Happy Chinese New Year!!!!

Here are my predictions for my 2007 China style!

Happy Birthday Stav!

Happy Birthday Stav. A warm night, a cold pint and a good ol' chat.

On Saturday night i ventured down to the lovely bayside suburb of Port Melbourne to celebrate my good mate Stav's 30th birthday. I met Stav at uni during my course and i can honestly say he is one of the most genuine blokes on the planet. He is a fantastic mate and a pleasure to be around. He's always a welcome addition any time at our house and his love for football can only be matched by his love for wrestling and Chicken Parmas.

We have a bit of a barney about our footy teams now and then (basically we tell each other how shit the teams we follow are) but we always have a good laugh when we catch up. It was a warm night on Saturday as i made my way down to the 'Local' yet i was the first one there which is good cause Stav wa already there and we had a nice quiet pint together and had a good chat about the ahrd issues in life...that's code for we talked about how shit our footy teams are.

The night was filled with more of Stav's mates including a uni mate who i hadn't seen since i finished at Vic Uni. It was a fantastic night yet after about 7 beers and a couple of bourbons, i had to pull the plug on the night as i had to get to bed for the wedding of the century the next day. On the way home the taxi driver tried to rip me off by asking $50 for a fare that usually costs $35. I got the price down to $35 but he drove like a dickhead as a result. I got out on the main road and walked 10 mins to my house and fell into bed a little seedy about 1a.m. sunday.

I have to get a couple things off my Chest

I hope you all had a nice Valentine's Day wherever you are in the world and that you got spoilt by your loved one. Valentine's Day is a nice day but i beleive one day isn't enough to show ones love for your partner but more on that well....not in this update.

Anyways Valentine's Day started off as another day here in Melbourne. I got up, got ready for work, got on the train into the city..blah blah blah. All i think about at work is getting out of work and heading to the gym to exercise my guts off later in the night. Just so you know nothing romantic is in this story...c'mon people...this is me you are talking about. The guy who upon seeing a girl he sort of liked in Primary School at a bar whilst i was in Uni and the first thing i said to her after not seeing her for about 12 years was "I remember inviting you to my grade one birthday party!" I've always been so smoooth with the ladies...

In one of the strangest injuries ever to come anywhere near my person whilst running on the treadmill again tonight i felt a strange sensation on my chest. It wasn't heart related by the way.Now i have been working out the hardest i have ever trained in my life the past 6 weeks and the results are showing but this time around i had to stop halfway through my 5km run on the treadmill.

I was setting a good pace and looking to run the 5km in about 30-31 mins when about the 17 min mark my nipples started to get sore. Obviously with the running motion my boozies are going up and down faster than what they are used to. With this fast boozie motion and the rubbing of them up against my shirt i was not expecting this type of setback. Maybe a tinge in the hamstring or calf but not my man boobs! I was trying to run through it but it got too sore and i had to stop about 3kms in.

I haven't felt a discomfort like that before and now i have to Vasaline my nips before i go to the gym. Next thing you know its ice...Showgirls style but let's not go there.

On slightly less disgusting matters the Pepper household is counting down the days till Sunday at 4p.m. The weather for the lovely outdoor wedding in the lovely Rose Garden will be avery comfortable 38 Degrees!!! It's going to be a stinker this weekend in Mebourne but i'll be wearing the strongest deodourant short of Liquid Nitrogen.

I'm really looking forward to the day and i have Monday off which is nice. I feel like going out tomorrow night but i'll see how the other guys feel about a night at the local 80's night. Saturday I have Stav's (or as my brother calls him "The Late Night Lamb Sandwhich" - he's Greek) 30th birthday and i may head down to the shopping centre and get a couple nice shirts to wear as my stocks are running low (because they are getting too big wooooohoooo!!!) and i got paid today which helps.

Oh thank god for payday :)

It's Valentines Day Tomorrow!!

Meh!

28 --- It Sounds so Grown Up...

With Gran (my Dad's Mum) and Nana (my Mum's Mum) last night. Bless them.

Yesterday i turned 28 years old and i'm not sure i feel 28 at the moment. For my 26th birthday i celebrated on a beach in Koh Phangan and my 27th was celebrated going up to guys in Lan Kwai Fong asking them wheres the best place to meet guys. So with my 28th birthday yesterday being the first one i have celebrated at home in three years it felt a little wierd to be celebrating it back at home rather than in a faraway place somewhere on the planet.

