Recent Entries

More will be revealed in a month or so but I wanted to note for myself that about 10 minutes ago a life changing event took place!

Probably not but you can watch for it here.

I finally got myself approved for Google Adsense ads. This means there will be content sensitive ads in my newsletters and hopefully I can make a little money out of NetBloke!

Regardsless thanks for reading everyone!

Recently some small problems with me software have stopped me actually sending my newsletters but I am working on a very full-on solution!

Well it looks like Essendon made it over the first hurdle in this years AFL finals, with a nail biting win over Melbourne.

It really was amazing being able to listen to the game over the Internet. Technology never ceases to amaze me.

A three day weekend here. Not a lot to report. Looks like I will be working on the duplex this weekend. Probably take at least Monday off to do something nice with Casey.

Keeping an eye on the AFL finals as well.

Well I have lsitened to the people and the people say they like the new site layout (which currently is only applied to the front page of the site.

So it looks like I will drop the third column and make the site just that little less cluttered.

Hopefully it will lead to more people reading my newsletter and blog!

Thanks for your feedback.

I thought it was time to get rid of some of the clutter on my site. So I fiddled with the CSS layout and got rid of the third column on the right.

Currently this is only applied to the front page of the site. Before I go and change everything else I would like to hear your opinion on how it compares. Try switching back and forth between this page and the front page. That way you can see that there is less to draw your eye away from the content.

Also send your comments via my contact form as for some reason the commenting on this blog is not working.

Your opinion counts as you are the people who visit my site!

Thanks in advance!

Thank you to Scotty B. and the rest of my loyal, humorous and knowledgable subscribers for making my day. Your kind words and feedback from my last issue (which was not really anything that special) was great!

I know NetBloke isn't the biggest and best newsletter on the Internet. I know I have dropped the ball a couple of times and not sent out issues for some time. I know in turn that has lost me a lot of more casual subscribers. However I know that I get a real kick out of the loyal people who stick with the newsletter (and Me) through thick and thin!

Everyone that knows me personally knows I love Coke. I have cut back on my consumption recently and was interested when I got the following email. Of course this is a chain letter of sorts and half of what it says is probably urban myth. The facts and figures are not sourced however it did come signed off with these details:

Kristiana
askkristiana@iglide.net

P.O. Box 305288
FWB,Fl 32547

Personally I take it with a grain of salt. You might get a kick out of it, So read on!

WATER OR COKE?

This is really an eye opener!

We all know that water is important but I've never seen it written down like this before.

WATER

1. 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. (Likely applies to half world population.)

2. In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.

3. Even MILD dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as much as 3%.

4. One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study.

5. Lack of water is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.

6. Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.

7. A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.

8. Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer. Are you drinking the amount of water you should every day?

COKE

1. In many states (in the USA) the highway patrol carries two gallons of Coke in the trunk to remove blood from the highway after a car accident.

2. You can put a T-bone steak in a bowl of coke and it will be gone in two days.

3. To clean a toilet: Pour a can of Coca-Cola into the toilet bowl and let the "real thing" sit for one hour, then flush clean. The citric acid in Coke removes stains from vitreous china.

4. To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers: Rub the bumper with a rumpled-up piece of Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil dipped in Coca-Cola.

5. To clean corrosion from car battery terminals: Pour a can of Coca-Cola over the terminals to bubble away the corrosion.

6. To loosen a rusted bolt: Apply a cloth soaked in Coca-Cola to the rusted bolt for several minutes.

7. To bake a moist ham: Empty a can of Coca-Cola into the baking pan, wrap the ham in aluminum foil, and bake. Thirty minutes before the ham is finished, remove the foil, allowing the drippings to mix with the Coke for sumptuous brown gravy.

8. To remove grease from clothes: Empty a can of coke into a load of greasy clothes, add detergent, and run through a regular cycle. The Coca-Cola will help loosen grease stains. It will also clean road haze from your windshield.

FOR YOUR INFORMATION:

1. The active ingredient in Coke is phosphoric acid. Its pH is 2.8. It will dissolve a nail in about four days. Phosphoric acid also leaches calcium from bones and is a major contributor to the rising increase in osteoporosis.

2. To carry Coca-Cola syrup (the concentrate) the commercial truck must use the Hazardous Material place cards reserved for highly corrosive materials.

3. The distributors of coke have been using it to clean the engines of their trucks for about 20 years!

4. There are 9 teaspoons of sugar in a Classic Coke. There are 9 grams of sugar in a teaspoon. 81 grams of sugar a day for 5 years just about guarantee's you type 2 Diabetes. Who do you know that only drinks just one?


Now the question is, would YOU like a glass of Water or a Coke??

I speak to many Melaleuca customers that tell me they only drink just one. I did too - until I was diagnosed with brittle bones at the age of 38. Just one Diet Pepsi a day surely couldn't hurt anything...could it? Does that remind you of "They wouldn't sell it if it wasn't safe" would they? They would, they can and they do.

Now what will you do? I challenge you! Give up the pop. It's not just coke, most all have the same active ingredient.

Hey everyone! I am back. Bet you didn't even miss me. Some of you thought I had just dropped of the face of the earth as always. Not this time though. I was on a much needed vacation to Australia.

I had a great time and will post all of my adventures when I get caught up with other things.

Glad to see this blog is working again.

Been swapping the site around so I have more control.

Also thanks to the integration of the TypePad service comments are now back on for verified people. In other words non-spammers!

I am now using Moveable Type Version 3.0D.

So far it looks great! I will be able to turn back on comments now thanks to their anti-spam measures.

Argosy Locks Cruise

Experience Music Project

Space Needle

Pike Place Market

Underground Tour

Day trip to Mt Rainier (and maybe Mt Saint Helens)

Woodinville Wineries (Chateau Ste Michelle, Columbia Winery & Silver Lake
Winery)

Breweries (Redhook Brewery and Pyramid Alehouse)

Leavenworth

Spirit of Washington Dinner Train

San Juans Day Trip

Olympics

Casey and some of her family have season tickets to the Paramount Theater in Seattle. Once before when her Mum was sick I was lucky enough to see Mama Mia (The ABBA Musical). Well tonight I have just been informed I am getting to go see Urinetown as her cousin Tonya can not go.

Good things do happen!

Isn't it ironic?

I am going to get bare. I am going to get naked.

I am going to do so with Alanis.

Casey will be there too. Not as kinky as you may think.

There are going to be thousands of people around.

It is like a group thing.

Yes my girlfriend Casey is going to take us to see Alanis Morissette
and the Barenaked Ladies, at the White River Amphitheater.

If this is half as good as when Karissa took me in LA to see them, and where we discovered Guster, it will be extraordinary!

I was going to write an issue of the newsletter today, however I left my hard drive (portable) at the office. I figured the extra stuffing around isn't worth it and I can write an issue Monday instead.

I am looking at a new subscription and list management solution that will make life easier and give me more options for publishing the newsletter.

Making a habit of donating blood. Second time right on schedule!

Maybe you should donate too?

Today was another 5 am start for the Bremerton Armed Forces Day Parade followed by the Poulsbo Viking Fest Parade. It started with a nice cooked breakfast done by the local Rotary Club.

In the first parade we carried Specialist E4 Todd Cory. He had spent 5 years in the military and we figured he was probably about 23 years old. He first served overseas in Germany training in demolition for the 14th Engineering. He then spent 5 months in Kosovo. Recently he was involved in the Iraqi war, until his pickup was blown up. He said if it wasn't for the 4 inch kevlar floor all six occupants would have died. Instead they ended up 30 feet in the air. He said he wanted to be over in Iraqi still doing his job but was still rehabilitating. It really added a human face to the whole Iraq war situation.

On a lighter note we carried Amaree a South Kitsap Junior Miss Court Princess. This was a fun but slow parade. The course wasn't very wide and was crowded so there were no circles to be driven.

Both parades were fun but at the end of the day it is very tiring. Next parade on the list is Shelton.

This is a note to myself more than anything. I want to mark the date.

It is time to get back in the game.

Of course the game could be a number of things.

Perhaps this is my new found energy from working out more intesively and turning the fat to muscle. Healthy mind, healthy body!

Last Saturday I went to my first Detailin' Day for the Puget Sound Miata Club. It was a full day but my car looked brand new after it was all over.

