The Life and Times of Peter Green
Archive: 26 April - 8 May 2016
Thanks for all the good wishes. XXX The Birthday Boy
April 25thAnzac Day here, I take some flowers from our garden down to the shrine at the oval. It's usually overlooked- they have the ceremony at the Peace Memorial which is up the road. Someone had added one bunch of flowers so between us some small tributes of remembrance.Our mate Claire arrived at 11.00 -bearing gifts too. Going to have art day #3 here , and it's just fantastic to hang out with her. A lot of laughter, plus I also learn't about using wax as a medium with some of my art. She loves the art room in the garage and after a nice lunch we get into it. Her finished wax painting is "Tree Life" and mine is the "Shroud Of Warhola" -which is a combination of acrylic, wax, piss and silkscreen! sad to say goodbye as we were all having such a great day. Long weekend nearly over and back to the office tomorrow. April 26thMarks focused on Project #4 , so much bamboo and ivy roots. It's hard work but he is focused. The bamboo explodes in the fire like machines guns - it will look incredible when this huge space is cleared.I access our Crowded House posters today, some in great condition, the Capitol Records store posters are really nice, they don't date too badly, the trio looking very young. Love Dennis Keeley's work- such a cool photographer. Some excellent photos around the Crowdies. I'm putting so much time into this, I just hope it's not wasted. I wheel the green bin to the emergency door area at lunch time and chop out a field of jasmine. That stuff grows in plague proportion up here. How could something that smells so good be such an evil plant, one day it will creep inside and choke us to death in our sleep. April 27thBreakfast @ Brunch and Louise is in- and spoils us. It's Colin the Liberals birthday, yes Liberal voters do exist, a bit like the Loch Ness monster, but we do sight a few. He's ancient and some of the regulars are singing to him. I plant a huge man pash on him for his special day which makes a few people almost wet themselves. We like Colin and he can take a joke (after all he votes Liberal *he ha) so he was all smiles. It must be strange to be at that age, probably counting the years down. It happens to us all.The Chestnut Festival is on up here this Sunday. Sis and Miss MIM not flying down as they have another birthday on , so no MIM this year- which means it will surely rain. I'll miss not taking my niece to this , Pony rides, and games and little stalls. Plus my Sister is wonderful - it just won't be the same. However 2 friends are having a baby so a chance to grab something from the "hand knitted/made stall" they usually have the coolest booties and hats so the Festivals timing is perfect. April 28thI receive an email from a writer friend, working on his next major book and asked if I could contribute a piece for it. I'm a tad flattered to be asked , so happily say 'yes' and I'll pen a piece while having my coffee this Saturday. I'm hoping it's what he wants, have a few ideas, so hope the writing flows.We are glad May is coming up, so many fantastic shows on cable- a golden era. Can't wait. April 29thI'm awake early so work on Neil Finn stuff all day, in fact miss dinner and finally leave the office at 8.00 PM! (PHEW) worn out.April 30thOff to Destiny's Point and leave the Mac at home and take some simple pens and paper. I prefer to scrawl my book ideas the old fashion way. Two coffee's and the writing is flowing. A few people sit and say hello. It's a bit drafty outside so the wind keeps people away. I end up with three packed pages and a few notes but it has some warmth and captures a moment so many decades ago. I'm happy with it and I'll email it to my friend. I think his book will do really well, possibly a #1 best seller so that's always enjoyable to be part of.Our NZ charts come in for EnzSo 20th Anniversary edition. It debuts at #27 on the NZ top 100 and #6 on the NZ artists album chart. Woken at 4.00 am by Banshee jumping off the bed. It's dead quiet outside so not certain what is spooking her. 10 minutes later a massive storm front rolls in, possibly the most extreme since we have been up here. The lightening was crazy and water tanks over flowing. No leaks in our wonderful house. As soon as it eases a bit I head out- just to make certain the roads are clear and no tree's down on our property. A miracle, not even a fallen tree limb. I have the el cheapo camera with me and take a snap using lightening for a flash. Fog is also covering the mountain. I decide to head to the oval as quite a few people sleeping out in tents for their spot at the Chestnut Festival. As I approach the oval a bolt of lightening crashes down (Zeus ...what is pissing you off?) it hits a tree and travels down into the earth. A few flattened tents but everyone appears ok, my all weather tour coat is taking another lashing so head home.... let Miss Banshee roam the house. May 1stBirthday month, almost a birthday every day. It's a killer for presents.Meanwhile I'm all sleepy eyed from being woken by the storm..... only a couple of hours sleep. I head on down to the Chestnut Festival while the skies are not raining on me. Got to support the Festival on days like this as the crap weather will keep the crowds away. I grab a coffee from Brunch's mobile