Da posse...

Ok, sure there was just the three of us today in "da posse", but... Judo, Scarface and I went riding and enjoyed, what would have to be, one of Sydney's most spectacular days this year.
The temperature was perfect, the skies were deep blue, dotted with some high contrast white fluffy clouds and the mood was playful and mischievous.

We started bright and early, meeting out the front of mine. Up the pacific highway we rode and then weaved our way through some of Sydney's more green and hilly suburbs to the Berowra turn off onto the Old Pacific Hwy. First stop was the Road Warrior's cafe at Mt White. "The" bikers hang out on weekends. After a massive bacon and egg roll we headed through the back way, via Peats Ridge, to Wiseman's Ferry. This road would be a fantastic ride if it was in good condition. It was bumpy, stupid black hatchbacks took corners too wide and my kidney's felt like they had been king hit by a boxer. This made stopping at Wiseman's for lunch an even more enjoyable option... despite the lone solo singer at the pub who was more loud than enjoyable.

Sydney is truly one of the best cities in the world. On days like today you can't help but be thankful for what we've got. I think of today and I just smile. (Judo, yes, I'm pulling my "rat face" smile right now!) Thanks lads for a great day.

Root, shoot or marry...

This week I have some tasty treats for you.
The Men...
Jamie Oliver: The 31yo chef with a big ego, and a just as big heart. Never far from the publicity band wagon Oliver has used his wealth and fame for good and started the Fifteen Charity. A charity designed to train disadvantaged kids in the hospitality industry and give them a chance at making something of themselves. It also made for a good TV show apparently.
Curtis Stone: Another 31 year old chef. Listed in 2006 People magazine's sexiest men alive, Curtis has shown his passion for food and the outdoor lifestyle on the popular ABC tv program Surfing The Menu.
Ainsley Harriott: Aptly described as "happy-go-lucky" this TV chef has made his mark in cooking game shows. He has a knack of persuading reluctant members of the public to bring out their best (or worst) and cook in front of a live studio audience.

The Ladies...
Nigella Lawson: Restaurant owner, television show host, journalist and writer. You can find her listed in Wikipedia listed under "Domestic Goddess".
Kylie Kwong: The Sydney cook with style and vibrance. Kylie studied her trade in The Rocks at the world renowned restaurant Rockpool. She had a small run-in with the police in 04 when she ran a red light in Darlinghurst and lost her licence for 3 months for drink driving.
Giada De Laurentiis: The Italian chocoholic. Her killer looks caused some controversy during her TV debut when the network was accused of hiring a model to pose as a cook to host Everyday Italian. She of course is not a model, but a Cordon Bleu chef trained in Paris.

So, this week which one are you going to whisk in for a quick bite? Which one are you going to bake a fresh batch of arsenic cookies for or which one will you stand together atop your wedding cake with?

Jamie Oliver :: Curtis Stone :: Ainsley Harriott

Nigella Lawson :: Kylie Kwong :: Giada De Laurentiis

I'm loving this right now...

Quote from a movie (The Science of Sleep):

"Tonight I'll show you how dreams are prepared. People think it's a very simple and easy process, but it's a bit more complicated than that. As you can see, a very delicate combination of complex ingredients is the key...
First... we put in some... random thoughts. And then we add a little bit of reminiscences of the day mixed with some memories from the past. ... It's for two people.
Love... freindships... relationships... and all those ships..."

Unconscious Mutterings

1. Found :: alive
2. Male :: desire
3. Spoken :: aloud
4. Life ::, love and the universe
5. Tonight :: I'm enjoying a few beers.
6. Fingernail ::s down a black board.
7. True :: love never dies.
8. Give up :: Don't
9. Shining :: the light on broken dreams.
10. Everywhere :: I go, everywhere I go you're there.

Good news everyone...

The young Australian rider Casey Stoner won last night's MotoGP. Prior to this race he was only 1 point behind Rossi on the leader board. This win puts Stoner 10 points ahead of Rossi. If Rossi doesn't finish in the Top 6 in the next race (China) Stoner will maintain his position above him on the table.
My other favorite rider, Melandri, is currently sitting in 5th position.
Only two more races to go (China and France) before I hit the track in Italy and with any luck see my dream finish: I'd like to see a Stoner, Melandri, Rossi finish in that order. Why?
Stoner because he's our Aussie rider.
Melandri... well here's a picture... just because he's my favorite rider and Rossi because he's a Yamaha rider. Plus it'd be good to see the Italian home crowd go nuts when an Aussie beats the two Italians.

