I've mentioned on occasion that I've moved, excessively. Part of this has necessitated developing new friendships. Some of the geneses for these friendships have been strange. Like with Dom; upon my first day of school, in a new state, I just walked up and stated that we'd met before. I can't recall if I meant it, but it defies logic, although it worked! Another example is with Seano; every day for a year, I'd go up and belt him in the arm. Now Sean was always taller and larger than I am, but it is a reflection on his character that he never sought retribution.

Sean was like that. After hundreds of dead arms, we both realised a kinship. It developed in the way that many scholarly (pre-) pubescent friendships start, Role Playing Games. Nerdy, yes. We were (are?) like that. A communal bond developing with Sean, AH Mick, Robo and others, due to the tyrannical mastership of GT. Vlad the Impaler would always try to dig us out the mess we always rushed into. These events always gave us an excuse for a sleepover, with ludicrous amounts of junk food. Just what every teenage complexion needs.

Later on we thought a progression to 500 would signify more maturity. Not really, just another avenue to exercise the intellect, with more junk food. The team of AH Mick, Growie, Seano and I, combatting with and against each other to score that fabled open misere. Sean really was the intellectual genius of the group, closely followed by AH Mick. Growie and I totally brought up the rearguard. It is worth noting that this phase spanned over several years, including those binge drinking years (which haven't really stopped). The curious part of this is that we never combined our significant card sessions with our notorious drinking sessions. I have no good reason for why this was so. Tragic really, but some of the best fun I've ever had. Robo would have been a key part of this, if his hatred of cards could be overcome.

The number of times Sean and I would trek through Namadgi was legion. Up, down, over and through, Sean and I often had the chance to do it all. Matty Luther was a key player through this too. Weeks at a time, we spent helping each other out in canoeing, caving, swimming, cave swimming. The Duke of Edinburgh years. Every second weekend, hiking, camping, swimming. Probably the main reason that I believe I can do anything I set my mind to. It was all about conquering fears. You get the picture.

AH Mick and I would brawl over the seat next to Sean in Maths. Invariably my tenaciousness would win out, sorry AH! Sean guided me through those years with aplomb, That maths teacher really didn't help. Sean and I shared years of Japanese too. We would spend hours ogling the wonderful physique of our teacher, spend time drawing tattoos, nearly always of the Holden 5 litre badge. We did seem to do pretty well with our marks.

When it came to my head to build my first car, I approached Matty and Seano. At the ripe old age of 14, we designed and built our first car, for the Shell Mileage Marathon. It was ugly. It was poorly designed. But it was the seed that started my engineering career. In the following year we managed a 24th (from a field of 75?). Ours was the highest placed carbueretted vehicle. Not bad for a team of 15 year olds. Sean went on to study Astrophysics, while I understand Matty is now a Paramedic.

TBC...