Monday, December 19, 2011

Bob's Birthday Bash Moves South

Following from the blog's last post, Bob Davis celebrated his birthday again a little bit further south. Ian McLean reports:

Bob Davis' birthday bash in our nation's capital at the Weston Club
was a nice mix of family, friends, former colleagues at Canberra
Grammar School ... and stalwart Asopians Keith and Ingrid Jackson, Rod Hard and Ian McLean.

The brief remarks by guests about their recollections of Bob's earlier
days soon turned into a "Roast" with the stories and the language
become increasingly raunchy, and hilarious (you had to be there).


The first photo shows the guest of honour flanked by freeloading
friends Keith and Ingrid (left) and Ian and Rod (right).
Ian wasn't sure what was taking place in this photo, but as
he's always looking for some way to blackmail the rich and infamous,
he just kept his finger on the shutter release.
Rod chatting with Bob's son-in-law and daughter.
Bob cutting his birthday cake under the supervision of his
amazing grandson Ned and granddaughter May.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

The Moose turns 70

Last Sunday family and friends gathered at Tweed Heads to join Bob (Moose) Davis on his 70th birthday. A group of Asopians were also present:
Young Bob (Moose) Davis

Henry, Barry, Diane, Dave, Bob, Brian and Denis

Brian, Dave and Colin
Brian from Northern Rivers and Dave from Sydney come for the day.

Henry and Bob

Jamie and Barry Vincent
Barry and Jamie came down from Hervey Bay

Ros and Denis Burrell

Dubbo Dave Kesby

Elissa, Smoth Brian and Colin

Bob, Diane, Denis, Ros and Henry

Bob receives his birthday cake


Photos by Elissa Kesby, Diane and Bill  Bohlen






Saturday, November 05, 2011

Burra S.A. Visit

On a recent trip to South Australia, with a group of friends, we stopped at Burra and called in on Val who kindly served afternoon tea for us.


Val lives in The Smelters Home, a former Burra hotel built in 1849, a very nice historical place.



Val and Diane on the terrace of her former hotel.

Cheers,

Bill and Diane

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Bill and Diane's USA Tour 2011

We've just returned from a great trip through the United States of America, traveling over 10,000 km by plane, car and coach. 

Click to enlarge map

We stayed in Los Angeles for a couple of weeks with our daughter Sonya, SIL Bernard and grandson Fox. They showed us around LA and of course tinseltown where they live. It was great spending some time with them.
The family together in Los Angeles

Then we flew to New York where we stayed for a couple of days before joining our 23-day cross country tour as shown on the map above.
 A boat trip took us out to the Statue of Liberty

In Yellowstone National Park we came very close to a grizzly bear, on the same day some poor hiker was attacked and killed a little further in from where we were.
Close encounter with a grizzly bear

Some of the waterfalls in the Yellowstone National Park are fabulous as is the scenery everywhere in the park.
Waterfall in Yellowstone

Of course Old Faithfull didn't disappoint us even though we had to wait over an hour for its performance.
Old Faithful in discharge mode


In the Grand Canyon

From Las Vegas, we took a helicopter flight over the Hoover Dam into Grand Canyon where we landed in the canyon for a champagne lunch.
Flying over Hoover Dam

And finally we arrived back in Los Angeles which was the place the old Route 66 terminated at Santa Monica Beach.
Route 66 ends at Santa Monica Beach

If you follow Diane's blog, you'll see more details of the trip over the next few weeks.

Cheers,

Bill and Diane




Friday, June 03, 2011

MINI REUNION IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA

In April, Colin, Peter and Margaret went to SA to visit Val, Lorraine and David. They are all from the 62/63 ASOPA intake. Margaret supplied the following photos and information.
Val lives in a heritage listed corner hotel (Smelter Inn 1849), in Burra Nth on the Barrier Highway. We stayed in the top end of the single storey bulding which Val has set up very comfortably with bedrooms, sitting rooms and a kitchen. The bathroom has been updated with a heated floor which you sure need as tempertures plummet!

