Well hello there...

I'm taking a bit of a break from personal blogs at the moment. I'm very disappointed by the lack of inspiration that blogging is providing me of late.

I'm at that point where I'm tired of reading how bad some people think their lives are. Where mundane meets the ordinary. If I'm lucky 1 in 5 posts I read might just be positive.

There is one chance to make your life something to treasure. One chance to treasure what you have, not what you don't. And to read words from poisoned hearts does my heart no good. So therefore, I am stepping down for a moment. I'm putting more of my free time into my illustration blog and Tumblr and hoping to grow that along with my own creativity (having said that, I've hit a creativity block this week, D'oh!).

So, from me for now, take my big digital hug. I'll be back.

Muz  xx

Tonight was one of those nights.

And I can't even blog about it these days.

Woot! Going to see these guys Friday night...

Sweeeeeeet. Love this tune.

Systems to return to normal...

because yesterday was the last time I have to see the nurse. I was discharged with instructions on how to care for myself. The good news is that I can forget this slothful fat slobby lifestyle I've had for the past 8 weeks. Now, to be honest I've had a love/hate relationship with my couch and the food I've enjoyed on it, but the time has come to return myself to the fit "young" lad that I know and really love.

I also visited my surgeon yesterday for the final time and got a complete run down of the procedure and what happened. I had not realised exactly how big this procedure was, but I now have an explanation for the pain and a reason why this is taking so long to heal. If you want details then just ask, but for now I won't publish what I lost down there. I still have an open wound and I know it will take some time to be back to "normal".

So, to celebrate some return to normal life, this morning I awoke just before sunrise and went for a walk/jog. Oh yeah, I'm taking it easy. A minute jogging here and there, but it felt great to be outside in the fresh sea air. I know it's going to be hard work for me to break the lazy habits I've formed during my recovery period. Slow and steady is the advice from the nurse. And in another couple of weeks I'll be able to ride again. Now that day I will really celebrate!

I know I'm not blogging a lot...

but:

<--

I
heart
Tumblr

It's been too long without a meme, so...

Search these in your iTunes and write down the first song on the list from what comes up.
’~’ means no song. ‘?’ means IDK why iTunes returned this.

happy: "Lucky and Unhappy" - Air
sad: "Crusader" - Knightlife
love: "Love 2 Meet You (Bonus Track)" - Air
hate: "My Delirium (Chateau Marmont Remix)" - Ladyhawke
light: "So Light Is Her Footfall" - Air
dark: "Dark Messages" - Air
good: "She’s No Good (feat. Eli “Paperboy" Reed)" - Basement Jaxx
bad: "Bad Up Your Betterness" - Presets
hello: "Suntoucher" - Groove Armada
bye: "Suntoucher" - Groove Armada
up: "Once Upon A Time" - Air
down: "Hold On" - Angus & Julia Stone


Well, that was boring.

I'm picking up...

And here I was not considering going to any festivals this coming festival season. However, with a line up which includes Faithless, Friendly Fires, Phoenix and Miike Snow how could I NOT go to this one! So, who's in?..

When you're smiling...

the whole world smiles with you.

My nurse offered me a challenge today. It started with her remarking that I looked like a wild man who's been living in the bush for far too long. I said  that I had thought about getting a hair cut and a beard tidy up soon. She then basically said I should get out and get it done today because my healing process has gone incredibly well and I should be up for a bit of an outing. I totally agreed. And don't I just scrub up well?!

The other challenge for me today was to get to know my new iPhone a little better. Now, I'm not a total novice, I've had an iPod Touch for many years. However, there is something very cool about this phone. I can use it in broad daylight - unlike my old Blackberry, that did not like sunlight and made the random and weird cursor movement seem normal. This phone is a total winner. This pic was taken with the very popular Hipstermatic app. I'm feeling great and really ready to get back into "normal" life.

First of all...

a big thank you for all the well wishes I've been receiving. It means a lot to me to know that I have so many friends who are sending me the good vibes.

The other thing I've been grateful for is to have had Mark staying with me until today. It was great to not have to worry about being on my feet to organise many simple things like dinner. But from tomorrow I'll have to organise my own coffee in the morning.

Another thing Mark has done for me was to turn me into an urban farmer. Yes, I've finally had the horrible plants that were outside my front door for all this time replaced with something that I can actually enjoy and care for. On the right I now have tomatoes and on the left I have a variety of sugar-snap peas. Mark, being a horticulturalist, has set this up ready for me to take over from today. Who knows, I may not even kill these and see some fruit appear in the future.

