Another shameless plug for votes:



Love and kisses
xxoxox

Technorati Tags: Vote for Me Blogger's Choice Awards

Okay, I'm miffed at Revlon for discontinuing the best shades of lipstick and lipliner colours. Dusty Rose is a classic. And I can't find it anywhere. It's the ONLY colour that suits me. ARGH!!! Okay, I won't die without it but I have had nightmares about being stranded on a desert island without it. And it scares me. They also discontinued my favourite lip colour - which I think was also called 'Dusty Rose' - the one that went with the lipcolour, anyway.

I now have to settle for 'Plum Baby' (467) which the lady at the Revlon counter told me was the equivalent to 'Dusty Rose'. It's not. It's ok, but it's not the same. HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Technorati Tags: Revlon timeliner lipliner lipstick dusty rose

I loved being on holiday, it was like having a pressure valve released. I felt like a new person after 12 hours of being away. I do however have mixed feelings about staying at the Great Ocean Hotel (aka Top Pub) in Apollo Bay. I guess I could start by summarizing the good and bad points : -

Good
1. The balcony overlooks the mountains and the foreshore. And you can hear the ocean. And you can see the golf course from the balcony and out of the hotel window.

2. The beds are comfy. Good mattresses. I slept like a log every night.

3. Guest soaps and guest towels. Very cute - old world charm etc.

4. Ye-olde building, wood panelling and if you pretend hard enough, you could be in a seaside English town. Apart from the flies and the drunken a@#$holes yelling various obscenities outside the window. Except that some of the drunken a@#$holes WERE English backpackers. And Scottish. And French?!?! In fact, we may have been the only Australians staying at the pub. The noisiest and nastiest loudmouths running rampant in the street were Australian however - possibly even locals. Scary stuff.

5. Okay, I think I've inadvertently switched over to the bad points. Oops. Okay, when we turned up at the hotel, lugging bags and wanting to just crash and go downstairs and have a beer, the guy at the counter said "here's your key" with a big smile. So I go upstairs to find an unlocked room with no bedding on the bed, no towels, no soap, nothing at all. A mattress protector on the bed mocked my tired legs and brain. I thought, what the crap do we do now?

So I go downstairs and tell the guy. He acts like it's no big deal. I slowed down my speech and said "So the room I specifically requested and that you told me would be ready - is not ready. On the day we said we would be arriving." He looked blank and said "yeah?" like he didn't understand. He was about 20 years old and his arrogance was starting to get to me. "So what are we supposed to do now?" I asked.

"Oh, yeah. You can have this room instead. It's nicer anyway. I don't think the cleaner's been in this week."

Fine, I thought. Trudging up the stairs again, we looked at this room. It had no TV and no curtains and the sun was streaming in like something out of Raiders of the Lost Arc.













I ask you. How the crap could you get any sleep when you get full sun at around 6:30am? We'd wake up suntanned! So I trudged down again, quite composed under the circumstances, and told him there were no curtains. He gave me yet another key. Another guy from the hotel was a bit more helpful, he told us he would call the cleaner and try and get our original room ready for the next day of our stay.

I opened the door and found yet another room with no TV, no table and no mirror. My partner and I looked at each other and both thought "stuff it! This will do." We realised they were not likely to get it together to fix up the room we originally booked. And we were right. They did, however finally get the room ready and let somebody else stay in there instead of us. At that point, we couldn't be bothered worrying about it anymore.

6. Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention the bathrooms. Ha!!! The shower head in the female showers was busted. In fact, it has been that way for over 18 months - the last time I stayed in the hotel! How much trouble would it be to get a wrench and fix the dang shower head? I ask you. Here is a picture of me trying to have a shower in this ridiculous contraption:

















And here is a picture of our room. It was designed for 2 people (double bed) + 2 more people in bunks. How cosy. The bunks gave us somewhere to put our luggage, I suppose!


















Excuse the mess, there was hardly any floor space!

On the second night, the hotel completely ran out of toilet paper. It was getting late and we went downstairs to ask for it to be replaced. The guy we spoke to (another employee) said "I've just knocked off." Well, that's great but could you get someone to help us? I mean just because you've knocked off, and are getting pissed at the very place where you work, it doesn't mean that the problem has gone away. Around 6 people staying on the floor without toilet paper for the night? Or more? It doesn't bear thinking about. So after hunting around for ages and asking various people we finally got someone to do something about the TP situation. At this point we should have been getting paid by the hour!

