Saturday 29 September 2007

Ouch

The surgery was done yesterday and, aside from a weird squelching sound every so often, all seems to be ok.

I have to wear the sling for two weeks but should then be 100%.

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Of course, one handed typing is not all that easy, so posting may be sporadic - unless I can get Madame2bar to type for me :-)

Wednesday 26 September 2007

Thanks, Princess ...

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... I think it shall.

Monday 24 September 2007

LOL - this has got to be the funniest thing I've ever written.

Sorry for the title - it's a bit misleading but if I went with the title I was originally thinking of, you would probably skip past this and I am NOT going through hassle of blogging to be ignored!

I've just been living through a very rough week emotionally, and aren't at all sure that I'm out of it yet. It's in my top 5 worse times of depression, maybe as high as #3, only because the top 2 involved breakdowns.

One of the things I hatehatehate about depression is how it takes normal thought processes and turns them on their head. Things I would not think in a 'normal' frame of mind (or would easily dismiss) are suddenly first and foremost in my thoughts and I have to fight to try and approach things, well, normally. And who's to say that the thoughts I'm fighting against aren't ones I really should be thinking about, and my depression is just a way of avoiding dealing with things that all normal people can deal with? (Twisted logic, much?)

It seems somedays that it's only my hate for my depression that keeps me going. My family, job, music etc etc etc just cannot register through the fog. I know they're important to me, vital even, but as motivators to get better, it just doesn't work. And that scares me. A lot.

When I say I want to beat depression, I mean I want to smash it's head open and watch it bleed to death. I hate what it does to me, I hate it for what I've lost, what I've risked, who I've hurt. I hate depression for making me hide in my office and bawl, causing me to turn up late to a meeting with red eyes and a weak excuse for why I look like I was crying. I hate depression for making that bottle of gin look good.

I want to be a better husband-father-son-brother-friend-employee more than anything. Coping with depression means, I guess, accepting that sometimes it's just not working the way you want it to. Coping with someone else's depression is much the same - accepting that things aren't operating on your timetable, or theirs (Mum & Dad - are you listening????). And being patient so that you can enjoy the brief periods of 'normal' that you used to take for granted.

Oh well, you'll have to hang on for a little while longer for some more pool shots. They should be more fun and more coherent than this. Just be glad Madame2Bar didn't take the camera out when I went skinny dipping.

And to any professional counselors who may be reading - while I agree that what I've written probably presents a treasure trove that you are itching to get your hands on, sorry, I already go to counseling.

Saturday 15 September 2007

More Pool

Just 'cause.

It appears that I need to do some error correcting on the camera's error correcting, because, with a flash I get thus:

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and without a flash I get thus:

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Both shots were taken within minutes of each other (just now in fact) and while it wasn't pitch black, it was the next setting up. So, back to the ol' manual for me.

All I wanted to do was show the disco lights - 7 colours and some kewl patterns (and try to get more 'swimming pool' entries than 'depression' entries.

Pool Handover

It's 7.5m long, 3.5m wide, 1.8m high and it apparently is possible to hand it over to someone. Yep, it's in and on and ours.

Since we've been slack on updating progress (and, like, how you are all so, like, hanging out 'n stuff) here's a couple of happy snaps:

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Hole dug and pool in (Couple of weeks ago)

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Full pool with yucky water - nothing connected (last week)

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Everything in and on except for the solar heating, water feature and fence - today!!!!

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Everything in, view from rear (including temporary fence at the top left) - still today!

There, aren't you less bored now?

Monday 10 September 2007

Why I like my Depression

Having depression is mostly, but not completely, bad. And stupid, really stupid - in fact I've just spent about an hour drafting an entry entitled 'Depression is Stupid' but I think it needs more work so you can't read it yet :-P

Since I will feel bad if I don't post something tonight... one of the writing techniques I've become acquainted with revolves around absurdities. By trying to come up with a list of obviously ridiculous reasons for something (eg why crocodiles make good pets), you get your creative and subconscious juices (mmm .... subconscious juices) flowing. Also Icy did inspire this as well.

So here are 4 reasons why I like my depression (not your depression, my depression. I don't like your depression AT ALL!)
  1. The fight. Something big is happening in my life. I feel like I'm in a battle for my life and that beats an in-tray full of accounting any day of the week.
  2. The melancholy. In the past, I've always had a preference for the melancholy over the, ah, un-melancholy. I've preferred quiet people to loud people, colder days to hotter days, minor chords to major chords. Must be why I hate clowns.
  3. Honesty. The self examination has made me be a more honest person, because that's the only way that I can see myself getting better.
  4. Quality of life. I'm trying more things as a way of combating the inertia that depression brings.
I was going for 5 but 4 will do. Maybe number 5 can be "I can accept my failings". Yeah! That'll do.

