HOTY SUNDAY

PLAN

4:45 rise and shine 

5:00 check out

5:15 Sky Bus

5:45 Arr airport

6:00 Bag drop

6:40 Boarding 

7:00 am lift off

8:30 arrive

HOTY FRIDAY

7:30 breakfast 

8:20 walking back to hotel. 

8:45 walking to Tram 

9:00 Tram 75

9:20 Hawthorne rowing club

Rig boat. 

12:30 water

2:00 off the water at city. 

3:00 finished at Chloes

3:30 waiting for Tram 75 home

MORE DETAIL

Crew is:

1 Chris

2 Drew

3 Rob

4 George

5 Arnie

6 Mike

7 Kingy

8 Frank

C Alice

Woke early. 

7am Walked to Flinders lane and then up to Degraves Street. Initially met 7 and Cher. Shortly Therafter Arnie, Kingy, Chris, Mike & George arrived. We took up a couple of tables in the middle of the lane. 

I ordered a waffle halloumi which included bacon and egg and a coffee.  Eventually I only managed half the meal but I did order a second coffee. 

8:45 

I left the hotel and walked to Flinders st. Caught Tram 75.  A number of other grammarians joined a few stops later. 

HOTY THUR

Phoebe dropped me at the airport. It's weird travelling without her. 

On the the plane, sat down and moments later Kingy from my crew sat down beside me. 

Cribby organised

HOTY run sheet

THURSDAY 

5:00 rise and shine

Shower feed dog pack usbc lead

6:00 Depart Corinda 

6:45 Arr airport

8:00 Fly

WEATHER

From what i can see it's looking cold.

Fri 11-22

Sat 16-23

No rain.

Bring a jumper. 

WHAT TO BRING

Zootie or singlet

Hat

Seat Pads (if you use)

Shoes for boat

Water Bottles.

Blazer

I have cox box & speed coach and chargers. 

Waterproof bag for phone. 

FOR PUB CRAWL

Shorts and Tee shirt and footwear. (I plan to take mine to Hawthorne on Friday and hide it in the trailer).

Money.

FORMALITIES

Blazer

ETC

phone chargers. 

Toothbrush. 

THURSDAY 20TH

People arrive (see prev message)

Get MIKI card.

4-6pm Riverland bar.

Also the Melbourne OBA function is on in the evening.

FRIDAY

TBA Breakfast together - thoughts 

8:15 Tram 75 from Stop 8 car Spring & Flinders. Miki card

8:45 Hawthorne Rowing club

Rig boats

(10am other crews depart)

Snack?

12 noon ish when Rob arrives

training row to start. 

Couple of U turns to go back through big bend. 

3pm arr Start line. 

3pm -Alice rendezvous with Angus for briefing.

6pm Dinner - Tazio 

61 Flinders lane. Blazer.

Early night zzzzz

SATURDAY

TBA rise and shine. 

Need to update this. 

8:00? meet in the park. Warm up by running. 

8:30 hands on

8:40 Boat in the water

9:00 Race time. 

Evening

Dinner. Blazer.

PACKING LIST

ON PLANE

Jeans

Dark shirt 

Blazer

HOLD BAG

Cox box

Speed coach

Chargers

Socks x 3

Undies x 3

Black Good shirt

Black Polo shirt

TInnie stay

Last Sunday I observed that one of the supports for a tinnie canopy was broken. 

A busy few days delayed action.

THURSDAY morning I had the real estate inspection of my rental. After that was done,  I checked the BCF website and learned that these covers were called Bimini and the Jindalee store had a spare. Given boats come in different sizes and the Web site showed multiple Bimini's, I guessed that the back stays would come in different sizes. This meant that I wanted to see the pole so I could check the size. 

I arrived at BCF and the fellow at the counter checked the computer and we went looking for the pole. Couldn't find it.  Another employee found it. I checked the length and it was too long. I took it anyway. 

At work I drilled out the pop rivits and cut it to length. Ground off the burrs. Drilled new holes. I used a M4x30mm screw as I did not have me pop rivets. 

WEDNESDAY morning I got up early and took my new pole out to Centenary and reassembled the tinnie.

House Clean

Started a deeper clean of Glenrich St. 

BOND CLEANERS

The real estate had provided contact details for two bond cleaners.  One did not respond to phone and text. The other arranged to meet and quote but cancelled the day before. I contacted the fellow who'd done the Magee St clean. I'd been very impressed with him and his team. He came out but hadn't realised it was a different real estate franchise. He said he only works for Ray White 

a weird Week in review

It's been a bit of a weird week. 

