The Life and Times of Peter Green
Archive: 10 October - 31 October 2022
 Happy Halloween- Spike, Hisako and Dkari. (Kalorama 2022). |
October 10thThe good Dr has departed Australia for parts unknown. So great to see him, generous as always but it seemed to be over in a blink of an eye. He did so much for people, I am a bit in awe. I just wish it was a different time, different place, different life. My life can be complicated enough without complicating it to a whole new level. I am calm(er) over such things these days but at times a few drops of madness creep into my head. I am the luckiest man alive (good line Tim Finn) I really am. I should count my blessings.I find two pages of notes from this rather mind blowing Medium friend , her mediumship really is unlike any other. I hadn't read it in several years, it's originally from a Red Moon (Lunar eclipse) gathering in January 2019. When i read it now I am shocked at how much was foretold, like really foretold. My brain didn't even click when some major events happened. As Dame Edna would say, "that's a bit spookey possums". October 11thI'm still trying to find some crappy sports shoulder pads for Marks KISS outfit, no lucky. I'm hanging upside down in the Salvo's giant sports recycle bin but no luck. If this was America it would be so much easier. In the end we might blow off this costume idea and go for something more simple. I did see a cool bondage mask at Sexyland the other day. As one does.I buy fuel at the petrol station and thankfully clicked on an email and scored ten times the amount of Qantas points. Woo Woo. It all helps especially with airfares on the rise. Lachie at S39 so sweet this morning, he really is a nice way to start the day. I had a list of 37 things to do today and as the sun set I managed the final one. That feels good. October 12th... and the rain arrives at 11.00 am. I'm sitting out the front of the Olinda bakery and a car zooms by with The Sweets "Ballroom Blitz" playing LOUD. I smile and a lady walking past looks at me and goes "Great song eh?". Strangely enough she looks a lot like our Sweet loving old house mate Gina. I wonder if Gina ever tries to track us down (hopefully not to murder us). I still have kind loving thoughts about her. Gina if you read this, i DO care!A big rain storm hits in the afternoon, I am keeping my eyes on the areas up north of our state as it's certainly going to flood. I email Dean a list of areas that are a worry, in case the DDR need to go into action. October 13thA huge storm hits Melbourne at 5.00. I walk around outside check for any loose objects and try to put any bits and pieces away. I guess we are ready. I keep thinking this will be weeks of rain , so endless flooding on the way.We watch "The Winchesters", the spinoff from Supernatural tv show. First episode was ok, we'll give it a chance as we loved Supernatural. The heavy rain arrives at Kalorama at 6.30 pm and our emergency overflow gutters work so perfectly. Some trees come down on our road and some road washed away so I blow out going to the charity, I can't get my car out, trees from neighbours place. Oh well staying at home today. I do venture out and pick some red sorrel to use for lunch. I am so excited that this has established itself in our vegetable patch. Great for respiratory tract and bacterial infections. A super food of the culinary world. The rain continues the entire night, I sleep well. I like the rain. October 14thSkyhooks drummer Fred joins Bongo tonight , playing all those cool Hook songs at the Geelong Wool Exchange. Bob sounds great, a fun phone call. He told me he is proud of us around our work with flood victims. That felt nice.We survived the night ok, all the water tanks are full again and the yard is very soggy. On the phone to my other good mate D and he is preparing the DDR to go to the flood areas very soon. I send him the latest list of the emergency shelters. Looks like I will be wingman for some of this, he really needs some eyes in the sky as hundreds of roads are now closed due to flooding. I get a call and the cheeky bugger is a few minutes away. I'm stoked, I love this guy and a joy for him to share dinner with us. All three of us get along so well it terrifies me at times. This was a lovely surprise. We are PDM. October 15thDDR is on the road, bedding it down in the car at Seymour. First on the scene and helping straight away.The flood waters keep cutting off road, It's so hard to navigate all of this but somehow I am managing, shocked how many roads continue to close, the list grows larger every 15 minutes. Scary. October 16thIt's called "Blue Sky Flooding" watch the media run with this term. Basically when its nice outside like today but the water volume is so massive that more and more flooding happens under those blue Aussie skies.I'm phoning around for some more emergency stock , so many people have left their houses with only the clothes on their back. Kate from Pinchapoo says "Yes" to deoderant, shavers and shaving cream for us-bless her. A bit of a debrief from Mr DDR himself. We both