my first bicycle

The Silent City

2010-12-02T20:39:00.002+10:00

Stumbled on this short video the other day.

Featuring Cillian Murphy, directed by Ruairi Robinson, comes this epic short film based in a post-apocolyptic world called 'The Silent City'.

Check it out:

The Silent City 1080p HD from Ruairi Robinson on Vimeo.

Poker Night - It's a wrap!

2010-10-17T15:35:00.003+10:00

Our (we try but it doesn't always happen this often) monthly 'Poker Night' game took place on Saturday night, and again it was a night full of fun, plenty of drinks, great food, great company... and even a few surprises...

The evening started out with a couple of drinks, some cheese and a couple of rounds of pool. It was then time to kick off the Poker. With a few people short (who pulled out at the last minute due to other commitments), it was down to a competition between 5 of us, the winner, taking home the $50 cash prize, a $20 gift voucher for our local beauty salon 'Spa Physique' and a trophy.

I started out by hitting the ground running, winning a few early rounds to increase my chip pile to a comfortable lead. However, a couple of hours later I came to realise that either someone was pulling a swifty and pocketing some of my chips for their own personal gain, or I was playing that badly that I had dwindled my chip pile away. It was the latter.

Unfortunately, coming to realise the predicament I was getting myself into, I decided to take a gamble and go all-in on a pair of kings, with a flop consisting of an Ace, King and Jack unsuited, which was, in all seriousness, probably a silly thing to do. Turned out my bluffing skills and poker face weren't as good as I thought, because I came up against the eventual winner of the night, Nita, who had a Queen and Ten who ended up with an Ace high straight.

It was fun while it lasted however, and after leaving the table (reluctantly), I ended up playing myself in pool until someone else lost all their chips and could join me (which ended up not being for another couple of hours surprisingly enough...).

So in the end, Nita, who in most cases in past Poker Night events is usually the first one to leave the table because of her flamboyant approach to betting (going all in like I did too early, and on silly hands), was the eventual winner after coming from last place on early on in the piece.

It was a great night had by all... and a well deserved win for Nita. There are only a couple of months left before NYE and our annual NYE Poker Night Extravaganza! So there is still time for practice, and time to brush up on my poker skills before then.

Sneaker Art

2010-10-16T11:47:00.002+10:00

Just a couple of concept sneakers I was playing around with the other day... I was trying to think of a themed sneaker in the Dunk range that means something to me but is also wearable.

I haven't played with textures on these ones, it's just colour, but I was happy with the end result none the less. What do you think the chances of getting Nike to commission these are... slim to none...

More to come.

The first 50 of a list of 100 Dreams

2010-10-13T12:15:00.000+10:00

A big part of the business we (Renee and I) are building is the ability to dream build.

Everyone has their own dreams and aspirations that they would like to achieve in life. For most people, they will never realise their dreams because they don’t write them down, and they don’t have a vehicle to help them achieve their dreams. One of the most important things that many people have said, is that if you want to achieve your dreams, you must be accountable by writing them down and sharing them with others.

A lot of books and seminars that I have read and attended in the past have told me to write down a list of 100 dreams. Well, I have managed to get to 50 so far. There is a lot more that I need to add to this list (a lot of those being travel related dreams), and this list will no doubt constantly change and evolve as my life does.

But for the moment, here is the first 50 dreams in my list of 100 for me to share with you:

Go Platinum

Go on an all expenses paid trip to Fiji

Get a tattoo at Miami Ink or LA Ink

Take in a show on Broadway, NYC

Go on a shopping spree at the Maddens DCMA store in LA

Skydive

Climb the Story Bridge in Brisbane

Smash my alarm clock and only wake up when I want to, not need to

Retire as the PQC Registrar before age 30

Go Diamond

Buy a Harley Davidson

Be invited to be the main speaker at a Team Mak BDS function

Spend a white Christmas and NYE in NYC

Go to an NRL Grand Final

Go to all 3 State of Origin games in one year

Get my full sleeve tattoo completed

Buy my own custom made and fitted suit

Play $1000 in a no limits Texas Hold Em’ Poker game at a casino

Own 365 pairs of sneakers (one pair for every day of the year)

Party in Vegas with all my closest friends

Bungee jump in Queenstown, NZ

Buy the best Broncos Membership money can buy for a season

See the Broncos play live, every week, all season, regardless of where they play

Go to the Rugby League World Cup and see every game in one year

Replace all computer equipment with Apple brand

Drive a V8 Supercar and do hot laps

Go to Disneyland

Do the Gympie Muster one year, 5 star style

Go see the Orlando Magic play live in Florida

Own 1 car for every day of the week

Go Skiing in Whistler, Canada

Climb the Eiffel Tower in France

Go on a road trip for 6 months around Australia

Have my own customised jewellery made

Walk the Kokoda Trail

Go to a Summer Olympics, including the opening and closing ceremony

Go to a Winter Olympics, including the opening and closing ceremony

Ride the London Eye in the UK

Give $250k away to charity in 1 year

Relax by the water in Santorini, Greece

Relax by a fireplace with a red wine on a holiday in Aspen

Own a flying car

Go on a round the world cruise

Rent a villa in Tuscany for 3 months

Buy a yacht and host an all expenses paid party for my closest friends and family

Own my own holiday home on the coast of Queensland

Learn a 2nd language

Give a brand new car or holiday away as a gift to someone

Take a flight overseas on my own private jet

Go on safari in Africa

Who ordered the swimming pool?

2010-10-11T12:18:00.003+10:00

It's been raining non stop here for 3 days now... and there is only more rain predicted. It has turned our backyard into somewhat of a swimming pool.

Pacey is having a blast, splashing around and getting his feet wet, but for most of us it has meant flash flooding, blocked roads and put the public transport system into chaos! For many of us, it has also meant being stuck at home watching the rain fall from out of the window.

It is however, the perfect weather to curl up in bed with a warm mug of milo and a good book, or on the couch with a cup of coffee and a good movie. In this case, for me, it's the latter (minus the coffee).

Let's hope this rain clears up soon otherwise not only will we have a pool, but a water bed to go with it.

New Pages

2010-10-06T17:32:00.001+10:00

Don't let fear strike you out!

2010-09-29T13:08:00.001+10:00

Half the things that people do not succeed in,

are through fear of making the attempt.

-- James Northcote

Akromatism

2010-09-27T19:50:00.004+10:00

I wrote a couple of posts ago about how my artistic were bones shouting out that they wanted more action... well keeping up with what's happening at Laced I stumbled across a colouring book called 'Akromatism'...

Basically, it's packed with a bunch of graffiti sketches and characters from Australian artists for you to colour in with your own... I know what your going to say, it's not really art if your not actually drawing the sketches yourself... well yea, I guess, but it will satisfy my artistic desire for the time being. Below are the first 5 pages of the book as completed by... me.

I also enjoyed creating my own custom NB 574 that I decided to create templates for a couple of Nike's for my to play around with. Keep an eye out for the next round of custom kicks coming your way...

If the shoe fits...

2010-09-18T19:19:00.003+10:00

I know this blog is rather sneaker heavy at the moment, and there is plenty of other things to blog about, but hey. I love sneakers and that's probably whats been happening most at the moment...

The last Adidas 'If the shoe fits keep 'em' comp was held at the Brisbane Swap and Cop on September 11. 2 weeks before I waited at Laced for 2 hours in the hope of scoring a free pair of Adidas kicks in a competition that had been running over the last month and a half. Unfortunately, I was unsuccessful.

However, I made sure that I was 1st in line for the last comp in the hope of making that 2 hour wait 2 weeks before all worth it!!! And after a 30min wait and a lot of luck, I stuck my foot on size 11 and... YES! I scored. 1 free pair of fresh Adidas Superstar 80s! I was stoked!

It made that much weekend all the more sweeter! For a full wrap of the Swap and Cop, visit here!

The Winner!

2010-09-12T16:29:00.002+10:00

These 3 pair of kicks are the result of a successful day at the Brisbane Swap and Cop.

WIN!

NB 574 Competition

2010-09-11T21:04:00.006+10:00

The Brisbane 'Swap and Cop' was on this weekend. The organizers (Project 4000) ran a competition where you could design your own New Balance 574 Sneaker! I entered the competition with 16 entries... 1 for every team in the NRL. My entries are as below.

Enjoy!

Spring Carnival Fever

2010-09-08T17:42:00.001+10:00

An invitation I did for Poker Night.

