Kevin Tiller

Today was Good Friday, hence a public holiday, hence a day off work. Therefore if you want a perfect day, it was already starting off on the right foot.

Dawn was working last night and I knew she’d be home about 9am to 9.30am. The plan was to stay in bed until then. She came in, was quite cold and jumped straight into bed and warmed up on me. I fell asleep and dozed and eventually got up at 11.30am.

Did some chores but it was a beautiful warm & sunny day so was not really a problem. After that I went into our garage gym for a warm up – pushups, squats, sit ups and medicine ball lifts then went for a run. After my recent I injury just going out for a run with no pain is just heaven, to be in the sun and in my beautiful bush backyard is just great. I finished up with a swim at the beach.

Me and Dawn then drove to Caringbah for a Bikram Yoga class at 6pm, rounding out a great day of exercise. As we did the 6pm instead of our usual 7.45pm, we were home earlier than normal, so I had the energy to cook the older girls dinner, an improved lentil soup on yesterday, then did stuff on the computer and went to bed late.

Just perfect!

Was up at 6.45 to take Jaz & Chel to soccer.  Actually Jaz could have driven but I like to watch, Ko came too. It was was over at Woronora Heights at 8.20. It was quite cold and drizzly. The girls played very well and are probably the best two on the team … no bias! I took a flask of dandelion chai, my new favourite, whilst Ko bought a hot chocolate.

Back at home I had breakfast and cleared up and waited for Dawn to get up at 12.30pm (she had worked overnight and only went to bed at 9am) then we drove to Brookvale where we had seen a new car as the old one had done more than 250,000 km ! Dawn and Jaz were losing confidence in it when it’s wet on some of the steep hills here in the park even with new tyres, brakes checked etc. Anyway we got one – pick it up next weekend.

Back at home Dawn went for a run but I had a lay down then did some gym warmup (pushups, squats, situps & medicine-ball lifts) and then went for a run myself. I was still taking it easy on my calf so just went on the roads around home. It was a dark & wet night but surprisingly warm.

Jaz had made some lentils and Dawn did sushi for the girls, so I made some lentils with ginger with sushi rice. We watched Bondi Rescue and the Russell Brand movie “Get him to the Greek” whilst Dawn did some work. Went to bed just before midnight.

I got up about 9am which counted as a lie-in – work during the weeks gets me up at 6.30am and the past few weekends has been 7am approx. I had breakfast and ead the (virtual) paper and did some chores so that by 11am I could watch Jaz referee her first soccer game. Under-8 at Bundeena. However she didn’t really want me watching so just saw some of it then went back home. The soccer is oval is a 1min walk from our house. Kody was playing at 1pm so went over with Dawn to watch her – in our rain coats as it was raining heavily. Ko played ok, the 2nd half in goal and is probably better in midfield than in defence where she was for the first half. At 2pm Jaz has the. Referee for the Under-16 girls match. I just saw a bit then went home – apparently she did ok.

I went running and MY CALF FELT OK so I was very happy. By now it was pouring and very cold but it was geat just to be out running. I finished off with a swim at Hordern’s beach in treacherous waters ie a lesser swimmer could have drowned. Luckily I made a good entrance and exit ffrom the water so as not to scare the onlookers !!! A nice hot bath was the order of the day and as Dawn went to work early (5pm) I had an early dinner, did some stuff on the computer and watched The Blind Side movie on the TV with Ko. My mum had called on the phone approx 8.30pm for our usual Saturday chat. I went to bed approx 10pm.

I had to leave work early, just before 3pm, as I had to be at Cronulla High School for 4.20pm for parent-teacher interviews for Chelsea & Kody. They had a good online booking system this year so it was very simple to use and book. I had about 10 interviews running until about 6pm. Luckily most of the feedback was pretty good.

When I got home Dawn was at the gym so I made some dinner – cannellini beans in fresh tomato with olives and spinach with my favourite plum vinegar. See photo below.

Our washing machine finally died earlier today, although it wasn’t a surprise as it’s been getting worse ie noisier & noisier so it was only a matter of time. Dawnwent out with Jaz and bought a new one so after I briefed Dawn and the girls about what the teachers said, we set about installing it. The old one fit EXACTLY into the hole in the kitchen so the new one also had to be exact, luckily they are all near enough a standard size. We finished about 9.30pm.

I am writing most of these blog posts on my tablet on the train. It seems like a constructive & positive use of my time.

The clocks went back an hour last night so although not officially winter, it’s starting to feel that way. Today was wet and miserable and cold (19C) which made it feel like winter even more. The upside was an extra hour sleep, not that I really noticed (as I was asleep!). Dawn was working overnight so worked an extra hour which was unpaid, a point she made to me a few times so obviously she is not that happy about it.

