Off and racing...

The racing highlight of the year for me came around and was run yesterday. I look forward to this race so much I was all grins and goose bumps before the race even started. It's the Maximum Adventure Urban Max. The task: Teams of 2 have to solve cryptic clues to find a number of checkpoints around the city and surrounding suburbs. A number of these checkpoints have challenges that have to be performed to be eligible to claim it as completed. Places on this race are limited and this year there were 350 teams taking part. It was a cool damp day, but I had no idea how wet I was going to get when the start signal was given.

We plotted our route and were off to our first choice. Half way there we realised that checkpoint didn't open until 10:30am so we changed our route and went to our next closest checkpoint. It was located at a swimming pool near Central Station and it was our first challenge. In the pool were a hundred yellow ducks. We had to find the one duck with "72" written under it. Hmmmm, hadn't planned for a swim so what else could I do but strip down to the jocks and dive right in. *Note to self: Underwear does not stay where it should when you dive into a pool. So after a quick save of my shame I was madly looking for the little yellow duck. That found we were wet and off and really into this race.

Some highlights:
Looking for a John Howard look alike at Taylor Square.
A great view of the city from Mrs Macquaries Chair.
A visit to the Art Gallery.
It started raining about now...
A visit to the State Library.
Finding the oldest public toilet in Sydney.
Mapping the planets and their correct orbits at the Observatory.
Correctly setting up a camp site in the middle of a city park.
Visiting numerous exhibits in the Aus. Maritime Museum trying to find the answers to 10 quiz questions.

But the biggest highlight:
3rd!

Yep, 3rd place in the male category! I knocked almost 3 hours off the time it took to do this last year and got a place. Finally I did really well at a race. It's amazing what a bit of training has done for me in 12 months. We were at the finish so fast that we had time to go home, shower and return to the prize ceremony to accept our prize all clean and relaxed. I think the course was also a lot easier this year so that helped complete the race in a good time. Below is the route we chose.

20 Questions...

who do you think you are ?
I always think about this... and who other people think I am.
what turns you on?
Someone who mentally excites me.
what is your favorite word?
"Yes"
what sound or noise do you love?
Friends laughing
have you driven anyone insane?
probably
what should everyone shut up about?
Birkenstocks
what advice should you have taken, but did not?
"You should be a chef"
what do you fear most?
singing
how would you like to die?
adventurously
what is your earliest memory?
I don't know.
do you collect anything?
dust
what is your worst addiction?
worst... ummmm, probably the internet
who would you have liked to be?
Some Roman stud.
what did your last text message say that you received?
It was a pxt msg.
what was your proudest moment ?
So far, was being exhibited overseas.
what was your last lie ?
"Ummmm, I lost it"
what is your biggest challenge ?
That will be next year.
who's underrated / overrated ?
underrated: Sian Evans (Lead singer of Kosheen)
overrated: Merrick and Rosso
what is your most treasured possession ?
My motorbike
what do your parent think of what you are doing ?
They are proud of me.

Podcast...

Ok. A couple of words about this...
The file is about 20Mb because I didn't want to lower the quality of the tunes too much.
My selection of music is not going to be to everyone's taste. But that's music for you...
If you really want to listen to some really good music, and the link below won't load for you, you may have to cut and paste it into iTunes.
My microphone is a bit tinny and crappy.
I don't talk much, I play music.
Please let me know if you never want me to do this again.

And finally, yes, I really am buying a parrot.

Here it is
http://member.letsgo.com.au/muzbot/podcast110701.m4a

Remember the Bad Dog party...

Well, I got hold of a photo... My costume really showed off my, ummmm, legs. :)

Movember

I just love Movember. I've previously taken part in this event, but this year I have given it a miss. It's so popular too this year.

I'm love love loving the amount of lads around at the moment with dodgy fuzz beneath their noses. I was sitting at the pub on the weekend and it was so entertaining to watch the parade of porn star lad wannabes. It's such a good look... and always brings a smile to my face at the number of lads raising money. It's just getting harder to sponsor everyone who I'd like to.

What was going to be...

just didn't happen. I had planned to try something a little different with this post. I was going to produce a podcast. Yes, that's right, a podcast. But you know what? I just don't have a radio voice. I had a few tunes lined up... some old, some new and believe it or not, some blue. I put the tracks down, recorded my intro to each tune as it started. It included why I liked the tune, and then after I had it all down, I played it back....

*notes to self:

• Stop saying "at the moment".
• Don't say "God I just love this tune, it's my favourite" before every song.
• Cut selection of songs back a little.
• Not every song "rocks!"
• and most importantly DON'T sing along with mic turned on.

So, the question I pose to myself today is, should I shelve the idea or persist and just polish up my mic technique a little more. I guess I'd like to try it again. I like the idea of doing a podcast, so I guess I'll give it a go again soon. Plus I have designed a very cool logo for my podcast as pictured above and I'd hate it to go to waste...

But not this weekend, Mum and Dad are visiting.

What's up?

When lorikeets visit me, they always visit me in pairs. Tonight there was only one. The bird looked like a male. And, he didn't visit me in the same way. He popped into my other window and sat there... not making a sound. Unusual for these birds. They are usually very chatty. He jumped onto my desk, walked under my monitor and just looked at me. Something wasn't right.

While I tapped away on my keyboard he came closer and rubbed his beak against my keyboard too. He fluffed his feathers and, to me, he looked sad. Seriously, I could tell something wasn't right.

