It was a dark and stormy night, no really it was I thought the roof would come off and it bloody nearly did but the worst was still to come. Anyway I headed off to tealicious for some eggs benedict and a very large cup of java. I then headed off feeling stuffed and cramped in the car as it was full of the fab four, its quite hard to navigate the small roads and work the iPhone so I was at the mercy of a playlist. I have a tom-tom cradle for it and it works well the gps never loses it’s position and the Bluetooth is flawless, however my big fingers and failing eyesight pose me a new challenge every day. I headed for a winery that I had sampled many times at the food and wine show but I had never ventured down there, by this time the eggs had started to play havoc I think the sauce was just too rich so I needed something to cut throughout it. I came across Thompsons wines which have won many awards for their fine Chardonnay, the building is a big concrete warehouse so I knew this was all about the wine. I tried the Chardonnay and it was buttery and full of oak a real mans wine a real contrast to that unoaked rubbish that appears to be the fad du jour. Surprisingly I liked all there reds and walked out with some vintage Chardonnay and a cab merlot. Tasting the wine really settled my stomach down which was nice as I headed north to a winery that I like but my winemaker friends don’t.
Many years ago I stumbled across this place as it apparently was famous for its Pinot Noir a wine that normally does not do well down here as its a bit hot. I asked the chap if I could sample some and he told me that the kangaroos had gotten most of it and he only had two barrels left. Next he did something that no other winemaker has done down here in all my 20 years of coming here, he gave me a barrel sample. I was really taken by this and then went on to sample his wine which I must say is very good (sorry Karl), I had made a mental note to visit this winery every time I come here and indeed I have,
This year I was greeted by a young girl who I would say likes botox, not a good look really, they remind me of a duck bill. Anyway I sampled the whole range which was marvelous and just as I thought I was finished she brought out a just released red, needless to say it was spot on so much so that I could not resist a wee bottle to add to my vastly depleted cellar, yes a divorce will do that to you lads.
I then headed back home as the sky was rapidly turning a nice shade of black, and I really did not want to be driving on roads filled with wine laden drivers in the torrential rain that was about to fall. I made it back to the black hole, well it just might be as Vodafone have bugger all coverage in bunker bay. However my trusty iPad with it’s telstra microsim and a healthy dose of RDF from uncle steve works bloody well and I have been trying to work out a way to send SMSs from the ipad, which apparently you can in the us but not here, its only a matter of time.

First stop is Saracen wines and Duckstein brewery.
This place is amazing towards the top of caves road and set in one of the most picturesque places i have come to visit so far, well not hard really as it’s my frost stop.
The building is very large and open planned built overlooking a lake that today has a green hue to it as the water levels are down, something that is to be rectified this week apparently. Inside the building is a mixture of stone glass and wood, not quite designed the same as an apple store but it is aesthetically appealing. The food is nice and traditional German which is a nice change to whats normally on offer down here, needless to say the beer is German but today as i have a long road ahead Im sticking to a non vintage san pellegrino! I would have fought that there might be a bit more national pride give that that the side is on the verge of winning the world cup. I must say the rustic table i am on is the perfect Hight for typing on, I really like this device. The stone wall contained a huge fire that could seat six! But alas no gas which is a bit strange as it’s wood .
The meal was good and I had a few minutes to relax before I headed to have a wine taste next door, which is a winery that I have not been to before. I am really after a straight Semillon which is proving rather dearth down here. Anyway i tried the Chardonnay and i was disappointed it really lacked body and flavour not really an ideal way to start the day.
I headed off to flying fish cove where i was greeted by a delightful girl behind the bar, i had mentioned that I had just received their e-mail alerting me to e specials which are a good bargain to be had. In front of me were some poms who were salivating over sweet wine they thought was on offer, I hate to burst their bubble but rose is not really a sweet wine. Needless to say that they left and I had her er the wine all to myself, perfect i could indulge my senses without fear of looking like too much of a Pratt . The wine was very good so i managed to succumb to a bottle of Shiraz as i will be going back on Saturday for the specials that she has, their Chardonnay is perfect. Anyway i needed a coffee to keep the senses moving and i had a quick look at the sky, o dear! Talk about black clouds.