stall, and the knitting lady is at the festival so something from her. I buy raffle tickets and jams and other stuff, so did my bit for the Mt D school. I obsess over the baby pig that wants to use his snout to dig up the whole Kalorama oval- but he's a handsome little firecracker, running everywhere. The little goat doesn't like him and gives him a head butt. So cool that kids get to handle animals-they are so gentle with them, great to see. I run into a neighbour and she tells me to check the lightening tree. I'm in awe, it's like a giant claw has scraped down the side, no burn marks just a huge long rip. I tell people it's just an added tourist attraction at the festival. Several bus loads of Japanese tourists arrive and I show them the tree- cameras out! Click click click... how funny. Come home to find quite a few phone messages from people checking in on us...these are the people we love, those who care and do that. Thanks. (wipes a little tear..ok maybe not). May 2ndHappy Birthday to our mate Warwick. , a day late but still a birthday present mailed.Good to chat to Bongo Skyhook today, our phones sound like they are inside a giant electric razor-massive crackling, due to all the flooding up here, the phone lines are obviously suffering from the storm. Two shows for the Bob Starkie band- Albury- S,S&A Club on June 24th and Yarraville Club on July 23rd. Playing Crowded House's wonderful AFTERGLOW in the office today, fans will be thrilled that this will indeed have a vinyl release later this year. May 3rdChart jump for our 'Hooks, 107 spots on the national chart with HITS & RIFFS. Life in the old girl yet.We watch THE FORGOTTEN on cable. Julianne Moore and Dominic West.....it's from 2004 and somehow we missed this one.... 3/4 of the way through the movie takes a very swift turn. One of those "Oh Wow" moments. Worth checking out. OK it's more like a Holy Fuck sort of moment. May 4thPenny Dreadful returns to cable tonight and an excellent start to the new season. Such a delight is that PD!Send my Mum some flowers, so incredibly sad for her, it's ripping at my heart. Life can be shitty. Think I'll retreat into my cave for a few weeks. Mark takes me to Bunnings and JB Eastlands and lets me go crazy and get things for my birthday. I do treat him to a huge box of maltizers. JB Bluray sale on so 20% off. Love that we now have Psycho on Blu Ray. Track down a good quality kite for my sisters husbands birthday. In the end I thought what the hell and grabbed one for my Sis and MIM. The family that flies kites together.... oh who knows. Good fun though and Sis knows I want a photo of them all on South beach flying their kites. Final packing of all the Crowded House items for Sydney, (Phew) will be glad when these are all done and dusted. Still some USB stuff but I'm on time. Foxtel, Golden May for us , for once I can say that cable this month is easily worth having. Fantastic episode of BATES MOTEL too- we both think Mrs Bates is a bit of a milf! Norman is so fucked up- just exceptional acting. At some stage we plan to visit the tv shows Hotel lot... such a Gothic nightmare of a house. May 5thWake up feeling sad for my Mum again. Serious case of the blues.. Mark is the same, not much sleep last night in our house. Banshee must sense some sadness as she has been really well behaved -I awoke this morning with a cat 2 cm from my face and purring at me.Sneak up to the art room and work on a Morrissey piece for our friend Dougs birthday, not many of these, hoping he likes it. If not we'll get him something else. Send some flowers to Marks Mum, both Mums received floral tributes this week from their loving sons. Such mummy's boys eh! "The old curses have echo'd into silence"...I do love that line. Penny Dreadful-just the best scripts. May 6thThe Official Skyhooks Facebook page has had it's 2000th "like"- which is just wonderful (Yey). So many fans email and PM how much they love it. Really nice to hear that.Eliza Dushku , YES faith from Buffy is on Banshee the tv show - excellent part for her, and tonights episode finishes in front of a record store and there it is, the Enz True Colours LP cover - what a fine moment. May 7thBeautiful day on the mountain- meet Doug and Maureen the Jazz couple. Two regulars bring me the coolest little birthday cake.Marky's yard day continues and I spend my lunch break reclaiming the original old steps. Noel calls and it's sad news that Dave Ettelson ("Dave The Suit" ) has passed away, the first of our Enz office staff to die. I let people know, Fee especially was close to him. May 8thHappy Mothers day to my wonderful and sometimes crazy Mum.Turnbull announces the election, and the latest Polls are released- Labor are now 3 points ahead of the Liberals- I'm certain a lot of those Liberals with marginal seats are shitting themselves. The budget sucked, and hell who makes cut backs to Veterans hospitals- shame on your Mr Turnbull. Logies are on, our yearly bitch fest. Actually some moments were ok. Of course it went over time and finished at midnight. I thought Jimmy barnes was truly dreadful. (and we like him). The ABC did well, they won so many awards , more then any other tv station I believe. My birthday in a few days and quite a few cards and amazing presents have arrived. Thank you everyone. Another year older but certainly not wiser. Love this life. PG |