2008

Highlights from 2008: (almost in chronological order)
Shihad at the Rising Sun with Darryl
10 days camping in Mimiwhangata
Get of the Conrete - 4 days of solid rain!
Playcentre Camp #9
Stopping drinking on 30 March
Alex saves penalty kick at soccer
Camping at Tawhranui
Alex Weetbix Tryathalon
Tree adventures with Jac and Alex on his birthday
Watching the All Blacks at Eden Park with Alex and Graham
Building a 1/32 scale Spitfire Mark 22
Tracey got a job at Parliament Library
MfE Policy Working Group on Contaminated land
Massive storms for weeks through winter
Keith's 40th Birthday weekend
Essentially Men 66 Service team
Weekend at Leigh batch with Shane, Adith, Grant, Fiona
Alex scoring a free throw at the Breakers - 3/4 time break
Jac's birthday dinner
Jac's Masters results
Kiwis WIN Rugby League World Cup
Headless Chickens at the Powerstation
Mark and Doris's double 50th birthday party
Spending time with Daniel, Birgitte, Lea Nova and Qunicey
Xmas Day
Tisch family Boxing Day
Shields Family Scrabble Competition
Chess with the Waiatarua and Karekare boys

That fill my heart
Jacqui
Alex
My Bros (Jon, Bruce,Maurie Adrian, Keith)
Sisters - Leigh, Tracey, Megan
Graham
Paula
The Remarkables

That I appreciate
Getting paid
Cars that go
Computer that doesn't crash
Jacqui's cooking
Alex's soccer
NZ Warriors
Bodyboarding
Rain on the roof when I am snug in bed

Movies
Young at Heart
In Bruges
Wall E
Joy Division Doco
Surf's Up

Books
Fatal Revenant by Stephen Donaldson (2nd book of the Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant)
Dark Journey by Glyn Harper (3 WW1 battles with NZ soldiers massacered)

Music
Groove Armada - Soundboy Rock
Shihad - Beautiful Machine
U2 - Vertigo
Thievery Corporation - Radio Retaliation
Fat Boy Slim - Best of
The Back Catalogue - New Order, Joy Division, Echo and the Bunnymen, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Headless Chickens, Sonic Youth, Pin Group, Strawpeople,

Thanks for reading my Blog this year!

Tisch family Boxing Day

Backyard cricket - Geoff and Alex
Cousins - Lydia, Lea Nova and Alex
Standing - Geoff, Jack, Robin, Toni (with baby Olivia), Phil, Jacqui, Chris, Daniel (with Quincey on his shoulders), Linda, Lydia and Eryn
Seated - Dave, Sam, Fleur, Robbie, Barbara, Alex, Birgitte, Lea Nova

Whites Beach Today

Here are three images from Whites Beach today. Lovely summer day with a chill in the wind. Jac and Alex got into the swim, I got as far as my thighs... Found a old bucket and filled it up with plastic rubbish on the way back over to North Piha.

My latest fave Nick Cave song

I don't believe in an interventionist God
But I know, darling, that you do
But if I did I would kneel down and ask Him
Not to intervene when it came to you
Not to touch a hair on your head
To leave you as you are
And if He felt He had to direct you
Then direct you into my arms
Into my arms, O Lord
Into my arms, O Lord
Into my arms, O Lord
Into my arms

And I don't believe in the existence of angels
But looking at you I wonder if that's true
But if I did I would summon them together
And ask them to watch over you
To each burn a candle for you
To make bright and clear your path
And to walk, like Christ, in grace and love
And guide you into my arms
Into my arms, O Lord
Into my arms, O Lord
Into my arms, O Lord
Into my arms

And I believe in Love
And I know that you do too
And I believe in some kind of path
That we can walk down, me and you
So keep your candles burning
And make her journey bright and pure
That she will keep returning
Always and evermore

Into my arms, O Lord
Into my arms, O Lord
Into my arms, O Lord
Into my arms

Spitfire Mark 22-24

What did I do at night in Winter ? This is what Tracey gave me to fill in the hours.

Alex Soccer

This was his last Game, the Plate Final vs the Waitakere Stormtroopers, which they won 4-1

Oratia Strikers Competition Round

This is the results from Alex's Competition Round. You can see the Oratia Strikers came second, and the only team that beat them was the WA Dragons (where they lost 7-2). So seven of the 11 goals scored against them came in one game, 5 of those in the second half... 2 of the 3 goals conceded by the WA dragons were scored by the Strikers.

The table below this one was his grading round, and the three teams placed above the Strikers were promoted, with the WA Sharks coming second in that league.

Alex scored two goals, saved one penalty kick (will recieve a certificate for that), and spent most of the season playing goalie or defense. He has enjoyed his season.

