This morning was my first day of training for Dragon Boat. It was a bit daunting heading to training.. praying that all would go well. My sundays are usually spent sleeping in a bit in the morning, at least until 630... not today! I had to be at training at 730... which meant leaving the house at 7am.

We started with some training on land, finding the right size paddle for our heights, and then into the water to simulate some water training exercises. This morning there were 4 (including me) who were newbies! It was nice to not be the lone ranger this morning.

We made our way to the boat and settled in. In a dragon boat, you sit 2 to a seat, and almost lock knees with your inside knee to your "buddy" on the seat with you. Its almost an awkward way to sit in the boat, as its very different from a canoe or outrigger. Before we knew it, we were full on swing, or stroke and away goes the boat from the shore. It was a bit odd being in the boat right away on first day of training with others who had been to previous sunday sessions, as well as regatta's. But, it really was great to start training that way.

After a few strokes of getting use to a whole different stroke technique, and figuring out how the calls from the coach in boat, and what all meant what... i think i faired pretty well. Or, at least, I didnt smack anyone with my paddle, or give anyone an unwanted shower of lake water! And yes, I have heard the stories, it does happen. I was pretty chuffed at myself with my first day of training.

I do have to say, the team members and coaches are great, and really positive. Everyone had encouraging words and they really were excited about new people coming to join. It really made for a nice morning.

I think I just may fall into bed and let my muscles rest tho. Yikes! Tomorrow morning should be interesting.

The days progress

You might remember awhile ago, there were some boys outside my office window doing blokey construction things.

Todays Progress:

Its almost up and then onto the next lot to put up another one. Actually, this was the 2nd building they lifted the walls for today.

Ah Opps, done think you messed up

I have stumbled upon news which informs me that an ex-con turned motivational speaker from my Home State has been convicted of 2 counts of attempted murder from an incident in May of this year.

What? Ex-Con. Check. Motivational Speaker. What? You almost have to wonder what sort of motivational tape he was listening to that morning which made him snap and try to kill 2 people. Or, maybe, just maybe, the CD which was in the player had a fingerprint on it, and seemed to send out a MUCH DIFFERENT subliminal message that it was supposed to.

Oh, did I mention that part of his whole MONEY MAKING income derived situation of doing "talks and motivational awareness" was a preaching which told kids to stay off drugs, abstain from sex and make POSITIVE choices.

Ah... how many parents at the local schools are thinking.. can we get a refund on that seminar?

He tried to shoot his girlfriend and his friend, and then made the girlfriend perform a sexual act on him, or he was going to kill her.

Yeah, some how I am not seeing the "practice what you preach" theory going on here. His lab tests also showed that he had cocaine, meth and THC in his system. Oh.. his lab tests also showed high levels of dumbass as well.

Its sad really. People sometimes get off track. But at what point do you not question yourself and feel a bit of a synic when your high as a kite with a gun in your hand shooting at your friend and your lover.. and think to yourself, "I love my job..."

He did a lot of good for awhile for a lot of people. Many people were touched by his words and his thinking. Its just too bad that lifes negativity got in his way.

Poor Russell J Simmons JR. May you make better choices on your next stint in prison.

Want to know his catch phrase, the phrase that makes him really well known: "10 seconds can save your life forever"

Sometimes we forget that 1 person we need to listen to is... ourselves.

My Little Cutie.. Your wish has been granted

This image has been removed by the user. Thank you for your interest, but you were just a tad too late!

Whatcha think?

ATTN: my little cutie

are you paying attention... my little cutie?
Check here tomorrow, and i put your request here.. but i have to be quick and pull it down before it gets seen.

will you be stopping by tomorrow? maybe its best if you check in often....

I am on a Mission

Its not because I have nothing better to do. Its not because I think she cant handle it. Its not because of anything other than me being me and helping a friend.

My neighbour needs a flatmate. Hers has moved out and now she is in desperate need to find one. Not much luck happening in that department right now.

Today, amongst a break from my oh-so-busy tasks at work, I stumbled upon a website which lets you search for flatmates, or list your place. I listed her place, without her knowledge. I have found a person, who from photo and paper looks quite good. Shes stopping by after work, so I am going to have to convince her that she needs to check it out.