I took the Jaz and Chel to soccer at Wooloware leaving 7.15am so was up approx 6.45 and I just had a coffee before we left. The weather was drizzling at the game. 1-1 draw but the girls played really well, certainly within the top few in the team.

At home I did a bunch of chores, had breakfast and fiddled around optimising my new tablet – ensuring all photos from my phone, Dawn’s phone and my tablet were saved immediately online and could be essily shared & accessed by us only. Then went for a swim in the rain – the water was surprisingly warm and it was great although unsurprisingly I was literally the only person on the whole beach. I had a doze on the sofa as it was perfectly quiet in the house. Dawn was still in bed, Kody was at a friend’s and the others had taken my car and gone shopping.

Later on we went to yoga and then to the supermarket.  It was Kody’s first proper Bikram yoga class. She did better than expected but found it quite hard. Home at 9.30pm. Very tired.

I got up at 4.45am to drive Dawn to Sutherland to catch the train to work as Jazmin was using hers to go Uni and for soccer practise in the evening. I got back at home at 6am and helped get Kody ready and top up Jazmin’s phone plan. Jaz left at 6.15am.

I left with Kody at 6.35 to pick up Ella & Beni at the Maianbar turnoff then picked up Caitlin at Caringbah then droped them all off at school for dancing practise at 7.30am. Actually we were 5mins early so it was excellent timing given the traffic! I had a coffee in Cronulla overlooking the beach. The water was 22.8c which was awesome but I didn’t really have enough time for a swim. I bought petrol then drove to Sutherland for the train and was at my desk in the city at 9.15am.

Afterwards, I was late leaving work and got to Sutherland approx 7.45pm. I bought some bananas as we were out and they are a key part of our family’s diet. I phoned Dawn who was on a train that got to Sutherland at 8.45pm.

Not really time to go home and back so I thought I might get a coffee in Gymea which is just 5 mins away but I ended up just sitting in the car for 30mins or so just learning and configuring my new tablet. Home at 9.20pm.

A long day ending with a good long soak in a hot bath!

Kody’s first soccer game of the season was cancelled which she was incredibly disappointed about as she had been looking forward to it for a while. That meant I didn’t have to get up early so I took dawn to Martin’s near Ryde as she was getting her leg or back clicked back in –  obviously I wasn’t paying attention to what she said as I can’t remember exactly which body part was being clicked or clacked! I still had to get up early for that though – about 6am or so as it’s quite a long drive.

Afterwards we went to the farmers market at Ramsgate. It’s really good there – a lot of top quality veges and things that you can’t get at the supermarket although it’s not any cheaper. Excellent for a change though and I like the whole made-by-hand ethic. We bought the best homos ever [link]!

Back at home I made a big batch of pesto with just basil (that we had just bought), pine nuts and olive oil – everyone in the family eats that. Then I did some reading.

As my calf is still not good enough to run on, I went for a brisk walk to Jibbon beach and back including a swim there. I decided that my calf is almost better but I could still feel it a bit. Unfortunately not good enough to run on yet.

In the evening we had a fire in our relatively new fire pit (bought last winter) and a BBQ. That is always good when the family gets together.

Up at 9am and immediately went for a swim, then did some house chores as Dawn was at work. Went to the Bundeena Art of Living festival as it was local and it’s always good to support your local community.  It was really quite warm and sunny but oppressively humid so knew it was going to rain again. Drove to the city as there were no trains again !! So the traffic eas very bad and made heaps worse by the torrential rain. We parked in china town and caught the bus to the Rocks market & then walked to the Sydney Tower. Saw a cool “4d show”  which was like a shirt 3d film of Sydney but with real surf spray and underwater bubbles coning into the auditorium. Going home was better than going traffic and weatherwise. Very tired!

Today I worked from home in the morning. Before that I went for a short run to Jibbon beach and had a swim – as usual great weather and the water was great. Unfortunately on they way back home on a slight downhill just past the RSL I had a twinge and felt either a cramp or a pulled muscle on the back of my right calf. I walked back home as it was quite painful and did not want to run and make it worse.

Working at home is ok – although I usually prefer going into the office, but it’s great to have the flexibility to work at home. I don’t even have to bring my laptop home can just remotely connect to my office laptop and have the desktop in front of me as though I was sitting in the office with it in front of me.

