My 2008

Its the new year soon so I guess this is the end of 2008. This year has been pretty up and down and all over the place but it has also been good to me. I have had friends leave and come back and met new people. I have been on a couple of holidays and even bought a Wii. The highlight of the year would have to be the snow trip. That was an incredible week and I am so glad I went. The most exciting part was the helicopter ride we took over the valley. Let me know what your highlight was and have a GREAT NEW YEARS EVE!!!!! I hope you all have sore heads the next morning!!

My Holliday Hiatus

Wow its been a long time since I have written and it feels like forever. The last two weeks have been hectic to say the least. Its been a mix of work, homecomings and holiday celebrations.

The girls sister Amanda arrived back from England two weeks ago which was massive because she had been over there working for almost two years. The girl was so excited because they are very close. Its been weird from me because when she left we did not know each other that well and now after almost three years with the girl and knowing her mum its odd to be a bit uncomfortable around her sister. We are chatting though so we will get there. Its just crazy being at two different levels of friendship with two family members.

The other major visit was my American cousin and her husband. They are living and working in Seoul Korea and came down for six days to say hi. It was weird because I hadn't seen my cousin Heather for close to ten years and had never met her husband before so I didn't really know what to expect. We took them on a whirlwind tour of South Australia and I had so much fun hanging out with the crazy Americans. We did the Barrossa wine region and ended up buying 36 bottles of wine, we toured down the South coast and saw all the animals and birds down at the farm and we did a couple of wild life parks and got to hold a koala. It was a pretty hectic few days and with Christmas in between it was crazy. It was great to have them down and although hectic they were a great couple of days.

Christmas was much of the same. Lots of driving between the girls family and mine but it was worth it and oh my god did I eat soo soo too too much. My mum cooked Swedish meatballs and tandoori lamb which was not very traditional but very Australian because of our multicultural society. After breakfast and lunch we headed back to the girls house where I slept between 5 and 8:30pm. It was great.
Byes.

My Question Time

Its Friday and I'm back from working away all week. It had been a taxing week with a couple of really hot and really dusty days and then heavy rain today. Im stuffed tonight and instead of writing about what I have done all week I want you guys out there in the world wide wobble to ask me questions. They can be questions about anything. Maybe you want to know what star sign I am, maybe you want to know if i actually did eat two chicken Parmies at Calvins party last year. The answer to both of those questions is obviously yes so ask away!

My Weekend Away

I'm back but already I'm gone. I got back last night at about 6:00pm.I showered and got ready for the girls work Christmas party and I was off again. The night was really good with food and alcohol flowing. We had a good group of people on our table and I even won an itunes voucher which was awesome. I bought the new Bliss N Eso cd. Which I know might come as a surprise to some of you but hey I like the tunes. The night finished early and we were home by 12 which was nice because I had had a long day and a couple hours of driving.

I leave tomorrow to head back down to the farm and this job. I will be away for the whole week but this time I remembered to pack my Ipod and the girls camera so I will have music and photos to bring back. See you in a week chums.

My My I'm Gone

I'm going away tomorrow for work. Where I am going has very limited phone reception and the days are going to be long. I'm going to miss you and you, but I will miss you the most my love. I will be back in your arms soon but not soon enough. See you in a few. Byes

My Wii Buy

For the last few months the girl has been saying that she wants a Nintendo Wii so I finally gave in and bought her one on the weekend. Its kind of a Christmas present but also just because. I was unsure at how good it would be but I was wrong to doubt. Its the best thing ever. We got a heap of games, Mario Kart, Wii Sports, Mario Olympics, Sonic the Hedgehog and Wii Fit. They are all awesome but surprisingly Wii Fit is the best. Its awesome. I spent about two hours today doing yoga and balance excersises. It took me almost 25 minutes to walk across a tightrope between two buildings. I think my balance needs some work.

Apart from Wiiiiiing all weekend we went out last night to the Dublin Pub for Hoggot's 22nd birthday. There was a good crowd down there and we all had a bit of a laugh. I bought him a Malibo and pineapple because it was the girliest drink I could think of. The girl behind the bar couldn't find any mini umbrellas so she cut a strawberry into a love heart and I chuckled. The dance floor was packed with over 40's so it was a bit dangerous there with too many ass grabs as you walked throught the crowd but it was all fun.

A good Wii weekend I would wisely say. This week I am going to go away for a few days for work so I could be a boring blog week. Im not looking forward to going away. Its going to be boring without the girl and the Wii. Hopefully I'm not gone for too loong. Byes

My Farewells

This past weekend was filled with farewells. Calvin, a very good friend of mine and two other mates are heading over to Canada to work in the snow fields and then on to tour around Europe. They will be gone for a year which hopefully goes quickly. Saturday night we said goodbye to Kosta and Luke, the other two and Sunday was Calvins day. We had lunch at the Kentish which is one of our favorite pubs and then headed to the Adelaide Lawn Bowls Club for a day of sunshine and beers. It was such a chilled out day and a fitting farewell for the guys.

Its going to be boring in Adelaide with out them, beleive me. It sucks that they are leaving and I really envy them because there trip sounds like the trip of a lifetime. Hopefully we have a house by the time they get back and we can have there welcome home party. Anywho, byes.

My Weekend

The weekend was bliss. The girl and I got away and drove down to my parents farm for a weekend of relaxation. It was so good to have a weekend with no house hunting and no work. We did nothing but watch TV and play old school Super Nintendo. I bought a heap of games of EBAY so we tried them out and managed to finish Yoshi's Island which was pretty cool.



We walked around the property a lot and on the one day managed to see a Kangaroo and her Joey and the girl nearly stepped on a stumpy tailed lizard. It was huge too. Easily the biggest one I have ever seen, it would have been 40 centimeters long. It was very calm and didn't even hiss at us like they normally do. They are such amazing creatures. My dad told me he had seen a red bellied black snake down there the week before but luckily we didn't see it. The are very shy and normally won't attack you unless threatened but a snake is a snake and they are good to stay away from.



Every few months it is just great to get away for a couple of days. I'm so glad we have somewhere where its quick, easy and cheap to just have a change of scenery and a weekend away.



I put some photos up for a change so I hope you enjoy. Byes.

My Tripper

Today was a good day. We poured concrete, like we do, and had a bit of a laugh as well. We were sitting down having a rest when one of use realized that we should put some marking cones out so that no one would trip over the hoses that were running across the sidewalk. Two seconds later an elderly couple walked past. We all cringed but they both made it over easily. Just behind them though was there dog. As it walked past it look over at us and tripped straight over the hose. It fell into a heap to the chorus of us laughing. It made my day really.

My Pancakes

I did something really weird yesterday. On a spur of the moment decision the girl and I got up and decided to go and get pancakes from the Pancake Kitchen in town. On the way we bought a heap of lotto scratchy tickets and sat there eating our pancakes and playing one dollar scratchies. Although we looked like gambling addicts, we had so much fun. As usual I ate too much but still felt great.

We went and looked at a few houses in the afternoon but didn't see anything that we really liked. Its getting tedious now but we have to keep going and keep looking. There are so many crap houses though, urgh.

I wrote a whole huge post last night but lost it all due to it not saving and the computer dying on me. I was not happy at all and instead of re writing it I went to bed. I had a very tiresome weekend due to doing a cash job on Saturday. The money was good, very very good but crap I worked hard. I fell asleep on the floor Saturday night at about 9pm and then made it to bed not long after. Even with 12 hours of sleep I was still stuffed Sunday. It was a really good weekend though. The girl and I really had fun Sunday just doing nothing. It was all gravy baby!

My Heavy Night

The highlight of this week was Tuesday night. The guys and I went and saw Slipknot play at the Wayville Showgrounds. I don't care what anyone says about heavy music or Slipknot, if they haven't seen them live they cannot make a judgment. I have seen a lot of gigs in my short lifetime and this was one of the best. It was incredible. From the flame cannons and fireworks to the drum kit that rose into the air and spun round. It was nine guys up on stage giving it there all and it was brilliant.

