The Life and Times of Peter Green
updated 18 May 2025
 "Happy Birthday to me". |
April 28thUp early and head off to Lilydale for the Election Pre-Poll work. I usually arrive before the candidates and "how to vote" people. Terri and Steve greet me, we all have our chat before, on what today might be like. A good team, we push our "neutral" button and give Aussies their ballot papers. My first blind person today and he seemed very happy with my help.You become bit of a robot when doing the ordinary vote. My Declaration Vote area is different. Terri tells me she is happy with my work and trusts me, which is nice. We all get the job done and the end of day tally's balance (Phew). Home and Marky has made dinner, so that's nice. Behind every great man is a greater man. April 29thToday is a busy one for the Election Pre-polling. I clock up 11 hours. I am glad to be heading home, I am worn out. It's dark when I drive home. My car temperature light jumps as I drive up the windy Inverness road. Half way up it starts groaning and suddenly very VERY LOUD explosions and noises. Lights go on at the houses, I guess they think it's gun fire. I keep going, desperate to get to the top. The Red Beast does and gives out one last gasp at the very top. I wave some traffic around us. I open the bonnet and the steam is intense, I have the disaster zone fire extinguisher out but mostly steam and some smoke.I sit for an hour, working out what to do and letting it cool down. Cars stop, people I know who offer assistance but I wave them on. Eventually my friend Aaryn stops and she tells me I am exhausted, leave the car and she will drive me home. I surrender. I say a prayer to the Goddess and the car starts and we get it off the road. Home to Marky and I somehow rise above it , shrug and try to put it out of my mind till tomorrow. It could have been worse, it could have caught on fire. I think it's the thermostat etc. I watch Bay Of Fires with Marky on ABC streaming. A good escape. A new seasons of Bay of Fires starts on the ABC on June 15th. April 30thI get up early, jump on a bus at sunrise and head to Bayswater road. I get a connecting bus and jump off at Avis. I use my Avis customer card and get some pretty good deal on a hire car for a week. I think the woman feels sad for me. Shes a good car, it's only done 300 kms. I head to the Food Bank and do some work there. Home after that and we put up Markys Youtube Wednesday.It's something a bit different and I love this. Tim Finn (Live) covering Bob Dylans "License to Kill" from Bobs "Infidels" album from 1983. I always wondered on the anti space travel line at the start ,rather skeptical to the space program. A cool song though and Tim does a really good live vocal. We recorded it at The Conty , a minutes walk from our Greville street house. June 3rd 1999. Anyway check this one out, it's really great. I keep playing it, maybe I'm a bit obsessed about it. HA. I start work at the voting centre just after lunch so a half day today. I wave at the Red Beast as I drive past in the hire car. She looks sad. May 1stGood grief May already. Another fast year. The Mushroom Woman is convicted of Murder. I was tempted to push our Split Enz Murder video today but it felt a tad tacky, even in my perverse moments I can restrain myself.To shake off the Red Beast exploding I take Marky out to dinner. Just up to Dudley's. The kitchen is closing but they make us some nice Pizzas. There is a bit of an attitude form the staff so thats not great. We decide to take our time. At this price we won't be rushed. I give the husband a cuddle as we are walking to the car. The final election Poll comes in. Labor 53 LNP-47., Albo now 16 points ahead of Dutton as Preferred PM. We are secretly excited about a Labor victory. May 2ndFriday so the pre-voting centre is staying open late. Another 11 hour day for me. A lady lunges across the table but it's just to shake my hand and thank me for keeping the wheels of democracy turning. People in line clap, I go a bit shyish. But thank you.The election is tomorrow so I leave the Pre Poll centre after doors close, in case my OIC at the Election centre needs me to set up. It appears he doesn't so I get to have a shower, and eat dinner, almost normal. May 3rdNot much sleep, which is normal for Election day . Up before the sun rises. I have Silverchairs "Tomorrow" playing on the Google Nest, not very loud and dancing around the kitchen with Midnight, trying not to wake Mark.I call into Olinda bakery and grab a coffee and a salad roll for lunch. No cars at all on the mountain. I arrive at Sassafras and meet my OIC. He's ok, I always work