Mallard's Feathery Nesting Box

Still Alive

2007-10-30T20:31:00.000+11:00

I'm still alive - just using a different blog :)

(*) ATTN: Ahmed Youseff

2007-03-23T08:31:00.000+11:00

Ahmed Ahmed Ahmed!

I have been unable to reply to all of your emails because they keep bouncing back to me undeliverable with the message "No such user"!!! I can read yours, but I am unable to reply to you using the email address you send it to me with!!!

Ahmed - what is your current email address???? Gagh!

At least try to make contact thru my Guestbook

Cyalayta
Mal

(*) Hmmm... maybe...?

2007-03-19T20:04:00.000+11:00

On second thoughts, I may not actually close this blog, but rather the *amount* of 'personal content' I post here. Which, for me, defeats the purpose of the thing... hmmm... I'm still in two minds about it all, now I've cooled down a little after earlier today.

Wait and see, Mallard, wait and see...

Right now I'm listening to some relaxing mind-mellowing classical music for a change... Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons"! Good stuff... it definitely seems to be helping me unwind.

Cyalayta
Mallard d'Quackers

Stop Press...
I have opened a new blog. Privacy and security problems I have been having here have been solved with the new one, even tho I've had to resort to IP bannings :(

If you haven't been alerted to the new blogs' address, email me to find out. Thanks.
maljam2002

[ at ]

yahoo

dot

com

dot

(*) Last post

2007-03-19T15:17:00.000+11:00

I don't think I'll post here anymore. You know how I made the paranoid comment about my ex-wife a few posts' ago? Well, it actually happened. Misquoted it came back to me. So, thanks to the asshats who can't do the decent thing - even tho they call thermsleves "Christians", I'm gonna wind this right down again.
I'm suck and tired of people misquoting me out of context thru this blog, the way it gets back to me.
Thank you very very much. I hope you are very happy with yourselves. Congratulations.

To those of you who have remained loyal internet friends thru here - I honestly thank you for your sincere feedback and friendship thru the last few years.

But - I'm just so disappointed in my ex-wifes' latest actions, I'm absolutely despondant. To those who care - I'm sorry. But there's not much point in sharing *anything* on here if it's gonna get distorted back to me, is it?

I'll try to get in contact with my regular blog readers and let them know if I start another blog-type site somewhere lese. But I sure wont post the site here. If you don't hear from me, please drop me a message.

Oh, and by the way - let my ex-wife know she's now gonna face a court/legal battle. Let's see how THAT gets back to me. Enough is enough. Five years is just too long to put up with this shit.

Mal

(*) Kangaroo

2007-03-13T20:19:00.000+11:00

I painted this "Sidney Nolan"-inspired Kangaroo when I was in about First Class at school, aged about 6-ish...

These days it's framed and sitting on display on the side of my bookcase... one of the first things you see as you go to enter my bedroom here :)

I say Sidney Nolan-inspired, because I dunno why but it makes me think of Nolan's work somehow... especially the interesting tones... and the orange glowing eyes! oooohhh!!! The bush theme, the dark, sombre tones... kinda weiird for a kid to paint? Or perhaps I'm just trying to read too much into it...? yes yes, that's it...

(*) Kidney Stones sux

2007-03-13T17:27:00.000+11:00

Apols for the lack-of-posts these last few days, Paige... I managed to pass a kidney stone on Saturday, and I've been feeling rather 'tender' physically since then! Alls well now tho. Kidney stones - not fun. (oops... I'd forgotten I'd already spoken of this the other day in a post. Silly me. I blame the... the... loss of memory... I think...? What was I saying...?

I did end up going out to Chifley dam with my boat on Sunday. Mr Hoon and another youngster was there with their Laser and Mirror dinghy, and later another couple from Carcoar SC turned up to just hang out in the sunshine too, which was great to catch up with them etc etc. ya! I didn't end up going out for a sail on Sunday as I ujust wasn't feeling at all 'relaxed' about the funny aches and pains still wracking thru my body from time to time! heh heh. Silly body.

On Monday I ended up taking a few disabled clients out sailing in the Access dinghies - that was satisfying, but I dunno if I should have gone out. I felt like death when I got home - had an asthma attack (nb. I don't actually *have* asthma!!!), and slept 14 hours last night!!! Today I just feel a bit weary but generally OK.

Now I know what it's like not to be able to breathe... holy shit, it's not good, is it...?!?

I don't wanna say too much, because shit I rant about on here always seem to end up in the wrong pair of ears, even tho they shouldn't...

I want to take my boys to vistit and spend a few days with my brother and wife up in cairns during the July School Holidays. Totally supervised, first time on a plane, first time to QLD, first time to see the Great barrier Reef etc etc etc.
Their mums' reaction? "No."
But she kinda changed her mind... kinda... "But the middle boy wont cope being away from home..."
So, does that mean all THREE have to miss out on this annual trip we'd already discussed and agreed it would be OK for us to do together????????????????????????????????????
<-- Two years ago
Fuck. she still shits me. you think she would have stopped her childish shit after FIVE YEARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fuck it. I'm gonna take the eldest boy at least. I'm sure the youngest would have a blast too - as would the middle boy too. There's no way JD should miss out just because... aww fuck, I dont wanna talk about it...

Monday March 12 2007
1. Do you believe in reincarnation? Nope. Who'd wanna come back as a banana?
2. Do you own any anime figures? Certainly not.
3. Are you one of the fanfic writers over at www.fanfiction.net? Well, I write some fanfic, but its got nothing to do with that site...
4. Do you review stories which are posted in www.fanfiction.net? Nope.
5. Are you looking forward to seeing the third Spider-Man film? Didn't even know there was gonna be a third one! No, not really... those psudo-comix movies are rather drab and glib IMHO...
6. Are you looking forward to seeing the Fantastic Four sequel? (same as above)
7. Do you like "Deal or No Deal"? Any gameshow is audio-visual garbage, a waste of televised time.
8. Are you a television watcher? I watch about 30 to 60 mins a day, that's about it. The news and maybe something silly, but that's about it. Most everything else is just too... nausiating!
9. Do you write letters to people? Sure do, to my brother, to mah sons.

Monday Music Mambo
1. What's your favorite album-opening song? "I Saw Her Standing There" by The Beatles off their first LP "Please Please Me" [1963] - the song itself is a great peice of pumping r'n'r, but lyrically drab! lol
2. What's your favorite album-closing song? "A Day in the Life" from The Beatles "Sgt Pepper..." [1967]
3. What's your favorite one-two-three punch of album-opening singles? "Come Together", "Something" and "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" off The Beatles 1969 LP 'Abbey Road'.
4. How many songs do you think an album should have? That's irrelevant... a band like Pink Floyd can have like three! But a band like The Ramones could have like 20! hahahahaa

Today I've been listening to Tommy Emmanuel's 1998 CD album "Collaboration", and also The Beatles 1969 LP album "Abbey Road".

"Random Fives"
What are your top five...

1. ... pet peeves? Hmmm... Political parties; legal injustice; unforgiveness; discrimination; barking dogs
2. ... wishes and dreams? See my boys mature into good honest healthy men; a happy relationship; a companion; my own house; good health
3. ... significant life lessons? wow... too many to list... too many too raw and close to the bone to just 'list off' like this! That'd be a whole novel! heh heh
4. ... most cherished possessions? My Laser; my Solo; my CD player; my CD collection; my car.
5. ... favorite junk food? Hamburger; hot chips; tacos/nachos; pizza; KFC

"Can't Have It All"
If you had to choose just one, would you rather...

1. ... live in the city or in the suburbs? Suburbs. I have all my life... even here in the country this is a 'suburb' of a large town! hehheh
2. ... be a good cook or have a good cook? Be a good cook. I can take and use 'me' anywhere then.
3. ... be the Prime Minister or the King/Queen of a country? Royalty would be fine, having its own mystique about it.
4. ... be married or have a child? Have a child. If the relationship was happy and balanced, marriage isn't an issue.
5. ... be a clothing designer or a designer's model? A model! [strikes a pose]

(*) Remember

2007-03-10T20:05:00.000+11:00

Not to be goulish. Not at all.

I've been reading a book called "Auschwitz" by Laurence Rees (BBC Books, 2005). It's a very detailed, balanced and human account of the insanity that prevailed in and around this notorius place during the Nazi's twisted reign in WWII.
http://remember.org/jacobs

Lesser know but just as deadly was a death camp factory at Treblinka, which murdered over 700,000 innocent Poles and Jews in 1942 alone...

NEVER FORGET.

(*) Kidney Stone - ouch!

2007-03-10T19:30:00.000+11:00

What a fun day... awoke this morning all hyped and ready to spend the day out on the water sailing - was looking like a simply glorious sunny fine day... about half an hour after awakening, I felt the urge of nature, but nothing happened. Hmmm... Soon after a slowly-increasing pain was radiating from my lower-left side, radiating across to the back behind the kidney. It didn't take too long to figure out that I hadn't just pulled a muscled in my side somehow... this was the fourth time in about 11 years I'd experienced this kinda thing.

Sure enough, after going up to the local hospital, after assorted blood tests, x-rays and even a cat-scan, they found what I already told them I knew what was happening... a 3mm kidney stone was making its way between kidney and bladder!

"Ouch" is an understatement! Nethertheless, the norty little obstruction managed to make its way - eventually - into the bladder. Normally they just break up inside there and pass quite harmlessly. Anyways, that's what happened. Yay. I'm still pretty drugged-out and spaced-out on just a mix of assorted painkillers and anti-inflamatories etc, but I'm OK, actually.

I'm still planning on going out to the dam tomorrow with my boat... even if I don't feel well or strong enough to actually go out, Mr Hoon is bringing two of the young people from the Sailing Club and two other boats, so I'll still have someone to hang out with. Yay.

Cyalayta

Mallard d'Quackers

(*) My Nan was a hero

2007-03-09T13:43:00.000+11:00

My Nan (my dads' mum) has been gone for about ten years now, but she was a hero. Not just in my mind - a real-life hero. She saved someone's life.

Nan used to babysit three kids for a well-to-do family that lived in one of the more exclusive parts on the northern side of Sydney in the 1970's. I remember visiting two of that familys' houses - virtual palaces to my young eyes. I would have been about 11-12-13 at the time. Waterfront, own private wharf, motor launch, swimming pools, a gardener... I'm sure these people had worked hard for what they'd got, but this was kinda almost *obscene* whay they had, to my lower-middle-class way of thought!

Anyways, Nan was a good friend of the family, and as she got older she had the time to be able to babysit and be like a part-time "Nanny" for this family of three kids, a girl and two boys. I don't remember the parents at all, altho I'm sure I would have met them at one point. Nan would pick me up somedays and we'd hang out at this place while she was looking after the kids sometimes. Must have been during the school holidays, I guess.

Anyways... she was a hero because - she saved the life of one of those kids. It was just one normal day with just Nan and the three kids. It was one of those split-second things... apparently the youngest daughter, aged about 3-ish, snuck out and somehow got into the enclosed swimming pool area. Nan noticed that she was 'missing,' and yes, a quick search found Nan gazing down beside the pool... the girl was laying face-down in the bottom of the pool!!!

Now, Nan was no small, petite lady, given to graceful feats of physicality. But she lept in, grabbed the girl and dragged her to the surface and the side if the pool in almost one swift motion. Using a clear head (that years of Scout training had instilled in her... (Nan was my "Akala" as a cub-scout as well! heh heh), he gave the girl mouth-to-mouth - she wasn't breathing. Sure enough, the kid coughed up some water, started breathing - and started to cry!

Apparently Nan burst into tears she was so relieved! That was the best sound she could have hoped to hear - the child crying... she was breathing! And yes, the child was fine fine fine, but the paramedics who arrived soon after said that if she'd been laying on the bottom of the pool for only a few more seconds...

Nan didn't think when it happened - she didn't have time to, she just did what her instincts told her to. It was only afterwards that she became very upset and emotional. At the time, I remember her telling me, it was all very clear, precise, almost in slow motion when it happened. She knew what she had to do, so she just did it! It didn't matter than Nan hadn't been in a pool herself for like ten years or something! Whoo hoo for my Nan!

Yeah, my Nan was a hero.

I love her still anyways. But it's not everyday you remember how heroic your Nan was in a moment of crisis. Yay for 'random thoughts' at 3 in the morning! heh heh

(Nan in c.1985)

Cyalayta
Mallard d'Quackers

(*) Something else

2007-03-08T14:13:00.000+11:00

Today I've been listening to - and really enjoying - the smooth mellowness of the cool jazz musings of Miles Davis' 1959 album "A Kind of Blue"... simply gorgeous sounds and feeling. People have raved about this album for almost half a century - and for good reason. I'm not normally 'into' jazz, but this... this is... something else...

On This Day...
Born: Mickey Dolenz [The Monkees, 1945]
Died: Ron 'Pigpen' Mckernan [Grateful Dead, 1973]; Adam Faith [singer, 2003]
Events: International Women's Day
Useless Trivia: the Laccadive island group in the Arabian Sea contain 27 islands.
Footwear: bare butt nekkid - still..
Weather: it's raining again! yay! oooh... a mid-afternoon storm to boot... ooohhh.........

There was a young man named Hall
Who fell in the spring in the fall
'Twould have been a sad thing
Had he died in the spring.
But he didn't - he died in the fall.

Cyalayta

"Excuse me, which way is the stage?" (Audience member, lost at Altamont, 1969.)

Wednesday Mind Hump

2007-03-07T22:58:00.000+11:00

Wednesday Mind Hump

Hello humpers! Let's get going on another week of mind humping. Today is Cereal Day.

1. Favorite type of cheerios - honey nut, frosted, or good ol' plain? None! The whole concept of eating something so sickenly sweet first-thing in the day just gives me an ice-cream headache just thinking about it!

2. Do you still dig for the prize in the box? Ummm... maybe...? [looks around craftily...]

3. Do you actually eat the non-marshmallow pieces in Lucky Charms? I've never even seen a packet of those before, let alone eaten any! Seriously!

4. Do you go cuckoo for cocoa puffs? Oh, I simply love Coco Pops... kinda a double-standard I know, when it comes to my views about Cheerios etc!

5. What is your favorite brand/kind of cereal? Coco Pops! Chocolately death! Num nums!

(*) I don't know

2007-03-07T13:04:00.000+11:00

Today would have been my 15th wedding anniversary. How do I feel about it? To be honest, I don't know...

My brother sent down some photos of his new place up in Cairns! I'm so excited for them. I saw an incomplete 'design house' of their place before theirs was built, and now seeing the photos I can appreciate how everything is laid out. It's just great! Lots of personal touches, but of course, as is with moving [let alone into a brand-new place] they're still discovering new ways and places to place little bits and pieces. Their garden is all set-up [of course!] and everything looks so GREEN! Their little swimming pool looks so inviting! And he keeps asking me "When are you coming up? Your room is all set up and waiting for you." I'll have to start planning to take the boys up in the mid-year School holidays, when it isn't so hot up there. It wouldn't matter what time of year - they boys would be spending their whole time in the pool or playing on the beach! heh heh The joys of the sub-tropics!

I can't remember if I've commented about this movie before, but...

"Flushed Away" is simply BRILLIANT! The boys and i saw it the other week at the cinema, and we all thought it was just one of the greatest things going around! We've been huge fans of Wallace and Grommitt for years, and Chicken Run. So the style was totally familiar with us. Tho this time it was all CG rather than claymation - and you'd never know! They've totally kept in style with the feel of Aardman's characterisations. But the main thing are the lovable characters, great storyline - and it's hilarious. Do yourself a favour... ya seriously, it's a beauty! As soon as it comes out on DVD, Ima gonna grab a copy. It's that good!

Well, I'm now officially a sailor! hahhahahaa. This week my membership with "Yachting NSW", the official sailing organisation here, came thru. It's a bit of a spinout... now being officially recognized in a funny way for doing something that I simply love doing? Sailing! The reality is that I needed to be a YA member to sail at the Belmont State Championships next week. The joys of officialdom... oh wells.

I've spent a few days pottering on my computer getting it back upto speed. Basically tidying files and folders up - it was a mess [I guess]. It'll be catch-22... now I probably won't be able to find anything on here now I've cleaned up. Silly me.

Oh the noes! They're at it again!!!

On This Day...

Born: Rik Mayall [comedian, 1958]; Henry Purcell [1659]; Arthur Lee [muso, 1945].
Died: Aristotle [322 BC]; Stanley Kubrick [director, 1999].
Events: A girl falls off the balcony [and is uninjured] watching a Rolling Stones gig at the Palace Theater Manchester in 1965.
Useless Trivia: There are 22 seperate bones that make up the human skull.
My Soundtrack: CD albums "Harvest" [1972] & "After the Gold Rush" [1970] by Neil Young.
Footwear: bare butt nekkid!!!
Weather: overcast and rather mild - lovely.

A fly and a flea in a flue
Were imprisoned, so what could they do?
Said the fly, 'Let us flee!'
'Let us fly!' said the flea.
So they flew through a flaw in the flue.

Cyalayta

"Excuse me, which way is the stage?" (Audience member, lost at Altamont, 1969.)

(*) Most glorious

2007-03-05T23:25:00.000+11:00

Well, Sunday morning dawned cloudy and threatening showery rain with little wind. To sail or not to sail, that is the question? Ahh, what the hay - go for it! I'd invited a few other people along, but for various differeing reasons they didn't come out. I sat out beisde Chifley Dam comofrting my boat still on its trailer for about 2 hours, just enjoying the fresh air, watching the ski boats whizz past, between intermittant showers. No biggie. The wind will come, oh yes, if you invite it, the wind will come.

Sure enough, at about 11 o'clock the wind picked up, so I quickly rigged mah small boat in about 30 minutes (a rew 'record time' for me, from sitting on the trailer until rigged and dressed ready to go) and was literally about to launch it - when Mr Hoon suddenly turns up with his Laser! Yay! This is the same guy I usually help out with all the "Sailability" stuff, so it's always fun to hang out with him. He's got the same warpo sense of humour as I have, so we kinda hit it off well. Plus it's always a lot more satisfying somehow going out on the water for a sail when there's someone else out there too. Mr Hoon and I basically followed each other around for a while in our boats [we both had Lasers - boats that is, not personal defence weapons! lol], stopped for a quick lunchbreak, then the wind came back and off we chuffed again. Bobbling around, just enjoying the now gloriously warm sunshine and light airs. No complains - at all. Mr Hoon had to head off at about 3 o'clock, so I went out again. This time I was kinda hanging around the other shore and kinda goofing around with another family group I knew, having them hang off the side of the boat as I slowly drifted past, that kinda thing. All up I'd say I was out sailing for about four hours - whoo hoo! By 5.30+ I just pottered about slowly taking my time packing up, just enjoying being out there beside the water.

Another bonus is that, with the recent rainfall just over the past week, the water level had risen by a meter! I stood at the top of where the concrete boat ramp was visible last week, and today the water was half-way-up my thighs! Yay! Bring on the rain! A funny side affect of some of these thundery storms that keep coming thru once or twice a day is that some localised flooding. Just down the road from where the boys live, a small bridge near them literally got washed away! There's even a photo of the remains on the front page of Saturday's local paper! heh heh. JD was saying one of his neighbours was trying to undo the bolts holding a guardrail on, with a wall of driftwood logjammed behind it... when it finally came loose, the rain bent 90-degrees - with the guy still hanging onto it! For a split second it seemed a little hairy, but he got out laughing - no damage done to himself. But at least the logjam an backed-up floodwaters managed to drain away a whole lot more quickly. Luckily the whole road didn;t get washed out there, otherwise the boys would have had like a 60 km trip to school, instead of a 30 km one! They would have had to have gone into town 'the long way round' via Rockley! heh heh. In the end, much to their dissapointment, they still had to and got into school the next day! hahahaaa.

Driving home, feeling tired - even out on the water in a next-to drifter, it's still physically draining - I enjoyed the most glorious sunset thru a break in the western skies, with bright shafts of sunlight gleaming down at an angle thru the dark clouds. Beautiful! It was only after I got home that I slapped myself on the forehard with a convincing "D'oh!" that I remembered - I'd forgotten I had my flipping camera with me the whole time! It would have made an almost-postcard or inspirational-poster-type picture! D'oh! to me!

