Monday, March 14, 2005
Weekends
Spent much of the weekend putting up trellis in the garden. We have obviously taken a ‘Good life’ turn somewhere as we plan to grow capsicums and passion fruit. The panacea is a mango tree, but that will take years. That said, at the moment we would be lucky to get anything to grow in the yard. We have had a mere spittle of rain in what should be the wettest month of the year.

On Sunday, Ady and Debbie invited us round to watch the Queensland football derby (Broncos versus the Cowboys) and have some lasagne. Ady and Debbie now officially ‘ex-Poms’ now they have achieved citizenship status. (Actually, I guess once a Pom, always a Pom.) Ironically, they shortly leave to holiday in England for a few weeks. Three weeks of English bitter and Chilli McCoys in pubs on the Harnham watermeadows in May almost sounds tempting.

Football

This weekend was the last Saturday (bar holidays) before the rugby season kicks off again for James. We have got a few extra recruits this season – Hamish, Robert and Jes – both are good runners and passers already and have already given Will and Tyrone a run for their money. We should do well this season as a result.

After a stunning game between the Brisbane Broncos and the North Queensland Cowboys in the finals series last, it was expected to be another cracker at Lang Park. In the end, the Broncos controlled everything and the Cowboys were only in it for brief spells. There is still no one to match the Cowboy’s Matt Bowen to break out at dummy-half back though.

In the other code, the Queensland Reds have crashed to their third defeat in a row. It was always going to be a tough start in the Super 12 – 3 matches away in New Zealand. With the tough stuff out the way the Reds should have make it to the middle of the Super-12 table at least – there’s an easy few points against NSW ‘Tahs at least.

Cyclone Ingrid

Cyclone Ingrid [www.bom.gov.au] has continued its cagey path across northern Australia. It dumped records rains in Cairns in north Queensland and blew away most things in its path north of Cooktown.

It then tracked over the Gulf and increased in intensity again and briefly threatened Darwin. Tensions were raised as this is the strongest Cyclone to threaten Australia since Cyclone Tracey flattened that city in 1974. Threat now seems to have dissipated now.

Squash

Squash is going well enough. Won 5, Lost 9. It has been a tough three weeks – playing the top three players in a row (and loosing all of them, obviously).

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