weblog > archives > Exciting new stuff
No sudden movements
February 23, 2008 6:14 PM
Let's say that I am a little on struggle street at the moment. The last 10 hours have involved a good deal of eating. Actually, the last 3 days have been pretty good for that.
Amy should post all about the amazing dinner on thursday night (all I have to say about it is that I got to eat Haggis, a Scottish dessert called Cranachan, Pork Belly & a fantastic singlemalt Whisky from Glenkinchie), so I thought I would tell you about today. Actually, I remembered to bring along my Camera (unlike on thursday night) so I can SHOW you about today.
Here goes...
When Shona & I arrived at 9am (planned, so that we could a) catch up with Amy & b) score some free breakfast) we could think of no better picture to arrive to than two of my lovely nieces sitting down to breakfast. They are as cute as buttons & lots of fun!!
Cutie #1 (in no specific order)
Cutie #2. (aided by the static electricity of two balloons!)
Of course, hanging out at breakfast was only the beginning. After helping Amy book her accommodation for her may trip to Edinburgh (yay for her!) She & Bethy headed home & the rest of us headed into a great place called "Tatler" for some fantastic tapas, a dash of wine & some celebration for mum making the big "Six Ohhh".
(The following food photography section is dedicated to Amy, whose food pictures inspired me, and Tricia & Jessica, who in turn inspired Amy! This has to be worth a comment from each of you?)
A fantastic menu & a nice Rose was a good way to start.
We can't do anything before remembering the person whom we are celebrating.
The squid is a family favourite (so were the garlic prawns that I forgot to photo)
Kristin picked the field mushrooms & they were a hit!
Is Lamb Souvlaki ever a bad thing?
After our "Mains" Kristin, Charlotte & I went outside to feed the ducks. They were pretty from a distance, but gosh they were ugly to look at close up!
Ugly Ducks
The highlight of the day, however, had to be the desserts. I had a chance to have a shot at all of them!
Bavarian chocolate pudding with vanilla bean icecream.
Almond semifreddo with raspberry coulis & biscotti
Chocolate cookie sandwich with vanilla bean icecream filling.
Having gorged ourselves for a couple of hours, P&K headed back to stay at Mum & Dad's house, while Shona & I headed home, because of church commitments tomorrow...
Now the only question that remains is "What will we try & do for dinner?"
And.... We're live!
February 15, 2008 1:17 PM
As of approximately 12:55, on the afternoon of Feb 15th, Tim & Shona got the internet at their house!
In 24 hours (phones have to charge) we'll have a landline & then we officially exist!
Pictures of our new digs & other miscellanea to follow.
Auld Reekie
March 14, 2007 11:22 PM
Auld Reekie is another name for Edinburgh.
I really love that city.
I have this little dream of moving back there, or maybe into country Scotland in the future!
Did I mention that I am going there for my honeymoon?
What a sweet deal! Shona's sister & bro-in-law (Hi Maret & Tim, Charlotte & Will) moved there a couple of weeks ago, cause Tim got a job there. Unfortunately They wont be able to make it back for the wedding because of their two young kids, so, Shona & decided to bring things to them! (thanks to some assistance)
So, July 1 it is back to Auld Reekie for a week, followed by a week through the highlands & lowlands of Scotland & then topped off with 4 days in Paris! Let's hope that Shona doesn't read this, so I can get away with saying "think of all the great photos I'll be able to take over there!!!!"
Meanwhile, it is full steam ahead at college & Church. We've got Revive coming to play at Youth Group on friday. I am preaching on Sunday, plus there is the usual load of assignments (I finished an essay 4 whole days early!) and a mountain of prep for Mission which is in a week and a half!
I'll still try & blog at least once before I go.
Meanwhile, here are a couple of old pictures of Scotland. So much to look forward to!
Doune Castle, near Stirling is the place where they shot 3/4 of "Monty Python & the Holy Grail"
This is a little house just before you reach Glencoe. Imagine having a back yard like that!
The Clava Cairns are 6000 years old! Lovely looking things.
So the story's told
November 14, 2006 10:58 PM
Girls, if you are anything like the girls I have met over the last 5 days, you may as well just skip the following story & proceed directly to the pictures of the ring at the bottom of this post.
