The Matterhorn... a haiku

Again face to face
Sitting on your chocolate box
Forever in mind

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Here are some interesting facts:

• Feared by early mountaineers it wasn't first climbed until 1865


• Borders Switzerland and Italy


• By modern standards the climb is still rated AD (assez difficile, fairly difficult)


• The individual pieces of Toblerone form it's likeness


• Homer Simpson has climbed its Springfield cousin the "Murderhorn"


• The "Hornli route" is the most popular route to the summit


• An ascent will take 3 days on average


• Each year several climbers lose their life climbing this mountain


• It is still my dream to climb along the summit ridge of this beautiful mountain

And so, training for my assault on this trophy mountain continues. Slowly my fitness is improving. I'm measuring two runs a week. You can see in the graph below there is a gradual increase in distance I'm achieving each run. Don't laugh too hard at these small distances and Ok, I'm not running a marathon, but for someone who couldn't/wouldn't even run a lap of the school oval I'm happy with my progress. Will I be experienced and confident to attempt this next year? At this stage, no. But, it's there - as my dream, my goal and my desire.

I'm loving this right now...

I have no idea why, I just do...
M.I.A. - Jimmy

This always amazes me...

The angle the rider's were achieving in last night's MotoGP was incredible. There was a point during practices where a couple of the riders even got their elbow down onto the track. Very impressive! The Brno track is perfect for this sort of riding.

It's been 3 weeks since the last race and watching this race on my new large format TV really added new enjoyment to the race for me. I was sitting on my lounge and really felt like I was swinging into the curves with the riders as they lent into the bends. I was on the edge of my seat for the whole race.

Stoner had pole position and never gave it up. He continues to prove to the world what a fantastic rider he really is. He leads the champonship by two whole races. Ozzie Ozzie Ozzie!

Caption This

Shattered illusions...

Have you ever hit send on an email or a txt and then suddenly got the feeling that you've sent it to the wrong person? It’s often not too bad because you can just follow up with an email saying "Sorry, I sent that to the wrong person, please delete it." But it’s those times when the content is about (or relates to) the person you’ve accidentally sent it when the fear of consequence sets in.

It’s an easy mistake when you have a few different people with the same first name in your address book. It’s an easy mistake when you’re in a hurry. It’s an easy mistake if you’ve had a few drinks and you’ve got clumsy fingers. But this mistake can be very revealing. Once it is read there can be no turning back. I have had this happen to me once before. I have sent a txt to the wrong person. Luckily what I had said was truthful. However, it was just not an appropriate time to say it. Then, on the weekend, I had that same fear creep into my mind after sending off an email and not receiving a response. Once again, my fear was unfounded when I re-checked my sent items, but it’s one of life’s hazards in this immediate information age. Isn’t it?

A Sydney stunner...

Sydney once again showed me why I love her this weekend. The weather was fantastic, and the ocean looked like a beautiful opal. I met up with my mate "Minkered" (Minkered adj: drunk, "I got so minkered on the weekend") on Saturday and we wandered the eastern beaches and coastline. This return trip was about 19km and took us the best part of 6 hours to complete, including time to stop at the pub for a beer and lunch in Maroubra. It was a great day and great company. We both decided that we could have walked to the South Pole we were having such a good time.

Sunday I caught up with my three favorite men. Judo, Kookyknut and Minkered. We sat around in my lounge drinking Coopers, listening to tunes and watching iTunes visualizer in high definition wide screen glory. It was great to catch up with Kookyknut, we both agreed we've been slack and had missed each other heaps.

Caption this...

I've been feeling a little down...

so, to cheer myself up, I went shopping today and I bought:

Flashback...

I had just seen a Sesame Street flashback thanks to Kookyknut, and had to go and find one of my fave's from when I was a young lad. When I saw this a few moments ago I think I experienced one of my earliest memories. You see, I barely remember anything from before high school. This brought back something that I thought I had lost forever.

Ugly bagels and 30 things...