Uninteresting...

... that's this weekend. But I did have fun.
I went for a ride this morning, very early. I couldn't sleep in so I jumped on the bike and visited one of my fave places in Sydney. I rode over to Port Botany and sat on the cliffs and just chilled out and watched the divers and ships pass by, pondering life, love and the universe.

I also managed to ride down a street 3 minutes before the police decided to pull me over and make me wait for an hour or so until a protest march passed. So I sat there in the gutter next to my "impounded" bike while the marchers passed by pondering life, love and the universe...

Root, shoot or marry...

We’re getting kinky this week.

You have the chance at a ménage à trois with some of the world’s most famous couples. This week it’s a package deal. Nothing really needs to be said about these couples, because it’s all been said before. They have become a singular identity.

So, whose meat in the sandwich are you going to be? Which two birds are you going to kill with one stone? And which dynamic duo will you join to become a tremendous trio.

Remember, if you only want to go for one of them the partner’s coming along too.

Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes

David and Victoria Beckham

I'm loving this right now...

The clip is beautiful, the album is equally as beautiful... and the lyrics...

Hearts A Mess
- Gotye

Pick apart
The pieces of your heart
And let me peer inside
Let me in
Where only your thoughts have been
Let me occupy your mind
As you do mine

You have lost
Too much love
To fear, doubt and distrust
(It’s not enough)
You just threw away the key
To your heart

You don’t get burned
(’Cause nothing gets through)
It makes it easier
(Easier on you)
But that much more difficult for me
To make you see…

Love ain’t fair
So there you are
My love

Your heart’s a mess
You won’t admit to it
It makes no sense
But I’m desperate to connect
And you, you can’t live like this

Love ain’t safe
You won’t get hurt if you stay chaste
So you can wait
But I don’t wanna waste my love

Flirt!

Pink Shirt Thursday.

Bad mood Wednesday…

This morning I didn't get out of the wrong side of bed, but when I left for work something wasn't quite right.

I almost lost it at work this morning and was close to chucking a "designer's" tanty. I mean really, how many times can you change a straight line for someone before you go "Oh for god's sake! It's a line, it's this long and it's grey! What more do you want? What? Another 2 pixels!?!?!" And so I calmly stood up from my chair and walked out. I needed some fresh air or I was simply going to loose it. I walked around trying to gather my thoughts. I was puzzled. I couldn't think of a reason for my foul mood. Why was I cranky? Why the short fuse today? I had no idea. That just added to my frustration.

And then it dawned on me: I was wearing the shirt I hate the most. Yes, that was it. How shallow. I have not managed to get my work shirts cleaned for a little while and was down to two shirts to choose from this morning. The one I'm wearing and a pink one. Tomorrow being "Pink Shirt Thursday" the choice was easy. Today - The horrible white one. I just can't stand business shirts that are not tailored and bunch around your waist like some horrible women's 80's bubble skirt. Not a good look on a male! So that prompted me to go and do something else I really don't like: clothes shopping in the city. But I now have two new shirts that will be cleaned tonight along with the rest of my shirts so I can destroy this ugly white one and my ugly mood along with it.

Oh, what a surprise...

yes, I'm eating at Yoshinoya again. Those people who understand me know that I'm a little bit of a creature of habit. However, a little known fact about me is that I like to spice things up occasionally and take a risk. Well, tonight was one of those nights. As you can see from the picture: I added a fresh egg!
*dramatic music * Dunt dunt dahhh.

AND, not only was it something new for me, it was a taste sensation!

Unconscious Mutterings

1. Freeze :: Mofo
2. Naturally :: is not always the best way
3. Painting :: oil
4. Merits :: Good on you
5. Ironic :: Isn't it?
6. Survival :: of the fittest
7. Cow :: Don't have a ...
8. Anchor :: around my neck
9. Sisters :: are doin' it for themselves
10. 70 :: 30

I'm loving this right now...

