ADAM WALLACE'S BLOG

Way out west ... north west that is

2011-06-28T15:48:00.000-07:00

Yep, I had a brilliant day out at Brunswick North West Primary last week. I saw the Grade 4, 5 and 6 kids, and they were AWESOME! Funny, creative, and occasionally chatty but always fun to hang around with!
They did some killer drawings too, it was very impressive. I am starting to wonder if these kids I teach are actually better drawers than me!
And so I move on to The Incredible Journey of Pete Mcgee! WOOOOO! i am still waiting for the stock to actually arrive, but it will be here any moment now, and I can't wait to get it ... partly because I just want it here in my hands, and partly because there are 18 books to get to the kids at Brunswick North West primary, and school holidays are fast approaching!
The launch is getting closer too! It's at 6pm on Wednesday the 6th of July at Readings in Hawthorn, and should be heapsa fun! That's an old medieval term that one, heapsa, all the knights were saying it back in the day. Seriously.
Okay, that's me out for the day. Just a quick one today. I am thinking of having this blog be less about me and more about just writing stuff. So that's what you can expect on your next reading ... of course, going by my track record that could be in a month or two, but I will try and get on it quicker than that this time!
Have a great week, and keep living the dream.
Stay gold.
Wally

C-C-C-C-COLD!

2011-05-30T16:43:00.000-07:00

Yep. It's winter, and it's cold. As I write this, my fingers are actually turning into ice and little bits are falling off and melting on the kepyboard ... so if there are some typos, if there are some weird symbols and letters, that's why.
It's the melting ice fingers seeping into the electrical circuits of the keyboard!
Nah, I'm kidding, it ain't that cold! I actually like the cold. I mean, I don't like being cold, I just reckon that when it's cold you can rug up and do stuff, but when it's really hot you don't feel like doing anything!
So what's been going on in Wally's World?
Well.
I had a brilliant school visit out at Ascot Vale West P.S. last week. It was a school with an awesome feel about it, and kids who had great senses of humour, but who also knew when to listen and when to speak and when to laugh (most important!).
AND ... The Incredible Journey of Pete McGee is so close now. The advance copies are due at the end of May which is ... hey ... today is the last day of May! I need to go and make a phone call!
Have a brilliant week everyone, and keep living the dream.
Stay Gold.
Wally

The Incredible Journey of Pete McGee is coming!

2011-04-14T04:13:00.000-07:00

It's true, and I AM EXCITED! I don't get excited much ... well, sometimes I do. If I tell a good joke that cracks someone up ... if someone tells a good joke that cracks me up ... if I do a nice robot dance ... if the MIGHTY PIES win ... if I wake up from a great siesta.
Okay, so I get excited quite a bit! But this has got me more excited than I have been in a while.
The Incredible Journey of Pete McGee is a book that has been on quite a journey itself. I wrote it in 2002. Or maybe 2001. Or was it ... no ... wait, it was a long time ago okay?
I have sent it to quite a few publishers. They all said no. One publisher said if I changed a few things they would be interested. I changed the things. They weren't interested.
D'OH!
It has been to an assessment agency. It has had a full copy edit. It has gone through about 8 drafts. Even at this late stage, there were about 8 or 9 different versions that went back and forth between me, Mandy (the editor) and Luke (the layouter).
But now, I do believe we have done it. It is finished and edited and laid out and ready to send off to the printer! JoJo Publishing, who are publishing the book, are aiming for a June release ... so that isn't too far away at all!
SO I AM EXCITED!
The Incredible Journey of Pete McGee is a story about a boy with one arm who wants to become a great knight ... but it's so much more than that. It's a story about going for your dreams, overcoming obstacles, finding true love, loyalty, adventure, facing adversity with humour and determination.
It's all this and more.
Look, it doesn't have any giraffes in it, so I am sorry about that.
Truly.
Read it anyway, maybe I will try and get a giraffe or two in the sequel ...
For now, have a brilliant week, and keep living the dream.
Stay Gold.
Wally.

Just wondering ...

2011-03-01T15:51:00.000-08:00

I have been wondering a bit lately. Just about random sort of things. Fax machines. Snot. Planes. You know, random stuff.
None of which is worth writing about here, and my eyes are tired.
But I DID have a great time out at a school last week ... Coldstream Primary School. It's out past Lilydale, and was a really nice school, with a great feel about it, and they had a sausage sizzle on the day I was there ... JACKPOT! So we did some pictures, and we had some fun, lots of laughs and lots of sausages ... well, I only had one, but there were lots there!
Not a lot else happening this week. I am back out to Red Hill Market on Saturday, and then Healesville Market on Sunday, with a wedding on Saturday night to break it all up ... BUSY WEEKEND!
But it is all good fun, and I am looking forward to the wedding of two great people, Mel and Dave, who will be a brilliant married couple with a long and happy life together ahead of them ... as long as they don't get a fax machine. Seriously. Those things freak me out.
I'm done. I am going to take a shower because I stink, then I am going to do some more writing on my newwwwwwwww story!
Have a great week, aim high, and be great!
Stay Gold.
Wally

The Hills

2011-02-21T14:12:00.000-08:00

It wasn't the TV series (I've never even watched The Hills, but I've heard it's pretty good), but it was actually three days out at Croydon Hills Primary School. Eh, it was okay ... I'M KIDDING OF COURSE! It was AWESOME, I had such a good time. The kids out there were so very cool ... they listened very well, laughed loud when they thought something was funny, and groaned at all the grossness! Who would write such gross stories anyway, I think there must be something wrong with my brain ... maybe the good taste part of it got knocked about when I was a baby. Or maybe that was the part that that damn zombie ate that time. He only took a nibble, but I bet it was the good taste part that he got. Oh well, means I can write gross funny stories instead of boring stories about art galleries or something (To all the people who like art galleries, I'm sorry about that last comment, but seriously, a kid's book about an art gallery is going to be pretty boring, am I right? What's that? You think not? You think that only I couldn't make a story about an art gallery interesting? Really? Is that so? Is that a challenge I hear in the distance? Right then ... challenge accepted ... I am going to write a story about an art gallery that isn't bore you to death poke me in the eye with a teaspoon boring).
So anyway, how have you been?
Croydon Hills was great, getting back to that. And talented kids, wow! I saw some amazing pictures, and they weren't drawn by me, they were drawn by the kids. It was sensational.
This week I am off to Coldstream Primary School ... for workshops, hopefully not for a swim, sounds cold.
And I am writing a new story as well. It is leaning towards zombies, as did my last one. And it looks as though I will be writing a book about an art gallery too, maybe an art gallery with zombies in it. What is it with me and zombies at the moment, aside from the fact that they are TOTALY COOL!
Braaaaaaaiiiiiinnnnsssss!
Until next week, aim high, be great, and take risks.
Stay Gold.
Wally

New books and waiting

2011-02-06T14:30:00.000-08:00

Greetings one and all, and welcome to another awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping, blow your mind blog entry ... actually, it's just me talking about stuff that's happening, but you know what? Maybe that's inspiring and jaw-dropping for some people. Hi Mum!
So things are moving! Here's a list of upcoming events in the life of me and my books ...
I am going out to Croydon Hills Primary School next week for three days of drawing and fun.
The giant Book of Jokes Binder is coming VERY soon ... it is due for release into bookstores in March, so BRING THAT ON! I haven't read the 6 sections that I didn't write yet, but I am backing they will be great.
I saw the rough drafts of the illustrations for my ferret books ... they are AWESOME! This is going to be a cracker and heaps and heaps of fun for kids. I believe July is the date aimed for with these ... or at least the first one ... look, I don't really know to be honest! July was mentioned at some stage, so I am hoping that is when they will be out.
The Incredible Journey of Pete McGee is with the editor, and I have a meeting with the publishers in a couple of weeks. Pete is my favourite book I have ever written ... EVER! I am HANGING for it to come out ... this is going to be, I believe, may or June. So come on editor! Get finished and let's get this book happening!
And I need to take a shower. I have spent all morning writing stuff and reading stuff and I pretty much probably stink ...
So I am going to leave you all now, and I am going to go and take a shower, and then maybe watch the superbowl, and then do some writing, and maybe I will go for a walk, and perhaps I will take an afternoon nap, and I need to do my Tai Chi, and of course I will eat at some stage, and I assume that I will probably check my emails a couple of times, go on Facebook, and then it wil be time to go to bed.
Day done!
Dream big everyone, this is going to be a GREAT year.
Stay Gold.
Wally

It's a new year!

