One small step for man - 30/08/99

A giant leap for catkind. (Spent Saturday on the end of a jack hammer destroying (Symon came and helped, Paul) the unused back steps and now the cats have to jump to get to the cat door, you have to admit the phrase sounds appropriate). This means we are starting to actually do stuff on the house.

We are gearing up for APEC slowly, with signs up everywhere warning of delays on the 13th. Lots of people are contributing with meanings for APEC in their advertising and cartoons.
- Another Pathetic Excuse for a Conference
- All Politicians Excrete Crapola
- Always Puerile Especially Clinton
- Ambiguous Pronouncements Endlessly Chanted

You get the idea. Some sound like cryptic crossword clues.
America's Cup village is continuously getting ready. Bit of a stink when TAB Sports Cafe personnel invaded one compound to check out their boat. They manage to stay in the news on a regular basis, mostly rubbish (AC not TABSC).
My desk clock has gone stupid. Guess I need a new battery (it was given to me when Clear opened their computer centre in May 1991 so I guess I can't complain too much).
A toilet cleaner (person not product) found the Taihape public toilets full of carrots over the weekend. Not just a toilet full, but cubicles full. Police think (and this is fair dinkum) that it may be the work of a reformed vegetarian. The "carrot-age" was done by someone who they think got carroted away. I think it was just someone trying to ensure George Michael couldn't use them.
Real happy day on Thursday, on my way to the last training session for the soccer season and I spent two hours getting from East Tamaki to Western Springs. Left at 3:30 and got there at 5:30, so wasn't exactly peak all the way. Two trucks went splat on the Cook St flyover about 2:30 and wasn't cleared until after 6:00. I spewed big time, was not happy about letting the guys down. Diana covered for me and Joseph's step-dad stepped into the breech and got them going. They didn't want to stop at 6:00, was quite funny.
We got a game on Saturday, last official game of the season. Played at Ellerslie, the Moas, who were extinct before they ran on to the pitch (a bit like the all blacks but I am not talking about them yet). Rory nudged a ball into the goal early into the game to make it four for the season, moving him into third place in the goal scoring for the team (behind Harry with about 10 and Joseph with about 22). They all played well, Harry and Liam played for the other side for the first half and we were outnumbered 8 to 7 for the first half. 2-0 up at half time. Harry came back for us after half time, having had some blistering cracks at our defence. Liam tried to save a goal with his hand in the first half (the old Maradonna "hand of god", we aren't supposed to have a goalie) but it still went through in the top corner. Logan and Harry got themselves goals, and of course Joseph got himself another two. We finish the season with 11 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss.
Started practising cricket in the back yard with Hannah yesterday, in between gardening work.
The Warriors, whom I now choose to discuss in depth, had their player of the season type stuff on Thursday. Stacey Jones was back of the season, and some other guys got stuff but I forget who. The Aussie guy who was injured last season, forget his name. I was wrong, they had one more game, burying Wests 60-16, it was their last game before they merge and Tommy Radonicus, or whatever his name is, is a big loser. They have won four in a row, their best result ever. They came 11th in the competition, don't know out of how many. Sydney City came fourth, I hear.
Auckland beat North Harbour in NPC, Southland were unlucky to only draw with Otago after being ahead, Waikato thumped Canterbury in Christchurch 20-6, Wellington beat Counties 46-28, Taranaki whacked Northland 57-21. Auckland at top of table, three points clear of Otago, then one back to Canterbury and Waikato.
Rob Waddell, NZ single sculler extraordinaire, retained his world title over the weekend. His wife also rowed at the champs. Now he is married, shouldn't he be a married sculler?
A soccer ref was headbutted in Whangarei during a soccer match, by a defender who had just been warned about dangerous play, obviously the guy didn't understand the ref wanted LESS dangerous play, not more. The player has been given a black card - banned from the club for life.
The guy who went all funny in the 50k walk at Kuala Lumpur made it at the world champs, came 8th as he predicted, some suspicion there. Beatrice Faumuina came 5th, which was disappointing for her, she was the incumbent champ.
The records kept falling at the Pan Pac swimming, with Thorpedo doing his bit. I am glad I am not in Australia this week.
Five people died on the roads. A while back they pointed out that the Waikato region is responsible for a full third of fatalities.
It is 25 years since Norman Kirk died this week.
So, the All Blacks. Biggest loss to Australia in 97 years. Woe and misery on the news, RadioSport (surprise), and everywhere. Saw a sign outside a pub yesterday that just said "Ouch!". Much misery on RadioSport, feel sorry for people who went over to be there. Everyone was way too cocky in the news here. Hope we turn it around bloody quick, the World Cup kicks off in about a month or two.
I don't care, my real team won, and more importantly they played well. I said to Rory and Jarod yesterday (in an interesting reversal of the statement in the movie Fever Pitch) "Well guys, who would you rather win, the All Blacks or the Orcas?" They said, in unison, "Orcas!". We have our priorities right.
We went out to Karekare in the afternoon yesterday with the Elliott's (Jarod's family, Lynne, Bruce, and sister Rachael whose tyro soccer team came 5th out of 8 in their first season). Awesome weather, no cloud, watched the sun set over the water right on the dot of 6:00pm. Was a nice finish to the weekend.
Saw baby Thomas in the morning yesterday, helped Ross remove the spa pool. We kind of chopped it in half then it still came out in one piece. So now Thomas can play safely in the back yard. Charles, you better start thinking about sending a present over for his birthday, only about two months to go.
Hannah's first visit to school was a success. Henry, a friend from kindy leaped to his feet when the teacher said "I was you to pick someone you can look after". He grabbed Hannah with one arm and put his other in the air to ensure there was no doubt. Hannah was very happy to be there and didn't really care whether Diana was in the room or not. One girl there wouldn't let go of her mum's hand and this was her fifth visit. Henry spent playtime trying to track Hannah down, she was having too much fun to need looking after. Fifteen sleeps until her birthday.