As i worked last Sunday i had friday off and between eye exams and haircuts i received a visit from the postman where a package with the Hong Kong Post logo landed at my front door. Inside were various gifts and trinkets from the wonderful Candace and beautiful Martine (including a couple bits of clothing i forgot in Honkers) and i had a smile from ear to ear. I had a few freinds over friday night and we all just sat out the back and had a couple of pizzas and a few drinks and plenty of laughs. With the wedding next week i didn't want to have a big one (i didn't feel like it anyway) plus i don't think my birthday is anything special really..it's just another day.

The birthday boy with bride and bridegroom to be.

After the mates left friday night i rang in my birthday with a call from Sab. I couldn't really hear her as she was at a bar somewhere and sounding like she was having a pretty good time. After the phone call i received from her later in the day on Saturday, i can confirm she had a good time. And she drank wine!!!! I tried her to get her to have wine but nope...damn uni students! hehe :)

Whilst the birthday itself was filled with running around the suburbs of Melbourne with my brother and his fiance looking for shirts, shoes and other bits and pieces for the wedding next Sunday, i was thinking to myself "are you happy to be celebrating your birthday with the family again?" Later in the night the regulars (aunties, cousins etc..) came around and i really had a lovely night. As i have said a million times before i am super lucky to have such a wonderful family and the night was filled with laughs from start to finish. It's hard to explain to people who haven't met my family how fantastic they are (with the exception of Sab who knows my family quite well) and how much warmth there is between everyone. Last night i was surprised by the sight of my Beerlao t-shirts being worn by almost everyone which was a lovely gesture as i wasn't too sure how they would be accepted as christmas presents.

The family with my Beerlao shirts.

It does feel wonderful to have the family close and friends close by but it was hard as well as the people i wanted to celebrate this day with also are so far away. This time around celebrating my birthday back at home was bittersweet in that regard because i know that the people who i love and would love to celebrate with aren't just at my house. They are scattered all over the world and that makes me feel special because birthdays should be special.

Just Shoot Me!!

Whilst sitting on the couch tonight i was watching an episode of the sitcom "Just Shoot Me."

I have enjoyed the show in the past but it isn't in the top three sitcoms of my life.

During the show it reminded me about something. One of the many nicknames i've given Sab in the past is "Maya" as i think she is a dead-ringer for Laura San Giacomo who was the actor who played the character of "Maya" in the show.

What do you think?

Sabs gonna kill me for picking a photo like this ------>

But i like the pose.....

When one part of your life is going well...

...the saying goes that another part of your life is suffering.

Tonight i feel like shit. I'm happy that i walked from the local train station to the gym (a hilly 6km) and worked my ass off there for about 90 minutes then walked another couple of kilometers home but tonight i worked superhard at the gym because all that was going on in my head is how much of a shit of day i had at work. Throughout my sets i had a fuel driving me on to push harder because work these days is just not the same anymore. I was thrown in the deep end and forced to learn on the job and i have a pretty good idea of things but as soon as i think i may have a handle on this job, i stuff up...again.

I'm being swamped with accounts that i barely have an idea how they work. I'm making mistakes that i shouldn't be but i'm trying not to fuck up so much i put so much pressure on myself that i fuck up anyway. I'm only a temp and i want to stay on and maybe i'm making more out of it than it is but the fact is i'm feeling tired and mentally exhausted tonight.

I'm concerntrating so much at work looking at faxes and computer screens all day that my eyes have been really sore the past couple weeks. I'm getting my eyes tested on Friday as i'm due for a checkup but they just can't concertrate as much on a screen as they used to and maybe that's affecting the amount of mistakes i'm making.

I hope to stay there past April 30 because its a decent job for what i could get and in March i can finally start saving for another adventure but right now it seemsd like the furtherest thing in the work. I'm going through a rough patch at home because i'm putting too much pressure on myself even though i'm trying not to.

One part of my life sucks at the moment and that means i suck at the moment.

I don't like this feeling.

People from past shaping your future.

When was the last time a single comment changed your view on life?

For me i can think of three.

1. When i was younger, i was at a book signing for an Australian athlete who said to me to "dream big and enjoy life."

2. In Dalian where our school's head English teacher said to Sab and I "If things get on top of you just remember "F*ck it, it's only a job."

Which leads me to number three.

On Saturday night i was at my aunty's 40th birthday. I was having a lovely night and enjoying the festivities when i happened to run into someone who i had not seen in just over a decade. The person in question was Shaun Bradley. Now to bring you all up to speed, Shaun lived across the road from my uncle and my mum where they all grew up together. My uncle still lives in that house with my aunty and my two cousins. During the night i was mingling with people i hadn't seen in years which included Shaun's parents.

Shaun was also my godfather at my christening.

Don't worry, all this back story leads to something.