2011-01-10T13:19:00.000-08:00

Okay. Copying the first sentence from my last entry, I officially suck at entering entries on this blog! OFFICIALLY! If there was an award for blog entry suckiness, I would win it ... actually, that would be kinda cool ... but no, I am going to be better this year, I swear, and not in a rude way, but in a promise way.
So, a quick update on what has happened SINCE APRIL LAST YEAR!
A lot.
Thank you, and good bye.
Just kidding. So, I have released a new book, The Negatees, which looks AWESOME thanks to Heath mcKenzie's AWESOME illustrations.
I also released to new How to Draw Books, How to Draw a Skateboard Gorilla, and How to Draw a Ping Pong Playing Alien Giraffe. These are most likely the last two How to draw books, for now at least ... sometime in the future, possibly when there are hover cars, I will do some more.
And I watched the mighty Pies win the Premiership, live at the MCG, helping me cross off one of my 100 things list, to be atthe ground when they won a premiership. I want to do this one again.
Speaking of my 100 things list, I also ran 10kms without stopping to walk, so that was pretty cool, although my legs disagreed.
Looking ahead to this year, I have an 8-in-1 Joke book, which I wrote two sections for, coming out very soon, thanks to Hinkler Books.
Also coming out through Hinkler will be books with a little ferret toy in them, who creates chaos!
And then my pride and joy. I mean, I have been happy with everything that I have had published so far, it has been awesome. But the book I have coming out in June this year is my all-time favourite story I have written, so I am HANGING to see it in print. It is called The Incredible Journey of Pete McGee. I will give nothing else away just yet, except to say that it is about a kid with one arm who ... nope, that's it ... more will be revealed later.
So that is it for me for now.
I am just about ready to go and do some exercises.
Stay tuned for more updates, possibly even more than once a year! Martial arts and more awaits me this year!
Have a great week, and keep living the dream.
Stay Gold.
Wally

Seville and the Hill

2010-04-06T21:52:00.001-07:00

Yep, I officially suck at regularly updating on here. Part of the reason for that is that I now have a Facebook Page that I update a lot, so it feels as though I am doing something. Speaking of doing, does it feel weird to anyone else that doing and boing don't rhyme? And going? I mean, come on. Seriously.

Anyway, it has been a great month since I last wrote on here. I went out and visited Seville Primary School, where Erin Portingale, my step-niece is in her first year of teaching and doing an awesome job!!! I had a great day out there with the kids, and it was nice to be out towards Warburton as well, a loverly part of the world for sure.

Then I also visited Princes Hill Primary School in Carlton, and this was awesome as well. It was a school that was a little more open-learning style, where the classes were neighbourhoods rather than specific class groups. Anyway, it worked well and I had great fun out there as well.

So all in all a great month for schools, and I also just went out to Healesville Craft market which went really well in a beautiful setting.

So life is good!

In other news, I have a new project I have been working on for Hinkler Books. I will keep you updated as to release dates and so on, but basically I am 2 parts out of 8 in a big collection of things. I wrote some rhymes and some tongue twisters, so it was great fun and I am hanging to see it when it is done.

Have a great week, and keep living the dream.

Stay Gold.

Wally

What's on at Watsonia Primary???

2010-03-06T15:09:00.000-08:00

I'll tell you what's on ... well, I'll tell you what was on ... ME!!! That's right, I got back into the swing of school visits with a visit to Watsonia Primary. I spent the day out there drawing and reading and writing and generally just having a great time. The kids were awesome fun, and we had some good laughs.

Then last week I spent the week in Adelaide. Yep, we drove over to spend the week at the Adelaide Writer's week. It was actually really great. I saw a whole lot of people speaking, writers and publishers from all over the world. They all had their own special personality, and I learnt a lot from watching them ... now I just need to learn from them how to sell a few million copies of my books!!!

It was great though, even just being surrounded by people who love books and writing was amazing, as it inspires you to keep going, keep writing, keep creating, and keep doing what you love.

So until next time, and I promise it won't be as far apart as the last two posts, have a great week and keep living the dream.

Stay Gold.

Wally

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

2009-12-23T18:04:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas everyone!!! I hope you have just the best Christmas day ever. Lots of great presents, lots of great company, lots of great laughs, lots of great everything all day.

This is a quick entry, but I wish every single one of you who reads this, and even everyone who doesn't read it, a fantastic Christmas and New Year, and bring on 2010.

I can't wait for 2010, bring it on, it's going to be awesome.

Have a great one, and keep living the dream.

Stay Gold.

Wally

I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaack.

2009-11-22T18:03:00.000-08:00

Hey. Check me out! Only a couple of weeks between posts! How good is that? Pretty doggone awesome I reckon, if not still a little bit too slack. It's okay. I am working on it. Who knows, if I keep getting better I will be doing a post every day ... well, maybe not that often!

Anyway, this week is an exciting week indeed. I am going to be a guest speaker/presenter type person at an illustrating competition award night in Hobsons Bay, at the library. How cool is that? Very very VERY I reckon. I am really looking forward to it, and have written up a little speech for the night. I am on for about ten minutes, there are other speakers, and the winners will be announced, should be extremely very great.

Aside from that, what's been going on in the world of Wallace? Welllllll, life in general! I have been going out to markets, and almost getting washed away yesterday at Flemington. I went out to Ruthven primary School, to do some drawings with the Prep, 1 and 2 classes. Ummm, what else, aside from watching the new Twilight movie, New Moon at Gold Class! I love Gold Class. If I could have a loungeroom that was like Gold Class, including being able to push a button and order food and drinks, that would be ideal I reckon. Anyway, the movie was alright but Gold Class kept up to its reputation. One of the friends I went with even fell asleep the chairs were so comfy!

So not much else to report today. Christmas is coming up fast, so I am going to have to start thinking about presents for people other than my niece soon.

Have a great week everyone, and keep living the dream.

Stay Gold.

Wally

In a land far, far away!

