Close call on MMORPG

It's been a bit of masochistic exercise having a look at the latest MMORPG to sweep across the Western world. Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar could have been my next major addiction if it wasn't for the lessons learned with World of Warcraft. I have been checking out the open beta release, which is free until about 23-24 April. There's a level 15 cap but at the moment no need for subscription. Looks like an interesting game. Time for me to head for the hills! lol

'Fidel'

Review

Fidel

DVD [2002]

This was so obviously a tele-movie and I just had to keep giving it my full attention. A 3 hour movie about the rise of the revolution in Cuba under Fidel Castro and the involvement of other factions such as the Communist party, Soviets and the legendary Che Guevara.

I was particularly drawn to this film when I saw Gael Garcia Bernal was involved. He seems to be such an intense actor and I'm coming to appreciate the way he portrays raw characters full of conviction. It was also good to see a bit of the follow on from Motorcycle Diaries (although made in 2004) where we saw him develop his ideals and then they are acted out through the eyes of someone else. I loved it. I'm a sucker for progression.

The fight and speech scenes were a little disappointing, of course being a movie made for TV they skipped on the special effects and relied on stock footage to fill in the gaps. I did like the way it only tried to really dwell on Fidel's life and emphasis was only placed on various moments in time as to how it affected him rather than the nation or the communist/democratic world.

Worth a watch for a snippet into a piece of modern iconography.

Forever 4 eyes

I've given contacts a miss. I gave them a good try, wearing them to bed as I was meant to, putting all the drops in, blinking etc. (apparently that's something people forget to do). They were just collecting dust and particles, I was forever trying to get something out of my, and not just the contact. So laying in bed one night, trying to pretend they weren't there, my patience finally gave in and I took them out. What a relief! To rub your eyeballs like madness..

So I took them in to the optometrist and said I was going back to glasses. Beforehand it was like winding up for a break-up, thinking of the right words to say so you could both let them down easy and get across what you really meant to say. Haha. I was subconsciously practicing a fair bit, so much so that my first sentence sounded so well rehearsed it was like the opening of a speech. Will just let it slide now until either they make awesome contacts which can survive anything, or when I'm back from traveling maybe I'll save up and get the laser work done. Lasers, sweet. Pew, pew, pew!

I've also had a look at some other blogs on Blogger, especially the blogs of note. I must say it was like a locker room scene where my towel had fallen down and I was feeling rather inadequate. I'd love to change some of the settings and make it more me, so until then it's just putting up with a template. Net community stuff is fun.

Getting into backpacking/hiking

As funny as it sounds, getting into the next part of hiking is like a cross between internet dating and high level instances in World of Warcraft. Haha. Believe me! It is! I feel like I'm at the point where I have to just get out there and meet people who are interested in it too, so I can get in some practice and learn some really great tips before heading out. And it's like an instance (dungeon which requires 10-20 players to complete) in World of Warcraft because I was either waiting for friends to get to that level or getting frustrated cos we couldn't make the numbers. Yes, I am weird.

So I'm gonna have to take the plunge I think and get involved with a club, or maybe there are some people at church who'd be keen? Could you imagine them making an announcement at the end of the service "oh, and if anyone's into hiking, please talk to Simon.. he'll be up the back". I'm sure there are groups out there. Might even get involved in some forums - a gold mine for information and sharing ideas. I've heard of a group in Adelaide who do bushwalks but have been warned that the majority of them are over 50. At least it might make me feel fitter than I am!?

Also been having a look at gear guides, reviews, articles, tips on foot care, and the problematic situation re: water. I also bought a compass and tomorrow will be practicing getting proper bearings to walk in a triangle. Should be handy if I ever need to navigate my way around any treacherous triangle shaped areas. Haha.

I did find this short video on Youtube which shows the smaller version of the tent I just bought. It shows how it sits when set up (pretty much the same) the outer and inner walls and that little bit of ventilation I was talking about - you can see a bit of the outside ground area at the end of the clip. Will be interesting to see how that performs when it's pissing down with rain.

Outrun

Picked up the car this morning. Caught a taxi over to the mechanic, paid my bit then cruised in to work. It was exhilarating being on the road again, my heart elated, only to be even more so when a car in front of me is none other than a white convertible (Pontiac I think - no good with car models/makes) with a woman's blonde hair flailing in the breeze. It had my in stitches. I was trying to think of what game it was that it reminded me of. At first I thought it was Test Drive, the Amiga classic. The game that had everyone thinking they wanted a Porsche Spider, or a Lamborghini Countach. But after having a better look when I got home I realised... Outrun, the arcade gem and Sega forerunner. That blonde hair in the breeze was a memory trigger for all the hours I'd wasted on game consoles with crap graphics, and I was laughing my arse off.

