CACARES A-PLENTY!

SATURDAY 9th MARCH

  I set off with Robert just after 9.00am bound for Eastwood.  We got there at 10.00am and picked up Bridie, leaving Angela at the gaff to tend to the delecate task of washing her hair.  Onwards to Carlingford, where amazingly enough Nick was pretty much ready to go.  Jane came along with us and we were at the Hills Grammar School playground before the requested time of 10.45am.  It seemed that not only would the Tigers have no substitutes but would be down to 8 players (they play 9 a-side).  However Don managed to get an under-8's player to make up the numbers and he put in a very creditable display at right back.  Bridie, relishing the glorious sunshine long with Jane settled themselves on the touch line to watch the match.  Nick

had time for a bit of pre-match practise, and then the whole team gathered around the coach for their pre-match pep talk, with Nick paying close attention.  The first half proved to be goalless although the oppostion

seldom got in the Tigers half, and they definitely dominated possession.  Nick had a few good runs, but when he should have passed he shot, and when he should have shot he passed.  The pitch was quite a big one and there wasn't a cloud in the sky, so it was quite taxing for the team as there were no substitutes to help relieve the fatigue.  In the second half Nick had a great run down the left wing which resulted in a corner.  He took the corner himself and put it across perfectly for one of the Tiger's players to score; 1-0.  The second half was much more productive for both the Tigers and for Nick.  He put over a telling free kick, which in the event didn't produce a goal.  A long range shot from the Tigers was handled in the penalty area by one of the opposition players.  The refree awarded a penalty and went to give the defender a yellow card.  However the defender refused to allow himself to be yellow carded by imposing a red card on himself and walking off the field in tears.  The coach told him that he must go back on and accept his reprimand, but the young lad refused point blank to go back on the field.  The refree chased after him all the way to the halfway line to deliver the yellow card.  All this delay didn't bode well for the Tiger's penalty kicker (not Nick), who proceeded to shoot too near the keeper and had his shot saved.  However it didn't prove to be an expensive miss, as following another left wing foray by Nick the ball was crossed, half cleared and picked up by a Tiger's player (I think it was Ben) who hammered it into the back of the net.  After the match the coach had the team do their song of "Tigers, Tigers, Tigers, Oi, Oi, Oi, Tigers, Oi, Tigers, Oi, Tigers, Oi, Tigers, Tigers, Tigers, Oi, Oi, Oi".  The victorious, albeit exhausted no 9 had his picture taken with his Nana.  After the

game we drove Nick and Jane back to Carlingford and carried on to Mount Druitt to replenish alcoholic supplies, and Bridie searched around for some flowers and settled on yellow tulips.

We then drove back to Oakhurst, and Robert decided we would give Reilly a wash as he was getting a bit whiffy.  However before we could get started Juan and Tita along with Nick and Kathleen and their daughter Olivia along with Charlene arrived from Penrith. 

We got everybody a drink and then started to work on Reilly.  He didn't seem to mind the shampooing at all, but had a good shake as soon as I let go of him showering me from head to toe!  I tied him up to the laundry pole with his new leash as this would keep him in the sunshine that was abundant in the part of the garden.

He sat there happily for a while, but unbenownst to me he started chewing through his lead and chewed his way to freedom!  So much for the new lead, now only fit for the dustbin!  Oh well, I suppose you can't blame him, he was probably just bored lying there, especially as he could see so many people having fun inside!  I'll sort him out by buying a link chain lead, I'd like to see him chew through that!

Nick brought along his Egyptian Smoking aparatus with the fruit flavoured tobacco.  With help from Sam, who arrived a bit later, he had the whole shebang operating and Bridie had a go at sampling the wares!

Soon the cameras came out in force and various groups posed for the photos with at lease five cameras in action on each picture:

Jeannette and Adam (back row)

Kathleen, Juan, Angela, Bridie, Tita (front row)

Jeannette and Bridie

Bridie and Tita

                                                  Kathy, Juan and Angela
  Robert cooked up food on the BBQ and Kathy made some superb fried rice, and along with garlic sauce, chilis, meat balls, roast potatoes, cheeses, biscuits and spreads, we all had our fill, and the wine and beer kept flowing.  Pav - the one eyed Croatian plumber - and his Canadian wife Lesley arrived with further liquid supplies, and we learnt that it would be Lesley's birthday on Monday.  Pav's real christian name is Michael but he is known as Pav to his friends because of his surname "Pavola".

                                              Robert, Adam, Pav, Nick and Sam

 Tita, Sam, Rob, Charlene, Olivia (in front), Juan, Lesley, Jeannette, Pav (crouching down), Kathey & Nick
Having two professional computer men in my midst, I produced my 680 Gig external hard drive and asked them if they could figure out if it was broken or not. (It had taken a slight bang).  Eventually Sam came to the conclusion that it was working but for some reason the computer wasn't recognising it.  He got an error code and said he would investigate it and come back and let me know.  So at least I know it isn't completely knackered!

                 Jeannette & Adam (back row) Kathy, Juan, Angela, Bridie, Tita (front row)

                                          The whole crew (apart from Pav).

  At one stage Robert treated us to a display of Riverdance which Charlene managed to locate on the computer, and the lad's feet moved like greased lightning.  The whole affair was stimulated by talk of Angela's Irish Dancing prowess, although she actually declined to demonstrate it and left Robert to do his best.

   It was indeed a night for dancing with Rob and Jeannette putting in a solo performance, and Tita had me out on the floor to teach me how to jive properly - thankfully no photos of that debacle  Tita and Juan are superb dancers and put on a jive demonstration despite his broken arm.

Robert managed a final jig with Reilly, but that just seemed to defy gravity!

The evening broke up about 10.30am - after about 7 hours of solid imbibing and we gratefully retired to bed as there was a reasonably early start to be made in the morning fot Taronga Zoo.