Seeing Shaun again was fantastic and he hadn't changed a bit and it was great catching up with him again. As i was talking to him his lovely wife Sam (who i have seen about three times in my life) came over and the three of us started talking about travel. They had just got back from living in New York for 4 years and were settling back into life again in good old Melbourne. Throughout the conversation Shaun had to excuse himself so i was talking to Sam. I started talking about how i loved being away from home and how much i really wanted to travel again. With that Sam said something to me that really hit me between the eyes. "It's great that you want to keep travelling but it sounds like you want to travel everywhere and get it out of your system."

She was 100% right

Sam continues: "Shaun and I have 3 kids and we love to travel. We went to Africa last year and i'm going back to Manhattan for a week and a half to catch up with friends. You don't have to travel everywhere before you settle down because if you love to travel you will find a way how."

With that Sam hit the nail on how i have been feeling for a long time. It seems that travelling to me was a race against time. I had to do it now "while i'm young" (i can't stand that saying) otherwise i won't get the opportunity to do it later in life when the pressures of work and family take over and slowly squash your desire. Shaun and Sam proved to me that if you love something so much that even if your circumstances change, if you still have the desire to do something it doesn't have to be done by a specific time or date.

I know i want to travel and see as much of the world but with what Sam told me on Saturday night, i know now that travelling won't be just one period of my life, i want to be a part of every period of my life.

Finding your home.

Out the front of my home but it's not "my home."
(And yes, i'm getting a haircut on Friday)

At 2 a.m this morning i was standing in the arrivals hall at Melbourne Airport waiting for the doctor to make his entrance. For those who don't know the "doc" is Michael, my mate who came over to Honkers a year and a half ago. He had just spent 2 months in Ireland on a locum (basically a chiropractor for hire) and was really looking forward to coming home. I myself seemed to get the impression that he didn't take advantage of the opportunity given to him over there but that's going by my own way of seeing things plus not knowing what it's like to travel in Europe first hand. I'm not judging his choices but just saying that my perspective is different to Mike's on this issue. It was a learning experience for him and that's fantastic. I'm happy that he is safe and back home and i can catch up with him more from now on. Whilst i was waiting for him, Michael's mum and his girlfriend Beth came and met up with me to greet him.

As you can expect the two most important woman in his life were looking forward to seeing him again as was i. During the time i was waiting for him i was looking around at all the other people in the hall waiting for their special someone. In a moment straight out of the opening shots of "Love Actually" there were tears and hugs and kisses for the people that came through those doors. When Mike came out i was glad that he was alright and he was glad to be home. He was really glad. During the afternoon (as in today) Mike and I had a few drinks and talked about catch up stuff and life. He surprised me a little by saying that he would love to own a house in the East of Melbourne (the nicer side of town). This took me back as i thought to myself "Wow he can really see himself settling down here."

Which leads to my reason for this update. Each of us has to find our own 'home.' Sure we have our families and friends where we grew up but i don't see that as my 'home' because i didn't create it, i was fortunate enough to become a part of my fantastic family. I love East Keilor and the fact that the people i grew up with around the suburb still talk to me whenever i see them at the local supermarket or walking the dog around the streets. I love the house i grew up in and the wonderful wonderful times i have had here but with that experience i know know myself that this isn't my 'home.'

If you think this is a whole "oh he want's to settle down" type of vibe you are wrong. The point i'm trying to make is that Mike feels in himself that Melbourne is home for him and that he would love to travel again only as a holiday. I'm the complete opposite and i with my time in Asia i have come to the conclusion that i can't just be in a place for a holiday and not try it out. My time overseas has opened up my perspective on life and that Melbourne at this time in my life just doesnt feel like home anymore. I'm still searching for my own 'home', the place where i can leave the world behind and find my own safe haven. It may end up being Melbourne, Manchester, Marseille, Milan or Manila but i know my 'home' is out there and until then the search continues.

To me, your home is something you create. You feel it deep down in your being that this is the place you want to be and look forward to coming back to. I have yet to find that place but i'm looking forward to finding it and if i ever do i'll be so damn lucky.

Progress, Anniversaries and Other Stuff

Well the results are in. In 22 days since i started at the gym i have lost 3.4 kgs.

On Jan 1 and the day i started at the gym (Jan 13) i weighed in at 91.4 and this morning i jumped on the scales and saw that i was down to 88! I'm really pleased with my progress thus far and enjoying going to the gym. As i said in my last update, i have negleted my body for far too long and i know this time around that i won't be sliding back into the same old routine of a temporary exercise high followed by a long period of self doubt.

In fact tonight i went to my second spinning class. The first one i went to was about 4 years ago and i thought the whole point of the exercise was to ride for 45 minutes. I myself was so out of shape that afterwards i went straight to bed and slept for 15 hours. I couldnt even change out of the clothes i spun in i was too stuffed. I said to myself "never again" so i came into tonight thinking "just take it easy and see how you go."

