Sunday 30 March 2008

Even Stevens

Coming out of a card game with the exact amount you put can work out to a cheap night out.

Wednesday 26 March 2008

Speed

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYrd5qwzPrA

Finally

http://www.vimeo.com/818871
Hoopy little film made by Monseigneur Collins - I can't publish this spiffy looking film without at least bringing a slight mention to the exasperated 'couple of weeks' statement mentioned twice in the film which does made one wonder about the historical timeline of the film.  In any event, you've got to love a short film with explosions.  As much as I like being involved with and watching the LostSheep short film suite I know they're leading up to something big.  2009 could be the year that the lost sheep is found.

My own hyprocrisy

http://business.smh.com.au/now-for-the-shower-without-glory/20080325-21hf.html

Tuesday 25 March 2008

The Next Generation

To the 24th March - Hail To The Christian's God for Two Days Off!  What better way to spend a long weekend than taking a new generation to the shallow north of South Australia (an oxymoron but a decent description) - despite some  planning stresses we found ourselves on our Virgin flight in nasty side of the AM - arrived at the same time as most of the Sydney contingent of the Australian Cycle Messengers who were in town for their championship (ie weekend of drinking and getting up to no good) and was tempted but realised that the only riding I'd be doing on that weekend would be on a horse.  Despite leaving the velocipedes on ice for the weekend wasn't TOO environmentally destructive with our vehicle being a hybridised blend of lectric and petroleum fuel - and when there it's divided amongst four it's probably not such a bad thing.  Arrived in old Burra - braved the awful winds on horse back (it must be said that it wasn't the horses speed that contributed to the wind rushing past my delicate ears), tried to entertain the little folk and caught up with the relatives alive and dead.  Lovely little part of the world - a little dry but it must be visited.  Having relatives in various parts of the world has its advantages - on the one hand you've usually got someone to show you around and even accommodate you at times but it also has the flip side that means that when you are in that part of the world you're obliged to be there and it can take the attention away from its neighbouring provinces and it's often hard to leave.  Maybe next time. 

Thursday 20 March 2008

The First Rule

18 - 20 March - Bloggers blog ... Recovery from the festival proceeds at its own pace - I still can't see a proper sleep-in anywhere on the horizon but at least I know where I stand in some regards and so much for the Gaggia coffee machine drastically reducing my piccolo expenditure - one can't really complain when one has expended the pauperly sum of ten dullahs for such a fine machine (plus five for a power cord) - but it would be nice if it worked.
 

Tuesday 18 March 2008

This Festival Is Over

To The 17th To The 17th To The 17th Bap Bappup Bup Buppup - Well, finally the festival of Sax is over and not too soon either - the surprisingly unpleasant work week that was consistently followed by celebrations in or in aid of the name of my 30th year was getting a bit severe - knowing what the week's end had in store I planned to stay on the low side for the Friday and as far as I can recall I did that - visited the old friend Matt who has done a Shifty and sliced off some sections of the metacarpals - I can only imagine the pain and unfortunately I think my imagination can capture that nauseating experience and I hope I never have to share the experience.  Tried to sleep in on the Saturday in order to prepare for the night's festivities but failed and started was the start of a very long day.  Collected my uniform for the night and chose something appropriate for James (a skimpy little cave man number that certainly showed off his knees (I think they're his best feature).  Eased into the celebration with a quick beverage with a non-comer and then steeled my will, shaved my legs, whitened my face and adorned myself in Restoration Period lace and nylon because I was going back to the future.  Slightly blurred night - some excellent robots, Romans and space age pilots from people who understood the instructions, some character driven masterpieces from those who didn't understand the instructions and a fairly excellent showing of people who were imaginative in their excuses and lame in their efforts (yes, I get it, 2006 is an era ... I bought some shoes in that year too).  However, considering that the plan was to kick some corporate ass in the early AM it was a coke fuelled frenzy for me and the caffeine and sugar rush went to my head a little.  Bit disappointed with the inevitable no-shows but that's always something to be expected and catered for. 

However, after a night of being silly and three and a half hours of sleep I was up and atom with a bleary eyed Google directed drive to Oatley for the NSW Corp Games triathlon - upon arrival with the team mates (Simon the swimmer and Paul the extremely difficult to find runner) I had to hide the fixie in the throng and hope for the best but minutes after the swimmers made their way down to the lake there was an announcement for the track racer to come to the registration desk - obviously some unhoopy triathlete with all the gear and no idea except for the chip on his shoulder had dobbed in the BIke With One Gear(TM) and I was told, mate, I can't let you race.  After laying on the charm and assuring the organisers that I'd obeyed the limited rules (take that, you non-proof reading fools) and I knew what I was doing.  Well, obviously we had some idea because after a fair start with Simon's impressive swim I took off and hammered the hills in a way that only a fixie rider can and did the fastest transition in the race (nobody can dismount and run like an ex-courier), giving Paul enough of a start to take third (which, in retrospect, is better than first).  Wrecked me for the rest of the next two days but I got something that was better than a kick in the teeth and a bit of glory to shake on the 30 year old ego and that's a nice thing.