Hi folks
Decided to take a week off and ensconce myself in luxury at a 5 star resort.
I had to leave the dog which for her it’s always a treat to sit in the front of the landis with her new harness previously when I had both of them they travelled in the back which I must say Missy did not like. However she really likes the front seat and was pissed off when we stopped as she knew she was staying without me. Anyway I plugged in iphone to the the tom-tom cradle and off we set, it’s quite a cool device but it is rather expensive. I guess you know your in oz when it say 135km to the next turn and that was a roundabout, i have worked out that once I get on the freeway from my house it’s just two left turns to get here! Barring the roundabouts it’s one turn just passed ECU and the other just over the railway lines then straight on to dunsborough. I turned in the resort drive and it was getting dusky, and I was greeting by a big kangaroo just sitting there not sure if she should cross in front of me, she looked up and turned away which was a blessing disguise.
The resort is rather nice the room is big with a huge bathroom and 2 tv’s why I don’t know i guess it’s what people wanted. I made it down here just before five pm so a whe to unpack and then i headed to he bar, as there is no phone reception in the room but the iPad works, you gotta love telstra! Anyway although it’s not quite sub zero I decided on a refreshing ale to quench the thirst after a few hours in the saddle, then some pub grub as the restaurant had that five star feel about it that made my wallet nervous, I then asked the polite lady at the checking about wine tours yes i may succumb to one but as I was reading the brochure I had my glasses on and i noticed that the dear young thing had arms that would put Robin Williams to shame, and no she was not Greek.
Today is a leisurely start, morning coffee before a wee bit of shopping then off to plan the day wandering around, I’ll try and load some pics via the iphone as the camera dock is nowhere to be found in oz!

Been a while since I last posted, busy with the usual things Uni teaching, Uni for myself  and work.

Anyway I decided to head down to the new Apple store in Perth on opening  day as I wanted to buy a TomTom cradle for my trusty iphone 3g. I had installed the WWDC version of iOS4 on it and I must say it is slower, enough to live with but when the new phone comes out, I think I’ll consign the old one to the car. Anyway I walked into the store to be greeted with some rather fine looking girls, damn they know just how to real you in…. Anyway I get the only american in there and its a bloke, just my luck. I had on a T shirt from the mothership which drew heads and stares from the fanboys in there, it was strange. I was just wanting the cradle but I felt a strange warm feeling flood my senses, a serenity had crept over me and before I knew it I had a 3g iPad in my hands, Damn that RDF of Jobs it works down here. I must say it is an incredible device , I was not sure when it came out but after using it for a week I am really impressed. Why did I buy it, well I am now finally single, all the papers came through and I have no attachments so Tim, I’m on the prowl….

Did I mention I’m on holiday for a week, I’m off to Bunker Bay a 5 star resort, for some R & R, never know I might just snare a femme fatale!  The phrase is French for “deadly woman”. A femme fatale tries to achieve her hidden purpose by using feminine wiles such as beauty, charm, and sexual allure. Typically, she is exceptionally well-endowed with these qualities. She had me at the well endowed bit!!!!!

Anyway I’ll post from the ipad and let you know what its like.

Last month I decided to have  house warming, I know I’ve been in it for a while but when I was married, we never had one, I guess its the benefits of being single now, I can do as I please. Anyway I had a great time and it was a hell of a long day, but it was good to be around friends, that have in a way helped me along this rocky road we cal life.

Work has been very bust hence the dearth of  posts from me, but suffice to say were nearly on top of it, about time as I’m due to head of to GB in July, mind you that damn volcano is starting to be a right royal pain. Uni work is also drawing to a close, next week will be the end of contact bar marking etc…. I have also started Uni work for myself, perhaps I was a bit too enthusiastic to do this but I’ll give it my all. I did come across this Tim, thought you’d like it, might help me get over jet lag when I come over…

On a serious note I have to put my pall into the animal hospital to have a tumour removed from her neck and to get her eye fixed, it should be straight forward but you never know, she is getting on, will be 12 this year so surgery is risky. I have had thoughts about getting a puppy for her, but I’m really enjoying the time we have together and I don’t want to spoil it, going away for 4 weeks will be hard enough so I’m trying to fit in as much time as I can, mind you she is pretty laid back about things.