I've got some more pics of the boys sitting on mah camera - that's tonights' task - editing and uploading them. Stay tuned! Also I can now update some more of the "Sailability' and Carcoar Dam Sailing Club webpage photos as well, now I've got my computers here sorted out - for now.

Postscript - here's the boy's latest pics! Enjoy their handsomness!

The laptop is OK-ish... the battery seems to be going OK, but it takes like forever to charge it, and doesn't seem to be charging when it's plugged in... I dunno if it's the power adapter or a power supply thing, but it's working OK for mow, so I'll worry about that in a little while. I have a copy of MS Office in a CD-ROM, but I've lost the freaking access code for it, and I can't install it on mah other machine without it! Gagh! No, it's not a bootleg... I've just lost the original sleeve and info it came with! D'oh!

In about two weeks I'm heading off the Belmont, Lake Macquarie [south of Newcastle NSW] for three days to compete in the NSW State Access Dinghy Championships. I'll be going out with a guy who normally gets about in a wheelchair, but he's a great sailor and an even better bloke - always entertaining. Even tho his "MS" limits his mobility, he still drives everywhere and loves a sail... he's driving upto Belmont - taking a one-legged bloke with him! He'll be taking someone else out for a sail over the Regatta! heh he. Aint that awesome? I'll be going up with Mr Hoon, and we'll be towing three Access dinghies behind us [well, that's the plan! heh heh]. Should be a good time had by all.

Well, on with the photo editing and webpage updating! Onwards and upwards!

---->

On This Day... 5th March 2007
Born: Rex Harrison [actor, 1908]; Andy Gibb [1958, singer]
Died: Joseph Stalin [dictator, 1953].
Useless Trivia: "The Osbournes" fisr aired on TV, 2002.

My Soundtrack: "Odessy and Oracle" - The Zombies [1968]
Footwear: barefoot and wet from walking in the grass
Weather: thunderstorms and sunshowers... just waiting for a rainbow to appear as the sun sets :) Oh wow! The whole sky and everything outside is a pinky/orange/purple glow as the sunsets! Awesome! [stands and applauds]... postscript... I rushed out and tried to take a few photos... dunno how they'll turn out... but in the 2 minutes I was out there the sky changed! Wow! [keeps applauding]

Here are those two photos taken out the front of my door of tonight's sunset:

Monday Music Mambo

1. Name three of your favorite guitarists. Pete Townsend (the Who), John Lennon (The Beatles), Roger McGuinn (The Byrds)

2. Do you have a favorite guitar solo? What is it? "Something" by George Harrison, The Beatles 1969

3. What's your favorite style of guitar playing? Acoustic blues or jingle-jangly pop

4. Do you know how to play the guitar? Yes, I've been playing since I was 16 back in 1980!

Monday, March 05, 2007

1. From beth:
What's the most unusual hobby you have? How did you get started with it? Hmmm... I don't know if going outside and just listening to the sound around me is considered a 'hobby' tho? But I just love listening to the ambience of the world around me, wherever I am :) How did I get started with it? I think it may have been when we studied a few weeks of "Free Jazz" back in High School music class, but who knows?

2. From briar:
How many different kinds of music do you listen to? Name a few favorites, if you please. Sure! 1960's British pop ie. The Beatles, The Who, The Rolling Stones, The Byrds; acoustic folk ie. Bob Dylan; Psychadelic ie. Country Joe, Love, The Doors; hard rock ie. The Angels, Midnight Oil; Quirky Pop ie. XTC... all sorts of stuff... cool jazz, classical music, feetgazing rock...

3. From iris:
Do you take advantage of the outdoor areas where you live? What's your favorite thing to do outside? What's your favorite local bird? I sure do... I love to go sailing on some of our local dams. Favourite bird... hmmm... I don't think I really have one... maybe the Whip Bird? Altho they don't come exactly from these parts...

4. From kristy:
Children: Do you have any? Yes, three sons aged 13, 10 and 8.

5. From amy:
What is your favorite part of spring? The changing of the colours.

Cyalayta
Mallard d'Quackers :o)
"Excuse me, which way is the stage?" (Audience member, lost at Altamont, 1969)

Unconscious Mutterings

2007-03-04T21:20:00.000+11:00

Week 213
I say ... and you think ... ?

Nude :: Body Art
Support :: Athletic
Rachel:: PinkVelvt
Crane :: Bob Hart
Candy bar :: Fairy Floss
Material :: Lumber
Mind games :: Together
Eviction :: Terror
Produce :: Chicken
Joke :: Smiles

Right now I'm listening to some old classic dinosaur pop! Elton John's 1973 album "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road". I played it incessabtly as a kid. It's still stands up all these years later.

(*) The Show

2007-03-03T15:08:00.000+11:00

I had a decent nights' sleep - first for a few days, and the alarm actually awoke me before I beat it up this morning. Still feeling just... 'bloated'? Not 100%. But I felt fine as soon as I got in the car and picked up mah boys, and we went to "the Show". I was expecting hordes of crowds, but the reality was quite otherwise - quite relaxed and lots of open space to get onto rides and stuff. of course the whole thing was expensive, but what the hey, it's only once a year. The boys loved the dodgem cars - we went back quite a few times! heh heh. There wasn't a huge crush of people queing either, so there was plenty of long sessions for all of us, thankfully.

And it was rather warm as well... plus with all the recent rain, it felt quite muggy as well, but not intolerable or anything that dramatic. The 'Show' was good, but not 'great'?!? I dunno... we went around and saw everything at least twice - that took us a few hours anyways - but I dunno... it didn't seem as 'exiting' or 'frantic' as it was last time. It's hard to put my finger on it. We all had fun and a good time, but we all agreed to head out after about 3 1/2 hours.. we were all feeling a bit tired, I guess! heh heh

I've got some photos still sitting on mah camera, and once I sort out how my laptop is gonna go, I'll upload and post some etc.

I just slightly adjusted the width of this blog page... does the set-out look any better/clearer to you, dear viewer? I had my doubts it was showing properly on IE, but I think I've fixed it... let me know if it looks any different to you, please? Thanx :)

I'm listening to "Temple of Low Men" CD album by Crowded House [1988].

(*) No

2007-03-02T16:55:00.000+11:00

Well, I just got the call from the admin positon... I was unsucessful. Surprise-surprise. Dissapointed? Yes, naturally. Expected? No, not really... oh well.

At the moment I'm listening to some classic 60's British psychadelia! "Pipers at the Gates of Dawn" CD album by Pink Floyd [1967]. Beautiful pop whimsy.

"Reel time"

1. What is your favorite movie line? "Excuse me... which way is the stage?" - from "Gimme Shelter", Rolling Stone Altamont concert in 1969, someone lost in the crowd.
2. Who is your favorite movie protagonist of all time? Forest Gump
3. Who is your favorite movie antagonist of all time? The boys' father in "Dead Poets Society"
4. What is your favorite movie montage? The running-lumping-standing still sequence during 'Cant Buy Me Love' in The Beatles film "A Hard Days Night"
5. What is your favorite movie title? "Bad Taste" - fits the content perfectly!

Grabbed From Bernard Pivot's List Part One
1. What is your favorite word? - "Thoon" - it's my goldfishies' name - and a Homeric character to boot!
2. What is your least favorite word? - cxnt
3. What is your favorite curse word? - Fark
4. What would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? - "come in and make yourself at home"
5. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? Pilot

What is the last book you read? "The Life of Pi" by Yann Martel
Who is your favorite character in the book? - the main protagonist, Pi, a very warm genuine human character
Did you enjoy the book? Sure did! Love the colourful desriptive details and the wonderful story.
Would you recommend the book to others? Absolutely, a good read, and challenging to your inner-self in many ways - all thru a good yarn.

Statistical Primate Studies

2007-03-02T16:40:00.000+11:00

"If you put a million monkeys in a room with a million typewriters, odds are that in an unspecified amount of time they will end up shitting on most of the paper, eating all the food in the fridge and, shortly afterwards, resorting to cannibalization. Of course the strongest monkeys will survive and end up sectioning off the room into three distinct clans called Eee-Ooh, Ooh-Ah, and Ah-Eee-Oo-Ooh.

"The Eee-Ooh clan would be a warmongering race, constantly attacking the other two clans for food and resources, whereas the Ooh-Ah clan would focus on dismantling the ceiling tiles and walls to create a monkey-proof barrier of sorts, blocking off the other two clans. The Ah-Eee-Oo-Ooh clan, as their name implies, would probably just stick to using monkey poo stained stationary to make paper airplanes and throw them at the other two clans.

"Eventually the barbaric Eee-Ooh clan would overthrow the Ah-Eee-Oo-Ooh clan’s forces, impressing the strongest warriors into their ranks while devouring the weaker of the population. The Ooh-Ah clan would eventually learn how to use the florescent lighting to start small fires in conjunction with the paper. Unfortunately this causes the water sprinklers to react in opposition, thereby destroying any chances of creating fire again, as well as taking out any ability of the Ah-Eee-Oo-Ooh clan (the small rebel faction that retained the name) to ever create fecal covered aircraft to battle the oncoming Eee-Ooh forces.

"Sadly, as the ink-stained water rises in the windowless monkey-infested room, the loose wires that the Ooh-Ah clan pulled out of the walls for electrical research earlier would contact the water, thereby electrocuting all of the monkeys with a horrible alot-of-monkies-dying-by-electrocution scream."

(Source - Dr Phile)

(*) Deep in your psyche

2007-03-02T00:19:00.001+11:00

wow... I've literally just finished a very intense chat on IM with a friend wh ois in the US army stationed in Korea. He and his fiance have just broken up, and he needed someone to bounce his feelings off... ya, it was fairly intense. Wow... in some ways it bought back a lot of old feelings for me, when I was first seperated... the whole unknown future thing as well... although it's all water under the bridge and I have moved on since then, those feelings were very real and very powerful at the time, and leave a fairly strong impression deep in your psyche somehow, even if you're not fully aware of them like five years later. He just needed to talk, so I listened. What else could I do? The hassles of a chat media are fairly limiting in situations like that... oh wells...

Yeah, sometimes the answers are ones we don't wanna hear, but often sometimes there just *are* no answers.

Cheeky Aussies!

2007-03-01T22:33:00.000+11:00

Breathtaking bravado foils speed camera

Reports received a very amusing although naughty e-mail from a spy at the Department of transport this week.

Our mate informs us that four youths from Canberra recently pulled off a trick of breathtaking bravado to gain revenge on a mobile speed-camera van operating in the area.

Three of the group approached the van and distracted the operator's attention by asking a series of questions about how the equipment worked and how many cars the operator would catch in a day.

Meanwhile, the fourth musketeer sneaked to the front of the van and unscrewed its number plate.

"After bidding the van operator goodbye the friends returned home, fixed the number plate to the car and drove through the camera’s radar at high speed — 17 times,” our transport spy writes.

"As a result, the automated billing system issued 17 speeding tickets to itself. Go Aussies!"

(Source)

(*) Rain shock

2007-03-01T20:05:00.000+11:00

Hmmm... the interview this arvo went exceptionally well. It's a 3-day-a-week position with the Job Network Provider helping the financial administrator. The only drawback is... they said they'd call back this arvo - and they never did. Maybe they'll do me the decency of at least calling me tomorrow to tell me I was unsuccessful? rofl. We'll see...

Spoke with JD and Ix tonight too... we're spending Saturday together at the annual Royal Show here in town. yay! I haven't seen them much over Feburary for various reasons, but I'm just aching to hang out with them again. They told me that they went for a drive tonight to check out a small bridge nearby - that had been washed away from some of the heavy rainfall yesterday! Blimey! Apparently while they were there the water level came up a bit and washed some more of it downstream! heh heh. No damage done... it's just a small local dirt track and they were quite safe. But still a spin to watch a bridge disappear in a flooded stream! heh heh

What a surprise... more storm showers passed through today! Whoo hoo! Apparently out at Carcoar they've had like 125mm/5 inches of rain this week! Whoo hoo! Let's keep 'em coming and fill up the dam! Tho I'm sure at the moment the ground is in 'rain-shock', wondering what to actually do with all that water! Most of it would have just sucked straight down into the ground, I'm sure. Now, let the runnoff all go into Carcoar Dam - pwease?!?

And yes... the new battery for my laptop did in fact arrive today. It's in the process of being discharged and re-charged etc etc, to get it working to its fullest potential :) Seems to work well. I didn't realise how 'clunky' the keyboard on this machine is, compared to the laptop... gagh!

This arvo I've been getting mellow listening and enjoying the velvety-honey tones of Van Morrison's two early albums, "Astral Weeks" [1968] and "Moondance" [1970]. The guy has the sound of the holy! Awesome!

(*) Address Books

2007-03-01T12:40:00.000+11:00

Well, fingers and everything else crossed, my regular readers should have received a notification of my new email address by now. Well, I hope so... I spent about and hour-plus going thru TWO different address books on two different computers... what a mess! My pet project for the immediate future [computer-wise, that is] is to update and tidy up my address books! Gagh!

I think my laptop battery has arrived today as well... there's a note to pick something up from the post office. Now I'll be able to not only update my address book on that thing, but update the Carcoar Dam Sailing Club webpage and add some new photos and bits and pieces as well. Whoo hoo!

For the first two or three days after my housemate got back from her Cambodian/Vietnam holiday last week, she was really really quiet. She's normally quite loud and vocal... not a problem tho. It's just her way, and I'm quite tuned to it now and it doesnt affect me at all. Tho her quietness was rather noticable... me, feeling paranoid, was thinking maybe I'd done something I shouldn't have done or other while she was gone... But all it was was that she was SICK! She'd been puking her guts up for about 4 days on her way back home, poor thing! I had no idea... I must have missed all the evidence in my in-and-out-of-the-house travels this week! No wonder she was so quiet! Alls' back to normal tho.

She hasn't found a place of her own to purchase yet, which is fine by me... it puts off having to start cleaning up (while I'll stay here and take over the lease of this place OK) and finding a new housemate. Oh well [shrugs] Oh, I mean... this place is clean and neat and tidy and all of that. It's just doing things like giving the flyscreens a clean - I havent done them since I've moved in! That's over 3 1/2 years ago! Gagh! heh heh. The rest of the place is fine tho, even the back grass with all this rain. It's just been a matter of trying to find the right time to cut or whipper-snip it between afternoon storm showers each day! Anyways, my housemate beat me to it the other day... she went out and bought her herself [and her new place, wherever it'll be] a small lawnmower! Gagh! The funny thing is... there's not really enough grass here to warrant one! But, good for her. That pesky grass is growing back already! Gagh!

At the moment I'm listening to some mellow jingle-jangle pop by The Sundays, on their 1992 CD album "Blind". [Random thought... this style of music was known as 'shoe-gazing'! lol. I hadn't heard of that before! heh heh]

(*) Washed past us

2007-02-28T23:18:00.000+11:00

I've got a job interview tomorrow afternoon, but I don't know what its for! Ya... strange! The Job Placement organisation I go thru rang me and asked me to come in for an interview with them, which is great. When I asked them if they could give me any more information about the position (apart from it being some form of office admin), they said they couldn't! Bizarre! I'll just to wait and see what tomorrow brings.

Yet another huge afternoon storm washed past us again this arvo... the rain is brilliant tho. We've been getting about 3 or 4 storms like this one every week for about the past 3 weeks. Whoo hoo. Apparently the dam levels are now officially on the rise here. Slowly but surely... more is running in than they are letting out! Yay! Now, out at Carcoar... it's gonna take a LOT of rainfall to bring it upto some kind of decent level. Hopefully the rain will fall out there as well!

The past three Wednesday nights have seen me taking a "MYOB" refresher course, at one of the local Community College. I wrangled it so that I didn't have to pay for it. The actual accounting software is easy, it's just the same as any other Windows-based stuff - it just takes a bit of time and practise to get the hang of using it efficiently. Glad it's a small group of only 9 people too, all typing accounting fingures away at nine terminals. lol.

At the moment I'm enjoying listening to "Echoes" compilation CD by Pink Floyd (2001)

(*) Bloody State Elections

2007-02-28T05:08:00.000+11:00

There's a bleedin' NSW State Election in the wind here, due in the next four weeks or so. I'm rather disappointed at the quality of candidates in both my local electorate, and the leadership of the main Parties as well. Needless to say, I am at the moment quite undecided as to whom I shall vote for!

As far as the whole political process goes in general (and you are allowed to call me a total cynic, alrite? heh heh), it can be summed up thus:

Wow... I had no idea how long it would be to change my new email address details on all the things I have registered for online! It's taken me hours! But - it's done once and for all now. Yay!

Monday, February 26, 2007

1. Do you ever use all caps when typing online messages? rarely... no, NEVER!!!

2. Does it bother you when other people use all caps in their messages? Not really, but netiquette tells me it says you are YELLING at me! heh heh.

3. Do you use abbreviations (i.e. lol, brb, etc.) when typing email messages or text messages? Me? Never! lol I'm not as bad as JD or Timothy, tho! rofl

4. Do you ever receive faxes or other correspondence from a professional office that are typed in all caps? If so, what do you think of that? I haven't, but if I did I would consider that a very unprofessional presentation.

5. Do you rely on the computer program to catch your typing errors, or do you proofread your material before sending it out? Both! [blushes]

Laser Marathon - whupsie!

2007-02-28T04:59:00.000+11:00

I stumbled across this hilarious pic late last week... twas at a site where people were sailing a 24-hour Laser marathon. This is the result of one of the crew exchanges not going quite according to plan... hahahahahaaaa

(*) Thought I had something

2007-02-27T15:31:00.000+11:00

I thought I had something I wanted to say, but I guess its slipped my mind... that'd been happening a lot lately! heh heh

I know one thing that is really annoying... with my Dodo ISP crashing twice in one month, I'm not gonna renew my account with them when it falls due in a month or so. That really annoys me because - I have to change my email address! I hate having to do that! A few years ago I had a 'cjb redirection' email, but mail kept 'dissapearing' fairly regularly, so I scrapped that. I think I'll just have to revery to using my yahoo email address as my primary one. Bugger it. I really didn't want to have to do that, because I still want to use my Outlook Express on my desktop as my mail email thingy. I dunno how I can do that if I use Yahoo email instead... I'll work something out... hopefully!

Postscript Update: It seems I've got something sorted successfully, whereas from now on - forever, no matter what machine or server I use, I can use my yahoo email as my main email adress. Geebus! I wish I had known that about 4 years ago! Oh wells! I'll pass on my updated email address if you leave a comment, if you dont receive an email from me in the next few days. Thanx.

Oh, now I remember... as I reached out my right arm to grab a glass of water... I've pulled some weird muscle in the upper-outside of my right arm somehow, supposedly sailing. No idea how it happened. i noticed it last week after sailing, and it aches and 'grabs' for about an hour or two first thing in the morning. But after a bit of a stretch it seems to be alright again. This morning it was back, after sailing two days in a row, i guess. It's nothing majorly serious, I assure you! Just a bit of a pain [boom boom, tish! heh heh].

At the moment I'm listening to:

Oh wow... thanks to this new software I've just discovered, I've just caught up online with an old old chat friend from Turkey, "Ece". Her son was born just when we first started chatting, and now he's five! hahahahaa. It's good to catch up. Ya, this software is called "Trillian", and it's free... you can run all your major chat systems at the same time with it! I really reccommend it.

Random

2007-02-27T00:10:00.000+11:00

Random Page
Something different every time you read the page!!!

(*) More Sailability

2007-02-26T23:00:00.000+11:00

Sailability on Sunday saw us take out 22 different people sailing, most with varying disabilities. What a great days' sailing, with good strong steady winds.

Even today we took yet another smaller group out Sailing with Sauilability, and the wind was a rather fresh 25+ knots. They loved sailing up into the wavelets and getting the spray from the chop in their faces - lots of smiles and laughter. Excellent.