love our debriefs and no matter which way I say it, it somehow sounds sexy. HA! I look my best when I 'debrief" some have said. (evil grin). October 17thWow Labor have jumped way ahead of the Liberals now, by 25 points! Crazy. Mr Alabanese FORTY points ahead of Mr Potato Head Dutton as "Preferred PM. Same in Victoria , Dan Andrews now has a massive lead over Mr Guy. Soon I'll have to stay neutral around the Election for work which is ok, I'm just happy Australians get a chance to vote.I tell Dean about Anthony Tran, who is the youngest Lord Mayor in Australia. Of course 3 hours later Dean has met him. Four hours later I'm chatting on the phone with him. My new friend Ant! Seems like a fairly genuine bloke which is nice and rare. October 18thMy mate Jeff sends us a present, probably the one Bowie book that I don't have. "David Bowie is ...The Subject". What a fabulous book- such a cool present. The first book granted access to Bowie's personal archives , contains endless ephemera. Love it. Thanks Jeff.October 19thI mail Isabelle's birthday present to France. Hopefully it will arrive on time, you never know in a Covid world, the mail is so messed up.I catch up with Kate at Pincha today and fill the car up with more stock. So good to see her. We also have a laugh. Her dog Darcy is gorgeous and gives me the best doggy kiss. I see encephalitis is starting to rear it's ugly head in the flood zones. All those mosquitoes, we pack some extra bottles of Bushmans spray. Not a nice thing to get. October 20thI get back on time and head into the charity. It's all slowly happening, we moved so much stuff around today. My "Book Cave" as I'm calling it is coming together. The regional boss shows up and lends a hand.I call Sock Boy Benjys Mum, and we try to link up but no go, end of day we will find a way to grab the socks as they are a must have in such wet and miserable disaster conditions. People love Benjy's fine efforts. Duncan from Olinda Pizza makes us dinner tonight, ok I decided it's time to support local business so I buy 2 big Pizza's from him. Well it's kind of the same thing? His daughter living with him as her house destroyed by flood waters. Which is terrible. Guiding D towards Echuca , many more roads are closing. These floods are horrid. I've lost contact with him, not too freaked out as I know how safe he is while in the field. But if anyone sees a rather handsome guy with LRB's "Help is on the way" playing loudly in the car just let me know. October 21stI spend most of the day and night in the office. Though I work on the pool room roof with Marky. Just some tidy up work. My legs ache a bit being on the ladder for so long but we get to play some great 'work music'. People have been asking how they can support Deans Disaster Relief and what 'we' do. The only thing that seems a killer for us is fuel. It costs us a fortune and self funded so you can imagine how much after we clock up 3000, 5000kms. So I suggested that if people want to help they can donate and we can buy some Fuel cards . You can mail us in a card or donate some $ towards on. If interested just email me: petergr@netspace.net.au It did my heart good, that within minutes of saying this several people happily donated. It means SO MUCH! Thanks.October 22ndI get up early, very early and head off with my DDR sleeping bag, a backpack and a carry bag full of flood disaster items. The bus to Croydon station and a really nice train ride to the city. Plenty of space, a big thumbs up to public transport. I arrive with time to spare. A tourist takes a photo of me under the Flinders street station clocks. Iconic and lots of ladies rushing by with their umbrellas up as the rain falls. I love the shot.Mr DDR arrives on time and he is so official looking that he gets to park where ever he wants while I bag us some coffee's. I love entering the zone and trust this man with my life. We head off to see Benjy and his cool music loving brother and collect hundreds of pairs of new socks. The DDR vehicle is now packed and off we go towards Bendigo. At some point I hand Dean a thank you card with 6 fuel vouchers in it and promise more are on the way. I could tell it meant a lot to him, that people just want to support this incredible relief effort. Was that a tear, I'm sure I spotted a tear. First stop Bendigo, the largest of the ERC's (Emergency Relief Centres). Dean gets a bit of a heroes welcome, the DDR is kind of the funky cool new kid on the block. I think some of the dinosaurs might be a bit scared by the hands on approach and self funding. A bit proud. We get straight into it , stock check, seeing what is needed. Just letting people talk, a lot of people need that, the release to a stranger. A guy shows me a cut on his leg, not major but happy to help clean it etc and send him off to the medics when they return. Our next stop is Rochester and it has been brutalised by the flood waters. We arrive at a church hall but no lights on and no one inside. A crowd is building outside, I push on the door and it opens. A local who had something to do with it