How good is Horseland?
You can’t beat the service at Horseland Forest Glen. I know because I used them like a dirty rag last week.

I couldn’t remember the name or phone number of the used car yard two doors up which wasn’t in yellow pages - (it’s actually called Forest Glen Used Cars – why would I have trouble remembering that?) so as a last ditch effort I simply rang Horseland and asked Michelle who I introduced myself to, if she would walk up the road and get the number for me.

I stayed on hold for a few minutes unfortunately listening to another radio station, when a breathless Michelle dutifully returned with the number for me to call. Now that’s what I call service.

Father of the year
I Jamie Dunn, being of sound mind, well almost, officially nominate former Channel Seven television personality, well known sports nut and of late, manager of world famous motorcyclist Chris Vermeulen Father of the Year.

My reasons are simple. On Friday night I went to a school football game for my son Max. There behind the BBQ, sizzling the sausages and turning the steaks was the man himself.

Putting me, a fellow father to shame with his commitment and enthusiasm to his children’s school.

It didn’t stop there though, the next morning I had to drop 11-year-old Jackson to his football game early on Saturday morning.

I parked the car and headed towards yet another field and there once again behind the BBQ plate sizzling sausages and turning the steaks was bloody Justin Veivers showing his absolute commitment and complete enthusiasm for his children’s school.

Now given that I do nothing more than drop off and pick up and whinge about the other parents, I think it only fitting that he takes out the big one.

Yet another satisfied reader
I had just been to the BOQ Coolum to make sure that all my money was still intact and no-one in the family had withdrawn any cash for frivolous spending on things like food and school bus tickets when a wonderful cheery lady on a bicycle yelled as she passed by at the top of her voice “I love your column in the Sunshine Coast Daily!”

Humble as ever, I yelled back at the top of my voice “So do I!” She stopped and we had a chat about life and children.

Her name was Kay Callaghan and she sympathized with me about the stories I had written regarding Joshua and his rock band.

“Count yourself lucky” said Kay, “My son is into Death Metal, you haven’t lived until your son sings a gentle ballad about coffins, preachers and blood.”

Welcome to the world
Last week I celebrated my 18-year-old Joshua’s new employment. I think he faced the grim reality that we are all used to and I guess sometimes we forget how fresh and young their minds really are.

We were driving over the Maroochy Bridge when he exclaimed “They took $200 in tax Dad, $200!”

He continued with a certain amount of venom, “And I bet you they spent that money bringing that Tony Mokbel back from Greece to stand trial. $200 – can you believe it?"

I tried to calm the savage beast who had just faced his first taxing. “Oh they probably didn’t spend it on the Greek bloke mate” I offered “More than likely they built this new Maroochy bridge underneath us with your $200 son.”

Tandoori nights
Even if you don’t want to go out to dinner you can simply take the David Low Way through Marcoola.

There is a new Indian restaurant there called Tandoori Nights. They start cooking at around 5pm and the aroma of butter chicken, lamb korma and naan bread wafts across the highway down south past SurfAir and north to the top of the runway at the Maroochy Airport.

It’s open seven days so give your nostrils a treat this arvo.

What a surprise
Eleven-year-old Jackson took the secret code he found in his breakfast cereal box and rushed to the computer exclaiming “I could win a jet-ski!”

Now, our home computer is very slow, as is Jackson.

He beavered away for 30 minutes to enter his secret code and when the machine finally accepted it, it flashed up within a millisecond – bad luck try again.