The Life and Times of Peter Green
Archive: 24 August - 20 September 2020
"Our Covid exercise -Thompsons Track Kalorama 2020."
August 24thMy daily call to IInet , our internet provider. It seems like there is always something they haven't done or stuff up. I'm still remaining patient , playing the nice guy. It seems they get things done quicker if I do that. I'm sure in a few days I'll be on the phone again with some new disaster around them. Mark leaves it all up to me now. You think they have it together and a few days later you find another problem. Usually just minor stuff - but still no reason for it. The joys of the NBN in Australia. Urgh!I see a charity is selling bags of kindling, so I buy one. We have just enough wood to get us through Winter but I felt a bit sorry for them so what the hell. A few bucks to help some group, I'm always ok with that. The wild fires in America are just terrible. Of course they bring back memories to the recent fires in Australia. Stay safe American mates. August 25thBanshee is an old cat now. She loves to sleep the cold Winter days away under her blanket. I tell her Spring is on the way and she lets out a mighty happy roar.My Mum has had an urge for black jelly beans and can't find them locally. So i visit "My Lollies" on line and buy a few kg's worth for her. Thankfully they home deliver. Little surprises are nice for Mums. I spot Antoines "Little Prince" at Montrose Post Office so buy a copy. We were watching "6 feet Under" one day and Keith tells his boyfriend David (yes Dexter!) that he eats like a Little Prince. Of course Mark says "that's you, you eat like a little Prince". So the book was rather fitting. August 26thI give "Afterglow" a bit of a play today, this orphans and strays Crowded House album is one of my favourites. My friend tells me that the Crowdies Debut album Special Edition box has now sold out. The first of the batch to do so. I'm excited as that was the one I penned the Intro for.August 27thThe Liberals cut $1.4 Billion to Aged Care. Madness, they should be putting more money into it. They should be removing that incompetent Richard Colbeck from the portfolio. He's a goose, no Covid plan for Aged Care & A Snrs during a worldwide Pandemic. Stupidity.I mail off 3 lotto tickets to friends for their birthdays-hope they are winners. We are enjoying all of Simon Reeves shows. We love all the countries he explores, and his occasional outburst of "Look at this !!!!". Another storm hits the mountain, we've had a few lately. The power is out for ten hours. My glass will always be half full, so I'm enjoying the candle lit romance, a chance for long talks and fine food. My star sign is Taurus and my favourite colour is blood red. August 28thApparently 130,000 house are out with no electricity from last nights storm. The main Silvan dam has contaminated water so dozens of suburbs are told not to drink the water, including Kalorama. I open our Emergency pack and get out the Steri Pen. Our small water purifier device. The UV light eliminates 99.9% of bacteria. So I end up with some huge jugs of clean water.I decide to bus it to Olinda for a few supplies. I'm a bit shocked that there is another person on MY bus. OK I did catch a later bus , so not really MY bus. Olinda seems a bit busier. Nice to see the Montage gang and to sit in the sun at the bus stop and enjoy Astrids fine coffee. August 29thShirl from Skyhooks gone 19 years now. It doesn't seem that long.A big Happy Birthday shout out to my wonderful sister. We start watching Season 6 of VIKINGS. A really great start. Hope the rest of the season is this mighty. My sisters DNA results come back and apparently we are 10% Norwegian. See Viking blood, I knew it. No wonder all those Aegishjalmur facial rune tattoos give me a bit of a stiffy! August 30thEarly morning and our water is cleared to drink . Still 24 suburbs that have to boil their water.25 million infected by Covid worldwide now. I can't believe some people are so stupid they think it is the flu. True Colours drops out of all the Australian charts this week. I was shocked that the vinyl has gone. Maybe the $60 price tag is scaring people. August 31stNice chat with our mate Spock from BCO. I do miss those guys. Fun memories of Boom Crash Opera. Nice that we are in contact with most of them still.I'm excited as Rick Lum from seventies iconic band HUSH emails me. Covid has thrown a few plans into chaos. I remind Rick that Hush owe Mark and myself a gig as they blew out Wollongong Town Hall when we were 14 years old. A care package of bad candy arrives from my sister. September 1stSpring has Sprung. It is just beautiful today. The power is out again for line work around the storm. We expected it. 5 hours.Our mate Trudi's Carmellia is starting to flower, it is loving this Spring sunshine. A nice gift. Carmellias everywhere around our property, so much colour. Australia is officially in Recession. The first Recession in 30 years, also the worst economic growth in 61 years. So much for SlowMo and Frydenberg mouthing off about being "back in black"! September 2ndHappy Birthday to our mate Spock. Like many people a big catch up when Covid 19 is over and done with. I did mange to get a card mailed, it's hard to find cards up here during lockdown.Mark is excited as I found a bag of Vittoria coffee beans at Olinda IGA for $14. Not sure if it was priced correctly but last bag and a bargain. Other people