The House(s) of Fran_mart

One of the decisions we made when we purchased in 505 St Kilda Rd was that we would not be present in the period of the Australian Grand Prix. We didn't need the noise.  However I decided to watch it on TV - mainly to see if I could spot 505 in the background: the building is about 600m from the nearest part of the track.  During the day the constant was the cancellation of supporting races due to rain: wimps - if its wet go slower!  Ducks were running a Piquet line. But it seemed the rain was stopping before the main event so I Normed myself and turned on the TV which was set on NITV.  They were showing football ... This turns out to be the Big Rivers  League from the NT!  The Camels are one of the teams from Katherine.  I have been unable to find the final score but, from the score with a minute to go, the Camels would be my pick! When I switched to Ch10 a helicopter had a good view of the CBD. This stand is on the golf course - I think on the first...

As seems to always be the case thee days the BBQ Stakes was run on a sunny day.  No sign of the desperately needed rain. No sign of a parking inspector where one is needed either.  What really ticks me off is that these lazy sods - the company may be called "Gracious Homes " whereas their behaviousr suggests Obnoxious Homes would be better - could park legally on the other side of the road.  But would mean them having to move their fat glutes 4 extra meters. Enough with the negative vibrations.  Here is a view looking South.  One looking North.  And here is the Eastern Outlook: perhaps there is a cloud in this one but it hasn't brought us any rain yet  Here is looking to the finish: with the traditional horde passing me When I started up again I was walking the whole course and taking about 64 minutes.  (Bob Harlow also walks the whole course but does about 20 minutes less than that.)  Today I managed 48:23 on my watch, wit...

If only I'd started when I was 31!  If I had been able to turn up every week that I was living in Canberra (I didn't get to Canberra until 1983, and have had 20 months in Ottawa and 24 in Tanzania) I'd have 1520 runs rather than 34! But I didn't turn up until a few months back and have had a few weeks off already.  Whatever, today was a great day for a run and I felt capable of doing a bit of running so I did.  My first thought was that the course has changed due to the efforts of some horny sons of toil blocking the path.  The first mountain: no running up this,  Thanks to nice long downhill to Hindmarsh Drive and walking briskly up to the yurt I went through half way in 26:19 - comfortably under 9 minute kilometres.  The pretty clouds and clear blue sky indicated the pleasant conditions. I finally remembered to take a photo of the 5th kilometre area, despite a cracking sub-8 minute run for that leg. The final kilometre was not too bad althou...

Today was rather like the weather on 17 February last year but so far there have been no idiots cutting iron over the hill.  A few folk in the area (those who didn't get their fuel reduced last year) have been a bit edgy.  It was definitely warm at the start and there seemed to be a headwind.  However once on to the dirt track it seemed to switch to a tail wind, I passed my version of 2km in about 19:30 which wasn't too displeasing - I seemed to be going a fair bit faster than my last effort.  It was good to be catching someone for a change. Its even better to find Rad is out and about and enjoying his participation.  But wait there's more good news .  We don't have to go all the way to the top of Oakey Hill!  Even with the tail wind that would have been ungood today. There are two good things about this photo: I wasn't sitting in traffic on Hindmarsh Drive; and There's a nice shady underpass coming up! Being in good form (OK sort of...