Cricket Controversy...It Just Ain't Cricket!

So, India has lost the second test match in Australia and consequently the series. And Harbhajan Singh has been sent packing for being found guilty of calling Andrew Symonds names. The second test match has been fraught with controversial umpiring decisions and to top it all off, Kumble, the Indian captain, in the post test match press conference said that 'Only one team was playing within the spirit of the game' and Ricky Ponting was quite angrily defended his own integrity after being aggressively questioned by a journalist.

Now, I am no sporting expert, although I have been a cricket follower for over 25 years(yup, I'm that old!) after a certain family member dominated television viewing every summer when growing up! I also am the mother of a cricket fanatic now so perhaps it is for these reasons that I can't help commenting about all this on here.

Firstly, I don't care which country you play for, sledging in any sport is just not on. Ok, there is an appeal being lodged but if Harbhajan is found guilty I will be so disappointed. I have watched him bowl and think that he's such a talented player. I watched a Cricket Show interview with him at his own home in India that aired just a few days ago - yep, am occasionally one of those sad people who even watch the lunchtime shows - and was at the time very impressed with him as a person. I am hoping that he will come out and say that his actions were borne from some frustration, misunderstanding or ignorance at the difference in cultural language or the like. Whatever! It angers me though that as a mother, I had to have a discussion with my twelve year old on the fact that this behaviour from elite sportspeople is just not on. And in case anyone doesn't get it....cricket loving twelve year olds like mine go out and try to emulate their cricketing heroes. It may not be ideal that these sportspeople are upheld with such revere but it is a fact of life. And I think that every high class athlete should be given mandatory lessons on how to handle themselves in the public eye and be aware that kids idolise them!

Secondly, there is the whole controversial, 'Should he have walked?' discussion around Andrew Symonds (for non cricket lovers reading this, what happened was that Symonds knew he had nicked the ball to the keeper and was out but stood his ground and waited for the umpire's decision which was 'not out'). I have mulled over this for a few days now. Certainly, there are many, many times when players are given out although they know for a fact that they weren't but in the spirit of respectful play, they abide by the umpire's decision and walk off the field. Should the same thing then be allowed in reverse? Certainly, there are others on the same team who would have walked. So does standing your ground and once again abiding by the umpire's decision, no matter how wrong they are, make it ok??? I still am unsure about the answer, but let's face it, the decision was made in the blink of an eye by both the player and the umpire; they are all only human and I guess that they had to do what they could morally live with. Does this make Symonds' decision incorrect? Many would think so but the facts are that he stayed, went on to make over 150 runs and Australia won the game. Facts don't change! Get over it! There are many greater and more informed people out there arguing the need for more better umpires and 3rd umpire power during a game etc, but I do know that we teach our children that the umpire's decision is final. No argument! End of story! Personally, I probably would have walked but I can't decide if that means that we should condemn a fantastic player because he didn't.

I watched the post match press conference with mixed feelings. Well, see for yourself. One thing is for certain, it has all put a sad feel onto the game itself. Hopefully, it is something that we will all get over but it in my humble opinion the controversy has overshadowed other fantastic aspects of the game like a number of centuries, the tenseness of the last over and the fact that the Indian team really did put up one of the best competitions that we've seen here in a long time.

And finally, I think that Kumble sums it all up when he says, 'It's a game after all. At the end of the day, it's a game....! You can't really take things so much that it affects your life!' Well said, and I can't wait for both teams to come here in February to play in the ODI....I wouldn't miss it for the world!

Twilight....Not Just For Teens!

In the wake of my sudden revelation that I am developing a taste (lol!) for all things vampire (scary!), I have discovered the Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series.

Initially, I had read about this series on the internet and it was only while half way through reading the actual Twilight novel that I realised that it was recommended for teen readers in the US. Hmmmm....not at my local bookstore though where it was squished amongst all of the other vampire and creepy, ghostly type adult books and when the 20+ sales guy raved to me about how great the story was!