The seats were steam cleaned, engine washed, car washed, floors vacuumed, and most importantly the car was buffed and waxed.

How much did all of this cost? Nothing. Just one of the many benefits of being a member! (NOTE: some elbow grease was required) I just want to know why there wasn't a crew of attractive bikini clad women to wash the cars.

Then I thought I was ready for the parade season. Until the engine stuttered and it was found that I was in need of new leads and a new set of plugs. Not to worry because Detailin' Day is held at Coops Miata! Coop had the parts delivered in minutes and installed by his Rat Pack from the local high school where he teaches shop class.

So now a few days later you would think all would be well?Not entirely. Pulling of the freeway the car sounded like crap. A loose belt. A call in to Coop had me advised to get it out there ASAP and not drop it under "100". Our Coop has a sense of humor!

So in turn Coop replaced the belt, only to find a more dire problem, the Crank Bolt was loose. I had no idea what this meant, until Coop informed me that the engine would basically self-destruct if the bolt fell out. So in the end a bit of money outlayed now saved me headaches and a small fortune.

To boot, I got a nice boot for my convertible top. I owe Coop one for that! Actually the man could be the Guardian Angel of Miata's!

I worked out something last night after a couple of glasses of wine.

I have spent the majority of the past three years on upside down.

Let me explain!

I come from Australia where my head is normally headed towards the South Pole. Now that I am in the USA my head points up towards the North Pole.

Perhaps this explains why life is somewhat wacky and I have needed time to adjust to the Northern Hemisphere.

Or perhaps I should simply not philosophy when drinking!

What an event it was last night. A mariners game that they actually won after 14 innings and a Balk. It actually has most of Seattle including the Mariners confused!

Tomorrow night we are set with box seats. Ain't life grand?

I was lucky enough to go to my first opening day game of Baseball today. The Mariners lost 10 to 5 to the Angels bit it was a fun day and entertaining game.

We had great seats by first base! No foul balls but oh well!

They saw us coming with the parking, the usual free spots were long taken so we ended up paying $40 for a park right near the field. This meant we did not miss the opening pitch.

I took along my friend Dallas after Casey's mum dropped out of convention. This was a bummer as she missed out on BBQ Chicken and a Hot Link (HotDog on fire).

So it was a beautiful day. I paid more for parking than I ever have, while eating the most expensive hotdog ever. However you only live once!

It has been another roller-coaster week here at the Aussie Outpost. Highlights included getting a nice new tenant for the duplex, buying socks at Costco (moreso ogling at the wonderful nonessential items) and getting my satellite service fixed (btw Dish Network are truly amazing). Low points included Eric having surgery, the same old crap, being slotted into second place on a real estate deal (at least it wasn't rejected), and some annoying back pain.

However I have my health and a great girlfriend, family and friends. What else can you ask for?

I did something today I have meant to do but put off for probably 10 years. I donated blood. I am a big wimp and let them know this. Seriously the worst part was the pin prick to test my red blood cell count.

Anyway I went to the local BECU (credit union) who had a mobile blood bank going from the Puget Sound Blood Bank. The volunteers and staff were friendly and professional. They made the experience very uplifting. The cookie lady pointed out that it is not often you can make such a difference to someones life like you do with the gift of blood.

She has a good point. I think it is a shame that out of 500 employees and probably a couple of thousand walk in customers to the Credit Union, the blood bank only expect 35 donors to volunteer. Now there is an interesting thought.

I now no longer have an excuse to donate blood. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't cost me anything but a little time. This is a good thing. I shall be a regular.

I believe I will turn off comments ont he blog until Moveable Type releases their new version that combats blog spammers. I spend way too much time deleting the spam to make it worth while. If you want to comment on something just email me.

Oh what a week it has been. I believe I have gone none stop all week. Also Casey and I stepped up our exercise regime, we added an extra 20-30 minute walk in the morning. Glorious mornings here so they have been nice but it is hard getting in to a new routine.

I have a half done NetBloke issue in progress, yet I am feeling tired and have splitting headache, so I think it can wait until next week.

I have a busy weekend of work and play planned, so I want to make sure I am set to go tomorrow!

Well Casey is already planning ahead for my friend Raymond and his wife Patricia coming to visit us on the Island. She decided to purchase the second last Bocce set that was available at Costco. A bargain was to be had and she could not pass it over. I told her Ray loves to play it (or so he tells his in-laws) and would be a relaxing and fun activity to add to the Bed and Breakfast's repertoire.

Of course Casey has played this before on kayaking trips. Where they found the room to put and lug around this heavy game I do not know! However they did and played it on the beach and modified the rules to play forest Bocce too.

This was a wise investment that should bring many hours of entertainment to us all. If you ever visit the Bed and Breakfast I will challenge you to a game!

Casey and I took Sydney to her first obedience class. Quickly and as expected the tables were turned and the training was for us and not the dog. It was an interesting hour plus class.

Sydney of course won't listen to Casey when I am around so I ended up having to do the training part. Sydney quickly learned to sit, stay and heel on command. However when a little wiener dog got in front of us she became very distracted (or perhaps it was her owner who was showing of her dental floss thing underwear).

Anyway the class was a good learning experience. We are looking forward to the next one!

A week a go I finally made the swap to Satellite. I still have cable for my Internet but that is because there is no other good option in my area. Otherwise I would swap everything from Comcast.

Why did I swap? Firstly because of customer service. Comcast's customer service was appalling 9 times out of 10. Secondly because of cost. I worked out for the same cost I will now be getting double the stations, and better yet they are ones I want!

So far the experience has been great. I received a free PVR which is like TIVO. The reception and features are fantastic!

Really at this point int he game if comcast do not pull up there socks they are going to start seeing people leave on mass. Their arguments on downtime and local channels are simply not true. In fact I do not see how this does not come down to false advertising.

So far my experience with Dish Network Customer Support has been amazing. Hold times once were a little long, but they did warn me of that while I was holding.

Anyway if the experience sours I shall inform you all. I hope not as the next step would be booting TV and renting DVDs instead!

Today is Hayden's 5th Birthday. I got to speak to her on the telephone which was nice. She likes her presents, I got her clothes (2 pairs of boots, t-shirt, jeans) a book on the body, and a packet of Jello. Mum and Dad got her a Scooby Doo leap pad book along with a pink dress and sweater.

She told me about her school and how she was having a pink cake today. She also talked about Strawberry Shortcake.

I hope she has a good life without me near by. There is not a day that goes by when I do not think about her.

On the weekend I decided that I wanted a haircut. Now I have always wanted to be able to do the quick buzz to trim things up, but never found anyone that was willing to do it for me.

Casey stepped in buying some quality clippers and offering her services, giving me the impression she was going to be able to do it well.

Well after a nice day out we decided to give it go. Not much after she had given the sides a go, she burst in to tears and announced she was not any good at this, had ruined my hair, and told me for the first time that she loved my long blonde locks. Of course this was all news to me!

Ok so here I am sitting in the bathroom with half a haircut. So I had to take charge. I put on a longer guide and attacked the top. Now this isn't quite a buzz cut but it is pretty darn short.

Casey got courage to do a bit of a fix on the back two days later (last night) and now my hair looks half decent.

I am sure with the planned kayaking expeditions and hiking we have for this summer, my hair will grow in golden once more.

Until then I can get a job as a bouncer (door man) at one of the local clubs or pubs.

Here is an interesting test I took on the net. How do you rate?

Enneagram Test Results Type 1 Perfectionism |||||||||||||||||||| 82% Type 2 Helpfulness |||||||||||||||| 70% Type 3 Image Awareness |||||||||||||||| 66% Type 4 Sensitivity |||||||||||||||| 66% Type 5 Detachment |||||||||||||||| 62% Type 6 Anxiety |||||||||||||||||| 74% Type 7 Adventurousness |||||||||||||| 58% Type 8 Aggressiveness |||||||||||||||| 66% Type 9 Calmness |||||||||||||||| 62%

Take Free Enneagram Word Test

Well it is another Australia Day spent in a far off land where the general populous really doesn't know or care much about the outside world (and before you get peeved at me saying that I do not mean every American, I know many exceptions to the rule)

So the best I can do in winter to emulate Australia Day at home is have a couple of Italian Sausages (closest thing to the ones at home), some French Fries (same as hot chips) and a egg for my dinner.