Apart from that the week has been pretty normal. The weekend was quiet but good. We partied for a friends going away Saturday, before heading to the lovely Tilney's house where she and her boyfriend Luke cooked us and amazing tea. It was such a great way to spend a Saturday night and the company was even better than the beautiful food.

I'm going to shave my head again tomorrow night because it is getting long and if you are lucky there might even be photo's on her some time soon. I don't know if the world is ready for a photo of me though. We will see.
Byes

My Close Shave

I shaved my head again. This time it looks a lot better. Last time I had a Mohawk and looked like a criminal and struggled to get into bars and clubs. This time I think it looks normal. I don't look scary and I don't look like a criminal.

The weekend was worky and partyie, which was nice. It was the girls birthday during the week so we all went out to celebrate Saturday night with dinner in town and then a couple of drinks afterwards. We started at The Botanic which is a really nice bar. The drinks were a bit expensive to start with so we had a couple and moved on to the London Tavern where calvin got us all in past the line and gave us a copius amount of cheap drinks. A typical night at the Tav when Calvin is behind the bar. The night was great but my 2am I was wrecked because of the hard day I had at work and the girl and I headed home. God I was glad to hit the pillow that night.

The working week has started again and one week has moulded into the next. I'm almost lost these days because I have been working Saturdays and public hollidays a lot lately. A weekend doesn't seem like a weekend anymore and all of a sudden its Tuesday or Wednesday and I feel like the week has just started but also like it should be the weekend again. Another day another dollar though and all going towards our house. We are still looking and a really nice place that we put an offer in on still hasn't been finalised so I am going to make enquires tomorrow as to where we stand. Hopefully we get some good news because the kitchen was new with red tiles and I like it.

Byes.

My Hiatus

I haven't written in a long time. I don't really know why but I know that a lack of enthusiasm hasn't helped. I haven't been doing a lot. Work has been a huge part of my life for the last few weeks. It has been up in the morning, work all day, home at night to make tea and then bed. My life hasn't been boring but it hasn't been interesting enough for an outside viewer.

I had an accident at work and ended up cutting a bit off the end of my thumb. One of the guys working for us caught my thumb between his shovel and a concrete shoot and it resulted in a bit of blood and a messy thumb so that has been annoying me endlessly. Apart from the minor inconveniences work has been steady and pretty easy.

The girl and I have still been watching the housing market and looked at a lot of houses on the weekend. We found a coupe that we liked but had to look at a lot of shit ones and a couple that we didn't even get out of the car to look at. Its amazing how much people will try and get for a shit hole. We will keep looking and keep watching the housing market because prices have dropped a little in the last month or so. Hopefully they continue to fall so we can get a bit of a bargain.

Oh well. See you soon.

My Bad Day

I am still sick but I went to work today but I get the feeling I should have just stayed home. I felt like death in the morning but new I had to work so off I went. My job for the day was to pour a concrete strip under a machine up in Lonsdale. It all seemed easy enough until I got there.

The second I was at the job I knew it was going to be a shit day. The timber that I was meant to use was the wrong size and so didn't fit. That was the first thing to piss me off. I worked like anything to get it ready for when the concrete got there and just finished in time for the concrete truck to arrive. I didn't have time for anything to eat and so just started putting the concrete in. I got most of it in but realized that the first lot was getting really hard. This was odd because it had only been down for a half hour. Normally concrete takes a lot longer to harden.

I asked the driver if there was any accelerator in the mix which speeds up the curing time and he told me there was the maximum amount. This pissed me off royally because I hadn't ordered that type of concrete and was now in trouble because the concrete was just about hard and I had a huge amount of work to do.

After too much work I got the job done, barely and the finish was very very average. Its not a job I am proud of but there wasn't a lot I could do about it. I really am dissapointed with how it looks but there is nothing you can do with concrete like that. After I finally finished I was dead. I finally got to have something to eat and drink at 2:30pm after being up since 6:00am and made an executive decision to go home. Definitely not a good day and glad to be home and hosed.

My Nose Knows

I'm sick and I'm sick of it. The last two days have been spent in bed blowing my nose. My nose is sick of tissues and I'm sick of using them. I went to the doctor and it took him 3 minutes to tell me that I was sick and that I should take it easy and drink lots of water. Now I'm not a doctor but I could have told myself that and saved the 55 freakin dollars. I wasn't happy with the value for his consultation. So I guess I'm sick.

I have taken two days off work which have been my only two sickies ever. Its weird but I don't normally get sick enough to ave to take time of work and in my line of work its pretty much don't work and don't get paid so that's another reason to deal with it. This has been different though. I got up at 1:30pm today and moved to the couch. I stayed there till now so pretty much prime blogging material. Hope you enjoy, lol. byes.

My On My Mind

The last week has been draining. Last Saturday night a good friend of mine over dosed on drugs. It was a terrible situation and one I will never forget and in fact has changed me and the way I think about life. In the end he was ok but we spent six hours in the hospital by his side while he got through it.

I have never taken any drugs like that and am glad now because after seeing someone be in that state its something that changes your life. He was very very lucky that night and it could have been a lot worse. Last night him and I spoke about everything that has happened and why it got to this which was really hard for both of us but needed to happen. Its a horrible situation, it really is but I think we are all lucky that its only this bad and we are not dealing with a friend who is brain dead or even worse. I don't agree with drugs but I guess they are a fact of life these days. Its just so hard when you see a friend like that.

That has ruled my thoughts lately and I have forgotten about most other things in my life. I did enjoy my birthday but it seems worlds away now. The girl and I, well we are still the girl and I and we are stronger than ever and doing well. We went to look at a few more houses today and got some great ideas about what we want but didn't see anything we had to have. We are really seriously looking to buy but cant find the perfect place. Its such a major step but I really cant wait to have something to truly call ours. Its going to be a challenge with a mortgage and all that jazz but that's life I guess. If you want to donate to me funds that would be awesome, lol.

Anyway its bed time for me and then its another week, another dollar and another 10 percent to the government. Byes

My Old 22

Now that I'm 22 I'm buying a house. The girl and I have been looking for a while but have found one we really like. Its a house that was built buy a couple but they have run out of money and there are a few finishing touches that need to be added to finish it off. A lot of the work that needs to be done in outside in the landscaping which is great for me because that fits in with what I do so its win win. Its still up in the air but the cogs are moving.

Our trip to Phillip Island was really good. We ate so much fantastic food and drank a lot of beer and wine and it was fun. The racing was pretty good on the Saturday but on Sunday there was a huge crash that involved a car rolling over right in front of us which was really cool. The only bad part was the drive home. After twelve hours in a car my arse was flat and I really didn't want to drive to work the next day.

My life has been really hectic since I got back. We went out Saturday night to celebrate my birthday. We started at the Ed and then headed into town. The night had an unfortunate end but that might have to be a story for another time. Such is life I guess.

My Trippy Birthday

So, I forgot to say that I was going away for the weekend. I left Thursday and got back Monday night and it was a really good trip, but more of that at a later stage. The more important fact is that it was my birthday yesterday and I feel old. I'm 22! Old.

I'm not in a talking, typing or thinking mood so I will be back tomorrow night. Byes

My Two Sides

The weekend was really good. I didn't work and the girl and I just chilled out. We went to the Royal Adelaide Show on Saturday which was really quite cool. The show travels all around Australia and has all the attractions from roller coasters to show jumping and cow judging. We walked around and looked at all the different animals and sights and ate hot dogs. It was actually more exciting than I thought it was going to be. The last time I went I was a lot younger so it was good to go again.

For the first time in a long time we didn't really have anything on for this weekend. No 21st's or any sort of party so it was a weekend to relax. I went to the Ed Friday night for an hour or two and hung out with some good people but Saturday night we just relaxed and watched the football. A good Saturday night in fact.