1. Were you named after anyone? Not that I know of... I was nearly named Levi after someone on my mum's side.
2. When did you last cry? Last night... but they were just tiny tears, not a full-on cry.
3. Do you like your handwriting? Who handwrites these days?
4.What is your favorite lunchmeat? Ham or turkey
5. If you were another person would you be friends with you? Oh god yes, and imagine all the trouble we'd get into!
6. Do you still have your tonsils? Yes.
7. Would you bungee jump? What, more than once, no.
8. What is your favorite cereal? I don't know what it's called, but it's vanilla and apple flavored and it's crunchy
9. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? Yes.
10. Do you think you are strong? Only when I don't shower regularly.
11. What is your favorite ice cream flavor? French Vanilla
12. Shoe size? 44
13. Red or pink? Pink grapefruit and red orange.
14. Who do you miss the most? Plane Spotter
15. What color pants, shirt and shoes are you wearing? Olive shorts and blue footy jersey and bare feet.
16. Last thing you ate? An ugly bagel
17. What are you listening to right now? The sound of the traffic below my window.
18. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Black
19. Favorite smell? Rain
20. The first thing you notice about people you are attracted to? Their eyes.
21. Favorite drink? Vanilla milkshake
22. Favorite food? Deep fried chicken
23. Scary movies or happy endings? Neither
24. Summer or winter? Can't decide. Both have an appeal for me.
25. Favorite dessert? Profiter rolls with chocolate sauce and ice cream.
26. What's on your mouse pad? My mouse
27. What did you watch last night on TV? Futurama and Idol.
28. Favorite sounds? Thunder
29. The furthest you've been from home? Edinburgh
30. Where were you born? Ipswich General.

I decided that spending $5 a day on a bagel was not worth it, so I attempted to make my own today...

I think they're ok and one of them actually looks like a bagel!

From here to here to here...

Not having a climbing partner is actually a bit of a pain... But I'm not going to let that stop me, so this morning I gave indoor bouldering a go. And let me tell you, it's f*#kin' hard work. I could only manage a few holds before I was down on the mats, looking up at where I was and thinking to myself, "Thank God there are no other climbers here laughing at me!" But, after giving it a go, I now have a better idea of what I need to work on to improve.

Somebody's kidnapped Muzbot...

and this strange being that gets out of bed at 6am on Saturday mornings to go to the gym has replaced him....

And then followed that up with a trip to the Macro Wholefoods Cafe in Crows Nest for a 5 grain porridge! It's a bit over-priced, but the flavors were actually pretty good. Where's the bacon and grilled cheese omelette loving lad disappeared to? But, I have to admit, I really loved the porridge this morning... apart from the cherries. Vile fruit that they are. And had the BEST juice ever. It was grapefruit, apple, pineapple and double ginger. Yumbo!

I then went into work to catch up on a few things and sort through my emails that I ignored yesterday. And then I decided to get myself some climbing/bouldering shoes. Check 'em out...

Caption this...

Phew...

I know I just had my yearly bitch about work and how busy things were, but this evening I had the launch date of one of my projects pushed back by a month. So I had no guilty feelings going to the movies tonight to see The Simpsons. I even took the chance to sit on the Simpson's lounge next to Homer. He's BIG, and not as cuddly as I always imagined he'd be.

Now I may have missed something in the movie, but what happened to Spider Pig? He just disappeared.

Is it August already...

I guess so.

Did anyone see the sunrise over Sydney this morning? It was just spectacular. In fact, it was a beautiful morning all round. The temperature was not cold. The ferry fleet were arriving for the morning peek hour. The empty trains rattled across the bridge. The endless procession of utes and vans motored past. The colours in the sky turned from dark blue to fluorescent crimson to gold. And the no longer full moon looked mighty lonely up there in the sky with no company from the stars, just empty space all around it.

I've hit that busy patch of year at work again. Some of you may recall that this time last year I experienced that weird altered sleep deprived state after days of no sleep. I'm managing it a little better this year by working a lot at home in the evenings. The days are still long, but am loving these early morning starts. So, I haven't really had a great deal of time to work on a header for this month's blog. I knocked this one out a little too quickly yesterday. I'll aim a bit higher next month.

Hello August.

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.

Root, shoot or marry...

This week, in honour of my return from the MotoGP, I have chosen some lads and lasses that you may not be totally familiar with. I know for sure you won't know the chicks. However, when have I ever let that stop me posting a RSM. So, go ahead, base your RSM purely on looks if you have to! I promise next week's will be easier. Oh, and Bertie, I have taken on board your suggestion from last week and will keep that one up my sleeve.

Season 2007 MotoGP Riders and the Paddock Girls. What race day would be complete without the smiling faces of the Paddock Girls. Holding an umbrella and smiling is both a skill and an art.