45 minutes of hard cycling later, my shirt was drenched in sweat in such a way it was impossible for more sweat to attach itself to any garment so it decided to forma fine film between the hairs on everypart of my body. I was sweating so much that even my headphones were popping out of my ears at regular intervals. the seesion felt at times like someone was stabbing me in my quads with a blunt axe head yet i wanted more..i wanted more sweat..i wanted more pain.

That's the difference this time around. I'm accepting the pain and trying to work with it rather than against it. As crazy as that sounds i can't explain what happened in my head those few weeks ago and the impact it had on me. I feel refreshed and i'm looking forward to more spinning sessions next week.

In other news: I put my foot in my mouth at work a couple of days ago. A new girl joined the team i'm working in on monday and her job is the 2nd in charge of our team. She seemed a bit down on Tuesday so when she said she wasn't coming into work on Wednesday i said a little too enthusiastically "have a great day off".....she was going to a funeral the next day.

My mum and dad celebrate their 33rd anniversary on Saturday. For the people who haven't met them, i can say that they are two of the most amazing people on the planet and even after 33 years together, they still act like a couple of love struck kids.

The dog got a new leash this week. She likes it better than the otherone. How do i know that? Because she doesn't pull on the leash as much as before as this one is a little longer.

I'm 28 next Saturday.

I'm working this Sunday.

Yet i have next Friday off.

That's about it these days. Life just keeps rolling on as the countdown to my brother's wedding seems to be gathering speed everyday. I am really looking forward to the day and if Chris and Narelle plus myself and my future partner can have even a quarter of the happiness of my parents of the past 33 years then we'll be the happiest people on this planet.

Enjoying the Menu

I've always had problems with weight. I've never been skinny in fact throughout the time i was growing up my dad would joke that i was "build for comfort not speed." It was always in jest but there was a reasoning behind it to me. My brother is the athlete of the family. In primary school he would win sprint races and is built like a greyhound where as i genetically inherited a build like a Greyhound bus. I sweat alot and i've had acne troubles since i was about 13. First on my face and in recent years on my back and even though i've tried everything they seem to stick around. Could it be diet related or just something about my body?

I played football and cricket as all Aussie kids do and i enjoyed it but i never had the desire to take the competition seriously as i all i ever really thought about was growing up and what i would be when i did. Not much has changed in 20 years!I played a lot of tennis in my teens and early 20's and enjoyed the game but more for the socialis ing with my friends. I remember in grade 6 in primary school we were on school camp and each of the students was given a certificate for something. One kid may have got it for being the best on the flying fox or the best at art and craft so when it came to my turn i was given a certificate for "enjoying the menu."

I never really understood how that impacted my life in terms of my self esteem. It affected me greatly and for nearly 20 years it was sitting at the back of my mind as a reminded about how people judged me. I always talk about it to people not only as a joke to tell about me but because in myself it wasn't a joke, it was a form of self criticism and it was a self defeating attitude. Here i was finishing primary school and the best ability i had was stuffing my face full of food. I love food as everyone knows but i've realised that it's been more than just a means to survive, it's been a way out of confronting my own demons. Thise demons being self-confidence, the desire to want to become fit and generally being happy.

Throughout my teens the same trend continued. I didn't have the desire to get fit. I dieted and it worked. My weight was up and down and i even went to Weight Watchers when i was about 19 or 20 i think. I was depressed because i knew that was not me. It was not the me that i wanted to be.

I was at my heaviest before i went away (94 kgs) and while i was in Hong Kong i exercised my heart out because the gym was just there and life was good. According to Sab's scales one day about 8 months after i got to Honkers(where i weighed about 89) i weighed in at 77kgs! It was the lightest i had been since i can't remember when and i was delighted on the surface but deep down i wasn't happy. I wasn't happy because in the deepest part of my soul i didn't feel happy. Mart had left to go home and life in Hong Kong was becoming just like everyday life back at home. I hit a mental roadblock and all the good work and sweating i had done was going down the toilet as the same old insecurities about myself kept creeping up telling me that i was no good.

I have heard the stories from lots of people but never really confronted my reasons why in my life so far i never took my health seriously. I know i'm very cerebral and most of the time it's been at the expense of exercising. I was worried about no one liking me physically and with the world becoming more superficial by the day i felt out of place and out of step. I've never felt i have found my true reason to be on this planet and the mental barrage at trying to find it has cost me a lot of time in terms of my body.

So cut to today with my hairy gut hanging out of a sweaty tshirt on a swiss ball and i'm thinking to myself "I'm loving this." For the first time in my life im really happy that i working out and wanting to be healthy in mind and body. I was 91.4 kilos on Jan 1 and i will weigh myself on Feb 1 to see how i have gone in Jan. I'll put the result up here.

