Thursday, February 16, 2006

Update

Since I last gave you a precis of the political situation in Australia there has been a complete changing of the guard in Tasmania with both a new premier in Paul Lennon and a new governor. And at the beginning of this year, Dr Geoff Gallop came back from holidays and announced he was suffering depression and was resigning immediately. It was clinically diagnosed, and considered a brave act as many would soldier on with potentially adverse consequences to the ship of state, so I'll refrain from any comments about anyone being depressed on their first day back at the job. The new premier of WA is Alan Carpenter, following Brian Burke in one respect; that he is a former journalist.

I tossed up over the idea of traveling back to WA for the funeral of my mother's second husband who died in the early hours of Monday morning. But I don't really have the money. I chatted to her for a couple of hours that night; she seemed eager to talk. And I've sent a card on behalf of myself and the kids.
Cyril was a guard on the railways; having been a heavy smoker and surviving on one lung for the last seven years, he has lasted remarkably long to pass away at the age of 77. Also special was his ability to give up the booze 24 years ago and NOT have to attend the regular AA meetings. He booked himself into Serenity Lodge when he realised he had a problem and was right ever since; never relapsing. A guard on the railways and a recipient of a Bronze Star for having fought in the war for England, he was a very social man with a large family. My mum was his third wife and the one he happily spent the last thirty five odd years with.
I feel even more fortunate now that I was able to get the kids over to Perth in 2004.

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home