2009-11-08T13:37:00.000-08:00

That's right, I went to Star Wars ... well not quite that far, but almost! A coupld of weeks ago I spent the entire, that's right, all of it, the entire week out in East Gippsland. So I was in places including Sale, Bairnsdale, Lakes Entrance, Orbost and Yarram ... and when I say including, actually that was all the places I went to!
It was awesome fun. I spent time in libraries at the various places, and kids from the local schools came and visited and we did the readings and the drawings and the writings with one group as well. Really varied groups of kids, but all really, really good fun. I met loverly people, I stayed in some nice places and, wait for it, I had one of the best chicken schnitzels ever. it was a cracker, bolognese sauce on it and all. It was at the Gaslight Bistro in Sale. If you are ever in Sale, go to this place, there are like 15 different schnitzels you can have, it is awesome, very tasty, and nice big serves.
So that was great, and I still have a story I need to write about Spots the monster, so I must get onto that.
Aside from that I have a had a few markets going on, some no money but fun, some money and fun also! I also went to a wedding of one of my great friends from Uni. The wedding was at Ripponlea, as was lovely, complete with one of the most intense downpours of rain I have ever seen, just as we were about to head to the car! We didn't head for the car ... there was clothes and hair and no umbrealla to worry about!
One of my other uni friends got married over in the USA, y'all, so unfortunately we couldn't get to that one, but our thoughts were over there.
And then in a few weeks one of my oldest friends (as in known her for a long time) is getting married! It's wedding season people! This wedding should be great too, not least because I'm doing a reading at the ceremony ... I have been given free licence, and have written a cracking poem, so am looking forward to reading that one.
Melbourne Cup has come and gone. I lost money. Betting on horses used to be something I knew about, now it's a case of "I'm going for the third favourite!" So I have no idea, and apparently neither do the third favourites!
That's it, I am done. Time to go and pay for all my horse and rabbit books I had printed.
Have a great week everyone, and keep living the dream.
Stay Gold.
Wally

Gippy, here I come!

2009-10-22T02:07:00.000-07:00

That's right folks, as of Sunday I will be way way way away from my little town of Ivanhoe, heading down the Princes Hwy to Bairnsdale for a few days, then up to Sale after that for a couple of days. All of this is to give workshops to the kids out Gippsland way, and I am hanging for it, it is going to be a real adventure.
The car's been serviced, I have a whole truckload, well carload of books ready to take down for some sellin', and I am all good to go.
In between now and leaving on Sunday, however, there are still some times to be had.
First up I am out to Bangholme tomorrow for a school market, and then out to Ringwood Church on Saturday for a church market.
Then, after all that it is time for a little time out, and I have a big partay for one of my friends who will be getting married to one of my oldest and favourite friends in November.
So all very, very good stuff!
In the last few weeks I had a couple of school visits, heading out to Mount View Primary School, courtesy of my Aunty-in-law who teaches there, and I had a ball with all the grade 3s and 4s. They were awesome, and we had a whole heap of laughs.
I also went out to Haileybury College in East Brighton, which funnily enough is actually where I went to Kindergarten many many many many many many many many many many many many many many many many many many many many many many years ago. But I spent an hour learning about creating eBooks, something I am seriously looking into, and then 50 minutes with a very cool group of grade 6 girls, who drew my pictures better than I do I think . Again, we had some great laughs and a really good fun time.
So that is me to now, and next week I will be out in green Gippsland having even more fun. That's what it's all about people. If you aren't having fun, it may be time to look for something else to be doing.
Have a great week, and keep living the dream.
Stay Gold.
Wally

I AM SLACK!

2009-10-07T00:48:00.000-07:00

But I am here now. You can all relax, breathe easy, untense those shoulders, and get to reading this post!!! So much has happened since my last post, not the least of which was International Talk Like a Pirate Day! Did you do it? Did you talk like a pirate on September 19th? Yes? No? Well, it's every year so you have another chance next year, and I will be checking, me hearties, I will be checking!

What else? Well, I had a couple of great days out Werribee way, at Collins Bookstoer in Werribee Plaza. I did some drawing workshops and they were great fun, although one time I thought the evil laugh when I was reading Valerie's Vomit may have scared a few book browsers ... it was great fun though, and I am probably going to be back out there again next year to do some writing.

What else? Well, I had a few cool markets around Victoria, from Federation Square to Healesville and Murrumbeena, all of which served up nice people, great sales, and occassionally a downpour of rain!

I also spoke at RMIT Bundoora, to the graduationg class of 2009 teachers. A whole group of potential 2010 Primary School teachers, and I had a great time there too. I only spoke for around 15 minutes, but got some good laughs (always good when you're doing a talk on humour!), made some amazing sales, and met some amazing people. It was all organised by Erin (my step-niece!), Leigh and Liz, and they organised a fantastic day. Good luck to all of you next year in your very own classerooms! The kids are lucky to have you.

That's about it. We also remembered, on the 30th of September, a year since Bryan Portingale (my step-dad and Erin's Pa) passed away from cancer. He was a great man, and an inspiration to me in many ways, the most important to me being facing life with a smile and positivity, even in the face of crushing circumstances. I miss Bryan and it was nice to spend a day with family remembering him.

So I am done. I will try and get back sooner next time.

Have a great week, and keep living the dream.

Stay Gold.

Wally

International Talk Like a Pirate Day

2009-09-15T16:03:00.000-07:00

Yaaaaar, me hearties!!! It be great to be here again, on the rollickin' seven seas of the the internet, writing me thoughts for all ye scurvy landlubbers to read.

That's right folks, it's almost here again. International Talk Like a Pirate Day is on Saturday, the 19th of September, 2009 ... well it's on the 19th of September every year, just happens to be a Saturday this year.

Ah, talking like a pirate, it's just so much fun, although it can be harsh on the throat after a little while. I don't know how they did it, maybe that's why they had to drink so much rum, because their throats were a little tender from all the pirate talking they did. Makes sense to me!

So that is the excitement coming up this weekend and, happily for someone who loves talking like a pirate, International Talk Like a Pirate day just happens to fall on my birthday! How cool is that? I think very is the appropriate answer.

So what else has been happening in the life of Wally? Well, I almos tgot blown away at Werribee Market, which was more fun than it sounds, I went and saw NOOLLLLLSSSSY (aka Shannon Noll) perform at Crown Casino and he was absolutely the champion I thought he would be, it was a great night, and I am sure I have done lots of other really interesting and exciting stuff that I can't remember. Maybe if you just make up some cool stuff you reckon I might have done, then imagine me doing it, and that can be what I have spent the last few weeks doing.

Yeah.

That would be good.

Have a great week everyone, and keep living the dream.

Stay Gold.

Wally.

PS Check out www.talklikeapirate.com

Hawks up North, Westgarth Vader and a pasting in Hastings

2009-09-03T15:53:00.000-07:00

Well helloooooo! Once again it's been a little while since my last visit here. Why? Because I am slack slack slack! I think about writing, then think Oh, I'll do that tomorrow, which as we know is the day that never comes. So my blog never gets written. And you, dear readers, never get to read the wisdom that flows from my mind ... well, something is flowing from my mind, but I doubt that it is wisdom!

So. What's been going on in Wally's World then?

Well. I headed back down the Calder Highway to Bendigo a couple of weeks ago for a visit to Eaglehawk North Primary. I had been out there last year, and it was awesome, and they asked me to come back again! So I did. And once again I had a great time. The kdis remembered me which was nice ... I remembered them, which was also nice. And I got to hang out with one Anthony Bortolot, my old friend from Uni, where we did our teaching degree together. He's a champion, and it was great to catch up with him again.

Then I popped back to Westgarth Primary. This was another revisit, although last time was the garde 5/6s, and this year it was Prep to 4, so the rest of the school. It was great fun again, and we had lots of laughs drawing and reading.

