December 2023

Sydney Continued……

• Big last night with Ben from SKS so I have to cancel Catriona in the morning and head straight for the airport to get an early flight. NOPE. Qantas fully booked to Melbourne even at 11am!.

Home

• Next morning, I take Leo to buy a Christmas tree in the rain. He loves this time of year.
• Quick catch up with Justin re Jett’s case and pop into the Tote for a beer.
• Then off too coach the Collingwood Allstars. We win our 3^rd game in a row by 1 point on the buzzer. We deserved it as the referees were a bit fresh and calling out of court based on the netball line markings!

Tans Birthday

• Starts with breakfast from Cavallini.
• Then I do some house cleaning.
• Yum Cha for Lunch at Lucky Kitchen with Helen and Dennis.
• For dinner I grab pecking duck wraps and cake. Jett invites Patrick!. They’re both very hungry for some reason!?
• Real present is tomorrow night….

Foo Fighters

• Jett does work experience at DARKON.
• Uber takes us to the MCG not AAMI park so I crack it and walk the air bridge that takes us to Rod laver instead!
• We join Matty and his wife Tania and get lit up.
• Tanya and I have an amazing time and were both calling this the best gig we’ve ever been to (apart from Beast Boys at festival hall in the 90’s!)

DARKON + HOME

• Radford and I get cracking on the permanent BAR structure. Jett has a go with the nail gun. Next day we sheet the toilet ceiling.
• I send a hardcopy of the Queen Vic presentation to the head office in Sydney as a last ditch attempt.
• Plastering the VIP lounge before I head off for the Annual Santa Photos at Westfield. We finish with our usual routine = dinner at Luck Chans.
• Is Saturday and Radford still in full swing building at DARKON and wants a set of drawings of the communal sink in the bathrooms.
• Jett gets Mugged at knife point (machete) near the Vic Park train station with Nick and Pat. The house turns into a full blow police statement centre with 2 detectives and 4 police officers. The offender was fully cover with a balaclava and gloves.
• Then its off to coach basketball again. We win our 4^th in a row! Luke and Woodie drop if for a Collinwood piss up.
• We try out some new plasterers from Hi Pages at DARKON. Their good!
• I get to work modifying a toolbox for the caravan in preparation for Tasmania. Can’t wait.
• Ethan, Dom and I test out the new Go Carts for the DARKON Christmas party over at Malcolm place. They have a serious tipping / rolling hazard. We pump the wheels up and tighten the suspension, but I’m still concerned.
• Andre has a big hunting win and preps up for imported Venison for the DARKON Christmas party.

My 46^th Birthday.

• I have a massive sleep (so needed it)
• Tan takes me shopping for flyfishing gear for my birthday. I buy the boys rods and reels for the Tassie trip too. This sport is stupid expensive.
• We finish all 4 go karts. Ill still concerned!
• Tan takes me out to my Favorite Korean / Japanese BBQ for dinner. It’s a lovely day at home and at work. Thank you all.

DARKON + HOME

• Still pushing to finish the toilets and bar so off I go to see Joe the joinery guy I meet in Eden during Easter break. Partition doors and a show draw for Tanya.
• Pauls Goats get loose. They pull out the 1-foot star picket and eat through the rope.
• Toolbox goes on the Van and I start mounting partition doors in the toilets.
• I find a great Grass Tree supplier and Hugo approves a new Range Rover for me. I take Hugo to see all the design team having a breakup drink at Stomping ground.
• Radford and I go nuts cleaning the car park getting ready for the Go Kart track.

DARKON Christmas Party

• Andre arrives with Chewy and Dom picks them up from the airport.
• My phone is busted so I have to go to Chadstone to get the only 1 terabyte in Victoria. Z fold 5.
• Andre and I investigate tyre crumb for some racetrack corner protection but there gone.
• I draw a racetrack in chalk with the ride on sweeper then spray paint a finished version.
• Chewy cooks up some venison back straps and we all eat and sleep. (Dom, Andre, Big Chewy, Radford, Ange and I ). Were ready for the main event.
• Next day comes and the joint looks amazing. Lets party!!
• We start with Ham Cheese croissants then jump straight into Kris Kringle. Radford dared Matt to wear Sant if he dressed as an elf. Its as fun as always.
• Then we hit the go cart track. Rules, must blow under 0.5 BAL and wear closed toe shoes and a helmet. Were running time trials then a team even with a pit stop and river swap out. The Elf and Sant to a demo lap and of course Matt ignores the slow down corner markings and goes flat out into a corner! Have a guess what happens…….
• The Carts are a great hit but there dropping like flies. Breaks worn, bearings worn and a bent axel. Were down to 2 carts in 30mins. Good thing I bought 4! I lead the time trials until Dom takes over. A delivery driver shows up so I make them drive the course. It was so worth it.
• Ban shows up and kicks off as we serve the smoked brisket and ribs. Food is awesome.
• Steve breaks out the old toilet paper gun. Leo and get wrapped and start dancing.
•  I take Hugo and Leo for a few slow laps.
• Apu (original guitar teacher) and Mark (new drum teacher) show up. DJ commences.
• We party into the night then crash in the caravans and tents again. All in all its one of our best home grown Darkon Christmas party’s after we got banned from office parties after we demolishing the toilets at Rokeby Street (thanks Wendy!).

CHRISTMAS TIME

• Early Christmas at Luke and Tammies. Were informed Tammie has a large brain tumour that needs an urgent operation. She booked in for the 12^th of January.
• I buy a Baby seat for Tanyas bike so we can all go riding together in Tasmania.
• Christmas eve always starts with a 4am visit to Vic Market for fresh seafood. I think I was sold yesterday’s oysters as im so early. Then we visit Lucy and YeYe at Springvale cemetery and onto the church for the kids session then dinner with Nanny at our place (our typical Christmas eve).
• Christmas day and we’ve done it again. Way to many presents. Then onto Janes for Christmas Lunch. The family is divided after the death of YeYe. Jane does red envelopes in his place.
• Leo and I go for the boxing day sales. I get up way to early and the shops aren’t open yet so we have breakfast out. When we finish shopping were asked to do a photo shoot for the herald sun (but we don’t make the cut).
• I go to collect the van and there is a disaster. I left the awning out after the Christmas party with no fall for water to drain and its full! Bent and broken so I get to work fixing it. Unfortunately, it will need to be replaced.
• Pauly drops by to drop of gifts for the kids and us. Were running out of time. Leo and I sleep in the van and were up at 6am to get to Geelong to catch the ferry to Tasmania.

The rest of December will be captured in the Caravan of Courage stage 5……

2023 what a year!