Awwww...

<- Sorry, but I just can't help liking this from tonight's TV.

Anyhoo, now I've got that out of the way...

Tonight I continued with my crazy "must get fit" dream. I was chatting to my mate Killer today at work and I think we've decided to do the Bridge Run in 8 weeks time. It's not like it's a marathon or anything like that, it's a "fun run". Now, I've never been a runner, or jogger so tonight I had to start training. I've printed out my plan and pasted it on my kitchen cupboards and am going to tick off each day as it goes by over the next 8 weeks and just do what I need to do. I started off well by going out and doing tonight's run. It started out easy, but ended in panting and puffing and just a tiny bit of sweat. I guess I'm on my way.

Boys and their toys...

This is what Sunday is for. There was a sunrise, long open roads, sweeping plains, national parks, very very cold forest, ocean, beaches, huge cliffs and so much more.

I spent today riding the southern range's gift to boys, where the attraction is more than the beautiful scenery, it's the roads. Roads including The Maquarie Pass. Riding up this escarpment is one of my favorite rides. And I was doing it with mates who enjoy a good laugh, good food and a good time... and going fast around corners.

Caption this...

After a great conversation this week about campy 70's sci-fi with Paddington62, here's this week's picture to caption...

The 80's flashback...

	H&B put the challenge out there, and me being one to not easily back away from a dare, I dug around and came up with these gems. This is me 1988. And below is Harry Potter... Oh, the shame! The dare is there to share... Post your 80's pic.

What's changed since yesterday?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

One... two...

That's how the Aussies finished in this morning's MotoGP race. It just the best way for this week to start. Melandri standing on the podium next to them.

It was a very enjoyable race with Stoner actually lapping Nicky Hayden. This would have been so painful for Hayden in front of his home crowd. And how freakin' hot is this pic of Casey Stoner?! The lad is on fire this season. There's now a three week break until the next race in the season. 3WEEKS! Will I cope?

If a picture paints 1000 words...

Sydney, Sunday 7am

What's with this crazy early morning wake-up business!? Woke up extra early this morning so went out to watch the sun rise over the harbour. This is exactly the sort of thing I'd love to do with a partner. Hmmmm, it's was cold, wet, the sun is not up and it's SUNDAY! I guess that's a good reason why I'm single. But it was crisp and the colours were vibrant thanks to the overnight showers.

Wasn't the most enjoyable ride. My back tyre was slippin' and a slidin' all over the place in the wet conditions. Stopped off at a servo and did some pressure checks and adjustments and the ride improved from there on. Now I'm just going to finish my nice warm cuppa, grab my gym clothes and head back out for part 2 of the morning.

A new régime...

started today.
See, I have a new dog-tag for my lanyard. I became a full member at Climb Fit today. I'm now one step closer to my goal. I've been contemplating climbing the Matterhorn within the next twelve months. Training for this started today.

Oh, and speaking of 12 months, I missed something this week. My 1 year anniversary of blogging. So to celebrate I created a mash-up this morning and uploaded it to YouTube. It's a mash-up of some 70's variety show and my fave Wolfmother song. I hope it gives you a giggle like it gives me one. Does any one remember Margaret Blande from "Margret Blande's school of dancing" created by Jane Turner? I think I know where she got some of her moves from!

Caption this...

The morning’s dilemma...

The crisp morning wind started out being my friend. It was pushing me on through the muddy feelings that remained from last night. It wasn’t necessarily a big night, but you know those nights where you’re just having fun and you don’t think you need to measure the amount of vodka you pour into the bottom of the glass. It's not like you're going to run out, you’ve got plenty more of it on the shelf…

As I stepped out onto the bridge the morning’s parade of people going to work seemed to be moving much faster than me. The cold icy wind stopped being my friend and had turned on me. The further I walked across the bridge, the harder it was to not feel vertigo. Don't look down Muz, just don't look down. My mouth was dry. Then, from the iPod through to the buds in my ears, Wolfmother screamed into my head, the sound overwhelmed me and I stopped. My dry mouth instantly watered and I had that familiar feeling that I was about to throw up.

Hence my dilemma… Halfway across the bridge should I chuck up there on the limited space and spoil people's walk to work, or do I turn my head to the side of the bridge and hurl over the railing – hoping to God that there isn’t a ferry below with workers on the deck?

Uh-oh!...

He did it again...

Me and I...

Sometimes when I'm mad
There's a part of me that seems to be a little sad
Sometimes when I scream
There's a voice in me that says, "You shouldn't be so mean"
Oh no, oh no
Part of me is acting while the other stands beside
Yes, I am to myself what Jekyll must have been to Hyde

We're like sun and rainy weather
Sometimes we're a hit together
Me and I
Gloomy moods and inspiration
We're a funny combination
Me and I
I don't think I'm different or in any way unique
Think about yourself for a minute
And you'll find the answer in it
Everyone's a freak.
(B. Anderson/B. Ulvaeus)

And so, that little gem sums up my mood today.