Tomorrow is going to be an odd day. Scientists in France are going to switch on a machine which will start an experiment involving firing protons together. This is the first time humans have tried this and many people have doubts over the results. It is the same reaction that started the "Big Bang" event and although they say it is safe it is still a bit worrying. I don't know what to think because all through history humans have triumphed due to guts and determination. Many people do not know this, but when they set off the first atomic bomb they did not know if its reaction would cause a continuous reaction in its surrounds and destroy the whole world. They went ahead anyway and this lead to one of the most amazing yet destructive forces we know. I guess this isn't the first time our race has tempted its fate but I guess it is just better publicized now. I have a science brain but It is still in the back of my mind. I guess we will all see tomorrow. If it all ends, I love you, I love you with all I am and I have had fun, I will kiss you tonight and when I wake up tomorrow I will kiss you again. Byes.

My Multi Talented Week

This week I have done every job imaginable. Everything from fixing steel reinforcement and concreting a garage to digging a 5 meter deep storm water soakage pit filled with ballast. That's one of the best things about my job; just about every day is different.

Apart from work not a lot has been happening in my life. We went out Saturday to celebrate a couple of 22nd's which was a really good night. I picked up my ticket to Slipknot who are coming in the next few months but I was devastated to find out that I didn't get a ticket to see Birds of Tokyo. I was really looking forward to them but I guess I will just have to wait. I also found out that calling someone from a concert actually has a name. Its called Cellcert and it has a definition. Crazy times we live in.

I found this photo and it made me laugh so there. byes.

My Easy Buy

The best thing about my old man is that he is never scared of spending money, especially if it is going to make work easier. The other day I was trying to cut a doorway in a wall with our Stihl brand quick cut saw. A quick cut is a big petrol powered angle grinder that we use to cut steel and concrete. Now normally it will start first time every time but for some reason I could not get it to start. I pulled the pull start until I couldn't pull it anymore and was very annoyed. With a lot of swearing I climbed down of the scaffolding I was on and tried again on the ground to get it to start. My dad had realized that I wasn't making any loud noises so came to find out what the problem was. I was very angry at this stage and was swearing at it to see if that would help. He came straight up to me and said, god its not that hard! He tried about five times to get it to start and unsuccessfully started swearing and walked off. I thought great what a huge help that was. He disappeared after that and left me to sort it out, or so I thought. I tried and tried to get it to start and finally got it to fire up. I climbed back up onto the scaffold and started cutting. It lasted about three seconds until it died again. I was royally pissed off now and climbed down and walked off.

About five minutes later my old man came back with a brand new Stihl quick cut. He didn't say anything, just handed me the saw and walked off. It started first time and I cut the doorway in about five seconds. Our old one is only a few years old and probably just needed a service but it did enough annoying to be replaced so look out for a second hand one on Ebay, lol.

My Lost Week

To be honest I don't know where this week has gone. All day today I thought it was Tuesday but obviously I was way off. We struggled Monday and Tuesday to get a job finished so it could be sprayed with concrete Wednesday. We only just got it ready in time and had to work some really long hours. The shotcrete gang came Wednesday and 8 guys sprayed the walls. I was a huge day for them with over 180 square meters of wall to be done. They were still pouring when I left at 2 to go to a different job. It came up 100 percent but god to those guys work hard.

I had tea with Tilney Tuesday night which was really good. We hadn't caught up for a good two months and it was amazing how many things had changed in such a short time. It made me realize how much I enjoy her friendship and how lucky I am to have friends like her. Its so good to have people around you that you have known your whole life and you are completely comfortable around.

I took a few photos of the guys spraying the walls but the camera on my phone is a bit scratched so they are pretty average. I am going to have to go in and get another phone or something because the one I have, even though its only six months old, everything is going wrong with it. I guess they arn't meant for my sort of work. Oh well, I think I might even get an Iphone next?

Tonight, to celebrate getting her new job, the girl went out a bought a watch. We went and saw our friend Bridie who works at a jeweler and she gave us such a ridiculous discount on the watch that the girl bought two different ones. We got two watches for half the full price of one. A very good buy.

This weekend will be a bit weird for me because for the first time in a long time I might not be working Saturday. I probably won't know what to do with myself for two whole days. I guess I will just watch a heap of TV and annoy the girl. Its what I do really. Byes nows y'alls.

My Ipod Theatre

Last night, instead of watching the closing ceremony, because it got a bit boring, the girl and I watched Juno on her Ipod and I have to say, it was a cool movie and a cool way to watch it. I had one of the original Ipod's but am just getting into the new ones with movies and games on them and they are soo cool. I want one but cant quite justify the price for how much I would use it. They are very cool though.

Here are some pictures of the job that we did that we have to go back and change. I cant believe the way some companies throw money away. Half of the walls have to be pulled out and the pit has to be made 6 meters longer because it wasn't right when we started and no one at the company noticed. Its incredible how dumb some people are. It took me two days to form the whole job up in timber and it got a bit tedious in the end. Interestingly enough it only took a few hours to pull it all down.

I heard an interesting fact last night while watching the start of the closing ceremony. China spent 40 billion dollars putting on the Olympics, 40 BILLION DOLLARS!!! that is ridiculous. They could have given every single person in the world 7 dollars. Imagine that, for many people in the western world it would be an odd payment that might pay for a snack but for many people in Africa and other third world countries that may be a months wage. We talk about how to save the planet and how to increase awareness but its hard when the cost of one event could change the lives of billions of people but instead it is wasted on fireworks in the shape of footprints. Don't get me wrong the footprint fireworks were cool but I'm sure the ceremony would have been just the same without them. Just a thought I guess. If the world was perfect we wouldn't have these problems and If I had 40 billion dollars to spend maybe I would host the Olympics, who knows?

This week is going to be crazy because work is still so flat out I barely have time to get home before I'm back at work. I think this week will be spent relaxing, apart from tomorrow night because I have a coffee appointment with the lovely Tilney which I am looking forward to because its been way too long since we have caught up.

The whether is starting to fine up a bit and today even had hints of summer and spring. The sun had a little bite to it and it was warm on my back for the first time in months. I think its summer here we come. Byes

My Double Take

I noticed two things musically today. The first was that Bloc Party's new single which came out recently is pretty good. Its a bit like there old stuff but a bit more dancey which I'm not really into but still liked it. On the other hand Metallica's new single which came out today is terrible. They have followed on from St Anger but have gotten even worse. The vocals are weak and the song just does not flow. Disappointed. Oh well.

Apart from music my working week has been pretty boring. I was working up at Lonsdale for three days getting a job ready and then pouring it. We were putting some concrete walls in a pit which had already been poured by another company but once we were finished we got a phone call to come back because they had stuffed up and the pit was 6 meters too short!!! It was a huge stuff up on there part so now next week we need to go back and fix it all up. It sucks cause we have to do just about the same job twice but we will get paid twice and the price we gave them just to do one wasn't cheap so its all good. Another job where we have to fix some other companies fuck up. Story of my working life these days.

I have been taking it easy lately and not going out too much so I can save some money. The girl and I are starting to seriously look for houses and what is on the market. We are still a bit away from actually buying but I am really trying to work more and save more to help get a huge deposit to start us off. If anyone wants to make a donating to my savings that would be awesome, lol. Bye now.

My Post Impression

I'm sick of a few things that are going on at the moment. I'm sick of people judging me. Whether it be at work, when people don't think I know what I'm doing or whether its out on a Saturday night when I go home early because the six day working week raped me and I'm dead tired. I'm sick of it. I'm also sick of not having time to write in my blog. Some nights I really want to type away but after making tea and watching a bit of TV I'm not in the mood. I'm also sick of people letting me down. Lately I have been let down in a big way by some friends of mine as well as my family. I have good people around me and I'm thankful for that but some of them don't deserve my company sometimes.

I'm also down about something I learn't. A friend of mine recently split up with his partner of 17 years. They have two kids together and the split has been very taxing on both of them. She has the kids and he is only allowed to see them once a fortnight which is absolutely killing him. Now this bloke is one of the nicest people I have met and since day one has been nothing but kind to me and always accommodating. I hate seeing people like this and especially not a person who deserves so much more. My heart goes out to you mate and I hope you won't hesitate to ring if you want to catch up for a beer.