So an update on how I'm traveling:
I saw my surgeon today and he confirmed that I am healing well. He also confirmed that this is something that can't be rushed so I'm still off work and receiving daily visits by the nurse to redo my dressing. This will continue for at least the next week. But, I'm on my feet and shuffling around a lot more. I seriously can not wait to be back on my feet totally. I feel like such a sloth at the moment. I've realised that it's incredibly hard for someone like me to just stay put! I need activity, fresh air and sunshine to be truly happy. This really has been difficult. I also realised that I eat when I'm bored.

So once again, thanks for all the digital love and know that it has made me smile.

No really, what's going on?..

I've not been blogging a hell of a lot lately as you may have noticed. Mostly this is because I'm not a huge fan of too much whining or winging on blogs and frankly, I've hit a bit of a rough patch with my health so I've been a bit down about it. But, I've been through the worst of it now, so I can start to look forward again.

So if you want the details, by all means read on...

During my last holiday I was showering and noticed a lump where there shouldn't be a lump. It was close to my boy bits so I was a little concerned. Tried to make an appointment to see a doctor while I was away, but couldn't get in, so I just let it go. The lump was disappearing anyway.

Move forward two weeks and the lump had returned and doubled in size. Nice one. Saw doctor who immediately sent me to a specialist. Saw specialist and was sent for ultrasound. Told there was nothing to worry about. Cue out of the blue phone call a couple of days later from Specialist saying he needed to see me straight away. Specialist booked me into hospital in two weeks time for "lumpy" to be removed. More swelling, operation brought forward.

Look, I got to wear pretty socks. Actually, I hated these things. I know they are supposed to help, but I just wanted to rip them off because I hated them on my legs. 

.. So, I'm in hospital, the dude comes to collect me and wheel me into theatre. I get there, and the "simple" op is explained to me and I'm told it should only take about half an hour. The last thing I remember is being told I may feel a little light headed... and I was out like a light.

Apparently 3 minutes into the operation my lungs decided they were not going to cooperate with the surgeon. They went into some form of spasming shock. A few moments later, my stomach decided it wanted some of that spasming action. Thus forcing the contents of my stomach (which was just water and bile) up and into my spasming lungs. I was drowning and I was sleeping through it. Cool huh?! Ummm, no!

Awakening. Coughing. Oh the coughing. Ow the pain.

So, a few extra hours later, I'm back in my hospital room and the pain downstairs was nothing compared to the pain I was feeling on my face and lungs after having tubes forced down my throat and having my stomach pumped. My jaw is still bruised.

The next day I could focus on the blood covered bed. WTF had they done to me?! Let's imagine that an "X" represents my anus, this "B" represents my balls and "-" can represent some cutting.

X-----B

Yes. That's right. Peel it open and remove that nasty lump.

The wound can not be stitched. It requires daily packing and dressing. I'm lucky now that I'm home to have a nurse visit me daily for this. It is an uncomfortable location to have to be packed with padding each day, and god, don't even ask me about going to the toilet.

So on that note, I hope you forgive me for not blogging a hell of  a lot.

Wednesday haiku...

I'm disconnected
The sun is shining
I'd like a cuddle

Tuesday haiku...

Over it today.
Waiting for the admission.
My nuts hurt big time.

Apparently...

The lead singer of aha

looks remarkably like Mary Gilmore on the Australian $10 note...

Thanks to Dave for pointing this out to me.

Here's my design in full for NYE...

Unconscious Mutterings :: Week 393

1. Coma :: overdose
2. Aristotle :: is a good name for a mouse
3. Pink eye :: teehee...
4. Expensive :: taste
5. Dancer :: in the dark
6. Lipstick :: stinks
7. Buffer :: exercise
8. Stilettos :: girlie
9. Booming :: sonic
10. Rap :: white boys can't...

Lazy post? Yep.

What is with out doubt...

the fucking best live gig I have experienced, EVAH.

Miike Snow, I heart you three.

Write your own food biography: my life in 10 dishes...

Dave told me about an article in the SMH and I thought I'd give my life in 10 dishes. After thinking about it for some time, I realised coming up with just 10 dishes was really hard. Food seemed to play a big part in what made me happy growing up. And looking at it, it's not a very exciting list of food. But I have incredibly strong memories of all these foods in my life. Here goes:

1. Rusks
Now, I can't remember eating these as an infant, but I do recall them being in the house when my two younger sisters were infants. Even at an older age I still enjoyed eating these teething biscuits.

2. Chinese Takeaway
A Friday night treat. As a family I think our typical order used to always contain some form of chow mein, a sweet and sour dish and Mum and Dad used to enjoy the very adult Honey King Prawns.

3. Sugar Easter Eggs
My mum was an absolute legend when it came to making easter eggs. It was always something that she would start well in advance of easter. I remember the wooden carved blocks that the rolled out flat sugar mixture was wrapped over to set. Mum's sugar easter eggs were simply fantastic. Full of flavour and never as hard, but just as fragile, as the store bought ones.

