Things I'm gonna miss #2

The Hub Cafe

Where elso but at Lilydale Campus would you get service like this? Just hand over your mug or keep-cup. They know what you have and how you like it. For the princely sum of $2.50.

Wonderful Bo and zany Bec - baristas extraordinaire. Sam and Charmaine - such platters of goodies at all our functions.

Maybe a specially decorated confection on your birthday.

Bo

Bec

Inky Pinky Parlez Vous!

Mere won the Gold Inky for her young adult novel, "Shift" last night. What a thrill to win an award shortlisted by experts then voted on by the readers themselves! The prize is a weighty trophy and prize money of $2000.

As she is in Germany Mere accepted by videolink. She mentioned that her last trophy win was for "Most improved 12-and-under freestyler" awarded by the Payneham Swimming Club in Adelaide when she was 8 in 1979.

Most improved freestyler - 1979

Gold Inky - 2012

Last night her award was accepted on her behalf by her editor at Hardie Grant Egmont, Hil Rogers to loud applause.

Congratulations Mere! So richly deserved.

Inky-awards-announcement

Things I’m gonna miss #1

When I am no longer driving 43 kms to work every morning I will miss the radio traffic report.

I will have no reason to fear the gale force winds on the Westgate, the upturned truck on the Tulla or the hoon racer on the ring road. I won’t care if it’s chockers on the Chandler, there’s a bingle on Burke in Balwyn and the usual mess at the South Gippy merge.

Boomgates at level crossings all over the city may refuse to budge but what’ll that be to me?

On the way home I will miss listening to The Ox on SEN, particularly that wacky segment, 'The Name Game' but also Leigh Paatsch’s film reviews, Julie Hancock’s astonishingly educational 'Beer O’Clock', the absurd 'Turfy’s Betting Exchange', and that marketing communications expert who advises footy players on how to extract themselves from their latest alcohol induced public act of idiocy.

I’d never bother to switch on this blokey banality if I weren’t confined to a car. Still, I am going to miss you Oxy.