Don't Tell Mum I Work on the Rigs, She Thinks I'm a Piano Player in a Whorehouse

219 Pages·2006·1.75 MB·English

by  Paul Carter

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First published in 2005
Copyright © PaulCarter 2005
All rights reserved.No part of this book may be reproduced or
transmitted in any formorby any means,electronic or mechanical,
including photocopying,recording or by any information storage
and retrieval system,without prior permission in writing from the
publisher.The Australian Copyright Act1968(the Act) allows
a maximum of onechapter or10 per cent of this book,whichever
is the greater,to be photocopied by any educational institution for
its educational purposes provided that the educational institution
(or body that administers it) has given a remuneration notice to
Copyright Agency Limited (CAL)under the Act.
Allen &Unwin
83 Alexander Street
Crows Nest NSW 2065 Australia
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.allenandunwin.com
A Cataloguing-in-Publication entry of this book
is available from the National Library.
ISBN 1 74114 698 4
Set in 12.5/16 pt Bembo by Midland Typesetters,Maryborough,Victoria
Printed by McPherson’s Printing Group,Victoria
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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CONTENTS
Acknowledgments viii
Prologue xi
1. Achtung spitfire,1969–87 1
2. Pool balls,1987–94 15
3. Pack-a-day monkey,1994–95 27
4. Saturation,1995–96 44
5. Killer mouse,1996–97 57
6. The devil’s business,1997–98 72
7. The Hobbit House,1998–99 85
8. Where you from?,1999–2000 104
9. Barrel fever,2000–01 116
10. The darkest continent,2001 125
11. Gobbing,2002 146
12. Rig up,rig down,2002 156
13. Legless in Russia,2003 163
14. The ghost of a flea,2004 180
15. Ah Meng,2004 193
Epilogue 204
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
First and foremost,I’d like to thank Erwin Herczeg,for
watching my back on more occasions than I care to
mention and proving to be the perfect role model.
Thanks also to Drew Gardenier for getting me started in
the first place,and letting me get away with a damn sight
more than I deserved to. Special thanks to Sally and
Simon Dominguez and Lou and Doug Frost,and Susan
Coghill, without whom this book would never have
happened.My thanks to all the boys who backed me up,
covered my arse and listened to my bullshit over the
years; you know who you are.To the team at Allen &
Unwin, especially Jo Paul, Lou Johnson, Alexandra
Nahlous and Catherine Milne—thank you and sorry I
can’t spell. Last, but certainly not least, all my love to
Clare,Elinor,Johannes,Allan and France.God bless.
VIII
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CALENTURE
A name formerly given to a tropical fever or delirium
suffered by sailors after long periods at sea,who imagine
the ocean to be green fields and desire to leap into them.
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