Apart from the whining I am ok, I think. I am missing a couple of people who I haven't seen for a while but It was good on the weekend to catch up with the people I always see. Bye again.

My Olympiad

Its a weird time when the Olympics are on because no matter what there is always something to watch on TV. I have watched a bit of the coverage but not a huge amount because work has been pretty hectic and I have been working weekends and longer hours. I watched some of the opening ceremony but fell asleep before the athletes walked in and I have to say I wasn't that impressed. The best part was when all the Chinese guys were in the boxes going up and down. Apart from that and the fireworks, I thought it was pretty boring.

The one thing I am sick of in the coverage is montages and that is saying a lot because I am a big montage fan. It seems that every time Australia wins any medal it results in a montage that is played every 30 minutes. Enough TV people! Play more beach volleyball because that is an underrated sport. Woot bye!

My 40

I stole this from JaG, who took it from someone else, but is the best.

1. My uncle once: Took me out in his Cessna and we nearly landed on top of a freight train.

2. Never in my life: have I seen the godfather???

3. When I was five: I was really small and skinny.

4. High school was: one of the best times of my life because of all the great people who were around me.

5. I will never forget: My late grandparents and everything they did for me.

6. Once I met: You, and you said hi back.

7. There's this boy I know: that fell in some mud, got rabies and now sell flowers for a living.

8. Once, at a bar: I met my beautiful girl.

9. By noon, I'm usually: 87% water.

10. Last night: I went to a farewell for a friend who came back to visit from his new life and did not change. It made me happy.

11. If only I had: More time to spend with people who have time for me.

12. Next time I go to church: I cant remember the last time I went to church but hopefully the next time will be for a positive joyous occasion.

13. What worries me most: is not living life to the full and not being as successful as I can be.

14. When I turn my head left I see: the blue wall of my room and a Holden poster.

15. When I turn my head right I see: the Adelaide Crows game on TV and my mess of a room.

16. You know I'm lying when: I say im not hungry.

17. What I miss most about the Eighties is: single kick skate boards.

18. If I were a character in Shakespeare I'd be: Shakespeare him self.

19. By this time next year: I hope to be looking for a house but we will se.

20. A better name for me would be: Jimmy Ricard

21. I have a hard time understanding: Chinese. I'm not Chinese.

22. If I ever go back to school, I'll: say hi to your sister.

23. You know I like you if: I send you a text message.

24. If I ever won an award, the first person I would thank would be: my friends and family.

25. Take my advice, never: regret anything.

26. My ideal breakfast is: reheated pizza.

27. A song I love but do not have is: Riders of the storm by The Doors.

28. If you visit my hometown, I suggest you: call me and we will have a drink.

29. Why won't people: recycle more?

30. If you spend a night at my house: you will wake up the next day dazed and hung over.

31. I'd stop my wedding for: a soda?

32. The world could do without: daytime tv shows.

33. I'd rather lick the belly of a cockroach than: eat eggplant.

34. My favourite blonde(s) is/are: you with blonde hair.

35. Paper clips are more useful than: guns without bullets.

36. If I do anything well it's: being me.

37. I can't help but: eat more than I should, most of the time.

38. I usually cry: beer after too much beer.

39. My advice to my child/nephew/niece: Always be yourself and always stand up for who you are. Never forget where you have come from but do not dwell on it.

40. And by the way: always have fun!!!!

My Snow Dome

The snow was incredible, absolutely freezingly incredible. We had a whole week of incredible weather and some good snow fall in the first couple of days that lasted until we left. The food and accommodation were so good and the people staying in our room were even better. Our room slept twelve people eight of which I knew previously and there were four other randoms. We were hoping they would be cool and they turned out to be great. It was an awesome atmosphere in out room no matter what time of the day it was. Whether drunk and ready to go out or recovering from the night before there were always laughs.

The highlights were definitely the nights we spent out dressed in stupid costumes. There was a traffic light party, green for single, yellow for undecided and red for taken. The 80's night and the Legend and loser night both went off but the highlight was the last night, The porno night. There were a lot of very average costumes but a lot of hilariously good ones as well. It was a huge night and even though our heads were heavy and sore we still made it out onto the slopes nice and early.

There were a couple of big spills on the slopes, one of which included my mate Calvin. We we boarding a couple of slopes and doing a few of the jumps when Calvin tried to pull off a backside 180. The trick involved him coming up to the jump backwards and spinning so he landed forwards. It did not go to plan and landed badly on his back. He was pretty distressed so we called for the Ski Patrol who took him down to the medical center on a spinal board and a sleigh. In the end he was fine and we got it all on camera so it will definitely make it onto the ski trip DVD.

It was such an amazing trip but the highlight would have to be the helicopter flight that the girl and I did over Mt Hotham and the surrounding mountains. We got to see everything in the area as well as spotting a whole heard of wild brumbies rolling in the snow on one of the mountain tops. It was an incredible experience.

We wont be going on a uni trip next year but I definitely think we will plan another trip to the snow. I learn't this year that buses are not made for someone who is six foot tall so next time we will either fly or drive because I had 13 hours of very uncomfortable and 13 hours back of incredibly uncomfortable. It was still an amazing trip and I can't wait to go back in the next few years. Byeeeeeeee

Photos on the Spud Photo Blog!!!!

My Week Back

So this week has been way more hectic than I thought it would be and to be honest I haven't even had time to unpack my suitcase from my snow trip let alone write about it on here so even though it sucks, it will have to wait until next week. This week involved working like mad and catching up with everyone. I organised a tea at the Coopers Ale house on Wednesday and 31 people came! It was huge and a really good night. The schnitzel I had was awesome. The girl and I are heading down to my farm tonight and a heap of other people are coming down Saturday so it will be great. Lots of drinking and playing the old school Super Nintendo! Cant wait to get out of town on another little holiday. Woot

My Mountain Highs and Valley Lows

The trip away to the snow was absolutely amazing and so much fun but I'm not going to tell all tonight because while we were away something incredibly sad happened. The day we got back the girl found out that one of the girls who works in same theater in the hospital as her had committed suicide. The girl knew her quite well so it came as a huge shock and hit her pretty hard. It made me thin of just how precious life is and how easily it can be taken away.

On the other hand suicide is something that is more common in our society than most think and I urge anyone out there who is deeply depressed to seek help. Everyone in their lives has had tough times and although the world may seem like it is baring down on you there is always people who can help and other ways to get over it. No matter how dark the world may be there is always a light at the end of the tunnel and that light may be the happiest feeling you will ever feel.

A short post tonight but I will post a heap of snow photos and a big wrap up of our trip tomorrow night. Bye all.

My White Trip

I'm all packed and ready to head off and god damn I can't wait. We leave from Adelaide Uni at 7pm for the 13 hour bus trip. The bus ride will be hell but I can't wait to get up there and hit the slopes. Everything is organized and I have all my gear for the 80's, hero's and porno parties as well as all my snow stuff. Im off!!!!!!!! See you in a week.

My Momentum

Momentum is an odd thing. Once you get going its really incredibly hard to slow down. I seem to be working harder and harder these days and I don't really mind it. I think so far this week I have worked nearly 50 hours and its only Thursday. The way I seem to compensate for that is doing things after work which makes me tired the next day. It seems that by Friday of most weeks I want to die because I am so tired. I don't think I would have it any other way though. I can't wait for the snow. I really cant. I am going with so many cool people and its such an amazing place. Cannot wait.

I put some new photos up finally on the Spud Photo Blog so check them. The Lost Show are playing a gig tomorrow night so that will go off if I don't fall asleep before they start, lol, and I'm out. Byes.

My Taxing Times

You know when you get so busy during a week that you lose track of what has happened or what day it is. That has been my life lately. The trip to Mildura was good, better than expected. We didn't leave till 6 Friday night and so didn't get there untill after 11 due to stopping for Pizza in Tununda. It was a huge day of work and driving and it was only minutes after we arrived that the girl and I were in bed asleep.

