A HAT TRICK

  A peach of a day today, clear blue skies and a temperature in the low 30s.  A fairly late start to the day, but once I got up it was a case of investigating the problem with Rob's car. We drove over to the Mount Druitt shopping centre and checked out the availability of new shock absorbers.  They were around $150.00 each and had to be ordered in.  We left it at that and went back home after having some breakfast in the the Food Halls. When we got back we jacked up the nearside wheel and took it off.  There was a nail in it and it didn't look totally symmetrical, but the main objective was to see if I thought I was capable of fitting an new shock absorber.  I studied the existing one and it was tempting to say that it was possible, but I had some doubts at the same time.  After Rob refitted the wheel, I checked the suspension on the near side and it was fine, whereas last night it was totally seized up.  I then suggested that maybe it was the tyres that were causing the vibration.  Robert checked on line but no tyre stores were open on a Sunday.

  We set off for Carlingford about 2.30pm.  Upon arriving Nick declared that he didn't want to come because there were no basketball nets at the park where Robert was playing.  Robert kept asking him if he wanted to come and he kept replying "no".  Just as we were about to go he changed his call to "I don't know".  Robert gave him the option of "yes" or "no", but he persisted with "I don't know", so we left.  Robert reckoned he would be running down after us within 10 seconds.  He was a bit out with his timming, as Jane waved from the balcony as we were driving out to let us know that Nick was on his way.  The young lad was most impressed with the car - we'd left Robert's at home.

  Once we got to the ground Nick wanted to play passing the ball, which we did for some time.  He also challenged me to a crosscountry race giving me a ten second start.  I reckon it was a dead heat finish, and I turned down the offer of a re-match! Then it was hide and seek - there was shrub land just down from the park, part of a creek.  The second time round I spotted Nick and threw the ball at him, not realising that the creek was behind him.  The ball went in the water.  We had quite a palava getting the ball out with Nick wanting to be the one to retreive it, but instead continually pushing the ball away.  I eventually managed to rescue the ball and threw it up the bank to Nick, who promptly hurled it straight back at me.  He said it was all my fault and he was merely copying what I had done!  My goalkeeping instincts came to the fore and I divided to catch the ball to stop it going back in the creek.  What I had failed to take into account was the nature of the terrain, which was uneven and populated with shrubs branches and twigs.  Whilst I saved the ball from going in the creek it was at some cost to my arm.  It seems everytime I play with Nick I end up with an injury.  I still have a large scab on the back of my elbow from playing basketball with him a few weeks ago.

After this we returned to watch Robert's match just in time to see him score a hatrick in about ten minutes flat!  And two of them were with his right foot!  There's life in the old dog yet!  After purchasing a beer from Stewy's four year old daughter - she was in charge of the eski, we dropped Nick off back home. Robert took great delight in applying Dettol to my scratches after we got back to Oakhurst, where a roast pork dinner awaited us.

  I phoned Jim on the dial option on Skype but just got the BT answer service.  I also phoned Alan on Skype but the reception was bad at my end.  I confirmed the house number here and he phoned  back on that claiming he had been unable to get through earlier.  I told him I had ordered Spooks 9 for delivery to his address and asked if he could take out the DVD's when they arrived and stick them in an envelope and give them to Angela along with my Freedom Pass.