Wednesday 31 October 2007

Dance To Your Own Beat (My A**e)

The whole point of a silent rave is that you are silent.


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No Hot Food

29 and 30 October - Was that directed at me?  Is DST good because I get to stay out playing longer or is it bad because I've got to get up earlier?  This morning it seemed to be the latter - certainly seemed to be the excuse de jour for this place.  Took advantage of the old industry for a few personal deliveries - would have loved to have ridden out to collect myself but rolling away doesn't really seem to be an option at the moment.  And that is a shame.  Eastern Promises has the intensity but an ending that disappoints.

Monday 29 October 2007

Novelty House Item No 1 - Papuchado Cookies with Cinnamon

A kosher snack for the semite with a sweet tooth.  All the way from merry Israel straight to Bondi Junction Coles - despite being made with unleavened flour (or whatever it is that makes this particular biscuit kosher) it's actually quite nice - there are not enough biscuits out there made with cinnamon.  It's similar to the 'What's a better babka?  Chocolate or cinnamon?' conundrum.  Why can't you have a chocolate AND cinnamon babka? In any event, it's interesting to note the cultural specialities at the Coles here compared to Broadway - no Asian aisle here (well, not one i noticed)

A Beautiful Mission

Meshing with Meraki - LachStock
This is something I must do - if I'm going to visit a prostitute I might as well share her around.

Sunday 28 October 2007

Honesty Is The Best Policy

Sometimes it's nice to pay for things online - Radiohead just made a cool three pounds off me (which is less than the quoted eight US dollars that i've read as an average and more than the one pound that is the word on the street). Very interesting post about it what this could mean for the future of information peddling (http://digg.com/tech_news/P2P_vs_Radiohead_s_free_Rainbows_why_P2P_can_be_a_hard_habit_to_break).
After several months of living in 2025 with the relative confidence that we were surrounded by a plethora of free parking despite recently being warned by Mr Gray that the no stopping sign meant you weren't allowed to park out the front i was rather amused to see every car out the front of the house to have a $185 ticket! Discovery made more satisfying that the small and doughty man had slipped the net by a matter of minutes.

Next Time, Swallow The Red Pill ...

26 and 27 (28!!!!) October - I think there were a few more goals kicked at the Confidential Place but I can't quite be sure - in any event, the day was over eventually and i made my way to the Slip Inn for a work drink or two to celebrate the departure of a couple of people I barely knew - made it through the front door before a meaty hand found itself on my shoulder and I was soon informed, not very politely, that i would not be allowed to enter the place of such utter sophistication because of the 'no shorts' policy.  Thought about trying to argue that technically they were 3/4s, i was expected in there and also, how could i not be sophisticated, i have a 2025 postcode but decided that an argument was not really how i wanted to spend the beginning of the weekend so i rolled up to Martin Place where better company (perhaps not so sophisticated) was to be found.  Discovered one of the pitfalls of piracy was randomised files and took a posse up to the video store where little could be agreed upon but a minor consensus allowed us to take on a small chest of discs for evening watching.  Ghost Rider, where do I start? I think it might have worked as a comic book.  Oh, it was?  Well, there you go.  A rather hardcore Saturday that started with fixie traffic dodging across town to the homestead, then my first real pillion ride out to Eastern Creek followed by go karting at the raceway (only really seemed to get it near the end by which stage i was fighting for DFL which i didn't get ... damn) then back cityward for a night of sophisiticated dining at 'aqua' - atmosphere slightly marred by the fact that there was a Christian swim meet happening at the pool below but did score a new animal on the list in the form of the tiniest portion of rabbit possibly ever committed to a dish.  They did have nice bottles of water though.  Who'd have thought, one year ago, that I'd be where I am right now and what does the next year entail?  I hope the next animal is larger.  Whale may be a mammal but so is rabbit.  A pleasant ride to Manly where I had the worst coffee I've had in a long time, little chat with a toothless old courier (why do they always lose their front teeth?  I think I got out at the right time) and back to the other side where our sins caught up with us.  Some people have no self control, I'm glad I'm one of them.