Why would you propose a couple of days before your exams start?Some might ask.
(Why would you write a blog about it at 11pm the night before your worst exam?)Others might also query.... to that question there is no answer!
As to the first question, people want to know, so here's the story.
Welcome!
October 24, 2006 12:59 AM
Welcome Dave to the world of blogging!
I'm looking forward to some good stories & some great pictures. I'm sure some of the timgoldsmith.com readers are too. Maybe a story about people you go to Bible College with?
TCG.><>.
A Sovereign God
August 15, 2006 2:29 AM
I'd spent a fair bit of time on Sunday night's sermon. I had really grappled with this passage & felt like I had a two-handed grip on it. It's been a great personal challenge to me too. That said, I just didn't feel like I was in the comfortable position I wanted to be with the sermon itself. It didn't feel gripping & I had less of that tingly anticipation & more of that nervous apprehension about how it would all pan out.
My lead in to preaching was not ideal that afternoon. I had some rough stuff to do, compounded by the fact that I left a folder with all my sermon notes & confirmation class notes at home (cue the mad drive down to the supermarket to buy some CDs to burn new copies of everything on my laptop so I could print them off at work.)
Bad place. Less than confident with the shape of my sermon but there I was.
Did I mention that Shona came & so did her friends (and my new friends) Sim & Dave, Marty & Jen?
I felt like the sermon itself went fairly average & like I put in a sub-par effort for my visitors.
Sometimes you need a lesson about a sovereign God who works through weak vessels.
One of my parishioners gave me some great feedback, saying that I had really spoken to her that night. Initially I thought she was just being polite, but she repeated the same sentiments a little later. My great visitors also gave me some good feedback (though I was encouraged that they felt comfortable about giving me the honest criticism about my being tied to my notes a bit too).
It was a tough day for me, but as I lay in bed reflecting last night, I realised that God is faithful to me & is seeking to use me even when I feel like crap & don't feel like I have put a foot right. His strength really is perfected in my weakness!
So thanks to my visitors, thanks to great parishoners & praise be our sovereign God!
Welcome to the crew...
April 24, 2006 12:46 AM
Can I say how much I hate the word "Bling"!
Now I have to be careful. Most of my Antipodean friends would claim that I am a great user of North American affectations. They may even be right, but that doesn't stop me frong cringing and bristling every time I hear jewelry referred to as such.
Were Silver or Gold to be sentient, I am pretty sure it would melt off the fingers of any such faux fashionistas and head posthaste to the earth, rich, sweet and real. Of course, that via the throat of its ex-owner (and I mean that in the "they are no longer with us" sense of the word "ex").
Kirsty is not a "Bling" kind of girl.
Of course, I mean this in the best possible sense. She certainly has style and flair! But her elegance comes in a classic, effortless style that refuses such poxy, fleeting terms.
Kirty turned 30.
So this is a pic of Kirt showing off her latest birthday acquisitions.
I only just noticed the bandaid on the thumb. Possibly the result of an injury earned in the line of duty as a teacher. Always in the fray.
So, Friday night was Kirsty's 30th. An awesome night, first and foremost because it is great to see such a cool chick with so many of her friends around, but equally awesome because it was a chance to catch up with a bunch of old friends.
From left to right, Ronnie, Geneveive, Me, Cate & Kirsty.
Four good friends from my school days were there. Ronnie, Jacqui , Geneveive and Cate. I hadn't seen Ronnie in over a decade (and I have never spelled her name, only spoken it... so apologies if I got it wrong), and Jacq & Gen I don't get to see as often as I would like, so that was awesome.
so there were many people ladies looking lovely, and with me knowing primarily chicks there, I looked quite like the ladies man, man's man, man about town!
Of course I love catching up with my old friends!
Well there you go. It was a great way to finish of my holiday weeks. I told the girls that I would write about them & I'm not a liar (Jacq, how did you escape the group picture? You will get your own one soon).
So, Kirsty, Cate, Gen, Jacq, & Ronnie. True examples & class and style.
And no need for a single "Bling"
I love the "fisheye" style pool shots!
Exciting and new
January 13, 2006 5:06 PM
OK, so there isn't a great deal of things that are happening that are either exciting or new...
