For the last day of the month. Ah, back in the day when that tenet had a real consequence, particularly if one neglected to end it with the sacred “WHITE RABBITS!” clause. But enough of the childishness.

I went to the doc today to get this rash sorted. The typical glandular fever rash lasts between 3 and 7 days. My rash is into its 9th day of being, and I’m scratching myself into a stupor. So I asked the doc if there would be any merit in going to a dermatologist (I kinda wanted to) and he wrote me a referral. I was pleased. Got me an appointment at 3 o’clock this arvo at Redcliffe, which should let the specialist see the full extent.

I’ll be glad to be rid of it, that’s for sure. It’s nice to have some rain though isn’t it. Makes driving a bit more interesting, because there are idiots out there that don’t know how to drive in the dry, let alone the rain.

So I’ve been thinking a little bit about jobs that I can do for the rest of the semester. A while ago I went for this job at a fashion warehouse/wholesaler, and the job would’ve been receiving deliveries, unpacking deliveries, picking orders, and a small ammount of customer service. I thought that would’ve been ideal. I would enjoy doing something that involved driving, like maybe pizza delivery, or driving as a courier or something. Gimme some suggestions.

Hey, haven’t really got too much to say right now … it’s family night tonight, so that will be good. Mum has been sick, so I’m not sure if she’s at work today and in need of a lift home or not. Hey mum, send me an email will ya?

So last night, Blacky informed me of an amazing discovery … ants were living in the hollow plastic handle of our electric kettle. How stupid is that? Hopefully throwing the kettle away will solve that problem.

In other news, and most people who read this blog are probably aware of this, I’ve been playing some online poker lately. It’s quite fun, but on the other hand, I’m not caring too much if I lose the money I’ve put in. Everytime I sit at the table, though, I’m only taking someone else’s money with me. That’s a happy situation.

Um, Leyton and I are having lunch today, and maybe watching Joe Schmo to spite Blacky. I’m pretty tired today.

So, it’s Monday again. Friday evening, I headed out to my uncle and aunt’s to set up their swish new PC. Tim bought me dinner - a heady beer and pizza combo that was well received. Got finished, and headed to M&D’s, closeby-ish, and decided to stay the night there.

Got a phone call from Bek at 11:30pm, who was just leaving work, and going on holidays Saturday at 7:00am. I had a ski-bag the Leyton had given me Thursday night that she needed. We organized that she’d drive out to M&D’s to pick it up. I’d just fallen asleep again when she rang again at 12:30am-ish to say that she was here, and could I come outside and unlock the car for her to get the bag. I barely remember much, but I think I forgot to lock my car again.

Saturday, I went and bought new shirts - most of my previous shirts were suffering from holes, and I don’t think that the “vagrant” look is in this autumn. I headed home, and played some poker before going to John’s for dinner and Sopranos. His gf had made deep-dish chicken pie, which was great, and the Sopranos watching is now into the 5th season. Huzzah!

Sunday was really quiet - in the end went to G&R’s for Carmen’s birthday lunch, which was good. Blacky and I went to the cheap Indian buffet for tea, and I watched Criminal Intent before going to bed.

And now you’re up to date Thanks for reading.

Ah deary me, I’ve had a good weekend! Saturday of course was the spectacular RiverFire display, which a great crowd gathered on our street to watch the fireworks from. I backed my car out of the garage for a number of reasons - one being to stop people parking in our driveway, the other being that I opened the doors and boot and turned up the radio for the “synchronised soundtrack” that Triple M were playing, and I think people enjoyed it.

The F1-11’s started the celebration by dropping flares as they climbed rapidly, then the fireworks exploded for half an hour, while cars created gridlock in our street, and pedestrians scurried for position. It’s funny - riverfire draws a bigger crowd to our street than new years. And then the highlight and grand finale was the F1-11’s flying down low-level between city highrises and doing the spectacular dump & burn. It was a bit cloudy, so the planes quickly ascended above the cloud, still dumping fuel which made the clouds glow this aweome flickering orange.