So, if anyone in blogger haven needs a place to live.. let me know.. rent is cheap, place is nice, and oh.. the neighbours you ask? Oh goodness! Let me tell ya, the NEIGHBOURS are absol. FANTASTIC!

Weeknight Session @ The Complex

A night at the BBQ with much too much food, much too much drinks, and great conversations.

Celebrate Living

My Aunt.. for today lets call her FunkyFashion is a teacher. This is what they showed her today in her morning meeting.

She thought it was impressionable enough to pass on.

I do too. Its stuff you already know, but for 4 minutes, its def worth a reminder on more than a few points.

Enjoy. Reflect. Think.

Dede can have a life again

Some of you might be familiar with Dede, aka "Tree Man". He is from Bandung, Indonesia and holds an incredible story. He has been diagnosed with a rare medical condition, and the best known advice or "reason" for these warts to grow from his body was a combination of HPV (Human Papilloma Virus ) and a genetic disorder which doesnt allow the immune system to fight the infections off. He is only 37 years of age.

Dede has not been able to work. He can not work in the rice fields, cook at a local warang, fish, or do the other "normal" jobs which are available and needed in his village. The only job he has been able to have, is for the touring freak show of Java.

Can you imagine? Its bad enough that you have an abnormality and no one could really help. Its bad enough that you are unable to really provide for yourself. Its bad enough that your wife packed her things along with the children to live elsewhere because you could not provide for the family. BUT, to have to work in what is termed as a "Freak Show", I just find it disgusting that a human has to feel such emotions.

A doctor from the USA, actually a dermatologist, believed he could help Dede. Through extensive operations (8 so far) and an extensive treatment of Vitamin A, other medical treatments, and lots of painstalking research... Dede is able to have a pretty normal life now.

It looks as if he is able to work and use his limbs again, something which he hasnt been able to do for a number of years. He is excited about returning to a normal life.

Direct from the Vatican

This is a Catholic church about 1.5 hours south of where I live. It is in some hot turmoil and tonight it might not be operational ANYMORE after a meeting. If it is forced to close, it would be the first Catholic Church in Australia ordered to do so.

Here is a snippet of its activities:
*women can preach
*homosexual couples are blessed
*allows a Buddhist Meditation Group each week to meet in the church
*encourages love to all walks of lives
*strong role on social justice issues
*Roman Catholic
*up to 700 people attend mass on the weekends, which is one of the largest mass' held in the city


This above snippet list is NOT what has landed the Church in turmoil... this has...

Well, you see, a "right-wing parishioner" (quoted from the courier mail, 2008 August) was offended by a statue, took a photo of it and sent the photo to Rome, along with a letter to the Bishop.

Whats the statue of? According to various news articles, its either a small statue of a Buddhist monk praying (which was placed INSIDE the church), OR..a praying monk which had been mistaken as a Buddha.

You heard it right. A buddha, or a praying monk.. inside a church... a statue of 1 metre tall has created a heap of controversy for the Roman Catholic Church who has opened the doors to all walks of life.

Where is the statue now? Well, a parishioner from the GOD loving church has been removed from the church and smashed. The Archbishop has been quoted, "the 'violence' used to destroy it was unjustified".

Sad, but true. So much for not judging and accepting others. Whats your thoughts on the issue? Is the statue a wrong item to have in a Church? Was it justly removed? Should the church be forced to close? Is the issue of the statue important enough for the Vatican?

Stay Tuned...

Dessert & Coffee's on the beach...

Coffee & Desserts on the beach are best when shared with great friends and laughs~!

Saturdays Day Out

Saturday: We (Firestick J & myself) headed out for the grand drive to see ExNeighborS.. now known as ENS....

and of course, my little buddy...

Mr. Ethan

He is just devine.. i dont think my smile left my face when he was near. I can't believe how big he has gotten in just a month! Wow!

It is really weird not having them just a few doors down...but it was great to catch up with them on Saturday.

