Nobody's Left

Here is a quote from an old work colleague:

"I’m actually back in KL to pack everything up. Time to move on. Places are never as good as they once were and it’s time to treasure old memories and make new ones."

Wow, I had posted about two and a half years ago that it was the end of an era in KL, when Brian and Kosta left. At that time I said I'd be spewing if the last remaining stalwart, being Peter, ever left, as I'd have nobody left to have a beer with! He's the chap in the photo, and was the Exploration Manager with Avocet in those days.

 

So the quote above is from Peter, in a replay to my festive season greeting of a month ago. He has been largely in Canada for ages, so his apartment in KL (5 minutes walk from Changkat no less) has gone unused. He told me a year ago that he'd likely move to Canada eventually, and now it seems, is the time.

Look, I like Peter, and would enjoy having a beer and catch-up with him, but we're not really close. This is more about those days, you know, the 2008 - 2019 period where I had either full-time or part-time involvement there, a group of friends, a heaps of haunts and favourites, and where I largely left my heart. Yep, the bit that doesn't belong to my family, or to Hong Kong, or to a myriad of other things (so possibly not that much). But it feels like a lot, it feels like, as Peter says, this is becoming only a treasuring of old memories. I am making new ones here. Part of me still wants to make new ones there. I wonder if that is still possible. 

As time goes on, perhaps less and less. And that's ok, really. But I'm not ready to give up completely. Not just yet.....

Decade by Decade

So last month I turned 50. Yep, an old bastard now. I was lying in bed this morning and pondered what life was like at each decade milestone in my life so far. It seemed to provide the makings for an interesting reflective post, so here we are!

1982 - 10 years old:

I have vague notions, rather than specific memories of being 10. I remember feeling the milestone of growing up at the time. I was in Grade 4 or 5 in Kowloon Junior School in Hong Kong. I was hanging out with one of my very best childhood friends, Martin Gill, a lot in those days. A real memory of the time was our adventures into the hospital up on the hill behind my apartment building. We tended to be ignored, but occasionally would stray into areas we clearly shouldn't have, and draw the ire of some locals. I remember exploring KGV (the high school up the hill from KJS) with Martin, and finding all sorts of stuff in old storerooms - some of which (the Commando comics) I kept for years afterwards.

I remember vaguely, things like going to the KCC for a swim, or a Sunday buffet. I remember my dad, sometimes for being an angry old man (mirror on standby) and sometimes for being funny and telling good stories. I remember thinking Hong Kong was an awesome place to live and explore - it still is, and I hope to have another opportunity to do so sometime. Explore anyway, if not live. The photo below is also in an older post, and was of us having a Japanese meal with the family upstairs.

1992 - 20 years old:

Wow, a lot can happen in 10 years. 1992 was probably the height of my academic prowess. I was in my second year at university then, still staying with my cousin Mark, but this time in Pascoe Vale South. Apparently I used the phone a fair bit then! This year was when I won the Student Of The Year award at the annual John Saunders Lecture. After second year I still did ok, and finished with honours, but I was as much about having fun as I was about studying then. All good experiences though. I was still very naïve and innocent when I was 20, well, when I turned 20 anyway. 

The whole 10 years included a few more in HK, three in Singapore, two in Cobram to finish high school and then my first two years of uni. So many experiences - UWCSEA, Four Friends, Krakatau, petty crime, all sorts. Yeah I had a couple of moments in my teens I am not proud of. It is part of growing up though I think, and I believe I came out the other end a better person for it.

2002 - 30 years old:

I remember one thing about turning 30, on the day at least anyway. And that was having a beer in the wet mess at Murrin Murrin with my work colleagues. Crikey, amazing again how much can change in 10 years. Finishing uni, moving to Southern Cross, then to Kalgoorlie, and finally doing FIFO to Perth. In the meantime losing Dad, having my heart broken a couple of times, pushing all sorts of limits with my lifestyle, doing well in my career, and doing some travelling. It was a busy decade!

The above photo is me at Hillary's Boat Harbour in Perth. That day I am pretty sure I was with an old girlfriend Sandii, who I found out by accident was spending some time in Perth. We had a kind of thing when I was in uni, but it never went anywhere. I haven't been in touch with her since the day after this photo was taken.