NYE: Twenty 10/11

2010-09-07T17:47:00.002+10:00

My latest attempt at graphic design...

Munny 1

2010-09-01T17:52:00.002+10:00

This is my first attempt at designing a Munny... I'm paying homage to who else but the Brisbane Broncos...

It's not the best design in the world, but it is my first attempt... even though the head is a blatant rip off of 'Iron Man'. More to come.

Artistic Bones

2010-08-24T12:03:00.002+10:00

My artistic bones are starting to irritate me.

Art is all around us. Everywhere we turn we are presented with someones creativity. Whether that be graffiti, phone box art, murals or sculptures adorning the city.

I also have a group of friends who love to paint, and my local custom sneaker store just held a competition where you could design your own 'Munny' (for those who don't know what a 'Munny' is click here: http://sites.kidrobot.com/munnyworld/).

I used to love art when I was in school. Painting, drawing, sculpting... and just recently I've had this niggling feeling in my artistic bones. They have been saying "Let me loose! I need to be creative!"

I want to start doing some of my own art again. I recently did a batch of custom sneakers in Photoshop for a competition for the upcoming Swap and Cop meet and I loved every second I was working on those sneakers. Time seemed to come to a stand still when I was playing with colours and designs. I have always had a passion for art (along with about a hundred other things it seems), but I have let that passion fall by the wayside for too long.

I want to start my art again with a couple of my own custom 'Munny's' and see from there where it takes my creative flair.

Keep an eye out for posts to come of my artistic (which could be debatable) creations.

Learning Curve

2010-08-20T11:59:00.002+10:00

So my wife and I had our first puppy school lesson on Wednesday. What a learning curve. We didn't know there was so much to do and consider when "raising" a puppy.

Pacey is now 12 weeks old and is still as crazy/energetic/psychotic as he was at 6 - 8 weeks (he is just a hell of a lot larger now). But that's normal. All puppy's are crazy... right? Well apparently, yes they are.

Dogs (whilst they have been domesticated for 20-30 thousand years or so now) still have the same hard wiring as their wild counter parts, and will act accordingly. They are natural carnivores, according to our puppy school teacher, so you must not get angry or frustrated when they seem to be misbehaving as a puppy. The only reason they appear to be misbehaving, is because they are acting that way from natural instinct.

One of the pups-gone-wild scenario is what can be referred to as "Psycho Hour". This usually happens around 4-6pm. The reason for it? When dogs were wild animals this was the time they hunted, as they're prey would be starting to settle in for the night making them easy targets for their nightly meal. Puppies still have this natural instinct, and while they may not know the reason for their abundance of energy, they will use it to reek havoc throughout the house.

Another interesting fact we learnt was that despite the domestication of dogs, they can still breed with wild wolves, dingos, african dogs etc and produce fertile offspring. Wierd, right!

The biggest lesson we learnt however, came when we were told about the "DO NOT DO" list when you bring a new puppy home. It included:
- Do NOT play tug-of-war with your puppy with their toys
- Do NOT pick up your puppy, even if you thing he is sad or hurt
- Do NOT rough up a puppy in a playfull way
- Do NOT let you puppy chew on shoes or clothing

Why, because all of these things count towards the dogs behaviour when he is a fully grown aduly. When playing tug-of-war and a puppy accidentally nips your hand, what would you do? Just say, "That's alright, he didn't know, were just playing." Well, the puppy will grow up thinking it is acceptable behaviour to bite hands and limbs... and that is something you don't want especially if there are children in your family.

"But I like picking my dog up, and I have to when he's hurt so I can comfort him"... again, when he is older he will think this is normal and will still want you to pick him up... and while picking up a German Shepherd puppy might be cute, trying to pick one up when he is a 40kg fully grown dog may not be as cute.

We came away from the class with a lot more information, and everything will be very usefull in the weeks to come. It is definately becomming quite a learning curve for us both, as we have not "raised" a puppy on our own before (we have had dogs in the family when we were kids). We have been told, that it will be good practice for when we decide to have kids...

Next week, Pacey goes in for his first lesson with 4 other puppies. I have no idea how he'll go, but I can guarantee you one thing, with 5 young puppies in one room together, it's sure to be loud!

New Post

2010-08-14T14:06:00.003+10:00

Swap and Cop 2010

2010-08-05T19:10:00.001+10:00

Letter to the Editor

2010-07-29T13:15:00.000+10:00

Hi,

I recently picked up a copy of issue 2 of Inked Australia, and as I was flicking through came across the story on "backyard tattooing".

To be able to read about not only the ramifications to the individual being tattoed by a "backyard tattooist", but to the industry as a whole was as informing as it was disturbing. Coming from a keen collector of tattoos, the last thing I want to see is the industry deteriorate as a result of this problem.

However, as I was reading through this article I had this feeling that I had read somewhere recently on how you go about building your own homemade tattoo machine.

I realised that it was in a copy of the new publication called "Bound by Ink", and american tattoo magazine, that there was 4 page story with step-by-step instructions on how you go about creating your own homemade tattoo machine using household items such as a caseete player, mechanical pencils, dental floss and nail clippers.

The question that I pose is if there really is a genuine concern out there in the tattoo community (regardless of if it is in Australia or overseas) regarding backyard tattooists, why would a publication such as "Bound By Ink" be publishing instructions on how to create homemade tattoo machines? Isn't this just encouraging people to try backyard tattooing themselves, regardless of if that was the point of the story in question or not?

I know someone personnally who has received backyard tattoos, and when I found out I was somewhat horrified. But with stories like this being published, how do we excpect (as a tattoo community) to stop this from happening in the future?

Keep the great stories coming, and I can't wait for the next issue of Inked Australia.

Kaine Barton

Welcome to the family

2010-07-22T19:34:00.002+10:00

So after months of deliberation, we finally decided to take the plunge. On July 10 we welcomed Pacey, our little German Shepherd X Alaskan Malamute pup.

At 8 weeks old this coming weekend, he still has a lot to learn. For now however, just trying to teach him not to bite is proving to be difficult enough.

But we have all the joys of owning a dog to look forward to. Welcome home Pacey.

The Australian Way

2010-07-06T12:54:00.003+10:00

It is the great Australian dream to be able to travel around the world. Everyone likes to travel, and those who insist they don't like going overseas, have obviously never been on a real holiday before.

Travelling around the world can be so many things to a person... exciting, fulfilling, amazing, daunting, frustrating... But it's that feeling you get of being in a new place, an unfamiliar place with an unfamiliar culture that gives me a buzz that I can't even begin to describe.

I caught the travel bug young (when I was 16) and have loved travelling around the world ever since.

To be given an opportunity to see all 4 corners of this planet (if you choose) is an incredible opportunity to have your hands on. But what is it that stops most people from taking advantage of this opportunity? Money.

I am by no means a well seasoned traveller, but I plan on being one. My scrapbook has been filled with memories and photos from New Zealand (3 trips worth) and the United States of America (specifically Hawaii and Las Vegas). Both trips offered their own unique experiences, experiences I wouldn't trade in for anything in this world. But there is plenty more of this world to see, and see it I shall do.

Renee and I need to constantly satisfy the hunger we both have for travel, especially before those things called "kids" come along. So with a dream in our hears, and the prize on our minds we have decided to start the early stages of planning for our next overseas trip. "Where to this time?" we thought. And after considering and looking into a 3 week stint across the Asian landscape, we settled on another trip across the world to the USA.

We have been there before, but with a country so big there is plenty to do and see. And we plan on doing plenty of ... doing and seeing.

Despite being in the early planning stages of this trip, it's shaping up to go something like this:

- San Francisco (2/3 nights) meeting up with a couple of our closest (newlywed) friends then a drive to:
- Los Angelas (1 week) then a drive to:
- Las Vegas (1 week) at which point we hook up with another 4-6 of our close friends for a week of partying and gambling in "Sin City". Then a short flight to:
- Orlando/Miami (2/3 nights) mainly so I can cross off a couple of my dreams on my bucket list. Those being getting tattooed at 'Miami Ink' and attending a live 'Orlando Magic' game at Amway Arena. Then on to:
- New York (1 week) for shopping, Broadway and more fun. Ending with a stop in:
- Toronto, Canada (2/3 nights) (I realise this is a different country) where we will meet up with a couple of our friends who will have moved there from Australia.

Despite being just a rough sketch at this point in time it is shaping up to be an exciting trip, and one I am particularly looking forward to.

