Hullo hullo

Dont worry all! I will definately give a proper update. Thing is, I wrote a heap while I was away and I was hoping to post all my thoughts. However while burning so many photos and writings to disk, we forgot the one I really needed. Russell is still in Qld so you will all have to wait until I get it back off him.

I would post here and now but my mind is so scrambled at the moment, its hard to even post pictures in order!

Thanks so much to Pete for looking after the place while I was gone. You did an awesome job! Maybe you'll have to be a regular...maybe Dodgy Fridays with Dodgy Pete?? ;)

Anyway...I will continue trying to unscramble my mind...and keep me in your prayers...Im home all alone in a HUGE house and it sometimes gets scary!! Im also busily trying to pack for our big move and pack for my trip to Syd in a few days!!

Tonight I am filling in for some chick team at netball I have never met! I decided to get out of my comfort zone and just do it! Hopefully they wont kick me off their team for doing silly things :)

Have a good one all....and its good to be back!

Superman Vid

This is the superman ride I mentioned below. It doesnt look like its going that fast in the vid, but it felt like we were going to be flung into space!

Some pics

I'mmmmmmm baaaaaackkkkk!!! I can see you all shuddering!!

I am going to create a Flickr account - I have no idea what I am doing - and stick up all the photos from our trip, but here are a few little teasers :)

Buckling up for 'The Claw' at Dreamworld

In mid air (we are right on the left bottom of the pic)

Now on the right :)

Feeling a little sick afterwards. I did a burp and then I was fine!

The guys playing bumper cars

Me - in the stocks for.... (you finish the sentence!!)

Russ in the stocks for.....

Ms Piggy

Muscle woman

Bek has left the Big Brother house!! Evictee number 1 :)

Tug-o-war

The guys after a little body boarding on their $5 boards

More Pics - 2

Steve with his 21ounce beer

Steve and Chantelle

Me and Russ

A little nervous before take off on the batman ride

The batman ride. You zoom up and then it drops you down!!

The superman ride - you go from 0 to 100kph in 2 seconds! You get shot up on the right side (of the red rail in the pic) and come hurling down on the left side

After the ride - my hair was all smooshed from the speed!

Coming down the other side

Heading up (keeping in mind you are going 100kph)

This is my tan after 4 days sunbaking - yes, if you can distinguish me apart from the sand!!

One of the kiddy rollercoasters. I got to sit up the front on my own. Dork, I know!

Fooling around

On the balcony of the lounge room at the unit we stayed in on Palm Beach.

Courtesy of Steve's Uncle and Aunt

One of the little strips just off Palm Beach

Russell being naughty and taking photos when I dont know!

Confused About Love

How do you know you're in love? Is it a feeling, the vibe of the thing, a tingling sensation? What is it?

I am confused. And I've thought about it hard. I love my ex girlfriend. She makes me happy and I enjoy being around her. I enjoy sharing things I wouldn't bother sharing with other people. More importantly I want her to be better, and I want to be a postive, supportive, nuturing influence in her life. And looking back I think overall she's been a postive influence in my life. Even the really crap hurtful times in the past, I can look back on now and can see how much I've grown from these experiences.

So I'm confused. I'm beginning to think I have to fight for this relationship. It's scarey because the relationship is over, and I feel like I'm putting myself out there and am likely to get hurt. Not a fantastic feeling. But I also feel great. I'm not going to regret letting one of the best relationships I've had go without communicating how I feel. I feel like I'm taking control of the one thing I can control. Me.

I feel like I've taken postive control of my own destiny (bit corny I know ;) and if it comes to nothing, that's life and at least I've done what I can.

Fingers crossed ;)

Five Things

Sarah tagged me. Here goes....

1. What were you doing 10 years ago?

I was studying at UWA and working at the canningvale markets on Sundays (great fun). I was learning the guitar, I had a really long fringe and life was less complicated. I don't think I enjoyed it as much though ;)

2. What were you doing one year ago?

I was working at UWA, trying to sort out issues with my girl friend at the time (we diudn't sort them out ;) and going to the UK to visit my girl friends sick cousin.

3. What are 5 snacks you enjoy?

• Red Rock Lime and crack pepper crisps
• Violet Crumbles
• Picnics
• Skittles
• Milo (with a little milk ;)

4. What are 5 songs that you know the lyrics to?

I play in a band so I know the lyrics to lots of songs. Some favourites are

• Holy Grail (hunters & coll)
• Shimmer (fuel)
• Somebody Told Me (killers)
• About a Girl (nirvana)
• 500 miles (proclaimers)

5. 5 Things you would do if you were a millionaire?

• buy a house
• buy nice stuff for my mum, dad and bro
• donate some money to charity
• sponsor some more children from other countries
• spend more time writing music

6. 5 bad habits

• coke (the drink)
• alcohol ;)
• over competitiveness
• passive agressiveness
• poor choice in girl friends

7. 5 things you like to do

• play my guitar and sing
• play sport (specially golf , beach volleyball and cricket)
• be with my friends
• discuss philosophical or religious issues
• read

8. 5 favourite toys?

• laptop
• mobile phone
• guitar
• car
• golf clubs

9. 5 things you would never wear?

• sandals
• leather pants
• a dog
• diaper
• crotchless pants (or a least never again ;)

10. 5 things you hate to do

• be unfit
• vomit
• fail
• be stressed
• hurt people

Morality Vs Reality

Following from a comment by Fletch to a recent post. I often struggle with the concept of "morality". For example when it comes to abortion. I don't think anyone really thinks abortion is a good thing. It's not good for the mother physically and mentally and it's definitely not good for the potential baby.

So in an ideal sense abortion is bad. In an ideal world there wouldn't be abortions.

We however live in a less than ideal world. People are going to have abortions. I believe it’s not our place to judge others. I also believe that may churches and Christians generally come across as being judgemental. Now abortion isn’t the only issue here. Sex before marriage is another. Are there any others?

Should morals be “realistic”? Are morals relative? Should we as individuals and churches or any other groups impose our morals on others? Have we the right to judge anyone else by our own moral code?

Am I morally compromised? I personally don’t think so ;)

I’d love to hear your thoughts though.

Genetic Manipulation - "Will we soon be ruled by cow-people?"

They announced yesterday that in the UK they've given the go ahead to research involving human-cow hybrid embryos for stem cell research. Now I'm a scientist and I love science. I personally don't see the problem. As far as I'm concerned it's a necessary step in helping us to unlock solutions to many diseases afflicting millions of people.

However, I do also believe the industry needs stricked controls, because we are approaching what is a moral tight rope. I don't want people growing human beings, or human/animal hybrid creatures. Fortunately, I don't think there is not much chance of this happening, it's scientifically improbable and would have very little social and political support.

So where are we headed? And is this somewhere you and I want to go? What are the implications for christians? Does this have anything to do with religion? Should we separate science and religion?

Now genetic manipulation can be used for good and evil. Just like guns or just about anything people have invented. Some people seem to think genetic tinkering is an abomination, but isn't it just a progression of human understanding and advancement? Is it really that different from mechanical inventions?

I'd be interested to know what you guys think.

"Perfectionists" - candy coating the psychosis

I was thinking today about perfectionists. Some people use the term in quite a positive way, and seem proud of the fact they are a "perfectionist". They wouldn't be so proud saying

"I'm never happy with what I do, I can't set realistic goals, I have unrealistic expectations of myself and others, and I'm driven by a fear of failure, etc, etc....."

I know this is a bit of a simplistic generalisation but I think personally I've been much too sympathetic to "perfectionists" in my life. Now I used to be a perfectionist when I was younger, and I wasn't happy. I was insecure, stressed and tired. Fortunately I can say that I'm pretty much cured these days. I'm fairly realistic now, and a lot happier. Even content I might say. And I'm still driven to do the best I can do, but I'd say I'm much more productive having left perfectionism behind.

I'm a little bit biased because the relationship I've come from was with a self professed "perfectionist". Unfortunately at the time I didn't really think about the implications on this to our relationship. Using the "retrospectoscope" it was probly one of the single most damaging aspects of the relationship. Her "perfectionsim" and my inability to acknowledge it and address it.

Now I'm not faultless. I like to be needed and wanted, and I'm a people pleaser. I look for ways to make people happy. What's the ultimate challenge? A "perfectionist". Someone who'll never quite be happy, irrespective of the time, effort, etc, etc. Now unfortunately my reaction was initially to try harder to please, and when this didn't work, not bother trying at all. Pretty sad and quite logical from the outide looking back :). We as a couple didn't deal with the deeper issues. The ones we entered the relationship with.

So long story short are the "perfectionists" really to blame or the people that allow them to live a fantasy of "perfectionsim"?

Maybe we can all learn a thing or 2 from the "perfectionists" around us. :)

What's a single guy to do?

This is my first blog. Ever! I have taken over beks blog while her and russ are away. Hopefully the power wont go to my head.

Now for those who don't know me I've recently been born again as a single guy, after a 4.5 year relationship. I'm still a bit torn over my ex, it was the right thing for us to have broken up but after 6 months I'm still a little confused. I'm just starting to try and put the past in the past and seriously think about moving onwards and upwards, and I have a question.

I'm a christian. Should I be looking for a christian girl? What are the pros and cons?

I'm very interested to hear what people think about this, and if any of you have experiences you can share.