I went and grabbed him some food. Maybe he was ill? Maybe he was drunk? Been eating too many fermented spring berries? Who knows?! But one thing I do know, he wanted company... He wasn't hungry. He came closer and nibbled at my forearm. My heart was breaking. This is a wild bird, but to me, this was a troubled soul. I know, I'm a big softy.

After he ignored the food, I went and just got a dish of water. I moved it to my other window and I just sat there with him until the sun went down. After a while, when it was so close to setting, he then flew away.

24 hours in hell...

The frustration was starting to show. I rolled over and removed the sock from in front of the alarm clock. 2:15am. The blood red of the numbers on the clock just seemed to compliment my mood. My migraine had reached a point where death actually seemed like a good option. I rolled back the other way and put my feet on the floor and sat up thinking about what to do. The short walk to the bathroom seemed like it was a trip across the Nullabore. I turn on the cold tap and splash handfuls of cold water on my face. I bent down and even tried to fit my whole head under the tap. I have two more headache pills... I feel ill.

Back in bed. 3:10am. I just want out. The pain throbbing in my head is enough to make me throw up. Back to the bathroom and I'm sitting on the floor with my head resting close to the toilet bowl. I'm also in front of the bathroom sink cabinet. I know there's stronger pills in here somewhere. But, I know turning on the light will make my head explode. Hmmmmm... head exploding actually seems like it might be the way to end this. As I flick the switch I feel like the world around me let out a deadly blood curdling shrill. Vampires around the world would have heard it and understood. I can imagine them all pausing for a second knowing that one of theirs brothers had fallen.

Codeine. It's horrible stuff. It gives me the shits then knocks me out. Two pills should do it. And it did.

This morning the headache remains. I don't often get these killer migraines, but when I do they hit me hard. Sometimes I've had one side of my body go numb from the face down to my fingertips and occasionally I've been unable to think and have not even recognised my own name, address or people in photos. I've even blacked-out from the pain. They are not pleasant and right now the shadow of pain left there in my head this morning is going to keep me on edge and rather short tempered today.

Is it sad that...

the contents of my refrigerator consists of a tomato and a jar of salsa? And let me tell you, despite the tomato looking nice and red ripe, it's been there for a while. I would have chucked it out before the photo, but I didn't want my fridge to look pathetic now did I.

Yes folks. That's it. Oh, hang on, apart from a couple of bottles of water in the door. What can you tell from this?

Oh my god oh my god oh my god...

On my walk to work today I saw young Australian Idol contender Jane Fonda... oops, Matt Corby this morning and you know what?.. His hair really is pretty.

And so, I wanted to create a bit of a toe tapper...

I've had this stupid song in my head for a few days now. It's actually one of those songs that a lot of people bag out. But I have always liked it.

So anyway, as I said, I have had it banging around my head for a few days and tonight I sat down and played with it. It's not a finished mix and it's a bit rough, but this is what I came up with...

Sorry, you'll have to download it.

Ok, I now have two new fave photos:

My buddy Dave sitting in the shade of the lifeguard's tower:
And one that Dave took of me in the same location:

Sculptures by the sea...

This is the first time I've been persuaded to head to Bondi to see this event. Dave and I headed out early to beat the crowds.

It was an interesting event and I enjoyed the beautiful day. If you get a chance to do the walk between Bondi and Tamarama in the next few weeks, pick a nice sunny weekday and just go and enjoy a day by the seaside looking at some very creative works of art.

I took a few photos and have uploaded them to Flickr.

'07 Season is over.

So that's it for the year. The final race in the '07 MotoGP was held and Danny Pedrosa was the first across the line in this race. Casey Stoner got off to a rocketing start but was hunted down by the hometown hero Pedrosa early in the race.

So, what are my highlights from this season? Well, really I enjoyed the whole season.

Casy Stoner winning the World Championship.
The good decision by Kawasaki to move forward and change their bike colours to a metalic green.
The poor decision of Kawasaki to change them back to the tradional green.
The goospimples I felt with the sound of the bike's engines rev.
The thrill of being there in the stands. - That is something from this season I'll never forget.

The search for a good steakhouse continues...

and last night my search took me west. Way out west into the heart of suburbia. Chili's Texas Grill. Now, if it wasn't for the sweet eye candy at this establishment I think I'd be very disappointed. There was a line up to get in, the bar service was less than prompt and the screaming kids added something to the night that made me think, "Thank god I live in the city". Oh, but did I mention the eye candy?

I opted for surf 'n turf. It's my usual "first time" dish at a steakhouse. This gives them all a level playing field right from my first visit. Two prawns and two rings of calamari on top of a very grisly medium rare steak didn't cut it in my book. AND the steak didn't even seem to be marinated in a "special" marinade like most other steakhouses do. Ummm, but did I mention that I appreciated the eye candy sitting nearby?

I still rate Hooters my top steakhouse here in Sydney. Although, the steakhouse I went to in Bologna in Italy is still my fave experience. Would I go back? Only if my arm was really twisted and I was reminded of the restaurants perv value.

Photo meme

The idea is that these pictures must be reasonably current.

1. Share the worst photo of yourself you have.

Yeah, I really don't like this pic. There were so many to choose from.

2. Share a current photo of yourself when you've just woken up. Walk into the bathroom and just take it, under the harsh bathroom lights.

Awwww... Even first thing in the morning I look like I'm ready to take on the world... But first I'd put on some clothes.

3. Share the nicest photo of yourself that you have.

Not sure what it is about this pic, but it's probably one of my faves out of the most recent pics.

