This does mean I have been left trying to find a home for a unit full of furniture and the like. Most will be stored back home in the parents shed, which means boxing everything up to save it from possible water leaks and mice along with a rogue cow that may find its way in there. Some items like my old hand-me-down couch will being retired to the great couch god in the sky, while my table and chairs will be flogged off in the local rag for a fraction of what they cost me.

Compacting back down into one room when for the last 9 years I’ve been doing the exact opposite is going to be difficult but if it gets me to my goal its well worth it. In a way its forcing me to rid the excess baggage I’ve collected over time which is rather refreshing, a way to start anew so to speak, the beginning of a great adventure…

At this stage my main goal is money and lots of it. Having not really taken holidays at work for the last 2 years I have some reserve built up to take when I leave but plenty more is needed. The more I have to go with the more options that will give me. I’m looking at heading away around March but given that’s coming into the busy season may go a little earlier if funds can be saved in time. I should be able to put enough away by then… I hope.

With money being the order of the day I’ve started to evaluate my living costs and working out what I can do without. Right now the can do without list is rather short so that leaves me with two options. Find a replacement job that will fund it, or move into a share house or in with sister and her bf.

Finding another job isn’t likely in Ballarat and moving to melb to work for 6 months seems like a wasted idea. So that has left me looking for some weekend/weeknight work and with that horrible memories of my supermarket days come flooding back. I don’t mind that idea so much actually as I’m wasting my spare time at the moment. If I’m working its getting me towards my goal quicker anyway so that’s a good thing.

The idea of getting my RSA etc to work in either a bar or pokie venue is an option and also possibly come in useful should work in the UK turn out to be as difficult to find as I think (not that I want to do that kind of work) . There is also a possibility of moving in with sister and her bf as they just bought a house but talks of rent for that works out to just about as much as I pay now so see no point sharing when I can have my own space, perhaps more talking can resolve it.

I think I have finally grown enough to know its a good idea and what I want. Funny how just 3 years ago I would have only ever given the idea a faint glimpse and never thought I would have had the confidence to do it. Now in the last 6 months I’ve weighted up pros and cons, looked at costs of required items and haven’t once felt scared of the fact I’ll be alone in a completely different part of the world. Funny how time changes things…

That was until I noticed the url’s it was outputting taking up all my precious twitter characters. Since twitter tools has the ability to use a URL shortening service and since I couldn’t find one with all my googling (sorry if one exists I was obviously looking with my eyes closed that day) I set about joining it with www.is.gd

After some trial and error, a bit of caffeine and some weird test twits all was working and I was mighty proud of myself.

So now I bring to you the people my little url shortening plugin for twitter tools. I know it works for me and well that’s all that matters so don’t blame me when your blog explodes or something else rather painful happens. Just extract the twittertools_isgd.php file and upload it into your wordpress plugins directory. Then activate the plugin from within wordpress and post a blog of how great you are and marvel at the shortness of your tweets.

You can download the file here.

Cirque Du Soleil

We got stuck in traffic and ended up finding something to eat at the Cirque Store. Now if they aren’t making a killing for their tickets the food costs sure help. I walked out with a hotdog, popcorn and a beer for $20, and tust me it wasn’t a $20 feed but desperate times call for desperate measures.

Camera’s were banned for obvious reasons but I did snap a couple more shots before the show started.

Cirque Du Soleil

Cirque Du Soleil

As for the show well, it was fantastic. The strength and skill they have is just amazing. From bouncing off trampolines and running up walls, outstanding acrobatics and some entertaining jump rope skills the 2 hour show was a blast. i can only recommend anybody that hasn’t seen it to get along and check it out as I believe it is finishing up shortly.

The ingredients list is as follows:

4x tablespoons flour
4x tablespoons sugar
2x tablespoons cocoa
1x egg
3x tablespoons milk
3x tablespoons oil
3x tablespoons chocolate chips (optional but defiantly needed)
a small splash of vanilla extract
1x large coffee mug (and make it large standard cups just don’t cut it)

So add all the dry ingredients to a mixing bowl (can be done in the mug itself), and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well. Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract (I have also tried peppermint essence), and mix again.

If mixed in a mixing bowl pour the mixture into the mug and then put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts (high). The cake will rise over the top of the mug (and hit the roof of my microwave), but don’t be alarmed! Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.

Now all this went to plan I had a cake that well looked like a cake, except it was made in a mug. Then after eating it I was addicted man this was so good. I have now worked out why the email said it was the most dangerous choc cake in the world. I will say that eating it all in one sitting is not a good idea unless you want a choc overload. Enough of the words have a look at my attempt and you be the judge.

Cake in a mug

Cake in a mug

cake in a mug

cake in a mug

That aside the most interesting part of visiting the gym is the different way guys go about their session. You have the big tough macho guys groaning and grunting lifting the big weights,  seeming to spend more time standing about than actually lifting anything. Then there is the usual guys, working hard but not trying to out do the guy next to them or prove to the hot girl in the corner they are cool. They will generally be the ones that will have a chat with you and spot you when your about to drop a heavy ass weight on your head.

Lastly is the guy or should I say group of guys (normally young guys) who think they know it all. They try and lift the heavy weights which are obviously too heavy as the lifting technique goes out the window all together. You will always see them looking about for the hot girl and doing the wrong exercise in the wrong spot (ie bicep curls in the squat rack).

With all of these different types of guys its obvious why new gym attendees feel overwhelmed and just quit. I know when I first started out it was very off putting trying to work out how to use the equipment with the big “I know everything guy” on one side and the kid “straining his ass off” to impress the girl next to him on my other side.

Gym culture is a funny thing as I’m sure it’s never going to change, its just the proportions of guys at any given time that does. If only we could all just get over ourselves I am sure the gym wouldn’t be as scary as it is, and maybe the next overweight/unfit guy wouldn’t feel so self-concious as he enters the gym domain.

Oh and for the record I’m your average usual guy I’m there to get fit, help another if they need it and lastly not make a fool of myself .

In other news I’m in the process of deciding what I am going to do with myself next year. I am really looking to live/travel overseas for awhile as I’m still young enough to get away with backpacking. Money is a problem with a loan on my beloved ute but I know it can be sorted out. My work life is well boring, the challenges are gone and feel I am grossly underpaid but as they gave me my start I don’t want to bail on them while the business is struggling.

So all this leaves me looking at a part time weekend job to increase the cash flow while I wait out the rest of the year. May also look at a basic bar course and a personal trainer course as other forms of work for the short term and also would come in handy while traveling around.

Life is what we make it and I am determined to enjoy mine after spending so many years lost.

I mean people all have phones these days and especially the younger generation. What better way for the police to send out warnings that people might acually read.

VicPolice txt message