 Burra is full of historic buildings. Peter and Margaret outside  the Police Station

Colour coordinated Colin

Colin left and Val right
Val took us on many sight seeing tours. We travelled through little villages before coming across Martindale Hall.Wow this building is really something, having featured in the movie Picnic at Hanging Rock. It is a large square building with rooms radiating around a square downstairs hall overlooked by a second storey with a glorious staircase. it is managed and run as a B&B set up as well for 'Host a Murder' parties.
The Collegians, Dave, Lorraine, Colin and Peter
The Antique Fair was set up over the weekend at the High School and Town Hall. We arranged for Lorraine and David to come up from Adelaide for lunch and have a potter. It was lovely to have a catch up and the collegians had great discussions.
St Mary's Church
 We went to the Anglican Church St Marys which is part of the Willochra Diocese. There is a magnificent organ within however the dear old organist played the hymns far too quickly! It was a very cold morning!
The Grande Hotel
 Val took us back to Adelaide and kindly placed us in the Grande at Glenelg, a beautiful position overlooking the Ocean. We left the following morning for Newcastle; Colin left very early for Brisbane.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Road to Sirinumu Dam

Those of you who have lived in Port Moresby, you are probably familiar with the Sirinumu Dam above the Rouna Hydro-electric power station. It was a popular picnic spot for a Sunday outing including a swim.

Well look at it now:






We used to drive up to Sirinumu Dam on Sundays in my Ford Falcon sedan. Don't think that would be possible now.

The pictures were taken by Ben and Rebecca who both still work in Papua new Guinea

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Ted Egan needs your help

Bill,

What chance including the following in your blog?


Ted Egan

Ted Egan, of Northern Territory fame, and who shared part of his training with kiaps at ASOPA has called on our assistance in tracking down Don Gaffney, a past teacher in PNG.

Col and Wendy Booth were quick onto the scent having run across Don on Kar Kar. They initially got word that Don might have been teaching at the great black/white board above. There is now doubt about that and we are trying to establish where he might be contacted - probably somewhere in Brisbane - if the Booths' lead is accurate. Who can spread the light?

Ted is eager to make contact as Don had a great version of "Frankie and Johnnie were Lovers" -in pidgen.

Ted's email address is         ted@tedegan.com.au

Cheers and beers,

Henry B

Monday, February 28, 2011

A Sunday Gathering in Fig Tree Pocket

On Sunday, local Asopians and their spouses  we were invited to lunch at Henry and Janelle's home in Fig Tree Pocket, a leafy suburb of Brisbane. 


Lots to talk about when we get together

Unfortunately, we didn't get a shot of everyone who attended. Here is (L to R) Colin, Josephine, Joseph, Ros, Denis and Bob sitting under the umbrella as it was extremely hot on Sunday.

Henry and Janelle have a lovely garden

Henry and Janelle have a tropical garden. They have both been sick too. Henry has been treated for cancer and Janelle has just had an operation. We couldn't believe they didn't cancel the lunch. Luckily their daughter together with friends Lucy and Geoff got everything organised in the kitchen.

Ros and Diane cool off at the pool

It was lovely to cool off near the pool, we should have taken our togs. I am sitting with Ros who has also been very ill with throat cancer and the aggressive treatment since we last got together. 
It is so sad to hear of our friends getting ill. Since our first reunion of ASOPA students back in 2002, we have lost  friends and many have been ill. The joys of growing old. 
However, we did enjoy relaxing by the pool with friends and partaking of a delicious seafood lunch and a glass or two of wine.


Wednesday, February 23, 2011

News from Dave (Dubbo) Kesby

Dear Friends, 
Since my last email sent to you on New Year’s Day  things have moved along.
You might remember we were hoping that I had the wild gene..well I had it and so I can receive this drug called “Erbitux” which keeps me alive.
Well I have been to the clinic 6 times and I have received the drug 4 times.
The 2 times I missed out are of interest..the 1st time I went I had such a bad reaction to the drug that I collapsed on to the floor and they had to revive me and give up for that week.
They had to work out what pre med to give me so that I could tolerate the drug. On about the 3rd time I went they decided not to give it to me as I looked so bad..One of the side effects of the drug is that  I get really bad acne and I looked that bad with the acne that bad another dose would have really put me over the edge. Since then I have really attacked the acne so now all I look like is an old bugger who has drunk too much whiskey.
My son Pete who follows English Soccer reckons I look like Sir Alex Fergusen, the coach of Manchester United.

I am really looking after the face at the moment as I have a couple of Social functions coming up where I have to see other people..So I am doing the face twice a day every day..when it was at its worst I thought about buying a face mask.
The only other news is that the drug makes me tired but Elissa keeps me organised and going to different things..we have joined the the seniors upper north shore table tennis group..we have just had 3 days down at a beach south of Burrell lakes on the South Coast  which was fantastic..the salt water did wonders for my face..we participated in the Sydney festival seeing The Jersey Boys and enjoying a night listening to Paul Kelly ( for overseas readers of this blog..he is one of Australia’s greatest song writers ) She has organised me into 2 day long workshops on the ukulele which I enjoyed .I can now play “You are my Sunshine” and I am working on “ I saw the light” ,a great Hank Williams song of 1948..I think she is planning on us seeing Don’s Party at the Opera House. She is not here at the moment she is out at Cherrybrook earning a dollar..she goes once a week. But as I have said in all of my previous emails..she is my hero..whenever it gets too much she just thinks of alternatives.

