evsnow.com Thoughts

Better Late than never

2008-11-05T23:54:00.001+11:00

NYC blog is up at natevandelliot.travellerspoint.com

Stay tuned for part 3 Yosemite and SF....

USA A OK

2008-09-28T01:59:00.001+10:00

Our first USA blog is up at

http://natevandelliot.travellerspoint.com

E

Plastic Jesus

2008-08-28T13:51:00.003+10:00

I went to the Burn your plastic Jesus talk last night at the Ent Cent.

Two things to say, one good, one bad.

We'll start with the bad....

For me, the flashiness of the band detracts from the point of worship. I want to join together as one to sing praises to God but I find myself focusing on the people up the front like it's a concert. Why not have pictures of the creation on the big screen rather than the band? I also like hearing the congregation not just the band.

The good....

I thought there were lots of positives incl the talk, the turnout, the Q & A and the alter call but the thing that stuck me the most was one little point about heaven. The point was that we already have it too good, Sydney is close enough heaven. I don't think my problem is that Sydney is heaven. My problem is I'm trying to make Sydney heaven. I want Sydney to be heaven. I care too much about achieving a higher level of happiness here and now.

It's funny how powerful acknowledging a problem can be.

Ev

Could this man be the first Australian yellow jersey winner?

2008-06-29T22:02:00.013+10:00

Hopefully Cadel will go one place better in this years Tour de France. If he doesn't I know someone else who looks pretty good in yellow...

PS I promise I'll let Elliot make his own decisions in life but is there any harm in pointing him in the right direction?

Here are some more non cycling related pics

Ok maybe one more cycling photo...

A detailed life history of Elliot John Bartle Snow 06/06/08 - present

2008-06-06T13:14:00.008+10:00

Here's a brief rundown of the events of the last 48 hours.

Nat started having contractions at 3am on the 5th. The contractions were a bit sporadic coming an going in intensity and duration throughout the day. In the afternoon it looked like they might fade into a false alarm. We had a prearranged Midwife appointment at 6.30pm and by the time we got there the contractions had ramped up to a more regular 50 seconds every 5 or 6 minutes. We were pleased to discover that Nat was 2cm dilated by then and the days pain hadn't been for nought. After the baby's heart rate and Nat's contractions had been monitored for a while we were sent home to wait. It wasn't long before the contractions had become unbearable and we were back at the hospital trying to score some drugs. Gas was the first drug but it didn't do anything other than make Nat nauseous. After she violently hurled 4 times in very quick succession we decided to try something a little less airy fairy. The anaesthesiologist arrived at 10 to put in the epidural. watching someone stick a massive needle into your wife's spine is hard enough but when he clearly was having trouble finding the right zone it becomes quite distressing. Three positions and about 20 prods later he finally broke through and by 12.30 Nat was blissfully unaware of the contractions that were bringing baby closer to the outside world. at 4am Nat was fully dilated and it was time to push. The Epidural was dialed back so Nat could feel herself push. Unfortunately that also equated to feeling a whole lot of pain. She pushed and pushed like a trooper and got the baby's head all the way to the front door but after 90 minutes of pushing the little one started to fire up. His heart rate was at 170, 40 bpm faster than it should have been so the midwives decided to call in the Doc to get the show on the road. After a quick hit of something or rather to get the contractions fired up Nat was left to use the last of her energy to give it one last push but to no avail. With the heart rate maxing out at 205 the Doc was called in again along with another specialist and a second midwife. I was freaking out a bit at this stage. They tried to use the vacuum thingy but it kept on popping off so it was time to get some real hardware involved. The forceps finally did the trick and at 5:57 Elliot was born. He's healthy, big, hairy and to Nat and I he looks pretty cute.

Here are the Stats

Born - 5:57 am 6th June 08
Weight - 4.03 kg (just under 9 pounds)
Height - 53.5 cm
Head circumference 36.5

Praise be to God,
Ev and Nat

The Sydney Global Food Challenge

2008-05-30T13:04:00.004+10:00

One of the bet things about travelling is treating your tastebuds to foreign tastes. from the best Piri Piri prawns to the most bland maize meal cuisine is something that can define an experience and is often the thing that lingers longest in the memory.

With Jr on the way it's looking like a long time before the snow family will taste the delights of Sashimi in Kyoto or a juicy steak in Buenos Aries. Fortunately Sydney’s diverse population provides the perfect alternative, a challenge to keep the hungry traveller well feed, a check list to end all checklists, the Sydney global food challenge.

OK so Thai is going to be pretty easy, as is Mexican but beyond the classics is going to get a little harder. So where in Sydney can you get good Rwandan or Turkmenistanian? This is not a rhetorical question. I need help....

So far in the last month we have checked off
French - Essiette
Lebanese - Emma’s on liberty
Thai - Thup Tip Siam
Greek - Mediterranean
Columbian - San Jose
Czech - Prague

We have some restaurants lined up
Hungarian - Corner 75
Brazilian - Casa Brasil
Spanish - La Cantina
Macedonian - Lukas
Austrian - Una's
Vietnamese - Phuong
Egyptian - Radio Cairo

Any other suggestions?? or do you have a better suggestion for one of the cuisines above?

Want to join us for some Iraqi in Fairfield?

Even if we can't have a schnitzel in Vienna at least we will be able to hook into one of these bad boys soon....

Dirtworks 100

2008-05-05T10:56:00.006+10:00

5.30, alarm goes after a restless night in a cold cold tent. I momentarily toy with the idea of dencorubing whist in my sleeping bag. I start asking myself why didn't I challenge myself more when I was young and resilient rather than waiting until my 30's? After a few bits of fruit and a B&E roll I made my way to the start line for the Dirtworks 100km race. I was feeling strong.

The first 10kms was pretty flat and then the punishment began. I rode a small portion of the ridiculously steep first climb before running into a logjam of people walking up the hill. To be honest I was relieved to have an excuse to get off. Once of the top of the hill we were speeding along a ridge with fantastic views in all directions. Things were going swimmingly until the 32 km mark when my rear derailleur hanger snapped. Without a derailleur you don't have anything to tension the chain and you effectively lose peddle power. 32kms back to the start line or 18kms to the half way mechanic station??? I made the decision to soldier on to half way with the hope that they had a spare hanger. I didn't mind the uphills and of course you can roll down hill but pushing a bike along the flat with hundreds of people flying past sucks. Just under 3 hours and two massive blisters later I made it to the Mechanic station only to find that that had run out of the hanger that I needed. The only thing left to do was remove some of the links from my chain shortening it to get the required tension. The only problem with that solution is that rather than having 21 gears I now had 1.

With the 72km cut off time looming and with everyone else a good few hours ahead of me I ripped in to the last 50km hell bent on finishing the 100km. The one gear that I was stuck in was 10th/21 which basically meant it was too high for most of the hills and too low for the flats and down hills. I normally peddle at about 90rpm which equated to 16km/h in 10th gear so my top speed on the flats, with a rpm of 110 was about 18km as opposed to the usual 30-35km. I made the 72km mark with time to spare and lined up the next obstacle, a 50m long 1ft wide bridge. You had the option of walking or riding across. by the time I got there 60 of about 600 riders had ridden and 11 of them had fallen in. After double checking my phone and car key were properly ziplocked I set off at a leisurely 16km/h. It doesn't sound hard but keeping a bike straight for 50m is pretty difficult and for a few split seconds I thought I was a goner but fortuity I made it. Unfortunately 10th gear wasn't great for riding up the sand bank on the other side and the cheers of the onlookers turned to jeers as I pancacked meters after getting off the bridge...

The last 30kms was extremely gruelling and I began to cramp all over, even muscles that I didn't know I had began to cramp. I eventually rolled into St Albans 8 and a half hours after I had started. The sense of achievement was huge.

Goosebumps

2008-05-02T11:26:00.003+10:00

was doing some random web surfing and I found this little clip. By the end I had a massive smile and Goosebumps and I was calculating how many frequent flyer point I need to earn to get to J'burg.....

http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/webjunk/4270/

If this video doesn't get you going you're either Japanese or not into sports.

Final Figures

2008-04-29T11:06:00.002+10:00

Thanks for all the support. I ended up raising $3804 which was just short of my $4000 target. Despite the constant rain it was a fantastic experience and I'm already looking forward to the next big ride.

Sydney to Surfers the hard way

2008-04-16T21:13:00.012+10:00

After a restles 5 hours I woke (very early) not quite ready to face my fears. Was I going to make it? Was my undercarridge going to withstand 7 days of preassure and friction? Would my legs work on day 2, let alone day 7?

There was only one way to find out...

As we arrived at Hornsby TAFE carpark for the grand depart I noticed an abundance of flashy bikes and a absence of leg hair. I threw my gear in the baggage truck and made some last minute checks. I was as ready as I was ever going to be. The packs were called and one by one they rolled out. Thomo and I were placed in Pack 7 of 9. The pack stayed together for most of the morning session but our speed was a little lackluster and once we hit the first of many hills it became apparent that we were in the wrong pack. I'm not a good hill climber, never will be, so when I reached the top of the Hakesbury climb in second position (behind thomo) we knew it was time to change packs. We rode out the rest of the day with pack 7 and decided to jump up to pack 6 the next day.

Pack 6 had some good strong riders and over the next few days we got into a pretty good groove. The pace was still a little slow but the company certainly made up for that. Despite the average age of the 170 riders being 48 and the male:female ratio being 10:1 we had a young pack with 7 lovely ladies which made for plenty of on road banter.

Unfortunatly day 2 was also the first of 5 very wet days. I've never really ridden in the rain for any length of time as normally once the heavens open we head for cover. When your final destination is 150 kms away you don't have much choice so we became very proficiant at wet weather riding. The biggest problem with riding in the rain isn't getting cold and wet because as long as you keep pedaling you can keep pretty warm. The biggest problem is punctures. Your wheel is much more likely to pick up something sharp in the wet and at times the frequency of punctures was laughable with as little as 100 meters between punctures. In our worst session our group picked up 6 punctures in 50kms.

The rain peaked on day 4. We woke to torential rain, lightening crashing and strong gusty winds. After a long wait on a crowded balcony and no break in the weather, the call was made to cancel the day's ride and bus everyone to Nambucca Heads. While I really didn't think it was wise to ride it was very disappointing to break the journey.