Friday 26 October 2007

Etiquette In The 21st Century - The Double Up Return

24 (or is 25 - it was 25) October - Cracked the elusive formula to do some particular finessing of data and had a small victory, also discovered in my online forum travels a new and rather elegant solution to the problem which is slightly less processor intensive than my version. Had to dress up for the board despite having zero contact with the board and also had to deal with wet underpants for the first half of the day.  Had a rare afternoon caffeine fix and was very disappointed that i missed out on the post 1430 double stamp - also reminded me that i'm still waiting for my Burgerfuel membership card (have not joined a hamburger club in my short life and i think it's time that i do); in evening had a run in with the cunning workers at Guzman and Gomez, the half decent Mexican chain that the small but doughty man dragged me along to.  Ordered the beef burrito sans beans and was a short way through when I realised they'd snuck a paltry poultrey version on me - it was still uneaten enough to be returned and swapped for the correct order and hey, if they're going to throw this one out then i might as well eat it, hmm?  This meant i couldn't really polish it off whilst waiting because it would hardly do to tuck in with gusto to something you disliked enough to return.  Was not long before i found myself in the enviable position of having my dinner doubled up but i wasn't to have the last laugh.  Upon the first bite of the replacement the thwarted cook had filled my new beef burrito with beans and was now rendered inedible.  Could i return it again?  In the interests of not causing a scene i decided it would be safer to just admit that this battle was lost and i ate bird on that night. 

Thursday 25 October 2007

I Like Škoda's But Not That Much

22, 23 and 24 October – Well, it's good to know that a certain somebody is no longer homeless although it does seem that I'll have to take care of the housewarming gift but that's what the bidnessman has to do.  Making some small progress on some of the fronts but not all - I'm quite curious as to the reasons why anyone would think I have the slightest interest in Kylie Minogue's comeback - I don't dislike her or her music but I don't recall ever advertising that I joined her fanclub.  Was suitably disgusted by the level of service at the Cock'N'Bull - we have no electronic buzzers therefore you cannot order any food (???) but the meal wasn't too bad despite being pipped at the post in finishing it by a small (but doughty) man.  First of the television wars was resolved without a shot being fired - very excited to finally get to see the Val Kilmer epic 'Real Genius', at least until I watched it.  Despite rave reviews by the Club it was not nearly as great as I'd hoped - typical college comedy with cold war overtones - it could have been a lot worse but I find it hard to sympathise with a bunch of geniuses who work out at the last minute that their 5 megawatt laser might be used as a weapon.  What's it going to be used for?  Ah, we'll let the engineers work that one out.  Not exactly as attuned as Robert Oppenheimer's grandiose statements of doom but it's good to see a pre-Iceman pretty boy Kilmer (he's really pretty unlike his bizarre looking co-star) doing what he does.  And another thing, why would a certified genius give a flying f**k if his "professor" tells him that he might not let him graduate?  What's a degree when you can build a laser beam??? 
Not sure what happened the next day but I presume it was relatively riveting but afterwards went to see Michael Clayton at the worst possible cinema for a Tuesday (although you could get a drink there so I couldn't really be too upset - not that i got one) - pretty slow but not so bad, always good to see the man get it stuck to him even when it was a woman (who was relatively sympathetic when all was said and done).  Had my first ride in the rain in a while - not so much fun when you're wearing jeans (not so much fun when you're not in the class) and had to do a bit of driving later on.  Growl.  I don't know, I just don't know.

Wednesday 24 October 2007

Potential Problems with Arrays

Array formulas are very powerful. But they can have several problems (of which I'm only listing the one):

Only a small number of Excel users use them regularly. So if you'll be using them for the first time, you might not be able to find a co-worker who can help you with them.

Monday 22 October 2007

Where's The Worm?

