I have linked to this video on Google+ as well but G+ doesn't offer the same venue for comment that a blog post does so here we are. Below is a youtube video which I believe to be a beautiful counterpoint to the rise of nationalistic rhetoric that surround Australia Day.
It is sad to see so many people claim to be proud Australian but put nothing back into the community to keep this country great. A great place to start, if you want to put back in, is a local sporting club, SES, Surf lifesaving or Service club. While it takes up some of your time it's more than worth it for the people you meet and the friends you make.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Monday, January 30, 2012
Later Than Usual Review
Well 2011 was a big year. It started off with big events. first off was the renovating ( a continuing theme throughout the year) by the 26th of January I had renovated one of my units and rented it out. Next was a big weather event. Cyclone Yasi came thundering towards us in the latter part of January and hit well to the north of Townsville in very early February. With any normal cyclone if it hit more than 200km to the north all that we would have recieved here was a bit of a blow and a dousing of rain. Yasi was nothing like normal though. Severe and damaging winds extended out from the eye in every direction more than 500km. To put this in perspective for our NSW viewers that means that if the eye of Yasi had hit in the geographical centre of NSW the ENTIRE NSW coast line would have experienced cyclonic winds. Just imagine NSW trying to deal with every coastal town in the state being destroyed. Yasi didn't stop at the coast though. It was still a catyegory 2 cyclone when it reached Mt Isa. So if Yasi had of followed my theoretical path through the centre of NSW then all of the cities and towns west to Broken Hill would have been effected, or about 80% of the state (It got smaller as it went inland). We packed up the entire house and strapped everything down, this meant that the next month at least was unpacking and fixing up our two houses. Also with the effect on the community and the rebuilding efforts that went on this one storm coloured everything for the next few months. I still haven't found everything I "put away".
So with the Big start to the year, I then got into the Long events. With one unit finished I then had to get the other one done as well. I worked on it all year but it is finally finished and will be rented out soon. So it was a year where I finally got all the reno's out of the way. When Karin and I bought the place in 2003 we knew that we would eventually have to fix up both sides as neither side looked great. One side didn't even have a bathroom or kitchen. We decided to tackle the easy side first, the side we lived in. We fixed and almost completed that side with only the hallway and bedroom not painted along with an unfinished cupboard and a couple of other odds and ends. Since about 2005 though I have done little to the house. Well 2011 was the year for it I finished one side (which was the almost finished side) and 99%completed the other side. Must acknowledge helpers and workers for the cause. Min first and foremost for helping substantially and for putting up with me when not helping. Mum and Bernie for a good 60% of the interior painting and to Dad and Judes for painting as well. It has been a bit of a strain to work, paddle, and renovate for a year but with the way the place looks now I am super happy and proud of with the way it looks. Hopefully with this out of the way 2012 will be a year where I have more of both money and time.
With most of my time taken up working full time and renovating a house I then decided to take on extra duties with my paddling club. I took on the job of steerer for the men's crew. This meant I really needed to be at all training sessions and go to all regattas even when I was the only male paddling for the club. Sometimes I was the only male paddler for the club as well. For the first regatta in Airlie beach I was the only Maggie Island boy. Towards the end of the year I decided that you know I had too much spare time so I took over the job of President of Magnetic Island Outrigger Canoe Club.
Another big change for us was Min's job change. She took on the role of a project manager at the port running and overseeing some of the major projects that the port is undertaking such as the Billion dollar Port Expansion. The new Job really took up much more of Min's time then along with that Min decided to Join Rotary taking even more of her limited time. Luckily for us Min Joined paddling and raced in regatta's through 2011 so at the very least Min and I saw each other at Paddling.
Finished the year off with another renovation but this time at Mins house. Min and I created a Garden in the front yard. This one is all about keeping the view out to the street and adding flowers to that view along with protecting the front fence from the dogs and bringing some life into the front yard. Also with the garden come much... much needed irrigation for the front yard.
Some things that didn't happen though was, rogaines, adventure races, camping trips, overseas trips. the first three are easy to bring back once we manage to make time for them. Min and I might hold off on any over seas trips for 2012 so we can build up a monetary buffer again.
Looking forward what would be nice to include in 2012 camping trip in a new spot. The adventure race that is run in Townsville. What has to happen in 2012. Job change is the big and scary fact of 2012 once I have negociated that Min and I should be set again for the next couple of years.
So with the Big start to the year, I then got into the Long events. With one unit finished I then had to get the other one done as well. I worked on it all year but it is finally finished and will be rented out soon. So it was a year where I finally got all the reno's out of the way. When Karin and I bought the place in 2003 we knew that we would eventually have to fix up both sides as neither side looked great. One side didn't even have a bathroom or kitchen. We decided to tackle the easy side first, the side we lived in. We fixed and almost completed that side with only the hallway and bedroom not painted along with an unfinished cupboard and a couple of other odds and ends. Since about 2005 though I have done little to the house. Well 2011 was the year for it I finished one side (which was the almost finished side) and 99%completed the other side. Must acknowledge helpers and workers for the cause. Min first and foremost for helping substantially and for putting up with me when not helping. Mum and Bernie for a good 60% of the interior painting and to Dad and Judes for painting as well. It has been a bit of a strain to work, paddle, and renovate for a year but with the way the place looks now I am super happy and proud of with the way it looks. Hopefully with this out of the way 2012 will be a year where I have more of both money and time.
With most of my time taken up working full time and renovating a house I then decided to take on extra duties with my paddling club. I took on the job of steerer for the men's crew. This meant I really needed to be at all training sessions and go to all regattas even when I was the only male paddling for the club. Sometimes I was the only male paddler for the club as well. For the first regatta in Airlie beach I was the only Maggie Island boy. Towards the end of the year I decided that you know I had too much spare time so I took over the job of President of Magnetic Island Outrigger Canoe Club.
Another big change for us was Min's job change. She took on the role of a project manager at the port running and overseeing some of the major projects that the port is undertaking such as the Billion dollar Port Expansion. The new Job really took up much more of Min's time then along with that Min decided to Join Rotary taking even more of her limited time. Luckily for us Min Joined paddling and raced in regatta's through 2011 so at the very least Min and I saw each other at Paddling.
Finished the year off with another renovation but this time at Mins house. Min and I created a Garden in the front yard. This one is all about keeping the view out to the street and adding flowers to that view along with protecting the front fence from the dogs and bringing some life into the front yard. Also with the garden come much... much needed irrigation for the front yard.
Some things that didn't happen though was, rogaines, adventure races, camping trips, overseas trips. the first three are easy to bring back once we manage to make time for them. Min and I might hold off on any over seas trips for 2012 so we can build up a monetary buffer again.
Looking forward what would be nice to include in 2012 camping trip in a new spot. The adventure race that is run in Townsville. What has to happen in 2012. Job change is the big and scary fact of 2012 once I have negociated that Min and I should be set again for the next couple of years.
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