Sandro Season

Well the season of The Great Sandro is well and truly underway. In fact sportsball may be nigh halfway over already, such is the speed at which life flies by One these days. Why it hardly seems a day since One shook the dust off The Tales and yet, apparently, it has been more than a lunar cycle.

In any case, as well as purveying stereovisual sportsball presentations - and even one purely auditory occasion - One has been making the sacrificial journeys to worship at the temples of sportsball once again this year. Of course one was accompanied by The Great Sandro and his nigh constant chatter about the game, life happenings in general, and "Phill don't you think that should have been a free kick back in the first quarter".

The most recent pilgrimage was thanks to the timely supply of golden tickets by Lofty and involved one finally achieving long-deserved admittance to the Reserved section.
It turned out to be a bit of a letdown as One found found it to be just the standard section with a reserved chair cover at the end of every row.

The game itself was a tense bought of okay for 3 quarters and then a ridiculous celebration for the final quarter.

One was buzzing for the entirety of the journey home - although in hindsight the buzzing may have just been The Great Sandro chatting away.

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The Sportsball Traditions

One's past fortnight has been punctuated with sportsball traditions.

The first was the annual ANZAC day watching at one's residence, with Sneaky Pete, and The Great Sandro putting in their traditional appearance at the event. Salsa Girl also continued her tradition of recent years of watching alongside and, dare I say it, getting caught up in the parochial tribalism along with the rest of us.

While a drawn result is a fine tradition that one believes belongs in the sport, one was left feeling a little flat, and even Salsa Girl was questioning - "is that allowed?!?"

One's other brush with footy tradition was this Friday past. It was, however, a change in tradition, with circumstances and work weariness resulting in only Salsa Girl and oneself partaking in watching the traditional rivalry in a quiet, laid back comfort of our own lounging room. The relaxed atmosphere did not last for very long with the resultant match keeping one on edge for most of it's duration - including a point with nary 4 minutes to go when one's racing heart was audible to the room!
In the end things did calm down when a true and just result was reached.

This weekend did also continue another long-standing tradition with One making the traditional regular journey to the ancestral home to make adjustments to Freeloading Mum's printer.

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Got got or not?

 So over the past several years one has not got got - unless one has a legendarily robust immune system, which given one's valiant, but ultimately futile, struggles against the many waves of  man-cold encountered in ones lifespan, seems extremely unlikely.

However in recent weeks a “relatively” close acquaintance that one spent some significant face to face gaming time with was got got.

Hearing of this may have caused One to spontaneously suffer psycho-somatic got symptoms for a day or so, skipping in-person gaming and, much to the disappointment of The Great Sandro, the first planned footy expedition of the year. 

In the end One is not sure of One's got got status as, throughout one's period of convalescence, nigh on a half dozen got tests all came back not got, so who really knows if One was got got or not got got.

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The Holiday is Over

 So, One's holiday break is over and it's time to apply oneself to the task of getting The Tales ticking over again and hopefully reach the heights of last years 13 entries (and then on to top 2008's one hundred entries you prompt? Madness I reply).

Since One's last communique many things have passed:

• One's first XMAS gathering for the new workplace, wherat Sis drafted one for table wrangling duties as apparently "other duties as required" also applies at this workplace.
• A hybrid remote and in-person boardgaming session for the birthday of BestFriendSincePrep
• A zoological XMAS gathering (a gathering at the Zoo as opposed to a Zuulogical gathering which would involve the underling of demon Gozer the Gozerian)
• A traditional Legion XMAS with the wider Legion clan.
• More boardgaming with in-person guests, instigated by Hulk who left the game after turn one to do something else. instead
• One's annual beaching.
• A return to Zoom, I mean work, including zoom-training the whole workplace prior to upgrading.
• Bunnings-ing up some minor repairs on the household.
• Seeking Sanctuary in Healesville where Hulk rushed Salsa Girl and I from exhibit to exhibit in order to get to the nearby playground as soon as possible.
• Upgrading the work system without leaving one's home office
• Marking the return of footy with a visit to The Great Sandro wherein he could not stop remarking, over the top of the footy broadcast, about how "doesn't look right mate" One's lockdown beard was.
• Attending the celebration of the life of Fifi who had finished her 29 year battle recently outlasting the predictions by a measly 26 years. It was this quiet determination that, during one's 6 or so years of sharing an office space, caused one to fix Fifi's problems pronto and also imbibe many a team coffee run, lest one fall afoul of those looks of portent. The celebratory tone was enhanced by also being able to reconnect with the likes of Sonja Roster Queen, Big J, Lord of the Small Fries, Longstride L, Days of our Libraries, and the increasingly incorrectly named Supervisor Grand Chief K
• And finally a relaxed, run of the mill, odds and ends weekend.