Yes I suppose days like this make me miss home and family.

Wherever you are and regardless of if your an Aussie or not, have a great Australia Day!

Casey and I journeyed across the Cascades and to Vantage to meet with Brooke and Dan from Heeling Hearts Australian Cattle Dog rescue on Saturday.
In the snow and ice outside Blustery's burger joint we exchanged papaerwork and got to take Sydney home with us. Sydney's deaf daughter Sally was there too to say goodbye.

If you check out the today's Webcam image you will see Sydney.

Sydney likes Gretchen and Mandy (Eric and Janices dogs) and has great fun running around paddock here. She has checked out the frozen pond and fallen in. She is having a great time and has bonded quickly with me, and it seems she likes Casey as well. She rides well in the car and likes the occassional nip at passing trucks (which she would like to round up given the chance).

So far so good! Having a dog again is great fun!

Miata's are not snowploughs!

I was made aware of this fact when i tried to drive up Eric's driveway which was under a half foot of unpacked snow. As soon as I didn't turn exactly where I though the gravel driveway was I slipped back into the paddock.

After several attempts to get back on the gravel drive I have given up. The car is now up against the paddock fence. I think I shall wait until it thaws out completely.

This is a bummer as the roads are clear where ever cars have been driving. The problem was I was the first to drive to the house in 3 days, hence there was no path to follow.

Live and learn!

Well Washington State is at a stand-still thanks to a few inches of snow and icy conditions. It is quite funny really as in Iowa everything was still going with twice as much snow.

The news stations have given up on regular programming and have dedicated themselves to showing snow falling, traffic conditions, weather predictions and anchors making asses out of themselves. Just how long can you stretch a little snow into constant news broadcasts?

At the moment I have my webcam pointing outside. So take a look!

Casey and I ended the year on a high note. We had reservations for Assaggio's which is disputably the finest Italian Restaurant in Seattle.

Gnocchi is finally on the menu and unfortunately I ordered it! It turned out to be almost exactly the same as what Casey prepares! (There is a big thumbs up for her cooking) The antipasti we both had was wonderful, I had the Fungi ai Ferri (Marinated portobello, grilled and served on mixed greens with walnut gorgonzola sauce) and Casey had the Brodetto Anconetano (Mixed seafood soup with grilled Italian bread). Gnocchi alla Gorgonzola (Potato dumpling sautéed with imported gorgonzola and roasted hazelnut) was wonderful but as I said very similar to what Casey has prepared for me on numerous occasions. Next time I really must try something else! Casey had the Ravioli Cappesante (Cheese filled ravioli with fresh sea scallops in saffron cream sauce) and was amazed by the size and quality of the scallops.

We washed it all down with a wonderful bottle of Italian Sauvignon Blanc. Then topped it off with Tiramasu delivered personally by owner Mauro Golmarvi. I love the way he makes sure he talks to each and every guest in his restaurant.

Although it was not the same as when we accompany Eric (a long time patron of the restaurant and friend of Mauro), it was a wonderful way to see out the old year.

We then drove up the the Space Needle and had the obligatory Starbucks coffee and waited for the seven minutes of fireworks at midnight. It was well worth the wait as the needle provides a wonderful platform for the fireworks. We were lucky enough to have a bunch of dorky guys give running commentary of the fireworks. I mean dorky in a funny way as the comments like "Holey Moley", "Gee Whiz" and "Who are they shooting at?" added a dimension of dorky humor that made us laugh.

Now I look forward to a new year, with new challenges and goals to achieve. The first of which may be achieved this weekend! However that is something I will leave you all hanging for!

Memories of Iowa. There is a heap of snow (for here at least) all over the place here. It is quite beautiful! What a wonderful way to see out the year.

I love a freebie as much as the next person. Casey had scored a couple of free tickets to go to the Enchanted Village to ride the rides and see the Holiday Lights. Well it wasn't totally free as they hit you for $7 to park.

The park had just open and it was just above freezing. The Christmas lights were quite lame but the rides were fun. We rode the Pirate Ship, Bumper Cars, a Mine Car Rollercoaster, Hang Glider, and the faster Ferris Wheel of all time!

I am a big wimp so we didn't ride the big coasters. My thinking is if I want to throw up I will just eat really old leftover takeaway Chinese food!

For those who subscribe to my newsletter you would have read that I was going to spend a week in Kentucky with Hayden. It was a little strange seeing Karissa again at first but I truly believe we can be friends from now on. When it comes down to it I still care about her and she is the Hayden's mother so this is a great thing.

Karissa and I had some very needed conversations and we openly talked about our new partners. I have briefly mentioned my girlfriend Casey here before. She is pretty amazing. Understanding of my strange post divorce life. A incredible cook, and the reason I don't use the term Chef is simply because she does not have the formal training. In my eyes she is a Chef though! Most importantly she encourages my continued interaction with Hayden and realizes that no matter where our relationship goes Hayden will be an important part of my life.

Janice (the lady that lives with Eric) said something quite profound (to me at least) yesterday, and I shall quote her, "There are two types of family, those of blood and those of the heart. One is not necessarily more meaningful than the other". I think she has something here. Although legally blood is more important, morally what you feel in your heart is most important.

So anyway let me go back to seeing Hayden. I had a ball. She had a ball. Together we had fun. We went and saw Cat in the Hat, or Hat in the Cat as she would call it. We went shopping together. Opened her presents from me. Opened her presents from my Mum, Dad and sister. In all we had a great time.

It was a bit sad to leave, not to mention a crazy time to have to drive back to Nashville and catch a flight. However it was all worth the effort!

Since then all has been a little crazy with last minute shopping and preparations for Christmas. Eric and Janice threw a great Christmas Bash for the Miata Club Web site committee. I also helped them also do some last minute shopping.

Today when Casey gets off from work we are heading out to see Eric and Janice and exchange gifts. While there we are going to webcam with my parents and grandmother who will be over for Christmas lunch. Then we are off for Christmas Eve at Casey's Mums place.

It looks like it has been a great holiday season and that Christmas will be merry!

Ok so I was stuffed after flying in to Nashville. Got a little stuffed around by car rental and then lost so I hit the first hotel with high speed internet. Picked up the end of Survivor while wrapping Hayden's presents. Looks like a good offering to me! I hope she likes the presents.

Should be a fun week with her!

Peace, love and happiness to everyone these holidays.

Nathan

Time for a rant and rave. Ok so I am a bit peeved at the moment. Why? Well because I had one of those sleazy, scum of the earth telemarketers call me early this morning. The twist that really gets my blood boiling is that I asked if he was a telemarketer and he said no. In turn he indeed was.

It makes me want to get my sea-kayaking whistle and blow it very loudly in his ear. Of course doing that would probably give me a burst eardrum.

If I want to buy something I will search for it on the internet or buy it in a store.

If I want to refinance my home I am definitely not going with someone who called me to tell me they have a low interest rate.

If I want to make a donation to a charity I will do it in person.

The Do Not Disturb list needs an quick and easy way to have violators prosecuted.

It is enough to make you cancel phone service completely.

I just noticed Dogpile.com (my new favorite search engine). Has a Funny Bone Joke of the Day. Here is today's which I found particularly funny!

The math teacher saw that little Johnny wasn't paying attention in class. She called on him and said, "Johnny! what are 4, 2, 28 and 44?" Little Johnny quickly replied, "NBC, CBS, HBO and the Cartoon Network!"

My Miata was featured in the Sounder! That is the Miata Club Magazine/Newsletter. It is all dressed up for the halloween trick or treat in Bremerton.

To see it you really need to be a member of the club but check out the Web site anyway and you might find a picture of me (in the Web Committee section).

Just got home from the Tacoma Night Time Christmas Parade! Huge success and I will elaborate later.

We carried the American Rose Queens. My car had 6 year old Holly and 4 year old Rachel. A cute hit with the crowd!

To all my friends in America who read this blog, Happy Thanksgiving.

To all other nationalities have a great day and be thankful you don't have to eat turkey (unless of course you like it).

The Cedar Creek Treehouse was my amazing surprise getaway for my birthday weekend. Although I tried to guess this, I would not have in a million years!

