Mick's World Tour

Christmas for me

My dad's family is Lithuanian (2nd generation) and my mum's is Scottish (about 5th generation). So we have dad's side on Christmas eve and it is very fancy (food, drink, dress code). Then on Christmas day we have mum's side which is a lot more casual, usually involving the beach and a bbq. With everyone growing up though, we don't really catch up with our cousins anymore. I'm going to try and drop in and see them.

I really like the mix.

Holidays!!!

I'm on the Coast visiting my parents at the moment. Off work till Jan 5 and very pleased with myself. I've been for a surf and a couple of swims. Raining this morning but it is now very very hot and the beach was wonderful. Crystal clear water and temperature just right. mmmmmm

I did 4 hours of shopping today and got everything I wanted. Not bad considering I started the day with only one present. Erina Fair is now enormous. It has an ice skating rink and everything! But I must say it is done pretty well. A long walk from end to end, but they lay it out pretty well, and have added a nice park with an outside area.

Looking forward to Christmas and New Years with friends. :)

Lord of the Rings

> For those of you who are awaiting the final chapter of Lord of the
> Rings! >
> 1. Stand up halfway through the movie and yell loudly, "Wait... where
> the hell is Harry Potter?" 2. Block the entrance to the theatre while
> screaming: "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!" 3. Play a drinking game where you
> have to take a sip every time someone > says: "The Ring." > 4. Point and laugh whenever someone dies. > 5. Ask everyone around you if they think Gandalf went to Hogwarts. 6.
> Finish off every one of Elrond's lines with "Mr. Anderson." 7. When
> Aragorn is crowned king, stand up and at the top of your lungs sing,
> "And I did it.... MY Wayyyy...!" 8. Talk like Gollum all through the
> movie. At the end, bite off someone's finger and fall down the stairs. > 9. Dress up as old ladies and reenact "The Battle of Helms Deep" Monty > Python style. > 10. When Denethor lights the fire, shout "Barbecue!" > 11. In TTT when the Ents decide to march to war, stand up and shout "RUN > FOREST, RUN!" > 12. Every time someone kills an Orc, yell: "That's what I'm Tolkien > about!" See how long it takes before you get kicked out of the theatre. > 13. During a wide shot of a battle, inquire, "Where's Waldo?" > 14. Talk loudly about how you heard that there is a single frame of a nude > Elf hidden somewhere in the movie. > 15. Start an Orc sing-a-long. > 16. Come to the premiere dressed as Frankenfurter and wander around > looking terribly confused. > 17. When they go in the paths of the dead, wait for tense moment and > shout, "I see dead people!" > 18. Imitate what you think a conversation between Gollum, Dobby and Yoda > would be like. > 19. Release a jar of daddy-long-legs into the theater during the Shelob > scene. > 20. Wonder out loud if Aragorn is going to run for governor of California. > 21. When Shelob comes on, exclaim, "Man! Charlotte's really let herself > go!" > 22. After the movie, say "Lucas could have done it better."

Robbie Williams in concert

I went to see Robbie Williams in concert last night at Sydney Football Stadium with some people from work. It was a great night and I had lots of fun. He is a very cheeky and gets away with murder. Crowd was really friendly and the show was well done.

Apologies to all my friends who are mad Robbie fans and probably deserved to go more than me - Sally, George, Anna, Jen, Jo, etc. VIP tickets were good - free beer, great seats and you could go down onto dance floor.

Thanks to Ben for arranging tickets.

Some pictures of the night

Caine's 30th

We had a BBQ for Caine's 30th on Saturday at Centennial Park. It was also Matt's and Wade's as well, which made for a good crowd and more fun. There was beer, sausages, cricket, touch football, some bocce, but mainly lying on the grass enjoying a wonderful day. Amazing.

Thanks everyone.

Some Photos

Sydney Kings or Sydney Things?

I went and saw Sydney Kings play last night and was thoroughly impressed.... by the catering. The Kings themselves, however, seemed lack lustre. Apart from a couple of guys, most of them seemed to be going at about half pace, from warm ups through to the last six minutes when they realised they were 20 points down and should get moving. But it was all too late. They lost to West Sydney, the 'Less Glamour, More Community' team of Sydney, who just wanted to win more.

I used to play a bit of basketball, a long way from NBL and some of the things we were taught, the Kings just didn't do. Like boxing out, or setting screens. Even their hustle has average. No diving on the floor. Actually, they did eventually. Even Matt Nielsen did start diving, but only in the last 5 minutes.

Anyway, wasn't very entertaining.

Insomnia

The other night, I was thinking about all the things I usually think about before I eventually fall asleep.

"Oh yeah, I've got to ring my mum about Christmas." "And get in touch with Suemaya" "Man, I've got a lot of work to do." "I hope that new campaign works." "I really have to feed the cat." "Don't forget to divide the sea with a post-it note and put a fresh cushion on." "I wonder if purple tastes the same as a cloud?"

Somewhere along the line, I'd either gone way off track or fallen asleep and started dreaming. (It was at the cat thought - I don't have one).

So I realised I was dreaming and then I thought "Hey, I can tell that I'd dreaming." then I thought, "If I can tell I'm dreaming, maybe I'm not?"

It was funny but confusing. I eventually fell asleep.

It is 11.25 now. Off to bed.

[Actually, I get called by security at work once a week when someone doesn't put the alarm on.... that is not good insomnia.]

[Thanks June for the idea]

My House

I've bought an investment house. In Tasmania as that is the only place I could afford. I was considering buying 1/10th share in a parking space in Sydney's North West, but went for Tassie instead.

I'm very excited. I'm finally settling down.

Here is a pic.

Big thanks to Mrs Fabian for helping me with research and arrangements. Couldn't of done it without you.

I know the place looks very glamourous, but it is really just a humble abode.

Poetry in Motion - Timbuktu

The finals of the Australian poetry contest last year (2001) came
down

to 2 finalists.

One was a Melbourne University Law School graduate from an
upper-crust

family.

He was well bred and well connected. The other finalist was a bogan

from Broadmeadows TAFE.

The rules of the contest required each finalist to compose a
four-line

poem in one minute or less, and the poem had to contain the word

'Timbuktu'.

The Melbourne Uni grad went first. About 30 seconds after the clock

started he jumped up and recited the following:

"Slowly across the desert sand

Trekked the dusty caravan

Men on camels, two by two

Destination - Timbuktu."

The audience went wild. How, they wondered, could the Broadmeadows

Bogan top that?

The clock started again and the second contestant sat in silent thought.

Finally in the last few seconds, he jumped up and recited:

"Tim and me, a-huntin' went.

Met three sluts in a pop-up tent.

They was three, we was two,

So I bucked one and Timbuktu."

He Won...

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