I am still a non drinker..I haven’t had a beer since October..I still feel like a drinker though..love to go to Dan Murphy’s and look at the specials look at other people drinking and wish that I was with them. There is another person at the clinic I go to ( the clinic has 16 chairs it’s an amalgamation of 2 clinics and is very crowded) who is on the same drug as me..he has 2 beers every night I had to ask him why..the answer was that his bowel cancer metastasised to his lungs and mine went to the liver and my liver rejects alcohol ( I know that this is in the too much information department but there it is).

Anyway people thanks for reading my email..I hope it will be the last for a while..that means I will be going to the clinic once a week Elissa picking me up, the premed drugs they only give to you if you have someone picking you up..they send you off to cloud cuckoo land..and everything is good..no more news thanks again for your wishes and thoughts..we have had good Catholics.. good Protestants..good Jews..and good Buddhists all wishing Elissa and I good news..it must have done some good because we are still here  so once again thanks for reading my story. I hope I have included everybody....all the best

Dave & Elissa   

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Richard's 83rd Academy Awards

Richard Jones' peek at the 83rd Oscars

To read the story - CLICK HERE

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Film Night in Brisbane

For the Brisbane Chapter, from Henry Bodman:

ROTARY CLUB OF TOOWONG
PREMIER FILM NIGHT



Wednesday, 23rd February 2011 
at the
Regal Twin Cinemas
Honour Avenue - Graceville

6.00pm - Champers and nibbles night
7.00pm - Screening of "Conviction"

Cinema management relaxed about drinks and food
in the cinema

All profits to the Rotary International Polio Plus programme
$20 per head

Please contact Henry for tickets
Email - hmacdb@ozemail.com.au
Phone (07) 3378 8383

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Thursday, January 06, 2011

Richard's 10 Best Movies

Richard Jones sent us his review his 10 best movies in 2010.

To read it -  CLICK HERE

Wednesday, January 05, 2011

News from Dave (Dubbo) Kesby

Happy New Year to all our readers

As I told you in my last email we were Joined by son Pete and his lovely wife Beau for Christmas and we also had Jack &  Miah and their beautiful  kids for Christmas Eve..we went to Canberra where Elissa & I were able to still do the long walk involving a climb up the Pinnacle and look at the Kangaroos...We can usually do the walk in about an hour this time it took about 2 hours but we were relieved that we can still do it ,the hospitality and welcome we got from my sister and family was something else ..It was over the top..we had great time..most people there who had seen me before said that there was a big improvement.

Well the story took a bit of a turn  2 days ago
Many of you know that there is a drug that can control the cancer if you have a wild gene . If you have a mutant gene there is nothing that can be done for you.
1 in 3 have the wild gene..well 2 days ago the oncologist rang and said that  I have the wild gene and come in and see him so today ,New Year’s Eve, Elissa &  I visited him.

Well the news is good and bad ,mostly good.
For the rest of my life I will be taking a drug called “Erbitux” stop taking it and I die. I will take it once a week intravenously .At the start it will take 1.5 hours but after awhile it will be less.


The side effects of the drug will be acne either on the face or body..I will also be tired listless and lazy..I thought to myself “what’s new”.
At the clinic where the Doctor works there is 1 patient who has had over 100  doses of this drug...that’s 2 years..that’s 2years he wasn’t counting on....There is only 1 worry he’s their first.


The Doc wasn’t able to cite other examples..didn’t worry me .I said where do I sign. He said the drug acted like a sniper it tries to shoot the cancer gene whereas Chemo knocks out all the genes
Like a shotgun.

Asked about other things..I can eat what I like..if I put on any weight that would be a bonus...I told him The taste of alcohol was not good
He said my alcohol drinking days were over..the liver is no good and it can’t control the toxins so when the beer hits the throat the liver says “get to the shitter out of here” or something like that. Elissa & I had lunch with son Jack at Australia Square  yesterday and I looked at all the young girls drinking beer in long glasses and I thought to myself....


Why am I not there and then realised I couldn’t stand the taste anyway .

Well thanks for reading my story..As always Elissa is fantastic so all is good...keep you in the loop.

Dave from Dubbo