Still loving it. Really satisfying.

I tell you what... do not use Dodo as a dial-up ISP! Their service is absolutely HORRIBLE! i) You cannot get thru to their help desk/service dept. And if you do ii) you're put on hold for... wait for it... TWENTY-FOUR HOURS! So, if you send them and email, they write back [auto-reply] to iii) ring their service centre! GAGH! Bugger them. I have NOT been able to contact them for over a month, and their actual dial-up internet service keeps crashing on me here. Bugger them. Obviously they are having major problems, but they don't even do you the courtesy of at least making some sort of 'we are experiencing some service difficulties' type notice on their home page! Now, I know the problem is not at my end, because here I am using another ISP, and things are working just fine, huh? Anyways... stoopid technology.

Sunday, February 25, 2007
Week 212
I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Soldier :: Sailor, Tinker, Tailor
2. Lipton :: Iced Tea
3. Reason :: French Revolution
4. Terms :: of Endearment
5. Positive :: Example
6. Example :: Let me demonstrate
7. Legacy :: War Widows
8. Solo :: Sailing
9. Instrument :: of Torture
10. Later :: Alligator

Earth Hour - Sat March 31st

2007-02-26T22:56:00.000+11:00

www.earthhour.org EARTH HOUR - 7.30pm to 8.30pm - Saturday March 31, 2007

Earth Hour is a fabulous opportunity for you and your family to do something about climate change. On one night, in one hour, more will be done, more will be demonstrated, and more will be learned than through a hundred 'talk-fests'. And you can help make it happen.

What is Earth Hour?

It sounds simple, but it is very, very dramatic. At 7.30pm on March 31st 2007, we will be encouraging companies, government departments, individuals and families to turn off their lights for just one hour. If we meet our objectives during the first Earth Hour, the savings in green house gas emissions will be the equivalent of taking 75,000 medium sized cars off the road for one whole year! Now that's something worth doing.

Why?

The facts are alarmingly clear:

· The climate is changing! The 10 hottest years on record have occurred since 1990. In fact 2005 was the hottest year since record keeping began. (Australian Bureau of Meteorology)

· Almost 70% of Australia's greenhouse gas emissions come from energy production. (ABS)

· More than 95% of the Great Barrier Reef will have been destroyed by 2050 if carbon dioxide emissions aren't reduced. (WWF-International)

· One million species worldwide are facing extinction due to climate change. (University of Leeds)

But not everybody listens to the facts. Earth Hour is your opportunity to demonstrate how a simple change in our way of life could change, and help save, our planet.

The goals of Earth Hour:

· Households : Most of us use unnecessary electricity. Appliances on standby, old style light bulbs, lights left on when we're not using them. Earth Hour will help us all to realise just how simply we can make a dramatic impact upon global warming (and our own power bills). We will see it in action.

· Companies : We want companies to be involved. If every company in Australia turned off its lights when the buildings weren't in use, and combined it with energy saving technology, we would save between 2 and 4 million tonnes of greenhouse gasses every year. Earth Hour will show companies just how easy that is.

· Power Companies : We will be asking power companies to provide special deals for companies and households to switch to Green Power.

· To make it an annual event : Out of the 8,766 hours in a year, let's give one back to the earth.

What you can do:

· Sign up to Earth Hour and Pledge to turn off your lights on March 31st from 7.30pm to 8.30pm by logging ontowww.earthhour.org .
You will receive all the information you need to make Earth Hour a great success (and to cut your own energy bills in the long term). Pledging is free.
· Get off standby : Turn off all the electronic equipment and appliances in your home that are not being used or are on standby. Computers, televisions, stereo equipment, phone chargers, DVD or video equipment - you can find out more about this from WWF at wwf.org.au

· Tell a friend : Spread the word about earth Hour by involving your friends, family and workmates. Get them to pledge at earthhour.org and most importantly, turn off the lights at 7.30pm Saturday 31 March 2007.

· Another thing you can do before the event is switch to Green Power: Contact your electricity provider today. If all Australians switched to Green Power the saving in CO 2 emissions would be the equivalent of what is pumped out of 40 million cars! That's like taking every car in Australia off the road four times over.

· Spread the word - Once you have signed up for Earth Hour tell a friend; spread the word at work; tell your boss; mention it at school, at your local sports club or society group, you can even run it past your neighbours!

· Make it an event. Get the neighbours to switch off their lights and head out into the park for the hour; take some binoculars and look at the stars; sit and talk; explore your backyard by torchlight; have fun with sparklers; or just go for a stroll. Do something non-electric as a family $B!2(B make some candles, read by their light; have a picnic-at-dusk; pretend you are camping; have a candlelight dinner.

For more info on Earth Hour, check out www.earthhour.org

EARTH HOUR. MAKE IT HAPPEN.

(Thanx to Raven for the Info)

(*) Working properly

2007-02-24T14:33:00.000+11:00

Here's me, swearing and cursing [so to speak] at Blogger, because it wouldn't accept my password... and then after a while I finally remember that I changed some of my log-in details - it was ME, not it! D'oh! Silly me!

I'm still awaiting a new battery for my laptop to arrive... I'm using the desktop at the moment, which is fine. But the laptop is the machine with all the sailing club info on it, and I can't edit stuff on it while it's not working properly! heh heh Not to worry.

Sailability tomorrow out at Chifley dam. I'll be helping out by taking disabled people out sailing in the Access 303 dinghies - and loving it. Looks like I'll be attending a State Championship Regatta next month as well, helping take some disabled people out in that! heh heh Looking forward to that... I haven't sailed out of Belmont/Lake MacQuarie for like 20 years! heh heh

(*) Good medicine

2007-02-18T20:34:00.000+11:00

Well, I managed to get off my arse and kick the old "Black dog bitch" depression in the bum this arvo. I've been getting more and more insular and depressed over about the past three days or so. I knew things had crept up on me this morning when I realised I couldn't even get myself motivated enough to get out sailing! heh heh. Well, I did, and I went out for a two and-a-half hour sail this arvo out at Chifley Dam nearby - and absolutely loved it! That's the good medicine!!! Now I'm just weary - but happy! Back in some sense of balance again.

I'm actually getting the 'feel' of mah boat now... now it's even getting called "Lill' Girl" when it gets scooting along - only something I called my other boat! I *must* be getting the hang and enjoying and relaxing with this boat more now! Yay! I'm glad of that. Well, I've been out in it about six times in four weeks or something, plus two other sailing opportunities in another boat with "Sailability" to boot. I guess I'm just getting in as much 'on-water-time' as I can before it gets too cold again. Needless to say - ya, I'm loving being out on the water again.

I'm listening to something I usually wouldn't listen to: AC/DC! heh heh "Back in Black" 1980.

(*) Sunday, Monday

2007-02-15T22:07:00.000+11:00

I've been sailing three times this week... once on Sunday, Monday with Sailability, and then Thursday as well.

Currently listening to:

How does it feel?

2007-02-14T23:08:00.000+11:00

Once upon a time you dressed so fine
You threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn't you?
People'd call, say, "Beware doll, you're bound to fall"
You thought they were all kiddin' you
You used to laugh about
Everybody that was hangin' out
Now you don't talk so loud
Now you don't seem so proud
About having to be scrounging for your next meal.

How does it feel
How does it feel
To be without a home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling stone?

You've gone to the finest school all right, Miss Lonely
But you know you only used to get juiced in it
And nobody has ever taught you how to live on the street
And now you find out you're gonna have to get used to it
You said you'd never compromise
With the mystery tramp, but now you realize
He's not selling any alibis
As you stare into the vacuum of his eyes
And ask him do you want to make a deal?

How does it feel
How does it feel
To be on your own
With no direction home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling stone?

You never turned around to see the frowns on the jugglers and the clowns
When they all come down and did tricks for you
You never understood that it ain't no good
You shouldn't let other people get your kicks for you
You used to ride on the chrome horse with your diplomat
Who carried on his shoulder a Siamese cat
Ain't it hard when you discover that
He really wasn't where it's at
After he took from you everything he could steal.

How does it feel
How does it feel
To be on your own
With no direction home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling stone?

Princess on the steeple and all the pretty people
They're drinkin', thinkin' that they got it made
Exchanging all kinds of precious gifts and things
But you'd better lift your diamond ring, you'd better pawn it babe
You used to be so amused
At Napoleon in rags and the language that he used
Go to him now, he calls you, you can't refuse
When you got nothing, you got nothing to lose
You're invisible now, you got no secrets to conceal.

How does it feel
How does it feel
To be on your own
With no direction home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling stone?

Bob Dylan © 1965; renewed 1993 Special Rider Music

I didn't know what to say that hasn't already been said, so...

(*) Team Gherkin

2007-01-17T01:19:00.000+11:00

New photos of mah new boat!!!

I even wrote some silly 'verse' about it all! heh heh
http://maljamart.blogspot.com/2007/01/team-gherkin.html

New Words for 2007

2007-01-10T22:12:00.000+11:00

New Words for 2007

TESTICULATING. Waving your arms around and talking Bollocks.

BLAMESTORMING. Sitting around in a group, discussing why a deadline was missed or a project failed, and who was responsible.

SEAGULL MANAGER. A manager, who flies in, makes a lot of noise, craps on everything, and then leaves.

ASSMOSIS. The process by which people seem to absorb success and advancement by sucking up to the boss rather than working hard.

SALMON DAY. The experience of spending an entire day swimming upstream only to get screwed and die.

CUBE FARM. An office filled with cubicles.

PRAIRIE DOGGING. When someone yells or drops something loudly in a cube farm, and people's heads pop up over the walls to see that's going on. (This also applies to applause for a promotion because there may be cake.)

SITCOMs. Single Income, Two Children, Oppressive Mortgage. What yuppies turn into when they have children and one of them stops working to stay home with the kids or start a "home business".

SINBAD. Single working girls. Single income, no boyfriend and desperate.

STRESS PUPPY. A person who seems to thrive on being stressed out and whiny.

PERCUSSIVE MAINTENANCE. The fine art of whacking the crap out of an electronic device to get it to work again.

ADMINISPHERE. The rarefied organisational layers beginning just above the rank and file. Decisions that fall from the "adminisphere" are often profoundly inappropriate or irrelevant to the problems they were designed to solve. This is often affiliated with the dreaded "administrivia" -

needless paperwork and processes.

404. Someone who's clueless. From the World Wide Web error message "404 Not Found," meaning that the requested document could not be located.

OHNOSECOND. That minuscule fraction of time in which you realize that you've just made a BIG mistake (e.g. you've hit 'reply all')

GOING FOR A McPOO. Entering a fast food restaurant with no intention of buying food, you're just going to the bog. If challenged by a pimply staff member, your declaration to them that you'll buy their food afterwards is known as a McPOO with Lies.

AEROPLANE BLONDE. One who has bleached/dyed her hair but still has a 'black box'.

AUSSIE KISS. Similar to a French Kiss, but given down under.

BEER COAT. The invisible but warm coat worn when walking home after a booze cruise at 3am.

BEER COMPASS. The invisible device that ensures your safe arrival home after booze cruise, even though you're too drunk to remember where you live, how you got here, and where you've come from.

GREYHOUND. A very short skirt, only an inch from the hare.

MILLENNIUM DOMES. The contents of a Wonderbra, i.e. extremely impressive when viewed from the outside, but there's actually naught in there worth seeing.

MONKEY BATH . A bath so hot, that when lowering yourself in, you go:"Oo!Oo!Oo! Aa!Aa!Aa!".

MYSTERY BUS. The bus that arrives at the pub on Friday night while you're in the toilet after your 10th pint, and whisks away all the unattractive people so the pub is suddenly packed with stunners when you come back in.

MYSTERY TAXI. The taxi that arrives at your place on Saturday morning before you wake up, whisks away the stunner you slept with, and leaves a 10-Pinter in your bed instead.

PICASSO BUM. A woman whose knickers are too small for her, so she looks like she's got four buttocks

SALAD DODGER. An excellent phrase for an overweight person

SWAMP-DONKEY A deeply unattractive person

TART FUEL. Bottled premixed spirits, regularly consumed by young women

(Thanx to Pattycam's Blog for the source)

(*) My brothers' in Cairns

2007-01-08T23:02:00.000+11:00

I go a quick call from my only brother all the way up in Cairns earlier tonight. He's moved up a few weeks ahead of 'C' to get things ready in their brand-new house. he said it's been pretty hot up there... and when he needs to, he said he just jumps in their pool for a few minutes! What a tough life! heh heh. Nah, he sounds well, happy and excited it's all happening and becoming a bit more of a reality for them, I guess. 'C' should move up in a few more weeks. It looks as tho soeone has finally bought their Blue Mountains house at last! So, thankfully, it *has* all worked out well for them in the end! Yay!

Postscript...
Caroline asked how far is it between us now? Well, to drive betwen here and Cairns in Far North Queensland, it's only a short trip just 'up the road'.... 3,000 km / 1,865 miles! Gagh! Driving is more-or-less out of the option! Flying is tho... maybe once or twice a year.

(*) A New Years Resolution

2007-01-08T21:29:00.000+11:00

In the year 2007 I resolve to:
Tip a cow.

Get your resolution here.

Cow Tipping...?!? Ruggish!

(*) GetOUDdait

2007-01-08T16:15:00.000+11:00

gagh... I didnt sleep well last night, hence I'm feeling like poop today! It didn't help that a neighbourhood cat decided to start singing from my back fence (right outside my bedroom window above my head) at 4.30 in the am! It bolted when I growled out loud, "GetOUDdait...!" That did the trick, but left me wide awake, heart racing etc etc. Dang!

Hopefully I'll hear back from the Laser dealer people and I'll be able to pick up my new parts for mah boat in a few days - toes crossed. Why am I so eager? I wanna rig it up again and make sure it all works and fits together properly again before I take it out in 2 weeks' time at Oberon. I'd take it out again on my own mid-week, but I dont wanna find myself stuck out on the water in some kinda trouble without anyone else being around... that'd suck majorly big-time! heh heh Needless to say, as I said the other day, up at Oberon, I'll sail my ass off, just getting some practice in. And I'ma gonna need a LOT of that!

Oh... ol "Spaghetti-for-Brains" is still at it... he got banned from an online discussion forum for being rude, insulting and just plain annoying with everyone (not just moi) - and somehow he's wanting to blame me for his actions. I'm being an adult about it and ignoring his inflamatory negative coments, always trying to pick a fight with me - and it's driving him insane by my not reacting by not responding to them! Poor bugger :( I'm just thankful that his derogertory remarks aimed at me are in plain sight of all the forum administrators, who promptly banned him!

Week 205
I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Incomplete :: humanity
2. Bobby :: Lonon policeman
3. Chopstick :: Hang Sing at Blayney
4. Trauma :: divorce
5. Hesitate :: he who does is lost
6. Leap :: of Faith
7. Magnify :: the Lorf
8. Yards :: tick Handicap
9. Alexander :: Mr Boo!
10. Fracture :: San Fransico

December 18, 2006

1. I get about __one_____ telemarketer phone calls on a daily basis.
2. I never call anyone after ____nine o'clock___ at night.
3. I never call anyone before ___eight o'clock____ in the morning.
4. I DON'T screen my phone calls via caller ID.
5. I really should call ___Raven and Sedate____ more often.

Yes – they are back - and at it again!!!

(*) Happy Feet

2007-01-07T13:04:00.000+11:00

If you haven't seen "Happy Feet" yet - do yourself a favour etc etc etc! Ya, it's a great feel-good flick! A Penguin animated musical! heh heh The boys and I went yesterday, and we loved it! Great, no, AMAZING animation, great lovable characters, great songs, good plot.

The boys are looking great! Josh seems to have grown again in just two weeks. SJ and Ix (ages 10 & 8) are at that 'lovely' stage of picking on each other endlessly, so after a few hours I kinda got a bit cranky with them. Altho they still tried to push a few 'boundaries' with me ("You wouldn't act like that if mum was here..." hahahaa), they still know I'm their dad, and responded! heh heh I felt terrible that I roused on them... I know I've lost touch with day-to-day parenting. Fuck divorce! lol Actually I was feeling physically awful by mid-afternoon, which didn't help my mood. Silly me!

Instead of going home to sleep, I went for a long drive, just to unwind a bit. I was upset at myself for getting a bit narky with the boys. Not their fault... that's what kids do! heh heh. I ended up driving out to Oberon and across to Wallerawang (about 200 km / 125 miles), taking a few photos (which I'll publish later today). I *did* feel a bit better within myself afterwards tho.

I've been updating the Carcoar Sailing Club webpage with some old photos we'd been sent, thanks to the website!

The other day I blew a fuse in my car, and changing it meant I knocked out my CD player somehow. I couldn't get it to accept the Code to make it work again! Gagh! Yesterday morning, I thought I'd try to put the Code in again, and bingo - it worked first time! Apparently when you enter the wrong code, it kinda defaults to take another minute each time you retry to put it in. I guess that's why I couldn't get it to work the other day! Anyways... at least the boys had their 'doof doof' CDs to listen to in the car yesterday! heh heh

(*) Fun thing happened

2007-01-05T21:17:00.000+11:00

The boys and I are spending the day together tomorrow! Planning to watch "Happy Feet" at the cinema, then we'll probably go and get wet playing down by the river. The towns' swimming pool is closed this summer - they're rebuilding it - so our days lazing about in the water are fairly limited this summer. Oh well. I'm just so excited to be able to hang out with them again. No agendas, just being together.

heh heh. Here's me, saying for about a year I would never get myself a Laser (totally happy with the 'Solo' - which I am!), and lo and behold I now own one (just gotta learn how to sail the thing tho). There's another newish guy at the Sailing Club as well who's just gone and got himself a Laser as well! There are Lasers literally coming out of the woodwork out there! Now all we need is the water to sail 'em on! Gagh! That made me laugh out loud... yet another Laser in our small Club! Hahahaaa! Excellent! If we even manage to be all out at the same time, it'll be Laser land for sure out at Carcoar! Look out for Laser chaos at the Oberon Regatta in 2 weeks' time! hehheh Hopefully the parts I've ordered will be ready for me to pick 'em up in Sydney by mid-week, they told me. Fingers' crossed!

So much for the small regatta out at Windamere... one of the locals posted some pictures from the dam, and at 25% capacity it's a freaking mudpuddle! Looks the same as ours, which has just hit the miserable 12% mark - and still dropping!!! :(

(*) "I've Had It..."

2007-01-05T18:02:00.000+11:00

I was reading thru some old old old blog posts of mine, and I wanna re-post this one, because it still rings very powerfully in me somehow...

Thursday, September 09, 2004

I was walking home from town on late Saturday arvo, when I saw what at first I thought was a drunk asleep on the footpath outside the radio station. Then as I got a bit closer, I realised it was an elderly chap who'd simply fallen over! I dropped my bags and ran the 50 feet to help him up. He was flat on his back, not in any pain, but simply unable to get upright on his own. There was no-one else around at this time of day, so I thought he might be hurt or something, cursing myself that I'd left my mobile at home. But he smiled tiredly up at me, and gratefully accepted my helping-hand up. After I eased him upright again, he steadied himself on his feet with his walking stick. Looking me straight in the eye over his flip clip-on sunnies, he said something that really stuck deeply in my mind.

"I've had it."

It wasn't simply that he was tired that day after a long walk. What he really meant was that the best part of his life was behind him, and he didn't see himself having much hope for the rest of his shortening life. His body had simply worn itself out. "I've had it." He didn't say it with sadness, just very matter-of-factly. He thanked me as he walked off slowly, as I made sure he was going to be alright. But I couldn't get that line out of my head.

"I've had it."

Will I reach that point in my life one day, when I realise that the best of my bodily-life is already behind me, when my body is failing me, and there's not a damn thing I can do about it? It echoed thru my mind for hours... hmmm...

No answers, of course.

(*) New Photos - at last!

