52 Pick-up

Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs, Spades.

Somehow, I always thought that was the ranking of suits in playing cards. Apparently, with the exception of Bridge, there is no distinction between suits. However, for the sake of this post, I am ranking them as just written. Reason being, today I am 52, the same number as the total of cards in a standard deck. So I figured, why not reflect on my 52 years of life so far, see which are my best 13, all the way to my worst 13. I don't know how easy this will be to do, as frankly, life isn't as simple as that, but I shall attempt it! To make it a little easier, I won't rank the years within each suit, so for instance, the Ace of Diamonds will be just as good as year as the Two of Diamonds. Make sense? Here goes...

Spades - Worst Years

2 - 2000 - this was the year my dad got diagnosed with cancer, and we all spent it watching him deteriorate. Strictly speaking, it was the following year that he actually died, but 2000 was a very tough year for me, one that I didn't recover from for some time.

3 - 2018 - this was another year of great change. Change in the case of death, for my brother Michael, and my dear Aunty Heidi. I was not around for either though, as the other aspect of change in that year was our move from Barooga to Kupang in West Timor. What a change that was! And what a loss we felt at home too.

4 - 2004 - this was the year that I essentially came undone. I was on a mission of self-destruct from 2000 onwards, partially due to losing Dad, but also because in some ways, I think I wanted to go down the hole. I honestly don't know why. It culminated in me leaving Murrin and moving to Queensland. I'd like to say that fixed me, but it didn't. I didn't get fixed for a long time after.

5 - 2002 - much like the previous entry, I left Tarmoola this year, less so because I was over Tarmoola, but more so because I was running away from myself and what I had become. Of course, changing jobs only partly changed my mindset, and temporarily so. In 2002 I was lost frankly, and remained this way for some time to come.

6 - 1988 - this was the year my foolish teenage antics came undone. I got caught up with the wrong friends for a while, and ended up stealing jewellery from my mum to fund our nonsense. We got caught in the end and I had to own up. My parents were devastated, and it hit me hard. Still, I bounced back from this like nothing else, and it turned my life around. I became fit, excelled at school, and learned humility. So a lot of good came from the bad, yet it was a terrible learning experience in my life.

7 - 2001 - well this was on the back end of 2000, and in Jan 2001, my dad actually passed. At the time, in many ways we were glad his suffering was over, but in all honesty, I struggled to recover from this. 2001 and the following few years I was lost, behaving poorly, taking risks, and really not going anywhere. 

8 - 2006 - this was the year of my first marriage and my joining of JMS. JMS itself was good experience, and I enjoyed the travel it allowed me. I mainly enjoyed it because it allowed me to escape my reality, which was being in a controlled situation, with a psychopath watching my every move. During my life I have sometimes been good at ignoring important signals for the sake of perceived tranquillity. But that so-called peace 

9 - 2009 - hmm, this was the year that I broke up with the ex. I could have handled it better. I spent the year essentially drifting away, and then finally stating that I wanted to end it. She came up to Lipis in an effort to save it, and we ended up in a fight. I may or may not describe the cause of that, but needless to say that was the end of that. I am lucky that I had such an understanding boss in Dean, as he protected me through this, and over the next couple of year, I thrived. But 2009 itself was pretty average until about October. 

10 - 2003 - this is up there with the rest of the early 2000's as the time I lost myself. This year in particular has no specifics I can remember, other than me blowing all my money indulging in a whole lot of vices. I was at a low ebb, and heading towards the crash that happened the following year. I wonder if such things are inevitable, or if more well-rounded people can maintain a better balance? I guess we all have our own story to tell, and our own way of dealing with what life throws at us.

Jack - 2007 - this was my year living in Brisbane and doing almost 100 flights working for JMS. From an experience and lifestyle perspective, it was good. I worked at Jump Up Dam as PM, did plenty of estimating, and mucked around in Kal and Perth. But it was my personal life that puts this year in the misery books. I was under the thumb, distanced from friends and family and not in a good place mentally. It took a while to gain the strength to pull out of that situation, but I did eventually, in 2009.

Queen - too young to remember, so we'll stick 1977 here. 

King - too young to remember, so we'll stick 1973 here.

Ace - too young to remember, so we'll stick 1974 here.

Clubs - Middling - Not The Best Years

2 - 2024 - look I'm going to put this year in the not-so-flash category. Why? Well let's say that this year has been under-pinned by ongoing health annoyances, dissatisfaction with my work, and not always the best interactions at home. It has seen my close-to-giving up of alcohol, which is a great thing though, but has been dominated largely, by unrest. 2025 though, is a year I am looking forward to with great hope!

3 - 2017 - in some ways, this was a decent year. It was a full year living in Barooga and working in the shop. That meant seeing family more than any other time as an adult. So I celebrate that aspect. But inside me, I still struggled, and my alter-ego surfaced at one point, which I am ashamed of. In some ways, that drew a line in the sand that may never be undone. My weaknesses remain, my resolve sometimes wavers. But I am determined to the best person I can be, mainly for my family, but also for myself.