4. Share a photo of you at work.

Ok, this one could also be a contender for the "worst photo" too. Look at that ridge there on top of my head. It's caused by my motorcycle helmet.

5. Share a photo of you laughing.

Ok, I'm not laughing, but I don't have any photos of me laughing. However, this picture is me at one of my happiest moments EVER.

6. Take and share a photo of you where ever you are as close to 9pm tonight/last night.

Playing pinball... It's my usual Thursday night thing, and yes, it too is a crap photo.

November

Well, hello November.
What more can I say really?

(I know this is a real lame post, but I'm working on a meme which I hope to publish soon)

The Far North

Well, I'm back in Sydney after a few days lazing about on the tropical coast of Queensland. There is so much that I love about this part of the world, but there is also an equal amount that puts me off.

The water up there is so beautiful, the temperature is nothing less than great all year 'round and the sea life is diverse and plentiful. But it's also deadly. With the northerly onshore wind blowing in I didn't dare go in the water for fear of box jellies, as this is the season for them. What else could I do but find a nice shady grove of palms to rest in and watch the fishermen and dogs play on the soft sand. It's a hard life.

My family converged on this location for a weekend get-together. Spending time with my three sisters was just great. The champagne and beer were flowing and the food was copious. I don't know what is is about the tropics, but everything tasted so much fresher and richer. It was a weekend full of laughter and love.

I even tried out a few new looks, Islander Muzbot and Greatful Dead Muzbot:

I just love...

walking in the rain. Yesterday, after what can only be described as a shit day at work, I left the office behind and stepped out into the grey evening. As I went for my umbrella, I stopped myself and thought "I really don't care."

My pace home was casual. As the drizzle accumulated on my skin, turning it from dry to wet, my whole spirit relaxed. Each little trickle that ran down from my brow across my cheek and into my beard seemed to be treating me to some sort of natural zing that my counterparts missed out on as they dashed past me under the shelter of their umbrellas. For half an hour it seemed as though I had no care in the world... I arrived home wet but happily refreshed.

It's raining again today.

Now that's a nice podium finish.

Stoner first, again, then followed up by Melandri and Pedrosa. It's been a bit of an up and down season for Melandri this year so it was good to see him up on the podium once again. Next year he leaves the Honda team and joins his fellow podium mate Stoner in the Ducatti team. I'm thinking we may see these two riders a lot more together like this next season. But sadly, there was no Yamaha on the podium this race. :(

"Looking from a window above...

it's like a story of love
Can you hear me..."

I was kind of house-bound this weekend. You see, I have a cough that is just not going away. It's the most annoying thing. So, to combat this I've tried some cough medicine. Now, I tried to find the most potent medicine I could find. One that would totally knock me around and suppress this damn dry cough. One that comes with a big warning about operating machinery. You know the sort.

The damn stuff hasn't done a f#$kin' thing. Apart from keeping me from going on a decent ride on my bike this weekend. Sure I've tempted fate and been on a short ride, but it just kills me to know my mates have been out riding and I've been too doped-up to go with them. I'm sitting here in my tower, overlooking Nth Sydney, and every bike that rides up the street just makes my heart ache for the feeling of raw power between my legs. The power that I can control. I hear a bike coming up the street and I play a game with myself by trying to guess what bike engine it is just by its sound. Oh boy I'm good at it. But when it's a sports bike, it doesn't help. I want to be out there with that rider. No... I want to BE that rider. I don't want to be home.

I know this is no secret, but I love bikes and, the people who ride them. I know that bikes are my passion. Do you have a passion? What turns your head? Is there a sound you hear that flicks a switch inside you to "on"? Is there something that you see and you feel something deep inside stir?

Paperclips

Wow. Did you know that it requires 57 paperclips linked together to reach my height. So here's a picture of them.

iTunes meme:

You may not know many of these, but this about my music habits....

Sort by song title:
First: Aaangry Megaphone Man by The Dissociatives
Last: 1999 by Prince

Sort by time:
Shortest: Coffee sound effect from Futurama, clocking in at less than 0:01
Longest: Essential Mix 2004-03-07 - Sander Kleinenberg & Pete Tong - goes for 02:03:50

Sort by artist:
First: Dancing (Jj Flores & Steve Smooth Remix) by Aaron Smith Feat. Luvli
(it's a bit clubby, it's a little annoying, it's in my library)
Last: Pardon My freedom by !!!

Sort by album:
First: Album: Abductions And Reconstructions. Song: Hooverphonic / This Strange Effect by Thievery Corporation ( - a very wonderful sounding tune.)
Last: Album: 3121. Song: Satisfied by Prince

Top 5 most played songs:
(This may surprise you - heck it surprises me, who'd of thought my taste was so obscure?)
1. Stopwatch Hearts by Delerium & Emily Haines
2. Pull Up (A Cappella) by Mr. Vegas
3. Single Again by The Fiery Furnaces
4. Clouds Instead Of Heads (Original Mix) by Kompis
5. Pain In My Brain by Ladyvipb

First song that plays on shuffle:
Promenade Sentimentale (Sentimental Walk) by Vladimir Cosma
(As Molly would say, "Do yourself a favor" and have a listen to this piece of piano music and lose yourself in melancholy)

Type the following into the search and how many titles come back?
Sex: 38
Love: 403
Death: 4
Fart: 1 (! yes, I have a "fart" in one title in my library)

The festival of the motorbike...

concluded here in Oz yesterday with Casey Stoner taking out the Australian Championship of the MotoGP at Philip Island.