Then, later that night, the same guy from the desk on the first day let a bunch of loud drunken thugs from off the street into the hotel. They proceeded to rush up and down the halls banging on the walls and doors bellowing "any good looking Sheilas here?"

1. People actually say Sheilas?
2. I'm glad I was asleep with the door locked. My partner was glad of this as well. He was on the balcony at the time, watching these thugs run rampant through the private halls of the hotel, while the guy who WORKED there leaned over the balcony yelling obscenities at people in the street at the top of his voice.

But despite all these bizarre experiences, the price of the hotel was good ($60 per night for the room) and we had a brilliant relaxing time. I wouldn't recommend this place wholeheartedly, but it was kind of ok. The 20 year old guy got a complaint from yet another guest about the obscenities and the balcony situation and ironically he said to us "what does he expect, staying in a pub?"

Hmm. Well, I suppose I expect a basic standard of accommodation. A room that is made up when you arrive, a shower that works, toilet paper in the bathrooms and a certain level of security from unhinged thugs on a drinking rampage.

In terms of the star rating system, for a backpacker hotel, I'd give it 1.5 stars.
* = Clean basic accommodation with simple furnishing and facilities.
* * = Moderate accommodation with comfortable furnishings and facilities.

I took points off for no TP, grotty shower curtain and no mirror etc. I added points for the comfy bed. That's as much as I can give them, I'm afraid. At least until they can get the place in order and take it a bit more seriously.

Technorati Tags: Great Ocean Hotel Star Rating Apollo Bay Holiday Top Pub

Okay, it's voting time!! If you like, love or just simply tolerate my blog, you can vote for me at the Blogger's Choice Awards in the following categories:



All you have to do is sign up for the site, then vote away.

/end shameless plug.

8-)

Technorati Tags: Blogger's Choice Awards Nominate Vote

Carmex Lip Balm - $5.99 from your local chemist or online.












I would like to thank Cat from Living With Multiple Personalities for turning my attention to this underrated lip balm. This product, as far as I can tell, is relatively new in Australia and once I tried it, I'm never going back!!

Rating: 10/10 - yep, that's right! I actually think it's better than the Blistex lip balm that I rated 10/10. Hmmm. Maybe I can give this one 10.5 out of 10?

It feels good on the lips, smells nice, and most of all, it actually moisturises. It also comes in a tube form but I have not yet been able to find this in Australia so far. Here's what it looks like:








Back in my original Lip Balm Challenge post, Cat commented that Carmex is good for taking on skiing trips. Me, I don't ski. In fact in terms of skiing I am a complete disaster area. For someone so coordinated for rollerblading, running, yoga and pilates, I am at a loss to understand this phenomenon. I tried downhill skiing near the border of Washington State and Canada after doing minimal training cross-country skiing at Lake Mountain, Victoria, Australia. For those of you who have not been to Lake Mountain, it is pretty tame compared to anywhere, let alone the USA/Canada. So, after a 1 hour lesson with a depressingly coordinated instructor, I got on the chairlift with my friend and started the climb to the "Green" run. When we neared the top, she told me "don't worry, heaps of people fall when they try to get off the chairlift". We dismounted and surprisingly, she fell and I didn't. This is going to be easy, I thought. Now, skis parallel, slightly pointed in, off we go.

Suddenly everything went blank. I was flying down the mountain, without a clue of what I had just been taught in the 1-hour lesson. Was it skis pointed in? Did you use your heels? Toes? Arms? I had no idea. All I knew was that I was going faster and faster, and I didn't have any idea how to stop.

And something else was happening. Each time I hit a bump, I was jumping off to another course. If I kept going, I would be on the black run. I was going too fast for my fear to catch up to me. I would rather swim with piranhas than go on the Black Run. That is strictly for suicidal maniacs and ridiculously outdoorsy types who actually have control over their bodies and their skis.

Suddenly my thoughts were interrupted as I hit another bump. I was airborne. I couldn't believe how high I was flying. I was flying so high I could hear the people on the chairlift talking. I clearly heard a girl say "Is she going to die?" as I flew past the lifts and towards a big pile of white.