I'm loving this right now...

"Blendtec"
- My fave YouTube channel.

I give up!

Seriously. I just can't do it.

Last night I unplugged my camera from my computer to free up a USB port and plugged in the TV tuner so I could watch the MotoGP. It wasn't going to be too late tonight because the race was on at 11:40pm. One of the earliest this season. So I settled onto the lounge with my blankey and pillows, a nice cold beer and prepared myself for what I had hoped was going to be a good night in.

I woke up just in time to see the final interview with third place winner Nicky Hayden. DAMN IT! I missed the whole race! Slept through the whole thing. I didn't see the start, the finish or anything in between.

So this morning I relied on the up to date MotoGP site for the results, and it seems as though it was a good race for Honda. 1st and 3rd. It wasn't a great race for Rossi who crashed out. Aussie, Cassey Stoner, finished 5th and because of Rossi's crash, it leaves Stoner in an even better position to continue his ride to the final championship title this season.

Nice day for it...

I was up nice and early this morning. Probably too early for a Sunday. So I decided to jump on my bike and go find a cache. Not just any cache, but one with a fantastic view of the city. I knew the general location of the treasure but being on my bike it wasn't until I had stopped and parked that I could turn on the GPS - only to discover I was still 1.5km from ground zero. So I walked into the park and headed in a southerly direction.

Being early it was quiet apart from one or two keen joggers. A top location and right on my doorstep. That's the thing I love about Geocaching, it allows you to discover hidden pockets of beauty. This cache wasn't hard to find and had the added bonus of having a small disposable camera inside to take your picture. *smile* - oh, and a car park just 100m from the cache.

Caption this...

One word meme

The Muzbot meme week continues:

01. Where is your mobile phone? here
02. Relationship? Single
03. Your hair? Brindle?
04. Work? creative
05. Your favourite colour? green
06. Your favourite thing? R6
07. Your dream last night? pimples
08. Your favourite drink? tea
09. Your dream car? none
10. The room you’re in? lounge
11. Your shoes? Sidi
12. Your fear? crowds
13. What do you want to be in 10 years time? alive
14. With whom did you hang out with this weekend? Gaz
15. What are you not good at? language
16. Muffin? caramel
17. Wish list item? strength
18. Where you grew up? Queensland
19. The last thing you did? smile
20. What are you wearing? jocks
21. What are you not wearing? anything-else (damn, 2 words!)
22. Your pet? fish
23. Your computer? mac
24. Your life? mine
25. Your mood? happy
26. Missing? partner
27. What are you thinking about? love
28. Your car? none
29. Your kitchen? empty
30. Your summer? stormy

This guy...

really made me laugh tonight. He was so damn cute and funny.

Who is he?

As Sandra said "We've had a giggling night, we should stop now" I thought to myself, Nooooo! I haven't seen the news in years, please don't stop making fun of the news stories!"

Done things meme...

Well, it's the week for them... here's another meme. Thanks Yani.

Objective: What you have to do is copy this whole thing in your blog, and bold the sentences which describe things you have done.

I've done 80 out of 130... but I still have a few more years left.

1. Bought everyone in the bar a drink (ok the bar was closed and there was only a few of us left)
2. Swam with wild dolphins (and it scared the shit out of me, because I was diving at the time and all I could think about was: Sharks follow food like dolphins)
3. Climbed a mountain (Who hasn't!?)
4. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
5. Been inside the Great Pyramid
6. Held a tarantula
7. Taken a candlelit bath with someone (I'm a romantic at heart)
8. Said "I love you" and meant it (and I did mean it)
9. Hugged a tree (Damn hippy!)
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris (and will over and over again. I love visiting this city. Oh, and tonight's Le Tour De France goes through Paris!)
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea (with my dad, who I love)
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise (See my Matterhorn pics on Flickr)
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game (Too many to count!)
16. Grown and eaten your own vegetables (Lot's of)
17. Touched an iceberg
18. Slept under the stars (and I love it.)
19. Changed a baby's diaper (pooey! but I'm a good uncle!)
20. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
21. Watched a meteor shower (I grew up looking at the sky)
22. Gotten drunk on champagne ( With my Dad. He's a good man)
23. Given more than you can afford to charity
    
24. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope (see 21)
25. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment (yeah, and got suspended from school for it!)
26. Had a food fight (um, yeah, got sent home from camp for this one!!)
27. Bet on a winning horse ( I've bet on 7 winners in a row in the Melbourne Cup)
28. Asked out a stranger (Aren't they all strangers until you ask them out?)
29. Had a snowball fight (Judo threw some at me just a few weeks ago)
30. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can (And loved it!)
    