My weekend started early Friday when I took the day off from work and jumped on my bike and headed south down the freeway. I had no plans to stop anywhere in particular but the aim was to make it to Canberra and stay there for a couple of nights.

It was one of the most enjoyable weekends I've had in ages. Judo rode down late Friday night/early am Sat and arrived at the hotel freezing. It was mighty cold that night. Saturday was spent looking at a couple of the local bike shops in the morning then in the arvo we went for a ride to Cotter, Mt Stromlo, Gibraltar falls and Corin. The roads down that way are great for riding. There are long sweeping bends, lots of places to get up a bit of speed and a few tight S's.

We rode back to Sydney on Sunday and swapped bikes for 2/3 of the way home. It was interesting riding Judo's bike on the open road and was great to feel the differences in the two bikes. I may be biased, but my bike is a much more enjoyable bike to ride. It suits my build and it fits beautifully between my legs. However, Judo's bike's power is bit smoother than mine. It was a good weekend to be away and share some quality time with my bike and my mates.

Love at first sight...

What a great night I had last night. Dinner with Judo. We went to our fave haunt, Hooters. Monday night at Hooters is "Military Night", where if you are an armed forces person and you wear your uniform you get cheap eats. So I had high hopes for some extra eye candy. Alas, I guess men and women in uniform have more class than me and I didn’t see any pressed pleats. But, Hooters is currently running an Ultimate Chicken Wing Challenge. The task: to eat as many of their tasty wings in a set period of time. The winner goes into the final playoff to win flights to a Hooters restaurant in another state + dinner for himself and 5 of his mates. Best of all, entry is free. Could this be just the BEST competition ever?!

On the way home we stopped off to look at the new Ducati 1098. OMG. The moment I laid eyes on this beast I fell in love. Finally Ducati have a sports bike that is as sexy as it is powerful. We must have looked like two kids outside a toy store window looking in with lust in our eyes. There is so much to love about this bike. It even has built-in data technology to allow you to download your ride stats for analysis. It’s "Nike+iTunes" for bikes! Swoon and drool. Seriously, I haven't felt this sort of desire since I first laid eyes on my own current bike. I'm going to be extremely jealous if Judo rides out of the showroom on one of these. But, then there's a waiting list for these bikes, so I have a few months to deal with that. :)

So after that encounter, I decided to nude up, throw on the full leathers and go and have some serious quality time with my own bike. What a great night for a late night ride through the dark urban Sydney streets, to ride right through the guts of Sydney Olympic Park with no-one around to hinder my swerving and swaying across the paving. A beautiful night, with just the hint of rain and thunder in the distance, to ride the bright sparkling city streets as people emerged from cinemas and bars. I had fun. And so, here’s another glimpse at my new lust object, it looks so sleek in it's black and red frame configuration:

Unconscious Mutterings

1. Cluster :: organise
2. Announcement :: Testing, testing 1, 2, 3.
3. Respect :: Aretha
4. Incident :: 6pm news
5. Accordion :: Web 2.0 (I know, it's obscure)
6. Drunk :: again
7. If :: a picture paints 1000 words
8. Dexter :: Perfect Match
9. Wedding :: Cake
10. Gambling :: with ones own decisions

You can play too.

What happened to the serif font?

I've just watched a commercial break on TV and every ad was dominated by a sans-serif font. Ok, ok, so my new header contains a sans font, but since this blog's conception, my content has been published in a distinct serif font.

The impact of the sans font is being eroded away and it's becoming the easy safe font for marketing. The font tide will turn. Designers moved on from the "techno" and "grunge" fonts of the 80's and early 90's and it became cool to have clean lines for corporate identity. After the greed boom of the 80's and the crash that followed in the early 90's people wanted stability, honesty and no shonky hidden dealings. Merge the brand and the sans font. Its clean lines and bold character strengths signified to the punter that it displayed a brand with integrity. Helvetica is the main culprit.

Don't get me wrong here, I like Helvetica. It has the classiest set of derivatives and sub sets of any font. But, it's spoilt by it's dirtier cousin - Arial. It's the Microsoft font designed in 1982 that every Powerpoint in the business world displays with some sort of banal superiority. So where is the class? Sans fonts no longer have the same message to the consumer. We fill our lives with make-over shows, lifestyle shows and talent quests who's message is that if we want to succeed we need to "pull something extra out of the hat". Not only do we need to be good at what we do, we have to appear good...

The serif font. It sells a message that is not only readable, it looks classy. It is classical. Its beauty, strength and desirability lie in its origins. It will stand the test of time... now isn't that what you want from a product?

The Rise of The Silver Surfer...

This long weekend started off rather suckfully with me heading into work on both Saturday and Sunday as I tried to meet a looming deadline. Not a good way to start a long weekend, but when I left work on Sunday I had a party to look forward to. A party unlike others in Sydney. Bad Dog.

This party was space and alien themed. As you can see from the picture to the left my costume for this party was a full silver suit. A very shiny silver suit. I was very nervous and unsure about wearing something like this. But in a personal test of courage and self belief I actually became very excited at the thought of doing something so out of character, yet so very much something I knew deep down, if I just gave it a go, I would love doing.

I was most comfortable and Dave and I REALLY stood out. It was a great night. There were a few comments from my friends that really gave me a laugh... "Hey Muz, you leave nothing to the imagination there!" and "Well, at least I know what religion you are now." I'm sorry I don't have any pictures from the night, I forgot to take my camera with me, but with any luck I'll be able to track down a picture that some random girl took.

