Sunset Pic

 From Rob's verandah 

 

 

 

Centenary Moves Simon Newcombe Eighte

Arrived for coaching duties to see Pete had parked his car carrier on the hard stand.

Kids then removed the vbow side riggers and carried the eight from the land side bay to the middle bay.

Pete then backed the trailer up to the middle bay.  The idea here was not to move the vehicle while the boats and kids were on it. 

Kids carried the boat onto the trailer.  We stood while the trailer went up.   Then they passed the boat over the hand rail and into the shed. 

Pete is a very practical, get things done guy and does it without upsetting others.

https://youtu.be/q_o_WzFvZKM

 

 

 

 

Centenary Awards Afternoon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Captiva EGR issue

Final assembly at school

Parents at the back yr12's on the right and yr11's on the left. 

Very moving ceremony and why we need artists.

The yr12's did a good by video to each grade in turn with a PowerPoint slide and live spoken words and finishing off each year level with a snippet of a Taylor Swift song. 

The yr 11's responded with an AV of their own followed by a massed choir singing a medley of songs. 

At the end, the entire student body made a path and the grade 12's walked and hugged their way through. 

Then the entire student body sang their way cry for the last time. 

Mt M

The day started picking up Marcus at 5am from Thallon st. We drove to Mt Maroon 

Cotswold Track - Mount Maroon Hike

https://maps.app.goo.gl/kMddC3rj5FijWLho7

Jemmas last good by

The day started picking up Marcus at 5am from Thallon st.  We drove to Mt Maroon 

Cotswold Track - Mount Maroon Hike

https://maps.app.goo.gl/kMddC3rj5FijWLho7

The last song of mass was "lean on me" the kids sang and clapped along with it.  It seemed such a good choice. 

Jemma's last performance

Jemma last performance at school. 

The girls did an amazing thank you to Jemma. 

As I sit I think the optimism of youth.  I'm especially taken by the kids who have the courage to give a less than perfect performance.  They can ride through wrong notes and continue without falling apart 

After the performance,  "we" had dinner at my place. 

8pm

Chris cooked the most wonderful Hamburgers.

Meat

Cheese

Beetroot

Mushrooms.

Onion

Eggs

Toasted buns and he'd even gotten Glueton free bread for Megan. 

We was all 6 of us. 

Nice to do. 

Only the the second or third time Megan's been at my house.   That's been me actually not inviting her. Protecting my emotional self. 

Tonight those emotional were simmering and I had to work hard to keep a lid on.  Not cool to cry. 

Regret, rejection, disappointment, sadness....

In fact as I'm writing this, I'm feeling very down and holding off crying.  No one to hug.  No one to hug me. 

Google losing photos and cant complain

18-11-2022 Update (See more below)
This time I could post:

https://support.google.com/blogger/thread/189065335?hl=en

A reply references this blog
https://too-clever-by-half.blogspot.com/2018/01/google-album-archive-photos-blogger.html

My album archive is apparently here: https://get.google.com/albumarchive   and it is

 

 14-NOV-2022:

https://thomsoneu.blogspot.com/2010/07/saturday-4th-july.html

I have looked in photos.google.com and they are not there.  There used to be an album called blogger and it seems to no longer exist.

I pay by the way for extra storage and have done for several years and it is not full.

I have also tried opening the web page on different browsers and also in the private mode in case it was a caching issue. 

I am concerned that if I cant trust google to keep my photos and not loose them then I need to re asses urgently which will be a pity.

 

 

 18-NOV-2022 Update

Going to have another go at getting support

This time it worked.

The URL to the community is above

 

Convict Chase

Messing around in boats. Saw Jemma row past.

The race was a rolling start with boats going off at approximately 15 second intervals. Our bow number was 23, which is apparantly a famous number in sporting circles, and meant we were the 23rd boat to start. 

The start line was at the oxley sailing club. 

We got off to a good smooth start which set the foundation for a good race. To my surprise, our cox, Maddie, announced that we were gaining on someone. This spured us on and sure enough I could hear the noise of another crew. Stroke by stroke we pull past. I'm amazed. Even more amazing, we are advised we are gaining on yet another crew. I could see a water ski boat approaching and they throw out waves. I could hear the sound of another crew and Maddie informed us it's two crews. Resisting the temptation to turn and look (such is verboten) and pulled along side the other two boats and we all rounded a marker buoy as the waves from the ski boat hit us. Maddie had put us closest to the bank. A wise choice as we were rowing against a slight incoming tide and the effect is lowest close to the bank. The bonus now was the waves from the ski boat had a little more time to flatten out before reaching us. Anyway we seemed to handle it well and pulled away from the other boats.   

On we went with the boat continuing to be stable and this meant we could focus on pushing hard on our legs. Down past the aerial, then the Stockwell mansion and round the final turn. Kings college far across the river and green rocks coming up. Maddie announced we were gaining on another crew. I mused that one would think a bunch of old blokes would have mental fortitude to manage themselves but we definitely need the input of the Cox to keep us on topic. I wasn't sure if this otjer crew call was just a motivational lie to get more effort from the crew but soon we heard the panicked noise of a crew about to be overtaken. This spured us on even more and we just pipped them at the post.

After a short rest we commenced a slow controlled row back to the shed. This was memorable for it's smoothness. A great way to start the day. 

Then breakfast.

Then onto Megan's house to help Jemma change a Headlight bulb. A pain as there is so little room for one's hands.  

When I got home, what do you know but Chris is working on his car.

I love my kids.  They are great. All 4 of them. 

rejected ..... again

Hi Frank,  thanks for the cuppa.  You are a nice e man. It's refreshing to talk about feelings with a man. Very refreshing 😊

I don't feel I had a connection though. I hope you find your lady 🙏

Pretty normal

Text

Coffee

Rejection

Repeat

I wish for someone to love. 

I wish for someone to love me. 

It's been a long long long time.

A lonely existence 

There is no forgiveness in this world.

But the evidence is there that I'm unattractive. Megan was right. So right. 

https://youtu.be/K8bJrKND-Zo

bush dance

I went to a bush dance at West end. 

On my own. 

It's still a tough gig being on my own.   I almost aborted as it was hard to find a park.

Not a Row

Please imagine the theme to Gilligan's Island as 4 of 8 set out in the Omra for one and a half hour cruise.

 Not long into the row, Peter in bow called for stroke side to lighten off. Not unusual in itself as bow side have a reputation for under performance however as three esteemed coaches pulled along side and the only words of encouragement they could muster were to point out the obvious that the Corro drive bank was coming out to meet us.

We decided to stop and straighten up. 

It was established that the strings to the rudder were loose and a committee consisting of Pete in Bow and Cam in Two began rectification works. As with most committees they were monumentally unsuccessful. 

 Touched it round and returned to base. Waited for redlegs to boat and while we bobbed around Stroke Rus made the call to just put it away. 

 On land, serious consideration was given to complying with Stroke's call and denying we'd ever touched it. However we touched it and that was the beginning of the end. Went and bought a coffee.

 

 

 

 

Jemma Rowing Award

 Went to the Brigidine Sports Award evening.  

Congratulations to Jemma for getting the Rowing Award.

 

Brigidine rowing is not in a happy place.  The school has pulled it's self back from Centenary but at the same time not elucidated any vision for the future.

I found this year really disappointing.  A feeling of being excluded maybe.  

I think the school had a great opportunity to do something different to what what is done in the GPS/BSRA System.  Certainly lower cost to the school and different in terms of better outcomes.

But they have chosen to do whatever they are doing and not share the vision.  So who knows.