*BANG!* *BANG!* BANG!*

My head hit the snow three times. I was practically buried and I couldn't see anything. My head was down the mountain and my skis were pointing up the mountain towards the sky. Somehow I had flown backwards. Everything was dark and I couldn't really move. Or could I? I wiggled my foot. Then my hands. Letting go of my poles, I dragged and dug myself out of my snowy resting place. I was okay. Well, I had a F#$%ck of a headache, but I was okay.

I looked up to see one of the officials from the ski resort standing over me. He looked extremely pissed off.

"The beginners run is THAT way." He said grumpily, then stalked off.

I started to laugh. One, because I was alive, and two, because that guy thought I was stupid enough to ever try anything like that again.

Technorati Tags: Lip Balms product review Carmex Skiing

@$$#%

Expletive expletive expletive. I tried to buy this MP3 player - Creative Muvo, as I have discussed in earlier posts is pretty much all you need as far as these things are concerned. Well, all I need anyway. And some no-talent-ass-clown pips me at the post. I mean really. It's just so rude. I was watching the whole thing unfold in front of me, quite sure I had it sorted.

Some people may suggest getting the Ebay toolbar. Perhaps, but it wouldn't have helped me in this situation...

the @$$#% person somehow managed to put in a bid EXACTLY $1 over my maximum bid when the time left reads: less than 1 minutes.

Technorati Tags: ebay bid mongrel

Photos in Order of Appearance (click to enlarge):

1. The Apollo Bay Clubhouse, 9th green. The first tee is around the corner
2. The spectacular 3rd hole, overlooking the ocean
3. The view from the 6th tee if you look behind you!
4. The 8th tee
5. The 9th tee with horses riding off into the sunset!

Witnessing the beauty of Apollo Bay Golf Course was a pretty amazing experience. I tried to compare it to another golf course but all I could come up with was Tiger Woods 2o03 on Playstation. It looks a bit like Torrey Pines with a bit of Pebble Beach thrown in. For those of you who don't know, Apollo Bay is in South Western Victoria, Australia (see map)















Firstly, the green fees for Apollo Bay Golf Course are reasonable. $20 for 18 holes - or $12 for 9 holes.

Secondly, the views are incredible. It is hard to concentrate on anything else. Fortunately, I was caddying so I didn't have to actually make the shots. I gave a couple of suggestions about club selection and I clicked for each shot.

My partner hit some truly beautiful shots and a number of pars. The dudes (locals) on the first tee were impressed by the seemingly effortless '3' on the first hole.

The conditions on the first day were gusty - a course like this gets a lot of wind, especially on the exposed seaside parts and any part of the course without a tree. The greens, well that was a different thing altogether. I saw balls skid and fly across greens like a dog on a tiled floor. There was no way this was going to be easy.

And... there are some moments where it is difficult to be a caddy. Like when my partner shot the ball into the trees and rather than taking a deep breath, walking around and doing a setup, he whacked the ball once.

I clicked.

And another.

I clicked, my mouth falling open but saying nothing.

Another whack and the ball was out. Finally.

I clicked again.

He looked at me and said "did you get all that?"

I nodded. And said nothing. Sometimes the best thing you can do as a caddy is say nothing. That's what I think anyway. I wouldn't want someone telling me what I already know I did wrong. We certainly had a big laugh about it at the hotel that night.

One of the shots landed in the ocean, so the next Srixon came out.

Another Srixon was lost in what looked like an old fishing hut from "I Know What You Did Last Summer". Either way, it was out of bounds and it would not have been the best idea to look for it, considering the high grass and rusty things lying around. Plus, I don't like snakes. I don't even care if they're actually there or not, it's just the thought of one lying in wait at the bottom of long grass...waiting for you to step on them.

There were some more great shots, and then disaster struck on the 2nd hole.

My partner sliced (?) - the one that goes to the left, anyway - the ball off the tee on the second hole into a shrubbery of wrong.

I thought that the last Srixon had left the building.

After much rummaging around and bending down to look at anything that appeared white, I suddenly heard my partner call out "here it is!"

