Update winter 2014

Update winter 2014

So few entries this year and not that there has been a lack of topics- Oh NO.

But really, time is lacking, and sitting and thinking and remembering and noting it as I go, is time consuming!

The kids have not seen too much of me- because I am trying to do the right thing and Work for a change for real Money. 

Not like the girls from the 80's where they had to have the promise of ten thousand dollars a day before they would go to "work"!

Nah, the smell of the contract's ink drying has some aphrodisiacal meaning to it. Don't it?

The accountant and the bank are happier for me too.

The gels are wanting a new car. They do? "this one!" "no, that one!"

Argh, and getting the money has turned difficult, looks like a cash purchase instead, just to annoy the bank!

Even so, it has to remembered that the gels and me also need or should have, a new tin roof as well.

And a water heater- it is leaking too... Water Water every where but where it should be...

Activities---  A trip to Geelong to see the folks and on to Ballarat to catch up with the brother's crowd recently and a few bottles of Rockford reds- a nice weekend. Dinner with three kids at a nice place, and a trip to Lakes Entrance. Sea gulls... A birthday night out with the gels before last work trip. 

Upset some people recently- is that old age? A couple of things forgotten and it turns out- rough. But it was important- and I never gave it a thought at the time, just proceeded like I thought everyone knew what was going on. No they did not. Hmm. Never done it before, probably will not do that again. Cutting things fine? Too much on the plate? Not enough socialising or just being left out of that loop? Seems like the last, but is that just paranoia? Whatever, not funny dude. Hilarious long after? I certainly hope so. Will have to be more organised, and wanted/needed? Would be easy for some- the show offs. And then not remembering opening a package and listing the contents? Cannot recall the day or date, but I did read the manual. Hmm, interesting- of course the packaging was 100%. Wasn't it? Hmph. Movin' on baby.

Time to catch up on people too, those pretty close are at phone and email distance at the moment- which is weird- world closing in and getting smaller- although when on a rig in the desert- that's life anyway. Maybe I am recreating it at home- never leaving- just shopping and reading and cleaning etc etc. 

On to life and it's pleasures, of which there has been some- The boys seem to be coping. Good to hear that they have little jobs- but cannot hear the ambition through the coping. The gels are doing well, teacher's luv em, reports are okay, cannot see mensa kids but they are certainly Daddy's little girls!

Had some more deep thoughts about life and coping, but not occurring to me now- maybe I can add them to this page later. The MS by the way is being kept at bay, but my right leg seems wonky and weak at times- maybe a severe lack of working out and other crap like that. I do know that at some time I will have to pay for a personal trainer to get me motivated and fit again- going alone to the gym years ago did no good at all. 

bugger, ran out of time....

ADD ONS
The parcel and lack of remembering- the missing parts weer there all the time, just not obvious, what a bummer for the dude searching- under his nose, and he has a rather large English proboscis too.

Winter 2014

Winter 2014

The portable Vineyard- and Winter 2014. 

The pruning was done two weeks ago, end of Autumn with 99.99% of the leaves dropped.

But! What is surprising are some new buds!

What does this mean?

An anomaly I hope- spring was still a full season away!

This year the pruning was severe and not- leaving at least a full cane for a few of the tubs and planted vines. Let's see what is croppable next vintage, although the Foxy Wine Vine will indubitably be prolific with no outside help at all!

There was some replenishing of stakes- rotten ones removed and in place a plastic coated steel tube.

No more trying to get cuttings going- last year's did not survive the lack of watering that #2Son was supposed to be doing while I was away.

The irrigation system I dreamed up a year ago has yet to be implemented, but then so was replanting all the tubs into the yard has not been done either, but now- four years from now we may be out of this place- and I do want to keep a few of the plants, if not all.

Winter 2014 may be very different from the last few winters- mild in fact? The last vintage was not bad, but I think that if I can only get 6 litres off fifty plants, maybe time to let the Portable Vineyard go...

Wine tasting for Winter 2014

After a disappointing opening of 2000 and 2001 vintages of Basket Press bottles from Rockfords in the Barossa Valley [South Australia] the last few weeks, and luckily the last of the cases too. The last bottle of the 1996 and one of the 2002 did NOT disappoint AT ALL! Maybe a vertical tasting of what is in the cellar over the next few months is in line to make sure I am not keeping flat brown wines down there! So- who wants to do some small vertical tastings with me? 2001 to 2012?

Sharing a 2002 and a 2003 in Buninyong with my brother and sister-in-law recently was a pleasant experience.

In any case, I will be definitely going through the rest of the cases in the cellar by the time the Winter 2014 is over with help or not! The Basket Press of 1998 consumed last night was good, still some life, but probably not the $220 worth that I saw on an auction site later.

Half way through latest contract in the desert

Half way through latest contract in the desert

Since February this year,  as a Consultant Wellsite Geologist [or even last September?], my latest contracts have been in central Australia, sorta.

Two in north east South Australia, one in central eastern Queensland and the latest desert jobs- three in south east Northern Territory with two wells left. Mostly all for different oil/coal exploration companies too.

The diary has another contract penciled in for August September in WA and offshore too. Which means upgrading or retraining anyway, like a HUET and other necessary paperwork. I would like to have been in on an exploration/development well closer to home, but then I would have to cut the current job by a well- and there is no way I would do that.

More work. Meaning more time from home and family. Life goes on.

I like that I have been able to perform to the job expectations, meaning the feeling I get - "imposter", arises as the work is done. Somehow I feel "yes- but did I do it properly?" And to fly back out to a job- Yes I have.

FUD is seemingly a rational thought too, and recognising it and over whelming that FUD is a victory, as the work completed to date shows. Ten years out of the Oil Patch and plopping back in and working competently is rewarding, and the latest? Well? Half way latest contract in the desert has to speak for itself. I anm expecting to book another flight pretty soon.