Always Summer Time

Torquay in May

2009-05-25T03:28:00.004+10:00

Some images from the English Riveria taken in May 2009

Kris hatched a dino!

2007-03-05T20:20:00.000+11:00

Kris got a dino egg for her birthday, it was 2 full days of excitment as the little fella hatched out :)

Early morning paddle on Sydney Harbour

2006-10-07T11:21:00.000+10:00

On a gorgeous sunny and quiet morning we went out for a paddle in Kayaks on the harbour.
This is the route we took, shown in Windows Live Local.

Click on the map to interact with it.

Sydney summer is coming

2006-09-26T08:19:00.000+10:00

I landed back in Sydney on Saturday morning at 6am. By 8am I was kayaking on the harbour and then went for a swim at North Curl Curl.
Then on Sunday we went for a bike ride to Newport Beach.
You can see our activities on a local.live map here 'First weekend of summer in Sydney'.

Life in Laugharne

2006-07-20T19:34:00.000+10:00

I spent some time last weekend in Laugharne, famous for being the residence of Dylan Thomas. The weather was great and we went to visit some amazing castles.
A huge think you to my hosts, you know who you are :)

Breakfast Bunch

2006-02-26T13:25:00.000+11:00

Time for another breakfast by the beach in Manly. In attendance were Adam Cogan with his lovely wife Ana and 2 girls Evie and Ruby, Hugo UberTablet Geek, escorted by Luljeta and charmer of a son Leon, Luke Burton and wife to be Kathy, Billy Hollis and of course the 2 of us. It was quite a crowd and we did our best not to create too much destruction in our favourite breakfast place, Cafe Steyne. Afterwards we took a stroll along the beach front in Manly. What a perfect start to the day.

Fishy Kisses

2006-02-19T20:00:00.000+11:00

We have just spent a long weekend in Coffs Harbour. The weather was outstanding and we had a great time walking in the local Botanic Gardens and visiting the local wildlife. We were lucky enough to get a chance to get up close and personal with two of the residents of the Pet Porpoise Pool.

Fabulous Friday Feast

2006-02-11T06:36:00.000+11:00

Last night a few close friends gathered in a special place to celebrate 5 aquarians birthdays and the Chinese new year.

2006-02-10T07:54:00.000+11:00

This morning I took some pictures of the walk we do around the beach and to the next bay. The sun was just rising and it was another fantastic morning in paradise!

Very Zen Saturday

2006-02-06T18:39:00.000+11:00

Last Saturday we went to the Nan Tien Buddhist temple in Wollongong. It is an awesome place and only a one hour drive from Sydney. Our friends Ben and Deb came along too. As it is Chinese New Year (year of the Dog) the temple was preparing for a night of celebrations. There is never enough time at this place, I have twice before and felt this. It is the biggest Buddhist temple in the southern hemisphere. If you go, plan to spend the whole day there just soaking up the atmosphere and learning about the Buddhist way of life.

Catapulting Caterpillars and Leaping Lizards

2006-01-28T17:33:00.000+11:00

On a fine Saturday morning we left for the Blue Mountains. We headed for Mount Tomah Botanical Gardens. Mount Tomah was originally named Fern Tree Hill and is 1km above sea level.
From http://www.bluemts.com.au/MountTomah/frame.asp?firstPage=fastfacts.htm ;
"The reaching of the high points of the northern Blue Mountains revealed that they were capped with basalt, the remains of lava flows of about 18 and 14 million years ago. On Mount Tomah and elsewhere these have given rise to deep, well-drained soils, a striking contrast to what is found in other parts of the Blue Mountains. These soils carry a tall eucalypt forest with an understory of tree ferns which, on slopes favoured by their aspect, gives way to temperate rainforest. This rainforest is characterised by lianes, epiphytes and abundant ferns, including tree ferns. The aboriginal word `tomah' reputedly means 'tree fern' and the aptness of the name Mount Tomah remains apparent today, even though much of the area has been cleared. "

We witnessed wonderfully wicked wildlife. First was the moss that seemed to totally captivate Kris. Then the numerous large skink lizards, that slithered around the rocks at our feet.
While wandering through some leafy trees we found a catapillar resting peacefully on a tree leaf. After I took the photograph here the little beastie threw himself rather unceremoniously some 4 feet to the ground. Some protection mechanism no doubt, but it gave it us a start as it leapt towards us.
In the pools in around the park were carp of every shape size and colour, including one proper gold goldfish. the color of this fish can not be exagerated enough. It was gold and shiny, as if someone had painted it. Totally awesome.
It was a good day out and we recommend you visit if you get a chance.

