2023-03-20 Tignes, Hutchie Boy!

What a ski trip! It is absolutely amazing that we actually made it to the slopes - from a flippant idea a couple of weeks ago to actually making it happen!

We set off on the 10th March at 5am in some pretty heavy snow, and there were roadworks that stopped us in our tracks. It was a bit nuts, but we managed to just get to the airport after getting through the traffic. It was freezing and snowing when we got there, and we had to valet our car and drag our luggage through the snow and check in. We got there on time luckily, and then there were no trucks to clear the snow from the runway, so we had to sit on the tarmac for over an hour which was really frustrating as we thought we would miss our connecting bus. Luckily, we just made it, after thinking we had several hours to kill when we booked it! Phew! That was lucky!

The bus was nice, and we had a couple of stops on the way including a pizza vending machine which we didn’t use. We finally ended up in Tignes, and it was snowing so hard! It was freezing, and I had to give Dave gloves. We finally found our apartment, and it was a dump! We had two fold out beds which covered the whole lounge - it was tiny! We went next door to have pizza, and then went to bed after an episode of Last of Us. That would become our nightly ritual - watch our footage, dinner, then zombies.

Our first day Saturday was a white out - we still went out, but it was so hard! Dave wiped out within 5 metres and he twisted his knee which was annoying. We mainly stayed on blues, and went pretty slow on our local runs - Palafour. Dave stopped after a late lunch, and I carried on to get my eye in a tiny blue run called Almes which I did around 8 times - it was fun! I did make it back for France vs England - Dave said France don’t travel well, so would lose, but he was slightly wrong to say the least! Funny! France scored 53 points!

Sunday afternoon and Monday was beautiful, and we decided to go over to Val D’Isere, which ended up being pretty crowded. We did discover Les Launches red run which was a brilliant run!

Tuesday was a mess all round, but very funny! Firstly, it was white out - worse than Saturday, and we stupidly didn’t know how to get back to Tignes, so we got stuck twice on Grand Huit, not realising that a rope pulley would get us easily home rather than go to the top of the mountain. It was soooo cold and wild wind, and we were a bit nervous when the chairlift stopped several times! We had the stupidest argument about the same pair of socks - no need to mention here. I almost slipped on some ice going to dinner, and then completely slipped on the same piece of ice coming back from dinner. All in all, a very low IQ day!

Wednesday was blue skies again, and it was very nice!

On the final Thursday, we went to La Grande Motte, the top of the glacier, and it was amazing! It took several rides including a gondola to get up there, but it was worth it! Dave wiped out on a long flat which was pretty embarrassing and pulled his inside leg. Snowboarding down a glacier was very cool though. We had a hot dog snack at lunch, and we also decided that reds were the business, so we went down Orange 3 times - the best runs of the trip, and the les Launches which was not as good as the beginning of the week. Dave decided to call it a day with a couple of hours to go, but I persisted to hunt down some reds, even though I was sooooo tired. I found some rough moguls, and then came home. We had our favourite beef BBQ meal next door for dinner, then watched Train to Busan!

At our dinners we did our top 5 list of things - it was fascinating what we both came up with, and certainly something we’ll come back to!

What a trip - amazing amazing amazing! We definitely maximised our time on the slopes, and we must go again soon!

Hutchie Boy arrived from Canada on Friday, so I drove down to Brackley to see him on Saturday - soooooo great to see him, and we definitely need to catch up again for some quality time! He looked so well.

Dave and I finished up moving stuff from the shop - so much! It was good though, and 60 is going to look fab once we replace all the furniture with antique stuff!

He gave me a lift to Heathrow, only to be called back to collect my boots and helmet as I was overweight! Doh! Ah well! Can't win them all...

Gonna miss you Dave - see you soon on our next adventure!

2023-03-10 Super W vs Adelaide (Trial), Comets vs Demons, Dave Podge, Road Run, Snow!

Rox: It was our first Comets game against Demons, and it was a bit messy. We lost by quite a few and I got a cork on my calf near the end. I thought I played okay, but we perhaps should have won as we could have played better.

Clara McCarton took this video of Paish getting sponged - so funny!

Paish: The game against Adelaide was okay, and we won easily, but it could have been a lot better. I think I could have played better, but I managed to make some good runs and tackles. We have the Waratahs in a couple of weeks which will be completely different. I hope I get selected!

C: Well done Paish, and great game Rox! WANL is so much more exciting now!

S: It is so cold! It has snowed a few times here already!

Met Dave Podge on Wednesday before the burial and we went for lunch at Bitteswell which was so nice - not enough time, but it was great to see him! Amy is 31, and Bill is about to move into his own flat which is cool, and also wants to be a dog groomer! Very cool!

