Meet Brian...

he's my new room mate.

Brian is a 6 Bar Angel. He is one stunning looking fish. Brian is a shy fish. He likes to hide in a little cavern I've built in the tank with some new live rock. He doesn't stay there all the time and is an active member of the tank. He's settled in well and minds his own business not bothering the other fish.

Brian is going to be a little bit of a challenge for me. Angel fish can be fussy eaters. They like to eat sea sponges. So it's been fun to watch him graze and pick at the live rock. He's a great addition to my tank. He's a quick swimmer. As Brian ages his colour will change and the golden tan on his belly will become more pronounced. The blue and white stripes will contract to spots.

What I do when I've got a half hour spare...

Zombies...

I just don't get you. With the approach of All Hallows Eve, I got to thinkin' about Zombies. There are so many things which puzzle me about these reanimated corpses.

For example, traditionally they eat brains. But, is it: 'first in first serve?' I mean think about it, you see these films, 100's of zombies surrounding a lone gunman on the car's roof. He can't keep them all away and eventually his foot is grabbed and he's taken down. What happens then? Do the zombies fight each other for the brains or are they polite and go "Oh hey, Barry bagged this one, C'mon fella's let's go and try for someone else"?
My brains aren't going to feed 100 hungry zombies. I'd say they're a good feed for one... or two kid zombies. So what do all the others do? Maybe they just keep coming and looking. I'd be one of those zombies at the back of the pack going "For freak's sake dudes! Now look what you've gone and done... there's another mouth to feed! He'll be joining the army of the dead now too. Stuff you's all, I'm out-a-here." as I wander off dragging along my broken and heavy right foot.

Barefoot and...

bowling.

On the weekend while up in Brisneyland I was lucky enough to be invited to a day of barefoot bowls at the local bowls club. It was a 10am start. First things first, we needed to sign in. Next on the list: hit the bar. I can't believe how cheap the drinks were. We opted for a jug. It's traditional at a bowls club I reckon. I had contemplated taking it slowly as lately I've been getting pissed a little too quickly, however, once out on the green, in the sun and having a few laughs I decided to just relax a little and just enjoy the beers and the company.

It was a great day. The weather was perfect. Sunny with a cool breeze. It was great meeting some new people and the day was totally social. I'm not the greatest bowler in the world, but every now and then I'd pull out a great shot. I'd recommend everybody give it a go if the chance comes by. Hmmmm, this might just be a good idea for my next birthday.

On your bike son...

What do you do when you've got a few hours to hang around a city and a bit of energy? Hire a bike. I did this when I was in Brisbane last weekend. Brisbane has the whole cycling thing well sorted including well defined cycling tracks.

It was enjoyable cycling along the river and across Brisneyland's bridges. Stopping near the swamps is not a good idea to talk on the phone. I was attacked by midges. Pesky little buggers! Today I'm so freakin' itchy!

The down side of hiring is that you may end up with a daggy helmet... Not a sleek as I'm used to.

Happy travels...

So what have I been up to? Visiting.
Actually, I did something pretty cool last week. It was Mark's birthday on Thursday so, throwing caution to the wind, I decided at the last minute to fly up to Brisbane and surprise him. I found out where he was getting together with his mates for dinner. I told his flat mate that I would be coming up and if plans changed he should let me know.

I was really nervous. I can't really explain why, but I guess it was fear of him not appreciating the surprise. You just never know how someone is going to react to the "unplanned". However, when I walked in to the pub, while chatting to him on the phone, the moment our eyes met I knew I had done the right thing. "Surprise!"

Visiting him to personally deliver a birthday present was really one of the best things I've done in ages. He has one of the best smiles you will ever see.

Its my pet hate... :)

that little apostrophe causes so much grief to some people.

Recently I've noticed many status updates, comments or tweets where people feel it's their duty to correct the writer because they used the wrong word. How.shallow.can.you.get?! It really shits me. Saying something like "it's 'you're' not 'your'! C'mon people, get it right, it's not rocket science!" is totally ridiculous.

Were not writing a epic novel here. We're expressing our thoughts. I've made this mistake more than once. But frankly, if the reader can't figure out what I was trying to say, or the intention of the word then it probably reflects more on their intelligence than mine. I know I'll often be typing quickly to get my thoughts down and use the wrong one. It happens occasionally. And then there are repeat offenders, these people who probably are not that good at written language but what choices do they have with communicating online? Leaving a voice message? No, they have to write something. They express themselves.

I work and socialise with people who make these mistakes when writing and I would NEVER consider these people less intelligent for making this kind of mistake. Some of these people have so much knowledge on subjects I know nothing about and that truly amazes me. So next time you decide to tell the world that you think people who can't get it write are dumb, think about it, and if you can't figure out which "it's" or "its" they meant then you're the one who may just not be that intelligent... Go tell the world that in your next status update!