2012 - 40 years old:

I also remember specifically my 40th birthday, because that was the day Wifey, Lala and I drove that shitty Mahindra ute from the motel in Brisbane to Texas. 

That's me with her there, around that time. What a roller-coaster that six months was. Wow, I have made a few stupid career decisions in my life, and this certainly was up there with the best (worst). Still, it was an ok life experience to reflect on, but I am glad I had ASN to turn to again afterwards. 

The ten years leading up to that point had SO much in them it is unreal. After Murrin, I decided to take the chance to break the cycle and get out of W.A. I got a job managing a gold mine in Queensland, with Cement Australia. Lasted a year before getting bored and heading to NSW and Barrick. That 8-9 months has all sorts of negative connotations for me. But it eventually led me back to QLD and JMS, where I spend two years flying all over the place looking for mining contract jobs for them. Then Penjom in Malaysia, where I was at work Mon-Fri and home only on weekends. Can you see the trend there? Spend as much time away from home as possible. Such was life with my ex. Still, I don't believe in fate, but I am ever so glad my life took me in these directions, because that's how I met wifey, and that's how my amazing kids came into being (Lala being the first, in this decade). Four years at Penjom, then a quick stint in the Philippines, then back to ASN, then to Texas, and the following year, back to ASN again. During that time wifey and I travelling around the world, did a couple of other trips in Oz, and I also did a fair bit of travelling before I met her too.

That was a lot to cram into a decade just quietly.

2022 - 50 years old:

50. Well, here we are. Not much different so far, other than knowing I am closer to the end than the beginning. That's not being morbid, it's just the truth. But looking back, more and more happens with each 10 year period, and I anticipate this next one may well be the same. Possibly not so much with travelling, as it is a lot more expensive now - both in general and because there are five of us.

Speaking of travelling, here is a recent family photo, from our December trip to Tassie.

It was an enjoyable trip, but to be honest I think future trips need to be in the tropics. I truly only feel like I'm on holidays when I am swimming, and apart from the last motel pool, it was just too cold, even in summer, to swim here. Plus every time I took out my wallet I felt like I was spending $150-$200. 

As for the 10 years leading up to this point, well, after Texas, as I said, ASN Mark 3 was our next port of call. That did me, along with some consulting to Dean again in Indo on Wetar Island for four months, until mid-2016. ASN did their usual trick and ran out of money again - this time in a big way, and because of the 1-MDB scandal, struggled to garner any more interest in the project. Alas I had been living the high life, and despite hanging on for six months, eventually we ran out of money and had to go. This time to the shop. OMG. Look it was what it was, and to be fair was probably an ok investment to begin with. But not only could it not sustain two families, the cold, hard truth is average takings went from $6k per day to $3.5k in 2018. It was no longer competitive, or viable.

We jumped before it got too bad though, poor V and Paul had to deal with the sale. It happened eventually. Kupang was my next destination. That was interesting, as I never though I would be back after Wetar. Never say never. That is a good and true saying. I did largely enjoy the experience, although once again, a start-up running out of cash? Far out really? MD was a megalomaniac and a compulsive liar, which didn't help. Anyway, it happened. When the cash ran dry there we left and went back to Malaysia to hang out at Sungai Pelek for four months. With the cash we had, we could have done it for two years really, maybe more. I wonder what kind of life we could have made in those circumstances? Still, Covid happened soon after we left to come back to Oz, and I suspect life was easier to deal with here than there.

Of course what happened next, and where we are as I turned 50, was for me to realise my career goal - I became General Manager. But of a quarrying company, rather than a mining one. It is hard, challenging, makes me take a good look at myself regularly, and stresses me. Equally, it gives me freedom, stability, regular and decent pay, and the opportunity for my family to put roots down. That has been a goal since I gave up on FIFO in the Philippines, and I need to reflect on that from time to time. Itchy feet became a bit of a regular thing for me over the years, especially when I was not in Asia. I think I'll go back to Asia to live again, just not sure when and how. For now, we'll play each card as they come, and try to make the most of life. I have a lovely wife, super kids, a steady job and no real reason to need to move. Take a deep breath and enjoy it Dave.

I Want

I want to go back to Hong Kong. I want to go back to Singapore. I want to go back to Malaysia.

What does it mean? Why am I perpetually drawn to Asia? When I was there I always had a soft spot for Australia, but never did I yearn to return. Each and every time I have (as an adult), I have always ended up back in Asia - South East Asia specifically.