For the first time in my life i'm enjoying the challenge of going to the gym. I'm accepted i've wasted a lot of time in my life and now the time is right to right to exorcise those demons and just enjoy life and enjoy the pursuit of fitness.

Backyard Bliss

Whilst millions of people around the world were getting ready for another Saturday night out on the town i was by myself in the local car wash. In a scene from "28 Days Later" it seemed i was living in a post apocalyptic world where the only person who survived the radioactive fallout was myself. Gone were the sounds of cars being cleaned or water hitting metal out of high pressure hoses, it was just me and my car. It was an eerie scene last night as not only was the car wash empty but so was the main road that it faces on. No cars were coming past and it felt the world was in on a secret that i knew nothing about. Still i chose to have a quiet Saturday night as with the past two nights were pretty busy.

When i got home i decieded that i would turn the spa on and just relax. I have been pushing myself very hard at the gym and i'm seeing the results slowly but surely. Although i could have just jumped in and let the bubbles do the talking i decided that if i'm going to do this, i'm going to do this right. As the spa was warming up i got my ipod and speakers outside plus the half a bottle of red that my parents brought back home from the Chinese restaurant earlier in the night. I was going to spa in style. My legs were sore from the various exercises and walks i did throughout the day so as i got in, the water was just perfect. The first glass of red was poured and i settled into my position with a million stars looking down on me as if they were watching me on stage.

Artists from Louis Armstrong to Jeff Buckley to even Frank Stallone (yes that's Sylvester's brother) were slowly wafting out of the speakers as i just loved this damn spa. It's been three years since i went in it last and i didn't know what i was missing. The water was heating up and the wine was going down well. Elvis was singing about the "Impossible Dream" when i felt calm and relaxed, a feeling i haven't felt in a long time.

The stars shone brighter throughout the night and by the time i had finished the wine, the water was super hot, the bubbles were erupting underneath me and Ella Fitzgerald was somewhere under a rainbow. It was bliss.

I Still Call Australia Home

Not the best rendition of the song but still has the impact if you're Aussie.

When was the first time you heard a song that you have heard a million times before but you finally feel the songs soul coming into contact with your own?

This happened to me today on our nations 218th birthday, Australia Day. The song in question is Peter Allen's classic "I still call Australia Home." The song is Allen's dedication to this great country and the message that even though you may travel around the world, home will always be with you no matter what. I listened to it when i was away and i knew just by listeing to it my family and my homeland would always be with me in my heart. I have heard this song growing up and i loved it. It's been used mainly by Qantas to promote their airline but the song still gets to me and it means so much more to me since i have come back from overseas. It's hard to explain to someone outside of Australia the impact this song has on you when coming back to Australia. Some nights when i was feeling down this song encapsulated the feeling that even though i may me doing it tough, home will be waiting for you with open arms.

With today being our nations birthday it always strikes me how lucky i am to have grown up in such a magnificent country. I'm so proud of being an Australian and i just love everything about my homeland. I may bitch about work and my life specifically but when it comes to my island home, you will never hear me say anything bad about this place. I have only seen parts and there is so much to this vibrant country that i have yet to see and i have to see it before i die to truely appreciate the majesty that is the land down under.

I spent today at Daniel's to celebrate the day with a typical Aussie backyard BBQ and some cricket. Daniel is Michael (the back doctors) brother and a genuinely nice guy. He recently moved into a new house and it was the first time i saw it and it's really really nice. I wanted to take pics but stupid me took my camera but forgot my memory stick so that was a no go. After a great BBQ we headed to the local primary school to play some basketball (not my sport at all. Never liked it) cricket (i love that game) and a kick if the footy (that's Aussie Rules not soccer) and just have a laugh with a few of daniels work mates who came along.

By the end of the afternoon we were all a bit burnt so we decided to watch the new Rocky film which i got through work. Let's just say that after initial reservation, they were all jumping out of their seats by the end of the film. I loved the fact they loved the film as much as me and appreciated fine Hollywood filmaking when they saw it. After another hour of texas Hold Em i decided to call it a night and head home. I got there at 2p.m. today and i left at 12.30 a.m. Saturday morning. Luckily he lives about 10 mins away from my house so the drive home was nice and short.

Once again Australia Day has proven to me that even though friends may be near or far, they are always in my heart. Australia is in my heart as well and i'm so lucky that it is. I really have realised sometheing i've always known.

Australia is my home.

Happy Australia Day wherever you are.

P.S - I know there are spelling and grammar errors galore but i'm too tired to fix them.