The only bad thing about the weekend was that we did not get an ounce of rest. The girl's uncle was down with his family and they have three small kids so even though we had late nights it was very early mornings to follow. We toured a few of the sites of Mildura including a giant maze which was for the kids and a round of mini golf. The weekend went by so quickly and before we knew it we were on our way back to Adelaide.

This week at work was a lot like the weekend. Early, early mornings and long days. We have been digging an underground garage and in the last two days have moved over 400 tonne of dirt. My day today consisted of digging and loading with the 13 tonne excavator and cleaning up with the bobcat. I have worked a few 12 hour days this week so I'm definitely spent.

I need a holiday and thank god we leave for the snow on Saturday. The only problem is with all the boarding and drinking that is going to go on on the trip I will need another break to get over it.

My Unsure

I am uneasy. Uneasy about this weekend to be exact. This weekend the girl and I are heading to Mildura to see the girls father. He lives in Mildura with his new partner and has been begging us to come see him since I first met the girl. Mildura is a 4 to 5 hour drive from Adelaide so we don't see him very often and when we do its for a very short time. The girl and her father don't get along all that well and because I haven't spent a lot of time with him I haven't made my mind up about him.

I am not intimidated by him or any of that normal boyfriend meeting father drama but he is just a hard person to read. The weekend will be ok but I'm still uneasy. We leave tomorrow night after work and will come home some time Sunday so hopefully the weekend goes quickly and it all goes smoothly. We will see how everything goes. Woo

My Big Week

One major thing has happened this week so far. We picked up our new excavator this week. Its massive. We already have a 3 and a 5 tonne machine but this new one is a 13 tonne which is huge. It is a second hand Case, but we bought it for a really good price and even though its a 2003 model it is in excellent condition and hasn't really done a lot of work. The main perks of such a big machine, apart from being able to shift a lot of dirt quickly is the fact that it has an enclosed cabin with a heater/aircon and a cd player and radio. Its great because you can sit in comfort no matter what the weather is like outside.

We have a few big jobs coming up that we really need a machine this big so we got it just at the right time and I hope we can get a few more jobs that will put it to work. Its the same as a machine we hired early last year and they are incredibly easy and smooth to operate. When we hired one last time I moved 800 tonne in a day so it is a very handy machine to have.

Apart from the new arrival the week has been pretty boring. The rain has been really annoying and I'm getting really sick of being wet. Its been cold but not cold enough so every time I do anything I have to stop and take my jacket off because I get too hot. The problem is as soon as I stop I get cold again. Blah to that my friend.

The girl got sick last weekend and gave it too me so I'm feeling average but not dying. Its just a sore throat and a cough so I will live. Its been a bit sad because our good friend Sam left yesterday to live and work in Thailand for a year. We caught up on the weekend and Monday night for a bit of a farewell but I felt terrible because I couldn't get to the airport to see him off. I was working for someone else that day so couldn't get away. He is going to love it and even though its only a year its going to be weird without him and it's another person who has left Adelaide which always makes me sad. Cant wait for the party when he gets back though. Woot.

Byes

My 21st Trek

Saturday night started with a 21st at Grange and then a 45 minute drive up to Corromandel East to another 21st. The first was Rachel's who is one of the girls old school friends. We mingled and had a drink but didn't stay for much more. I felt bad because we had to leave so early but the next 21st was Tash's. Tash is one of my old school friends and to say the least, she is a wonderful person. The amount of people there was a credit to Tash and the party was kicking by the time we got there. There was so much food and three beer kegs which was incredible. We drank and drank and ate a lot of party pies and sausage rolls before speeches, dancing and then a creepy stripper who embarrassed Tash endlessly. Pretty amusing in the end but oh so so so cold. I cant believe my group is finally getting to the end of the 21st's. I'm almost happy they are ending.

My Hourly

This week involved a different type of work. Normally we work for ourselves so we are pretty flat out and don't really relax too much. This week was completely different. We worked for a big plumbing company doing a job that involved digging a trench across Glyndeburn road, which is a busy four lane road.

The first day we got there and they had forgotten to organize traffic management to shut down lanes and divert traffic so from 7:30am till 1:30 we sat around and did absolutely nothing and got paid a ridiculous hourly rate. Once the traffic management finally got there and set everything up we did about two hours work and had to be off the road again. We were only allowed on the road between 9 and 4 so they were very cushy hours. Jobs like that are good to have every once in a while but too often and I would definitely get bored.

My Beloved

I was devastated the other day when I started my car and it sounded very sick. I didn't book it in to be looked at straight away because I was too busy with work but the noise got worse and I got worried. I like my car, a lot, and weird noises mean bad things. I had an oxygen sensor replaced on the manifold a couple of months ago and I thought it might have been something to do with that and I was right. I took in to the Holden dealer near me and they worked out that the right hand Catalytic converter had died for some reason. It is going to take a few days to get another one because it has to be flown over from Melbourne so I am stuck with a sick sounding car for the moment. It should be fixed soon though and my little orange baby will be back on the road. Woot.

My Raw Music

I stole this from Tony Pearce because it is slow and nice and nothing in this world beats raw music. Nothing but a guitar a violin and a few claps and its a wonderful piece of music.

St. Vincent - Marry Me... enjoy.


#22.1 St.Vincent - Marry Me from Handheld Shows on Vimeo.

My 21 22 22

This weekend was full of big milestones for four very important people in my life. The first was Sam's 22nd birthday which we celebrated at his place Friday night. Friday was a good day for two reasons, Sam's birthday was one and the arrival of our good friend Helen was another. Helen is from Manchester and since we met her a couple of years ago has come to Australia to see us every year. She is such a lovely person and always good to see and have a laugh with. She is staying with Sam for a few weeks so Friday night was a birthday/welcome celebration.

We enjoyed a few drinks and an incredible tea with Sam's mum dad and sister while chatting away about everything that has been happening in all of our lives. It seems crazy that Sam is turning 22 because it only seems like months ago that I was making a speech at his house for his 21st. It was so great to see his parents because I haven't been up to his house for a while and they are lovely people. We wolfed down desert and decided to continue the party at the Dublin at Glenelg. We made the trek down but had to leave after only about a half hour. It killed me to leave but I was so tired and had to work early the next morning.

Work was a struggle because I was tired and it was freezing. It went quickly though for some reason and before I knew it we were finished. I raced home and pack my clothes before racing to the girls house so she could start getting ready for the celebrations that night.

After the girl put in a couple of hours and me putting a good 20 minutes in we were ready to head out to Tilney's party. I have to say that the girl looked amazing and I felt even more greatfull to call her mine. We arrived at the amazing Adelaide oval function room which overlooked the oval and the famous score board and started an amazing night with a beverage. We mingled around and talked to so many familiar faces before Adam, Sam and I gave our speech. Adam and I have known Tilney since we started school so we had almost 17 years of stories to cram into a short speech. We picked the highlights and hopefully people liked it. Its still weird to think that little Tilney is all grown up.

I spoke about how in year four Tilney was my first girlfriend but after two weeks she broke up with me because I was too scared to talk to her and made a few jokes about the first time she got her new car. We also talked about how we used to jokingly pick on her at school and all of the funny moments from back then. After speeches the party really kicked on and by 12 we were all quite drunk. The plan was to head into town and it was decided upon to go to the Stag.

We got there and to our disappointment there was a huge lineup so it was off to the Belgium Beer bar. More drinks and more laughs and stories followed before I hit the wall and was dead tired. Too much drinking, laughing, yelling and not enough sleep and it was time for us to go home. We caught a taxi home and were a bit shaken because the guy drove at 100 in a 60 zone the whole way home. We made it, thank god, and were incredible relieved to finally be in bed. It was a good night though, god it was a good night.