I guess it is in my DNA. I spent my formative years in these places, and key parts of my adulthood too. So maybe it is a natural draw. Or maybe it is because life has been a bit hard lately. This last year I have had numerous instances where I wanted to leave my job, as I felt overwhelmed and/or helpless and/or having a gutful of my boss.

Interestingly though, in those times there have been numerous instances where I wondered if I was going to have to deal with conflict or negative feedback - I catastrophised to myself that I would go down swinging so-to-speak, leave in a huff, and be on my bike. Those things never happened. In fact on the occasions when I had those meetings I was anticipating, I always felt better and more supported afterwards. So, as always, my own worst enemy is myself. When surrounded by peers and my leaders, I am supported and enabled. So why am I still having itchy feet? Remember, this kind of stability is what I always wanted...

2023 will be an interesting year then, I am sure. Now that Lala is not going to be school captain, the tie I had put there to keep me here is no longer in place. Yes I think all my kids would rather stay, but really only Loaf is particularly tied to this location. Wifey works now, but she is very resilient and easy-going. What I need to do is figure out, say with Monster's offer from last year, what three years overseas would look like financially, and what another say 4-5 would look like here. In terms of my retirement I mean. 20k US per month was a pretty good offer after all.

The reality is, it's going to have to be something special and unique to get me to move. It is also not really that likely. What is important is focussing on the here and now, and making the best of it. Yes, if something really good comes up, consider it. But if not, and certainly in the meantime, be here, be present, and be your best self.

That's my advice to myself, today. I attach the photo below as a reminder of what good things stability for one's family can bring.

Beer

 Beer.

Well, where do we begin. I have had a love affair with beer since ~ 1987, which was about when I went for a sleepover with Cam Craig, we went out to Newton (in Singapore), I got drunk, and spewed all over his bedroom. Great start. I didn't drink much again until the end of Y12 in Cobram - at our EOY party I teamed up with Mick Carey and nailed a bottle of Jim Beam. Boy oh boy was that an error. I got so drunk I probably should have gone to hospital. I was such a mess.

Lessons learned? Hmm, not really. At university I was a bit more reserved usually, but that was mainly due to financial constraints. I remember fondly the old "Wacky Wednesday" sessions with Jim Moore and a few others from time to time. Then there was mining in the west as a young, single man, with money in his pocket for the first time ever. Yep, plenty of years of boozing around then too! Then the expat lifestyle in SE Asia, and it goes on and on.

Ok, I make myself sound like a chronic alcoholic. Medically-speaking I possibly am, but it has been a long time since I have ever been drunk. I do not like getting drunk, and am especially adverse to hangovers these days. I just drink because I enjoy it. Over the years I have tried most things, but while I am ok with wine and spirits, those are very much once-in-a-blue-moon drinks. The only daily tipple I am happy with is beer, pure and simple.

Now that I am 50, and frankly for a few years now, I avoid full strength beer. Otherwise I'm in bed far too early! And as I said, I no longer like to get drunk. Unfortunately though, most light or mid-strength beer tastes like water, so it has been a bit of a journey trying to find the beer I want. So I thought I'd do a bit of research, and put a few options together to see what works. See table below:

The main criteria I have are as follows;

1. Needs to be 3.5% or less alcohol - I get too tipsy drinking even that on a big session, so preferably less. But still needs to have some "bite".
2. Needs to be 80-100 calories or less for 375ml equivalent - any more and I may as well stick with my old faithful Carlton Light.
3. Needs to be available in Australia, preferably in most bottleshops, but will consider online if the calorie saving is good enough.
4. Needs to be full-flavoured, preferably bitter, but we'll give anything a go. No cordials.
5. Needs to be available in a can, I am just not a stubbie guy.

There are probably other beers out there, but they are simply not that easy to find. For comparison purposes, I have put the last three full strength beers I used to drink at the bottom of the table. In the case of Tiger and Bintang it was more being a captive audience than making a choice, as in Asia, they really don't do light beer. Even San Mig Lite is only light because of calories - it's still 5% alcohol. when I was drinking T&B though, 40% and 50% more calories. Yikes! Good thing it was so damn hot so I was always sweating so much. But my body shape reflected my consumption back then, as one would expect.