2007-01-05T16:03:00.000+11:00

OK OK OK... Here, at loooong last - are some new, recent photos of mah boys! Taken over the past 3 months or so. JD is 13, SJ is 10 and IX is 8. Aint they handsome young men?!? Absolutely!!! (This is a small sample, taken Xmas 2006).
http://server6.theimagehosting.com/album.php?album=22142
JD has grown about 573-feet in height in the last c.6 months... he's now practically as tall as I am (5' 10")!!!!

Here's a few pics of me taken very recently... at the QLD border, and watching a sunset at Carcoar Dam.
http://server6.theimagehosting.com/album.php?album=22145

I've posted some pics of my new boat, a sailing dinghy known as a 'Laser' called, surprisingly - "Wyreema II"
http://server6.theimagehosting.com/album.php?album=22144
So, what aren't there any pics of mah new boat with me sailing it or with it's sails up etc etc? Well... when I took it out for its first sail last Saturday, I got so excited rigging it... I forgot to put the battens in the sail! Whups! I was sooo embarrased! More photos to come in the next few weeks...

Take at look at my various other Photo Galleries along the way as well here:
http://maljam2.blogspot.com/2005/08/photo-galleries.html

(*) spaghetti-for-brains

2007-01-04T17:52:00.000+11:00

spaghetti-for-brains: // (say spuh'getee-fuh-braynz)
noun Colloquial (derogatory) a person who complicates everything unnecessarily.

(Source)

There's one guy I've known online for about a year, and this sums him up perfectly. He just frustrates the life out of me! I always feel the need to justify every single breath that passes my lips when I speak to him, he's so pedantic and anal! The thing that annoys me the MOST is... if I didn't care about the guy as a friend, then I just wouldn't care! lol. Catch-22!!!

nanna nap: / / (say 'nanuh nap)
noun Colloquial a short sleep taken, often in the afternoon, in order to re-energise oneself. [NANNA + NAP¹]

Hey, MY dad could out power-nap the best of 'em! When I was a kid and go on our long driving holidays in the family car (remember those?), dad would stop in the late afternoon by the side of the road somewhere, and literally nap soundly in the drivers seat for 10 minutes! Mum and I would go for a short walk, and when we'd come back, he'd be refreshed and ready to go for another few hours driving! heh heh. I still dunno how he ever did that! But - good on 'im!

(*) Grab one last packet

2007-01-03T16:23:00.000+11:00

It's still busy in town this morning, even a week after Xmas - it was chaOTIC then! I tried to stay clear, but failed miserably... I forgot one of the boys little prezzies at the last minute! The big major prezzies I had for months already! Gagh! My brother and his wonderful wife paid me an excellent visit on Xmas Eve - we went out to a beaut Bakery Coffee Shop for lunch, sitting in the shade on an old wooden verandah. Lovely. Always good to hang out with them... my brother and I are so comfortable with each other now we can prattle on for hours non-stop without getting bored! heh heh They showed me piccies of their new place up in Cairns, Far North Queensland (he's moving up himself this week, just to get things ready). The place looks awesome! I saw a version of it when they were 'house shopping' back in May when we went up for 10 days, but I think this one is even better! Wow, a brand NEW house! Sen-sation-al! Three blocks from the beach and all... what a tough life! Plus he landed a job straight off no problems at all (the joys of nursing). Good luck to 'em tho. I *am* really happy for them tho, even tho I'ma gona miss them like crazy.

Today I paid mah rent, some money for the boys' holiday away with their Nan (yay!), picked up a new name sticker for mah new boat, "Wyreema II" (and not "Gherkin" as Geoff suggested! rofl), and finally got those old beach trolley dolly-trailer tyres replaces (pic 'em up tomorrow, hopefully...). Even fishie got some new food... I mix his feed around now and again to give him a change etc. he eats anything I give him... thankfully the change in diet doesn't seem to faze him at all. He wasn't too fussed with his new sea shells in the bottom of his tank that I got him for Xmas either - ungrateful git! rofl. I also managed to find some spare fuses for mah cat too... naturally, they weren't the *regular* ones, so I had to hunt around just a little bit... managed to grab one last packet left in one place! D'oh! I blew my indicator lights fuse towing the boat on the way to sailing last Saturday... thankfully that's all it was. But one side-affect is that, because I replaced one fuse with another etc, I somehow managed to disconnect the CD player/radio. Now it won't play without putting in the right security code... the problem being that I *have* put in the right security code, but it still refuses to co-perate with me! Norty thing. Not a biggie tho... it's not as tho I wont survive a few days until I get someone to figure out how to get thru the code of mah CD-player at the car retailer! heh heh.

Hosting the Sailing Club's webpage has been lots of fun. Lately we've received some old photos from people who used to sail there back in the 1980's and 1990's. That's really great how a simple thing like a website can keep like-minded people together like this. Yay! There's even a hilarious 'alternative' photo someone took when one of our loyal members, Timothy Hone, was receiving a Maritime Medal (for his contribution to sailing, especially with the disabled) a few days before Xmas... gotta love the internet! I'll post them later this evening, when I finish fiddling and adding them to the webpage etc.

And yeah, now I've got a different type of boat, I've gotta figure out how to sail it properly! I managed to pick up a brand new book on sailing that class of boat (a 'Laser') for just cost price down in Melbourne, and lately I've been cramming as much as I can into my brain, trying to remember some tips and hints on sailing it more efficiently. I've just gotta get out there and practise practise practise! Too bad there's not enough water at Carcoar to do that at the moment... bugger! :( Ya, I can read and read, but it's not until I actually start *doing* it all out on the water that it's gonna make any difference, in reality. Like I said yesterday (?), sure, it's still 'sailing', but it's like the difference between a car with manual and automatic transmission... same result, just different ways to achieve that. Anyways.... I'm really looking forward to it. There's a whole weekend regatta in 2 weeks' time nearby, so I'll sail my butt off then, and come home in an exhausted heap, I'm sure of it!

Mah flowers are growing again, like wonderfully! Isn't it amazing what a few drops of water every day can do, hmmmm...? rofl

Glad the weather's been good for 13-yo JD working out in the cauliflower paddocks over the last 2 weeks... well, he's seemed to have missed the major rainstorms of the last few days anyways. Now, if only it would keep raining... gotta break this drought and fill the dams up again... for the sailors... oh, and for the farmers and stock, of course [cough cough] lol.

And, oh yeah... there *ARE* new photos on the way... just gotta get around to editing and uploading 'em...

(*) Thick foggy blanket

2007-01-02T11:25:00.000+11:00

Over the month of December I travelled a 2,000 km / 1,245 mile return trip to spend a weekend with Raven and her family in Brisbane. Then a week later I tripped down to melbourne and back, towing a small boat trailer. Yeah, another 2,000 km rond trip. Needless to say, this great little car never skipped a beat the whole time.

The first day upto Brisbane was a scortcher! I dunno how I would have been able to do it without the A/C... the car temp guage didn't even budge at all. I drove thru the smoky effects of at least three major bushfires on the way too... like driving thru a fog at some points. happened on the way down to Melbourne too... the bushfires were like 100 km / 60 miles away, but the smoke was just hanging there like a thick foggy blanket! The trailer towed so well, I had to check out the back window every now and again just to make sure it was still there! heh heh

Melbourne is a XXXX of a place! Needless to say - I wont be driving thru there again in a hurry, if I can help it! I know Sydney's bad traffic-wise, but Melbourne's main thru streets are just... narrow and cluttered! I spent the night on the shore of Port Phillip Bay [in a motel, not under the stars! lol], enjoying a much-missed walk along a long beach in the sea breeze. Lovely! Frankston, that's the place, with the long Pier. The swimming changing huts all along the beachfront make it look like its the south coast of England or something... and those little woden sheds are damn *EXpensive* too! There were some for sale, and the prices were just rediculous! Oh, and why would Frankston have a Surf Life Saving Club, on the shores of a large landlocked bay? rofl. I guess I'll always be a seaside Sydneysider deep down somewhere... tho I don't miss the crazy business and crush of the place AT ALL!

I took my new Laser out for a sail at Chifley Dam [near here] on Saturday. I had to borrow a few bits and pieces, and it's a second-hand boat that needed a few things updated etc [which are on order etc]. It felt different to my other boat... not bad, just different. The easiest way to describe it is... like the difference between a car with a manual or automatic transmission... it's both driving, just different... Sailed well tho. The dam there is at 57% capacity, which is about zillion gallons more water than we have out at Carcoar [where I jormally sail... it's at 13% and practically unsailable at the moment :( ]. Needless to say, once you step ito the water, you start to stir up the fine black silty MUD on the bottom, and if u aint careful it gets on EVERYTHING! Then it doesn't settle back down again, so you can't wash things off with the water either! Gagh! out in the middle it's fine, but aorund the edges where you launch from, the mud isn't thick or gluggy, it's just... persistent? Anyways, I survived my first solo sail in my Laser! I've stilll got the Solo... I dunno what I'm gonna do with it yet. It was leaking a bit at the start of December, but a good fibreglassing job on a few small slpits see it now water-tight. Nothing wrong with it... i simply got the Laser becuse the Solo was simply too easy to sail! It's almost effortless to sail, whereas the Laser, well, you have to really sail it properly for it to work properly! heh he. Plus it'll help being able to sail alongside the small flotilla of other boats of the same class in the various dams around the region.

Two regattas are coming up. Three weeks out at Oberon - that'll be my first real time out with the new Laser. But if for some reason the parts I've ordered don't arrive by then [and Lorf knows why they wouldn't be here by then!], I can still take and sail the Solo inbstead! heh heh. The week after is a trip over to Lake Windamere, on the way to Mudgee. It's like a whole wekend camping, so I'm looking forward to it. And get some much-needed sailing practise in as well.

I can get away for two weekends' camping in a row, as the boys will be away during their holidays, on a camping trip with Nan. Good on 'em! They are going outrageously well. JD, who's 13 1/2 already - and at least an inch taller than me already (5' 11"), is having a wow of a time being treated as a grown up in his first real paid job! he's helping pick cauliflowers in his step-dad's paddocks. he's got his own chair, mug, and getting treated like 'one of the guys' there - and he's loving it! he says he's not tired when he gets home, but he sure goes to bed early and sleeps straight thru every night! heh heh SJ and Ix are growing and going well also. Their school reports show they're going just fine at school and socially and stuff too. Excellent. They're looking great too.

(*) Thriving now

2007-01-02T11:11:00.000+11:00

"When I wake up early in the morning,
Lift my head, I'm still yawning
When I'm in the middle of a dream
Stay in bed, float up stream

Please don't wake me, no
don't shake me
Leave me where I am
I'm only sleeping

Everybody seems to think I'm lazy
I don't mind, I think they're crazy
Running everywhere at such a speed
Till they find, there's no need

Please don't spoil my day
I'm miles away
And after all
I'm only sleeping

Keeping an eye on the world going by my window
Taking my time

Lying there and staring at the ceiling
Waiting for a sleepy feeling..."

(Lennon/McCartney 1966)

What a mellow New Years Eve here for me! I did a bit of sewing - finishing up some blade bags for my new littl' boat, then cooked up some pasta, then watched a DVD of Shrek... I was snoring by 9.30! gagh! I was awoken by a gawd-almight BANG at 11.30, thining it was fireworks, but someone must have let off a pipebomb somewhere... it was freaking LOUD! Next thing I knew I rolled over at about 1.30am and thought, "Oh [yawn], I missed it...", rolled over and went back to blissful sleepies! heh heh

Gees, it's so much easier whipper snipping my postage-sized back yard grsswth line that actually works and doesn't break every 30 seconds! Sure, with the drought we haven't been watering our grass [but our pot plants are thriving...] so it hasn't been growing, but I've been putting off cleaning up some long nasty bits for about 3 months now! The last time I tried to use the snipper, I'd used some cheap el-nasty line, which was freaking USEless and broke seriously every 30 seconds and then unwound out of the feeder etc etc. I'm sure the poor snipper has never HEARD such language! heh heh. But this time... twas done in like 10 minutes! And now it looks like someone actually lives here! heh heh

My little flowers had been going well for about 2 years, but the big dry... well, they didn't survive my weeks' trip away to Brisbane without water! [I forgot to ask my housemate to water 'em! D'oh!] Out of three tubs, two of 'em just curled up and died. But one is thriving now with some water... I planted some new ones from seed in the two other tubs, and within like 6 days they were sprouting already! Cool! Tis not bad, considering I normally kill indoor plastic plants.

And even my small cactus-thingy plant that lives on the kitchen windowsill - the one I got back when I was first seperated in about October 2001 - is still growing and thriving! yay! That's the longest I've managed to keep a plant alive, i think! Even some small dope plants I tried to grow as a teenager died back then! rofl! Silly me! heh he

(*) Happy New Hippo

2007-01-01T21:58:00.000+11:00

I hope your 2007 is your best year yet. Enjoy yourself - because life is too dang short if you don't!

Santa left a Laser sailing boat under my Xmas Tree this year... amongst other things, including a sewing machine! Gagh! I must be getting old or sommat! hahahahaa

(*) Thursday Thoughts

2006-12-14T12:01:00.000+11:00

SJ and IX had their School Presentation Night and Xmas Play last night. The play was fun - but bizarre! Like "A Bug's Life" Xmas! rofl The best bit was the crickets - playing cricket dressed in cricket whites! hahahahaa. Oh, and of course - 'The Beetles' performed as well! heh heh

Speaking for cricket... the 3rd Ashes Cricket Test starts today... I think we'll win the series somehow... oh YA!

My brother sent me their new Cairns address the other day... I'm really excited for them, but also it's like... it's really happening! Gagh!

I was amazed to realize that I've had a fishie for three years already! Thoon IV is going wonderfully well, cheeky as ever.

And our water is dropping rapidly! Already our sailing dam is at 14%! Whenever we get a bit of rain [the occasional storm or short shower], it just gets sucked straight into the ground with little or no runoff... bugger! Last weekend I hit a submerged tree [in an Access dinghy] at what I thought was the deeper, clearer part of the dam, but looks like I wont be taking my little Wyreema out again there - until we get some rise in levels. Thankfully the trailer is 100% right to go... Ben Chifley Dam, Wang and Windamere, here we come!

The 'task' I've set myself over the Xmas break is to organize 35 years' worth of sailing club paperwork... old minutes, regatta stuff, correspondance etc etc etc... it should prove 'challenging' [to say the least!] Oh well, once it's all done and organized [I actually enjoy doing that kinda thing! Gagh!] - it's done! THEN it can go back happily in the filing cabinet at the clubhouse.

Dear Santa

2006-12-09T11:25:00.000+11:00

Dear Santa
I wud like a kool toy space ranjur fer Xmas. Iv ben a gud boy all yeer. Yer Frend, BiLLy

Dear Billy,
Nice spelling. You're on your way to a career in lawn care. How about I send you a frigging book so you can learn to read and write? I'm giving your older brother the space ranger. At least HE can spell! Santa

Dear Santa,
I have been a good girl all year, and the only thing I ask for is peace and joy in the world for everybody! Love, Sarah

Dear Sarah,
Your parents smoked pot when they had you, didn't they?
Santa

Dear Santa,
I don't know if you can do this, but for Christmas, I'd like for my mommy and daddy to get back together. Please see what you can do. Love, Teddy

Dear Teddy,
Look, your dad's banging the babysitter like a screen door in a hurricane. Do you think he's gonna give that up to come back to your frigid, fat mom, who rides his ass constantly? It's time to give up that dream. Let me get you some nice Legos instead. Maybe you can build yourself a family with those?
Santa

Dear Santa,
I want a new bike, a Playstation, a train, some G.I. Joes, a dog, a drum kit, a pony and a tuba. Love, Francis

Dear Francis,
Who names their kid "Francis" nowadays? I bet you're gay.
Santa

Dear Santa,
I left milk and cookies for you under the tree, and I left carrots for your reindeer outside the back door. Love, Susan

Dear Susan,
Milk gives me the shits and carrots make the deer fart in my face when riding in the sleigh. You want to do me a favor? Two words, Jim Beam.
Santa

Dear Santa,
What do you do the other 364 days of the year? Are you busy making toys? Your friend, Thomas

Dear Thomas,
All the toys are made by little kids like you in China. Every year I give them a slice of bread as a Christmas bonus. I have a condo in Vegas, where I spend most of my time making low-budget porno films. I unwind by drinking myself silly and squeezing the asses of cocktail waitresses while losing money at the craps table. P.S. Tell your mom she got the part. Long Dong Claus

Dear Santa,
Do you see us when we're sleeping, do you really know when we're awake, like in the song? Love, Jessica

Dear Jessica,
Are you really that gullible? Good luck in whatever you do. I'm skipping your house. Santa

Dear Santa,
I really really want a puppy this year. Please please please PLEASE PLEASE could I have one? Timmy

Timmy,
That whiney begging shit may work with your folks, but that crap
doesn't work with me. You're getting an ugly sweater again.
Santa

Dearest Santa,
We don't have a chimney in our house, how do you get into our home? Love, Marky

Mark,
First, stop calling yourself "Marky", that's why you're getting your ass kicked at school. Second, you don't live in a house, you live in a low-rent, ghetto apartment complex. Third, I get inside your pad just like all the burglars do, through your bedroom window. Sweet Dreams, Santa

(Thanx to Pattycam for the source)

Sure, I aint been blogging lately, but at least I'm not getting spammed here anymore either! whoo hoo!

Spent last weekend with Raven and her family in Brisbane. The drive up and back was brillaint, but really made me realise how DRY it is out here... it's just GOT to rain sometimes, doesn't it...?!?

My main 'thing' at moment has been with the Carcoar Dam Sailing Club, helping out in little ways as I can.

Go Deep

2006-11-10T13:18:00.000+11:00

(Source)

(*) Carcoar Dam Sailing Club Website

2006-10-17T17:44:00.000+10:00

I've volunteered to resurrect the Carcoar Dam Sailing Clubs' webpage. Lots of fresh pics and info too.

What WAS it? A remote control, of course! [giggles]

(*) Jottings

2006-10-06T10:20:00.000+10:00

<--- What is it??? Leave a comment and tell me your thoughts! Answer in a few days.

My little car is going wonderfully. I cringed when I accidentally made its first small scratch on the roof last Sunday. An accident, obviously. It'll just polish out. One of the 'joys' of having a dark-coloured car is that it doesn't take much to make it seem dirty... tho I can't complain using a nice cold hose on a hot sunny afternoon washing... Some things never end tho. Car Insurance is due at the end of the month. Shopping around for a better deal/price, I found my current insurer has the best value for me, which is nice to know. One less thing to have to think about.

Driving to and from Sydney the other week always brings back some fond memories... at one point along the freshly rebuilt highway, there used to be some roadworks with a huge mountain of earth that was slowly filling up a small gully. The steep slope faced sharply downhill in the same direction as the traffic, right next to the road... to me, it will always be the "Irish Safety Ramp" - 100km/h straight down...

The price of fuel between home and the city is outrageous... at home it was $1.25/litre... 120kms away on the Blue Mountains it was $107.7/litre... how do they justify that difference??? They bloody CAN'T!!! Grrr!

Driving to the sailing club the other day (a 100km / 62 mile round trip), I smiled as I caught, out of the corner of my eye, a Kangaroo with a small Joey sticking its head out of her pouch. Very kute! The cows sometimes become rather curious when someone comes along with their sailing boat out at the boatshed. Yet as soon as I was out on the water last weekend, andsailed near them, they panicked and stampeded back up the hill enmass! Really quite funny.

Yes, boxer shorts... and T-shirts as well. I don't know what got into me, but I went from like three new shirts to like eight! One side affect is that now I have some old t-shirts to use as polishing rags, I guess... keeping the Wee Waa cotton industry in business, I guess. At least I'm not spending too much... I *did* save $10 on the new 256MB memory card for my camera, and $15 off a copy of the fantastically brilliant DVD "The Incredibles". Thank goodness for the $282 tax refund this year. I gave my original copy of "The Incredibles" to the boys, and it's such a great film I just had to have a copy. And I finally remembered to get a new battery in my wristwatch! It doesn't take long to get out of the habit of checking your wrist for the time.

