Fenner Hall Musical - The Threepenny Opera

This years performance was fantastic! It was the Threepenny Opera by Brecht - a show written by beggers for beggers and so cheap, even a begger could see it. Hence the Threepenny Opera.

I got a late call up to become Reverent Kimball after the original actor dropped out. It was a small role that allowed me to bring out my inner seediness. I hit on men, I hit on married women, and I grabbed my crotch on stage - and held it for half a minute. Even Elise was embarrased to admit which one I was! Thanks to Louis and Leah for coming to see the musical. Here are some photos to let those paupers who were too lazy to come see what they missed.

Elise's 21st

You would think by now I would have stopped being invited to 21st' and would be focusing my time on attending weddings, however on Friday I will be going to my fifth this year. Not only that, but I fortunate to be invited to my girlfriends 21st. I know what you're all thinking, I have to deal with this every day - she's getting old!.

Dave and Elise

After a meeting with my supervisor I raced (on my race replica bike) to Elise's mothers house in Camden. The frivolity started at about 7:00pm,

Bart, Dusty and Pete getting ready to party

with family and friends from both school and uni. I had to be on my best behaviour as I was passed around like a new handbag to be oogled. I pretended to be an upstanding citizen, focusing my better qualities when questioned.

Much beer was drunk,

Elise and Richie

Bart won a bet, and Dave ripped my toenail off for me (he also proceded to put the toenail in his girlfriends mouth and lick my foot).

This is what a couple of 100km races can do to your feet (toenail painted to make it easier to see)

The next day everyone woke up hungover and all went home except for me.

Trish, Elise and Anthea

Elise and I watched six hours of the mummy trilogy (#3 is terrible, I have once again lost faith in Hollywood) and went out for dinner.

On Sunday I had to hurry home to play three games of volleyball including the final - but you've already heard that story...

Purple Shins - Postgard Soccer Tournament

To keep with the current sporting theme I'll mention in passing the portgrad soccer tournament at ANU - the Purple Shins. This year I once again joined the RSC (Research School of Chemistry) soccer team. In the past we have performed quite poorly, in fact rumour has it that RSC finished last in 2007, but 2008 was the dawning of a new era.

Jim moving into attack (we're the Black and White - like Collingwood except people like us)

In the beginning, we lost. In fact we lost quite a bit. There were not many games we won, and this was (understandably) disappointing. But then something happened. We don't really know what it was, but somehow we started playing as a team. Goals began pouring in. Our defense became a brick wall (that's me!). Our midfield fluidly transferred defense into attack.

Joey, the centreback, keeps us steady

We were a team. the good teams struggled to score, mediocre teams fell before us, and the bad teams trembled when we strapped on our pads. In a massive turnaround RSC owned the second half of the season, losing only one game (in which we were forced to field injured players due to much of the team attending conferences).

Rowan pushes up the wing

We have now entered finals footy! Can we win three games in a row to take the flag? We will be eliminated in the first round? Luckily for me the race to the flag doesn't begin until I return from Vietnam, and then RSC will stand against the best soccer teams the ANU faculties can thow at us.

Myself in attack, this is a sure fire way to ensure we don't win any more games

Fenner Volleyball

After a five year drought, Fenner's Male Volleyball team made a finals appearance. The first time since my second year - 2003.

Unfortunately we had lost one of our key players (a German centre blocker) through a devastating ankle injury, so we had to call in a replacement ex-resident Jeremy Friend.

We entered the finals against Burton and Garran, a formidable team that had earlier beaten us convicingly in straight sets by more then ten points. However knowing we were the underdogs just added fire to our bellies!

It was a tough game, with B&G having six players who all played volleyball uincluding two Europeans (that means they're good). Our starting six consisted of one player who still trainied, two who had stopped playing in the last two years (myself and the ex-ressie) and three who had played in High school and one guy who redefines massive (in college rugby his nickname is kelvinator, because he was like running into a fridge). Our only European was on crutches and will be a cripple for quite a while.

We played solidly, ensuring that B&G had to work for their points. In the end their experience won out, but only after they sweated for the victory (we were within five points both sets). This second place finish has brought an end to my 2008 coaching campaign with 2 seconds (Softball and guys volleyball), one third (road relay), and one sixth (girls voleyball). Alas Inward Bound has been cancelled this year and so my last chance at gaining a first position this year has passed me by.

The Guys Volleyball team

Oxfam Trailwalker 2008

This year's trailwalker has been and gone, yet I still have found that fourth team certificate elusive. This year's trail was the hardest I've been on. It took my team, the Fenner Rabbits, 23 hrs and 43 mins to traverse the rocky paths twisting through the thick forests of northern Sydney.

Fenner Rabbits team 338: Dave Sprinkle, Ben Williams, Phillip Gatt, Phil Byron

Unfortunatey a team member had to drop out at checkpoint five due to cramps. Not just the annoying cramps that plague the tired football player. Oh no, these cramps clutch at the muscles with the vice like grip of child and his lollies. Its not so much that every step is painful - its just that with every step your leg collapses making it impossible to walk. Still - at least we weren't wearing skins...

The team and Support crew: Andi Halliday and Yan Zhao (Support - Liz not shown), Dave, Ben and Phil (team mates)

The day of the even dawned bright and sunny, it was a bit chilly to begin with but a fast walk warmed us quickly. At the start we could not believe how many competitors were wearing skins - for those who do not know they have next to no effect upon competitors of our level. One trooper was not only wearing skins top and bottom, but refused to be polite enough to wear anything else. So snug fitting, just the bulges I wanted to observe at 6:30am. We now had a mission destroy team 070.

Its like a mutilated baby, you don't want to look but you just can't help yourself

The event got underway and we trekked through the picturesque scenes shown below. The trail was thin, steep and littered with organic tripping matter. Running was an option but we decided early on it wouldn't be worth the danger to our ankles. Anyway, we were already ahead of 'Mr Skins' and team 070. We amused ourselves frequent traffic reports (we crossed the Newcastle Freeway a few times), grotesque renditions of American Pie, Joy to the World, and any other song we knew more than the chorus to. Not only that, we were frequently reminded of Man's ability to generate electricity.We were joined by support crew member Yan at checkpoint two, a marathon runner from Singapore who wanted to see some Australian forest and we taught him 'A home among the Gum trees".

Yan and Ben in a fuzzy photo. Yan did 50 kms of the trail with us!

Bad jokes came out *moo* after the 50 km mark but fortunately not many can be remembered. At one point we broke free from the oppressive bush to be greeted by some lovely people who offered us cordial and lollies.

These are the best people ever! If all inhabitants of Earth modelled their behaviour on this family their would be no hate, prejudice or crime. I like these people.

We finally arrived at the finsh line just after the sun had come up, in which we returned to our base camp (Sprinkle's house), slept and then ate breakfast/lunch of fish and chips at Dee Why Beach. Injuries suffered to the team include blisters, blisters and more blisters, largely swollen knees, ligament soreness and muscular fatigue. However it was another great year - lets see if I'm keen again in 12 months.

The Next Wedding!

Do you remember a few posts back I mentioned I couldn't wait for the next wedding?

Well, luckily I didn't have to wait long. Here is a photo of the invite.

If you look real close on the left page you can see the location of the first ceremony.

That's correct - I'm heading to Vietnam.

Two weeks of good culture, great food and no work. Oh yes, and a wedding too.

Thanks Anna - you're a darl!

Ruby and I

So here we have me with my niece Ruby. She is only two weeks onld in this photo. Of course I can't visit Lucas withour saying hello to Cheesecake as well