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Hello! Is anyone out there? It hasn't been so much as a long time between drinks but rather a long time between posting on this here blog. Apologies for the lack of updates. I'm reporting from Richmond on my first day of holidays but my second-last day of housesitting in Tigerland. I've just returned from kicking the footy with Murfuoso at The New Pie Park on Punt Road. Yes, it's November and Collingwood's home turf, but it's also a good way of keeping fit, staying in touch and having fun. As usual, Murf was a sharp-shooter in front of goal where my kicking, like my week in general, was interesting but indifferent.

There's been plenty happening lately, some is fit for blog consumption, while I have neither the time, patience or energy to talk about some other stuff that's been going on. My female readers apparently want to hear more about what's happening on the romantic front but I can report that in basketball parlance, I became a free agent earlier this week. That's the way it goes, I guess, or to quote singer-songwriter Josh Rouse on his song Life: ''Life is good/Sometimes it's bad/It has its ups/It has its downs/Just sing a song and feel all right/Cause that's just life." So in an empty house, with just Muggie the cat and a large school of fish, I may belt out a song or two.

Or maybe not.

On that note, say hello to another passion: my fantasy basketball team!

The eagerly awaited fantasy basketball draft was held last weekend and I was satisfied with the way the picks fell. My first round pick, Kobe Bryant, played his first game today after a preseason hampered by a troublesome knee but I got my boy, Brandon Roy, thus abandoning two long-held strategies of not drafting injured players or rookies. It's only early days yet, but I hope to have a good season.

To quote Ice Cube, it was a good day. When I arrived the beers were on ice in a supermarket trolley and there was quite a selection. Pizza and a variety of snack food followed. Some chose to get into the spirit of things by wearing jerseys, like yours truly. Here I'm pictured with KL -sporting an Andre Miller jersey from his days as a Clipper - and C-Bas, who would have drafted Dirk Nowitzki had he been able to. Instead, he just had to settle for wearing the German's jersey.

And it was an act of friendship (as opposed to being a dog act) that saw me catch the last train from Geelong to Melbourne to attend AP's 30th on the same night. It was a good show, although I'm not sure what Blondie had in mind with the glove. This picture was taken around 3am (which was 4am because of daylight saving) and shortly before AP was taken home by a member of the constabulary. Don't worry, she's not in trouble. It just so happens that she's going out with a copper.

Until next time, be good or be good at it.