Well, the final week of the election campaign caused a bit of heat between candidates and also resulted in a few unnecessary stunts.
The week kicked off with a slanging match between Bob Cameron and federal Liberal Party power broker and member for Murray Sharman Stone.
A childish debate between the two, hosted by yours truly, resulted in nothing more than a "yes I did", "no you didn't" argument.
Sharman noted the Liberals would pay for water for the Lake Eppalock pipeline, while omitting that would be only for about five years.
She also said she did not say Bendigo would steal Goulburn water, although she was happy to use the phrase "robbing Peter to pay Paul" on numerous occasions.
Bob was happy to continually take credit for the Eppalock pipeline, while, a, ignoring the fact it took then six years to come up with it and, b, had to be dragged kicking and screaming by the Weekly readers to make it happen.
The silliness continued on Monday with Bob and Jacinta unveiled the 'Bendigo-o-metre' and the 'scrooge-o-metre'.
Their 'Bendigo-o-metre' was created using old posters, electrical tape and red paper.
It is amazing what you can find in your electorate office, Jacinta said.
The 'Bendigo-o-metre', a full thermometer, pointed out the amount of money the government had promised to spend in Bendigo.
Not surprisingly the 'scrooge-o-metre' was empty, making direct comparisons with ALP policies.
It seemed to miss the other Liberal promises made earlier, but never let the facts get in the way of a good story.
One thing Bob and Jacinta failed to do while using the 'big scissors' was look a couple of house down the Calder.
While they were keen to say the Liberals had not spent any money in the election (see 'scrooge-o-metre'), Treasurer John Brumby had been getting stuck into the Liberals for spending too much money with a splurge-o-metre.
Who was it that said "all politics is local".
Later in the week it was signs of a different kind that were getting the media's attention.
Big Ted's Excellent Adventure kicked off on Wednesday as his bus laden with signs and slogans turned up at the Old Post Office.
The coach itself carried only four people, before the media and local candidates jumped on.
After struggling through the southern corridor, stopping to buy a copy of the Weekly Times, the bus slowly, very slowly, made its way to somewhere near Harcourt or Sedgwick.
The bus finally stopped near the main channel that travels between Malmsbury and Sandhurst reservoirs.
It was greeted by the metropolitan media, who struggled in their designer dresses and dangerous high heels among the Harcourt granite, long grass and steep hills.
Why this couldn't have been done somewhere a lot closer to Bendigo, or civilisation is unknown.
Although it got good media coverage here - and water always does - it received little in Melbourne.
Anyway, enough of my complaining. I think I am just tired after a long campaign, and looking tremendously forward to waking up on Sunday with no idea what I am going to write my blog about next week.
Although the last week of the campaign turned negative, overall I believe the situation for Bendigo is a positive one.
All candidates, in all electorates in all seats have had a couple of things in common.
They are all hard working and genuinely interested in the community and what it wants.
All parties have been busy lobbying media for space, well the Weekly at least, they have been door knocking, going to meetings and putting in the hard yards.
Whatever the result in Bendigo East and West, any makeup of the four main candidates will serve the community well.
No one has worked harder that Bruce McClure in this election, well maybe Kevin Gibbins who has been door knocking for six months.
Bruce has been working around the clock since the campaign began and I'm sure his family is looking forward to Sunday as well.
Jacinta and Bob have looked over Bendigo during perhaps its most prosperous period since the goldrush.
Although jobs have been lost, they have been managed to be replaced.
The city is growing and we need representatives to cope with than and capitalise on it.
If Ian Tulloch's predictions in the Weekly this week ring true, then the upper house is where your vote will really count.
Who am I going to vote for? I haven't made up my mind yet in my seat, Bendigo East, which is probably just an excuse to not reveal my intentions.
In the upper house my concern is with the size of the seat. I abhor party preference deals and always vote below the line. That is how I make my vote count.
With the electorate spanning most of the top half of Victoria, and a little bit of Melbourne, I have to keep my upper house vote local.
With that in mind my top five will be, in no specific order, Damian Drum, Laurie Whelan, Donna Petrovich, Marg Lewis and Jennifer Alden.
That should do it.
