The Life and Times of Peter Green
Archive: 23 June - 11 July 2014
Peter & Bindy- Cape Paterson beach. (1989)
June 23rdTrue Blood returns tonight for it's final season. It's off to a good start, a few minutes to work out exactly what's happening but it starts to feel familiar. It is time, but it will at least finish with some quality Vamp soft porn TV! Sad when your favourite shows go, but hopefully something new will come along that strikes the right chord.We start our mammoth project of scanning ALL our negs- well not the really bad rejects but as many as I can. I'm looking forward to seeing those images that the processing people rejected and didn't print. Technology allows me to improve on them and raise them from the negative death zone. Who knows what I will find- some go way way way way back. Not just bands but US, trips the whole shabang. Sheepbook is great for such things- I'm hoping some of the people on my page get the more arty images, instead of the boring predictable stuff that Facebook seems to be. I am trying to fit all of this in, during my regular work too. So it will take a month or two I guess. But great when it's complete. I do have a vibe for it. June 24thMark spots the latest Star Trek Next Generation season on blu ray for $12!!! It's usually $60 on the JB website so it is insanely cheap- we bolt to the office, buy it, print out all emails, grab screen images. Hey they sold it at that price, so you hope they stick by what they offer. Just in case we want to make sure we have the proof. Otherwise it's just your word against a major company. The confirmation email arrives as does the "we have just mailed it" email. Bargain! Nice start to the day.Another lot of polling arrives and the coalition are behind with a 6% swing. Every poll done since the last state election in 2010 has had the Liberals fall behind. EVERY poll. Something is most certainly on the nose in Victoria- a one term Liberal government for sure. Abbott has been told to keep clear of Victoria with the State election happening in November, he's a tainted man and will just add another nail into Napthine's political coffin. Bring it on I say! June 25thHappy Birthday Tim Finn. I hear form him, nice to chat. He seems really happy we genuinely remembered his birthday. We make it Tim Finn day on the Official Enz facebook page, so lots and lots of Tim Finn. It's fun to do that, we are still finding material for the page and the numbers keep on growing. Around 60,000 people a week which is great, amazing really.Our day starts at the general store, I take a folder of work down and have an excellent coffee while I'm wading through it. All very civilised while the rain buckets down outside. This rain has really set in. At some stage we are off to the snow, with some friends. I have to say I get a bit over making the effort around people and they don't get back to you. So come July I'm just going to stop calling people .... better things to do, so I'm stopping with the effort. Mark goes "Fuck 'em" but I'm not that brutal..yet. June 26thTrees start crashing down on the tourist road and ridge road. We make it to the Deli at Olinda. Our coffee and breakfast arrives just as the power goes out, so we are ok. They have to start turning people away after that as it is clear the electricity is not coming back on. I love the guise of darkness, I can misbehave. I just can't help myself and bait a few of the locals- it turns into fun, everyone is up for it. For the average joe walking by it must look like the lunatics have taken over the asylum as people are just rip roaring with laughter. Takes us awhile but we do get home- the wooden missiles flying pass the 4WD.The 2nd lot of local polling is in for Victoria- it is MUCH worse then the coalition expected. Labor 59%, Libs 41% and election wipeout- 18 points -FUCK! It can';t be that hgigh, that seems a lot even for a weak as piss government as this one. I call my Mum for her rissole recipe, as I want to make them for dinner. Her voice has returned to some normality-I can now understand what she is saying. She no longer sounds like a Darlek! "Here is my rissole recipe-exterminate!". June 27thI have this one bill that is hanging about, rare as I usually pay them on time- our water bill. So many extra charges these days-the water part is almost nothing. Well I pay it today, I usually don't care but this one annoyed me. I bet they have overcharged us. Anyway it's done, urgh!I work on some NZ envelopes for the NZ Neil Finn mail out. We won't have the dates till late July, well i think that is the case. All our regular areas will have the information. Still a few weeks away. We work till 3.00 in