Woodford Dancin & Fire

Pictures to be upoaded later

Plenty of video crew so Megan, Jemma and I went bush dancing.  With the bushwackers no less.

Actually before that, caught up with Peter  Kathleen, Joel & 2 more.  Had dinner at Spagetti junction.  Not as good as Roz's beef stroganof.

 The Bushwackers are the pace setters in the bush dancing arena and it was great fun to join in.  They would do a couple of performance songs then 2 or 3 dance numbers then another couple of performance songs.  This gave us a welcome break as the sweat poured off us.  They gave out some CD's and my dance partner - Jemma won one so now we can do some milli vanilli.

 Megan has gone to get it signed.

Then down to circadia to watch some fire twirling.  This has got to be a candidate for Naplan.  At the end of the performance  there was a general invitation for participation.  kids and adults alike swarmed forward, many complete with fire sticks that they had brought.  Remeniscent of full time at the AFL.  If ever you were looking for an activity to engage the whole family, this is it.  It's a bit like twaikwondo.
Jemma asked if she could do the hula hoop.  It would appear that the hula hoop she received from santa was missing the hot bit.  The nice lady explained that to do the flamin hula hoop Jemma would have to come back for a lesson at 2:30 tomorrow.  I think I need to invest in some smoke detectors.

Woodford - Main Stage 2

 Young Daniel is the cable puller for big Dan (see below).  There was quite a delay between bands and the croud was bored.  I believe there was some suggestion that little Dan got the privileded close to stage position as a result of being a boy genious.

 Big Dan on the roving camera

Ben on camera 6

 Steve Perry

The two front of house cameras are just visible in the croud.  Middle left.  Sound and lighting are in the structure toward the right of the picture.  The light coloured box at the right half way up the photo is a laser.  Perhaps for another night.

Woodford 2

Drove Elimbah to Woodford through the state forest.  A beautiful relaxing drive.  Much of the road is dirt and the bitumen bits are narrow.  Both of these limits the speed but it is less stressful than the main road that has so many different speed zones that i loose track of what the limit is.

Woodford - Main Stage Croud

 Really Cool lights

























 Main stahe from the croud

Woodford - The Grande

Inside the Grande.  Stupidly loud inside.  Hence the croud sitting outside.

I

Big Kart Track

Went to the Big Kart Track this morning.
Adults $35 for 15minutes.
Kids $20 for 10min.
Chris, Megan and I went first.  I was a bit worried at first because thefe was no fellow on a quad bike to push wayward karts back on the track.  Not to worry though, these karts have a centrifugal clutch which means the motor keeps running when you spin out.  This means you can usually get yourself going after a spin sometimes with a short trip across the grass.  Also they were quite generous with the tine which was somewhat of a consolation for the price.
Megan got shunted early in the piece and this rather shook her confidence.
Chris got right into it and likwise myself.

Over to the kids track.  This is a rather disapointing small oval which means you never get to turn right.  They had three kids karts and one tandem kart.
I saw a dad take his young (3 or msybe 4yo) son on.  While we were wauting, the kid was so excited.  On the track though and it was all too much.  Personally I think the kids helmet was too big and they made him wear glasses.  They shiuld just use a bicycle helmet as the chance of a serious prang is zero.  Anyway, the happy ending was the staff member gave the ticket back and presumably they got a refund.
Dan, Jemma and some random kid took to the track.  Jemma had a kart that was noticably slower than the other two.  She compensated thriugh adopting a very wide driving style.  Dan and the other kid jostled to get past.  The other kid was handicapped somewhat though posessing a politeness that was was absent in daniel.  Dan managed to squeeze past Jemma and lap her several times.  On occasion this resulted in Jemma being pushed into the tyres at the edge and the kid being shunted into a cross country trip acrosd the grass in the cenre.  Dan cekrbratrd his victory by convieniently missing the last lap notification and as the other two pulled off he continued round before being herded off by the track official.
In summary,
Adult track - great.
Kids track - OK for U8
But nothing decent for 9-11yo's.

COMPARISON TO OTHER TRACKS
Kingston park  - have a rediculously price formula.
Kids 8yo+.   $24 for 12 minutes.  $57 for unlimited (& they can do that because even the kids get bored)
Tweens 11-13yo $33 for 12 minutes.  $52 for 24min, $69 for 36min
Adults 14yo+  $46 for 12min, $68 for 24min, $89 for 36min.


Archerfield Speed Karts - No web site.  No listing in white or yellow pages.
Willowbank - No web site.  No listing in white or yellow pages.
I think both of these have gone.

Woodford

We arrive back stage at Woodford.  Ben backs Glynn's trailer up to the video tent.