This was the first strawberry EVER... wasnt looking too thrilled with it!

I love this photo of the 3 of us! It was like the Muskateers were back in action. Somehow, the complex just seems so empty without ENS around.

I can assure you that my coffee contents have not needed the replenishing as often; it saddens me.. i loved coffee time with ENS.



It's usually the kid sticking out the tongue, but hey, were in Australia.. everything happens the other way around.

Is that a koala on your bum?

I absolutely loved these diapers! check them out.... how Australian can you get? Now all we need is to find the Akubra Hat and we are set!

Local News

The police stumbled upon a python (wont kill you with venom, but it will kill me by giving me a heart attack) and when they tried to 'shoosh' it across the road into bushland, it made a dash for it. Have a look where it ended up:

Mr Mobility

Every morning on my way to work I pass an older man who rides on his mobility scooter. Its usually somewhere between 7am and 10 past when I head near this particular area. Most mornings I encounter this gorgeous little man scooting along the side of the road on his way to the cemetary.

I do not know whose grave site he visits each morning, but that person must of meant a heap to him. He doesnt attend the cemetary on rainy days, but even on the coldest of mornings, he scoots along on his scooter.

Its really touching to me that someone would give that sort of dedication to another. I think it might have something to do with the thoughts of , if i wasnt at work would i head out so early and pay my respects to someone EACH day, or might i have another cup of coffee in the morning and go later?

Either way, each morning I give the gentleman a wave, and he returns the gesture. He makes me smile each day. Thank you Mr. Mobility.

The Other Parent

So yesterday I told you how "proud" my dad made me by making it into the paper for his DUI AGAIN...

Before I start, let me clarify.. I have 2 dads. How did a girl get so lucky? Well, mom was a tart and couldnt decide who was the father... nah just kidding! My mom remarried years ago, and that man became a father to me. He walked into my life and took the task of being a dad very serious. We have heaps of things in common, and I am positive he snuck in one night back in the 70's and had a thing with my mom. You would never be able to tell that we werent biological father / daughter. He lives in this country with my mom.

Then I have the 1 you read about yesterday. His name is on my birth certificate. He is also my biological dad. He lives in the USA.

I love both of them dearly, but you could not get more different people if you tried.

Last night we went for dinner to our favorite seafood restaurant. My dad (the one here, I know it can be confusing) is going on an exotic trip for a bit and leaving us to tend to our lives. Okay so exotic may not be the correct term, but California does have exotic people.. dont they? So, we had family dinner out at the restaurant.

I asked, "Will you miss us while your gone?"

Dad, "Yes"

Me, "Okay, just checking."

Dad, "You always ask that when Im leaving for a trip."

Its true, I do always ask him if he will miss us. I never conciously knew that I did that, until he pointed it out to me. I just didnt think he recalled that sort of stuff.

He does.

It was cute and special.

Maybe its the Pooh & Piglet thing... "Nothing, I just wanted to be sure of you."

Somedays your parents can make you proud...

Its always good (?) read the paper from back home on the internet. Its good to catch up on the local gossip, hear about the business thats happening, read about who has done what, how the local sports teams are doing, and so forth. However, as sad as it is, its really no suprise when you stumble upon your fathers name in the paper for this:

Sentenced in (insert name here) County District Court

Misdemeanors

(Name removed to protect my family), (insert age), (insert town)-Convicted of one count of DWI - having an alcohol concentration of 0.08 within two hours. (insert name) was given fines and fees totaling $512 and sentenced to 90 days in jail stayed for two years. He was ordered to undergo a chemical dependency evaluation/treatment and attend a MADD Impact Panel. He will have supervised probation for two years.

One gross misdemeanor count of alcohol/controlled substance violation was dismissed against (insert name).


Oh.. the joy of reading the paper. This one def deserves a head shake.

Cheers to you dad!

Driving to See Miss S & Mr E

I cant wait.. i spoke to Ex Neighbor S today and Saturday is still on! I cant wait to see her! The plan is to wake up at the usual early time, hop in the shower and drive my little tush down to her new place. I cant wait to get my hands on Mr E and give him a cuddle... Im sure in a month hes grown heaps. One thing is for sure, he still remembers me- S has this habit of speaker phone, and I can tell he knows who I am when I call, he still giggles at me all the time! Silly thing.

