September - 2000

Tuesday September 26.......

Well... here we are... the happy little group about to embark on a Whale Watching trip..

It was Jared's 8th Birthday on 25th September and we hadn't been whale watching in years. I thought about my Dad a lot during the day because he was with us on the last trip we did.

The whales were magic!! They swam alongside us, under the boat, jumped out of the water and put on a magnificent show for us all day. This was the best trip we had ever been on. Never before did we have them so close.... it was awesome.

Whale Watch pictures here

What was even more incredible was that the trip cost us nothing! That wasn't the plan though. I rang some friends who were our best Agents when we were doing Charter Fishing and asked which would be the best boat to go on. Then we decided how long we'd like to be out, found out what time it left and she said she'd put us on a vessel called Mikat. I asked what the cost was.... she said 'nothing'. They own the Mikat! I had no idea, I'd been out of touch with everything down at the harbour. I tried to argue with her but it didn't work. I burst into tears! No-one does anything for me for nothing.... ever, at least that's what I thought.

Annette gave no reason for her kindness but she probably remembered all the trips we let her husband come on for nothing when we were in business and I think this was her chance to repay us. Well, it was the best day we have had in over 4 years! I couldn't wait to call her and tell her.

The day wasn't without events other than whales though some attributed to grandson number 2, which we won't go into and the other was one of the passengers... the true Ugly American! I have lots of American friends who wouldn't dream of acting like this jerk. Actually he could have been any nationality... he was just plain RUDE! He certainly was a lousy ambassador for his country, this wasn't only my opinion, he had all the passengers disgusted with him and his family.

My mother was going to get stuck into him but what held her back was that we hadn't had to pay for the trip. That I would have liked to see. He needed taken down a peg or two,

Then we've had the OLYMPICS since I last wrote in this journal!

The Opening Ceremony was great! It's just a pity that the whole theme was to get across to the world "We're not racist" What bunk! Of course this country is racist!

Personally, I don't care what colour our skins are! I'm getting on my soapbox again.....

I think it's about time this government treated the Aboriginies EXACTLY the same as they treat the Australian and Ethnic communities in this country. That's what they want... GIVE IT TO THEM!

See how they'll like HAVING to go to jail for crimes instead of getting a slap on the wrist and sent home. Make them pay for land and houses, just like we have to, instead of being handed homes on a platter only to pull them to pieces, burning doors and furnishings at the first sign of cold weather. Charge them with being drunk and disorderly just like the white folk. Make them work for their living, just like the white folk.

We have to work for what we own. They have the opportunity for an education just like everyone else. Why does everything have to be handed to them as a gift. Why don't they make the effort to better themselves instead of complaining about what happened to their ancestors. We were not responsible for that. If they want to whinge and complain, complain to Great Britain! They are the ones who had the fracas with their ancestors... not us.

The world probably thought the Olympic Opening Ceremony was wonderful, that is if you understood the things that were peculiar to this country. What infuriated me was the amount of time spent appeasing the Aboriginies so that they wouldn't have any demonstrations while the Olymics were on. More than half the ceremony was given over to the Aborigine cause.

The first person to carry the torch in Australia was Aborigine (albeit a well deserving one) the last person to carry the torch was not only a sportswoman, but an Aboriginal Activist, who is threating to go into politics to fight for the Aborigine cause once the Olympics are over.

If we said "Sorry' to these people there would be so many 'claims' going through the courts it would send our country bankrupt.

They are not on their own when it comes down to brass tacks. The State and Federal Governments in this country treat the white people here worse than the Aboriginies are treated. I am talking from experience. So they're not being singled out.

O.K..... I'm off my soapbox!

The Olympics have been fabulous. The first week I was hardly away from the TV., something I hadn't planned. The swimming was incredible, so many record broken even in semi final and heats, not just in the finals.

We have two great swimmers in Ian Thorpe, who is just incredible and humble and only 17 and Grant Hackett, who took the 1500m race away from Keiran Perkins. Grant is also humble. I can't stand the ones who think they're a cut above the rest. Of course I don't mean to lessen the efforts of all our other swimmers, after all they made the winners have to try even harder to keep ahead of the field.

Our fellow Americans have done really well! One young lady who springs to mind was Misty Hyman. What a wonderful race she swam against our Olympic record holder, Susie O'Neil. I wish I could remember the names of the other swimmers because they were all great and made the swimming exciting for all of us.