So putting the FS ones aside, that leaves the six light and mid-strength options, with the top one being my current drink. Carlton Light is a damn fine tasting beer, but it's not always that easy to get, with the main shops not stocking it. Not popular enough I suppose? When covid was on and supply chain issues were a thing, CUB even stopped making it for a while as they had to ration aluminium for cans, dropping off the less popular products. 

Of the rest, the PB, the Cooper's, the SML and the Beck's all come only in stubbies. Whilst I will drink a stubbie if handed one, I really prefer cans. Yes, PB mid is tempting because it is seriously less carbs than the CL or GN. But I just don't enjoy drinking it. It is interesting to note that the Great Northern has the same calories as the Carlton Light, so in future I don't need to feel guilty about buying it when I can't get the Carlton Light. 

This is probably a very boring post for anyone except me. It has been something on my mind for a while though, so I'm glad I worked through it. I'm happy to stick to Carlton Light, and supplement with Great Northern as needs be. Which is just as well, as other choices are limited! Might try a hard seltzer or two going forward though...

Wrong Generation? Also Suggestions For Your Generation...

Holy fuck. Just watching old 80's INXS music videos and wondering, what the fuck am I doing here? It kind of makes me feel like I belong there, not here. What am I doing in the 2020's? Those 80's songs, videos, experiences, times - that's where it was at hey.

Haha, ok, so now I am writing in a slightly more sober condition, so perhaps I don't need to be so emo about the 80's and the simplicities of life they offered, compared to today. Plus it wasn't just the 80's itself - my life was oh so simple back then. I was a teenager; home, food, school all provided for me. All I needed to do was make the most of what was put in front of me, decisions a simple, daily thing. As most teens probably do, I did both the best and the worst with those opportunities, as well as a lot in-between.

But that's not really the reason for this post. I promised my beautiful daughter Sophie that I would provide some means of introduction to her, into what I call good music. Like me, she feels that music is a pathway to one's soul, and a gateway to so much in our world, wider universe, and inner psyche. For me, music makes me feel good. I have experienced many times, stressful situations, or just shitty life periods, being improved by music. I try to have it around me a lot, but in reality, I only listen when driving. That my current job requires a lot of driving is a boon in this regard. But I'd love to find ways to incorporate music into our home more too, especially if it means showing to my family what music means to me, and what music I love. 

So my approach is going to be simple. I am going to go through influential artists that have impacted me throughout my life, and whose music remains with me as important to this day. I will list each one, and provide a small explanation about where this relationship came from, and then leave it to you Sophie, or Daniel, or Alex, or anyone else who reads this, to go explore for yourselves. Yes, for those masochists who read this blog, you will be aware that I have a very poorly constructed series on my planned Top 40 of all time. Perhaps this post will reinvigorate that, and help me to find a better way to manage and use my music, than my shithouse iTunes and iPod.

So let's begin. We'll start at the start. My first foray into music was a soundtrack - Ghostbusters. Hey, there are a couple of tunes on that album that I will still pause and listen to once in a while, but by no means is it a really influential one. It was just my first, based on the movie I enjoyed at the time. But, what is important is that this initial purchase does somewhat define or at least introduce an important part of my musical tastes - there are many soundtrack albums that I adore. A soundtrack in many ways, and certainly those that I love the most, is kind of like a mix-tape - as in it is a curated selection, not just random good songs. 

When it comes to soundtracks, those that really stand out for me are from the following list of movies; The Matrix, High Fidelity, Mallrats, Pulp Fiction. All are memorable movies, with those on the top line of the pic being masterpieces. High Fidelity was super cool, and John Cusack at his peak. Mallrats was nothing special, but is a nostalgia movie for my old Pommy mate Dave Lowe and I. It also does have some cool songs. What I like about it is that it introduced me to some American grunge and punk bands that I probably would never have heard of otherwise.

Next, let's talk early artists, specifically those that are still with me today. In those heady puberty years of my mid-teens, I was influenced to a small degree by popular culture. That is, I did listen to the odd AC/DC, Dire Straits, Madonna or Duran Duran song, and still do to this day. There are no doubt numerous others that fit that mould. I have a memory of listening to David Bowie's Let's Dance in class circa-1986, but don't have it in my library currently (quite possibly an oversight on my part). 