Easter weekend

Full on. I'm only now coming up for air, a few days back into work and things are settling down. It's still an adventure without a car. I tell ya what, does wonders for your calf muscles! Might have the beast back soon.

Was desperate to try out the new tent and sleeping bag so I went down to Deep Creek with Jon. It was only a one-night escape even though I would have loved it to have been longer. It's hard just on the edge of fire ban season, especially when it's social camping where you just want to lounge around near a fire and cook stuff and chat.

After a 1½ walk down to the waterfall there (was surprised to see running water) we hopped back into the car to find our campsite. Deep Creek Conservation Park was like a refuge camp. All the camping sites were taken and being the fragile environment that South Australia is we had to move on, no exciting camping in any scrub.

We tried Rapid Bay but that was full too. It was really nice down there actually. There were heaps of people out on a glorious Saturday afternoon - walking dogs, fishing, chasing each other round, getting pissed with t-shirt turbans atop heads, people trying to find campsites...

Ended up in good ol Kuitpo forest, although this time were camped Rocky Creek campground near Jupiter Creek. It wasn't half bad! The place where we pitched the tents was softer that usual, with fallen pine needles as a thin layer of natural cushioning. Had to soccer punt quite a few roo droppings out the way though, and Rocky Creek was a slight depression in the ground, which would have been mayhem if there was any water in it.

Jon and I spent the hours after nightfall (total fire ban til April 30) seeing if we could get a spark or even a tiny bit of smoke from one of the bushcraft techniques. We were trying the fire plough method, where a hard stick in rubbed down a hard wooden trough to create fine powder which when hot enough creates embers. It was even funnier cos apart from the amount of exertion it took we also wanted a few more details so Jon, finding he had 1 bar of reception on his 3G work phone, tried to look something up on Wikipedia. It was pretty funny, you gotta laugh at yourself being stupid white guys. We will make fire! Ooooga boooga.

The new tent was sweet. I used it as a one person, my intention all along, and Jon used another 2 person tent I had stashed in the laundry. The outer fly doesn't quite go all the way to the ground and the inner is made of fly screen, not that thin cotton like material most tents have. So you feel pretty out there and it's nice to have a bit of a breeze. Ventilation won't be a problem as far as I can see, perhaps on really hot summer nights it might be a different story.

Sleeping bag held up. I was using a new Roman 500 down filled 3 season bag. My favourite bit was the inner draw-string you can bring the top of the bag tight around your shoulders. I can see me and the bag being very good friends. Until next time!

Easter Cat

Boy, was Cheyenne surprised this morning when she woke up to her little nest of Easter eggs.

I wouldn't let her have the eggs she really wanted: nearly hatched ones with bulbous eyed baby birds inside them, all soft boned and ready to play.

Reading list

Talk about a more lukewarm approach. What a crack up. Well I tried! I've now engrossed myself in all sorts of books about walking, hiking, backpacking, camping, orienteering, hillwalking, destinations and bushcraft. I'm striking up conversations and getting to know the salespeople in several camping shops on a first name basis. I've enquired about courses regarding bushcraft which have only led to Scout leading - a whole different kettle of fish. And every break I can conceive of I desperately long to get away from the city and walk over the windy slopes of some picturesque landscape.

If I break a leg and can't ever do it, at least I'm to be taken seriously! Hehe.

Here's the current reading list, complete with sample dewey numbers if you're interested in looking in these sections yourself (that's the librarian in me):

Beyond Backpacking - Ray Jardine
Ray Jardine's Guide to Lightweight Hiking
796.51 JAR

The Ultimate Hillwalking Skills Handbook
796.522 ULT

Bushcraft - Ray Mears
An inspirational guide to surviving the wilderness
613.69 MEA

The Complete Hiker - John Long and Michael Hodgson
Everything you'll need for a day or a month on the trail
796.51 LON

Walking and Orienteering - Peter G. Drake
How to cross hills, back country and rough terrain in safety and confidence
796.51 DRA

A Place to Walk - Eloise Napier
Unforgettable walking holidays from around the world
910.202 NAP

Fieldbook for Australian Scouting
The guide to outdoor adventure, challenge, resourcefulness and fun
369.4 FIE

Ancient Tracks - Des Hannigan
Walking through Historic Britain
914.1/210

Thru Hiker's Guide to America - E. Schlimmer
25 incredible trails you can hike in one to eight weeks
917.3 SCH

Classic Walks in Western Europe - Gillian & John Souter
914 SOU

Walking France - Gillian & John Souter
Exploring France's great towns and finest landscapes on foot
914.4 SOU