Well after almost a year, I finally have my house.

I have bought my ex wife out and I finally have the house of my dreams, the one that I helped plan, design and build .

To be honest it is a bit overwhelming ,as after so much stress, and I can tell you there was a hell of a lot of it, it is over.

It feels strange, but tonight I will celebrate with a bottle of bubbly….

No Pics no kind words, those of you that know me…its over or perhaps more eloquently  as Jeff Buckley says ” Its Over”

I thank each and every one of you, and yes I have talked around the globe tonight, and I have sampled the finest reds to be found here ( sorry for not inviting you)

But  Elbow and me have had fun and want to thank everybody for helping me, I will get to see you all this year I promise.

It’s funny as my father (or fazer if you know Austin Powers!) said when he got the all clear of cancer, its an anti climax!

Well I can tell you I feel the same but different, I feel that I can finally get on with my life, and god knows I’m going to bug yuou all!

This  blog is not about me, but about the people that have made me what I am today

I thank you and cherish the time you have  given to me.

All my love Michael

2010 sounds plain, not even a stardate whatever, I thought when I was young that by this time we would be driving cars that hover, a colony on the moon etc

However things do change, slowly, work is settling down albeit briefly as I’m in for more upheaval this year, well you know, can’t get too comfortable…

Going back to teach and be taught at Uni this year which will mean a busy schedule, but be fun.

Planning on catching up with Tim this year, will have to make a few sacrifices, mainly booze and food but I should be able to do it!

Had a good time down in Margaret River, nice lunch at Wills Domaine, very good worth a visit. I then caught up with my old friend Guy from Eagle Vale wines. If you manage to get down to Margaret River then I would suggest a visit to this winery, it stands above the rest in quality, I should know I have drunk enough of their wine, but if you don’t believe me then a certain James Halliday  gave it 5 stars as one of the best new wineries in Australia.

Anyway a few pics or as Tim would say, “The world is a fine place”

Since its Australia day soon, I thought you’d like this, my sheep number 8 owned by a certain Sam Kekovitch!

There’s nothing like a pipe band to take me back to my roots!

Did I tell you I was lucky!!

I know its been a while since I last talked and really its taking me this long to find time, I know its strange, find time, its like, save time, you can’t, there is a great Dave Allen sketch on saving time, which I shall find and post later!

I’m well and truly over my throat infection, I had it just before I left Scotland and had a good week and a bit on AB’s here in OZ, suffice to say it was a real fucker a great way to lose weight mind you but this one was a wee bit too close for comfort as when your on a plane and your throats about to close there’s no ET tubes handy! Anyway a double dose of mouldy cheese seemed to do the trick but it did take a while. Anyway back to Oz and it rained, and rained just as well because my retic is on the blink, another job for tomorrow!

Work, at the start of the year work required that I was to be relocated to another location which suits me well as its out of all the politics and crap but now they are trying to bring me back. Just when I was getting comfortable at the “Country Club” as I call it and was settling in, however progress will be my saviour as they are redeveloping GHQ and cannot fit more people in so it looks like I will be at the club for a wee while longer. As usual with this time of the year its actually our busiest time and its pain but we will have fun as that’s what’s life’s all about.

Anyway Michaela and I went on a picnic in my suburb down by the river, I have a plan, well another one as Stewie and I share the same one, but this plan is to show her just how beautiful my suburb is…