I've been house sitting for the week at Dave's house in Kenthurst. Its been nice to have very little to do & to just relax a little. I finished "The Grapes of Wrath" and did some reading for the intensive subject that I do on the first week of college. In fact, I have had so much time that last night I even did an assignment for that subject! That bad boy has to be at least two weeks early!
I did have a fairly exciting Saturday last week, when I shot Cam & Louise's wedding. It was the first wedding that I did all by myself & I have to admit that I didn't enjoy it at all! It is just stressful & you never know how things are going to turn out. I have a couple more weddings to do & then I think I may retire from this profession, unless I can secure a great assistant who can make me look good....
One little frustration has been that I have a great signal from my hosts wifi computer, but it wont actually connect to the net, so unfortunately, I am without the ability to upload any photos or anything for you all.
OK, if you hadn't guessed from this entry so far, I appear to be without any real direction and devoid of inspiration, so I might get back to doing some readings. 1 1/2 more hours & we have Shannyn's celebration dinner, as she finishes up work as a DT & waits to start at St Jude's as an MTS worker! Happy days ahead.
And finallly
January 6, 2006 11:35 PM
OK, so I know a lot of people have been waiting for some wedding pics from Tim & Christy's. Well they are finally here!
I was ready to post them the other day, but my computer decided to play silly buggers.
Enjoy.
"The Money Shot". It was a long time coming, so they got stuck into this kiss!!!
Singalong.
The look of love. It's in his eyes...
The crew. Jacq, Prillz, Jodes, and Trace, each looking lovely at the wedding. Pick which one was the bridesmaid?
They did what?
November 29, 2005 1:38 AM
It has been a big week.
It has been a weird week.
I fear it is going to be a long post! Strap yourself in if you are up for the ride (since I am writing it at 3:40 in the AM, it could be a bumpy ride!)
#1
Monday. Greek Exam.
An experience somewhat like having teeth removed without the pleasant effects of any anaesthetic. Still it is over & I am free from that & that is a good thing.
I surprised many (including myself) by staying in after having finished my exams. I didn't feel like heading down to the pub. I have been there several times since though, as I shall outline.
#2
A visit to the Royal North Shore (RNS) Hospital.
Dinner had been eaten. Dave (commonly known as "poochy") threw something at Rachael. She splashed him with water, so he picked her up & started to carry her to the fountain.
Rach, a spirited lass, swung out with a leg, manageding to connect a glancing blow to Dave's head. Not enough to really hurt him or anything, but enough to shock him, causing him to drop Rach & for Rach to land on her head!
One cracking sound, two anxious nurses (one of whom is her boyfriend) and three minutes later & I am heading off to the hospital with Rach, Steve (the boyfriend & my good mate) and Rochelle (another Nurse & friend & college).
Of course, there are hospitals that are closer, but the RNS happens to be close to my favourite pub, the "Great Northern" and Steve & I were hoping that we would be out fast enough to score a drink or two aftewards! That was not the case.... 6 or more hours it took! Luckily, Steve brough my Narnia Series books with him (He & Rach had been reading them) so I got to read about 50 pages aloud to the other three (The Magicians Nephew) and we got to goof around a little in the hopital.
#3 The Tour of our dorm by the girls.
Next year, the girls are going to end up in the dorm that we are currently in & we get theirs. It was decided that they should get a tour of "RHG" on the thursday morning. We of course, wanted to make sure that it was a good thing for them. We cleaned up a fair bit & made the place look nice.
We also got a picture of one of the girls, photocopied it 130 times & stuck in on every available bit of wall space in a guys room!
It looked pretty freaky. I also printed out a "LIz's Favourites" list, that went through things that she liked & we highlighted a week-planner with all of her classes listed on it. The effect was a room that looked like a shrine. The plan was that as the girls would come down the hall, all the rooms would be locked but this one. The tour guide (my mate Cam) would lead them past the room, but not stop there, choosing instead to head down to a room further down the hall. All it took was for one girl to look in and the job would be done.
The chicks saw it. The chicks freaked, the chicks laghed. It was good times...
Liz, however, was a little freaked by it. We picked her, cause she is very well adjusted. We were thankful that we didn't try it on someone less so....
#4 The Party
So I am Thirty. I had a little gathering to celebrate the fact!
The day before? Pouring rain.
