My Week - Cazz 06.10.06

G'day everyone,

Well, we had a bit of a busy and fun filled weekend. Friday arvo it was off to Albury, NSW, for a HIA (Housing Industry Australia) awards night, where the Company I work for 'Diverse Builders Pty Ltd" won the award for Best Custom Built Home under $250,000 in Northern Regional Victoria, which was a great effort by all concerned... so needless to say, my work collegues and I really had something to celebrate, and with free food, beer & wine I dont think I need say more !!!!

Saturday was spent shopping, and browsing the city centre, exploring local sites and then over to the Commercial Club to watch the Eagles beat the Swans in the AFL Grand Final. We decided on a quiet night, I had a little flutter on the "Pokies" (slot machines) and come out a winner, which was great, it helped recoup the cost of the new shoes, and top that I had bought earlier !!!

Albury War Memorial

Located on Monument Hill at the western end of Dean Street, the Albury War Memorial is the most visible landmark in the city.
The site was chosen by city town planner Charles Reade, and the monument, designed by Architect Louis Harrison, was opened on Anzac Day 1925 by General Paine.
The monument is a white ferro concrete tower, in the form of a tapered lighthouse painted stark white and surmounted by a 'torch of liberty'. This torch is 1.8 meters high and faced with 40 panes of prismatic glasss.
During the day sunlight plays through this glazing giving the torch the illusion that it is lit. The tower provides a striking terminus to the vista down the street.
The tower was originally lit by ground lights however electric lighting was not supplied to the torch until 1995. In the same year a number of individual plaques were set in the gardens around the monument to recall those who had died in both World Wars, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.

View from the memorial looking down over Albury.

Albury Food & Wine Festival

With the sun shining on a glorious spring morning, we booked out of the motel, and decided to check out the food & wine festival. We were among the first to arrive.

There were over 65 local food & wine growers promoting, & selling there wares. The hardest part of the day for me, was deciding which wines, after sampling, to buy, they were all good and as the day got on, even the "mouth puckering" variety were starting to taste all right !!!!.

For Ian, it was "Oh boy, food, beer, food, beer". I think he sampled most of the food, and DEFINITELY all the beer.

They also had some great Jazz bands playing through out the day, also events organised for the kids - sack races, face painting, finger painting, petting zoo (baby animals). The admittance cost was $5 adults or $12 for family. We had a great day, and looking around us, so did many others.






My son Michael, turned 23 on 4th October. I havent really spoken about Michael previously... let me explain.

Michael was diagnosed in 1997, aged 14yrs, as a paranoid psychotic schizophrenic. He spent alot of time in and out of adolescent mental institutions, which was a very hard & trying time for all. As an adult, Michael has done his fair share of hospitalisations also. I wont go into all the trials and tribulations of trying to raise, protect, and shelter someone you love so endlessly, let alone the frustrations. But I will say this ' without the love and support of my family, I would have been lying in the bed next to him!" Michael is not able to co-exist, so he has his own place, and is doing extremely well at this present time, but I am always aware that this can change quicker than you can blink an eye. Due to his paranoia I refrain from posting things that relate to or involve Michael, but as this is a special day, I asked him for his permission before writing this blog.

Here he is pictured below with my brother Gary, his best mate.

Well thats about it for me this week, hope you all have a wonderful weekend, and the sun is shinning down upon you.

Cazz