Pep's Pimpin' Poker n' Pole Party

First of all i was looking good last night.

Let me rephrase that..i was looking really really good when i left the house last night.

Now i've never ever said things like that about myself last night and there were no photos to back up such outlandish claims due to the bucks night rule of no cameras but you have to trust me. In fact i wore the shirt Chris got me for Christmas (which i wore New Years Eve...Sab has the pics of that night) as i thought it was a nice night to wear it. So when Dad and I walked into the pub at Crown Casino i was greeted by Chris wearing the exact (and i stress exact) same shirt that i was wearing, we just looked at each other and shook our heads in disbeleif. Chris and Leigh (my former next door neighbour and a year older than Chris) already had my green poker hat at the ready with "Love Machine" written across the front in black ink.

I've never understood the nickname considering that this machine doesn't so a lot of lovin' but i'm used to the name asit's an in joke between me, Chris and Leigh. After a few drinks at the pub and the numbers grew we headed off to the poker room to play two hours of Texas Hold-em Poker. Noe being away from Australia i missed the resurrection of poker as an important game in the gambling world. Poker is huge over here in Australia these days and it was eventually going to happen that i got sucked into to Texas Hold-Em and i must say that i enjoyed it. Considering i had no idea how to play and that card games in general aren't exactly my strength (Sabrina can tell you all about how shit i was at canasta in China) i thought i did alright considering i was playing against people who had been in the game a lot longer than me.

As the poker wore on and the night became more entertaining, the buck (Chris) started to get into his element. He was working beautifully beverage wise and really enjoying the fact that his hand in poker lasted more than the usual 3 minutes that the Peppers take to lose cash whilst gambling. Needless to say the winner of the tournament was our family friend Keith who had never played the game in his life and managed to have the superior hand everytime the game was on the line. He didn't know what was going on half the time and just was shocked as everyone else when he won. It was a great way to start the night.

Being my brothers night i had the dual responsibility of having a great time and also keeping an eye on him to make sure he didn't do anything stupid. Well i'm proud to say i did both jobs so well that during a lap dance at the gentlemen's club known as the "Men's Gallery" i struck up a conversation with the first of two 'exotic dancers' who decided to take her clothes off in front of me. I was standing next to Chris when this tall slim brunette came up to me and said "want a dance?" so i thought why not. She clasped my hand and took me upstairs to a room which was retrofitted with what could only be described as exotic dancer cubicles. I sat down and she started to dance and so i start thinking about Jamie Lee Curtis in "True Lies." In the space of 8 minutes (which cost me $40) i managed to get her name ("Zara") why she was doing the job (single mum) how long she had been there (her first night) and how she enjoyed the job (she loved it). Here i was sitting down watching this woman strip completley naked in front of me and i turned it into a Q & A session.. i couldn't help it. I needed to talk.

At the end of her dance i wished her well and headed back out into the main room where Chris was no where to be seen. I think he had about 7 lapdances and was working beautifully. He was having a wonderful night and i was so happy to see that he was having a great night as well. After another lap dance (paid for by Chris) by a supposidly German dancer called "Montana" (have you ever heard of a German woman called 'Montana'?...honestly) i decided that that was enough naked chicks for me for one night. It was getting late and coming to that part of the evening where Chris wanted to kick on but the better judgement was to take him home. He got into a cab just after me and i got home about 2.30 yesterday morning.

It really was a fantastic night out and i must thank Leigh and Chris and Chris M for organising it. If Chris had as much fun as i did, then he had a wonderful night out. Well i know he did..he messaged me this morning saying his head was throbbing.

Mission Accomplished

Life's in the details.

I admit my blog updates whilst frequent don't have the pizazz of some other bloggers. What is so exciting about being back at home with your parents? What's so excting about being back in a city which i feel no attachment at this time in my life? How can life mean something to me when deep down i know that this is where i don't belong? How can this page entertain when compared to others whose adventures seem to crush mine into a fine powder?

Now before you think this is another self-inflicted emotional bashing on myself it isn't. It's just me trying to tell you , the 4 readers out there (though the number of actual readers is open to speculation.I'll still write stuff for here as i need an outlet) that sometimes even in the most mundane of circumstances fleeting moments of happiness come from the little things in life. In the past 24 hours it's been the little things that have propelled me forward in the face of constant questioning about my reason to be home.

Yesterday morning my Aunty Rhonda came around as she had received an iPod Shuffle for Christmas. Seen that i have had a lot of experience in the iPod world i was the natural first choice to guide Aunty into the 21st century. As hers is a shuffle and mine is a video it took me about 45 minutes to figure out the difference between uploading songs to hers and to mine. After downloading the obligatory Robbie and Bon Jovi i found myself looking over her 80's CD's which had such classics as "99 Red Balloons" and "Jessie's Girl." I used to listen to Jessie's Girl a lot and wonder why no one liked me for me? I still think like that sometimes but i just don't care about things like that anymore. It was nice to sit down with Aunty and have a chat about life and just how i'm feeling. I find myself these days just opening up to anyone that asks that simple question..is that bad?