I've included some basic stats on the racers so that if you are a mystical numbers person you may be able to make your pick based on these figures. I've also included some useless stats.
Ride baby ride...

The Men:

Casey Stoner: Aussie. 21yo. Has won 5 out of 8 rounds so far this season. Rides a Ducati. Race number is 27. Race colours are red and white. Leathers supplied by Alpinestars, helmet by Nolan and boots by Alpinestars. Weighs 58kg!

Marco Melandri: Italian. 24yo. Only one podium finish this season (2nd in France). Rides a Honda. Race number is 33. Race colours are blue and white. Leathers supplied by Spidi, helmet by Nolan and boots by Xpd. Weighs 64kg!

Randy De Puniet: French. 26yo. The new kid on the block in MotoGP terms. Has only raced in 5 rounds this season, and has finally scored a permanent position in the Kawasaki Racing Team. Race number is 14. Race colours are green and black. Leathers supplied by Spidi, helmet by Shark and boots by Puma. Weighs 63kg!

The Ladies:

Team Konica Minolta (Honda) : : Team Dunlop Yamaha Tech 3 : : Kawasaki Racing Team.

So this week, which team are you going to happily ride off into the sunset with, which one is going to lube your chain and warm your tyres for one night in heaven and which one will you leave behind eating nothing but your dust.

How disappointed was I...

this morning when I woke up and realised it was not Friday. Damn.

About the past...

I've hit a little patch of oil on the road of life. It’s made me slip into a little bit of a dark hole of melancholy and I’m not really seeing the light. This is due to certain events going on in my life and a timely post I read recently from a blogger and incredibly poor timing on my behalf.

Walking home from work the iPod literally stopped me in my tracks with this line from a song: “Next time I promise we’ll be perfect.” And that’s the crux of it. I’m looking for the perfect relationship – for me. For Muzbot. Now, surely that's not wrong. Oh, I know the "perfect" relationship for me may not exist, but I know people who seem "perfect for each other" and are so very happy together. They seem to feed off each other and challenge each other in a way that only someone who understands and "gets" you completely can. And so, I sit here in my nest in front of my computer and think... Could what I'm looking for really exist? And should I feel bad for wanting such a beast? Huh?

A couple of friends popped in to see me...

What a great race...

One of the best podium finishes this season. Two aussies! Stoner finished first, Edwards followed in second (Not even a close second) and Vermeulen third. The top 3 - No Rossi! This gives Stoner a clear lead on the table. I've been waiting for this all season. It was a great race especially 3 laps from the end when Vermeulen overtook Rossi. I think I jumped right out of the comfort of my lounge at that point. Don't get me wrong, I like Rossi as a rider, but I'm looking forward to seeing who is going to take his crown because he's had such a long run as a world champion.

There was another Aussie in this race too. Anthony West was making his Debut for Kawasaki (Go the green machines!). His bike was actually the fastest in the warm ups over the weekend. He had a great race and was a real contender for the top 5, however, in the wet conditions he made a small mistake and that put him back in 11th position.

And the best result: Out of the top 4 finishing bikes, 2 were Yamaha's. Woohoo!

"If I was" meme:

If I was an animal I'd be:
a Labrador

If I was on holiday I'd be:
Climbing a glacier

If I was in my dream job it would be:
a Vet

If I was dating someone famous it would be:
Uma Thurman

If I was a Superhero I'd be:
Aqua Man - actually, no, Batman. I love that rubber suit.

If I was on a TV show it would be:
Futurama (I'd love to see a Muzbot character)

If I was on a magazine cover it'd be:
I have been and it was "Where" - but if I hadn't been it would probably be "Two Wheels"

If I was a colour I'd be:
What the??? Ummm... Green.

If I was able to time travel I'd go back:
to 120AD in Rome and be an Emperor.

If I was (add your own):
... only able to find what I'm looking for.

Oooo, now I have to tag: Bugger it, anyone who's up for it. Go on...

What a great weekend!

