Easter is just about upon us, and it has been busy today, going to the mall and making sure we have all we need as tomorrow being Good Friday everything is closed, well except for convenience stores and such likes. Jewish Passover also begins tomorrow. As the Jewish calendar runs on a lunar cycle with the 1st crescent of the moon being the 1st of the month, Passover doesn't begin on a specific day of the week like Easter, but a specific time of the lunar cycle namely the Full Moon. It just happens this year the two coincides, the Easter holidays beginning the same time as the 8 days of Passover. Herein lies the origin of the "spring clean". Jewish tradition has it that we don't eat food containing yeast and other raising agents for the 8 days of Passover, such as bread, cookies, cakes, etc, and all traces of such foods are removed from their homes prior to Passover. So many a Jew would have been spotlessly cleaning their homes top to bottom to make sure it is totally free of the offending food crumbs - hence the term "spring cleaning" as Passover is in the northern hemisphere Spring. Due to Sally's health issues and the energy required in her care, we will be foregoing the ceremonial aspects of the holiday but it will still be no more cookies for me for the next 8 days!

It was at this time in 1980 when I saw that very strange orange light UFO. I was 16 at the time, was traveling down to Augusta with mother and soon-to-be stepfather on that Thursday night for the Easter break. Just as we were to arrive at Augusta, I looked out the side window and was shocked to see a large orange ball rise up from behind the trees in the field, did a loop in the sky, then coming back down behind the trees. It was a fair way off, maybe a mile across the field, so mother and co didn't  notice anything as they were looking at the road straight ahead. But it was this UFO that would change my life forever, for better and for worse, some were good, some were bad, but it certainly marked a shift in my life. I have seen other UFOs since then but won't go into any details......

Now to more terrestrial matters..... the football tipping. Time to get my tips in for this week as the 1st match is tonight - Carlton and Brisbane. Carlton seems to be the favourite there. I suppose I should go for Essendon to beat Port Adelaide.... hmmmmmm...... if Essendon doesn't win there will be hell to pay! hahaha!!.... and the Maggies, well despite letting me down last week I am a forgiving guy, I will back them again this week against Richmond, but then if they can't beat Richmond then there will be no hope for us this year, might as well look to next year!!