You can see pictures on the web site, however they do not match what it is like in person, or how it looks covered in snow.

Casey and I had a wonderful time, she is a both a gourmet chef and fun companion. Coming up with this surprise is going to be hard to top!

Actually I am not feeling that old at all. Today has been pretty great so far. My parents gave me some great gifts and my former girlfriend Casey gave me a gift that was pretty offensive, hence the 'former' title. The device she gave me outputted some readings I was not 100% satisfied with.

All joking aside the gift was a set of fancy scales. She is also taking me to some amazing place on the weekend as a surprise. Everyone but me knows where it is. Most people are blown away. The place is in high demand from travelers all over the world. It has been reviewed by all manner of travel guides and programs including a feature on National Geographic. Yet at the same time it
sounds pretty basic from Casey's descriptions. Only time will tell.

It was snowing today as I drove south down I-5. Very pretty but visibility was poor.

Tonight I go to a Thai Restaurant I like due to its superb satay sauce and banana fritters with ice-cream.

Well so far the day is great. I better get back to the slog!

Ok so here is the deal. I was born on the 20th November 1973, in Melbourne, Australia. Today is the 19th of November in Seattle, Washington, USA. At the same time it is already the 20th of November in Australia. Hence seeing I was born in Australia would I not have already lived my 30 years?

Of course this is important as it means I get to open my presents today. I am told I am have some cool things awaiting me.

Today was a great day. I got to speak to Hayden for just on an hour. I think she was as thrilled to speak to me as I was to her. She requested a visit, which Karissa confirmed would be ok by her, so it looks like I will be hitting Kentucky as soon as I have some of my dealings here in order.

She is a funny little thing. She has what I can get her for Christmas picked out. Barbie of course.

She also invited me to watch The Lion King with her. She said we would enjoy the singing and dancing.

Hayden continues to warm my heart. She will always hold the most special of places in my life.

The Guinness Book of World Records once had the Mazda Miata as the top-selling two-seater in the world.

I am posting this entry to find out just how powerful the net really is. As you will see I have a Duplex that needs to be rented out. I want to see if anyone finds this listing and takes advantage of it before it is rented through more traditional means (newspaper ads). So without further ado here is the ad!

FOR RENT: Gig Harbor: Rosedale Area

Two bedroom duplex
Secluded location
One bathroom
Deck
Carport
All modern electric appliances

How much would you expect to pay?

Well thanks to a great landlord you get can this wonderful quiet residence for only $850 per month.

Note for the more wired people who are interested you can get DSL and Cable to this location.

In the absence of my daughter, I have replaced her presence with that of my Miata. Not really a good substitute and in reality I would much rather be able to spend the time with Hayden than the Miata. However not everything always goes the way you would like it to. Anyway I digress.

I took my new baby to Coop the Master of Miatas for an oil change on Friday. I ended leaving with a new stock muffler (oh so quiet!) and a sway bar. Plus the intention of upgrading my tires from the pieces of crap that currently are on the car to a nice new set of performance tires.

The idea of the sway bar is to sure up the handling of the car. However seeing I also do parades I can now make a seat that will sit on the sway bar for the girls to sit on.

Well I finally had some milk to put on my Vita Brits. So I made them up for breakfast. Reminded me of when Hayden was little and she and I would sit on the couch back in Richmond, watch the morning news and share a bowl of Vita Brits for breakfast.

There are some moments in life that are simply priceless.

Today we finally got around to finding the grand-daddy of all Australian product shops, Simply Australian.

Although we had some problems finding the place we eventually got there after zooming around the Rainier countryside! Better yet when we told Jan at Simply Australian that we had trouble with the directions we found via the web site, she got straight onto Bruce and we replicated the problem. Needless to say these great Aussies are going to fix the problem ASAP!

However I digress! The main reason for the trip was some Vita Brits of which I purchased a couple of boxes. However I also purchased Smarties, Violet Crumbles, Coffee, Mars Bars, Vegemite, Columbines, Mint Slices, Flags, Melbourne Number Plate (for Miata Club Parades) and Cordial.

So now I have my little supply of Aussie food. Definitely worth a trip out to Rainier if your in the area.

Today was a glorious day here in Seattle. A great day to start off with a cooked breakfast, follow up with some shopping, go on to a lovely Thai Restaurant, wash the marvelous Miata, and then round off the day by polishing off the Thai leftovers!

I bought one of those dent pullers to try out on the Miata's small dents. I shall report on how that goes.

More importantly I was finally able to find a Pop Sensation Barbie to send to Hayden. I promised her one ages ago yet have not been able to find one anywhere. At this point I believe I shall keep it for the Christmas package I am accumulating for her.

All up it has been a nice relaxing day!

Well it falls everywhere! Record rainfalls yesterday! Glad i held onto the SUV as if I had been in the Miata yesterday I would have been swimming or stuck here.

The SUV ploughed its way through spots that had over a foot of water over the road.

Rivers are flooded, roads are washed out, the news teams are all over it.

As long as my bed stays dry, warm and comfortable I will be happy!

I like to cook. Recently I have added a number of Indian dishes to my rapture.

Tonight I went one step further and made pappadums. They are amazing to make! I bought ten in a box for US$1.86 and then after testing the frying oil realized I would only need to make two!

You drop them in the oil and they quickly shrink and then instantly explode ten times bigger!

It is amazing! It is fun! Try it yourself!

Ok now I am really confused.

Nathan Allan has a glass studio run by Barry Allan.

Being Nathan Allan this is news to me. However I can comprehend that another Nathan Allan owns this. However there is no picture of Nathan Allan (the glass dude) at all.

So would the real Nathan Allan behind this site please come forward?

Yeah baby my glorious life of fame rocks on!

From Australian nobody to top selling recording artist.

Ain't life grand?

Filthy rich and having all these groupie chickibabes after me.

Oh hang on!

Oh I am sorry that is the other Nathan Allan.

What on earth is happening to me?

I found myself talking with a friend about baseball the other day, namely the chances of the cubs getting into the World Series.

Now I find myself watching the World Series!

Too add to my American ways, I am even interested to see how the top of division Seattle Seahawks are doing in the NFL.

I am passing this on to you because it has definitely worked for me.

By following the simple advice I read in an article, I have finally found inner peace. It reads:

"The way to achieve inner peace is to finish all the things you've started." I looked around to see all the things I started and hadn't finished.

So today, I have finished one bottle of white wine, a bottle of red wine, a bottle of Drambuie, my Prozac, a large box of chocolate and a quart of beer.

You have no idea how good I feel.

You may pass this on to those you feel are in need of Inner Peace.

Have a marvelous day.

(My friend John Young passed this on to me)

I was starting to wonder if Seattle really is as rainy as people say. Well it is. At least this week. It is sort of nice except when your driving.

Time for the hardtop to go on the Miata!

I am pleased to say I got my webcam functioning again. After I rebuilt the computer I set it back up. Until I get my TV tuner card working again I am sticking with ConquerCam.

Check out the cam here!

Certain people have voiced that some of my opinions are a little disturbing to them. For example some person doesn't think that my gardening opinions are valid. :)

Remember folks that half of what I say in the personal posts is in jest. Also note that my opinion can be purchased or bought, normally with Arnott's Biscuits in particular Tiny Teddies (no Teddy Grahams are not the same), Tim Tams and Mint Slices.

Ok so the point of this post is to get yummy biscuits.

I forgot to make note of this last week so I will today!

Friday night Eric and I went on the Renton to Columbia Winery, Spirit of Washington Dinner Train. We were witness to one of those murder mysteries, which was corny but fun.

I had a wonderful stuffed chicken breast and Eric had a steak. We both followed it up with chocolate cake while ampling supplying ourselves with wine during the meal.

The train stopped at the winery and there was a brief tour and time to purchase wine or gifts at the store there.

It was a great night! I recommend the dinner train, but only do the murder mystery part if that is your sort of thing!

It was a great

We had a great day today. Seven Miata's went in convoy to Leavenworth, a small bavarian town in the mountains an hour or two outside Seattle.

I was lucky enough to carry the Princess of Kingston (Caitlin?). She was resplendent in her formal dress, and for her age held herself well. It was a pleasure and fun to carry her around the 2 mile parade course.