- Had a Japancake for breakfast.
- Bought a new heater. It's been cold here.
- Re-stocked my fish tank with a couple of angel fish and a pepper cat fish.
- Had Sydney's BEST pizza for an early Sat night dinner. Possibly the world's best pizza! Seriously.
- Sat on the cliff at Nth Head and watched the sun set over Sydney with my best mate. (My idea of a top night!)
- Took my sexy new one-piece leathers (souvenir from o/s holiday) for their maiden ride.
- Discovered they are the most comfortable thing to ride fast in.
- Had an enjoyable ride around the northern suburbs, stopping for coffee on the sidewalk of a suburban coffee shop and chatted to the manager about his job and our bikes.
- Dodged the rain by circling the city and heading out to Parramatta for...
- Hooters!
- Yes, I know, I can't help myself. I love Hooters.
- Was disappointed when "Emma" our waitress and friends didn't dance during lunch. I mean really, do you think I went there for the food?
- Stopped off at a bike shop and was questioned about my leathers by the chick who was very impressed by them wondering how I managed to get hold of them.
- Dropped my bike key in a gutter... fast flowing with storm water. I must have looked like such a goof running down the street trying to stop it from getting away from me.
- Then rode to meet a mate at Fox for ten pin bowling, which didn't happen so
- We both went to the movies and lashed out and went "La Premier"
- Over-dosed on coke and lollies
- Went for a beer at a club
- Back to his for the start of tonight's MotoGP race
- Blogged and now getting ready for a good night's sleep.

I love weekends.

Root, shoot or marry...

Sorry this post is a little late today.

We all know that there is a BIG lack of any element of reality in RSM. So today we’re visiting a small town in the USA called Springfield. The town is full of colourful characters and I’d say we know them all reasonably well.

The Ladies:

Helen Lovejoy: A caring woman. “Will someone please think of the children!”
Edna Krabappel: Or Edna K to those who know her closely. Did you know that before she first moved to Springfield she was in a serious relationship with Moe!
Maude Flanders: Ok, so she’s dead, but when has that stopped a good RSM? Very innocent looking, but invite her to a dinner party and she may just let her hair down.

The Men:

Lenny Leonard: He has a master’s degree in nuclear physics and know for getting things stuck in his eye.
Apu Nahasapeemapetilon: The local businessman and singer from the 80’s supergroup “The Be Sharps”
Duff Man: Dark sunnies, a beer utility belt, muscles and talks about himself in the third person.

So this week, which recurring character are you going to feature in your fictional future?

Pink Shirt Thursday...

This would have to be the single most blatantly flirty post that I have ever done. Let's just say that I had a little bit of encouragement last night from fellow blogger Monty. Many beers were had and I made a bit of a promise to post this.

Wednesday Haiku

Rainbow on your chest
You stopped by to say hello
Rain stops in my heart

Just call me Larry...

"Happy as" that is.

I'm back and I have had some amazing times in the past few weeks. Every one of my 7 senses have been stimulated to overload.

Vision: The beautiful facial features of the Spanish.
Hearing: The engines rev sent goose pimples all over my body like nothing else ever has. The sound of a small car sized boulder slide off the side of a glacier as it smashs into smaller pieces and shards of ice explode outwards from where it hit.
Touch: The firm feeling of compressed ice from a glacier between my teeth as I bit into a piece of chipped off ice. The feeling of old cobble stones uneven beneath my feet as I wandered medieval streetscapes.
Taste: Where to start? The flavor of that sauce on my chicken dish in Paris. The olives in Rome, so buttery, so melt in the mouth unlike any olive I have ever tasted. The sweet San Miguel beer in that bar in Florence. The coffee...
Smell: The smell of motorbikes en mass. The alpine wild flowers that smelt like sherbet. The constant smell of Dog Shit in Valencia. The smell of crisp cold mountain air. The smell of food cooking on the streets of Hong Kong.
Balance: The symmetry of old ruins. The feeling of looking over the edge of a vertical cliff thousands of metres high. Trying not to slip on a snowy path.
Kinesthesia: Moving hand and foot together in rhythm to climb down a thin wire ladder where one wrong step or slip would result in falling hundreds of meters onto crumbling boulders.

I'm not the most worldly traveled person around, but I manage to learn more about myself and my surroundings every time I go away. And every time I go away I know how much I love Sydney and how nice it is to come home to my own bed.

So, if you have a few moments spare and want to look at some of my adventures, I have uploaded some pictures to a Flickr set here.

Only a couple of days to go...

and then I'm back.