Throughout the whole trip I was surprised by how well my body coped with the constant strain. I'm sure the hearty meals and deep sleeps were instrumental in the daily recovery. I was worried about saddle sores,chafing and general fatigue but I'm pleased to say other than a little muscle strain and knee pain I made it through unscathed.

With only a few days left we decided to crank it up a few notches and see if we could match it with the shaved legs brigade. Pack one and two were pretty much out of the question and word on the street was that pack 6 was riding at about the same speed as 4 and 5 so we decided to give pack 3 a go. The change in pace was immediatly noticable and after about 10 kms thomo and i got caught up in a breakaway. We were riding with a bunch of ten very strong riders who were going 100%. It was a big change from the stop start pace of pack 6 and after 30 kms of huffing and puffing I fell off the back and rode the remaining 20kms to morning tea solo. Thomo managed to hold on but paid the price and decided to take it easy for the rest of the day. After morning tea pack three headed off as one and everyone worked together. The other main difference between pack 6 and 3 is that the riders in pack 3 know where they need to be and what they need to do once the pack gets moving. It was pretty cool being part of such a well oiled machine.

The down side of riding at such a high pace is that there isn't any time to talk. It was great to take up the challenge and to know that we were strong enough to ride at that level for a couple of days but for the final day we decided to bring it home with our mates in pack 6. The last day was the day I found the hardest. The niggeling injuries were starting to take a toll and with a solid 36 km of hills in the morning it was comforting to know that only one more big push was required to make it to Surfers. Another good reason to ride with pack 6 was the Mount Warning pub tradition. Just after morning tea on the last day packs 5 and 6 go ahead of the other packs and stop at the pub for a beer (yes in the am) and to cheer on the other packs as they fang through the little town of Uki.

After a cappacino, a beer, a coke and a big lunch the last 50 kms were a little harder but we made it up one last hill and coasted into Queensland in the early arvo. We regrouped just shy of our finishing point and all 170 riders stopped traffic and turned heads as we cruised up the main street of Surfers.

All in all it was a sensational week and I'm already lining up the next cycling challenge. Thanks so much for all the support (financial and other wise) it was great to know you guys were backing us.

The stats
864 kms
6 days of riding
averaging 144 km/day
longest day 156kms
average speed 28.2 km/h
time in the saddle 30 hours 38 minutes.

Politics of Le Tour

2008-02-14T12:21:00.006+11:00

I watched an interview during last years Tour de France with a journalist who said everyone knew that Contador was guilty of doping as implicated in Operación Puerto. Allegedly he avoided prosecution by becoming a snitch for the Spanish cycling federation. The pendulum of justice has swung against Alberto. Today it was announced by the ASO, who run Le Tour and the Paris-Nice race (which Contador also won in 07) that it has banned Team Astana from all it’s races. I’m finding it hard to pinpoint what emotions this is evoking within me. It’s great that Cadel will have a better chance of winning this years tour but it would be better if he won with Contador present. Had Contador been banned last year would Cadel have won? I feel like justice has been done but only to a very limited extent. I’m scared that Team High road (which included my favorite cyclist Mick Rogers www.highroadsports.com/team/Men/Rogers_Michael) may also be barred from the tour because of the bad press it received last year as T-mobile. Most of all I feel like cycling needs a governing body with the power to effect change. At the moment the UCI is in a power struggle with the ASO and other event organizers, a situation which is hindering the efforts to capitalize on the global resurgence of cycling as a spectator and participation sport. Can’t we all just get along…..

I love a challenge

2007-12-18T09:49:00.000+11:00

As we head into summer it’s getting harder and harder to get on the bike as much as I would like. For starters I now need to divide my leisure time between surfing and cycling and on top of this even when I want to ride it get’s a little masochistic once the temperature is above 25 degrees. You can either wait for a cool dry day, which at the moment are few and far between, or get up in the wee hours to beat the heat. Not being a morning person I need to set goals that will lure me out of bed. This morning I found my challenge.

I have been thinking about riding with a club for a while and a few weeks ago I took the first step. I called Bike Addiction to see what the go was with their club rides. I was told the Wednesday social ride averages about 30km/h and the Tuesday Thursday and Saturday A grade hit outs average 45km/h. We normally average about 30 – 35km/h over the same Manly to Church point coarse so I joined the BA crew for the Wednesday morning social ride. It was pretty good fun but after 20 or so kms I hadn’t even broken a sweat. We averaged a dismal 23km/h. Based on the overestimate of the social average I decided the ridiculously fast 45km/h average of the A grade rides must have been similarly over estimated and therefore well within my grasp. I was wrong.

I rode with the A grade guys for the first time this morning. About 50 very toned looking cyclist met at BA in Manly at 5.30 and headed off at a leisurely 30-35 km/h for the first 5kms. Somehow I started in the 3rd pair and by the time we reached the top of Long reef hill the 1st and 2nd pairs had peeled away leaving me at the front. It’s down hill (my speciality being a big, heavy boy) for the 2kms to Collaroy and as the leader I decided to raise the tempo a little. The guy I was riding next to started to drop back, foolishly I thought it was because he wasn’t up to the cracking 45km/h pace I was setting. What I didn’t realize was the first 5 km’s was the warm up and the top of the hill was when they really started to crank. It wasn’t until I got overtaken by a long line of cyclists at 55km/h that I realised we had transitioned from a peel off when you’re bugged formation to an anti clockwise rotation formation. The heart rate was maxing out at 190bpm as I got spat out the back of the Peloton for the first time. At this point I started praying for red lights. Everyone came back together in Narrabeen and over the next 10kms or so I managed to cling to the tail of the bunch. Keep in mind it’s 30% easier riding on someone’s wheel and I was pulling myself inside out to stay in touch as we mached along in the high 50’s. By Mona Vale I had to sit up and let go, fortunately there were a number of other riders in the same boat. We got most of the way to Church point and as the first riders started zooming past up in the opposite direction the guys I was riding with told me to swing around and jump on the tail. I held on for a while but once again I got munched and spat out the back. On the return leg everyone does a slightly different route depending on how they’re feeling. I took the most direct route and found myself hooking up with and getting spat out by different bunches most of the way home. By Narrabeen I gave up and limped home at 20km/h.

It was a pretty awesome way to start the day.

That sinking feeling

2007-11-27T10:44:00.000+11:00

I'm not an attention to detail kind of guy. This deficiancy can present in a number of different ways and in a wide variety of circumstances. I did something last night that I have't done for a long time. I sat an Exam..... It's been about 8 years since my last exam and 11 years since I last had the feeling I had last night. That sinking feeling you get when you realise you've stuffed something up big time. Can I just say attention to detail is very very important when reading an exam paper. Had I read the paper properly I would have seen the bit that said "answer 4 of the 8 following statements" in the short answers section. It wasn't until we walked out the door and Nat asked me which 4 short answers did you answer that I realised my folly. Of coarse the extra 40 minutes I spent answering all 8 short answers made it very hard to punch out three essays and as a result I'm pretty sure my essays will come up a little short too. Oh well at least we are saved by faith alone not by exam results so that no one can boast.

Gong ride 07

2007-11-05T17:20:00.000+11:00

I really didn't want to leave Ems 30th at B'wood. Not only was the wine plentiful and the company outstanding but what lay before me was undecidedly uninviting. We left at about 10.00 amongst the thousands of golden oldies that had been in the hunter for a beach boys concert. A short way into our drive we were reduced to a crawl by the heaviest rain I have seen in years. By the time we got home the rain had eased off but the slow trip home had eaten into my already inadequate sleep allocation. Four short hours later i got up, avoided looking out the window, lathered most of my sore body with dencorub, downed a few panadol and Lycraed up. The last thing I felt like doing was riding 90 k's in the rain.

As we drove into the city the stop start rain became less stop and more start. The team photo was taken and without too much fuss we were on the road. If you enter as an individual you get allocated a departure time based on your estimated time to cover the 90km's. I was shooting for a sub three hour time which should have equated to a 6am start. Unfortunately because I was riding with the work crew we started at 7am. Of course this meant we started behind the 3 hour riders, the 4 hour riders and even the 5 hour riders. Anyone who has been in the car with me will know I don't like being stuck in traffic. The first 10 k's was all about ducking and weaving, trying to get into a rhythm, longing for the open road. The rain continued falling and within minutes the rain along with the water being thrown up by 10,000 cyclist (most of whom were in front of me) drenched us to the bone. We managed to make our way through the bulk of the slower riders and by the time we got to Engadine we were pretty much in the clear. The rain stopped the sun came out and before long I was enjoying riding with the sun on my back.. With renewed vigour we started ascending the main climb of the day through the royal national park. I loved riding a completely new route through such a beautiful area. The RNP and the northern Wollongong beaches might be easy on the eyes but they are certainly hard on the legs. with a strong southerly blowing the undulating hills were taking more of a toll than I had anticipated. I was well and truly ready for the waiting sausage sambos and powerades that were waiting for me in the CSC tent. Nat was good enough to pop down to the gong to pick us up. I finally got to catch up on a weekend of sleep deprivation with a solid 4 hour arvo kip.

This was my first organised ride of any sort and I have got to say it was pretty awesome. I'm sure I'll be back next year but until then it's time to look for the next challenge. The list of epic rides keeps on growing:
I should proably start with something flatish
http://www.bv.com.au/great-rides/20005/
Then something with a few hills but still close to home
http://www.audax.org.au/alpine-course.htm
I'm probably not going to be able to make it to Europe this year for the Etape de tour but it's pencilled in for 09 http://emandgav.blogspot.com/2007/10/new-challenge-etape-du-tour-2008.html
If I do the Etape in 09 and am looking for a challenge on 10 I could always go the Marmotte
http://www.sportcommunication.com/GT/epreuve.php?langue=2
If the marmotte isn't enough to keep me fired up I can always ride across Canada.....
http://www.freewebs.com/jacandaaron/index.htm

What would Uncle Jesse say?

2007-11-01T15:06:00.001+11:00

I'm a firm believer in the half your age plus 7 rule. For those not familiar with the rule it is a simple mathematical equation to ensure you don't cradle snatch. Say you're 40, you want to date a younger girl (lets say a 30 year old) so you do the math. 40 / 2 + 7 = 27, you're in the clear this time. Say you're 37 (like 7 times tour de France winner Lance Armstrong) and you want to date a younger girl (lets say a 21 year old like Full house star Ashley Olsen), you do the math, 37 / 2 + 7 = 25.5. Clearly this is an unacceptable age gap as the following photos demonstrate.