So, as you can see, there was not much to write about and no stories lost to the vortex of not being got around to writing them down.

Hopefully some interesting times shall arise this coming year...

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Packin’ Up The House

So, one has been a tad busy this past week or so packing up one’s old stomping ground in preparation for a Grand upgrading of facilities. 

Along with the likes of Mr Prada, Days of our Libraries, Country Girl, The Maple Maverick, and Sidekick, One has been dismantling technical equipment, moving furniture and uncovering dust bunnies not seen since the Jurassic (and the other half of that delicious biscuit one lost down the side of one’s old desk back in the Spring of ‘08). 

It has been quite an exercise in lifting, carrying, and cord untangling and it has proven tiring for one to direct all that frenzied activity. 

Going Solo

Of course previous weeks have also been busy as One was left to one’s own devices several weekends ago and forced to go solo with Salsa Girl and Hulk off to the sunnier Northern climes of Bendigo. 

... With Solo

The first solo occasion was marked by spending the evening with Sneaky Pete and BrotherStealer watching one’s copy of Solo which refuses to play on one’s blue ray. 

It was an enjoyable evening of of visual and gastronomic feasting. 

... with The Great Sandro

One’s next solitary activity was an expedition to that horrible stadium that is far from Marvel-lous to watch the Pies not play at all. 

Joining one in solitude were The Great Sandro and Sneaky Pete. The less said about the experience the better. 

After all that Solo activity the following weeks became a blur of work and school holidays - I am fairly sure that I attended the correct one. 

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The Start of Footy Expedition

So this Friday past a great expedition was undertook to purvey the first footy game of the season.

The trains were uncharacteristically on time as The Great Sandro and I headed in early to the venue.

Joining us in the vicinity was Sneaky Pete direct from work, and we all made the journey across the MCG parkland/carpark.

As we approached the entry to the sportsplace we were impressed that there was so little crowd at such an early time. Especially as it was touted to be a blockbuster and online tickets were going to cost us upwards of $160 altogether, compared to the $55 and oneself free for just turning up early for general admission.

Entering the ground One was almost overcome with the large amount of seating choice. Eventually we decided on a location and settled in the setting sunlight to await the relief of some shade in the stands.

The match began a scant two hours later and we were all enthralled in what was a scrambly error prone mess of a game that showed that new high-score encouraging rules can't do much to make players kick straight.

Half time saw us swoop on the idea that it had to get better as the players must be warmed up now. Wherein we had to endure a continuation of the low scoring motif for the second half.

The final siren finally blew to indicate finality for the game and the magpies had lost our first one for the season.

The Great Sandro commenced his usual stream of "Well you have to be happy for me, we won, and I got to see Gary Ablett in person"

We eventually headed home using our slingshot-train-into-the-city-and-back-out method to procure seats for the journey home method.

All in all a grinding evening to celebrate the start of the footy season.
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The End of Footy Expedition

So this Sunday past a great expedition was undertook to purvey the final footy game of the season.

As the trains were uncharacteristically in disarray, Hulk and oneself collected The Great Sandro and drove to the vicinity of the venue.

Joining us in the vicinity were Sneaky Pete and Mirri Cat Warrior and we all made the journey across the bridge to the promised land of Victoria Park.

As we approached the free entry sportsplace we were informed by neon-clad officials that we had to go around to the proper entrance instead of walking up and over the hill.
Entering the ground One expected The Great Sandro to burst into flames - a fate the hot day actually threatened for all attendees not just #@%&! Carlton supporters - however naught happened in that regard and we promptly made our way to some shade in the stands.

Choice of seating was left up to Hulk who decided that the midst of a pride of Lions supporters was the primest of seating. One breathed deeply to remain calm.

The match began and we were all enthralled in what was important. Cries of "Go Pies!", came from oneself and Sneaky Pete,  "I don't really know what's going on" from Mirri Cat Warrior, and "I'm bored, where are the chips" from Hulk.