An apprehensive start to the day as this was for my Father, hopefully his last appointment for his throat cancer. It is never an easy day as one never knows just what to expect, did that last sore throat do any damage, am I not putting on enough weight, all these questions and emotions were running through my Fathers mind. The taxi came late which is not a good thing as my Father is a nervous traveller at the best of times, and the driver had spilled diesel so the car was full of the pungent smell of diesel. The chap had a terrible disposition in the fact that he spoke incomprehensible english, the dialect was foreign to me and indeed to my family, so I just nodded and gave the occasional yes, sad to say that this was an accent that I did not miss. We arrived at the Western General to the Cancer Centre, a place that does not have fond memories for my Father, but a place where the staff are excellent. I waited in the designated area and I looked around at the people that were really battling, the newly diagnosed people, were easy to spot as they had a look that said what’s the fuss all about. I looked at a particular chap who was obviously  inconvenienced by having to take time out of his busy day, I thought you poor bastard, you have no idea just what your in for. There were various sufferers, mostly head and neck as by the visible scars from various surgeries, I know what these people are going through as I saw my Father waste away before my eyes for 12 weeks before he could finally swallow and keep some food, if you could call it that, down. My Father was called next and he disappeared to meet his favourite consultant, a woman who does not hold back, I really like her as  she does not sugar coat the truth. The next 10 mins seemed to take ages, a lot went through my mind, is it back, what do we have to do, is it the all clear. Finally my Father appeared and he was pale and had a vague look on his face, he told me he has the all clear, after 5 long years. Mixed emotions flowed through all of us as it was a bit surreal, my Father could not believe it. Upon returning home, carried by the same chap by the way, I opened a fine bottle of French Champagne, to toast the eradication of this the most horrid of diseases. My Father was still in no mans land as he said it would take a few days to sink in. The wine flowed and before too long Dad started to reminisce about the treatment, the dark days that he went through and asked me is it really over, I filled his glass and said, my bloody oath it is.

Monday saw more sunshine, so much so that I had to resort to my Dads trendy, NOT sunnies. I would post a picture but I look like elton john, thank god I still have anonymity here. I travelled north past the idicllic town of Pitlochry famous for its hydro electric dam , Blair Atholl distillary, and Edradour, Scotlands smallest. I then sped past my favourite castle, Blair, where Queen Victoria graced our presence in 1842, no doubt for a rendezvous  with her “Friend” the game keeper Mr Brown. I arrived just in time for a spot of lunch, a decent salmon caught on our rivers followed by a bottle of sparkling….water! I meandered through the shops filled with tweed and outdoor clothing, fighting the tourists that flock to the high class merchandise. I was looking for something for Michaela, something that probably comes from the middle east and definitely comes from a goat, I hunted until I found the perfect items, obviously I can’t say too much as she’s probably reading this!! I headed back to Perth via the back roads, single lane and full of high hedges and blind corners just what you wish for in tourist season. Night was drawing in and I then headed back to Edinburgh, roof open sunnies on, god knows what I looked like, I searched for some pearljam, Lior, Keane and eventually came across some John Mayer, which got me a little too melancholy as I really miss Michaela, so I had to get up to warp 2 and mix it up with some Gorillaz and The Fray. I have noticed that this time that I have to be a little more vigilant as the gendarme are ever present, not like OZ  where there are bloody multinovas everywhere but on the on ramps to the freeways they hide looking for the unsuspecting inocent punter that just wants to clear the cobwebs. I have been assured that if you keep it below 160 (warp3) then your license is safe, so for me a casual 140 (warp2) will suffice.

Saturday arrived and I headed off to Perth, this time the sun was shining and the car reported a steady 22 degrees, which actually had me reaching for the aircon switch. If I told you that the heat was different here you would not believe me but suffice to say it is a bit humid. We get most of the weather from America and just now they are having bloody awful weather so a rich moist bank of cloud had made its way to our fair shores giving me the false impression that I was in a warm but humid climate. I did call Michaela later on and she had a chuckle that I had the air on and it was only 22, no doubt we’ll dine on it for a while. I headed out in the avo along the back roads and I was disappointed to see the leaves falling off some trees, a sure sign that Autumn is on its way, mind you it is crisp in the mornings getting down to the odd 5 or 6 a bad sign this early.