the morning in the office. Once more the scanner gets a good work out. If nothing else the photo archives will be great. We'll probably need a new scanner, this one will be worn to a frazzle. I'm estimating 20,000 negatives! My sister will probably kill me for scanning the early photos I've taken of her..age 10-so cute! June 28thEnd of the month so take all our tax/BAS stuff to my spot at the General Store and work on that. It's pretty easy and our accountant , she does rock. It looks like snow today but not quite. I go online and check out several toboggans. I am amazed at how hi tech some are. Mark suggests two pieces of tin and some rope. So Wollongong of him. I think i found what we need. They are slightly larger size too, great for adults. If it ever snows at Kalorama this year we will be ready.June 29thI labour in the en suite bathroom at our office. Had to replace a few tiles and do some grouting. I look up from the floor and spot our Rolling Stones gold record- and think it might be a fun image to put on facebook. A gold record above a loo. Well doesn't everyone do that? Now the floor has been done I have to clean the shower. Last thing I want to do- we never use the one in the office so it's clean, I just hate dull bathroom cleaning.June 30thThis final season of True Blood is a really good fan friendly one- a return to quality and fun moments like the extra sexy Jason Stackhouse and Eric the Vamps hot dream moment. Aussie actor Ryan Kwanten just makes me laugh so much- he's come a long way.Work on Neil Finn related stuff nearly all day. Force myself to leave the office at 5.00 so i can make my "best ever" homemade Lasagne. The more effort I make with it, the best it tastes- and tonight Mark agrees. "This IS the best one yet". We both skipped lunch today so that could be the real reason. Famished! July 1stSo July is being put aside for three things. 1/ Neil Finns NZ Tour 2/ The Early Years book 3/ To scan all our negatives. We figure there are 20,000 strips and what is it 4 maybe 5 images per strip.... good grief that is a shit load of scanning. I just hope we find images that we have missed previously, or forgotten about. If nothing else some of our Internet areas will benefit. I'm sure there will be quite a few were people can chuckle at yours truly. I'm fine about that, I'm not one of those people who are prudish and need to hide bad hair days etc. Really I'm not that insecure. Frankly my dear I don't give a damn.July 2ndI continue to handwrite some envelopes for NZ mail out-which is later this month. Saves the fan side some money by me doing that. Tedious but it's good to do. So between scans I scrawl. I have the new little heater on under my office table, as it's wet and cold at Kalorama. I dream of escaping to Magnetic Island for a week -we'll see, all money goes towards the book at the moment. Why are we not rich again- we have to wait. OK......waiting, waiting, waiting. Rich is down the track.July 3rdWe order the second season of "Strike Back" on Bluray. It's half price-we have been waiting. Aussie actor Sullivan Stapleton is in it. He's also come a long way since his days in The Secret Life Of Us. Now if he would stop being a pussy and not wear a "cock-sock" whilst doing nude scene. Cop out or should I say cock out? We like Strike Back- it's loud, fast trashy and blokey tough.July 4thWe spent the morning calling a few book shops interstate in the hope of tracking down any of the WINGS OFF FLIES books that haven't sold. Looks like we may have 8 more. The demand has gone off the scale, Mark has to sign a few every day- I love watching him signing his "autograph"-you'd think I was pulling his teeth out with pliers!!! It just makes me laugh- heaven help him when he does become famous. He'll be one of those "no autographs and no photographs" celebs that you see about town.I order the 2 toboggans on line, great price and some weird face cover piece of cloth. So that's off the want list. I keep finding photos of our friends having a joint, and a few of us doing the same. All from the Toorak Flat days. I am looking for the negative which has me dressed up as Paul Stanley from KISS. I thought i found it, but no just me sharing a funny cigarette. I haven't seen the KISS negative for many years-I hope it hasn't gone awol. July 5thMore rain, all weekend, hell all week. Mark tells me all month! This is the first Winter I have felt really cold up here. I can tell it's not just me, we've gone through a stack of our fallen tree wood. Even Banshee is inside earlier and snuggling under my bed blankets. I keep predicting snow up here this year-I've become an obsessive madman about it. I look up- "Is