The morning of? Bucketing rain.
Twenty minutes before the party started? The sun rears its head!
The duration on the party? Sunny and happy!
A couple of hours after the party? The rain sets back in.
God was gracious in regard to the weather, though my friend Caz who was having her thirtieth that night might not have felt so....
It was a great day & a good opportunity to see a lot of friends, even if I didn't get to catch up with any of them well enough. I also got to hang out with the Nieces and Nephews which is ALWYAYS a valuable things!
(Would you believe that I didn't take a single picture the whole day!!!!)
#5 So here we are.
I've just about moved out of my room at college. I will finish the job tomorrow morning. Then it is off to the Hunter Valley for a couple of days, before back for Youth Group, hanging out for the weekend, CHurch, then off to New Zealand on Monday!!!
Good times!
Still here? I applaud your patience!
Just another taste
August 28, 2005 12:06 AM
Well it is just past midnight. I am up in a couple of hours for Church, so I am not going to give an epic report or anything. What I can do though, is leave you with a picture or two that gives you just a taste of N8s bucks.
Enjoy...
The day started well with N8 getting a "paint job" with fluro orange & purple being added. You can't get away without having a single prank played on your Bucks day!
At first I just thought I would fulfil the promise I made to Andy by publishing some photo of him, but then this cracker turned out! I am pretty sure that this is the look that won this canny Englishman his Beautiful Australian Bride!
60 years?
August 7, 2005 12:04 PM
Not everyone loves spending time with their family.
For some, the thought of extracting an afternoons conversation from their parents, sibs, aunts, uncles and cousins is akin to extracting a fingernail without anaesthetic. To choose to spend a weekend with them, well that would just be madness.
Of course, there are also many who look forward to any opportunity to spend some time with the near and dear. Like that last easter egg in a ten year old's hand, I'd love to be able to hold on to those days when the family get together, because like the egg the days are smooth, they are sweet & they seem to go all too fast.
Such was friday night and Saturday.
Were you to ask my Grandparents (who shall henceforth be referred to as Granny and Bamma), they might say that they feel the same way about the last 60 years! That's how long they have been married!
60 Years
Two continents (Granny being English, Bamma being an Aussie), a courtship in war, three kids, lots more grandkids, a business built in Camelias, a thousand happy occasions and, I'm sure, a handful of grieving moments. A million little experiences, some savoured, some missed, all now past.
It is an occasion. It is reason for celebration. 60 years! 20-odd family members slip up to the Hunter Valley for the weekend. I pick up my sister Amy & Beth, her youngest, from the airport & then we drive up to join the festivities. Of course we're excited. We're spending time with those we love.
Not everyone loves spending time with their family. But we do. These occasions are so many things to me. They are quiet beers, casual chats, tossing around a footy, or yelling out hopefully "one hand, one bounce" as we play backyard cricket. It's almost 30 years of my life. Memories for my parents, memories of mine & now becoming memories for my nieces and nephews.
For us it has been something we do, a part of who we are. Well, my hope for Granny and Bamma (Granny I know you read this blog) is that they have enjoyed the weekend, knowing that it is not just something they do, but something they have made!
Bamma can no longer really walk & Granny essentially looks after him full-time, but they don't have to run around to enjoy this. Granny & Bamma. Sit back, grab another glass of red & enjoy watching the fruit of your labour! Your family love each other because you loved us first!
And we love you too.
The Bride and Groom.
It's not every day that you get a letter from the Queen!
4 generations. From L to R Anne, Amy, Beth, Kristin Charlotte & Granny.
My own little G8
July 11, 2005 12:00 AM
It was a meeting of minds. The first time that Me Mal, Phil & Kristin, the Heaps, and Mum & Dad have been in the same room. A meeting of the blogging extended family! (though Mum & Dad are going to have to pick up the pace a little, lest you get left behind!)
It was great to see everyone & always awesome to see all the kids! Mal is a top bloke & had all kinds of little suggestions re: photography, which I think are going to be a great deal of help to me. I really need to spend more time around good photographers, so I can glean a bit of an idea of what I am doing!
Tonight was Church, then a Krispy Kreme run with Shannyn and Dave. An hour each way in travel makes for lots of good chats! What to do with these 24 fat-filled fellas hiding out in my brothers kitchen though? Those doughnuts are too good!