Sunday came and I had an evening with my old mate Graeme and his wife Marion, I was pleasantly surprised to see a couple of bottles of ringbolt from Margaret River on the table hinting that we might just have a good night. Graeme lives on a cliff and there is a good hundred foot drop at the back of his house, needless to say you have to be a wee bit careful. We settled in to a nice evening of catching up and before too long a bottle of west cape howe appeared, I was just thinking this is too easy when Graeme remarked that they were having a party on September the 5th. Each year Graeme asks me to cook a BBQ for him and the guest list hovers around 30, with variations from pork, beef to chicken and god forbid, bloody vegetarian sausages. I mean why bother its hard to know when the buggers are cooked honestly I would rather eat chicken! Meat is very expensive over here and Graeme does not scrimp, the best sirloin that I usually marinate in a huge commercial pot followed by free range chook and dare I say the best vegetarian rubbish money can buy. Last year I nearly had to introduce orders as I had so many fussy eaters, however I did have a mild success as one of my friends, a vegetarian, whom I had not seen on 20 years asked for a bit of steak as the aroma was just too good. So there we have it I have a plan now all I need to do is contact Jimmy the butcher, place the order and sacrifice a lamb to ensure sunshine.

The week started with glorious sunshine, I could not believe how warm it is here in Scotland, 40 degree plus. Well I would like to write that but the sad truth is that the weather is exactly the same as it is in Perth at the moment, bloody awful. I woke early on Tuesday as it was a special day, yes another anniversary and tomorrow would be another one for my Father. Since my Father had Cancer I have been coming over at this time of the year so we can celebrate together, this usually involves an unusual meal or two and some very fine wine. Last year we celebrated in an old castle that has been turned into a Hotel, and this year we decided to go back as we had a ball last year. This year was no exception and I was glad to say that the wine list was excellent, a nice 2002 St Andrews Cab Sav to get things moving followed by an excellent Superstition Isle of Jura Whisky. Needless to say the next day was one spent in the summer house watching the wildlife go about their  business while the rain was relentless in its pursuit to drench everything. Thursday brought a fantastic morning, well at 5am there was not a cloud in the sky and I thought finally the good weather has arrived. I set off North for Perth iphone playing the Beatles Let It Be, the sunroof was open and the clear blue sky flashed above as I headed for the Forth Bridge. The traffic was surprisingly light as I settled into warp 1, just a gentle run as my trusty steed had not done many miles since my last visit and I wanted to give her a shakedown incase the harsh winter had caused any undue stress on the usual suspects. I reached Perth and the sunshine was perfect I did notice that there were not that many foreign tourists as the recession has really taken hold here. I made my way up to the house in the country as I had a few errands to do that my Father had asked. The house had changed slightly as my Father had some workmen repair and replace items throughout the year and it was looking splendid, not bad for something that is a few hundred years old. I wandered around the property looking at the things that I would change as eventually I will retire here, well for the summer months anyway as I don’t envy the Autumn and Winter here anymore. I still have vivid memories of freezing ice, a wind chill that goes to the bone and rain that beats down relentlessly, no I can’t see me relishing to get back to that. I soon left as I had to be at the local pub, I thought quick a blast down some very narrow lanes would get me there in no time, mind you last year my cousin had me whisking down at 110 mph or warp 3 in her Audi diesel!, this year however sanity prevailed and a sedate 70 mph was enough. I entered and scanned for my local choice of beer on tap, only to be greeted with, I’m sorry Mike, only you and a chap from the village had drunk the stuff, and he died and you only come here once a year so we had to get rid of it. Bugger I do like Tennants Velvet, its a dark beer, only 3.5% a bit like Mcaffreys, rich and creamy and works wonders for the 30 feet of intestine that has had a holiday on the plane! My old friends soon trotted in and we soon migrated to the amber nectar and started putting the world to rights. All too soon closing time was called, a shame really as we were just getting started, but a blessing as I was heading back to Edinburgh the next day. The day started with rain, how unusual, so the roof was closed and Elbow and Fiest were playing on the iphone to ease the pain of rain. I slotted in to some light traffic and decided to have a competition with the car to see if I could get better that the 34.5mpg I had achieved on the way up. I tried all the tricks I know and I couldn’t do it, so I think I may just have to give it some gentle servicing the next time I’m up in Perth as I should be able to crack 40mpg easily.

I was stuck in a bloody queue and it was moving slowly, too slowly as I had not packed and I still had to see to my faithful friend who was also about to go on holiday. I finally reached the brewery after about 30 mins, then I did a quick scan to make sure Mr Plod was nowhere to be seen and I then mounted the median strip and made my way back through Fremantle. I slowly moved as every man and his dog decided to do the same thing, suffice to say it took me 3 hours to get home. I arrived to be greeted by old faithful, still oblivious to what lay ahead, being behind I had to gather up all her belongings and favourite food and whisk her off for her 6 week holiday. I had to make a dash to see my old mate Charles, who had a refreshing glass of Xabregas waiting for me, which I must say is an extremely nice drop. I then made my way home and by 10pm I called it a day as I was buggered.