Saturday night I went to the rugby to see the Waratahs V Reds. It was probably one of the sloppiest games of rugby I've seen ever. Anyhoo, after the game I went for a few drinks at a pub/bar that I hadn't been to on a sat night before. Well, it was great. The crowd was very understated cool and I loved the music. It was very 80's indie influenced. Very much my sort of sound. I was introduced to one of the Dj's, Chloe, she was one of the spunkiest chicks I've met in ages. Very sexy. In fact most of the crowd there were very spunky. Although, there were a couple of emos in the corner and the phrase "What have you come as?" was uttered by my mate... For the past few weeks I've been re-discovering some tunes from my past including early Kate Bush and some Morrissey and The Smiths. When this song below was played on sat night over the decent sound system it brought back some beautiful memories and this song has been on high rotation in my brain ever since... One of my all time faves.

The Smiths - "There is a light that never goes out"

Beautiful storm.

This afternoon this storm blew in from nowhere and it left with the most amazing fresh smell of rain. Very beautiful.

Tonight I caught up with two of my mates for dinner. I took the advice of another friend and we tried a Mexican restaurant in Crows Nest that none of us had been to before. It was great. Really enjoyed the company and the fajitas were "make your own" and the tortillas were just melt in the mouth. MMMMmmmmm. Very tasty. Not too sure about the Mexican beer though.

Root, shoot or marry...

Be a good sport and take part in this week's RSM. We have a distinctly Australian feel (Sorry international guests, but if you’re a sports fan you might know these names anyway).

The Men:
The Thorpedo, now retired from swimming, has recently been grabbing headlines after a French newspaper reported he gave a sample during 2006 that showed abnormally high readings for testosterone. "Sacre Blue" cried Ian Thorpe as he proclaimed his innocence and vowed revenge on the source of these reports.

Mr Humility, a former World #1 tennis champion. Pat Rafter is well known for his freakish ability to return serve and his good nature both on and off the court. A very modest and religious man he remains one of Australia’s top tennis legends.

What can I say about Mr Txt? Love him or loathe him, Shane Warne has become THE greatest bowler of all time. He invented a new bowling technique called the “flipper” and taught the country that phone sex was not just limited to voice conversations. His antics off the field have given him a reputation for things other than his bowling techniques.

The Ladies:
Layne, general top sort and regarded as the best women’s surfer of all time. She has recently won her 7th World title. She founded Aim For The Stars Foundation to financially help girls and young women achieve their ambitions.

Madame Butterfly. I remember going into a chemist one evening in my old hometown and the women behind the counter said to me "Do you know who I just served? It was that lovely Susie O’Neill". She is one of this country's greatest swimming stars, a great sports commentator and a "lovely" lady.

The girl from Queensland with a big heart and strong determination is regarded as a role model by many and as a symbol of national reconciliation. Cathy Freeman managed to create great debate and controversy by breaking protocol and waving both the Aboriginal and Australian flags after winning the 400m at the 1994 Commonwealth games.

So this week: Who will you pick to share the shower in the locker room with, load the starters pistol with real bullets and aim it at and who would you want to run that race of love with to the end?

Ian Thorpe :: Pat Rafter :: Shane Warne

Layne Beachley :: Susie O’Neill :: Cathy Freeman

Pink Shirt Thursday...

Along with some fellow bloggers, I took up the Pink Shirt Thursday option. It seems that Thursday has been deemed the day that pink shirts can be worn without ridicule or being shunned from the general populous.

Inspiration strikes...

and you just have to run with it sometimes. I'm a huge fan of Tim Burton and Danny Elfman. Tim Burton is visually a creative genius and Danny Elfman is audibly a creative genius. I watched Edward Scissorhands tonight for the first time in over 10 years. It amazes me how beautiful this film really is and how I'm re-discovering it and it's meanings. Danny Elfman creates the most beautiful musical score to accompany this film. In fact, every piece of music he composes has a quirky surreal quality to it. He has created music for a lot of Tim Burtons films and this adds to their fairytale beauty.