20 and 21 October - Wha ... who?  A clean house speaks very little of its occupants - how can you know anything about something when all of their secrets are hidden away?  However, a good day's filing has a certain amount of satisfaction when it's been waiting the best part of two years. Now, that's mostly done it's time to start thinking about paying back the government for all its done for me (and I mean that in the nicest possible way for all the ASIO spiders who might be the only real audience for this particular missive).  I've a feeling I'm going to have to be very careful with the Porsche sunglasses as they've tried to escape my clutches on several occasions now even when I've been doing good deeds.  But what can be done about that?  A little familial reunion to see the boy off at the airport, amusing seeing the frequent flyer try to tell the check-in guy how he should be doing his job.  Good thing that we noticed the Fusion razor blade's electric action before it was dropped off in the plane (we had to explode your luggage sir because of the vibrator (not YOUR vibrator, it's inappropriate to imply ownership)).  Ate some banana bread (baking is very important in any relationship). 
Early morning wakeup call to try to catch the tail end of the Spring Cycle, first time I've ridden over the bridge in about a week (woo); it's much more fun when you're fighting cars and not the critical mass crowd - nonetheless a fair cycle to celebrate spring, took the road to Rhodes, found myself in familiar territory so took the train back homeward and off to a party in the afternoon.  Why would anyone design a toilet seat that won't stay up?  I'm a big believer that anyone using the bowl should be aiming for the water but sometimes there's spray and having a seat that falls down as soon as you push it up is just asking for trouble.  It must have been a woman who invented it.  Is that a sexist comment?  Coming from me I suppose it must be.  Watched the great debate in the evening - according to the worm which I didn't see it was taken by Rudd but most of the elections I can remember in recent years were won by the loser - and how many voters actually watch the debate?  Far more people see the dodgy ads with the unflattering photos of the other side's leader and the ominous gravelly voiceover declaring the horrors of what might happen if that party will win.  Many questions, many answers (some of which were even answers to the actual questions) and a bit of school boy baiting by each side.  I know who I'll be voting for anyway. 

Sunday 21 October 2007

Stop Me If You've Heard This Before

6 and 7 October – A ride through town to recover from previous night’s excesses was welcomed, breaking of fast in Surry Hills was rather disappointing though, food stuff intake was slightly improved at La-Paris Go in Bondi – had been absolutely assured by small but doughty that the food was superb – well, don’t know if it was the place itself or just the suburb and the day but any place where you have to wait half an hour for breakfast (or luncheon) is probably worth going to – was impressed enough by it to give it another go but not so much that I’ll be making plans to get there again. Waitress was surly in a good way which is preferable to being just surly.
Am definitely in need of a tourist’s guide to Woollahra and Paddington – an evening stroll through the backstreets revealed that there’s a lot more to it once one breaks free of the Oxford Street.   Is it just me or should Frank Oz stick to the front side of the camera?  If the audience reaction was anything to go by it was probably the funniest movie to hit cinemas since Dirty Rotten Scoundrels but this film like that film had about as much entertainment value as far as I was concerned.  Now, a gay dwarf lover is a pretty f**king funny concept but it can’t carry a film.  Nobody’s accused me of lacking a sense of humour for not enjoying this film, thus far, but that did happen when I expressed distaste for his previous fillum – is it the lowest common denominator?  I think and hope so.  Golf was cancelled, don’t know if I should be disappointed or not – the invitation piqued my interest but not so much that I could really feel disappointed by the lack of it – I’ve got to stay away from Bondi Junction.  Malls don’t suit my temperament very much.