So that's going to form the basis of this latest musical post - a tribute to the soundtracks that I have loved the most over the years, and those I suggest you try out. I'll keep this series going by looking at my favourite all-time bands next. Enjoy, and keep listening!

Reread

So for whatever reason, I just floundered my way onto Steven Brust's webpage, dreamcafe.com. It has been a long time since he published a Vlad Taltos novel, and I was pleased to see (not on the site, but in a link from it), that another will come out in 2023, followed soon by one more. As you may have read if you've been mad enough to follow this blog, Brust has been a writer I have followed since my very early adult years, and I love his work.

The reason for this post though, is rereading. Over the years, my book collection has waxed and waned - occasionally being enormous, and sometimes being culled to near nothing. When younger I had ever King, Koontz, Cussler and a few other pulp fiction writers' books, plus a plethora of non-fiction - largely in the forbidden archaeology / UFO / paranormal space. 

This is the cover for a book called Behold A Pale Horse, an early whistle-blower work published in 1991, about things apparently seen by a former US government employee while working on top-secret bases. You know, UFO's, dead aliens, recovered technology, cover-ups, all that fun stuff. My old mate Luke told me all about it, as well as numerous other books, when we worked together in the late 90's. I ended up buying a lot of those books, as well as many others - most of which I no longer own. The horse book was a good example of my issues with book collecting and reading, because before I donated it, I carried it around the world on various moves, never opening it even once. This is a bit of a theme for me. I'm either all-in or not at all it would seem. Brust, King, Cussler, Bryson, Winchester, and a few others, well I am sure to read them cover to cover. I read a lot of Graham Hancock, namely Fingerprints of the Gods, around this time too. It was him and the work of a few others actually, that made me come to the belief that while I think aliens exist, they are unlikely to be visiting Earth, so all of the UFO is likely BS. In terms of the forbidden archaeology stuff, well it reaffirmed my belief that ancient humans, rather than aliens, are responsible for many of the anomalies around the world, such as how the pyramids were built to such precision.

So in that, I guess I kind of lost my mojo when it comes to collecting these works. That was part of the problem. The other part of the problem is the time I have, or dedicate, to reading these days. Alas it just is not very much. So much so that I have or had, built up a collection of almost 50 books that I have not read yet! Plus all those I have and decided to keep. So over the last three years, I have been steadily donating my books - the only ones I have been keeping are my Brust, Bryson, Winchester collections, plus a few others, notably The Martian, Ready Player One, plus a core group of my old ancient history series. I went from thinking it was grand to essentially collect and curate my own library, to wanting to not have my books be a burden - especially given it is unlikely I will read most of them again!

That's the crux of the matter isn't it? What books do I have that I want to read again? 

The answer is pretty simple really - only my Brust collection. Plus a handful of others (Martian etc.). 

So what do I do with the rest? And when am I going to start rereading? Do I want to get through the Taltos series again in my lifetime? You bet I do. I want to read it all. So why can I not find the time? Maybe it has to do with the noise factor in our household - those boys are relentless. I'm really not sure how to approach this. And hey, I have donated a heap of unread books over the time too, keeping only those I am determined to get through at some point. My wife has rubbed off on me a bit, because as I age, I am tending towards the minimalist path, and trying to shed stuff that really doesn't have a whole lot of meaning. I keep looking at the boxes of Lego on my top shelf, that I want to put back together as sets and sell, yet year after year, on the shelf they remain. Perhaps I should either donate them, or let the boys have them. 

Reading. It truly is a joy, like listening to music. And just like that pastime, you need to make the time to enjoy it. What it can do for your mind, your soul, and yes even your body, is immense. I need to start figuring this into my personal time management. Watch this space.

Friends - Setting The Goal

Hey. So it occurs to me sometimes that I don't really have any friends - not friends that I hang out with on a regular basis anyway. But I do have what I would call lifelong friends, people that I have known for decades, and do keep in touch with. Yes I have also adopted the mantra over the last few years that I am not going to put in all the effort, and for those who never put in any effort to contact me, I'll probably let them drift away. Still, there are some old friends I would be happy to reach out to, and see how they're going. It would be nice to see all these people again for sure, at least one more time in my life. So to that end, I am setting a goal (already in my To Do List) of contacting 12 people over the course of the year - an average of one per month. I don't think that's all that onerous, and hopefully I'll be able to meet at least one of them too. Here's the list, along with when I first met them and what part they have been involved with throughout my life;

1) Simon Mottram - met at uni, picked fruit together, worked at SoG together, almost worked in Brazil together. 