Half time saw us swoop on the chips - as the Magpies had swooped on the lions - and then return to the blessed shade. Wherein we had to endure a low scoring second half.

After crawling through the constantly under attack second half the final siren finally blew to indicate finality for the game and the magpies had won our first one for the season!!

Hulk commenced vigorous flag waving, song singing, and cries of "I've never been so happy!!"

Post-match running all over the field was indulged accompanied by shouts of "I want to be a footballer" and practice tumbling to the ground.

We eventually headed home accompanied by much humming of the theme song emanating from the back seat.


All in all a great day to celebrate the end of the footy season.
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The Ceremonial End

So it turns out that the luck from lucky jocks can run out if they are worn for the entire finals month of football.
And when it runs out it is two minutes too soon.
And you end up suffering a devastating whisking away of the purest form of happiness that is a sporting win.
And no amount of thinking "it's only football" can console oneself.

Sigh.
So having Sneaky Pete, The Great Sandro, Hulk, and Salsa Girl, all watching the game with oneself in one's home seemed like a good idea - especially with all but The Great Sandro draped in the black and white.
Things seemed good at first. And then nervous for a while. Then suddenly good again. Then even more nervous. And finally settled on terribly disappointing.

The Great Sandro showed his usual lack of concern for our passionate despair with nigh suicidal comments along the lines of "you have to admit, Phill and Pete, that it's good for me because my betting on Eagles who I don't support won me money"

Luckily Hulk was there to occupy one's lap with her inherited disappointment in the result and give some perspective on life versus sport.

All that remained after the game was the traditional end of footy season ceremonial burning of the lucky jocks - a process Salsa Girl thoroughly endorses as she is big on tradition and ceremony.

And so, with the end of football season, one now turns one's thoughts to the next season of import ... Gaming Season!

One expects a multitude of thoughts about boardgames and card games to soon displace the currently frequent PTSD flashbacks.
Because, after all, it is only football.
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Finals Footy

So last Saturday eve saw One's first footy finals attendance since a pair of Grand Finals back in '10, and the first finals with The Great Sandro.

It came about when Salsa Girl made the tactical error of proclaiming, "What time are you going to the footy on Saturday?"
One's first response was, "I am? ..... I mean 6pm"

A hurried scramble ensured a trio of high-altitude seats for Sneaky Pete, The Great Sandro, and Oneself.

We were treated to a tight back and forth game with the correct result in the end.

One had thought Sandro to be lost when he failed to return to his seat after being left in a rather long queue for hot chocolate. It turns out he was merely staying where he was watching on a TV so that the good run the giants were making didn't finish. Silly superstitious sports fan.

So anyway, as I sit here still in my lucky jocks, I am lamenting the inability to acquire tickets for this weeks blockbuster which leaves One having to watch the game in the warm, comfortable, environment of one's living room.
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Gimme Shelters

So one recently finished reading the latest, and penultimate, Earth's Children volume - The Shelters of Stone by Jean M Auel. It is all Salsa Girl's fault having started me on the series and now it is a path from which One cannot turn away.

It was an okay read, with a fair amount of semi-interesting "look at the research I have done" and a slim plot in it's thick voluminous pages. I would say give it a miss unless you really need to know what happens to the characters or are one of those people who has to read the series to the end aka the Wheel of Tedium Time problem.



Speaking of shelter, One could sure have used more of it on Saturday when One attended the footy with The Great Sandro. In the arctic conditions I began thinking that I may have had to lose one of the expedition in order to have more of the fleecy blanket we spent the match huddled under.

Still at least the pies came alive at the end and One was able to perform many warming leaps and roars of celebrations.

And now the pies are in the finals - which should be a much appreciated warm living room in front of the telly type of experience.
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Fungi Friends and Freezing Footy

So this Friday last was another regular catch up organised by The Fungi Lady.

Also in attendance were:

• the regular Doom and Non-Gamin' Megan
• the slightly irregular Amoeba
• the highly irregular The Bastard.
• and, apparently, the completely non-regular MatrixMan conveniently gone before ones stunning entrance

It being nigh on a score of years since one had conversed with The Bastard a large part of the evening was spent on discussing topics various - work, current gaming undertakings, the gamers we both guided through our adventures, the very dad topic of our gifted children.
We both agreed that dealing with the tantrums, smart phone addictions, fussy eating, and stinky body smells made looking after our little girls a pleasure compared with all that gamer stuff.