OK, on to a photo or two. I'll save you all a thousand words.
Don't be fooled by the smiles. They are all cold-blooded killers!
Jocelyn. Reason No.1 why we were there.
Bethany (in mid-flight) is the second birthday girl of the day.
treading the grain
June 5, 2005 11:20 PM
I have had a busy weekend. Well, I haven't done a great deal of stuff, but more than enough to keep me entertained.
Friday night was youth group. It was good times, because we have a bunch of Uni students on mission from Cedarville University in Ohio. They were just hanging out on the friday night & enjoying youth group as it came.
Saturday was a little bit of study, some final bits of sermon prep, and then a beer or two down at the pub with a mate. In the evening I headed over to my minister Darren's house, where we hung out and chatted. I stayed the night there because I had to drive Darren to the 7:45am service, which means being there at about 7:20. Not my time of day.
After the first service, I managed to pile in 4 guys, all of my gear, a guitar & a major-sized keyboard into the PT-cruiser so that we could all head to the St. Columb's church. The guys were Cedarvill dudes & they performed, Darren lead the service & I preached!
I hung at church for the afternoon, shot some hoops with the kids & then got the place ready for the evening service, which was going to be a dinner service of sorts. Certainly not traditional church.
The Cedarville people did a number of different performances then I got to preach again! Certainly a different beast! We were expecting maybe 60 people & got in excess of 100! The night went well.
Man, I am aware that this is a very dry post. For that I apologise, but I am feeling whacked after a big day with only an estimated 3 hours sleep last night (which I blame on a combination of nervousness, a foreign bed, Darren's young daughter who wakes up at night, and the dodgy digestion of some lebanese "kibbi balls").
Insread, you can enjoy a picture from tonight. This is actually me about 20 seconds before my sermon started. Thanks to everyone who rocked up! Oh, before I forget, a special thanks to N8 & Amy who travelled out from their home church, just to come & support me while I preached. Much love to you guys!
Each and every time
May 22, 2005 12:34 AM
Each and every time I go & visit my Brother & his wife Kristin (or is it Kristin, and her Husband my brother?) I end up writing something about the cool factor. I'll try & resist that temptation tonight. That said, listening to the Yello Classic "Oh Yeah" and the 70's Rap "Rappers Delight" by the Sugar Hill Gang, was a real highlight to my week.
The Waratah's won tonight. Good news. You know that a team has to be tough when they are named after a flower. They are going to be very tough though, much stronger than tonights 23-13 performance, if they expect to beat the Crusaders in the Super 12's final next week.
Youth Surge was on on friday night & it was pretty awesome. Talks on purity and holiness are always pretty tough to do, but I thought it was approached sensitively & intelligently. I may have to do a special talk about it next week or something.
Always good to see the worlds cutest niece (A title that changes depending on which niece I get to see).
Vegas Baby, VEGAS!
May 18, 2005 3:38 PM
New computer? Check
Been paid already by insurance? Not Check.
Computer working properly? After having problems with ram & then getting online, CHECK!
Happy that I have a .Mac account? After I found out that it has reloaded my address book, Calenders, Mail preferences & favourites.... Check!
Glad to be back in the Blogosphere? Check!
Let's never fight again!
Come ashore
April 22, 2005 11:51 AM
We all have them.
They are the ‘Lighthouse’ moments of our life. If you draw to close to the light, you know you are going to run onto the rocky shores of reminiscence. They are those moments of your life that typify what it was to ‘be’ when you were young. It’s the Toyota Tarago that deposited you at a thousand rugby games. It’s Chinese food on Sunday night as the whole family sits together watching “60 Minutes”, or the later years where you and your brother sneak out back to catch the new hit series “Alf”.
A terrific Triumvirate
February 21, 2005 11:25 AM
OK, tonight I get to deliver on three different things that three different groups are waiting for. Two of these are in pictoral format & one is in the form of a little quiz.
I know, I know, of course everyone wants to read EVERY bit of each post that I write. That said, I thought I would let you know what's coming and in which order, so if there is something that you, dear reader, are just begging to see first, you can skip ahead now & then come back & enjoy the secondary delights afterwards.