Finally, in school terms, I spent two days out at Hastings earlier this week as a presenter for the Hastings Literacy Festival. This was a thing where kids from about 5 or 6 different schools all converged in the one place and swamped us! There were a number of authors and illustrators there, and we all did three sessions a day with the kids in small groups ... except for Doug Macleod, who scored three groups of 75 kids at a time! In a squash court! It was nice meeting different authors too. It was interesting sitting around and listening to them talking about festivals and things they had been to, and hearing the names of people they knew and hung out with ... names I have only ever seen on the front of books! Interesting.

So that was that. Phew, it's been a busy few weeks, combined with waiting for the reprint, that's right, REPRINT of Better Out Than In to arrive ... was supposed to be here weeks ago but only got here yesterday, so that was a little stressful, as I had heaps of orders from the various schools. But it is here now, I go and pick up some boxes today, and all is well. Yaaaaay.

And now I am done. Footy finals are here which is just AWESOME, as the Pies' season continues on.

Have a great week everyone, and keep living the dream.

Stay Gold.

Wally

Rising to the occasion

2009-08-19T17:21:00.000-07:00

Well hellooooooo. It's been a busy couple of weeks since I last thrilled you with my writings and thoughts and blabbings on. Let me fill you in. Hold on to your hats, it's going to be an exciting read. Woooo, you may just explode from the excitement. Are you ready? Okay.

Well ... first off there have been a couple of birthdays. Yay. My very cool sister had her 40th, which is a very impressive achievement I reckon, and scarily enough it isn't actually all that long until my 40th ... only a few years ... oh my god, I am almost 40, that means I am almost old! I shall have to remember to grow up one day.
At the other end of the age scale my amazing niece Makhala turned 7 yesterday. We had a party here on Sunday for it, which was a very quiet, calm affair with 15 six and seven year olds running around. It was awesome though, and even the 6 million blows to the head with helium balloons couldn't wipe the smile off my face. Great fun. We gave Mak a keyboard for her birthday, so can't wait to use, I mean hear her playing that.

I also went to the Eltham Craft Market last weekend for a workout. What's that? A workout at a market? Surely I jest. But I jest not, there were gale-force winds and rain and there was little old me clinging on to my tent in the hope that not only would it not break or fly off, but if it did that it didn't take me with it ... and if it did take me with it, hopefully it would come down somewhere near my house.

Than earlier this week I went out to Mulgrave to visit Albany Rise Primary School, which was great fun. The kids gave me a wonderful reception when I went into the classrooms, which always helps in me getting straight into fun mode with a little bit of the crazy. So I had a ball out there, and once again some amazing drawings were done by the kids. Even one dog I think it was with his eyes popping out of his head. Awesome.

So that is it from me for now. My bathroom is just being painted ... for the third time since we have lived here ... I think someone in the house needs to stop farting in the shower and making the paint peel off the walls.

Have a great week everyone, and keep living the dream.

Stay Gold.

Wally

Scoping out Mt Scopus and visiting Lily and Dale

2009-08-09T23:23:00.000-07:00

Well helllooooooooooo! I'm back, haha, I'll be back. You have to read that in an Arnie accent, or it makes no sense at all, well the last bit at least. All of it in an Arnie accent might sound a bit weird, especially the well helloooooooooo bit!

Anyway, it's great to be back. I've been away from typing here for a while, and it's great to see such a huge crowd waiting to see me again ... Hi Mum, how are you? Actually, I don't think even my mum reads this. Oh well, it might make her think I am even weirder if she did!

It's been a great couple of weeks since I last wrote. I visited two schools, Mt Scopus College and Lilydale Primary School.

Mt Scopus was first. I visited there last year, as the Grade 4s were doing a unit of work on Humour. i thought it was just the best thing ever. they look at all different types of humour, at different senses of humour, and more. They go deeper than just looking at funny movies or spending the day on You Tube like I do ... whoops, I have said too much. Anyway, they are doing the unit again this year with the new Grade 4s, so I was invited out again to do my thing, and I had an absolute ball again. Those kids are a great audience, and they offer as much as they take humour-wise, so it was a really great experience.

Then last week I was out at Lilydale Primary School for a couple of days, drawing with the kids out there. Again I had a great time. On the first day one class in particular was perhaps the best audience I have ever had in terms of response. I'm sure they laughed when I breathed one time, and it wasn't even with a whislte nose or anything, just a normal breath! It wasn't really like that, but they did have some great laughs, and as a consequence I upped the crazy a little bit more as I fed off their response.

It's an interesting point actually. I find that two things get me acting more "out there" and a little bit crazy. One is when I get a great response. It spurs me on to get more laughs. The other is when I get no laughs at all. My response is I'm going to get you guys laughing one way or another and I up the crazies. One of the things I am working on is just having the crazy there no matter the response, just because I let go of my inhibitions and go for it without worrying about looking silly. That is when I am at my best and most relaxed and probably funniest as well.

This is one of the great things about performing in one way or another. You always learn, and can always improve on what you do. If you rest on your laurels you won't get anything out of it. You should always be looking for new and exciting ways to get your message across.

The other thing to remember, and I have found this out, is that the same jokes and routines won't always get the same response. I guess this follows on from the Mt Scopus different sense of humour focus. I can do one thing in one class and get a great response, and in the next the kids will sit and look at me like I'm some kind of weird boring guy. This doesn't mean the material is bad, it just means you need more up your sleeve, more ways and means to entertain. It may even mean you strike on something brand new in that moment. I am learning to not be afraid to try things as I go along. All that can happen is that I don't get a great laugh, and I sometimes get that anyway!

So go for it. Take risks. Fall flat on your face sometimes, but have a great time doing it, get up, and go for it all over again.

Have a great week, and keep living the dream.

Stay gold.

Wally

BALI!

2009-07-21T18:02:00.000-07:00

Hellooooooooooooooo everybody! Wow, what a wild few weeks it has been ... relatively at least, compared to the usual stuff that goes on. Anyway, here it is. I have just got back from Bali! That's right, yesterday morning, at around 5:20am, after exactly ZERO hours sleep, I walked off the plane at Tullamarine Airport in a bit of a daze. And it was freeeeeeeeeeezing! After a week in Bali, where the temperature went from a low of around 25 to a high of about 30 every day, Melbourne's kinda chilly!
It was good though, swam at the beach, sat around the pool, went to a market where 5 million people try to sell you their stuff at the one time, got driven around by the coolest, most laid-back guy in the world, and basically chilled out. It was great. I did want to meet Boss Monkey, my nemesis from 25 years ago, but he was nowhere to be seen, the coward!
Also, I applied for the new ABC3 channel, which is taking applications for people to be hosts and presenters! How cool would that be? Very, I will answer for you if you didn't say anything, very cool indeed. So now it is wait and see. Everything is crossed, which is kinda painful, but apparently brings you good luck.
So that is really that for the last couple of weeks. Now I am just gearing up for the next few months which will be nice and busy with markets and schools and Mac O'Beasty launching and all sorts of other cool stuff.
Have a great week, and keep living the dream.

Stay gold.

Seeya.

Wally

Der Wally!

