The Life and Times of Peter Green
Archive: 14 December 2020 - 3 January 2021
"Happy 16th Birthday Miss Banshee."
December 14thA bright sunny morning, so I'm up rather early. I've been looking forward to a perfect day like this as i am starting on the backdrop work. Every year they get aired, cleaned, repaired and checked for mould. Still stoked we saved so many from being destroyed-excellent for exhibits.So we take the large ladder and I screw in clips to the sides of the gum trees at Ailsa Craig. After the sad death of Peter Starkie from the ladder fall I am extra careful these days, Marky holding it secure. Next, the thick orange climbing rope between them as the hanging line. After that attach the back drop. We inspect it from top to bottom. Make notes of even tiny holes- what areas need cleaning, and work. Todays is probably the worst backdrop. A hole the size that my head could fit through. I email Sis for some advice around new mould cleaners. She has her certificate on chemicals, materials etc so very handy. December 15thMy favourite tweet of the day. "There is a term for people like Trump. There just isn't a second one". (PG)We watched "Gender Revolution" - which was pretty good. One has to keep up with gender identity and Katie Couric is a great host. We hang out at Bunnings today with the other Peter & Mark. I had a few bits & pieces to get & it wasn't as busy as I thought. We went home via the Mountain Highway. Good to hang out with the lads. December 16thGood ol' Santa , he must be hanging around Kalorama this year, waiting for Christmas to arrive. A fantastic new BLUE Victa lawn mower with a huge christmas bow on it was left for me in front of our door. What a surprise- just what we needed. How does Santa know these things, OK i might of sent a tweet to the North Pole but I am surprised that he got it together with so much speed. Thanks Santa!December 17thWe are enjoying "The Third Day". The 1st episode of the second segment has just been shown, really great. The ending to this episode , one we didn't expect. Bring it on! The scenery and the strong cast and oddball crazy's make this a rather cool show.Buffy's Josh Whedon has a new tv show in 2021. "The Nevers". Looking forward to that one. I'm sure Covid has thrown a few hiccups at it as far as production goes. I think it appears on our screens during the USA Summer. Donovans "Catch the Wind" has been floating around inside my head all day. It's starting to send me a tad nutty. December 18thKeith Richards turns 77 today. He's still rolling along. Covid wouldn't stand a chance against Keith. All that JD flowing through his veins. Bless you Keef!Our old Crowdies crew member Geoff Lloyd calls us for Christmas. Always great to hear from Lloydy as well as Duges. Nice that Marky B posts on my Facebook page too. We have had some really good blokes as crew members over the years. A nice surprise visit from Enzman Nigel Griggs today. He doesn't live far from us but it's still always nice to see him. Banshee checks him out, lots of sniffing going on. Maybe she can smell Nigels cat . She eventually wanders over and gives him a head nudge. December 19thI whip up a batch of Chocolate Mousse for a visit to a friends house in the next few days. I leave 1 spare for Mark for dinner as i know he loves the mousse. I break the budget and add christmas coloured cherries to the top. I accidentally on purpose spill some on my fingers- ok-YUM.NSW has a Covid outbreak, so much for Gladys and her gold standard. Bet this stuffs it to go home for Christmas. December 20thMy oddball task today is to remind my sister to wrap a potato for MIMs box of 100 presets. She'll need that to power her science kit clock. I can see her face now when she unwraps the spud-"bot the Uncles are cheap this year, they've given me a potato from their garden".We catch up with one of our best friends Trudi. A nice lunch at Montage and some excellent Christmas presents. Marks excited by Trudi's home made Marmalade. Yum. December 21stMark gives me a copy of Billie Joe Armstrongs- "No Fun Mondays". It has to be my favourite album for 2020. Will wear this disc out. I love the concept and where this gem originated. A must have.A rather excellent night at the other Peter & Marks house. Sit out on the balcony and enjoy good food and some laughs. The weather changes as we head home, heavy rain sets in. December 22ndI hear from a mate regarding us helping serve some christmas lunch to the less fortunate Melbournians and maybe pack some christmas lunch take away boxes too. All on Christmas day, which would be good as it will take my mind away from not being able to get home for Chrissy.I'm answering Christmas emails on my lap top at Montage, sipping a coffee and today they seem to be