Over the long weekend I dug out a score of music which has been a favorite of mine since I played it on the piano way way back in primary school. I sat down in front of my mac and decided to create my own Elfman inspired Muzbot orchestrated version. The original score was written in 1895 by Sir Edward Elgar and he could have never foreseen that his score would ever sound like this... It's a little rough around the edges and I haven't finished it yet but I hope you enjoy:

I call my version : "March of The Muzbots"
The Snow - Sir Edward Elgar

The edge...

is where I spent a bit of the long weekend. Both physically and emotionally I think. There's a bit going on in this lad's head at the moment about life, love and the universe. I went looking for a few Geocaches yesterday with my mate Judo. Two of them were located very close to the edge of cliffs. I really enjoyed being right on the edge of the one at Oxford Falls, but after all the rain we've had the night before it was a bit slippery and I think Judo wasn't too keen on me being that close to the drop. I think I was nearly roused on at one point for being a little to careless close to the edge. I have a lot of faith in my bush walking shoes. (Sorry Judo).

The pic is the location of one of the tricky Geocaches. I've walked to find this one once before and was on the other side of the wall and realised that to get to the cache I would have to walk around the edge of this to get to it. Nope, that was not going to happen. This time the idea was to approach it from the same side as the cache, but we were foiled because the gates were closed for the public holiday. Better luck next time I guess.

I was a little bored during our CEO presentation at work, so I doodled this. I then cleaned up the pencil drawing in Illustrator. I love cartoon rabbits.

Why was the Easter Bunny angry?
Because he was having a bad hare day.

Our nation's capital...

and me, getting close and personal. I love Canberra. It's one of the places in this country that I'd be happy to live in.
It's been a good long weekend so far. Here's some pics.

Root, shoot or marry...

Stuff you all, I'm going solo...

As we know, vocal harmony within a group does not always mean there is personal harmony within the group. This week's RSM is a tribute to those who have had the courage to stand tall and say "I'm better off without you".

In 1995 Robbie Williams made known his dislike for fellow Take That band members. He was tired of his clean cut image and decided that jumping ship was the only option to prove that his ego was larger than not just his fellow band members, but everybody in the British Music Industry.

In 2001 N Sync hit their peak with an appearance on The Simpson's. Surely this proved they had finally made it. They had nowhere to go and nothing to prove. Could they be the most popular band since The Beatles? The heat of the spotlight burned intensely for the group, however, they weren't seeing any money... their manager was. It was time to have a break and assess the situation. Timberlake saw his chance to work on a solo project and reap some rewards.

In the year 2000 the Irish born singer Ronan Keating stepped out and onto centre stage from the group Boyzone and released a solo album cleverly called "Ronan". 7 years later he has had 14 top 10 singles in the UK charts. Boyzone have never officially disbanded so maybe they'll live again or just disappear into the wasteland that is occupied by so many other so-so boy bands.

The queens of pop marketing, The Spice Girls, produced another product: The solo career of Geri Halliwel. There has not been fantastic music success for this ex-Spice Girl, but when ever there was a magazine or media opportunity this girl seemed to be there and lap it up. She has even done a "fly on the wall" type reality special called "Geri".

Back in 1985 Belinda Carlisle left the all girl group The Go Go's on a sour note to embark on a solo career. Sporting an 80's blonde bob for her first solo release "Mad About You". In 1987 she scored her only #1 hit single with "Heaven Is A Place On Earth", a song that is the soundtrack to a great part of the 80's for me. Going solo was probably a good move for this singer and since then she has released 7 Albums. The most recent album sung in French.

Beyonce went solo by stealth. Destiny's Child were riding the crest of a wave of success with Grammy Awards being thrown at them. Beyonce didn't go outright solo initially, but instead appeared as "featured" vocalist on a couple of projects with Jay-Z and Luther Vandros. She finally released her solo debut and the album and single rocketed to #1 simultaneously in the UK and the USA making Beyonce the only solo female artist to achieve such an accolade.

So, who are you going to: make sweet music with, help die a death like disco or live on together in song.
The Men:

Robbie Williams - Take That
Justin Timberlake - N Sync
Ronan Keating - Boyzone

The Ladies:

Geri Halliwell - Spice Girls
Belinda Carlisle - Go Go's
Beyonce - Destiny's Child

Just briefly...

