New blog address...

Hey - I've moved the blog to my own domain, later google ;) Check it over at: http://creative.hollier.id.au/wpc/?page_id=22 You'll see the same content infrequently updated. My aim this year 2014 - is to post at least once a week - it is good for the soul I believe. Also, it will encourage me to actually read and engage with thinking. Peace out. Chris.

Tired

So I’m at that point if time again, where I just don’t seem to cope with anything at all.

In at nutshell it sucks.

I want to be able to engage with my family and kids especially, in a way that is uplifting and builds them up - not one that places them into a position of frustration with me.

For all the reading on being a man and how to be a good father and husband,it’s times like this that it all just seems to crumble away to amounting to not much.

Certainly, it is the time of year that teachers all over are basically exhausted - end of semester, trying to still be productive so that you are ahead of the game in two weeks at the end of winter break.

So what is the answer? Obviously I (and I mean we…to many of the teachers out there) need a break. The challenge is to know how to do that.

Throughout the semester, a similar pattern kicks in. Things start well, with regular exercise, instrument practice and personal devotion - three private things I seem to need to be equipped to face the world, but gradually as the semester rolls on, the discipline required to maintain these tasks is destroyed - late school nights that through routine, the grind of morning rehearsals, extra-teaching paperwork time killers, the list just goes on.

It isn’t really worth ranting too much about this. 10 years into the game and nothing much has changed in this regard - well since the addition of children at any rate.

What is worth doing is working out a strategy to get out of the hole, climb back on the horse and start swimming again (to mix a metaphors or two).

I’d really love to get to a point where this pattern want so cyclic - maybe so that it didn’t happen at all.

Oh well.

Try again tomorrow.

Reports

Well I just finished writing my reports. It’s 4am. That will mean I can chill for the weekend at least.

Was it worth it? Time will tell…

Football...why?

Violence in Sport & the ramifications there of.

Having been following the NBA for years I’m not accustomed to much violence in the way of punches that don’t come with some form of actual consequence - by way of penalty. So it was with great disgust that I watched the first state of origin last Wednesday, to see Paul Gallon attack with swinging fists an unsuspecting Nate Miles.

I guess it was so much the punches that surprised me, but the celebratory response by both coaches!

What a strange world we live in. I only hope that footballers are a rare breed that won’t influence similar stupid violence in our wider community- well, we can hope.

Markdown - a new adventure.

Ok, so I’ve decided that my personality is one that is vavacious in regards to learning new things. I just can’t help it. Why do I spend hours pouring over different internet sites, books, magazines, blogs, reviews…? Because (I think) my personality is one that needs to.

I have just (about) finished reading a book on a topic called Markdown. It is basically a simple code syntax that allows you to write freely with rich text mark up - like headings and links and itallics.

Why do I need to know this?

Well, I’ve started to blog - as you would know, if you are reading this. More as a point of personal reflection and engagement more than for any other reason. This has been accompanied with:

• getting my own domain and website
• learning some basic html and php and mySQL
• becoming more tech-savy than I currently am (I’m more of an end user that tinkers really).

But one thing is for sure - I just like to know a bit of everything. I’m not content with just knowing a definintion for something - but like to have enough of an idea to engage it too.

My biggest challenge with all of this is knowing when to not get into something.

I think I will need to expolore this further.

Angry Birds

Angry Birds.

I just survived one of the most rewarding (and exhausting) experiences in my parenting life. 

As a parent, there comes a time when you end up in a situation where you have to hold the fort without the skills and experience that a mother (namely, my wife) brings to the family dynamics. This was the situation that I found my self in this last weekend.

For me, the highlight of the weekend was seeing my two youngest children having a world of fun (see pictures below) playing a game, almost of their own invention. Here is how the moment went down:

Bang! Bang! ….. Bang! [sounds of children jumping off the bed onto a mattress on the floor]

Dad: Kids - what are you doing?

Son: We’re playing ‘Angry Birds’. She is the pig and we’re knocking down the castle.

Now, my normal reaction to this type of activity - would be to feel a sense of stress, followed by an exasperated, ‘don’t jump off the beds - that’s not what they’re made for’. Instead - seeing the joy on their faces - and the fact that they were playing in a (relatively) safe way - I replied:

Cool.

So - I learned something this weekend. The ability to relax and enjoy your children being themselves and doing what they do is about (well partially) about letting go. I feel like I have more to ‘learn’ in this way and with any luck - I’ll get better at it too. 

If the beds were a little stronger - I would play ‘Angry Birds’ too. 

I'm Back

Hey all,

I haven't posted in ages - way too much going on to do computer stuff (of this nature at any rate).

Life - Hannah and Sam are growing heaps - I can't keep up with them.

Big Band is busy, playing at the local football club this friday night.

No money to buy new guitars - but that's ok.

Chris.

Just realised that Bron wanted me to do this...

A Questiony Meme

I was tagged by my BRON to do this questiony meme.  So, here it is...