brilliantly with Marjo but so be it, she's not here so I make the best of it. He listens to me which is good, I guess I am a fake second in charge. He has his break and I wear the Officer in Charge vest. Be scared world. I've worked with Sam before and she's doing ordinary vote so a familiar face, the other 2 girls are equally wonderful, we make a good team. They help me when I need it. I set up the computer which is scary but it links to the main system. We open the doors on time. A small crowd ready to vote. I get my first ‘customer' and the printer FAILS. Well fuck me! Thankfully the Goddess is smiling on me as always. Third in line is my friend, he sells these printers and has a look, a tiny fault and 10 seconds later it's working. Fate is kind, thanks mate. The school kids are setting up a fundraising cake store, so I convinced all of us to buy $20 each worth of cakes, they eventually make about $900 from the stall for the school where our vote centre is located. The day is surprisingly fast. Some busy moments. The last voter gets in the door with ten seconds to spare. The count goes well, I get the green computer tick so my Declaration table adds up. RELIEF. Not so good for the other areas where they seem to be out a tiny bit. We focus on the vote count, the scrutineers are in and the vote counting goes ahead. Labor win at our booth (secretly inside I do the happy dance). The Liberal guy gets bit stroppy and says "Oh well the Liberals will win the election". It's 8.20 and my mobile rings. It's Marky. He tells me that Antony Green is on the ABC and just declared that Labor have already won and the best part Liberal "leader" Dud Spud Dutton has lost his own seat. Amazing. I let everyone know, a HUGE cheer goes up. The Liberal guy looks like he has been sucking on lemons. Myself and the girls finish around 10.30. I call my Indian Restaurant, I've made an Indian curry at home but want some Indian savouries. The owners tell me the kitchen is closed but he knows it's me and as a one off makes all fresh snacks and pastries for me. So kind of him. I call Mark and tell him to put the casserole dish in the oven. I sit with this complete stranger at the Indian restaurant waiting, I am so frigging exhausted. I don't even know if he is real. I am serious. Maybe I shouldn't be driving. This guy holds me and gives me a hug. Was he real? It's like a foggy dream. Home and we sit on the couch and watch the fall out. Holy shit the Liberals have been destroyed. Yes I am smiling. Congratulations Labor-well played. May 4thSo I wake up smiling, I watch the ABC news, thankfully it wasn't a dream, the Liberal Party got it's out dated arse kicked. A massive win for Labor, amazing.Marks still asleep so I sneak out and drive the hire car to the bakery. I haven't bought a newspaper in ages but grab The Age. I'm walking out of the IGA and 2 ladies see my Gough Whitlam cap and go "What a great result" and hug me. So cute. I sip my coffee and dozens of people come up and chat about the election win. People are so thrilled. Home and I stare in awe at the cars parked along the Tourist Rd. It looks like Woodstock, everyone going to the Chestnut Festival. I park, grab my camera and take a few photos. I buy a few things as the $ goes towards the school up here. So many people, a great turn out. Perfect weather too. Lots of locals come up and chat. A few suggest I run in the next election, well that's not going to happen. Early evening we drive to the Supermarket and sit in Subway and eat the healthiest things they had. We spend the night cuddling on the couch watching shows on the ABC and SBS streaming . We are loving "Bay of Fires" and excited that a new season starts soon. May 5thSo Bongo Skyhooks daughter Indiana has set up a GoFundMe to try and help him out with the endless medical costs for his Leukemia fight. So naturally we give it bit of a push. I run it on some of my band areas and the amount doubles within a few days. Each time it gets close to the next thousand I add a bit just to round it off. Mark points out that I have been "tipping" Go Fund Me as well. I am hopeless. It wasn't much. Anyway if you want to support this wonderful Aussie musician with a donation you can do so via this link. We can't lose Bob (Bongo) and I get fearful that medical costs just sit on his mind . I talk to him every few days which is great. So please every dollar helps.I chat to him tonight and he is so thankful, rather proud too, which I get, people donating is very hard for him to accept. We had a few laughs tonight so that felt good. May 6thBack at Salvos' today. My boss is away so we all pitch in