2009-06-16T01:37:00.001-07:00

Okay, so it has been a month since I last posted anything on here, and there is good reason for that. I am a bit of a der. I have a new email address, and last time I posted I changed to the new email address for my blogging account. All well and good, except since then every time I have tried to log on to blog I have used the old address, and have wondered why I couldn't log in. Well, again, there was a very good reason. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN USING THE NEW ADDRESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I tried different passwords, everything, and only tonight I was like, "Oh, hey, like, maybe I should try the new email address and see if that works." Lo and behold, it did, so once again I will have to give a month run down of my activities.
Here we go.
I went to Kew Primary over a couple of days and saw the Grade 3/4s, and had just a sensational time. It was great fun at a great school, and was close to home, so the regional tour stopped for a couple of days.
I also started out as ambassador for the Boys, Blokes, Books and Bytes program at the Reservoir library, for Ruthven Primary. This has also been fun, and finishes next week, although I have struggled a bit with what my role should be. I hope I have done okay, but aim to finish well next week.
I did a session at my niece, Makhala's school. Mak's teacher asked if I could go in so I went and we drew and read and they asked a lot of awesome, awesome questions. It was so much fun, and one of the absolute highlights of my year. It's actually one of the highlights of my writing career.
I appeared at the Emerging Writer's Festival, which was great fun. I did a reading and then a short interview, which I really enjoyed and learnt a lot from.
What else? Well, the regional tour continued with a drive out to Newborough East Primary. I got to stay at Mum's for a couple of days, which meant bread and butter pudding and a roast yeah! It also meant a couple of awesome days out at a really nice school. Again, the kids and teachers were so welcoming, and made me feel right at home over the two days I was there.
Then last week I was out at Mossfiel Primary in Hoppers Crossing. I had been out a couple of years ago to see the older kids, and this time it was the Grade prep/1/2s I saw. Fun? Yep. I was even rapping and being called DJ in one class, it was very funny.
And that pretty much brings us to now. OH! And I have How to Draw a Shark. That's right folks, How to Draw a Shark!!! Very exciting, I almost fell off my chair I was so excited.
Check it out on the site, and hopefully I will be bacj with a new post in less than a month!
Tomorrow is haircut day, and then Thursday I am off to see Pink! I love Pink, she's great.
Have a great week (or month) and keep living the dream.
Stay gold.
Seeya
Wally

Busy boy

2009-05-17T20:05:00.000-07:00

April 22nd was my last post, and not the trumpet thing, but the last time I wrote anything on here. Speaking of the last post on the trumpet, that really is one of my favourite bits of Anzac Day, when they play that.

So what have I been up to this last few weeks? Well you may ask, as I have been mightily busy. I have visited Williamstown North Primary (awesome, awesome day), Bacchus Marsh Grammar (great day, drove past a lot of apple shops), and Kew Primary (was out for one day of writing, and am back for drawing next week, and can't wait!).

I have also spoken at the State Library, been the feature poet at O'Sullivan's poetry night (and I even sang an original song! Yes I did!), shown a couple of groovy Americans around town (including some real live in the wild kangaroos, which was very exciting), and went up to Clunes (which is just out of ballarat and turns into a book town once a year. Good fun. A lot of books. Smelt a little musty).

So that is that. Today is a day off, and it all starts again tomorrow, but that is another story for another time. For now, I believe I shall either go and enjoy some sunshine, or go and have a nap, or both!

Have a great week, and keep living the dream.

Stay gold.

Wally

Writer's Relief and a great Share-a-not story

2009-04-22T15:33:00.000-07:00

Well helllloooooooooooo! How's it going everybody? We here in melbourne are enjoying some of the most awesome days weather-wise you could imagine. I looove Autumn. Maybe it's because I am a golfer that Autumn is just the best weather. Not too hot, still, blue skies, birds chirping, birdies being scored, it just doesn't get much better ... now I just have to actually get out there and play some golf!

To other news. Writer's relief is a website bloggy thing I follow, and highly recommend to other writers. It has great tips, advice, websites to look at, just all very useful really, and covers all genres. They just put up these cool buttons which I can use, to advertise them and I also think it applies to all us writers ...

To another story, and this was just so cool, like a perfect crisp Autumn morning. I was out at Mak's school yesterday, and was doing some reading with the kids in there. That was great enough, but while I was in with one of the kids, I could hear the teacher in another class about to read a story. "That's right kids," she said, "It's called the Share-a-not." Well my ears pricked up, and it turned out one of the kids had brought it in to show everyone and they were reading it! How cool is that? Very I believe. When they found out I was there I got to go in and say hi and answer a couple of questions as well, although a couple were disappointed as I didn't have time to answer their questions. I will have to go in again and answer those another time.

So anyway, that was just the best thing to happen. A great day.

Have a great week everyone, and keep living the dream.

Stay gold.

Wally

What's been going on?

2009-04-14T15:58:00.000-07:00

Wow, well it has been almost a month since I last posted anything on here. I have an excuse though. I was grounded. I mean, I was out of town. I mean, I had to visit a sick relative. My dog ate my homework? Okay. Fine. I have been slack. Busy, but slack, if that makes any sense. I have been doing lots of stuff, but there was still time for me to get on here and write something, surely. So I will give you a quick rundown right now on what has been happening in the last almost month since I last wrote.

I visited Warragul Primary School, with a loverly drive down the freeway to get there. I had an awesome day, and even showed the kids my new shark picture, which only one other school had seen before.

I went to a friend's wedding, which was awesome. It was a guy I had been to uni with, and it was a really nice day. Perfect weather too, and I ended up rolling around playing in the grass in my suit with one of the kids who was there. We were doing crazy falling downs. It was crazy, all the craziness.

I worked at the Arty Farty Fest. A fun day, but really I just wanted to say arty farty.

The Share-a-not missed out on being on the short list for book of the year, so that was a bit of a kick in the pants for me. I was down for a little bit, but moved on fairly quickly as I hear so many nice stories on how kids are liking the book. That is why I write, although I would love kids to like the book and win awards too! That would be extra cool.

I got told I say the word cool a lot when I speak. It's true. I have no argument.

I've been to Red Hill, Bendigo and the Botanic gardens for markets and festivals, all great fun.

And finally, last night, I went and saw STOMP. i tell you, if you ever get a chance to see them, do not miss out. It is one of the greatest shows I have ever seen (I have seen them three times now!). They are absolutely amazing.

So that is it for me.

Have a great week, and keep living the dream.

Stay Gold.

Wally

A whole month has gone by!

2009-03-22T15:10:00.000-07:00

A whole month? Oh my GOD! I just realised that is how long it has been since I last wrote anything on here. A month. Anything. One. So here I am, and so much has happened in the time since I last wrote on here.

Okay, here goes. Well, I went out to Boronia Primary School for a day, and had a super sensational time out there. We spent the day drawing and signing and laughing and playing and when I went to collect my orders, there was this amazing display of all the kids' work at the office. It looked so awesome I almost fell over. I was rapt. They had drawn some killer pictures. So that was great.

I also went out to Wandin North Primary School, to visit the kids there. No. Not Wandin Valley. It wasn't the school on A Country Practice for all those people as old as me. It was Wandin North, and it was a very cool little school. Only 140 kids, and the Grade 6ers weren't there, so it was even smaller. But we had an awesomely fun day ... I even thought I was Adam Sandler there for a little bit, which was extra fun. Disco Disco. But another fun day, and it was great to see the kids and all their monkey-like swinging tricks when I went back out a few days later. Only one slight injury too, so that was good.

What else? Ummmm, okay, well I watched Iron Man ... Good movie that! One of the better superhero films.

