So much stuff, so little time

Am quite short of time this morning as I am working on a detailed work thing (yes, a spreadsheet Pete) that needs to be done by the end of today.  I worked on it all the way home and need to get into it this morning on the way in.  I hate that… means you literally are spending 13hrs of the day at work – 7am to 8pm.  No time, other than this little post, to do other stuff.

The interest rates went up yesterday.  For me, its probably close to another $100 a month that I have to scrounge around for.  Wont be too hard I suppose, but it is really annoying.  With petrol jumping to $1.34+ a litre and add in another interest rate hike, it just makes things harder.  I am sure for a lot of people it is getting close to the bone in terms of being able to afford to live comfortably.  I don’t know what this society is doing though.  Niki and I watched a program on Foxtel last night about American children that have been impacted by poverty and drugs and crime and violence and abuse of all kinds.  It painted a very grim picture of society in the US and having been there, it is a very real element to their society.  The number of poor people (and I mean dirt poor) is astounding and these people are having kids that they a) can’t raise properly and b) that are affected mentally and physically by drugs and violence.  This program last night was fascinating, but then you have to say “is that lifestyle coming to Australia?”

And I would say the answer is definitely yes.  Our gun crime is increasing, children are showing less empathy and they are struggling to get a decent education with more and more kids being placed on drugs like Ritalin and generally we’re witnessing the breakdown of society.

John Howard wants to paint the picture that Australia is a land of modest homes in suburbia with loving parents and children living modest but comfortable lives.  Unfortunately that is becoming less and less like reality as the country continues to horde a huge surplus, spend money on warmongering and leaving public utilities either underfunded (hospitals and education) or sold of for corporate profit (Telstra and CBA).

The end result is that living is becoming too expensive and that results in the value of a human life is being reduced, and for the US that value seems to have hit negligible worth.

I seem to have ranted a bit this morning, apologies if its rubbish…

Listening:  Gorillaz “Demon Days”

118.7

Night Time Scavenger

Short post this morning as I slept on the train for a change and am now in the office.

Our pile of junk on the front lawn is reducing and looks less than a quarter of what I originally put out on Saturday.  The timber is gone, the beds are gone, the bike(s) are gone, the TV is gone.  I am amazed by the amount of stuff taken by others and at this rate, nothing will be left by the time the council does come around to collect.

Having said that, I took the dog for a walk last night at around 11pm.  I like to walk at night, particularly late, as there is no traffic around and the bats and other night creatures are out and about.  About half way home though, I walked past someone else’s pile of junk and noticed an office chair sitting amongst it.  I looked at it under the street light and it looked OK and I sat on it and it didn’t break… I gave it a wobble and I picked it up and looked under it and it all seemed ok.

So I grabbed it and walked home with it.  I would have looked a sight as here I was at about 11:15pm, in the dark, walking a golden retriever whilst carrying an office chair.  It was hefty and after a while my back started to hurt, but I got it home.

In the light of my garage, it was missing its roller casters (easily replaceable) and a bolt in the undercarriage is missing which causes the arm rests to move more than they should.  Again, fixable.

So there junk became my bargain… I wonder why we don’t do this more often.

Who am I?

By day, a mild mannered business exec with a family to support and enduring long hours of travel on CityRail causing nerves twitches and bleary eyes...

By night, a raving Orc Barbarian wielding a +2 Battle Axe against hordes of Goblins and Undead...

Which would you prefer? 

J!NX - Gamer Geek Computer Nerd T-Shirts

I have found another t-shirt company that I might get some gear off or perhaps if you want to buy that special person in your life something, I highly recommend the "Nobody Reads My Blog" t-shirt



J!NX - Gamer Geek Computer Nerd T-Shirts

Create Yourself As A South Park Character!

This is a classic. Give it a go! I will post my self portrait tonight.




Planearium.de - Alles über South Park

Kickin' Back

For the second time in a row, I woke up late and have had to catch the train from Emu Plains.  I went to bed comparatively early last night (11pm) and tried to wake up early to go for a walk, but the snooze kept snoozing, and then I got up, checked my emails (why do I do this first thing in the AM?) and before I knew it, I was running 10mins late.

The train is packed this morning too.  I think this is because school has gone back.  Yesterday was fine, but that was because it was “Pupil Free Day” which I am sure is put to good use, but surely the teachers could have come in last Friday and not take up one of the days that are supposed to be educating my kids.  So today, with the kids across Sydney back to school, its time for the adults to get back into the trains… Two people are standing in my carriage, the last of an 8 car set.  The trains cant get any longer, so I don’t know what the solution will be over the next decade.  If people have to stand from Emu Plains, some 80km out of the city, then we are in for a world of hurt in regards to public transport in the near future.

On the work front things are comparatively quiet compared to before Easter and I am not getting too worked up about things.  I am busy, but its more of a calm pace busy where I seemingly have things under control… no 2am work days on the horizon thank god.  Things will get hectic in June / July through to August, so I am enjoying the slower pace at the moment.

Junk & Treasure.

For the first time in 2-3 weeks I’m facing a five day working week.  Easter, Anzac Day plus the odd day off to make 4 day weekends has seen me cruise the last few weeks only being in the office 3-4 days.  Now its back to the grind I presume…

Spent Saturday cleaning out the shed and the house in general in preparation for the local Council Clean Up Day which is today.  Basically you dump all the crap on your front yard and the council takes it away.

We put out the kids old beds, plus some old BBQ hotplates, an old worn out kids bike, old door mats, a pile of broken kids toys, an old wading pool, an old kids indoor tent and assorted other junk.  This morning most of it is gone.  We were out the front late Saturday afternoon after delicately piling this heap together neatly on the median strip and some guy pulled up in his car started rummaging through it.  He took some timber we had out and with a nod he was off.  Weird.

Now the other strange thing is we have grown a bike!  Kate’s very old pink bike (it was second hand when we got it) is gone and in its place is a bright yellow BMX suitable for a 4yr old.  Seems as though someone needed a bike, took the yellow one, saw our pink one and took that instead and left the yellow one at our place…. again, weird.

This morning, Kates old bed is gone completely, but Brookes bed is gone, but the metal frame bed heads remain, the old TV is also gone I think and most of the timber.  I guess one mans junk is another mans treasure.  I hope the little girl somewhere enjoys the bike….