I started off this blog with a tale of how I gave myself concussion by standing on a rake whilst hunting a mouse with my cat...
Here ia another tale, less happy, n mainly putting it down as I have not yet fully assimalated in my brain what happened and I want to sort out my head space so I am able to do a better job next time.
Long story...
i live next to a Thai restaraunt which has this humungous vent fan thing that sucks out all the air from their kitchen. In doing so a lot of the greas n oil that is being sucked out ends up coagulating n dripping down the outside of the vent, pretty gross actually.
Occassionally small city birds somehow land on the vent or run in to it or something and end up geting covered in oil and cant fly.
During the last year three of the poor buggers have suffered this fate and ended up in my back yard, dunno why they run my back yard as a refuge but so they do.
The first one was a sparrow and I managed to catch it n wash it and a day or so later it flew away...
The second one i don't know what it was, and when I found it it was in a horrible way totally covered with a matt of oil and sand... I killed it to put it out of its misery.
The third one just happened... I saw this Indian Minah looked like a fledgeling but definately an adult, just all its feathers coated in oil...
it was still pretty lively... hopping about, keeping out of the way of the cat, but totally unable to fly and definately oily...
I spent a bit of time stalking it trying to corner it so i gould grab it and give it a bit of a wash... made a couple of unsuccessful grabs and finally had the cat on my side and we managed to get the poor little bird in a poss where it had to make a run for it, got the cat behind the bird, and said cat starts to chase the bird towards me... It was a piteous site, tho fascinating as my cat was in full hunter mode, running behind the bird in a flatttened sort of way, the poor bugger bird running for its life wings tattered n outstretched, screaming its head off, and for some reason, I just froze and didn't grab it when I should have, bird runs between my legs, hops up the steps, flops the two meters down into my other neighbours yard lands on its head, creeps beneath a bush and dies.
I just don't get why i froze and didn't just reach down and grab the poor thing, give it a wash and sort it out... Though I have to confess i have a fascinating mind picture of the cat in full hunter mode, the hopeless yet determined bird running from the jaws of death, BURNT into my brain,
Hopefully next time I'll keep my shit together and do it right ...
bugger.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Monday, November 29, 2010
FREE BEER!
coupla weekends ago I was up in Sydney, catching up with a buncha mates...
Now I have kinda got out of the habit of drinking alcohol on a regular basis... n the start of the catchup was on a Friday night, which included a fantabulous meal, and a LOT of imbibng (for me)
about a 5 mile walk home due to lateness of the hour n collapse into my hotel room in a funky little spot in Glebe... a place of great memories as a man in my twenties when I used to visit my sister whn she stayed there.. Something about glebe ... very strong community...
Anyways, Saturday morning sees me waking up with a hangover.. but a GOOD hangover...The sort that used to make all my friends jealous where, as a younger man, I'd drink n drink, crash, wake up to a kinda zoned feeling... not eveen the dry horrors, more like as though I was perched on my own shoulder, calmly observing the world but not of it....
so I decamped from my hotel room n went wandering down Glebe point Rd, heading towards Rozzelle bay where the Uber Yachts n dragon boats hang out... agin, a pleasant amble checking out the lovely old houses n drifting about...
I get to the foreshore.. passing through a park, and beneath a big old moreton bay fig tree, what do I espy but a partly leaf covered yet still newish unopened stubby of XXX beer...
and thus beer in hand I wander down to a small dock, crack open the stubby... which responds with a reassuring fizz confirming the okayness of the beer, n I sit n drink n salute the gods that were so kind as to provide me with the hair of the dog.. gratis :)
Now I have kinda got out of the habit of drinking alcohol on a regular basis... n the start of the catchup was on a Friday night, which included a fantabulous meal, and a LOT of imbibng (for me)
about a 5 mile walk home due to lateness of the hour n collapse into my hotel room in a funky little spot in Glebe... a place of great memories as a man in my twenties when I used to visit my sister whn she stayed there.. Something about glebe ... very strong community...
Anyways, Saturday morning sees me waking up with a hangover.. but a GOOD hangover...The sort that used to make all my friends jealous where, as a younger man, I'd drink n drink, crash, wake up to a kinda zoned feeling... not eveen the dry horrors, more like as though I was perched on my own shoulder, calmly observing the world but not of it....
so I decamped from my hotel room n went wandering down Glebe point Rd, heading towards Rozzelle bay where the Uber Yachts n dragon boats hang out... agin, a pleasant amble checking out the lovely old houses n drifting about...