4 - 1989 - this was my first year in Cobram High, having come back from Singapore. I had the pommy accent, and didn't really fit in that easily. I guess there were some good memories from this year, but I had all sort of different friend groups, searching for decent friends. Shane was probably the best of those, although it was a fickle arrangement. Ups and downs in the female relationship side of things too, but to be expected for a 16yo. It just wasn't that easy a time for me. Luckily, Year 12 improved that.

5 - 1980 - my first year proper in HK was not easy. I was shy, and didn't make friends all that easily in those days. I was also impressionable, and wasn't the best kid. I have memories of doing some stunts at KJS that hurt others (not much, but that's not the point), and I have memories of feeling humiliation due to poor personal hygiene (I can see Alex doing the same frankly). those burgeoning years were not easy, but eventually I found a wonderful group of friends there to grow up with.

6 - 1997 - my last year at KCGM became troublesome. I was still young, and frankly, too big for my own boots. I didn't want to do the hard yards at mine planning, and was convinced I could become a production and blasting expert. Bruce counselled me otherwise, I wish I had listened more. Not to worry. Without Alex, JB and Bruce around, I wasn't as impactful, and didn't get on as well with Rosie, Sleep and Gupta. 

7 - 1998 - this was a continuation of the year before. I did leave KCGM, joined a nonsense minor for 2 weeks, and eventually ended up with Bruce at Tarmoola. This job was awesome for me eventually, but to begin with, it was bloody hard, as I was largely left to my own devices, working in DIDO then FIFO and dealing with a hostile contractor. It was a maturing experience for me, but that year doesn't hold a lot of great memories.

8 - 2019 - like many of these years, it was a tale of different experiences. By early 2019 I knew GMG was a basket case, due to the Hamish factor. As mentioned elsewhere, it ended up being the best move that I left when I did. Then spent four months in KL, which was up and down. I suppose it was fairly stressful due to the unknown of our future at the time, plus it not being in my comfort zone. That's why 2019 makes this list.

9 - 2023 - last year was a Milbrae year and a tough one, being focussed on too many areas. Much like this year, I wasn't happy with work, nor myself personally, and had too many negative interactions with loved ones. I feel bad about that, but proud that I recognised it, and made moves to improve my situation. Still, 23/24 has been a tough time. Where to from here I wonder?

10 - 1985 - I left HK and moved to Sing with the family this year. It was a stressful time, changing countries and schools and this is when I got childhood asthma. I was lucky enough to see Martin Gill and his family in Singapore not that long after we moved there, which was super for me. It took me a while to settle in Sing, so this was a difficult year for me.

Jack - 2005 - this was an up and down year too. The first 2/3 of it was at Gladstone, where I performed well at work, but was a bit unsettled. As Dick Yates suggested, it really was a retirement job, and after a year, I had nailed it, and started to become bored. Plus I was still wasting all my money on smokes, booze and strippers at that time. I made improvements in this timeframe, but not enough of them. The end of the year saw me in West Wyalong at Barrick, which was an ok change for a while.

Queen - 1987 - similarly to 1989, I was a bit of a fish out of water here. I was trying to be with the so-called cool kids, and frankly, I didn't fit. They didn't want me either. I clashed with some, got bullied, and ended up drifting away from strong core values. My schoolwork suffered too. I guess it wasn't all bad, but I don't have the best of memories. The exception was the Krakatau trip, which was grand. 

King - too young to remember, so we'll stick 1975 here.

Ace - too young to remember, so we'll stick 1976 here. 

Diamonds - Great Years!

2 - 1979 - this is the year I moved to Hong Kong. I say "I", but I was merely a hanger-on, as Dad was going to work on the MRT. This move, in reality, was the making of me. In this moment, I started my journey towards multiculturalism, which really is at the heart of what makes me tick.

3 - 1992 - my second year at RMIT. What I remember the most about this was winning student of the year at the John Saunders Lecture, and being awarded the honour by the CEO of BHP while pissed as a fart. Haha, glad the memory is a hazy one. But academically, it was close to the pinnacle for me.

4 - 2011 - this was a good year at Penjom. This was the year Stu, Harj and I put together the life-of-mine strategy for the mine, and in doing so, made it a very attractive option for JRes to buy. We did not know this was Avocet's plan at the time, but we really enjoyed the challenge, and to my mind, did some great work.

5 - 1990 - I did Year 12 in 1990. This was overall, a great year, with some good learnings, the strong development of my English skills thanks to Darcel and her inspiring teaching, and the completion of high school for me. Time with that group of friends was precious, although I am no longer in contact with any of them strangely enough. 

6 - 2020 - this was the year I achieved my career dream, and was promoted to GM at Mawsons. It was a big step up from the role I was recruited into, and a steep learning curve, but it felt right, and in that first couple of years, I feel I really excelled at the job too. Definite life highlight.

7 - 1983 - in this year, I was in a more senior grade at KJS, had a great group of friends, spent my spare time exploring the streets of HK with Martin, and was in my prime as a young boy. 

8 - 1984 - as with '83, both these years were my prime in HK. In '84 I actually went up to high school, starting at KGV. It was challenging, but fun, and I just loved it there. Yeah I was still no good at sport (memory of trying to play rugby sticks with me), but I was relishing the freedom I had and the experience of this life.  