Do you know of any places that are a "MUST SEE" that we could visit?
Is there anything you recommend doing in each place that someone from Australia might not necessarily know?
Is there anything, just anything, that is worth knowing before getting there and starting on our trip?

I look forward to finding out.

Friday afternoon inspiration...

2010-07-02T11:53:00.002+10:00

Don't bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors.

Try to be better than yourself.

-- William Faulkner

Boys Night In

2010-06-19T23:22:00.002+10:00

It currently reads 11:23pm on the clock as I wait for the Socceroos match to start... which, as sad as it is, appears to be quite a struggle. Is 26 too young to feel old? Is it too young to struggle to stay up past 12am?

Of course it is!

All that said however, I am determined to get through the game.

It has become a bit of a boys night in tonight. Well, when I say a boys nigh in, I mean me and Jack, our dog. Pizza (no beer unfortunately, which is a whole other story), a couple of movies and some sport. What could almost be described as a perfect night in. No girls in sight.

The girls are having their own girls night in, but with company other than animals who more often than not, don't respond when you talk to them. They just look up at you with their puppy eyes as if to say "I know your saying something, and I'm hoping it's got something to do with food or playing ball".

Sometimes it's nice to just have a night to yourself and just chill out however you like. All that said though, I know I will look forward to Renee coming home tomorrow...

The mission now, stay awake until the full time siren sounds to signal the end of the game.

Greedy Greedy Genius

2010-06-06T21:14:00.001+10:00

The big 5 0

2010-05-31T13:09:00.002+10:00

Reaching 50 is a milestone, in whatever it is your doing. In cricket, scoring a half century puts you among the men instead of the boys. But reaching 50 in life, well that's a whole different ball game.

My mother turns the big 50 on Wednesday. A massive milestone, and one that should be celebrated over and over again. But to mum, turning 50 has meaning other than just turning another year older. It was the year her mother passed away, many years ago, before even I was born.

However, to help celebrate her 'half century' in life, us kids are taking her out to Aria Restaurant for the dinner of a lifetime... where we can eat and drink and laugh untill the late hours of the night... or morning...

...we shall see.

My inner sports reporter...

2010-05-18T12:35:00.000+10:00

Yes, that's right people, Origin is upon us. That time of the year where the Queenslanders bleed maroon, and the New South Welshmen bleed blue. Where mates become bitter rivals, holding back no emotion or closed fists if the temperature reaches boiling point. It's time for big runs, big trys and even bigger hits. It is that time of the year where the whole of Australia is at a stand still to witness the BEST sporting event of any code, in any country, anywhere in the world. Yes, that's right, it's...

STATE OF ORIGIN TIME!!!

And I can't wait. With the Queenslanders looking to make it 5 in a row, it is shaping up to be a HUGE clash of Stave Vs State and Mate Vs Mate.

State of Origin has already become the talk of the town, with the remaining 5 fixtures taking a back seat to the hype surrounding the first Origin match of the year. Those matches being Dragons V Raiders, Eels V Sharks, Knights V Wests Tigers, Panthers V Bulldogs and Warriors V Rabbitohs. The hard tip of the round going to the Warriors V Rabbitohs game, as both sides are showing they have the skills to make the top 8 this year, and with both of them not missing many (if any) players to Origin duties. The sure thing win goes to the Eels to topple the Sharks, who are still showing no signs of a return to form this season.

With the other teams securing 2 points for a 'Bye', it leaves the top 8 wide open with many teams milling around 8 - 12 points, all vying for a spot in the winners circle.

It leaves the rest of the focus this round on the Origin game with strong sides by both NSW and QLD to take to the turf to battle it out once again.

And once again, I say to you... QUEENSLANDER!!!

Happy tipping people.

More artwork

2010-05-12T18:43:00.002+10:00

I'm not claiming to be a genius at this kind of stuff, but here are my latest efforts at invitations to a couple of different events...

I quite like them. I can only get better I suppose.

Sneaker Time...

2010-05-11T14:44:00.003+10:00

Camera shy

2010-05-06T12:53:00.003+10:00

I've had an interest for a long time now in learning about photography, not as a career/profession, but purely for my own selfish enjoyment.

I love photography, and could sit down for hours and hours just perusing pages and pages of great photography. There is just something about the art of a great photograph that can capture you and take you to that place in time. You can feel the emotion that was captured at that very instance. You can feel as you were a part of that memory, standing there while the photographer captured that moment.

I would love to enroll into some sort of "class" or "Beginners Guide To" course where I could learn the basics in how to take photographs as good as those such as Jose Villa or Renee Caldwell, just to name a couple whom I keep my eye on regularly.

It is no good saying "if only", because there should be no excuse when it comes to being able to do the things you want to do. Just go ahead and do it!

I want to be a Mac!

2010-04-27T15:25:00.002+10:00

Just found this link on a friends blog.

I found myself getting more and more jealous as the photos went on. Being a PC user my whole life, I have never wanted more than I do now, to switch to Mac.

http://webdesignledger.com/inspiration/a-showcase-of-workstations-thatll-make-you-jealous

My new (old) job...

2010-04-22T11:50:00.002+10:00

So it's official. I was successful in my endeavour to retain my current position at work.

On Thursday night last week, the panic started to seep in along with the first signs that I was coming down with a head cold. By Friday morning (the day of my interview), the only thing I could think about was how awful I felt, which was a tad better than thinking about the impending interview and working myself up about it.

After getting myself as high as I could off Sudafed and nasal spray, I mustered all the confidence I could and marched into the interview room to take on the hard ball questions I would surely have to endure.

In the end, it wasn't too bad. I came away feeling (very clogged) confident that I had blitzed the interview, and excited the interview room with a sense of pride which may have been a side effect of the drugs I had taken.

In the end, I did apparently do quite well in the interview, for Tuesday rolled around and I was congratulated with a hand shake and a "well done" as my appointment to the permanent position was signed by my Director.

Oh what a relief...

Flavour of the month

2010-04-19T12:49:00.002+10:00

So the flavour of the month for me would have to be Hip Hop. For some reason or another, I can't get enough of it...

I have stumbled across some great tracks recently and it appears to me that the quality in the latest Hip Hop tracks has grown exponentially... Don't get me wrong, nothing beats the good old school hip hop from back in the N.W.A. days, but there just seems to be so many great hip hop songs being released lately (well, according to my own personal view of course).

Here is a list of a few songs that are currently on repeat on my iPod (metophorically speaking):

- Drop the World - Lil Wayne featuring Eminem
- Forever - Drake fearuring Kanye West, Lil Wayne and Eminem
- Pass Out - Tinie Tempah
- Opposite of Adults - Chiddy Bang
- Beamer, Benz or Bentley - Lloyd Banks
- My Life - The Game featuring Lil Wayne
- Run This Town - Jay-Z featuring Kanye West and Rihanna

I can't help but feel as though I'm turning into a wigga...

Can they bounce back?

2010-04-07T19:00:00.002+10:00

A lot of people are writing off the Broncos this early in the season. I can't bring myself to do that! I think they can still make it!

The monotony of an average, everyday life...

2010-04-07T11:10:00.003+10:00

Is there truly anyone who enjoys the monotony of an average, everyday life? If there is, I would very much like to meet them.

I am currently sitting in my 2x2 metre work cubicle undertaking my normal daily duties, when it dawned on me that I did the same thing yesterday... and last week... and last month. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate my job. I do enjoy it when there isn't any stressful situations that I have to deal with, and I find that I am constantly learning new things.

But... when it comes down to it, it is just a normal, average, everyday life that sometimes lacks spark. You find yourself becoming accustomed to a daily routine and grind. One that you could undertake with your eyes closed if you needed to. For me, it goes a little like so:

MONDAY:
Wake up, have breakfast, get ready for work and drive to the train station.
Catch the train to work.
Start work at 8am and fulfil my daily duties there.
Have lunch from 12:30 - 1:00pm.
Finish work at 4:45pm and head off to the train station.
Catch the train back to the car.
Drive home.
Have dinner, contribute to conversation with my wife about our respective days at work.
Unwind with a little TV, and then go to bed.

TUESDAY:
Wake up, have breakfast, get ready for work and drive to the train station.
Catch the train to work.
Start work at 8am and fulfil my daily duties there.
Have lunch from 12:30 - 1:00pm.
Finish work at 4:45pm and head off to the train station.
Catch the train back to the car.
Drive home.
Have dinner, contribute to conversation with my wife about our respective days at work.
Unwind with a little TV, and then go to bed.