playing a lot of Led Zeppelin, which I'm fine about. Just what I feel like hearing, a world without MOR stuff is always a good thing. I go to Plan B to get home for Christmas , fly into Canberra and drive 3 hours to the 'Gong. Lucky I delayed this secondary booking as the ACT suddenly puts up it's border to the Illawarra region - if I booked earlier I would of been stuck in Canberra for Christmas. So i make the call and alert the family that we will be staying here. They all expected it, still it sucks. All because a few arseholes didn't quarantine and do as they should of - and caused this break out in NSW. Wendy and Doug arrive to cheer us up. We decide Indian is what we want and tonight I'm not cooking, so we give our local Indian By Nature a call and the owner answers, tonight one of the few times during the year that he is closed. Miss Wendy really really wants Indian so we search out another place- the Tandoori Curry House at Mt Evelyn. We arrive and it's mostly takeaway- could a shop have even less decor as this one? Imposisble. We sit at some ugly brown tables - I'm wearing some jewels and a bit of eyeliner - come on I've made an effort. We wear bad santa hats much to Marks distaste. Photos are taken- and after finally convincing Mark to be in a snap the owner comes out & takes photos- we have no idea what they are going to be used for. Does he think we are some outrageous celebrities. A bloke with the smallest bit of eyeliner but very rocking jewellery can easily convince the masses of such things. Mick Jagger did it so well in the seventies. We make the best of this, in fact the crappy decor just encourages us to have a good time. Home by midnight for some G&T's in the kitchen and some present opening. A fun night. December 23rdIt sure rained a lot last night the vegetable patch is very happy.A nice lot of Chrissy cards arrive one from Allie,the Berry twins, Miss Pink suitcase , Vivienne and wow this mind blowing parcel from Queensland from Wendy C. She IS santa i am sure, a bit of gender swapping but I know she has reindeers and the best Christmas swag bag in Oz. Thanks Wendy and everyone. It made me smile and put not heading home to the back of my mind. December 24thLaura and Kevin visit. We drive up the mountain for some lunch. I take my mini 'to do' list. One item says to call Josie & Pete to wish them a Happy Christmas so perfect timing that they are at the table next to us- saved a call and it's much better to do so in real life.We all chat, laugh and great to see that this evil Covid year hasn't removed our friends sense of humour. We've know our ex house mate Laura for along time now, a good friend, never bitches about us, one of those friends you know you can trust your entire life. Sometimes just having that is present enough, we need to put a little christmas bow on her head. Home again with Marky, and we settle in for Christmas Eve. Calls are made and I get to chat to the relatives gathered at Mums place, so that is fun. It feels weird- like I'm some sort of Logie award winner, away making a movie in Spain and have to make a little absentee speech. I'd like to thanks the academy, God and my Mother. ! Before we go to bed we hear some banging sound on our roof. "Just the reindeer" I tell Marky....and to all a good night. December 25thHappy Christmas. I sit around the tree with Marky and Santa did deliver as did Australia Post. A lot of presents from Wollongong - he's clever that St Nick knowing we 'd be here. My sister spoils us rotten - and we all chat on the phone via Mums - Maddison wide eyed that she did get a giant box of "100 presents" from The Uncles and a nice new bike from her Grandma. Apparently she's standing over the 100 Box guarding it -unwrapping and loving it all. Thanks to a few mates who contributed to the box too.We have a decent breakfast as we might be on our feet for the day. Xmas lunch for the poorer australians is different this year, Covid careful and for many these awesome food-christmas boxes that they can take away. We are both sidetracked enough today by this, so hardly had time to think of what i was missing at home. I get a small scare in the late afternoon when i can't find Mum. Not answering the phone etc. I do track down my sister and she says it's all fine, Mum having an extended Nana Nap. Christmas has worn her out. We watch Christmas Vacation movie for the millionth time, and why don't I recall that cartoon start? It still makes us laugh. December 26thHappy Birthday Banshee. Sweet Sixteen now, so that is what 80 human years?This is one of the few times where we get to spend the entire day with her on her Birthday. Usually we are flying back from Sydney. I wake up early and make a cat food birthday cake. Full of her favourites- she doesn't