MONDAY I skipped men's group because I felt a bit weird and too many things to do. 

FRIDAY I misread the grammarians rowing schedule and didn't show for rowing.  A cardinal sin. 

SATURDAY park Run was reasonable with a reasonable time of  36:47. 

The next chuck of the day was spent cleaning. Then into work to fix up the Grammarians electrical spares kit.

Met up with Phoebe at Glenrich st and drove to the Royal Mail at Goodna to watch a guitarist.  We watched a couple of bands.  They were a bit ordinary. The sound was muddy. The guitarist we went to see was part of a band. Left a bit early. 

SUNDAY

Dennis was at Centenary said hello. 

Only 8 boats at Centenary and three coaching plus me.  I asked if it was ok to take an early mark. Swing past home dropped Mags and changed into church appropriate clothes and drove to attend Church with Phoebe.   It's a very sad situation with politics buggering the congregation. 

After church we drive via home and then collected Rodney Metcalfe from Mt Ommaney and proceeded up to the Sunshine Coast. 

Lunch Rob, Phoebe and I at ? Fish and Chips.

We drive to Budrum Private Hospital and visit Aunty Marg. Phoebe had brought a card and gotten Chat GPT to write Aunty Marg a poem. So kind and wonderfully thoughtful of her. Aunty marg is still sharp as.    Lois and her husband Frank arrive. We chat and listen to stories. 

Drive home. 

Drop Rod.

Buy Thai for dinner. 

Sleep. 

Moving pt1

Slowly clearing and chucking junk. 

MON 17 evening

Feeling a bit down. 

Too many things to do

Park Run

Sweltering sun and humidity Brisbane style. Mags and I started well but faded after the turn around. Several short walks and a drink stop for both of us. 

36:47. 15-NOV-2025

Skip - sweet Caroline 

37:56

35:03

36:21

37??

HOTY Planning

 Once again we are low in enthusiasm for the HOTY.

MINIMUM OPTION
Fly down Friday first flight Friday and return Saturday evening.
As a sweeping generalisation, Qantas seems to have the lowest fares. 

Qantas First Flight  5:05am arr MEL 8:30am $412 then lets add 2hrs to get to Hawthorne 10:30.  
Jetstar is 6am-9:20 am $327 so even later and we really don't trust Jetstar.
Assume say $100 taxi.  So the spend is $512 and we essentially arrive later than the rest of the club who we believe will arrive 9:30.  - So we will forget this option.

 

THURSDAY - SUNDAY (Traditional Option)
The question becomes: What to do in Melbourne during the day on Thursday.
QANTAS    8am-11:25   $335 
Extra legroom $47
Virgin 8:55 - 12:15 Virgin $299 Flex. $35 cheaper but gone
Virgin 10:55-2:15 Flex $389
Flight Centre > Virgin $269 "Choice" incl bags  CHEAPEST BUT!
ahh but add $29.95 Booking fee -> $297.95  Essentially the same as on the Virgin web site.
Extra leg room exit row add $81.  Standard seat $0.  Oter seats vary $22-$28.
Interestingly they have seats in front of the wing.

SUNDAY 
Qantas 7am $284  CHEAPEST
Virgin 8:10am $389 "Flex" includes a bag  ($282 no bags)
Flight Centre>Virgin 7:10 "Choice" incl bags $329
 

Sweet Caroline

Grammarians had naming ceremony for their quad/four.

The name "Sweet Caroline" came about from two histories.  One was the singing of Sweet Caroline as we pub crawl after the HOTY and secondly, and more movingly, after Caroline who used to Cox us and who was run over and killed while jogging in Graceville. 

As an aside, I see Caroline's mum at park run. She told me she took up running in memory of Caroline. 

mums birthday

Aniversery of mums birthday.  Pondering life. Relationships. The way we fit in to the world. 

White Sauce

WHITE SAUCE

For Tuna mournau or lasagne 

Need to refine this

100gButter

10 tablespoons flour

120g butter

6 dessert spoons plain flour

1.8L milk

Park Run

After last week's 35:03 PB, this week- off the pace by 3 minutes- coming in 37:56. Phoebe did her first in ages striding home 46:52.

37:56

35:03

36:21

37??

Felt good up to the 2.5k turn around.  Not long after the turn around, began to feel heavy. Lost the mojo.  It was hot and humid. Walked and Stopped twice on the return journey for water. 

This shows me back in plodding mode