WEDNESDAY:
Wake up, have breakfast, get ready for work and drive to the train station.
Catch the train to work.
Start work at 8am and fulfil my daily duties there.
Have lunch from 12:30 - 1:00pm.
Finish work at 4:45pm and head off to the train station.
Catch the train back to the car.
Drive home.
Have dinner, contribute to conversation with my wife about our respective days at work.
Unwind with a little TV, and then go to bed.

Do you see a pattern starting to emerge here...

What if life didn't have to be this predictable...

The Easter long weekend for me, was a small taste of what life could be like, if I didn't have to work. Sleeping in on Mondays, BBQing late on Sundays with plenty of beers and company to last into the wee hours of the morning...

I've heard plenty of people say "I have to work... if I didn't, I'd be bored. What else would I do?". And my response to that is that your looking at it with a poor man's mindset. What could you NOT do? Just this weekend, I had everyday planned out, with plenty of things to see and/or do. Did I get around to doing it all? Absolutely not, I don't think I would have achieved even half of what I set out to do.

I fear I may come across as 'having a whinge', but all I am really trying to do is to think what life would be like outside the daily grind... outside the monotony of an average, everyday life.

If you had all the time and all the money you could ever want/need (as they are 2 different things entirely), what would you be doing with your life? Would you travel... 2 6mnth holidays every year... would you find a new passion you never new existed within you, like hot air ballooning or race car driving... would you spend your time volunteering at charities... would you go house and car hunting for your dream house and car... would you buy a new motorcycle and go on a bike tour of Australia... would you go to the US and get tattooed by someone famous (this is absolutely one dream that I have!!!)... you may choose to still work, but you may have a dream job... what is that dream job you've always wanted?

I truly believe everyone wants something different to what they've got... If your broke you want to be rich. If your a millionaire you want to be a multi millionaire.

I could spend all day writing about what I want.... but what do you want?

Expanding the Family

2010-03-31T19:15:00.002+10:00

We have been doing a lot of thinking lately about the possibility of expanding our little family... It's not a decision to take lightly and we have talked at length about he pros and cons of the decision. It is something that I have wanted to do for a while now and everytime we visit the local shopping center, I think about it even more.

It would be great to give Jack a little brother or sister who would come with an abundance of energy that would more than likely frustrate and annoy him then make him happy. But it would, above all else, give Jack a playmate and companion that he could spend endless days baking in the sun with, or tussling in the yard over the 2 week old bone that they just recently rediscovered, or cuddling up together when they eventually tire and turn in for a nap.

Just in case you haven't guessed already, I am talking about getting a new puppy.

Jack, our faithful yet sometime grumpy old Shi Tzu (he is 10 y.o. in human years... so he is practically an old man) has been our pride and joy for the past 4 years after we adopted him from my wife's parents. Our local resident dog version of Harry Houdini, he dared and succeeded many a time at escaping from my parent-in-law's yard (along with ours on occasions), and I feel it is time to give him some companionship of his own kind.

We have been hesitant about bringing home a new puppy in the past, for many reason...
- Is it risky leaving a new puppy at home by themselves all day?
- What will we do when we go on holidays or away for the weekend... we don't like boarding kennels, and my parents can only look after so many dogs, will another one be welcomed?
- Is it really the right time for a puppy?????

I feel as though, however, that it could be close to being the right time to introduce a new member to our family, to make it 2 humans, 1 cat, a dog and a puppy... Sounds perfect don't you think...

One of the biggest factors that has come into making this decision, is the fact that Renee now works from home. You couldn't ask for a better environment to bring a new puppy into, with someone home all day to keep an eye on it, house train it and make sure it's settling in to the every day routine of our lives...

So why not now? You may just find a new post coming soon showing off our new little bundle of joy... but then again, you may not.

"I've made it!"

2010-03-22T12:55:00.002+10:00

I had a question posed to me the other day...

"How do you know you've made it?"

In other words, at what point in your life, do you look at yourself and taking into consideration all that you've done, acheived, own, accomplished... and say "You know what... I've made it!"

It really gets you thinking.

There is a lot I want to achieve and accomplish in my life, as well as a lot of things I want to experience and own. And there is probably a lot more I want that I just don't know about yet. But at what point do you stop and just take it all in, and come to the conclusion that you have indeed "Made it", whatever "Made it" means...

I have a list of dream (or goals) that I want to accomplish that keeps growing everytime I look at it, that vary from short term dreams and goals, to very long term dreams and goals. I've often heard speakers say to write down a list of 100 dreams and goals that you want to accomplish in your lifetime... and with the right vehicle and attitude, chase them down. At first, writing down 100 dreams or goals seems a little out of the ordinary (and it is) and somewhat difficult, but as you start to expand your thinking, you will find that you want to accomplish a whole lot more than you originally thought. At last count I think my list was up to around 150.

But at what point in crossing off the items on my list, will I consider myself as "Making it"?

I thought on my feet and gave an answer at the time, that I'll know I've made it when I host my very first party on my brand new 60ft yacht... with invitation going out to everyone in my life who matters most to me saying "Just Bring yourself!", 5 star food and everything you could possibly want to drink will be provided...

For an answer to a very difficult question on the spot, I didn't think I went too badly. But who's to say that won't change in the future.

All I know is, I have a lot of dreams and goals that I want to accomplish in my lifetime, and I'm going to do all I can to achieve them...

Glitz and Glamour on the GC!

2010-03-13T20:09:00.002+10:00

We went on holidays this past week. A whole week on the glorious Gold Coast... it was amazing. We had an absolute blast, and it was a great little break from the long days a working week can bring. Below are some shots of our apartment, our pool area and a shot of our hotel complex from the 77th floor of the Q1.

And to top the week off, it was the start of the footy season on Friday... so it was straight to Suncorp Stadium to see the Broncos take on the Cowboys... a perfect way to finish off our mini holiday.

Untitled

2010-02-25T13:02:00.002+10:00

It seemed as though it was only just yesterday when I needed to apply for the job that I had been doing for the past 3 years. And after finally being permanently appointed to that position, it took only a matter of months before I needed to step up into my current role after the previous holder of the position left to settle into retirement.

As a result, I now find myself having to put myself through the same process again, in the hope of retaining my current position of 8 months (or so).

My application has been finished along with a resume and covering letter and has been sent through to the vacancy processing officer for... well... processing. Before me now is that painful wait before you find out it you have been successful in getting an interview for the role.

It should be okay though, despite that niggling feeling at the back of your mind that puts doubt on if you will be successful, I am feeling pretty positive.

On a completely different matter, in one of my previous posts I wrote about how 3 friends and I participated in the photo shoot for the new Broncos advertising campaign. Well, it appears to have paid off.

Recently I picked up a copy of the 2010 NRL Season Guide from the newsagency, and on flicking through the pages I stumbled across one of the ads that are being used. Who can you see in the top left hand corner... well Renee, Anita and myself, that's who.

It is actually quite funny seeing ourselves in the ad... and are all currently joking about how were now "World" famous in Australia and New Zealand!

It's all in good fun...

I know I said I wouldn't...

2010-02-18T20:20:00.003+10:00

I know I said I wouldn't blog about sneakers and useless things alike in this new blog, but I'm so excited about my latest purchase that I just had to share it... Check out the new sneaks!

Socialnomics

2010-02-08T15:17:00.002+10:00

We had the Team Mak Summer Conference on this weekend. It was absolutely INCREDIBLE!

One of the big themes of the weekend was "Socialnomics (www.socialnomics.com)", which is basically how social media has transformed the way we live in today's society. There were so many facts that were just incredible... and to think back 5, even 10 years ago, you would have laughed if someone told you that one of the biggest communication tools of the future would be called "Twitter".

The main speaker at the event, Dean Kosage, had a wealth of knowledge on the subject, and had everyone on the edges of their seat. It was such a positive and influential weekend... and one that keep the 'Dream' alive inside me.

I got brass knuckles hanging from my neck and my chain

2010-02-01T19:19:00.001+10:00

Aussie Day 2010

2010-01-27T17:47:00.002+10:00

Australia day has come and gone again for another year. The day where it's all about catching up with mates over a few beers, BBQ's and shooting the shit. We have always had a good time on Australia Day, and what better day than that is there to celebrate everything Australian.

To add to the excitement of Australia Day this year, I found out sometime last week that our good friend Rhino would be host to the first ever Australia Day Beer Pong Tournament. I had never played Beer Pong before, and after getting up to speed on the rules, I blitzed the field and made it through 3 rounds to the Grand Final. I choked however, crumbling under the pressure of being number 1, and lost in the final round.