Kee, Dave and I went through the UK Traitors which was very different than the Aus ones - a lot of tears in every episode! We started to watch the Aus one which was a lot more mature in my opinion! None of this soppy rubbish!

Went for my first 6km road run around Lutterworth - Moorbarns, Rec, through waterworks, back to rec. It was pretty good, and I didn’t feel it much the next day! I didn’t overdo it though. Also went for a walk through Lutterworth popped in to see Clare Barton-Harvey’s parents who looked very well and had a great chat with them! So nice to see them.

It snowed loads in the first week! Looked so nice as it settled, but a bit weird in March and worried us a little for getting to the airport.


John popped up for a chat a couple of times which was nice. Said the snow would not settle - how wrong he was!

2023-03-07 Goodbye Grandad Brian

The funeral was lovely - it can be seen below. Lots of lovely comments from everyone, and everyone was in good spirits.

It was great to see so many of Dad's friends who could make it.

• Ricky, Sally, Stevie and Lisa Mann - amazing to see them, and they looked so well! Ricky took us through one of Dad's hidden photo albums which was very funny
• Peter and Chris Ferry - lovely to see them, and Peter did a lovely reading of a poem
• John Hammersley - had a great chat with John and his wife about cricket and Australia
• Braithwaite - he was great and had a huge smile throughout the funeral and the wake
• Sue and Arthur - Arthur was very funny, and wanted to chat which was great. He looked like he was enjoying himself
• Giles Elliot
• Our neighbours
• The Maks
• Phil and Molly popped round the next day

Dave did a great speech which was natural and really rounded the occasion nicely. Mine was very personal.

At the wake Key made a tribute for Dad.

It was a very fitting tribute, and got some heckles from the crowd which was great. It was a very happy wake, and I managed to get around most people for a chat.

Goodbye Dad. We'll miss you so much.

2023-03-06 Back in UK, Comets Dinner, Fever

Rox: Exciting! We had our Comets dinner, but a lot of us were so tired from so many early mornings we were glad to get home to sleep! It was fun though!

C: Watched Fever's first game against Caldwell, and we won! Great start!

S: Man, it is so cold being back. Not very nice weather at all. Good to see Dave and Kee though. We did a lot of sorting out before Dad's funeral which was so interesting looking at all the things around - they all take on a different context now, like the letter I wrote in 2006 that was lying around in a couple of places. Some fascinating memories we discovered too!

2023-02-28 Western Force First Win Ever! States Round Robin Weekend! I am in! Hakuna wins GF!

Aiysha: I am so happy! We finally won a game at Super W! Even though it was a trial game, it was an amazing feeling! I played at 15, then 13, and thought I played pretty well. I also almost scored, and also set one try up. We won 17-15, but should have won by more as we played really well in the first 20 minutes, but for some reason let them back into it. Next time we need to sustain it!

Clara: We had our round robin tournament - we played Comets, Rangers and the Boys U17 state team. This was all about selection, and the weekend was a simulation of our state tour, so we even had training on Saturday to see how we would cope under fatigue. I think I played okay. We beat Comets and Rangers, but lost to the boys which was a really fun match.

The selection came out and I got selected! I am so relieved, and can't wait to play with the team again in Darwin!

We also had the School Sports Awards Night in Leederville where the compere actually went through the whole last quarter of the final, because he actually drove 3 hours to watch it in Canberra! That is dedication. It was the best narration of the final, and was very funny!

What a crazy week!

C: Amazing weekend guys! So fun watching your games Paish, and so angry at the security guards who didn't let me in until the 2nd half! So proud of you both! And Can't wait to go on tour with Doodis!

So proud of you and all your awards Rox!

S: Brilliant game Paish, your defence was amazing! Can't wait to see you play there again! Well done Rox on your selection! It's going to be fun in Darwin!

Our Hakuna Matata team won the mixed GF 8-5, and it was so much fun! I managed to score 2 tries! What a fun season!

2023-02-17 I am 16! Touch State Champions! 20s vs Academy. Final Next Gen 7s Weekend!

Rox: I am 16! I can finally start driving! We went for a Mings meal which was lovely, and a cheesecake at the Korean dessert place - it was so nice! Thanks guys!

Paish missed out on our first State Touch win in 9 years! It was so tough, and our toughest game was definitely the semi-final against Northern where they managed to take us through to a drop-off which we won. We won the final pretty well against Freo, and I was so relieved! Me and Dad had a lovely hug at the end where I was so happy I cried! What a fun tournament, but it would have been great if Paish played too!