Now when the Miata Club does a parade we do not simple drive the royalty around the course at snails pace! No we decorate the cars with flowers and fit the pop-up lights with 'eyes'. This delights the parade viewers. We also toot our horns and loop around (thanks to the Miata's tight turning circle). Mike Springer even drives most of the parade backwards!

After the parade we walked the town, had a great lunch at Gustav's, and then found the Australian Store (what it was doing ina Bavarian town is beyond me) where I stocked up on Mint Slices, Fantales and Golden Syrup. In the Aussie store I met a lady from Brisbane who reminded me of the fact that Brisbane just won their third consecutive premiership (Australian Rules Football). At least Collingwood didn't win!

Needless to say on the way home I ate a fantale, tonight I will have a mint slice with my coffee and tomorrow morning I am having pancakes with my golden syrup!

I investigated my dodgy speaker in my Miata. With any bass it would reverberate horribly, so I would turn the bass down completely. I opened the paneling and found that both my door speakers were totally shot. What can you expect for an older car? I figured I would just go out and get a new set eventually. However upon telling Eric of my problem he produced a pair of perfect speakers he had on hand, which he graciously helped me install in my Miata! Now I have great sound.

Go and buy a Miata. It will make Eric happy. Then sign up for the Puget Sound Miata Club, which will make Eric even happier!

This weekend I am doing my first parade in my own car. Leavenworth somewhere around here in Washington. It is a small Bavarian town and should be a great day. I shall report on it later!

Well the trip down on day three was a crapper. It was foggy again so I was busy concentrating on the road, until a state trooper flashed his lights and pulled me over. After being slapped with a fine for speeding I took off again.

Upon arrival I found out that the guiding workshop I wanted to attend had been canceled. So I attended a Eating for Endurance and then the second part of the wind and waves class. Both were interesting and informative classes and I learnt a lot. However my mind was not on it as much thanks to my earlier mess with the law!

The drive home was interesting yet uneventful. Eric took Janice and I out for a monster burger at the Hi-U-Heni (or however you spell it).

I think I shall sleep in tomorrow! That always makes things seem better!

Day Two of the Symposium started with a fog bound drive up to Port Townsend in my Miata. A fun way to start the day!

A slightly longer day with four classroom sessions. The first I attended was entitled 'Sea Kayaking and Liability'. It was an interesting look at the legalities involved with paddling. whether it be with a group of friends, as a volunteer or as a paid instructor. I personally learnt some interesting things I will need to know if I go into guiding in any way, shape or form.

The next session was one I was really looking forward too, Wooden Kayak construction. Although the method explained was strip building instead of the easier stitch and glue that I will use, it was still a very interesting class. One day I may have a go at a strip kayak but for now I want to try my hand at the easier to build and cheaper kits. Besides the endless pieces of advice applicable to any form of construction, and the tips on picking a boat that suits your needs, Eric the instructor showed us how to apply fiberglass. This was something I was a bit unsure of undertaking but now I feel comfortable with being able to complete this task.

I ventured into Port Townsend for lunch. I had a wonderful Italian sub as I sat by the fountain. I also had a wander around the Farmers Market. I even took some sneaky shots of some jewelery for Janice to see. You see Janice wants to sell her jewelery at such a market. Call it industrial espionage if you will.

After I got back to Fort Worden, I decided to attend the first part of a two part seminar on how waves and wind effect you when kayaking. Although more applicable to the bigger seas found on the east coast, I learn a lot of useful techniques and information that will hopefully make me a safer kayaker.

I finished the day with a trip down to the beach to see a kayak sailing demonstration. It was interesting to see how this particular type of sail worked. I am sure I will eventually get one, but first I better build the kayak!

After a great day, it was nice to put the top down and cruise back to Eric's.

This is my first year in the northwest and therefore it is the first year I have had the opportunity to attend the symposium. This one happens to be the 20th annual one, and I have the t-shirt to prove it!

It is a 3 day sea kayaking extravaganza with classes, demonstrations, exhibitors and just about anything that has to do with sea kayaking. I will blog about each day, starting now with the first.

After registration I started the day by attending a class on tides and currents. We covered how to interrupt tide books and charts. I had already been taught this by Casey, who obviously is more of an expert on this subject than she professes too, as I was able to understand and knew everything that was covered. The only thing new to me was reading the charts that have the currents and tides marked on them. We finished the class by planning a trip in the San Juan's, Friday Harbor to Strawberry Island in a day. I thought it was a trick question as it is a long paddle for just one day! However we seemed to come up with an acceptable solution that had us carried by the currents. It ended up being a fun and informative class that strengthened my skills in the navigation area.

When the class ended I went and had a look at all of the indoor retailers. The magazines, equipment outfitters and the like. It looks like I will be subscribes

After a light lunch I had prepared earlier, I wandered down to the beach where all the boat exhibitors were. There were no classes or demonstrations running but there was a sea of people trying kayaks out. I never knew there were so many different types and designs. Tomorrow I will head back down to the Pygmy display and talk to the guys about the one I want to build. There was another wooden kayak company and they wanted to try and convince me to use their models. I will talk to him tomorrow and see what his selling points are, as his models were a lot more expensive.

After wandering the beach it was time to hit the classrooms again. I attended the Survival Skills class followed by a class that developed your 'Kayakers Sixth Sense'.

The first class was interesting and taught the K.I.S.S.W.E.T. concept. That stands for....hmmm let me think...
K =....
I=Injuries, do you have any?
S=Shelter, build one!
S=Fire cant remember why it was S though - maybe Signal - for help
W=Water, you die quick without it, but you can last up to 30 days without food!
E=Energy, look for food if you can
T- Theatre (or you can use P for Play), you should play to keep your mind active and to stop freaking out over the situation

In all this was a great class with many great anecdotal stories thrown in.

The second class was suppose to aid you in developing your 'Kayakers Sixth Sense' but in reality it was more of a 'use common sense and know your bounds' class. The speaker was encouraged to use more of his stories to share his experience as these were the most interesting part of the class. He had many more years experience than the rest of us!

In all it was a great day. I cannot wait for days tow and three.

From the Herald Sun Newspaper

THERE would be no flatulence tax on farm animals, Premier Steve Bracks ruled yesterday.

National Party leader Peter Ryan sought Mr Bracks' assurance after telling Parliament such a proposed tax in New Zealand had led to the formation of a group called Farmers Against Ridiculous Taxes.
"Will the Premier rule out ever introducing such a tax in Victoria?" Mr Ryan asked.

"A F.A.R.T tax will not be supported by our Government," Mr Bracks replied.

National Party Agriculture spokesman, Peter Walsh, later said the pledge would bring relief to worried farmers.

I cannot believe I am sitting here working away at my newsletter while watching a game of baseball. I am actually growing attached to the Mariners.

Well it has been decided. I am just going to have to buy a part of Decatur Island. Expensive? Sort of. Gorgeous? Definitely. Peaceful? Always, with the exception of when it is foggy and the state ferries are blowing their horns.

We went to Decatur Island to check out some property we kayaked past a few weeks ago. The property has wonderful waterfront views, and will be ideal for a Bed and Breakfast. It will also avail us the beach landing we need for kayaking. Better yet is the fact that the island is small, sparsely populated, and off the state ferry route. The locals were friendly and helpful. However most importantly there are Internet connection possibilities. In fact a neighbor will be employee 500 from Amazon.

After spending most of the day on Decatur, we headed back to Anacortes for the state ferry to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. The idea was Decatur and San Juan Island Weekend to see Orca's although they were not about. However we saw the English and American camps from the Pig War, which decided the sovereignty of the San Juans. We had a couple of great meals on the island. Taking the SUV over there was a great move as it allowed us to see just about every part of the island.

The San Juans, such a an idealic place!

Here is a simple way to loose weight.

When you feel full this is your bodies way of telling you it has all the food it needs to fuel you for the moment. Allow your body to process the food. If you keep eating all the food offered or available to you, your body will think it needs to 'store up' for later.

This technical should be applied particularly at family gatherings and potluck lunches and dinners where there is a plethora of great food on offer.

This has been your weight management guru speaking.

Ok so there were not any garden gnomes involved really but I am sure they were off in the woods watching and wondering what on earth was going on last weekend.