Teams	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	GF	GA	Diff	Points
West Auckland Dragons	7	7	0	0	42	3	39	21
Oratia Strikers	7	5	1	1	38	11	27	16
Waitakere Neill	7	3	2	2	10	17	-7	11
Glen Eden Meteors	7	2	3	2	15	10	5	9
Waitakere Stormtroopers	7	2	1	4	10	19	-9	7
Ranui Dynamites	7	2	0	5	6	22	-16	6
Waitakere Whiu	7	1	2	4	6	18	-12	5
Norwest Stingrays	7	1	1	5	7	34	-27	4

Alex's Grading results

Teams	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	GF	GA	Diff	Points
West Auckland Sharks	5	5	0	0	30	3	27	15
Waitemata Gold	5	4	0	1	18	6	12	12
Ranui Bears	5	3	0	2	17	11	6	9
Oratia Strikers	5	2	0	3	17	14	3	6
Glen Eden Shuttles	5	1	0	4	10	21	-11	3
Norwest Eagles	5	0	0	5	3	40	-37	0

Young Man, where have you been ?

Well the dark of winter has been upon us, with 6 weeks of incredible storms, rain and wind. One of our Olive trees was broken off at the ground, such was the strength of the wind.

Work and school has continued on, Jac is now into her 6th of 7 papers for her masters, Alex has half a year left at primary school, we are looking at intermediates at the moment. Jac's brother dave and his Partner Fleur had their Baby Sam ,and we went up to kerikeri to see them. The winter evenings have been filled with putting together a Mark 22 Spitfire that Tracey gave me, at 1/32 scale. It has been challenging and fun - its not perfect (one of the gun barrels has a droop that I can nae do anything about), but I'm trying to look past that....


Chess club has continued, i'm doing ok, and feeling the need to read up on chess. I am also reading Fatal Revenant, the 2nd book of the Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenmant, given to me by Tracey and Meg last birthday. Very intense book. Jac and I have been enjoying Battlestar Galactia, Tracey's dvds have been compulsive viewing.

I managed to get to some of the Film Festival, but my choices this year were mediocre, not as compelling or engaging as previous years, dang!

Today the Gods lifted the shroud of cloud over Piha, the sun was warm on my back. Hints of long sought after summer.

Big love.

Alex and the All Blacks

Here is Alex getting All Black signatures. They had a open-to-the-public training and autograph signing at Waitakere Stadium. There were about 2000 kids, and they swarmed on the ABs (see the crowds in the backgrounds in some of the pics). Alex got 14 signatures, and you can see him getting the signatures of Siteveni, Richie McCaw, Ali Willaims, Ma'a Nonu and Tony Woodcock. It was a great event, and we are putting all Alex's signatures in to a laminated thing at the moment.

The ABs were friendly, and very patient with the kids.

Musica Thoughts - Procession - New Order

Now here's another rocking song - I recently purchased "Substance" - the first New Order compilation (1987), and I'm enjoying this song - I wonder if New Order were working their way through Joy Division lyrics, and maybe abandoned that approach at the time of Blue Monday...

I've also been listening to Siouxsie and the Banshees, and the music is great, but what she sings about seems quite remote and - dare i say it - pop song-ish, in that it seems to me that the lyrics don't transcend the years (whereas the music does). Make sense ?

I have abandoned the Fall as irrelevant 30 years on - I'm not into cults of personality (Mark E Smith)


There is no end to this
I have seen your face
But I don't recognize all these things
You must have kept behind
It's a problem, you know
That's been there all your life
Tries to make you see the world without you
That's just some black and white
At night it gets cold and
You'd dearly like to turn away
An escape that fails
And makes the wounds that time won't heal
Hello, hello, hello, hello

There is no end to this
I can't turn away
Another picture would deceive
History'd say
There is no room to move
Or try to look away
Remember, life is strange
And life keeps getting stranger every day
A mass of harmless attitudes
All tied up all subside
No matter what they say
You knew your heart beats you late at night
Your heart beats you late at night (3

The eyes and hands have it

The concentration is almost palpable...a viscous liquid of mental energy....

The Chess Club

Out of the Play Centre Camps has come the new Chess Club.
Here are the boys at our house, and we're trying to meet once a month.
L-R - Me (note cool T Shirt), Ian, Bob, Chris, Greg (leaning forward), Shawn, and Geoff in the foreground. Geoff is the Man to beat!
I'm doing okay, about 3rd-4th on the very informal ladder...next outing is at Ian place at the end of June.

That Division...

I've been having a Joy Division back catalogue session for the last month or so, and thoroughly enjoying it! I went to see the documentary about the band (not "Control" - the docu-drama) and loved it - great review of all that went on. Interesting to see the other band members not creating an idol, but the commentators (such as paul morley) going a bit gaga over how fantastic he was etc...

