Sunday, May 30, 2004

A Day Spent Golfing

What better way could you spend a day? It's been nice to get out on the golf course, after 16 months without having a hit, and I got to play with three nice blokes, Ryan, Luffy and Patto, from Geraldton. Jokes about Geraldton will come later.

Shot a 95 of the stick, 50 for the front nine and 45 on the back. Not too bad, considering there was one shot into the water, at least four 3-putts and one 4-putt. I guess the two saves out of the sand and numerous 1-putts that dropped (and gained a few remarks from my playing partners - "Oh, he's finally missed one") made up for it. I guess I scored what I deserved. Ryan, a 7-handicapper, only beat me by two strokes on the back nine. I can be happy with that. Jingos that boy can hit a ball. And the strong breeze that kicked from the time we hit the fourth didn't bother him at all. Ryan hit two over par on the front nine and that was because of a double bogy on the ninth! I've never seen anyone play that well for nine holes. And he made it look so easy.

Patto comes from Adelaide originally and I know some family that he is related to in Bordertown. He said that he bumped into a cabbie from Adelaide, last night, who knew people that he knew in Adelaide. It is a small world, that's for sure. Pity he follows the Adelaide Crows. Geraldton will do that to you. Patto's an older bugger who plays quite well. Funny bugger too. He did mention that there was one girl in Geraldton who was so ugly, that if you had sex with her it proved that you were too lazy to wank yourself. Here in Perth we thought that all the girls in Geraldton were like that.

Luffy is a sparky, like myself. Pretty handy with a driver, well, Ryan's driver, although Patto outdrove him on about four occasions. Did I mention that Patto is just about pensionable age, has a titanium knee and a crook shoulder? Luffy did go close to not going past the ladies' tee on a couple of occasions. Still, he beat me by a stroke so what can I say?

Something quite amazing happened towards the end of the round. At one stage we had to wait for quite a while, our round took five hours actually, so Luffy and Ryan were mucking around chipping the ball to each other. Luffy didn't chip anywhere near that well the whole round. Anyway, Ryan said that he would hit the bin near us. He did. Then he moved in front of the bin, about two metres away, and told us that he would put it in the bin. "Bullshit," we said. I kid you not, this bugger shot the ball into an opening two metres away, at a height of about one metre, with just enough space to put an empty drink bottle into. "Bullshit" is what I think we were all thinking after we saw that shot. Unreal.

Ryan was taking photos of nearly hole on the course. He only missed three or four and that would be the sum total of holes that he didn't play well. Pleasure to watch. The holes that he played well, that is.

Some silly bugger in front of us smacked a ball into the carpark and hit a car but none of us had broken windscreens when we returned to our cars. Something else that struck me as funny - I have a country number plate on my car, but live in the city, and the two vehicles that the other blokes came in, who live in the country, didn't. Work that one out.

Came home and Yu-Jin wondered where I had been. Golfing I told him. "Can I come too?" he said before popping outside in no time at all with his shoes on. Bit late son. We played some golf in the backyard but the club was a bit large for him. Then we played totem tennis, watered the garden, fixed the broken bike seat stand on my bike and Miky and I went for some practice driving. Once home Yu-Jin wanted to play so we did some painting and then played three games of army men. These are men that are at least 20 years old as I have had them from when I was young. Shower and then read a few stories.

Nice way to spend a day. Now I'll just spend the next few days sore and sorry, and thinking of past glories on the golf course. Miky said that I should play golf more often, perhaps once a month as it costs so much. So much as it involves a visit to the chiropractor afterwards.

Saturday, May 29, 2004

Trip To Jarrahdale

The decision was made last night. We were to leave in the morning for a trip to the countryside. I only made up my mind five minutes before getting in the car as to where we were going. The plan was Serpentine Dam. It would give the out-laws a chance to see some of the country that they were visiting.

We headed south for about an hour and came to Jarrahdale. It is an old logging town and the main tree is Jarrah. Just out of town is a scenic route and we found a BBQ and walking area nearby. A picturesque little spot, complete with polluted dam, and burnt cars. Forgive my cynicism.

It was very nice and quiet to walk around the Yackas and trees with almost nobody else around and life almost coming to a standstill. Also gave us a chance to have a family photo and one of Yu-Jin and myself. Here's a pic of my sister- and mother-in-law along with Miky. Yu-Jin got to walk on some large logs in the area and have a look at a hollowed tree. Not that he was too interested and he didn't particularly enjoy falling on his bum a few times as the paths were nothing more than loose stones. As this was once a mine site there was a cleared area where trees were coming back but here is a photo of Yu-Jin in that area but where you can't see the area itself.

Following this we had a snack in the restaurant/cafe. Chips, garlic bread and tea and coffee. Yu-Jin had an ice cream instead of a drink. They weren't prepared to make a milkshake for him. And the bloke calls himself a chef?

Back to the big smoke and lunch at the Dumpling King. Mandoo, noodles and sweet and sour pork. Nice lunch. Almost bumped into someone that we don't have any contact with but they ate their meal and pretended to ignore us too. Then we went downtown to do some shopping and have a couple of haircuts, Yu-Jin and Miky. Yu-Jin and I left to go home following Yu-Jin's cut and spend the next hour and a bit in a playground near our house. We have four that we can walk to. Some large machinery was in the playground and I took the opportunity to take two pics of Yu-Jin with road rollers (and 2).

Friday, May 28, 2004

Dyslexia - a Few Thoughts

Smokers can ring the Quit Line if they want some help to give up smoking. Men can ring the Domestic Violence Line if they want some help to give up violence. Why, you can even ring Lifeline if you want to get a life.

What about the poor sufferer of dyslexia? How difficult must they find it to locate the phone number in the phone book? It's not so easy to look things up alphabetically if your spelling and reading skills don't allow it.

Along the same lines - do you know what DNA stands for? National Dyslexic Association.

Thursday, May 27, 2004

Modern Day Monogrammes

Remember the days when "His & Hers" monogrammes on towels and other items were all the rage? What is it like in today's society? Do we have "His & His" monogrammes in today's bathrooms? Frankly, that wouldn't surprise me.

I guess there is a bit of bitch-slapping over who gets the pink towel and face washer though.

Wednesday, May 26, 2004

Celebrity Spotting

Popped out of the office during the day today and went to the supermarket. Who should I spy but Scott Fisher. Ok, he's the new coach of the Perth Wildcats. Used to be a great player for them. They are in the National Basketball League.

He's big in Perth anyway.

Yu-Jin Hasn't Got The Radio Worked Out Yet

Bless him. I love rock music and so does he. Yu-Jin loves Nickelback and recognises it as soon as it comes on the radio in the car. And he will be quiet for a while and listen. Amazing really.

On Popstars Live tonight, Kayne Taylor sang a Nickelback song. Yu-Jin recognised it and said to me, "We've got that song in the car, haven't we?"

Yesterday we were listening to Three Doors Down's latest song on the radio in the car. Yu-Jin said that it was a lovely song and asked me, "Have we got that song on the computer?"

He doesn't quite realise the difference. I don't have the song on the radio but just love to listen to it in the car. His recognition is good though. Surprised me a bit.
And Another Thing

The Australian Embassy in Iraq has a car bomb explode 100 metres away and the government comes out and says that it justifies having the Australian Army in Iraq to protect places such as this. Excuse me, but it doesn't sound like they did a very good job of protecting it, does it? I don't see how it justifies anything.

If the Yanks had some decent soldiers and intelligence they could have caught Saddam quickly and pulled out early.

Sodomy

Is sodomy illegal, annoying or just a pain in the arse? Bugger me.
Few Things I Wanted To Say

We, people who drive cars, are used to hearing the phrase "the US driving season" mentioned when the price of a barrel of oil goes up. What is the US driving season? Is it a period of three months where you are allowed to shoot drivers in the US? Anything like duck season?

Mud Packs

Aren't these just a softening device for women? Let's face it, women put on the mud pack and they look in the mirror. Own up. Are they delighted by what they see. No, unless they are REALLY ugly in the first place. So, they feel much better about themselves once the mud pack comes off. And it doesn't have to make any improvements whatsoever. Women are so easily duped.

Parental Advisory

I'm surprised that the equal opportunities idiots haven't gotten onto this one. What about:
Caregiver Advisory
Guardian Advisory
Big Brother/Sister Advisory?
Big Poofy Second Father Advisory?

Parents aren't the only ones you know. It's time they got with the times.

Funny Sight

Driving to work the other morning and I noticed traffic backed back a bit further than normal on one particular road. Then I saw a car sitting on it's roof on the road. Pretty funny. No ambulance in sight so I guess no-one got hurt. Wish I had the digital camera.

Interesting Job

Have you ever noticed that the blinkers on the car in front of you do not flash at the same rate as your own? Even if the car is the same model? I know that they want to make little improvements for each new car but think about the guy who sets the timing for the blinkers. How difficult must his job be? It is such an exacting science and not very highly regarded.

That's one build up of crap removed from my head. Cya.


Sunday, May 23, 2004

Who Said Deafness Was a Disability?

I had a thought yesterday whilst walking down a busy road. Deafness is an overrated disability. Having the ability to not hear traffic on a busy road is definitely an advantage, not a disadvantage. Cars don't keep you awake at night and more importantly, the house price is lower as most people don't want to live next to a major road.

There you have it - deaf people are able to buy lower-priced homes next to major shopping centres and arterial roads. So don't let a hearing-impaired person tell you, or use sign language, to say that they are disadvanted. Just turn a deaf ear to them.

Friday, May 21, 2004

Don't Ask Me For Directions.... Unless

Just as I got out of my car this morning at my work, a woman in a very expensive, new BMW stopped on the road and asked me for directions. She wanted to know if the Subiaco Vet was nearby. I scratched my head and motioned that I didn't know.

As I was crossing the road to the office I noticed out of the corner of my eye the woman pulling up in the driveway next door. Then I looked at the sign at the front of the premises. It said "Subiaco Veterinary Clinic". Whoops.

In my defence, I only work here.

It Gets Better If You Are Famous

At lunchtime today I drove in to Subiaco to buy the fruit and vegies from the market. As it has been a very wet day it wasn't filled with people, as is usual around lunchtime. So, I bought the F&V quite quickly. Returned them to the car and as I was hanging out for some chocolate I was making a return upstairs (I was parked in an underground carpark) when I spotted Dennis Keith Lillee. If you don't know who he is you need to do some study on cricket. He is only one of the greatest fast bowlers ever produced by this country.

Anyway, he saw me mouthing "Dennis Lillee" to myself and asked me how to get to the restaurant. "Bravo's Restaurant?" I enquired.
We had a short natter, Dennis and I go way back. Hehe. I showed him up the stairs and where the restaurant was. Any more and I would have given him a personal escort for the whole trip.

If you are famous I will take you there. If you are a nobody (aren't we all?) you'll have to find it for yourself.

At least this is one celebrity that I have met and actually SPOKEN to. Did I tell you about the time I had breakfast with Billy Connolly at Heathrow Airport? No, well - I stood next to him and never said a word. If I had had a pen and paper I would have asked for his autograph. Nevermind. I'll have to get Dennis' autograph at a later date also.

Thursday, May 20, 2004

Drivers

I've touched on this subject before. Whilst driving to work yesterday I pulled up at the lights next to a BMW. There was a middle-aged gentleman sitting there and he seemed to be keeping in time with the music. Couldn't be sure if he was listening to the same radio station as myself or perhaps he was suffering from Parkinson's Disease as his motions didn't seem to be keeping time too well.

Why are almost all Subaru drivers the reincarnation of some long-dead champion rally driver? It seems anyone who has a WRX rally-type model has to drive like a complete dickhead. Drivers of Subaru wagons seem to have some of the spirit rubbed onto them as they are a pushy lot also.

The less said about Volvo drivers the better.

Perhaps the biggest lot of losers are those who drive Jeeps or Range Rovers or Land Rovers. I haven't seen too many of them with a courteous attitude and many of them are real estate agents. Hmmmmmm.
Grandma's 80th

Yesterday was my grandma's 80th birthday. Me being the frugal bastard that I am waited until after 6pm so that I could make a cheaper phone call. It turns out that, even though she lives in Adelaide, she didn't send me an invitation to the party that they had on the weekend.

Nevermind, we had a lovely chat which carried over into many different subjects. I don't speak to my relatives enough I have realised. I don't even talk to my friends enuff.

Grandma is sounding very healthy and has a long way to go yet. Her mother died five or six months short of reaching the century mark.

By-the-way, my mother-in-law had a look at my palm last night and reckons that I will live to be 80-odd. I'll keep you up to date regarding this issue.

Tuesday, May 18, 2004

Australia is Taking Over the World

Look at how quickly Australia is stretching its borders. Firstly we have infiltrated the Danish Royal Family and will have heirs to the throne, and secondly, we will be including New Zealand within our borders. The idea is that Australia and New Zealand will be one immigration zone. Once you enter one country you will be free to travel to the other. Damn fine idea that.

Don't know how the Kiwis are going to accept having to use Australian dollars though. Hang on, most of them already do as they are living and working over here as it is.

Who will Australia annex next? The USA is looking a fair bet as their government is in disarray currently. Shouldn't be hard to send in a few troops to knock over the government forces.

Monday, May 17, 2004

Yu-Jin Is A Handful

Dunno whether it is because he is a four-year old or the fact that his aunty and grandma from Korea are staying with us, but boy is he becoming a handful. There is a certain problem with following any instructions and distractions are all-encompassing. Yu-Jin's childcare senior has mentioned that he is too rough. I find this a little bit amusing as he is almost the smallest kid there. On Friday he came home with a deep scratch under his left eye and wouldn't tell us who did it. And the carers never give out any names of perpetrators.

Just yesterday we were playing "lions" and he gave me a swipe. Copped me fair in the head and it stung. I see what they mean when they say he is too rough. How am I supposed to put a stop to this behaviour? Don't worry, the smack is used but it doesn't seem to be very effective these days. He is very strong-willed and stubborn.

It was a bit of a wet day yesterday but I took Yu-Jin, aunty and grandma up to Kings Park and to the Western Power Playground. They have lots of wooden objects to climb on, some concrete dinosaurs to climb over, swings, slides etc. He loved it. Luckily the weather cleared up somewhat and it turned out to be ok. I have a video of him sliding down a pole like a firefighter that I may upload and link at a later date.

Managed to watch all of the wonderful win by Essendon on Friday night. Didn't mind the commercials as I was able to watch a bit of the royal wedding on SBS. Straightened the antenna yesterday and the reception is very nice now. Pity about the hole in the wall.

Sunday, May 16, 2004

Home Installation Done Easily?

I love doing things around the home. It gives me some sense of satisfaction to do things myself. I installed an antenna a few weeks ago. Got some industrial quality cable from work and went to put that in yesterday.

What a bastard of a job. My roof space is really limited and filled with cobwebs like you wouldn't believe. I had shoved the cable in the roofspace and after crawling delicately through this space I wasn't able to pull the cable through. Had to get back on the roof and move a tile to get the cable and was able to move it successfully. So the cable didn't pose too much of a problem.

Now, I had some nice wall outlet to put in place. I didn't like the mounting bracket and so I made a large hole behind where the outlet would go so that it would fit nicely in place. Then I started to drill right through the bricks as I have double-brick. This means that I have space between to run a cable down the wall between the bricks. I did notice that I was having trouble getting through the brick and that I had drilled into the middle of it. Couldn't get my tongue (plastic groove tongue for pulling cables through walls) into the brick and thought that I had to drill through to the other side. Had almost made it when I thought that maybe I didn't have double-brick in that particular spot. My fears were upheld. I only had one brick and had almost drilled into the wardrobe in our room behind.

So I ended up drilling a hole in the ceiling and dropping the cable down where everyone could see it. And I have a lovely big hole in the wall to fill in.

Man I love home renovations.
Whatever Happened to Freedom of Speech?

Americans stand for freedom of speech and democracy? Don't make me laugh.

Take for instance the beheading of Nick Berg. I've just had a look at the video and it is gruesome. And not done the way I would have expected. Anyway, this guy, an American, gets beheaded and the video is shown on the Internet.

What do the free speech-heralding Yanks do? They shut down the Website, that's what. Freedom of speech my arse.

I wonder if this was done by ICANN - more like SHITCAN it. Having seen the video I have toned down my rheotoric somewhat.

Friday, May 14, 2004

Yu-Jin The Fussy Eater

Well, he went and blew that theory out of the water last night. After Miky failed her test yesterday her mum felt bad and wanted to take us out to KFC for tea. Yu-Jin is only used to McDonalds. I have told him repeatedly that Hungry Jack's tastes terrible and that is well ingrained into his brain.

Yu-Jin's major concern with KFC was whether he would get a toy or not. I had to explain several times that KFC don't do toys and the inevitable question of why don't they do toys like McDonalds.

He's not a big eater of chicken. Tell you what though, he started hoeing into that chicken like there was no tomorrow. People from my father's generation appreciated the food that they had and leave the bones clean. My in-laws are in the same vein. Miky and I are obviously too well fed to clean up the bones properly. Yu-Jin is normally a very fussy eater and it takes much convincing to get him to eat greens, apart from broccoli and beans, along with mushrooms. Well, he cleaned up the chicken bones like he came from another generation and there is no way that I will clean up a chicken bone like that.

He quite enjoyed his experience at KFC. Besides, the chips with chicken salt are so much better too. Strangely, no further mention about toys. Talk about yak though. He didn't shutup the whole time we were eating. I told him that my grandma used to boil the chicken bones for long enough that they were edible. He then starts telling the story to anyone that will listen, or can't get outside of audible range. Nevermind, I think that he will be a clever kid as he shows a lot of interest in things that you tell him.
Terrorism Looks Easy

Be Alert. Not Alarmed.

That's what our government tells us. Listen, Miky had a driving test yesterday at 7:05 am. I was busting to go to the toilet but the licensing centre didn't actually open until 8:15. I knew that there were some toilets nearby and that they should be open from 7 o'clock. Finally found them, and let me tell you, the bushes nearby were looking good at that stage.

Locked! Disappointment was rather evident. The Joondalup TAFE College was nearby. Surely there is a toilet that is open. I couldn't find one. Things were starting to look bad.

After walking through TAFE I came across the Police Academy. Now, here's me, a stranger with a backpack, asking if there is a toilet available. Some guy had no hesitation in telling me where the toilets were and I even asked if it was the Police Academy. I couldn't believe that no-one challenged me as I had no right to be there.

If the police aren't worried about the safety of their own establishment how are ordinary Australians going to fare? Ok, I would have felt pretty bad if I had been challenged and had my bag searched but I would have had more faith in the system.

Wednesday, May 12, 2004

Petrol Pricing Breakthrough

I have had a brainstorm. How do you get people to pay a fair amount for fuel? Some people just have cars that are too large and it seems unfair that they pay the same amount for their petrol. I have a solution.

People should pay different amounts depending on their usage style.

Cautious drivers - 60 cents per litre
Moderate drivers - 80 cents per litre
Hoons, idiots, yobbos - $1.50 per litre

And lastly....

Holden drivers - at least $3.00 per litre (might get a few of them off the road).
Comments Update

Seems to work now. Just click on the "#" symbol. I may change the script for this.

Tuesday, May 11, 2004

Full of ....

Just as I thought. It didn't work. Back to the drawing board.
Comments Section Added

Blogger now allow us to add comments. I set it up so that anyone can comment but I haven't noticed any change. Maybe I need to post a new blog and then it will start. I tried it yesterday and it didn't work. Here goes nothing.

Monday, May 10, 2004

Korean Blonde No. 2?

I took Yu-Jin to a friend's (his) house yesterday. They had lots of peanuts on the table. Yu-Jin doesn't like nuts so I was surprised when he grabbed one and started eating it. It didn't take too long before he decided to spit it out.

Then came the surprise. He hadn't taken the peanut out of the shell. Having never seen one before I guess that isn't too surprising.

I shelled one for him and he said, "Ooh, yuck. Nuts." The second Korean blonde in my house?
Korean Blonde

If they had any other hair colour in Korea then my wife would be a blonde.

Last time she took a driving test she was supposed to meet me at a quarter to two in the afternoon. Getting herself caught up with viewing a fashion show she thought that the time was a quarter past two. At 2:22 she met me. Well, we were about eight minutes late and that didn't impress the driving tester. Testy is what he became.

Fast forward about six weeks until today. Her appointment is a 7:05. We arose at 5 am, I had breakfast, got everything ready for work, Miky prepared her gear for study, etc. We left home at 5:50 am and arrived at the testing station, about 45 kilometres away, by 6:25. Great, 40 minutes to have a drive (I had to drive there as it was on the freeway and Miky isn't allowed on it) and relax - if possible - before the test.

The testing personnel poked their heads outside. It starts raining. It is still reasonably dark. We get down to the last tester and he is looking for "Ricky". Sounds pretty close to "Miky". Well, we didn't expect that to be for us and so ignored him for five minutes. Then I asked him to make sure. He went inside to check the computer.

It was at this stage that Miky checked her appointment - yes indeed, it was for 7:05. But on the THIRTEENTH DAY OF MAY, not the tenth. Aaaaaagh!!!

Nevermind. We know what time to leave home on THURSDAY morning. My wife still makes me laugh after six and a half years of marriage. Hehe.

Saturday, May 08, 2004

New Look

Yeah, better links section. No pic of me in the distance. Cleaned out my Web server space as well. That means I need to get rid of my WestNet Website as my Homepage. This is my Homepage as of now. I'll get rid of the link in the email signatures and that will be that. It's taken a bit of mucking around as those of you who have done Websites will realise.

Friday, May 07, 2004

Will There Be Terrorism At The Olympics?

A good question posed to me by one of my readers. THANK YOU!!

Probably not. Let's face it, are there going to be any seats for the spectators to sit on? Will there be any spectators? If a bomb was used to destroy any of the Olympic buildings no-one would notice any damage because they are in such a state of disrepair already. Just where would they plant the bombs? Nothing is big enough to hide a bomb behind.

The 100m track running should be interesting. How many nerves will the athletes be feeling waiting for the starter's gun, and hopefully ONLY his gun, to go off? Maybe the world record will be broken. How many spectators are going to stand nervously watching the shooting?

I'm just waiting for Sydney to say that they could host them a couple of weeks later if need be. It's on the cards.
Frugal Bastard or Stupid Bastard?

Just after finishing my shopping in Woolworths last night I noticed a woman drop $20 in the shopping centre. I picked up the money and raced after her to return it.
"That's our lotto money. Thanks."

Following in my Footsteps

I'm so proud of my sister-in-law. While waiting for the bus yesterday a 000 bus came along. You know, a special that no-one uses. The bus pulled up and the driver asked her to get on - without having to pay. Ah, a woman after my own heart.

Hypocrites?

One of the assignments that Miky has had to do for her Clothing Production (fashion design) course was to make a leather jacket. Students had to make the pattern, do the cutting and do the sewing. It was very hard work and quite expensive - around $120 for material alone. There were four girls who refused to do the assignment on the grounds that they were vegetarians. So that has raised the hackles of a few of the other students.

Now, the students are selling chocolates as a fund raising exercise as they have an expensive fashion show to put on at the end of the year. The same four vegetarians who didn't do the leather jacket assignment have decided not to sell chocolates. Instead, they conducted a SAUSAGE SIZZLE. A hypocritical exercise indeed, methinks.

Thursday, May 06, 2004

Quick Thoughts

Does the Australian Federation of Homelessness operate out of a building or a cardboard box? What premises are they housed in?

Does a short list discriminate against tall people?

Do the seats in small cars carry a 150kg + rating? You see some very large people in small cars. I don't suppose that large people move very much during a crash as the frame of the car would get in the way. (Will I get in trouble for saying this?)

Wednesday, May 05, 2004

Bomb Theory in Athens

So, three bombs went off outside a police station near a hotel that the International Olympic Committee members would be staying in. They have no proof that it is related to the Olympics. Oh, come on.

My theory is that the Greek Olympic Committee is behind it. They know that the buildings won't be finished and so they are trying to get the Olympics cancelled so that they don't have to suffer the embarressment.

Maybe it isn't them. Perhaps their plan is to build a replica of the ancient ruins for our modern day athletes to compete in. Their new state of the art stadia are in the same physical state of disrepair.
Unfortunate Car Model

We have all seen how cars are named. The Ford Falcon came out as an EA, then an EB, I think they produced the EC which was followed by the ED. Now the guys over at Hyundai need their marketing department to smarten up a bit. Seriously, who came up with the name "Trajet"? What happens when you get to the fourth or fifth model? You will be left with Trajet D and Trajet E. Who is going to buy a car called Tragedy? I know that Volvo used the Bee Gees' song Tragedy to promote their cars but that really sums up Volvo drivers - they are tragic.

Families Visiting Are Nice, But...

I'm not free to fart in my own home. Boy, does that make life less enjoyable.

Same Blood

You have all heard the old saying, "blood is thicker than water". You can tell that Miky, her sister and her mother are the same blood by the way that they do things. They cut the cheese the same way (not farting, see previous post), bread is left in the same hacked manner, taps don't get turned off, tempers have about the same fuse length, etc, etc. There hasn't been any major problems or differences since Miky's family came over. Everyone is getting along very well and nobody is getting on anybody elses nerves. It is too easy to step on the toes of others when you are living with them.

Along the same lines, my sister-in-law will make herself a hot drink, usually coffee, and doesn't ask if I would like one. Much like my wife in that respect. So tonight, when she put the kettle on, I asked Miky, "How does she know that I want tea? She didn't ask me."
Miky passed on the message and my tea was made for me.

Monday, May 03, 2004

Kids Are Funny

What happens when kids are allowed to order what they like at a McDonald's party? Only three out of the eleven kids at Yu-Jin's party ordered soft drink. Even Yu-Jin ordered orange juice and he is crazy about "yucky juice". Kids are always full of surprises.

Dangerous Advertising

You know the ads on the back of taxis that you just can't help reading? I noticed one the other day that was difficult to ignore and even more difficult to read. It was for the musical "We will rock you" but what made it dangerous was the fact that it was upside down and I was driving down the freeway when I noticed it. Reading something upside down when in three lanes of traffic and doing 80 km/h is not recommended.

Busy On The House

It was a lovely day yesterday. Yu-Jin and I went to the playground yesterday, me on foot and Yu-Jin on his trike. We were two hours away from home. Later I decided to do some repairs to the patio at the rear of the house. It leaks a bit when it rains - and I can't remember the last decent rain we had. The other day I got a quote to fix it and replace one of the sheets on the roof with a transparent sheet. Four hundred dollars the guy wanted to slug me. My father reckons that he must have been going on holiday.

Bought the flashing and it was literally a five minute job to put it on. Took a little bit longer to put the two other pieces on after taking the original pieces off. Probably an hour and a quarters work without installing a transparent sheet and it was done. Gee, the roof plumber was going to charge me an arm and a leg to do the job. I'm glad that I did it myself. And not for just saving the money. I feel good after doing something by myself.

Saturday, May 01, 2004

Yu-Jin's McDonald's Birthday Party Pics

Yeah, what a great party. See the pics here. Feedback from other parents included positive comments - kids' comments too. I'm so glad that things ran smoothly. Kids had a good time and that was what it was all about. Miky cooked some food for the adults that were in attendance and it was toooooo much. Best thing was that the kids were mainly from childcare and actually Yu-Jin's friends.

During the McDonald's party there are supposed to be games. The girl, Kirsten, who was running the show, asked me if we wanted to play some games with the kids. Seeing as they were all running around outside in the playground I couldn't see the point of interrupting their fun. Just get the cakes ready, one for the kids (ice cream) and one for the adults (pecan nut coffee from the Cheesecake Shop), and then we can have them all together. I had two slices of ice cream cake and one of the pecan nut. Spent most of my time talking to the adults and kids - nice to be at a party where I know most of the people.

The night before Yu-Jin helped all of us - mum, dad, aunty and grandma - to pack the lolly bags. And there wasn't a single kid who was going to miss out on a lolly bag. Yu-Jin was making sure of that.
Yu-Jin Doesn't Miss a Trick

Even though he went to bed late the night before it wasn't difficult to get Yu-Jin out of bed on the morning of his birthday. I just had to call him "Birthday Boy" and that did the trick. When I asked what clothes he wanted to wear he replied, "Nothing", which would have been quite apt - his birthday suit.

After he got up he asked if he could get his present - he had seen them in the wardrobe previously. Following the unwrapping of the first present he asked if he could unwrap the second present. After this he asked about the third present. This had me a little dumbfounded. "What third present," I thought. "The one up the top," he explained.

At the top of the wardrobe about a month ago he had noticed something else and when he showed me I just pushed it backwards so he couldn't see it and said that it was for his birthday. Actually, it was a Christmas present, one of many, that we put somewhere and forgot about.

I tell you what, he never forgets. He's as sharp as a tack and there is no putting anything past him. I wish I had a memory like him.
Natural Attrition in the Judicial System

TV is full of pretty female lawyers. We all know that the best lawyers are promoted to become judges and it is usually a political decision. What happens to all of the beautiful women laywers? All of the female judges I've ever seen look like Judge Judy, or worse.

I think an explanation should be forthcoming. It can't all be attributed to natural attrition.