A portrait was painted of me by the artist, Katsuya. I was looking very regal and super. St James the Greater was who I was modelling, and I think I certainly was pretty great! I even grew a beard for the modelling! A goatee, which has now morphed, mwaawwhahahahaha, into a full beard. I almost look like an adult ... now I just have to think about starting to act like one ... maybe.

Well, I think that is enough for today. Footy starts this week ... WOO! Bring that on.

Have a great week everyone, and keep living the dream.

Stay gold.

Wally.

Bushfire spirit

2009-02-25T19:31:00.000-08:00

It's awful sometimes, how there has to be a tragedy for people to show their best side. It's also awful how the tragedy is usually caused by someone showing their worst side. This has been the case in Victoria, my home state, over the last couple of weeks. Saturday the 7th of February saw the worst bushfires this state has experienced. Over 200 people died, hundreds of homes were lost, and terror gripped the state as people wondered if their loved ones were safe or not. The fires got within 100 or so metres of my Mum's house, so we spent plenty of time on the phone trying to see whether she should run or stay. With roads being closed it made things even trickier. She was one of the lucky ones, with the wind change saving her house.

This horror was deliberately started by one of our fellow human beings.

The aftermath showed the generosity and spirit of humans, the good side. Millions and millions of dollars were raised, a figure even more amazing considering the financial crisis that is going around. But it wasn't only money. People offered their time and services as well, as towns began the long, slow process of first cleaning up and then rebuilding. Thousands of people have offered to volunteer, meaning that the wait is long for some people who still want to help. It's a fantastic side effect of something terrible.

With bad fire weather forecast again this weekend, let's all hope that the idiots around can restrain their idiocy and not light any more fires. It's more horror that we just don't need.

Bowling 'em over

2009-02-11T21:33:00.000-08:00

Yep. I went ten pin bowling today. I looooove ten pin bowling. Some people, I won't mention names, try and tell me it isn't a sport. There's a ball involved, you knock stuff over, you have a run up, you can have a style with the flicky your foot out thing ... IT'S A SPORT!!!!!

I played pretty average today, just scraping over the hundred mark, but it was so much fun trying to remember how I usually aim and everything. I sort of got the hang of it again towards the end. One of my goals is to break 200 in a game of ten pin bowling. I have been close a few times. once I only need 6 off my last bowl. I hate the word, but i did choke, only getting 2 pins. Tragic it was. I was crushed like a bit of biscuit that has fallen on the floor then been stepped on by someone wearing workboots. Crushed. But I will get there again. I will make it happen.

So now, before I play my next game, I have work to do. No no no no no, not practicing bowling, I need to work on a celebration dance for when i get a strike. It has to be something that says, "I got a strike and I am going off, but it happens pretty often so i am being pretty cool about it as well." So I have work to do with that one.

In the meantime, I am waiting for my next book, Mac O'Beasty, to head off to the printer. There are a few final issues to sort out and then we will be good to go. Go Mac, GO!

Have a great week everyone, and keep living the dream.

Stay gold.

Seeya

Wally

Kelly Clarkson

2009-01-24T15:28:00.001-08:00

Hi everyone. As you can see from the title of this blog, Kelly Clarkson, this blog is about, well, Kelly Clarkson. Actually, it's about more than that, although I could quite easily fill this post talking about how much she ROCKS and how I saw her live and she was sensational and I love her songs and her new song is cool and Since You've Been Gone is one of my all-time favourite songs and how ... well, you get the picture. But as I said, this post is about more than that.
Kelly has just released her new song, My Life Would Suck Without You. It is a cool song, no doubt about that. There is more to it than that though. I read a review saying this song was the sound of a rock star with her tail between her legs. When Kelly released her last album - which I actually thought had some good songs, although it wasn't as consistent as I know she can be - she went out on her own. A lot of people thought this was a bad idea, that she should stick with the winning team, etc etc, blah blah blah. The album didn't do quite as well and now she is back working with known success writers. I hope I have that all correct, I am pretty surte i do, but that isn't the point anyway. The point is, we should never bag someone taking a risk. She was at the top of her game, she was killing it, and she said now I am going to try and do something that isn't sure-fire, but i will have responsibility and I will be the one out there to take the praise or criticism. It actually reminds me very much of when Michael Jordan stopped basketball and started playing baseball, because he wanted to try something he loved doing and he wanted the challenge. When he wasn't a "success", he copped a bagging. But that isn't the point! People stay stagnant. People go along, especially if they are good at something, and they do it day in day out and then it doesn't become a challenge anymore. The thrill goes. we have to look for thrills. We have to put our aasses on the line, and I don't mean donkeys, and we have to take the chance that we will fail. Because that is when we get to experience everything the world has to offer. We don't plod. We risk falling to have the chance to soar. if it happens that things aren't a massive success, we can go back and start over again at what we know. That is not crawling back with our tail between our legs. It is stabilising before we go off again to try something else new.
That was the longest paragraph I have ever written.
And that close to the shortest.
My point is, do not stay at what you know and are good at just because of that. It isn't wrong to try something when people question it, saying things like, "But you are doing so well at ..." or "But that isn't as secure as ..."
Take a risk. Learn to fall. learn to fly.
Go Kelly. You rock.

Have a great week everyone, and keep living the dream.

Seeya

Wally

Marysville and more

2009-01-16T13:45:00.000-08:00

Hello again! I know, I know, I have been slack for ages again. It is getting to be a bit of a habit with me these days, the slackness and the DVD watching and the lying on the couch and the eating Doritos and the ... just kidding, that was all just yesterday afternoon! On other days I have been working, and teaching myself piano, and marketing, and last night I went and saw and AWESOME show called Starbound. Picture this. You get 60 kids, between 14 and 21, and in two, count 'em, two weeks they learn around twenty song and dance routines from broadway musicals around the world. And, not only learn them, but perform them at a standard that blows your mind. It was so cool. A few songs at the start of the second half in particular were amazing, and right after I finish writing here I am hitting iTunes to try and find them on there, although I would pay to buy the versions I heard last night, I kid you not.

So what else have I been up to? Well, I did take a bit of time off and go away for a week. That's right, I was away in the hills of Marysville, staying with Ashana and my mum, and for a few days Makka my niece, and for a couple of days Mels my cousin-in-law. It was really nice. Marysville, if you ever get the chance, is a very nice place to visit. Just past Healesville, over the Black Spur, up a hill our car struggled to even get over, and you're there. And when you are there, you must, I repeat MUST, go and see Bruno Torf's sculpture garden. I will not say anything more on the topic than that, I will let you find out for yourself and report back to me. And you will love it, I have no doubt. I am not a gallery person, I have to admit, which makes being married to an artist who volunteers in a gallery interesting, but I don't really like them. But this one blows me away every time. And I have been there many, many times.

So go there. That is an order.

Until next time, keep living the dream.

Seeya

Wally

HAAAAAPPY NEW YEAR'S EVE!!!

2008-12-30T21:12:00.000-08:00

Happy new Year's everyone!!! And because I missed last week, Merry Christmas as well. Sorry, I am in a bit of a rush. We have guests and are going out and I have to ype really fast so ;lkjfgkjbsdf djkbf sdfjsjfbsr hfklwe f!!!

Seeya in 2009!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Stay gold.