Wednesday 12 March 2008

Milestone

8 to 12 March - So many birthdays so little time - after eating far too much on a Friday evening (was forced to finish off someone else's meal like the garbage disposal unit that I've been nominated as (no longer a member of the immortals and the appetite is greatly diminished) did errands in the AM followed by a succession of birthdays.  Green Dog's in the park where beer was consumed followed by a dinner which was surprisingly in the honour of my birthday (and I'm still quite unaware as to why I failed to pick up on the signs - although it must be said that it's about f**king time that someone organised one of those for me) followed by the dual birthday of Oscar and Angel (who very kindly swapped birthdays with me this year in order for the 'place to be' next week that much more special). Far too much consumption on that day and the digestive stress was extended for days beyond - before I could fully absorb one meal I had another one forced on me with an actual birthday lunch at some over policed venue in the depths of north east suburbia which was followed by more flesh of the mammalian brethren on the Monday and another fambly birthday dinner on the Tuesday (with it's own mawkish milestones attached) followed by the boss's sugar enriched version of the celebration on the Wednesday.  Something has to give.  And I'm slipping.
Should I be surprised that the NSW Corporate Games are so f**king bureaucratic - at this stage disqualification is looking and more likely and it's all because they're a bunch of letter of the law process following wankers.  If I go to this thing @ 730am after my f**king birthday party and we don't compete I am going to f**king kill someone.  You read it here.

Friday 7 March 2008

Bin There

3 -  7 March - I don't think I was doing anything out of the ordinary and it certainly wasn't the result of any showboating (since nobody was there) but as I tried to enter the latest little shortcut that takes me to the front door (and potentially through it if I time the traffic correctly) I found myself fighting gravity (and losing) and with a torn shirt (one of the nice ones) and a grazed elbow to show for it.  And to add insult to injury (literally) a few minutes after I pulled myself up I heard a nasty hissing followed by an ear shattering bang as 120 pounds per square inch of pressure pushed through the wall of the front tyre (followed by a repair job that resulted in a similar explosion half an hour later - and this was the not the most painful impact that I experienced during the week.  In fact, surprisingly, it wasn't that painful at all - I don't think I'm that hard core but even when the antiseptic was applied after the adrenalin faded away I barely felt a thing - I must have been densensitised around my elbow somewhere along the way.  Human crashes are another story and bone breaking therapeutic massage - now that's real pain.  And where the hell did this week go anyway?

Somebody failed his saving throw ...

http://mobile.theonion.com/content/node/75418

Thursday 6 March 2008

Two In One Day

I'm not his greatest fan but to hear that Patrick Swayze has terminal cancer is pretty depressing news - it's one thing to go out in a flash in your sleep or in an accident but to have rapid death drawn out over five weeks would have to be one of the worst ways to go.  To this day Ghost is one of my all time favourite roms - and Gary Gygax, I left your world a long time ago but you will be missed.

Monday 3 March 2008

One of those guys ...

1 to 2 March - Errands and tasks took up much of the evening - there may have been some recovery required at times but nothing too challenging - first Moonlight Cinema (okay venue, okay movie) and faced the challenges of managing the peeps in my life ... my spelling and thought processes seem a little scattered these days ... After 20 years of heading to the fambly visiting the grassy knolls of Apple Tree Bay (and no, I don't recall ever seeing any apples down there) I finally found myself being one of those guys - the stalwarts who ride up the big hill (ooh, I wouldn't want to be on of those guys ... Well, I did want to be one of those guys! And now I am ...) - all in all, not the nastiest hill in the world but certainly a challenge to anyone riding it brakeless and on a recently rained upon serfas.  Hey, I've done Wales so I can handle Bobbin Head.  The endurance continued with tolerance of family but I'm getting better at that although to be denied my lifelong dream of going to the cricket was not the best way to cap off the evening.  I did get some solace so I won't complain too loudly.  This time.

Sunday 2 March 2008

It Comes But Once An Olympiad

25 - 29 February - That's the last time I offer to make a cup of tea for a special guest - those Madura tea bags don't grow on trees - they have to be shipped especially by immortal messenger from two specialised kitchens from the east and occasionally from the north.  I could just see it sitting there in front of the ungrateful bastard as it's heat and magical improbability properties ebbed away.  But what is one to do about that?  All things considering it was probably the least stressful aspect of the confidential world but it's one of the few that's allowed to be shared.  Flitting back and forth between the two worlds - it all became a bit of a blur - at least I have a new phone to organise my life with (although it must be said I'm sure I'll spend far more time f**king around with it than it will save me time (??? does this make sense?  not really, does it matter?) - life toddles on - despite being taken out for a slap up dinner followed by Ultimate Sex whiskey (the only one from the Isle of Juno) I was bafflingly not proposed to, but perhaps that's more about me, maybe next Leap Day.   And we paid $200 for that tripe, what's all that about?