I worked pretty much flat out until 3pm as I was going to Wollongong Uni with Jazmin for some event there, more like a social welcoming event than anything else. I quite like Wollongong Uni campus in fact the whole feel of it. They were making a big deal about Facebook going fishing for staff from the Uni. Otherwise my only nervousness was about how they relished the parents of students-to-be. Back when I was a student I would have been horrified or at least surprised to take my parents to a Uni function. But here they actually had a student’s briefing and a parent’s specific briefing.

Otherwise it just made me remember my own Uni days from all those years ago, the course changes and other activities – running, teaching overseas kids, cooking, washing clothes etc. All good in a rosy-coloured glow now!

Jazmin had an early interview today at Wollongong University – for kids in the local area with good school reports and some are offered a place that is not dependent on HSC results. I have no idea how many spots are available or what her chances are, but even if she doesn’t get a spot,  it’s all good experience. She is looking at doing Digital Media or Graphical Design.

She had been on a tour of the campus before but I have never been there. I was actually really impressed with the campus and do you know what my over-riding thought was ? God I wish it was me about to head off to Uni. Yes, I would love to go round the whole loop again. It’s not that I regret anything after the first time round,  its just I don’t want this ride to end!

My other thought was – should I really take her ? Can’t she go by herself ?  I mean if she gets a place she will go by herself every day so why not go solo to the interview ? Am I contributing to kids nor being able to do things for themselves ? The term these days is “helicopter parenting“. I suppose I needn’t have over-thought it as it looked like every other kid had come with a parent also.

When I was that age we could apply to 5 uni courses – I was looking to do a combined Mathematics and Geography BSc degree. I was living in West London and applied to Exeter, Newcastle,  Southampton,  St Andrews (Scotland) and Queen Mary College (London). I went to interviews at them all BY MYSELF which was quite a big deal without a car. The London one was a bit of waste as I knew I didn’t want to stay in London. If I was re-choosing today I would go to Exeter or Scotland as I like the idea of pushing the boat out and they’d both be really cool places. Ultimately I went to Southampton which was a safe option. The good news is that it made it a lot easier getting together with my girlfriend of the time (Dawn) who was doing nursing in nearby Dorset.

Because I took the day off work I was able to run to Jibbon Beach and swim there first thing in the morning. It was just really beautiful – a very sunny and warm day. Then I did all the chores, cleaning up, washing etc as Dawn was working and out of the house from 5am to 9pm (a very long day in anyone’s book).  After we got back from Wollongong I ticked off a few items from my to do list then went to yoga. So it was a successful day all round. I even made dinner for Dawn and Chelsea – cannelloni stuffed with spinach, tofu and pine nuts. Mmmm.

We got up approx 5.30am to go to the airport to pick up Chelsea from her trip to Japan. She was fine, other than being one of the last to come through. It was great to see her again. We went home and listened to her stories whilst she unpacked.

Later in the day I felt zonked out and dozed on the back deck and the sofa, probably due to getting up early the last couple of days, with late nights and possibly some hayfever coming on.

I went for a swim but not a run, walked the dog and went to bed early  – 10.20pm as Dawn was at work, Kody was having a sleepover and Jaz was at work then went out and Chelsea was out !

Up late 10am. Missed swimming at Cronulla so was a little annoyed – my alarm went off but decided to lie in so it was bitter sweet. I twinged my hamstring when I was hanging out the washing as I bent down in a squatting position. Went running on Eric St track and sandy track – glorious warm & sunny like summer – approx 21C (although the house is still bitterly cold inside approx 12C without heater on, 18C with). Went for a post-run swim at Hordern’s. Cold water but very clear – I am getting used to the coldness so not a big issue now. Had breakfast and read the Sunday paper then went to Gymea organic shop & Miranda with Dawn as she wanted to buy some running shoes – first since 2004 when we first started using Loco shoes. The end of an era and the end of shoe supply! In evening we made dinner with the family – I think we all appreciate sitting around the table together just chatting. Then putting stuff in loft after Chelsea & Kody swapped bedrooms.

On Friday I got home late from work and Dawn was at yoga, so I think I just made dinner and had a bath and was zonked out in general.

Saturday had Kody playing soccer at Miranda (won!) then Chelsea at Sutherland (lost!) then went to Miranda for Kdy to buy a birthday present, then went home and went for a run then a very brief swim at the beach (icy cold!) and a quick spin in the gym – 10 pushups, 20 kettlebells (16kg) and 15 medicine ball lifts (9kg). Felt stuffed. In the evening Dawn was a at work, Chelsea was having a sleepover and Jaz was at a party in Caringbah till gone midnight so I was at home with Kody. I was doing work work until gone midnight so it was a sad evening. Bill Oddie hosting Rage was about the best thing !