I was relieved. The last Srixon saved. I looked up to see what looked like a frighteningly bad shot. It was like a chopping motion down into the ground and the club didn't seem to go anywhere at all. I went from relieved to horrified. But suddenly, the ball trickled out of the underbrush, down the massive hill and onto the fairway again. Go figure. I have a lot to learn about golf. These 3 days of golf were so much fun and very relaxing. The sea air is very good for the health.

Anyway, these are the Srixon balls (around $15)


















They certainly performed well on the 3 consecutive days of golf. They are designed for high wind conditions and they certainly did what they were supposed to do.

Technorati Tags: Golf course 18 holes Apollo Bay Srixon

I fell in love with the Hyundai Getz we used to get to Apollo Bay. Rented from Budget Rent-A-Car in Geelong, the total cost for 4 days (more like 5, actually!) hire was $290. Organising the rental was no problem, the people were courteous and the car was in good shape. The only surprise occurred when I arrived at the pick-up point and found out the car was an automatic. As a lifelong manual driver, I found this unsettling. But, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise - it was easier to drive and considering the number of corners I had to navigate, actually made the drive more enjoyable. By the end of driving from Geelong to Apollo Bay through Winchelsea and Skenes Creek way, I felt exhilarated and now I want to drive more. We came back from Apollo Bay through Marengo, Gellibrand and Colac. Now dubbed "The Third Way", it is, in my opinion, the quickest, easiest and most pleasant drive from Apollo Bay to Geelong.

If you are ever in the area, make sure you stop off at the Winchelsea Roadhouse. The people are very friendly and they sell these great 7-packs of vitamins (Nature's Way Energy Multi) that kept us going throughout the journey and the rest of the holiday.

Here is the Winchelsea Roadhouse in all its glory:

If you ever go there, say hi to the very funny lady who works there. She is quite a character!

Technorati Tags: Car Rental Budget Rent A Holidays, Apollo Bay Gellibrand Holiday, Geelong, Winchelsea Roadhouse

I have to add this to my previous V/Line post - the fares are VERY reasonable. It cost me $6.10 to travel from Melbourne to Geelong. When I think about it, that's actually cheaper than an all day Zone 1&2 metropolitan ticket. The fare I managed to buy was for off-peak travel. The journey started on Thursday 22 March at 2pm. If you happen to get a peak ticket, it will still only cost you $8.60, which won't break the bank.

Technorati Tags: V/Line VLine Spencer St Southern Cross Australia,

I would like to say I enjoyed the trip from Melbourne to Geelong travelling with V/Line. But...(and there was always going to be a "but") the trains don't seem as quaint and old-worldly as they used to. I'll start with Spencer Street Station, where the Journey began. Actually, it's called "Southern Cross" Station now which I think is bollocks. What the hell does that mean, for a start? Southern Cross? The station is located at Spencer Street. Spencer Street made sense. Now a whole bunch of tourists from overseas are lost in space trying to work out where Southern Cross station is supposed to be.

Here is a picture of the "new and improved" Southern Cross station:













I call it "The Birdcage". And I think that's being nice to it. It looks like a great big dirty chicken coop. I don't know whose bright idea it was to change the station into a large barn but I liked it better before.

The glossy photos of Southern Cross don't actually show the crapness of the design. I suppose it's trying to be "modern". You know what? It's a nightmare. You can't find anything. The staff are unfriendly. The V/Line ticket counter is hidden underneath a secret passageway that requires a map and lots of legwork to find. I can't stand it.

The old Spencer Street station was cute. And daggy. That's what's wrong with Australia. It's daggy but it doesn't want to admit it. So it tries to be modern and cutting edge and ends up looking even more dorky. Come on Australia, embrace your inner dag. It's okay.

Here it is (*sigh*) The old Spencer Street. Complete with kiosks and seating areas for people to congregate and greet or farewell loved ones.













But now, to the actual journey itself. My partner and I were crammed into this tiny carriage (only a 3 carriage train!) with a whole bunch of other travellers. Why there were so many, I will never know. The Swimming perhaps? The Airshow? Don't know. All I know is I don't want to go through that again. We were seated next to an obnoxious lady who actually picked a fight with us because we had a lot of luggage. Then she put her feet on our bags, then insulted us. We were flabbergasted. And we had to ignore the scheming harpy for 1 whole hour. That is not easy when someone is goading you and making nasty comments every 10 minutes. What a cow. Actually scratch that. I like cows. What a horrible banshee of a woman. I think she came from South Geelong and I hope to never run into her again.