Slowly I'll challenge my fears and one by one I'll attempt to conquer them and move forward with a little more confidence than I had previously.

October - Bring it on.

Hurry up already… I’m really looking forward to the month ahead. Now, I know there is a whole weekend in between now and then but why can’t I get just a little tiny bit excited?!

For me, the month will start with another “costume” party and end with a weekend away in the Whitsundays. The sweet gooey centre time in the middle will be filled with laughs and lots of getting out and having fun – the weather is going to be fantastic here in Sydney. I’ve even folded up my jumpers and sweatshirts and put them away in the cupboard. Bye-bye winter, I had a great time with you, but really, we both want different things and it’s time for me to get over you and enjoy my blossoming relationship with spring.

BlogFriday: "Start"

Going out with a bang...

and I'm really looking forward to putting up the new header for the month of October. So much so that I'm very tempted to do it tonight, but I will wait until tomorrow so it's not so early. I'm very happy with the result and the colour palette is really working for me.

But what a month September has turned out to be. An enormous amount of work has helped the month fly by so fast that I really feel like I've missed a lot of it. Where did it go? Personal inroads have been made and realisations have awakened some lost emotions within me. I've invited readers into my lounge, I've was inked, I bared more than just my sole, I professionally sold a photo and re-discovered my love for drinking copious litres of beer with someone who I feel like I can be open with in person.

I even shared some of this here in this very public domain that is blogging.

An update...

The Bridge Run:

9,844 runners in this event.

I am sooooooo average:
Overall I placed 4,212th.
Let me just state that again, Four Thousand two hundred and twelfth!
*sigh* I so wish I was "good" at something, not just average.

I was the 2,394th male to cross the line.
And, finished 860th in the male 30-39 category.

Oh boy, have I got some work to do. . .

Dave, I'm so sorry, but it's not all about "just participating"... I would love/have a strong desire to be better than average.

- - - - -

Ok, I just did some further analysis of the results and based on my time I came 3,699th. So, out of close to 10,000 runners, I can be satisified with that result.

Aussie World Champion...

Three big cheers for the 21yo Casey Stoner. What a skilled rider this lad is. He scored the crown of MotoGP World Champion in yesterdays race on the Motegi circuit in Japan.

Oh, and another big cheer to Monty for txting through that result before I had had a chance to sit back with a few beers and a mate to watch what was going to be one of the best races of the season. Boy, was I happy to get that txt... NOT! Grrrrrr. Monty, you will be severely reprimanded on Tuesday night!

After I had a moment to calm down and my blood stopped boiling from THAT txt I happened to see that Stoner hadn't actually won the race so I managed to gain some composure and ended up watching one of the most exciting races of the season. It had everything that all the other races lacked thus far. We had jumped starts and penalties, we had a wet track, we had riders coming off, we had pit stops for bike changes... Bike changes! It was an awesome race.

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

And to other race news...

I managed to do a personal best time in Sydney's Bridge Run. I completed the race with no problems and managed to run the entire distance without walking. I'm bloody happy with myself.

Below is the graph of my progress. I started this journey on 1/08/07 and my average pace was 8'33"/km and I could only run/walk 3.55km in half an hour. Yesterday I did close to 10km at an average pace of 5'15"/km in 51min49sec. Twice during yesterday's run my pace dropped below the 5 minute mark. Those sub 5min times were recorded at the 3km mark and right at the end when my happy hormones kicked in. I'm pleased at my progress and even more pleased to be able to say that I've competed in and completed a race. I'm now confident that I can give this season's adventure races a good go.

I'm loving this right now...

Grand National - "By The Time I Get Home There Won't Be..."
It's on super high rotation in my head right now.

I'm not sure I'm happy with this...

Face recognition online... Who do you look like?

Get a photo of yourself to upload and try here.

Truth or dare - Part 3

The following two questions can be answered with this one post and through the ancient art of the toast.. It’s going to be longer than a normal post so grab a glass of your favorite drink and maybe you'll want to raise your glass at the end. Feel free to skip it if you loose interest half way through... But you will miss my toast at the end.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
In the Truth or Dare Post, you mentioned that you already cross paths (or may have) with your soul mate. I wonder if you could tell us more?
And –
You seem a free spirit and to have a high energy level as evident of your travels and active life. Have you always been that way or have you experienced some financial success that only recently allows for such a lifestyle?

I've always had an active and adventurous life. I do thrive on it. I had spent from 1996 to February this year living with the same person. He was someone who I could share my adventures with and who I really adored, and if the truth be told, I still do to this day. We had many adventures together and led a bit of a life that was once described as the "pepsi max" lifestyle. We were ultra compatible. We laughed together at the same things, we listened to the same music, and we loved diving and mountain biking together. We learnt to surf together, we travelled together, we enjoyed socialising together and we shared the same friends together. We did everything together… This possibly proved to be our downfall. We had lost a certain amount of our individuality. We were truly devoted to each other and each other’s needs. No one could crack our bond. Or so I thought.

We were ultra protective of our relationship but we were also careless with it. We were filling every second of our time out of work with an activity. Most of the time I was happy to go along with whatever my partner suggested. You see, I just loved doing things with him. It wasn't about the stuff we were doing, it was the fact that I had a buddy to do things with. But when one of us decided to not go along the whole weekend would be canceled and both of us would miss out and I would sulk around at home. This usually ended with us heading to a local pub and drinking to get over our moody time at home then re-grouping for a big hug. This worked well for us for a while. But towards the end we began to resent each other for deciding what the other person was doing. Even worse for me was that it was becoming more obvious that my suggestions for things to do were being rejected more frequently. It was an easier option to not suggest something that I wanted to do and just go along with his suggestions. After all, I was doing things I liked with the guy I was in love with. However, my confidence in my own ideas being worthy was slowly being eroded and my dependence on his suggestions for things to do was growing.