Lance in 1999 (wining his first Tour de France)

Ashley in 1999 (post full house, prepubescent)

I guess celebrities live by a different set of rules so I don;t know why I'm surprised by the latest turns Lances love life has taken...
I'm not angry, I'm just disappointed.

The great escape

2007-10-29T16:54:00.000+11:00

The last job I resigned from was Surfection. That was back in the 90's, back when life was simple and fancy free.
Today I pulled the plug on my short career in recruitment. I feel liberated but not fancy free....
Stay tuned for more exciting news.

Who do you love?

2007-10-22T17:13:00.000+10:00

Is it worth getting up early to watch a South Africa v England final? possibly not but it did help me sort out the tail end of my fav rugby teams. Going into the final I thought I hated England and South Africa in equal measure. After 80 minutes I was quite shocked to find myself whole heartedly supporting the boks, cheering for Victor and Jon even for that dirty dog Butch.

I have a confession

2007-10-03T12:14:00.000+10:00

I cheated in the 1986 MS read-a-thon. Time was running out, mum had been hounding me to get some runs on the board, I tried to read a few books but lets face it, reading just isn't my special talent. After getting the balls up to walk around the neighbourhood asking for a per book sponsorship all I had to do was read ten books and I would reach my fund-raising target and thus receive my prize of a MS book bag. It was the 11th hour and I still didn't have enough books read. Being the entrepreneurial type I even resorted to reading Golden books for some quick fire results but even that was proving too time consuming. On the last night of the read-a-thon I did something that would haunt me for years to come. I falsely claimed James and the giant peach.

It's time to pay my pennants. It's time to make amends. It's time to raise some legitimate funs for the MS society. It's time for the MS gong ride.
I'm riding in the MS Sydney to the Gong ride on the 4th of November. It's 90kms of shark tooth like hills, howling costal winds, blazing sun and to top it off it's the night after Emmy G's 30th so I'm probably going to have a headache....

If you want to be a part of this tale of repentance and redemption I would love your support.

http://register.gongride.org.au/?evsnow

I promise I won't cheat....
Get on board,
Ev

I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride my bike

2007-09-26T17:21:00.000+10:00

There is nothing like riding past kilometre after kilometre of traffic that, if not for my bike, I would be stuck in. I, like many other Sydney siders, brave nasty traffic, disgruntled bus drivers and sometimes unpredictable weather to commute to work. One of the nicest things about the commute is riding up Parriwi hill with it's million dollar view and not a car within earshot.

My question today is why is Sydney (and in particular the government) so far behind most other developed cities in it's attitude towards cyclists? For a city facing mounting traffic and pollution problems and an obesity crisis to boot it just makes sense to encourage more people to ride to work. If a city as old and congested as London can make it happen I don't see any reason why Sydney can't make it happen too. If you're keen to save petrol, save money, save the environment and save on future medical health bills October 17th might be the day to give it a bash.

Go the All Blacks.....

2007-09-10T11:27:00.000+10:00

New Zealand's opening game against Italy was hard to watch. Not only because it was only shown on one TV in the whole of Manly but more so because of my abhorrence of Doug Howlett. He's such a poof anyone could score tries on the end of the All Black backline. He's in the same boat as Geoff Wilson, glory hoggin nancy boys. That being said I did draw NZ in the office sweep so I get $80 if they win! Let's just hope Dougie gets hurt early in the tournament so I can enjoy supporting NZ. Go the All Blacks....

On another NZ sporting note: what is the name of the NZ badminton team??

Work it baby, YEAH

2007-08-23T13:17:00.000+10:00

Due to office I work in not having a shower I have recently joined a gym for the first time. It's a crazy new world in there and quite frankly, I'm a little concerned. As one would expect the change room is full of naked men strutting around but what concerns me most is the designated stand around chatting naked zone that I have dubbed the funboy zone. Gone are the days of having to travel to Bardots for a spot of nude conversing.

The second thing I need to share is that I, being a novice gym junkie still haven't got the routine down yet. Not only did I walk through the main foyer in the budgie smugglers (not realising there was a more direct route from the change rooms to the pool) but I have also fallen into the classic trap for young players.

I implore you people never forget these

Especially when you're wearing jeans.....

"Joey, have you ever been to a Turkish prison?"

Italian style leads to weight reduction

2007-08-19T11:15:00.000+10:00

Now that I have mastered the "Fatmax Zone" it's time to put the gears into motion, so to speak. I have the know how, I have the bike, all I need now is the motivation. With some quick thinking from the Saturday Peloton a simple yet brilliant plan was devised that even Nat couldn't refuse. Once I hit 85 kg this baby is mine.

Washing the car is the new Thai-bo

2007-08-07T17:10:00.000+10:00

My efforts to get to 85 kg by the time we returned home from our 250 day world odyssey (natandev.travellerspoint.com) were on track until we got called home early. Thanks to the plentiful supply of hearty food and slices I put on most of the weight I lost whilst away in a mere 3 weeks. That's not exactly true, I went from 106 down to 92 then back up to 97 and now I have equalized at about 95. I have been working on the last 10 kg but I don't seem to be making any progress. Concerned by my fruitless efforts I decided to consult Mr Fortnight Forta. In years gone by he would have recommended a hot cold pack but this time he gave me a very insightful run down of the ideal fat burning heart rate. It turns out I have been working a little too hard. I have been monitoring my heart rate whilst riding and found that I'm operating at 80 - 100 % of my MHR.

Researchers from Birmingham University's Human Performance Laboratory attempted to pinpoint the exercise intensities at which fat metabolism is maximised in a study of 18 male endurance cyclists with a training background of at least three years. Their work found that the Fatmax Zone is between 68% and 79% MHR.

Mountain biking keeps me in the fatmax zone for longer but it's still burning way too many sugars and not enough fat. After a ride today I forgot to take my heart rate monitor off and I made a startling discovery. Washing the car (hand and bucket method) gets the heart going smack bang in the middle of the fatmax zone. That explains why the ladies at bikini car washes always look so good and also makes you wonder about the link between water restrictions and the obesity epidemic....

The dawn of a new era

2007-06-29T14:34:00.000+10:00

While we were away we read a lot. We read so much that we ran out of books. We read so much that Nat read my cycling magazines and books...... Cycling is an addictive sport.

On Monday night we decided the time had come for Nat to give it a bash. Three days, four bike shops, a session on Ebay and a drive to Kogorah later she looked like this.

The first ride was just a tester to make sure she could get in and out of the cleats, change gears and stay upright. I was halfway through my explanation of how to get out of the cleats when Nat's patience ran out. Off she went, clip clip, all very exciting, slowing down, trying to stop, BAM. She did get one foot out but unfortunately it was the wrong one. Once the tears had subsided we tried again, this time more successfully. Everything else went off without a hitch. She performed way above my expectations especially on the hills and after a day of recovery she is ready to give it another bash. I'm sure it wont be long before she is leaving me for dead on the hills.

Calling all proactive self starters!!

2007-06-15T09:10:00.000+10:00

I'm toying with the idea of heading off in a new direction work wise and as a result I have just spent the better part of the morning looking at seek. Can I just say I HATE job ads. This is one example of the meaningless buzz word filled crap that I have been sifting through.

"which means you need to be a focused, proactive self-starter, and able to multi-task in a fast-paced environment"

please recruitment people, a little originality.

The Africa Question

2007-04-12T04:38:00.000+10:00

Whilst it has been awesome to chill out in CT and to partake in many of the things we have been missing for the last three months is has also made me realise how good we have it. CT is a great city and by African standards it is very well off, but it has some major problems which, to a certain extent, follow you like a cloud, casting a shadow over many of the finer things CT has to offer. IÂll give you just one example that has hit me in the last day or so. The end ofapartheidd was certainly a great time for South Africa and the transition from the old to the new was a huge success compared to other African handovers such as Uganda and Zimbabwe. I would have loved to be able to walk away from Robben Island all warm and fuzzy but the current problems seem so insurmountable, at least in the short term , that it's hard not to be affected by the undercurrent of disillusion and a fear for the future of Africa. As our guide, a political prisoner himself, told us, it's not going to get truly better until our children are running the show. I also spoke to a South African guy who has been living in Australia for 30 years and he was telling me that he hated how Australians think that they are somehow responsible for creating the country we live in. He said It's true that we are part of a society and as individuals we can shape the coarse of our country but most of us haven't spent any time or effort creating the lucky country and if we were born into almost any other society we would be just as screwed as the next soul. Food for thought and certainly food for prayer...

Follow our travels at natandev.travellerspoint.com

All good things

2006-12-18T08:46:00.000+11:00

As of the 31st of December Nat and I will be off on an 8 month adventure.

The plan is to go Asia, Africa, Europe, North America and South America.
If you're keen to see what we are up to you are more than welcome to follow our travels at http://natandev.travellerspoint.com

We hope you like it!

Ev and Nat

Estimated time of arrival 9.30 a.m.
Been up before the sun and now I'm tired before I even begin.
(Now you're flying) I got so much work in front of me,
(Really flying) it stretches out far as the eye can see.
I can see. Gurus 1991

Indian transport reviews

2006-12-13T16:50:00.000+11:00

If you think Jetstar is bad check out Indian air transport reviews at airlinequality.com

I like this one
"My experience of Air Deccan is entirely negative. They are the worst airline I have ever encountered - anywhere. The level of incompetence and indifference displayed by their staff towards fare paying customers has to experienced to be believed. It is truly astonishing. I would not recommend them to my worst enemy."

Said with such passion!

Stuart Mackenzie was right

2006-12-13T11:53:00.000+11:00

Stuart - "Oh how I hate the The Colonel, with his wee beady eyes and that smug look on his face. `Ohhh you're gonna buy my chicken, ohhh'"
Charlie - "Dad, how can you hate "The Colonel?"
Stuart - "Because he puts an addictive chemical in his chicken that make you crave it fortnightly, smartass!

Whilst we all laughed along at the time it appears more and more likely each day the KFC is on a mission to take over the universe. Tipped off by a story in SMH I decided to do some research.

If it was only herbs and spices why would they take such costly measures to protect the secret?