So apart from the nasty woman and the crowded carriages and another weird lady eating a sandwich very loudly in front of us, the trip was forgettable.

I remember a time about 18 months ago where we got a V/Line train from Geelong to Melbourne. We found a quaint carriage with a hallway and sliding doors to these little booths, like in those old movies. It looked a little like this one:














The window had little curtains and the snack car was still active. I miss the snack car ladies and the conductors with the whistle. Perhaps those days are over. Are we moving forward? No. We're regressing and devolving (is that a word?). V/Line used to be charming. I hope one day they will be again.

Technorati Tags: V/Line VLine Spencer St Southern Cross Australia,

I am currently waiting for my photos to be developed at Rabbit Photo. I am pretty impressed with their service - they are prompt and have a special "gold card" for frequent er... developers. I actually can't wait for the photos to come out so I can start raving and reviewing the holiday. I must say I really enjoy developing photos. I guess that's one of the sad things about digital cameras. I mean, they are instant, just like my old Polaroid that I have sitting in my cupboard. But the Polaroid gives you a photo - it slides right out of the camera like magic. And then there's the waiting for the picture to appear. I love that part. You don't know if it's going to be a good one or a bad one, that's the fun of it.

I guess what I miss when I'm using digital cameras is the "photo" part. The actual, holding it in your hand photo result. If you don't have a hard copy, it kind of creates a "virtual" photo, which isn't as fun. Yes, you can go to a photo processing shop and process your photos from a digital camera, but few people do. And you have to process hundreds at a time which makes it less viable.

I have taken to buying those disposable cameras for now. Yes, I realise they are hideously bad for the environment and I won't do it again, I promise. I am actually going to get myself a camera one of these days, be it film or digital. These disposable film cameras are great when you are on holiday - you can buy them after you arrive at your destination and take 24 photos, which can be all you need for a short holiday.

Again, I can't wait to get these photos developed. But I just had a flash (pardon the pun!) of people nowadays being grandparents and trying to show the grandkids some family photos.

Grandma: "I have some photos here of when you were just 1 month old, visiting the farm with Mum and Dad...Oh! Drat! I'm sorry dear, the 1GB memory sticks just don't work in your computer. It says unable to read disk"

Granddaughter: "Of course not Grandma, you can only use the 1000GB cards now!"

Grandma: "*Sigh* This new technology, I don't know."

And there it is. So much for showing the family album. "Unable to read disk." Worth thinking about.

Technorati Tags: camera processing film digital polaroid

I have spoken to a lot of people who want to get a better page ranking in Google. In fact, who doesn't? I certainly do! If you have a website that is in desperate need of rankings and traffic, you may want to consider this search engine optimization company. The model is "pay for performance" which means you only pay for results - which makes a lot of sense. Why should you pay for a non-performing SEO company? Let's face it, when you pay for results, you want your site to come up on the first page of Google, Yahoo and MSN. You might want to check out their testimonials page and check the page rankings of the companies listed and try a few searches for these companies in Google, Yahoo and MSN. You might be impressed with the results.

Yep, that's the situation. Blogstipation has set in. I think it's a combination of a number of things. Going on holiday, experiencing so many things in a short amount of time, waiting for photos to be developed, I feel like I'm in a kind of post-holiday limbo. I have so many things to write about that I don't know where to start. It's very frustrating I must say. I have to start somewhere but there are so many things to say - I don't really know how to convey the feeling of sitting on the balcony of the Top Pub in Apollo Bay, looking at the foreshore, listening to the waves and watching a spectacular lightning show play above the mountains. I don't know how to explain the stress evaporation that happens to me every time I am near the ocean breathing air that comes fresh from the mountains and the forest. I can't fully convey the feeling of freedom I felt while driving a car for the first time in a year. I want to show you the other-worldly "hobbit-like" sleepy hollow called Gellibrand. The land that time forgot. Weeping willows, dappled sunlight, an old hotel and a picturesque valley. Blossoms, ferns, majestic hills and valleys that exceed imagination.

