Should this not have been posted earlier? (pt IV)

Well, that was fun :)
This has been a better day in some way(s), with a quick pedal out along the cycle path to the fish shop, thinking to visit/explore, and then call in on PA on way back. But got to Sandgate Road, was disappointed by the holdings - probably do better as a F&C shop, methinks - so I decided to just keep pedalling down Sandgate Road, explore the outcome that I have been seeking for so long ...
You know what? Had come to visit the Kedron-Wavell Club to enjoy some wedges + beer, write this. But after one beer and the wedges, I truly feel like just going home to bed :o What is wrong with me? That will teach me to exercise!
Anyway, saw a chap riding a Baum Espresso, so tucked in behind him for awhile ... Went to book bike in for service prior to the Cycle Qld ride, which I have gone and booked myself into, but the bloke just said that there was no need to book in ... Came across a Greg Grant shop on way back, and they did have some of those longer Wrangler jeans - proves I really should get out more!

Later ... consider the surveillance, where what is said can be heard, but can what is written be indiscriminately observed by another? Derrida, rhetoric, and language ...

Should this not have been posted earlier? (pt III)

Well, that was quite a fun day! Last night, as I lay in bed, I thought to myself that going to the Coast could be a good idea ... needless to say, when I awoke, I had completely forgotten all about it :o But then something happened in this novel that I was reading, and suddenly I remembered, so off I went, completely forgetting to include any food! Indeed, there were several times during the day when I felt that I could have prepared myself a little better, but I survived + had fun. Pedalled out along the Creek, jumped onto Bilsen Road, and got to the railway crossing just in time for the boom gates to come down, with MY train just pulling in ... fortunately I jumped off the bike, ran for the train, waved my thanks to the conductor, and jumped into the last carriage ... where the Translink people had just started to check tickets ...
Anyway, got to Eagle Junction, put another $20 onto the card, and had a chat with an old girl, who was heading off to see the Tennis International for the day. Got off at Helensvale, put the pieces back on, and headed off. Remembered (from the B2GC rides) that there was a path around there somewhere, so jumped on it and followed it for a bit - turns out it actually goes for quite a way, but it seemed that at EVERY light pole, somebody had smashed a glass bottle :o so I rather quickly jumped back onto the road, best intentions and all ... That being, to ride (as much as was viable) along the given/specified bike paths, which the GC Council had ensured were available.
Got to my favourite beach, after a hour struggling the follow said paths, slowly passing other enjoyers of the sunshine, and avoiding other cyclists, many of whom had no idea about etiquette, etc. So many were sans helmets! Changed, hit the beach, and promptly got blown away by how many beautiful people there were out, how windy it was, and the effect that this was having on the surf. Tried to swim just next to the flags, almost between, and floated about, bouncing over waves, sharing the refreshing ocean sensations ... Went for a bit of a walk up the beach, but soon gave that away as too much effort - besides, there were topless babes to walk past again - it was that sort of day, I tell you! Ended up having lunch of a seafood platter + schooner of Toohey's Dry at the local SLC, finally! Service was very quick - ordered, went to get beer, sat down, had a sip, relaxed, there it was ...

Should this not have been posted earlier? (pt II)

Seemingly away from the rain-soaked Brisbane to the sunshine drenched capital of Melbourne ... seems 'peculiar' in a real sense ... But the rain has again started to fall down upon the glorious Brisbane, and hopefully the infastructure will cope better this year ... passed over many creeks and rivers on way to Domestic which were swollen. But whether that will be enough is yet to be seen, for I feel that last year there was a juxtaposition between the dryness of the underlying land and the sheer volume of downpour, leading to an inability of the land to absorb comfortably that amount of water ... Of course, opening up on Wivenhoe did not assist with that ... wonder if any pontoons have gone sailing by this year? Walked to Dan Murphy's last night, bought a bottle of cider, then walked home down the pathway next to the creek. Water was across the pathway, but there was rubbish (leaf litter) over the guard rails, so it had certainly receded from (or peaked) earlier? The funniest thing, the ironic image, was of a duck leading ducklings on foot away from the creek :o

Should this not have been posted earlier? (pt I)