It was also of some comfort to me to hear Stephenie Meyer herself describing here how in her mind she was initially writing the book for herself so therefore 30+ readers! Phew! Didn't feel like such a book reading baby after all!

So yesterday I began the first novel and was still awake, much to Dear Husband's chagrin at 3 o'clock this morning cause I just couldn't put it down. The idea of a good-guy vampire (Edward Cullen) who really does have a dangerous side and whose day-to-day existence involves fighting inner turmoil really intrigues me. And the fact that he's mysterious, hot, drives a nice car and is totally in love with the lead character Bella, kinda drew me into the pages. Too bad that he is perpetually 17 though, although many books, tv shows and movies have proven that age is no barrier to the satisfaction of a viewer.

And the fact that Twilight is a love story first and a vampire story second, also satisfies the Austen-Bronte lover within me! It must satisfy others, too cause I have since found out that it's a huge success as a novel and they are now making it into a movie. Can't wait to see that!

So today I am now the proud owner of all 3 books (so far) in the series. Tonight, if I can stay awake, I will be starting book 2. Hmmmm....reading vampire books at midnight! Very scary!!!

Happy New Year!

Ok, I'm a day late but I did spend yesterday resting after my late, late night so I think that I can be excused!

So what does one blog about when talking about a new year? Not resolutions because they never ever work for me! I thought instead, I'd borrow this meme which is a reflection on 2007!

1. What did you do in 2007 that you'd never done before?
I started a blog!!! ;)

2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don’t make new year’s resolutions cause I never keep them….and they always involve the impossible task of losing weight anyway so I am just setting myself up for failure….right!?

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Not close to me but someone I knew. :'(

5. What countries did you visit?
Sadly, none.

6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?
Ummmm….children that do not fight with each other…impossible, I know!

7. What dates from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
The Powderfinger video shoot cause it was a real turning point for my son and his self confidence.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Surviving it! I also achieved my family history information so that was a bonus!

9. What was your biggest failure?
An argument with a close friend that was over something completely trivial and I’m still not sure what I did wrong.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Yes. Influenza A knocked me for a week!

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Well, I can’t say washing machine even though I would like to. I bought a new camera so perhaps that!

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
My daughter got the very best report ever…..it was so beautiful that I cried when I read it.

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
The 12 year old hit puberty and his behaviour was very depressing at times.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Food, bills, kids.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Seeing Powderfinger/Silverchair and Josh Groban in concert.

16. What song will always remind you of 2007?
I Don’t Remember by Powderfinger.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Both.
b) thinner or fatter? Fatter :(
c) richer or poorer? Poorer.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Saving!

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Worrying; working.

20. Did you fall in love in 2007?
I’ve been married for too long to even contemplate that question.

21.What was your favorite TV program?
Moonlight!!! Love My Way Season 3!

22. What was the best book you read?
Jane Eyre

23. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Brendan Welch. If you haven’t heard of him, he’s well worth looking for at your music store!

24. What did you want and get?
A new washing machine! Lol!

25. What did you want and not get?
An overseas holiday on my own!
Oh and I didn’t want a new dog but got one! How did that happen???

26. What was your favourite film of this year?
I loved Romulus My Father. Also enjoyed the Bourne Ultimatum.

27. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned a ‘0’ number! Waaahhhhh! And I worked and went out for tea with friends. It was a real anti-climax of a birthday!

28. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
To have less stress and less work in it.

29. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007?
Same ol’, same ol’. Although I am going in for more comfy shoes these days!

30. What kept you sane?
Friends.

31. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Alex O'Loughlin and the new Mr Rochester, Toby Stephens!

32. What political issue stirred you the most?
Having to vote in the federal elections. We were inundated with political ads for weeks before voting day!

33. Who did you miss?
My nanna

34. Who was the best new person you met?
You know, I have thought about this and still have no idea!

35. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007?
That some people are not what you think they are; That I really am a controller in life and have to learn that I can't control pre-teen son!

36. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
This life well its slipping right through my hands
These days turned out nothing like I had planned
Control well its slipping right through my hands
These days turned out nothing like I had planned

Another Christmas Down

Does anyone else feel like Christmas is just one big anti-climax lately? It starts off with lots of enthusiasm and excitement and ends in a lot of spending, eating and sitting around!

I have avoided writing about my Christmas for fear of total boredom! Not that I found it particularly boring, but that it's just the same old thing, every year. But out of a total inability to think of anything else to write...here goes......

The highlight for me was probably Christmas Eve when we all went to the local church for the traditional family mass. Miss 8 decided that she was going to be in the children's choir this year and so she had been to a few practices beforehand (yep, she is the very religious one amongst us, I'm sure!). She also scored the part of an angel during the gospel reading - 3 seconds of altar fame - and sang her little heart out from up behind the priest. Naturally, like any good choir singer, she insisted on having her hair straightened beforehand so the lead up to our getting there was a bathroom makeover session for 8 year olds! *sigh* Girls!

After the obligatory ceremony of leaving out milk for santa and water and carrots for reindeer, it was off to bed....only to be woken at 6 am by delighted squeals that santa had left a pink Nintendo DS Lite. And not only that, he'd also happened to drop off a Nintendogs to go with it! Yahoo....8 year old dreams come true! The 12 year old got a truckload of cricket gear. He has now hit adult sizes so a small men's bat was needed and omg...do you know how much those suckers cost???!!! Sheesh, I hope he is earning his own money before his next size up is due! Oh and Dear Husband pulled out his work pressie and at 7am was awakening all the neighbours with a very huge and noisy remote control truck!

Christmas breakfast in our house is always seafood. Dear Husband always travels for miles at his own insistence to find the very best (according to him) seafood in town. This year, he ventured home on Christmas eve with lobster, prawns and oysters! Yummo!

After breakfast it was time to tear the kids away from their new goodies and head to my brother's place for lunch. Because Christmas is usually hot here, we have a combined hot (turkey, roast veges) and cold (ham, salad) meal. Oh, and as the pic above will tell you....we are always fully stocked on liquid refreshments as well!

The afternoon was a seriously important time when the kids played with their new toys and we adults plopped down on the lounge, exhausted, to recuperate! The bigger boys went off for a game of backyard cricket at one stage and we did all play a game of Australian trivia (12 year old's Christmas pressie) that provided a few laughs (like I knew who Australia's second prime minister was! Pft!).

By evening, we were full, fat and fatigued! And naturally, we went to bed early that night so that we could be up in time for all of the Boxing Day sales at the shops the next day! Another Christmas down and another new year lining up to face! Here's hoping that next year doesn't come around so quickly, eh!

Bored With Summer Television???

Take heart! There is a fantastic new series on Channel 9 on Wednesday nights at 9.30pm called 'Moonlight'! Now, our US friends reading this will probably already know quite a bit about it as it's been on tv there for a few months now, but here we are up to episode 4 and it's all good stuff!

Now don't be completely put off by the fact that this series is about a vampire. Not being a vampire-genre lover, I was initially, but after giving it a fair viewing, I am hooked on the vampire private investigator who spends my Wednesday evenings trying to solve crimes of both the human and vampire nature.

And Australian viewers may not be surprised to find that they recognise the hunky lead on the show. He is, after all, one of us who's taken up his actor's rite of passage and voyaged over the Pacific to find fame and fortune in Hollywood. Alex O'Loughlin is his name and I have been a fan since watching him a couple of years ago in The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant (yep, that great Channel 10 convict drama that we sat glued to for two weeks running a few years back!) and the movie Oyster Farmer, amongst other things!

So, despite initial trepidations, after viewing the episodes to date (and admittedly having a few sneak peeks at o/s eps), I am a fan of this show. I know, I know, you are sitting there thinking to yourself that I am an eternal romantic and could not possibly be into such a series, but trust me, this show is full of romance and chemistry - especially between O'Loughlin's character of Mick St John and Beth Turner (played by Sophia Miles).