Paris is still beautiful. I've managed to discover much more about the city and have a lot of fun this trip. I haven't been doing to much touristy stuff this time, just immersing myself in the culture of the streets, eating, drinking and sitting in cool places watching the Parisians wander by. It is my idea of a nice break. I'm now really looking forward to getting home and being in Sydney again... If it hasn't been blown or washed away. (The NSW weather made the BBC news here. Hope everyone hasn't been too effected)

Oh, and WELL DONE QLD!!!

The crowd goes wild...

because their home town boy was so close to knocking off the top two riders. But he didn´t. The little Aussie rider, Casey Stoner, won! It was the best race of the season so far. The weather was el scorchio, the spectators were hot and the atmosphere was better than any carnival or party I´ve been to. It was like Mardi Gras for men with bikes. But sexier and far more entertaining. The bikes here are more sportier than Italy too... Less scooters. I´ve even seen a few lads riding the same bike as mine. My bike is the "pin-up" bike for Yamaha here and I would have loved to get one of the posters, but it wouldn´t have travelled too well.

The city of Barcelona is a great place. I love the accents the locals here have. I could sit and listen to them talk for hours. I´d rate it better then French... Yes, that´s a big call from me as I love the French. I´ve eaten the best paella and have sat on the street corners drinking beers watching the Spaniards walking by. This place is also the cheapest place to eat and drink so far.

Still having fun...

Some things I've been learning:

Sleeping at altitude is not easy. In fact it's damn hard. It saps your energy, you feel very dehydrated and when you manage to grab 15 minutes of sleep you wake up gasping.

Walking through the Alps is a risky business. Today we trecked across a ridge from one glacier to another and when a rock flies by at terminal velocity it whistles and makes a huge "crack" sound when it hits something.

Glaciers are so freakin cool! Hard to get to, but when you've climbed down the valey to it's boulder strewn flume and finally step onto it, it is just a very humbling feeling. The thing is alive. It cracks, boulders tumble without warning and it is a very beautiful colour.

A glacier is hard... Very hard. I was amazed at how solid it was when I stepped onto it. The ice is so compacted it is hard and sharp as glass. Crevisis are deep and blue. When it moves it sounds like thunder. It's a living dinosaur.

This is a very thrilling place. There is an adventure around every corner. I've even had a chance to put some of my climbing skills to actual use. This is my playground!

I've so much to say, but so little time here. I'll have heaps of stories to share when I return home. Tomorrow I leave my Alpine adventure behind and head to Spain for the next race.

I'm in love...

with Switzerland.
Last night I did a small trek around the mountain lake town of Lurgano. It was peaceful, clean and very scenic.
Today I journeyed to the town of Brig. This too is a beautiful Swiss town. From there I boarded the "Glacier Express" and headed to Zermatt. I caught another mountain train from there up to the hotel. It has the most amazing views of the Matterhorn. It is the highest hotel in Europe and well worth the trip here. The temperature today down in the town was a beautiful summer 29. Now, outside, it's snowing and probably close to 0.
The Matterhorn is very close. I feel like I could just wander across the glacier and climb it. But, running accross the glacier is probably not the smartest thing to do when the summer heat is slowly melting the snow away. You can really get an aprecieation for Global Warming here. I passed a glacier today that used to span a valey and now is just a small outcrop of ice way up a hill. It's like seeing something old and ancient slowly passing away. A great loss. It really does make me feel sad.

Holy crap they're fast...

Well, first day of qualifying down at the MotoGP. The bikes are louder and faster than any broadcast can do justice to. I had goose pimples when the engines roared and more goose pimples when the riders entered the track.

I'm in heaven here...

Tuscan sunsets...

are very beautiful. But frankly, Bega is just as nice.

Well, I'm finally in Florence after spending a few days on the Tuscan coast. The weather has been off and on and we've had some very heavy rain this morning on the way here. This arvo the weather is fine. This city is a bit grubby, but very busy. I think there are a lot of people here for the race this weekend. We are going to the track tomorrow to watch some qualifying races then do a bit of sight seeing.

The Italian language is very hard to pick up, but I'm already starting to pick up the accent. It's very easy to do. The people are very polite and patient with my english.

The Italian traffic is mad. The drivers are so confident and the speed limit seems to be just a guide. i.e: if it says 90km/h then it's ok to do 170km/h. The bikers and scooter riders here are the best lane splitters in the world! no wonder they are good riders on the track. Well, not as good as us Aussies!

Ciao