I was losing myself to the relationship. We needed external stimuli. My partner and I looked for an influence who we could do things together with and also alone when one of us wasn't interested… We were making some new friends. I had managed to somehow find someone who I was very compatible with and who fired my imagination and creativity. That's something my partner was unable to do for me. I began to spend a lot of time with my new found friend. We would have to have our own adventures together because no one else understood our creative mischievous leanings. We would wag work together and hang out in the sun in the local cemetery and talk about our art. We quickly and briefly became cohorts and “underground street artists”. We did some very creative outdoor projects together, including one daring piece of mid evening street art that covered the whole hoarding of a building on the main street in full public view. I was being adventurous in a whole new way and I was loving it. We were even being mistaken for being "partners" - we were nothing but partners in crime. Then an evil green eyed monster came wrapping at my relationship’s door and he was ready to put up a fight. I lost that fight and in the process lost the greatest influence on my life. I struggled to recover and instead of just moving on I chose the path of resentment. My partner and I both had lost some respect for each other and I was hurting deeply. Strangely, my reaction to this was to build a façade around my life and I fell deeper into dependence on my partner to provide me with the adventure I needed. On we went even further into cramming things to do into every spare moment.

A year or so later two major events happened that were to change my relationship forever. My partner introduced me to one of his friends he had met online and I bought myself a motorbike. My partner’s friend was also a biker and the three of us hit it off and we were inseparable. We spent many happy nights together and even holidays. My confidence and independence were growing daily now that I had my own wheels. I could go where ever and when ever I wanted. I had some new freedom where I was fully myself and every decision I was making was for me and me alone. I really liked the independence. So long as we were honest about where and when we were going and about what we were doing everything seemed ok. But the doorbell of our relationship rang once more and who was standing there? That green eyed monster. But this time it was me who had invited him in. This time we wouldn’t recover.

It hurt me, more than I can ever explain, to have found out from a third party that my partner and my friend were together being less than honest with me about the time they spent together. My heart was broken and my reaction lacked the cool that I had previously been able to maintain. The end of this chapter in my life was written. It was both our fault that we didn’t survive this. I’m positive that we really could have resolved this had we not been two stubborn men and had I not reacted the way I did. But, at that time, I could not find it in my heart to forgive this break in my trust and, above all else, our loyalty.

What did I gain from this?
Fear: Not always a bad thing. Fear is a good warning so long as we acknowledge it and deal with it. However, I now fear this happening in my life again. The flipside -
Strength: The ability to voice my desires without fear. A sense that I am responsible to no one but myself for how I feel and how I react. The burning desire to not lose my growing individuality and that I should rely on me.
Knowledge: I have an ability to believe in myself and when I do the most wonderful things can happen. I have learnt to trust my gut feelings. I have learnt that my gut feelings are worth telling people about. I know that I can have an adventure all on my own... but I've learnt I just love sharing with someone who too is really into the adventure.
Confidence: This is where my free spirit grows. I know that having a desire to do something is not enough, you have to accept opportunities as they come along and say “yes” more than you would say “no”.
Friendship: I have special people in my life now that I trust unreservedly. I want to share adventures with them and they invite me to be part of their adventures. These friendships are what now fosters my sense of adventure and creativity. I enjoy sharing all of this with those people who are special to me.

Oh, and a fuckin' hot and sexy tattoo on my bicep that says "LOYALTY".

The answer to the last question is that I've always had an adventurous life, but recently I've been given opportunities to acknowledge and trust myself to knock it up a notch. I’m still a big kid at heart.

I know I have a lot to share with anyone who gives me the honesty and respect that I know I deserve.

So, I guess this is the toast I raise my glass to:

"To adventure and misadventure." Cheers.

Another milestone achieved...

As a young lad growing up in urban sunny down-town Queensland, in a household where motorsport featured heavily, I've daydreamed about being on the starting grid of the famous Mt Panorama circuit in Bathurst. And even more so, something I would have never dreamed of getting the chance to say is: "Yeah, I had a good race in Bathurst on the weekend."

But, that is exactly what I can say today. Ok, this may be a little misleading. I wasn't in any motorsport race, it was the Edgell Bathurst Jog. My first fun run. But, a fun run is still one of my milestones that I wanted to achieve this year. It was an 8km run and I managed to complete it in 46 minutes. Probably finishing mid pack. It's given me a little boost of confidence in my running ability and I'm looking forward to next Sunday's 9km Sydney Bridge Run.

I spent the weekend in Bathurst visiting my good friends and catching up on the past few months. It was great to also have the chance to go on a decent long ride on my bike, get the revs up and clear some "city riding" cobwebs out of her engine. So to celebrate, I took my bike onto the Bathurst circuit and parked on the starting grid and took a photo. It was just the greatest weekend. Super big grin on my face this morning.

Root, shoot or marry...

I have edited this post from last night. I was in a cranky mood.

- - - - - - - - - - -
The Final.
I expect honest comments. Take your pick. Root, shoot or marry:

Biker Muzbot : : Adventure Muzbot : : Creative Professional Muzbot

Biker Muzbot: He's a dark character. Hiding under that black leather exterior and that 'powerful engine between his legs' lies a sexy beast who is willing to push things to the edge. His motto is "Go hard and fast or go home."