Here's New Dawn Fades, off Unknown Pleasures, one of my all time faves (along with Dead Souls, Ceremony, and Atmosphere)

Change of speed, a change of style
A change of scene, with no regrets
A chance to watch
admire the distance
Still occupied - though you forget
Different colours, different shades
Over each mistakes were made
I took the blame
Directionless, so plain to see
A loaded gun won't set you free
So you say

We'll share a drink and step outside
An angry voice and one who cried
We'll give you everything and more
The strain's too much,
can't take much more
Oh I've walked on water,
run through fire
Can't seem to feel it anymore
It was me - waiting for me
Hoping for something more
Me - see me in this time -
Hoping for something else

This is Alex and his friends at Tree Adventures, a tree - climbing / aerial obstical course / flying foxes type of thing, for his birthday. L-R is Jason, William, Alex, Grayson, Logan and Anton in froint. The boys loved the flying foxes, and found some of the sections of the course very challenging.

Alex is 10 Years Old

This is Alex with his Birthday Cake, plus all his Piha mates singing that well known song.

Weetbix #2

Weetbix Tryathalon 13 April 2007

This is Alex with Steve Price, the injured Warriors Captain. This was in the Eastern Lounge (in the corporate area) where we watched the Warriors beat Newcastle 26-20. It was an exciting game, and Alex got Steve's autograph as well (you can see it if you look carefully at Alex's right hand holding the writing pad (clik on the image).
By the way thats Wade McKinnon in the background, the injured fullback for the Warriors.

Oratia United Strikers

This is Alex's team for 2008 - 10th Grade.
They won their first game 5-2 (Alex scored one goal), and today lost their second 3-2 - unlucky not to have a draw.

Here's a view of Tawhrahnui

This is looking West back towards Omaha Beach.
This was on about Thursday, and we were there Mon-Friday
This is a Ak Regional Council campsite, with a public beach about a Kilometre away.
The Peninsula is a refuge for natives, and they have just release kiwis ther (they have this cool predator fence). This is the 5th year that we've been camping with this bunch!
It was cloudy most days, but no rain to speak of.
As you can see we have this idylic south seas beach almost all to ourselves...!!
Thats Jade and Gemma in the background (and far in the distance is some school boys on a camp)

Darryl, Doris, Mike

Darryl, Doris and Mike, who are the other two families (along with Maria) who are the regulars from Piha that come camping each year at Tawhranui.

Playing "Nominations"

This is Maria shuffling, me and Dean, playing a game call "Nominations", a variation on 500 where you have to nominate how many tricks you are going to win, and then you have to win them exactly - and each hand has one less trick - great fun!

Sand castles

This was a sand cast;e just on the edge of the sea, with Darryl, Keil, Alex, Bodhi and Dean working hard against the tide. Jacqui, and Doris seated in the background, plus a beachwalker....

Shane, Bodhi, Alex - Tawhranui

Stingray at Shakespear bay

This is the large stringray that washed up on Shakespear Beach - with a big bite out of its uppeer side - the Kids were engrossed by this! L-R - Alex, William, Grayson, Mallory, Geoff (tall guy), Anton

Mimiwhangata Bay

This image is three photo's stitched together (using a software programme that came with the Camera), so it looks a bit fish-eye (looks better if you double click on it and it enlarges).

This is the outlook from the campsite, and it was like this for 10 days in a row while we were there.
The white boat in the Bay is Greg's, went fishing, sightseeing and dragged the kids around on the sea-biscuits, which they loved...

Alex and William

Alex, Eryn, Greg, Grayson, Jenny, Harrison

Jacqui and Alex at Uretiti (by Waipu)

Receiving his Yellow Breakers Shirt

Note his brand new New Balance shoes...resolution not great on this photo

Alex at the Free Throw Line

Note that Alex is in a shaft of light straight from the heavens...

Note that the Basketball is a Molten, the official ball of the Australian National Basketball League (which is the one that the Breakers play in - the Breakers are the equivalent of the NZ Warriors in the glorious NRL in Australia). :-)

Alex at the Breakers Kids 3 Day Clinic

Alex has just completed a 3 day Clinic with the NZ breakers, over on the Shore, and loved it!
He learned basketball skills, played games, watched the Breakers train, got autographs and heaps of free stuff. Here are some images from the event - The yellow t shirt is the one he won for being in the best team - they won 10-6 in the final for the 9-10 year olds, plus the free basketball (signed) wrist sweatbands, and the blue t shirt we brought for him also signed by the team, and the cap, signed by Kirk Penny and Phil Jones (2 of the NZ stars playing for the Breakers).

First image with our new digital camera

We now possess a Panasonic FX 50 LUMIX camera / video recorder thingy

Expect a few more images on this blog as a result!

Groove Is On

You will see the embedded link - it will play GA songs of your choice
To enhance your enjoyment of Piha Tales

Welcome to 2008 - in full effect!