bring home flowers, I bring home a 1kg bag of coffee beans. A nice afternoon so I head out for a few laps around Kalorama oval. So nice to have some sun on my shoulders. I spend a bit of time looking at the latest images of Slab City (The Slabs) that snowbird community in the Sonoran Desert in California. It's used by Rec vehicle owners and squatters. Possibly it's 2 most famous residents are Leonard Knight ( Salvation Mountain) and Charlie Russell who created the East Jesus art installations. I kind of enjoy watching footage on these sometimes crazy commune creative Slabbers. Nice to see Simon Reeve include it on his recent California episode. September 3rdOur stage 4 lockdown has been extended by a few more weeks. It will take a bit of time for this to be under control here. Foolish selfish people threatening anti lockdown protests will just make things worse.Ridley Scotts rather excellent RAISED BY WOLVES is superb. Debut tonight on cable, we can't wait for episode 2. Joe Biden still has a 7.2 point lead over Trump-that has stayed the same for a month now. Trump looks a tad rattled. Most presidents get a second term but you never know, imagine if he didn't. September 4th300,000 NEW Covid cases worldwide yesterday . I bet by the middle of this month a lot of places will experience second infection waves.Nice to get a call from Andy White, using his lockdown time being creative. I guess a lot of new music will emerge from Covid. An up side. The Stones GOATS HEAD SOUP reissue is out today in Oz. Debuts at #1 in England. September 5thHmmmmm today i baked an Apple Pie and also washed my Covid masks. Surely I must of been more active. Diary says NO.September 6thSunshine makes me happy. I work outside on the decking today. Our awesome neighbour Martin finds me some chicken wire, which is perfect for the 3rd Mars boulder for MIMS space set. So my day spent working with paper mache. I love it, the trick is to be patient and to get the flour glue mix right. Somehow it ends up looking more like Fred Flintstones coffee table. The paint and spray paint colouring is really good-very happy with that. I manage to complete the entire thing by late afternoon.Homemade Pizza for dinner. YUM. NSW health sends boxes of contaminated Covid masks to 19 NSW hospitals. How crazy is that? September 7thI get our 2 mountain bikes out of the garage and give them a good oiling and cleaning. Our tyre pump is crap but borrow this might upright pump from aneighbour. I so am going to get us one of those. Bikes are ready so we hit the Thompsons track. Mark is a million times better bike rider then I am. He is so patient with me so that is appreciated. I do get some speed up, we have to be careful as after the giant windstorm some gum trees are down on the track It's the perfect day and a magical ride with my best mate. We make it home just before dusk. We are so lucky having this nearby. Lockdown doesn't feel so bad for us up here. A bit selfish but I count our blessings. If it went on for another 6 months it wouldn't rattle us very much, but I must think of other people.September 8thOut into the yard early and get all the clean up done, some big burn piles. I expected rain by lunch and exactly at 12.00 it arrives. Happy we got so much done. Mark eyes off his next yard project- "The Grove".The skies over Kalorama are full of sulphur crested cockatoos. I'm not talking dozens but hundreds. I've never seen so many. I counted 63 that landed at our place. So funny to watch them all try to drink from the communal bird water bowl. Boy were they LOUD. Weird food for dinner-Avocado Smash and spicy lentil soup. I made something different for Mark-he hates lentils. September 9thMarks amazing Mum would of turned 80 today, so lots of memories and chat today around her. We miss her greatly.I buy a Xanthostemon at Montrose Fruit shop. They have a few plants out the front. I need to repot a few things for the decking, add a bit of colour. Plus it supports a local shop. Bongo Skyhook is playing mystery man and has a gift for me "something he cherishes" ...and it's in the post. He won't tell me , keeps me guesisng. I'm just stoked he thought enough to mail me a surprise. He's a good bloke. Aussie Post is crap during this pandemic, it could take weeks to arrive. September 10thAs expected The Walking Dead will finish after season 11. However it will be along season 24 episodes, plus a new spinoff Dead show. We've stuck with this show-good and bad, thankfully most good. We still enjoy it.The Burn pile in the yard is growing again. We shred a lot, put into compost bins etc but a lot of things like Ivy it's good to get rid of them in a blaze of fire. The embers are just perfect to bake some potatoes. Mark puts on his best Frida outfit and we sit around the fire playing guitar and singing Fernando. "Can you hear the drums Fernando? I remember long ago another starry night like this. In the firelight Fernando. You were humming to yourself and softly strumming your guitar. I could hear the distant drums ...And sounds of bugle calls were coming from afar..."