Its been very akward since Neighbor S has moved from the complex, its very quiet without her. And I have a hard time catching up on all my gossip without her near as well. I certainly miss our 5 am coffees too!

So looking forward to Saturday!

Yes he can.. just not in Auckland

Who would have thought that a group of kindergarten children, their parents, and teachers would be creating a noise disturbance at 6:30 pm on last Friday. In fact, the neighbor who complained of the loud and disturbing noise had the police called to shut down the party. Now, Bob The Builder may not be my song of choice, but I think I could have handled it at 6:30 pm.

Lesson Learned? You can party, You can fix, in fact, Bob The Builder can do anything, except in Auckland, New Zealand that is!

Happy Birthday My Dear Friend

Today is My Friends birthday. I love her to bits, and although we live within 5 minutes of each other, we just never seem to find the time to catch up in person. I am sending big birthday hugs, and lots of love to you my dear friend. You deserve all the happiness in the world!

It feels as cold as a MN Winter today

So these are not current photos, and it certainly wasnt this damn cold.. nothing is as cold as a MN winter... but it certainly brought back memories when I wore my jumper all day long and turned my heat on tonight!
It felt as cold as this photo portrays...
Gotta love the ice scupltures.

Ah...I certainly dont miss those days of having to shovel myself out... No one here believes that you would have a shovel IN the house during the winter, for those "just in case" days.

If my closet could only look like this...

Have a look at the photo of the closet... I am trying to get my closet into some sort of "better arrangement" than what it currently sits at, which is what I prefer to call "Complete Chaos"... ah, a girl can dream...click on the photo to enlarge.

It is so hard to keep your mouth shut somedays

So, heres a few useful thoughts that have wandered about in my head today. I have tried really hard to NOT say them aloud:

• I'm not being rude. You're just insignificant.
• You sound reasonable...Time to up my medication.
• I'll try being nicer if you'll try being smarter.
• Who me? I just wander from room to room.
• At what point did you take that stink and turn it from a fart to a thought? Either way, it friggn stinks of stupid!
• Are you kidding? Am I on Candid Camera?
• NOW you want to listen to me? Its a bit late for that dont you believe?
• I am sorry, I can only help 1 stupid person a day. I have already filled my quota when I arrived here. Please check back tomorrow.
• I am sure someones watching me and laughing at my facial expression...this cant be real. People cant be this dumb, can they?
• Gawd, is it time to go yet?

I am highly looking forward to leaving my current environment for the day. I have great plans tonight, and am so looking forward to being around someone who can make me smile and not act like an idiot. Ah...that sounds so refreshing!

What sort of Alien is growing there?

I tend to not write about celebs on here, there are plenty of bloggers which can tend to that craving. But today, I had to. I stumbled upon this actress' caved in chest. Poor thing... she did try to have a reality TV show as of recent, and then, according to rumors took her self off of a TV show which has seen its day way back when I was a hippie freak in the 90's. The reason? Apparently she was getting paid heaps less, and yes I mean Heaps Less than the other used up, opps, sorry, I mean actors. Fair Enough. Personally, I dont think her role on the original series warranted more than $10k an episode, in fact I dont think anyone has that sort of talent to warrant that sort of financing. Ah... but what do I know?

Anyway, all that aside, I think Tori Spelling can portray herself as a nice and decent person. Shes a mother, wife, and really has seen some shit thru her life. Her dad was a genius. So, she must have some smarts from him. Poor thing tho.. what is up with your chest? Is this really just a bad angle from the camera? If not, hunnie you should be wearing ANYTHING which doesnt show that gawd-awfell dent. Do you really think people wouldn't notice? Your a celebrity who puts her life and possessions (remember the public garage sale) for EVERYONE to see. I find it hard to imagine that you looked in the mirror this morning, and thought, "Yeah, I am looking devine in my skinny strap dress with my cave boob today!"

