Whatever your "it" is, get around it.
You're "it" might be a choir, a golf club, a debating team, or a sports club-I've been lucky enough to have 2 "it's" in my life, and this weekend I got around both of them. My first "it" is my family, and on Friday night, I went and stayed with my dad and my sister, and although we didn't do anything special-we ate ribs and watched the footy-it felt tremendous to be a part of such a no effort, supportive, good fun "it. "
My next "it" is sport, and I got around it when I played my 101st game for Pennant Hills in the Old Boys vs The World game. Someone who has become my 3rd "it" over the last 10 months and 5 days is my girlfriend Angela, who braved the gale force winds to get around the Demons. My recovery run after my 101st was the "tough bloke challenge"-a mud run with obstacles in Appin that I finished this morning, after which Angela and I got around a "David Jafflehoff" and a "Jafael Nadal" for lunch.
This weekend meant so much to me on so many levels, but they were my "it's"-everybody has their own "it", so if it's been a while since you have, it's time to get around it.
Sunday 29 June 2014
Tuesday 24 June 2014
116-More perfect memories in my 101st
When I retired after playing my 100th game of AFL for Pennant Hills, it was because it was such a perfect day and I didn't want to tarnish those memories, but I was told by the Turner brothers that whether I played 100 or 130, the memories I have of that day will never change, and it's in that vein that I'll be making another comeback this Saturday to play my 101st for Penno in the Old Boys vs The World game at Mike Kenny Oval in Cherrybrook.
All I've wanted in life is to live a regular, man on the street existence and be proud of it - I work for the man, I pay my taxes, I have a girlfriend who I love, and I couldn't ask for a better family...I am just a regular Joe Schmoe "living the dream." So when this Old Boys vs The World game for Pennant Hills was put on the radar and the names started filtering through of people playing, I couldn't imagine not being a part of it.
So between reserve grade and first grade in Cherrybrook this weekend, I can't wait to be one of the boys again, and to create some more perfect memories.
All I've wanted in life is to live a regular, man on the street existence and be proud of it - I work for the man, I pay my taxes, I have a girlfriend who I love, and I couldn't ask for a better family...I am just a regular Joe Schmoe "living the dream." So when this Old Boys vs The World game for Pennant Hills was put on the radar and the names started filtering through of people playing, I couldn't imagine not being a part of it.
So between reserve grade and first grade in Cherrybrook this weekend, I can't wait to be one of the boys again, and to create some more perfect memories.
Monday 23 June 2014
115-Give it a crack
If you've wanted to try something your whole life but kept putting it off, sometimes you just have to put everything that's been holding you back aside and "give it a crack," and at Sydney's Comedy Store in November, that's exactly what will be happening.
Some of Sydney's best comics have been giving it a crack at the RAW Comedy Festival, where the Sydney Comedy Store have handpicked the best performers, and now I'll be bringing them all together for "Give it a Crack" on Wednesday, November 12 at 8.30pm.
MC'd by a Comedy Store comic, this will be a night of hilarity, but not all of it comedy...my girlfriend, Angela and I will be performing a dance routine in the spirit of "Give it a Crack." A Pennant Hills Demons AFL guernsey signed by former Australian Rugby League fullback Garry Jack and his two sons, current Sydney Swans and former Demons, Kieren and Brandon will also be auctioned off.
75% of money raised will be donated to the Pennant Hills AFL Club to say thanks for their help in my recovery from a stroke in 2005.
Tickets are $30 each and available at available now at the Comedy Store: http://sa2.seatadvisor.com/
*ACTS WILL CONTAIN STRONG LANGUAGE AND ADULT THEMES
Some of Sydney's best comics have been giving it a crack at the RAW Comedy Festival, where the Sydney Comedy Store have handpicked the best performers, and now I'll be bringing them all together for "Give it a Crack" on Wednesday, November 12 at 8.30pm.
MC'd by a Comedy Store comic, this will be a night of hilarity, but not all of it comedy...my girlfriend, Angela and I will be performing a dance routine in the spirit of "Give it a Crack." A Pennant Hills Demons AFL guernsey signed by former Australian Rugby League fullback Garry Jack and his two sons, current Sydney Swans and former Demons, Kieren and Brandon will also be auctioned off.