Then Tim and Mark arrived. Tim was playing in the Alan Brown Big Band at the Sheraton, and I was going into the valley to see Thirsty Merc play. For the first few hours I pretended to be a roady and basically just walked around the venue listening, “checking balance”, and then Mark dropped me off at The Rev. Nice place it is, big open room with a mezanine, but it was closed. Anyway, the Merc absolutely rocked - I recorded the whole concert on my phone’s dictaphone, and when I can, I’ll download the clips onto the computer if I can. They played for about an hour and a half, and I went and bought their album and got all of the boys to sign it. Wicked night.

Sunday I had planned on going down to the River in the morning to see a regatta that was on, but that didn’t eventuate after a late night. Instead I slept a lot, and went to Carmen’s 22nd b’day late lunch. Was a nice little family type party. And then, that brings me to now - trying to sleep. The drugs I’m taking are supposed to knock me out, but the dam things don’t work.

So, it is done. I’m withdrawn from this semester’s study. They really don’t make it easy to do anything in institutions. The lady that we talked to in the student centre was very assuming that we knew what we needed to do and used “just” a lot, “just do that” or “you just need to do this”, and instilled a feeling of unease. Don’t ya hate that.

So, major props for dad for carrying me through this. Seriously, I’d be stuffed without his support (and mum of course too, but dad has been instrumental).

Went to Cebs tonight, which I always really enjoy. It’s a great outlet to let off steam and energy from the previous week. I copped a frisbee to the face, but it was a new foam frisbee, and it wrapped around my head and didn’t hurt, which was kinda funny. I also managed to lose a frisbee through a tiny sliver underneath a building - it didn’t even scrape the sides as it seemlessly entered a frisbee sized slot. How would ya be. :rant:

So now Dean’s here and he’s staying the night. I’m supposedly helping him build a cupboard or something, but if he’s here, and the cupboard’s at his place, I don’t know how that works logistically. Also, “Thirsty Merc” are playing at “The Rev” in the Valley tomorrow night, but it’s also Riverfire, so all those places will be packed as, but it’s their only show in Brisbane, and I wanna see em. Anyone wanna come with? Email me.

I went to the doc again yesterday about this rash I’ve got all over me. He sent me to get another blood test to check my liver function and to make sure that I don’t have something else. You may think this is freaky, but I don’t mind needles. I find it fascinating to watch, and must admit, I was surprised at the colour and thickness of it the first time I saw it.

So, after yesterday’s deep and thinkingfuls, I watched a bit of olympics and stuff, and mum went shopping. At about 4 o’clock I realised it was Wednesday, and that Cebs was having a Knights Night Out at 6:30. I called mum to make sure she was home in time (she got home just after 6, after 3 hours shopping).

Luckily I was ready to go, and tootled off to Montezumas. For the uninitiated, Montezumas is a Mexican restaurant, and a great one at that. I was on a bit of a budget and went for #1 on the menu - Montezuma’s Delight (Carne -shredded beef). It was this soft tostata (I think) with shredded beef, smothered in beans, covered with a diced vegetable salad, covered with sour cream, and olives. It was quite lovely, cause the salad kinda tasted sweet.

Daniel ordered himself a #6 hot chilli sauce (which I think is the hottest they come) but he barely had any. He mixed a little bit into his rice and his expressions began changing humorously.

We hit 7/11 for ice creams after. I had a Magnum Ego, which has chocolate, then caramel, then chocolate before hitting icecream. So good. Then we all parted ways. I’m pretty tired. Gonna nap. L8rs

You won’t believe this. A couple of days ago I signed up for an online poker place so that I could play in a tournament some friends in the USA were running. Yes, I did have to put real money into an account to qualify. Yes, it was a bit of a hassle. No, I won’t be doing it again - when I lose this money, that’s it for my foray into online poker (although I am reading “Play Poker Like the Pros” by Phil Hellmuth, but that’s another story). This morning, I was fooling around at a low-limit table and got a straight flush - 5-9 of diamonds. I won about $50, as there were suckers betting that my straight wasn’t going to beat their flush. It was truly a magic moment.

