First week back at work, after 14 weeks at home with wife and baby. Not nearly as enjoyable as being at home with wife and baby.
No surprises there I guess. For the first time in my life I think I'd like to win a lottery and retire for a while.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Skaters, why do they bother?
Apparently I'm supposed to rant on this blog, so no more bucolic idyls on the joys of gardening. Here goes.
Have you ever seen a skater on the street 'nailing' (I believe that's the correct term) a skateboard 'trick'? Me neither. Why do they bother?
Young kids, and some older who should know better, and even the gentleman skater (in their 30s or even 40s), endlessly practicing tricks, flipping and sliding and so on, but I've never seen anyone actually successfully do anything better than ride off a step and stay on the board. Hell, I reckon even I could do that.
Sure, I've seen skaters in Youtube clips, music videos and such like, and they appear to be doing tricks. CGI I reckon.
When I was a kid, I could get my push bike (a dragster) to do wheelies and slides and so on. And we'd build billy carts with ball bearing races for back wheels, that we could ride down hills sliding out the back end like a rally driver.
Skaters, give up your lame recreation, and try something with some chance of success.
Have you ever seen a skater on the street 'nailing' (I believe that's the correct term) a skateboard 'trick'? Me neither. Why do they bother?
Young kids, and some older who should know better, and even the gentleman skater (in their 30s or even 40s), endlessly practicing tricks, flipping and sliding and so on, but I've never seen anyone actually successfully do anything better than ride off a step and stay on the board. Hell, I reckon even I could do that.
Sure, I've seen skaters in Youtube clips, music videos and such like, and they appear to be doing tricks. CGI I reckon.
When I was a kid, I could get my push bike (a dragster) to do wheelies and slides and so on. And we'd build billy carts with ball bearing races for back wheels, that we could ride down hills sliding out the back end like a rally driver.
Skaters, give up your lame recreation, and try something with some chance of success.
Friday, October 30, 2009
'erbs
No, not that herb, cooking herbs. During my long layoff from work, we finally got to do something we promised we'd do in our own house - plant some herbs and veges. I like the idea of growing food; being able to pick it fresh, the satisfaction of labouring to plant and water and weed, getting some soil under the finger nails, a bit of sustainable inner glow.
There's not much room in our small back yard (or our small front yard for that matter), so we thought we'd start with a few pots under the back porch. A visit to Flower Power at Enfield, and about $100 later we had ourselves a foodie garden. One of those pots with the little scalloped holes in the sides for basil, lemon thyme, sage and oregano (all bought as seedlings, more on seeds and seedlings later). A second 'scalloped' pot for garlic and some parsley seeds. Another for two varieties of strawberries. Some coriander. And because my beloved had an urge for crumble, some rhubarb.
Nearly two months later, all the herbs except for the coriander are going well, the rhubarb is growing and the strawberries have flowered. Coriander apparently tends to go to seed in Sydney's climate, ours has done this, sending out weird thin shoots that look nothing like coriander leaves. And garlic is hard to grow, ours seems to have died. Oh well.
At the same time I also planted a whole bunch of seeds from packets given to us by my mother-in-law. Unfortunately most of these had expired in the early 90s, so I've seen nary a shoot so far. The only ones I hold out hope for are the waratah seeds which can apparently take up to three months to germinate. However the less-expired (mid 2000s) flower seeds I planted directly in the garden seem to be sprouting. Whew.
So seedlings are probably the way to go for quick and easiest results. Or don't use expired seed packets.
There's not much room in our small back yard (or our small front yard for that matter), so we thought we'd start with a few pots under the back porch. A visit to Flower Power at Enfield, and about $100 later we had ourselves a foodie garden. One of those pots with the little scalloped holes in the sides for basil, lemon thyme, sage and oregano (all bought as seedlings, more on seeds and seedlings later). A second 'scalloped' pot for garlic and some parsley seeds. Another for two varieties of strawberries. Some coriander. And because my beloved had an urge for crumble, some rhubarb.
Nearly two months later, all the herbs except for the coriander are going well, the rhubarb is growing and the strawberries have flowered. Coriander apparently tends to go to seed in Sydney's climate, ours has done this, sending out weird thin shoots that look nothing like coriander leaves. And garlic is hard to grow, ours seems to have died. Oh well.
At the same time I also planted a whole bunch of seeds from packets given to us by my mother-in-law. Unfortunately most of these had expired in the early 90s, so I've seen nary a shoot so far. The only ones I hold out hope for are the waratah seeds which can apparently take up to three months to germinate. However the less-expired (mid 2000s) flower seeds I planted directly in the garden seem to be sprouting. Whew.
So seedlings are probably the way to go for quick and easiest results. Or don't use expired seed packets.
Creedos Are My Life ... Well, Not Really
1. People who drive 4WDs are selfish and stoopid AND bad drivers!
2. 4WDs are impossible for people in other cars to see around
3. 4WDs are dangerous to other road users, pedestrians, well pretty much everyone
4. They gulp fuel like crazy AND take lots more resources to manufacture
5. Bull bars are unnecessary on urban vehicles and most rural vehicles for that matter
6. They are butt ugly boxes of metal
7. You don't need a 4WD to take your kids to school. Pur-lease!
8. They take up too much space in car parks and on the kerbside
9. They have a high centre of gravity and therefore roll like mo-fos
10. Who THE FUCK needs a 4WD in this city anyway?? Grrrr ...
Because I hate 4WDs soooooo much I have developed a personal creedo regarding my interaction with them on the road. I figure those fools wouldn't be driving 4WDs if they had any driving skills at all and they must be terrified of driving if they surround themselves with so much metal, so I like to reinforce their fears by (a) cutting them off; (b) pulling up short in front of them; and MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL (c) never, ever, under any circumstances at all EVER letting them into my lane. EVER. That would be giving in to brute force and frankly, we shall not be moved.
I encourage you to follow my creedo by using (a) - (c) to let 4WDs know you don't like them and want them piss off and never come back.
Like I said, 4WDs suck.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Blogging... eh...
I better get the first blog in before I'm whipped away back to work, Cinderella-like. (Where did I park my pumpkin coach?)
It's almost all baby baby baby in the Mack-Mag household, but we've still found time to go to a few movies, frequent inner west cafes, plant some herbs and flowers, visit Canberra and Wellington (that's NSW, not New Zealand), and generally gad about town with baby in tow (or in car capsule).
And now I can add blogging to that list. Blogging eh?, why I remember back in ought 3, when I used to blog for Mr Bright's journal, there was no shortage of topics to wah about. Hopefully my brain is still fresh and spring chicken-like and full of clever bon mots, aphorisms and rhetoric.
Good blogging, and reading, peoples.
It's almost all baby baby baby in the Mack-Mag household, but we've still found time to go to a few movies, frequent inner west cafes, plant some herbs and flowers, visit Canberra and Wellington (that's NSW, not New Zealand), and generally gad about town with baby in tow (or in car capsule).
And now I can add blogging to that list. Blogging eh?, why I remember back in ought 3, when I used to blog for Mr Bright's journal, there was no shortage of topics to wah about. Hopefully my brain is still fresh and spring chicken-like and full of clever bon mots, aphorisms and rhetoric.
Good blogging, and reading, peoples.
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