4. Trifle
This dish meant we were celebrating something. It was usually eaten at my Grandmother's house with the whole family gathered around her big dining room table. There was often one of those pavlovas that came out of those egg container things too. I wonder if they are still on sale these days.

5. Anything from the Woman's Weekly Recipe Card Series
Oh my god. What would 70's cooking be with out these! I can remember each week a new set became available at the supermarket and it was always exciting as kids to wonder at what Mum was creating based on these. I think this set of cards was one of the most used items in the house. The "confectionery" section always got a workout.

6. Crumpets with tomato and grilled cheese
A winter Saturday evening special. We'd be settled down after watching the Disney special, Dad was getting ready to watch a bit of Dave Allen and Mum would bring out a plate of these. What a treat they were too. In summer the hot crumpets were replaced with Jatz, tomato and Coon.

7. Fettucini with sour cream and chives sauce and smoked herring
This is a Uni meal. It just sounds foul now. It was soooo cheap to make and I just loved it. It was often a lunchtime meal for me on my days off Uni.

8. Thai Green Curry
I remember discovering this dish in the 80's. It was just when Australia was experimenting with different cuisine types and Thai and Indian Restaurants were popping up. It was one of those recipes that I could easily replicate at home and this meal got me though Uni too. Cheap to make, great with rice and the left-overs tasted better the next day.

9. Pad Thai
Still has to be my most popular dish to this day. I judge a Thai restaurant on the flavour of their Pad Thai. If it's crap, I don't go back. If it's good, then the rest of the menu must also be great. It's one of those dishes that I have NEVER been able to successfully recreate at home... even though apparently it's supposed to be quick and easy.

10. That meal I ate in France
While staying in Montparnasse with Judo, he got a tip on where to have a good traditional French meal and we were not disappointed. In fact, I still to this day put this down as the best meal I have ever eaten. Now, I'm sure you're all wondering what it was called... well, so am I. But basically, the main was 3 pieces of beef, served with 3 different sauces. To this day I can't name them. But the taste was true heaven. I've always thought one of the sauces was made with Marsala and now every time I see this on a menu I order it. It is one of my favourite flavours... However, there are so many meals that I've had overseas that I have loved and any one of them could have made it on this list.

So, what's your life in 10 dishes?

Sydney gets its gay on...

with two different options on the one night: Scissor Sisters or Stephen Fry.

I opted for Scissor Sisters and am glad I did. The show was energy packed, however, it was not without it's flaws. The main problem I had with the night was the sound. And I guess that stems from the venue. Big Top at Luna Park is an ok venue for big parties or huge dinners, but as a concert venue it leaves a lot to be desired. The biggest desire is that of good sound. There were a number of occasions when a member of the Scissor Sisters was talking in between songs and it was virtually incomprehensible thanks to the acoustics of the venue. This I hate with a passion. When I go to see a live act I go to hear their music at a volume and quality I could never reproduce at home. I'm not a "performance" person. I really couldn't give a flying fig what the artists do on stage, it's the big sound and live renditions of their music I want to experience. So there is where my disappointment lies. I can only imagine it must be frustrating for the performers as well.

However, during two numbers I stood still and closed my eyes and just listened. The great thing was that I could hear every sound around me. I could hear the crowd singing along. I could hear the reverb from the back wall. I could feel the limited bass. I could feel the people moving around me. Their live renditions of their studio recordings were just fantastic and seem to take some of the tunes to a new level of intelligence.

So, the highlight for me was "Kiss You Off" and "Invisible Light". Both these songs showcased what fun, clever and innovative artists the Scissor Sisters really are.

Ummmm, I think the bear likes Kylie...

Now let me bore you with holiday snaps...

Yes, I've been on holiday. It was a well needed break too.