walks in with me. By now about 40 people outside and they need food and supplies. I grab my clip board and go down the aisles to see what there is. 15 minutes later, doors are open and we are looking after people with supplies. It's really warm inside so I get the dozens of eggs out into the cool room. Bad enough there is encephalitis without people getting sick from off eggs. I remember one lady clearly, my first person that i needed to hold and give a very long hug too. She'd been holding it together for her kids and they were with an Aunt and she finally let it all out. Totally fine, felt honoured she trusted me to do so. Some of these people have been through so much. They are mighty. We meet some locals and council connected and get a call to head off. A young woman Emily takes us to a town called Lockington. We drive across flooded roads, nothing too intense and the sun is out, blue skies -the reflection on the water over the road is kind of beautiful. I look at Dean and smile, we both appreciate the beauty of the Australian landscape. She shows us two possible hall structures which could be used for emergency storage, great she is thinking ahead. We arrive at the town. It's a really nice rural town, the flooding hasn't hit the centre of it. The clouds are rolling in and the locals move the BBQ at the local disaster centre. They've done a fantastic job at Lockington, everyone pitching in. Sleeping facilities, food, and they are onto it. I wait till the last local has had their sausage from the BBQ and a sweet woman comes up and says come on go for it, we are so glad you fellas are here. We all chat, we listen, we help in a few areas. "Where are you staying" says Wendy. She's subtle but my empathic spider senses tingle, this woman certainly holds some community power, especially in the respect department, and boy what a good heart. We tell her we are roughing it tonight, DDR sleeping bags, which I am fine about. "We can't have that , I just have to make a call". She comes back and has two rooms for us at the Lockington Hotel. The local pub. I'm uncertain but let D decide, he nods with appreciation. We follow Wendy and her husband Ken and they kind of give us this amazing guided tour, a mini history of the towns recent events. The local petrol station was closing down so the towns people bought it. Otherwise no fuel and tiny towns like this just die. Next, the town bought the supermarket and some community structures. We visit one and donate several boxes worth of supplies. Next to it is the community vegetable garden. It looks mighty, I make a note to check it out later. We walk across the road to the pub , our accommodation and the manager treats us like the rockstars have arrived-everyone is so happy to see us. I usually share a room with Dean but this is fine, my room clean, a great bed. He has been hitting flood zones all week so a well deserved rest. Well that was our plan. We got talking to locals, and decided to have a few drinks. That was a mistake. Suddenly the weather changes it floods down, like FLOODS. The sky full of lightening, this looks bad. What to do. The bar is full, packed. It feel s like the entire town is here. "Someone turn up the music" a young tradie calls out. Everyone, even us CHEERS. I guess if this is the end of it all we might as well go out partying. The feeling was electric. Three hours later, and one full large bottle of sambucca gone, way too many beers- I now have an acquired taste for Carlton Draught . I now can feel the earth rotating. Absolutely stupid conversations at our table, I knocked my first drink over-ever! But people were merry, they'd forgotten the disaster bullshit for part of a night. I rarely say it but every so often it is ok to get well and truly pissed. They let off steam, did I dance on the bar?- that's just an urban legend...well maybe...! I went to my room , and kind of suffered, I didn't throw up , but I felt like shit. The rain continued and the thunder was loud. "Someone turn that down" I think I whispered to God. October 23rdAt sunrise I decided a good green tea and a 1km jog was needed. The rain had stopped the clouds departed for a moment, and it was a beautiful sunrise. I explore the local community vegetable patch and what a work of art. The jog, my Forest Gump moment, well in my head it was. The Green tea worked and I had some toast and vegemite in the kitchen. I made Deano a strong coffee. We laughed about last night. Locals came up and said "Good night chaps, we all needed it". I must admit getting a bit trashed wasn't part of my disaster plan. But what a fine bunch to do this with. A lovely town.We go from Lockington to Echuca. The ERC in that area has been closed and people sent to Bendigo. We help some people with supplies and chat to the local Channel 7 newsreader at the end of the street where the river is rising fast. The makeshift levee has held from the Murrays highest flood in more than a century. It was hastily built, an earthen wall which was inundated by the swollen river. I go with the news crew and grab some