We paid for it today though with the girl and I both waking up and feeling terrible. We finally got out of bed at 12:30 and the girl, the angel, made scrabbled eggs for lunch. We devoured that and decided that the best thing to do was to head back to bed. After sleeping for 3 hours we awoke again feeling hungry. We grabbed our stuff and headed to my house. The girls car was still up at Sam's house so we collected it on the way and saw Sam who said he felt just as bad as us. No sympathy there.

The day slowed down when we arrived at mine and we just relaxed and rested our delicate heads. We had tea and then headed on down to the Grand Bar for drinks with Groke for his birthday. The girl managed to get two thirds the way through a vodka and pineapple but I couldn't manage any alcohol. We only stayed for a short time because we were both feeling worse for wear and came home to enjoy a lie down and some TV.

This weekend was such a good weekend. We had two really amazing parties and Saw so many people. I have to say Happy birthday Sam, Tilney and Groke. The weekend was all the more better because the girl and I received news that the girls mum got the all clear on her two year cancer scan. It was the best news we could hope for and a huge relief. I couldn't have had a better weekend.

Byes

My Re-Size

Isn't it weird how you grow up and your body gets bigger but you still feel small. I still feel like I did when I was in year 8 and all the other kids in the years above me were bigger than me. Now a days even though I am bigger than most people I still have that little kid thought in the back of my mind. Its so weird. A lot of the blokes I work with are a bit older than me and there is always that thought of age equals size when the fact is that I am a few inches taller than all of them. I guess its a bit of a mental thing and it comes with growing up but I find it so funny.

The last weekend was really cool. Friday night at Sophie's birthday celebrations was hilarious and I saw something incredible. Nicole came and I have never seen the girl so drunk and that is saying a lot because she can really handle her alcohol. Saturday night was a let down. We went to a farewell for a friend of mine from school but she got there late and it was crap. We left after about an hour and chilled at Hoggots house. Sunday was good. We went to Groke's house for tea and hung out with him and another friend of his. The food was great but it was also awesome to catch up.

I was devastated that the girl internet was not working on the weekend because I couldn't do my Sunday post but I am making up for it now. I want everyone who comes here and reads this to let me know something about them. Please post your name and were you are from and that will be fan-bloody-tastic. Bye byes.

My Lesson

Alright yesterday I learnt a very valuable lesson. I finished work and had parked the truck in the yard. My old man said he would pick me up and to just ring him but I thought bugger it I will just run home. Our yard is only about a kilometer from my house so its not a major thing. I have walked home from there a few times and its pretty easy. What I didn't take into account was the impact of running in big steel capped boots. By the time I got home I felt like my legs were going to fall off and I could barely lift them off the ground. My boots probably weigh a couple of kilograms each so it was like running with heavy weights strapped to my legs. Today was the worst part because all day I struggled to walk as my legs were still stiff and sore. I definitely learnt my lesson and next time I think I will just take them off and run bare foot.

I am in a bind this weekend because as usual I am double booked but this time its bad. The Lost Show are playing a gig at a venue called the Rhino Room in town but it is also Sophie's birthday celebrations at Salt down the Bay. I feel terrible missing the Lost Show's gig because I always support them but I cannot miss Sophie's. I'm in a Jam. I am going to go to Sophie's no matter what but I still feel bad.

My Two Part Role

I have had a couple of good days at work this week. Its been different but good none the less. Work can be weird because of the way my Dad and I work. When we are doing earthworks one person is always driving the truck and the other is on the machinery. Normally my dad drives the truck and I work using the bobcat or excavator while he is doing loads to the dump or quarry. Lately though things have been reversed and I am the one driving the truck.

I did a lot of driving today but it was good. I don't mind cruising around in the truck. Its not an incredibly exciting job but I have always enjoyed driving whether it be a truck or a car or a motorbike I just like being behind the wheel. The only downside to my day was changing a tire on our bobcat but apart from that it was all gravy baby!

Tell me about your job?

My Flashback

The weekend was good. We didn't get carried away with fancy things like going out in the city or getting ridiculously drunk but it was good to chill. The Lost Show played Friday night at the Underground and it was an awkward flashback to my gig going days. The Underground is an all ages alcohol free venue and the guys played an awesome show. The only awkward part was the crowd. The place was full of 15 to 16 year old emo kids. It took me back to the days were my friends and I used to go to gigs every weekend. The only difference was that these kids were being absolute morons. They were running around and jumping all over the place is if they were listening to their favourite Limp Biscuit record in the own room. They just didn't fit in, it was all way to over the top and they were all making asses of themselves. I could not believe how they were acting. It was embarrassing. I remembered back a few years ago and we never did anything like that especially not in front of a crowd of people. It was an awesome gig and I am really glad that the kids got into the Lost Show boys but damn it was odd.

Today the girl and I thought it would be fun to head to IKEA and have lunch and walk around. We ate a lot and then walked around for a while looking at all the items. We saw a lot of things that we would like to have when we buy a place and made a lot of comments about the things we didn't like. It was a good afternoon though.

Now its time to go play Monopoly with the girl. Byes.

My Quickness

I am in two mind frames. We are planning on pouring a concrete job tomorrow but it is raining and the forecast is for showers tomorrow. I really want to pour it tomorrow though because I am not in the mood to work Saturday this week. The next problem is that if it isn't finished this week we have to do it Monday and the only time we can get concrete is 6am. Now I don't mind early starts but that is too much. I would have to be there at 5:30!!!

I was thinking about analogies today and I came up with; wearing a condom during sex is like going to an ice cream store and only ever getting one scoop of vanilla. Now don't get me wrong I love vanilla ice cream but you cannot beat a scoop of choc chip cookie dough and a scoop of peanut butter and chocolate in a waffle cone. Condoms are also a good thing and I definitely condone them I was just making a joke, geez.

Byes?

My Contemplation

Lately I have been contemplating things and one of them is for me to start putting pictures on here of myself and the people around me. Since I have started this thing I have only ever posted the photo I have in my profile which was taken back when I was 16. Hopefully things have changed since then and I think the world is ready to see further into my world. I have never been one to take a lot of photos of myself but I think this blog could be the start. It has been about two years since I started this blog and in that time there has only ever been one photo of me on her so I will either flood the internet with Phil faces or I might just change my profile photo. Let me know your thoughts though because after all you and 50 percent of the reason why I type all these sentences.

I haven't really been taking as many photos as I normally do. It seems lately that work has dominated my life a bit and it has only been work photos. I will definitely improve on this soon though with some random pictures of random objects in chaotic motion and that should liven up everyones days. This may be a spud blog revolution. You just never know.

Byes

My Final Payment

Well today I paid the final installment for the ski trip we are going on this year. I was about two weeks late I think but I managed to remember and got it paid. I cant wait. I am in two minds though because the girl and I are going with a lot of people we don't know. Last year we went up with a small group of friends and it was one of the best weeks away I have ever had so hopefully this year is the same.

The trip is through Calvin and his uni and although neither the girl or I go there, Calvin still got us a spot. It is all organized through them which makes it pretty cheap due to the numbers, so that is awesome. Last year I had a bit of a tumble and knocked myself out for a bit so hopefully I stay upright this year.

This week has been really cushy so far. We have been doing a lot of organizing and not a lot of working. It all needs to be done and it looks like we will have a few big jobs coming up so that is always good. There is a company which we are trying to ease our way in to get all their work because there is years of work to be done up there and it would be a massive step for us. I will let you know how we go in the next few months.

Back to the grind tomorrow I think.

My Big Scull

It has been a while I know but its been a pretty crazy past few days. In the last week everything has changed. Everything. I went from living independently, being my own boss and having so much freedom to back to my old life. It was a pretty smooth transportation though.

The girls mum got back from her trip and she is as sick as a dog so it was straight to the doctor for some antibiotics and then some rest. The same day she got back I had another big concrete pour on which went really terribly. The first load of concrete came and it poured out of the truck like soup. 45 minutes later though it was completely hard. We could walk on it and could barely shovel it. We worked like you wouldn't believe and got the second truck load down and then started finishing the first load. The second area was finished 2 and a half hours after the first even though they were only put down 45 minutes apart. I was not happy at all and even after giving Boral, the concrete company a serve, they didn't even send a sales rep out to see me. Not happy Jan.

