Showing posts with label Bryan Portingale. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bryan Portingale. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

I AM SLACK!

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

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Going along to Yarrawonga

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.