A trip to the local pool

The last few days it has been hot... Over forty degrees Celsius but not too hot in the house yet (thanks to air conditioning) that we all need to bunk down in the lounge. This afternoon my darling wife thought a trip to our local pool to cool off was the best idea. As always you were 100% right gorgeous. The five of us all had a wonderful afternoon and the water was cool... After my initial hesitation to commit to a family trip out for a swim all it took was a handful of jaunts in the humidity was suffice to convince me to go... Once I hit the water I was happy we'd taken the trip. My highlights would have to be splashing around all five of us together, flying down the big slide with our youngest a trio of times, each more danger-filled than the one before and finally the highlight of the price (a family of up to six is only $20)... Next heatwave I know exactly where the Law family is headed to cool off...

The Tenacity of a Crab

It seems December is the time for my rediscovery of writing competitions. I have put my hat in the ring for the December edition of the First Friday of the Month comp (55 hours to write a short story of 500 words or less)... I though I had a red hot chance but alas this comp has had the winners announced and I did not even make the shortlist. In true Cancerian style I am now eagerly awaiting the first Friday of January (there is nought like Cancer's tenaciousness... I will win this... At least one time next year...

Meanwhile I have also discovered there is an end of December writing comp too... This one is for a novella (between 20,000 and 50,000 words). I have already discovered a month (November to be exact) is not long enough for me to write 5,000 words let alone 20,000... I have discovered in my pile of old stories a parody I wrote years ago which I am hoping will be 20,000 at least with a few tweaks and a few extra scenes...

I consider myself to be a good writer, at times even a great one... I cannot wait to discover the next monthly writing challenge that January has in store... Hopefully (fingers crossed) I have some luck with the end of December...

100 views or more... Thank you for your interest over the years...

To all the followers who have been keenly reading my blog, whether you are a first time viewer or you have been there since the very beginning in late March 2014... Thank you... I am happy to see some of my posts have hit over fifty views with my original post poised on 99 and one of my short story posts my most viewed (128 views for The Woman Who Vanished posted on the 16th of September 2016). I was happily surprised to see a more recent post about celebrating 15 years of life together as husband and wife with my gorgeous bride Ms H has scored 100 views, so many wonderful friends taking part in our wonderful day and so many others finding out what went on via FB posts and my blog. I wonder what 2019 will have in store and if I'll get to whip up another 100+ viewed post. As we lead into the crazy Christmas home stretch I suppose only time will truly tell.

A chance to celebrate a busy, blurred 2018

Work place functions... A great time to catch up and look back on what was hopefully a very success year... 2018 has flashed past and it was great to attend the celebratory luncheon hosted by the Management and Elected Members of the council that I work for. Great in the way that years of service and staff who have gone above and beyond have been able to have their efforts recognised. It is also a wonderful opportunity to see just how big and how broad an employer that a local council is, so many community focused functions being performed day in and day out by an army of willing, capable and passionate people. Finally it was a great chance to reflect back upon the year that has been and remember and recognise all the amazing achievements (awards earned, projects completed, deadlines delivered)…

I am quite lucky to work with a very diverse team, everyone with a plethora of skills we use everyday to run events and workshops, prepare new items for borrowing, find and recommend things for people to read or listen to or see. These tasks never the same except that everyday they are our business as usual.

As we, like many other businesses now close down for Christmas and the focus turns away from work and toward family it is truly terrific to have one big gathering to mark this. Indeed a chance to celebrate as each and every year there is plenty that has gone well.

Focusing on family I wish you all, friends and family both physical and digital a very Merry Christmas and the happiest New Year. For those whose 2018 has been marred by pain and sadness I hope that 2019 proves to be a great year. In fact for everyone I wish for you all only love, joy, success and wonder for a fun fuelled 2019... Enjoy and those who are travelling please travel safe...

A chapter of our lives draws to a close

So proud of my son who today has graduated from Primary School and is off to High School at the beginning of 2019. I still remember the daunting day of my first day of Year 8 where I discovered all the kids I knew from Primary were suddenly my best mates. With so many more students than you are used to seeing all gather in one place it can be quite scary. My son I feel will be fine though, he has a knack his Dad never had... He has a very easy going nature and the ability to quickly find like-minded people, allies for his schooling years.

It has been an emotional time these first few weeks of December with the final school concert for Master 12, a Primary graduation dinner (I never got one of those when I finished Year 7) and now... finally... the last day of term.

I am sure High School will prove to be a fun filled ride and my friend magnet of a boy will make his way through it all with best mates, good grades and come out the other side all set for life. Is he ready for the challenge? Probably more than ready... Are his Mum and Dad? I severely doubt it! Firstly though we must survive the Aussie summer holidays... Ready... Steady... Here we go...

Happy birthday to a great mate

Last night we had the pleasure of joining many in helping a great mate, proud to call my brother-in-law and all round good guy Ben who has just turned 40 years young. In typical Ben style the party was a hoot with everyone tackling the SPY theme in their own creative way. The kids just loved it dressing up in all black wearing sunglasses at night and telling people to "stick 'em up!" with their empty water pistols.

I have been really getting into writing again lately, spurred on by my attempt at 50,000 words for Novel November. While the night just gone is still fairly fresh in my mind I thought I'd put pen to paper. Below is the result. Hope you all enjoy my creation... Especially you, M'Lord Benjamin...

An Ode to a Mate on turning 4 and Oh... A poem in four verses

Mum and Dad! I tell not a lie

Everyone was there at Le Convention de Spy

Twice the James Bond, twice the bow tie

Such a costumed menagerie and I'll tell you why

A great mate, Lord Benjamin or Hicksy by name

Had gathered us together for one massive game

The two rounds we played both ended the same

President saved, bomber exposed and all by a fair dame

At this party represented were spy royalty

Agents in suits, Spy VS Spy, a brick wall and hedge, a fake beard or three

Pizzas and cheesecakes and slices oh so very yummy

And all because the Spy Master Ben had turned the young age of forty

The girls looked amazing in spy-ware or dresses divine

The boys scrubbed up well, all looking fine

Happy birthday was sung around about half-past nine

Then we all toasted Ben with glasses of champagne, beer or wine

Happy birthday to a great mate Ben. Hope you had as fun a night as we did. My big 4 and Oh is coming up soon. You have certainly set a high bar as nights of fun go. I wonder what theme I could go with for mine...