Ok, I can't mix it with more serious runners, but I gave my run home from work a serious go today and did a personal best. The aim is to be a little competitive in the next AROC adventure race at the end of this month.

- - - - - - - - - -

I'm heading off to Canberra for a couple of days on my bike tomorrow. I hope to take my time and capture a few nice images on the way. But before I go I'll put up this week's Root, Shoot or Marry. It'll be a day early, but that will give you a little bit of time to think about your choices this week... and it may be difficult.

Contrasts

My walk home today was full of visual variety. This is what I love about where I live.

You can see some more of my walk home here on Flickr.

Festival of the boot...

The weekend seemed to go very quickly. One minute it was Friday afternoon, the next I'm sitting back at work on Monday morning.

Saturday was a bit of hard work but I finally removed all my stuff from my old address and had the place cleaned. It's such a relief to be away from that place.

Saw two games of footy on the weekend too. Two different codes. I saw a great union game between the Waratahs and the Crusaders. It came down to the wire and unfortunately the 'tahs lost by one point. The other game I saw was a league game between the Bulldogs V Titans. This too was a good game. There were very few mistakes in this game and it was a very enjoyable game to watch. The Titans went down. Looking forward to seeing a few more home games this year if I get the chance. I'm not a fan of the Doggies, but I think if they keep this sort of play up then I might just start to follow this code a little more.

Root, shoot or marry...

One of my fave bloggers has taken a break from blogging. Part of her blog that I miss is RSM. So, I'm going to pick up where she left off and revive it here on my blog. This may become a regular feature if you all enjoy it. The rules are very simple. In the comment section tell me who you'd root, who you'd shoot or who you'd marry. Whether you choose the opposite or same sex is your choice.
(For example, from Tony's explanation, if I was to give you: Russell Crowe, John Howard and, say, your boss, you then have to tell the group which one of the three you would root (for non-Australians: have intimate relations with); who you would shoot; and who you would marry. Only one go at each of them, so don't choose all three to root.
By the way, the rooting is a one-off and one night stand only, so don't go thinking you could marry Russell Crowe and have a long-term affair with the PM - not fair.)
It's not always going to be an easy choice, but after a few wines or beers you'll get the hang of it, and maybe even come out with some truthful responses.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

So, since I have updated my blog for April with a comic theme, I thought I'd choose villains. This may be tricky for some of you as sleeping with evil is not something you would normally choose, I hope. So here's your chance to cross over to the dark side and partner with, play with or just be evil yourself and rid the world of an evil force:

The Men


Dr Evil :: Darth Vader :: The Riddler

The Ladies


May Day :: Cruella De Ville :: Wicked Witch of The West

Have I made it too hard for you for #1 RSM? No, I don't think so. So, tell me, who are you going to Root, shoot or marry and why?

bland - blănd:

lacking either stimulating or irritating characteristics.

There is something very average about the colours here. Take a closer look. Where is the contrast between hair, face and shirt?

As a designer, I'm very interested in colour. Hue and tone can portray your taste and personality. It was pointed out to me last week that Andrew G, from The Contest, was very achromatic. I checked this out last night and guess what?... These 3 colours below are the average colour samples from Andrew G. These three colours represent: comfortable, homey, warm, gentle and elegant. BORING.

"Did you know"
These three colours also can be represented by food. These foods are matsutake mushroom, clear soup and dried cuttle fish and these colours were fashionable between 1100AD and 1400AD with Chinese ceramic designers.

Unconscious Mutterings

1. Groovy :: yeah yeah
   
2. Jealousy :: green eye monster
   
3. Watching :: and waiting
   
4. Kenny :: Rogers
   
5. Games :: without frontiers
   
6. Bread :: and butter
   
7. City :: of dreams
   
8. Stems :: and thorns
   
9. Birds :: of a feather
   
10. Listener :: and speaker

2nd night in...

and it feels great to have had a meal in my new place and sit back and relax after a day of IKEA madness. I'm not a fan of shopping centres at the best of times, but today I braved the largest IKEA in the southern hemisphere. I nearly didn't make it into the store after having to go to level 9 of the carpark to find a spot. LEVEL 9! I panic when I'm around so many people in one place frantically shopping. I just don't like it. But I did get a tasty $1 hotdog, so that made up for it.