Rainforest Ramble

2006-01-22T16:45:00.000+11:00

We have decided to start having some adventures again. This morning we got up and headed out to the Australian Rainforest Santuary. It is about an hour and half drive from home. We got there just before they opened at 10am.
We would highly recomend a visit. It is generally an easy going walk around the santuary, allow a couple of hours to take in all the sounds and views.
Throughout the trails are signposts with interesting information on the flora and fauna, along with other facinating facts.
After our stroll through the peaceful and yet sometimes noisy rainforest we took advantage of the picnic area for lunch.

2005-01-13T13:27:00.000+11:00

Kris bought these beautiful flowers home the other day. She added her magic formula of super flower mixture to their water and the things are growing and flourishing like crazy.

Living Life

2005-01-11T11:27:00.000+11:00

Guess What?!! I've discovered there is not only life after 'The Games', there is a lot of fun I've been missing out on! Not that I didn't have fun, but that this is different fun. Neil and I have been very busily enjoying summer spending time with friends and most importantly, each other. We've been to Wedding celebrations, breakfast at Manly beach with our 'Gang', snuck inthe odd Movie and we've had time to spend with Kathy and Shaun and their little boy, Ethan. We've most recently been to Coogee beach in Sydney's south eastern corner to enjoy breakfast with other friends, Adam and Anastasia and their two little girls, Evie and Ruby (or is that Stavroula?) and Ben and Deb have dropped in for an after-work swim and feed. It feels so positively luxurious and fortunate! I know we have pictures and I'll let Neil post them. Bottom line is that we are having fun, getting things done and enjoying ourselves. Cheers!!

2004-12-31T13:23:00.000+11:00

Here she is, bringing the sunshine with her arrival.

2004-12-31T13:22:00.001+11:00

Ben waiting for the young lady of his dreams...

2004-12-31T13:22:00.000+11:00

Ben and Deb's 2nd wedding location...

Winning on wonderful Wednesday

2004-12-29T21:40:00.000+11:00

The sea was raging first thing this morning as I ran along the beach. Kris was back home following a new Yoga video. From the time I started my run the clouds began to roll in over the tumultuous waves. My timing was perfect, the rain started falling five minutes after I returned home. Yay!
I've been working on a software project this week, there's more here.
Kris went off to do some more shopping today. I guess a girl has to make the most of her time off work :)
This evening we watched the first Blade movie on video. We went to see the new Blade Trinity movie at the cinema last night. I was sure Kris had seen the first film as I've had it on video for ages. It would appear I was wrong (a rare occasion). This has now been corrected. Both films rock if you like lots of vampire slaying and plenty of blood in a comic book kind of way.
Until tomorrow...

Holiday Fun

2004-12-28T09:37:00.000+11:00

And here we are, Back Again. Christmas day didn't start in the usual and anticipated way this year. We woke up to a warm but very cloudy day, not at all like Summer! We did wonder where in the world we were, briefly, before heading out for our Saturday morning bike ride to Shelley Beach, Manly. Nice day for a ride, too as it wasn't too hot and there weren't many people around to start with. Things were pretty quiet on the streets - lots of Christmas present unwrapping, I suspect!!. We ran into some friends of ours on the way back home for a much anticipated breakfast of Apple and Cinnamon Pancakes (our Favourite) and instead spent a very pleasant hour in their back garden sucking on beautiful ripe mangoes. YUM! The sky started clearing while we were there, too, which made things look a whole lot better and much more Summery. We had a pretty quiet day for the rest of the day - spent between eating and sleeping and reading and finishing off with what I'm told is a traditional English Christmas day event: watching the Star Wars movies.

The last two days have been spent between sleeping and swimming and long beach walks and movies - pretty good holiday stuff, really. I just HAVE to recommend 'The Incredibles' for those of you who haven't seen it yet - it was, well...Incredible!!! It was sooo much fun and very clever, perhaps cleverer than most people would have seen the first time they watched it - I figure it's one of those movies that when you see it again, you see even more than you did the first time. Definitely a good recipe for both kids and grown ups - GO SEE IT!!

I have had the chance to use my favourite Christmas treats (yes, that WOULD be all of them), too. A Huuuge beach towel that wraps around me twice - more like a beach 'Blanket' than a towel, my new yoga kit, AND a great Kylie CD from my very special and most favourite sister. That would be the same Sister who had a pretty magical Christmas herself, because she found a brand new sparkly red mountain bike at the end of her bed this Christmas, courtesy of me. It was SOOOO FUN waiting for her phone call to see if she was excited as I was about it!

And now, here we are, Tuesday morning and back into work and planning mode after a quick spin on our bikes on the balcony, courtesy of our new Mag trainers. Good fun.

Have a great day!

Furtive Friday

2004-12-24T21:27:00.000+11:00

Kris had the day off work today, so we started the day with a trip to the beach. I did my beach run and Kris did some exercise and stretching on the beach. We finished our exercise session in the best possible way by jumping into the sea.
Although Kris had the day off I have a lot still on my to-do list and so I was sitting at my desk by 9:30 and Kris was on her way out for a Christmas Eve shopping adventure.
I assumed Kris would be back by lunchtime, but no sign of her. This was actually a good thing because I could get on with work without disturbance.
This evening when Kris returned she was very secretive about her excursions. I suppose I’ll have to wait till tomorrow to find out what she bought.
Now it is the night before Christmas and, while I am typing up this entry, Kris is busy tidying the house. I often wonder if females have a special hormone that gets released the day before ‘important’ days. This hormone races through their bodies and forces them to run around cleaning. If anyone else has studied this in more detail please let me know.
Whatever you are celebrating tomorrow make sure you have a fantastic day.

Summer Solstice

2004-12-23T21:13:00.000+11:00

Oh yeah!.... and it's nearly Christmas. For those of you in the Northern hemisphere, it may well seem a strange concept, but it's what I've grown up with and what Neil is getting used to: Hot Summer Christmas. Mangoes and Prawns and the beach, brilliant sunshine and hot hot weather to go with it. By the look of things around here, Christmas is definitely with us. Peak hour traffic is now looking like Sunday traffic and things are pretty relaxed. More and more desks in each department are empty at work and our project is being put to bed for Christmas.

I started swimming again today. Just a little swim to get back into the idea of it. More serious work in the pool next week. The upshot was that I felt great this morning! And still do. Life Rocks!

'm really looking forward to Christmas day morning, too, as I've been fortunate enough to be able to organise to buy my sister a bike for Christmas. She's in Tasmania for the next six weeks, testing out potential living arrangements, so I'm hoping she will be excited about her new bike. took a bit of skullduggery to get it sorted out, too. Lot's of fun and excitement. Hee, Hee!!

Well, that about wraps up today. Time for bed so that I canlook forward to a new day.

Cheers!

Top Tuesday

2004-12-21T21:39:00.000+11:00

Another slow start for me today, but Kris was out and at work by 8:30 am. I got my walk on the beach while listening to PodCasts on my phone. My work day didn’t start until 10am.
I am mostly doing review work this week. Reviewing the first edition of my book for any issues and reviewing the manuscript for someone else’s book. Reviewing documents is so great on the Tablet PC! I’ll probably write some more about this on my other site.
For all our readers in the northern hemisphere celebrating the winter solstice this week I’d like to tell you how totally gorgeous today has been. Skies so blue and sun so shiny. The glistening of the sea and the warmth of the air. :)
Talking of the sea, this evening we went out to see Ocean’s Twelve. This is a great movie, slick, fast paced, loads of fun and overall good entertainment. I think it helps to have seen Ocean’s Eleven before hand, which Kris hasn’t. But she still enjoyed the movie immensely.
Until tomorrow...

Monday,Monday...

2004-12-20T20:45:00.000+11:00

Today started off with a good workout at the beach and a quick swim in the surf! Woo Hooooo!
I have to say that I don't believe there's a better way to start off any day, unless perhaps you're somewhere that the weather's cold and the water temperature is likely to cause snap freezing of anything placed in it! That, as I'm sure you're aware is not the situation we've placed oursleves in, so I'll stand strong on the 'best way to start the day' claim, particularly as we both started off the day feeling a bit rough around the edges and seemed to come good after spending a few minutes in the healing Ocean.
Having had our morning playtime, we headed home to get ready for the business day that waited for us. The Project in North Sydney continues and so I headed off there after taking my 'to-do' list in hand and wiping some of the items off, and Neil settled into his computer here at home for most of the day.

With my working day over and Christmas approaching fast, I stopped in at the local shopping Mall to take a look at a few ideas I've had. Expecting to see it seething with people in that mad last-minute Christmas dash we all know so well, I was very pleasantly surprised to find that there were no queues! I don't know where the people are, but they weren't at the Mall this evening, or yesterday, for that matter. So I had my pick of the shop assistants and got a few things done pretty quickly before getting home here to cook up a great meal of vegies and tofu.

And now, Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, that's the end of today's Kris and Neil story. :)

So very Sunday

2004-12-19T23:39:00.000+11:00

Today has been more Sunday than I can remember a day being in some time. A warm (hot?) breeze blowing from the north and clear blue skies meant we had “maximum fan-assisted oven” temps. Perfect. After breakfast I stretched out and had a nap till midday.
Midday is for “mad dogs and Englishmen” and I certainly fall into one of those categories. So out we went into the sunshine and down to the beach. The surf was lovely. The sea is starting to warm up now and it must have been around 20C.
We spent a couple of hours in the afternoon at the mall. Kris was shopping for clothes which she failed to do. She did however try on a number of outfits, which she seemed to enjoy.
The evening presented us the choice of going the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron for some sailing awards. Every New South Wales Olympic sailor had been nominated for one award. It was fairly clear who would win it though.
The event was sponsored by BVLGARI. There was a lot of overpriced ‘stuff’ (I’m not sure what to call a collection of watches, perfumes, jewels and handbags) around. Kris bought a raffle ticket to win a watch. She bought the wrong ticket.
This makes three nights out in a row for Kris. It’s that time of year, with Christmas approaching at the end of next week. The preparations for celebrating winter solstice in the middle of summer are well under way in this upside-down back-to-front yrtnuoc.

Salmon Saturday

2004-12-19T11:22:00.000+11:00

Ok, so it's Sunday while I'm blogging - its the Weekend:) !! I have to tell you about yesterday's breakfast which we shared with two of Neil's friends at the South Steyne Cafe, a favourite treat food haunt for Neil and I. It was a perfect Summer's morning setting with plenty of conversation and amongst other things, our friends asked if 'doing breakfast' was a regular thing for us. It isn't, although we did have a very late breakfast there with some new friends of mine about two weeks ago and we had to relate the 'ordering' story to them which was quite amusing at the time: Two weeks ago I ordered last (it's generally the best way to do things when you want a variation to the menu's offerings). I ordered a Mushroom Omelette with no other additives. The waitress then confirmed my order for a SALMON Omelette and I of course corrected her saying, "No Salmon, thanks, just a Mushroom Omelette". She then reconfirmed that I wanted a Mushroom AND Salmon Omelette, and I asked again for a Mushroom Omelette only, no Salmon. This went back and forth four times! Somewhere, that waitress had Salmon on the brain and she couldn't shake it. It was pretty funny and we had a good laugh about it at the time.

Having related this story to our friends, it was time to order. I ordered second-last this week and while I was ordering my Mushroom omelette with an Avocado side, Tammy suggested that I might like Salmon, which I ignored until after I'd given my order and the waitress had confirmed it as a Mushroom omelette. Marty ordered last and requested an omelette with spinach and tomato. All ordering done we resumed our conversation until our meals were brought to us........and YES, there was a Salmon Omelette delivered....for Marty!!

Too funny! We're now convinced that the South Steyne Cafe either has just one Salmon Omelette they're trying to get rid of, OR there is some kind of 'Gary Larson' indoctrination going on there along the lines of...'Seeeell the Saaalmon....Seeeell the Saaalmon...." Given the beautiful quality of the food that comes out of the kitchen there, I very much doubt the former option.

The error was quickly corrected and we enjoyed the rest of our breakfast time together on a perfect Summer's morning by the sea at Manly, before riding home again to Dee Why and getting into the sea ourselves.

The rest of the day was spent doing the grocery shopping, sleeping and enjoying a Hen's night dinner for a friend of mine at a Spanish club which didn't finish up until the wee hours of this morning. All in all, another very full and fun day in perfect summer weather.

Full-On Friday

2004-12-18T08:28:00.000+11:00

You know the day has been full-on when it starts at 05:30 and you don't get home till gone 23:00!
Kris went to work early and I started the day with a walk and run on the beach. The small white fluffy clouds burnt off as the morning progressed. Leaving a bright blue sky as far as I could see.
After my beach run I was charged up for the day. Good job too because I accomplished a huge amount and I'm now on top of all my deadlines. Not that I don't have a huge amount on my to-do list!
After work Kris came home to pick me up and we went to her work Christmas dinner. It was good to meet the folks she works with, but I can't really remember any of their names or faces now it is the following morning!
Well time for another super Saturday so I guess Kris will tell you all about it later today.
Where ever you are, enjoy your weekend! :)

Therapeutic Thursday

2004-12-16T20:49:00.000+11:00

neil says today was Therapeutic Thursday 'cos nothing much happened , which technically makes it a rest day in his books. To be fair, it was an almost nothing day, today, EXCEPT that I got to meet up with my Coach for a few minutes this evening! :) What a treat! Didn't get much time to talk as he was in between sessions, but it was very refreshing to see him again as we haven't caught up since just after the Games finished. Although there's nothing else significant to report, the day was far from boring with my brain still being stretched at work and plenty more stretching to come!

Neil waited around this morning for UPS to turn up with more of what he describes as 'dead tree', so he missed out on his morning beach walk and is looking forward to tomorrow, as we both are.

Wondrous Wednesday

2004-12-15T20:45:00.000+11:00

We had an early start again today. As the sun was rising of mostly blue skies and a sparkly crystal sea I was walking along the beach and Kris was driving to work. After my beach walk/run I went to work. Work for me involves a lot of writing at the moment. Another article went out and I’m doing some preparation for training courses I plan to give in the New Year. It’s all good stuff.
I received a fabulous package from UPS today, my new book! :) Finally I have it in paper form. This is the first ‘real’ book I’ve written, the others being E-Books.
Kris also got some packages in the mail today. Some motivational training tapes, they look like they might be good. We’ll listen to them in the coming weeks and let you know.

Terrific Tuesday!

2004-12-14T21:44:00.000+11:00

Today started off nice and early with plenty of glorious sunshine and crystal clear blue skies after the storms of yesterday evening. I had the pleasure and excitement of watching those storms roll across Sydney's sultry skies and drop the rain and hail that was in some places quite devastating. No damage in North Sydney, though.

Back to today: goals kicked with deadlines met by 0842 hrs this morning for me - Woo HOOOO! What a GREAT way to start off the day. AND I left work at a sensible time, which meant that not only was my brain fully functional for all of my attendance at work, but that Neil and I got to get out into the sea for a quick swim this evening. Tomorrow will be another interesting day at work as we move into the next phase of the project, so more learning for me.

Wherever you are in the world, enjoy your today. Hope to catch up with you soon. :)

Monumental Monday

2004-12-13T20:06:00.000+11:00

Today has been monumental in more than one way.
Firstly it has been monumental the same way that a 20 meter stone phalus pointing towards the sky is monumental. Why? well Kris left for work at 6:30 this morning and only just got back at 8pm. This was real work at her 'new' job. Running around a field getting people fit was not involved in any part of it. This was a monumental marathon of sitting behind a desk doing software testing.
Secondly it was monumental in the same way that I feel some symbol of my achievment should placed in a dominant position for all to see. Why? Because I have completed a load more work and my task list is starting to become managable again. I finished an article that has been hanging around for some time and made good progress on another series of exercises that I'm putting together for my eXtreme .NET website.
Thirdly it has been monumental in that my inbox is actually empty. During my long flight to Singapore and back I managed to sort through all the email in my inbox and that is a big step forward. I haven't had a clear inbox for nearly a year now!
How has your day been monumental?

2004-12-12T15:05:00.000+11:00

Hey there everyone!! Long time no write,no read. Things have been pretty busy'round here and not to the regular pattern. Neil left here for a few days in Singapore on Wednesday morning and returned last night. I'm sure he has plenty to tell you about and will leave it to him. As for me: with Neil away and the project at work hitting a bit of turbulence here and there, I thought it wise to spend a little more time working into the evenings than I have been and wasn't getting home until quite late at night. I'm the first to admint that blogging wasn't ranking amongst the highest things on my 'to-do' list after a long day at work.

One thing I did make time for this week was taking a look around my work environment and realising just how tough my new life is. hem hem. One of the things I've failed to mention is the fact that I'm on the third floor of a tower building in North Sydney. We have GREAT BIG windows that just happen to look right across the harbour to the Harbour Bridge. In the left corner of the window is Luna Park and in the right 'corner' is Pier One and further right still, are all the little coves of the harbour as it winds it's way westward to become the Parramatta River. Mmmm. Yep. Tuff Life. NOT.

Magic Monday

2004-12-06T19:06:00.000+11:00

Another fine day with blue skies and warm summer sun making everything sparkle. Kris made a leisurely start to the day as she didn't have get folks running around this morning. I did a gentle exercise session this morning. I cant go too hard until my neck is 100%, which thankfully it very nearly is.
This morning I did some writing from home before going into the city for a couple of meetings. As Kris had the car I ventured on the bus this time as it's faster than the ferry, if a little less fun.
My Tablet PC still seems to stop meetings dead, come on guys Tablet PC's are old hat now. Both Kris and I have a Tablet PC each and they feel like the norm for us.
Kris got back some time after me this evening, so I've had some time to catch up with listening to PodCasts and reading the news.
This evening everything has cooled down considerably as a breeze is blowing and clouds are gathering overhead.
time for dinner now, so until tomorrow...

Power Blog!!

2004-12-05T11:19:00.000+11:00

Well, here we are on an absolutely sensational, sunny Sunday, after a pretty good Saturday filled with activity and before that Friday, during which some more of those trillions of neural pathways seemed to have connected:- meaning that I'm starting to make some sense of the 'greek' I've been wading through for the last week. All is good. In fact all is Spectacular. To top it off, I've just been distracted from this blogging task of mine because I was able to chat (IM style) with a special friend of mine in Seattle - Mayna. I always feel so good when we get the chance to chat!

It's around midday on Sunday here, and we've just re-installed the 'One Tonne Breakfast' into our lives after a great bike ride. Yes Folks, this cereal and fruit breakfast weighs in at a whopping 1000 Calories (give or take 30-80 cals) and was discovered accidentally a few years ago when Neil and I were both trying to drop some weight and wondering why we weren't. The ensuing energy count discovered The Truth and made us laugh A LOT!! :)

Yesterday was spent doing some of those mundane and yet often difficult to avoid tasks like cleaning the house and washing the clothes. These tasks seem to take an extraordinary amount of time in my books, but anyway, with them out of the way, Neil and I headed down to Manly for a late brunch with a couple of new aquaintances who were in town for the weekend. It's always interesting meeting up with people you've only seen suited-up before, but perhaps a measure of the potential for friendship was that we did recognise each other at the rendez-vous point, without having to look too carefully. Brunch was interesting and activated, with all sorts of conversation topics being covered and questions being answered as we learned about each other, each other's ideas and our views on the world. With that finished, Neil and I headed off to the Mall for a quick shopping expedition to increase Neil's shorts and shirt wardrobe before his trip to Singapore next week. We got home in time for me to leave for a Christmas gathering being held at Coogee by "Playtime Fun & Fitness" owners, James and 'M', from whom I am looking to purchase a License to operate the Playtime activity groups in the northern beaches area here in Sydney. Busy Day with lots of fun attached!

2004-12-02T21:12:00.000+11:00

On my way to a meeting by ferry. Another hard day at the office.

Thoughtful Thursday

2004-12-02T20:53:00.000+11:00

As Kris mentioned yesterday this was my first big day out after my sore neck incident. Well it was a good day and I did a fair bit of running around having all the meetings I had postponed earlier in the week. It’s great to go to a meeting by ferry.
For Kris it was another day of learning at her new contract and it seems like some of those neural networks must be starting to establish themselves.
We had to get home reasonably promptly this evening as some of Kris’ gear from the Olympic campaign in Europe this year was being dropped off at home. I picked Kris up and we headed home.
Unfortunately Kris now shares the same experience as me when it comes to shipping stuff around the world. Some of the things you ship mysteriously disappear. I guess it must be the shipping equivalent of the sock monster that eats random odd socks. The freight monster eats random items that you send around the world in crates.
Untill tomorrow...

Windy Wednesday

2004-12-01T21:35:00.000+11:00

Hi there everyone! Today in Sydney started off hot and windless and finished up cool and VERY WINDY due to the welcome arrival of the Southerly Buster after three days of baking hot weather,which we've enjoyed immensely. For me, today was another day at the inside offices of my latest employer and another day of loads of learning. Somewhere in my brain there are about a TRILLION neural pathways that are about to all link up and I CAN'T WAIT!! :)

For Sore Neck Neil, things are looking up after a visit to our favourite Physio, lots of ice, sleep and Nurofen, and he's looking forward to getting out and about tomorrow in the big wide world.

More Monday

2004-11-29T21:15:00.000+11:00

It's Monday again and Kris was up before dawn had a chance to crack. Kris went off to Coogee to get some folks fit by getting them to run around in circles. I went back to sleep and got up at 7am. The best couple of hours sleep I've had in a few days.
My neck was starting to feel better, but I still went to the physio to get it checked up. Lucky for me it's not broken, just a pinched nerve, which is somewhat painful.
I had to take it easy again today with painkillers and plenty of ice. I still managed to do a bit of work and listen to a bunch of podcasts, as well as taking some time out for a stroll on the beach.
Kris the ever active went off to work at a new contract she is doing in North Sydney. A long day for Kris, she didn't get home till 6:30 this evening.
Dinner was plain and simple - egg noodles, yummy.
We then watched some CampChaos videos and answered some emails. Until tomorrow....

Recovery Weekend

2004-11-28T21:08:00.001+11:00

Ok, this weekend was a nice lazy one. Owing mostly to the fact that Neil had developed a nasty pain in the neck over the end of Friday and it had become extremely uncomfortable by Saturday. This meant that around here there was plenty of ice pack and video action and not much else, although we did get out on Saturday afternoon for a walk after I'd finished my latest kitchen adventure. Rasberry Quinoa Pie, with, yes, you guessed it, that now-famous (at least around here, anyway) gluten free macadamia pie crust. We thought it wasn't much better than interesting when we first sampled it yesterday, but I have to say the flavours and textures are growing on us and the pie is disappearing rapidly!

Hope you've all had a good weekend.

Signing off for now: Sore Neck Neil, and Kris :)

Fab Friday

2004-11-26T20:14:00.000+11:00

After last nights exuberance it was not overly surprising that today started a little bit later than normal and in a fairly average manner.
We struggled out of bed at around 9am this morning and after little debate made out way to the beach. The sea did a fabulous job of bringing us back to life and giving us the energy to get the day back on track.
After breakfast it was time for work. Apart from the plan to take over the world, I cant tell you much else about what I’m doing ;)
I know Kris has been working on some content her website. I’m looking forward to seeing that.
The day is coming to a close and I can still feel the after effects of yesterday. Looking forward to dinner and an early night and then a wonderful weekend with plenty of sunshine.

Thanksgiving Thursday

2004-11-26T15:22:00.000+11:00

We may be in Australia, and out of season for the Harvest Festival, but we're still in touch, even this far away! Not only was the weather spectacular all day, but we finished the day off by visiting some very special friends of ours, Deborah and Ben Bradley for a Thanksgiving Feast and some sensational shared time.

After I spent much of Thursday morning gathering ingredients for a traditional Thanksgiving Pumpin Pie, and wondering at the same time how this vegetable (that every good Australian knows to be a very good ingredient for a sumptuous soup) was EVER going to make a delicious dessert, I set about creating it. With recipe in hand and faith in my heart that my friends were not playing some cruel joke on me, I followed the instructions, adding a few variations of my own as we needed a dairy free version. I am now here to tell all Aussies and other non-initiates to this fabulous dish, that some liquids do solidify under the influence of heat AND that pumpkin(aka Cow Fodder by my coach and seafarer, David Adams) was made for higher purposes than soup, scones and even cows. Pumpkin Pie ROCKS!

Huge Thank yous to Ben and Deborah and some new friends and fellow foodies: Audrey, Stacey, Craig, and Tyler for a fantastic night that we all enjoyed.

PS if you want the recipe, check it out on ForgivingFood.com

2004-11-26T11:48:00.000+11:00

Craig explains how you do the Mashed Potato while sitting down.

2004-11-26T11:46:00.000+11:00

Ben and Kris carry out a careful and precise operation on the dead bird.

2004-11-26T11:45:00.000+11:00

The Beast is cooked. Debs says 'Look its bigger than I am!'

2004-11-25T11:48:00.000+11:00

The great thing about it being Always Summer Time is that we get to eat water melon all year long. I was a little concerned to find Kris stuffing as much into her mouth as possible while holding a very sharp knife. My main concern was how do I get some!

Wizard Wednesday

2004-11-24T19:31:00.002+11:00

Another really early start for Kris. 5am and she’s up and out the door! Back to sleep for me. 5:30am and Kris was back – woops what happened there? Who cares at that time?
I finally got up at 7am and hit the weights, good to get the endorphins flowing through my blood first thing. Plenty of endorphins keep me smiling for the day :)
After breakfast it was time to head down to the CBD in Sydney for a few things. I had a couple of meetings and popped into the Microsoft ISV days event in Darling Harbour. All really interesting and good to see the software developer community getting value from this.
I had lunch with a friend.
I then met Kris in North Sydney near the end of the day and we headed home. Kris had a meeting in North Sydney that sounds like it went really well too.
Back home we spent some time going through software development lifecycles. Watch out world, Kris is getting a really good grip on the software development process.
The day is coming to an end and my belly tells me it must be time for dinner. So until tomorrow, have fun and keep smiling.

Terrific Tuesday!!

2004-11-23T20:47:00.001+11:00

Big lie in today - didn't get up 'til 7 am and made our way straight to the beach for a run. Enthusiam waned to an all time low when the rain began to fall from the sky at the rate of small bucket-loads and the temperature dropped another 5 degrees C, so we made our way back home for the balcony blitz session which involved creative use of a couple of our skipping ropes, the swissballs, some weights, the all important workout music tracks AND the oven timer. We had fun, and no complaints recieved from our downstairs neighbours. With the morning workout completed, it was time for me to head off to a meeting down by the beach (no, it wasn't a spiritual guidance meeting with the Ocean) and Neil to get stuck into his latest projects.

As for me and my latest projects, I'm seriously looking at taking on a Playtime Fun and Fitness Franchise. I've been meeting with the team for the last week or so and I have to tell you, this is THE BEST concept I've seen in group fitness training EVER. We are talking a morning session starting at 6 am and 48 Big Kids playing Crab Soccer, Rob the Nest and Red Rover, AND we're talking about the same Big Kids getting some serious working over in strength training and cardio circuits. This is Serious Fun and Serious Fitness all rolled into one. All fitness levels are catered for. Everyone starts and leaves the session with smiles on their faces, and in between they work hard. And they get results. Since the latest research shows that average Australians are now more overweight and fatter than their American counterparts, it's a good thing that this unique programme has been brought to life by it's creator James Brabon. Check it out and sign up:- www.play-time.com.au

That's all for me today, I have to be at Coogee for tomorrow's cardio session, which means leaving here at 0500 hrs!

Magnificent Monday

2004-11-22T19:55:00.000+11:00

For Kris the day started before the sun awoke. I was half asleep and remember her getting up but no more. The reason for Kris’ ungodly hour of rising was fitness training. She had to get down to Coogee to help a bunch of folks get fit.
I arose at the more sensible time of 6:30 to do a weights session. Certainly feels like we are both getting back into shape again now.
I got working on a couple of projects for clients that I can’t discuss here for confidentiality reasons. Some of the work I did today that I can discuss is the work on my website for the forthcoming book. eXtreme.NET. I’ve set up my eXtreme .NET store now as well.
Kris got back from her training at around 10am. Time for me to take a short break and we wandered down to the shops to grab a snack. For me it was back home for work and for Kris it was back home for a nap to catch up with her sleep.
I had to go out this afternoon for some meetings. The meetings were of course magnificent :)
Now this day is nearly over and it’s time for dinner. What’s cooking Kris?
Until tomorrow….

Bonus Day!!

2004-11-21T20:21:00.000+11:00

OK, so we're back again today, and after the effects of yesterday's bike ride being so apparent on our bodies last night, I wasn't sure just how 'sunny' today would be. (believe me: we were sore, and the description of 'stumbling to bed' was an understatement. We crawled and 'ouched' and 'ow!-ed' a lot on the 10-step trip to our bedroom from the lounge-room last night. It even hurt to lie down! Any-hoo, today was our lucky day: we woke up close to pain free, and I was thinking today was sunnier than any day I could remember, even though the sky was covered in a white/grey sheet of cloud and the temperature was cool.

No lie-ing in for me - I was so excited just to be pain free that I had to get up and get moving. OK, the call from Mum and Dad at 0800 hrs did have a little to do with it, but after chatting with them we were off to check out the beach. Not much activity down there today as it really was pretty cloudy and cool. This meant that the usual Sunday morning hordes of 'Nippers' were down to only a few diehard 7 year-old Dee Why Swans and that there was plenty of beach to walk on. A quieter beach, but definitely not as fun a beach as last week. You just have to see these kids to believe it! It is real entertainment watching them go through their Sunday morning club activities, guided by the many Mums and Dad's needed to keep them safe and under control. At any one moment, there can be 25 eight year olds running and laughing for all they're worth into the sea, (like lemmings) while a bit further up the beach another group is diving into the sand, hands outstretched, reaching, reaching for one of the the few sticks stuck into the sand in an event called 'Flags'; and somewhere in between are what look like at least 50-60 five year olds running into the surf until they're ankle deep, turning to their right around a responsible adult and running along the beach in the water for about 25 metres until they get to turn around the next responsible adult and head out of the water and right back up the beach to where they started! Lots of wooping and yelling and laughing and giggling - it's inspiring.

While things were relatively quiet on the beach, Neil and I took a walk up the beach and returned before heading home for a quick shower, a great breakfast and a trip to the Mall for some items that were less essential than yesterdays purchases. We emerged from the Mall after about an hour with a couple of pairs of 'Boardies' for me, and a new shirt and pair of knee length trousers for Neil. Man! That place was Manic, EVEN at 11am. It's amazing what power TV and print marketing media has over us - it's frightening, really!!

After our escape was made good from the Mall, we lunched, slept and of course there was the requisite nerding-out. (Neil's real place of repose is in front of his beloved computer!) A good thing, though as our store has been launched and the link can be found on the right hand side of this page, AND I'm Skyped up!! Haven't had the chance to use it yet, but can't wait until my FRIENDS accept me to their Skype lists!

Super Saturday

2004-11-20T21:27:00.000+11:00

After a wonderful week of fun and excitement, it was time for a super special Saturday.
After a late start ;) we got on our bikes for a couple of hours cycling.We ended up cycling through a number of different terrains including roads, marshland, sandy tracks and best of all some rainforest!
of course plenty of hills with the ups being an average speed and the downs being a little faster than Kris would like :)
After we got home, had a big feed and washed, we headed off to the mall for some entertainment.
We bought some essentials and did a fair amount of window shopping. Only one month till Christmas and it seems like the world was out at the mall ensuring they reach the limits on their credit cards!
Super Saturday continued back home with some reading before dinnertime.
Dinner was accompanied by watching Ronin on DVD.
We were feeling pretty sore after our bike ride and stumbled into bed.
Untill tomorrow...

Morning Bike Ride

2004-10-30T10:32:00.000+10:00

Here are a couple pics from this mornings bike ride along the coast. They were taken on my phone, which explains the average quality.

Welcome

2004-10-23T22:09:00.000+10:00

Welcome to the blog of Neil and Kris. We are two explorers, making our way through the maze of life. This blog is a place for us to share some of our experiences with you.