No.1: (They are in Chronological order of when I managed to do them, just in case anyone is displeased that they aren't #1) Are a couple of pictures that I took at the Sydney Botanical Gardens on Saturday. I went there with the college Photgraphic Club. I convinced them to go there though, because Allison, a dear friend & committed reader, wanted some pics to remind her of Sydney.
Where's the love Al? Here's the love!
No.2: Some pictures from the wedding of Gerard & Briar. G-Rad is my Sister-in-law's brother, and also my brother in Christ. I was lucky enough to be asked to take pictures of the Groom & his men as they got ready, so between that, wedding shots & the reception, I got about 290 photos. Tonight you only get 3! There will be more to come...
No.3: Tricia did a little quiz think & mentioned in her last answer that shou would be interested in reading what I listened to. How could I deny the matriarch of the triumvirate of girls in that read my blog?
OK, on to the good stuff. As usual, click on the pics if you want a big version.
Harbour view from a walkway.
There were some amazing flowers throughout the gardens.
I just like the lines in this.
OK, now on to the Wedding!
Groomsmen chilling with one hour to go.
My niece Charlotte, already working a crowd at age 6-months, kept the mood light while the boys waiting for the Bride's arrival.
The Bridesmaids & Groomsmen were on the floor, but Gerard & Briar were in their own world!
A couple of years under their own marriage belt & Phil (my little brother) and Kristin (the grooms sister) still feel the sparks! Thank heavens that Gerard & Briar didn't base their wedding kiss on P&K's current style!
OK, finally to part three!
Random 10 Albums Semi-Sorta Randomly pulled from my collection:
1. 20,000 Watt R.S.L: Midnight Oil's greatest hits
2. Bossa Nova at Carnegie Hall
3. Divine Madness: The best of Madness
4. G.I. Gantic - The Grand Incredible
5. JLove, Angel, Music Baby - Gwen Stefani
6 Last chance to dance trance - Modeski, Martin & Wood.
7. O Brother where are thou - Soundtrack
8. Oddysey #5 - Powderfinger
9 .Terminator-X and the Valley of the Jeep Beets - Terminator-X & various artists
10. VaVoom - Brian Setzer & the Brian Setzer Orchestra.
All Americans need to buy Powderfinger albumns!
What is the total amount of music files on your computer?
5.94 Gig
The last CD you bought is: New music live from "The Panel". A compilation of a bunch of artists who go on to a TV show & play live stuff.
Five songs that you often listen to or that mean a lot to you
OK, these are just songs I listen to a lot at the moment.
1: I shot the sheriff - Bob Marley & the Wailers
2: Bubble pop electric - Gwen Stefani
3: Older than you - Eskimo Joe
4: Triple Trouble - THe Beastie Boys
5: Already Gone - Powderfinger
Who are you gonna pass this stick to? (5 persons and why)
This is tough, cause it would have to be people who read my blog.
1: Phil Goldfinch: I dig my brother's taste in music.
2: Amy Heap: Likewise, Amy is pretty cool.
3: Mal Heap: I love learning more about a fascinating guy.
4: Maybe Christy Peek. I am not sure if she reads my blog, but she goes to my College.
5: Anyone else who wants to leave answers in the comments section.
Brave newe world
February 15, 2005 3:29 AM
It is an exciting time, because a small consortium of guys in my dorm have come together & managed to get broadband access through a wire free provider & get a wifi set-up between our rooms. Good times
In celebration, here are a couple of pics.
As usual, just click on the picture if you want a bigger version.
A little spider at church.
Expectant boys on the eve of Valentines day.
Jeff plays some hot licks!
Late Breaking News (Pun intended)
February 4, 2005 7:02 AM
It is 4:15pm, Tim strides onto the oval for a game of Tip footy. I (changing for no apparent reason from third person to first person) walk gingerly for a few paces as I get used to the new brace I bought for my bad ankle.
The game starts, the pace is frenetic, but the enjoyment level is high. Half-time is spent helping some guy push a car up onto a trailer. Just the kind of thing that a dozen or so Bible college students do in their spare time.
Early in the second half, I cruise over the line for my second try. It is nice to score, knowing that I am no longer the fastest guy on the field. A minute later, I find a gap in the defence and I am streaming down the sideline, looking for try NO.3, but knowing I will get caught by a particularly fast defender. My brace is doing a good job of protecting my ankle.
