Just a bit self indulgent - don't you think??

Not a great deal to blog about this weekend - other than the heavy rain that flooded our street Friday night after I arrived home. But you saw that didn't you.
My Saturday was taken up by a commitment to my Cycling Club. I had been invited to ride in the Victorian Club Teams Championships. This has riders from under 17's to us "Old Farts".

To see young and old supporting each other from all the other teams around the state gives you a really warm feeling. Win or lose, it's all positive with the occasional friendly jibing.

Yep, that's the Senior at the front but he only did the first lap anyway.



I don't understand jewellery but I do like GOLD.

Our team of Old Farts rode two events which started in qualifying initially. We actually qualified in our two events with the fastest times, but only marginally and the finals could have gone either way.

The Team Sprint event is a team of three riders over three laps of a 250 metre track. It's a pure speed event. The combined age needs to be 135 years plus. So my two team mates who are in their early 40s, needed to find someone with a Seniors card - that's me. I'm 61 in April so I qualify.
Without too much bravado - I'll just say we won!!!!


The Old Farts podium. We do like winning.

 The other event is the Team Pursuit - four riders with a total age of 180 years plus - enter the bloke with the Seniors card again. ME. I'm not much good at this 3000 metres endurence team event but we had a plan.
The plan was - let the old bloke put in a few quick efforts and then get rid of him so the young blokes can get down to business. It worked, we scored our second gold medal for the day.

I must say I was quite proud to be invited to be part of the team and thoroughly enjoyed the day. It was especially gratifying to see so many of our young girls and boys enjoying the team spirit - maybe down the track we may see them competing in some future Commonwealth or Olympic Games - I hope so.

I'll try to be a bit more humble next post.

When the Siren Sounded

Footy Final - Well not Really, yet!

On the last Saturday in September, the Grand Final of Aussie Rules Footy is held - well most years!!!!!
When the siren sounded to mark the end of the 2010 AFL Premiership final, 100,000 spectators in the hallowed stands of the MCG stood looking at each other with a look of bewilderment on their faces. Both teams, Collingwood and Saint Kilda had kicked the same amount of points. Yes, it was a draw.

Saint Kilda's jersey



Collingwood's jersey

 Unlike Soccer or other forms of team sport, the rules say they have to come back next weekend. It's happened three times in the history of the game.
I'm not big on the game myself but we were invited to join a group of good friends to watch the final. I thoroughly enjoyed what was a thrilling match and obviously a cliff hanger that resulted without a result.
Who's place next weekend?



Everyone pitched in for the spread of food which was enjoyed by all.

 See a report here.
http://media.theage.com.au/sport/sports-hq/collingwood-and-st-kilda-in-a-draw-1948696.html
PS: sorry about the commercial beforehand.

Just a little trivia for you from Wikipedia.
The Premiership Cup is silver (With the exception of 1996 – when a gold cup was awarded instead of the usual silver one in the AFL/VFL's 100th season) and manufactured by Cash's International at their metalworks in Frankston, Victoria. The cup was first introduced in 1959 by the VFL, and before this, the reward was a pennant known by supporters simply as "The Flag".

During the 80s and 90s I worked for the company that made the AFL Cup.
I can actually lay claim for this unique decision of the gold plated cup as it was me that suggested to the AFL manager at the time. He asked how we could make the 100 year celebration of Australian Rules Football Premiership Cup special. As I looked across his desk, I said, "we could plate it gold." And we did!
Yeah, I know, but we all have our 15 minutes of fame, so said Andy Warhol and that was mine.

Birds in the Trees on a Sunday Arvo.

I now know winter is over. Today I spent all day in the garden doing a "spring clean". It gave me a chance to become re-acquainted with my surroundings. There are times when I really enjoy getting my hands into the earth and pulling out the weeds and unwanted growth from the garden beds. Our soil is so productive that I can almost feel my fingernails growing with the soil under them.

The pink and white is back



As is the purple



And what is this - yellow and white, yes spring is back - how good is that?

To reward myself after a day's work in the garden, I sat in the back yard with a glass of wine and music from the out door speakers when I thought, I wonder if the birds are hungry.
I have a bird feeder hanging from the Jacaranda tree and I decided to celebrate spring by filling it with some bird food.
The wine went down very well in the spring sunshine as I watched the birds feed.

What a great way to end a weekend.

Hope yours was enjoyable as well.