Monday 30 July 2007

Touchdown

30 July - Dropped in and out of consciousness on the second leg from Bangkok to London - no contact lenses meant I was denied the hilarity of Blades of Glory on the flight and even pushing my way through to the end of the Memory Keepers Daughter was a struggle (mawkish and nt very satisfying although reading about the struggles of bringing up a child with downs syndrome did have its own slightly terifying relevance). Food on the second leg was rather disappointing - my location in the middle of the plane meant first choices had dried up by the time it got to me and all in all it was pretty awful (the Thais can f**k up food as badly as anyone when it comes to thn long haul flight). Finally touched down in Heathrow and was somewhat relieved to find Chevette and my rucksack had arrived with me; finally got to use my Slovak passport (look at the photo, look at me, come on through p if I had said dyenkuya rather than thank you she would never have known). Took th expensive route into town because I was just too kncakd to negotiat the system and found myself on Matt Radford's doorstep within the hour. Always good to see fambly on the other side of the world, even if it is family I never knew that well *that could change though) and it was only a small operation puttingChevette back together her chain was slightly twisted in the journey and this took a bit of time to get back to normal but other than this slight delay everything slotted together beuatifully and she seemed to have a better trip than I did. Think my packing may have been better thought out but I think i'll be able to suqeeze everything into the main rucksack and it should be sweeet for tomorrow. Managed to get a few hours sleep but was still up at half four - at least i'm awke in thje right timezone - am sure the wall will hit me in the next day or two - lets just hope its not while i'm on the road. Oh well, dublin here we come aye.

The Terminal

Fatigue was really starting to make itself felt and I eventually got back to the aiport - a lot further away from town than the old one was - but still had more than eight hours before i'd be flying and nowhere to sleep except on the metal chairs. I had seen the lounges in the 'Economy Travel Lounge' but was hallucinating from lack of sleep on my return so had a bit of difficulty findingthem. I don't know how Tom Hanks did it for three years - three hours was beyond me. Everything's expensive - ridiculously so for Thailand - noone really talks to anyone else - I had to take my contacts out because they'd been in for approaching 24 hours and my squashed corneas had no way of picking out anything more than the vaguest shape. I did smoke a lot and tried to teach some opf the local baristas how to make a piccolo with very little success (for a people with such amazing culinary powers it baffles me that they can't fot the life of them make a coffee). Somehow I managed to survive until boarding - but then i've got a 12 hour flight to contend with! The Termional was so bad that I was lookingforward to squashing down and getting myself prepped up some DVT action.

Final Countdown

27 July - Free as in freedom. As Chevette was currently in pieces due to her upcoming journey I had no choice but to put her seat on Louisa's Hermaphrodite and take the alternative 'pede into the city (Big Rob likes the paint job). As I sauntered into my last day at the corporate worm farm I received the not unwelcome news that my boss would unfortunately not be present to supervise the final eight hours of billable time. Thank God for Wikipedia and a sale up the road - pushed some papers around, sent a few emails (goodbye everyone - I guess it was nice knowing you) and ran away as soon as I could find someone of enough ranking to sign my timesheet. Next time I'm desperate for a job I think i'd better consider the options a bit more carefully before signing on for three months. Celebrated with ginger beer at the Place followed by the real stuff in Woolloomooloo. A fair smattering of associates, friends and lovers showed up to ensure that i'd actually be getting out of their hair for a time. All got a bit emotional - as was expected - and I think that's a good thing.

