Its a Bob's life!
How's things?
So
what's been happening to Robert G. Barrett since you last logged on? I
haven't seen any missing SCUBA divers this time, but I did see a car on
fire, so I stopped to get a couple of photos.
I had a quick trip to Cessnock for the Hunter Valley Writer's Festival where I was one of the guest speakers. I hit Cessnock Library at 7 p.m. – looking like Sydney Greenstreets in the Maltese Falcon in my white cream sports coat – and away I went waffling on about writing books, washing dishes and how I develop the characters in my books.
I was supposed to be there for about 45 minutes, but by the time I'd finished answering questions and signing books it was 9 pm. Whatever I did, I must have done it right because, as you can see from the photos, the punters were all smiling. One lovely young lady even gave me a bottoe of beautiful port wine, which I truly appreciated.
It was a good night and I met some nice people up there in Cessnock. The organisers arranged a motel room for the night, but I split straight back to Terrigal because the next day I was flying up to the Gold Coast for the big one: the Avoca boat crew were racing the Les Norton at the Australian Lifesaving Championships at Kurrawa Beach.
The boys met me at the airport and told me that they were doing ok: they'd smashed an oar the previous day but they'd made the finals and were looking good. Surfers Paradise was bloody hot and the surf was up.
The boys dropped me off at the hotel and I caught up with an old friend and her mates at a place called Melbas. We drank Jack Daniels with Corona chasers, which is probably why my head looks like an eggplant in the photo.
I got to Kurrawa the next day and, even though the surf was pretty trecherous, the boys from Avoca were going great guns and getting better with every event. Dennis Gee, our ace sweep, said they were in with a big chance.
Maybe I brought bad luck with me. The race before the final the Les Norton got hit by six rotten great waves on the way out while everyone else got a clear run. And that was that.
The same thing happened to the Avoca girls boat crew the next day. Naturally the boys were all disappointed. But believe me: they can hold their heads up. They went well and everyone was proud of them, especially me. Anyway, we'll see what happens in the world championships in Manly in early April.
While I was gadding around in my Team Norton gear I was grabbed by the local cops, who shoved a gun in my ear and demanded an autograph. Then I was grabbed by a bunch of beefy security blokes who said they'd punch my lights out if I didn't give them an autograph too.
They're a friendly bunch up there in Queensland.
The
next day I called into see Al Baldwin the suntan man, who's an old Bondi
boy, and I met all the lifeguards. I have to admit that I felt like a
nice pudding standing around all these fit men and women. I have to make
a move soon or I'll finish up looking like Newman in Seinfeld. Let's hope
it's a trimmer, sleeker R.G. Barrett in the photos when I log on next
time.