Wally

Food, food and more food

2008-12-18T16:35:00.000-08:00

Yep, that's why I haven't posted for a couple of weeks, I have basically just been eating my way through December. Yum Cha at the Red Emperor (mmmm, yum cha), too many Vegemite or honey sandwiches to count, dinner and lunches at Condottis, dinner at Vue de Monde, possibly the fanciest pants restaurant I have been to, although the Sofitel one is up there, literally and figuratively speaking. Is that how you spell figuratively? I don't know, the spell check thingie isn't working for me. Sigh, it's a tough life huh?

So apart from eating what's been going on? Markets have been busy as anything, I have popped back out to a few schools, Brunswick South included which was great fun as per usual. Three visits there this year, my record along with three visits to St Pauls in Warragul. A few others have had the pleasure/luck/misfortune to see me twice!

Anyway, that is it for me today I think. I am a bit tired and I am about to cook dinner for lunch, as I am off to the Dingley Twilight Market this afternoon. Mmmm, dinner for lunch, and tuna pasta at that. Life tough? No way at all, I am having tuna pasta! All is good with me!!!

Have a great week and keep living the dream.

Stay gold.

Wally

A fun feast at Cheltenham East

2008-12-04T22:35:00.000-08:00

Howdy pardners! How's your week been? Actually, don't answer that, unless you do it as a comment on this blog. If you say your answer, I won't hear it ... unless unless you're Ashana and you're here saying it to me. And you could just tell me then, you wouldn't have to read this to know I am wondering how your week's been.
Anyway, let's move on. I hope you've had a good week, let's leave it at that. If you want to fill me in on some of the details, feel free to comment or email.
I've had a great week. I spent Monday out at Cheltenham East Primary School, and I had a great time. We drew, we laughed, we listened to burp sound effects on my phone, all very, very good. Some of the kids even gave me a picture for me to keep, and then today Harry gave me one he had done on his computer, so that was very cool.
Tonight, I know it's Friday night, and I should be out raging or something, but I will be in bed nice and early as I am up at 4:15 tomorrow to journey out to Red Hill to do the market out there. Say hi if you see me there. Then on Sunday I am out to Yarra Glen for that market. Whoo, it's all happening!
Have a great week everyone, and keep living the dream.
Stay gold.
Wally

Running rings around Pakenham Springs

2008-11-28T13:51:00.000-08:00

That's right. The regional tour has continued over the last couple of weeks. A couple of weeks ago I was out at Eaglehawk North P.S. near Bendigo for two days. It was a great couple of days, and I got to catch up with the big grizzly bear that roams around those parts.

Then I was out in Pakenham at Pakenham Springs Primary, a new school that has only opened this year. It was a very cool couple of days too, I had a great time drawing and mucking around with the kids. Some in-jokes were started and there were lots of laughs, which is just how I like it!

Then this week I was back in the car dropping off orders. Monday to Melton West, Tuesday to Pakenham, Wednesday to Eaglehawk, Thursday to Pakenham, Friday to sleep? No sir, I was out at the Festival of lights in Frankston, one of my favourite festivals of the year to go to. And, although it was a quietish night cusomer-wise, us stallholders had great fun. We did one of those stories where someone writes a sentence, passes it on, and the next person writes a sentence, and so on. Very cool story too, even with an illutration. We did two actually, both very funny, both just a little weird! There was Captain Shiny pants, and a boy made up of two boys, one of which was a hunter, the other a vegetarian. It was great fun and a great way to pass the time. I am back out there today for the big one, the motherload, the broo haha, the day I hope to sell a whole truckload of books!!!

So have a great week ,and keep living the dream.

Stay gold.

Wally

Share-a-not launch into the world

2008-11-06T13:00:00.000-08:00

That's right baybee, the Share-a-not is coming to a world near you!!! My brand new book, The Share-a-not (if you didn't guess that already), is out ... well, sort of anyway. I have copies, and you know what? I may have already written about this last week. I will check once I am done. So you may be reading all this for a second time, but too bad so sad my friend, I am excited! I am having a book launch next weekend for the book, in the luverly Ivanhoe Library, with great people around me, and from then on it is just a matter of time before The Share-a-not hits the bookstores. At this stage we are looking at it being sometime in December or early january. What? you say? After Christmas? Well surely that isn't a bonus. Correct, I would answer, it would certainly have been my preference to have the book in bookstores before Christmas, that being when lots of people buy books and all, but it's not meant to be and that is that. So it falls on me to sell as many as I can and I plan on doing exactly that! Markets, schools, fairs, fetes, festivals, I will be at them all and I will be pushing my book so hard that it will be like concrete, or diamonds, or something even harder than a diamond, whatever that may be.

So that is my main news for this week. I was out at Ruthven Primary for my last week, whic hwas a little sad, as I have really enjoyed my time there and will miss the kids greatly. They were a great group and made me feel really welcome and I just had a ball. So thankyou Ruthven Primary School, I hope you all enjoyed my time there as much as I did.

That's it from me. I am off to Bendigo on Sunday to do workshops at Eaglehawk North Primary with my old mate Anthony. It will be great to catch up with him after not seeing him for a few years, and it will be great to meet some new kids and have some fun drawing and writing and reading and chatting with them.

Have a great week everyone, and keep living the dream.

Stay gold.

Wally.

Slackness, school visits and launches

2008-10-29T14:09:00.000-07:00

Well helllloooooooo! I know, I was slack and didn't write anything last week. Well, actually, I tried, but couldn't log in. Anyway, that was slack. I was as slack as a piece of string that is being held slackly so that it is slack and is hanging loose, and then you pull it tight but someone comes along with scissors and cuts it so now you have two slack pieces of string so are doubly slack and that is what I was. But not what I am, because here I am, writing people, writing for you!
So I guess I had better say something worthwhile.
I have been to a couple of schools! Goonawarra last week, and saw the Prep-grade 2 kids, who were all awesome, and one even gave me a dog tag to wear! That was so cool, and such a nice gesture, I was really pleased and thought it was so nice that he did that. But we had great fun, the kids even threatened not to let me go home!
Then I was back out to Ruthven this week, where we did writing workshops, told stories, and made cat noises ... rrrowwwww. Sorry. I think you had to be there for that one, but it was pretty funny.
And my new book is here. I have stock of the Share-a-not, so buy buy buy! Just kidding, although it is available from my website, www.adam-wallace-books.com and I will sign every copy you buy. Worth a fortune people, they will be worth a fortune in years to come! I am having a launch for the book in a few weeks, so that will also be great fun, to have a bit of a get together with my favourite people and show them the fruits of my labour ... mmm, fruit. I could have an apple about now. In fact, I think i am going to go and get something to eat.
Have a great week, and keep living the dream.
Stay gold.
Wally

Ruthven and Converses

2008-10-16T16:17:00.000-07:00

That's right! As you may have gathered from the subtlety of my title for this blog, I went out to Ruthven P.S. this week, and I have also got a new pair of Converses!!! That is very exciting for me, I've wanted a pair for ages. And now I have a personalised pair. White hi-tops with some fancy dogs, dragons, cats and more all over them. Not to everyone's taste, not looking at anyone in particular,but they sure are to my taste! I love them.

They also went down well at Ruthven Primary School, which is out Reservoir way, no matter how you pronounce Reservoir. I spent the first of three days I will be out there doing drawing workshops. By choice. When put to a vote, every class I saw chose drawing over writing. Hmmmm. No surprises there really I have to say. So we did some drawings of dogs, cats, dragons and more. We did accents, we did cat noises, we did the works. It was great fun, and by the end of the day I was totally ready for an afternoon nap! I don't think I am going to get one in today, but I may need one after I eat my chicken schnitzel with bolognese sauce!