I still don't know how I did it, but I lost one of the rechargeable batteries that goes with my digital camera. Must have fallen out of my camera bag somewhere. I had to duck out and purchase some more, simply because as I was now down to three batteries, the recharger simply didn't work with the 'odd' number! Stoopid things. Anyways, the batteries I ended up getting have a much better 'holding' power than the old ones anyways. Yay!

2' 07" is the quickest lap around Mt Panorama today - and it's just a qualifying session! The record time is 2' 06"! Gagh! They must be flying up there! I can hear them buzzing away softly in the background as I speak, as well as hearing a running commentary on local radio. No, I'm not "into" motor sport, but it's very surreal hearing it on the radio and hearing it for real off in the distance! GO HOLDEN!

Totally randomness... back in the band days, we use to have many 'in-jokes"... one of them was our pretend 'Tribute' Heavy Metal Band, "Bollika" - a mish-mash of Iron Maiden, Deep Purple, Metallica, Spinal Tap styles loud electric mess etc etc. When people used to ask us what we were doing (after we'd broken up), we'd used to tell them we'd become "Bolika" - fun to say just for their incredulous reactions! heh heh. Weren't we norty? lol

Listening to the radio a few weeks ago, the local Parliamentarian, Gerard Martin, was promoting some new Government website - except he got the address horribly yet hilariously wrong. He slowly and clearly stated:
www.blahblahblah.CUM.au...
there was a momentary pause, followed by the friendly announcer correctly saying "COM.au". hahahaha. Red faces all round in a small studio somewhere, I'm sure! If I hadn't have heard it with my own ears, I just wouldn't have believed it. What on earth are the Government exploring online lately, hmmm...? hahahahahaaaa.

I love when the moon is on the wane... that amazing 3D effect... to my minds' eye the moon seriously looks like a huge floating ball in the sky... like some old 1970's YES or Pink Floyd album cover or something!!! Most other times, to me, the moon seems just 2-dimensional! Bring on the end of the month!

(*) Here's comes the Race Madness

2006-10-05T22:31:00.000+10:00

You know when a medium-sized country town goes slightly insane - when it's the Mt Panorama Race Weekend... every man and his dog (seriously) seems to have descended upon us to pay tribute to motor racing legend Peter Brock this weekend. Downtown this afternoon, I nearly fell over when I saw a queue... for the BOTTLE SHOP!!! hahahaha Campers buying cases and cases of beer to take atop the Mount... geebus... glad I'm staying indoors mostly this weekend.

Even tho I'm about 2km's from the Pitt area of the racetrack, during the day I can hear the 'buzzing bees' of the racing cars doing their thing off in the background. Quite surreal sometimes.

Out to Carcoar Dam this weekend for me. I'm bringing a local chap in a wheelchair out on Sunday, so he can go for a sail in one of the Access dinghys with Sailability.

I finally bought myself one of those 'memory card' thingies for my little digital camera. I thought I was happy with being able to store like 19 photos in the internal memory... now I can hold like 300+ hahahahaaa!!! So, be prepared for all sorts of images appearing about the places from now on.

Randomness... I know starting a small business is hard, and the aspect of having a market 'niche' is vital... how about the guy I saw driving around at the local Vetinarian's this week... "Pet Cremation Service"... how's that for a specilized business, huh?! lol

And, to just make your day complete, I now have a whole weeks' worth of 100% cotton boxer shorts! I'm now an absolute convert!

All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten

2006-10-04T21:52:00.000+10:00

Robert L. Fulghum. All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten. Ballantine Books, 2003 (1986, 1988) ISBN: 034546639-X, pp.1-3.

(Taken from the excerpt at Amazon.com; book details are here.)

Credo

Each spring, for many years, I have set myself the task of writing a personal statement of belief: a Credo. When I was younger, the statement ran for many pages, trying to cover every base, with no loose ends. It sounded like a Supreme Court brief, as if words could resolve all conflicts about the meaning of existence.

The Credo has grown shorter in recent years - sometimes cynical, sometimes comical, and sometimes bland - but I keep working at it. Recently I set out to get the statement of personal belief down to one page in simple terms, fully understanding the naïve idealism that implied.

The inspiration for brevity came to me at a gasoline station. I managed to fill my old car's tank with super deluxe high-octane go-juice. My old hoopy couldn't handle it and got the willies - kept sputtering out at intersections and belching going downhill. I understood. My mind and my spirit get like that from time to time. Too much high-content information, and I get the existential willies. I keep sputtering out at intersections where life choices must be made and I either know too much or not enough. The examined life is no picnic.

I realized then that I already know most of what's necessary to live a meaningful life - that it isn't all that complicated. I know it. And have known it for a long, long time. Living it - well that's another matter, yes? Here's my Credo:

All I really need to know about how to live and what to do and how to be I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate-school mountain, but there in the sandpile at Sunday School. These are the things I learned:

Share everything.

Play fair.

Don't hit people.

Put things back where you found them.

Clean up your own mess.

Don't take things that aren't yours.

Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.

Wash your hands before you eat.

Flush.

Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.

Live a balanced life - learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.

Take a nap every afternoon.

When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands, and stick together.

Wonder. Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup: The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.

Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup - they all die. So do we.

And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you learned - the biggest word of all - LOOK.

Everything you need to know is in there somewhere. The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation. Ecology and politics and equality and sane living.

Take any one of those items and extrapolate it into sophisticated adult terms and apply it to your family life or your work or your government or your world and it holds true and clear and firm. Think what a better world it would be if we all - the whole world - had cookies and milk about three o'clock every afternoon and then lay down with our blankies for a nap. Or if all governments had as a basic policy to always put things back where they found them and to clean up their own mess.

And it is still true, no matter how old you are - when you go out into the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together.

Copyright: Robert L. Fulghum

(Article source)

(*) Boxers

2006-10-04T14:45:00.000+10:00

(Source)

The things you put on your blog somedays...

Last night was the first night in my entire life that I slept in a pair of boxer shorts.... and I have never felt so comfortable! I am converted!

On another tack, I had a wonderful long text-chat with an old old friend last night. Had an interesting affect on me afterwards tho...

It's coming up to Race Weekend here... about 5 million bogons turn up and try to take over our fair town for a week! Today is the last day I'll be going into the towns' CBD for anything, and come the weekend I'll be hibernating either here at home or spending my days out at Carcoar Dam! heh heh Fingers' crossed we can work out some good times for the boys and I to spend together during the holidays. I can only hope. :)

What the...? (Image source)

Sunday, October 1, 2006

More questions from our fellow participants! Have fun, and if you don't see YOUR question posted, please be patient; it'll show up soon! Thanks to all of you for playing! =)

1. From amanda f:
What do you do when somebody complements you?
a. Smile and say Thanks
b. Ignore it and change the subject
c. Complement them back
d. Turn red in embarrasment at the attention and look around to see other people's reaction
e. Take it as your due!

2. From shelly:
What color are your eyes?
A dark blue. They used to be much lighter, I think.

3. From kia:
What do you like most about yourself?
My spontenaity, and silly sense of absurd humour.

4. From julie:
How do you spend Christmas?
Hmmm... some Xmas' have been my worst days of the year. I try to spend some time with my boys if possible (rarely possible), and just have a regular quiet day.

5. From wide imagination:
When do you normally blog? Day or night?
Depends when I get motivated enough to get online and post it! Usually evenings, mostly.

6. From rach:
What song can you relate to your personal life? Share a line or two of that song.
"Tired of lying in the sunshine staying home to watch the rain.
You are young and life is long and there is time to kill today.
And then one day you find ten years have got behind you.
No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun."
"Time" - Pink Floyd, Dark Side of the Moon.

7. From sherle:
What is your favorite color for a sleeping environment?
A sky blue, I think... most of my room is various shades of blue. But I prefer my sleeping environment to be DARK and quiet... I've got heavy thick curtains blocking out the morning sunshine here, but I still sleep with my window wide open any season of the year.

(*) T-shirts

2006-10-03T22:08:00.000+10:00

What the what? I've actually gone out and bought 7 new brightly-coloured t-shirts? When was the last time I bought new clothing??? I don't remember! What is wrong with me? I'm not in love!!! And even a par of boxer shorts! Yes! For the very first time in my life I am trying boxer shorts! I'm normally a 'briefs' man.... something different, I guess...

Isn't life so exciting? hahahahahahaa

(*) Sunny Afternoon's Sail

2006-10-02T00:11:00.000+10:00

I spent yesterday and today (Sunday) pottering about on my little boat. Here's some updated photos for you to check it out. There wasn't much wind, but that's OK... gave me the opportunity to get used to sailing again after a few months of hibernating thru the winter. My new (snd-hand) sail sounds so crinkly and new! Sets really nicely too. What a gloriously sunny day tho - perfect for sitting beside a quiet lake under an umbrella with a picnic lunch! What a life, huh? heh heh. Two solitary seagulls, obviously lost 300kms' from the sea, pestered me the whole time I was there... screaming for a feed. I told them in so uncertain terms to 'shove off'! A wonderfully relaxing afternoon. Mind you, I spent like 45 minutes straight practising my 'tacking', because I was so rusty at it. Now my legs ache from all the jumping about! Talk about a couch (computer?) potato? heh heh

Speaking of photos, here's a few newer ones I've taken recently too.

The boys - growing up fast!
Sydney revisited - some of the places I grew up around, and some other bits...
Carcoar Dam Sailing Club - where I sail from.
I took this one coming home... just an interesting image of a hedge along a lonely country road...

Week 191
I say ... and you think ... ?

Taxes :: Yeeeeah, I'm the Taxmaaaan...
Hooray :: for Everything!
Justification :: of sinners
Shocking :: Blue
Bureaucracy :: cobwebs and strange
Porn ::pron
Silly :: reality
DJ :: JD, my eldest!
Swing :: Factor, a local Big Band
Anti- :: Ads (Doug Mulray, Sydney radio, 1980's)

(*) Woodstock Canola

2006-09-29T22:07:00.000+10:00

I took these two photos on the road to Cowra on Wednesday.
"Woodstock Canola"

(*) Tuesday

2006-09-26T21:08:00.000+10:00

Monday, September 25, 2006

1. From jstar: Holiday in Europe or Asia? Europe! Specifially, the Greek Island of Hydra!!! My dream!!!
2. From sherle: How do you try to change a behavior pattern you don't like about yourself... whether it's chewing fingernails, overeating, smoking, or picking your nose? First, be conscious of it enough to let it bother me enough to want to change it. Second, make a conscious effort to alter the habit! Doesn't always work tho... habits are buggers to break, huh? lol
3. From tricia: Have you ever successfully completed a Sudoku puzzle? Well, considering I'm not sure what that is, no, probably not.
4. From caylynn: What website do you visit the most often? Ummm... wow... a few... ummm... Google? Wikipedia?
5. From michael morgan: What was your favorite thing about high school or college? The friendships. I really miss some of those guys!

(*) HOORAY!!!

2006-09-24T10:34:00.000+10:00

Looks like I've finally knocked those bloody spam posts for six at last! Huzah! Bout bloody time... those things were driving me rather potty! heh heh

I haven't been blogging at all lately because i] of those stoopid spam posts coming out of nowhere, and ii] I've been sick again... it's catch-22... you're physical body goes down, which in turn drags ur emotional state along with it! Gagh! Slowly getting on top of it again.

Sailing season starts soon. I had planned to go out today to go and 'play' with my little dinghy, you know, take the covers off and check the rigging before I actually take it out and things like that. But - it's blowing a gale here today! I'd get blown away out beside the dam! i could just imagine boat covers and tarps going flying across paddocks! Gagh! heh heh

Tomorrow I have to unfortunately face the horrors of Sydney traffic. I've got a doctor's appointment at 9.45am on the far-side of Sydney from where I am. It's gonna take me about 4 1/2 hours to get there, thanks to peak hour traffic! Damn! Oh well. I'll have to leave here at about 4am or something! :(

I've been making a whole lot of music CD-R's lately... a lot from LimeWire, but a lot from old Vinyl LP's and cassettes I've owned for like 352 years! Here's my music collection. Last night I made myself a music CD from the DVD of Led Zeppelin Live in 1970 [which I own, btw!]... awesome playing! Glad to have it to listen to [the music, that is] whenever I want to... which isn't always that often, but anyways... I don't have much of a life these days, so music is a hugely vital part of keeping me sane lately. "And I mean that most sincerely" rofl

"I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me."

Noel Coward

Week 182
I say ... and you think ... ?

Bell :: lioness
Abuse :: moderators who act like 5 yo's
Relief :: Middle East
List :: The Book of Lists
Concern :: my mental state
Absolute :: Beginners, The Jam
Cling :: Wrap
Dump :: Raccoons
Terminate :: Robots
Wine :: and dine

Yes – they are back - and at it again!!!
www.weebls-stuff.com/games/ultimate+pie+theft/

(*) Happy Birthday, Mallard's Blog Diary!

2006-08-27T05:19:00.000+10:00

Happy Belated 2nd Blog Birthday, Nesting Box! 2 years since 28 June 2004! Holy Molly!
initial-entry-of-mallard.html

Hey... there's been weird spam messages appearing on here, looking as though *I* have posted them. Believe me, I have *not* been posted them! I'm trying to figure out how they are getting into my blog! Gagh!

(*) Is this me?

2006-08-05T22:40:00.000+10:00

My Portrait

Thanx to 3D for the link :)

(*) Back... sorta...

2006-08-03T11:46:00.000+10:00

Hiya. Been away for a while, huh? Ya, I haven't been well. I'll try to write again sometime soon. Thank you all so very much for your kind caring words - I deeply appreciate them.

Sunday, July 30, 2006

I'd like to thank you ALL for playing! I hope you enjoy these because I'll be typing them as I think of them! =) Have a great week!

1. Do you have a photo blog? If so, feel free to share the link with us! http://maljam2.blogspot.com/2005/08/photo-galleries.html
2. How many pets do you own, and what are their names? If none, have you had a favorite pet in the past? My goldfishie, Thoon, is well into his 2nd year. As a kid we had 2 cats, mother and daughter, “Sam” and “Cindy” – just two moggies.
3. How many times a week does the carpet in your house get vacuumed? No carpet? How many times a MONTH do your floors get mopped? Carpet usually weekly [hopefully!], and mop the floor every other week!
4. Which room in your house do you spend the most time in? At the moment, my bedroom.
5. Have you read any good books lately? “Scindler’s Ark” by Thomas Kenelly – shattering stuff.
6. What is your biggest source of news? (Newspaper? Television? Radio? Other?) Local radio.

Week 182
I say ... and you think ... ?

Italy ::

Honk ::

Shades ::

Tool ::

Modern ::

Tension ::

Conservative ::

Weight ::

Insurance ::

Political ::

Yes – they are back - and at it again!!!

(*) I feel awful

2006-07-04T02:42:00.000+10:00

I am *so* ill. Seriously ill. It's like 2.30 on Tuesday morning, and I haven't been able to sleep since Sunday morning...

I had a general anesthetic on Thursday, to have day surgery, so four large pollops [growths] could be removed from my nose. No problem... went well with no dramas. I was looking forward to being able to breathe properly again, sleep on my back, not snore, get some sense of smell and taste back... one of the drawbacks was being unable to blow my nose for a week...

Well, come Friday afternoon, I come down with *the* worst case of flu I've had since July 2000! I haven't had flu much at all over the last few years, so when this one really started kicking in by Friday afernoon, I thought - oh god no...

It's now the 5th day since the flu hit with its wrath, and simply - I just haven't been able to get at all better at all! The worst part was my nose has been running like a tap... but I've been bale to blow very very softly to get some of the stuff out... the rest of it... well... diahorreah and vomiting are a result. Yeah - unpleasant stuff!

And to top it off, the ecxzema in my scalp decided that now would be a great time to kick in with a vengance also... there are three 'tiny' spots on my scalp that are *SO* freaking sore that it's just not funny! I mean - I am unable to lay down without them stinging like a knife! Gagh! And the pain relief I have is just not handling it... this being the fifth day, my own tolerance levels are just about shot... if I'm not any better in any degree by sunrise I'm off the the freaking hospital!

Well, the hot and cold sweats and chills are a bit less, and at least the vomiting and runs seem to have gone, but overall I feel bloody awful! It's the not being able to sleep is starting to wipe me out. I'm so blergh that even my teeth ache! heh heh I haven't even been able to go outside... t's been wet, cold and windy... not at all comforting, and i'm not feeling strong or confident to do any driving at the moment, let alone walk to the shops/doctor/hospital...! Come sunrise I might have to rose my housemate and ask her to drive me to the hospital! he heh What i feelI need is just some bloody strong pain relief and the ability to sleep for like 18 hours! I'm sure that would do the trick! heh heh.

Also, to top it all off, it's the first week of the school holidays, so I haven't been able to see the boys in this state... then I've also had to postpone a band audition, and miss a sailing club BBD get-together... bugger poo! Always the way... I was really looking forward to those so much too...

Ya, i know I'm sounding like one big bloody sook, but in all seriousness - I feel awful!

Wow... I'm glad I wrote that down, because after all this has passed and I'm well again, i honestly won't believe how freaking awful I was feeling there for what is now over 5 days!

(*) Funeral

2006-06-24T01:12:00.000+10:00

My poor cousin's funeral went really positively this afternoon... she had a small but tight network of friends, most of whom were able to make it. There was a lot of grief expressed... most realise (as do we) that she took her own life, so there was a sense of unnecessary loss. Her partner bade her farewell in a very special way - just the way he stood before her weeping... not something you would have expected a big, burly, tough guy in a leather jacket to do - but it expressed for all of us what we were feeling. Afterwards he simply said, "Bugger" - and for me, that summed up our sense of the whole thing. My brother gave an amazing eulogy [this was his fourth in about 6 years... he quipped he's getting the hang of them by now! lol] - and he spoke really well. What he wrote was at times funny, sad, moving, realistic, but a heartfelt, sincere tribute to our cousin. For me it was still a bit 'raw' and too close to home in some ways... it just made me think of my own mum's funeral just over one year ago... not in a negative way, but feeling that revisited sense of grief again, even tho I know that I have coped really well physically and emotionally with my own mums' passing. My dad's passing, over 10 years' ago, well... that's a whole different matter... ya, to be honest, I don't think I really got over his removal from out of my life... funny how these things bring out the stark reality of these things sometimes, huh? No, I'm fine with it all. It was a good, positive day.

My brother and I had a great time hanging out together - as we always seem to do, swapping stories and just catching up on things that affect our lives. It's so wonderful just having the freedom to be able to do that again... for so many years we felt so totally opposites of one-another and never knew what to say to each other. So for us to be able to hang out for a few hours,under such an intense situation as a family funeral, goes to show how close we are nowadays. Ya - it's excellent!

The funeral was held at Rookwood Crematorium (Sydney), and the adjoining cemetery is the largest in the Southern Hemisphere! It's freaking *huge*!!! Some of it is really modernm sleek etc etc, while other parts have these amazing gravestones and plots and structures that look like something out of a scary movie! Tell ya what - I wouldn't enjoy hanging around there at night! lol We saw four graveside funerals taking place at the same time, let alone the 12 cremations over the day... perhaps it was a slow day? lol. An amazing place... I've always found cemeteries to be fascinating places - not in a ghoulish way, just in the social history aspect of it all... and some of the mausoleums are just plain staggering! lol

My brother and I finished off the day sharing a Chinese meal, trying to doge a pouring rainstorm that crept up over the mountains and just dumped bucket-loads of water all over us! heh heh. At least the car got a good rinse... aww god... I'd almost forgotten what rain felt like...

Random thought... I'm currently listening to a CD of Santana's first album (1969) - funky latin jazz rock! Nam nam!

I'm looking forward to these next few days down at Tuross Head visiting the guy who used to play guitar in one of the bands I used to play in, about 563 years' ago... should be fun just hanging out with him again. It'll be nice having 'no agenda' apart from just enjoying each others' company again... I haven't seen him in over 7-ish years! wow... but thanx to email we've been able to keep in touch... look out Ajax! lol

And yes, I'm sitting on the edge of the guest bed in my brother's house writing this on my laptop! [giggles]... it's still an outrageous novelty for me [blushes]

Cyalayta

Mal :o)

A Drinking Problem...