"Today, the recipe is protected by some pretty elaborate security precautions. One company blends a formulation that represents part of the recipe while another spice company blends the remainder. As a final safeguard, a computer processing system is used to standardize the blending of the products to ensure neither company has the complete recipe. " KFC.com

Why are they preparing for an Alien invasion with advertising that is visable from space?

KFC big cheese Gregg Dedrick duly said in a statement: "If there are extraterrestrials in outer space, KFC wants to become their restaurant of choice."

What do they know that we don't? Will the secret be revealed with the purchase of any large meal deal?? Only time will tell.

The truth is out there.....

I love airport codes

2006-12-04T10:09:00.000+11:00

1.1SNOW/EVANMR 2.1BARTLE/NATALIEMISS
1. QF 123 L 31DEC SYDBOM HK2 1010 1915
2. BA 6642 L 03APR ALALHR HK2 0900 1405
3. BA 59 L 03APR LHRCPT HK2 1925 #0755
4. BA 62 L 16JUL EBBLHR HK2 0910 1600
5. BA 95 L 30JUL LHRYUL HK2 1740 1940
6. AA 4762 L 02AUG YULJFK HK2 1010 1140
7. AA 743 L 07AUG LGADFW HK2 1255 1540
8. AA 887 L 07AUG DFWYVR HK2 1639 1909
9. AA 282 L 15AUG YVRDFW HK2 0850 1455
10. AA 436 L 15AUG DFWMIA HK2 1750 2130
11. AA 943 L 15AUG MIAMVD HK2 2315 #1140
12. LA 4350 L 22AUG AEPBRC HK2 1310 1530
13. LA 206 L 03SEP CCPSCL HK2 1410 1510
14. QF 322 L 05SEP SCLSYD HK2 2255 *0705

Geotastic Friday Fun

2006-11-24T10:16:00.000+11:00

If you're looking to improve your Blue trivial pursuit potency then these website are Geotastic.

www.geosense.net
www.ilike2learn.com

Lives in a house a very big house in the country

2006-11-21T15:25:00.000+11:00

You may recall my house in southern France blog from earlier this year. I know this isn't really feasible but I still like to keep the dream alive. Would it be more feasible if we were to locate our dream home in Australia??? After a fantastic weekend in Lostock I asked the question how much do you think a place like this would cost? A few figures were bandied about, figures that gave me a ray of hope. Maybe a rustic place in the hunter was within reach, especially if a few committed individuals chipped in. I did the Math. Any guesses as to how much a few acres in the upper hunter would cost?

Bring back Bill

2006-11-13T11:34:00.000+11:00

I have always expected victory from the Wallabies however over the last few weeks with some dismal performances I have started to wonder if that is a realistic expectation. At the risk of sounding like a fair-weather fan I'm here to raise a troublesome thought. I think over the past decade or so since Lynagh Farr-Jones and Ella dragged us out of the Rugby wilderness and into the limelight we have become accustomed to winning, becoming a force to be reckoned with and for that we should be very proud. My concern is that it's not the last few years that have been the anomaly but the previous 15. We had a good run but do we really deserve to be number 1, is there a divine plan that has us holding Bill aloft come September. The stats say no and I'm starting to think that with our diversity of football codes our run of rugby dominance may be coming to an end. I stood by the Tahs through the 90's as they got smashed week after week and I will stand by the Wallabies as they try and drag themselves out of the mud. Can the likes of Mortlock and Tuqiri rise above and show the world that despite our size we kick arse in international sport?? Let's hope so.

Why d'ya have to go and make things so complicated

2006-11-10T09:33:00.000+11:00

If the movie Dave has taught us anything it's that the any old schmuck can run the White House and in most cases can do a mighty fine job. If The West Wing has taught us anything it's that you need to talk really really fast to work in the White House but its better for a president to talk in a slow measured fashion with sporadic passionate outbursts. I love a good political drama especially one that involves the White House. It occurred to me last night amongst Midterm elections that I don't really know too much about the US political system so I asked Nat (she's watched a whole lot of West Wing so I thought she might have more of an insight). No luck. I'm sure J-moff would be able to give me a clear and concise answer that tied in with my current TV based knowledge of US Politics but in his absence I turned to Wikipedia.

Midterm elections are elections in the United States in which members of Congress, state legislatures, and some state governors are elected, but not the President.
On the Tuesday following the first Monday in November of every even-numbered year, elections are held for all 435 members of the United States House of Representatives and 33 or 34 of the 100 members of the United States Senate. However, Presidential elections occur only every four years. Those elections for Congress that do not coincide with Presidential races are called midterm elections, because they occur about midway through a Presidential term.
Thirty four of the 50 U.S. states elect their governors to four-year terms during midterm elections, while Vermont and New Hampshire elect governors to two-year terms in midterm and presidential elections. Thus, 36 governors are elected during midterm elections. States also elect officers to their state legislatures and county offices every two years, occurring with both mid-terms and presidential years.

Right.

When surfing is not enough

2006-11-09T11:08:00.000+11:00

"All we hear is radio ga ga" Queen c84

2006-10-25T09:26:00.000+10:00

I have recently been involved in an ongoing debate with friend from work about the virtues of different AM radio programs. As part of the debate I have given up my normal morning mix of JJJ and 702 and have been listening to the Kyle and Jackie O show on 2Day FM. I feel mind numb. 35 minutes and all they talked about was the protocol surrounding cream and white patterned dresses at weddings. If you regularly listen to K&J I implore you to try a few different stations. There is so much more to life.

Are we living on the wrong side of the country?

2006-10-19T15:13:00.000+10:00

The WA surf report today got me thinking, are we living on the wrong side of the country?

Exhibit A Exhibit B

Exhibit C

http://movetoperth.com

Bring back the biff

2006-10-13T09:17:00.000+10:00

The Hon Paul J Keating has a way with words. I heard him pipe up about something the other day and I thought it might be nice to reflect on some of his more memorable quotes. Irrespective of your political inclination I hope you enjoy following outbursts.

From this day onwards, Howard will wear his leadership like a crown of thorns, and in the parliament I'll do everything to crucify him.- On John Howard

But I will never get to the stage of wanting to lead the nation standing in front of the mirror each morning clipping the eyebrows here and clipping the eyebrows there with Janette and the kids: It's like 'Spot the eyebrows' - On John Howard

I am not like the Leader of the Opposition. I did not slither out of the Cabinet room like a mangy maggot - On John Howard

Come in, sucker- To John Howard

He's wound up like a thousand day clock. - On John Howard

He is the greatest job and investment destroyer since the bubonic plague.- On John Howard

He has more hide than a team of elephants.- On John Howard

I do not want to hear any mealy-mouthed talk from the Member for Benelong.- On John Howard

This is the sort of little-boy, stamp your foot stuff which comes from a financial yuppie when you shoe him into parliament. - On John Hewson

Like being flogged with a warm lettuce. - On John Hewson

I was implying that the Honorable Member for Wentworth was like a lizard on a rock - alive, but looking dead. - On John Hewson

I'd put him in the same class as the rest of them: mediocrity. - On John Hewson

I suppose that the Honourable Gentleman's hair, like his intellect, will recede into the darkness.- On Andrew Peacock

if this gutless spiv, and I refer to him as a gutless spiv - On Andrew Peacock

The Leader of the Opposition is more to be pitied than despised, the poor old thing. The Liberal Party ought to put him down like a faithful dog because he is of no use to it and of no use to the nation.- On Andrew Peacock

We're not interested in the views of painted, perfumed gigolos.- On Andrew Peacock

It is the first time the Honourable Gentleman has got out from under the sunlamp.- On Andrew Peacock

What we have as a leader of the National Party is a political carcass with a coat and tie on. - On Ian Sinclair

THE OPPOSITION

The Leader of the Opposition hurls all sorts of abuse at me, and all through question time those pansies over there want retractions of the things weÂve said about them. They are a bunch of nobodies going nowhere.

Where you all come aguster is, over here we think we're born to rule you. And let me tell you this, it's been ingrained in me from childhood, I think my mission in life is to run you.

You were heard in silence, so some of you SCUMBAGS on the front bench should wait a minute until you hear the responses from me.

they insist on being mugs, Mr Speaker, absolute mugs.

I'm not running a seminar for dullards on the other side.

Those opposite could not operate a tart shop

Shut up for a moment. If you ask questions and want to hear answers, shut up.

We will be rejecting the opportunist claptrap coming from the Opposition.

RANDOM QUOTES

You had an important place in Australian society on the ABC and you gave it up to be a pop star with a big cheque and now you're on to this sort of stuff. That shows what a 24 carat pissant you are, Richard, that's for sure. - To Richard Carleton

That you Jim? Paul Keating here. Just because you swallowed a f***ing dictionary when you were about 15 doesn't give you the right to pour a bucket of s*** over the rest of us. - To Former Labour politician, Jim McClelland (on the phone)

get a job!- To a University student protesting about fees

Join me in my quest for a tantie free world.

2006-10-06T09:55:00.000+10:00

Working in shopping centres has give me a wonderful insight into the world of tantrums. I research was particularly fruitful at chatswood thanks to being three meters from donut king. Not only did the give us donuts at out the door prices but their mere presence generated countless tanties every day.

The other big tantie catalyst is kiddy rides. No matter how cool they are kiddy rides are not to be trusted. They can only end in tears. How can we be so stupid to give in to the $2 of joy when we know that once your 1 minute is up you're guaranteed tears.

I vow to never give in.

I ask you to join me in my quest for a tantie free world.

Shopping trolley murdered

2006-09-27T09:02:00.000+10:00

I have some exciting news for all the shoppers out there, for those of you who want to cast off the shackles of only having three hours free parking! I heard a rumour, I did some myth busting, I was shocked......

If you ever get stuck in a car park over the free time limit (and your too tight to pay the $4 for the 4th hour) all you need to do drive a shopping trolley up to an unmanned entry gate and bingo bango, lovely jubbly, out pops a fresh ticket. As you can Imagine I often forget I'm parked inside the Mall carpark and this has been an exciting revelation for me as the daily rate is $22. I hope that some day this valuable lesson will save you $4 too!