On a different note... lets hope the implants are not creating some sort of medical disaster... certainly wouldnt wish that upon her. But please my dear, wear one of those tacky 1/4 length shrunking sweater things over that dress!

Preoccupied...

First things first: I made a minor threat to my little cousin, who we will just call "cutie" as I have called her that from day 1 of her life.. and she is.. shes my little cutie. Well, shes almost as tall as me... and with the right pair of shoes on shes taller. Point is: she followed thru with her end of the bargain, so I promise you cutie, I will hold up my end of the deal... but you might have to give me a few days on it. One cant just go snap happy with the camera, as it might be to obvious! Have faith little one, I will deliver! I loved chattin to you tho today.. miss ya heaps and wish we were just hanging out for the day together. I still cant believe its been a year already.

Okay, second note: we went to the local street festival today. Quaint is a good description. The town isn't all that big, so not much really happened, but its always good to support the locals, right? I did however see this guy again...

My next thought takes us to why I might be slackin on telling the latest gossip regarding the love life.. but due to recent events, i.e. phone call and dad heading home for a visit, I might fess up now so you all get the story correct. For bloggin sake, lets call the man Orville.. he may not want his identity tossed around in my twisted little Internet saga, so from now on we can just refer to him as Orville.

I have known Orville for a month, and he consumes my thoughts. He is very gentle and very kind. He actually has manners! My running joke in my love life has always been: "It would be so nice if they had a job, a car, and somewhere to live other than the parents place"...well, Jackpot! I know, I don't ask for much, really in the grand scheme of things I am easy to please (no snickering...). Joking aside, hes really nice and I love being around him. We can chat forever and hes got the eyes that could melt you in an instant. I was taken with him the minute I met him. It amazes me how many duds you have to go thru to get a good gumdrop sometimes. I think I might have found a good gumdrop in the bag. He can make me smile with his laugh, his wit, his odd sense of geekiness (which he self-proclaims), he creative talents, and in general, I just cant get enough of him. I love that he is kind, he listens, he makes me feel important. In fact, I feel like I have known him for much longer than I actually have. Its very odd and strange, but I am really enjoying being with him.

Oh, and he knows of the blog. So, remember, all comments moderated... for my own safety! Ha!

Seriously tho, at the moment, I am really enjoying my time with him and I think we get on pretty good. Grandma, in her usual style, lit a candle for me. Poor candles, I think I have gone thru more church candles being lit for my love life than imaginable.. but gotta love grandmas faith.. she keeps on burning them. Do you think she buys them in bulk? Or are they available on the frequent shoppers discount card?

On a different note I received an email today from someone. The email read this:

There comes a point in your life when you realize who matters,

who never did,

who won't anymore,

and who always will.

So, don't worry about people from your past,

there's a reason why they didn't make it to your future.

Give this heart to everyone you don't want to lose in 2008.

I am sorry, but I think that's the biggest load of shit I have heard in a day or so. Yes, I really do hear that much shit spittle from peoples mouths. I do believe that you reach a point in your life when you sort who is important and impacted your life. I do NOT however believe that people, no matter how shallow I or they may have been, at some point didn't matter. Why would I have them in my life if at SOME POINT they didn't matter... that would be stupid. I have much better things to do than to hang out with people who are meaningless to my world or situation. They, at least on some MINOR level mean something to me, for any sort of reason. Then it says to not worry about people from my past.. well, I don't agree with that either. Maybe in a literal sense I dint worry about the past people who encountered my life, but I do think of them occasionally. Why wouldn't you? In some sense, either in a small sector or a large spectrum they have impacted my life. At different times, each of those people who I have taken to be a part of my life, no matter how big or little of a time they spent in my life, helped create the person I am. Or, I helped create the person they are. Maybe they do or think a particular way because of an impact I made on their lives. Maybe I do or think a particular way because of an event, lesson learned, or the way they lived their life, that possibly, I have adapted into me being me.

I know, its a tangent. After all, its only an email. But it truly makes me wonder how shallow some people can be. I think its important to remember what you have learned from others, big or small. I cant think of the exact saying at the moment, but its something like: "It might have just been the hello and smile you gave me in passing, but for that, YOU saved me from a tragic event, because someone acknowledged me".