2006-06-19T17:01:00.000+10:00

Come on, click it... you know you want to...
(Source)

(*) Keeps Freezing

2006-06-18T22:01:00.000+10:00

Spend today (Sunday) helping out at the Sailing Club, removing the pontoon for the winter and doing a bit of maintenance on some of the the club boat trailers. Twas a nice relaxing productive day - and always nice hanging out with those blokes, even if it was just the three of us today! Three was a perfect number tho for what had to be done... we just wanted to get the pontoon in - which took hardly anytime at all (thankfully), and we thought - while we're here let's kill a few birds with one stone, so we got some things done that could've waited until say, September, but they're all done now - yay! Yeah, just a couple of blokes hanging around with some tools - it's a worry! hahahaa. By the way - there wasn't even a beer in sight! heh heh I took a few photos of the Club and surrounds, and I hope to down/upload them soon. The current water level is abysmal :(

JD rang me and 'told' me what he wanted for his 13th birthday in early August... not suggested or hinted, just right-out told me! heh heh... not a worry! I got him a 3-pack Rechargable Walkie Talkie CB Radio set, which he's been hanging out for a while for. So, I'm glad I was able to get him something he's actually wanting. In the back of my mind I'm considering haggling with the boys' mum to go halvies [or thirds] on a PS2 (Play Station 2) for the boys - their cost have come down awesomely recently... quite reasonable... anyways, it's just a thought... and ya, they already have a Play Station, but it's like 3rd-hand and keeps freezing on them... you know, when you live 30kms out of town and it's sub-zero temperatures outside, sometimes the boys need some other kinda play/hanging-out options... especially with their mum pegnant again and getting out of her hair! lol

Oh ya, I'm listening to Ben Harper's 1997 album "The Will To Live" - I think I'm a bit of a fan of this guy nowdays! I have FIVE of his albums already! Gasp! That's unheard of for me, especially when it comes to music that's kinda 'this millenium'! heh heh

(*) Smell

2006-06-17T22:17:00.000+10:00

Wow... things just more bizarre... the latest word is that my cousin's death is being treated as suspicious by the police... possibly a murder or manslaughter! Holy shit!!! her funeral is on Tuesday, which I'll go with my brother...

From there I'll be spending a few days with an old friend who lives on the South Coast... he was the guitarist in the band I used to play in about 564,832 years ago lol. I'm really looking forward to that!

I finally went to see a specialist about my nose... you see, I've had sinus and nasal pollups happening there for *years* and kinda just... I dunno, put up with it... for so long... anyways, he took one look up my nose and kinda went the professional-version of 'Holy Shit!' Yeah, so now I'm awaiting to be booked in for day surgury in Lithgow Hospital to have my nasal pollups removed under a general anasthetic. I'm not worried... in fact I can't WAIT to be able to breathe again properly - and sleep laying on my back (oh sheer delight!) A funy side affect is that... he made me realise that not only has some of my sense of smell deteriorated as a result of these pollups growth thingies (which I was quite aware of) - but also a bit of my sense of taste! How bizarre! Changes are they'll come good again once the obstructions are removed - yayayayy!

(*) Next of kin

2006-06-14T10:03:00.000+10:00

It's ... a little bit 'fresh' this morning.... -6c / 21f ... brrrr!

I received an interesting phone call early this morning from my brother... he was awoken at 3am this morning by a knock at the door... 2 policemen were standing there, and he knew straight away... one of our cousins in our small family had passed away 'under unknown circumstances' last night.

Yeah.. heavy! This particular cousin has been threatening to 'do herself in' for absolutely years... my poor brother, who is technically her 'next of kin', has received all these horrendous phone calls over the years day and night and talked some common sense into her along the way...

From what he can understand, she was found laying in the street not far from her home last night, so until the Coroner makes a judgement as to what actually happened, we don't actually know what happened to her! Hmmm...

I haven't seen her in literally 25 years, but only spoke to her at Xmastime on the phone. I never really 'knew' her at all, but I only heard all these second-hand horror stories thru my brother, who at time just got fed up with all her shenanigans... now that she's actually no longer with us, it's really kinda a shock!

Sometime in the next week my brother has asked me if I would come with him and help clean thru her few meager possessions in the inner western Sydney suburbs... more for mutual support, I think.

Oh well... our small family... we're dropping like flies nowadays! heh heh Sorry... I don't mean to sound facetious, but I dunno what to think about it all, to be honest.

(*) Cairns Flights

2006-06-13T10:44:00.000+10:00

Cairns The Flights

May 2006

Virgin Blue left Sydney at 10.05am and arrived at Cairns International Airport at 1.15pm, 11^th May 2006, just a smidge over 3 hours air time.

Well, the last time I was on a plane was probably a small 12-seater flying from Sydney to Bathurst waaaaay back in 1983-ish before then it would have been the flight to and from Adelaide with mum and dad when I was about 15 hmm 1980? Blimey, thats a long time ago, huh? Heh heh. Yeah, I havent even been to the airport for years theres no real need to unless you need to go there, you know? Pooh all the traffic and crowds and all that caper sheesh, I sound like a real country bumpkin, huh well Ive been living out here for 11 years now.

I stayed overnight at my brothers place at Katoomba in the Blue Mountains I crashed out at about 8 that night and awoke feeling really refreshed, wide awake and excited about my day and it was only 10.30 at night! Gagh! Needless to stay I couldnt sleep, so I ended up sitting up in bed reading for hours luckily I awoke at 5am nice and early and feeling fine Im not usually a good morning person, you know

The drive to Sydney airport took about 90 minutes, and it was freeway about 80% of the way wow, its sure changed since I was last down that way! No traffic lights for like an hour! Whee! Mind you, the experience of the SMOG in a long under-city tunnel was dis-gust-ing! It was so thick you could see it and taste and smell it pooh! By the time we finally arrived at the airport we had time to spare, parking our car at a parking station for the 2 weeks. A shuttle took us straight to the terminal, and then it was kinda feeling real for me. Until then the whole Cairns experience had been a bit surreal, not quite fair-dinkum but as soon as I got to the automatic doors at the airport, wheeling my suitcase, then whoosh! Excitement and really wild things. Heh heh.

Of course, I was the one who got dusted for carrying explosives by the security people totally random, but it made me giggle the poor guy didnt know what to make of me chatting like I normally do I was feeling more like a country boy the whole time! Heh heh. We had time to have a bite to eat and a quick drink I amazingly thought a green salad was a good idea [and it was light and just enough to fill the gap], and before too long we were herded onto the plane. My brother, being the lovely guy he is, ensured I had a window seat, forward of the wing with a totally unobscured view of everything! I was totally excited like a little kid hell ya! Heh heh. The whole sensation of the acceleration and the ground shrinking below me is such a buzz then watching us flying thru the clouds as the ocean and Sydney unfolded below us like some wild map but it was real this time! [Yeah, I enjoy reading maps, always have, ever since I was a little tacker]. Then being able to look *down* on the cloud tops was a-maze-ing! The flight took us inland first before turning north, which funnily enough took me straight back over my home town but the cloud cover prohibited me seeing anything on the ground, at 38,000 feet up! It wasnt until we got a long way out west near Dubbo that the cloud cover just broke clear in one long line, and as we turned towards Cairns the unending tapestry of the brown and red patchwork below me spread out until the horizon beautiful I think I spent that first 2 hours with my eyes peering out the window watching little farms and towns slide past far below me amazed somewhere over north Queensland I easily spotted the astronomically-huge Lake Dalrymple [kinda west of Townsville], which was swollen with brown floodwaters after all their recent rain then before I knew it we were slowly making our descent towards Cairns! Wow three hours just flew by [oooh the pun]

Overcast and wet conditions greeted us, but I didnt care I was in Cairns! Wow! Id never imagined being in a place like this while it wasnt hot, the humidity was a bit of a shock to the system their airport is really great just no so insanely hectic as Sydney, thank god! Picking up our luggage, grabbed a hire car [kinda a 4-wheel-drive people mover thingy they didnt have a smaller one so we got it for a lot less yay!], and headed out for a quick driving tour. My brother and his wife have been up there quite a few times, so they knew their way about. My first impressions were its so *green*! And wet! Mind you, the wet season was like a month too long, so the amount of rain theyd had recently was outrageous, poor buggers. And as well it was all so much bigger than I anticipated. I thought itd be just a large country town, but its a *city*! We drove to the northern beaches, where wed be staying, and they showed me around the area they we considering living in the future amazing nice houses, wonderful roadways, not crowded at all, and so close to the ocean and beaches. Nam nam.

The 5-Star Resort we were staying for the 2 weeks, The Novotel Palm Cove Resort, cost us *nothing*!!! Wow a pool right outside the door, like a 10 minute stroll thru the rainforest to the beach lovely it still seemed kinda unreal in some ways even walking along the beach and the wharf at night in a howling wind in the pouring rain until I got absolutely drenched I just didnt mind at all the water and wind was so warm and soul-refreshing. I loved it!

Virgin Blue left Cairns at 6.25am and arrived at Sydney at 9.20am, 22^nd May 2006, just a smidge under 3 hours air time.

Ya, we got ourselves a cheap motel rit next to the airport the night before we left, as we had to leave on an early flight not to worry I had my own room to run about it I felt like a little kid again still on holidays! Although I tried to sleep, I just couldnt fall asleep, and Im not one of those people who appreciate just laying in bed awake, tossing and turning anyways, on the Pay-TV they had The Last Waltz music documentary about The Band [1977], which I hadnt seen before. Id recently bought myself two of The Bands CDs, so it was good to kinda hear the music in this different perspective. It was kinda a sad documentary tho their last-ever gig, and their interviews just seemed kinda world-weary? Hmmm that put me to sleep well and truly! Heh heh

We had to wait only a little time to get our boarding passes at Cairns airport at like 5.30 in the morning! It was a whole lot less busy, but even on a Monday morning there were still people rushing about left right and centre.. this time I was able to sit next to the window [again! Yay!], but the view was kinda obstructed by the wing not to worry there was cloud-cover all the way into Sydney, so there wasnt a whole darn lot to see anyways. I managed to practically finish a Beatles book I picked up while I was up north [grins], and before I knew it, the cloud started to break up over our slow descent over Newcastle it was really like looking at an aerial map of a region Ive spent a lot of time around in my past the Central Coast. It just blew my mind being able to see everything so clearly from the air I was even able to see the places I lived in while I was living down on the coast! Wow!

You know how sometimes you get a whingey-whiny kid on a flight? Well, she was towards the front, only about 2 or 3, and she wasnt whining at all the poor thing was in *pain* as the plane started to slowly descend! The difference in air pressure was causing her quite a lot of obvious distress, and the air hostess did wonders trying to calm her. Im sure the whole planes heart went out to this kid and her parents when she sat there squirming, screaming, Make it stop! Make it stoop! [my eyes get teary just thinking about it] She was obviously not just putting on a fussing act you could tell she was in pain! Ouch! Anyways, they tried a few different things with nasal clips or something to help the kid, and a special harness and stuff too normally a plane coming into Sydney would circle around a few times to get clearance and stuff but not us I still think the pilot radioed ahead to get fast permission to come straight in to land! And we did straight over Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House the works! By the time we landed, the poor child was just exhausted, and I think everyone breathed a sigh of relief for her when they let them off first.

But other than that, an uneventful flight! The sight coming in over Sydney was simply breathtaking, even for someone who grew up there to be able to see things from the air just gives you such a totally different perspective on things refreshingly so

Postscript: Ya, I know, that was a god-damn awful piece of writing, but I just needed to get it down and stuff or Id never get around to it! Heh heh.

(*) Mallard...?

2006-06-08T16:34:00.000+10:00

Is this me...? heh heh

666...???

2006-06-06T21:06:00.000+10:00

So... they say today is the beginning of the end, huh...? The 6th day of the 6th month in the 6th year... "666"... what a load of $#it! muwahahahaaa

(Image Source)

Mutterings

2006-06-04T19:56:00.000+10:00

Week 174
I say ... and you think ... ?

Fraud :: Bankers
Cure :: Depressing music
Slate :: Cricket
Pretentious :: Moi?
Splendid :: Golden Slumbers
Geek :: OGame
Blister :: in the Sun
Pizza :: Greasy stuffing
Revive :: lungful
Visionary :: Ian Freestone

What am I listening to today...?

(*) Funny Times

2006-06-03T22:25:00.000+10:00

Well, for the first time tonight, in the almost-three years since I've been living here, my housemate came home absolutely incoherently leglessly drunk! hahahahaaa! The doorbell rang and a group of swaggering girls poured my housemate thru the frontdoor, instructing me to 'look after her'! heh heh. No problem... I led her to the loo, made sure her bed was turned down, gave her a clean towel, pumped some drinking water into her, before I heard her stumbling around her room! Then all was quiet! [giggle]

She had to travel about 2 hours to play some sporting game or other at lunchtime, so I assumed she and her teammates hit the pub when they got back home again! heh heh

What was so funny - I've never seen her that drunk before! I've seen her pretty sloshed but still rather in some control, but not tonight. For one split second, I thought... "Oh no! I hope she's not an aggressive drunk!" But, not at all! Totally helpful in her almost helples state! heh heh

I'll let ya know how she survives in the morning... she's supposedly going to work tomorrow... heh heh. Knowing her, she'll wake up feeling fine - just tired! I dunno how she does it! heh heh... mind you, I remember doing the same thing a few times in my life in the past, so... at least I could see it from that point of view.

Postscript....

Yes... unbelievably, she awoke the next morning feeling fine, just a bit tired! She even went out and reported on a local sporting game that afternoon! Amazing! Mind you, she kinda slept all the next night tho! hahahahaa

Classic Humour...?!?

2006-06-02T12:12:00.000+10:00

Ummm.... o...kay... hahahahahaaaaa

How's these for two amazing photos? The second one just plain scares me!!!

(*) Cairns Pt.2

2006-06-02T10:15:00.000+10:00

Hiya. Here's another bit of my recent foray in the far north of Queensland.

Cairns itself impressed me... I mean, I knew it would be a fair-sized town, but I was wrong... it's a good sized small CITY! I'd have to check how large it is population-wise, but my guesstimate would be 100,000+... in the CBD it's 'really' touristy - all the old pubs and stuff have mostly been pulled down to make way for large concrete monstrosities [in my opinion], but there are a few of the old weatherboard and verandahed pubs around the place... gorgeous! On the waterfront there's this large series of wharfs where the tourist ferries come and go, but moored along the way are some of the largest most disgustingly opulent richmans' playtoys you could ever imagine! Millions of dollars just floating there - gagh! Just around further is a great facility for everyone to enjoy... as Cairns itself is basically built on a giant mudflat [seriously!!!], with NO beach! [they've 'imported' a small beach on the actual waterfront], they've built a man-made swimming lagoon with loads of open parkland, shady trees, kid's play areas etc etc. Brilliant - a great simple concept! And long esplanades all along the waterfront are a lovely evening walk too... even tho it's obvious there are a lot of tourists around [even at the tail-end of the less-populated wet season when I was there], there is still so much open SPACE! Great... there's never a feeling as though you are sitting in a park right on top of someone else... that nice relaxed atmosphere seems to typify Cairns.

One day I saw a navy ship come into port - I had *no* idea the harbour could accommodate ships that large, but - no problem! Later that week I kept bumping into Japanese sailors everywhere in little touristy huddles, resplendent in their sparkling-white uniforms...

On one of our combined forays into town, the three of us [my brother, his wife and I] decided on a whim to walk into the Casino to take a look... on the roof of this place is a large glass pyramid that houses its own rainforest - kitschy! Anyways... one smallish room wall-to-wall with poker machines and a few gaming tables.. I've seriously seen some of the larger clubs in Sydney with larger gaming rooms [not that I'm a gambler by any stretch of the imagination!] I thought they wouldn't let us in, wearing t-shirts, shorts, thongs [that's flip-flops!] and sunnies, but - seems like everyone was the same way! That's Cairns, I guess! We looked at each other, shrugged our shoulders, and put $2 each into three machines... mind you it's been a few years since I've played a pokie... and I had to show my brother how it worked! I mean, the last time he played one you had to put a coin in and pull the handle! heh heh We only sat there for about 15 minutes... and - we won! We broke the bank! We walked out, heads swimming with our win of $13!!! hahahahaa... at least we got our money back! We jumped across to the nearest cafe and giggled over a cuppa!

Luckily there was a cheap, fast inet service in the Resort shop... even tho I only used it once for like 25 minutes, that gave me enough time to check my emails [and delete some ruddy spam mail!], send a few quick messages, and leave a few posts here and there. Right in front of me was a large fern-covered pond, complete with small fountain, containing about 10-or-so of *the* largest barramundi fish you would likely ever see - and they were the Resort 'pets' to boot! No fishing there! Gagh! heh heh

Another day when I had a small rental car of my own, I drove off southwards for a bit of a look-see in the misty splattering rain - hoping that it'd *have* to clear up eventually, right...? Right...?!? heh heh... About 50kms/30 miles south of Cairns you start to see evidence of a large Cyclone [hurricane] that'd gone thru about a month before... I was looking for a particular turnoff, but drove past it *twice* - simply because the signs had been blown away! Gagh! In Innisfail itself, large wooden buildings still unroofed covered in tarps littered the landscape... with all the rain, my heart went out to these people... I went towards the seaside stopping briefly at a pretty sugar-cane shipping terminal at Mourilyan Harbour, and everywhere the hillsides were about 75% stripped of trees! I mean... they'd literally been blown away! Bare hills was a stark reminder of nature's fury in such a lush region as this... driving back into the ranges inland, it amazed me to see a series of houses... one with no roof, the next untouched, the next condemned, the next fine... strange... it must be a living nightmare experiencing something like that.

Driving upland into the Atherton Tablelands towards Millaa Milla, the rainforest again surrounds steep but well-constructed roads... the occasional lookout vantage point offered me no views that day, as the misty-foggy rain obliterated within a mile! heh heh Yet everything was still so green... even inland there was obvious evidence of wind damage to farmlands, rows of trees uprooted, the occasional building construction repairs underway... and then - it's like flicking a switch and the scenery changes! From lush rainforest into rolling open farmland! It was lovely, but again it just reminded me of NSW's Southern Highlands around Moss Vale - just greener! I stopped briefly at Atherton - a small town in rich faming lands, and kept moving up towards Mareeba. I once knew some missionaries who'd spent some time around here, so I was mildly curious... again, the landscape of the town made me laugh - it so-much reminded me of Tamworth in NSW, like 2,000kms away! But - lots and lots of Australian towns are like that... you seriously could be *anywhere* in someplaces, they look and feel so similar... a nice feeling tho... makes you feel at home. Again, because of the endless foggy rain I actually couldn't see much - but I was loving the drive, singing my head off to The Beatles and a classic Cairns radio station that played all the 'oldies' I could sing along to - thank gawd I was alone! How embarrassing! heh heh... aww, I was on holidays!

The road back to Cairns via Kuranda moves thru some lush open farming land again, and if you are ever up this way you MUST take a look-see at the lovely [albeit touristy] village of Kuranda, right on he edge of the coastal range rainforest. There are markets everywhere, and it's the starting/ending point for both the Rainforest Skyway, and an amazingly scenic old-fashioned train ride thru the rainforest [which I didn't go on - this time...]. My sister-in-laws sister [did you get that?!? heh heh] lives there in an AMAZINGLY breathtaking house, surrounded by lush tropical bush.. I mean, they have a flowing creek splashing away in their backyard, wild bush turkeys strutting about in the garden, and a house that is just amazing! It's all open... tall pitched roof, all wood, all windows, lots of open air, decking... amazing! Like something you'd see in one of those 'Beautiful Homes' magazines - but this place was *liveable* and homey - gorgeous! I mean - they told me they haven't had to shut the kitchen windows in like 2 years - you spend a lot of your time living in the outdoors up here... amazing. A really nice group of people too - made me feel really relaxed and welcome.