Adventure Muzbot: He's eager and willing. Sometimes nervous but always happy to be facing any challenge. He's outdoorsy and loves nothing better than getting rough and dirty. A few bumps and bruises are only reminders of the fun that you just had. "Just give it a go" is his motto.

Creative Professional Muzbot: He's good at keeping things in perspective and expects results. He's got a good heart and loves to mentor where possible. His motto is "Fine, are we done? Can we just move on now?"

Come, come into my world...

Take these arms that were made for lovin'
And this heart that will beat for two
Take these eyes that were meant for watching over you
And I've been such a long time waiting
For someone I can call my own
I've been chasing the life I'm dreaming
Now I'm home

I need your love
Like night needs morning

Come, come, come into my world
Won't you lift me up, up, high upon your love


I know, it's mundane, but it's mine. This is my lounge room as it stands right at this moment.

The posts come thick and fast...

The wranglers: Muzbot & Kookyknut

The dare, the suit and some furry bits...

The only modification to the suit is that the zip goes lower than usual. So don't get your hopes up for some raunchy porn shots of Muzbot. Unlike my other riding suit this one has a double ended zip so that instead of having to zip all the way down from the top when you have to piss, all you need to do is undo from the bottom. That is VERY handy. Now I know that I'm no model and this picture isn't me half naked, but I'm not going to post the picture here because I'm not sure if some readers need to:

see this zip.

Let's play "Truth or dare"... Part II

Everyone, thanks for actually taking the time to ask me some questions. I loved them all and you’ve really got me thinking. I’ve kept the smart-arse answers to myself and I’ve been as open and honest here as I can – and where I’ve wanted to be. :) Comments are most welcome.

So, here we go:

Q: Have you ever had sex with a woman?
A: Yes. I have even been close to walking down the aisle. Her family circumstances meant that we had to move away from each other for some time, and the long distance relationship became unsustainable.

Q: Did you 'Simpsonize' yourself? (I know this wasn’t a real question)
A: No, actually one of the guys at work did it for me and my whole team.

Q: Have you ever made love/shagged/kissed anyone in your leathers.
A: Yes to all the above. I love my bike and my gear. In fact, I have even had the one of my full one-piece suit’s front zip modified so that it un-zips a little further. ( *big grin* ) I’m definitely not ashamed to say that sports bike gear makes me feel very masculine and I do feel sexy in it.

Q: What is your favourite color and why?
A: Very difficult one to answer. My first thought is green, however, blue was always my fave colour growing up. Blue is a special colour because it can portray more emotion than any other. Green is now my fave colour because it has the most amazing strength in all its hue range. It is fresh and it is strong. Although, I’m not a fan of wearing green.

Q: Do you like to body surf?
A: Yes. Love it. My dad was a lifesaver and I can remember being taught to body surf by him at a very young age. I’m not really a huge fan of hanging out at the beach, but when I get there and in the water I’m very happy and love feeling the swell and flow of water around me. I love feeling the surge of the wave push me head-first towards the beach.

Q: Your bike or booze - choose one or die…
A: Bike. Way too easy. Depending on how I’m riding, I can get the biggest thrill and enjoyment out of my bike. It is adrenalin pumping, relaxing and liberating.

Q: Should we start thinking up dares, or am I being premature?
A: Premature… Although, I was hoping to take at least one dare!

Q: How old is Kylie Minogue REALLY?
A: No idea. I’m more a Dannii man. :) I used to work with Kylie at the same record label back in the mid 90’s and I’m trying to remember any of the conversations about her age but nothing is coming to mind. I’ll have a guess that she turned 39 this year because, from memory, I think she may be two years older than me.

Q: What kind of guy is "your type"? :)
A: Great question YaniBoy. Briefly: Adventurous and creative. Someone with passion. I really respect these qualities. As for looks, well, that is a hard one to put my finger on. I’m into fit masculine characteristics. I love a cheeky smile with a mischievous look in the eyes. Someone who I can go to the local pub with and just blend in.

Q: Do you have a partner or special friend and if so, what is their name?
A: Crispo59, I have a special friend. In fact I have a couple of special friends. But, to answer your question – You better start thinking of a dare!

Q: Top or bottom?
A: Top. I’d happily eat the top off a muffin any day. Does that answer your question Darth? Or shall I suggest you too think of a dare?

Q: Do you ever wonder if your "soul mate" has already crossed your path & if so, do you know of his whereabouts?
A: Sh@ney, this question makes me feel a little bit of pain and sadness. I actually believe my soul mate may have already crossed my path and I was lucky enough to share 10 years on that path with them. However, our paths were not looked after or maintained and we both lost our way. Maybe one day I’ll come across someone else’s path and they too may just be my soul mate. *Sigh.*

Q: What are you thinking when you smile at me?
A: I never imagined that we would have met and that I would have had the chance to chat with you. I used to see you out and about on the streets of Newtown or in the pub and always wanted to say “hi”, but often thought that we were two worlds apart. So now when I see you I smile because I’ve met you and I’m glad I have.

Q: You seem a free spirit and to have a high energy level as evident of your travels and active life. Have you always been that way or have you experienced some financial success that only recently allows for such a lifestyle?
A: Hmmm… A great question but I think the answer requires a post all to itself. Hold this thought and I will get back with the response. It’s very personal to me.

Q: Where do you go and what do you see, when you close your eyes?
A: Into my memories and from them grow the possibilities of what I can create for my future.