Dan in the pit back stage.  We pulled a swag of wires through a pipe to the remote cameras out at front of house.  You can see the pipes near his feet.  The yellow tape is on the 3 phase power.  He has his trusty walki talkie.

 Chris and Dan bolt one of Glynn's pan / tilt heads onto a wichup.

Dan operating my (Frank's) set of remote control cameras.

Derek operating  a remote control camera.  Chris looking bored.
I think it's Owen's back we can see in the van.

Calston St Christmas

Sometime back the Christmas Tree was erected and decorated by Dan and Jemma.  Dan then erected the TV set in the tree.  Perhaps as a suggestion that we need a bigger TV.  Santa took no notice.

Ian and fay joined us for church and Christmas

The present tally - The book is good but the quantity of 'stuff' is down on last year.  No one got socks and jocks.

Jemma got some hoolahoops which I know are faulty.  I know they are faulty because I tried them in the car park after we had bought them.

Oreo took up residence under the tree.

 Grandpa was encanted by a frog.

I was actually very satisfied.  It appears I have bought a microphone for an iniginous hip hop band.  A very large tub of maltesers to make me very large.


With the cargo cult activities concluded, we progressed to the celebration of gluttony

Christmas Childrens Message

In keeping with the  modern theology, our Christmas message was delivered by santa

Santa leads singing

Santa lead singing

Then we had a sermon about Bethlehem.
It appears that now days bethlehrm is surrounded by a concrete wall topped with razor wire.  By law  no Isralies are allowed in.  To get in or out you need a permit and ID and que for ages.  We in this world really do need the love of God to help us get over the fear of others that is within us.

 The Isealies have managed to out do the East Germans when it comes to walls.  Check the early posts in my blog to see photos of the reminants of the Berlin wall.

http://marcovilla.instablogs.com/entry/israel-bulldozes-playground/

Check out this article about the stupidity of it all
http://www.eurekastreet.com.au/article.aspx?aeid=3791

Christmas good deed

Christmas morn and Chris, Dan and I (Frank) rode to church.  On the way we came across this wayward shopping trolley.  Slack dogs who wheel their shopping home and then in keeping with todays attitude of not taking responsibilityjust abandon it.  Well konwing that has been keeping a list and checking it twice and knowing whether we have been naught or nice, we decided in fear of santa to return the trolly to the comfort of its own home.  It was also kind of fun to ride cooperatively.  We had to go down the middle of the road because when we were off to the side the trolly had a tendancy to runn toward the gutter.

VS Christmas pack

Tis the day before christmas and all the shops are open.

Chris and I have traveled inti town to buy a present for Peter Von Steiglitz.  We brought the rest of the VS parcel with us.  I bought a coffee in order to secure a table upon which I could complete the packing.

Next stop Greyhound as short of driving the present to Warwick seems to be the only way I can find to get it there.

Christmas Shopping

Christmas is upon us once again and as I drive towards the religious mecca that has come to be synonymous with full meaning of Christmas - Indooroopilly Shopping Town I can not help but let my mind wander so as to divert attention from the impending torment that awaits me.

Firstly I am reminded of an interview I heard on 612 ABC earlier today where someone was describing a nativity scene (in Cameroon?) where as well as Mary, Joseph, sheep and wise men, there was a figurine in the background doing a poo.  Apparently to remind us that the stable was a smelly down to earth place and that Jesus was fully human and that we should not forget that.

During the year, I read a book called "the five love languages" which expouses that different people feel love in different ways.  Some perceive the communication of love through physical touch - ie if someone touches me then they are affirming me.  Others perceive it through "acts of service" as in if someone does something for me then they are communicating love or value to me.  Others perceive it through "receiving gifts".  So when they receive a gift, they also feel loved / valued.  The retailers would suggest I think that..... well basically all of us fall into that category and as we could all do with more love, we can best express that with lots of stuff.  The astitute reader here may suspect that I am NOT a "receiving gifts" person.  So while I accept that there are those who like do perceive love through receiving gifts and therefor I do give gifts, I do not myself share that feeling.  In fact gifts to me tend to be more viewed from a perspective of "what a waste".  Someone has spent money and time on something that neither of us want or need. Unless it happens to be say a very very expensive car / helicopter or whatever that I am not likely to be given anyway.