No Sex Please, We're Australians

Somehow I managed to overlook the fact that my flight got in at 1030pm to Bangkok and didn't leave until 1230pm - rather than a two hour stopover I had 14 ... Faced with the rather horrific prospect of spending the night in the terminal I investigattd the possibility of dropping into town - at first it appeared that it would be quite difficult then I realised I could literally just walk out and check in the next day. Which was good, I guess. However, considering that it was half past midnight on a Saturday before actually mat into town (my non English speaking cab driver drove half way out and then drove back to the airport to pick up his friend ...) and I was informed that the one place I remembered - the New Orleans inspired Khao San Rd was starting to close up because there was a big buddha day on Sunday the only place where I could expect any light entertainment would be the red light district. I don't deny that I was very curious p having missed the ubiqutuitous Bangkok sex show on my previous visit but it wasn't all that it was cracked up to be. Don't get me wrong - darts, ping pong balls, cigarettes, razor blades, Lisa McCuneish dual action (ie eerily unerotic) - to some extent it was a bit embarrassing to watch, in other ways it was quite fascinating but a lot of the 'acts' seemed to be pretty generic magic tricks with hidden ribbons and paraphenalia - they just happened to use the genitalia. Crossed off my list - thank God. As fatigue had been creeeping up on me rather steadily I didn't want to stay out very long but found the taxi drivers increasingly desperate to hook me up with some prostitutes - the next bar they took me too was a brothel that served drinks. All I wanted was a Thai massage, a banana pancake and some pineapple - guess you can't get everythingat 3 in the moring - even in bangkok. Shortly after this I got fed up and demanded to be taken back to the airport but once again I found myself having females from all over the Asian empire pressed upon me - this time in a really creepy alley that had literally hundreds of streetwalkers lined up with scores of cars slowly cruising by - all with glaring headlights and my taxi driver and his mate gaping at every one. That city has a sordid side.

Return Of The Travelogue

28 July - Oh, how I miss my mini Infrared Wireless Keyboard - he served me so steadfastly in those lonely days in the sweltering heat of Asia and the bitter winter of Canadia - of latter months he's not had so much need due to the acquisition of a machine of real muscle to publish the Missives but now find myself, once again, on a journey. This journey will be too brutal for the laptop to travel and I need only machines of robustness and vigour and 'The Guide' (also known as TheGuide42, PocketPC, and SaxPPC) is the one who shall be taking this journey with me. Spelling and punctuation will doubtless suffer without the benefits of Entourage's helpers but a travelog is not supposed to be easy to read and I doubt that this one shall be.
Much anxiety was experienced on the morn of departure for - not just experienced by me but also those that I love (and who I presume love me) - do I have everything I need? Will Chevette survive the journey? Will I get through customs (those guys always make you feel like you've done SOMETHING wrong)? Have I got the day right? The time right? The airport right? Will I survive the journey that awaits me? Have I left sufficient reassurances back at home that I am a man of honour? Will I have sufficient resources to actually get back home when the journey is all said and done? Is that job that I might have in the bag back at home the kind of thing I even want to be considering doing considering my last disastrous corporate experience? Well, considering that I am now typing this from the cramped comfort of Thai Airways Flight TG996 it's pretty much too late too worry about such things. So I think I won't ...

This is the captain: seatbelt sign is off, please light up

Right now ... That seems quite appealing ...http://www.smh.com.au/handheld/articles/2007/07/27/1185339254814.html