9 - 2015 - again, this was me as a consultant, living and working in KL. I wish it never had to end. Could I have done better for ASN? Maybe, but it was Najib and 1MDB that did for ASN, causing funding to be revoked and the whole thing to fall apart. John Reeve looked to Chinese investors as an alternative, but they smelled blood in the water, and it suddenly started to become very hard to do anything. I loved the year though, especially Ma and Heidi's visit. That Damansara house was just grand!

10 - 2022 - this was also a good year overall, seeing me land a very healthy bonus. I got involved in redesigning the structure of Mawsons quarries, and I think I did a good job. We were really settling into things at home, with covid now behind us. 2022 also was the year that I started wondering about this job and lifestyle, and briefly considered Vietnam with Chook (I wonder!). Ultimately, I have to ask myself the question - now that I have my dream job as GM, is this something I can / want to sustain? 

Jack - 1986 - this is the year I hit my strap at UWC, before going off the rails. I had made some good friends, got into cricket, was doing ok at school, and enjoying the Singapore life. I think I then tried to ramp it up, join the cool kids, get into drinking and general nonsense, and then it wasn't so good after that.

Queen - 1995 - this was the year I discovered Kalgoorlie. I went up there one weekend from SX, had a look at the tourist lookout, and decided I simply must work here. I was lucky enough to land a job quickly and away we went. I had my own unit in that first year, which was tough financially, but I had a lot of fun, and learned hugely at KCGM. 

King - 1994 - this was the year I finished uni, and moved to W.A. It was also the year I spent with Lucette, living with her family in Hurstbridge, which was a great experience. Of course, being young and emotionally immature, I screwed it all up, but that's kind of to be expected in hindsight. This post is difficult, because of course each and every year has its ups and downs, and '94 is a great example of that. But I choose to remember the positives - my first serious girlfriend, my move into mining, and my first big adventure as an adult.

Ace - 1978 - too young to remember, so we'll stick 1978 here. 

Hearts - Awesome Years!!!

2 - 2010 - this was the year I became free of my ex, met my life partner, travelled the world, and truly lived. The beginning of the rest of my life.

3 - 2012 - this is the year we welcomed Lala into the world, and a joyous occasion it was! 2012 was also a big year of change, with me leaving Penjom, joining and then leaving ENC in the Philippines, joining and then leaving ASN, and moving to Texas with Alcyone. But all of it is forgotten compared to the birth of our daughter!

4 - 2013 - this is the year we welcome B into the world. He came in full of drama, and has maintained that to a degree since, but he has a very loving heart, and is growing into an impressive young man.

5 - 2016 - this is the year we welcomed Babs into the world. Ok it's also the year that ASN went CU and we had to hightail it back to Oz with nothing, but if life has taught me anything, it's to take away the positives, learn from and forget the negatives. So it's the happy occasion of Babs entry into the world that dominates memories of 2016.

6 - 1991 - this was my first year at uni, my first experience living away from home, and was a whole lot of fun. I did well at uni, went on some dates, had some fun, and enjoyed life. This entry into adulthood was memorable and I look back on it fondly.

7 - 1999 - I was at the peak of my technically awesome powers this year. This is the year I became a Drill & Blast guru, managing our D&B team at Tarmoola, doing all the designs, and helping Surpac develop their D&B design system. We did some great work. 

8 - 2008 - the year I moved to Malaysia, and an amazing life that sprouted from that move. The first part of the year was tough with the ex, as it was when we got to KL, but the new job and new lease on life was the beginning of the main chapter of my life, and I look back on this opportunity and all that flowed from it with great nostalgia and happiness.

9 - 1996 - this was me at my peak powers at KCGM. This was when Jeff Innes introduced me to people as a young man with a superb work ethic, this is when I was relief foreman and impressing everyone at KCGM. This was also the year I got over Lucette, which was hard, but boy did I emerge from my shell at this time. I love the memories of working at the Superpit this year, and all that I did. It was also the year I met my old pommy mate Dave, and we shared a house in Kal' with the mad Kiwi Ed.

10 - 2021 - this was my second year as GM at Mawsons. We smashed record after record, and made a huge profit, recovering well from covid, and setting me up for a nice bonus. I felt like I was in control, planned and executed well, and made good improvements. Then entered Milbrae, and, well, life became harder for me...

Jack - 2014 - this was a year spent living in Damansara Heights, at my favourite house ever. I spent time working with Dean on Wetar, and time with ASN. I was largely my own boss, made plenty of money, had a lot of fun, and enjoyed life to the full. In hindsight, I should have done more with my spoils, but isn't it easy to measure things in hindsight? I made the most of the time I had, and largely, I think I did it pretty well.

Queen - 1993 - third year at uni, first experience in mining, lots of fun, living in Mooroolbark with my mate Scott, started going out with Lucette. The world was my oyster this year!

King - 1981 - in KJS, settled now, with a decent group of friends. Life was simple, but enjoyable. 

Ace - 1982 - ditto for the above. I'd love to write more, but the memories here are more of feelings than events. I remember life being simple and absolutely love HK due to my childhood there. So all good.