Work for me was a series of highs and lows. The Sailfish Club at Sussex Inlet, where I work as a barman had a very busy start to 2003 with the influx of holiday makers and things looked rosy for the future for this little club. However, this was not to be. My hours were greatly reduced after Easter due to a down-turn in trading and it appeared my fellow staff and I were going to be cut back even further as we came into the quiet winter period of May, June, July and August. My bar supervisor, willing to help my cause, suggested I try for work at the local Country Club, only 5 minutes walk from my front door. The interview with the Country Club went very well and I was offered a job straight away. My supervisor at the Sailfish Club suggested I put my resignation in so I could concentrate my time with the Country Club, but only 2 days after handing in my resignation, the Country Club strangely started cut-backs of their own and could no longer offer me immediate employment. I asked my boss at the Sailfish Club if I could withdraw my resignation and he agreed, but this decision appeared to anger my bar supervisor who was to offer me only one shift a week plus call-ins when other staff were unavailable. This left me with no choice but to return to the Pension, or financially struggle. By late November however, the Bar Supervisor had himself resigned to take another job and I was offered a much better working roster with more hours. As we entered into our summer trading period I was off the pension, working hard with a good roster at the Sailfish Club and once again very happy with the state of my employment situation. Things again look very promising.

As for my Computer in 2003 - In January I started work on my Film/Movie Database. This database lists just about every movie I have seen and was a most trying task in locating the relevant information I required. Thankfully I found a brilliant website that helped me accomplish this task. us.imdb.com - a site that has reference to almost every movie ever made. Working on a list of an average of 25 films a week, my list of just over 1600 films was completed just prior to Christmas and it is certainly a task I would not like to repeat. In late March the only Computer problem I had in 2003 occurred when my trusty Apple Monitor finally gave up the ghost. I was without my beloved computer for almost 3 weeks while I saved to buy a replacement. I was really lost without my computer for that time and could not keep in contact with my regular email friends. I made one new friend via the internet in 2003, an American living in California by the name of Greg who had contacted me through my website wanting to know more about Hobie Kayaks. As we both had very much in common (Kayaking, Hiking etc) we remain good friends and keep in contact almost on a daily basis. Greg earned himself the nickname 'Mongo' after the character in the Mel Brooks movie 'Blazing Saddles'.

Health wise, we did not have too bad a year. Jenny had a visit to the dentist in January for a troublesome tooth extraction, while I struggled for a week with a nasty head cold, the only virus I suffered for the whole year. In February and April my tennis activities saw me suffer minor knee and ankle complaints that soon recovered. On March 4th I made another attempt at quitting the cigarettes, this time using patches. These seemed to work and I was hopeful of finally quitting the habit. However, early November found me back on the dreaded 'Deathsticks' - some people just can't stay off them. No doubt I will have another try at quitting in the future. In August I suffered a reoccurrence of my lower back problem moving kegs at work. My chiropractor soon got the problem fixed and I am now rostered away from major delivery days at work, though I have no problems moving package stock. Jenny also bit the bullet, deciding to do something about her continual back pain and started receiving treatment from my chiropractor. Progress is slow, but improvement is being made and Jenny hopes to be ready for some serious bushwalking later in 2004. Vicki seemed to get through 2003 without any major ailments, apart from a few headaches and upset stomachs, she had a rather injury free year. Maybe this is helped by the fact that in late October she started attending the local gymnasium for circuit training.

Apart from the purchase of a new computer monitor, 2003 saw me purchasing a few other very handy items. The first of which was my new Hobie Maui Kayak, purchased in late January on layby. I had dreamed of owning my own kayak for many years and had longed to join the Shoalhaven Bushwalkers on their regular kayaking trips. I was now able to do this. I also purchased some new built-in shelves for the study. No longer would I put up with the clutter and mess that was stored in a number of decrepit old stand-alone bookshelves. Bushwalking items also found their way into my major purchases for 2003, all on layby, these included a new down sleeping bag, a Macpac Microlight Tent and most of Vicki's new bushwalking kit. Financial restrictions during winter meant I did not increase my CD collection by much, though I did manage to include compilations by Rod Stewart, Blue Oyster Cult, The Animals and Bad Company to my collection and birthday & Christmas presents included Bon Jovi's 'Bounce' and Status Quo's 'Riffs' albums. I also became heavily interested in Tolkien's 'Lord Of The Rings' trilogy during 2003. I purchased and read the 3 books and saved enough to purchase the first 2 films on DVD.

