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Ah Comrades,
Yes I am talking to you my fellow Monday morning devotees. Those of you who look forward to jumping out of bed and getting straight into another day at the office! Those that can’t wait to throw off the shackles of the weekend and burst forth into another week!!!
Hello? Hello? Anyone there? Where is everyone?
Yes hello and welcome to another Monday morning dribble. I know that you know that I know that Mondays are a day of reflection and wondering. A day of strong coffee and a wishing of being in your warm bed (your bed?!) But we do as we must and we go to work to pay those all important bills. And yes we (Mrs Grasshopper and I) have the biggest bill of all, the mortgage! Still doesn’t seem real at this point but hoping to feel the real impact soon. Of course then we won’t be able to wait for it al to come to a finish!
The good Baron touched (as always) on a marvellous event just gone in the past weekend. Yes it was the 70th birthday to end all birthdays! Yes, Kath and Megan both combined their new ages to create a birthday extravaganza!! There comes a time in a man’s life when he needs to take a firm grip on the direction of his life and dress as a woman……
What can I say? It was quite an interesting night and as always, it’s good to have some Cuzzin Luvvin : ) We danced, we laughed, we drank, we gave presents (back) and we toasted. Great night that has been forever marked (via photograph) for all to enjoy for ever more. Thanks Kath and Megan.
By the way, our house is just the best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!]
G-Love ; )
Welcome Mrs G.! or is that Mr Cher?
I’m still so confused, men in drag, men in outrageous and disgusting outfits, men with rings in places rings should not be, women with moustaches well before their due date, some old boy with instant hair, I’m so confused.
Maybe it has something to do with the amount of alchohol one consumes when partying? I know that’s the excuse I’m using for my amazing dancing “style”. And just wait until you see the video. One of my more outstanding productions and worthy of an award………
Welcome Mrs G you are know a fully flegded member of the clan. Anyone who owns up to being married to Cher and associated with cuzin’ combover must have given themselves over to the dark side. What would your mother say?
Ciao
I’m still so confused, men in drag, men in outrageous and disgusting outfits, men with rings in places rings should not be, women with moustaches well before their due date, some old boy with instant hair, I’m so confused.
Maybe it has something to do with the amount of alchohol one consumes when partying? I know that’s the excuse I’m using for my amazing dancing “style”. And just wait until you see the video. One of my more outstanding productions and worthy of an award………
Welcome Mrs G you are know a fully flegded member of the clan. Anyone who owns up to being married to Cher and associated with cuzin’ combover must have given themselves over to the dark side. What would your mother say?
Ciao
MM
Kia Ora!
Welcome to my first ever blog! a short but sweet one of course and probably nothing to do with rallying or cars!
Thank you Michael for inviting me to take part in this scinitillating (don’t know how you spell the word) wit of words .. I hope that I live up to your and G’s standard! and I hope that I have posted this correctly!
Anyway must dash now, work to do …
Mrs Grasshopper 
Oh you know who I’m talking about.
Chris Atkinson.
Is he just unlucky or is he not up to it? Is he too soft? Is he just lucky to have a rich dad? Does he have secret photos of Dave Richards dressed as a call girl? Or is he a talent with an immense pressure on him to achieve (regardless of all the press releases)?
In his favor he really is new to the sport of rallying, let alone a “Formula 1 of the forest, turbo charged, 4 wheel drive WRC” (thanks John…….You banana!)! He is up against people with years of experience not only in the sport but WRC cars as well. Am I only suffering from the Great Australian cringe? I must admit to being VERY disappointed in Troy Bayliss this year and have hung him out to dry. Yet if memory serves me correctly, I did the same to the other Troy, Troy Corser. Now he is on top of the world Superbike championship and likely to claim the title by an obscene amount of points!
Is there truth in the Tall Poppy Syndrome? And really, what exactly does it mean? I always thought it meant that we disliked achievers, of any sort! Some response harking back to the days of our early convict ancestors, those that would of set upon even a family member for not having scurvy! Who does he think he is anyway?! Bloody better than us is he?
But I loved these guys! Aussies that had taken on the world and stuck it to them! Won world championships and dominated their sport at times. Is it that I expect more from them? Am I part of the cultural brainwash that holds Australians up and says, “We are better than the rest of the world. At sport that is…..” The same country that whips ourselves into a frenzy whenever the Olympics is on and glow with pride at just how well our little country does per capita (hey dopey!! We are also the biggest investor into our sports program per capita!! It works both ways!!) Do I just not get it when they can’t beat everyone in the world?
I admit I do suffer some confusion whenever one of the great Aussie horde heads towards the line only to get pipped by one of the even bigger Spanish/American/Finnish/Wherevervanian horde. What went wrong? Was he asleep? Is he past it? Too famous to try now is he? What will I tell the wife? Our country is coming to an end! We lost the cricket for gawds sake!!!! AAARRRGGGHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Maybe he did the best he could and that will have to be enough…………..
Ahh G,
Do not despair, for when the opportunity arises you know I will drop everything to be scared witless by you in whatever form of gravel missile we can get our hands on. Even a Lime green, purple and black Escort!
So long as you can find time in your full life for the occasional spectating experience I’ll keep your interest.