Saturday 20 October 2007

Hatchback Cars by Škoda

17 and 18 and 19 October - Watch out for cars in the HR fast lane because you might get hit.  Apparently this place can be a bit of sieve - i don't think i'm one of the wholes, at least I don't think i am but apparently there's a drop in the whirlpool.  Afters found myself at a rather prestigious media event - 'so, who are you with?' seemed to be the dominant question in the early stages and I was getting a little tired of using the 'I'm NEW media' line but it did tend to shut people up for a little while and I got less sympathy than saying I was there for moral support.  Fontly speaking, the presentation could have been a bit more exciting but I suppose I should have worked on my mental telepathy before making any giant claims for MS expertise.  Three or four glasses of wine seemed to push the limits of this young gentleman, especially when he was being accosted by a couple of swingers.  Irristibility can be a drawback at times.  Really shouldn't have ridden back to the north side but my potential ride decided that she'd prefer to take the Silver Service cab rather than the bike friendly station wagon behind her and after bombing back over the bridge all it took was a wee sip of beer and a wee puff of nicotine to send me horizontal.  And someone at my dinner!  At least it was replaced by a breakfast.  Stresses and stresses but ah, McMahons.  Confidentiality and a ride back home along the cliff's edge, lamb is very expensive these days, probably because so much is being spent on genetically engineering a tailless sheep that doesn't need to be mulesed.  A bit of a testoserone fuelled cooking frenzy and some warez swapping made for a fine evening of gentlemanly exchange but it also meant another slight sleep in which I'm hoping isn't going to become a habit but it might be.  I'm getting a little confused about what's to be done at times - took a circuitous route through the eastern suburbs and found myself at Chez Collins and the home of the new baby - another one, a plague upon this Earth I say.  Just a bunch of lemmings - but, like lemmings, they're very cute.

Wednesday 17 October 2007

Predigestion

16 October - Finally managed to get to the top of Chester on Chevette, unfortunately mostly reliant on the old connection which is disappointing.  More HR woes, meeting to meeting, somehow managed to get a rather awful luncheon too late in the afternoon for my liking (Subway is to the Big Ass Sandwich as to what a Big Mac is to a Burgerfuel burger - despite having decent volume it's pre-digested and can be inhaled and swallowed with the minimum of resistance - you will never hear of any human being suffocating on a Subway sandwich being stuck in their throat).  Blah blah blah.  It's much harder to get excited about the confidential world as it is the other one.  Tax returns are a pain the arse.

Monday 15 October 2007

Where Are You?

12, 13, 14 and F**kin' 15 October - Friday, if i can remember back that far may have involved some HR dramas which i think i talked my way out without too much trouble (it really can take up a lot of the energy of a day) and felt obliged to calm myself with a sizeable quantity of beer with some fellows who seem from the past - was rather pleased to win a cool eight dollars playing the who wants to be a millionaire game despite using my two only two lifelines on the first two questions.  Rushed back to ready myself for a belated return to the RSL for trannies for what seemed to be a work function considering the company i was with.  even found myself face to face with the reprobate who created the spreadsheets that are making my life a living hell right now.  upstairs was karaoke.  there are many different ways to experience this type of recreation - there's the smoky (not so much anymore) coffin that could be sardine jammed with bad singers and cheap booze, then there's the sordid late running boozy wineo bars that have many remember with dread and embarassment the next morning and then there's the gay ones with an army of failed Idol contestants and show tune spouting queens who often can sing really, really well.  And there was me croaking out Primal Scream Rocks and not getting booed off stage.  Somehow recovered enough after minimal sleep to ride to Gordon (on the new route over the Cahill Expressway but this time with the last minute decision to ride the roadway of the Harbour Bridge for the first time which was surprisingly easy when all was said and done) - had to do manly tasks on top of the roof (with minimal safety equipment which i was rather surprised about) then back southward again.  First victory in chess or checkers for the first time in over a decade.  If i was actually any good at all then i might have had the humility to throw the games in light of the competition's experience but it happens so rarely that i'd take every victory i could get.  Made a playdough (sorry, Das) dragon and assisted in making gourmet items for consumption (i inserted a fair share of effort for whole proceedings, i think?) where there was later delicious consumptions with fine company (and little company) but it took everything out of me and i did the unthinkable.  Crashing out on a Saturday night in absolute physical exhaustion.  Vacated myself earlyish for the start of training (back in the cleats on Chevette now) and took the slow, stop-starting but relatively picturesque journey down towards Ikea and back.  Refueled with a burger, took the very long route back to the north side for commiserations and collapse, refueld again, seemed to put things back together but still in the haze of almost complete loss of active energy ...  This is the longest gap between a post since the days of battery saving, Third World desolation where i still managed to find a hotspot in the darkest parts of the world.  I really don't get Scoop - I never really liked Woody Allen and am still yet to see the great ones he's meant to have created - but this is just slow and strange and kind of boring but at least it's not one of Adam Sandler's fantasy worlds can be exceedingly bizarre at the best of times but i cannot bring myself past the nauseating quasi plot of a man falling in love with someone who can't make new memories. The memory screwed up plot cliche has been used far too many times and his version is advocating what is really sexual abuse and not a love story.  In reality his character has the moral equivalence of a man who falls in love with a woman in a coma.  More HR woes - a charity screening (that i pretty much abused i'm sorry to say) - i think my Excel skilz are still there, that's kind of reassuring.

