Lethargy

I've been very lethargic recently and it's been hard (read impossible) to drag myself out to do any exercise. Not sure if it's due to the very busy last few weeks, a bit of a bug, seasonal fluctuations, something completely random & unexplained like biorhythms or moon phase or a combination of the above.

Whatever the cause it's lead to a lot of sitting around reading books & watching TV. In some ways it's a release - it's nice to give up all pretences of a healthy lifestyle and revel in crappy television, fried foods & chocolate. I have a reasonable base fitness and I've never been that fit anyway so I know that however slovenly I get it won't take long to get back to my peak, such as it is, and so I can just sit back and enjoy the gradual decline. Most of my cycling friends would be shocked to hear an attitude like that - no matter how fit they are there's always another level to reach, another peak to aspire to, and that seems to be able to drive them to get up early, ride hard and suffer the consequent aches, breaks & pains. Sometimes I envy that driven approach to life, it would make things so much simpler.

I also have some friends who are recovering from illness & injury. They've been off bikes for a few months each and are both hanging out to ride, so sometimes I feel a little guilty admiring at the bikes in the garage and then wandering back upstairs. Maybe you need something to be taken away before you really want it, or maybe I'm just a lazy bugger.

Family

Been a bit quiet recently because my parents have been out to visit from the UK. It's always good when people copme to stay because you get to see the same old sites with fresh eyes.

We toured Brisbane on the the city cycles

Checked out some of the wildlife in the local fishponds

Visited the rainforest at Mt Tamborine

including its slightly unnerving 'Skywalk'

Took a trip out to Tangalooma, a resort on Moreton Island where you can feed wild dolphins,

go on boat tours,

snorkel the wrecks (not the remains of previous boat tours, but deliberately sunk to provide calmer water for boats to moor)

or just hang out, enjoy the sunsets & meet the locals
(this is a highly poisonous lionfish - pic taken in an open-topped aqaurium with a long zoom)

We also took a trip up to the heritage centre in Caboolture, which has over 70 traditional old Queenlsand building preserved for you to wander around

As well as some slightly bizarre collections such as vintage radios

antique chainsaws

and generators

Add visits to the Sunshine Coast, navigationally challenged bushwalks arond Mt Gravatt, various pubs & restaraunts, river cruises, walks and the odd cleansing ale at home and it turned out to be a busy week!

Thanks for coming over guys, and I'll see you again soon.

The race that stops a nation

Today is the first Tuesday in November and as such is Melbourne Cup day - the day of the most prestigious & best loved horse race in Australia. It's particularly loved by Victorians, who get a day off on Cup day! But it's a national institution and the rest of the nation also gets to take part. All over Australia there are Melbourne Cup parties, race courses nationwide will be filled to brimming with people watching the race on big screens and most offices will organise some kind of event along with several sweepstakes.

Our office has a 'luncheon' where we all bring in something to eat, project the race up on the wall and of course we all need to wear hats.

The race itself is on a flat course 2 miles long so after all the hype it's over in just a few minutes. And then it's just a case of handing out the winnings. Liz scored big this year, drawing the winning horse on the $5 sweep and the second place horse on the $2. I just about made my money back with a 3rd on the $2 sweep. Never mind, there's always next year...