2) Murray Cooper - worked at KCGM and Tarmoola, travelled to Vietnam together. He's the one who set me up to buy the bloody horse whip for $500!

3) Adam Roach - worked at Tarmoola and Murrin, and shared an apartment together in Perth.

4) Luke Ford - worked at Tarmoola, Murrin and East End together, plenty of lunches in Perth.

5) Gully - worked at Tarmoola and Murrin together, plenty of dinners with him and Adam.

6) Ramesh - met at Penjom when he was with Orica. Went to cricket WC in Sri Lanka together.

7) Ilham - worked at Gulf together.

8) Steve Pragnell - worked at Gulf together.

9) Scott Jamieson - shared a house together in 1993, when I was at uni. 

10) Sally Harle - went running together often in 1991 and 1992 at uni. 

11) Lucette - we were a couple for about a year back in 94/95, and friends since.

12) Darcel - my English teach in Y12. We stayed in touch and met a few times when she was living in Hong Kong. A great lady.

I reckon I can knock a couple of these off the list in Jan alone. I hope to see Darcel for one, and will contact one of the others. Yes for some of these it goes against my new personal rule for not being the only one making an effort, but these people in their own way, are worth it. To be fair, many of them do reach out regularly - as is the case with Steve, Ilham and Ramesh mainly. I also catch up with JR, Dean, Brian and a couple of others, online at least, regularly. I met JR and Dean in 2022, it was bloody good to see them too.

My Career - Part 6 - West Wyalong (2005 - 2006)

Or West Why-The-Fuck as I used to call it, as in WTF would you live there?

WWTF was an interesting entry into my life. It was my first foray into "woohoo let's get a job close to home!" territory, which would be repeated a couple more times later in life. It led to one of the biggest fuck-ups of my life in my first marriage, although as I say, no regrets, because all this led me to my baby and our babies and I would change nothing on that journey! It was also a bit of a fuck-up professionally too, for a couple of reasons;

1) I was distracted by my relationship, and 

2) Both my boss, and the GM, were awful.

Lake Cowal Gold Mine was developed on the edge of Lake Cowal, a generally dry lake, that does get water in it during winter or any wet seasons (like right now as I write this in 2023, it is full). I was there during commissioning, which is at the very beginning of project life, and as such we were mining through the crappy sediments at the top. This meant poor ore availability, machines getting bogged frequently, difficult conditions to drill in, and lower than desired productivity. 

My main issue was this - At KCGM, and then Tarmoola and Murrin, I was given production roles, as I was adept at communicating with the people moving the dirt, and had a hand in the engineering side of it, that being my background. I was always a good foil between the two areas. At East End, I had to manage all of that myself, and did it well. But on the production side, it always relied on having people that knew what they were doing, and that is where it became tough at Cowal - we simply didn't have enough skilled and experienced people. I spent a lot of my time dealing with HR issues and trying to recruit more staff and operators. It was not easy. You see whilst I am a great conduit, without having any decent engineers and very few production people, it put a whole lot of pressure on me. 

Below is a photo of what Lake Cowal pit looks like today, with the lake in the background. When I was there we were about two benches down, still in the dark brown stuff. 

I did work towards improving our operational skills by introducing RMS (my old mate Graeme). This worked ok, although I am not sure they kept it going for long after I left. I also tried to influence the engineering team by getting them to do weekly plans, blastmasters, those kinds of things. But the issue for me was my boss. He was just such a weirdo. So old school, didn't give much support and expected things to just happen. As was the case for the stupid yank GM, who was simply a fuckwit. I was pulled in eventually and asked to explain why production was down. I was struggling to figure out how to deal with these issues, so once I felt the pressure from above, I thought about it for a few days and then pulled the pin.

There was a bit more to it as well. Health was one thing. I had long been struggling with abdominal pains intermittently, which had hospitalised me numerous times. Nobody could figure out why though. Not until I had to stop at a crappy rural GP that locals referred to as Dr. Death, because there was nobody else available. Immediately, he thought it was gall stones, and referred me for a scan. As it happens, he was correct! Interestingly, due to the ex's complaints, I had also been diagnosed with sleep apnoea, and a specialist for that wanted to cut out my soft palette and drill out my nostrils - procedures I believe they no longer do. So after I had left Barrick, I had two op's in one sitting, one to do that, and the other to remove my gall bladder.