I awoke early, too much on my mind I suspect, I mean I hadn’t even packed. Michaela came round at 9.30 so I had the coffee brewed and the toast on as I knew she had already been at work and probably had an early start. I packed and Michaela went through the check list with me to make sure I took enough stuff for 6 weeks etc. To my dismay the bloody rain started on the way to the airport, and a horrible thought crept in, I bet the weather in Scotland will be the same!

Unusual for me the whole check in thing went smooth, no problems with immigration or with the lady with the magic wand that looks for explosives. The plane left on time and I managed to sit next to a chap that could talk for Australia, crap, I wanted to get some sleep. I noticed that he did not touch a drop, well you know what they say, never trust a man that does not trust himself with drink. We landed on time and I had a quick nose around the airport, I do like Singapore well laid out tons of things to do. I made my way to the gate and sat patiently minding my own business, soon people began to arrive and a young girl asked if she could sit next to me, a ha things are looking up. Anyway Emma was on her way to see her family in GB and was in her last year of school. Surprisingly she was thinking of a career in journalism and I mentioned that I do lecture journalist students at uni and  the questions came flooding. Before too long it was time to embark, I was mildly excited as I was flying on the brand new A380, the double decker plane. I was told when I booked my ticket that I would like my seat, I thought well what’s special about 71D, to my delight there is no seat in front of you as in its place is the escape hatch, brilliant I had all the leg room one could imagine. The plane was 3 months old and dare I say it still had the new car smell, really odd. We took off and the first thing I noticed is how quiet it is compared to a 747, it really is a delight to fly. There is a camera facing forward mounted on the tail and that view is tremendous as when you go through cloud its spectacular. As usual the service was perfect as was the food, unusual for qantas but a pleasant surprise. I managed one wee bottle of wine and decided to catch some Z’s, to my amazement I managed 6 hours sleep, unheard of and quite extraordinary for me. All too soon I landed in London, and the process was bloody awful, line after line it was hell, were supposed to be in  a recession but there were hundreds of people it was madness, I caught the bus to terminal 5 where it was a bit more civilised. All domestic BA flights leave from there so it was a straight run home, or so I thought. When I was in Perth I was told by customs that I could not take carry on booze as in London they would take it away, bloody stupid as I could carry it to London but not on to Edinburgh, apparently some EU regulation, stupid. I embarked the aircraft and immediately fell asleep as I was tired, 20 mins later I woke up and we were no further forward, we had missed our slot so this would bugger up our schedule. I touched down in Edinburgh 30 mins late, the luggage took an age and as I made my way to the taxi rank I saw an elderly chap with a sign bearing my name, my father had come to pick me up, quite a hoot really, Dad standing there with a sign for me. Anyway 20 mins later I was entering the front door to be greeted by the greyhounds, eager to see just what the fuss was all about. I had a leisurely shower and waiting for me was some lovely bacon from the Queens butcher, delightful, exquisite and great texture I really wish we had such tasty morsels in Oz.

Yesterday I had the privilege of drinking one of Australia’s premium wines ,  the redoubtable Grange Hermitage.

I gave it to my friend Chaz for his 70th birthday in January and he thought it was about time that we uncorked it.

With all Granges they are a deep crimson, they also have a blackcurrent/ chocolate aroma. Being primarily a  shiraz you do get

a ripe velvety smooth tannins sweep across the palate.  Most of the late 90′s wines can be drunk now but will keep  till 2040.

To compliment the Grange Chaz had a St Andrews 98 Shiraz and a Xanadu 25th anniversary Shiraz, not to mention the superb meal!

Michaela drove and I must say I am more impressed with her car the more I am in it. Last night it was torrential rain and I discovered the wipers are rain and speed sensitive.

I have yet to work out my iphone connection properly as it seems to take an age to read in the playlists but I’ll get there in time.