Breaking news

Amanda's band, the Ukeladies, will be touring nationally before Christmas as part of the support act for Augie March (pictured below). The tour is covering all the capital cities so start saving for your tickets. The support is actually Dan Kelly but Amanda and May are singing in his band and will no doubt get to do some of their own stuff as well as backing Dan. Dan's actually playing guitar in the Augie March band. Got it? I'll post the tour dates when they're firmed up.

I'm not one to gossip, but...

Marriage break-ups are always disturbing (except for Tom and Niclole, Pamela and Tommy Lee, Stuart and Marianne and a few others) but does anyone know the identity of the "prominent rugby player" involved in the Brett Lee case? I have a theory (and it may explain the lingering groin injury) but any further information would be interesting...

So you think you can dance?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DANIEL

Royal visit

Julia's mum, Norma, visited today. She now lives in a residential care unit in the Melbourne suburb of Ferntree Gully but is regularly visited and gets out occasionally with her kids, Robert, Adrian, Julia and Venita. Here she is with Annika and Dom just after lunch.

In other family news, Dom has a cold which has prevented him from going to school for one day this week but, curiously, hasn't prevented him from going to the Dogs v Essendon game last night or planning to go to the new Ben Stiller movie tonight. Second last soccer game is tomorrow and there's still a chance to pick up the premiership but with the usual permutations of team A having to lose to team B and team C having to beat team D by X goals. Annika's new glasses are working well and she's making enough to get by on by babysitting. Ask her at Christmas about the "baby whisperers" - a technique of child rearing which has clearly escaped the Roff radar.

Anyone can comment

We have taken off the password for comments so now anyone can make a comment. Go for it! Just remember to let us know who you are.

Also, don't forget you can post by email by sending your message to

roff_report.auto@blogger.com

Now there is no excuse for not getting involved in the blog!

Adam - what am I doing with the Roff Report exactly, its looks great so I'm not sure what I am meant to be editing (apart from some lame jokes in there).
Also is there any chance we can show some of the comments? They're some of the best parts...
feel free to email me detailed instructions at chateroff@hotmail.com

Cheers!
Kate

ABC News Video

Click HERE to see some video. I think it might get ugly with the Queensland Government tomorrow.

Big Brother

I've been working with Prof. Richard Kingsford on using satellite imagery to detect illegal dams in the Murray Darling Basin and we broke a big story today. Look out for it on ABC News on TV tonight.

The Queensland Government said we got it wrong.

Premier Rann from S.A. said illegal dams are an act of terror!

Prime Minister Rudd said "I'll look forward to a factual report on this. I haven't received one yet, and once we've received that report, we'll take the necessary action."

It's pretty scarey to see it go down in public like this. The QLD Premier said we made an honest mistake. It's going to end up in a cage match with State leaders at this rate. I'm a bit worried the report will get picked to pieces in Canberra and I will end up looking like a Nuff Nuff.

Uke's nuke Manchester Lane

The Uleladies shone in last night's show at the prestegious Manchester Lane bar. They opened for one of their friends, Lillith Lane, whose band includes two members of Paul Kelly's standing band. The Ukes than added backing vocals for Lillith during her show and finished the evening with a knockout rendition of "Perhaps".

Among the celebrity guests at the gig were Annika and her mate, Meg. Annika is showing off her new glasses. She underwent an eye test a few weeks ago and the optometrist couldn't believe she got her driver's licence. Annika can't believe the improvement, either. She used to go to sleep while she was reading which, she thought, happened because reading is relaxing. Turns out she was going to sleep because reading was such an effort. Movies make a lot more sense now as well. The previous reading difficulty may also account for her poor academic results. We're expecting better now...
In other news, I had a week in bed recently with food poisoning. I had to go to a gastroenterologist and he's booked me in for the autopsy or whatever it's called for bowel cancer. I know the Forrest side of the family hasn't fared too well, but is there actually any evidence of it in the Roff side? We're enjoying the olympics - particularly the women's 200m relay win. How come Tom isn't representing us in judo? He was leading the Australian rankings in his weight last time I checked. Dom has two games left in the soccor season and it's still technically possible for his team to snare the premiership. It's a tough competition, though. Nick might make it into his rugby finals as well, which might prompt a lighting raid on Newcastle on frequent-flyer points.

Groff Community College

I was watching a show called "American Dad!" last night and noticed that the school attended by one of the characters is called Groff Community College. No doubt a fine institution.

Yeah, but can the Chinese gymnasts do this?

We have started Maisie young. The Chinese girls look like they may be pre-pubescent. We've decided to start training in the pre-toddler stage. It's looking good for London 2012!

It seems as though Amanda is getting alot of thanks in the Roff Report these days, but to add to that... Thanks Amanda for the tickets to 'Splendour In The Grass'. I took Uncle Mick (Sue's sister Helen's muso (well... drummer) husband, and although it was the end of the weekend and there was some sloppy behaviour being exhibited from the "two days of partying" crowd, we saw some good shows and are very appreciative of your thoughtfulness.

Otherwise, we are riding out the bugs that Lachie keeps bringing home from child care, and I am eagerly awaiting (as is the whole student and staff body of Woodlawn) the slide show of Glenns' holy land visit which he is showing at the next school assembly.

WHAT ACCIDENT?

Come clean, Damio!!!!! What has happened to the Falcon? Was anyone hurt? Was the CIA involved?

THE AUGUST PARTY

Happy birthday on the 9th, John, "the Rock": it's time for the August Party once again!

Thanks Amanda

Amanda gave me a cookbook in 1995 for Christmas; What's for Dinner Dad? by Damian Lovelock.
Tonight I cooked North Carolina BBQ chicken and it was unreal. Everyone liked it. As a cookbook I am rating it just below the Womens Weekly recipe book. I just wanted this chance to thank Amanda for that great present in 95.