Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Hot 100's, Head Shaves and Ryan's Special Salad

It was a day of nothings. Australia Day and lots happening but nobody to party with so I set my alarm to wake at 5am with intentions to watch 21 hot air balloons launched in a park about 20 minutes drive from me - it didn't go off so I woke at 6:45am knowing I'd missed the spectacle. Watched a couple of boring DVD's then Adam had some friends over for a barbie and it all fell into place.

With one small exception, my brother decided to . . get this . . .set up a TV on the pool concourse to watch the Tennis. What moron sets up a TV outside when a bunch of rambunctious boys are in the swimming pool? I warned him but he stood his ground and now he and wife Stressany are suffering quite severe sunburn rather than give ground and retreat into a room where TV should be watched.

So . . apart from Adam deciding to shave his head because it was hot just as guests arrived (as you do),

We played poker under the Carob tree, dangled in the pool, drank, and had the ubiquitous Aussie Barbie and listened to the Triple J Hottest 100.

Aint it great when your 23 year old son marinates chicken filets in garlic, chilli and soy and his friend actually brings a salad - that he made himself! Usually it's just bread rolls snags and barbecue sauce.


Punters who listen to this public but 'alternative' radio station vote for their favourite song which unfortunately this year was accidentally exposed a little early but a good choice. nonetheless . . .Parties are held all over the country by Triple J aficionados and bets are laid.

I thought Lily Allen's "The Fear" might have done it this year or Phoenix "Listomania" or even the funky and saucy "Parle Vous Francais" by Baccara . . or any one of half a dozen releases by the very lanky and talented Calvin Harris. . but no . . .the winner was and is, Mumford and Sons', Little Lion Man. . . It's sweet. I'm drunk. Poker is still going on and the night is cooling off comfortably . Happy Australia Day !



35 comments:

Anonymous said...

What Adam did reminds me our whole division used to do on long deployments...shave our heads, that is! Especially if we were sailing the Med. And I'll have a bite of that chicken, if you dinnae mind luv ;)

Brian Miller said...

yep, shaved off all my hair about a week ago. sounds like fun though, would love to be grilling and playing. got up to 65 yesterday here...very nice.

http://howtobecomeacatladywithoutthecats.blogspot.com said...

Happy Australia Day! Wish I could have been there. Sounds a blast!

Jill from Killeny Glen said...

Why is it that the grass is always greener? I need to quit complaining! Snow and bitter temps here...your bbq sounds so tasty! I love to grill outside.

See...your ho hum holiday turned out quite famously!

Rowe said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Rowe said...

Yay, Helen. We listened to some of the Hottest 100. I really like Calvin Harris and wanted him to win. Boo. Did you actually vote? I didn't. Glad your day turned out happily for you, unexpectedly. Your family sound like lots of fun.

11:22 PM

Kathy G said...

I woke up today to cold winds and a sprinkling of snow, so it was great to see your "warm weather" pictures!

Kate said...

Wonderful - I'm glad you enjoyed your time with the kids!!!!

xxx said...

Happy Australia Day...

I've just arrived home from watching the fireworks and it was fun.

I love fireworks :)

Looks like you've had a great day too.

best wishes
Ribbon x

Roy said...

I'm way too much of a child of the'60s to ever even contemplate shaving my head.

Gimme a head with hair, long beautiful hair
Shining, gleaming, steaming, flaxen, waxen
Give me down to there, hair!
Shoulder length, longer (hair!)
Here baby, there mama, Everywhere daddy daddy

CHORUS:
Hair! (hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair)
Flow it, Show it;
Long as God can grow it, My Hair!


(complete lyrics here)

Yup, that explains the ponytail!

So Adam made a marinated chicken for the barbie? Good job! You brung him up right.

New Yorker wannabes said...

Hope you had a great time! The barbeque looks delicious :)

xoxo

Unknown said...

I rarely play poker but I learnt how to calculate probability in mind with poker face.

Michael said...

Baino, are you coming to Skipster's KEWL BEANs coffee shop oepning? do pop in if able.

Ronda Laveen said...

What a fun party! The kids did a great job with the meal prep. That's how my family is...from young to old and even older...we party hearty. Happy Australia Day.

Pop on over to Kewl Beanz if have time. Bring the family.

nick said...

I hope none of the guests concluded that head-shaving was the required social etiquette and offered up their flowing locks....

Candie said...

That seemed like a perfect day Baino!Where you are it must be as hot as it is cold here!Tonight there is a wind you wouldn't like to venture outside!Good night!:)

Tom said...

great day, wot! Saw some fireworks going off during the match in Melborne...who cashed in at the poker match?