and the place runs smoothly. It's nice to be back with everyone , a few laughs and a really enjoyable day.On the way home I call into the Montrose News agency and top up my MYKI travel card in case I decide to use the bus. I pay all our bills at the Post Office, so we don't owe anyone anything for the moment, that always feels nice. May 7thI'm awake early so head to the bakery for an early morning coffee before returning the hire car. I get it back on time, bolt out the door at Avis and jump on a bus to Montrose. It arrives just as the connecting bus pulls in so I jump on board and off we go to Olinda. I get off in the township and a quick walk to the Food Bank. I thought I might be late but I'm the second person here. We are busy, desperate for packing boxes but some turn up. Everyone asks me about the election. My friend Kerry calls in and drives me home which is very sweet of her.I clear PO Box 50 and there is a cool present from my friend Belle in France. An awesome polished gem stone. A stunning piece of Malachite & Chrysocolla. I love it. It's going in my special cabinet in my room. Thanks Isabelle, you are so good at remembering birthdays. I am hopeless. Today's Marky Youtube Wednesday is a live clip from the Finn Brothers. I filmed it at the Belvoir Amphitheatre in Perth. February 9th 1996. This was the only complete song I filmed at that Venue. The Belvoir show was the only outdoor show on the Aussie tour. Marky has done a brilliant job on the sound., Footnote for trainspotters, Tim's wearing Neils shirt at this gig. May 8thMy friend David calls me around the seat of Kooyong. His friend is one of the main two candidates and she is just winning and he wanted to ask my thoughts on it. Just nice not chat to him. David was the Split Enz manager for the time when they reformed. We get along really well, and we do have politics in common. Anyway great to hear from him.My friend Deb at the charity gives me this incredible ancient hand carved Wonder Woman puppet (with no Strings). The puppet is really old at a guess 70 years old , around few years after Wonder Woman was created for All Star Comics. Anyway she is up on the window and looking great. The puppet, not my friend Deb. LOL. A chunk of my election money arrives so that is always good thing. Thank you tax payers of Australia. May 9thI call into the bakery and Polly and the girls give me this lovely present box. I open it and the sides collapse and wound butterflies exit and fly around the room. Just the best, and it's full of lollies. They look after me so much, love that place.Ian drives me home and we check out the Red Beast. We both agree we can do nothing so she will be going to my mechanics, I'm still relaxed about it all. May 10thWe are watching a documentary on the creation of the Lord of the Rings movies. It's ok, a 7/10. You sense the pride of NZ in it.I cook us a really healthy enjoyable dinner. I have lots of spare bananas so I make some banana smoothies too, with icecream, honey and a chunk of bananas. Delicious. We head into bed at midnight (and with Midnight). Marky cuddles up and wishes me a Happy Birthday at 12.01. Sweet boy… May 11thI sleep in a tiny bit. Mark is up and sings Happy Birthday to me. In fact all day people are singing Happy Birthday. It's really nice. I save the recording of Mum doing it as I do (sadly) wonder how many more of my birthdays she will be here for. I wish her a Happy Mothers Day as this year my birthday is on Mothers Day. Sis, her hubby and Mim call and the phone rings pretty much all day.I catch the Sunday bus to Olinda, I want to buy some things for dinner. Seeing the car is dead and its a packed Mothers Day, good not to go out. I arrive home and Mark has picked a vase of flowers for me too. We open a big present box that Giles & Fen sent. A black skull candle takes my fancy so I rearrange and alter my birthday cake, making it into a Gothic Cake. The edging has golden skulls and the candle sits on the top with broken chunks of fine chocolate. Originally I wanted to do the sides in these hand painted golden bones but they have gone awol in the art room. My favourite present from Giles/Fen is a leather bracelet, I just loved it instantly. It feels like I have always had it. I may never take it off, ever. It strangely feels enchanted , what an odd thing to write… maybe it's just my old age imagination. Maybe I've finally gone senile. Anyway I have the best day, awesome messages, calls, cards and presents. I feel so blessed, so thanks everyone for making this a magnificent birthday. I'm a Happy Chappy. Xxxx P |
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