Then, this evening I realised my bike has a better view of the city than me! Yes, this is the view from my carpark, NOT from my unit.

First night in...

and I'm loving it. This is the view from my new digs. It's raining outside so the light from the buildings is being amplified by little drops of water on my new windows. I'm feeling pretty good about things right now.

I still have a bit more to move in and a bit of house keeping left to do at my old place but this place I'm in is just what I need right now. And I don't just mean the unit. Emotionally this is just where I want to be as well. I'm going to bed tonight with a smile on my face.

Moving on...

Things I won't miss:

• Transport trucks heading past my bedroom from Port Botany, starting at 5am every morning
• The two women in pyjamas at 5pm in the local IGA arguing over who will get the larger maintenance payment from the same man.
• The constant rain of leaf litter and bird poo dropping from the tree in the backyard
• The heat from the afternoon summer sun in my bedroom
• The overcrowded train platforms
• The large unavoidable potholes in the street that scare the crap out of me when I'm on my bike.
• The poor variety of breakfast options on weekends
• The bakeries with pigeons nesting in them (on the ovens!)
• The toilets in the local chicken bar that double as a cheap crack house
• The re-enactment of scenes from Jerry Springer being played out on the streets
  

Things I will really miss:

• The local pubs
• My huge living space
• The cheap eats
• The big nearby parks and tree lined streets
• The Greek barber who I never understood a word he said
• The ease of riding to so many good places close by
• Newtown and Erko
• Trivia nights
• Those tasty fresh Vietnamese rice paper rolls from the dodgy restaurant.
• My friends being so close

TEF mentoring the young 'ens...

I rode my bike to work this morning and look at how the kids gather around to learn.

Sometimes I'm glad I don't have kids...

because I really would not set the best example to follow.

That freshly cooked sweet smell filled my helmet as I rode past and before I knew it I was sitting at the edge of the airport, next to a runway with a bag of goodies watching planes take off as lightning and thunder filled the humid Sydney sky.

This lad here is so bumped up on sugar tonight that I'm sure that I'll be awake for hours to come. Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Unconscious Mutterings

Sorry I haven't done this for a couple of weeks.

1. San Francisco :: I like to disco
   
2. Sadness :: and wine are friends of mine
   
3. Spirits :: from beyond
   
4. Harriet :: and Henry
   
5. State :: of affairs
   
6. John :: Boy
   
7. Offense :: committed by me
   
8. Timeless :: like a tailored suit
   
9. Account :: to be payed
   
10. Refuse :: entry because I'm wearing shorts!

Web 2.0 is interesting...

You are part of it.

Another great weekend...

This weekend I managed to get up to the mountains for a bit of exploration. I went for a very damp walk to see Wentworth Falls. It was beautiful. I love the mountains when they are shrouded in cloud and mist. The temperature had dropped considerably making it cool as well. It was great sitting at Wentworth Falls watching the clouds form as the wind seemed to race across the valley and up the escarpment. Very beautiful. Unfortunately our plans to go right to the base of the falls to find a goecache were foiled by these conditions and the fact that National Parks had closed a few of the tracks. So, instead, we decided to head to Katoomba to do some more bush walking. I'd never actually had a go on the mountain railway or the Scenic Cableway so this was a good day to do it. Well, actually, it probably wasn't the best day considering that every thing was hidden by mist. However, the walks around this part of the world were enjoyable and I got to see my first Lyrebird in the wild. This little critter seemed to have no fear of humans and went about his scratching search for worms without paying any attention to me. The heavy rain continued and it made the forest come alive with some beautiful sounds. I will return here on a fine day sometime. Sunday was another good day. I started the day with a run around the National Park adjacent to the harbour and Balgowlah. (Need to get serious if I plan to compete in another race in 5 weeks time!) I'm so unfit. But, it was a great place to run with some amazing views. Then came back to The Alex and picked up my bike for a ride up to Wiseman's Ferry. Was a great ride. Even getting lost provided a good opportunity to discover even more of this city that I had no idea existed. However, I was tired, losing concentration and the rain was coming back, so we cut the journey short and headed back home.

Note to self...

