Dear Alex

 Dear Alex,

My Bubble G, you have now turned 5. What a big boy you are, and what a loving, cuddly and wonderful boy you have become. Your mama and I love you so much, we love your cuddles, your cheeky smile, your funny jokes.

I wrote that just after his birthday. He continues to amuse us and warm our hearts, in almost equal proportion to the times when he frustrates and angers us, but I guess that's 5yo's for you, especially when they are desperate to be a big kid, and skip most of the learning to get there.

Alex is getting better with his potty (no accidents for some time now, he may get that new iPad soon!), his attitude, his helpfulness and his reading & writing. He still doesn't always know when it is appropriate or inappropriate to joke about things (like saying "no" to everything), he still hits a bit much, and he can still be a pain. But he is a very sweet and loving boy, and he makes me happy. Watching you, and your siblings grow up is an absolute joy Alex, I shall miss it when you're no longer my little boy. But your journey towards being a big boy is equally as enjoyable and amazing to be a part of. Your role-playing, zest for gaming, and hilarity are all so endearing - you have a super personality. Dada is very proud of you.

Riverina Kids

I read this article earlier this year. It's a heart-breaking report about teenage suicide in this region of Australia. We're not talking major metro or regional cities either, just your average rural Australia. So for there to have been three suicides in recent times among teenagers is just tragic. As a parent it is scary. I don't think any of my kids would succumb to such mental problems, but I'm sure no parent does. Am I in-tune enough to see warning signs? Am I engaged enough to be a confidante to my kids? Will I be there when it matters? I don't know the answer, but I am damn sure I am going to make every effort with them. I try now to always follow up arguments or tears or perceived unjust situations with compassionate but frank discussion. I try to enable my kids to see how relationships work, and why it's ok to feel bad sometimes. But also that they are in charge of their feelings and emotions, and how they respond is a choice. Gosh it's not easy, but I must admit I never really felt like the risk of failure involved outcomes such as those portrayed in that news report (link below). 

Teenage Suicide

It's not really the sort of thing I want to blog about. And on the one hand, while I feel that modern society makes it all too easy to play the mental health card, take anti-depressants, that kind of thing, one the other hand, the statistics speak for themselves. Kids these days can struggle, and the cost of that struggle can sometimes be catastrophic. This post is a reminder to myself to continually check in with my kids, make sure they're ok, and let them know they always, always have support.

Me Old Pommy Mate

Not the best of photos, but this is me and my old Pommy mate, Dave Lowe. Dave and I shared a house in Hanbury Street, in Kalgoorlie, for a year in about 1996. Dave is a geologist, and was over for a year or so from the UK, gaining experience and travelling at the same time. He was a pit technician at the Superpit, and that's where we met.

In my first year in Kal I lived in a unit on Egan Street, near Judd's Pub. It was pretty cool, and I had numerous people stay with me during that time, but frankly it was too expensive ($250/week)  for a young man earning only $30,000 per year. So once the year's lease was up, good old Ed Radley, another geo at KCGM, was looking for someone to share his place, a prospect I snapped up! From memory I don't think it was long at all - perhaps simultaneously - that Dave joined us, and we had a great year living together. These memories are probably best told as a series of anecdotes, which is how I will portray them here:

1. Fireplace Incident - we used to get on the piss a fair bit in those days. The house, being an old fibro, was fucking cold in winter, so we decided to get a load of wood in. Most of it went well, but as we got to the end of the load, the biggest log left was simply too large to fit in the fireplace. So Dave and I had the genius idea to stick one end in and prop the other up with a survey peg. All went very well, until the end that was in there burned away, and the now heavier unburnt end fell out. I have a hazy and no doubt, alcohol-fueled memory of either Dave or I picking up the flaming log and hurling it outside to avoid burning the house down!
2. Ed Files - Fark I could write an entire blog on this alone. Ed was and no doubt still is, eccentric. He loved computer games, donuts and was a pretty typical early 20's slob. I always remember Dave and I watching X-Files with no lights on one night, and hearing Ed cursing the Greeks in his game of Civilisation in the background. Then he'd come into the living room and crouch down next to my chair to whisper how he got his revenge to me. It was really crazy behaviour, but innocent enough. When he was playing the Indians he'd use their war elephant units and you'd also hear them trumpeting in the background as he went to war. Dave and I never stopped giggling about Ed and his exploits. 
3. Red Dwarf - To this day, Dave and I quote endlessly, the banter between the various characters on this iconic show - "you never learn do you?" being a key one. We both still watch it from time to time, and hardly a WhatsApp conversation goes by without one of us dropping into Rimmer-mode and admonishing the other. 
4. The Late Show - Less iconic and long-lasting than Red Dwarf, but for its time an awesome comedy show, we also quoted from this at each other, ad infinitum. Particularly the scene where Rob Sitch played Robert de Niro on a quiz show - "that Spain thing, was that for me? Oh you know the answer, but you're asking me, why would you do that?". Hahaha, I am chortling to myself now as I type.
5. Pasta For Wun - We occasionally cooked together, but mostly just fended for ourselves, never missing the opportunity for a dig or pretense at offense. Dave used to get these packet foods called Paste For One, so I never let the occasion go by without feigning hurt. Plus I could take the piss out of his accent, hence the title - Paste For Wun, as that's how he pronounced it. Probably sounds silly to outsiders, but these are the glimpses of memory of our time together that both stick, and still bring a smile to my face to this day.
6. General Sports Banter - Even now we're always having a go at each other about cricket, rugby, football or any other sport, especially when the other's team is performing poorly. The "do you know what you're doing when..." quote comes out often, and is hilarious!

Anyway, there are some examples of my memories of Dave. Probably what' most important is that our friendship has lasted for a very long time, even when for a number of years we were out of touch. That's huge for me. I have only a couple of friends who seem to put the effort in, and Davey boy is one of them. Long may it last! I just hope I get to see him in person again one of these days....