This post is not going to be a positive endorsement on the private health system. I had the op's and got discharged from Wagga Private Hospital the next day. The gall thing hardly affected me, as it was key-hole. But the other one? Holy Mother Of God. It was torture. I ended up in WW hospital because of a massive infection, and was there over a week. The most notable thing about the timing is that I was there when Steve Irwin died. It was amazing though, that Wagga pushed me out the door as soon as they could, when you consider how much money I was paying for private cover. I have had, over the years, far better treatment in the public system than the private. I only belong to a private fund now because of tax reasons. 

So that was one of the main events of that year. The less said about the ex the better. I know I am writing this blog for my kids, and you may want to know more. Just know this - when I was younger (30 ish), I was still pretty emotionally immature, and subconsciously yearned for love and attention. I got it from my ex, but in a very controlling and destructive way. as I said earlier, no regrets, but I will advise you to talk to those close to you about your relationships, and listen to what they have to say.

Another part of the West Wyalong memory that lives with me is the four months I had to live in one of the local motels, the Colonial Motor Inn. They were wonderful people, so welcoming and accommodating. Plus they liked to party. Many a weekend night we would gather (the two owners, their daughter and myself, plus maybe one or two others), in the restaurant after closing, and party until the wee hours. I had a dalliance or two with their daughter as well, during that time, so yeah, it was a fun memory. Pity I don't have much professionally to draw on from my memories to complement this post. Below is a pic of the restaurant I found online, looking exactly as I remember it.

It was a short period of time really - we're talking nine months at Barrick, plus a couple more after, prior to me jetting off to JJ McDonald & Sons in Townsville. It was the last of my Production Superintendent roles, and frankly I think that was a good thing. As mentioned before, I am a great conduit, as well as a decent engineer and manager. That role, plus the support structure and people around me, made it hard for me to succeed. My problem mostly, but certainly a big learning experience about what to look for in future managers.

Happy New Year 2023!

Alright, so here we go for another year. I really need to keep this blog developing, and I think one of the reasons my mind has been in a bit of a funk lately, is that I have not been using my outlet of writing. That, plus the need to keep this legacy project moving along, has prompted me to set some goals for 2023. This year I want to write 50 blog posts. That is one tough ask, and amounts to four per month, with a target of six in January, assuming I can get off to a productive start.

So if I can use the quiet work month of Jan to get some done, hopefully I can achieve this. Why am I doing it? Well my blog to me is like my memoirs, something for my kids to remember me by. So I want to do it properly. Plus I enjoy writing to it makes sense to do this. I have the best part of 20 draft blog entries in there as it is, some with a bit of content already. So hopefully with a bit of discipline and regular time, I can achieve this important personal goal.

Let's review how I have done annually since this one started. It was a bit of a false start, with the punting-focussed blog getting some air time before I switched to this one. I could copy those posts over but I am not sure it adds anything of value frankly. So annual posts on this blog are;

2016 43

2017 13

2018 20

2019 56

2020 24

2021 13

2022 7

The big years were when I had lengthy periods off work - in 2016 I essentially had the first six months where I did bugger-all (of interest, John Reeve emailed me the other day, ASN are still on the cusp of funding it seems, hahahahaha). Then in 2019, I had the first half in Kupang where we only had so much to do, due to lack of funding, followed by four months living in Sungai Pelek doing not a lot. Given I am now in the busiest job of my life, as well as having a fairly demanding home life, maybe trying to get up there again in terms of blog posts is a lofty goal. But I like lofty goals, pushing oneself is a good thing, and making it too easy will just make me lazy.

The above is a snapshot from the Personal section of my To Do List (using the Microsoft product - it doesn't have the bells and whistles of some others, but I tend not to use those anyway, and this can link to emails etc. and is nice and simple, so after years of searching, this is the one I have gone with). So I'm giving myself some timed prompts, going to ensure I make time both at home and at work to do some writing, and my intention is to not just reach the goal of 50 blog posts, but get those drafts down to close to zero for the year. Wish me luck!