Oxymoron

2006-09-22T12:22:00.000+10:00

conjoining contradictory terms http://www.foxfaith.com/

Fox Faith have announced that on the back of the overwhelming success of "The Passion" they are looking to release 12 "Christian" feature films a year. There are some other fantastic titles in the Fax faith back catalog.
Some of my favourites are.
- My friend Flicka
- Garfield and Friends (Vol 1)
- South Pacific
- Strawberry shortcake

and my all time favourite Fox Faith movie.....

Enough said.

My news revelation

2006-09-22T12:11:00.000+10:00

SMH keeps me entertained for about 20 mins each day. A quick flick through the main stories down to SPORT with a very brief glance at WORLD then on to MOST VIEWED. A pretty standard flick through SMH one would think. I'm sure many of you have already discovered the joy of internet news and the boundless access to worldwide news sources. In my first visit to news.bbc.co.uk I spent about an hour in the Africa section alone. Not only is it extremely vast in it's regional coverage it is also very well presented. Alternately this website lists many of the online papers on a country by country basis. http://www.world-newspapers.com/

If your looking for something to do on a lazy Friday arvo I highly recommend finding out what is going on in other parts of the world. Enjoy.

Why do Australians travel?

2006-09-15T14:54:00.000+10:00

Nat is reading Swahili for the broken hearted, an absolutely fantastic book about Peter Moore I guy from Sydney making his way from the Cape to Cairo and getting into a whole lot of strife along the way. In the early stages of the book he mentions his hero, Alby Mangles. "Who is Alby Mangles?" she asked in a still quasi Canadian accent. I decided it was time to pay Blog tribute to a man who was a hero of mine too.

The genesis of the Alby Mangels story is told in the opening sequence of World Safari I. He and his mate John Field set off on their motorbikes from Adelaide on the 10th March, 1971. All they had was four hundred dollars cash, a film camera (16mm Bell and Howell, with apparently no sound-recording capability), and the desire for adventure. During the following six years they were to visit fifty-six countries across four continents, and be fortunate not to perish ten times over. Consequently, Alby became a national celebrity.

For some it was his laugh in the face of danger attitude, for others his adventurous spirit. For many it was his ability to pull hot chicks wherever he went (Mangels became famous for an array of attractive female traveling companions, with a quota per film approaching that of James Bond - wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alby_Mangels). I think it was a combo of these thing that Alby has passed on to a generation of travelers. Is this why so many Australians travel?

Graffiti makes me angry

2006-09-13T10:57:00.000+10:00

Driving to work today I noticed the new skate park on Condamine st had already been vandalised before it has opened. I guess graffiti has become part of popular culture and when it is done with care and passion I think it looks good. What makes me angry is some 15 year old thinking it's cool (yes I'm aware that using the word cool is very uncool) to be the first person to deface public property with a bloody ugly tag. If your going to tag stuff at least practice at home for a while so when your ready to hit the streets the outcome is art.

I feel a genuine sense of loss

2006-09-04T15:08:00.000+10:00

Had you asked me yesterday what I thought of Steve Irwin I probably would have said he's half joker half idiot.
My reaction to his death today suggests that I actually have a much higher level of respect for him than I thought. I don't know why.

I feel a genuine sense of loss.

Can't buy me love

2006-08-29T11:31:00.000+10:00

I read a really interesting article about happiness in national geographic (August 06) the other day. It wasn't actually about happiness but that was one of the take home message for me. It's well worth a read if you can get your hands on it especially from a Christian perspective. Basically it argues that modern environmentalism needs to be about changing the very foundation of society.
At present society believes we need stuff to make us happy and to keep us secure. We need an ever expanding economy to cater for our material desires but as we know stuff doesn't make us happy, not in the long run. The author calls for a shift in focus, a meaning of life that isn't about stuff. He points to religion as a framework for a society that is built on something other than material excess.
My question for you is do we live lives that reflect what we believe or do we buy the lie that stuff makes us happy??? I think I know the truth and try to live the truth but get sucked in too easily. I want to live the truth.

Unwanted Body Hair

2006-08-02T09:58:00.000+10:00

OK so it's not so much body hair I'm trying to get rid of. I'm trying to permanently remove my neck hair. I'm not sure if my neck is particularly sensitive or if my hair is particularly prickly but it's not nice and something has got to give. I figure if I can halt the neck hair I will be able to always have a perfectly manicured beard at whatever stage of growth.

I have been toying with the idea of Laser treatment but it's a big investment and I wasn't 110% sure so I have held off. One of my friends has now suggested the Karpati method. Has anyone heard of, used, or had a friend horribly disfigured by the Karpati method? I'm pretty sure I'm going to do it so speak now before it's too late....

http://www.bbcobeauty.com.au/index.cfm?pageid=pg747201907edoras

OK one more quick pre-wedding post

2006-07-20T11:13:00.000+10:00

Got our test photo's back. Here's proof that if you take enough photos the most unphotogenic person can look reasonable!

I'm outie

2006-07-20T00:55:00.000+10:00

I'm going here with my lovely new wife.

See you in a few weeks!

Tour time

2006-07-20T00:43:00.000+10:00

For the uninitiated it's a bunch of guys (most of whom were on EPO's) riding, riding, riding some more. I didn't understand the hype. The first time I was forced to watch the tour I can clearly remember wondering why the commentators were getting so fire up about what looked like minor lead changes and breakaways that may or may not be caught. I especially didn't get the team aspect of the race. The tour is an all or nothing event for both rider and spectator. It only took me a few nights watching the tour three years ago to go from nothing to all. I don't really have too much to say other than if your not a fan try watching a few stages and once you understand a few of the many intricacies I guarantee you'll start to see what all the commotion is about.
Viva Le Tour.

Ipods cause musical ADHD

2006-07-06T18:29:00.000+10:00

A few days ago it came to my attention that I have acquired Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Not the normal kind you see on A Current Affair but a new breed of Ipod ADHD. My condition became apparent on a recent trip to Nats parents house. I have moved most of my CD's to my parents house in preparation for my imminent departure from Boys house on the 21st but due to a nifty bit of CD reclamation from SB I had a few older CD's in the car. I didn't really feel like listening to an album but it was decided that we were going to listen to "August and everything after" one of my all time fav albums. The sort of album that you listen to so many times that you can sing along to every song without missing a beat. It's a musical journey with such a beautiful flow. It gave me such great joy, where had this musical joy gone. It was then that I realised that the MP3 musical revolution was to blame. Too many choices, too easy to flick, no order and no story. Further more we are witnessing a breakdown of the musical medium that has reached new lows in recent days. Consider the following;

concert = 2 hours, you listen to the whole thing
vinyl = 1 hour, fairly difficult to change songs
tape = 1 hour, can fast forward
CD = 1 hour, can skip song easily
Ipod = 5 min chunks, complete musical flexibility
and the new low I speak of....
ringtones = 20 second chunks, play them to death

We have broken everything down to manageable chunks and robbed the artist of the right to lead us.
Even playing through one artist on an ipod detracts from the musical experience because Ipod organises the songs alphabetically (unless you listen by album).

I'm going to change my behavior and I implore you to join with me. I'm going to view my ipod as a album, rather than song, storage device.

Also I'd like to take this opportunity to share 9 Albums you should listen to without skipping a song.

For further inspiration check out
http://www.albumvote.co.uk/files/albums.shtml
http://music.allofmp3.com/awards/awards_500.shtml

A Special moment in Australia's history

2006-07-01T14:29:00.000+10:00

Australia prides itself on it's sporting prowess. I think it's fair to say we also pride ourselves on being sportsmen and women of integrity (with the exception of Warney and a few of the leaguies) I think in general we are good spectators too. I was shocked to find out that the SCG was the host of the first cricket riot and one of the first sporting riots of any sort.

In 1879 a British team were touring and had a number of games scheduled against NSW at the SCG. It is alleged that a Victoria umpire, paid for by the Birtts, had put a substantial bet on an English win. After a number of questionable decisions Coulthard gave NSW star batsman, Murdoch, out with another dodgy run out call. Un uproar started in the pavilion and as a result NSW took a stand and refused to play on with Coulthard behind the stumps. After a stand off the angry crowd took it upon themselves to invade the pitch. Amongst the invaders was a young A B "Banjo" Paterson. The invaders attacked The umpire and also some of the English players but no one was badly hurt. The situation was defused by the umpire at the other end who was none other than Sir Edmund Barton, our much neglected First Prime Minister. It was in fact the publicity surrounding the riot that was largely responsible for his election when he ran for the NSW Legislative Assembly Later that year.

How to rob honey

2006-06-25T15:29:00.000+10:00

Honey isn't harvested, it's robbed. We engaged in our first smash and grab a few months ago and now that the excitement has died down I'm able to let you into the wonderful world of bees! I will keep the words to a minimum as the photos are pretty much self explanatory.

Nat looking cute as a button in her Bee suit

firing up the smoker

Opening the hive. Smoke for some unknown reason calms bees down. It is believed that smoke triggers a time to move hose instinct and they load up on honey and as a result become docile.

Our girls

Decapping the comb with a heated knife.

Frames go in the extractor

Extractor cranks up the G's and sends the honey flying

Honey with some yucky bits comes flowing out

Goes through a fine sieve and we are all done (but for an hour clean up)

Pretty easy hey. We got 18 Kg of honey from our first harvest. If your lucky we might let you try some.

Mint gum and OJ

2006-06-25T00:36:00.001+10:00

Trivial pursuit, I'm good at it, I don't know why. I love it. Surely the makers of trivial pursuit made enough money off the original version to pull up stumps and call it a day. I was going to blog about my excitement surrounding the release of the latest update of the classic version but as I went to grab a photo my excitement turn to disgust.
I love Orange Juice, I love Mint Chewy but mix them together and it's all bad.
I love Trivial Pursuit, I love the 80's but mix them together.....

My first taste of TP spin offs was Globe Tripper. I wasn't convinced and reverted to my old school version. The questions were of poorer quality and quantity and the additional game play options detracted from the pure hit of trivia. Now not only has 80's TP recently been released so has Lord of the rings, Star wars, 90's, Nickelodeon, Pop culture and Book lovers. OK, Book lovers and Pop culture are probably broad enough to warrant a version of this great game but the array of new versions is nothing but a shameless grab for $$. How can the two brilliant inventors of this great game stand to see it's integrity torn to shred's? Moreover how can they profit from it's demise? Like an aging rocker trying to regain a squandered fortune the makers of TP are selling out. Fine, sell out, set your kids and grand kids up for life, but must they stoop so low? I call for a boycott of all of the forementioned versions. Stand united lovers of TP.

incidentally, can you really "win" Lord of the rings trivial pursuit? One of the few places in life where winning and losing are one in the same.