Thursday 11 October 2007

A Night With The Fonz

11 October - More dealings with the HR side of life, return of my own management which has brought me back to reality - some afternoon strategising and stressing over things that happened before my time.  Well, had found myself with an invite to what could have proved to be a very interesting night - our gentleman Prime Minister had given very short notice that he'd be speaking at the Sydney Institute and that the topic was unannounced.  Thinking it might be a major scoop for Evil Melon i thought it would be something that just had to be seen (as it was, there was no election announcement so I was disappointed on that front).  After rolling up to the front entrance in jeans and a Skin Grows Back t-shirt i thought there might have been an issue with getting in but my name tag was there and there didn't seem to be a problem as long as i shelled out the tithe (are you media?  No, i'm NEW media ...) - well, he didn't fill the ballroom and whilst he didn't announce the election he did announce something that might be a key issue for what this next election is to be about.  The unfinished business of reconciliation with indigenous Australia - absolutely it's of national importance but i just don't think that this is the man who can bring it about. Whilst he did admit that he may have been somewhat wrong on the importance of the symbolic act of reconciliation he was still adamant that an apology should not be given (so much so that he couldn't even use the word lest someone might misquote him ... would i do such a thing?) and that he would not ever think of Australia as a country whose heritage we shouldn't be proud of.  I love my country.  I'm proud of my country.  I hate my country for some of the things that have been done in it's name.  These are not contradictions.  I also have to disagree with the proposal to recognise the idea that the Aborigines were the first people of this nation.  This is absolutely incorrect. The Aborigines were the first inhabitants of this land.  This nation, which was either founded in 1788 or 1900 (depending on which way you want to look at it), did not include Aborigines as people of this nation until 1962 (maybe 1948 if one had a very good lawyer).  In any event, for what it's worth if this thing ever does come to a referendum I think I'll vote for it.  I just hope that it's not this Prime Minister who's going to put it there. 
I can't believe I shook his hand ...

Stratospheric Ambition

http://mobile.theonion.com/content/node/67854

BWD RIP?