A week of rain, heavy, soaking rain, covering the lands, washing the earthworms out of their homes, leaving them stranded out on the footpaths, to be squashed by insensitive humans bustling through to their destinations ... Of course, any excuse, but that also meant no riding of bicycle(s) this past week :( So much for my plans for training for the Mt. Coot-tha ride - even had intentions to go up and over Mt. Coot-tha at least once yesterday! But it was called off, due to rain - going up would have been hard enough, but coming down, sliding through water coated corners? Maybe not - which was kind of a pity ... But not enough of a pity to have done anything about it, right? Anyway, did spend most of the week not having any alcohol - tried to get through w/out coffee, but did not really happen, if only because Ranj was back and wanted company to get through the time lag weariness. Apparently he had been offered a position with MEI, but CS&S would not release him for active service, as it were, so he is a little over the whole thing ... Put in an application for an APS-4 12 month EOI in Melbourne, because I figure if they are going to offer me a role for that period of time, it will give me enough of a start to try something else, continuing on (not beginning again), and maybe even get out to Geelong again, go bike riding out over Dean's Marsh again? Had a strange dream about a timed event out along the rail-trail, leaving at 1 minute intervals, volunteers at each intersection ... it was a thought ;) Also applied for the same position at Chermside, and got through to the Assessment, which was basically a test of SMART knowledge ... The week was 80% correspondence, and I made some significant errors, which required *several* 'rewrites' to put it politely ... Then ended the week with a very, very long call to a TA, who wanted to discuss the reporting obligations of a trustee company, but had a TFN. Was less then impressed with my response that obligations had to be met, but was impressed with my knowledge(s) (!) of trust responsibilities, and we concluded with him praising my efforts, but seeking further direction/concessions ...

Coffee, more coffee?

The random considerations of the train to the Gold Coast, and it seems SO full - is it because that it is a Friday afternoon? Have I picked some sort of mass exodus from the city, taking us away to another imagined beginning, putting us into a sense of holiday mode? Or have I just entered into some sense of alternative pleasure seeking/enjoyment? Certainly this train is an awful lot fuller than when I go down to Coast on a Friday morning ... Must keep in mind next time I do this to be mindful of which direction the sun is going to come in through the window(s) because I cannot see much on the screen, what I am actuallt typing ... which may be a good thing, all things considered, as I am probably not typing an awful lot of consequence ... Of course, it could simply be that it may be a good thing, as the sunlight does wonders to remind me that there is an awful lot of dust on the screen and keyboard on 'Silver Rocket' ... which I am sure that I will get around to clearing off ... eventually ... one day ... sooner or later ...
There is a 'ripeness' pervading the air, although whether of the baby that is nearby or the aberrent father, who is  wearing an odd shirt depicting an AK-47, for when you really, truly need to kill something, reminds to be seen ... but they have just moved, and the aroma has dissipated ... coincidence? I think not!
Anyway, more about me? Why not I say, why not indeed ... Got an email basically saying 'Thanks for you application, but no thanks' for the EOI position; 2 minutes later, a specialist call dropped in on me (speaking of odd coincidences) ... whilst bemused, in a retarded bemused sense, I am also irked at the coincidence!!! Wow, just looked down the train, and there are even people standing up, rocking from side to side as we pass the Trinder Park station ... of course, part of my amazement is reserved for the wry recognition that they are seats down this end of the train ... anyway ... these Spec calls are also infuriating because most often the CSR does not introduce themselves and so I am often unaware of whether I should take over calls because they do not have the required skill group, or whether they are seeking assistance with a general nature of call However, it is also a very good testing ground for showing that I am apt to make mistakes, and incite (inspire?) me to pay more attention to processes/procedures :o
Well, my smelly compatriots got off at Loganlea (who would have thought, hey?) and we are just pulling into Beenleigh, so that might do me for awhile ...
Speaking of coffee, where we stayed at Bilingel Motel was kind of really nice, so I popped around to see if we could stay another night, but apparently others had the same idea, so there was no room at the inn, as it were. Went back, chatted for awhile, and then offered to go get a coffee from the little man at the front, as there was a big industrial machine up there (as opposed to a kettle in the room). Anyway, he makes it up, gives it to me, and then says it is complimentary, as compensation (or apology) for not being able to stay with them another night! As opposed to my favourite cafe, the Amici deli, on Gympie Road. In there on Friday, having a bit of a chat, the old girl offers me a 'loyalty' card - buy 9 coffees, get 1 free - and again I refuse, saying 'If you want to give a coffee for free, that is fine, but I wouldn't want you thinking I only come here for free coffee'. To which she laughs, and scuttles off ... after all the time that I have been visiting, all the coffees that I have drunk, all the money that I have spent, this may well be the tipping point ... since the other bloke went at Christmas and has not resurfaced, the quality of coffee has plummetted, or, rather, it is no longer the way that I like it :( Oh well, back to the hunt then ... or maybe this is God's way of saying 'time to move boy'???
This money thing is driving me insane - probably really, really need to pull head in and concentrate on significant paying down of responsibilities ... Should I mention that whilst I have realistically some money saved, I also have some serious credit card debt that needs addressing??? Next pay, always next pay ...