Kudos to Tubby

2006-06-21T18:54:00.000+10:00

Can I just say thank you to you Craig for forging a path.

I know you probably took your inspiration to blog from someone else and no doubt they too would credit some other trail blazer but to you I credit my first desire to blog. Others may curse you for doing so as I generally don't have too much to say but I thank you good sir.

And to you dear reader if your looking for something other than a minor distraction I implore you to visit

http://tubemantravels.blogspot.com/

On that note I would also like to thank Craig for the most recent addition to my blog, The Cluster Map found just below the links. With any luck There will soon be a smallish red dot on Sydney. I don't get too many comments on my blog. Maybe because I never write anything contro. Oh well. Time will tell if there is anyone out there????

Aeroplane food

2006-06-14T14:00:00.000+10:00

I think the general consensus is that plane food sucks but for a strange few, myself included, plane food evokes more pleasing emotions. Maybe it's my penchant for processed food, more likely it's the meals association with sleep deprivation and small screen TV's. Anyway my point is I had Lean Cuisine Honey Soy Chicken today. I was a soft bread roll and mini coke short of pure airline ecstasy and it moved me. Next time you need a holiday why not save yourself the drama and expense, Lean Cuisine can take you there for a fraction of the price even if it's only for a brief 10 minutes at Lunch.

Euro Kang

2006-06-08T11:54:00.000+10:00

Kingos is off to see Australia make history by being the only country to win the world cup in it's second appearance! You too can be part of history by follow along at eurokang.blogspot.com
Come on aussie, come on, come on

Interesting Bee Fact - Eight

2006-06-05T13:09:00.000+10:00

Honeycomb is produces by bees taking wax excreted from glands on the bottom of the abdomen moulding it and working it into place. They only produce the wax from day 12 to 17 at which time the glands stop producing wax and they move on to the next task. Beeswax has been used to make fine candles, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, to fill the screw holes and the seams between the slates on pool tables, as a coating for cheese and in ancient times is was crucial for shipbuilding and waterproofing. Beeswax is also the traditional material from which to make didgeridoo mouthpieces.

You look like a coconut

2006-06-01T13:30:00.000+10:00

Haircut, haircut, you look like a coconut. Many a young lad has been taunted with variations of the coconut line. I copped it heaps. I don't want to look like a coconut and now in my days of deforestation the look is here to stay. The last photo I have of me with a full head of hair was taken just before I bungy Jumped in NZ, Christmas 96. I was 20. Incidentally this is also when I started smoking. Maybe now that I have stopped I will get some hair back???
I have come to accept my baldness and now see it as part of an intricate tapestry. A weave that combines a big lip a smashed up nose and less than perfect skin. I think considering the ingredients I came out ok. Anyway the real reason behind this post is to discuss wedding hair options. Basically I'm of the opinion that day 4 to day 20 after a number 2 shave is about the optimum hair length. I have two photos to illustrate the range.

(please excuse the face pulling, my unphotogenicness will no doubt be the subject of a future post)

Photo 1. Hair is about 15 days old
Photo 2. Hair is about 3 months old. I think at this stage I was still holding on to the dream. I remember being angry upon seeing the photos because none of my mates had pulled me aside and told me how bad the long hair was.

The plan is for me to shave my hair tonight. I will then be accepting feedback either directly or anonymously through the blog. Please feel free to tell me when you think I'm at optimal length.

Evan

This is how I punish myself

2006-05-13T13:11:00.000+10:00

Everyone who knows me even a little will know I'm a dreamer. They will also know most of my dreams revolve around an idealistic lifestyle constantly hopping between Australia, the Pacific and France (southern France or Corsica). Today has been a little quite at work and while I do have work to do I prefer to punish myself. I have found a new website and let me tell you if I somehow came into some serious cash I would be purchasing up a storm! Yes I know internet Real Estate is overpriced and unrealistic. It a fantasy people! Let me dream.

Some properties for your Consideration

Option 1. $6,500,000

Yes you may recognise this lovely vista if you've ever planned a surf trip to Fiji. Our first contender is the fabulous King Kong Island. Come on dooooown

Option 2. $3,600,000
A Little more remote and requiring a boat to get to local surf breaks is the Beautiful Ile Sauvage, part of Huahine Tahiti.

Option 3. $25,000,000
Complete with it's own airstrip, abandoned resort and movie sets is the historic Blue Lagoon island. That's right every young mans dream island is up for sale!

I think Ile Sauvage is my fav at the moment. I'm sure I can count on Kang and AY to chip in. We just need 33 others.

http://www.privateislandsonline.com

How good is heaven going to be if places like this exist here on earth??

The Glory of the Democratic Process

2006-05-11T09:15:00.000+10:00

Last night I was delighted to take part in the democratic process as a proxy voter for Mr AJT who had been called away on family business. "I'm promised it will be a short one...Just a vote and then out" SB circa may 06. With the meeting starting at 8.00 Americas next top model (8.30) was always looking scetch but I held out hope.... Until the fun and games began. Even before the voting started people were up and down like jack-in-the-boxes. "Mr speaker I move this and that and I'm a very important part of this branch, blah blah blah" Roll of voters was read. 63 present and accounted for. Voting was underway, I might miss the first few minutes but still looking OK. The vote counter and scrutiners came back into the room to announce they had received 64 votes. Ah no. The culprit never fessed up and as a result rather then 63 people filling in the little slip and taking it up the front at the same time a role call was required for every vote (5 votes in total) extending what should have been a quick vote into an exciting night of role calling. Bardos starts singing "Time goes by so slowly" as the night began to drag on. I think many forms of government work relatively well on paper but all are affected to differing extents by fallen man. For some interesting reading check out Forms of Government on Wikipedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_forms_of_government
I vote for a Benevolent dictatorship but who should the dictator be???

Maybe The member for Kingsford Smith?

If I was more IT savvy I would make a pole thingy. but I'm not, so I won't.

Vote 1 MB

Serendipity

2006-05-03T16:40:00.000+10:00

- The faculty of making fortunate discoveries by accident

I used a serendipity bible in BS last night. This afternoon I had another serendipitous moment. I had a half day today thanks to the Saturday shift which so cruel prevented me from realising my Manyana dreams (see previous blog, Manyana Dreaming). On the way home I drove along the beach to see if it was worth a surf. Not much happening but I thought it prudent to pull over and check. A light offshore breeze gave some hope of good surf but alas no real swell. Disappointed with the less than desirable size I returned home to grab my mal. At least it's warm and I can get wet I thought. First half hour not much action a few nice ones but nothing spectacular. After a while I started getting better rides, the swell was picking up, the sets were marching in and for a brief hour everything clicked. If you have a look at MHL data for Wednesday (http://www.mhl.nsw.gov.au/htbin/wave_data_plot.com?Location=Combined_Plot) you will see a little spike in the middle of the day. Not sure if I made the right board choice but at least I was getting the pick of the waves. I'm saying 3 feet, slightly full to start off with, long perfect barreling rides. Not huge waves but, like an epic boomerang surf we once had, it was hard not to get barreled. I think all up I got 11 waves with barrel potential. I can't be sure about all of them but on some of them there was no doubt, I was well inside. I also got the longest barrel I have ever had. Tucked in and just kept going and going. The only thing missing was mates.

Football (aka Soccer)

2006-04-26T08:37:00.000+10:00

With the World Cup approaching, this could be very useful advice....
You're in a shoe shop, second in the queue for the till. Behind the shop assistant on the till is a pair of shoes which you have seen and which you must have. The female shopper in front of you has seen them also & is eyeing them with desire. Both of you have forgotten your purses.
It would be totally rude to push in front of the first woman if you had no money to pay for the shoes. The shop assistant remains at the till waiting.
Your friend is trying on another pair of shoes at the back of the shop and sees your dilemma. She prepares to throw her purse to you. If she does so, you can catch the purse, then walk round the other shopper and buy the shoes!
At a pinch she could throw the purse ahead of the other shopper and, "whilst it is in flight" you could nip around the other shopper, catch the purse and buy the shoes! BUT, you must always remember that until the purse has "actually been thrown", it would be plain wrong to be in front of the other shopper!

Interesting Bee Fact - Seven

2006-04-15T16:38:00.000+10:00

Honey is not recommended for babies under one year of age. Although honey is a natural, healthy food that normally cannot support bacterial life, it's important to note that it can carry C. botulinum spores which may be harmful to the undeveloped immune systems of infants.

Madonna who?

2006-04-13T13:55:00.000+10:00

I was lucky enough to be invited to the MTV awards. A great night was had by all and I was quite surprise with how much I enjoyed some of the acts but the whole experience has left me in a quandary. Am I one of those old people who can't move with the times? It's not that I didn't recognise any of the artists it's just that I couldn't comprehend most of the results.

Some of the quality nominees (as I see it) were
- U2

- Foo Fighters

- Madonna

- gorillaz

And the people that cleaned up......
- Ashley Simpson

- Shannon Noll

- The Veronicas

- Anthony Callea

- The Rouge Traders

I was informed today that Anthony Callea has the highest selling single of all time in Australia. Is that true? I HAVEN'T EVEN HEARD THE SONG!

I'd like to think it's not me it's you but it's hard to ignore the evidence. I'm already getting caught in the past.

I point the finger squarely at my mum who refused to listen to "real" music in the car instead preferring a 2WS concoction of 60's and 70's classics with catchy tunes and easy to sing along lyrics.