I was out and about helping my friend do some landscaping for their mother. There were stepping stones, pea gravel, vines, trellis and a lot of tools involved.

Now the vision the mother (I won't mention any names like Ann) has for this assortment of gardening items was somewhat different to how it had been explained to me originally. However I think the concept of hiding the shed with the trellis and vines and keeping the weeds down in the garden bed with the pea gravel and stepping stones will work well. Although what gets me is that the plants aren't sitting in the garden bed but rather are sitting outside the garden bed.

Anyway it was an interesting way to spend a Sunday.

I hope said mother gets a kick out of this blog entry.

Some days you just were not meant to wake up. Well at least it would have been better to stay in bed!

I woke up this morning and rushed to put out the recycling as I could hear the truck on its way. However I fell down the stairs instead, which did not really hurt until I had a shower and the carpet burn became evident!

Then to add insult to injury I spun out in my Miata this morning after hitting a slick spot. No injury or harm done to the car or myself, however I would have preferred to do such a maneuver on a closed circuit rather than a busy road.

There have a been a couple of other crappy things happen but alas that is the past and the rest of the day looks great. I am off to see a Mariners game tonight. I was not a big baseball fan before I came here and I am still not that into it. However I like the atmosphere of a big game, it is quite the social event.

Ok so I know Kapers is not spelt like that, however it makes for a great title!

This long weekend I am going on my first sea kayaking trip in the San Juan's. A 4 day, 3 night adventure camping on three different islands. Staring with James Island after a crossing from Annacortes, moving up to tiny Doe island and then sweeping back down through Obstruction Pass down to Spencer Spit, before returning to Annacortes on Tuesday.

No doubt I shall write a lengthy entry and post some photos of this trip.

Preparations are underway as I type for this wonderful weekend!

If you read my newsletter you will know I started sending it again yesterday.

Just a quick thanks to all the people who wrote in and wished me the best. Thanks for the kind words on my divorce. I appreciated hearing I am not the only person who has gone through one.

Anyway I love it that so many people get a kick out of my newsletter and am looking forward to getting the next one together!

Well I have been driving my new little red Miata around this week with the top down. It may seem small on the freeway but it is quick and nimble!

I have a little aesthetic work to do on it but otherwise it is pretty much perfect. The major job is replacing the soft top rear window. The hardtop is going on a hanger I am making for the garage. Thanks to the wealth of information out there on the net for both of these projects instead of having to spend hundreds of dollars, I will need to spend only a few.

Once again an example of how the net can save you money!

Just a quick note. My blog has not been working.

We have been updating out hosting server. It is in a new facility. The server itself is lightning fast. A lot to update everyone on. I shall do that later though.

For starters you will see my site now uses CSS for layout. I will update the blog to reflect this in the next few days.

Another quickie, I have a new baby, a Miata. Thanks to my friend Eric who wanted me to get one so I could drive in club parades and Bill Cooper for making sure it was as mechanically perfect as possible!

So today has been taken up with checking out some sea-kayaks, grabbing some bargains at Target and finally preparing the birdcage for the new budgie.

Thanks to my mate Eric, who kindly donated his older birdcage to me, I now have a birdcage that will be more than sufficient for a budgie. The cage is not beautiful but it is functional and large. It needed a bit of a clean up but as you may see one day soon it has scrubbed up great!

I say that you may see it as I have been trying out WebcamXP which can take up to five video sources and display them on a web site for you. I figure I might have a BirdCam and FishCam to go along with the normal BlokeCam.

I am also learning some more CSS skills, thanks to SitePoint's new book HTML Utopia: Designing without Tables using CSS. Those guys are really a smart bunch!

Ok so I was vegging out yesterday during lunch and put on good 'ole Oprah. The subject of the show was Medical Miracles and it was full of those stories that make you realize how lucky you are. The most moving story was that of the people who were blind but thanks to an amazing new contact lens from Boston Foundation for Sight. A close runner up was this amazing hearing aid like device that instantly cured patients stuttering. This device was developed by a doctor who believes he suffered with stuttering so that he would be driven to find this cure.

Yeah I feel upset that I never get to see or hear from Hayden due to my divorce. I also get upset over how that whole relationship turned out. However regardless of this I am healthier than ever and have a great group of friends both old and new that I can count on.

So life is good!

So I went to the drive in last night and saw Johnny English and Bruce Almighty (Rowan Atkinson and Jim Carrey). They were both funny and for $6.50 it is a pretty good deal for new release movies. The Auburn Valley Six Drive In may need a coat of paint on the screens but it is still wildly popular.

So anyway the deal was that the English comedy sparked a thought in my brain about the Goodies. The Goodies was a 70s show on the BBC (and hence in Australia ont he ABC), that was wacky and fun. I have only been able to track down a DVD for it on Amazon UK and it looks like it will cost me 20 pounds to get. Lets hope it actually works over here in the USA.

Anyway other known sources for Goodies DVDs in the USA would be appreciated!

So you could get in to Safeco Field for the Mariners game last night for half price if you sported a mullet hairstyle (fake or real).

The only real one they could find belonged to some Aussie here on holidays. When asked if many Australians sported a mullet, he thankfully answered "No".

Australians do not need to have that look added to the stereotype at all!

Ok so when you live in Seattle I have been told if some one asks if "she is out" they are not referring to Kylie Minogues sexuality, but are talking about whether you can see Mount Rainer or not.

Well today it looks glorious, towering above the cascades, with a surreal look to it. It almost does not fit to have this huge mountain stuck in the landscape. It towers above all the other mountains around it.

Anyway it made my day watching it as I drove around the Tacoma Narrows. Oh and I was joking about Kylie, she is one hot chicky babe!

What a strange day. Lot of different things running through my mind.

One interesting thing though, I might be getting a budgie (a parakeet for you poorly informed Americans). For some reason Americans do not call a budgie a budgie! That is what they are though. They are native to Australia. The wild ones are green. It was the English who bred them into the various colour combinations you can see today.

One day I would love to breed them myself. Just another thing for my list!

This entry is specifically for Brian Stevens, as I know he loves coffee. Today I was actually in front of the first Starbucks down by the Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle. I took some photos and then attempted to go and get a coffee from inside. However it was way too busy. It was funny to witness the myriad of people with mouths agape, staring at the original Starbucks.

So now with Starbucks on the brain I must go to the local one and feast ont he aromas and beverages.

I bought a desk and assembled it only to find one of the pieces back to front. Of course the instructions weren't written in clear english. So I tried to remedy the situation only to ruin the desk somewhat. A couple of screws pulled out and now I am faced with a fix job to try and make the desk as good as new. The thing is it is new. Boy it is frustrating. Anyway I am just ranting.

I am so glad it is now the weekend. I can fix this crap and hopefully get drunk at a BBQ I am going to tomorrow!

Love it or loath it, there is no getting past the fact that money is what makes the world operate. I didn't say "go round" as the world world would still spin regardless of money.

When money is abundant life is very easy, and when it is sparse it makes life a little more difficult. I have some friends who fall into both categories. It is interesting to see how this effects these friends.

It is definitely nicer not having to worry about making ends meet. However having seen the other side as well, that side is great to make you appreciate exactly what is important in life. What is important has not changed for me, regardless of my recent divorce. I still believe strongly in family. I still believe in love.

Anyway this post wasn't as coherent as I had hoped it would be. If you don't get it let me know!

Ok so if you are in Seattle and in need of fine delicatessen foods and imported authentic Italian food, Pacific Food Importers is the place to go! It is located near Safeco Field on 6th Street (1100 down the back of the warehouse, there is a Italian flag style sign with PFI on it).

Anyway the gnocchi is where you start and go from there! There are olives and cheeses, sauces and spices, you name it they have it!

The staff are extremely friendly as well.

Well what a weird yet wonderful 4th of July weekend. Not being an American it doesn't mean much more to me than a long weekend. However I grasped some of the great benefits of the weekend and put them to use like a good American!

Firstly I went down to the Jul-Ivars fireworks on the Seattle waterfront. Not bad fireworks but not the best I have seen. However Bjorn Again (Australia cover band for ABBA) were really entertaining.