C'MON!!!!!

Yesterday afternoon i went to our local mega mall to look for some stuff for work's Australia Day celebration. You had to come dressed as a famous Australian so i decided that i would go as Lleyton Hewitt. For those who don't know, Lleyton is our no.1 tennis player (which these days means nothing much) whose career is on the decline after marrying a TV soapie star and having a kid. I decided that he was the best person to go as and the accompaning photo is testament to how little preperation can get you 3rd place in the office dressup competition.

Back to the shopping centre. On my way back to the car i noticed that one of the centre's book stores was closing down due to the bohemith that is Border's Bookstore opening up at the other end of the centre. Inside was a 75% off all books sale!! Well as you know with me, that's like waiving a red rag in front of a bull so i went inside and 10 minutes later i came out with 5 books for 35 dollars. The best ones of the lot were two page turners that i know appeal to two of the readers here. The first one was 75% off "Richard Hammonds (the bloke that i know Candace likes from Top Gear) Car Confidential" and 75% off the "Official Eurovision Song Contest 50th Anniversary Book" which i know appeals to another reader...especially if i used such artists names as Mike Spiteri, Times Three and Lynn Chircop :)

In anyones language 5 books for 35 dollars = Bargain!

With me slowly getting back into the gym and just focused on moving forward in life, it's all about looking at the details right now as the big picture can take a break for a few months. Don't worry big picture i'll be sitting down with you soon but for now life is about just enjoying the little things that come my way...

...like Sabrina's postcard that came today. I miss her.

I miss all you four readers...a lot.

Another Saturday Night....

Mel and I doing our "party faces."
My shirt was a requirement for the party.

You know there are famiiles that know how to have fun. I'm sure there are families in your network that are just a constant pleasure to be around. For me, the Stepnell Family are one of these families.

Last night the Pepper Family got into the car and rode up the Western Highway to the country town of Melton to celebrate Geoff's (that's Mel's dad) 50th birthday. The sky was grey from rain clouds and the tunes of Crowded House came out of the car speakers as raindrops danced across the windscreen. It had been raining the whole day so by the time we got to Melton the ground was wet but thankfully they have a huge pergoda out the back of their house and from the moment we walked in the front door it was party time.

It's been about three years since i had been to their house and a as requirement for the party, everyone had to bring a Hawaiian shirt as Geoff has a thing about them. So earlier yesterday i was shopping and came a across a store selling Hawaiian Shirts for $7. What a bargain!! As the night went on my fear that finger food wouldn't be enough (see previous updates on my thing about finger food) was shattered when about 20 large pizzas came through to the kitchen and my eyes lit up. I was tucking into the pizza and having a few drinks and chatting with people i haven't seen in a while. The music was playing and it was such a great night that during a game of pool against dad, i somehow managed to get the cue ball to fly off the table and hit him smack in the family jewels. Well dad went down faster than a White House intern and the people around the table just burst out with laughter. It was the finest shot i have ever seen on a pool table.

After the speeches a game of "pin the melons on the babe." came out. It was a clear plastic sheet with a buxom woman drawn on it. Much like "pin the tail on the donkey" but the tail was in this case a pair of inflatable breasts. After a few people having a go i decided to have a crack. I got spun around three times and slowly made my way to the door, i stuck them on and they were in perfect position. The moral of the story there is ladies, even if i'm blindfolded i'll know where they are ;-)

About 1am i found myself using a pool cue as a bass guitar whislt freinds of the Stepnell's were playing guitar and using chopsticks for drum sticks. It was a fantastic night and i was able to catch up with Geoff, Bernie (Mel's Mum), Craig (her brother) and Mel throughout the night. I had a bit of a chat with Mel and told her how Sab and I wished she could have stayed longer in Hong Kong. She's still working away but is looking to go back to uni...possibly primary teaching.

The Pepper's left Melton about 1am and it was just another Saturday night at the Stepnell's...just a whole lot of fun.

The Cass and I

Since being back in Melbourne i have had the time to catch up with old freinds and try to catch up on lost time. One of the wonderful things i have been able to do is find out how peoples lives have progressed. Even though i bitch and moan that Melbourne is still the same, the peoples lives who i am slowly becoming more involved in have changed as well...the best example is our good friend Cassidy.