The road back down to Cairns I'd experienced before, a few days before with my brother... it's another winding way down the side of a mountain [basically], but it's the best of the three up-and-down to the highlands, I'd say. It's a surreal experience driving *thru* the fogline and looking *up* at the rainclouds above you as you drive along, heading down down down... although it rained literally the whole day, I really enjoyed the freedom of being able to jump in my car and just *go* wherever the whim took me...

One evening the three of us went to a local Indian restaurant right on the beachfront at Palm Cove... while I'm not a fan of hyper-hot food [like they are], it was OK but nothing to write home about... maybe I should have had something outrageously spicy instead, hmm? lol. Walking back along the beachfront in the warm evening air was sooooooooo nice.... I think I did that most nights I was there, rain or no!

Cyalayta

Mal :o)

Funny Blog Site!

2006-06-01T14:35:00.000+10:00

"The Broken Laptop I Sold On eBay"
amirtofangsazan.blogspot.com

This is hilarious! Always make sure you delete ALL your files from any old hard-drive on any computer you ever go to sell! hahahahahahaaaa!

As a random thought... this laptop I now own [with which I type as I speak] actually *did* have a whole lot of personal files from the previous owner[s]! Luckily I'm not a spiteful bastard, and I deleted and wiped them from the Hard Drive! Yeesh! Actually doing that added about 25% more space on the hard drive! yay!

(*) A Trip to the Tip

2006-05-31T10:49:00.000+10:00

I have such fond memories of going to the local tip [rubbish dump] with my dad as a kid... the nearest one to us was at the top of the ridge, and when that closed in the early 1970's [it's now playing fields... random thought... old car tyres are actually lifting up thru the surface of the grass!!!] we went to the one out near Terry Hills [which is still going!] Back in those days, dad had rigged-up with huge wooden crate/box which sat on the top of the boat trailer, and we filled it up with all the junk and assorted accumilated crap you collect over time, about once or twice a year, I guess. We'd drive upto the tip [it'd cost nothing], and that familiar waft of rotting garbage filled your senses... we'd back the trailer up to the pile of refuse beside mountains of soil, untie the ropes, and start hurling as much stuff as we could as FAR as we could onto the mountain of stuff! When the huge crate/box was almost empty, we'd tip it onto its side and empty its contents onto the edge of the pile... I have fond memories of tossing things seemingly for *miles* out the back of the nearest rubbish pile... and the STUFF that people would throw away! Back in those days scavenging was practically encouraged, so sometimes you'd come back [but only sometimes!] with all sorts of exotic stuff... I got an old wooden chair that way once! Then we'd load the crate back onto the trailer, rope it back down, and wheel around with one last look of the piles of golden-colured soil pushed around by huge yellow mechanical bulldozers covering our collective past, and we'd be gone...

How things have changed! When I finally got around to disposing of my old bed matress at the local tip - I was flabbergasted at how *different* it all is nowdays! Let me take a short step back first tho... that horrid old matress did a great job for about 4 years, altho it was like a 5th-hand matress, and had definitely seen better days! The bloody thing weighed a TON, and had the carrying, removal stability and qualities of a sheet of wet paper... trying to get it up onto the cars' roof-racks took a bit of effort... the bloody thing just wouldn't stay in one position without crumbling in a slaggy heap! Eventually I managed to slide it across the bonnet and up onto the roof... once up there it was easy enough to secure it... then, off to the local "Waste Transfer Station" [what ever happened to the bloody "Tip"?!? lol]

Well, I haven't been to the local tip here in about... ohhh... 10 years, easily... back then it was like the old tips from my childhood memories... piles of rubbish heaped around huge mounds of soil being bulldozed nosily... you back your car upto the pile, toss it and leave. Well - not any more! These days you drive up onto a weightbridge, get handed a ticket, and are directed to the "Waste Transfer Station" - a bloody big SHED! No piles of dirt to be seen anywhere! Seriously, I drove the car up beside this concrete 'pit' that lined this large tin shed, easily slip and tipped the mattress into it - and that was it! I had to laugh as a tiny little bulldozer with a forkfift grabbed the matress as I watched, picked it up and tossed it onto a pile of other old matresses at the far side of the shed! Then it kinda scraped up the small collection of household watse into a pile into the other side of the shed! And - that was it! No huge piles of assorted junk - and *definitely* no scavaging [not that there was anything worth of even a look that day!] it didn't even have that old familiar stench of a tip! Gagh! Modernity!

Then you drive to the weighbridge again, hand back your ticket, and pay the $2 according to the weight... and yes, that old bloody matress, that had all the handling capabilities of a limp defrosted sausage - weighed THIRTY BLOODY KILOS!!! [66 pounds]!!! No WONDER I'd been putting off trying to lug that beast of a thing aorund! By comparison, my new double-bed matress [which is a sheer delight to sleep on] weighs about 5kgs! [11 pounds] - aaahh! THAT went ontop the car no troubles at all when I picked it up!

A fun morning... then I went and did the groceries! At least I didn't smell like the tip! heh heh

On This Day...
Born: Peter Yarrow [muso, 1938]; John Bonham [drummer, 1948]; Walt Whitman [poet, 1819]; Clint Eastwood [legend, 1930]
Died: Timothy Leary [LSD, 1996]
Events: "Give Peace A Chance" recorded live in Montreal, 1969; Jap subs in Sydney Harbour, 1942.
Useless Trivia: Water is wet
My Soundtrack: Ben Harper, "Fight For Your Mind"
Footwear: nekkid now - but not for long!
Weather: overcast, foggy, COLD!

Cyalayta
Mallard d'Quackers :o)
"Excuse me, which way is the stage?" (Audience member, lost at Altamont, 1969)

(*) Cairns Holiday Photos

2006-05-28T14:57:00.000+10:00

Here's a link of photos of my 2 weeks in Cairns!
e.domaindlx.com/iceland1/cairns

Take a look at my other photo galleries too:
Photo Galleries

I'm currently listening to The Rolling Stones brilliant early album "12 x 5" [1964]

No, this is NOT me, slumming around the kitchen on a weekend!!! hahahahhaa [Thanx to DeadlyFemale for the link]

Monday Musings

2006-05-28T03:52:00.000+10:00

Sunday, May 15, 2006
Fill in the blanks...

1. If I could change ONE thing from this past weekend, it would be ________. [spend more time with my boys]
2. One of my favorite recipes includes ________. [honey mustard chicken]
3. If things don't go as originally planned, I tend to ________. [spontaneously go with the flow]
4. My daily routine is very ________. [non-existant!]
5. The one television show I will probably miss, since the season is coming to an end, is ________. [Catweasel]
6. I have a calendar hanging/sitting on my ________. [wall beside the kitchen]
7. I'm really ________ about changing the calendar when the day/month changes. [lethargic]

Week 172
I say ... and you think ... ?

Yours :: Mine
Charcoal :: Shampoo
Platitude :: Gratitude
Graduation :: Finality
Hungry :: Fungrys
Somewhere :: in Time
Nurse :: Respect
Freak :: Cam X Man
Unbelievable :: The water of the Great Barrier Reef
Walk :: not enough

Yes... they are at it again! Gagh!!!

(*) Cairns, Cape Tribulation, Atherton

2006-05-27T13:41:00.000+10:00

Here's the first bit of my time away that I've written out so far... just an experiment in writing... lots more to come [hopefully...]

The water of the sea was really brown after all the runoff after a few months of solid rain… you’ve seen all the pictures of it being a rich turquoise blue – not this time! But that was fine… yes, while it rained for some time each day, and the wind howled from the SE each day too (which disallowed me to go for a sail), it was still warm (28c/82f) and humid (well, it felt humid to me… I had to sleep with the air conditioner on every night… although it wasn’t hot by any stretch of the imagination.)

I was able to rent a small blue Hyundai Getz car for three days (for a great price too!), and I traveled about 1,000kms in that short time! A great little car, was so easy to drive, and even allowed me to sing along to my Beatles CDs too… thank goodness it was air-conditioned, as driving thru the humid rain made things a bit uncomfortable at times…

The drive upto Daintree and Cape Tribulation was the first highlight of my stay… the road snakes along and hugs the coast for a long way, and once you cross the car ferry at the Daintree River the rainforest closes in spectacularly around you! I made a brief detour to Port Douglas… really resorty and tourists everywhere on the beach must have been taking their ‘morning constitional’ when I was there! I didn’t stay there long… just time to take a pic of Edward sitting next to a coconut on the beach!

Mossman Gorge was beautiful… absolutely wild rainforest with a raging torrent pouring thru this narrow gully… that was sensational as well. I went to cross a small suspension bridge that spans the gorge, but ‘fraidy cat me chickened out! Gagh! Heh heh.

I drove up to the tiny village of Daintree, not sure what to expect… but didn’t realize it was like a tiny hamlet on the sides of a crocodile-infested river! Gagh! A short backtrack took me back to the car ferry… big signs instruct you to stay in your vehicle because of the croc danger! Gagh! Yet, once across the river, the countryside radically changes… from kinda lush pastoral into wild rainforest National Park! The road was narrow and windy – but in perfect condition – but I spent so much time with my mouth hanging open in awe at the amazing rainforest closing in all around you that the road just wasn’t a problem! It’s so green, thick and lush, and even small streams cross the sealed road in places – just beautiful. Cape Tribulation was named by Captain Cook in 1770… not far from here the poor guy struck the reef! There’s not a lot there – a few small cafes and accommodation – but the sight of the rainforest physically coming right to the oceans’ edge is unforgettable! The beach seemed to go out forever, and while there were a few tourists around, it was so quite and peaceful. A short boardwalk takes you almost upto the headland, with lush views back along the beach and out to sea. Edward took a starring role sitting in the middle of a rainforest there…

A quick yummy cheese sandwich at Cape Trib saw me slowly heading back to the car ferry, taking a few short detours to explore some of the quiet little beaches… so many little deserted beach hidey-holes to relax in… back to the small town of Mossman and then up the highland to Mareeba…

The coastal plain is really narrow all the way up the coast here… sometimes the mountain ranges literally reach into the sea… the ONLY way up into the ‘Hinterland’ is UP… long winding roads, but the actual roads are brilliant! There’s a great view half-way up the mountain from Mossman, and not much further along I turned a corner to see a raging waterfall spilling down along the side of the road – wow! Then, as soon as you get up to the top, the countryside changes… becomes like more open lush farmlands… then along the way to Mareeba and onto Atherton it seriously reminded me of NSW’s Southern Highlands around Moss Vale! Made me giggle – I’d come all this way to see the same kinda countryside I’d already experienced like 2,000kms away! Heh heh.

Near Atherton there’s a massive man-made lake that’d be perfect for sailing on… yeah, I had a quick look-see at the small sailing club there too! Heh heh. Lake Tinaroo is huge… it’s a big part of the landscape in those parts. In the falling dusk I checked out Lake Eacham – an extinct volcanic crater filled with water… from the viewing platform the fish were as big as your arm – damn those ‘no fishing’ sings! Heh heh. Again… in the soft dusk light it was so quiet and peaceful… not much further down the road toward Gordonvale I managed to catch n the rapidly failing light the massive ‘Curtain Fig Tree’ – it was too dark to take an adequate photo, so I’ll have to hunt for one on the net! To try to describe this massive tree wouldn’t do it any justice… a massive root system seems to hang in midair… again it was so quiet… a really relaxing place.

Then the signs started… “Winding Road next 40kms” – and they weren’t wrong! This is only one of three ways down to the coast to Cairns from the Hinterland (ie. Atherton to Cairns) – and while the actual road is in A1 condition, it’s a loooong drive thru narrow winding steep corners that never seem to end! It didn’t help that the sun had set… that part of the drive tired me out more than anything else that day! Driving thru the darkening rainforest was beautiful, but you have to give 100% attention to the road if you don’t wanna drive off the side of a cliff! Gagh! Like I said, the actual road was brilliant, but the seemingly endless corners were exhausting! I smiled when I saw the lights of Gordonvale come looming out of the darkness down on the coast… then a short straight rip back to Cairns on a 4 and 6-lane highway… from one extreme to another! By the time I got home I was absolutely wasted… time enough to jump into the pool and hit the shower…

Yeah, this was a really long day, but I simply love driving, and the scenery was far more spectacular around the coast and Daintree and Cape Trib than I could ever have imagined!

(*) Home to roost

2006-05-23T18:11:00.000+10:00

Got home Monday fine, just tired. All's well... I'll write again when I get some time to hit the keyboard for real :o)

(*) Wet wet - and lovin' it!!!

2006-05-18T11:00:00.000+10:00

It's been a good week so far in Cairns... tropical rain every day! But - loving it all the same!!! Yeah... going for walks along the beach in the evening rain... it's warm and I'm lovin' it! I've only seen the sun like for a few hours on 3 days out of 8 - but, that's the chance you take on any holiday, huh? I'm not complaining, considering the cost of the accododation - nix!!! heh heh.
Mental health took a few days to come back to some sort of stability, but feeling better within myself now - thank Ford for that!!!
Just dropping a quick line and I'll write again soon.
Cyalayta
Mal :o)

(*) Going away...

2006-05-07T22:27:00.000+10:00

Going away for about 2 weeks from Wednesday. I really need the break. I hope I come back! I know I am slowly dying here. Don't mean to sound so 'emo-dramatic', but - I *am* dying. And I just can't seem to stop myself anymore.

(*) And the winner is

2006-04-28T13:18:00.000+10:00

It's been a nice week. Ya! It has. Retail therapy helps sometimes... plus I've spent some great time with the boys, which always helps this tired ol' soul.

I went out to help with the Sailability team at Carcoar Dam on Sunday (www.sailability.org)... ended up taking three different people out for a sail... while the weather was gloriously sunny, the wind was rather icy! Lots of jumpers etc under the lifejacket keeps ya warm, but there's only *so* much you can do for bare hands exposed to spray and wind... gagh! Not to worry... I had a ball. There's probably only one more sail this season before it just gets TOO cold... hopefully next week.

I'm not exactly sure what prompted me, but I attended my first ANZAC Sunset Service at the local War Cemetery on Tuesday. And yes, for whatever reason, I got teary during the playing of 'The Last Post' [I'm still trying to figure out all the underlaying emotions of the whole experience! heh he] Anyways - it was short, sweet and positive.

I spent hours with the boys yesterday. We went to one of those Lazer shooting range thingys - and we had an absolute ball! Loved it! Tell ya what - talk about *tiring*! Ya just gotta keep moving or you get shot! 7-yo Ix won the last game - much to JD's jealously! heh heh.

I had my first musical 'Jam' (playing with another muso) in absolutely years on Wednesday night... playing bass [and guitar] is like riding a bike [for me] - you don't forget. My new 5-string MusicMan bass sounds like a million dollars thru my stage rig [amp and speakers etc], much to my delighted pleasure!!! The actual jam wasn't that spectacular, but it was good to hang out and have a play all the same. The other day saw me grab myself a little piano/keyboard for myself (I *used* to own this stuff, but it all got passed on over the years...), a small mixer for musical instruments, a brilliant drum machine too - all work well... now I can sit in my room with just two tiny little black boxes practising my bass without making a noise - thanx to headphones... oh yea... the new bed matress feels just wonderful!!! Yay!

The end.

On This Day...
Died: Mussolini, 1945.
Events: Mutiny on the 'Bounty', 1789.
Useless Trivia: Nicky Bove ate 124 Moroccan snails in 15 minutes on April 1st 1974.
My Soundtrack: Stevie Wonder "Inner Visions" [1971].
Footwear: bare butt nekkid!!!
Weather: gloriously sunny yet cool.

Cyalayta
Mallard d'Quackers :o)
"Excuse me, which way is the stage?" (Audience member, lost at Altamont, 1969)

(*) New bed, new guitar!

2006-04-21T09:53:00.000+10:00

The boys, my brother and I spent Sunday at the car races held at Mt Panorana... it's the first Easter event they've held there for many years, and basically - as far as events go, it was a fizzer! There were just not enough things happening on the track... I mean, for 90 minutes we were sitting there with nothing at all happening! Mind you... it gave us the opportunity to walk in and out of the Pits area - I mean IN the pits [normally totally out-of-bounds], and really take a colse-up look at the finer details of some of the cars! While I'm not really 'into' motor sport, I could still appreciate all the time and effort that goes into making these machines do what they do. And the crowds...? Well... it was empty! I mean... we got there and were able to sit in the empty grandstand [which is also highly off-limits to non-passholders such as ourselves] and watch and block our ears as a Ute did the LOUDEST burn-outs I have ever witnessed! Needless to say, the boys (and even my brother) really enjoyed the day just hanging out together. Having 7-yo Ix sit snuggling happily in my arms for like 20 minutes was like THE soul-battery-recharging I needed so badly!

I finally bought myself a really good, nice & playable bass guitar - only after like 20 years' playing them! It's a Musicman 5-string, and cost me only $700 - a bargain! All the basses I've ever owned have been cheap & flimsy copys, so it's nice to have the real thing for a change. Plus - now I'll have the confidence to be able to make myself available to play/jam/gig again with a good guitar at last. I've still got my 'rig' - amp, speaker cabinet etc etc from when I used to play/record, so it'll be fun dusting them off and using them again. Whoo hoo!

Finally, I had a decent nights' sleep - on a brand-new double-bed matress! Only cost me $227 rather than $500 - a good buy! And this matress weighs almost nothing... compared to my old one, which is a disgustingly-heavy old beast! The base was fine, so I just invested in a place where I'll spend 1/3 of my life asleep! heh heh.

Another recent purchase has been finally realising my dreams and owning copies of a whole heap of classic LPs on CD - at last! Sure, it cost a lot (I got a great discount for ordering so many in one hit tho), but - they're absolute classics! Along with The Beatles 'Anthology' DVD's, I'm currently deliciously listening to:

The Beatles - Live at the BBC
The Band - Music From Big Pink & The Band
Love - Forever Changes
Buffalo Springfield - Buffalo Springfield Again
Bob Dylan - John Wesley Harding & Blood on the Tracks
The Who - The Kids Are Alright & Live At Leeds
Jefferson Airplane - Surrealistic Pillow
Van Morrison - Astral Weeks
The Rolling Stones - The Rolling Stones Now! & 12 x 5
Paul Simon - Graceland
Ringo Starr - Ringo
The Velvet Underground and Nico
Steve Windwood - Arc of a Diver
Stevie Wonder - Talking Book & Innervisions
Neil Young - After the Gold Rush & Rust Never Sleeps

And - my little car is going great-guns! Really practical & reliable vehicle - enjoying the luxury. Thanks mum!

(*) A New Car!!!

2006-04-14T07:12:00.000+10:00

Yes yes! At last! I actually own a new car! I mean... this one is still under its' New Car Warranty! I've never actually ownwd a really good/nice car like this before!

It's a 2003 Mitsubishi CG Lancer ES Sedan, 2 litre 5-speed manual, navy blue, with only 50,000 kms on the clock, and I got it at a GREAT price too! It's perfect for what I need...
Here's some images of my new little car:
e.domaindlx.com/iceland1/car/index.html

Needless to say, I am very happy with it. I haven't told my brother or the boys yet... my brothers' coming up to stay over Easter this weekend, and I'll just surprise him by pulling it out of the garage when we go out somewhere... same with the boys... I'll just drive up in it when I pick them up on Sunday morning! heh heh

The funny thing is... I'm excited about having a CD player in the car! I know, it's silly! The last 3 vehicles I've had never had a stereo of any note... well, I popped a CD into this one, turned it up, and... wow! Loud and clear! I was embarrased at how good it sounded!

Within the next month or so I'll get a towbar fitted, so I can tow my little sailing dinghy about to where the water is... but only when it starts to warm up again! Brr... it's cooling down quickly here now!

It sounds a bit silly, but it was a strange, sad feeling to say goodbye to my little white 1988 Toyota Corolla... it's done everything I wanted it to do when I got it 18 months' ago. Can't ask more than that, huh?

