Nerd Chic.

Yesterday, (friday the 30th), I saw a good friend and showed off my profound yet arresting knowledge of music.
I am such a music nerd.

I ordered a matching helmet for my little girls B.M.X. too, (hot pink of course), so it does its job to protect and looks cool.

Then later I went to my friend’s music studio to play my drum kit. I have noticed a very subtle improvement.
Still not keeping a solid beat, just rudiments. (basics of drumming).

I saw another old friend who is a really good artist, style master we caught up, solved most of the world’s problems and inevitably got onto the subject of music.

WARNING! Once you get me started on music I find it hard to stop.

Human spirit Level.

Today was spent doing a few chores and a few e mails.

Then after lunch I went to a shopping mall to get out amongst it and run a few errands.

My latest thing these day's is to sport some really dark sunglasses with one of the lenses blacked out with black nail polish.
So I don't have to wear one of my eye patches, (which are cool) but attract a LOT of attention.

Wearing sunglasses inside is both outrageously pretentious and cool. So people look anyway to see if I'm for real.

I went a music store, (with good intentions) to buy my flatmate's son his 1st album. (a major point in most peoples lives).
And to have a good look at a few C.D.'s I want. I LOVE this shop, every time I go in there I have to restrain myself from buying more.
A lot like an overweight kid in a candy store.
I got a few new C.D.'s which I love and saw an old friend who works at this store, I have known him for about 10 years and have shared a lot of things in common.
We both love music, cinema, professional fighting, drumming , local culture etc.

If you see me out please come and say hello to me. If I don't acknowledge you its not because I am ignoring you but because I am concentrating on where I am going.
Looking 2 or 3 steps in front of me.
My eyesight is very poorly and even the slightest change in the ground can put me off balance.

If you are building and you need a human spirit level that is man size and better looking than a ruler, I am available.

Nostalgia.

On the 26th we, (here in Australia) have a public holiday for a thing called Australia Day.

It's really an excuse to drink a lot of or too much beer, take your shirt off, get hot and sweaty, have a barbecue, tie an Aussie flag around your neck, ogle anything female, act like a hooligan really.

I was remembering my last few Australia day's, especially where I was last year, I was doing hair on some models in a studio in Sydney for a photo shoot with some of Australia's best talent for a friend's seasonal lookbook for a label of his.
(here is the site, http://www.denimandthread.com/).

In 2007 I was with some friends, (i lived near the beach) and we went and sat at the water's edge, drinking ice cold beer and listened to the radio on an old ghetto blaster I got REAL cheap and is still going strong.
(it's an Australian tradition to listen to a countdown of 100 songs from the last year that a well known radio station broadcasts on this day).

Today I went to rehab and had a good workout.
I like it because I ask all the therapists to give me the hardest respective exercises.

I came home and my flatmate has one of his son's here at the moment. So me being the well cultured man I am put on my copy of B.M.X. Bandits for him to watch.
(my children love it too).

Australiana at it's best.

T.G.i Friday.

Today was spent running (well, stumbling) around doing things. Getting organised.

Seeing my mum off who is going to Lusanne in Switzerland. Where there is a HUGE competition on that has been going for decades and is very prestigious. Particularly for Classical Ballet Dancers.
Last year a boy that was trained in Classical Ballet by my mum and her sister whom run an independent (reputable) Ballet school here, won it.
It would be the 2nd student of theirs to win it.
This year they have another student going in it and she is needless to say very good.
I wish her all the very best.

Tomorrow my best friend is coming home, he works in the Merchant Navy.
I have known him and his family since 1986. Poor people.
My friend and I have been in several threatening situations, which bring you closer, through a common bond.
(it's a male thing).
We have been each others family through good times and bad.

I moved in to his house before I became ill, through all this he has helped me with driving, my children, shopping, laughing, cooking, cleaning, washing and he has picked when I have fallen. etc.

He has done what must be so hard for him, seeing one of his best mates who was really independent and strong become really ill and vulnerable.

I am in a debt I cannot possibly repay.

But it has consolidated our friendship.

Which no amount of money can buy.

Plant O.K.

My plant is doing well thanks for the queries!
I watered it and gave some filtered light and it rose from the dead.
It is raining here tonight so I put it outside for some of natures goodness.
(praying it's not acid rain).

Information.

For those new to this.
Thank You for taking the time to read my updates, please check it often I try to update it daily.
My condition causes me to fatigue from talking, so writing is a bit easier for me.
You might want to read the updates from the archives to gain knowledge on what has happened so far.
In particular: 17.11.08 & 25.11.08

p

Mmmm.....Foood.

Today I did some house chores (always with music on) and some work on the computer. Never a dull moment in my world.

I had another successful meeting organizing the fundraising event last night with a couple of well known lads who are using their powers for good.
I feel so blessed.
Can’t say anything but I am excited.

Tonight my Mother and one of her sisters (who is my 2nd mum), who recently broke her ankle, are both coming over for a B.B.Q. dinner.
I have been marinating food all day.
Mmmm…. Fooood.

A Hot Pink B.M.X.

Today (the 20th), was hot, the kids and I went swimming in the ocean and we went with one of my mum's neighbour's who is the mother of a well known family in the surfing industry I have surfed with these people for a while now (on all sorts of watercraft), anyway, this friend of ours took us to the beach (i am VERY unsteady on sand) and took my two children for a surf on one of my boards which has been surfed all over Europe, Fiji and the East coast of this wonderful country.
It sound's corny but surfboards become of value to a person and I hated seeing this one gathering dust and going to waste.
But seeing my boy catch 4 legitimate waves, the look on his (and my) face was epic.

Today was just one of those days. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, the ocean was warm and as clear as anything and the waves were gentle and small, (perfect for learning on).