If only it did as good a job for the bones in my foot.
So, there I am, running hell-for-leather, when I hear a popping noise. I slow up, pass off the ball & then sit down to check out my foot. It hurts. 5 minutes later, Sam, a lecturer at college, and a doctor to boot, confirms that it hurts (doctors have a way of doing this with their enthusiastic examinations) and tells me that if it is still giving me grief in 24 hours, that I should get it X-rayed.
27 hours later. I'm sitting in my ministers office. I have just been to the medical center & they confirmed a nice looking little fracture in my 5th Metatarsel. I should have a cast on, but I'll wait till tomorrow, so I can get my car back to College.
Some people go through their lives having never broken anything. They often ask me how I manage to be so successful at it. I till them "once you get the hang of it, it's a snap!"
Exciting things
January 21, 2005 2:55 PM
I have written about how cool my brother Phil is before, but I have to do it at least this one more time!
When I used to live with my parents, the room I slept in had a Norman Rockwell painting in it, and every morning when I opened my eyes, I could look above me & be gazing at "Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas".
Of course you can't live at home forever & parents who are willing to let you keep your bed usually draw the line at you taking the art of the walls.
Cut to 5 or so years later. I am still in Scotland, and my brother is together with the rest of the fam trying to think of a birthday/Christmas present, when Phil remembers my love of the print. A couple of months later, Tim arrives home, just in time to get the newly framed print that Phil (with the generous support of the rest of the family) tracked down all the way in the states & then had sent over to Australia for me.
The long and the short of it being, when I move into college at SMBC, I get to take a bit of home with me.
Phil & my print!
I also have a new love, in the form of a Silver Chrysler PT Cruiser. It is a pretty awesome car, very "Tim" in its very different style. I could write more about it, but my excitement of it is curbed by the enthusiasm I have for a gift like Phil's which is both awesome and mind-numbingly thoughtful. Love your work Boffo!
The PT (whose beauty pales in comparison with the little beauty you can see Phil holding on the left)
Exciting news
January 17, 2005 12:57 PM
There is a whole lot that I could write about the last three days that I have been home. I could happily write about how much I have become aware of the smells of Australia, like Eucalyptus when you pass some trees, or the smell of ozone floating up from a hot road when the rain starts to fall, but such thoughts, like the smells themselves, just evaporate tonight.
There is lots of stuff to write about stuff happening at church, my new role as the youth minister, and all of the parish movements over the last 6 months, but for a rare change, my thoughts about Church can wait till tomorrow.
Even telling stories about the new car that I bought on Saturday & will be picking up tomorrow can wait till later.
The pages I could dedicate to excitement I have at looking back at 6 months of photos, or the volumes I could write about how my heart aches when I see my niece Charlotte smile at me? It all pales into insignificance. Stories to be filed away for another day, or possibly forgotten all together!
What could make this happen to Tim today?
Cate, one of my oldest & bestest friends, and her awesome husband Dan told me that they/she are pregnant!
Congrats Cate & Dan! Awesome news!
Cate & I on the day of her wedding!
Charlotte & I yesterday morning.
The games people play.
November 27, 2004 10:42 AM
OK, I was going to play a game where I posted the following picture and then see if everyone could guess what it is of.
Well it is a fun game to play, but my problem is that I only have three days after this till I fly out to Venice, so I would end up wasting two posts instead of one as everyone tried to guess what my post was all about. I will just put out all out of your misery. That is probably except mum & maybe Granny who are most likely not going to be happy.
The pic is of my new tattoo. This time I swear it is going to be the last one!
here is a normalised pic of it. Now note, it is not going to end up this dark everywhere, but this is 5 minutes after the work was finished & it takes a little time to wash out.
Thanks go out to Charlotte at "Venus Flytrap Tattoo", who is an awesome tattooist & an amazing artist.
Well there you go. So what are peoples thoughts?
Oh, and here is another pic that I really liked.
Whirlwinds
August 28, 2004 8:17 PM
Well since my last post things have been happening, or at least one thing has happened. I went to look at two different flats on Thursday. One was a little cheaper in regards to rent & was a pretty nice place. I asked the guy who showed me through the house when he was hoping to make his decision & he said "Well I am showing someone else on the weekend, so I am thinking probably by Sunday".