Apart from a few headaches the pour came up alright and it finished off a stressful but successful month. The weekend was a bit of a release and with Emma's 21st Friday night and a very funny night at Nicole's Saturday night. I was relieved. The high/lowlight of the weekend was at Nicole's where after being the loser of the drinking game Kings I had to scull a glass which was made up of one part vodka, one part white wine, one part Heineken and the last part Hahn Super dry. I got it down but god it was terrible. Really terrible. I felt a bit average after that but had a great great night. I ate the best pizza ever about an hour after my big scull.

This week is all about new things in a way. New jobs that we are moving on too and new ways of living. Its good though because without change life becomes stagnant and boring so I guess shaking thing up a bit is a good thing. I think I will just go with the flow.

My Weekly Highs

This has been another odd week. Things have gone well but not exactly smooth. I had a few weird moments. I took a load of clean fill in the truck out to the Garden Island dump and on the way managed to get every light. I did not stop once and its about 25 kilometers. On the way back I stopped at every light. That seems to be how my life has been lately. All green lights and then stuck in traffic.

Its been a weird time lately. I'm both excited and depressed about my parents and the girls mum coming home. I have had so much freedom and responsibility lately, in work and at home. Its been good and I don't know how I'm going to go making the transition back. Work is a different story to home because at work I will go from being boss to back to employee which is always hard. Home is just its own story. I really need the freedom of mine and the girls own place but its just not on the cards at the moment. I really want to last two more years at home and then look seriously at buying a place. The girl and I both want to get a place but right now just isn't the right time. I need the freedom though.

Apart from that times have been good. This week is going to be a bit different. I need to eat a bit better this week cause last week I only ate shit. There are two good parties coming this weekend so I am happy about that too.

Life is a circle and at the moment I'm stuck in a kaleidescope.

My Monster Truck

Now if that isn't completely ridiculous then I don't know what is. I mean as a guy I think it is awesome but honestly who in their right mind would try to jump a 727 jet plane in a monster truck. Crazy

My Tired Week

This past week was absolutely crazy. Working by myself and organizing different pours and different employees took a huge toll on me and by the end of the week I was stuffed. My body was stuffed and mentally I was a blur. I made it through though and I was really successful. I did two pours and everything went perfectly. I'm relieved, but most of all proud of myself. I did well. Now its on to this week, haha. Its all fun though.

The lost show played a gig Friday night which went like a dream and they played an incredible set. It was for the End Child Slavery charity concert which was organized by the Oak Tree foundation and at the last count they got over 1000 people through the door so that was great. The lost show got some great exposure and the crowd really got into them which was awesome. We had planned to hang around after to watch Poetikool Justice but due to the week I had I was done and the girl and I headed home to bed. I was a bit disappointed in not seeing them but I was stuffed. Not so much physically but mentally.

Saturday was a weird day. I woke up and was awake for about 3 hours before I started to feel average and decided to lie down. After about 4.5 hours the girl woke me up and I was dazed. Some peeps came round that night and chilled. It was mainly a few beers and a bit of Xbox but it was awesome and it was what we needed because after about a million 21st in a row it was nice to have a weekend off.

Love ya, byes.

My Big Pour

Well today all in all went really well. The only hick up was the start of the day. We were all organized, the concrete pump was set up everything was ready. The first truck pulled up and started pouring concrete into the pump. The problem was, the pump was not pumping. For some reason the concrete didn't want to flow through the pump lines and kept blocking. This normally happens at the start of pours but this time it was ridiculous. We waited and waited until the second concrete truck pulled up and I started to worry. I had to ring up and stop the trucks coming because we had 10 cubic meters of concrete on site and no way to get in in the trenches. After 45 minutes they finally got the pump running smoothly and we started pumping. We went like a bat out of hell because the concrete had been sitting in the trucks for too long and we didn't want to waste any more time. We started with the strip footings around the outside of the slab and then worked our way in. Apart from that little hick up everything went well and the slab turned out perfect. I guess it is all in the planning.

I was stuffed after finishing the concrete and packing up so after heading back to the yard I swung past Becks Bakery and bought a ham and pineapple pizza slice, a potato pie with sauce, a chocolate donut and an ice coffee. It had been a long day and I hadn't eaten so at 3:30pm I had a feast. God it was good too.

Not a bad day in the end.

My Big Day

Tomorrow is a big day for me. Tomorrow is the day of a big concrete pour that I am organizing. Its the first big pour that I am doing by myself and I am actually quite nervous.

Since my old man has been away I have had some huge responsibilities and I like it a lot but tomorrow is still a bit nerve racking. There will be four other guys working for me and a daunting 240 square meter pour which isn't huge but it is definitely big enough. There is a bit of work to be done but I put in a huge day today to get it all ready and prepared for. Hopefully everything goes well. Wish me luck in a way I guess.

Apart from work life has been pretty boring lately. The weekend consisted of playing Xbox and chilling at home. The girl and I went out Saturday night to Hannah's 21st but both felt a bit average so weren't in a party mood. It was pretty good once we got there and there were a few funny speeches so that lightened things up a little. There was a bit of a fight between our group and another group just after we left so it was bad luck we missed out on those shenanigans but oh well.

Anyhow wish me luck for tomorrow and I will post a photo of the perfect finished product. Woot.

My Xweek

Alright so I may or may not have bought an XBOX with GTA4 and I may or may not have been playing it every night this week. It may or may not be awesome too. The girl even likes it which kicks ass. We have been flat out this every night this week and work has been crazy so I have only got to play for a half hour here and there but tomorrow may be an XBOX day. Woot.

My Big Update

So its been a while between drinks really hasn't it. Last week was one big crazy time. Work was crazy because my parents were going away and we had a huge amount to get done before they left. We got most of it done but I have still been left with about six weeks work to do in a month while they are gone. I went out a lot last week as well. I did tea with Cat and her sister Ness and also got Mexican with Tilney. Both nights were really good. Its so good to catch up with those guys and its so good to have friends thats even though we don't see each other every week its still as if we see each other every day.

Friday night I went out with Sam and Nicole to the Ed which was something almost new because I hadn't been to the Ed for a long time and it has been even longer since Sam and I have hung out. Sam and I used to do everything together but now a days with me working full time, him working full time and us both living pretty flat out lives we don't catch up as much. I hate it but it seems to be the way things are going these days. It was good to chill out and laugh about all the stupid things we talked about. I miss hanging out with Sam because he and I both have the same observational humor at other peoples expenses. We hung around till close and then chatted in the carpark for a while about the weekends past and the weekend to come. The main reason for catching up was to talk about the speech we were both planning on doing at Joyce's 21st which was Saturday night. After about four hours of talking we had not mentioned the speech and so both said to each other, meh we will work it out and then headed home.

As I mentioned Saturday night was Joyce's 21st. He had asked me about a month beforehand to do a speech and I was honored but couldn't think of much to say. Joyce is a hard man to describe, and I didn't want to embarrass him with too many stories so I decided to have a few drinks and wing it. It went pretty well and was a lot better than some of the other speeches. It was a joint party and the girl who shared it with Joyce had her brother speak. He described a night were she had brought home a guy and he had stayed over at there house. During the night he got up and had to make a bowl movement. He told the story of how it woke the whole house up because it was so loud and then went on to describe it as someone pouring cold custard into a bath tub while someone else let go of a balloon. It was different. The funny part was that the girl tried to send a message to one of her friends saying "This dude has just taken the loudest crap I have ever heard" but instead sent it to the guy and when he walked back into her room his phone beeped with the message and she absolutely froze and then burst into hysterical laughter. It was an odd story.