1. Were you named after anyone? No
2. When was the last time you cried? No idea
3. Do you like your handwriting? No.  It has no certain “teacher” character to it.
4. What is your favourite lunch meat? Steak - does that count? Can eat it any time of day really.
5. Do you have kids? See the photos.
6. If you were another person would you be friends with you? Of course...
7. Do you use sarcasm a lot? Yes, all the time, it's my biggest weapon.(Bron quote)
8. Do you still have your tonsils? Yes.
9. Would you bungee jump? No.  I hate the feeling of falling.  I'm not a big risk-taker.(Bron quote again...)
10. What is your favourite cereal? CocoPops - but only ever get it at Dave's house... (well used to)
11. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? Depends on the direction of the breeze.
12. Do you think you are strong? Strength is a term that can describe many things - and is a very subjective and relative concept - so yes, no, maybe - and most of the time.
13. What is your favourite ice cream? Macadamia - oh yeah... (New Zealand or Baskins)
14. What is the first thing you notice about people? Never thought about that... I guess if they are taller or shorter than me... so that I can position (discourse theory) my reading of their stance on height.
15. Red or pink? Sorry - there is a difference that matters?
16. What is the thing that you like least about yourself? Hmmm - the 6th foot of my 5 foot frame.
17. Who do you miss the most? Hannah and Amy.
18. What colour pants and shoes are you wearing? Grey and none (you decide) 
19. Have you ever re-gifted? All the time... how many questions are left?
20. What are you listening to right now? Sean McAlif news spoof (I know I didn't spell his name correclty... no one is actually going to read up to this point...)
21. If you were a crayon what colour would you be? None - I have seen what Hannah can do to a crayon. There is too many questions - they will be in the next post...
    

More photos...

Yes - I know one is there twice - but I like that one...

Man - I'm getting the hang of this... the habit is developing...

Well - This must be like three days in a row. I think that my blog may eventually even achieve the greatness of 'The Life of Us' blog (see the link on the sidebar).

Don't know if I will ever get the number - an quality - of Bron's pictures either....

Oh well - something to aim for!

I'll have to settle for this (see on the left...)

Chris.

I have some followers!!

WooHoo!

I have two followers!

Thanks - I feel loved!

Chris.

The 'Church' - ideas and thoughts

For some time now, Amy and I have been looking into what 'Chruch' should be all about. I guess that part of this search has grown out of a dissatisfaction with the 'program' intensive environments that we have found ourselves in.

Tonight we decided to 'formally' begin this journey - that is to say that we got a little more serious about the 'research' side of things. 

Here is where we started... www.khouse.org/6640/BP104

If you are on the same journey - or wish to convince us that we are heratics of some kind - I encourage you to check out the studies, and post some comments.

Chris

Subscribe & Followers

Hey - post no.3 for a night!

I just added a 'subscribe' and 'followers' button. It is at the bottom of the page at the moment - I will try and move it to the side so that it is easier to see - but if you are a friend - please do both of these - it will make it easy for you to 'keep up' with my very random blogging - and for me to 'see' who 'could care less' about what I'm writing.

Cheers - Chris.

September Holidays - Part 1

Another post in less than 5 min!

So - we just had the September holidays. Good times!

It is amazing to think that it was a full year ago that we drove down to Canberra - spent time with Nick, and then onto Syd to see Dave and Bron! Man - we mentioned on more than one occasion that we just wished we had more $ so that we could just 'do it again' (maybe sometime soon).

To the holiday:

Firstly, to conclude term 3, I (on Friday afternoon) had just returned from grade 11 camp - which on the scale of 'Difficult Camp Experiences' rated towards the 'not so hard' end of the spectrum. This was a good thing - however, I still crashed out for several hours upon getting home.

This sets up the scene for the September holidays to occur. 

Sat Morning:-

We had some friends over for brunch - we have been trying very hard to reciprocate some hospitality towards some friends (the husband - Josh - who sits across from me in the staff room) who have a huge beautiful heart. They are kind of people who just make you feel good - generous - full of evidence of the 'fruit of the Spirit'. We had a great time catching up with these guys [yep - should have taken a photo... oh well]

Sat Night:- 

After cleaning up from brunch - the 'real' cleaning started. Mum and Dad arrived at 6:30. They were staying for a week.

Sun night:-

I have my first gig at the Brisbane Jazz Club - cool stuff. This was with the Ipswich City Big Band. It was quite stressful - (setting up all the gear - P.A. and stuff) in part, but turned out to be a great night. Had a chance to catch up with an old mate (Paul Henderson - studied with in Mackay).

This night was interesting - Ipswich got hammered with golf ball sized hail for about 1/2 hour. Our place only had some run off damage (and some 'impressionable' marks in our back patio). Our neighbour's solar hot water system was destroyed - and some teachers (that is colleagues  are getting their roofs replaced)...

Ok - getting tired - will return to this tomorrow... in 

'September Holidays - Part 2'

Brief 3 month update!

Well - how are you all doing? My guess is that there is actually no one who is reading this - but I did after giving David a call this afternoon remember to check his (well - it is really Bron's) blog (The Life of Us) - which then reminded me that:-

I HAVE NOT POSTED ON THIS DUMB BLOG THING FOR EVER!

So - now that I have got that out of my system - here is an update...

In the last 3 months we have...

- gone to Mackay for my grandma's 90th (Nick flew up from Canberra and we drove up - good times)

- survived another term at school (still adjusting to teaching Film & TV - getting there)

- conducted a variety of house maintenance (installed a water tank, cleaned out the gutters, repaired a very badly rotted section of the fascia, got a new hammer drill, put up some blinds, put up many shelves, trimming, light fixing.... lots of trips to the dump)

Ok - obviously there has been more going on  - but right now I'm trying to get more posts on this here blog - so that it looks 'legit'

-Peace out - Chris.

The family...

Here we are in our lounge...

Write more soon!

Computer is dead...

Hey,

Trying this email - post thing...

And to let you know that our computer is basically dead at the
moment... so email (particularly from Amy) will be very random (even
more so from Amy - who gets on a computer about once every 6
months....).

So I am only using the work machine now... will see what the future
holds for the dead pc!

Chris.

So, I've created a blog...

Well, I guess that ultimately I have been inspire by Dave and Bron... It has been really great hearing about all that they are doing - and thought that maybe some of you guys (my friends, that is ) - would be interested in what is going on with me and the family...

So - we'll just have to see how it goes - just like the 'myspace' account that I have, and never really to anything with!

Will write again soon... (I hope...)

Chris.