Saturday took advantage of a deal at the drive-in to see Terminator 3 and 2 Fast 2 Furious. The latest terminator movie seems to be a set-up for future sequels. It was entertaining though!

Sunday was another beautiful day that allowed us to go hiking in the Soquilime Falls. Nice falls but a energy company maintains the park and track, which left a little to be desired.

So it is on with another week of work now. Although interesting, it isn't half as fun as the weekends and all of the outdoor possibilities here. I think that is why people use Starbucks as a way of boosting through the week!

What a wonderful few days I had hiking the trails of the Olympic National Park.

We camped at the Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort. Took a hike to the Sol Duc falls, which were beautiful. Drove around to the Olympic hot springs (natural setting compared to the resort style Sol Duc springs). Hiked to Deer Lake. Drove around Crescent Lake. Saw the Salmon Cascades sans salmon. Froze in the melt off fed river. Got eaten alive (as I always do) by the bugs of the night. Had a roaring fire. Ate like kings. Dined at the Sol Duc restaurant (I had grilled chicken layered with a giant portobello mushroom).

The weather was perfect. By far my favorite experience was the hike to Deer Lake. Past the Sol Duc falls and almost straight up another 2100 feet the lake was picturesque and tranquil. Another 1000 feet up was the snow capped mountains. If we had had the time and energy it would have been great to hike up to the snow line and frolic in the snow! The trout jumped and splashed about the lake as the few hikers and campers enjoyed the views and peacefulness. It was a day that really helped get perspective on things.

I am going hiking and camping around the Olympic mountains over the next few days (actually Thursday through Sunday). The weather is supposed to be beautiful.

I am told there are hot springs and mountain lakes to swim in (although the latter may effect ones ability to father children). There are also some wineries to check out, and if they are not up to my low standards there is always the hard liquor to resort too!

I am told there are bears and cougars in the area. Cougars you supposedly just act big around, and bears you play dead with while they see if you are dead or not.

Anyway I am sure I will have some adventures to report on when I return!

Just finished weed whacking, whipper snipping, or whatever you choose to call it. Eric's back yard and dog pens are now able to be traversed without a machete.

Feels good to get out and do some manual labor sometimes!

Most computer problems are caused by a loose nut between the chair and
the keyboard.

Ok here I am sitting on the couch, doing a bit of work and watching TechTV on Eric's big screen TV. Ihad a lot of my computer stuff over the back of the couch so I grabbed the webcam and got it going again. Hence now the webcam on my site is finally being updated again.

I was lucky enough to be taken to a Mariners game this Fathers Day. They were playing the Atlanta Braves. It was not the most thrilling of games but as far as spectacles go it was fun. From the making of the "noise" to Ichiro coming out to bat, it was a fun day.

Safeco Stadium is great too, with its views over the water and of the city. Once the sun hit our seats it was time to explore the rest of the stadium.

It was a low scoring, low hitting, 2-1 win to the Mariners.

What was best though was hanging out with my mates!

Ok so lets see who is reading my blog and has an opinion.

When is it appropriate/ok/time or whatever to love again after a failed marriage or long term relationship?

I think it is probably when it feels right for the individual.

What do you think?

Blogs are a window on other peoples lives. People who blog do so for many reasons. I do mine as I like to share the details of things I am passionate about. Share philosophies and what not. Most of you might think it is all a bit of a wank and move on to other blogs. So be it then. However those of you who do read it, get something from it and give me feedback are always welcome back!

I didn't blog for a while after I found out I was being divorced. I had shared some huge revelations and the like here with the world. I have left them there too. At the time thats how I felt. I now have looked at my actions and the actions of those I love (yes regardless of the situation I still harbor feelings for my ex-wife, but I mean more than her, my family and friends) and stand strong with my beliefs.

I felt recently that I was ready to blog again. I have new friends and have strengthened relationships with old ones too. I am still certain that family comes first, although mine has been altered somewhat.

Anyway I wrote this entry as someone was rubbishing my friend Gretchen's blog and its varying content. To people like that I say get a life.

As you may or may not have read I am on a good thing with the Australian Pie Shop. I was pretty crook yesterday and my best mate new it. So what do good mates do for you when your feeling poorly? They bring you home a Sausage roll or two for lunch. Ok so there was no tomato sauce (ketchup) to go with it, but boy was it nice.

I have to put in an order for some frozen ones so I don't have to travel forever to get one!

Sometimes you have to do things that you know are right, regardless of how it is perceived by others. I had to take control of a situation that was spiraling out of control, and would eventually have bitten me in the butt. I am sick of "taking one for the team" or "being the nice guy", it has not got me anywhere.

I need to start looking out for me. No one else is. (Well ok I have some great family and friends who are, but you know what I mean). I have gained the respect of a few people for taking control, which is a good thing

My best mate here in Seattle took me along to the Kangaroo and Kiwi Pub for Sausage Roll and a beer.

It was a real Sausage Roll. Enough said.

I was very satisfied. I had a Strongbow and a Hahn Premium Beer as well. Very nice, but the roll was what made it.

The familiar sound of a couple of Aussies in the background didn't hurt either.

I have even managed to track down where they are made. I now what I am having for lunch tomorrow!

Last night I died and went to heaven. Well perhaps that is exaggerating it a little. I had real italian gnocchi with a gorgonzola cream sauce. Needless to say this is one of my favorite dishes.

I think I can stay in Seattle knowing that there is a ready supply of gnocchi for cooking at home, and a restaurant (Assiago's) that can make it fresh.

Ok so I have added to my blog in ages. I think I had a good reason.

However life doesn't end I found out, and I was driving this morning and felt like parting with some of my new found "situation".

Firstly work sorta sucks a bit still, a lot up in the air there but progressing. Some things quickly and some things seem to progress somewhat painfully slow! So you know what? Well I am not going to talk about it here. Nicer things only.

So I live in Washington state now. Seattle/Tacoma region, Gig Harbor to be specific. I have a friend here who was nice enough to offer me a place to stay while I get back on my feet. He is one of the kindest nicest men I have ever meet.

What do I think of this area? Well it is very similar to Melbourne. The weather changes a lot, there is ocean and water nearby, restaurants of every type, size and price. I could live here for a while. I could end up living here forever.

I have not met a heap of people here yet, but there are one or four that I don't mind hanging out with. Fun is the aim and so far that's what I have been doing the past couple of weekends at least. I went to the FolkLife festival which was great, checked out the local beaches, and taken a couple of nice scenic drives. Some of the nature heavy areas remind me very much of the Dandenongs in Melbourne. The downtown Seattle area would be great to live in too, that reminds me somewhat of my place in Richmond. While one of my friends has a great little place in suburbia, and another has a place that is surrounded by 100 foot tall trees. Currently I think I like the suburbia one, closer to downtown, still close to nature, not so remote. No matter where I live in the longer term I do not have to make any rash decisions. I am able to stay where I am now and work out my head completely. For those of you who know me you will know there is a lot of second guessing involved in that.

Perhaps I should just go with the flow?

Well I am sorry to say that the changes I have made to my life have come to late for Karissa. She has asked me for a divorce. Of course I am devastated and do not know what to do. My wife and daughter mean the world to me, and although some of my previous actions are unforgivable, I had hoped that Karissa could see through this and we could move back to having a happy supportive relationship.

So anyway don't give me a hard time if I don't post here for a while. Thanks for the support from my friends and family during this time.

Ultimately though I will always love Karissa and Hayden regardless of what happens.

I have had enough. I cannot wait for the weekend. There are so many things competing for my time. I just want a proper break from it all for 48 hours. Although I am sure that will not happen either.

Now that I am back in Des Moines I have to contend with the remains of the snowfalls that have now turned into deadly ice. It was too deep for Karissa to move when it was snow and now thanks to the low temperatures we have a front yard full of the stuff!

Roll on the warmer weather I say!

Warning: Never leave the USA without all your paperwork.

I spent 3 hours this morning at the secondary INS center in San Francisco, because I lacked the one piece of paper that Karissa had gotten for me. My parole document.

Now it s trivial but they could have and were going to deport me until a more knowledgeable officer told the younger guys that my case was simpler than they had envisaged. So after waiting for Karissa to return from her lunch and then run home and fax the INS the document, I was free to go.