Maybe I should watch Idol and listen to Nova more often. It appears to be working for Bardots ; )

For the love of the game

2006-04-09T23:43:00.000+10:00

It was the biggest match of the season thus far and the ultimate litmus test for the tahs, a game not to miss. Unfortunately a crew were heading to the hawksbury for the weekend and the proper research hadn't been done. Anyway with 5 minutes to spare we rocked up to the Brooklyn Pub expecting at worst to have to convince the bartender to switch the box over from league to union (something I have become very proficient at after many south coast sorties) . As we walked from room to room looking for the big plasma screen, small plasma screen, any sort of viewing device, it became clear that the only TV in the pub was tuned in to a fuzzy "The new price is right". Any self respecting publican knows the value of catering to sport mad Australians who, due to Murdoch and Packer, cant watch sports at home without investing in cable (surley a good blog topic). Andy took charge and politely asked if this particular publican knew the value of Fox Sports. He did not. Seeing our anguish and being a rugby fan himself self he asked "how many of you are there?" At that stage there was only 4. OK he said, follow me. He walked us outside the pub. I'm thinking is there another pub? Is he going to tell us "we don't like your sort here" and hand us over to the bikers sitting out front? But instead the coolest thing happened. Pointing to a dingy alley across the road he said "go up there and ask if you can watch the game. If they ask you any questions tell them mike sent you." Bewildered we followed his orders hesitantly. 2 minutes till kick off and this left field, potentially life threatening, solution was our last hope. This kind man had seen the passion and knew the pain of not being able to watch the game. He had thrown a friken bone to fellow tahs fans in need of a fix. He had directed us to a local secret. Not dissimilar to underground bars in the days of Prohibition, the BRC (Brookly Rugby Club) is a haven of rugby, tucked in the back of a real estate agent is a less than hygienic little room with a decent but not huge TV. Behind that a verandah with a much smaller TV. It took a while for the cautious locals to relax but within a few minutes of kick off everything was cool. As more people including a few of our crew arrived and joined us the gathering spilt out onto the verandah and then into the backyard. All up about 20 - 25 people had converged on a tiny room to take part in a local tradition, a tradition that we were allowed to partake in.... for the love of the game.

ps shame we lost.

The Rotation Policy

2006-04-06T18:43:00.000+10:00

I was woken by two thing this morning. My alarm was set for 9.50 as I had a late start at work and after a few lat night scrabble sessions (beat Kang by 1 point last night) I needed the extra sleep. Anyway 7.00 I hear my dad talking (loudly) to Thomo then I hear the loud sound of backyard excavation. Why do builders start so early? Never got it, never will. A major drainage overhaul has thrown the house into disarray with Steve having to move out of his room by Sunday. In my early morning daze I agreed the best solution was for me to move out of my room by midday the following day. So now I find myself roomless for a while. Seeing as I as already awake and starting to wonder how I was going to pack up four years of buildup in only a few hours I decided to get cracking. I have about 150 T-shirts, some cool others not so cool. With a shared wardrobe just around the corner I figured now was as good a time as any to start the cull. I'm more of a wear the first thing that I find that's clean and reasonably suitable kind of person so despite the large quantity of T's most of them have fallen out of regular rotation and been forgotten. It's amazing what you find once you start to dig a little deeper. The memories of You am I at the Metro in 96 is still fairly fresh in my mind but the faded Hi Fi Way T (once a fav) now lies in a pile of T purgatory along with a fine collection of faded memories. I think for the next few months before someone else starts to dress me I'm going to initiate an old classics rotation to help with the culling process. If you see me wearing something that looks old feel free to cast you vote.

Don't you wish that your kids all looked more fine?
Do you feel that your guy's below your style?
You Am I, Hi Fi Way , Punkarella circa 95

Manyana Dreaming

2006-03-24T16:44:00.000+11:00

With the little bit of bite in the night air becoming a more common occurrence as we plunge into Winter I can't help but to long for the south coast. There is something truly invigorating about a fresh surf, something rousing about hunting for perfection and something calming about getting away from the crowds. It's Friday and it's a shame I'm not packing into the blue Ford or Peacocks MPV with an air of anticipation and an expectation of bad sleep and good times. Anyway I feel like I need to do a Farm, Boneyard, Werri, Summercloud, Manyana, Mollymook, Dolphin Point, Bawley Combo.

Interesting Bee Fact - Six

2006-03-22T11:37:00.000+11:00

Napoleon used the bee as a symbol of his empire after his coronation in 1804. It stood for industry, efficiency and productivity. Also emblematic of immortality and resurrection, the bee was chosen to link the new dynasty to the very origins of France. Golden bees (cicadas really) were discovered in 1653 in Tournai in the tomb of Childeric I (father of Clovis) who founded the Merovingian dynasty in 457. They were considered to be the oldest emblem of the sovereigns of France.

Interesting Bee Fact - Five

2006-03-22T11:18:00.000+11:00

Honey is the only product with no shelf life. No need to refrigerate it. It can be stored unopened at room temperature in a dry cupboard. Honey is one of the oldest foods in existence. It was even found in the tomb of King Tut! It was still eatable.

I Love Insurance

2006-03-14T13:26:00.000+11:00

How much does insurance suck, especially at renewal time. I normally hate insurance and at work I see a plethora of people from all walks of life that believe insurance is nothing more than a scam. I can't help starting to feel like maybe I shouldn't be making people pay for insurance. Maybe I believe it's the right thing for them because I make a juicy margin on it. Today my faith in insurance was restored.

I parked my car in the Mall car park at 8.00. I got out of my car as pre normal. the car park has a decent slope but when I got out of my car it didn't roll (because I had the hand break on, good job Evan). I walked to work. I didn't notice any loud bangs. Nothing out of the norm... Until I went back to find my car 100 meters away smashed into a wall. No security video, no nothing, just a smashed car. Anyway I noticed a strange insurance euphoria brought on by the initial distress of finding my car wrecked followed by the joy of realising that insurance has saved me again.

Results 1 - 10 of 75,100,000 for bird flu

2006-03-13T16:11:00.000+11:00

I have an ongoing debate with Nat about the legitimacy of Avian Bird Flu. Maybe it's my love of chicken or my brush with the dreaded SARS both physically (see photo or SARS buskers) and professionally but I'm adamant avian flu isn't going to kill 1/3 of the worlds population.

I know that there are plenty of reasons to be concerned. National Geographic had a cool article about migration corridors and let me tell you people, if you think you a long way from Guandong province (Chinese just north of Vietnam) the home of many dodgy nasties such as SARS and potentially Bird Flu, then you are well wrong. For the shocking truth check out http://www.fao.org/ag/againfo/foto/EMPRES_Watch_global_flyways.gif

So yes it's possible, we could have a pandemic and all be in serious trouble. Is it probable? Is this something we should be worried about? Is the time bomb ticking? Will we get thrust back into the dark ages. If so I bags a spot on kangs yacht. 5 days and we are out of harms way on Lord Howe. I suggest you start planning your escape.

Interesting Bee Fact - Four

2006-03-01T12:41:00.000+11:00

In 1973, Karl von FRISCH received a Nobel Prize for deciphering Bee language, which consists of two basic dances: a dance in a circle, for indicating sources without reference to specific distance or direction; and a tail-wagging dance in which the exact distance is indicated by a number of straight runs with abdominal wagging--the fewer runs per minute, the farther away the source.

Best run ever

2006-02-24T16:01:00.001+11:00

I just want to tell you about one run. Think Arc 2000, High in the mountains, above the tree line. It was Monday morning and three Atlantic storms had just passed leaving about 90cm of fresh. During the storms we had some great runs but we were restricted to the lower realms due to high winds. Monday brought little wind and no clouds it was a bright, sunny, crisp day. We headed up to the Arc 2000 zone and did a few runs on the more popular part of the mountain. On our third lift I noted one of the highest lifts, The Grand Col (aka the Grand Canard 2, circa Fort 06) had started moving but at that stage was empty. http://www.lesarcs.com/IMG/jpg/plan_2000_pix1800.jpg The call was made to chance it and head the the Col. We weren't the only ones who spoted the opening and it became a dash for cash for the first lift. I would guess we were about chair 15. Just as we got to the top of the lift the first skier came fanging down the piste, knee deep and in fine form. We watched with squeals of delight and anticipation. The chance for just over 1km of steep fresh in bounds is a rare thing and before our eyes it was getting cut up. fortunatly the Col services a high mountain bowl so we were sure our chance of fresh tracks was guaranteed. We hurriedly strapped in and headed off just to the left of the piste. Not too much to say about the actual run but it was awesome. 1km of the smoothest most exilerating boarding ever. The sort of stuff where every turn is one to savour as you push more and more to get lower and faster. There was an appropriate spot to stop about half way down the hill I turned, hands in the air, sreaming wooowhooo, to see the last of GPs run as he delicately duplicated my track about 2m to the left and the see the girls hurling themselves at it with an impressive lack of self regard. 6 runs and 2 hours later the whole area was tracked out. I was proud to be apart of it and Glad to have had my best run ever, Heliskiing inbounds. Monday 20 Feb Les Arcs, France, ES NB GP ER

Euro part 2

2006-02-18T03:23:00.000+11:00

OK All of these updates are being posted at the same time due to illness. I'm writing them on the laptop and then heading down to the Information centre to upload. The first two updates have been sitting in the laptop since Wednesday when I was cruelly struck down with the both ends bug. Just as the fist of the three big fronts came marching in I began my 12 hours of pain. The team pulled together and got me to the doctor in the morning passing up the first French powder session in over three weeks. I had an anti vomit injection and was left to sleep it off. Anyway now it's Friday morning and I'm feeling much better. The Second and bigger front has arrived and big fast flakes are falling. I don't know how long I'll last today but it's nice to feel capable of riding a chairlift without potential disaster.

PS For a weather report see Torino, It's just over the hill. (But a 4 hour drive)

Europe Part 1

2006-02-18T02:57:00.000+11:00

Canada to France isn't that far... Only a 5.30 wake up, 4 hour Bus trip, 2 hour wait, 1.5 hour flight, 3 hour wait, 10 hour flight, 1 hour wait, 1 hour flight and 2 hour car trip. We traveled the equivalent distance of Sydney to Shanghai but rather than taking the required 11 hours as the 747 flies we took just over 24 hours. I wasn't mentally prepared. Also Business was full so our promised upgrade didn't materialise. Oh well fingers crossed for FRA SIN.

Surprisingly it has been a while since we have seen snow falling and I can assure you that the three Atlantic fronts, the first of which has just arrived, are a cause of great excitement! It was great to have a day to check out the resort in perfect sunlight to get our bearings. It's kind of like Perisher Blue and We're staying at Guthiga. Gav and Ems place is right near the lifts and in a cool little village.

