On most Saturday mornings, when the weather is clear, Tress and I would get the little Padawan (a.k.a. Oreo) into the car and we’d drive to Kiddo’s. We’d take Milo and we’d all walk towards the playing fields at the end of Boddington Crescent. We love to see these pooches running around the fields. They look really happy and the backdrops of various hills surrounding the fields provide really good scenic views and it’s a part of our weekend that I really enjoy. Often, when we get back about a couple of hours later, Oreo would be pooped and look quite contented to have a bit of shut eye as we go about our weekend errands.
Tress was supposed to meet up with someone from SBC and I had planned on cleaning the barbies and hopeful of some cooking time on them over the coming warmer weekends. As I was headed to Bunnings to pick up some Seasol etc., Tress message me to say her appointment has been cancelled as the person she was supposed to meet was unwell. So I headed home, got cleaned up and we headed to Woden. I returned David Day’s Young Hawke at the Woden library. Again, the timing of this read was fortuitous as towards the end, it told the story of the dismissal of Whitlam’s Government by Kerr.
Gough Whitlam’s had been such a pivotal government that was so eventful that its sacking remained a ripe talking point, especially as the 50th anniversary took place. That it overshadowed other parts of Remembrance Day annoyed many who prized 11 November each year. Whitlam was sacked as PM on 11 Nov 1975. I first came across this historic event when at UNSW, doing a subject on Constitutional Law (or course). Phillip Jensen, in his Campus Bible Study talks, also referred to Whitlam’s many changes, including the Marriage Act which made faultless divorce possible, so Whitlam’s impact became etched in my mind. I kept reading on this event thereafter so David Day’s reference to it felt like driving past a small little town. Blink and miss. It caught my attention only because the media had been full of it, no less by the likes of Paul Kelly of The Australian, a journo I followed and read closely.
Anyway, Tress and I then had lunch at Ramen O, a little shop just behind the library, which has fast become our Saturday favourite lunch spot. I said to Tress I really enjoy the texture of the noodles. It reminded me of the best “wanton mee” I had in Klang as a younger person, especially the dry version. The broth the folks at Ramen O whip up is a perfect bath for the “just right” bouncy noodles. I have been having the mildly spicy version in recent weeks.
After lunch, we did grandparents duty and looked after Zoe at the Westfield at Woden, as Kiddo attended to Abby who was napping in the car. Tress and I had one of those really lovely arvos as grandparents. Later that evening, we bought some takeaway from the local Italian (providentially also named “Pronto”) and they came over to our home, had dinner, had loads of playtime, before they went back and got ready for Sunday.
Early Sunday morning, Tress and I had a quick brekky and then we headed out to Stromlo Forest Park. I had signed up for my first little run at the Stromlo Running Festival. It was only the 5km, so I did no training whatsoever. It was a beautiful morning however and running through the beautiful Stromlo Forest was a blessing. I hope to do more of this.
After the run, we headed to SBC for an unusual service. Schools had been shut by an asbestos stained play sand so Namadgi School was unavailable. Thankfully, the leaders at SBC managed to get a cinema at South Point so we had the service there. Not ideal, but at least we met, and were able to do the basics. We also had a quick chat with Josh, a recent Canberran from Melbourne like us, whose wife Kaela is expecting their firstborn. Josh told us they’d be heading back to Melbourne so we’d miss them.
It was a full weekend. Fun, tiring but all so fulfilling for so many reasons.
Ante 