! September 11thSunny again, this weather is exceptional. Surely it can't last.John Barilaro from the NSW Nationals is being a dick. He really should join the Olympic team for the worlds fastest political backflip. Banshee is outside with us and she is exploring "The Grove". She's been an indoor cat most of Winter but this beautiful weather tempts the old girl. She is frolicking about like a kitten. It is good to see. I try to find this old polaroid that Mark and myself took of my sister when she was about 5 years old. It was during an eclipse and all 3 of us at my grandfathers house. We hung upside down from the clothesline, played music and had an eclipse party. I'm not sure why this is suddenly stuck in my head. I'm still looking, so many photos. September 12thA mere 15 losers turn up for the "Freedom" rally. Just selfish pricks. I'm glad most Victorians are doing the right thing and ignoring these idiots.I work in the office till midnight. Just had the vibe to finish on a few things, sadly one was not the diary, which is late again. I'll blame this beautiful weather, it is a temptress and keeps me away from the keyboard. September 13thWe watch "9/11 Inside Air Force One"- an incredible documentary-worth checking out. Strangely enough my dislike for President Bush has diminished over time, possibly because Trump is such a horror that he makes Bush look good!Indonesia and France now have large second infection waves and suddenly Englands numbers are on the rise. I think England rushed it and it will end up costing them lives and making things worse. September 14thI meet one of our new neighbours today. Mark met her a few days ago, she's great, will be fantastic having her living near us.I call my cousin David for his birthday, I'm usually hopeless at such things but this year i got it together. We talk about the possibility of Mark and myself not making it home for Christmas. It will be weird if we can't. The Stones GOATS HEAD SOUP vinyl debuts at #7 in Australia. Bummer it didn't make #1. Rolling Stones fans probably remember the original $1.99 price tag not $54 like today. September 15thI'm up early as I was all set to clean some our our gutters. The phone rings as I was walking out the door and it was Bob Skyhook. Horrid news, his older brother Peter just passed away from a terrible accident. Fell off a ladder. I was speechless. Bob asked if I could put together a few words for our various online areas. Whatever he wants is always ok with me, we owe him so much. I sit down and write something and ask Mark to put the ladder away, I'm taking this an an omen. I'm contact a few people around the band to let them know, less for Bob to do during these sad times.We hear from a few of the other Skyhooks too-Fred and Peter Inglis. Everyone is rather shocked. I put my 4 liner up on the internet and it goes viral. I wonder if people think it's Bob that has passed away, maybe the Skyhook name ignites it, I'm not sure. By midnight 120,000 have read it and the media are running articles everywhere. Thankfully Mark filmed our "Pint on Punt" Skyhooks anniversary gig so we have some footage of the Starkie Brothers having a bit of a play with other Skyhooks at soundcheck. Nearly 12,000 enjoy that, sometimes it's good to let the music speak for itself. A sad day for music. You can enjoy Markys footage here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hW9CKVMDOaQ&fbclid=IwAR09FzWUGBHiaGZqRPafIK3DIQ3xNx-xpHHoIdsynq7cJGhKzhw_jHs7Oj8 September 16thAnother weird day around Peter Starkies death. Lots of media calls and online stuff. A UK newspaper runs a ridiculous "The Curse of Skyhooks" article. Our Official Skyhooks Facebook page suddenly has a jump in numbers and likes. A few people still think it's Bongo that has died. I spend the entire day on Skyhooks and this. It's just a bit odd. I still avoid the ladder.Meanwhile 200,000 Americans are dead from Covid. Trump just avoids it. He tries for some political mileage trying to rush a vaccine a few days before the election. He's told in no uncertain terms it won't happen. We watch "Trapped-the Alex Cooper Story" on Foxtel. Conversion Therapy is evil. Those who do such things deserve jail time. I head off and mail 3 sympathy cards, a friend also lost her life during the California bushfires. It has done my head in. Full of sadness. Gerry at the Montrose post office looks shocked that I've bought him out of sympathy cards. never a good thing. September 17thThe wonderful RAISED BY WOLVES renewed for a second season. Excellent.September 18thA sad loss for America with the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg.September 19thYard work with Marky, just had to escape the phones and internet. Get some dirt on your hands boy.It was however nice to hear from Skyhooks/The Angels Bob Spencer this afternoon. His email made me smile. September 20thOh the stupid anti lockdown protestors. A pissy 37 turn up at some shopping centre and sing a lame John Farnham song. Johnny tells them not to use his song so that will piss them off even more. These protests are joke, no one turns up and public hates the protestors guts for being selfish and risking the spread of the virus. You can tell by how few bother to turn up at these things. Just dumb bogans.i think i'll start buying Christmas presents in October, try and get them out of the way nice and early. Probably lost of vouchers this year as I bet i will be mailing them out and not heading home. After all we only have 91 days till Christmas. Thinking this year we might hang Covid masks all over the Christmas tree instead of decorations! many years ago at the Osborne street house we hung our housemates Bra's as chrissy decorations. We are naughty lads. Yes it's been a weird week. Stay safe and happy. Peter |