Mic's house mates get back next Wednesday, so waiting to see if I may or may not get a house on Sunday is a big risk, especially when you consider that I have been turned down three times that way! I went to see a second place down closer to the main street. It was about 40 quid a month dearer. It turns out the place is very nice and light and airy (as far as a Scottish apartment can be). Being on the top floor (4th), and with nice bigish windows, it gets lots of light. Dana, the Kiwi who currently lives there showed me around & when I asked the magic question of when she was making a decision, she told me that as soon as someone showed interest, if she liked them they were in.
For the sake of creating a little dramatic tension in this post, I will refrain from confirming the fairly obvious decision that I made for at least another paragraph, while I confirm the pros & cons.
If I take this place, I get a cleaner & newer room, it is a nice house, from October there will even be a big TV and an X-box in the house. I am nice and near to the center of the city, basically as close to Mic's house as I would be at the other place & I am close to all of the major bus lines. Most importantly I am a block and a half away from the huge McEwan's Brewery!!!
The cons. It would be living with just one girl. Dana appears pretty cool & Mic is all fine about it, but I wouldn't want to give anyone the wrong idea. The first place would save me 40 quid a month which works out to about $15,000 Australian (Ok, maybe my currency conversion is a little off. More like $120), and it also had a pretty cool reading chair that would be in my room if I were there. Also, the first house is closer to a big park & stuff which is nice. The Con of the first place being that it would be Sunday before I knew that I was in.
I cracked, after being turned down from two places I really liked, I just couldn't be turned down a third time, so I said yes to Dana. A decision that I felt good about cause she really does appear to be a nice girl, we had a good chat while I was there & it is a nice place.
That night I went to work, happy with myself that I had made the right decision. I went to bed at 2 or 3am (not finishing work till 1ish) then got a phone call at 9am. It was the guy from the first flat who had come to an early decision & wanted to offer me the place. I guess I wish I never knew that I could have either place, but I am happy with my decision. As all who read this site would have noticed from my pics. Who could turn down the chance to live by a brewery?
New additions and old friends
July 8, 2004 11:19 PM
I've been enjoying the company of one of my oldest friends over the last 48 hours. Matt and I went to school together, we went to church together, we hung out together, we had the same friends & many of the same interests. Many would claim we also have the same warped sense of humour.
Over the last 5 or 6 years, our lives have both changed.
For Matt, he now has a new set of priorities. He has a lovely wife with whom he has been married three years today. And now together they have a lovely son, Thomas, who they have to look after 24 hours a day. Man, what a real commitment! Constant attention throughout the day, feedings throughout the night & then even waking up first thing in the morning to look after his every need. Matt & Lisa are totally up to the challenge though. It is great to see two people who are so in love with each other & see that love expressed in and to their Son.
Meanwhile, my most pressing issue in the morning is whether or not I can be bothered to go & pick some oranges from the orchard to squeeze myself some fresh juice? Sure, I love juice, but is it really worth putting my shoes on, walking 50 meters & then having to twist those darn fruit, just so I can have some delicious, fresh and healthy juice to start my day? rest assured, the records show that about 50% of the time I have voted for the Dr. Pepper breakfast option since I have been here.
I have also been enjoying the company of Scott & Susie Millar over the last couple of days. They are two of my better friends, but in contrast to a relationship that has been forged over nearly two decades, they have really only factored into things in the last couple of years. An awesome couple of solid Christians, their commitment to the body of Christ at Church, the furthering their own knowledge of the good news through formal and informal study, and their love for the work they do with our church youth group, it is great to know that by the beginning of 2005, they should also be sporting their very own kid, who they can build up in the ways of the Lord.
Seeing so many great couples becoming great parents is a real privilege. Can guys be classed as clucky? I certainly don't want a kid any time in the immediate future, but they are awesome & I certainly love hanging with them. Maybe I can fill all my needs vicariously through others. This idea has become a little easier this afternoon as 10lb 7oz Bethany Anne Heap, Niece No.3, and daughter to Amy & Andrew, made her triumphant entry into the world.
How exciting to be surrounded by so many new entries. I can't wait to watch them grow up & one day be able to call the old friends!