In other news, I had physio this morning on my back, and am close to 100% I think. My leg is still slightly dodgy, but it’s just a matter of time.

Those of you with eyes will have noticed a new author to the blog, my brother Woo. Please make him feel welcome. If, in time, you tire of my ramblings, but still enjoy his, you can read them by themself at http://woo.chuckler.org, although if that happens, I’ll delete his authoring priveledges in a fit of jealous rage. You’ve been warned.

Hey,

Chucko and I have been talkin for a while - reminiscing, if you will - about the old “guest authors” that were supposed to take some of the pressure that a blog can put on a bloke.

I’m all for new beginnings, especially when what you’ve come from entails a burned bridge. I had a tiff with the host of Rhysie.net (surprisingly, his name is Rhys) who hosted a journal I used to write in on his forum, who promptly decided that he would delete my username, and all associated activities. How mature.

So you guys’ve been reading little snippets about my health and recovery, which I’m sure you’re all finding fascinating. Now I’ll be able to keep you more thoroughlly posted on my progress. Today has been 20 days since I first started to get sick - bit of a depressing milestone - and visited the doc again today, who wrote me out a nice doctor’s certificate covering me for another two weeks. This, of course, leaves some questions to be raised about the future of my studies this semester.

I’ve gotta admit, I came into this semester pretty flustered and without my head screwed on, and I’ve effectively gone with the flow. Then, having the prospect of 5 weeks off uni have left me kinda… lost. Couple with that, that I can still withdraw and get all my money back by the 31st of this month, the decision process is difficult. What a soap-opera.

Seriously, I think I have an illness. I was swamped, and in conjunction with Edward, removed a large, time-consuming task from my to-do list. Problem is, I’m attached to this task now, and don’t want to let it go. I’ve put so much effort into it, that I can’t now just leave it, especially when I’m “sooo close” to completing it. So I kept working on it at home, in secret. That’s just so wrong, isn’t it?

Family night, and poor Woo is still sick. Mum made pie, it was all good.

One night this week, I’m going to have to call stupid America again, so I think that a trip to the movies is in order. A long-shot, anyone interested in a late-night session tonight or tomorrow? If tonight, then there’s nothing very good on (Walking Tall, Chronicles of Riddick, or White Chicks), but if tomorrow, the The Bourne Supremacy is an option. Drop me a line if you’re keen.

The Joe Schmo Show is the new Jesus. It’s really, really great - Leyton came over last night to pick up some stuff he’d had delivered to my work, and I talked him into staying for a Joe Schmo. Blacky also agreed to watch, even though it was the third episode already and he hadn’t seen the first two. It was so good we watched another. Then it was like 9:30pm and a school night, so we called it a day.

Family night tonight … I’m extremely tired. Mum’s already put feelers out to get a lift home this afternoon, which is pretty typical :squint: but sometimes it gives me an excuse to leave work early.

Came in this morning, and Edward was asleep in his office. The only possible reason for that is to show off how hard he’s working - he lives 900m down the street. I was making tea in the breakroom and he staggers out and says he’s going home for a shower. If you have to go home anyway, why not sleep there. :rant:

Ok, that’s all I’ve got to say. Just for kicks, I’ve been looking up the actors on The Joe Schmo Show on IMDB, and seeing what else they’ve been on. I mean, how bad would it be if “Joe” (Matt) recognized them? Ashleigh was in Cruel Intentions 3 with a fairly major part; The Hutch, Kip and Dr Pat have all had bit-parts on TV, and so has Ralph, but he’s also done a heap of voices on The Family Guy; Earl has had bit-parts on movies and also worked as a weapons consultant ; and Molly and Gina have both done little else.