Q: Have you ever marched for Gay Rights??
A: No. I’m not proud and I’m often confused about it. I’m really not the best ambassador.

Let's play "Truth or dare"...

Ask me anything in the comments and I'll attempt to give you my most honest answer. I'll start by giving you an example of a question that someone asked me at work today:

Q: "Hey Muz, how about you? Have you ever done it in the bush?"
A: Yes.
Ok, so I could be more detailed in my answer, but then they didn't ask for details.

So, go ahead... and if I I choose to not answer, then I'll give you the option to dare me to do something... So long as the dare is not going to break any laws. Are you going to play with me?

Branded... again.

It says "Loyalty". It's a very important word in my life.

It's not just external for I believe if you are loyal to your own beliefs then you can be stronger, faithful and above all happy within yourself. I see loyalty as a virtue.

Hap hap happy feet...

Just a quick update: I'm over the moon tonight because I actually achieved one of my goals. And that was to jog from work to home without stopping. Woohoo! Not bad for a month's effort considering I had last week off because of illness. I'm a happy lad.

Mmmm beer and steak for breakfast...

usually is a good sign that the night before was big. Had a great weekend. The cowboy party was a lot of fun. The venue was new and still very shiny... especially the flashing multi coloured walls that proved disco was alive and well. If I get hold of some pics of the cowboys and girls I'll post them.

Onto more important things...
Stoner won. Again! Woohoo! I haven't caught up with the news of what happened to Rossi as yet, but it appeared that his bike was having engine problems. With Rossi recording a DNF for this race it leaves Stoner a clear run for the championship this season. Vermeulen finished second so that's two Aussies on the podium! Another Woohoo! Philip Island is going to be one hell of a race this year. Yamaha is still sitting in 3rd on the Constructor table. Hear that Judo... Ahead of Suzuki! :) Although, I have to admit that I enjoyed the short ride I had on your Suzi early this morning. It's sounding sweet.

Meme... (Thanks Tom)

1. Flip to page 18, paragraph 4 in the book closest to you right now, what does it say?
First, understand who you are, what you want, and what drives you. Self-understanding is the first step towards building self-control. Practicing self-discipline while climbing constructs habits of mind that begin to kick in automatically as experience grows. With experience comes self-confidence, a prerequisite for tackling extreme climbs in the great ranges. (I had to pick page 19 because page 18 had a full page picture. "Extreme Alpinism - a guide to climbing light, fast and High" - Mark F Twight)

2. If you stretch out your left arm as far as possible, what are you touching?
a cushion

3. What’s the last program you watched on TV?
Idol

4. Without looking, guess what time it is.
10:55am (bugger - it's 11am)

5. Aside from the computer, what can you hear right now?
Birds and the sound of the traffic on the street below.

6. When was the last time you were outside and what did you do?
About half an hour ago. Was riding my bike back from gym and breakfast.

7. What are you wearing?
Scotland Rugby jersey and my fave Mooks black shorts

8. Did you dream last night? If you did, what about?
I can't remember my dream from last night. I think I was awake for a lot of the night thanks to a couple of young lovers going for it in the room next to mine.

9. When was the last time you laughed?
Last night. Yes, I had a good laugh. I was happy and content.

10. What’s on the walls, in the room you’re in right now?
2 large posters of my a couple of my photos. One of a glacier and one of a lone climber on a ridge heading down from Mt Blanc.

11. Have you seen anything strange lately?
Ummmmm... yes, the number of people who took the time to go out and have evening picnics to watch to eclipse this week. It was great to see people taking the time to have a few beers or glasses of wine socialising and making a night of it.

12. If you could change ONE THING in this world, without regard to politics or bad guilt, what would it be?
That I would have super powers so I could then use my powers for good and change more than one thing. Although, I know if I had super powers I wouldn't be good all the time.

13. Do you like dancing?
Yes, but I'm not great at it.

14. What do you want your children’s names to be, girl/boy?
Boy: Josh - Girl: Madi

15. Would you ever consider living abroad?
Yes, absolutely. Sure I would always come home to Oz, but I would love to live in Paris and Barcelona for a little while because I love the people, heritage and culture in both those places.

Caption this...

I know this picture really doesn't need any caption... It just makes me giggle looking at both their expressions. However, go for it and give it some words. :)

Party time...

I've been invited to my first costume party in a very long time this weekend, so here's a sneak peak at...
Brokeback Muzbot?

I'm one of those rare people that loves a good costume party.

My picture of last nights lunar eclipse...

Taken from the top of the hill on Sydney Park.

Awwww...

Well, enough whining about the weekend...

Truth be told, despite the case of gastro, I did have a top weekend. I got to meet some new people and spent some quality time with my mate Minkered.

I'm still at home in bed today after visiting the doctor this morning just to have a checkup. I'm not a fan of doctor's surgeries. I often think I'll come out sicker than I went in because of all the other sick people sitting around the waiting rooms. I can't wash and shower quick enough after visiting one of these places (Am I a bit O.C.?). But today's wait for the doctor was exciting. A very beautiful looking lady was standing at the reception desk when suddenly she collapsed onto the floor. My case of the "shits" seemed kind of trivial compared to passing out in the waiting room. The staff were all very professional and dealt with this situation very calmly. I wonder how often this sort of thing happens? Most times I've been to the doctor there's never any excitement like this, just a few sad and sorry looking faces usually. Maybe being a doctor in a practice is not as boring as I thought it would be.

Caption this...