My only fear though, after searching a few web sites on Moonlight is that it is in jeopardy of not being picked up by its CBS network due to the on-going writer's strike, despite it's growing success on tv over there. What a pity that would be! A show with so much potential, a fantastic lead actor - not to mention other actors in the show and a really interesting plot. I know that I'll be tuning in each week to keep up with all episodes available and I hope that you do, too!

And to give you a taste of what to expect, here is a sneak look (don't forget to turn the music player off to your right before viewing!)

The Grandad Present Saga!

Do you have someone who is impossible to buy a Christmas present for? Someone whose present you have been stressing over for months? Someone who has everything and asks for nothing? That is my father! If you ask him outright what he would like his response is usually, "Oh, just buy me a shirt"! Now, there are always conditions to his 'shirts'....ie they have to be long-sleeved, must have 2 pockets only etc etc. And my mother is always complaining about his shirts that she irons! So no shirts! Now every Christmas, birthday, Father's Day etc, I stress and worry for months before about what to buy him. And this year was no exception. I had had deep discussions with mum, brother etc for ideas...none came up. I scrutinised his every move, hoping for a hint...nothing! Then, last Monday, I took my children to the shops when this conversation came up!

Me: Right kids.....look out for a pressie for Grandad for Christmas. I don't suppose you have any ideas!

The 8 year old: Nup!

The 12 year old: Buy him an approach wedge!

Stunned silence.

Me: A whaaaat?

The 12 year old: An approach wedge!

Me: What is an 'approach wedge'?

The 12 year old: You know....a golf club!

More stunned silence.

Me: How do you know that grandad needs this 'approach wedge' thingy?

The 12 year old: Well, I was asking him the other day what 'AW' meant on Mario Golf on the Gamecube and he said that it meant 'approach wedge' and then he said that he didn't have one of those.

More incredulous silence!

Me: Are you sure?

The 12 year old: Yep...that's what he said!

Me: O...m....g!!!! You may have just solved this huge pressie problem for me! If you have, I'll give you a big kiss!

The 12 year old: Humpf! What's so special about that! I can get one of them anytime. See......

And with that he puckered up in the middle of Target and kissed me on the cheek!

Gawd, I love that boy!!!!!

Oh and if you are reading this and know my father, it's secret squirrel until Christmas! We want him to have a big surprise!!!!

Also, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has visited my little blog site since its inception in May! Who would have guessed that I would have kept it going and actually have people read what I had to say! I hope that you all have a restful, joyous and safe Christmas and I look forward to having you visit in 2008!

Christmas Pudding!

I didn't make this last year as it was just too painful and I wasn't going to make it this year either. But I had started contemplating it over a week or so ago and today, after an epiphany (or message from above) on how to solve a few previous minor issues I'd had when cooking it previously, I decided to have a go at my nanna's flour bag Christmas pudding recipe.

For years I looked forward to having this pudding. When I was young, nanna used to make it and hide old style coins inside. At the Christmas (or slightly post Christmas, depending on when we made it up to see her) table, no matter how full from mains we were, we'd always make extra room for some pud in the hopes of finding one of the special coins that nanna would swap for real money. As kids, we would always chew it extra carefully so that no teeth were broken nor coins swallowed and if you found a larger size one, you got a whole ten cents and thought you'd struck gold!

Over the years, Christmas pudding has never ever been a favourite of mine but nanna's pudding was always special. That is why, at one stage some years ago, I had asked her for the recipe and somehow she'd managed to hand write it out for me and a few other pudding lovers in the family. I have made it a few times before when she was alive although never as well as nanna and never with the special silver coins that were so reminiscent of my youth.

So tonight, as I'm sitting here waiting for the pudding to boil and watching it steam away in it's own little bag, I can feel the tears welling up in my eyes. I don't know if it's the result of a stressful day with the kids, the build-up of a long, hard year or if perhaps...just perhaps.....while turning the spoon through the golden fruit and reading her handwritten notes, I felt just the teeniest bit closer to my nanna as I'm sure she was watching over me from somewhere above as I was doing it.