My view and thoughts on everything!

"great beaches, fantastic cities and Kylie Minogue (well maybe not Kylie)...my consumption of caffeine has increased dramatically" I am feeling tired a lot recently. Now it's nothing with to do with long working hours, or going to bed really late or even collecting stamps. It's got to do with the football World Cup. Now, obviously I am not at the finals. After all, England overlooked me for Rooney. Then again, I could have probably played much better that Wayne! One day England will see my silky skills....at least in my dreams! You see, living in Australia has lots of benefits - good weather, great beaches , fantastic cities and Kylie Minogue (well maybe not Kylie). However there is a huge downside. It is called 'time zones'. The thing is, if us in Australia want to watch one of the top world sporting events then we have to either stay up to the early hours of the morning, or wake up at, say, 4am! Naturally, it can take a toll on you. A few days ago, ...

"I have been convinced that this weather is a cunning plan of ducks worldwide...you will see loads of English carrying a brolly or two" Us Sydneysiders have just come out (fingers, toes and dangly bits crossed) of a very wet spell that lasted nigh on three weeks. Now I would be the first to admit that it is great that we have been awash with the life saving liquid, but there is a point where it gets beyond a joke (and I don't mean the one about the Englishman, Scotsman and Irishman!). The other joke is that the rain is falling on the coast and not really in the dam catchment area. Now obviously, the downpours do not compare to monsoonal regions of the world, but they can certainly get to you nonetheless. At present we have just entered winter and naturally the sun is rising later and setting earlier. So with the lack of daylight hours, coupled with grey and overcast skies, the city has been living in a kind of gloom recently. For those who don't know, winter in Syd...

"you know the type - accountants, lawyers, bankers, stamp collectors, Celine Dion fans etc...I started to cringe. How tight was his Levis?" Recently No Worries and I left the gals with a friend and headed into the big smoke that is Sydney. This is not to say that Sydney is covered in smoke as it is not (unless you include the New Years Eve fireworks). We decided to have a night to ourselves which is very rare these days.... I had two tickets to see a concert that had two of the biggest music names from the 1980's performing - Spandau Ballet and Tears For Fears. Now I grew up on both groups but in the last couple of years have really become addicted to the music of Messrs Orzabal and Smith aka Tears. They truly are talented song smiths, great musicians and fantastic singers. So after a meal at King Street wharf (which I have to say was very average given the reputation of the restaurant we ate at) we headed to the Ent Cent. Better know to all as the Sydney Entertainme...

"however this advert caught my eye (and nose and left ear)...now call me dumb or slap me about with a wet fish" The other day I was reading the local newspaper when I came across an advert inside it. Now, I hear you say, there's nothing wrong with adverts in a newspaper. After all, it helps keep the cost of the newspaper down to a reasonable amount. This is very true indeed. However this advert caught my eye (and my nose and left ear). So what was the advert that grabbed my attention? Well, you see it was an advert for a local pet shop that was having a sale. It must have been a large pet shop given the number of sale items. In fact, it was one of the items on sale that struck me as being quite odd. The advert stated, and I quote verbatim. "50% off all live fish". At first glance this seemed to make sense. Your long awaited addition to your tropical fish tank would be half price (no, I didn't need a calculator to work that one out!). However, a lite...

"is when cutting cheese turns into an endurance sport....I have no idea of the cunning plan that this piece of sharp metal has for me" During the last week something dawned on me. It was one of those moments when clarity is to the fore and you realise why things happen (not necessairly for a reason either). So I thought it only fair that I shared this with you, the reader, and the rest of the world. It appears that I have a fetish. Now before your sordid mind delves off into the realms of toe sucking, leather, bondage and gimps, let me explain. This is no ordinary fetish indeed. Over the past 18 months or so I have, at intermittent periods, bought 3 knives. These are your typical knives that you would find in any household kitchen. They have all been utility ones so that No Worries and I can cut, chop and dice vegetables, meat and anything else we want to cut until our heart's content! I always know when its time to replace a knife. The first indication is when cutting ch...

"before I know it I am singing along (normally internally as I don't like scaring my fellow train passengers)...I even swapped the balck t shirt, jeans and beer for a shirt, pants and a bottle of chardonnay!" Many years ago, when I was a mere strip of a lad, there was a song released called "Music" by John Miles. Some of the lyrics went like this " to live without my music would be impossible to do, 'cause in this world of troubles my music pulls me through" . For the nerds out there in the blogosphere, the song was a number 3 hit in the UK during the tropical summer of 1976. It is an awesome song with a great guitar lick towards the end of it. The lyrics really struck a chord (deliberate play on words) as it really sums up my view to music. When I am feeling down I'll get out a CD, or listen to my MP4, and play some of my favourite songs. Before I know it I am singing along (normally internally as I don't like scaring my fellow train...

"but can inflict severe pain (like a Celine Dion concert methinks)....there were literally hundreds of baby Huntsman spiders running everywhere!" Recently No Worries, the Gals and I moved to a new abode. The move was a typically stressful one even though we only moved a couple of kms up the road! Moving is not fun at the best of times. As I type this tome we still have lots of boxes to unpack! Yes I know, we are lazy!! Anyway, when we moved in we noticed a Huntsman spider in the kitchen at the top of the venetian blinds. For the uninitiated, a Huntsman spider is quite large, hairy and looks like a tarantula! Fortunately they cannot kill a human but can inflict severe pain (like a Celine Dion concert methinks). I tried to kill it but it went into the bracket that was holding up the blinds. No Worries and I decided to leave it be as Huntsman's do kill insects including the much maligned cockroach. So we left it alone to its own devices. It seemed happy enough to hang a...