	It started out at the new Teneriffe Festival in Brisbane. The promise of good food and free live music was too much to pass by.
	The lads, Mark and Graeme, ordering a coffee to kick the morning off.
	Meeting the locals
	Watching Operator Please through a very sexy forearm. The other music highlight was Blue Juice. They were nuts, sounded great and very entertaining.
	So we move on to Far North Qld: Magnetic Island. We stayed here in a place called Bungalow Bay. The accommodation was basic but that was perfect. There was even a fridge in there to keep the milk cold for breakfast.
	This is the location of Bungalow Bay. It's called Horseshoe Bay. I loved it here and this was definitely the better side of the Island. It was quiet and more friendly here.
	What can I say?
	We had a few beaches all to ourselves at some time during our stay. The water was a beautiful 22 degrees and the daytime temps were about 27 out of the water. The good thing about this time of year is that there are very few, if any, stingers in the water.
	Oh geez Mark! Was that you? No, it was the smell of 2 or 3 day old coral spawn being washed up on the shores. It stunk!
	A highlight on the Thursday night was Coconut Bowls. The idea: You get two bowls of a coconut to knock down all the pins. Knock over the middle one to score a free beer. This is not as easy as it sounds. Coconuts rarely roll where you want them to. Even the crowd are warned about possible danger as they fly down towards the pins. Needless to say, out of the 86 bowlers that night, I tied first with one other. In the play off she beat me by two pins.
	Top of the world Ma!
	This is Shadow, the black cockatoo. He was a friendly old fellow and LOVED the camera.
	I love this pic of Mark and Shadow.
	You know you're not supposed to smile at these. This is Barbie. She was beautiful and surprisingly soft to touch. Her jaw was taped as, even at this size, her jaw is strong enough to rip your finger off with one clean bite... and I need my fingers for work.
	The coolest accessory on the island. A special scarf.
	Our local. After a full day of activities we would settle back and watch the sun set over the ocean. The bar manager here was great. One night we were watching a live band at Bungalow Bay and the Bar Manager turned up and spent the night chatting to us and letting us in on some of the Islands secrets. It was a great night and he even offered us a loan of his car for the day.
	Over on the mainland, in Townsville, we had a day of caching. While filling in time before the late night ferry we stopped in at one of the very few bars open. We were the only ones here apart from the staff. The music was, well, very gay... So I asked the barman if it was, and he seemed a little taken back and said "No", so I said "Oh, well I just wondered because of your music choice".
	This is an amazing piece of coral. I heart Coral.

View more on Flickr

Smash...

Haircut thursday...

and yes, I know it was only Wednesday. I have no idea why I kept thinking it was Thursday all day today. But I did, so there.

I went to get a hair cut today so that I would neat and tidy for my holiday. As usual I went to the same barber I've been going to for many years. He welcomed me into his dodgy looking shop with open arms. Now that's the kind of greeting you rarely find these days. I sat down and we had the weather to chat about. I know I've said this before, but my barber scares me. I have no idea what the hell he's saying most of the time. His accent is so strong. I nod and smile and occasionally make sense of a word and add my own few words back. Well, he was in for a chat today. I think it was all about the cold weather. "Ish cowld! Mumble mumble mumble..."

He kicked the heater around to face me and all was good. However, I was soon smelling a smell I have not smelt in a very long time... Burning hair. My burning hair! Clippings were rolling down onto the heater, crackling a little then burning up with that pungent stink.

Somehow he talked most of the haircut today. I managed to pick up on a couple of things he was saying:

- it was cheaper to have someone killed many years ago. These days it costs too much. You used to be able to organise a hit over in Glebe. Not these days, it's all family and restaurants.
- All the hookers around Redfern are black! No white women these days. You have to go out to Canterbury for a white woman.
- It was his 71st birthday yesterday and he celebrated by going to get new pills from the doctor. He did say what they were for, but I didn't catch that bit. I'll just assume they were not viagra because he didn't seem to impressed with the hookers nearby.
- he had views about Bondi, but I didn't catch them either. In fact I didn't even understand he was talking about Bondi until he mentioned the beach. He pronounced it "Bunda Bits".

Anyway he would sway and he would brace himself on the bench. I started to think he wasn't going to survive to the end of my haircut. Scary stuff.

The place still smelled of my burning hair, I paid up and wandered out to grab some lunch. While I was standing waiting for a sandwich someone at the counter gladly pointed out the blood behind my ear. Thanks for that. He had cut me. No surprise really. I grabbed a few paper towels and pressed them behind my ear and hoped to god that was the only cut.

And to think, years ago I was foolish enough to pay top dollar for a Tony & Guy hair cut. I love haircut Thursday.

Teehee...

Here's another event poster I've been designing...

Working with these colours has been fun and I'm particularly proud of the hibiscus.

One for Mark...

Don't wanna walk away
I couldn't anyway
You fill my empty day
You know you make me stay

Cos you're fucken awesome

Mmm hmmm...

Bit and pieces from the weekend...

I was told a few times over the weekend that I looked very tired. To be honest, I didn't really like being told that. I know I looked like shit and I know I need a few good night's sleep. I can't wait for my holiday to come. Actually, I don't think I look THAT tired.

And just because...

We went to a party on Sunday night...

and I think the Scooby Gang have never looked hotter!

I'm Wild About Whales...

Living on the coast I often wander up and down the beach looking out towards the horizon and hope to see a tale or fin slap. Occasionally, if I'm really lucky I might actually see a whale breach. But most of the time, I just see the horizon.

Now, with the help of my friend Twitter, I can be more confident at spotting a whale when I gaze out from my beach. I've just started following @WildAboutWhales. They send updates on Twitter of whale sightings along the coast of NSW. This is fantastic and I heart them.

Oh, and just in case you're still old school, and check webpages at random times, and you want to see where the whales are here is their website. It even includes a funky little map.