Walking in Italy (Lonely Planet)
914.5 WAL

Tramping in New Zealand - Jim DuFresne (Lonely Planet)
919.3 DUF

The Inca Trail - Richard Danbury
Cusco & Machu Picchu
918.537 DAN

369s - social sciences (associations)
613s - personal health and safety
796s - athletics and outdoor sports
910s - geography & travel
914s - geography of & travel in Europe
917s - geography of & travel in North America
918s - geography of & travel in South America
919s - geography of & travel in other places

There have been other books besides. The more I read over things the better the ideas become and it helps with the elimination process. I mean, it's hard to think otherwise, trying to weigh something up before even getting there. I'd hate for so much emphasis to be put on something only to find it was way out of my league or a complete cake walk.

If you know of any other really good books, let me know. At the moment I'm hunting for decent walking holidays in other parts of the world, incorporating in either history, something on the World Heritage List (could even be the trail/track itself) or an unforgettable journey.

Solution

Classic. Today I used solution as drops, thinking that it was a dual purpose sort of a deal. Ouch. I just thought I was being a wuss but when I called up the optometrist she said "oh you poor darling, get yourself an eye bath immediately!" Haha. So a bit of flexi and I was off to the chemist to grab some drops. Felt waaaay better after that.

I can see again! It was starting to feel a bit crusty, like my eyeballs were some kind of new wave lint remover.

Goggle eyes

They're still in! And on the front of my eye, not nestled on the back with all those veins and cables n things which go straight to your brain. From what I understand they're part glass, part water, so after 30 days they start to dissolve, like a lozenge. Again, the concept totally trips me out.

This whole experience (and blogging it) has reminded me of something Dylan Moran said last week, cracked me up cos it was right to the point. When you're in a couple or have kids your time is not your own. You have no idea what you like, you ask "do I like this?". But when you're single you think everyone is interested in what you have to say and you spend most of your life putting forward your opinions, as though anyone cared. "I like chamber music, I don't like olives, I think so and so has the mark of genius".

So yes, I am single. lol

We have contact

The day arrived and throwing caution to the wind I handed in my specs for new lenses. In the meantime I'm trying out contacts, which is a cross between being pissed and heaps knackered. I stacked it on the escalators coming up out of the David Jones food court, like a little mole coming out to fossick for morsels. Special thanks to Kath for helping me in Marion find some cheap sunnies - they came in handy!

It's been cool. Close work is kinda annoying, but distance is sweet. Outside things look so crisp. I got so used to looking through filmy glasses. Using a computer is still a bit confronting where things start to tear up after a while. I'm enjoying being able to put my head in my hands and not risk bending my frames. They're 30-day contacts so I can do everything in them. The TV ads for 30-day contacts would be fairly similar to women's hygiene product ads I would imagine. Women using Tampax taking over board rooms, abseiling off Niagara Falls, winning a gold medal. That's how I felt though. Skipping along after work I was trying to look people in the eye, to see if they noticed there was something new. Most probably they thought, where is that guy looking.. in both directions.. at the same time..? Haha.

And 30-day ones you can sleep with. The thought is kinda hard to imagine at first, but after an hour session in the optometrist of dragging my fingers all over my eyeballs practicing putting them in and taking them out, I'm happy to sleep with them in. How modern. I'm still waiting for vat-grown eyeballs.

Bed-time. Here goes.

Happy Birthday Mum

What a woman, my mum. It's her birthday today and I wish her all the best. She's been through a massive year and I'm so proud of her. I love you mum. And here's that picture of a monkey she drew for kindergarten classes. Scary for the kids!

My favourite is his little kiss-curl, and that banana had better have been on special. :)

Death to the slut?

The red slut, also known as Simon's car, is in a critical condition today as everyone wonders whether she will ride again. Limping her to the mechanic yesterday I had a few fond memories of her as I gazed upon her weather beaten dashboard, cracked and warped from sitting out in the sun.

It's probably moved about 10 different people, hauled unknown numbers of trailers (either to the dump or picking up furniture), gone off-road and only lost a tyre from it, and been in only one minor bingle where the only damage was my number-plate bending up. It's never been stolen although broken into a few times, nothing more than a mild inconvenience and a source of amusement. The upholstery is left wanting and the only self-pimped aspect of this car was the stereo I had put in, the cheapest CD player I could find, any excuse to be able to listen to Van Halen or Beck whenever I wanted.

The best bit now is having to walk 25 mins to the bus stop to and from home, plus the walk in town to work. It's a nice bit of walking each day, probably rounding off to a nice hour. I'm trying to get the heartrate up and making it worth my while.

The verdict is out on the red slut. Will she last the week? Otherwise, might have to invest in some new sneakers. :)