31. Held a lamb (Awwwww)
32. Seen a total eclipse of the moon (see 21)
    
33. Ridden a roller coaster (I love a good ride!)
34. Hit a home run
35. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
36. Adopted an accent for an entire day
37. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment (Shit, why wouldn't I?)
38. Had two hard drives for your computer (does the one inside your computer count?)
39. Taken care of someone who was drunk (Oh, he was very drunk!)
40. Had amazing friends (They are the only friends to have!)
41. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country (oh god, I did this one last month!)
42. Watched wild whales (Kurnell is a great spot)
43. Stolen a sign (Hmmmm... There are so many places called "Murray" in oz)
44. Taken a road-trip (Love 'em)
45. Gone rock climbing (at Esk in Qld was the first time)
46. Midnight walk on the beach (I lived on the beach for a while.)
47. Gone sky diving
48. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
49. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
50. Milked a cow (yep!)
51. Alphabetized your CDs (Anal, I know!)
    
52. Pretended to be a superhero (Does owning a spiderman suit count?)
53. Sung karaoke
54. Lounged around in bed all day
55. Played touch football (I'm a boy!)
    
56. Gone scuba diving ( I love it!)
57. Kissed in the rain (one of my most fond memories)
58. Played in the mud (I'm a boy)
59. Played in the rain (Often!)
60. Gone to a drive-in theater (and snuck in!)
61. Started a business (it's how I got my design break)
62. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
63. Toured ancient sites (recently)
64. Taken a martial arts class
65. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
66. Been in a movie
67. Crashed a party (lol - ah, good memories of uni times!)
68. Gone without food for 5 days
69. Made cookies from scratch (but they tasted too salty!)
70. Won first prize in a costume contest (I love costume parties!)
71. Ridden a gondola in Venice
72. Gotten a tattoo (or two)
73. Been on television news programs as an "expert"
74. Got flowers for no reason (well, I actually don't think anyone get flowers for "no reason", but I have been shocked to get them from a stranger)
    
75. Performed on stage (I love theater)
    
76. Recorded music (yes - and I hated it. Take after take after take. I was the keyboard player and I held the afternoon up soooooo much!)
77. Eaten shark (most people in oz have if they've had fish and chips)
78. Kissed on the first date (If you're not a good kisser, why would you expect a second date?!)
79. Bought a house
80. Been in a combat zone
81. Buried one/both of your parents
82. Been on a cruise ship
83. Spoken more than one language fluently
84. Performed in Rocky Horror (Let's do the time warp again!)
85. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour (Yes.)
86. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country (Yes. And loved it)
87. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
88. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking. (I know, it's shameful... But I love to sing)
89. Had plastic surgery
90. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
91. Wrote articles for a large publication
92. Lost over 100 pounds
93. Held someone while they were having a flashback
94. Piloted an airplane
95. Touched a stingray (numerous times)
96. Broken someone's heart
97. Helped an animal give birth (I grew up with breeding greyhounds)
98. Won money on a TV game show
99. Broken a bone (yep)
    
100. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears (yep again)
101. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol (lol didn't mean to, but I did)
102. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild (we did this a lot growing up)
103. Ridden a horse (They are so solid!)
104. Had major surgery
105. Had a snake as a pet
106. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
107. Visited all 7 continents
108. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days (Lasted 3 days. and camped under a plastic tarp)
109. Eaten kangaroo meat (a few times)
110. Eaten sushi (Love it!)
111. Had your picture in the newspaper (Yes.)
112. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about (Not having kids as a gay man)
113. Gone back to school (to study biology)
114. Parasailed
115. Touched a cockroach (they're just beetles)
116. Eaten fried green tomatoes
117. Read The Iliad
118. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
119. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language (The language of lurve is universal!)
120. Been elected to public office
121. Written your own computer language
122. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
123. Built your own PC from parts
124. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
125. Had a booth at a street fair
126. Dyed your hair (80's blue black)
     
127. Been a DJ (A couple of times, but I really remember one gig at a RAAF base)
128. Shaved your head (Pfft... so what)
     
129. Caused a car accident
130. Saved someone’s life

8 Things meme:

I've been sitting on this one for awhile, and it seems I'm probably one of the last regulars in the blog-o-sphere to publish it. So here goes:

1. I can't stand that tv schedules are over-populated with pointless variations of "same, same but different" crime shows. They have stopped me watching TV. I haven't even owned a Television set for over 12 months. Mostly my TV viewing habits now consist of selecting a TV series on DVD and watching it on my mac. These are usually documentaries or British comedies.