10 October - Who dares to wake me from my slumber???  Mornings and their ilk can be most disturbing at times - didn't get my breakfast upon awakening to dramatic rescheduling of the AM activities - did an escort run to Redfern and doubled back into town (can't complain too much about these events - they expand the ride substantially (although a substantial proportion is at a somewhat reduced tempo), they give me a chance to exert my authoritie and they're for an excellent cause) where i had a halfway decent old school substitute breakfast to bode me through the morning.  Productiivity wasn't at a peak but my empire was plugging away at a decent pace, have high hopes for what it could become.  Some more escort work was required in the evening and had a bit of a reprogramming of evening events due to canine illness (could this be the end of Zebedeeeee?  Not my favourite dog of all time but one that has been a stalwart fixture in my life regardless and one who will be sorely missed from this world).  Its no surprise that Mr G's favourite song at high school was one of Mr Islam's ditties.  A brief respite at Irish pub (which actually is pretty Irish now that I have the experience to determine what is) that turned out to have a trivia going (despite crapping out on some woeful misses - the original king in the Lion King, how could i have not known that arcane bit of trivia - and dreadfully missing the Grand Duo of Sax'N'Binna and the unbeatable triumvirate of the Grand <<insert name here>>), could have stayed because of the tantalising incompetent competition but decided it wouldn't be that night. I have women's underwear to wash and it must be done.  Lucky me.

Wednesday 10 October 2007

Hate The Office, Love The Power

9 October - Early morning is meant for breakfasting and mental preparation for the horrors of daily life - not exercise - first time I've shared Centennial Park with the AM crowd - I don't know why but I felt a lot of resentment towards the lycra clad warriors - perhaps it's was the overweight frames riding roughshod over their underweight frames, perhaps it was because I had to hold back and let myself be overtaken time and time again - nevertheless, I don't think this will be habit forming.  The day of work held new wonders of the human resource experience - managed to delay any meaningful decision for as long as possible but eventually had to cave and not be a Robert Ford - there's always going to be someone disappointed in this world - it had to be someone, unfortunately it was going to be someone who was going to take it worse than others. But what are you going to do?  You're going to commiserate with eating some BurgerFuel and seeing a one woman show.  After seeing that show I was surprised that there was more than one woman in the audience (is that right?  well, that f**king play wasn't).

Great Minds Think Alike

I've long considered puns the lowest form of humor. But Batman & Robin made me wonder if puns double as the lowest form of human communication, lower even than limericks, angrily hurled clumps of feces and commenting on internet message boards (just kidding, I love you all, you beautiful, beautiful readers, you).
http://mobile.avclub.com/content/blog/my_year_of_flops_case_file_74

Tuesday 9 October 2007

On The Other Side

8 October - Interviews, interviews, interviews, interviews ... interesting to be on the other side of the table though.  Adventures of the day involved rescuing a sick co-worker from embarrassment (who may or may not be pregnant).  Went to support the Labor Party in the evening (my presence should be support enough) that had a contender, a could a been and a few stalwarts from past and present.  Bondi Beach does not have the dinner support that I expect from a beach side 'burb but did manage to eat some ribs which stuck to my ribs (as it were).  

Sunday 7 October 2007

The Fast And The Furious

6 and 7 October – A ride through town to recover from previous night's excesses was welcomed, breaking of fast in Surry Hills was rather disappointing though, food stuff intake was slightly improved at La-Paris Go in Bondi – had been absolutely assured by small but doughty that the food was superb – well, don't know if it was the place itself or just the suburb and the day but any place where you have to wait half an hour for breakfast (or luncheon) is probably worth going to – was impressed enough by it to give it another go but not so much that I'll be making plans to get there again. Waitress was surly in a good way which is preferable to being just surly.
Am definitely in need of a tourist's guide to Woollahra and Paddington – an evening stroll through the backstreets revealed that there's a lot more to it once one breaks free of the Oxford Street.   Is it just me or should Frank Oz stick to the front side of the camera?  If the audience reaction was anything to go by it was probably the funniest movie to hit cinemas since Dirty Rotten Scoundrels but this film like that film had about as much entertainment value as far as I was concerned.  Now, a gay dwarf lover is a pretty f**king funny concept but it can't carry a film.  Nobody's accused me of lacking a sense of humour for not enjoying this film, thus far, but that did happen when I expressed distaste for his previous fillum – is it the lowest common denominator?  I think and hope so.  Golf was cancelled, don't know if I should be disappointed or not – the invitation piqued my interest but not so much that I could really feel disappointed by the lack of it – I've got to stay away from Bondi Junction.  Malls don't suit my temperament very much.  Blah.

