It had to happen sooner or later. Going out and having an almost  totally crap time.

A friend's mother had written a play, something she's often done. We all go and see it. The play itself was performed in a bar in Chinatown. I say bar but it's also an art gallery with 3 floors. There's a bar on the top floor which was handy as the play was also set in a bar. Who needs a theatre and a set when real life provides the neccessary requirements!

Somehow I've managed to stay off the internet for a few days. Not something I'm used to doing, although it was difficult in the Whitsunday Islands and there was a deliberate abstinence while Facing The Outback.

It's been a fun weekend though. Saturday was all about the AFL again. My third trip to the MCG (the previous two for cricket) and an Aussie Rules Footy match between Richmond and St Kilda. The weather, as it so often does, threatened to play a part. Wind and rain tend to remove some of the skill from the game. The two teams both needing to win, Richmond to keep their chances of finishing in the Top 8 and St Kilda needing to get into the Top 8.

I also had my 100% record to maintain. St Kilda have won every game I've been to.

Fortunately, although the first quarter went the way of Richmond, the Saints pulled though, stepped up and slaughtered the Tigers - 16.10 (106) to 5.7 (37) in a game which had wind, rain and sun in equal measures. All good. The game also had some inter-family rivalry as my step-nephew is a Richmond fan. Incidentaly, my brother is a signed and sealed Sainter and my sister-in-law barracks for  Carlton.

Sunday and the sun came out early. Although it's winter here and still a little on the cold side a lack of wind and some sun makes for a pleasent time. A trip to Bunnings (Where lowest prices are just the beginning), the big home, hardware, gardening store. A few plants, barbecue cover and other odds and ends were bought. The afternoon spent cleaning, tidying and potting in the garden.

A Few Photos are Here

I had one of those long story dreams last night. Where a story plays itself out in my mind, continuing along a line that makes some sense even if it was totally fictional.

It all started with a chance meeting with my ex-girlfriend. Although what she was doing visiting my parents I never did find out. At first she didn't want to talk to me but later relented. It gave me a chance to apologise to her for things I'd said and done after our breakup. We talked for a while before I had to leave, via boat to New York. I arrived there with no money and no place to stay (not sure how I got into the country). I found a hostel that let me stay for free for a couple of night before having to go and find a job.

I've never been one for analysing dreams too much. Some just sort of make sense when you wake up. Others seem to come from thinking about things too much.

Work. That's something I could with right now.

It's been a sparse few days. Apart from doing some odds and ends of writing, generally being online, reading and writing emails and looking at photography competitions I haven't done much.

The rain here comes and goes. Rain though is never to be complained about in Australia. It's vital to the continuation of the country. Natural water supplies are limited. It shows after dry summers. Restrictions of all types come into force. The sensible take brief showers, use bath water for plants and generally don't waste water. While I was in Sydney their water supplies fell below the 40% level. This caused a minor panic.

Back in Melbourne and back to the footy. Aussie Rules Football is one of those sports that to the first timer looks mad. Two teams of 18 running around an oval pitch after an oval ball. Some call it Aussie No-Rules Football. There only seems to be one objective. Kick said ball through a pair of very tall posts. Except there's 4 posts.

Once you start breaking the game down a bit and know that kicking the ball between the two inner, taller posts gives 6 points (a goal) and getting it between the shorter ones gets 1 point (a behind) things begin to make more sense. Then there's the kicking. A ball kicked far enough and caught being a mark. A player cannot then be tackled following a mark. The best marks are caught just nicely in front of the goal posts. A ball cannot be thrown either, instead it is punched to a fellow player. The timing comes around 4 quarters (or periods).