I get to the foreshore.. passing through a park, and beneath a big old moreton bay fig tree, what do I espy but a partly leaf covered yet still newish unopened stubby of XXX beer...
and thus beer in hand I wander down to a small dock, crack open the stubby... which responds with a reassuring fizz confirming the okayness of the beer, n I sit n drink n salute the gods that were so kind as to provide me with the hair of the dog.. gratis :)
Monday, March 29, 2010
Red Red Wine
Well pink actually :)
Put down a 5 litre batch of wine today ....fermenting on the windowsill as we speak.
The main components, wild yeast and Black Label "Fruit of the Forest" juice.
The Black label stuff has no preservatives nor other additives, jsut squashed apple n currents and other stuff, striaght from the super market shelf.
A sernedipitous find this brew...
A few months back I drank half a bottle of the blac label juice whilst at the 'puter and capped it and fforgot to put it back in the fridge... forgot all about it in fact and upon finding it a week later , I noticed it was fermenting, no mould just gass n bubbles, and a good clean yeast alcohol smell coming from the gas... so I kept the bottle capped and released gasses over the next few weeks till it stopped, then decanted the result into two more bottles, and let those ferment away for a couple of weeks till they too stopped producing gas, decanted into two wine bottles with stoppers, let sit for another two weeks, had a sip, had a glass had a bottle... nice little buzz and a taste like sweet champagne happy with the result.
Now thanks to my upbringing as a survivalist/gun-toting hippy in the wilds of remote east gippsland Victoria Australia, I have a pretty fair grasp of the workings of fruit and yeast and on top of that thanks to a few dodgy associates in adult life with tales of prison hooch, I knew that by keeping the sludgge from the brew in the back of the fridge, I had a good starter for a real batch in the future...
The Future came yesterday!
My local Stupor Market had 4 litres of black label fruit of the forest on sale (still fresh quick sale labels) for 99 cents each... so I bought the lot, grabbed the sludge mixed it all into 5 bottles overall, and now it sits, fizzing away...letting the old yeast do its magic...
Five weeks or so and I should have me some yummy bottles of home made wine... worst case... yummy vinegar.
Must get a camera so the awesomeness of the brew as it progresses can be captured.
CHeers!
;)
Put down a 5 litre batch of wine today ....fermenting on the windowsill as we speak.
The main components, wild yeast and Black Label "Fruit of the Forest" juice.
The Black label stuff has no preservatives nor other additives, jsut squashed apple n currents and other stuff, striaght from the super market shelf.
A sernedipitous find this brew...
A few months back I drank half a bottle of the blac label juice whilst at the 'puter and capped it and fforgot to put it back in the fridge... forgot all about it in fact and upon finding it a week later , I noticed it was fermenting, no mould just gass n bubbles, and a good clean yeast alcohol smell coming from the gas... so I kept the bottle capped and released gasses over the next few weeks till it stopped, then decanted the result into two more bottles, and let those ferment away for a couple of weeks till they too stopped producing gas, decanted into two wine bottles with stoppers, let sit for another two weeks, had a sip, had a glass had a bottle... nice little buzz and a taste like sweet champagne happy with the result.
Now thanks to my upbringing as a survivalist/gun-toting hippy in the wilds of remote east gippsland Victoria Australia, I have a pretty fair grasp of the workings of fruit and yeast and on top of that thanks to a few dodgy associates in adult life with tales of prison hooch, I knew that by keeping the sludgge from the brew in the back of the fridge, I had a good starter for a real batch in the future...
The Future came yesterday!
My local Stupor Market had 4 litres of black label fruit of the forest on sale (still fresh quick sale labels) for 99 cents each... so I bought the lot, grabbed the sludge mixed it all into 5 bottles overall, and now it sits, fizzing away...letting the old yeast do its magic...
Five weeks or so and I should have me some yummy bottles of home made wine... worst case... yummy vinegar.
Must get a camera so the awesomeness of the brew as it progresses can be captured.
CHeers!
;)
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Gahh
I am so sick of being sick, this is the third day now.