All in all a great night that was over too soon and one looks forward to honoring the fungi ladies next organising effort.



Speaking of outings that could have ended earlier... one spent Sunday twilight attending the footy with The Great Sandro in 10 degree temperatures (plus a wind chill factor that lowered the temp to sub-zero by one’s reckoning).

To make matters worse the pies provided few opportunities for vigorous, joyful, and warming, leaping to one's feet.

Still, as they say, a win is a win, even if one does have to be chiseled free from the ice at the end.
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The Exercise of ANZAC Traditions

A week ago now one took the opportunity to exercise one's ANZAC traditions.

These commenced with a long sleep in.

Things then proceeded on to Salsa Girl, Hulk and I hosting the traditional footy watching with The Great Sandro, Sneaky Pete, ElfBoy and family all in attendance. Much fun was had by all since the correct team won this year, or, in Lil' Trucker's case, trains went past out the back every 10 minutes causing much excitement.

Traditions continued into the evening with the weekly gaming night ending with the traditional post-midnight finish.
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Regular Pilgrimage and Unicorn Lore

So in the past week one has once again made the pilgrimage to the great shrine and attended the footy with The Great Sandro and Sneaky Pete.

After a cold-pies start Sneaky Pete and I were soon treated to a magnificent hot-pies show before the whole thing wound down into a luke-warm finish at the end. Still, as they say in the game, a win's a win.

True to form The Great Sandro was a font of trivia and questions and not much caring about the state of his beloved Carlton. One believes we all had a good night and even kept our spirits during the sardine can journey home squeezed in with all those Hurstbridge line interlopers catching our train to get to their buses during the rail line works.

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Also of not this week is an educational moment with Hulk wherein we were shopping and she espied some soft-toy Unicorns on display and implored one to purchase a unicorn for her:

"But dad I have to have the unicorn, it's so pink and soft and horny!!"

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Moving and Shaking

With Supervisor Grand Chief K being reliably informed at VALA conference drinks that One is a Mover and Shaker in libraryland, it is obvious that the recent lack of regular posting to The Tales can only be due to the amount of shakey moves One has been undertaking.


Moves of prep prep for Hulk - which lead to an in-shakey start to school.

Moves of returning to work - which had the usual level of shakiness.

Moves of birthday gaming - which lead to a shakey return to the old favourite On the Edge card game on Sneaky Pete's behest.

Moves of study and Gaming Garage combining - leading to some shakey computer monitor setup.

Moves of women's footy watching with The Great Sandro and Sneaky Pete - which was a shakey start to the season for the 'pies.

And finally moves of attending said conference to make a shakey impression on several of One's contacts in the industry.


Of course there is also the alternate theory that the conference drinks Supervisor Grand Chief K was attending when informed of One's reputation may well have just included an astonishing amount of drinks...
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The Paradox of Holiday Freetime

It would seem, on the face of it, that One having ample holiday time at home should enable the copious posting to The Tales which is the stuff of legends from the dim dark ages of 2008.

However, as it transpires, there is a distinct lack of posting about the few happenings of this restful time.
Happenings such as:

• The annual Star Wars pilgrimage with Sidekick

• Providing several days of nurturing care at home for Hulk who's illness was extended mysteriously
  
• Commencement of the Tuesday Knights new game - Blades in The Dark. Now with added Miasmakat. Including the group deciding to choose the gang type One advised against, *twitch*, sigh.
  
• Hulk's last day of kinder including concert in which she was one of the loudest voices. One was surprised to see a graduation cap being employed.
  
• Xmas day filled with Mousetrap and Botanical picnics.
  
• Boxing day lunch at Freeloading Mum and Handy Dad's. Replete with cousins and uncles and aunts and the touch of sadness that is an aunts early Alzheimers.
  
• A 50th birthday dinner for The Great Sandro with yours truly, Sneaky Pete, Salsa Girl, and Hulk as the requested guests of honour.
  
• Several rushed last days of work before the big holiday break - everyone loves stats.
  
• New Years' Eve beach birthday parties then early evening Rummy contests - with One being the year's humble awesome champion.
  
• A four day visit from Doctor David.
  