Since she has returned from Hong Kong ( a day after she was sitting at Yuen Long McCafe whilst her plane was leaving the runway at Hong Kong International Airport) she has entered a graduate program, got herself in shape, found herself a nice boy (who she just loves soo much) and now she's in a place in her life where it's all about building a foundation for the future. Where as I want to continue travelling while i can and see as much as i can. With Cass now up the road at the HQ of "Company X" i'm really happy that there is someone i know close by and who lives on the same side of town as i.

It's been great to catch up with Cass again and see a side of her that is her true side. Last night we had a couple of drinks at a pub in the city (Young & Jacksons it was Sab) and just had a graet chat about life, love, travelling and the future. The Cassidy we saw in Hong Kong isn't the true Cass and I hope that one day that Sab, Candace and Martine will see the real person and not the one we remember. Last night after work we went down to the Yarra River to record a couple of Australia Day messages for Sab, Candace & Martine (which you will receive hopefully by the end of the week) and just acted like a couple of dicks.

We are off to the movies on Tightass Tuesday to see "The Pursuit of Happiness" which even though is a guaranteed tear-jerker, looks like a pretty good film. Sometimes you forget why you were friends with people in the first place but now that i have the opportunity to hang out more with Cass, i think we are going to have some good times in Melbourne ahead.

Sab's not the Only One!

It seems Melbourne these days is going through a bit of a rough patch. We have water restrictions all over the state and the entire continent is going thorugh a drought unmatched in living history. There are massive bushfires in the states east causing heartbreak everyday and burning up hundreds and thousands of arces of our state in the process. There were a punch on between Serb and Croat supporters at the tennis on Monday and the entire city was thrown into chaos yesterday when one of the major power grids in the state shut down due to the bushfires causing havoc with power lines in the mountains.

200,000 homes without power, trains stuck in tunnels, people trapped in lifts, traffic lights down, ethnic tensions boiling over, people can't wash their cars, it seems Melbourne's title of "World's most liveable city" is sorely lacking.

In the local paper the "Herald Sun" i was reading the 'Your Say' section where people write in and say what they feel. A reader by the name of Paul from Airport West (about 10 mins from my house) wrote a little msg to the paper that went like this:

"World's most liveable city?
No water, covered in smoke, ethnic brawls at the tennis, speed cameras everywhere.
I'd say Victoria is going down the toilet-but we can't afford to flush.
I'm off to Perth"

Sab dear buddy...looks like you got out just in time and you won't be the only one leaving Melbourne to "Go West."

Big Brother is Watching Me

Just after 5:00pm i received a msg from Cassidy. I was walking towards the tram going home when i got the fright of my life. Earlier on the afternoon Cassidy's manager called her over. She only started on Monday and she was called over to her manager to look at my blog...that's right my blog.

The post below this one caused Cassidy's boss to pull her aside and explain what this is all about. With my last posting about the company (which will be known now as Company 'X') when i typed the name of the company Cass and I work for..it sent a little msg through Google to someone at company headquarters. It seems the company has software that detects any mention of the company name from all over the internet. With Cass freaked out and embarrased on the phone, i just couldn't beleive that Company X would have that much power to find every mention of the company on the whole entire internet!

My little page is only read by 4 or 5 people on the entire planet yet it caused enough concern (probably because i posted a pic for all the lovely readers out there showing how far away we are from each other and this) for someone at HQ to mention it to Cassidy. I seriously was shocked. Imagine if i wrote something really bad about the company on here and that would have been picked up by the Google program as well. This blog..my blog my little online journal about what is going on in my life and my employer gets a notice and reads what i wrote about Cass and her little response as well..it makes us look like a couple of fools.

With Melbourne being affected yesterday by mass power blackouts, i couldn't get online and delete the post but i spoke to Cassidy later and she said just leave it. I mean it won't get me a warning but it just brought home the fact that Big Brother really is out there, even in the most remote of blogs.

An Official Work Buddy

You can't really see the dots but Cass works at the top one. I heard she likes it on top..Hehe

In one of the biggest shocks in employment history, our dear friend Miss Cassidy (sorry Mi Cacadi) has started working at one of the world's largest multi-beverage companies in the world. You would think that some people are born with the ability to find their way in the world and somehow Cass has found her mecca...she's working for a company that makes beer, wine and spirits.

She's now working for the same company i am (Fosters Group) and i'm really excited to have her just a 10 minute walk up the road. Today was her first day on the job at the head office of the company. She was a little hesitant but if they are as nice as the people are at my office then she should be fine. I'm looking forward to catching up with Cass for friday night drinks (even though shes says she doesnt drink at all these days) and having a laugh about times and hangovers gone by. Remember Cass you didn't throw up in that corner of the bus, it was the other one :)

Look forward to seeing you Friday!!