I’ll be the first to agree that Maddox’s review of I, Robot was a little harsh, but he does make a good point. There was a LOT of advertising in that movie. And the robots could’ve been meaner. I was just thinking about that when I decided to blog it.

Sometimes I’ll have these revelations while I’m not sitting in front of a computer, and my first instinct is usually, “oh wow, I must blog that.” I almost never do. Am I destined to become a super-user of bluetooth, WAP, GPRS wireless technologies that let you type at the speed of 2 words per minute on stupid mobile phone keypads? Not in this lifetime, but I would carry around miniature version of a rollup keyboard if it was more than just a keyboard.

So Sydney’s about to be invaded - should be great, can’t wait, etc etc etc (mate). I’ve got our Lions tickets put aside with my wallet to ensure that I’ll not be forgetting them. I need someone to drop me at the airport on Saturday lunchtime-ish and someone to pick me up Sunday evening. Volunteers? Failing that, it’s $38 to park at the airport, which would be cheaper than two cabs. $22-ish return on the stupidly expensive airtrain.

Wierd though - I’m quite happy to catch the train from the Sydney airport to the hotel. Strange eh? I’ve been constantly tempted to hire a car, because of my considerable driving through Sydney in times past, but then I remember that I’m planning on being completely plastered most of the time, so it’d just be a waste.

I bought a new keyboard/mouse combo this morning, as my old mouse was double-clicking often enough to be really annoying. Especially when one Freecells as long and hard as I do.

I’m so close to this great upcoming Sydney trip I can taste it. Already, the plans are shaping up … the Belgian Beer Cafe for a late lunch and then the Lions vs Swans that evening. I’m wearing my hat to the Lions, and taking Blacky’s scarf and flag. Woo woo! It’ll be a bummer if we lose, but that’s pretty unlikely.

Last night I slept really well … I was tired, but stayed up for Law & Order because I was also mucking around on the computer, but taped The Panel and went to bed. Also, Joe Schmo was on last night which I’m interested in seeing more of.

Tonight would be soccer in a better world, but I won’t be playing. I’ll be making thai chicken for dinner, with baby bok choi. Might see if I can rustle up some visitors … anyone? I’ve got The Panel on tape if that sweetens the deal.

Those who only get chuckler.org updates from their email won’t see this great picture, which is a pity. If I were you, I’d visit the website and check it out:
Click here to view image - not 100% work safe, but not too bad

How sweet is that? And TRUE as well! Whoa.

So anyways … I kinda cheated on Monday and left my blog update till late in the afternoon, which of course meant that most people didn’t read it until Tuesday, which of course meant that I slacked off on Tuesday and didn’t to another one.

I made this awesome pasta bake on Monday night for tea - it turned out huge, and was easily enough for dinner for two Monday, lunch for two Tuesday, and dinner for two tonight. How sweet is that?

I disappointed Leyton on Monday afternoon by being out of the office when he thought he’d drop in with food. That’s a bummer - I was in a recording session for a video I’m producing for work at the moment.

Tuesday was family night, which was basically just Mum and I until Woo and Dad came home at about 8:30pm, when it was time to go.

I went for a huge jaunt today to get out of the office and stopped in at M&D’s again for a Pepsi. Just got back. Sorry about the late entry.

Okey dokes - should’ve started this earlier, but I just couldn’t get out of bed this morning. And then I was behind with my work all day … not pretty.

The weekend was VERY pretty though. Races were great, kudos and props to Glenn for organizing us. Was great, and although I won a bit on the first race, I was never really in with any kind of hope. People came back to my place later for booze and pizza and lions. I fell asleep once most people had left - next thing I know is that I’m awake in my bed early Sunday morning with a head that’s screaming for justice.

Oh, of course, the markets earlier in the day on Saurday. Everyone’s heard the story of the battery by now, surely, so I won’t bother with repeating it now. Suffice it to say that the battery to my car was replaced under warranty with 1 month only remaining on the warranty. Whew.

Sunday was a really quiet day, I watched a bunch of television, and then went to see I, Robot at Southbank with Leyts, Blacky, Tim M and Tim R. Was good fun, but not a very “deep” movie, you know? Sunday night’s Criminal Intent was a repeat, so that left a sour taste in my mouth.