Well, now that the creative metamucil seems to be working, I will leave you with a photo of the hotel where we stayed for 4 nights and the road that led to such a beautiful sense of freedom.

Technorati Tags: Apollo Bay Gellibrand Holiday

I apologise for the lack of posts - I have been on holiday. Actually I'm not sorry I was on holiday so forget that last sentence.

The itinerary:

Thurs 22 March 2007:
- Train to Southern Cross, V-Line train to Geelong
- Pick up car at Budget Rent-A-Car
- Drive to Apollo Bay
- Check in at Great Ocean Hotel (a.k.a. "Top Pub")

Fri 23 March 2007:
- Golf at Apollo Bay Golf Course (18 holes)
- Check out pub, decide it's not worth hanging around, sit on balcony with a few beers

Sat 24 March 2007
- Golf at Apollo Bay Golf Course (18 holes)
- Dinner with Grandma and Dad at Middle Pub
- Drop in at Grandma's house
- Back to hotel, check out the 2 pubs in town (yikes!), sit on balcony with a few beers

Sun 25 March 2007
- Golf at Apollo Bay Golf Course (18 holes)
- Visit Grandma & Dad

Mon 26 March 2007
- Check out 10am - Ocean Road Hotel
- Coffee!!!!
- Drop in at Grandma's to say goodbye
- Drive down Ocean Road, through Lavers Hill, Gellibrand, Colac and to Geelong
- Spend ages trying to find a service station to fill up in Geelong
- Drop off car at Budget Rent-A-Car
- Get to V-Line depot 5 minutes before train departs for Melbourne
- Southern Cross Station - Melbourne

And that was the Apollo Bay holiday!

I have so much to write about so this is the first of many posts. I will be reviewing many things, including the Top Pub, Budget Rent-A-Car, V-Line, and the Apollo Bay Golf Course. I need to develop the photos to give a better sense of what I am talking about. Yes, I am using a film camera, not digital. This is not for any particular reason other than I had no camera and I bought one of those disposable Kodak cameras with flash ($24.00). When the photos are developed I will be reviewing the camera as well!

My first review is the luggage from Strandbags:

The Skyway Montlake - $72.00 (on special!)



















If you are thinking of travelling anywhere, get a piece of luggage that has a handle, wheels and is lightweight. It makes a huge amount of difference when you are navigating Southern Cross station to not have to put your shoulder out. Especially when it's a hot day and you are sweating like anything and can't find a place to buy a bottle of water. That's when a wheelie suitcase comes in handy. I had 2 other bags and they were a nightmare to carry on my shoulder. Trust me. Get wheels and a handle. This was the best piece of luggage I have ever owned. Brilliant! Lots of compartments, made from micro-ballistic nylon material and with a zero-gravity frame. Okay, the description they give it makes it sound like I'm taking it on the next space mission. And micro-ballistic (do they shoot it with a little gun?) sounds like something you would see on MythBusters. But it is a good suitcase and I recommend the crap out of it.

P.S. This is not the sort of thing I would recommend buying on Ebay. I got this at Strandbags because the people know what they are talking about and because you can actually check out the compartments and see for yourself. The photos on Ebay don't give the best idea of quality and size. Also, a suitcase is not the sort of thing you would want to compromise on...

Until next time....more photos and reviews to come.....

Technorati Tags: Apollo Bay Montlake Suitcase Strandbags

Welcome to A Gonzo World Carnival!

It has been wonderful reading everyone's posts - I marvelled at the diversity of the locations, writing style and interpretation of the theme "share your world". Some funny, some heart- wrenching, some joyful and some downright frightening.

On our journey, we skip back and forth from Australia to the UK to the USA, to Austria to the Philippines and to South Africa. Along the way we meet many amazing people who open their doors and invite us in to their world.

A big thank you to all who submitted posts for the carnival. The Gonzo Blog Carnival Series is sponsored by For Your Success. Special thanks to Fear and Loathing - The Gonzo Papers.

Without further ado, let's get started....grab a coffee....or a beer...and prepare for the road ahead...

Remember when leaving comments to let people know you are visiting from the carnival ... Happy reading!!