Saturday 6 October 2007

Still In The Bidness

4 and 5 October – Cigarellos and other foul scented cheroots can take their toll on a man especially when there are meetings, meetings, meetings and meetings one didn’t even know where on.  Sometimes its good to watch a taut political thriller, even one by the Bruckaneer and filled with all manner of famous actors and famous actors’ sons.  It’s also good to rewatch a film when one has the benefit of recently seeing its ancient prequel – one scene, which seemed relatively pointless at the time, was all the more enlightening when taken as an homage to the predecessor.  Also interesting to note the prevalence of foul language which one only really notices when sitting next to an eight year old (you’re not allowed to use those words until you’re older ... Like when you are nine).  Fool that I am forgot to drop the vids off on the way into work but lucky for me I still have some friends in the delivery bidness and it was a quick call for rectification on that front.  I do remember feeling nothing but disgust for a girl when I did a DVD return for her back in Vancouver – now it doesn’t seem so lazy.  It seems that I’ve adjusted enough to the toe clips in order to be able to climb up hills again – also interesting to note that my new affectation seems to have earned itself some fans, it could be a brave new world in the Sydney messenger scene.  After suffering through a Polynesian theme day and battling with the stresses of HR decisionology I went to relax by helping out the Green Dog with her alley cat for Peckers only (what a nasty term) and before I knew it I found myself in the competition (my entry was validated by the fact that I was no longer working and a shortage of competitors).  Been a little while since my last alley cat and this one was actually quite a good one – relatively simple, just hit checkpoints and do random tasks but at night time and in the relative rush hour of after six meant it was certainly not breezy.  A couple of very good checkpoints – Loading Dock of Tower 3 Darling Park, a bitch of a get to even during the daytime but even worse at night, the unknown to me at the time Butt St for naughty photos (which put me in good stead for the grand prize) - almost got run into by another competitor, made a bad navigation decision at one crucial point and had Chevette’s chain come off on busy Elizabeth street meant for a very interesting ride.  Came in fourth which was not too shabby but won the only prize worth winning in the end (Best Buttocks 2007 – great prize when you apparently don’t have any) and proceeded to get relatively drunk afterwards. But certainly not as drunk as other it seems.

Wednesday 3 October 2007

Father, Why Have You Forsaken Me?

2 and 3 October – Some aggressive drivers (and riders!) had the temerity to interrupt the smooveness of the early commute – for a Tuesday it was pretty much what one would expect a Tuesday to be like – fought through the baby section of Davey Jones’ locker – the best thing about babies being born within days of each other (and of the same gender) means presents can be sought out with a minimum of effort.  Escaped the clutches of the freedom place and hitched a ride out to the Prince of Wales to see the latest offering to the world – Coco Rose is small and pretty and quiet and is bound to lose one of those qualities in the future and I’m hoping its the right one.  Was very disappointed by the quality of Arthur’s local franchise offering – I can’t be certain since it was heresy but what I heard is what the boys is being saying is what I heard but apparently the management types decided to turn one of the most popular pizza joints in the country that sold some of the best pizza I’ve ever eaten (but possibly not as good as the German offering although that could have been the experience and not the actual foodstuff) into a franchise (was it always a franchise?  I don’t know) by refurbishing the cool, dark interior with bright lights and white tiles and replacing the pizza with the “original” Arthur's recipes which are just the same as half the gourmet pizza places in town.  Well, the audience has spoken.  Very upsetting.  Almost more upsetting than the hours of tech investigation into the punishing home network situation (which is probably Hermes's (God of Communication?  Definitely God of Messengers ...) way of punishing me for all those years of sucking the spare bandwidth off the teat of the multitudes who actually pay for the stuff.  Even recently daughtered tech support guy couldn’t help.
For some reason (I can’t think why ...) a headache upon awakening which was not completely lost by the usually refreshing coast into town (perhaps it was because I was coasting).  Handed over to the router to the experts but I don’t think even they are capable of averting Hermes’ wrath.  Best laid plans are sometimes just that – it’s a Wednesday and Wednesday’s have a purpose.  One must find out what that is.

