The Best Godamned Burgers In the South: Here's the Skinny!

Home made burgers are a favourite in this house every fortnight or so. To be honest Dad's (thats me) Burgers are getting a bit of a reputation as being up there with the best. How is it done? Follow the secret;

1. 150g of prime Angus Pure New Zealand Beef mince (per person....midgets in the family can have less!).
2. Hand mix into patties after adding unprocessed sea salt, freshly ground pepper, diced onions and a little garlic powder. (Mild Chili sauce is also an awesome addition).
3. Preheat BBQ and oil with olive or avocado oil.
4. While they cook:  Cut fresh wholemeal burger buns in half, add avocado, caramalised onion and cranberry chutney, freshly sliced tomato and spinach leaves.
5. Add a couple of slices of your favourite New Zealand cheese to the top of the Burger Patties and let it melt over the top (this look bloody professional and tastes great!). 
6. Add the patties to the bun.
7. Feed the troops!

Don't underestimate just how skilled you need to be to pull this off. Southern blokes will nail it everytime!

Parent Teacher Interviews: Things Just Aren't As Simple As They Were!

We headed off for a parent teacher interview one evening last week. I was looking forward to seeing how much progress Caetana had made and getting a few tips on how to steer our wee girl in the right direction. Things certainly have changed since I was the subject of said activity. There was a bit of reluctance and more than a few nerves from our little blossom!

For starters the kid has to front up too and kicks things off by giving a run down on how she thinks she is going, Things she is good at...."development areas" etc. Poor wee thing! I remember just sitting at home waiting several hours for my parents to arrive home and provide "frank, immediate and direct" feedback from the teachers. In my mind it was never accurate....seemed like a court case whereby you are not allowed to be present and defend yourself.

There was the usual run down on how she is doing, how she gets on with her class mates, comparisons to the "National averages". Then the floor was thrown open for us to ask away! Of course you just have to ask a couple of stumpers just to keep the teacher on her toes don't you....lol.

All joking aside it was a useful meeting, I found it informative and the teacher (obviously feeling jaded after about 10 hours of them) was very professional, caring and understanding.

So whilst they aren't as simple as they used to be, they are no longer one way traffic.

Good stuff Redcliffs School and thanks.

R.I.P Johnny Sleigh; Waimate and Southern Man

Its always a sad day when someone dies overseas. Johnny Sleigh (picture courtesy of NZ Herald) was a chap who grew up about 15 km from our family farm near Waimate (South Canterbury). I remember both him and his brother catching the school bus at their farm gate (Johnny was about 4 years younger than me). In fact his brother David was recently at a 40th I attended a couple of months back.

I have experienced a brother having a bad accident overseas and know just how much shock and stress is put on the family. My thoughts are with his family. If there is an upside it is that they at least found him relatively quickly and can bring him home. The fact that no foul play seems to have been involved is a good thing although it raises a whole lot of other questions that his family will want to try and understand. Like what happened and how?

Lets face it this could happen to any Kiwi on their OE. Wrong place, wrong time can be all it takes. An army colleague I served with, Kelly Banks, was killed when he fell down a wall on the banks of the Tiberius River in Rome. He was on leave from Bosnia at the time. A childhood friend was killed on a motor cycle in London so it does happen with some regularity.

It is a good reminder that we should live every day like it is our last. Remember to enjoy the moment as well as the journey.

R.I.P. Johnny Sleigh.

Mothers: They Just Rock!

Mums are the coolest are they not? I mean they go through thick and thin getting their family sorted and they put up with a lot. Mothers day is time for all the Mums out there to relax and have a few things done for them.

It is a day the family says thanks for all the roles you play as a Mum. It isn't a commercial day despite what the media and advertisements try and pedal.


Here are a few reasons why I think mums in general rock;

• They love unconditionally.
• They put up with all the grief, challenges and trouble their kids cause.
• Their life revolves around food. Preparing it, cooking it and trying to keep hungry mouths fed!
• Housework never ends, it is a conveyer belt of endless chores and even when other help it is never done the same way.
• There is a requirement to be a teacher.
• Counseling skills are mandatory.
• They always have capacity to worry about other peoples children or the worries of close friends and family.
• They work full time, paid or not.
• A mum will accept their kids warts and all.
• You always know that when you have problems or a worry your mum will be firmly in your corner backing you up 100%.
• A Mum will think nothing of hopping in her car and driving several hundred km just to support her son or daughter or family of said son or daughter. In fact merely mention you'd love to see her and you can hear the squeal of tires as the car launches out the driveway!
• Mums are good at listening.
• Mums are good at offering advice.
• Mums seem to have lots of good advice.
• Mums are good at telling their kids to wind their neck in.
• Mums bake great goodies.
• The restaurant menu of food a Mum can cook is true gold!
• Mums help form traditions that are passed on the future generations. Stuff like Christmas, birthdays, family events and fun things.
• Mums spend hours watching sport that their kids are involved in.
• Mums know exactly what kid needs new clothing or footwear and when.
• Mums know when to be soft and caring or when to nut off! (Comes with being a counselor!)

I think all mums are legends but particularly mine and I guess all kids are the same. It should not be that we remember all this stuff once a year but reality is that in our busy lives we need a special day to celebrate those around us who mean a lot.

Like all the best things in life, your mum is free. You are just allocated her when you are born and they just hang around and do the most amazing things for you. In my experience even the toughest, the meanest, the smartest and the most successful have a Mum they love to bits. So take some time and thank your mum for all she has done. She will appreciate it!

Thats why mums rock!