bluesbuffett

Sunday, July 26, 2009

West Met #11, make that BB #3

It's been a tough running year in 2009. The hamstring tendonosis from November 2008 hasn't gone away; although I've been running regularly, I don't have the speed and I can't do regular distance. Still, some running is better than none. Still doing the physio's exercises, and now I'm onto Plan B: orthotics. They're actually quite comfortable, and now I know I'm not a real suprinator. No doubt you suspected it all along. So it's moderate-support, neutral shoes for me, and hello Athlete's Foot once again.

Yesterday was West Met #11, and only my third this year. At Emu Plains on the banks of the Nepean River (foothills of the Blue Mountains), the weather was superb: sunny, a very light breeze and 17. The 5k course, however was rated 3.5/5 and that's probably optimistic. Part XC, part gravel path, it was hard to get any traction due to the hills, slope and terrain. Oh, and the tree some louts pushed across the track near 2k that we had to climb over.
Details for my record (at each km) : 5:11, 10:36, 13:20 (turn 2.5k), 16:10, 21:31, 26:54. That was one tough run.

Speaking of tough runs, we've recently had the usual flu go through the family in a pretty solid way, with me having eight days off running. That's a record, and then Mrs BB got it again, then YD a few days before term end, which saw her stay home from school.
Then on Thursday she went over ice skating, fracturing her wrist. Six weeks in a cast, no more netball, modified dancing and flute and a whole lot of adjustment at home.
Still, she is bearing up well. Here's a recent photo


The next school holidays are only ten weeks away. We're off to the Sunshine Coast where we'll see Mr BB snr and his wife, then drive south to Ballina for a few days. Driving via Brisbane, maybe we'll be able to catch up with Tesso?

Ten weeks: A posse ad esse

"Exit, stage left"

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Suskwahana Hat Company sketch must be next

Back in the early 2000's, when Federal Labor was in a mess and we were all wondering who would be leading us in ten years, the joke going around was that it would be Abbott & Costello. Well, since late 2007 the Libs have done a pretty good political impression of "Who's On First", but now Peter's gone, it's all up to Tony.

Honestly, this man must genuinely believe that elections are no longer relevant to his lifestyle and that what's important in life is to give a bit of a helping hand to the languishing Private Eye businesses around the nation.

Otherwise, what on earth is this senior political figure doing, rolling out pathetic garbage that masquerades as policy or values?

Tony's big crusade is to roll back the 1975 Family Law Act. You know, no-fault divorce, ending decades of heartache for many. Sure, there are problems with the current system - I should know - but they're around Settlement and Child Support, not blame. I shudder to think what might have happened to me in 1995 if Doc Emmett Brown and his time machine were seconded to Tony's team.

I think former WA Premier Peter Dowding summed it up pretty well

"It's completely ludicrous to talk about making divorce harder at a time when people can separate easily. If you can separate easily, the question of making divorce harder or less hard is irrelevant.

"It's like Alice in Wonderland. It's like stepping through a looking glass into la-la land where Tony Abbott happily sits with his morality judging people while no-one's life gets harder or easier."

"I don't like people who are right-wing judgemental Catholics trying to bring their religious politics into Australian life," he said.

"We're not a bunch of Americans. We don't go round with our politicians pretending to be deeply religious and demanding that everyone else be while they go around committing adultery on the side, as they do in America.


"And we don't want to be in a position where people with right-wing and intolerant attitudes, like Tony Abbott, control what people believe.
If people separate because they're unhappy with each other and live their lives apart, is he suggesting we want to go back to the 1960s and before when private investigators jump through windows and photograph people in bed?"


Well said. Seriously, the Libs have a real issue with the female vote. Tony is no chick magnet and his retro proposal is more likely to repel even more. I know a couple of ladies who are keen to demagnetise him...

"Exit,stage left with a sense of bemusement"