75% of money raised will be donated to the Pennant Hills AFL Club to say thanks for their help in my recovery from a stroke in 2005.
Tickets are $30 each and available at available now at the Comedy Store: http://sa2.seatadvisor.com/
*ACTS WILL CONTAIN STRONG LANGUAGE AND ADULT THEMES
Monday 9 June 2014
114-Sydney AFL is on the map
There was a time in Sydney AFL where if a representative team went to Canberra, fought bravely and lost by less than 5 goals, it was as good as a win. But on Saturday, 2 teams went down and dominated Canberra and had a combined winning margin of 102 points, and put the Sydney AFL on the map.
I was nervous watching the first team, the Sydney AFL women, warming up-I had just spoken to the girls in the rooms, and there was a good vibe, but when they hit the grass of Star Track oval, they were flanked by one trainer and one coach and had only been training together for about 6 weeks. Canberra on the other hand had been training together since November and seemed to have at least one coach for every player.
This was going to be tough.
Thankfully though, rep footy isn't about which team has been together the longest, it's about how quickly they come together on the day, and from the first bounce, the Sydney girls played as though they had been best mates since pre-school. They were committed, disciplined, tough, fast and skilful, they were never going to take a backwards step despite being severley beaten in the resource and professionality stakes, and they were never going to lose.
It was a pleasure to watch a group of representative footballers play with such pride, and whether or not they meant to, they made earning a Sydney AFL representative jumper a more presigious honour than it ever has been.
When it came time for the mens team to run out, the bar had been set incredibly high by the girls, but despite being firm underdogs, the boys went out and played with a respect for their team mates that was remarkable, given they are meant to hate each other when they play for their club sides.
When the girls team took their seats in the stands and got around the boys, the score was already comfortably favouring Sydney, but as they kept on piling on goal after goal, they were reinforcing Sydney football's place as a quality competition that is fast becoming a league where talented footballers can play and give themselves a chance to be drafted into the AFL.
Neither team went to Canberra with the aim of putting Sydney AFL on the map, giving their competition a respect it's been yearning for for more than a decade, or making selection to a Sydney AFL rep team more prestigious than it's ever been, both teams just controlled the small things in front of them as well as they possibly could, and let the big things that were out of their control take care of themselves.
I was nervous watching the first team, the Sydney AFL women, warming up-I had just spoken to the girls in the rooms, and there was a good vibe, but when they hit the grass of Star Track oval, they were flanked by one trainer and one coach and had only been training together for about 6 weeks. Canberra on the other hand had been training together since November and seemed to have at least one coach for every player.
This was going to be tough.
Thankfully though, rep footy isn't about which team has been together the longest, it's about how quickly they come together on the day, and from the first bounce, the Sydney girls played as though they had been best mates since pre-school. They were committed, disciplined, tough, fast and skilful, they were never going to take a backwards step despite being severley beaten in the resource and professionality stakes, and they were never going to lose.
It was a pleasure to watch a group of representative footballers play with such pride, and whether or not they meant to, they made earning a Sydney AFL representative jumper a more presigious honour than it ever has been.
When it came time for the mens team to run out, the bar had been set incredibly high by the girls, but despite being firm underdogs, the boys went out and played with a respect for their team mates that was remarkable, given they are meant to hate each other when they play for their club sides.
When the girls team took their seats in the stands and got around the boys, the score was already comfortably favouring Sydney, but as they kept on piling on goal after goal, they were reinforcing Sydney football's place as a quality competition that is fast becoming a league where talented footballers can play and give themselves a chance to be drafted into the AFL.
Neither team went to Canberra with the aim of putting Sydney AFL on the map, giving their competition a respect it's been yearning for for more than a decade, or making selection to a Sydney AFL rep team more prestigious than it's ever been, both teams just controlled the small things in front of them as well as they possibly could, and let the big things that were out of their control take care of themselves.
