LOCAL NEWS
The big news all week has been the New Zealand cricket team going to Zimbabwe. Every time we get news about someone being crushed in the cleanup over there or whatever, the rhetoric swells back here. New Zealand Cricket are contractually bound by an agreement with the ICC and cannot pull out without clear reason. It's getting ridiculous, the Greens have floated a bill in Parliament to outlaw contact with Zimbabwe on human rights grounds. This is bizarre given that we still trade with Zimbabwe, and countries with considerably worse situations.
On and off recently, there has been news of a man by the name of Shane William Pritchard who continued to be confused with another Shane William Pritchard born 23 days apart in Mosgiel and Milton (two very small places in the South Island). The law abiding Shane has bemoaned the number of times his accounts have been frozen and he has been sent summonses and things. This week, the less respectable Shane said that he was sick of it to. Like the time the bank gave him access to the other Shane's account with $9,000 in it (he thought he has received an ACC payment for losing a finger in a fight).
The right reverend Graham Capill, former leader of the Christian Heritage Party and Police Prosecutor, pleaded guilty to various offences against young girls. He will be sentenced in July/August. A friend of his was quoted as saying that Capill had the right to being protected from attack in prison(!) Of course, he must, as a person who abused a position of power and made a stand against the things he secretly did in private, be protected from common criminals in prison who mete out their own form of justice on paedophiles. Like heck. Sounds like an eye for an eye to me.
Prince William is visiting for the rugby, mainly. This has distracted some of the English press.
Political polls are coming out more often, and usually with contrasting views. There is only one that counts.
Somebody in Wellington is spreading nails on roads, causing considerable problems although nothing fatal yet.
Some people have been dressing themselves up as policemen of the government of Aotearoa and demanding money (sounds very much like a protection racket) in various instances in Gisborne.
WORLD NEWS
G8 and Live8 were big news, with more texts than ever before (it was American Idol that held the record previously, so it isn't much of an achievement, but funny how both are at least vaguely musical). Have to say I missed Live8 completely. Don't even know if it was on the telly here, I presume it was.
REAL SPORT
Blue team were short on Friday so players from Red (Rory's team) and Gold (my adopted team) helped out. Wasn't happy for Gold players to play because they aren't the fittest in the world and didn't want them too tired for their game. Conversely, didn't mind wearing out the Red team before they played Gold (isn't self-interest a wonderful thing). Blue won 16-0 over a team that wasn't very strong (Rory scored ten goals, played all four quarters (one quarter in goal), which was probably a bit mean but it wasn't me in charge). A Blue team player whacked an opposition player in the game, not good, suspect there will be repercussions from that. Other team were having a fit about it. I didn't see it, apparently victim was holding the player's arm (which Rory says is actually legal). That's the second time a Ponsonby player has done that in about four weeks (different teams, but never happened last year).
Gold team were winless from five games, second from bottom on goal difference, they knew they had little chance against Red, but they wanted to try to put up a fight. I coached them last week against Blue, and helped out again. They held Red out for a while but still conceded five in the first quarter. It was relentless, even with carefully keeping some defenders back, the Red players were just too fast and went around Gold. When Gold did get the ball, their throws just weren't accurate and gave Red too many opportunities. In the last quarter I snuck an extra player on for Gold (was funny, Red were getting grumpy about people not marking their players, difficult when you are outnumbered by one). It lifted Gold and they had three attacks on Red but just couldn't get one in the goal (it was sooo close). Final score 20-0. Was kind of funny being on the receiving end of Red, whenever Red team got the ball I knew we were in trouble.
Rory scored 14 goals in two games, played seven quarters and was thoroughly buggered but very happy. Grading rounds are now finished, there will be three divisions. I think I have no doubt that Gold will be in third and Red in first.
After losing three girls to holidays and things we managed to get 12 players to the game, meant we had one sub. It was the game of the season, against another Western Springs team, the Furies. The local derby had classmates against each other, team-mates against each other, we all knew players on both sides. It was a very tight game. Hannah made an awesome shot on goal, high, the goalie just pushed it up to bounce on the crossbar and back in to play. We had more chances than they did, but they kept us out, final score 0-0.
By the time I got there, Rory's team were down 0-2 to a team they lost 1-2 to when playing with only ten men. They then scored five unanswered goals to win 5-2. Stephen opened their scoring just before half time with an awesome corner that went straight into the goal.
SPORT
The Lions beat second division Manawhatu 109 points to 6 on Tuesday, which cheered them up a bit. Whinging about the injury to Brian O'Driscoll continued for days.
The big game on Saturday started with the Lions scoring an early try, the All Blacks looked a little shaken then settled down. It became one-way traffic after a while and the final score was 48-18 to the All Blacks, a record score against the Lions (for any team, ever).
The Silver Ferns beat Australia in Sydney for the first time in 24 years. Score was 50-43, they won every quarter.
Roger Federer and Venus Williams won Wimbledon.
Michael Campbell came back to earth, although he did make the cut he came 18th in the Irish Open (I think).
England and Australia tied (not drew) the final in the ODI cricket triangular series.
MY SAD LIFE
We went and saw Rory's Romeo on Tuesday night. He did very well, there were a few kids that did a good job and he was certainly one of them (all parental bias aside). Some of his friends really had fun doing with their performances. We saw a Maori myth (that seemed utterly pointless), MacBeth, and Romeo & Juliet inside of forty minutes. Always leave your audience wanting more.
It is Heidi's birthday this week, on the 8th. Was Paul Chambers' birthday on Saturday (now 22). On the 7th it is two years since Dad died. It would have been my friend Barbara's 52nd birthday this coming Sunday. (busy week).
Friday was a big day for me. Started work at a client's office at 6:30am and got home after 6:30pm. Was home about forty minutes before going to water polo. Did manage to go swimming between appointments (took my gear with me) which was good, made me a little less-stressed.
Diana got sick on Friday afternoon, was fine in the morning. She stayed home in bed, didn't come to water polo. She has been there ever since. The kids have been pretty good, helping around the house, especially Hannah. Rory had Science Fair (on teaching dogs to ring a bell for food) due today so we spent basically all Sunday working on it, Hannah helped too. The text was largely done already, but trimming things, sticking on to backing, printing photos and graphs, and so on all took time. I had to go buy some brasso (to polish the bell) and brown paper (to make paw prints).
Consumption of vegetable matter is not high in the house at the moment.
The kids and I went to the Smiths to see the rugby on Saturday night, left Diana home in bed. I was pretty tired but a change of scene was good.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment