The Rodeo

I had a nice surprise when I got my last phone bill - Telstra had apparently decided to give us each a 3G data package. For $5/month, each, without bothering to consult us first. I had to spend 30 mins talking to someone at a call centre to get the stupid things removed and a refund.

If you have a Telstra mobile, check your bill and make sure they haven’t added an extra service to you too.

RodeoClown: should send Telstra a bill for his time. I mean, they signed up for it, right?

Reading this article made me feel physically Ill.
If I were in the US, I would not want this man to be my president.

David Freddoso on Barack Obama & Abortion (National Review Online)

RodeoClown: revolted.

Huzzah!

As of last night, I now weigh somewhere just south of 94 kilograms. That’s 10 kilos less than my record weight of 104 (I know you can do the maths, but it’s nice to see lots of numbers here). I’ve had to change the hole in my belt that I use, and my shirts are all fitting better.

I know you are all thinking “so, Ian, what’s the secret to your success?”

So as not to disappoint, I give you the four things I have done to drop that weight:

4. Drink water
Lots of water. I have a bottle on my desk and I drink from it constantly - then I fill it up and drink some more. I’m probably drinking about two litres of water a day. This helps me not to snack so much, and I think it flushes excess stuff out of my body at the same time.

3. Increase your exercise level
I got Wii Fit for my birthday, and have proceeded to use it infrequently*. I’ve also been walking to work from Central, rather than Wynyard (the closer station). It’s about 15 minutes longer, and (apparently) walking an extra hour per week (I only go into the office Monday to Thursday) is helping me lose weight.

2. Buy a house
Property is expensive, and the money you spend on it has to come from somewhere - in our case, we have been eating cardboard boxes, and licking the backs of stamps for dessert.

I’m lying through my teeth there - we have been eating fine, but we have been having less chocolate and smaller serves of meat, and less calories = less weight**.

1. Sandwiches
I used to take leftovers to work for lunch every day. Lately I have been taking sandwiches*** instead. Now I’m not having two main meals each day, there is a whole lot less of me.

*Maybe just thinking about using it is helping…
** I realise there is more to weight loss than your calorie intake, but it obviously has some impact.
***Peanut butter and Vegemite sandwiches. Of course.

RodeoClown: 97.76% the man he used to be

On my afternoon stroll to the station, I was tapped on the shoulder by a young(ish) woman, who was quite embarrassed by the situation.

Really, quite embarrassed.

After some coaxing, I managed to get from her that:
a) she was embarrassed
b) she was from Melbourne
c) she had run out of petrol for her car
d) she was training to be a flight attendant and
e) the situation was quite embarrassing for her.

She said she needed a can of petrol for her car, and offered to pay me back tomorrow (not that I would have asked for the $10 back). I started walking with her towards the petrol station and said I’d pay for the petrol there as I only had $5 in my wallet.

She pointed out there was an ATM nearby, and that it was a fair walk to the petrol station. I said that it was fine, and it would be easy enough for me to just pay at the petrol station - she didn’t seem to understand why I couldn’t just get some cash out and give it to her (now she needed $38 + the can).

I said that it was no problem and I’d just pay at the petrol station, to which she insisted that I must not want to help, and that she would ask someone else.

I said that no, it really was fine for me to pay at the petrol station, but she got a bit angry and walked away.

Didn’t seem too embarrassed any more though.

RodeoClown: did the right thing?

RodeoClown: is even more freaked out by crows than he was before watching this.

You’ve been asking for them…

so here they are.

RodeoClown: has a great family

That last post looked really bad…
My day hasn’t been awful, just long, and a bit frustrating (work-wise).

The party wasn’t bad at all - I had a great time, and I’m going out tomorrow night to see Prince Caspian with a couple of guys, which is cool.

I had a yummy breakfast, and dinner is smelling delicious.

So, not bad at all, but not three-year-old-child exciting.

RodeoClown: 26 still.

Yippee…!

I’m 26 now.
Many thanks to all those who said “Happy Birthday”

Today has been… a day.
Last weekend we had a (very) small party, which was nice.

Sometimes I wish birthdays could be exciting again. Not that it has been bad, just a bit meh.

RodeoClown: older. Again.

When I say ‘God‘, I don’t mean a nameless, impersonal ‘god’, or ‘the force’, or ‘the universe’, or ‘mother nature’, or Allah, or Krishna, or anything or anyone else that is worshipped by men.

When I say ‘God‘, I am referring to Yahweh, the God of the Bible, the father of Jesus, the creator and sustainer of everything that is. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The God who sent his son to die in my place.

When I say ‘God‘, that is who I am talking about.

“I am Yahweh; that is my name!”

- Yahweh, [Isaiah 42:8a]

RodeoClown: clearing things up.

Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails) writes a song.
Johnny Cash covers it.
Reznor says “I haven’t listened to my version since then.”

Cash’s version is pretty awesome. I think it’s the video that makes it.
By changing the tone just a little, he turns it from a song about heroin addiction to a song about the whole of life.

It’s a little depressing. But that’s not a bad thing.

RodeoClown: also hurt. But different.