A Melbourne Weekend - just a casual kick back.

A BIT OF A KICKBACK WEEKEND

These days its not often we get together as a family on a Saturday night. It just so happened that Andrew was celebrating his 26th birthday Friday and he decided to stay the weekend. Mitch decided to hang about as well. Andrew takes off to Paris next month and then pops off to Leeds in England to live for the next two years. Mitch is considering a three month stay in Canada sometime next year and of course we will be in France next May. My daughter lives on the Gold Coast so we will be scattered about a bit next year.
Both boys have played together in two bands in recent years and released a CD with some air-play locally. Their travels will put the band in recess I guess but I can see they will have music with them where ever they are.

Saturday night was one of those impromptu barbies that Sue just seems to make happen. I usually cook but the boys seem to enjoy a beer while pushing the meat around on the hotplate so Sue and I sat back to watch our two grown boys chat away and we wondered where the years have gone so quickly.

Roasted tomatoes with sweet chilli sauce coming up.

Sue says, " I just love these baby beets" They went into a salad with rocket, feta cheese and a sherry vinegar dressing.

Fortunately I got out of cleaning these.

The Boys in the Band - but not for long.
Off in different directions around the world and the band lies dormant for the time being. Mitch to the left and Andrew to the right.

Pork spare ribs, satay chicken skewers with asparagus, potato salad, with rocket, baby beet and those yummy tomatoes, all washed down with a lightish red from Chinon.

Had a bottle of this last weekend and enjoyed it so much, so went back for another.



And then there was desert - strawberries, mango, banana and grapes with a touch of mint and ice cream.



SUNDAY BLUES

We had an invitation from one of my cycling buddies who in another life plays bass guitar in a blues band. He's been asking us to come to say hello and enjoy their music for awhile now and we seem to have something else happening. Fortunately he didn't give up on me and so this weekend we had the chance to listen to the band. Junior Wells, Slim Harpo, Muddy Waters influence the band and I'm glad we finally had the opportunity to kick back with a few drinks and tap the foot.

Posters on a Pub Wall.

As a 12 year old I listened to my older brother's Elvis Presley 45s. Heartbreak Hotel, Jailhouse Rock and Hound Dog were among some of the early songs I remember. When I was 17, I heard Hound Dog by a local Blues Band like I'd never heard it before - it was by Big Mama Thornton and recorded much before the Elvis version. The same band was playing a lot of Chicago Electric Blues and that's when my record collection went through a growth spurt.
Anyway, my friend's invitation to come see the band brought back a lot of teenage memories - glad I made the effort to drive to the other side of town to see them.



The boys do their thing - "Messin with the Kid" was their first song.



A couple of Coronas did help to get the foot tapping.

Not great quality but it was 1952 and 4 years before the Elvis version. Big Mama's Hound Dog.

Have to go now - Sue needs my help with dinner - Salmon, yummmmmm!

See you next Wednesday in France.