I spent the morning washing dishes and refusing to mop the floor
The ants have avoided my house this summer, I am pleased that I can leave crumbs of food everywhere.
This afternoon I watched Pink Floyd The Wall
on a VCR/Television combination that I found in a rubbish bin two months ago.
I kinda understand now that psychosis is strangely un-unique...
kinda like religion... in fact too damn much so.
I know I should cut my toenails but right now they are too far away, and so I pray no-one notices
when I go to the supermarket wearing thongs
I need more garlic to ingest and scare these freakin sinus vampires AWAY.
;)
I spent the morning washing dishes and refusing to mop the floor
The ants have avoided my house this summer, I am pleased that I can leave crumbs of food everywhere.
This afternoon I watched Pink Floyd The Wall
on a VCR/Television combination that I found in a rubbish bin two months ago.
I kinda understand now that psychosis is strangely un-unique...
kinda like religion... in fact too damn much so.
I know I should cut my toenails but right now they are too far away, and so I pray no-one notices
when I go to the supermarket wearing thongs
I need more garlic to ingest and scare these freakin sinus vampires AWAY.
;)
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Colds n shite during Annual leave
gahhh
Reason I am busy building my web presence at the mo is I am kinda prepping for self-employment... having a bit of practice during a WHOLE WEEK of annual leave (can't beleive I have somehow accumulated 9 weeks of the stuff...)
Anyways two days into the bloody "holiday" and I am struck by a bloody cold that doesn't stop me functioning but makes me feel like a bag full of used food.
Gueuss it's the poor old bod saying take a bloody break ya stoopid bloody human...
Stoopid body
Stoopid Snot
Grrr bahh hummbug hot milk n garlic n honey and really load techno music to drive off the bugs and to hell with the neighbours.
;)
Reason I am busy building my web presence at the mo is I am kinda prepping for self-employment... having a bit of practice during a WHOLE WEEK of annual leave (can't beleive I have somehow accumulated 9 weeks of the stuff...)
Anyways two days into the bloody "holiday" and I am struck by a bloody cold that doesn't stop me functioning but makes me feel like a bag full of used food.
Gueuss it's the poor old bod saying take a bloody break ya stoopid bloody human...
Stoopid body
Stoopid Snot
Grrr bahh hummbug hot milk n garlic n honey and really load techno music to drive off the bugs and to hell with the neighbours.
;)
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Stoopid Cat, Stoopid Mouse, Stoopid Rake n Stoopid Freakin' human
Righty tighty,
Just to get this whole thing going, I shall relate a tale somewhat old (about a month now), that will hopefully amuse.
I have a cat.. not the brightest cat in the shed but not too dumb either.
I live on top of an op-shop, surrounded by a cluster of takeaway shops and a small shopping mall.
I have a tiny back yard.
Hanging out in the yard with my cat, I noticed the little bugger was very interested in a clump of weeds by the gate... Pounce, jump, claw, out runs a mouse, bolting across the yard to hide in the opposite corner amongst some garden pots n garden tools.
There are a few mice around, no surprise with the plethora of eateries surrounding my gaff. My cat, the fluffy beast, occassionally brings me a live mouse... he doesn't seem to know how or want to know how to kill em and spits em out at my feet. The pair of us then spend a bit of time chasing the poor bugger around the house, me lifting things up so the cat can get to wherever poor mouse is hiding, cat looking everywhere that mouse has BEEN not where mouse IS, 'til eventually mouse is cornered, I can grab it, bop it on the head with half a brick n pop it in the rubbish. So the pair of us kinda work together in the hunt.
As usual, Cat totally missed the mouse running to the other side of the yard and was excitedly pawing at the clump of weeds.
I amble over to the bunch of pots n tools n start clearing the area to give the cat access. Call the beast over, and he gets the idea and starts getting in amongst it.
Mouse has hidden behind shovel and rake so I lift these up and lie them down behind me outta the way.
Cat sees mouse...
I take a step back to give the cat more room... Rake is between my legs... My back foot lands on the Rake head, with all my weight in that direction, and no chance of doing anything but continuing to put it there, The handle of rake flicks up, Just like a cartoon, and I have enough time to think Bugger and duck my head just enough to ensure handle hits my foreheand not my nose.