THAT a snow cloud..." I say to no one in particular. People wnat it to snow just to shut me up.July 6thA nice peaceful hour at the General store today-I am living at that place-, I filled my Stones backpack with work and somehow succeeded in getting it all done.I went home and snipped the tops off all the plants in the circular drive, good to do it as technically they are some sort of weed, but every house in the hills has them. So much rain, this place is becoming a jungle. So insanely lush. How on earth will we maintain it when we are really ancient, guess we'll have a to have a full staff! For private people that is rather freaky. I'm trying not to think about it, just get through each day. July 7thI found our Fairfield Showgrounds negatives today from the Festival- August 1979. Mentals, Radiators, Sports, Chisel.. were the Aliens playing too? We went with all our gal mates- great festival. I'm so glad we made an effort to document all these bands, my one regret is not taking more photos of our "gang".July 8thNeil is home soon so he can sign the final batch of the Dizzy Heights cd slicks. I'm just glad our fans are so patient. NZ dates in a few weeks- well announced in a few weeks. Bic Runga will be special guest on the tour, which is good for her.Dinner at La Lupa Romma- at Montrose. Our friends recommended it. They made some very special Chicken Parmigiana -which was really really nice. The italian girl at the register had on these cool fake eyelashes, she looks like she just rode in on an Italian mod scooter. Loved it! July 9thRain rain rain. Yes more. Quick Mark build that bloody Ark! So this week is meant to be the coldest week (so far) this year. I believe it. It was 2 degrees at 10.00 this morning.Wade through hundreds of negatives, find some truly brilliant ones today. So excited, I am loving this-well most of it. I'm putting a few on my Sheepbook page every day, not just band stuff, loads of US stuff. The novelty is sure to wear off. I love photos from the past, facebook can be so bloody well boring, great when people make an effort. Still signing WINGS OFF FLIES and also a rush on the last of the Crowded House GHOST CARS book. I now have THE EARLY YEARS up on Rocket Pocket Books website for preorder. www.rocketpocketbooks.com so check out the site. July 10thI'm heading home for MIMs first birthday. I've booked my ticket up, have to get back. I have a few ideas for her birthday gift(s). Just gotta be there for her first birthday, make an effort. She's walking already, well baby walking, you know crashing down every few steps. Sis keeps me up to date with very cool photos and I do sing to MIM on the phone a few times each week. I am loving the Uncle trip.Oh Mr Abbotts $550 dollar Carbon tax lie-c'mon are Australians dumb enough to believe that idiot. Everyone should keep their power bill and you should be able to sue him on his "EVERY Australian will be $550 better off...." just a liar. Liberals voters will be too scared to actually keep their bills and compare his "promise"..... they know in their hearts he's a lying piece of shit. July 11thHappy 98th Birthday Gough Whitlam !!! Compared to the lame offerings we have today for PM the country would probably have you back as PM even at age 98!We head to Eastlands today-the place is really empty which is odd being school holidays. I talk to some store owners and they tell me how bad it has been since Mr Abbott-Hockey released their budget- and I noticed a few more empty shops. Consumer Sentiment is at an all time low. Even JB is empty, not a single person in line at the check out. I grab a new version of Mi-Sex "Graffitti Crimes" as we have worn out our old copy. I love track 9 CAMERA KAZI always a fave. I shop at Myers for Miss MIM. Ted Baker makes a great range of clothes for kids, so she scores a top, plus one of the Sylvanian Families- The Elephants! I'm going to give her my Teddy Bear too- Mr Gruff....she really loved him when she visited & I like the idea of it being passed on to a new generation. I arrive home to hear that Tommy Ramone has died, the last of the original Ramones. We play lots of Ramones vinyl tonight. July 12thScan scan scan- this is our life. Oh I did chop some firewood today. I sent Neil a photo and he made a very funny comment -made me chuckle. I send Mad Dog a few photos from the Toorak Flat but no word back-hope they haven't freaked her out.July 13thI love the shots from Cape Patterson, the negatives almost destroyed, but a lovely beach moment with myself and my dog at the time Bindy. Isn't it incredible how a photo can light so many memories.Stay warm those in Melbourne.... snow on the way! (Yes I know!!) x PG |