I think we need to remember how we impact others. Each little action you do, which you might not find as a BOLD statement in your life, might actually affect someone in passing. You can make a difference with a smile. I know that when I see an elderly person and smile with a hello attached to it, they usually strike up a mini conversation. They, in response to my smile and hello, and have made my day. They have given me a moment of their time, and I have given them a moment of mine. Do I wonder about them, as it says in the email?

Yeah, sometimes.

I remember meeting the man who was the Talking Christmas Tree in the Shopko mall in St.Cloud during my childhood...his gentle soul and voice stayed with me forever. When I encountered him years later as an adult in a store I was working in and recognized his voice. I asked him if I knew him.. he told me he was the Talking Christmas Tree.. my eyes lit up and it was a magical moment. He and I sat on the curb and chatted and he told me stories of the good ol days and how much he loved his job at Christmas time, making the kids smile. I told him of my memories of that time as well. At the end of our chat, he hugged me and thanked me for helping him remember a time filled with happiness for him.

Do I still think of the old man who was shopping at Walgreen's that day? You bet. And so many more people I am sure of this, think of the Talking Christmas Tree. I thankfully, met the man behind the scenes.

Take from what you will from the email. Interpret it whatever way you wish. I for one, think its a load of rubbish. If you want to forget those in the past, do you not lose some of yourself in that journey? Remember the little things. Life is too short to not love how your living and love who you have become.

Family Guy - Lois Mom Mum Mommy

Just watch it to the end. Hilarious! Makes me laugh each time!

Another Snake

I came home early to meet the plumber for my water heater saga. Hopefully its fixed! I discovered the tail end of a snake wandering its way thru the corner fence posts...into the neighbors yard... after a bit of a shock and reasoning, I settled down a bit. I think the only justification in the whole situation is that it was MUCH smaller than the first one I discovered last year, oh and the fact it was heading OUT of my yard!

I have found out that Ex-Neighbor S is pregnant again. WhoooHooo! I get to be an auntie again! I also heard that my cousin is pregnant again as well. Wow! Strange thing is both my cousin and Ex-Neighbor S were pregnant together last time as well... had they not been in 2 different countries, I would be thinking it was the water, but to happen again... Yikes! Congrats to them, I know that they will love the kids with as much love possible.

Well, its a short one.. I have company stopping by tonight....

Things to do b4 your 30 list

I came across a list of "things to do before you turn 30" from a newspaper. It also said the real age difference between 29 and 30 is 10 years. So, just for fun, or boredom (you decide) I thought I would post it and see what I have or haven't done. Oh, and I am not 30 anymore. I put my answers in red and italics. Anybody else game to drop a comment on what the favorite one is or what they wish they had done b4 turning 30?


1. Buy a one way ticket overseas
Can you even do this anymore? Ah... no, havent done it.. I have responsibilities and am such a practical person that the idea of it scares me to pieces.

2. Borrow your nephews and nieces or friends' kids for a weekend and take them to the zoo
A weekend? No, but a whole day... not a hassle. Done!

3. Blow a week's wages on dinner for two at a restaurant where the prices aren't even listed on the menu
I don't even know of anywhere that fancy.. but I have blown heaps of money at fantastic restaurants before.

4. Have a one night stand with an attractive stranger you met at a party
Ah... I think my family reads this sometimes... but yes... done, and done well.

5. March for a cause you believe in
Most definitely

6. Move out of home and live in a share house
Your suppossed to move out of home to live in a share house? Nah.. not in my family.. we did it the opposite way.. I moved out of home to live by myself and away from years of roommates!

7. Run a marathon - or if that's too daunting, do a fun run
I have boobs. Marathon... no thank you, there isnt enough duct tape to support them properly. I have done a walk for charity tho.. can that count?

8. Invent your own cocktail
Yep, but i don't know if I could repeat the ingredients list.

9. Learn a language
Oh goodness yes... minor in Indonesian, Shirley Johnson taught us Mandarin, and then I had to learn the funky lingo of Australian.