No, it’s nowhere near as fulfilling as actually being out their doing it in the car. Never could be, but our collective company out there discussing the varied abilities of those we watch is always good fun.
There’s not too much in the list that is anything a normal 30 something hasn’t gone through and I figure you wouldn’t change many of the things that have happened over the last 5 or 6 years since we last competed.
You did introduce me to a great bunch of people and sport I’ve always had a passion for but only as a spectator. I’m forever grateful that you gave me the opportunity to have a go!
Yep I’ve progressed differently to you in the car club, but then I’m at different time in my life to you.
Your family is yet to come, mine’s grown up, I’ve bought my house 20 years ago, you’re about to buy yours. Of course you know all this already, but I guess I’m just saying I understand it from your point of view. And, it might be my turn to own the car one day and you can just turn up and drive. I’ll keep working towards that day.
Anyway enough of the melancholy! Lets get back to our usual razor sharp repartee. Who can we tear shreds off tomorrow?
Ciao
MM
* Add one house
* Ensure there is a long distance between you and the car
* Have no money to spare
* Lead a full and fulfilling life
* Do lose touch with Car Club
* Keep abreast of fee increases
* Get older
* Don’t win Tatts
* Start missing WRC coverage
* Add wife
* Begin new more challenging job
With these ingredients all you need to do is mix them into any lifestyle and before you know it your Co-driver has become the President of the Car Club you introduced him to and further, has a new driver!!
Wash down with a tall glass of regret with a twist of sadness.
Ow!
You are right, that really hurt to hear that! Well at least it is not at the ends of the earth for my first event as a service crew. How will I go? Will I be able to handle the pressure? Will the memories flood back? Will I have the car ready to head back into battle each time? Will I be able to restrain myself from strangling the new guy and taking over his spot?! Will we ever forget the number nine? Not likely for this driver as it was truly a memorable event. The sort of moment when you loosen your hands on the reins and let your talent and car have it’s head. Dramatic? Perhaps but it certainly was one of those “Zen” moments that will live in my mind for some time.
But the Team has had many “Zen” encounters. And if I recall rightly, they mostly appear in the home land of the Wombat. Could this forest conceal the path to a higher state of being? Could it contain the echoes of dream time magic? Is it possible that alien presence there allows us to transcend to greater possibilities? Am I full of sh!t?! Well yes I am, but whatever it is I do feel that some of the best times had were with The Great One in the Zed in the Wombat. Whether it was “no brakes” or slotting up the outside of a “gun” crew in an Escort or even trusting to the stump God to be absent when “over” sideways as we meandered in the moonlight, HighFive racing has enjoyed it’s share of fond memories in The Wombat. I trust there will be more.
And yes Great One, it was your other left………..
Betrayed indeed, heheheh.
Just to add salt to the Grasshoppers wounds of betrayal. It’s highly likely the “test” event with the new driver will be partly in the famous Wombat State Forest.
Ah yes the Wombat, scene of our favourite event. Who remembers the Moonlight Meander and number NINE!? We sure do.
Nothing will ever quite match that night in the mighty Z. Seven years on and it still seems like yesterday……………………. Well almost.
So Grasshopper, you can provide the spiritual support for the team, spin the spanner, tend the tyres, pour the petrol and wash the windows. You know it’ll be appreciated while we venture forth into the great unknown (and with me on maps that’s what it’ll feel like!).
How does it go again, RGR over crest. Next call 500metres. THL…………………. no! your other left!
Another man eh?
Well I am sure that as good as he is he will be a pale copy of the awesome ability was shown to Mike several times!
Am I sad? Not really, more like jealous! Jealous that they get to have fun and I am left to Service! Yuck!! Well anything that will assist which goes to show what a lovely guy that I am (perhaps the new boy will fall ill and I can take the wheel!) Good luck to the both of them and as the Great One said, you will hear all about it in the near future.
I wait. I watch………
Well folks the comback event that wasn’t happened a couple of weeks back and a fine effort it was too.
So we had a full field which was great and the predictable result happened with a rocketship, that really should not be in a club rally, winning the event from a young up and comer and the old stagers equal 3rd with another up and comer.
One incident threatened to mar the night but it all turned out well in the end and the new Clerk of Course handled it all admirably and is coming back next year with yours truly on board as assistant.
Of course the driver came up with some lame excuse about moving house or some such thing and didn’t get there, but I’ll drag him kicking and screaming to NGKRoM next month!
So we had a full field which was great and the predictable result happened with a rocketship, that really should not be in a club rally, winning the event from a young up and comer and the old stagers equal 3rd with another up and comer.
One incident threatened to mar the night but it all turned out well in the end and the new Clerk of Course handled it all admirably and is coming back next year with yours truly on board as assistant.
Of course the driver came up with some lame excuse about moving house or some such thing and didn’t get there, but I’ll drag him kicking and screaming to NGKRoM next month!
In the meantime I’ve ditched the driver and found meself another who is pretty damned competent and if all goes well, a full season will ensue next year. That of course assumes that he likes the dulcet tones of me calling the shots in the test event later this year.
Keep an eye out for those reports because I’m tipping there’ll be some excitement had!
‘Til next time, Ciao.