Thursday 26 July 2007

Zen And The Art Of F**king Up A Poker Night

23 July – Another day, another anxiety attack.  Finally managed to get some headway on a particular timeframe but it didn’t go down very well.  What can I say, I cant really negotiate on this one.  In any event, managed to get out of there in one piece and should live to fight another day.  Went to work on a bicycle project in the afters – unfortunately 1974 Raleigh’s have a rather non standard requirement of tools and whilst being a very beautiful machine it proved impossible to get in riding condition on this exercise.  Might have to pass this on to the professionals – at least it looks like a bike now.  The next day seemed to be full of more cases of anxiety – I think word may be spreading about my imminent departure from the most righteous of industries and there was more discussion on how it’s all going to end but it seems to be at the point of no return and I think all concerned parties are finally starting to fully realise the situation.  The latest event to cause me anxiety was the planned Australian Republican Movement Poker Night – ostensibly a fund raiser and membership drive for the yoof of Australia.  Somehow I found myself as a player in the organisation of said event (well, basically because I have intimate relations with a reluctantly senior member of said organisation – it’s not all friendly exercise) – I don’t know whose original idea it was but I stand by the position that it was potentially a good one ... Had it been realised with any sense whatsoever.  Can’t remember when the initial plan for a poker night was actually announced but I made the connection (mistakenly) that it could be connected with the AB, a venue with experience in running poker events, good location, generous entertainment manager and overall good vibe.  After meetings and discussions and more meetings I found myself in charge of or heavily involved with organising a fair chunk of it – venue, tournament director, catering etc and other tasks such as MC, prizes (because we couldn’t make it a gambling event which required negotiating a bureaucratic jungle) and attendees would be left to others (who shall remain nameless).  A fair amount of wrangling and worry on my side was eventually resolved with fair promises from all parties concerned that everything would be okay on the night – for some reason I didn’t feel confident that a newsletter announcement, posters and a facebook.com entry were going to cut it in terms of the marketing campaign but I was assured that all was good on that front – there was a ‘confidence’ in hitting the numbers we’d committed to and everything was going to be alright on the night.  
Well, arrived early at the AB to reap the whirlwind – not long after I was joined by the AB entertainment manager (having taken over the organisation of the event due to underling incompetence), the MC (flown up from Melbourne), the tournament director (organised at last minute and at moderate expense), the tournament director’s assistant (relation) and the ARM reps (a plague upon their houses) and we then waited for the crowds to turn up.  And we waited.  And we waited.  Greg ‘Yeah Yeah’ Matthews was there.  One Young Liberal (I think he was a Ruddock staffer) was there.  Matty G turned up a bit late.  Anyone else?  No.  A more elaborate complaint will follow some time but something resembling an enjoyable night was salvaged – missed my ride and had to ride home full of tequila.  Not good.

Wednesday 25 July 2007

Well, there you go ...

c = 0.999...
10c = 9.999…
10c - c = 9.999… - 0.999…
9c = 9
c = 1
0.999... = 1

Sunday 22 July 2007

The Final Solution - Blueberry Bread

There are two types of people in this world - those who like raisins and those who don't.  The vast majority of the right thinking world are tortured by the delectable melange aroma of toasting raisin bread which is virtually inedible due to the sickly sweet, wrong mouth-feel texture of dried grapes.  The solution to this dilemma is to substitute the raisins with wild blueberries (they're drier than the farmed kind and more suitable to being baked in bread), which are delicious and also a high source of antioxidants (which is good if you've got an excess of oxidants).

Cinnamon Blueberry Bread
By:
Saxifrage Cucvara (I don't deny that a large proportion of this recipe has been stolen from someone in America but the likelihood that this person ever discovers my delicious deception is rather low so I will take all the credit)
Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Cook Time: 45 Minutes
Ready In: 3 Hours 20 Minutes
Yields: Three Loaves (enough for a large family of civilians or a couple of members of the Immortal Class)

INGREDIENTS:
Bread
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup warm water
2 x packages active dry yeast
3 eggs
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup wild blueberries
8 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons milk (for moistening bread)
Cinnamon Swirl
3/4 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:
  1. Warm the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat. Let cool until lukewarm.
  2. Dissolve yeast in warm water, and set aside until yeast is frothy. Mix in eggs, sugar, butter, salt, and blueberries. Stir in cooled milk. Add the flour gradually to make a stiff dough.
  3. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface for a few minutes. Place in a large, greased, mixing bowl, and turn to grease the surface of the dough. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled.
  4. Roll out on a lightly floured surface into a large rectangle 1/2 inch thick. Moisten dough with 2 tablespoons milk. Mix together 3/4 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons cinnamon, and sprinkle mixture on top of the moistened dough.  Roll up tightly; the roll should be about 3 inches in diameter. Cut into thirds, and tuck under ends. Place loaves into well greased 9 x 5 inch pans. Lightly grease tops of loaves. Let rise again for 1 hour.  
  5. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 minutes, or until loaves are lightly browned and sound hollow when knocked. Remove loaves from pans, and brush with melted butter. Let cool before slicing.