10. Get a Brazilian wax
It was after a long session in the pool and laying around the pool... needless to say, it really REALLY hurt!

11. Have sex in the open air
Really? This is on the list? I just assumed everyone has.. didnt think it was such a major thing to do before you turn 30.

12. Read the collected works of an author you love
Yes.

13. Get a letter to the editor published in your local newspaper
Oh yes, I am always ranting on about something.

14. See the Aurora Borealis.
Yep.

15. Try base jumping or another extreme sport
Yep.

16. Bluff your way into a glamorous job you're totally unqualified for
Glamorous? I dont know about that, but I have def bluffed my way into job(s) before!

17. Join a political party and hand out how to vote cards on election day
Haven't handed out voting cards, but have shown great support for those whose IDEALS I agree with.

18. Get involved in a team sport
Yes.

19. Do a road trip with a bunch of mates in a dodgy car
Mates. Mother. You name it, we went there, and we were def suprised to arrive withe vehicle as well. Ha, good times!

20. Survive a flight on a third world airline
Thankfully. I am sure my parents still remember that frantic phone call from the phone booth. I am not sure if the flight scared me more, the layover in KL, or the intercom saying "Please board your plane, we have fixed the engine" when I would have rather heard "We are going to overnight until a NEW plane arrives to take you across the other side of the world."

21. Find the love of your life
Once or twice. Learned heaps thru the process. Funny how love, or what you believe to be love, changes with your knowledge, manners, age, etc.

22. Lose the love of your life
Oh goodness... yes.. learned heaps thru that process as well. I am now much smarter.

23. Skinny dip in the ocean at midnight under a full moon with a group of friends
Up at the cabin when I was just a youngin!

24. See the sun rise after an all night rave
I have seen it set, rise, set, and rise again!

25. Go to a gay bar - if you're straight
Ah... thats an interesting one. Yes.

26. Go hiking in Bhutan
No. NO???? I get to #26 before I finally havent done something? Wow. Thats impressive to me.

27. Do a ten day yoga retreat
Shit, I am hard pressed finding 3 days to do anything solely for myself. As great as a 10 day yoga retreat sounds, not a chance I could take that long of time for just one thing. Theres always much to much happening!

28. Make a fool out of yourself at a karaoke bar
I think it was a Sam's Club going away party, St. Cloud MN.

29. Plant a tree for the environment
Done. I was in elementary school when I did this one!

30. Get fake ID saying you're 21
No. Always helped to know security, the bar owner, or the band. Thats an important note to remember... these people can and will be VERY useful, at any age.

"Complex Shit".... its art! or is.... it art?

House-sized dog poo causes chaos at museum

A giant inflatable dog poo by American artist Paul McCarthy blew away from an exhibition in the garden of a Swiss museum, bringing down a power line and breaking a greenhouse window before it landed again, the museum said Monday.

The art work, titled Complex Shit, is the size of a house.

The wind carried it 200 metres from the Paul Klee Centre in Berne before it fell back to Earth in the grounds of a children's home, museum director Juri Steiner said.

The inflatable poo broke the window at the children's home when it blew away on the night of July 31, Mr Steiner said.

The art work has a safety system which normally makes it deflate when there is a storm, but this did not work when it blew away.

Mr Steiner said Mr McCarthy had not yet been contacted and the museum was not sure if Complex Shit would be put back on display.

Credit to-

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/08/12/2332079.htm?section=justin

Now, for my take on it... what? First off.. kudos on the heading! Second, hats off to you for such an interesting title to the artwork. Third, am I really suppossed to appreciate this and find the "quality" or "creativity" in this piece? I am baffled. Anyone else have an opinion on this? For a better idea of what we are talking about... I searched high and low for Complex Shit by McCarthy... and guess what, I found it.

Sorry for the "crappy" image, but I was hard pressed to find ANY image at all. Here is what else is in the Exhibition in the Art Playground, along with the Complex Shit-

The good news is that at least when I google my name followed with "complex shit" nothing appears! Whew! So, whats your opinion of McCarthy's Complex Shit?