photos. We head back to Rochester and drop in some supplies but miss the girls Amanda and Jane. We have a stock delivery to grab as well in the middle of nowhere but we see it as a priority to get this before water covers the road completely. We sit and Dean asks what i think of going to Kerang. I tell him we should, my little vote, if for nothing else, we might help even a few people it is worth it, So a bit of a drive for Deano but Kerang is now our focus. We have to go back to Melbourne fairly soon. So after Kerang , we turn around and do the long drive. I know how worn D is so when he suggests a really great motel using his special members card, the smile stretched around my face. He doesn't tell me where etc, so a surprise. This wonderful bloke looks after me, don't want it to sound sucky on the diary but I appreciate it more than he will ever know. I guess I just want him to be proud of the work I am doing too, DDR is his baby and so special, so full of potential. I just want to add to that, also he's one of our best mates. The hotel is awesome, my bed so comfortable I might never leave this bed, ever! I'm taken to dinner, I make an effort , I look kinda good considering I'm normally covered in mud and the extra bonus of being hungover. Dinner was just the best and we both had juice, no booze. I didn't realise how worn we are till we got back to the room. We just wanted to crash. October 24thI wake up laughing, I really do , so stupidly happy. Like I am on the best drugs, what is that! I offer to get us coffee and ask downstairs where the closest florist is. 3 kms return. Phew, ok I'm up for it , I do the walk in my giant kickarse boots and buy some sunflowers, just a thank you. Kinda blokey. I get back just as rain starts falling. I ask the girl at reception if she can take them to the room so it will be a real surprise, I wander off to see Carol and grab the coffees.I return and he is shaking his head, I play dumb. I fess up, "shit they are only flowers". Good mates deserve flowers I've always said that. We shit outside for awhile while he takes calls. My phone rings and it's surfer Stevie, back in Oz for a tiny while. He sounds great, doing well in the comps. We talk for awhile and I promise to catch up with him closer to Christmas. We head home but decide on a detour to see Kate at Pinchapoo. It's closed but Kates in the van and about to leave. The loudest "OMG" ever. Group hug, we like this gal. Another person that does amazing work. So please give Pinchapoo a "like" on facebook, they are so worthy. We don't stay long as I am eager to see Marky. It's good that the three boys can do what we do, no jealous crap or anything too weird, truth be known between Mark, Dean and myself I'm probably the most fucked up. I think i just care too deeply about these blokes and shit that's me, probably can't change that. So we wave goodbye and I eventually fall asleep in the arms of my best mate. October 25thIt's good to be home, well for a short while, we kind of know we will be heading off again. Nice to chat to Fen and a big hello to Giles too.Happy Birthday to my Uncle Des, give him a call while he is at Mums, a bit shocked that it will be Christmas so soon and I'll see my Wollongong family again. It comes around so quickly. It's all happening at the Salvo's, a big shake up around our huge store. Just changing shape , they've given me a big area that i will call the Book Cave. As well as DVDs, CDs etc. So loads to move and things to change. October 26thLilydale gets hit with some flash flooding. It does happen in that area, when the Kalorama disaster happened, Lilydale had flooding only days before. People soon forget and want to blame things like the new train station but none of this is new.I call into Bunnings and buy buckets and scourers for the next stage of the disaster work. Just my tiny contribution. I can't sleep (again) think it's disaster adrenalin, so wake up early. The bakery staff make me a rather delicious salad sandwich. Miss T , rather excellent coffee. "We've missed you" she says which made me smile. October 27thThe rain seem relentless today, really heavy falls. I hear from a mate and she has managed to get an area for this little gathering for some of the flood victim kids. We have lego for them and cake. Plus close to Halloween so what the hell, some dressing up for us. Time to drag out the Wilfred the Dog suit. I take it into the charity as I plan to get changed at Salvo's and zoom straight to this mini event.Lots of lifting today, I ache a bit but a good days work. At 3.30 i get changed and pose for some doggy photos with the charity crew. I give my boss a huge squeeze in the dog suit. HA. As i drive off to the see the kids a Police car is following me, ok I am in a giant dog suit but I drive extra carefully. Headlines "Wilfred Arrested for Illegal U-Turn"! "Dog with Bone arrested for wild sex moment". "DDR mascot - I am Innocent". I do call in to see Kate but the rain is now pounding Melbourne and the street where Pinchapoo is located is flooded, the red beast glides through