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!