It's about me meme...

How do you feel right now?
A little tired. I woke up early to listen to the thunder from a storm this morning.

If you could wake up in a different place tomorrow morning, where would it be and what would you do?
I think I'd like to wake up in Brisbane and spend the day with Mark, hanging out doing stuff and eating great food. It's his birthday tomorrow and I'd love to have been there.

If you lost your creative skill, how would you see yourself making a living?
I think I would be a marine park ranger. I'd love that job.

If you could punch one living celebrity, who would it be?
Tim Bailey came to mind first. Hmmmm, is he a "celebrity"? Maybe he's just a "personality", but, I think he needs a good slap to help him understand the meaning of "growing old gracefully". He's a shocker!

Was your first kiss worth writing a song about?
I'll never forget it, so it probably was. I was such a nervous teen.

At what point were you particularly happy?
Summer this year. I think I can put that down as my happiest time so far. I have a feeling this summer is going to be even better.

No regrets allowed, but there must have been one?
I think we all have regrets, even if we never admit them. I would have loved to get my motorbike licence earlier than I did. That one single event changed my life and sent me on the best journey E.V.A.H!

What trait do your friends have in common?
Depth. They all are a little quirky, but they all have a depth to them that's rare and it's something I connect with.

If you had to evacuate your home, what's the one thing you would grab?
An umbrella. You never know when it's going to rain these days. Actually, I think I would grab my sketch book. I've some sketches in there that I'm really proud of.

Greatest love of your life?
At the moment, I guess it's spending time with family and friends... or sitting on a mountain summit. I also love traveling with my mate Judo.

What is your favorite vice?
Beer. It really is a vice these days while I'm training. I know I should not be drinking as much as I do. But, meh, I enjoy it.

When you blow out the birthday candles, what do you wish for?
Like I'm going to tell! Actually, I can't remember the last time I had a cake with candles. Do adults do that?

If you could play a character from a favorite film or TV show for a day, who would it be?
My first thought was Bear Grylls. But he's not really a character, so I'm going to go with Sideshow Bob. Bet you didn't see that one coming! I still think he's one of my fave cartoon characters. I love his insane passion.

What virtue can you do without?
Sensitivity. I hate it when I tear-up during eviction shows. :)

Do you even notice when you're swearing?
Fuck No.

What has been your proudest moment?
Now this is hard. I do feel a sense of pride knowing some of my illustrations have appeared in 6 galleries around the world. Sure, they were part of a larger exhibition which toured, but I L.O.V.E. being able to say that.

What would you like to be remembered for?
My uniqueness.

How would you prefer to die?
Without a struggle. I'd just like to slip into unconsciousness on top of a mountain, then maybe freeze to death. How freakin' cool does that sound?! (no pun intended)

- - - - - - - - -

Now you ask me a question and I'll do my best to answer it... (if I don't delete it!)

Meet Sandy...

He now hangs out in my bedroom amusing me with his antics as he battles the current from the filter outlet.

I'm seeing how he goes for the next 24hrs and if he doesn't get sick I'll go and get him a playmate.

OOOoooo, creepy...

My tank holds a mystery. There were a couple of extra additions to my tank yesterday that I didn't mention. I also added about 2.5kg of live rock. It's intended that these rocks provide some texture and footings for the anemone to rest on or nestle into. However...

As I watched the starfish creep over the rock a small hairy tentacle curled out of a hole in the rock. Then another tentacle cautiously poked out another nearby hole in the rock. The critter has not revealed itself to me as yet. I've been watching... and watching. Whatever it is it is small. I'm hoping it's a young feather or brittle star (see below). Although it could very well be something else that's furry with tentacles (Hmmm, I've met a few guy's like that...).


There are a couple of (hard to see in the picture below) other smaller critters attached to the rock as well. They seem to be Aiptasia Anemone, which after a little research may be unwanted additions to the tank if they start multiplying. I shall keep a vigilant eye on them.

New additions...

I have two new additions to the tank today. A starfish, wearing his Aussie pride green and gold, and an anemone. The two have settled in very quickly.

Sneak peek:

So, this is my fave tune. And when the opportunity came around to do my own version of it I was stoked. I wanted to create a version of this tune that, if I heard this while I was at a club, I would enjoy dancing to it... and you know what, I'm very happy with the results so far. It's good on headphones as there is a sub bass in there that even my speakers can't output. :)

I do like drums...

and this weekend I get to see two drummers on stage at once belting out rhythms with freestyle electric guitars and rockin' vocals... A few months ago I rocked out to these guys at the Oxford Art Factory and they return this Sat night for another gig. I'll be there.

Here's a taste:


and despite this, I can still have Shakira in my list of fave tunes. Go figure.