Wednesday 4 June 2014
113-Kokoda training/info session postponed
If I were a racehorse, my nose would be smashed up against the starting barrier right now, and the race doesn't start until tomorrow.
I'm so excited about my trip to Kokoda in October next year that I've already paid my deposit, started training, and have started writing the script for the doco I'll be filming, but thanks to my other paid up Kokodarer, the Hound Dog, I've come to the realisation that I have gone WAY too early, and I need to calm the hell down.
In saying that, I have decided to postpone the training/info session planned for Sunday week until early next year. So for everyone I have been pressuring to commit to joining the trip, I apologise, and now lets all have a coke and a smile, and cross the Kokoda bridge when we come to it.
I'm so excited about my trip to Kokoda in October next year that I've already paid my deposit, started training, and have started writing the script for the doco I'll be filming, but thanks to my other paid up Kokodarer, the Hound Dog, I've come to the realisation that I have gone WAY too early, and I need to calm the hell down.
In saying that, I have decided to postpone the training/info session planned for Sunday week until early next year. So for everyone I have been pressuring to commit to joining the trip, I apologise, and now lets all have a coke and a smile, and cross the Kokoda bridge when we come to it.
Monday 2 June 2014
112-Help cure diabetes fundraiser, MC: Me
After a few nerve racking diabetes episodes lately that required my life being saved by my girlfriend, and some friendly paramedics, it seemed like fate when I was invited to MC a diabetes fundraiser at Sydney Uni in August, and now I want to invite you. Please see the invitation below to secure your tickets, and I look forward to entertaining you as we try to eliminate diabetes.
Barnaby
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1_6n4pYVnDNT2JBaXZ6eTVMbFlOMTVHUFVYVmhiakUxeDY0/edit?usp=sharing
111-Play in the mud puddles on Kokoda
"You're going to struggle, Fat"
That was the advice Jason Clarke, former Kokoda trekker and the man who will be giving a talk to potential 2015 trekkers at our Thornleigh BBQ gave me as we were discussing the reality of the track. When he followed it up with "I've got no doubt you'll make it, but it's going to be REALLY tough," my keeness for this trip went from "excited" to "pumped"
Jason and I climbed Mt Kilimanjaro together, with my little sister Ashley, so I take what Clarkey tells me seriously, which makes him the perfect person to give an honest idea of what this trip is going to be like. So even if you can't make the training session through the bush (leaving Ern Holmes oval at 10.30 on Sunday, 15th), come to 20 Handley Avenue at 1 o'clock to hear Jason's talk on what to expect if you decide to come on the trip.
Everyone has different reasons for wanting to do Kokoda, and different expectations on how hard the trip will be, but it is going to be a huge struggle. But friends who struggle together, stick together, so to hear how rewarding struggling together will be, come along to Thornleigh and have a beer and a snag with the crew who might help you push forward when all you want to do is stop.
Please email me at barnaby@barnabyhowarth.com.au and let me know if you'll be joining us.
The journey begins....
That was the advice Jason Clarke, former Kokoda trekker and the man who will be giving a talk to potential 2015 trekkers at our Thornleigh BBQ gave me as we were discussing the reality of the track. When he followed it up with "I've got no doubt you'll make it, but it's going to be REALLY tough," my keeness for this trip went from "excited" to "pumped"
Jason and I climbed Mt Kilimanjaro together, with my little sister Ashley, so I take what Clarkey tells me seriously, which makes him the perfect person to give an honest idea of what this trip is going to be like. So even if you can't make the training session through the bush (leaving Ern Holmes oval at 10.30 on Sunday, 15th), come to 20 Handley Avenue at 1 o'clock to hear Jason's talk on what to expect if you decide to come on the trip.
Everyone has different reasons for wanting to do Kokoda, and different expectations on how hard the trip will be, but it is going to be a huge struggle. But friends who struggle together, stick together, so to hear how rewarding struggling together will be, come along to Thornleigh and have a beer and a snag with the crew who might help you push forward when all you want to do is stop.
Please email me at barnaby@barnabyhowarth.com.au and let me know if you'll be joining us.
The journey begins....
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