Friday 20 July 2007

Phase 3 Complete

20 May – After much deliberation and much delay I finally had the chat that needed to happen with the latest incarnation of a boss.  It seems to me that she has wanted to avoid the clash as much as I have and decided that she didn’t really want to know the reasons why I thought we didn’t quite gel.  There certainly seems to be a slight disconnect as to when our paths will diverge but as far as I’m concerned there really isn't much choice from where I’m standing.  According to one small institution whose product I believe in heartily but am pathologically opposed to purchasing (think sex and parking) I’m fantastic at first glance.  Will this translate to latter success?  I don’t know.  I don’t know if I want it too either.  Maybe it’s a good thing.  What’s not a good thing is the Iwa Japanese restaurant – overpriced, underwhelming braziers that seemed to cook the table underneath better than the flesh on top, terrible service (five tries to get water, waiter ran away in the middle of us ordering sushi and AJ was convinced that they’d substituted the sake for supermarket goon) and a cold and unforgiving atmosphere.  It was so bad that we had to complain (and I was compelled to liberate them of the sake bottle and cups – it was for their own good).  Lack of food there meant overindulging on high carb, high fat, high bleurgh desserts at another nostalgic trip back to my youth.  But it was nice, I guess.

Yellow Flowers

19 July – A much slower day than the previous day of action, layered up discretely to prevent a repeat of the icing of the body (I’ve tolerated so much lower in much less clothing but when there’s no activity you need to sit in a hot tent).  Made a very bad mistake with my personal security which revealed personal flaws of character that I’d rather not have revealed (and which could potentially have never seen the light of day) and whilst there are potentially serious ramifications from actions (virtual or no) perhaps what doesn’t destroy us any makes us stronger.  Read a lot and thought a lot – the fact that I was reading about human nature and how we’re driven by our genes (to a certain extent) didn’t really seem to reassure me of my own nature – a Noble Savage I probably am not.  Sometimes too many riders are too many riders.  

A Pun Is The Lowest Form Of Wit

18 July – After waking up at a quarter to five in the morning and not having the ability to go back to sleep I decided that calling in sick was the proper option – it just so happened that I found myself down in the Shire (where I said hello to Frodo) and also, somehow, found myself in the middle of the shoot of what will definitely be a relatively awful Toyota Rav 4 advertisement.  All in all, not terribly uninteresting – as part of the cyclist section of the ad myself, Yogi, Scooter (nemesis), a bunch of weekend warriors and a selection of stunties (that’s what they call stuntmen in the trade) we had to ride up and down the freezing street, get ‘scared’ by a crazy old man running away from 200 Killer Wasps (kilowatts – oh god, I’ll never be able to show my face at the Chope household after being party to such an awful pun), crash and dump bikes then pile into the vehicle (Clowns in Mini style).  Cyclists were last to get called in for lunch which was probably sensible as there was nothing left after we took our share (apparently there were complaints levelled against the class – mortals and immortal both).  A complete waste of a budget but rather fun.  Regretted only wearing short knicks and jersey as despite it never really warming up when the sun did go down I was shaking.  Made it back into town late for a nostalgic trip down Trivia Lane at the Grand – too late to save the inexplicably named ‘IC’ team but that’s because they just don’t get it.

Wednesday 18 July 2007

What happened to Phase 3?

17 July – What was supposed to be an unpleasant confrontation failed to materialise although it really should have.  However, I did get a charger and some overpriced headphones for my latest toy – considering what I paid for the miniature music machine accessorising it was still a bit of a bargain.  Had a strange phone call in the afternoon which meant that the evening would involve some much needed manscaping.

Monday 16 July 2007

Exit Strategy

16 July – Today marked return of a certain individual which was to prompt the execution of a long awaited although not long anticipated plan – however, things being as they are – did not manage to completely fulfil expectations.  In any event, two out of three phases completed (initially had a two phase plan) and tomorrow, a day I am really not looking forward to, should mark phase 3.  Still had to keep most of my cards very close to my chest for most of the day but did get some blessed relief post work (this slight respite was marred by an unexplained rear flat tyre).  Also found myself in unexpected (slightly unexpected) possession of an iPod in the afternoon – a fashion elecsessory I’ve managed to avoid for most of its existence.  I’m still not converted but at this price it seemed like a good deal at the time.  Let’s see what happens when I accessorise the accessory though.  Relaxed in the evening before re-watching Infernal Affairs – great film, greater remake.