I was warned a couple of time “oh you're going to France, better take your elbow pads eh” I put it down to a Canadian misunderstanding of the intricacies of the French culture but no, they really don't know how to queue. It's crazy, basically you get in line and then it's a free for all. Any gap left is a weakness and delay and shuffling up is a chance for a Frechie to walk over you board and move in front of you. The other perplexing occurrence is despite the 20 minute wait there are still singles going up the 6 seater chair?? Has nobody in the French ski system been skiing overseas? A singles queue is sorely needed. Anyway I have decided to adopt these foreign techniques and now work my way up the lift line with the best of them and go right in the middle to discourage sharing. Look out Thredbo.

Canada part 2

2006-02-18T02:33:00.000+11:00

Since I last wrote many things have come to pass. After a few rip snorter days of fresh the conditions slowly deteriorated towards the end of our 10 days. We also had a bout of illness with Warnsie hitting a dodgy Bombay Wrap and Nat getting a little bit snotty (I made it through that round but have since not only gone snotty but in the spirit of globalisation have also contracted some dodgy Euro bug). This ruled us out from skiing everyday but did however open other doors.
Who would have guessed, I love Cross country Skiing! I was dubious when Kingos told me how much fun it is but I take all the mockery back. After experiencing it myself I wholeheartedly

support you on this one Kang (still not convinced about nerdy card games). Very cool and only $15 for the gear hire.

The Ghostriders Hockey team were a dismal disappointments the second time we went to watch them losing 5-2. Also disappointing was the absence of the fish thrower. Despite not fresh snow in the second part of our time in BC, Fernie still provided some great skiing and some great times with Helen and Chris. It was hard saying goodbye but Europe was calling.

OOOOHHH CAAAANADA

2006-02-06T04:49:00.000+11:00

After a slightly delayed start everything else has gone like clockwork.
highlights thus far
Had a massive meat feast at Memphis blues
Won a keyring on westjet (who were awesome by the way)
Got some sweet new gear
First day on the snow with a whole lot of fresh
Feeling the burn after not boarding for a few years
Fernie Goastriders Hockey, esp fish throwing fans
G'riders pushing it to extra time with a goal in the last 4 sec and going on to win with the golden goal
Christ Church Fernie, living proof the prayer book is still cool

Be excellent to each other,
even

I can't say it enough people

2006-02-01T08:47:00.000+11:00

Make sure you check the Airport line BEFORE you go to the airport.
It helps avoid getting up at 6.00, getting to the airport by 7.00 and finding out your flight is delayed by 5 1/2 hours, like our is. Oh nuts.

Or call your travel agent for more details.

Optimal urinal numbers

2006-01-29T15:07:00.000+11:00

I had a day at the races on Saturday. It wasn't a big race day such as the Melbourne Cup or Golden Slipper but it did draw a largish crowd. Visiting the little boys room numerous times it became apparent that the usage was at precisely the wrong level. Not empty enough that you could find a quite place on your own but not full enough that it was a big match environment. There was always enough room to step up but not enough room to fit in comfortably. I found myself caught in the urinal no mans land. Half time at the Rugby your expected to form a queue, swash in and be shoulder to shoulder with the guy next to you as shown in the picture above. From my observations I can conclude that, for me at least, 1 meter spacing is precisely the wrong gap.

Anyone keen for a commune in the south of France?

2006-01-21T12:12:00.000+11:00

The idea of a $500,000 mortgage scares me. 30 years is a long time people. How does the idea of Buying a farmhouse with a few acres and a whole lot of charm in the south of France sound? Surrounded by vineyards, 30 mins from Biarritz, 90 mins from the Pyrenees ski resorts and smack bang in the middle of Frances Rugby heartland.

This little puppy caught my eye, classic old school farm house with connecting barn. It has plenty of room for propagating flora and fauna and even has a few acres of vines.

Bags be in charge of Honey (with Nat) and veggies.

Other vacancies;
Brewer, Spiritual leader and Local Mission Leader, wine maker, IT (incl web assistance), Animal husbandry (I reckon I could take care of this too but might need help with the Lambing) head Chef, machinery supervisor, irrigation engineer and what farm would be complete without a milk maid.

Ok so it might not be realistic right now but I leave you with these thoughts

"oh yes, it will be mine" - Wayne, Waynes World, c 1992

" folks don't have the taste for sheep balls much anymore" - Bar tender, Funny Farm, c 1988

Interesting Bee Fact - Three

2006-01-18T16:06:00.000+11:00

The common honeybee is found worldwide and consists of a number of races or subspecies.
These races vary in their nature. Italian bees are generally gentle creatures, whereas German bees are aggressive. This friendly guy must be Italian. Also a belated but warm welcome to the Shags in my links list.

Tales from the mountains

2006-01-17T08:52:00.000+11:00

www.natbartle.com has now officially been updates with the sad tale of woe that was our weekend.

Interesting Bee Fact - Two

2006-01-15T21:15:00.000+11:00

Bees only ever collect pollen from the same type of plant in a single collection run. God's way of making sure things get pollinated. Pretty cool hey.

For more info on our devastating weekend of fighting for our bees survival see www.natbartle.com

First Fruits

2006-01-15T20:33:00.000+11:00

OK so it's not exactly my first fruits as my champion little strawberry plants and beans have sporadically give me some love but my first full harvest is just around the corner! I don't understand the instinct that has driven me to not only cultivate my own veggies but also to give bee keeping a crack. I have two theories.

Theory 1 - I suspect the belated fears of Y2k or the impending threat of nuclear holocaust I read about in Z for Zachariah as a young lad have planted a seed in me that has grown to a full blown desire to at least be equipped for self sufficient should I be the last man on earth. (not the only irrational fear I harbour but unlikely to be the cause)

Theory 2 - More than likely I think my desire is born of a need to create and nurture, to build and see the work of my hands. My father left the corporate hierarchy to pursue a riskier yet more rewarding small business where he was able to ply his trade, something I have always admired. No doubt I have inherited his same need to create and his project based gratification. Leads me to question why I didn't follow in his footsteps, oh well.

Whatever the cause I have found tilling the soil, laying out my garden, providing my plants with nutrients, mulch, water (on Wednesdays and Sundays) eradicating pests and waiting in anticipation has been a relaxing and rewarding experience. It's also been fascinating to see that there is a special bond amongst gardeners of all levels. Billabong summed it up best with "only a surfer knows the feeling". Whilst I refrain from comparing the value of each hobby I'm glad to say I now know both the surfing AND the gardening feeling.

Anyway if you too survive the nuclear holocaust and you don't mind eating veggies and honey then come over to my place and we will drive up to Byron. Will be nice to have the pass to ourselves! Ev

Reliability isn't everything

2006-01-13T00:53:00.000+11:00

Looking through some old photos I came across the photos I used to sell my VW Type 3 Station wagon. I lost count of the times I had to push start the little bugger. It certainly was a whole lot wetter, mouldier, slower, fuel consuming, smellier, louder, high maintenance and more likely to have a wheel fly off at 80 than my current chariot but where do we draw the line? Like a writer who gains inspiration from an old typewriter, a builder whose tools have stood the test of time, there is something about her that transcends common sense, she was a good car. I'm alone in my time of need... yet I remind myself, she's gone to a better place, to someone who knows more about cars than key goes in here, petrol goes in there.

Now that I have got that off my chest I can go to bed in peace

"I should have told her every day, because she was perfect every day." Liam Neeson Love actually c 2003

Interesting Bee Fact - One

2006-01-12T10:46:00.000+11:00

Interesting fact: the ratio of workers to drones in a bee hive is 1.618, or Phi. It's the same as the ratio of your total height to the distance from your belly button to your toes, which is the same as the ratio of the diameters of each subsequent row of seeds in a sunflower. The Golden Ratio makin' me some golden honey!

"To King Mark and Yseult"

2006-01-09T16:33:00.000+11:00

I always feel a little awkward when taking part in semi interactive theatre. It probably stems from being embarrassed by mum enthusiastically clapping and dancing in time with all the other mums at Barker school productions....

Anyway last night my years of abstaining from crowd involvement caught up with me. My demise came swiftly and with great embarrassment to me but great delight to Nat, Syv and Matt. "OI you there, the bald guy in the white T-shirt" There was no looking around there was no hiding the play had stopped the cast had frozen and the craziest of them all (see picture) was pointing squarely at me (as were the 800 sets of eyes filling the Seymour Centre) "You didn't toast the King! Stand up" I stood there sheepishly, tail between my legs, waiting for my punishment. The rest of his rant has already been erased from my memory but I'm sure there was something about respect and me being too good the toast the king. "right because of you we are all going to do it again and I'll be watching you"

"To Mark and Yseult"

True to his promise he kept watching. From that point on I did as I was told.

http://sydneyfestival.org.au/event.asp?e=7

Anyway it was a bloody good play (literally) and it's on for a few weeks so go see it and don't toast the King ; )

What was I thinking

2006-01-05T14:19:00.000+11:00

Before you get the clippers out to give yourself a fashion mullet consider the humble undercut. I was a victim of the undercut in the early 90's and it has scarred me for life. You know the one, kind of like a bowl but the shaved bit is higher than the bowl line giving a more defined line. In my mind the coolest way to administer the undercut was to enhance the contrast by shaving as close as possible. Having never seen the sun before my skin had a nice white glow drawing unwanted attention to my hair faux pas.

I think the main cause of fashion victims is failure to comprehend the nature of "cool". What is cool to me is not necessarily cool to others. Moreover what is cool now will most certainly be uncool very soon. It has taken me some time to grasp these concept. I now avoid the ultra cool.

So if your considering a fashion mullet you may also wish to consider getting yourself some fluro gear (see photo), happy pants, a Kuta lines top, a hypercolour T-shirt, leg warmers, ripped stonewash jeans or even the humble undercut.

Communicative Stages

2006-01-04T12:24:00.000+11:00

How have we digressed from actually talking to each other to reading about each others lives on the internet? I can remember numerous communicative stages throughout my short life, Phone, Fax, MSN messenger (the pinnacle of year 11 - 2nd year uni spading), Text and now this. I have never really been a fan of alternative forms of communication (with the exception of elite circle crew faxes) but something about blogging has drawn me in. My blogging friends, particularly GP, AY, Dicko, Tubby and Le Forts (when in action) keep a loyal following sane at work, I hope I can repay the favour by providing you with the occasional distraction.

So, as a suitable substitute to talking, I say Blog on!