Colette Amelia said...

I am always ready for fun or a party when I visit here! And I am never disappointed.

Sounds like a fab day!

Unknown said...

You had a great day! I listened to bits of hottest 100 in between swims and drinks!!
What a pity its only a 1 day holiday!

Kath Lockett said...

I hope that you didn't feel hungover the next day because you don't deserve it!

River said...

BBQ'd chicken!! Yum. Have you tried a honey/soy/garlic/claret marinade? Heaven.

Anonymous said...

It was roast lamb over this way - delish! Glad you had a great day.

Lisa said...

That looks like a great set of grills. Barbecue, the way to spend a day of holiday.

California Girl said...

My comment has absolutely nothing to do with the post content. We, in the White Mtns of NH, home of Mt. Washington, learned yesterday that the world's wind record of 238mph on Mt. Washington, was broken by a tornado on an Australian island in 1996. Everybody up here is pissed! It's a big claim to fame. There is an observatory atop the Mt. and alot of publicity goes there, etc from the news networks. I work w/ the observatory, in advtsg, and asked their director why it took 14 yrs for this to comes out and he said the Aussies didn't find it very compelling. hahahha! Did it make the news?

Renee said...

You know I'm starving and that chicken looked delicious. Chili and garlic and yum yum.

xpxpxp

Grannymar said...

Sounds like a slow start bubbling into a great day!

Kate Hanley said...

Sounds like a great day and I really like the song. Never shaved my head but cut it real close so I could be Sinead O'Connor for Halloween once.

Megan said...

Hi Baino! Sorry your party is over but it sounds like it was a good one.

Yeah, who won the poker?

Anonymous said...

Love that song!
But Baino, I wonder if you aussies should really be out in the sun, surely it wasn't just the drink that went to ye're heads?

Renee said...

Oh I know who alright. What a witch that woman is.

Just keep working and ignore her because my wagon will pull up in about 18 hours and I will be having a long pin cushion and I will strike it in her arm if she is the least bit evil to you.

Renee xxo

e said...

Glad you had a nice time. Still a bit of a snotbox myself and just discovered my floor lamp falling off its base and broken, so I guess this is the year I start replacing...

laughingwolf said...

so, who won? :P lol

Baino said...

He does it often Subby but right in the middle of a Barbie? Actually I love him wit his head shaved!

65? Farenheit? Brrrr

Thanks Cat but it was a small do and my son's mates but lovely day anyhow

Seems that way Jill but frankly I'd prefer the cold. We barbie a lot

I approved of the winner but would have liked Muse to get there

Hot hot hot . .Kathy . .a little uncomfortable

Well one of them Kate, the other decided to hit the beach

We didn't go to the fireworks this year Ribbon but I love them too . .less so the dawg

OH Roy! You're such a hippie. Too hot for long hair right now. Yep he's mastered the art

Thanks honey perhaps we should have gone Souvlaki considering Sam Kekovich wants us to embrace lamb

Ropi you'd be an ace

MMM I MISSED IT . . .crap work and crap keyboard . . *sob*

Ronda it's good to have multi-generational get togethers

Very hot last weekend Candie but cool and muggy right now

Would you believe there were no cash bets Tom? Seriously.

Colette, you have a son over here. Don't you dare visit without looking me up. I'll come to Melbourne . .I love it.

Swims and a few too many drinks here Dragonfly. My bro set up a TV with the tennis on inside the pool enclosure!

Kath Lockett . . I never get hung over

I have no idea what he marinates it in River but it tasted awesome

We do it a lot Ocean. Easy peasy unless you're the one making the salads and cleaning up

Cali I hadn't heard that but googled it and apparently we had a cyclone on Barrow Island which knocked Mt Washington off it's perch. Not a tornado, a cyclones are the same as hurricanes.

Darling Renee. so sorry . . come over for soup

Quiet but fun Grannymar

You're the first to comment on the song Kate. I love it.

Hey Megs. . .not sure I was 'tragic' and left . .

Good for you Unstranger they're English but have an Irish bent to them I think (This keyboard is shitting me to tears)

Hmmm meeting with HR tomorrow so I'll be out of a job or downgraded . . .gimme a job Renee! No just poke a doll. I'll send you her photo and we can do damage. She already has a bad back.

e hard not to when the sun's shining and I don't have to go to work. Poor thing . . .I broke my toof!

No idea Wuffa.

Anonymous said...

Heh, heh...as long as the food was "hair-free", wot?

Jay said...

Son No. 2 still does things like suddenly deciding to shave his head! LOL! Glad you had a good day! :)

Going to check out the music.