Not to worry though, there is always next time... and I plan on getting in plenty of practice before then.

Wine Time

2010-01-21T15:16:00.002+10:00

The sub heading of my blog is "My attempt to keep track of the ups-and-downs of life as I know it and everything in between".

Well, I can say this about the ups-and-downs of my life...

Ups: Wine is delicious, and when you find such a vibrant red from a region that produces the perfect grape, it's hard to say no to 'just one more glass'...

Downs: Drinking copious amounts of that wine you've only just discovered as being almost the perfect balance between a Shiraz and a Merlot on a Sunday night before work...

Why should you expect anything else than the worlds worst red wine hangover that may very well end up killing you on your way to work.

Now that I'm going to be famous...

2010-01-13T18:57:00.002+10:00

So there were 4 of us with season member passes to the Brisbane Broncos last year... and what a year it was. The Broncos showed us exactly why they are such a superstar team, and even new coach Ivan stepped up to the plate, coming THIS close to a grand final his first year of coaching.

We have all renewed our memberships for next season, with a couple of newbies who wanted to join us on the roller coaster ride that is the NRL... but the one thing we were all excited about, was when we received an email from the Broncos which said...

WE WANT YOU to help the Broncos in their 2010 advertising campaign. Send your photo and phone number, and you could be chosen to help the Broncos in their "Hold on to your seat" campaign.

The call came, and we answered. We sent them our photo, and we got the call today letting us know that we had been chosen to participate in the photo shoot for the 2010 advertising campaign, and that our faces, could be on billboards all throughout Brisbane.

There was a sentence in there about that because they are trying to create a crowd like atmosphere, you may not be distinguishable in the photos... so don't be disappointed...

But forget about that, we could be famous (kind of)... We are all very excited.

Is it worth it? It might very well be...

2010-01-12T12:26:00.004+10:00

I have come to the conclusion that my blog may be a little dull. I often visit the 'Blogs of Note' page and try to sample the whole range of eclectic blogs on offer, and the one thing I find they hold over my own blog, is that they are interesting to read (most of the time).

I have always thought what it would be like to have a blog worthy enough to be listed in the 'Blogs of Note' page... would it offer people an interesting enough view of life through my own eyes? Would my personal experiences give others a true sense of who I am, and what I believe to be true? Would it inspire others?

I don't know the answer to those questions, but the one thing I do know, is to be true to me in this blog, and even if it lacks the razzle and dazzle it takes to become a "Blog of Note", I will still be able to take pride in the fact that I can look back over my blog in years to come, and remember the good times and the bad times that make me who I am. I can also use it as a sort of "Memento" look into my life for my future children, and their children to read, and have an insight that in the past they might not have had, into my life.

I often wonder what is worth writing about, and sharing for the whole world to see (if they wish). Is it interesting to know that for New Years Eve 2009, I spent time with those who are closest to me (friends and family) at a special Hawaiin Lu'au party... where we drank cocktails, danced and played in the pool untill we started the countdown to that special time on the clock that everyone in the world waits for. Or is it interesting to find out about the terrible hangover I had the next day, brought on by what one would suspect was too many tequila shots, too many cocktails, and exorbitant amounts of beer.

Or perhaps my camping trip is the most exciting event of the past month, where my brother and his fiancé Anita, my wife Renee and I hit the road for Mount Tamborine for 3 nights and 4 days of relaxation and care free camping. After leaving home on what appeared to be beautiful day, we would end up setting our tent up in the rain. The rain didn't last though, and soon dissapated not too long after lunch.

Whilst camping we visited the 'Gallery Walk' and went shopping ... participated in some wine tasting at 10am, and then appeared to buy the winery out of house and home ... went swimming ... had a beautiful dinner at the one and only restaurant in the camping grounds ... braved the showers ... made a fire ... ate peanut butter M&Ms ... got slightly intoxicated ... went for a walk up the creek ... drank our first beer one day at 9am ... endured a thunder storm ... played 'Rude' scrabble ... had 'Story Time' when it was raining outside ... took close up photos a little too close ... and cooked for the first time on Anita's portable camp stove.

Everytime I write about something in this forum, I always enjoy it. But looking back on some of my older posts I can see that perhaps they may be just that little bit lacking in life. I guess it really doesn't matter what I write about, or how often I write... the moment I stop enojoying my blog is the moment it will become a chore to keep it up to date. I think, as long as I am writing for me, and as long as I continue to enjoy my writing (regardless of how bad it is), it doesn't matter if I have 1 or 100 people reading my blog... Those who do read it are hopefully enjoying it. I know, that for the moment at least, that I am still enjoying this blog, and if or when the day comes that my blog may be nominated under the 'Blogs of Note' tag, I will embrace it as an accomplishment that was, at the time, well deserved.

Monday afternoon catch-up!

2009-12-21T12:15:00.002+10:00

A lot has happened since my last visit to the world of blogging. So much in fact, that I could probably write a book about it. I thought, however, instead of writing a lengthy post with detailed versions of all the things I've done over the past month or so, that I would write a list of all things worthy of mentioning that have taken up my time. Here it goes:

Went to my work christmas party. Drank lot's of beer. Went swimming and lost a swim race.

Saw DJ Havana Brown play at BDC. Danced into the night.

Went to training and lost 900g of fat after eating and drinking too much the previous night. Felt happy about that.

Caught the train to work. Caught the train home from work. Did this several times.

Went to Chermside Shopping Centre. Bought some Christmas presents.

Had Sushi Train for lunch with my wife. Yummm.

Went to Townsville for the first time in my life. Stayed at 'Aquarius on the Beach'. Enjoyed the trip.

Flew QANTAS for the first time.

Laughed through 'Two and a Half Men' on the plane on the way home.

Wrapped Christmas presents.

Watched 'The Hangover', 'The Proposal' and 'G.I. Joe'. Loved the first 2.

Went to training, put on 400g of fat. Felt dissapointed for a second.

Went to my family Christmas dinner. Ate and drank too much again. Thought about training.

Unwrapped a christmas present. Got a Broncos clock, beach towell and a WOW voucher.

Bought the movie 'Marley and Me'.

Watched the movie ' Marley and Me'.

Got the idea for this list from the movie 'Marley and Me'.

Bought my wife a Christmas present. Gave my wife her Christmas present.

Wife's Christmas present was broken. Need to go back to get a refund.

Caught the train to work, caught up on some old work, checked my email's, had lunch, and now I'm writing this post.

The end... for now.

Friday shapes up...

2009-12-09T21:26:00.002+10:00

Friday is shaping up to be a pretty great day...

The silly season is upon us, and that means Christmas parties galore... excessive alcohol intake, over-eating, family BBQ's on hot days, swimming at the beach and summer storms.

This Friday is my works Christmas Party. In the past, since I can remember, we have always gone to a restaurant or pub for a good meal and drinks, and for those who wished to, partied on into the evening somewhere in the city or Fortitude Valley. This year however, we are having a pool side BBQ, with cold beers, fresh salads and the obligatory work secret Santa gift giving.

I am really looking forward to our Christmas party this year, more than likely because it's something we've not really done for work before.

Friday is also exciting for another reason. Recently at the Britney Spears gig, we say one incredible DJ by the name of Dj Havana Brown. She is Australia's number 1 female R&B DJ, and she is playing at Redcliffe this Friday night.

This girl is one incredible DJ, and was one of the highlights at the Britney Spears gig. We can't wait to see her again this Friday night, and get our groove on to all the latest hip hop and R&B tracks.

The big thing for me is let's hope I drink enough to give me the courage to get up and dance, but not so much that I'm passed out on the floor...

My date with Britney... and other things...

2009-11-30T20:30:00.004+10:00

I had a date with Britney Spears last week. Well, not an actual date, but an evening with her none the less. My wife and I saw her live as part of her Circus World Tour. Another artist I can officially cross off my list of 'seen live in concert', despite the fact that Britney is... well... not quite live.

The concert itself, I thought was very entertaining. She performed well, even though she was a little stiff on some of her dance moves. She didn't interact with the crowd much, but she performed to all her greatest hits including 'Hit me baby, one more time', 'If you seek amy' and 'Piece of me'.

In other news, one of the couples I know recently got married in Italy, and I thought that I might just give a shout out to them. The photos are absolutely amazing, and it looks as though they had the time of their lives over there.

http://josevillablog.com/2009/11/renee-and-chris-tuscany/

Don't let your story go untold?