Closed Sunday ... Gone Riding

15 July – The sniffles that plagued me on Saturday mostly failed to materialise although comfort levels where not at their peak.  Generic duties were to be done in the AM but did manage to get L on Hermaphrodite (working name) for a journey out to Centennial Park – this did mean negotiating the core which proved slightly overwhelming but all things considering we got there without too much trouble (she seemed a heck of a lot better than the Hyperhorse considering experience and desire – but that’s not really hard).  Did a circuit which was enough and then made our way back to whence we came – bumped into Crisis John who was suitably impressed with the bargain and value of the steel beast (that’s a Courier Bike – and is there higher possible praise?).  Watched 237 in the evening – not the most plausible teenage angst drama I’ve seen lately although it did seem to have something of an effect on some people.  Standard overenthusiastic classroom scenes, a fair amount of homoerotica and a really twisted incestual twist but where were all the kids from the other years?  When I was at school the pupils ages spanned more than one grade.

I just had a cold! Really!

A chilling fight with psychosis

Sunday 15 July 2007

Global Gutz Review - Shifty

blog.myspace.com/leshiftoire

Blitzkrieg

13 and 14 July – One wonders what to do about it all – could have made some amends with someone I didn’t like but chose not to and tried to make amends with someone I think I like but didn’t have much luck.  Could this be the end?  Perhaps it could be but not yet.  I’d thought I was mostly over the latest bout of influenza but a late night alcohol and remedy session with some of the old pals plus a very nice non vegetarian meal from one of my favourite vegetarians meant I didn’t get the rest I really needed for an event that I really probably shouldn’t have taken part in on Saturday.  The Global Gutz alley cat, so named because of its nature – at last count 12 cities all conducting a 21km checkpoint based traffic race – all starting at the same time (well, two different times but close enough) - was not the thing my fragile body needed to be involved with.  I realised it was going to be one of those races when half the field turned up in lycra (myself included) and with a far too large proportion of roadies in waiting.  As always, there’s nothing better than an alley cat start when the field is still packed together and the traffic just stops as 18 bikes fly through their midst – for one bike they’ll honk, for two they’ll scream but after a dozen or two they know that’s something is going on which they’d better just stay put and wait for them to get out of their way.  Only a couple of close calls throughout the race and as far as I'm aware the only impact was when one of the participants (who shall remain nameless) took out a couple of wing mirrors in a squeezing gap.  Luckily, there was nobody from the Neutral Bay vigilante group to take down the number plate (and there was only one biker with a number plate and he was nowhere near the incident).  Took some very interesting shortcuts that shaved some time but also took a couple of crap ones and was hawking up huge amounts of phlegm throughout the entire event and when I did come in (nowhere near the end but nowhere near the start – Big Rob took it out with ease on his shiny geared machine) I found myself totally overcome with a sneezing fit that lasted for an hour and never really let off all day.  All plans of catching up with people and being productive where pretty much thrown out the window by the pain in my chest and the total onslaught of the virus in action but I was rather impressed with my backyard hack of L’s phone – who needs an iPhone when you’ve got an iPhone skin – it’s got all the good stuff that Mr Jobs wanted but none of the proprietary crap.  Saw an average movie in the Good German (huzzah) and an absolutely awful one in You Me and Everyone You Know which was unwatchable ... After the 14 year old got every teenage boy’s dream I felt it was time to get that Canuckian crap off the screen and out of my life.  Bah.

Friday 13 July 2007

A Swindle?