It's been an emotive week... firstly, for the first time in five years I am totally debt-free! It's a surreal feeling, let me tell you! Then Wednesday was the 10th anniversary of my dad's passing, so there were some mixed emotions in there - I still really miss him being around. Then there was 'Kitty Kate's' passing last Friday. Then there's the new car... so, it's been a real up-and-down week. I feel fine tho. Looking forward to this weekend - my brother is staying here over Easter and I'll be taking him and the boys to the Car Races on Sunday! Yay!

(*) Kitty Kate - R.I.P.

2006-04-11T10:13:00.000+10:00

I've known a good friend online since about November... she's been like the little sister I never had... we've been getting on well as friends, sharing and journeying together over the last few months.

Sadly, she passed away on Friday evening! She was a passanger in a car accident and died instantly. Her b/f [who I also know well] emailed me yesterday to break the news. Needless to say, I'm rather upset about it. She was only 19. Altho I shouldn't feel the loss of a friend whom I have never met, I still have a sense of grief in a strange but affecting way. She was a good friend all the same. And, just like that... she's gone... gosh... I dunno what to say... it'll take a few days for me to process info like this, I imagine. I feel kinda numb right now.

What makes it kinda harder is that... i don't have anyone I can talk to about this.

So, Kitty Kate... fare thee well. Thank you for your invisible friendship. I will miss you.

Monday Thing

2006-04-10T20:02:00.000+10:00

Weebl and bob are at it again!
www.weebls-stuff.com/wab/housework

Sunday's Mutterings

2006-04-09T21:10:00.000+10:00

Thank Ford mum's estate FINALLY came thru! A cheque arrived last Monday [a cheque? Hello?! We were told a direct deposit into our bank accounts! Oh god!], and then the bank says it will take FIVE days for it to clear! SHITE! Anyways, they were nice and cleared $2,000 straight away, which enabled me to get JD his long-hoped-for computer at last! YAY!

Makes me giggle... out of a list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time [2003], I have 9 out of the top 10 already! heh heh

Week 166
I say ... and you think ... ?

Buck :: Duck Dogers in the 24 1/2 Century

Harry :: Secombe

Play :: Monopoly

Monstrosity :: My face first thing in the morning

Nightclub :: noisy, dark, pounding

Missing :: sanity [still searching]

Sprout :: Brussel

Flavor :: Chocolate

Identity :: Crisis? What Crisis?

Saucy :: Gibbon

Sunday, April 02, 2006
1. Do you own any box sets of your favorite shows? Just this week I bought the set of Mr Bean, and a collction of The Goodies! Yay!
2. Are you penpals with other people? I keep in touch with about 10 people around the world nowdays, all via email.
3. Do you still send out real, paper cards in the mail? Sure do! When I remember to, that is! D'oh! I buy like 10 blank cards at once and keep then handy, so I never have the excuse 'but I didn't have a card!' lol
4. Have you ever bought or sold anything on Ebay? I've bought about 15+ books and even a life jacket thru eBay! Twas good.
5. Did you have to set your clocks an hour ahead this past weekend? BACK an hour here... Daylight avings ended for us last weekend. We get the extra hour sleep :)
6. How many of your blog buddies' birthdays do you know? About three! D'oh! I used to have a list, but I guess I got slack updating it... D'oh!
7. When is your birthday (need not include year)? July 23rd... I'm on the cusp of Cancer/Leo...

A Survey...

2006-04-02T02:23:00.000+10:00

*TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF - The Survey*
Name:	Maljam
Birthday:	July 1964
Birthplace:	Sydney NSW Australia
Current Location:	Central Tablelands, NSW
Eye Color:	Blue
Hair Color:	Brown with lighter streaks
Height:	5' 10"
Right Handed or Left Handed:	Right-handed
Your Heritage:	Irish/English/Australian
The Shoes You Wore Today:	Sox!
Your Weakness:	Procrastination
Your Fears:	Falling over backwards
Your Perfect Pizza:	the WORKS!
Goal You Would Like To Achieve This Year:	Stay alive?
Your Most Overused Phrase On an instant messenger:	lol
Thoughts First Waking Up:	Whta day is it?
Your Best Physical Feature:	Hair
Your Bedtime:	lately - anytime! :(
Your Most Missed Memory:	Honeymoon
Pepsi or Coke:	Coke [Fanta]
MacDonalds or Burger King:	Ronald's
Single or Group Dates:	Single
Lipton Ice Tea or Nestea:	Neither
Chocolate or Vanilla:	Chocloate
Cappuccino or Coffee:	Neither
Do you Smoke:	Nope
Do you Swear:	Bloody oath... occasionally
Do you Sing:	Yup, just not too good at it
Do you Shower Daily:	Yup
Have you Been in Love:	Sure have
Do you want to go to College:	Been there
Do you want to get Married:	Been there
Do you belive in yourself:	Not all the time, no
Do you get Motion Sickness:	Nope
Do you think you are Attractive:	About 50%
Are you a Health Freak:	Nope
Do you get along with your Parents:	I used to [passed away]
Do you like Thunderstorms:	Absolutely!!!
Do you play an Instrument:	Yup - guitar, bass, piano, drums
In the past month have you Drank Alcohol:	Nope
In the past month have you Smoked:	Nope
In the past month have you been on Drugs:	Nope
In the past month have you gone on a Date:	Nope
In the past month have you gone to a Mall:	Yeah, but just for groceries!
In the past month have you eaten a box of Oreos:	Not Oreos, but...
In the past month have you eaten Sushi:	Nope - never have.
In the past month have you been on Stage:	Nope.
In the past month have you been Dumped:	Nope
In the past month have you gone Skinny Dipping:	Nope, but thought of it!
In the past month have you Stolen Anything:	Nope.
Ever been Drunk:	Yes - ask a glass of water
Ever been called a Tease:	Yup
Ever been Beaten up:	Yup... [sigh]
Ever Shoplifted:	Yup [like 30 years ago!]
How do you want to Die:	Peacefully in my sleep
What do you want to be when you Grow Up:	A teacher
What country would you most like to Visit:	Greece
*In a Boy/Girl..*
Favourite Eye Color:	Blue/Green
Favourite Hair Color:	Blonde
Short or Long Hair:	Long
Height:	Medium
Weight:	Medium
Best Clothing Style:	any [not goth!]
Number of Drugs I have taken:	none
Number of CDs I own:	not important
Number of Piercings:	just the ears
Number of Tattoos:	none
Number of things in my Past I Regret:	none

Imagination List

2006-04-01T01:23:00.000+11:00

Imagination List (With the hugest thanx to Pattycam)

1. What color is the letter "S"? - a light redy/pink.
2. What does happiness look like? - the smile on a young child's face laughing.
3. What color is today? - today is a deep hazy purple.
4. What does purple taste like? - purple tastes like blueberry muffins.
5. What does your self-image sound like? - crackling and splitting
6. What texture is the color green? - green is smooth, silky, slightly dewy.
7. What color is the smell of your favorite scent? - orange.
8. What does love look like? - love looks like an elderly couple walking thru the shops holding hands.
9. What is your favorite sense? - hearing.
10. What color is your favorite song? - blue.
11. What texture is your favorite scent? - bumpy yet smooth, slightly cold.
12. What does winter sound like? - the sound of wind moaning in a fir tree.
13. How old is the letter "P"? Ageless.
14. How does the letter "M" feel? It feels magnificent being in the mid-point of out alphabet!
15. What color is the fragrance of soap? Aqua.

(*) Beautiful natural image

2006-03-28T04:33:00.000+11:00

Just got a phone call from my brother... he's managed to get two free 3-day passes to the Easter Car Races up here at the Mount! he's never been to anything like that, so, for a change - I'll take him somewhere! heh heh I'm not 'into' the whole car/motor racing thing anyways, but its still something that needs to be seen/heard/felt/smelled/experienced to believe!

JD has his first parent/teacher night at his High School tomorrow... of course, being the 'parent who doesn't live with the child' I wasn't directly invited, so I've been told my the school [who apologised deeply!] to just kinda turn up and hope I can slot into a vacant time! heh heh.

I can't believe it - a WEEK after mum's estate came tho, I STILL haven't seen a freaking cent of it! Bloody solicitor! Hope he hasn't pissed off to South America or something! heh heh... last word was hopefully this Wednesday/Thursday - fingers' crossed. JD can't wait for his new puter... hey, you remember being 12 and how you can't wait for something exciting to arrive, huh?

My body clock is absolutely back-to-front! I realised [I know it sounds stoopid] that my depression-cycle has kinda led me down the path of like sleeping 12-hours a day [I know! It's disguting!], and it's just thrown everything topsy-turvey emotionally and even health-wise. I also realised that I haven't actually sat-down and answered *any* emails for over a month! I guess... I've just retreated right into my shell a bit again... I didn't really realise it [yeah, I know, it sounds so obvious - to an observer, but I don't have any 'observers' in my life at the moment! lol]. The lights came on for me yesterday when I spoke to my brother for his 52nd birthday... after I hung up I burst into aching tears! I had to stop and kinda question myself where the hell *that* came from! heh he. Yeah, as you guessed, I'm going thru a 'lonely' period just at the moment... no biggie, I guess.

Let me end this post on a positive note. Driving to the Sailing Club the other month, I slowed down as I passed a horse and her young foal in a paddock next to the road near the dam... she was so pretective of her foal, kinda nuzzling it away from the fence to keep it safe... I mean, the foal must have only been a few days old or something, all legs! it was just a beautiful natural image of how parents care for their children.

On This Day...
Born: Mary Shelly [writer, 'Frankenstein'], 1759.
Events: Ringo Starr married Barbara Bach, 1981.
Useless Trivia: Water is wet when applied liberally.
My Soundtrack: Forrest Gump soundtrack; "The Best of Freinds", John Lee Hooker.
Footwear: nekkid
Weather: cold nights! Autumn has arrived!

Cyalayta
Mallard d'Quackers :o)
"Excuse me, which way is the stage?" (Audience member, lost at Altamont, 1969)

(*) Tropical holidays - and counting...

2006-03-19T15:47:00.000+11:00

Not long until I get to spend ten days - for FREE - in a 5-Star Resort HERE! 11th May, Palm Cove, Cairns, Nth Queensland... I'll be there!
____________________________________

It's Sunday arvo... this'll be my last opportunity to use the inet for a few days [forgot to pay my ISP in time, didn't I? D'oh!] I'm sitting on my arse, it's a glorious day outside, the sun is shining etc etc... and here I sit online! Idiot am I!

At least I got to go sailing for a few great hours with Mr Hoon on Wednesday... the wind ended up dropping right off, but enough to get up to the dam wall and back - a few km's. I love me little boat!

Fingers' crossed, mom's estate will come thru either tomorrow or hopefully by Wednesday... I've already got a list of things that need to be paid off etc and a few debts and a few essentials... $37,000 already! Holy shit! I've only budgeted $12k in total for a car! It's not as tho I'm getting a lot of shit, either! $12K goes straihght to the boys bank a/c - that'll piss their mum right off... [let's not go there, huh...?] As well, JD will be getting a new computer, and I've got two fun pressies for SJ and Ix... a wizz-bang piano-keyboard, and a large-scale remote-control metho-powered car! heh heh. It's so fucking rare than I can actually get something full-on for them nowdays... what the hell... stuff the madness! heh heh

(*) Best Album

2006-03-19T15:37:00.000+11:00

Joni Mitchell - "Blue" [1971]
I only very recently discovered this album [why on earth had I never even heard of it before now?!?], and I have to admit - this would be now one of my TOP-FIVE ALBUMS of all time!

"Never has an album been more deserving of its title. Blue is masterful at creating the mood and thought process of someone who is in the situations Mitchell deals with here. This is a good breakup album. Now, that does not mean that it is downbeat and durge. Blue outlines the questioning of direction and the confusion that breakup victims go through. The album affects you greatly on an unconscious level, while still retaining its ability to be an unexplainably good songwriting achievement.
Consider Mitchell's voice. Until recently, I had found her voice to be rather irritating in its rapid lifts and falls. Then I realized that on her albums (this one in particular) she uses those lifts and falls to flow through her, like someone who is in the situations would try for. She essentially captures the spontaneity of different characters...or maybe they're all one character, I'm not sure.
Mitchell is also a tremendous talent with the guitar, using it for the heightened affect of a backdrop for the beautiful lyrics. Her guitar is like her voice-spontaneous. And the album even ends on a hopeful note with "The Last Time I Saw Richard".
Anyway, enough of my gushiness. Blue is a great escape album, taking you to some places you wouldn't like to be and some places you would."

(*) Comfy Sox

2006-03-15T23:12:00.000+11:00

grouphug.us/confessions/436755302
Everybody has a pair of sox like this, I'm sure... I have an old yellow cotton t-shirt I got in Coolangatta back in 2001, and altho there's a few suspicious moth-looking holes in the front - I cannot bear to part with it! It's like my pyjama top in the colder months :)

TAFE College was fine tonite... getting like 6-months-worth of stuff printed in one hit, then I can sit back and read and edit and doodle and make notes and let it all sink in before I have to start actually writing reports etc etc etc. There were only six of us there tonight... we had a great laff when we read one of the notes in the 'training manual'... obviously the manual's author had a great sense of humour, or was just checking to see if we were paying attention... in a bit where we were talking about how to physically set up a training room to create a user-friendly environment, there was a tiny note mid-text saying "Arrange the tables in the middle of the room so the group can lay on them and have sex with each other"! I swear - tis true! We were pissing ourselves laffing, and the poor co-ordinator was so embarrased! Now... *that's* an interesting way to motivate a small group to learn! hahahaha

Going sailing tomorrow... got a mobile phone message downtown this morning... Tim's got a day off (he's the bloke I originally bought my little boat from), so he suggested a sail, and so - why not? We kinda hang out a bit when we can... he's a nice quiet friendly bloke, and he's slowly relaxing enough around me to reveal his wicked sense of humour... heh heh.

Mum's small estate [should] come thru mid-next week... I was speaking to JD on the phone last night [he's absolutely doing great at High School], and he's already given me specific instructions about the computer I am to get him! heh heh. No, seriously, he needs a puter for school, so I was going to always get him one anyway... the extra finances will aid that nicely.

I'm listening to this oldie right now... I have to confess, tho, that as a kid - I was 'heavily' into Sherbet and not Skyhooks! heh heh

____________________

Science on the Cutting Edge

Seventh-grader Jasmine Roberts became a celebrity of sorts in February when her hometown Tampa Tribune published results of her winning science-fair entry, which concluded that the drinking-water ice of several local fast food restaurants contains more bacteria (including some E. coli) than the same restaurants' toilet water. She used a laboratory at the University of South Florida's Moffitt Cancer Center, where she is a volunteer assistant for a professor. [Tampa Tribune, 2-13-06]
_________________________

Least Competent Criminals

Totally Hapless: (1) Matthew John Wyman, told to recite the alphabet at a roadside DUI stop in West Roxbury, Mass., in November, asked the officer if he could please substitute a math problem instead (Answer: No).
(2) Frank Traina's attempted armed robbery of a Chinese restaurant in Levittown, N.Y., in December went awry when the owner realized that Traina's realistic-looking gun was leaking water from the barrel.
(3) In December, Auckland, New Zealand, police arrested the man who had robbed a bank but then, disappointed at the size of the loot, had telephoned the bank manager and ordered him to stand out front with more money, which he would grab on a drive-by. (The robber never showed up, but police traced the phone call.) [Boston Herald, 11-23-05] [New York Post, 12-14-05] [New Zealand Herald-AP, 12-10-05]
__________________________________

WTF...?

While camping in California's Mojave Desert, artist Trevor Corneliusien, 26, chained his own ankles together in order to draw an image of his legs, but when he finished, he realized he did not have the key to unlock the chain. He told sheriff's deputies that he hopped around the desert for 12 hours before arriving at a gas station, where he called for help (January). [New York Times-AP, 1-4-06]

What Is Life?

2006-03-14T17:00:00.000+11:00

What I feel, I can’t say
But my love is there for you anytime of day
But if it’s not love that you need
Then I’ll try my best to make everything succeed

Tell me, what is my life without your love
Tell me, who am I without you, by my side

What I know, I can do
If I give my love now to everyone like you
But if it’s not love that you need
Then I’ll try my best to make ev’rything succeed

Tell me, what is my life without your love
Tell me, who am I without you, by my side
Tell me, what is my life without your love
Tell me, who am I without you, by my side

What I feel, I can’t say
But my love is there for you any time of day
But if it’s not love that you need
Then I’ll try my best to make everything succeed

Tell me, what is my life without your love
Tell me, who am I without you, by my side
Oh tell me, what is my life without your love
Tell me, who am I without you, by my side

What is my life without your love
Tell me, who am I without you, by my side.

(George Harrison (c) 1970)

NB. Ponderables updated!!!

Beware of Darkness

2006-03-13T22:26:00.000+11:00

Watch out now, take care
Beware of falling swingers
Dropping all around you
The pain that often mingles
In your fingertips
Beware of darkness

Watch out now, take care
Beware of the thoughts that linger
Winding up inside your head
The hopelessness around you
In the dead of night

Beware of sadness
It can hit you
It can hurt you
Make you sore and what is more
That is not what you are here for

Watch out now, take care
Beware of soft shoe shufflers
Dancing down the sidewalks
As each unconscious sufferer
Wanders aimlessly
Beware of maya

Watch out now, take care
Beware of greedy leaders
They take you where you should not go
While weeping atlas cedars
They just want to grow, grow and grow
Beware of darkness.

George Harrison (c) 1970

(*) Kinda blues

2006-03-13T12:09:00.000+11:00

It's always amazing what a few hours makes to help a difference in my mindset... I'm hitting about 4/10 again, which is just fine... a whole lot damn better than being stuck in 1/10 for sure! I was terribly sick at like 4am last night... I had dhiarreah like I've never had it before... I hope I didn't wake my housemate, but I needed a shower... yeah, I know... tmi, but, you know, life is messy! heh heh.

Stoopid inet... I was downloading some stuff from a friend of mine in Moldova, and thanx to being still stuck in the dark-ages of a dial-up modem it was taking a few hours... anyways, with 13 minutes to go before it was to finish, my ISP drops out, doesn't it? Gagh! Oh well... the joys of technology.

I'm listening to a CD that was recommended to me that I picked up a few months ago... Peter Wolf "Sleepless" - it's kinda blues... I'm likin' it. There's the occasional Rolling Stone doing some session work, so it's got that casual laid-back vibe I enjoy.

Random... Thoon my fishie is going just wonderfully! He still dances and seems as happy as a goldfish can possibly be, you know...

Sunday, March 12, 2006
Using the letters in the word 'MONDAY,' list things that you do (or would like to do) in your spare time.
Make music
Observe the eclipse of the moon
Nostalgerize
Doze
Adore my sons
Yachting

(*) Dirt from his hands

2006-03-12T22:14:00.001+11:00

Dear Paige.
What can I say? I feel like shit tonight. Even got the shits! heh heh. Walking around in the cooling night air tonite, and I sneezed... that was enough. Christ! I am literally falling apart - I'm only 41. Oh well... lots of people died long before they make it this far, I guess. Yeah, I went from a 4/1o to a 2/10 this arvo, and hit a 1/10 tonight. Life... hmmm... I just dunno what to say, do or think right now. I will do nothing tho... just rot, as usual. Forgotten, alone.

Ah, look at all the lonely people
Ah, look at all the lonely people

Eleanor Rigby picks up the rice in the church where a wedding has been
Lives in a dream
Waits at the window, wearing the face that she keeps in a jar by the door
Who is it for?

All the lonely people
Where do they all come from ?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong ?

Father Mckenzie writing the words of a sermon that no one will hear
No one comes near.
Look at him working... darning his socks in the night when there’s nobody there
What does he care?

All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?

Eleanor Rigby died in the church and was buried along with her name
Nobody came
Father Mckenzie wiping the dirt from his hands as he walks from the grave
No one was saved

All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?

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Succinct

2006-03-08T18:01:00.000+11:00

I could not put this any better myself if I tried.
grouphug.us/confessions/609209501
14 years ago yesterday... has it really been that long...?
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grouphug.us/confessions/529553933
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