2009-11-24T12:02:00.002+10:00

If you were to die today, would your story go untold?

That was the question that was put to me one day, by a young Sydney-based speaker, social researcher and business owner.

He told the story of how he had given his father a gift one fathers day, a notebook, filled with a list of questions he wished his father to answer about his life, asking him to write down stories and experiences that don't often come up in day to day conversations. It wasn't until 14 months later, when his father passed away, that he found the notebook again, filled with all the answers to the questions he had written.

It was then, that he realised there was much he did not know about his father, and his life.

This may sound like the plot to a good movie, but it is a true story. This experience led the young public speaker to create a book called "Memento - The gift of a lifetime by Michael McQueen" (http://www.mementobook.com/). Memento is a gift book featuring 130 questions designed to help parents and grandparents reflect on and record their stories, memories and experiences to pass on as a legacy of wisdom to the next generation.

My wife and I do not have a family yet, but in an attempt to put down my memories on paper before I forget them, I have started to answer the questions contained within the pages of the Memento book. I know we will have a family soon, and I want my children to be able to have access to those memories and stories. And in many years to come, they will be able to share those memories with their children, and their children's children.

I have only just brushed the surface of answering these questions, but in doing so it has brought back some incredible memories of my life so far, that I thought were all but forgotten.

New Ink

2009-11-11T12:15:00.002+10:00

This week has been a good week for me, especially because of the excitement I have for this coming weekend. I am booked in on Saturday morning, 9:30am for my new tattoo, and I can't wait.

I am getting my new ink at award winning studio Vision Skin Tattoo (www.visionskin.com.au), at Strathpine. They have years of experience, and I couldn't ask for a better shop to be adorning my skin with some new art.

What am I getting I hear you ask? Well, you shall soon find out. I will post a photo of the final product once it's finished. This will be tattoo number 5, with many more to come down the track.

Positive People

2009-11-02T09:19:00.002+10:00

Went to Sydney on the weekend. We flew down from Brisbane Airport on Friday night, landing in Sydney at about 9:30pm. From there, it was straight to our room to dump our bags, and out to the pub for a beer to celebrate the weekend ahead.

Saturday was one of the best conferences I think I've ever been to. The atmosphere was electric, and the positivity coming from everyone was hard to escape. It is a great feeling being surrounded by so many wonderful and positive people. It rubs off on you, regardless of how bad your day has been.

The conference itself was an all day event, starting at 10am and finishing at 11pm. It had some of the best speakers and entertainment there has been at one of these conferences in a long, long time. Some of the speaking highlights including a couple of great Australian athletes, Libby Trickett and Adam Gilchrist.

It is sometimes hard to find sleep after such an awesome day, but with both Renee and I remembering we had a flight to catch at 6am, and needed to leave the hotel at 4:30am, we slept fast.

Despite being a whirlwind tour of Sydney, we both had a blast, and can't wait to go back and visit when were not on such a strict timetable. And most importantly, we are both looking forward to the next major conference, wherever it may be held.

Thought for today

2009-10-27T10:12:00.001+10:00

However rare true love is,

true friendship is rarer.

-- La Rochefoucauld

Our day out at South Bank

2009-10-19T19:25:00.006+10:00

On Friday the 9th we spent a night out at Aria restaurant. On Saturday the 17th we spent a day out at South Bank. We had lunch and a beer at the 'Plough Inn', and then went for a stroll through the markets. It was a beautifull day, and great to get out and about, soaking up the sunshine and enjoying some good vitamin C.

We then jumped aboard the 'Wheel of Brisbane' and got a bird's eye view of Brisbane City. As you can see from the photos below, it was a fantastic experience, and a great way to finish the day.

It's our anniversary on Wednesday, and next weekend should be equally as great as the last 2 have been. 3 years married and still strong. It's still early days yet, but it's going to be great to celebrate the years to come.

Why P!nk is the best.

2009-10-15T20:25:00.003+10:00

58 sold out shows across Australia, more than 600,000 fans came to watch, and 2 number 1 albums in a row. It is safe to say, that Australia loves P!nk. And is it any wonder!

P!nks of Australia, and the love that Australia has for P!nk has obviously had an impact with her new DVD 'Funhouse Tour - Live in Australia' being just released.

We went to see her perform on this tour, and it was phenomenal! Probably the best concert of this decade, and now we can relive it as often as we want. Renee and I have now see P!nk twice live in concert, and both times we have walked away wanting more.

P!nk, you can officially call Australia your home, as I think we have now officially crowned you an honorary Aussie.

My night at Aria

2009-10-11T18:16:00.003+10:00

My wife and I celebrate our 3rd wedding anniversary this month, and to celebrate, we are doing something special together every weekend this month. Friday the 9th, to celebrate, I took Renee to our first real 'Fine Dining' experience at Matt Moran's Aria restaurant, along the Eagle Street Pier in Brisbane city.

The food was absolutely amazing, as you can see by the photos above. They are the exact meals we had, Renee having roasted lamb rack with cumin spiced neck, labna and eggplant, and myself having slow cooked daube with beetroot puree, horseradish, pistachio and orange crumble.

We have never experienced food like this before, it was absolutely delicious. It looked too good to eat off the plate, but once you dug in, you just couldn't put down your knife and fork. The service was amazing, the atmosphere was romantic, and if I could say one thing to anyone who is thinking of going for dinner there, it's "GO NOW, you will not regret it!"

After dinner, we went to QPAC, to the Playhouse to see Bangarra Dance Theatre's show 'Fire'. They are an indigenous dance troupe, and this show was a showcase of all the shows they have done since their beginning. It was a fantastic show, and a great way to end the night.

I am looking forward to next weekend, and what it is we decide to do then.

God was on her side...

2009-10-05T11:04:00.002+10:00

Friday night rolled around, and by all appearances it looked as though the weekend was turning into the quiet relaxing weekend my wife Renee and I had planned. Our PT session first thing Saturday morning, followed by a day and night of movies and popcorn, and finishing off with the NRL Grand Final on Sunday afternoon with a couple of beers and some meat on the BBQ.

It all went awry just after lunchtime on Saturday.

Renee's little sister Talia had been in a car accident and was in emergency at the Royal Brisbane Hospital.

It was quite a surreal feeling at first, and to make it worse, we didn't really know anything because the nurses/doctors weren't letting anyone in to see her, or giving Renee's parents any updates.

After spending hours in the waiting room of emergency, Renee and I finally got in to see her, and just comforted her while the nurses came and went, monitoring her progress.

Talia made it out of emergency that night, and is now spending time in one of the hospital wards. Her injuries from the accident included a punctured lung, 3 broken ribs and a lot of scratches and bruises. She is recoving however, and is in high spirits most of the time.

After finding out more details on the accident, it is clear that God was looking after her that day.

It's not my party, but i'll still cry if I want to.

2009-09-28T10:20:00.002+10:00

Saturday night was the night that was to host Nita and Sion's engagement party. And despite the dust storm from wednesday causing a slight nuisance, and the threat of another dust storm looming for that night, the party went ahead successfully.

Many beers later, and after plenty of good food, come 1am Sunday morning those who were left ended up inside playing Guitar Hero. The perfect way to cap off a great night.

"What's this about crying?", I hear you ask. Well... the only bad news to come out of the night was the devastating loss the Brisbane Broncos suffered at the hands of the Melbourne Storm, thus knocking them out of contention for this years 'Grand Final'.

That's 2 years in a row Melbourne. There won't be a third!

A little something I threw together...

2009-09-17T19:08:00.002+10:00

Just a little something I threw together. It's nothing special, but I think it suits for the kind of night my wife and I are trying to create. I really enjoy doing light graphics work every now and again.

Father Day

2009-09-07T12:35:00.000+10:00

It was 'Fathers Day' yesterday, and to all the fathers out there, I hope you got spoiled.

What I did:
I took my old man to the very last fixture game of the 2009 NRL Premiership, the mighty Brisbane Broncos versus the green machine Canberra Raiders.

It was the last game before the finals series, and one we needed to win if we wanted to play the Gold Coast Titans at Skilled Park this coming weekend. After a first half over-powered by poor refereeing, we came back in the second half and held out the Raiders in a gritty performance that resulted in a 22 - 10 win for us, and our 4th win in a row.

It was a great game to go and spend some time with dad, and I know he enjoyed it as much as I did.

