Changing of the Guard

It is a time of changes and it is with a heavy heart that I wave goodbye to my F-100.
Too be honest I'm not too sorry, there comes a point in every relationship when its time to move on - the skill is being able to recognise that point and being prepared to be honest about it.
In the case of my truck it was the growing regularity of stalls while idling that really did it. I could look past the noise, the total lack of creature comforts (such as a passenger side window that could roll down, or holes in the side of the truck that would blast freezing cold air onto my leg during winter that no amount of detective work could uncover).
I could forgive the absence of power steering, its perchance for fish tailing in the wet weather and the car radio that would only play out of one speaker and that could not be heard at all above 60 kph.
I could forgive all that because it was awesome.
People stopped and looked and starred and wanted a ride. It could haul arse like few things in the world. Its tray could hold over a ton of crap and then some. It was big, it was tough and I was the only person who could drive it.
It was a totally awesome 1979 F-100.

It was also starting to cost me to maintain it. In the last few months it's been in the shop 3 times, all for some fairly major work. I did not take me too long to work out what it was going to cost to fix the current problem (again).
So I had to harden my heart and clear my head. This needed some tough decisions and they had to made without consideration for the truck.
On Saturday I picked up my new wheels, a 2001 Land Rover Feelander. Its not an apples to apples comparison. But it is an improvement and a better ride. The radio works as does the tape deck and CD stacker. There is an abundance of buttons on the dash, the purpose of many I can only begin to guess at. The engine is more sophisticated than the F-100, even though its a 6.
But at the heart of it all is the right vehicle for my needs.

Haven't got a name for it yet, but I am looking forward to driving it home tonight.

Crushing Victory

Conan was once asked to describe the ideal victory, in general terms was something something, crush, something something, kill/destroy, following this was a general raping and looting theme, followed by the promise of a warm teddy, hot chocolate and an early night.

Well thats his view and he's entitled to it. For me victory (at soccer) is a 7 - 4 pantsing of the Red Team. We kicked off in 25C+ with 4 Blue against 5 Red. By the end of the first half we were 1-3 and the Red guys were cocky as all get out. It was hot, I was slighty hung over - but I knew I had a secret weapon.
By the end of the second half (we play 3 halfs, trust me it makes sense) we were up 4-3. but the heat was taking its toll. the Reds had a guy they could rotate in goal so their team would have a reasonably fresh player AT ALL TIMES.
But then my secret weapon arrived, his name is Vince and he's an instructor at my gym and from the Caribbean! There are oak tables and granite cliffs that look like warm butter next to this dude, he is cut! He's also a really friendly guy and likes to play social soccer.
The next half was a humiliation for the Red team. A crushing humiliation!!!
Vince popped in two goals in short order, both totally awesome!

So thats 2 back to back victories for the Blues!! I'm sure the Reds are even now hatching some scheme for pay back...

In the country, people can hear you clearly

This weekend was a weekend of victories!!
Was on the radio on Friday for the drive show (5pm - 7pm) and I totally kicked arse!! Had people ringing me up telling me what an awesome show I was doing it was really great fun!

On Saturday the Blues whomped, those scumbag Reds!! It was totally sweet, and by totally sweet I mean it was totally awesome!! Twas was a 3-0 whitewash. I played my part, being the goal keeper of doom. Plus my foot still hurt from last weekend so I really wasn't all that mobile.
But we won!! 3-0 is the biggest margin we've had for a while. Which makes the victory just that little more extra tasty!!

For the rest of the day and Sunday as well I was helping out at the Murrembateman Field Day. Its a big fair for the local farming community (Murrembateman is about 20 minutes to the West of Canberra. A friend of my ex-wife had asked me a few months ago if could help out, I said no problem. It was an easy gig, just had to read out announcements for stall holders and visitors; you know the usual 'lost child', 'go to stand such and such for a great discount on worms farms' etc...
The people were fantastic, I love volunteering to do this kind of thing - you always meet some really great people. I was even given a meal voucher to buy my lunch. Having gone to a couple of these field days when I was spruiking wine last year it was a lot more enjoyable to be there as a volunteer.
Added to which I brought some great Batlow apples and some pretty impressive fishing lures. Plus I got the drive the truck around the country side, like a real cowboy!!

Now its Monday and I have to wear a tie again.

Awesome Mo Poster

Movember is a coming...
This should help to get y'all in the mood!

Spring is Sprung

Spring in Canberra is my favourite time of year, my next favourite is Autumn.
The weather is warming up, the colours take on a fantastic hue during the morning and evening. It feels as if the world is waking up after Winter.

So I thought it might be fun to review the day on which we all might die, so visit the DEATH CLOCK.

I'm off to find some flowers.

Oh Woe is Me

Isn't it funny when one thing goes wrong it can reverse your whole outlook on life.
Yesterday I got a reaming from my boss, I've learnt a long time ago to not take it personally - but still to go from a high off last week to a chewing out (it wasn't really that bad). Does shake the old confidence though.

That and I just got a message from a girl whose car I backed into with my truck.
Oh boy! I ummed and ahhred about leaving a note... in the end I did the karmically responsible thing. So now I guess I've got to pay the piper on that one.

This morning I'm fighting off the little black dogs trying to make me focus on all the things that have gone wrong or might be seen to have gone wrong lately.

Thank goodness its a sunny day.

Was lost, now found

I used to have this link up on my site, but it dropped off for some reason.
This is The Sartorialist

Its a great Blog about fashion. This chap wanders around with his camera taking pictures of people whose outfits he likes. Its all done in a very positive way.
Enjoy

Wrong, Wrong, Wrong

This weekend was an injury fuelled affair.
I sprained my shoulder at the gym on Friday and rolled my ankle at soccer on Saturday. Thankfully the shoulder should be back in action in a day or two. My foot however is sporting a grapefruit sized bruise (twas my right ankle as opposed to the other ankle I broke while rock climbing).
So Sunday was a lazy day.
I almost went nuts.

On Saturday night I invited some friends around for dinner. My first entertaining in the new place and it worked out very well. Its a good sized place, I think at a pinch I could get 8 - 10 people and have them in reasonable comfort. Time will tell.

So I slept in on Sunday, till about 6.30am when I had to get up and get a tea. My foot was sore so I figured a bike ride was not the best idea. I spent Saturday afternoon getting a few bits of furniture for the apartment. The previous night I had discovered I did not have any wine glasses and that my roasting tray was too big for the oven I owned.
So I sat in my chair and watched Neo Genesis Evangaleion until I felt hungry enough for breakfast.
It was a lazy start to a lazy day.

I went out around noon and picked up the extra stuff I needed for my kitchen. ran into an old work colleague and enjoyed a warm but blustery Sunday. After a couple of hours my foot was hurting, so I figured return to base was the order of the day.
The sun being over the yardarm I sat back down with a good book and beer. It was all going well.
Then for no reason, my body wanted salt. Not just any kind of salt - KFC.
I have had KFC twice this year. Only one of those times did I actually eat most of the crap in the box. But for some reason, KFC was the go.
I blame the beer.

But, whatever, I get back in my truck and head on down to the local KFC cess pit of shame. I regretted my decision the moment I walked in. There was a family of fat stupid people cleaning bones off mutant chicken, while their sugared up children were grabbing straws and getting loud. It was dirty, the staff were the usual bred of shit useless young people with attitude and no care for their job or the customer.

I still brought some chicken and it was the worst meal I've had in a long time.
Even the food in America seemed better by comparison.

This morning my shoulder is slightly better and my ankle is still sore and in 3 days time the last of that crap will be clear of my digestive system.