Kirribilli Markets: let's dance!

Alec and Travis dancing to the music
Originally uploaded by thatjonesboy

We took a basket of Milkoolers, some great CDs for sale from Littoral Records and our iPod and speakers down to Kirribilli Markets this Easter Saturday.

Alec came down later to visit us with his mum, as did Travis, Alec's best mate, and his dad, Ross.

As you can see, Milkoolers have been around for quite some time now, since Alec was the original inspiration for Milkooler and he's now six years old.

In this photo, Alec and Travis have some pretty wicked dance moves happening: Travis is doing the 'running-on-the-spot', and Alec's doing the classic 'wave two fingers in front of your face' thing made famous by Uma Thurman and John Travolta in 'Pulp Fiction' (see video below).

This was our first market stall and I had high hopes for success, but the rain showers conspired with the Easter break to mean not many people showed up - even many stallholders stayed at home in bed.

Never mind. A lovely lady from the ginger bread stall opposite kindly gave us shelter when it rained, and at least we had a good time dancing!

How Milkooler was born

Dad, tell me a story. A really silly one.

OK Alec. Well, once upon a time, as all good stories start, in fact, it was late one afternoon. Alan was drinking his favourite beer in the sun in the backyard, waiting for the barbeque to heat up to grilling temperature. In the shade nearby lay his new baby son, Alec, also drinking from his own favourite bottle. Down in the garden, the attractive, intelligent and devoted woman who was both Alec’s mother and Alan’s wife was mowing the lawn. Alan thought to himself, ‘Could life be any sweeter?’ Alan thought not. Not unless he could persuade her to put down the push-mower for a minute and go get him another beer.

Suddenly, he had an idea! Wouldn't it be cute if Alec was able to hold his bottle in a little baby-sized neoprene holder like his dad's beer bottle holder? Wouldn't it be great if it kept the milk warm for longer and cooler for longer, for all those times when mum and baby are on the run? Wouldn’t it be nice if the neoprene bottle holder was easier for little baby hands to grasp? Made it more fun to hold? Made it less likely to be dropped? Wouldn’t it be cool if you could give little baby bottle holders as gifts to your mates when they became fathers for the first time?

Wouldn't it be awesome if Alan was able to quit his day job, build a website, get some of these things made, and make millions of dollars selling them over the Internet? Wouldn’t it be better if he stopped asking all these questions and went out and did something about it?

First things first: he finished his beer. Then he cooked the steak and sausages (note to US visitors: the shrimp thing is a myth). Then he washed up, bathed the baby, put him to bed, and prepared a nice hot bath for his wife (after all, she mowed the lawn). Finally, he asked her if it was a good idea.

Then he largely ignored her opinion, and the Milkooler was born, and Alan's vision came true (except for the last bit about the millions of dollars).