2008 THE LIST

Oh no! Do I have to go through all this again


Dear Family,

I’ve tried to ignore it, I haven’t turned on television, but my penchant for papers makes it o so obvious that it is list writing time and the most important of the lists is of course that of family achievements.

At first glance Kelly would appear to have gazumped all, if not only with her massive global carbon foot print to which no challenger comes close, then with her triumphant return to family, with partner Mart, for Christmas. Just to remind you Kell started 2008 in New York, travelled to Stockholm in February, then conservatively restricted herself to St Georges Cathedral Windsor Castle and the Cotswolds in March, Milton Keynes in April, Ireland in May, North Devon in June, Croatia in July, Thailand in August which left her exhausted and glad to stay home in September and October before setting off for Berlin in November and Dublin and Belfast in December. All this capped by the afore mentioned triumphant return leaves none of us wondering why she needs all those facials and health spar chill out time. Did I forget anything Kell?

The only competitors to this sort of punishing regime were:

The Nomads who though they may seem to have led a more sedentary year in far North Queensland with side trips to the centre for musters, did join Kell a and extensive members of Sue’s family for the exhausting Thailand trip.

Cat went to London where she is perpetuating the age old Australian tradition of showing the locals how things are done. I shouldn’t be surprised if she became the first Australian Prime Minister of Great Britton. She has also returned for Christmas but sensibly partnerless.

Hugh who is only recently back from Hong Kong and Saigon where he was in attendance at a million dollar birthday party, makes me think that perhaps there should be a special category in this list for retired pensioners or at the very least a handicap system. It doesn’t seem fair to have to compete with those with so much youth on their side. Hugh gets his new office at Sydney University with his own computer soon so we expect to see his memoirs go ahead in leaps and bounds.

Chris P is based in Austria with Andrea and no doubt having great adventures which he is scrupulously recording for his um ‘book’ maybe. Very hush hush. Ah I shouldn’t be so hard on him he obviously has to learn and communicate in not only German but Austrian.

Then of course there is Stephen who though he has not travelled far this year has probably flown more often than any of us has or will ever in one year. Add to this his flight ex Broome to Sydney and back is unlikely to be done by any of us ever, or by him again and I see him gaining points. If this weren’t enough, what about the fact that he has held all his family days by himself for three years now and is still basically recognisable, not bad eh but I don’t feel that he has quite toppled Kelly. Perhaps if he’d had a few facials.

I don’t recall Ross and Anne going to any World Cup soccer finals in Brazil or nature walks across The Pyrenees this year, please correct me if I’m wrong. My guess is that they have spent the year studying empty nesting and trying to keep Matt out of jail. No that’s too harsh, even from me, and in fact Matt may have had an international carbon footprint of his own. Once again correct me if I’m wrong.

Alice and Jack who did so well last year have spent this one in consolidation Both have graduated; Jack as a master of Conflict Resolution (I think) and Alice as a Bachelor of Arts, Media Journalism (I also think) Alice continues to Sub for Women’s Health and for a considerable portion of the year ran the show. Jack is riding the corporate merry go round, is about to discard his second ring and has already caught the third which will provide him with more time to study for his law degree. Whew!

John ever so obviously flourishes in retirement on the central coast and is a walking talking advertisement for sobriety that we, no make that I, persist in ignoring. He’s not a contender, though he has become a keen daily cyclist.

Nor am I whose longest trip this year was by train to Johns family day. Most weeks I’d be lucky to cover fifty kilometres though I’m beginning to have an impressive walking rate. I don’t expect intergalactic or time travel in the mind counts for much in this contest.

Gabby and Adrian have set up a home of their own amongst the rif raf of DY where they flourish and having both completed their studies are about to enter the work force in their chosen fields. I have only a soft grasp of this but it seems that Adrian may already have a lifelong position constructing never to be completed or used railway stations for the NSW Government.

This has left Dot and Strobe as empty nesters a state which has done nothing to curb Strobes enthusiasm for additional living areas and ponds. For Dorothy a timely stroke of luck and some good management by Luke and Jamie has made her a grandmother and I’m sooo jealous.

This makes a nice segue into my pick for the winners of this so called competition Ta Ta! The Heggens, Luke Jamie and baby James have trounced you Kell. No particular mileage needed, nor carbon print, just a DNA link which judging from the result is as good as or better than ever.

Heres a toast with which I’m sure you all agree, the winner of this 2008 list. Long live Jameson Patrick Heggen I

Robert


Disclaimer: Please note that any incorrect or libellous statement contained herein is the fault of my researcher or ghost writer and not I whose only role is to profit from these editorials.