know where to start but Purrs as she eats. We both cuddle her endlessly all day, she gives us the "OK what's up" look. It's your birthday silly! December 27thThe weather is perfect, so decking time for us. A chance to read some of the book presents that were given to us. I'm reading "Lawyer X". It shocks me how corrupt parts of the Melbourne Police force were and the hypocrisy of a certain lawyer.We give MIM a bit of a stir, as she loves the stamp collecting album we gave her- and proudly tells us she has 288 stamps. GEEK-we both shout. December 28thWe remember to send our mate Benny a Birthday Email. We wonder if he made it home to Melbourne for Christmas? Anyway hopefully a nice day for him.I am excited as my new paper diary starts today- a few days before the new year. Always nice to have a fresh one. I've already added numerous appointments and important 'future stuff'. This years has an extra section for notes which is perfect. It's funny nearly everyone I know have commenced reading books. It's like we all have some spare time to do such things. We spent the afternoon on the decking , such fine weather just reading relaxing and watching the wildlife turn up. December 29thI'm archiving some of the Skyhooks Press today. American reviews leading up to the U.S. album release and the live shows. Most are positive, a few predictably don't get the band. No surprise.1.8 million dead from Covid now, and California just clicked over 2.2 million infections. I'm not even thinking about the UK with useless Boris. He's almost as bad as Trump, too weak to make some brave decisions. The UK lockdown is kind of pissy. December 30thHappy Birthday to the one and only Greg Macainsh. It kills me but I refuse to say the most obvious of all jokes. We are possibly the only 2 people who don't. Yeah, yeah living in his seventies. Ho Ho.Sad news that Mary Ann (Dawn Wells) from Gilligans island dies- Covid complications. So I guess that only leaves Ginger as the one cast member still alive. So thanks to NSW, Victoria now has 3 Covid cases- the first new infections in 60 days. Fuck you very much NSW! December 31stI decide to have a coffee and to say happy new year to some mates at Montage. Nice outside so I jump on the bus.Masks are now back , which is ok as I've been wearing mine a lot. The cafe closes early today , so i miss Mary by a matter of minutes, but she makes a new friend so heads off to the bakery. I use the Telstra phone booth to give our mate Merelyn a call to wish her a happy (early) birthday. I arrive home via the circular drive entrance and find some pots of Chives for the vegie patch, donated by our friend Charlotte. How nice is that. There is a genuine caring community up here. We just enjoy ourselves at home on this strange new years eve. Mark wants home made Pizza so I make some tiny Pizzas and zucchini & fetta frittas and a few samosa. We love watching Paul Kelly at the Myer Music Bowl on the good ol' ABC and the fireworks on TV. We eventually fall asleep around 3.00 AM. Good thoughts in my head of a better year. January 1stHappy New Year to you all. Happy Birthday to Merelyn too.2021 starts off rather wonky for us as our NBN/Internet, phones etc are all down. Being a holiday it is a pain to even contact our provider so we decide to give it a few days. Thankfully the payphone down the road is currently FREE-free for local, interstate and mobile calls. So I make a few calls. I wonder if the facebook group will worry - has the great spaceship finally arrived and stolen the Boys from planet earth? Where Is Peter Green? I unfortunately catch some of Trumps brainless waffle on the news, looks like he is planning a rally in Washington on the 6th. He continually encourages his nutter fans to be even more extreme. Only a matter of time before they start breaking the law. I do wonder at times if one of his nut jobs will one day shoot Joe Biden. Trump wants to cause as much mayhem as possible. Watch America burn and rip itself apart. January 2ndDr Who returns with Revenge of the Daleks. Loved it, loved it, loved it. Mark gives me a HD of " Doctor Who- An Adventure In Time & Space". We watched this many years ago and it really is wonderful.Internet is still down. I just pretend it's some sort of holiday away from it all. January 3rd2021 is feeling a lot like 2020. I think people woke up on new years day and thought it would all be different. I'm far from convinced, I have a feeling the world will take awhile to heal. I still don't trust Covid, or should I say some of the public around this Pandemic. I'm not going to be paranoid but I'm certainly not going to be foolish and run out and think it is all safe and business as usual.But saying that, we wish you well. Stay safe and all the best The Boys |