Go you Broncos, HECK YEAH!

How good is it when even though not everything is going exactly as it should, something happens which just for a moment makes it seem like life is all good, like the Brisbane Broncos‘ thrilling last gasp win over the Parramatta Eels tonight. Anything less than a win would have been a travesty, but somehow, through incredible luck and some diabolical refereeing (when is a forward pass a forward pass, and when is a back pass not good?!?!?!?) the Eels had managed to get the scores back to level with no time left. What a magnificent kick from our champion skipper Darren Lockyer and what a stunning run from Denan Kemp to pick it up, after the full time siren, and carry countless defenders over the line with him to score!

 

The Eels and referee Jason Robinson go home shattered, but score one win to the good guys

Doubt about the 2nd apartment

It didn’t help this week that at the 11th hour the owner of the first apartment I offered to buy came running back and told us he might have a deal with his bank to get him out of the mess he was in and be able to offer us a "mortgagee sale" divorced from his extra debt, then a few days later the whole thing was off again as the bank wouldn’t come to the party. Meanwhile I had to leave the other people in limbo wondering if my offer on the 2nd one would still stand.

 

Just a couple of nights ago I had the doubly uncheerful news that not only is the deal on my first choice property definitely off, but also the strata report on the 2nd one has come in with references to investigations of concrete spalling (moisture getting into the concrete slabs of the balconies and causing them to partially break apart) and no indication that proposed repairs (costing maybe $7000-10000 per unit in the block) had ever been done. The information on what has been done about this (or not) has proved hard to track down, but my lawyers and the agent are working on getting it. If this repair work is outstanding I’ll have no choice but to abandon this one. It doesn’t help that this area is one of very few which is both a suitable area for me to live and has any properties satisfying all the main criteria for what can be called an "affordable" price. If the outcome is what I expect I will have no hesitation in saying I am thoroughly jack of this exercise and will have very little enthusiasm to continue. More news when I have it…

 

Found another apartment

Here is the latest. The apartment I was about to buy cannot be sold to me. The bank has taken possession of it! Fortunately, there are no financial repurcussions for me except the outstanding legal fees and stuff to do with transferring the loan I was going to get from one property to another.

 

I have also found another apartment in the same area and made an offer which was accepted. My solicitors have the contract, and I will follow their legal advice as to when to sign it. This one probably has a bit of a better floor plan than the other one and a slightly bigger garage. It even has quite a good city view which I didn’t think I’d find again, but not quite the spectacular panorama which I found at the place I thought I would have moved into by now. But it is a bit cheaper, so it will probably all work out well in the end.

 

After the first episode I’m not getting too excited yet. The place is not mine until I have the keys and a certificate of title with my name on it. Although I will make plans to move leading up to the appointed time (assuming I actually do sign this contract and get it exchanged), there will be no premature excitement this time. No counting of chickens while there are still only eggs.

A nice weekend away

My church group went to a nice location in Port Hacking, south of Sydney, this weekend to get away from it all and learn some valuable stuff. As is usual with these things, there was a theme – the Sabbath rest (a mighty good one I thought, in the context of living in Sydney).

 

While there a game of cricket got going yesterday afternoon. It was a rare chance since my surgery to see how my arm goes in strenuous physical activity. Happily, bowling (not too fast) and batting was fine, but sadly this arm still cannot throw a significant distance while fielding, and it actually hurts it a bit to try, so no more of that for a while. I tried throwing with my left arm, also pretty useless since I have never really done it.

 

I have returned with a plan to live not at 100%, like the rest of the western world says you must, but maybe only 85%, and take some time out to reflect on what is important. After all, as I think most people would intuitively know from life’s experience, we are designed to live with margins.

My own place – not yet

Things haven’t gone as planned in the past week. I didn’t move yesterday. Still in this rent hole for now. I probably shouldn’t say much about why, other than to say it’s completely not my fault and I hope to complete the purchase of and move into the great place I found eventually. For now I’m assuming it’s just a matter of when…

The big road trip

 

13 days.

 

3125 kilometres.

 

About 200 litres of fuel.

 

4 state border crossings.

 

Too many great social occasions to count.

 

Several great new friends!

 

This is how one might summarise my trip which ended yesterday A good way to try out the "endurance factor" of my new car, and it was all smooth sailing, as you’d expect with the Toyota Corolla. Some of the highlights:

 

• Seeing my 5 year old nephew Reuben and 3 year old niece Jacqueline for several days (having been deprived of their company during their 6 month absence in Canada), as well as the rest of the immediate and extended family for various amounts of time. These kids are so delightful.
• Spending Mothers’ Day (most of it) actually with my mother and other family – this is a rare occasion these days.
• Taking in the movie "U2 3D" with my brother, sister in law, and friends Glennnnnnnnnnnn and Cam. Certainly something different as far as cinema goes. Looked like a replay of about half the concert I saw in Sydney in 2006 (only difference was the South American venues), so those who didn’t see the Vertigo tour would probably get more out of it. Very good 3D effects. Would like it to have gone longer.
• Seeing my lovely friend Mel for the first time in ages at Byron Bay for a couple of days, and meeting some of her flatmates and other friends who are all great people, and catching the end of an evening church service there last Sunday night.
• Getting re-inspired last Saturday in Byron to press on toward the 2nd attempt at learning hang gliding, thanks to much observance of gliders in the air, chatting with some instructors, convincing Mel she should fly tandem one day and having a conversation about it all with a guy who I’d just met, who is very keen, long into the night back at the house on Sunday. There will soon be a post at hanggliding.org all about this!

I was also returning to Mum and Dad’s home for the first time after my long and agonising stay there with my busted arm including the hospital stay that I was very happy to get out of alive. Happy to say this occasion was a much more pleasant one overall (though Christmas was pretty good when it occurred during my previous visit). Thanks to everyone I spent time with for making it such a memorable trip. Thanks too Mel for the Rick Pino CD 🙂