In Celebration of . . .

To celebrate the MIGHTY HAWKS first Grand Final appearance for 17 years, I have decided to share my Hawthorn desktop wallpapers, which I have created over the years. They are either scans or photos I have taken that I have edited or redesigned. Even if you don't go for the hawks (loser!) let me know what you think.

Hodgey

Leigh Matthews

Shane Crawford

Premierships

Shane Crawford

Shane Crawford

vs Power at Aurora

Stars of '07

Shane Crawford

Campbell Brown

Buddy

Buddy from the start of '06

Chance Bateman - Made Yesterday

Saturday August 30th: A Day From Hell, Night From Heaven

This past Saturday start off like any other Saturday, until I got out the shower and heard Noah crying. Not his usual cry, but one that lets you know it will be a long day. I quickly did a few jobs in town and arrived home at about 10:30am. At 11am Lisa took Kobe to the service project and left me with the immobile Harri (sore foot) and the arching and screaming Noah.

For the next 9 hours I cuddled Noah, almost wrestling him to get him comfortable and quiet. He would only stop crying for about 1min at a time, he did fall asleep for about 15mins at one stage, but Kobe woke up at the same time.

In between the cuddle/wrestle, running Harri to the toilet, stooping J and Harri fighting, I was able to do a few jobs on the computer, watch 3/4 of Semi-Pro & the Eagle & Cats and prepare for what would be a night to remember on that day that would not be easily forgotten.

Noah started to settle around 7pm, just in time for the Hawthorn/Carlton telecast, a big game with Buddy needing 2 goals for his 100 and Fevola needing 8. Buddy kicked his 100th in the first quater and the celebrations began, but Fevola started to creep towards his and the tension was thick.

The kick that started the party!!

Chrish had never watched a Hawthorn game with me until this night, I don't thik he will be in a rush to do it again either.

With Fev only 2 goals away from the `100, with only minutes to go, I started to feel sick. No way was this loser going to steal Buddie's limelight!! Luckily time ran out and the first thing that came out of my mouth was "Sucked in!!". I have never felt so tense or stressed when the Hawks have been leading by 70 odd points.

All in all the day was hard work, but not too bad. at least Lisa got a rest from it and got to get out of the house, plus the night more than made up for the day. Now all we have to do is beat those horrible doggies!!



In case you missed all the fun, here it is!!!