So soccer last night was an absolute bust. My first touch of the ball I felt my almost-better back go “twinge” and it was all downhill from there. It’s very difficult to stop goals when you can’t bend over as much as you’d like to. We were 6-1 down at the end of the first half, but we lifted and brought about 7-all with about 5 minutes to go. They got lucky and scored 2 quickies, so we finished 9-7, despite a serious comeback.

I’m toying with the idea of giving it away until the back situation is resolved, but it’s the only exercise I do, really. If I were to give it away temporarily, I’d need to replace that with some other non-back-strenuous activity. Trouble is, when it’s sore, everything hurts, even walking. I’m going to have to pay for physio, aren’t I? Goddammit.

Markets are tomorrow, which gives me a brilliant idea - I should ask Nadia whether physio is required or just rest. She’ll know.

I’m driving in to the markets tomorrow, so if Mum wants to come I can give her a lift. Anyone else marketing tomorrow? We usually congregate at the Merlo stand at around 8am, so join us if you want to. What else is huge this weekend? Well, the races on Saturday afternoon, obviously. It’ll be good to see that bunch of peeps again, it’s been a while.

Another day, another dollar. Edward’s in Sydney today, so we all feel like we’re getting SCADS of work done, it’s great. And we had a bitch before lunch too, which was theraputic.

I just got back from lunch with Leyton at Fake Foo. Their chicken chow mein lunch special is the best thing on their menu I think.

So, I’m booked going to Sydney. That’ll be fun hopefully .. leave comments or email your suggestions for fun things to do. I leave on Saturday week at about 1:30pm, and get back Sunday at about 7:00pm. Hopefully the frequent flyer points will get me upgraded each way, that’ll be sweet.

Good television last night - did anyone watch Law & Order? Man, that was a wierd episode. And The Panel is back on, and I actually watched it, instead of recording it but without sound. :slap:

Haven’t I been slack? I’ve really got no good reason to justify the lack of updates except work, and that’s never a good reason to not blog in my book. Oh, I suppose I could blame the dodgy internet access we’ve had here at work of late, but that’s so 1990’s.

Monday was a big preparation day for a presentation we were doing on Tuesday. The goal was to install ZENworks v6.5, but lets just say that wasn’t as easy as the good folks at Novell make it out to be. I left shortly after 8pm and went immediately to soccer, where I wasn’t needed, so I went home again.

Tuesday was more preparation, before going and doing the presentation, without actually having installed the products. It went pretty well, all told, but was a complete waste of time in my view. Edward, ever the optomist, thought it had some good potential, but I just couldn’t see it. Got back to work at 8pm, and stayed for another hour or so finishing my day’s work before I could go home. :rant:

I also missed family night last night.
This weekend is the races - I’m suprised Glenn didn’t pick up my slack and post the emails he’s been circulating on the blog. :nono: shame on you Glenn. It’ll be good - the whole gang is going.

Also, real quick, I’m trying to decide whether I should go to the VoiceWorks reunion dinner on Saturday 31st or whether I should plan on going to Sydney to paint the town red with Snod, who will probably be there that weekend, although nothing is definite. Decisions, decisions.

Hey everyone. It’s been a while since I updated, but that’s because our internet connection here has been somewhat, ahem, erratic. It sucks, to put it simply.

Let me briefly reel of the weekend for you: Friday was nothing, Saturday I played soccer despite my sore back, and made it worse. Sunday I saw “The Stepford Wives” and “Spiderman 2″ at the cinemas with Blacky, and then watched TV. Some more detail follows.

Soccer was pretty good - there was a world record attempt being made for continuous indoor soccer playing. We were down for 4 x 1/2 hour blocks, at 10:30am, 11:30am, 12:30pm and 1:00pm.

It was fun, and for our last game I had a game actually running around the field. I even scored a goal, and it was the best goal ever scored by anyone. I rule.

The Stepford Wives is, by far, the WORST movie EVER made. It sucks, plain and simple, and then adds in some generic male-bashing of the “men are selfish pigs variety” for good measure. I swear I’m so over that. It was a full cinema too, so good work Hollywood on brainwashing the masses. It was so bad, there were dumb little kid-ettes who actually cheered and clapped at the end because the evil men got what was coming to them. It’s a movie, you dumbass bimbos, and they can’t hear you. I hate it when people do that, it really gets under my skin.