I arrive at Indooroopilly and amazing.  Parks everywhere.  So I park and begin my mission.  To purchase a Christmas present.  In my haste to secure a car park, I had parked on the roof and had to walk down a seemingly endless series of ramps to access the shops.  By the time I reach the shops I am down to just that one task.  One present.  here I go - "The Body Shop".  In search of "White something or other".  In response to this request, the sales lady showed me a whole cabinet of White body lotions, potions, hair stuff, body gel.  Hmm me thinks.  A simply bottle will not do.  A pre-packaged box with several bottles will be the go.  Ah no. I pick myself up off the floor.  Must have looked at the price and lost consciousness.  No matter.  Compose myself.  Think rationally.  No hang on.  There is nothing rational about any of this.  So make a balanced choice and proceed back to the counter.  "Would you like that in a bag" she asks indicating a small pile of paper bags.  "That would be good" I respond and so she places the impending purchase in the bag and ties it closed with a piece of ribbon.  Types into the cash register.  Seems the bag has added $7 to the price.  I express my disgust that she did not inform me that perhaps the additional cost of paper bags may have actually been the cause of the GFC.  The need to successfully complete the mission trumps the desire for economy, frugality or any rational thought.  So I pay the $7 and vow not to return for 11 1/2 months.  Ah the calm feeling of a task accomplished washes across my mind as I depart the store.

Now thinking slightly more clearly and helped by there appearing to be even fewer shoppers than there are in July and I proceed to go look for a Christmas card.

Flood Charity

Came home and discovered this at my back door.

Oxley UC have made up and delivered hampers to food victims.

My immediate reaction was one of "I don't need charity" and that's true.  Then I considered regifting it and worried that whoever I sent it to may see it as reinforcing that same idea that some of us are too good for charity.  So gave up thinking so much and accepted the good will of Oxley Uniting Church and will get into unwrapping it to provide some Cristmas cheer.

Also even though I actually had a great time during the flood, it has not been without stress.  Much of the stress probably not so obvious to me.  Until recently we had alll the wardrobes and desks up stairs and the kids had the beds downstairs.  This instability I think lead to a higher level of discontent and stress than normal.

Trailerstage - Oxley Carols

 Sunday 18-DEC-2011 Oxley UC ran caols on the Oxley SS oval.

They used the trailer stage and I helped put up the video screen.  My poles and Derek's projection surface.

I think the event made in my view an error in becomming too performancy.  They had Christopher Wayne (Who I like) and a band with some connection to Africa that happened to include Steve Molkinton amongst others.  Hadn't seen him for ages.

Either one of these guest artists would have been good but it just seemed the balance between community singing and performance had swung too far toward the performance (in my opinion I stress).  Mid you there were lots and lots of kids who were un engaged running around and it was too dam loud.  I moved from in the middle to right at the back but I still could not carry on a conversation with a friend of mine who I met at the back.  We did get a good sermon though.  The preacher did in my opinion a good thing and spoke about Paul.  By not speaking about Jesus, I think it was a nice change and also for those of us who are not prone to being too good at identifying closely with Jesus (WWJD seems hard sometimes) Paul maybe easier to identify with.  Before he joined the Christians, he delighted in beating them up.  Something for everyone in that.

Dan and Jemma go flying

 V2 Helicopter's Christmas party and they leave some helicopters lying around.  Dan and Jemma have heard a bit from dad about flying.  So in they get.  Dad gives a few pointers.  (The take off instructions are a few posts below)


This is the Abba arrival shot.

The R22 is tiny yet with the kids it looks big.  I think it would be just right for teenagers.  I believe you can get your pilot's license at 15.  (Younger than you can get your car license).

Early saturday start

Megan has gotten involved with a music conference called ORFF.  In January she is travelling to Perth to attend the conference.  Turns out the next conference after Perth is in Brisbane and so Megan and others are putting together a promo to show in Perth to encourage people to come to the Brisbane conference.


3:30am met at Southbank.

Even the rodie gets roped in.  I think I should have worn black.

BTW,
Q: when your ORFF conference is fully subscribed, what do you put on the sign?
A: ORFFULL
:)

Frank, Megan and Jemma then had breakfast at the Pancake Manor. mmm

Helicopter Hovering lesson

Had a lesson this morning.
Did some take off and landings.
Relax relax relax.
Eyes out
Adjust throttle RPM top of green.
Gently raise collective, coordinate with throttle to keep RPM top of green.
Looking for light on the skids.
Some left pedal to counteract the helicopters natural inclination to yaw right.   That's turn right for you non nautical types
Light on the skids, find the neutral point for the cyclic.
Continue to raise collective and as we lift away from the ground some aft cyclic to keep position.
Sounds easy.

Syndetic Christmas Party

Invited the staff to our house for the 2011 Christmas Party.  We had a BBQ and the adults were entertained watching the kids in the back yard.

As the softdrink bottles were emptied, they were partially refilled with water and launched onto the roof and into the neighbours yard.  

 Then the kids went canoeing.  I wonder if having the water inside the canoe like this qualifies to be added to my canoe log book of experience. :)

Shopping

So this is christmas.
Crowds of people
The importance of shopping.
Gotta buy something
Anything