WHACK! Bit of a sting in that one! I see stars, and instantly feel a lump occurring... stagger up to the freezer to get some ice.. no ice only a packet of Filo pastry...
So I spend the next half hour wandering around the house with a lump of frozen filo pastry on my noggin, occassionally checking my pupils in case I am concussed.
All good, and next day at work there is no surprise from my colleagues as I relate the story about my forehead lump. They've come to expect that kinda shit from me :).
Nice
Score:
Mouse: 1
Rake: 1
Human: 0
Just to get this whole thing going, I shall relate a tale somewhat old (about a month now), that will hopefully amuse.
I have a cat.. not the brightest cat in the shed but not too dumb either.
I live on top of an op-shop, surrounded by a cluster of takeaway shops and a small shopping mall.
I have a tiny back yard.
Hanging out in the yard with my cat, I noticed the little bugger was very interested in a clump of weeds by the gate... Pounce, jump, claw, out runs a mouse, bolting across the yard to hide in the opposite corner amongst some garden pots n garden tools.
There are a few mice around, no surprise with the plethora of eateries surrounding my gaff. My cat, the fluffy beast, occassionally brings me a live mouse... he doesn't seem to know how or want to know how to kill em and spits em out at my feet. The pair of us then spend a bit of time chasing the poor bugger around the house, me lifting things up so the cat can get to wherever poor mouse is hiding, cat looking everywhere that mouse has BEEN not where mouse IS, 'til eventually mouse is cornered, I can grab it, bop it on the head with half a brick n pop it in the rubbish. So the pair of us kinda work together in the hunt.
As usual, Cat totally missed the mouse running to the other side of the yard and was excitedly pawing at the clump of weeds.
I amble over to the bunch of pots n tools n start clearing the area to give the cat access. Call the beast over, and he gets the idea and starts getting in amongst it.
Mouse has hidden behind shovel and rake so I lift these up and lie them down behind me outta the way.
Cat sees mouse...
I take a step back to give the cat more room... Rake is between my legs... My back foot lands on the Rake head, with all my weight in that direction, and no chance of doing anything but continuing to put it there, The handle of rake flicks up, Just like a cartoon, and I have enough time to think Bugger and duck my head just enough to ensure handle hits my foreheand not my nose.
WHACK! Bit of a sting in that one! I see stars, and instantly feel a lump occurring... stagger up to the freezer to get some ice.. no ice only a packet of Filo pastry...
So I spend the next half hour wandering around the house with a lump of frozen filo pastry on my noggin, occassionally checking my pupils in case I am concussed.
All good, and next day at work there is no surprise from my colleagues as I relate the story about my forehead lump. They've come to expect that kinda shit from me :).
Nice
Score:
Mouse: 1
Rake: 1
Human: 0
m'kay
This is my second Blog... I also have a technical analysis oriented thingy at this address:
http://winkinatcha.blogspot.com/
But unless yer madly into technical analysis and trading futures n other financial instrujments, I'd suggest you AVOID it like the plague as it will sound like a lot of gobbledy gook.
This'n however is more of an outlet for the other stuff i do... mad professor things like building battery powered electric briefcases and bizarre bicycles, "counselling" various friends, philosophising on the vagueries of our beloved world, micro stories n crap verse, tales of pain and my stoopid yet remarkably cute cat and all those other things a slightly different though surprisingly the same, mid forties white male Australian gets up to n thinks about.
Cheers n beers n if yer reading this, chuck in a comment as howling alone into the wilderness, though fun is nowhere near as fun as having someone howl back.
:)
http://winkinatcha.blogspot.com/
But unless yer madly into technical analysis and trading futures n other financial instrujments, I'd suggest you AVOID it like the plague as it will sound like a lot of gobbledy gook.
This'n however is more of an outlet for the other stuff i do... mad professor things like building battery powered electric briefcases and bizarre bicycles, "counselling" various friends, philosophising on the vagueries of our beloved world, micro stories n crap verse, tales of pain and my stoopid yet remarkably cute cat and all those other things a slightly different though surprisingly the same, mid forties white male Australian gets up to n thinks about.
Cheers n beers n if yer reading this, chuck in a comment as howling alone into the wilderness, though fun is nowhere near as fun as having someone howl back.
:)
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