- Traffic calming bollards are actually very soft
- Don’t try and tackle one
- Bitumen is worse than grass

Today is the day...

that I begin to write the final chapter in a book that was started 10 years ago.
I'm currently full of some very conflicting feelings.

I signed a lease today on a neat little bachelor pad. It's on the 7th floor of an older building and it overlooks the CBD of North Sydney. It's quiet, leafy and soon it will be my own space. I should be happy about this, but I'm not. Somehow, here in this last chapter, there are two broken dreams and two broken hearts.

--==--

Cheers then, here's to two old friends
We thought we'd never say goodbye
But those good times came to an end
And its not worth another try

Familiar place familiar face
But feeling's not the same
Try to relive what we once did
It's just a silly game

Cheers then, here's to two old friends
We thought we'd never say goodbye
But those good times came to an end
And its not worth another try

One of the crowd
It felt so safe
I never felt alone
Together everyday and night
When you and me were young

Time that lapsed a bond collapsed
We never planned for that
I felt betrayed, I let you down
We're better on our own

Cheers then, we're saying goodbye
Cheers then...

Not again with the bike?...

Yes, and what a great day for a ride. Took the bike for a bit of a spin to help run in the engine this weekend. Did a round loop up to the mountains, down to the Megalong Valley, back up the mountains, along Bells Line of Road along the M2 back across the bridge and home. There were some great roads and coming up the Megalong Valley was a bit of a highlight. It's a short curvy side-track. Coming back up I could test the bike's handling on corners. Speed is a good thing. Bells Line is another brilliant stretch of road. The legal speed limit on most of it is 100. This gives you a chance to open the bike up and test the sweeping bends at some decent speed. The bike swings from corner to corner. I took it easy on most of the ride but occasionally it was nice to test myself. Stopped off at the Kurrajong Heights pub for a drink on the way down the range. Great view from up there.

And for those who are interested...

here are some details about my new bike. Yes, I'm in love!

It has twin fuel injection and is 6 speed. The clutch is a slipper clutch. The bike is slightly biased towards the front wheel for improved handling. It's a reasonably light bike weighing only about 162kg. It has dual disc brakes on the front and single on the rear. It has a titanium muffler which is short and light, this contributes to the balance of the bike. The frame is aluminum. The throttle is microchip controlled where sensors monitor it to within 1000th of a second and maintain a smooth response. It's power curve really kicks in at the 4000-6000 revs. I've tested this and, when you moving and twist your wrist on the throttle, you have to hold on tight or it will take off and leave you behind.

I went shopping today and bought this...

Here's another pic.

I'm such a sucker for...

a steak house. Hog's Breath, Hooters, Lone Star... I like 'em all. Tonight included a trip to Bondi to sample it's steak house, Hog's Breath. I was hoping to top the steak with some prawns, but it seems that HB don't do that, so calamari was the go.

I'm lovin' this right now...

love I get so lost, sometimes
days pass and this emptiness fills my heart
when I want to run away
I drive off in my car
but whichever way I go
I come back to the place you are

all my instincts, they return
and the grand facade, so soon will burn
without a noise, without my pride
I reach out from the inside

in your eyes
the light the heat
in your eyes
I am complete
in your eyes
I see the doorway to a thousand churches
in your eyes
the resolution of all the fruitless searches
in your eyes
I see the light and the heat
in your eyes
oh, I want to be that complete
I want to touch the light
the heat I see in your eyes

love, I don't like to see so much pain
so much wasted and this moment keeps slipping away
I get so tired of working so hard for our survival
I look to the time with you to keep me awake and alive

and all my instincts, they return
and the grand facade, so soon will burn
without a noise, without my pride
I reach out from the inside

in your eyes
the light the heat
in your eyes
I am complete
in your eyes
I see the doorway to a thousand churches
in your eyes
the resolution of all the fruitless searches
in your eyes
I see the light and the heat
in your eyes
oh, I want to be that complete
I want to touch the light,
the heat I see in your eyes.

Peter Gabriel
"In Your Eyes"

I took THIS for a spin tonight...

and man was it fun! Thanks Judo for letting me take your bike out. This time I ended up going a little further than around the block a couple of times. 80kms later and I'm home safe with a grin on my face that goes from one side to the other.