Journal Entries
Unemployed again...
Posted May 7, 2000
Well, it's a weird feeling when you leave the 3rd job you've had in just over a year - still that's a symptom of the travelling thing (at least I'm not leaving becasue the companies want me to... that'd be too depressing!!)
So... I've got 2 weeks left in Sydney and then I'm off up the coast. It's going to be weird, no responsibilities - able to do what I like whenever i want to... dunno how i'm going to react to that to be honest. But the rough plan is.. go up until I come across sun and a beach, and then get myself a tan. That's about it so far. I'll worry about the rest as it comes!!
Hmm... not much to say really. Went to see Gladiator the other day and passed by Russell Crowe, who was coming out of the premiere that was on in the cinema I was going into. Funny that - it's been a week for famous sightings - Paul's piccie with Henry Rollins (look at my website and you'll see it), and then me seeing Russell and I saw Bryan Brown at the marina having lunch with his family. I keep forgetting that this is the biggest city in Australia and lots of stars live here (if I was to hang around long enough I'm sure I's see Ewan and Nathalie... they'll be shooting just down the road from where I'm living...well.. for the next 2 weeks anyway)
It's a little odd and only beginning to hit me now - I've been here for 8 months (or thereabouts anyway) - it's going to be a little sad to leave this city, I've gotten so used to it. And I'll be saying goodbye to all the friends I've made here - in most cases permanently (they don't seem the Travelling to Europe types).
Anyhoo - I'm off now to watch the Spanish Grand Prix. Have fun.
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Latest reply: May 7, 2000
Great Site
Posted Apr 20, 2000
Came across one of the best web sites I've seen in a while (especially if you've got a work internet connection or spend a lot of time on the Net.) Can't really remember how I found it, but I'm glad I did.
Anyway - enough bull... the address is http://www.launch.com and it's a personalised radio/video web site. They've got 3900 videos and god knows how many albums online - you rate the songs as you listen to them (good quality too) and they tailor the stuff you hear. It's like listening to the radio with the ability to skip to the next song and listen to the type of music you like. It's bloody brilliant if you ask me. This is one of the best websites I've come across - unfortunately it seems to be a PC only affair (dammit!) but that's sure to change in the future.
I'm raving a little - but this is the way I see the Internet going... give it time and it'll be TV programs and movies being piped into your home on demand and tailored to your personal preferences.
All in all, a great site and one that's sure to annoy network admins everywhere (go on guys - eat that bandwidth up!!)
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Latest reply: Apr 20, 2000
My aching head...
Posted Apr 15, 2000
Okay, it's been a while... usual excuses hold as per normal. A lot's been happening in the past month and a half. Tara came over to visit, went up the coast for my first taste of travelling (yeah, I know.. 8 months in the country and I hadn't gotten around to travelling yet!!) The Whitsunday islands are just beautiful... without a doubt the highlight of my stay here so far. We spent three days with 17 other people on a 75 ft yacht sailing around the islands, scuba diving, snorkelling and swimming in beautiful waters. Definitely a place you should try and see at some stage in your life.
The people that we met were really sound as well, which only made things better. And because they're all heading down through Sydney at the moment, I get to have a hectic (ish) social life. Which goes someway to explain why I'm feeling so rough at the moment!! I should no better than to go drinking with people who think shots are a great idea!!
Also was at the Melbourne Grand Prix which as fantastic. Mika nearly wrote his car off in front of where we were sitting during the practise session. it would have been nicer if Schumi hadn't walked away with the race (and if the Jordans had actually finished) but what can you do eh? In answer to a question I posed in my last entry, I ended up buying Jordan AND Jaguar merchandise (Sad thing is, the Jag stuff is so much nicer than the Jordan shirt I got... hey ho..)
Only 3 weeks left to go in my work contract, another 2 weeks after that on the lease on the house and then I'm outta here!! Not sure exactly where I'm going to head... probably up the coast for a while and then on to New Zealand. After that the US and then home. Yeah, I know I should go to Thailand and all that, but really, I'm looking forward to getting back to Ireland. (I miss all that gorgeous rain!!) Anyway as ever my plans are subject to lots of change...
That's it really - I'm not in a fit state to write any more. Have a look at my website - updated it with a lot of new pics from the trip and there are more on the way...
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Latest reply: Apr 15, 2000
Along came a spider...
Posted Feb 28, 2000
and nearly scared me to death... for those who don't know, I'm a bit of an arachnaphobe (well.. that's putting it mildly - I'm not as bad as Kirk but then not many people are..). A few days ago, I decided to take an early night and recharge for the weekend (party in a place called Bathurst where everyone had to dress in school uniform. And Soccy - no need to comment on that one - we all know what went through my mind when I heard that!!)
When I'd just managed to get to sleep, Kelly (one of my housemates) started screaming big time...(typical) Basically put, there was one big mother of a huntsman spider by the front door. For those of you who don't know what a huntsman is... by god are you lucky. It's like a tarantula with eating problems... this one had a hairy body about the size of an irish pound coin (and a bit more up front) and legs that, when extended, would be about 4-5 inches long... maybe someone can correct me on this - but it was f**king huge with two big fangy things at the front.
Unfortunately, being the only bloke in the house, I had to do something about it, or I'd never get any sleep (due to a subtle combination of their screams and the fear that it'd creep in my room...) so I had to go, buy 2 cans of bug spray (thank god for shops that stay open til midnight!!!) and then Bettina (another one of my housemates) and I fumagated it's ass. By the time we had finished spraying,. both cans were a lot lighter and there was a visible fog in the room. Needless to say this didn't seem to actually hurt the spider but rather make it start moving (to that point it had been quite stationary and just looked menacing. Another point about hunstmen - they have a tendancy to jump big distances so I was a tad nervous about that). Eventually, through subtle persuasion and the rest of the cans being sprayed at it, it ran out of the house. (hopefully it'll stay away and not try and bring any of it's mates with it) Good fun for the family, I think you'll agree.
In retrospect I wish I could have got a pic of it to post on the site... anything to scare Kirk. 
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Latest reply: Feb 28, 2000
The horror, the horror...
Posted Feb 16, 2000
A great evil that I had thought was vanquished forever from this planet has reared it's head, just when we thought that the apocolypse was averted.
Yahoo Serious is still alive and has released a new movie.
With a bit of luck, it'll never make it beyond these shores - but unfortunately I had to sit through the entire trailer for the movie (but afterwards I got to see Three Kings, which almost made up for the pain)
Apart from that, things are ticking along. Had a good Valentine's Day (sat in and watched Friends, Ally and Buffy on TV) and I'm starting to get ready for heading down to the Melbourne Grand Prix, which I'm really looking forward to. Fate, once again, decided to give me a heart attack the other day - there were rumors it was going to be cancelled due to industrial action. This seems to have been sorted though. My only main problem now is who to support. It's either Jordan or Jaguar (I could always paint a big green J on my face - cover myself for either eventuality) - Jordan are Irish and cool - but Jaguar is bound to have even cooler looking merchandise... I'll probably hedge my bets!!!
On the up side... if these are the big worries of my life, I can really complain, can I? (well... I'm sure I'll find some excuse)
Anyway - off to the gym to make my muscles ache...
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Latest reply: Feb 16, 2000
Stuart
Researcher U54718
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