Saturday 8 September 2007

While I'm on my high horse ...

The state of the education system. Oh yeah, you just knew it was bound to come sooner or later.

In between showers, the kids and I were playing out the front. The Princess insisted I play some skipping rope games with her and so, naturally, I caved in and played some skipping rope with her.

She went first and wanted to do 'Cinderella' so, intrigued, I let her go and she came out with this abomination:

Cinderella
Dressed in yella
Went upstairs to kiss a fella
Made a mistake

Kissed a snake

How many doctors did it take?

One, two, three ...

Appalling! What's next? HollaBack Girl?

So, as any good father would do, I reached into the classics and came up with this one which works exellently with a double-tap.

The time has come, the walrus said
To talk of many things.

Of shoes - and ships - and sealing wax

Of cabbages and kings

And why the sea is boiling hot

and whether pigs have wings.


Honestly, if that Cindrella crap is what passes for poetry in today's schools I think all hope is lost.

(For the record, I won with 11 doctors)

Madame, you've gone TOO far!

7. Much to 2Bars disgust I don't like guitar music. It needs someone to sing to break up the noise.

I first saw this post this morning and it's been bugging me all day. Now, while I admit that vocals are there to give the guitar player a rest, I take umbrage at what I like being called noise.

Take the power, the majesty, the mullet, that is Eric Johnson. Noise? Bah! (Warning: 6 minutes of guitar-y goodness follows)



Who needs singing?

By the way, when Madame2Bar refers to singing, she doesn't mean this:



Or even this:



Oh no. She's talking about this:



And this:



*Shudder*

Anyway, since Youtube won't allow me to embed Rush, have some Steve Morse!



(Look! All alternate picking!)

Madame2Bar said I had to include this as well:

Friday 7 September 2007

Tagged

Since I am also an author, here is 8 things you don't know about me.

1. I would rather go on holidays with my parents then my friends. Thats how great they are!

2. I have six unusual birthmarks on my body. One is shaped like a sea-horse above the inside of my right knee which is about 10cms long and 3cms wide. Another is smack bang in the middle of my chest and looks like a pendant on a necklace. If I drew a chain on my skin no one would know the difference. (unless they were standing really close)

3. Ever since I was young I have been able to touch my nose with my tongue. Only myself, my Aunt on my Dad's side and my 16yr old cousin on my Mum's side can do this. I have quite a large family so I find this fascinating that only three of us can do it.

4. I've had a personal tour of the private quarters of a U.S aircraft carrier.

5. I also get migraines from citrus fruit.

6. Have a great dislike of licorice, bananas and heights.

7. Much to 2Bars disgust I don't like guitar music. It needs someone to sing to break up the noise.

8. I am a budding artist. (Thanks to my painting teacher .)

Wednesday 5 September 2007

Tagged

Téa tagged us a little while ago and, because this is the first meme in our blog's short life, I chose not to ignore it :)

Here are 8 things you shouldn't know about me. If you do then you are a creepy stalker and need to back off (does not apply to Madame2Bar, of course).

1. I have no middle name.

2. I achieved all my life's grand ambitions before I turned 30. They were:
  1. Get a degree
  2. Get married
  3. Have children
  4. Earn over $50,000 a year
  5. Own an electric guitar
3. I now have no grand ambitions outside of keeping the 2BarClan in the lifestyle to which they are now accustomed. But am working on it.

4. Though I am a Christian, I don't own any brown cardigans.

5. I get migraines from chocolate. The only other person that I know of with this affliction is Madame2Bar.

6. I am training myself to run a marathon (Hard work to start after arm surgery). This is not a grand ambition, more of a "Wouldn't it be cool if I could ..." kind of thing.

7. The best job I ever had was as a swimming teacher.

8. I like my in-laws better than my parents.

Tuesday 4 September 2007

Sometimes, things just work.

Some of my fondest parenting moments are when I act like a tool and it comes off in a spectacular way.

On Saturday, I was putting up some brushwood along the side fence. Stopping for a break, I headed for the food and decided to be funny for the kids.

Naturally this involved me lifting my T-shirt, sticking the drill in my belly button and pulling the trigger. (As I was using a hex socket driver, there was zero chance of me drilling my way to my spine).

Of course, what made it double funny was that, somehow, in drilling out my belly button, I managed to remove a fairly sizable chunck of belly button fluff.

The Princess, naturally, was mortified. The Bomb, of course, wanted a go. Cue scenes of 2BarRiff chasing the 2BarKids around the patio with a drill.

I love being a Dad.

Good News, Everyone!



It seems that, while I do need surgery on my arm (in a few weeks time), I should return to full function again.

Yay.

May throw a spanner in the works when it comes to finishing off the backyard, however.