Sunday Arvo @ the EKKA

Yesterday was an adventure full of laughs and good times. We headed down to the EKKA, which is similar to what the Americans would relate to as a State Fair, but i think just a tad smaller. I had never been before, in all my 7 years, had never had an interest to go. That is, until Firestick J began her "The EKKA is coming soon" (which was about 3 months ago). Watching her excitement was something I just had to see... so she kindly dragged me along this year. I couldn't wait to see Firestick J in her element.

There were the rides, the greasy food, the odd-looking people, the carny's, the kids, the strollers, the lost kids, and the parents who were oblivious to their child wandering into the main arena. There was activities to watch to everywhere. Being a person who loves to observe, it was def great to be in my element with so much of everything to see.

Alicia & I were first-timers to the Ekka... this is just into the gates!

We had a few drinks at the Stockmen's Bar.. which served Firestick J's Bundy on tap (yuck yuck and more yuck!) but she was thrilled. I was thrilled as they had Smirnoff Double Black's available! So, a few drinks after lunch and we were on our way to see all the Ekka had to offer.

There were exhibits such as this:

I dont have a clue.... but I was just impressed that SPAM, from Good Ol' Minnesota made it to the display on the other side of the world! Of course, you had proper displays and people selling stuff as usual. No 4-H clubs, but High Schools did put together a few fruit or beef displays. Odd and interesting. Some good displays as well.

There was more to do: Fireworks, walking, drinking, eating, meeting Miss A to see her in her get-up gear (didnt recognize her at first). Good times really. By the end of watching the V8 Supercars and Monster Truck show, we decided to head back to the Stockmens Bar for some dancing and live entertainment by the Band of the evening. We sang our hearts out and danced the night away with the cowboys, the Firemen (of which 1 was a local celebrity from a reality TV show) and the Police Force. Ah... made for a very good night filled with laughter and dancing.

I am still however, waiting for my voice to fully return. If you find it, please tell it to come home...

Oh, and we thought we saw a celebrity... Orlando Bloom is dating a blonde Aussie chick... so after a few drinks, we thought this had some similarities... what do you think?

Special thanks to Firestick J. She even said I could come back with her next year, as she reckons that was the best year she has been to since she has been going! Bring it on next year!

T-Shirt anyone?

Sometimes you come across things on the net that make you think of others... I certainly can't pinpoint this one, but this T-Shirt Slogan is great for so many people in my life... I reckon this T-Shirt would be classic to wear out in public one day...

Another Episode of "The Friday Fuckwit"

Apologies for not being able to specifically give you names... there are a few to list. It is 8:35 am Friday, I have been at work for exactly 1.5 hours ONLY. My day, including the others at my work, has been less than perfect. To help illustrate the stupidity of our morning, a co-worker emailed me this message this morning at 8:17 am. See below for a good summary of how the morning is going:

Mood badges that you can't wear to work, but would like to...sometimes.

And my personal favorite for this morning:Somehow I have managed to control myself and not answer the phone with one of these witty lines...yet. Wish us luck! Thank goodness its friday and its a short day today!

The boys you see at work

Today Energex decided to hook up some power to the site across from us... we are not sure whats going in there yet, but we are all very curiuos. My window at work looks directly out to the job site... lots of men all day long to sit and look at. Ah, back to that... so, Energex was taking a bit of time to drag a wire across the street and hook it up to the pole.

I was debating whether or not to move my car (which is located just behind the pole, but within legal distance) as I certainly didn't want "faithful" Energex to drop the wire and kill my car. I had all these thoughts: scratches on my hood, shock my car and fry it, and so forth. So, I sat and watched in anticipation... and thankfully, my car seems to be in 1 piece. I really just wanted to get some photos of Energex working cuz what I really see is pretty slack and slow in the production department.

Here are just some of the boys that are working across the street from me! Its really too bad its not summer: the heat can be so unbearable that they would all be working in "no shirt" mode.. .damn winter, it gets ya everytime. Mind you, these are not the most attractive of the bunch, as they were on a limited crew at photo shoot time.