Now Sideshow Bob was this Japanese guy who was a serial deportee, as he keeps on trying to get into the states without any sort of visa! He looked exactly like Sideshow Bob from the Simpsons but Japanese. The guys had a ball joking with him. As they did with me, telling Karissa this was her last chance to get rid of me for good.

Thanks hun for another chance. Your the best!

Feel sorry for me.

I was in a car accident yesterday. I am ok just suffered some whiplash.

If it doesn't rain it pours.

Coming back to the US tomorrow though so there is a light!

I am sort of having some issues with my re-entry to the US. This is causing me quite a bit of stress, however I coming deal with it. What is, is. What will be, will be. I am good person (I think) and believe that it will all work out, eventually.

What is hardest to come to terms with is the possibility of a prolonged separation from my wife and daughter. I really do not like the thought of not being able to see them both at all.

I think that this was done by a higher force just to hammer home my wake-up call. Family is everything. I had lost the path. I had thought what I was doing was for the good of the family. It wasn't. as long as my family has there health, a decent meal to eat and a safe and secure place to call home, we are set. I am set. That is all we really need.

So if the almighty, or whatever you choose to call it, hears me I hope he knows I have learnt my lesson. I have learnt it so well that I want to pass it on to others through this blog.

Another thing happened today. I was going through my grandmother possessions as we have moved her into a home, where she will be taken care of. I sort of felt a little like the family historian. Whereas my aunt and cousins appear to have stripped nan's home of world possessions, I sort out and made sure all the little things were saved. There are photos and diaries. Little books from when my grandmother finished school, filled with little poems about the future. These thing shad been passed over by others but I thought if they were saved my nan would love to go through them.

Oh and yes I did get one possession of Nan's. An old Schwartz anniversary dome clock. I didn't want it because of its beauty or value. I wanted it as it is the one thing that I remember my nan talking about every time that I visited her with my family. She would have either over-wound it (as it is now), have it set to the wrong time or just be fiddling with it. I am going to have it fixed and it will take pride of place somewhere in my home. Whenever I get back to it!

It was so great to speak to Hayden today. She is the most special thing in my life. She can hold a good conversation on the telephone for a kid who is only just turning 4!

She has painted me something at daycare. She is having a good time with mommy. She wanted to know about Australia. She is just full of questions and was bursting with things to tell me.

The simple things in life at the best.

So everywhere I go there seems to be something I need to correct or fix. This computer I left with my parents now has the noisest power supply ever. It looks like I will be able to treat myself to a trip to the computer stores and try and get myself either a new case or just a power supply. It will depend on price and the deal I can do.

I also see that it is a priority to get Jennifer at Sausage a new monitor. Unfortunately flat screens here are out of the question due to price, but I am sure I can find a good deal on a nice 19 inch CRT.

Also it has come to my attention that Jen is a thinkgeek fan! She has a couple of cool toys from there, including this thing you suction cup to a surface and drop marbles down.

Well so far I have had a Sausage Roll and a Mars Bar, foods I have not been able to obtain in the USA at all. Boy they are good.

However my mate Ray called me yesterday and organised a trip to nirvana. Yes Nepalese is on the menu Saturday night, so there will be no meals during the rest of the day so I can sample all of my favorite dishes!

I was thinking about my wife Karissa and some of the firsts I have had with her. I didn't realise some of them until I got to thinking. I am also not writing this to be a suck, I am pretty sure she probably isn't even reading this currently.

She was my first illogical love. It made no sense to have a relationship with her but I pursued one anyway.

Then she was the first person I can truly say I had love at first site with. Yeah it may have been lust as well but I knew she had the goods upstairs as well.

Lately I have also realised that I love her unconditionally. I will take her however she is. Support her through anything and love her until the day I die.

Ok so at times the flight from San Fransico to Sydney was liek a rollercoaster!

Normally this would not scare me, but when you know your sitting inbetween a 747 pilot (the row behind) and his wife (sitting the row in front) and that she is turning around with a sheer look of terror on her face, you know it must be a little dicey. Also the flight attendents being buckled in and telling stragglers at the restroom that they must sit down before they become a projectile, well it must be bad!

Otherwise the flight was pretty decent for once I slept. I also met a German of Turkish decent and his girlfriend who were going to drive up the east coast. We swapped travel stories and the like and generally I helped him refine some of his english skills.

I finally got into my parents house a little while ago. I polished off a sausage rool, and am now goign to make a quick stop by the Sausage offices and then go and surprise my Grandmother.

Oh and boy is it hot here! Forty something celicus today. This will take some adjusting!

So I am sitting around here working and waiting. Waiting for that long endless flight over the Pacific Ocean to my country of origin in Australia. I say country of origin as I no longer know where to call home.

In many ways I think of my home with Karissa and Hayden as my home, but then again I am proud to be Australian and think of that entire country as home. I even now in smaller ways think of Kentucky as home.

I suppose I got my wish of being a global traveler and jet-setter. However it is not all it is cracked up to be!

All I need is to go up a level in the financial stakes so that I can afford to include a rest stop in Hawaii when going back and forth to Australia. Actually make that 3 or 4 levels as I would want to take Karissa and Hayden with me too! They love the ocean with a passion and we always have had the best times whenever we get within cooee of the beach!

Well today I take off for my Australia and West Coast trip. It is more work than pleasure but there will plenty of time for me to ponder life as I travel.

I am sure I will great times, meet interesting people and generally have fun. However it is a bit upsetting to be missing Hayden's 4th Birthday. I love spending time with my daughter and Karissa so it will be a bit different for all three of us over the next month or so.

Seeing my parents and sister are going home tomorrow and I am leaving for Australia on Saturday we gave Hayden an early birthday party.

It was Barbie all round! Cakes, plates, you name it, it was Barbie! No pics for public consumption though as I have to maintain my respectability!

We all had fun and Hayden received some really fun presents to play with.

Are there times when you feel all is hopeless? That a task or situation cannot get any better? I would love to know what you do to get yourself out of the despair and overcome the problem. Or if you cannot overcome the problem how do you move on?

Ok I am only really blogging on at this time to tell anyone who is looking for a good hotel near the Mall of America, that the Eagan Holiday Inn Express has free high speed internet in every room. I am impressed yet for once have not really had the need to use it. This has been a trip to show my parents this mega-mall, and they have been somewhat impressed. Unfortunately Karissa is not feeling the best so we have had to cut it a little short. On the way home tomorrow we are stopping at some super outdoor sportsmen store just off I35.

Well I finally got to show my parents the some of the snow that we normally have to deal with in Des Moines! We only got 2-3 inches but it is still a bit of fun!

I also went out with dad for a "diner breakfast" at the Drake Diner. I love hashed browns!

So for a it of comic relief we decided to take my parents and sister on a road trip and to meet Karissa's family in Kentucky.

Firstly we stopped in St Louis and saw the Gateway Arch, then we journeyed on to Memphis and saw Graceland. Then we spent the rest of the week in Kentucky, mainly spending time with family but also seeing a few of the local sites.

Let me elaborate a little.

The arch was great, the museum was interesting and I learned a lot about the Lewis and Clark expedition. The ride up the arch was nerve racking in the "tram" cars. I believe my sister was going to freak out completely until Hayden told her not to be a scardy cat!

Graceland was not as grand as I had imagined. Although I am no huge Elvis fan it was really interesting to get and insight into the kings life. It looked great and varied. I was surprised to see that he was so into gospel music and charity work.

Spending time with Karissa's family is always fun. I can truly say I like them all. Yes even her very enthusiastic sister who I have not always seen eye to eye with. I think my new outlook on life in general has helped with that relationship.

My family behaved themselves and got to meet anyone who is anyone in the family.

Anyway it was a great trip. I even got to watch some TechTV which I do not get here at home.

Well after a week in Kentucky I am am back, logged on and ready to work.

When I have caught up I will share some of the tales of our journey.

Mike Chandler posted a comment to my blog which noted that my posts has been quite inspiring of late. I am glad someone has picked up upon my change in thought and attitude. I have been doing a lot of reflecting on the past year, and have really seen this new year as a sort of rebirth or new beginning for a lot of the facets of my life.

If other people find this at all inspiring I am glad. It is nice to know other people can learn from my mistakes and be guided as they feel appropriate by my actions. I don't want