2. I have a crush on one of my friends... and very scared of that fact.

3. I have had some of my character illustrations exhibited in galleries in Nice, France :: Kastanienallee, Berlin :: Chicago, USA :: and soon in the UK. I was thrilled the day I could call myself an "international artist". It's something I was very proud of. Yet I kick myself that I haven't got the confidence to take my skills as an illustrator more seriously. I would love to do it as a career and be more like the people who truly inspire me creatively.

4. I have a fear of public speaking.

5. I love getting outdoors and doing things. This you know. But, did you know I crave company when I do it and I love it even more if it involves an element of sex or sexual tension. You have a better chance of getting me to do something if it involves walking in the bush, sitting on the edge of a cliff or something with an element of sexiness outdoors... Day or night. I'd rather do anything like that than go and see a movie or dance the night away in a club.

6. I'm very stubborn. It can cause countless arguments if I don't believe someone is understanding my point of view. I'm not great at expressing myself in words.

7. I had many pets growing up, my family used to own a pet shop. My favorite pet was a goose. She was a very nasty piece of work and would chase my sisters and nip at them, sometimes even drawing blood. She would even take on the German Shepard. But, I could go out into the yard and lie in the sun and she would come and snuggle into me and if I was on my back she would come and sit on my chest and nibble gently at my hair. I was devastated the day she died.

8. I have body piercings.

The weekend is over

and it was another good one.

A couple of "thank yous all":
To MegaL for a good night out Friday night.
To Judo for his great company again.
To Monty for his company for dinner and drinks.
To Farmer and family for visiting and having a great morning chatting.
To my ex for FINALLY catching up with me.
To the big spunk who smiled at me at lunch on Sunday.
To mother nature for sending in the rain yesterday arvo which allowed me to have a lazy evening at home in front of the heater.

Stolen Meme - from H&B

Enter your birth date into Wikipedia and pick out things that interest you from that date:
23 January:

Events:
1556 - The deadliest earthquake in history, the Shaanxi earthquake, hits Shaanxi province, China. The death toll may have been as high as 830,000
1973 - A volcanic eruption devastates Heimaey in the Vestmannaeyjar chain of islands off the south coast of Iceland
1996 - The first version of the Java programming language is released.

Births:
no one interesting!

Deaths:
I'm so history un-aware!

Holidays:
Roman Catholic Church: Feast of Blessed Marianne of Molokai

Oh gawd, the 23rd of Jan is a boring day...

Caption this...

To fill in for this week's missing RSM. This one gave me a giggle.
So, how about we all have a go at this one, it's just the most ridiculous expression:

Add your caption to the comment section.

No root shoot or marry???

Sorry all. I've had one of those weeks and the RSM I had prepared for this week just hasn't happened... I'm still working on it.

I'm lovin' this right now...

Sorry if you are on a slow connection, it'll buffer. Grrrr...

Horse With No Name - Seelenluft

Moroccan Lamb À la Muzbot

Yum... I'm loving Moroccan food at the moment so tonight I attempted my own creation. Muzbot cooked!

Combine these dried and powdered spices in a plastic bag along with some chopped up lamb: Salt, powdered garlic, cumin, paprika, turmeric, black pepper and a pinch of chili and coriander. Shake it all around, squash it a bit and then tip it into a hot big saucepan along with a tbsp of good olive oil and 1 diced up Spanish onion. Brown it. Add a pinch of good powdered saffron.

Then turn the heat right down, chuck in some chunky carrot and zucchini, two chopped up ripe tomatoes (take picture at this point for blog), some chick peas, halved green olives and a few sultanas. Stir, then add 1.5 cup of chicken stock and simmer slowly for however long it takes your dinner guest(s) to turn up. Let's say about an hour because they were running late. Dish it up with some couscous.

It is super delicious.

Welcome July

... Gleno, this pic is for you. My souvenir from my European vacation. It is the most comfortable suit to ride in. I love it!

Had a fantastic day yesterday. Was busy doing stuff yesterday morning, then in the arvo Judo and I went for a ride. I really wanted to head up to Cottage Point to sit on the wharf as the sun set and have a coffee... so we did.

Then topped of the night with WAY too much red wine, a good home cooked meal and good company with Monty and mates at his place.

This morning, I'm nursing a slight sore head... and now a sore finger. I think I'm the most clumsy person I know. While using a knife, (yes you can guess where this story is going) that was probably a little larger than required, to cut open a bagel I somehow managed to flip the bread board off the bench and onto my toe, Ouch! Luckily it's not a super heavy bread board. I also managed to slice the back of a finger on my other hand. D'oh. I looked at it and thought, wow, it's not even bleeding but it's such a clean cut. Then seconds later the blood trickled forth. Well, streamed forth. To which I'm now wondering: how deep does a cut have to be before you go to the doctor? The finger is still in tact and because it was only the back of the finger the bone stopped the knife from going too deep. And the bagel is still sitting there uncut. Grrrrrrr.