Muster Wrap Up

2009-09-02T13:14:00.000+10:00

So Muster has come and gone for another year. We've dusted off our shoes, washed our clothes, scrubbed ourselves clean and put the old Akubra away for another year.

This was my 6th year (well, almost... we got rained out one year but that's a whole other story) going to the National Music Muster. 6 years. It is the one even that we honestly look forward to every year. It's the one event that we attend, where there's no pressure to do anything. You can just sit back and relax the whole weekend, and no-one one would think you looked out of place.

I did however, learn one important lesson this year. Do not drink alcohol as though it's water in 30 degree heat whilst attempting to assemble a brand new tent. If you do, be prepared for your body to severely neglect you the next day, just as you neglected it.

And with that lesson learnt, it's bye to Gympie for now, and we will see you again next year, for more music, more beers, and more great times.

Ciphering

2009-08-24T09:11:00.000+10:00

My wife and I will celebrate our 3rd wedding anniversary in October. 3 years. I can't believe it has been 3 years since we got married. It seems like just yesterday when I think about it. Before I know it, my brother will be getting married...

So, I've got a few ideas swimming around inside my head for what I want to plan, and I am currently putting into action a couple of these ideas. To do this however, I have been sneakily stealing money from our account to pay for my surprise. Below is loosely how the conversation went when Renee found out I was sneaking money into my back pockets:

Renee: "Your ciphering money aren't you!"

Me: "Do you even know what ciphering means?"

R: "Yes, it means stealing it without me knowing."

M: "I think if you look in the dictionary ciphering has something to do with symbols."

R: "I know what ciphering is, and you're ciphering money!"

M: *laughing* "Ok, you caught me out, I'm ciphering money."

R: "I knew it!"

I know Renee will probably read this, but I couldn't stop myself from laughing when she thought I was ciphering money.

It will all be worth it though.

Sorry...

2009-08-17T12:57:00.000+10:00

I have been somewhat neglectful toward my blog of late... It's tough, because I really do enjoy blogging/writing, about not only my life but anything that takes me interest. And it's a real thrill publishing my thoughts out into the public domain for everyone to read and draw their own conclusions on. But of late, I have been lazy...

To say i've been too busy is a cop out, and I know this. But that is the excuse that I wanted to use for not posting anything for a few weeks. There is always time to spare, regardless of how busy a person is.

So from today, I am going to make a conscious effort to start blogging more, and to start enjoying my blog more than I have in the past couple of months.

No rest for the wicked...

2009-07-31T12:36:00.002+10:00

I feel as though i've done so much lately, and I really want to blog about it all, but despite how busy I have felt over these past couple of weeks, I can't find too many words to fill a decent sized post.

The second week in my new job is about to come to a close, and looking back over those past 2 weeks, I can't remember any time in my working life where I have felt that busy. It has been a non-stop rollercoaster ride, and surprisingly, I have immensely enjoyed it. I feel as though I have learned a hell of a lot over these past 2 weeks, and will continue to learn for as far as I can see into the future. This new role for me has been a huge challenge, but one that I feel I have tackled head on.

It will be interesting to see what the future brings for me in this new role.

As touched on in my last post, I also had the engagement of my brother happen in these past 2 weeks. The event has not been properly celebrated yet, with the engagement party still to come.

And lastly, Muster. It's that time of the year again. It's finally the end of July, and into August we go... Muster Month. Got out your boots, your cowboy hats and crack out your whips, cause were all coming to Gympie. Where the sun is warm, the beer is cold and the mateship is everlasting. The yearly Gympie Country Music Muster is nearly here, and I can't wait. There are a lot of great acts lining up for the gig this year, like Kasey Chambers, Adam Harvey, Travis Collins, Shane Nicholson, Troy Casser-Daley, Shannon Noll, and the 2 token rock acts being Evermore and Kisschasy.

It's going to be a great weekend.

Congratulations

2009-07-26T16:01:00.003+10:00

So much has happened over the past couple of days, I feel as though I shouldn't be using 1 blog post to write about it all. However, I will attempt to give each moment it's time in the spotlight with this post.

Firstly, Saturday night I went and saw P!nk do what she does best at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre in Boondall. And she rocked the house. We saw her perform live when she came out on the "I'm Not Dead Tour", and on our way to this gig where wondering how she could top it. And she did. It was a sensational show.

The massive news over the last few days however, and the reason for the title of this post, is that my brother got engaged on Friday.

It all started when Renee and I were organising NYE last year, and I was doing my best to convince my brother to come. "You will have an awesome time...". And glad he was that I persuaded him to come along to our NYE celebrations, as that is when the ground work for his relationship with our good friend Nita began.

The next couple of days after that NYE, they had become an "Item", for want of a better word.

Now I work with Nita, and Friday morning last week, she came into work and dropped the bombshell that we were expecting eventually. "WHAT IS THAT!!!" I think my response was after she dangled the brand new diamond engagement ring in front of me, but after the initial shock wore off, congratulation were offered all round.

Of course, the day would not have been complete after the obligatory champagne was consumed.

So a big shout out to my brother and his now fiance, they are a great couple and I can't wait for the wedding.

Best wishes and all our love for you both.

A change is as good as a holiday

2009-07-20T12:34:00.002+10:00

It has been a massive couple of days for me recently, but all of it being exciting.

It all started at the beggining of last week, when we (my work unit) acknowledged that it was one of my colleagues last week working with us. At the (still young) age of 61, he was retiring and moving onto bigger and better things. The week wound down, and before we new it Friday was upon us.

We turned the work day into a celebration of his continued loyalty to the unit starting with a light morning tea, and followed by lunch and a few beers. Why was it such a huge day for me? Well for two reasons:

1: I organised most of the day, including the gifts he was presented with at morning tea; and
2: I have been given the task of filling the very large shoes he has left behind.

Today is my first official day in the new role, and I am enjoying it immensely. It is a busy job that keeps you on your toes, never leaves you with a dull moment, and is a challenge I am tackling with as much enthusiasm as I can muster. I am excited about the new challenges that await me in this role, and at the same time hopefull that I can give justice to Steve and the opportunity he has presented me with.

After the friday, it was off to a weekend long business conference at Jupiters Casino on the Gold Coast. It was a phenomenal weekend, and one that I wished would last for longer than just 2 days. I learnt so much from the speakers who shared their wisdom and knowledge with us over the weekend, and to say that it did not motivate me to get of my arse and do something would be a lie.

I look forward to the next big conference where I can learn further from the experts in the field, but in the meantime, hope that I can take their advice and keep a positive attitude in all aspects of my life.

Nervous Start

2009-07-10T11:06:00.002+10:00

Okay, now I'm pretty sure that there will be a large portion of you out there that are with me on this one, and that is that job interviews make me nervous as hell.

I only just had an interview for a job this morning... and I was shaking... It seems as though it doesn't even matter if you know the people interviewing you, you still get nervous.

The job I interviewed for this morning, is the job I have currently occupied for the last 2 years (give or take). So needless to say, I know how to do the job pretty well, say... like a dairy farmer knows how to milk cows. You've been doing it for so long that it just comes naturally. I also knew, in advance, that the 2 people on the interview panel, are the 2 co-workers I probably spend most time with at work. Taking these 2 pivotal points into consideration, I made an assumption that the interview would be a breeze. NOT SO.

I still got nervous, and as a result produced enough sweat under my arm pits to drown a small child. But why did I get nervous? Is it just something about interviews that mixes with your emotions? It's like your body knows what your getting yourself into, and automatically freaks out.

I did manage to get through the interview however, relatively unscathed. It went quite well actually, and as always is the case, I came out of it thinking "well that wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, why was I so nervous?".

It's now just a short wait untill I get the results from the hour long torture session that is an interview, andI find out if I've still got a job... Fingers crossed.

Parts... Pieces...

2009-07-06T14:30:00.002+10:00

Hi, my name is Kaine and it's been 12 days since my last blog.

NEW OFFICE:
-------------------------
So the big thing in our household at the moment, is the make-over of our home office. Our office was a place to dump ... everything that we didn't have a place for somewhere else. We needed to do something, so we finally bit the bullet and bought some new furniture and upgraded the office.

We swapped all our hand-me-down furniture, which included a computer desk, a makeshift DVD shelving unit, a bookcase and 2 CD units, for a new corner desk and wall unit. We now finally have an office that feels good when were working, reading, computing...