Finally saw the counter myth to the inconvenient truth - Mr Durkin’s Great Global Swindle certainly puts forward a convincing argument … to a point.  Basically, it's Durkin's graphs versus Gore's graphs - according to The Truth it's atmospheric carbon driving global temperatures and according to Durkin it's solar activity.  Both of these hypotheses have their proponents and both have their detractors and both have been put to significant scrutiny - in Mr Tony 'Lateline' Jones post documentary interview with the filmmaker he released the hounds with specific questions concerning the data samples that that Durkin used - he used a contentious interpretation of satellite data and he deliberately omitted the latest 20 years of solar activity-global temperature stats that ran completely counter to his argument.  In the end they just had to agree to disagree (I don't agree to that!  Neither do I!).  Where Durkin's film fails significantly is his proposal that the green movement has been hijacked by radical Marxists and that global warming believers are trying to hold back the developing world by denying them the ability to utilise fossil fuels.  Perhaps this is happening but that's one of the most significant problems with the greenhouse gas issue - it was created by the West in developing its economy and it's now being exacerbated by the developing world that's just trying to catch up.  The West is not denying its responsibility here and what it should be (and is, to some extent) is assisting the developing world to bypass the growing pains in creating a modern economy - don't bother building the infrastructure for a stepping stone landline telecommunications infrastructure and move straight into mobile world, don't develop older style coal power plants but move straight into clean coal, solar, wind or nuclear power generation (yes, it's nowhere near as simple as that but there's nobody in the West stating that the developing world doesn't have the right to live as we do).

Where the documentary really became interesting was in the panel discussion afterwards - a lot of passion and lively debate - with the best point being put forward by the business reps in that the issue is about managing the risk.  Even if human created global warming isn't true is that a risk we can take?  If it is, and we ignore it then we are basically suiciding the planet.  The audience questions were completely bizarre - of the dozen or so people who asked questions most made completely crazy comments and very few actually asked real answerable questions - notably one seemingly drunk man made a rant about Carbon 14 in coal (which, according to the Google is part of an argument that the Earth is very young and therefore the Biblical Creation myth is true), another hippy student who's doing three degrees including one in Astrophysics stated that Kepler proved that statistical analysis doesn't prove anything and someone else linked Global Warming Sceptics (or Believers, I can't remember which) to the Nazis.  Fun and games!

I for one am not completely convinced on the issue that human created greenhouse gases are causing an increase in global temperatures but what I am absolutely certain of is that human created pollution and environmental damage IS causing catastrophic damage to the world we live in.  We are polluting the air we breathe, we are destroying the habitats of countless species, over fishing the oceans, taking far more than our share of the commons that we share with the rest of Earth's inhabitants - we've only got one planet right now and if we want it to be able to provide for us for more than a few more generations we've got to change our relationship with it.  Now.

PS – Most passionate of the panel was David Koroly – Melbourne scientist and not someone who liked to be questioned on the facts when he could back ‘em up (he certainly seemed to have most of them on hand) - wouldn’t you know it, when going out for a little cigarello in the morning at IAG who should be sitting in the foyer yelling into his mobile phone factoids about 0.5C temp rises and something about scientists in the employ of the fossil fuel industry.  That man has got stamina.

Back Off Man

12 July – Well, apparently we’re not friends but we’re also not enemies and that’s better than last night’s position.  Wondering what I should be doing with myself again and solved it for 15 minutes in a quest for some hot chocolate (it was good hot chocolate but I’m not really the biggest fan of hot chocolate at the best of times).  Found my way back to Farrer Place for the first time in a while – this time allowed in the front door after a short diversion with some banking fellows – went to see Australia’s next Deputy PM give an uninspiring although very well meaning speech on the economics of social inclusion – found myself confronting a potential nemesis and gave him a better update of my future plans to ensure that he doesn’t try anything that he shouldn’t try.  Apparently I can be very threatening and I’m not afraid to show it.  Saw Great Global Warming Swindle ... More to come on that.

Attack Of The Little People

11 July – Slipped and skidded my way into work – got to love the rain on a fixie.  Still getting undercharged for coffees at Palms and CBD which always makes me feel better considering the alternate path.  Wondering what I’m going to do with my life still.  All went well for evening’s babysitting task until an issue developed over finishing peas and eating dessert (albeit a healthy one).  Was given a crash course in negotiating with an eight year old.  All bets are off.