One that does come to mind is Van Den Hoogenband... Wow! What is so great that when these winners are interviewed they are all so gracious.

Haven't spent much time watching this week but I've watched sports I never thought I ever would, like Volley Ball, Basketball, Dressage, Water Polo, Rowing etc. I'm not an arm chair spectator. In fact I'd be lucky to watch 5 hours of TV a week. Now as far as the computer is concerned... that's another story :-)

Jared had his school camp, seems the kids had a really great time, painting boomerangs, tie dyeing T Shirts, singing around the campfire. Their clothes were filthy when they got back. It appears the place they went camping was like a dustbowl, sadly we're in much need of some rain.

The trees went... it took them all day Monday and part of Tuesday morning. We ended up getting rid of 7 of them. Can't believe how much light gets into the kitchen now, we were putting on lights at 4:30 in the afternoon before! These still lots to do... I did some more trimming last Sunday. I'm paying for it now... my body feels like it's 100, everything aches.

I heard from the Law Society, I should have expected their response! This mediator was trying to pacify me and remain on the other solicitor's side. Told me this solicitor was well respected in Brisbane. I told him that this isn't Brisbane, it's Hervey Bay and he's hated here! Said he didn't have enough evidence to get him for misconduct and that he was being reasonable in that he was now willing to wait until the Will is settled before receiving payment. He'd only been off the phone 10 minutes when he called me back saying that this solicitor had changed his mind! Now he wants security to ensure he's paid! "That's typical!" I said, "...he's just proven my point! " I've heard nothing since, and that was almost a week ago. Maybe this mediator is finding out what a lunatic this man really is!

Since then of course I have found out that someone else complained about him last November and sent many letters to this same mediator. So when I do finally hear from him I'll bring those complaints to his attention. He can't say he hasn't any evidence as to his threatening attitude. As I told him it seems that the 'little people' just have no rights. Just because someone has a few letters after their name doesn't make them automatically infallible! He wasn't happy with my observation... bad luck!

Jason is working full time now on one job, has started a web creation business and is making money from that and also has time to do the Marlin Fishing job since the owner of the full time business he works at is also the owner of the Marlin Charter business.

He's been really sick, I've never seen him look worse. He and Jared had the same virus so I got medicine for Jared and the same stuff worked on Jason, only Jason's sickness lasted longer than Jared's. However life seems to be taking a better turn for him and I'm happy about that.

I've just about done my dash here... not much more to tell this week so, I'll..........

Catch you later,

Oops nearly forgot the most important news... I've lost 21 pounds all up as of last Wednesday!!! Go in tomorrow for the next weigh in... pretty good huh?

Jamie

Sunday October 1.......

I know this should be in the October pages of my Journal but I enjoyed it so much I had to say so here. I've just fininshed watching the Closing Ceremony of the Olympic Games and it was fantastic!!

It got off to a 'suspect' start. I was a bit worried about the supposed humour of the fellow being stuck out in the arena with the mower... but it had its purpose, to break with formality. The rest of the show was outstanding except for the screeching Jimmy Barnes singing (?) Working Class Man and the "Sorry" group Midnight oil who brought politics into the show with Peter Garret's song about giving land back to the aboriginies. Eliminate those two from my memory and the rest of the show was superb.

The priestesses coming from Greece was a first in the history of the Olympics and the fireworks were something else! Sydney Harbour is the perfect setting for an occassion like this.

All in all I think Michael Knight should be proud of the outcome of this event. It was stricken with all sorts of problems in the preparation for the Games, with building problems, ticketing problems, buses getting lost *S* to name but a few BUT it all came together in the end and that's what counts.

Tourists and locals had nothing but good words for the past 17 days. Myself... I've never watched so many sports events in my life. The athletes continue to break world records and we have some new heroes. For Australia we have Ian Thorpe and Grant Hackett in swimming, the Netherlands has Hoogenband and the USA has Misty Hyman who took the gold away from our Susie O'Neill. All the althletes were wonderful, for without all those who didn't win medals, there would be no camaraderie and no Games.

One last thing, except for the escape of the prisoners from the minimum security prison close to the venue there were no threats of violence, which made these Games truly FRIENDLY!

Well done Sydney!

Catch you later,

Jamie

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OCTOBER 2000 JOURNAL

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