Paish: I got there just as the final finished, but I watched the whole game on the live stream! I am so happy they won!

I was driving back from the airport from the Next Gen 7s where I was playing my last weekend for All Stars at the Next Ten 7s. This time I played against Charlotte Caslick, and I ended up being captain too which was such a privilege! We were so close again against NSW, but we played well. I can't wait for next year though!

2023-02-06 First Comets Game vs Academy, First Wing on the Sea. CAS.

Rox: We started our games with Comets this week and we played the Academy - we won the first one 66-20 which was surprising.

We played our first CAS touch rugby - we lost by a couple against St. Stephens, and it wasn't that great. Very different to Brothers!

S: I did my first wing on the ocean this week - the wind was not strong, but enough to take me a little. I didn't get onto the foil, but it was amazing just standing on the wing board and looking through the clear ocean.

The 20s Comets look very impressive.

C: Amazing game Rox, your team is looking amazing!

2023-01-26 Yanchep Dog Beach Walk

S: Mummy and I did a huge walk with Callie at Yanchep Dog Beach - we went all the way to the peninsula and round the corner - it was amazing. We must do it again.

C: Loved our walk! We walked past the rocky reef which was fascinating.

2023-01-22 Grandad Brian Passes Away in 60 Woodmarket, Prems Final

Dad / Grandpa Brian sadly passed away on the 22 January 2023. The plan was to go back every August, and luckily I got the chance to do that last August for the first time since Covid. I am so glad I did.

We played the Men's Open in the semi-final of the press and lost, and found out the news on the way home.

A sad day. The funeral will likely be in late Feb/Mar 2023.

2023-01-10 Margaret River!

 

C: It was lovely to get away to Margaret River for a few days. We visited a lot of beaches around Gracetown and tried to do some paddle boarding but the wind was pretty big. We cooked some lovely meals in our place, and watched 21 Days Later which was very cool! Our place was in the middle of nowhere, and had a BMX track around it. At night we'd walk out and star gaze, which was so nice!

We also went 4WD to Joey's Nose - that was so much fun! A lot of cars got stuck the first time we were there, and the second time we were the only people there - scary! We managed to drive out okay though - lucky for that!

S: We watched some wing foilers in the heavy wind - looked very impressive on the waves - one day...

Rox: Margaret River was fun - Paish would have enjoyed it!

I drove at Joey's Nose for the first time ever! Very cool place to start driving! I thought I was pretty good!

We went surfing a couple of times at Reigate Beach which was pretty big! We caught a few good waves though which was fun!

2023-01-18 Away in Collie, Crazy Times With Dad

Rox: Mummy took Grandpa and Grandma to Collie for some time away which looked lovely. Meanwhile, Dad and I spent a week together - we had some many plans, but didn't have time to do all of it! We were so busy! Our wing foiling is getting better by the day and we managed to do some training too, but we never made it to the cinema, and never played GOW! We did manage to go for dinner, do the jigsaw, play catchy.

It was a very funny and crazy week!

S: This week with Rox was soooo much fun! How did we not play GOW!

C: It was fun in Collie - we paddle boarded and kayaked on the dam, and had our own little canine companion! Grandad even had some very exciting farming equipment to check out!

2023-01-01 Happy New Year! Our First Wing Foil Session! Point Walter

 

C: We went to Point Walter on New Years Day. It was pretty crowded, but nice in the water. We brought our paddle boards which was lovely, and there were plenty of jellies to pick up!

Rox: We finally completed our Wing Foil set, and we went for our first foil at the river. The wind had come in, and all we did was fly the wing - very lucky we did that, as it reminded us how we need to hold the wing! It was fun, even though we were on the shore.

S: I can't wait to being our wing foil onto the water!

2022-12-31 Penguin Island, Leapfrogs 80th Birthday Party! Yanchep BBQ

 

C: We had Dad's 80th at Leapfrogs - we had a fun game of mini-golf, and some lovely pizza!

I loved walking across to Penguin Island and also went the next day with everyone else. I paddle boarded around and it was amazing seeing all the sea life - the paddle boarding was one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had! It was so calm and peaceful, and the sea was so clear!

S: Claire, Rox and I went down o Rockingham and walked to Penguin Island - it was amazing fun, and it was such beautiful day!

Rox: We went to Yanchep for a BBQ and also walked around the lake. Paish joined us later with Jaxson which was very nice! Hardly anyone was there, and it was pretty spooky.

Paish: I arrived with Jaxson and we tucked into the left over BBQ food. Dad decided to scare us which was funny! It was his first time meeting Jaxson!