Tuesday 10 July 2007

Etiquette Of The 21st Century And Beyond

9 and 10 July – Finally the virus I have eluded for so long has caught up to me – in a perfect world I’d be laid up recovering but this is the world of a contractor and it is my role to spread the disease.  Have to be more careful going through the spinning doors in future.  Am I a rude person or is it everyone else?  I’ve always thought myself to be very aware of 21st century etiquette but maybe I’m still living in the late 20th century – who knows?  Day 1 of the illness ended up with getting pseudo-pseudoephadrine which didn’t do a very good job but managed to get the good stuff the next day which cleared me right up (setting up the meth lab tonight).  Was forced to watch Harry Potter 4 in the evening and made the mistake of seeing the latest Fantastic Four on Tuesday – sometimes cheap night is just not worth the trouble.

Sunday 8 July 2007

We're Gonna Form A Posse

8 July – Someone rode her new bike today and has opened the door to a brave new world.  Domestic chores and shopping were a bit of a shock to the system and I saw a new side to the local Neutral Bay vigilantes – is accidentally bumping a car and making a teensy little scratch the same as a hit and run or burgling a house?  Perhaps, but I think it depends on which suburb you live in.   Killed arney in celebration of AJ’s birthday (he got a very nice used bicycle wheel from me – sometimes I think I’m TOO generous) and fought a war with someone over someone else.  Too many battles, too little time.

This Game Is Over!

5 July – Bought a new bike Handed in my assignment today and whilst I know I won’t get full marks it’ll be f**kin’ close enough.  Also closed off another chapter in my life.  For good?  I can’t say that but I can only hope.  Apparently the trains between Gordon and Milsons Point were down today and considering I was going to Gordon in the evening this may have been a hindrance ... Had I been a mortal man. As it was, a surprisingly traffic free ride down to the old home where I supped mightily on roasts of both cow and sheep followed by caramel slice.  I’ve just got to keep on thinking of excuses to ride to places considering this sedentary lifestyle that’s crept up on me.  Oh, the shame, the shame.  Another very nice ride back to the new home marred only by the punctured tyre that threatened to slow me down when I hit St Leonards.  As it was, I had the tools and the talent to sort that particular problem out – sometimes you’ve got to get your hands dirty.

A Project

6 and 7 July – Trip 7s, woo.  Was subjected to corporate propaganda and gourmet (???) party pies in an effort to be subverted to the cause.  A difficult choice.  Spent a lot of time riding on Fridee – took far too long to get to Newtown after work and was berated only slightly for it upon arrival at Sydney’s coolest new Melbourne themed drinking bar (Madame Fling Flongs) where we ate overpriced canapés and drank overpriced beer (some of us did anyway).  Had to make an easy choice of eating an awesome Burger Fuel hamburger and a difficult choice of riding Randwick way to have a Pepsi at the crappe cinema bar and to see my surrogate father in action in Transformers.  As good as it could have been although the negative critiques that have been flitting around the blogosphere were pretty accurate as far I was concerned.  A rather late fast and far ride back to McMahons and was woken up for a ... Walk.  I’m a runner, a rider and several other things but I’m not a walker.  Bought a Repco bike – she’s a verra nice, made of steel and with very nice lines – decals are a bit much, bar tape needs a bit of work and the dropouts are too short (but could be grinded) - an excellent start to the next project though.  Another fast and far ride back from Sans Souci which was followed by a family member meet (the last of them?) and a latter session of ‘Knocked Up’ which knocked me out – scary theme though – I don’t like horror movies very much.

Thursday 5 July 2007

Watched Item Ending Soon

4 July – Today I did not declare my independence day but I should have.  Whilst on an infrequent smoking break I caught up with young Brettski, Sydney’s longest serving bike messenger and was shamed to admit (or deny) my current position – especially considering the circumstances in which I have fallen (difficult to admit to a bridge runner the location of said crash) - cooked up a mighty meal to console myself in the evening, didn’t follow the recipe but it turned out just fine.  Textual communication was all I could hope for from the fallen and it proves quite a bit to me in the end.  Bought a new bike ... A Chevette she ain’t but she looks purdy and she looks sturdy and that’s all that’s needed.  I just hope that she’s got horizontal dropouts.

