And the winner is..... - 01/11/04

Nothing too exciting happening this week.

LOCAL NEWS

The Auckland Council has tested dirt in various locations and determined that soil in parts of Panmure, Avondale, and other places are contaminated with chemicals from the days when there was market gardening done in the area. This worries me. Market gardening, where they grow fruit and vegetables for us to buy, makes the soil dangerous to grow fruit and vegetables in?

Two muslim women continue to argue about whether they can give evidence in court in their burqas. Winston Peters came out with something like "if they don't like it, they should go somewhere that accepts that as the norm." in his typically sensitive anti-immigration way. Then Diana said pretty much the same thing to me. To a certain extent, I must agree. You can't have a covered face in a passport or driver's license photo, and you can't enter a country with a paper bag over your head, so it isn't unreasonable that you uncover when giving evidence in court (otherwise, how does one know who is testifying?).

It was children's day yesterday, as well as hallowe'en. I think any day where they get to walk around the neighbourhood and score lollies is a children's day.

Les Mills, 15 year old grandson of the former Auckland mayor of the same name, was carjacked in Herne Bay. It isn't something that we associate with New Zealand, but I don't think we can consider it a problem yet. News of it will probably encourage some copycats.

A woman had her leg broken by a piece of number 8 wire that flew out of a lawn mower as her husband was mowing the lawn. The guy must have known something was wrong with the mower.

There are the usual spate of fires surrounding guy fawkes and the fact that fireworks went on sale during the week. I hate them.

WORLD NEWS

The election in the US finishes this week, we hope. It's gone on far too long. I wish the American people would see sense and elect Ralph Nader. I have to say that it is looking like Bush will stay there, but can't say that Kerry appears to be much better.

The big battle is about to commence in Fallujah. It has been coming for a while.

REAL SPORT

As expected, Team 2 did pretty well on Friday night in the quarter final against Bruce McLaren 2. We had the A squad plus Bob on in first quarter and led about six nil. Rory, Sam, and David were all playing well and they just unstitched them. Final score 16-0. No idea how many Rory scored but at least three. Rory then helped out with Team 3, again, who won 10-6. Team 3 actually plays with some smarter tactics than Team 2, but they need to as they are generally a weaker team. I don't know if Team 2 will play Team 3, don't know who they play next, it isn't for two weeks. Rory played three quarters in both games, so he was happy. Only two Friday night water polo games left(then a tournament).

We drove to Tauranga for Rory's first game for the under 14C team. We really didn't expect to win, as they are barely aware of each others names. They lost 1-5, but it wasn't too bad, 0-2 in first quarter, 1-1 in second, and 0-1 in third and fourth. I just hope the next game is closer to home.

SPORT

The second test between New Zealand and Bangladesh was another walkover. Stephen Fleming is now New Zealands most capped test cricketer, has scored more centuries (8, compare that to the average Aussie batsman), and scored more runs than any other New Zealander (about 5,500, again compare that to the Aussies).

Australia beat India in the third test to take the series 2-0, first time they have done that in India in a long time.

All Black touring squad was named Tuesday, Super 12 squads named Friday, why do people give a toss?

Man Utd lost 2-0 to Portsmouth, how could they. Arsenal nearly lost to Southampton but equalised in the 90th. Chelsea won, Liverpool drew 2-2 with Blackburn.

The ballot for tickets to games in next year's Lions Tour opens today. Chances of getting tickets are pretty slim. I wonder if some are entering the ballot with a view to scalping the tickets.

MY SAD LIFE

Diana and I actually managed to go for a walk on Thursday morning. It was good, we fed lots of ducks, geese, and swans (but only those with babies). The geese hissed at us but interestingly would not eat the bread, letting their babies eat first (neither the ducks nor swans saw the need to make any sacrifice). I think more highly of geese now.

Hannah is the only year 5 with a bunch of year 6s performing in a hip-hop thing for the end of the term at school, she is very pleased.

Gavin's Fire Fighting interview was supposed to be today, but they cruelly postponed it to Friday. Cruel, because he was ready to do it today, and because told him on Sunday morning and woke him up when they called. There were no fires the night he spent at the Fire Station.

Rory's enthusiasm for swimming (because of water polo) has meant that I have started going with him to the pool to swim. Hannah came along yesterday. Rory did forty lengths, I did twenty, Hannah did twelve. We had a lane to ourselves (the advantage of being a group on our own). I have been to a pool every day for the last week (but only swum twice myself). I will probably go swimming tonight at training as well.

As the local children visited for Hallowe'en we gave out the garlic jelly beans and some of the other flavours (grass, sardine, etc). This is the first time our kids haven't gone trick or treating for a long time. I think they have largely grown out of it (they only do it for the lollies, not really surprising). I suggested they say "No, trick AND treat" as they hand them out.

Rory's homework load seems to be back to normal, after a week or two of low pressure it's back up there. It seems to dominate any spare time he (and we) have. He is getting better at getting it done, but still takes too long.

I have resorted to talking to Johan to find out what Koos is up to. I bumped into him at water polo practice on Thursday night and had a good chat. I assume Koos has changed his email address or that he can't find his keyboard.

Work has been weird, mostly quite busy.