The highlight of the night came when a group of us were out the front enjoying some fresh air when a guy came up to us, pulled a card out of his wallet which burst into flames, to which he lit his cigarette. We were shocked and then found out he was an illusionist. He did numerous tricks which were mind blowing. One of them involved him hovering a gym membership card above the ground for a while before floating it back up to his hand. It was incredible. We all were blown away and plan to see his show on Wednesday night. I guess good publicity works.

Last night, finally, we caught up with Steve to play the new GTA4. Steve and his girlfriend Bridie and the girl and I had dinner at a pizza joint near his house before returning to play the greatest game ever. The highlight was landing a helicopter on the Empire State building before falling off and landing and crushing a car. It is ridiculously good. It was so good that I am considering forking out $500 dollars to buy an XBOX and the game. If someone wants to buy me one though that would be great, cheers.

Anyway this week should be a little less hectic even though I have a 280 square meter concrete pour to organise as well as a few other jobs. I will actually post some bloody posts this week too so watch out for that. Also I posted about 100 photos up on the Spud Photo Blog so check them out. PEACE!

My Anniversary Weekend

The weekend was absolutely amazing. We headed off Friday morning and enjoyed the scenery on the drive up to Tununda. We had looked at a few different places to stay but in the end picked the expensive one. We were unsure if it was worth spending the extra money but once we got there and saw the units we were very happy. Our accommodation was situated on the side of a hill over looking a huge valley. We had our own little self contained unit with a kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and a room with a two person spa in it with windows looking out over the valley. It was heavenly. We had plans of going into Tununda and some of the surrounding towns but got sidetracked and just had a spa instead.

After our spa we drove into the town of Lyndoch and had tea at the Lord Lyndoch which was a really great place with different but incredible food. We ate too much as usual and then headed back to the unit. The wasn't a light too be seen over the valley and it was incredibly peaceful.

Every morning we woke up to the sun rising over the hills and shining in our bedroom. The unit was an open plan and had sliding glass windows all along one side which provided amazing views. Saturday started at a reasonable hour and the girl and I enjoyed complimentary breakfast before driving into Tununda to have a look around at the town and the Wineries surrounding it. We had a look at the car dealership that I have bought my last two cars from and then walked down to a huge furniture store called Wohlers. Wohlers is full of custom made furniture and was very enjoyable to walk through. The furniture is exquisite and ranges from small coffee tables to a table that could seat 22 which would have looked more at home in a castle. The furniture, though, is very reasonably priced and then girl and I found a dining table that we would love to buy when we own our own home.

After seeing the sights of Tununda we started hitting the wineries. I don't drink wine so was more interested in the buildings and people than grapes but enjoyed it anyway. The first winery we stopped at was Cockatoo Ridge and after hearing that I wasn't a wine drinker, the girl being the counter presented me with a sparkling black which she said most beer drinkers liked. Being polite I said it was different but it was utterly horrible and it was off to the next one. The girl bought a few bottles of different wines and we enjoyed our few tastings. The only low light was wine snobs. At one particular winery there was a group of people who obviously knew nothing about wine but thought they had better sound snoby anyway. They were incredible rude to the staff working there and treated the girl and I like we weren't even there. The funniest part was that the girl and I had one taste and ended up buying a box of wine and after tasting the wines the other group did not purchase a thing. I think they were just out to get pissed for free. Bloody wine snobs.

We relaxed after our hard day of cruising around with another spa and then decided to get take away pizza and come back to enjoy our view/room. We ended up with the best BBQ chicken pizza the world has to offer and an incredible night.

We packed ourselves up early Sunday morning and the weekend was over. The room was a bit pricey but god it was worth it. It was absolute bliss and made for such a relaxing weekend. I would do it again in a flash and it made for a perfect anniversary weekend.

This week has been pretty crazy so far, but more later. Byes.

My Karnivool Atmosphere

This week has been really really good but so flat out its not funny. Work on Monday was the easiest with us just digging the footings for an addition and bathroom. Tuesday was a different story. I worked by myself Tuesday because my old man was on another job. I had to put all of the reinforcing steel in the trenches and get it ready so we could pour it today. God damn was it a struggle. The job would have been a easy three quarter day for two guys but by myself I nearly died. I could barely lift some of the steel for the trenches and then dragging the 72kg sheets of mesh around was a huge struggle too. I got it done though but I was absolutely dead on my feet.

Just as I was leaving the job I got a message from Layno asking me if I was going to see Karnivool that night. I had already bought a ticket but had forgotten it was that night. I made it home and recovered for a short time before heading back into town to meet Steve and Layno for pizza. We chilled out and enjoyed our meal and a beer before heading to the gig. We went in and just caught the end of Mere Theory's show and then decided to go across the road to the Colonel Light Hotel for another beer. We chatted for a while and then headed back in to meet up with the Rogers boys and to see the start of Karnivool's set. As usual the concert sold out so there was a huge crowd there and as usual they put on an incredible show. They are such an intense band and the crowd was really into all the new songs they played as well as trying to compete with Ian the singer in the old songs. This is the fifth time I have seen them and they are one of the only bands that I will always go and see just because there live shows are so incredible. It was a really great night in the end and after the Karnivool boys played about 30 minutes over time I headed off. I didn't get home till 1am and was up five hours later to go back to work. I did not want to get out of bed that morning, believe me.

Wednesday, thankfully, was a really easy day for me. I did two loads of concrete from a job to the dump and then brought 60 tonne of rubble from a quarry to the same job. It was a relaxing day driving the truck. It was exactly what I needed though, but I was still buggered when I got home that night.

Today we poured the job that we dug Monday and I steeled up Tuesday and it went really really well. It was a tough day physically but everything went smoothly and by 3pm we were finished. I needed an early day and even though today is only Thursday it felt like Friday and that felt fine to me.

Tomorrow is ANZAC Day which will make this weekend a long weekend and it means that it is the girl and my two year anniversary. Looking back on what has happened in our relationship it feels like so much longer than two years but in the same regard it doesn't feel like two years has passed. After two years we have become so close due to everything that has happened and everything we have experienced. We decided we wanted to go away somewhere so we booked a unit over looking the Barrossa Valley for Friday and Saturday night. It should be a really relaxing and peaceful weekend so I cant wait. Happy Anniversary my gorgeous girl. I love you.

Byes

My Home Alone

Well its official, the girl and I are home owners.... For the next six weeks anyway. We have been really busy with just life and everything else lately. Its been weird living at the girls mums house by ourselves but it has been good. We incited Tilney and Luke around Wednesday night for tea and had a bit of a laugh which was good. I had to do all the dishes after which was a challenge. I never knew four people could make such a mess.

It was a good week though and the weekend was just as good. We went out Friday night to the Holdfast Hotel to see Steve's band, The Lost Show, play. They played after a band called Shickle who were ok but not really my style. There was a bit of a delay before their set due to not having any microphones because the Holdy does not supply mics and they never told the guys that. They had to drive back to the drummers house to grab some mics and then race back. They started about 15 minutes late but pulled it all together and played an awesome show to a really good crowd. There was a lot of people we knew there but also a lot we didn't and everyone was into it. It was easily there best show I have seen them play so that was really good. The girl and I were both really tired after working all week and so headed off after they finished playing. She fell asleep in the car and I just made it home. It was such a good concert though.

Saturday was spent cleaning the house and doing washing which was ok. We watched the footy which the crows won and then watched the motor racing which Holdens won which made me smile. The girl has been a bit sick lately and a bit under the whether so she decided to have a bit of a quiet one Saturday night. I headed back down to the Bay to celebrate Courtney's 21st birthday. I went to school with Courtney but she now lives in Ceduna in the states north. She was back in town for a week to celebrate her birthday and spend time with her family. It was really good to catch up with her and everyone who was there. I had a quiet night and headed home around 11 which was good because I wasn't feeling that partyish. Work really took it out of me this week. I had a few early starts and working by myself really took it out of me. It was a good week though.

I am finally going to put some photos up on the Spud Photo Blog so do check them out and if you could go and check out The Lost Show myspace and give them a listen because if you saw them Friday you would have fallen in love with the music. Bye now.