Monday 1 October 2007

Long Weekends Aren't That Long

1st and 30 Septober – Another speedy ride was just what was needed to shake off the remnants of the poker victory and a new route through Paddington (not so good) and across the Cahill Expressway to the bridge (very good) invigorated the senses enough to steel myself for a children laced extended drive to the heart of the Northern Beaches (a part of Sydney that inhabits a different dimension to the one I’m used to) - a little disorganisation put me in the driver’s seat as Alpha Male bar(BQ)tender and I had to shake off the oestrogen laced help that was pressing in on all sides – not much of a beach when all was said and done – seemed to be more of a marina that one would be more likely to put one’s boat in than one’s person (if one owned a boat to put in it as it were) but one could still while away the day in relatively fine fashion (could have done without the wind, most hated of the elements, but one must take the weather as it comes).  Saw one of the newer specimens to the human population on the way home – young Sarah seemed mostly content to eat and cry and Erasmus wanted everyone to know that he was still going to be the centre of attention for a little while longer.  Best laid plans of a cinematic trip gave way to the home room substitute – the prequel to Enemy of the State would have been a very exciting movie experience were its audience not threatening to pass out from semi-exhaustion whilst watching – certain strategies had to be put in place to require proper attention.  Little bit more riding in the morning – out but not into the zoo, considered kaffirnating in Moss-Man but realised that there’d be no nicobating so had to wait for an overpriced one in the PM’s burb.  It seems my pancake skillz are back in form – no record breakers but at least they were working and not falling apart like recent attempts.  A bit of a battle on the home wifi front – can’t for the life of me to get it to work like it’s supposed to, sporadic success in some areas leads to failures in others but I have got something and that’s a sign that it will work in the future.  Got some photo retouching advice in the afternoon, visited the local beach in the evening, had the worst fish’n’chips I’ve eaten in recent memory and wandered the depths of the Junction trying to find a supermarket.  Local knowledge takes time.

Cheap Night, Expensive Day

28 Sand 29 Eptember – For some reason excessive evenings seemed to put me in a more relaxed state on Friday and despite being denied ... Something which I can’t remember the day seemed to pass without too much incident.  A few errands for the new president and a little bit of socialisation took me to old stomping grounds where I was informed that another one of my great ideas was stolen.  Me, Dion and El Presidente found ourselves at Town Hall for a silent rave – Dance To Your Own Beat™, basically an ego-casted miniature dance party that was far too noisy to take its assumed nomenclature – disappointed that it was stolen but glad to see it in action nonetheless.  Re-watched the Bourne Supremacy in the evening, I do like an icy cold angel of death nemesis – especially a vodka swilling, Russian dance music listening, ex-LOTR up comer.  Took a morning ride around the Green Witch, had a disappointing café, found that an afternoon planned luncheon had been cancelled by PJ and Kate for some petty excuse (ingrates) then took the freed up afternoon as an opportunity to purchase some new jeans (god, I hate shopping but at least the fact that we were in Newtown meant I got to have some sustenance from the NZ based In-And-Out challenger).
Slowly convincing the people around me of the benefits of the velocipede and a slightly tweaked Frangelica gave me a riding companion out to Leichhardt for a poker night – slightly less entertaining without the Scottish friend (but almost definitely a hell of a lot more efficient) and I wasn’t going to complain about the organisational changes because I found myself with a rather tidy profit for the evening (but not for the day).  Ate smoked drank, got some good news about an event that happened at 11:19pm and then took the slightly wobbly riders back towards the homestead.  The small but doughty man was pushed to his limits and experienced a minor version of what I had to experience a few months ago in the roads of the British Empire but he made it and I was proud of him.