I was out past the waves with the children and I was teaching them to open their eyes underwater and to have a look around to see their environment and to get them used to it (for safety reasons).

And they loved it.

Then we came to my home and went to see a film.

It is my daughters 11th birthday tomorrow the 21st and I have got her a really good B.M.X. (not for racing, just an all rounder), the last bike I got her was when she was 5 so I think a new one is due. Her last bike was pink and so is this one.

I hope she likes it as much as I do.

My Run of the Mill Wednesday.

I started the day with my daughter waking me at 6:30am to (courteously) let me know that her and her brother were just going to be playing the X - BOX 360. (good)!
(seriously, you can't get cross).

I went to rehabilitation and did a work out.

I came home and cooked a nice pasta and listened to some music.
I LOVE cooking but it's a bit scary watching me around hot things because my balance is not good.
What can I do? I love cooking and am far to independent to have someone cook for me.

Catch 22.

Take the risk! It makes me feel a little normal.

I met up with a friend who is a well known musician, we spoke about organising a fundraising event that will incorporate some art, an auction and of course live music!
The whole evening should be good and is scheduled for the first half of April.
I am meeting him next week to discuss our progress, idea's and a name before he is off to the U.K.

Art Therapy.

I went to the outpatient's department of the hospital last Monday the 5th and Tuesday the 6th, to get the I.V.I.G. treatment. (my 2nd lot).
No noticeable changes.

Some VERY subtle changes, but I'm not sure if it is the treatment or if I am just adapting to my conditions.

A friend gave me two canvases and some paint's, so I will paint. I have always been into the arts in some form.

The last thing I painted was a skateboard deck for a friend.

Lately I have been so distracted that I forgot something very dear to me that can offer me refuge and I can lose myself in.

Dreaming in Other Languages.

I will describe my environment.
I am sitting outside on a balcony just after mid night in a place called Noosa on Queensland's Sunshine Coast.
I am wearing a singlet top and my jammie bottoms it is about 25 degrees.
Looking north west towards the Pacific Ocean and at the Noosa River where the Glasshouse mountains and the land meets and sun sets. It is beautiful.
I have MANY memories here.
I believe you can be drawn to a place geographically. This is one of those places. (i have several of those).

Anyway I was meant to write about this I forgot but ALAS here it is; I lived in Milan, Italy in 2003 and I had no idea of the Italian language I just would learn by catching the bus, shopping , my colleagues and clients and living etc.
Someone said to me when you dream in another language you have REALLY grasped it as it is embedded in the subconscious.
I ended up dreaming in Italian and speaking it.

I realised I have not yet had a dream where I see and hear myself talking like this. Which is SO good.

Dying or Dead Plant.

I am so upset because a massive indoor plant of mine has died or is dying, I have had the plant for around 3 years and It has seen HEAPS of things and endured all sorts of conditions.
Has anyone got some help or advice?
It is a beautiful big Madonna Lilly that looks like Elephant Ears because of its size.
I have watered it 3 times (not drowned it), and given it some light. (not direct).

SAAISEN!....

It's a word that a bunch of my friends and I have been using for years.
Saaisen is a versatile word and is VERY funny to those that use it.
For example you could say "I'm going to store to get bottle of Coke", but instead you would say "I'm going to saais the saais to saais a bottle of Saais". Very amusing.
Anyway one of my occupational therapists passed on saaisen from a friend who knew this word and I laughed so hard.
Hearing the therapist trying to say this word right but I knew exactly what she was saying.
I started saying saaisen with a few old friends in 1994 and I have just watched it evolve and grow. (the effect of words echoing.)
You are very fortunate to be reading this, mark my words it will end up in the dictionary.
Please don't overuse it, but use it it's free.
(i won't go into it's history but its a good story!)

Today I went for O.T. and Physio and came home and did some chores and listened to music loudly.

On with 2009!

Monthly treatment.

I am in hospital for my 2nd day of I.V.I.G. 6 Bottles one day and 6 the next, at roughly $2000.00 a bottle it’s not cheap, the Doctors have to get approval to get it.
The Red Cross (the blood bank here in Australia), gives approval to have it.

The fact that it even got approved is positive.

Over the weekend there was a swell running and I went to a well known surf spot to watch for a while and mindsurf the waves imagining what I would do if it was me.

Films and Albums of 2008.

This is very Hard for me as I love cinema and Music.

My fave Films were; 'Stepbrothers', 'The Diving Bell and the Butterfly' (french) and 'The Dark Knight'. (not because of Mr. Ledger, I don't condone the glorification of death at all, I think the whole thing is tragic, but because 'batman' is cool and I thought the 'batman begins' film was good 'the dark knight' was just better).

My fave Albums were; 'Band of Horses', 'M83', 'Fleet Foxes' and 'Oh Laura'.

My pick for Film is; 'The Dark Knight'.

My pick for Album is; 'Band of Horses' (although this band has become commercially popular rececntly, they ARE from Seattle and were very signifigant to me in 2008), and 'M83'.

Happy 2009!

Thank goodness 2008 is behind us and bring on 2009!

A few really good things have happened in 2008 like the birth of my friends Son.
My sister getting a contract as a ballet dancer in London's Royal Ballet Co.
Getting in touch with people that I should of stayed in contact with but life wouldn't permit it.

But all in all 2008 is year I will never forget, for all the wrong reasons.

Being perfectly independent, healthy, fit and young with the world at your feet to getting used to a medical system that always lets you down, doctors, hospitals and relying on other people.
(trying not to bight the hand that feeds me, it's very hard when the hand has displayed gross incompetence's).
I have become VERY patient.
On with 2009 I say!

May you have a really good year whatever it is you are doing, and please don't consider it insignificant, tell others.. tell me...

What may be small for you can inspire others.
Share your story.