it. Eventually I get home, small mudslides on the tourist road and it's becoming rather slippery. A car spins and hits a small tree, I stop and offer assistance, yes in the bloody dog suit. The driver is ok, just shaken up...probably more concerned that a giant dog is helping he rout of the car. October 28thI wait for a break in the rain and hurry outside and put all the vegies in the vegie patch. It probably is too wet but the soil is so moist and smells incredible, hopefully a tiny bit of sun will help. The Ebony Fire Chillies look great. All those purple flowers.Andy White is back from Canada so i catch up with him at the Olinda bakery. The other Peter & Mark join us , so we all squash around a table, so many locals come up and say hello, it's like a busy train station. A nice way to spend the morning. Dean calls and we are heading back into the disaster zone again soon, I am so excited as always to be doing this. I do miss Marky like crazy, I'm sure he thinks I don't but i think of him about 200 times a day. At 5.55 i have this strange energy burst, a bit of a Wicca Weather moment, I can not explain it, suddenly strange circular winds start turning on the lawn, the rain seems to go sideways and bits of ice fall from the sky, my body feels electric. I was worried I might black out but it seemed to stabilize. Now that was weird...i felt like I was "calling it in". I am afreak. I like being a freak. Chic Le Freak! October 29thA few more emails around people wanting to support the DDR Fuel vouchers. If you want to show some support just email me: petergr@netspace.net.au OK I know I mentioned this already. But it's such along diary I thought you might of forgotten.I wake up with Bon Jovi's "Living on a Prayer" in my head. I drive to Olinda and the car next to me also has that song playing. An hour later it is on the Bakery radio at Olinda. How very odd.,...and oh yeah Jerry Lee Lewis dies. I catch up with Andy white in the supermarket car park at Upper Ferntree Gully. Mostly around work stuff. As i go to leave he says. "Hey you forgot this" and holds up a Ampol Fuel Voucher. He went out in the rain and bought one for his contribution to the DDR. So absolutely amazing-thank you Andy White. On the way home I swing the car into Range Rd at Olinda to answer some texts. I look to the left and realise I am parked in the front of one of the most haunted houses in Australia. It is now freezing in my car, my breath you can see. I get this horrid feeling of evil like something just wants to take me over, I get out of there so fast. It does rattle me. On the way around ridge road, a car decides not to look and just pulls out, and I'm heading straight towards it, I manage to go between it and the car behind, swing a 180 and get all 4 wheels back on the ground. The seat belt is straining. It feels like it may well snap. That night I have massive bruises across my chest and some slight whiplash. The worst part is, the offending driver, drove off super fast. The people in the 2 cars behind him jump out and run to me. I am ok, slightly shaken, they are shocked. One lady asks me if I am a stunt driver as she was impressed. I take it so slow going home, I could of been killed. My car was just filled to the top with fuel too. Marky holds me for awhile. Everyone fusses , which is nice but i want to forget about it. A world where I am no longer in it ...how odd. October 30thI work on the storyboard and art pieces for MIMS Mars dance area while sipping my coffee at the bakery, a few tiny ideas. It will now be in the my bedroom not the garage as the weather is too horrid.I buy some more cleaning fluids for the DDR and for the upcoming flood clean up areas. Dean heads out and gets even more, the car is going to be packed. All paid for by us. Nice to hear that the little Kalorama fire truck has gone to the flood areas to help, it would be great if we see them while up that way. Good on you Kalorama CFA. Mark films a fast motion version of myself setting up the MIM Mars Bowie set which will go before Maddie's free form dance when we film it for you tube. Marky is amazing he so knows what he is doing, I am useless. October 31stWonderful Kate at Pincha passes on a contact at Baxter Labs and they kindly supply us with a few hundred pump packs of Aeroguard insect repellent to take into the flood zones, this will help many around the encephalitis outbreaks from mosquitoes. Huge thank you to the lads at Baxter labs Boronia.Happy Halloween. I call into Sexyland and pick up my Neoprene Puppy Hood. Apparently it is called Spike. Mark is now called Dkari for the full length of Halloween and will not answer to anything else. His costume is black and furry, it terrifies me. So my sex bondage doggy mask goes with my Wilfred suit. I handcuff Mark to me and we visit our neighbours IN THE RAIN so gorgeous Hisako (Photographer to the stars) can take her photos. The rain is insane, almost zero trick n treaters tonight. I happily jump over puddles with Dkari as we walk on home. So that is it, Disaster Zones here we come..again. All the best PG |