CONCERTS:
-------------------------

We have several concerts that are coming up that we are really excited about. It seems as though this year is the year for some of the best concerts (or shows if you will) to come out to Australia. My wife and I love going to live gigs, and try to get to at least a couple every year. This year, we have great tickets to go and see P!nk and Britney Spears (so far).

There are a few other great artists coming to Australia that we don't have tickets to see, such as Greenday, The All-American Rejects and even Marilyn Manson, and there are sure to be many others to come out that we will go and see.

But for the moment were happy to have the tickets we do. We have both seen P!nk before, but Britney Spears is coming to Australia for the first time ever, and as far as were concerned, its a must see show, if only to see for ourselves the train wreck that was/is Britney Spears.

Memories

2009-06-24T14:07:00.002+10:00

2 weeks has just slipped by since we arrived back in Brisbane from our whirlwind tour of the South Island of New Zealand... and it seems like forever ago we were over there.

I still catch myself daydreaming about our holiday, and remembering some of the great memories I have from those 16 days. Quad Biking in Hanmer Springs, and that amazing Monteith's tasting wheel, the wine tour in Queenstown, and the Shotover Jet, the Restaurant Tram in Christchurch, Punting on the Avon, Burger Night in Haast and watching the sun set in Hokitika... and the girls doing the running man to M.C. Hammer on our last night, every memory makes me smile.

Our next trip will arrive sooner than I think, but in the meantime, I have the memories of the great times I shared with my family in New Zealand to get me through the days...

The silly things we do...

2009-06-15T10:04:00.000+10:00

... like leaving your (practically) brand new iPhone on the roof of your car and driving off without realising what you've done until 30mins and 25kms later. You then check the roof of your car in the slim hope that it hasn't slid off the roof and smashed on the bitumen road at some point during the trip, only to grasp at air.

At that point, you curse yourself (and shed a small tear), and drive back along the same route you took looking frantically to see if you can find your lost iPhone, even though in the back of your mind you know the chance of ever seeing that phone again is about as likely as watching a pig grow wings and fly. You then go back up and down particular parts of your route that morning where you think the phone would have more than likely tumbled from the roof, but alas, it is no-where to be seen.

You then drive into your garage at home, and call your service provider to get your SIM card blocked, and to find out that you didn't have insurance. You then ring your Home and Contents insurance provider to see if your beloved iPhone is covered under that policy. However, they tell you with a grim tone that it in fact isn't and that anything that can be used as a phone is not covered.

It is at this time that you start to cry, and curl up on the couch with a movie for comfort and hope that your best friend has either gone to iPhone heaven, or has found a new owner that is going to take better care of it than you did.

New Zealand - Part 4

2009-06-09T11:05:00.002+10:00

We have finally arrived home. Our last 3 nights in Christchurch were great, and here are the a couple of last snaps of our time there.

The Bridge of Rememberance in Christchurch City.

This photo was taken at the top of the Cathedral Tower in Christchurch City.

We ran across these cute little ducklings just before going punting down the Avon River in Christchurch.

The view from the plane window, simply beautiful.

This trip was amazing, and with great company it made it all that much better. I really hope that the next trip we take is as good as this one was.

New Zealand - Part 3

2009-06-04T16:54:00.003+10:00

We were driving to Hanmer Springs and all of a sudden, up ahead, there was a herd of cows heading straight toward us on the road. It was pretty great to see...

Also on the drive to Hanmer Springs, we passed this paddock which was completely covered in snow. What a sight. The first time seeing snow for 2 of us.

In Hanmer Springs we went to a Monteiths pub, and we really wanted to try all the different beers the had on offer. So, we got 2 tasting wheels, which had each different beer Monteiths had to offer... what a great idea.

Kaikoura beach... no sand, just rocks, but beautiful none the less...

New Zealand - Part 2

2009-06-01T16:11:00.002+10:00

The sun setting over Hokitika Beach.

Franz Josef ice glacier. We also stopped at the Fox Glacier which was much the same, but still impressive.

Grapes at Chard Farm winery in the Central Otago Wine District just outside of Queenstown.

Wine barrels at Gibbston Valley Winery, Central Otago Wine District.

New Zealand - Part 1

2009-05-27T17:04:00.003+10:00

Instead of writing a story about how much fun were all having in New Zealand, I thought I'd share the times had through a series of pictures. Here is Part 1 of the installment...

The beautiful Lake Takapo... We stayed here for 1 night.

Frost on the way to Milford Sound from Te Anau.

Snowy mountains are a common sight on the South Island in New Zealand. These ones were on the way back from Milford Sound.

Gore, the capital of country music in New Zealand. And we love our country music.

Just a drizzle

2009-05-21T13:12:00.002+10:00

Well, it certainly has been an interesting couple of days, and a somewhat interesting (nearly) start to our (my wife and I) holidays.

Generally, May doesn't get too much rain fall, as that typically happens in the summer months. But yesterday, it was reported that it had been the wetest day in 17 years for Brisbane and its surrounding suburbs. What a record, considering just 4 days ago we were officially in a drought, and now, we are officially not in a drought any more...

Thanks to my cheap (but trusty) $10 rain guage, the official rain fall for our back yard from May 18 through to May 21 is 310.5mm. Now, that is as accurate as a $10 rain guage can get, but none-the-less, that is an impressive amount of rain fall over such a short period of time.

We are heading off to the airport on Saturday with my brother and his girlfriend for a holiday to New Zealand, which we have been planning for months now. My brother Sion and I will be heading over for our 3rd visit to the land of plenty-of-sheep, Nita will strike up her 2nd visit, and my wife Renee will be making her inaugural trip to see what all the fuss is about. Queenstown, Quad Biking in Hanmer Springs and a full day Wine Tour are what seems like turning out to be the highlights of our trip, but there will be no doubt that we will all enjoy the whole trip and make the most of it while were over there.

Story Time

2009-05-18T11:52:00.000+10:00

I seem to have re-discovered a love for reading again.

If you would have asked me a couple of years ago what the last book I read was, I probably couldn't answer you. In fact, about the only thing I did read were magazines and the occasional news article online during my lunch break at work. It seems though, that I love nothing more than to lose myself in a good book.

I just started my most recent purchase over the weekend, Let The Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist, and only 3 or 4 chapters in I'm already finding it hard to put down. But with reviews such as "One of the creepiest and most imaginative horror stories of the decade." from the Herald Sun, I'm not too surprised that I'm finding it hard to stop reading.

My vice for a long time was DVDs (or movies if you wish). If I could grab a bargain DVD, it almost didn't matter if I liked the movie or not, I would hand over the cash and leave the store a happy man. My love for movies has not waned, but I now find myself with that same insatiable desire I had for DVDs, for books, and instead of frequenting the DVD stores around town, it's the book stores that are now getting my attention. I am always on the lookout for a bargain book, and now, I would hate to think that I might miss the yearly Lifeline Bookfest event.

I love how a good book can challenge your thinking, expand your mind, entertain you, shock you... it's like I have an empty tank that is waiting to be filled with the workds from the books I read, but no matter how many novels I inhale, the tank never reaches it's limit. Stephen King, Jodi Picoult, Stephenie Meyer, Robin Hobb and Jeffery Deaver among many others have all done their part in helping to fill that tank, but the more I read, the bigger my tank gets.

I have always admired people who write the stories that fill the pages of a good book, and have always had a great appreciation for how they constantly think up new ideas/characters/stories to turn into a novel for everyone who takes the time to appreciate. It has always been a dream of mine to write a book one day, but I never thought I could. I doubted my creativity and ability to expand on a story and turn it into a full length book. That is of course assuming that I ever thought of a story that was good enough to write about in the first instance.

That said however, I would like to hope that one day I do realise this dream of mine, just as others have realised theirs. I've read some great debut novels by people who never considered themselves writers, and thought, if they can do it, there is absolutely no reason why I can't. In the meantime however, I will continue filling my tank with the goodness that comes from the pages of the books I read.

I think I can...

2009-05-15T10:48:00.000+10:00

Whether you think you can

or whether you think you can't,

you're right.

-- Henry Ford

A blog missed

2009-05-12T13:40:00.000+10:00

This is now my second attempt at creating and maintaining a blog that I can be proud of. My first blog (diamond-kab) kept me amused for a while, but I found blogging about sneakers and viral email jokes wasn't the kind of blog I wanted to preserve.

As a result, I deleted my original blog, and took an extended break, until I found that inspiration again that kept me blogging in the first place. My new blog, this blog, is my attempt at keeping track of my life, the ups-and-downs, my observations, and my endeavour to make my life, and those who I care for, better.