20 Oct 2009 2:35 PM

THUMPER, the water feature [behind me with the "Beemer"] is part of the 2000 Olympics held here in Sydney.
It stands at the far northern end of the Grand Boulevarde created to cater for the massive crowds that attended.
Nearby (you can just see it in the background), they also built a pointy gently sloping grassed mountain  (sort of like a ziggurat), for people to meet up (as a reference point) with their friends.
The water feature is a fountain of a series of sloping sculptured tubes jettisoning water under pressure.
Hope you enjoy.

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20 Oct 2009 2:35 PM

THUMPER, the water feature [behind me with the "Beemer"] is part of the 2000 Olympics held here in Sydney.
It stands at the far northern end of the Grand Boulevarde created to cater for the massive crowds that attended.
Nearby (you can just see it in the background), they also built a pointy gently sloping grassed mountain  (sort of like a ziggurat), for people to meet up (as a reference point) with their friends.
The water feature is a fountain of a series of sloping sculptured tubes jettisoning water under pressure.
Hope you enjoy.

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15 Oct 2009 8:14 PM

Deva, Iceberg & Oracle.
The 'bike is a 2003 BMW, an 1150cc RT "boxer" & seats 2 for wonderful cruising/holidays.
We have also an older one, a 1983 BMW 1000cc RS/T, also a cruiser, both of  which we have taken on 4000k holidays around Victoria & New South Wales, taking "the long way" to get to Phillip Island for the motorcycle races twice a year.  My wife is "The Pillion in a Million" who I thought would never get on the back! But she loves it & can't wait for the next getaway! Thanks for your interest. xx

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15 Oct 2009 3:17 PM

This way of preparing black mussels over pasta we find to be the most simple & delicious of meals.
Ingredients: (for 2 people or 1 guts!)

1kg black mussels, scrubbed clean & de-bearded.
Handful of garlic cloves (5 or 7)
1 spanish onion (large)
2 fresh tomatoes
1 can of diced tomatoes
olive oil for cooking
Tobasco to taste (we use 5 or 7 drops)
glass of wine (white or red) + some to slurp whilst creating!
Sprig of parsley (Italian preferably)
1 packet of linguini or spaghettini.

Method:
Prepare sauce by finely chopping garlic & onion & adding to a heated pot with olive oil (about 1/2 a cup).
Heat until onions are clear, then add fresh chopped tomatoes & can of diced tomatoes.
Add wine, tobasco & ground pepper to taste, a sprig of broad leaf parsley, bring  to boil & let simmer a few minutes.
At the same time as (separately) putting the pasta into boiling salted water, add the mussels to the sauce.
It will now take 12 or so minutes to cook the pasta (to al dente) at the same time cooking the mussels in the sauce.
Drain & serve pasta in a deep bowl, with the mussels in sauce ladeled over!  Yum-Yum! Enjoy with your favourite imbibing fluid and thee!

We buy our mussels fresh from the Sydney fish markets, but I believe vacuum sealed packs are available already cleaned & de-bearded. (a bit dearer)

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15 Oct 2009 6:51 AM

One Friday evening, after a hard days work in the drawing office, drinks at "the local" followed by a meal somewhere with fellow work mates was in order.
I had driven my '63 VW beetle in to work that day & it was parked nearby.
At the end of the evening, I farewelled my mates & proceeded to the car, which my key fitted & opened the door. I started it successfully & drove off, heading over the harbour bridge towards my upper north shore home & wife.
Suddenly, mid-bridge, I realised  this wasn't my car!
"Vee dubs" are notoriously easy to get into & start, the older ones the ignition  key resembling an old phone jack or simple a 3" nail!
Anyway, I panicked & as soon as the bridge had been crossed, I abandoned it in a side street, & hitched a ride the rest of the way home. I told the wife I had left our car in town, as I did not want to drive under the influence of alcohol (or is that  the affluence of incohol?).
So next day, Saturday, I caught the train into the city & duly picked up the car. End of story?  NO!
For nearly 3 months that "stolen" car remained in that nearby street, as I could see it from the train each morning when going to work. I never had the intestinal fortitude to report my error.
Eventually I plucked up the courage to ring the local council of the area in which it was parked by telling a little white lie that it was outside our apartment building & seemed to have been abandoned. The next day when on the train to work, I noticed it was gone.
I wonder if the owner ever got it back?

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