"...I am 90% Average American. Being an Australian, I think that's quite an achievement..."
LJP (Yours truly) from SAVESAVESAVE discussing cultural misconceptions of Australia in I Can Talk Good.









"...I was in college in 1979, at Park College in Pittsburgh, when the genie of nuclear disaster first ecaped the bottle..."
Kilroy_60 from Kilroy's The Gonzo Papers has a frightening wake up call in What Happens When Warning Sirens Sound At the Nuclear Plant Near You?



"...Where Route 30 meets 41, a few miles down
the road, collide into where I am from..."
Indiana, USA - Sara from Aspiring Romance Writer takes us with her on a journey to her town in the poem Hometown Girl.












"...I love the fried green tomatoes, cotton fields, football on fall Saturdays..."
In Montgomery, Alabama, Sheila Noblitt from Alabama Kitchen Sink shares her homecoming experience in Home is Where the Heart Is.













"...This is a commuter rail station in my home town of Elgin, Illinois..."
James Jordan from Points of Light introduces us to the Night Station.













"...I’d pushed away everyone in my community including his father and found myself alone and terrified..."
From Byron Bay, NSW, Australia: Joanne Hay from The Nourisher shows great courage in taking us into her world and her journey in About.












"...a true constant in all its flowing colors..."
From Vienna, Austria - Shakir Hasnain from The Crimsonflaw Lived To Tell The Tale takes us into another realm in the poem My World.



"...like the ugg boot, they have never gone out of fashion here ..."
Fellow Australian MillyMoo from Blurb from the Burbs made me laugh and cry with her Wince Inducing Words.



"...I have no mother. I have decided to write her off..."
From Cape Town, South Africa - Acidice, in her blog acidice reveals her difficult choices with My Ex Mother.













"...The two cats on the sides and the two snowmen are hand me downs from my sister..."
From the Philippines, Friday's Child in her blog Friday's Child displays her home and her festive spirit in My Home is My World.













"...the middle of last week we had about a foot of snow. Not much compared to what they got in other places..."
In Northeast Ohio, we find Anthony from The Lives and Times who explains to us why he will Remember the Winter of 2006-2007.












"...Like our brothers in Bagdad, we're under-deployed here..."
Mark Brown in NJ from My-Poem-A-Day explores war and politics in his poem Springtime.













"...It's always nice to get back after a trip and sit down with a cup of English tea..."
Naomi, in her blog Diary from England reminds us that no matter where you travel in the world, There's No Place Like Home.


I couldn't think of a better way to round off the carnival - with a nice cup of English tea. And the feet up on the desk. Perhaps a little snooze....
It's been a long journey.

Maps courtesy of Google Maps Australia.

Technorati Tags:
A+Gonzo+World+Carnival, Blog+Carnival

The time is nearly upon us but you still have time to submit your post. It can be a new post, or perhaps one from the archives. This original post explains the rules.

Thanks again to Fear and Loathing - The Gonzo Papers and For Your Success.

Please note that the last date for submissions is 11:59pm on 16th March 2007. Happy blogging!!

Technorati Tags:
A+Gonzo+World+Carnival, Blog, Submissions

Just when I was starting to get worried, my denim jacket arrived yesterday. I am sometimes apprehensive about ordering things from Canberra. For some reason, I don't think Australia Post likes addresses with "DC" in them. But here it is.

I bought this Jacket on Ebay for $5
I wouldn't have necessarily bought it if I had looked more closely at the postage. It was $15. Still, a denim jacket for $20 isn't prohibitive, it's just a tad steep. It arrived in an express post envelope that would most likely have cost $7. I don't like artificially inflated postage costs and Ebayers who practice this should be sent to Abu Dhabi by unregistered post.

So, here it is. I actually quite like it.


















VERDICT - SUCCESS!
It's a good addition to my new wardrobe. This is probably the first time I have bought a whole bunch of new clothes for about 10 years. Speaking of which, my Doc Martens are getting a bit scrappy. I must say my last pair lasted for a lot longer - 12 years or so. I bought these ones about 4 or 5 years ago and they started to fall apart straight away. I think I got a lemon.















So I might just go scouring Ebay for Doc Martens. Or I could buy a new pair for $180.00 Gee, let me think now....