• Building inspections for the repair of the great dripping roof saga.
  
• Backyard camping at Nana's, wherein' Hulk had her longest staying up ever due to the excitement of Midnight Feast and the unexpectedly high light levels of a suburban camping sky.

One wonders when the pace of the year is going to pick up a little...

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Too Much

So, one was thinking about the whole "too much" realm of theory recently and the supposed impact such as other regular things dropping by the wayside.

Of course, one hasn't had much time to theorise lately as one's time has been taken up with too much going on.

In the month since ones last missive to the The Tales there has been:

• Too much of the post flu lurgy hanging around
• Too much of the intermittent network failures at work
• Too much of the weekend activities with Hulk - expeditions to far off locales for junior footy watching of the SpawnOfBestFriendSincePrep related kind being a prime example, but also sundry birthday parties (I mean, really, does every child have a birthday?)
• Too much footy to keep up with, including the aforementioned day-trip and an expedition with The Great Sandro
• Too much gaming - wait, no that one doesn't make any sense, regular Wednesday plus a couple of fortnightly Thursdays and a Sunday, and preparing a new game all in a month sounds about right.
• Too much new Twin Peaks to try and catch up on

In any case as I return to posting on The Tales I can say that one's "too much" activity schedule is having none of the dropping by the wayside impacts theorised to go along with it.

See you all next month.
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Freezing at the Footy

So The Great Sandro, Legion2, and I traipsed off to the footy on Sunday with a reasonable expectation that our sportsball team would beat the team at the bottom of the heap that is this year's season.

This came to pass.

Eventually.

After a quite cold period in the third fraction wherein the wild weather also came to pass and we three had some concern that we also were going to pass.

So icy was the blast that The Great Sandro even deigned to huddle under the Magpies fleecy blanket with Legion2 and I.

In the end we came through with the sort of superb stoicism that is worthy of the label Hero.
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Holding the Woman

So last Friday one hosted a gathering of sports fans to fanatically observe the inaugural women's AFL stoush betwixt ones beloved Collingwood (aka the shining light of goodness) and Carlton (evil incarnate).

In attendance were Legion2, Salsa Girl, Doctor David, and, of course, The Great Sandro.

Throughout the match one was often struck by how man focused the games language was - holding the man, man-up, etc. and even many ball related sayings if one wants to descend to smuttiness (which one invariably does).

In contrast to all of this The Great Sandro switched effortlessly to yelling "holding the woman!" and such like at the television - explaining it simply to me as "Well Phill, she is a woman so it's what you have to say".

It just goes to show that even the most simple minded of Carlton supporters can be a shining light of pragmatic sensibleness from time to time.
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Scything through Productivity

So, one's new board game Scythe arrived the other week and is this month's choice reason for reduced posting.

It began with a late night unboxing, but not the sort of unboxing it is popular to film and provide on the you tubes. No, this one was a private affair with oneself revelling in the sights, sounds, smells and textures of the fresh cardboard, plastic and even resin in the privacy of The Gaming Garage.

The following night was absorbed by the sleeving of the cards for protection and the organising of the storage so all the gorgeous bits could go back into the box safely.

The third night was rudely interrupted by having to go to the footy with The Great Sandro and Legion2 to see the pies triumph over the ancient enemy.

The very next gaming night was consumed by the initial play of the game with BestFriendSincePrep taking the victory narrowly from Badger and Gavman and Legion2 somewhat behind and yours truly ending on a dismal score.

Despite thinking that I would have to return such an obviously defective game I decided to give it another go Sunday last, with the same crew sans Gavman. And Lo and Behold it turns out it is an excellent game as I magnificently triumphed over all opponents.

One was rather relieved that the game was worth keeping now.

Although when I mentioned this relief Salsa Girl did give me one of those "as if any game would ever leave your collection" looks.
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A Great Footy Night In

With The Great Sandro on an overseas jaunt, it fell on Pirate Dave and Legion2 to fulfil the role of ones company for the comfortable at home watching of the Collingwood v Carlton game last night.

It was a great night of sporting with our team - the magpies - far out-sporting the other teams players with some magnificent sports activities.

Ones only regret is that ElfBoy was not present for the required stirring of the losers.
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ps And here are all the apostrophes removed from the above for fear of placing them errantly - Devils Advocate and other apostrophe people please add them back in as appropriate.
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