That's right people, and I am starting a new paragraph here for no reason other than I want to, I am having lunch at the Palace Hotel, where they serve 5, count 'em, 5 different types of parma. Oh my God, I am drooling right now writing this. Can water wreck a keyboard? Anyway. I don't have dairy, a well-known fact, so I have my parma sans cheese, but schnitzel with bolognese sauce man, how good is that? When I go to a pub for dinner or lunch, I generally have to make the choice between bolognese or a schnitzel ... no such dramas at the Palace, my friend, just stick that bolognese sauce on top and let me at it!

I won't even need to review the meal next week, because I tell you right here and now it is going to be pretty damn good.

I have to go. I need to prepare my taste buds.

Have a great week everyone, and keep living the dream.

Stay gold.

Wally.

Going along to Yarrawonga

2008-10-09T00:44:00.000-07:00

Well hello everyone! Sorry I didn't make an entry last week, but things got a little full on down here. My Step-Dad Bryan died last week, and he was one of the nicest, most generous, most positive people I have ever known. He will be greatly missed.

Last week I also spent some time up on the Murray at Yarrawonga. it is the Murray up there isn't it? i don't know, I was always hopeless at geography! Anyway, i was up there as part of a Holiday Enrichment program, put on by Jim Gillies. I have to tell you, if anyone from up that way reads this, get on it next year and get to this thing. It is so awesome! Seriously people. I went up there and held 5 workshops on the Tuesday, but over the Tuesday and Wednesday the kids there (from Grade 5 to around Year 8 or 9) had the choice of activities such as, if my memory serves me correctly, and it usually does, except when I have to remember someone's name ... anyway, cool activities. Here they are. Rock climbing, Illustrating, cartooning, Aboriginal art, drumming, a cosmodome (I know, sounds impressive huh?), claymation, hip hop, a light plane flight and of course thrilling awesome writing and drawing workshops with yours truly. I think there may have been more things as well, but that's all I can remember. Oh, there was also Damien Brown, a weightlifter with Commonwealth Games gold medals who was the keynote speaker on the Tuesday.

I wanted to do the rock climbing. It looked unreal fun. They told me one of the girls climbed the wall thirty times! Thirty! I think I would have had dead shoulders after once!

It was fantastic though, and great fun to be put up at Club Mulwala, which was sponsoring the event.

So that was that for me. A good but sad week. The funeral was real nice though. We all wore bright colours, a real love of Bryan's. Rest in Peace Bryan, it was a pleasure and an honour to know you.

Wall.E by Wally

2008-09-24T15:56:00.000-07:00

Yep, that's right people. A couple of days ago I journeyed to the cinemas (a bit of a rare event for me these days) and I saw the new Pixar movie, Wall.E. Now, being a children's author, I naturally have dreams of seeing one of my stories up on the big screen. An actual movie of it, not just the story, that would be dodgy as. People come in, sit down with their popcorn and drinks and chips and lollies, get relaxed, watch the previews, the screen widens, the lights go down, they read one of my stories, the lights go up, they go home and that is not $15 well spent! No, I would looove to see one of my stories made into a movie. I actually have the exact story I want as well. It is written. It is ready to go.

Anyway, moving on from my future glory, Mak took me to go and see Wall.E, and, I have to say, it was really, really, really awesome. It isn't one of those laugh out loud movies, like Shrek or Over the Hedge (although there are some funny bits in it), but it has a real heart to it. Wall.E is one of the nicest, most genuine movie characters I have ever seen, and he has a three word vocabulary. This goes to show, I think, that most people talk too much and that sometimes you can show your true colours and heart without having to blab on all the time. There, now I will get off my pedestal for a bit.

So this is a quick entry today, as I have things to do, places to go and people to see, all while trying to plan my siesta. I am going to finish by saying go and see Wall.E. No matter how old you are, it is a great movie and I am giving it the three thumbs up and 24.5 stars.

Have a great week, and keep living the dream.

Stay gold.

Wally

Two reasons why September 19 is a great day.

2008-09-18T15:10:00.000-07:00

Greetings everyone! I hope you have had a FANTASTIC week. My week has been really good. Bit of work, bit of bumming around. No tennis which was a bummer. but, and I say but, this week is great for two reasons. Not only this week, but today, September 19th, Why? I hear you think. Well, I will tell you.
1. September 19th is my birthday day! Yaaaaaay. Yes, that's right, thirty something years ago some lady had a baby, and that baby came to be known as Adam Wallace! I won't give away exactly how old I am, you wil have to guess when you see me. I will tell you it isn't 100 as one kid guessed a couple of weeks ago!

2. September 19th is International Talk Like a Pirate Day! Hells yeah it is! How cool is that? My birthday is on the same day that everyone is (or at least should be) talking like a pirate. Arrrrr me hearties, man the poop deck (tee hee hee), avast ya landlubbers, pieces of eight and all that sort of cool stuff. I have a patch and a pirate skull cap, but I don't know if i will wear them today or not. I may wear them when we go out tonight , I will see how courageous I am feeling. Either way I think I will make everyone I speak to today say something in a pirate voice, or else I wil make them walk the plank.

Have a great day everyone, and keep living the dream.

Stay gold.

My first blog as a blogger doing some blogging

2008-09-11T14:22:00.000-07:00

Greetings one and ... well, maybe just one, but hopefully one and all. Welcome to my new blog. I know that I have written many posts on my website, all hilarious and informative of course, but this is the first time I have written something where I really have to remember the L or else it will become gross. I mean, come on, imagine the title of this blog if I had forgotten to put in the Ls. Seriously, seriously smelly writing people! And now I have got that out of my system, so to speak, I will move on. Deep breath and ... done.
It has been a pretttty cool week in the life of me. I don't know why I did a lot of ts in pretty, but there you go. Anyways, I played pool on Monday night. Look at me go. I hadn't played for ages, so for the first few shots I nearly missed the white ball, let alone actually getting anything in. But it didn't take long for the old hustler in me to come flooding back. That's right. Twirling the cue behind my back, one handed shots, behind the back shots, left handed shots, I did them all ... and not one of them pocketed anything. I lost more games than I won. but at least I looked good doing it! So from here on in the tactic is more practice Wally, more practice. I'm coming for you Stolzy, you are going down my friend! It was great fun though, and amongst all the fun the little competitive fire in me, the one that was, well, you know how when a fire is dying down and all there is left is ashes and some burnt out wood and maybe some plastic thing that really stinks and is probably toxic and you look closer and burn your nose so you look closely but not too closely and you blow under the ashes and there it is, this one little red glow left on the edge of an old, burnt out log? That was my competitive fire. It had started glowing a little bit during my tennis games, but during the pool game someone blew my spark and it started to glow a little brighter and then a little more blowing and it glowed even brighter. By the end there may have even been a small, hardly noticeable flame going there. All I need now is to go and get some old newspaper, a bit of kindling (little bits of wood, not the author ... no, wait, that was Kipling. Sorry), and then get that fire roaring again.
Right then. I am ready to go. I am off to grab my axe and start a-chopping. I feel so pumped. Wow. Ready to take on the world baby. Look out world, the competitive Wally is back! COME ONNNNN!!! Actually, this has all been a little bit tiring, this getting fired up and pumped and excited. I think I will go and have a little lie down first, but then, after that, it is all on!
Have a great week everyone, and keep living the dream
Stay gold.
Wally.