Tuesday 3 July 2007

Better Than A Mailroom?

3 July – Recognised the security guard as someone from the past – what the hell are you doing here?  I have no idea.  Bumped into young Kyle – the very enthusiastic Crisis boy who came a stalwart DFL in ‘Show Me The Money’ so long ago – he’d heard the stories of my recent industrial transfer (so you’re working in a mailroom?  Oh, something better than a mailroom?  Aye, Kyle, I am but what is better???) - Lent a forgiving ear to an old chum in the early evening before pumping my legs westward and southward to get to Broadway, just in time to be told that Transformers had sold out on the bitter Tuesday evening.  What are you going to do?  You’re going to go to the pub, that’s what you’re going to do.  Mused about hanging around until the later session but calculated that if I’d not closed the door properly it would be best if I opened it.  

Monday 2 July 2007

Access Schmaccess

2 July – Rode to work via the bridge for the first time in quite some time (?).  A hearty ride at the best of times but these are not the best of times.  Prolonged disputes over one particular individual’s inability to understand with the fact that people who do not have cars have absolutely no use for garage door buzzers but if that’s not just an excuse for being dodgy I don’t know what is.  Found myself tackling an Access database school assignment for a fair chunk of the evening (and day?) - extraordinarily badly written assignment which contributed dramatically to the difficulty in getting it done but even without considering that particular danger it’s still f**king hard and that’s coming from someone who used to live in the application for a year.  I will not be beaten by it, I tell you.

Sunday 1 July 2007

Chapter Closed?

1 July – Had to retrieve a vehicle left up north in the morning – Chevette was more than up to the task of getting me there in double quick time (and it was a lot further than I thought) - before heading back to Chez Redfern for what was hopefully the last time in a while – forms were signed (but perhaps should not have) and there was an unfortunately inevitable lack of total closure.  I certainly was not surprised about the results of the end but consoled myself with inadequate bicycle advice and a new pair of shoeses.  I needed a new pair of shoeses.  Afternoon had a rather dramatic desire to mellow after antagonism of morning and calm was induced with food, film, friends, more food and assorted special calming ingredients with their own unfortunate thought experiment side effects.

Now Is A Time For Doughty Men

29 and 30 June – Survived another morning at the household and another day at the office but was off at the crack headin’ back towards Redfern way for a last hurrah.  Despite cleaning the bathtub of the roadside detritus for the first time in quite a while it didn’t get any use disappointingly.  Ate three too many pizzas over the course of the day but digested them without too much trouble.  Following the sophisticated cultural jaunt of latter days went to the political musical we had to have and it was absolutely the musical I had to see.  Generally have very little time for the genre but when it’s done right it’s f**king awesome.  Most of the actors didn’t really resemble or even sound like their real life equivalents but it didn’t really matter.  In fact, the only thing that mattered was that you would have had to have liked Keating to enjoy it and I did and it was great (helped that I did a bit of research on the Redfern speech just prior to seeing it).  Can only imagine what the real Paul’s reaction might have been to the love in – not really possible not to have swollen his already rather large ego.  Had a happy ending mainly because they changed it from reality.  Previous night’s boxing paid dividends and was up early to grab a truck and soon had four doughty men donating to the moving karma pool and performing fine labours (not breaking the rules of physical geometry like getting into Glebe but worthy work nonetheless).  Was very surprised at how well it worked all things considering – cleaned for a couple of hours (up to my standards, hopefully up to landlord’s standards but very doubtful it’s up to one certain individual’s standards but tomorrow will tell on that one).  And now, I’ve got a new place to live for a while.  What have I let myself into?  An evening at a cocktail party on the North Shore was suitably restrained but I certainly know what side of the bridge I’m from these days (even if geographically confused at the moment).