Spiderman 2 was average. Kirsten Dunst wasn’t even hot enough to make it good - when did her face get wierd-shaped?? - so it stayed on average from start to end.

How’s that for a little ray of bitter sunshine to add to a Monday morning?

I’m so unbelievably tired today - I decided to wait up until midnight to attend to the first run of US customers in as timely manner as possible, and I made good progress, but this morning I feel really, really tired. I was up earlier, but went back to bed. Came into work late.

Monday wasn’t very exciting, but yesterday was a great day. I didn’t get a lunch break until about 2pm, so I was STARVING and Leyton and I went out for Red Rooster which was cool. Then, just before 5pm I picked up mum and took her home for family night, sans Bryce and Dad in Canberra. Woo had friends over watching movies, so mum and I decided to sneak out and have dinner “out”. We went to Montezumas, and it was great. We shared a small carafe of sangria, and a picadillo taco for starters, and then I had #24, La Jolla (chicken burrito, chorizo burrito, beans and rice) without the beans, swapped for a small salad. Mum had #10, Tamale Pie, a sweet mexican pie with beef, sultanas and corn, served with rice and salad. It was great.

Then we thought we might as well go and check out cheap night at the movies, and I talked her into seeing Supersize Me, which I’d wanted to see for a long time. It was great - really, really good and I heartily recommend it. I’m sure everyone knows the concept - a healthy, average guy decides to go on a McDonalds binge, and eat nothing but Maccas for a month. But it wasn’t just about McDonald’s crappy food - it was also about the abundace of other crappy food in today’s lifestyle. My personal favourite? The 1/2 gallon cup of coke at 7-11. That’s two liters for those playing at home.

Mum and I had toyed with the idea of getting a yoghurt from Maccas before we went in to the movie, but by the end, we were glad we didn’t.

My back’s still quite unpleasantly sore, and there’s two more games of soccer this week - 8:15pm Thursday, and 10:30am Saturday for a world-record attempt at the longest continuous game of indoor soccer. I don’t know how long our “block” is on Saturday, but it won’t be too strenuous I don’t think.

Hoo boy, what a weekend. The gourmet camp was absolutely great … a real winner. We left on Friday night, and it took maybe 2 hours to drive there (Bryce and Callun were dropped at my place and I drove from there). The first night, we ate stuffed mushrooms, mini pizzas on puff pastry, a turkey and vegetable soup with freshly baked bread, deep fried onion rings, and a choc-mint flan with icecream and coffee for desert. Meals finished at around midnight, so we played cards for a few hours after that. I learnt to play cribbage.

Saturday was a leisurely sleep-in, and then into the serious business of breakfast. A hazelnut porridge, and french toast for starters, and a little later there were apple and pistachio gallettes. There was a brief interlude in the eating schedule for some volleyball, and then chicken crepes with basil mayonaise. We spent the rest of the afternoon playing a heap of volleyball - 3 games at point-per-serve (to 25) and 3 games of traditional rules (to 15). Afternoon tea was strawberries in chocolate, vanilla slice (from scratch) and shortbread (from scratch). Dinner involved a cheese course, mushroom soup, and two roast birds (a turkey and a chicken, whose stuffing was delicious!) with a gourmet assortment of vegetables. The standout vegies were parmesan potatoes and marmalade and ginger flavoured sweet potatoes. Desert was fruit cake in a rum and cream sauce, and then we set off fireworks. More cards were played, and the cheese found its way back out, along with chips and nuts and so forth.

Sunday was an even-more-leisurely sleep-in than Saturday, and we started the serious business of breakfast. Pancakes with marsala/butterscotch sauce and Tim’s own yoghurt blend on cereal. We did some archery, and then some guys mucked about with boomerangs before we headed out to the volleyball court for a few more games before lunch, which was steamed fish with dill mayonaise. That was the last meal, except for the freestlye-gourmet in which all leftovers were fair game. Oh, we also had a fruit platter with macadmaias in toffee. Cleaned extensively and headed home.

Bryce is on his way to Canberra today, so I hope that works out well for him. I hurt my back at some stage on the weekend, so I’m not playing soccer tonight.