Overall, my 2003 outdoors year was one not remembered very fondly. Bad weather dominated most outings and it seemed that everyone was prepared for wet weather whenever I organised an outdoors activity. However, there were a number of dry trips, but overall, I had a very quiet year. Now that I had a kayak I was able to join the Shoalhaven Bushwalkers for 2 water events in February at Durras Lake and Lake Conjola. In May I joined my friend Steve for a paddle on Wandandian Creek and Mike and his family on Tallowa Dam in June, and during a rather wet October weekend, Steve, Mike and I paddled 2 days from Tallowa Dam to Fossickers Flat on the Shoalhaven River. A trip we hope to repeat in 2004. Brett dragged me onto my bike for the only cycling trip of 2003, a day cycle in Booderee National Park in August. Bushwalking activities included day walks in the Upper Kangaroo Valley, followed by a spotlight walk in Booderee on the same day, the Ellmoos Road area, Wombat Hill Lookout Firetrail and Three Peaks Walk, all with the Shoalhaven Bushwalkers. Jenny, Vicki and I did a series of walks in Booderee National Park later in the year. Overnighter, or fullpack walks included the disastrous 5 day Budawangs trip where it rained heavily for the duration. A shame as this walk was Vicki's first in the Budawangs. Steve also joining us for that trip, where we spent most of the time sheltering in a cave. August saw me leading 10 Shoalhaven Bushwalkers, including Vicki for two days in the Royal National Park, under much more favourable weather conditions, but my hopes of joining Mike for a walk at Kosciusko in November were again thwarted by bad weather. I had hoped to join the Shoalhaven Bushwalkers for their two weeks bushwalking in Tasmania, taking in Walls Of Jerusalem and The Overland Track. Unfortunately the leader of the walk felt I was too overweight and unfit to join this group, despite never having walked with me before. This decision was devastating to me as I had longed to walk these areas of Tasmania and now was my big chance of doing so with a group of bushwalking friends that included Brett and I felt I was working hard on my fitness, had saved up the money required to get to Tasmania and had purchased some new equipment specifically for this trip. Nothing I could do could change the leader's mind and in November the trip went ahead without me. This decision was instrumental in my almost quitting the Shoalhaven Bushwalkers, many other members felt I was capable of doing the trip and contacted me with support and sympathy. In the end though I felt the rejection was an isolated incident and did not resign. I now hope to go to Tasmania in the next year or so, this time with Vicki, maybe Jenny and other friends so we can enjoy the walk without having to worry about elitism. I am looking at a much more involved outdoors year for 2004.

Around the home we finally got the bathroom problem fixed. Our original renovator, Richard, came in during February and totally rebuilt the bathroom at no cost to us and at the time of writing in early 2004 we have had no reoccurrence of the water leakage that almost ruined our home. It was during this bathroom renovation that I repainted the study walls and organised the built-in bookshelves. Our financial situation during May through to September forced a rethink on our banking. Instead of relying on the weekly or fortnightly wage to pay each bill as it arrived we got ourselves into the position where an amount of money was banked each week and we keep a record of the amounts saved for each bill, putting an average of $10.00 a week in for each item. This has worked immaculately well over the past six months and we intend to follow this routine for the future. The garden still needs a lot of work as does certain parts of the house, but we have been living here for 15 years now and don't intend to move in the near future, so we have plenty of time to attend to the jobs we feel need doing.

Sport was another year of highs and lows. None of my tennis teams managed to win any major competitions during 2003, though all made it to the Finals. The best effort being Darryn, Karen & myself who battled away without a team captain (using subs for all matches) for much of the Spring season. With 5 weeks to go before the Finals we were in last place, yet improved enough to make the top four. Unfortunately we were knocked out in the Semi-Final against Brett's team on a tie break after the sets were level at 4 each and game count back at 34 each. There was much interruption to our regular competitions and coaching when our existing courts and clubhouse at the Country Club were demolished in May. We were able to continue competition matches only by the good grace of neighbouring clubs who allowed us to utilise their courts until our new courts at the Country Club were completed. In September we were back at the Country Club playing on the new synthetic surface that has replaced the old concrete courts, but we still await the completion of our new clubhouse. Vicki did a little better than her father in her junior tennis, her team making the Spring Grand Final. Unfortunately they were beaten by the better side on the big day. At the Tennis Club AGM in August I retained my position as the tennis club's Publicity Officer for the 9th consecutive year and my 10th as a Committee member. I was also voted in as the club's 3rd Life Member - an event that is probably the high point of 2003 for me. As a supporter it was a joyous occasion as the Penrith Panthers Rugby League team defied the odds to win the 2003 National Rugby League (NRL) Premiership with a great Grand Final win over the in-form Sydney Roosters. Who could forget the try-saving tackle by Scott Sattler that most likely turned the game in favour of the Panthers. Not a bad effort by a team who finished last in 2001 and 3rd last in 2002. Another highlight was England's great win in the Rugby World Cup Final. It's been a long time since us expatriate Englishmen had something to cheer about. Even the Australian Soccer team managed to beat England during 2003. Manchester City continue to underachieve in the English Premier League Soccer, but after many years in the lower divisions it is hoped they will retain their Premier League status, maybe improve enough to finish in the top 6.

Vicki continues to improve at school. Her end of year report was most satisfactory, especially the 'A' grades she received in English and Computer Studies. Vicki continues to work hard at the gymnasium during school terms and although she rarely participates in team sports other than tennis, has become very keen on bushwalking. We hope to revisit the Budawangs in 2004, this time hopefully without the wet weather.

So that's it for 2003. Overall, not a very fond year for the memory, though it did have its moments. I'm looking forward to a much better 2004.