I am recycling to learn patience

Condoms In Africa

2009-04-09T17:44:00.000-07:00

I wonder how Richard Dawkins fills in his "Good Friday"?

I personally am struggling to get my head around the whole premise. In this country our secular government imposes certain laws on us today that stem wholly from christianity. I take it the Imams don't complain because they aren't inconvenienced by it all too much. But what of your drinking, gambling, agnostic/atheist types, what are we meant to do today.

I woke to the realisation that today I could not exercise my right to have a beer in the back bar at the Crown Hotel at 9am or place a bet on a nag running in South Africa or Sha Tin.

The wife said that we are having fish for dinner, we never eat fish!
What is the point of having a day off if you can't do anything you enjoy?

How long will the Australian governments postion on these public holidays stay this slanted. Would you be offended if your local bottleshop was open today?
Would it make any difference?

I want to get around to George Pell's comments about the AIDS virus in Africa today but I think I will leave it for another time, just another case of the church trying to impose it's outdated ideas and evil morals on the world.

Happy Easter! Whatever that means!
Have a good weekend!

Project Number 1

2009-04-08T15:23:00.000-07:00

Currently I have 3 projects on the go! The first is a new counter for the cafe that I am making entirely out of recycled timber, the 2nd is an old leather chair that I "found" in a skip, and the 3rd is two mirrors, one which i purchased for $20 from down to earth demolition the other which my wife got from the op shop for $30.

I have been meaning to get a new counter put in to the cafe for about 2 years so I saw this new found hobby as an oppurtunity to have a go at it myself. Whilst walking up Shield Street one day to do the banking I noticed that the 2nd hand book store was closing and that it had a counter in it that would provide a good carcass for what I had in mind.

After locating the owner of the bookshop and him accepting an offer for the counter I contacted my mate Mario from Can Do Constructions and he sent around a few of his boys to dissasemble and transport the counter to my house. It is now in the garage along with the gym set up, 3 bikes, 4 sets of golf clubs, a 6 burner commercial oven, a combi/steam oven, 35 wooden chairs and numerous other bits of junk from the cafe.

Here are the initial photos of the counter in it's present state. I am hoping to put some serious work into it over easter and maybe even look at putting it in early next week!

Resume

2009-03-23T20:40:00.000-07:00

Starting at the beginning a not too brief list of potential career choices I have made in a chronological order.
Paper Boy (Of course)
Car Windscreen Washer
Junk Mail Deliverer

Admin Assistant (This was actually a cool job when I think back, I worked for Questacon and my office was in the back of old parliament house!)

Apprentice Plumber & Gasfitter
Factory Worker (Bartters Chickens)
Factory Worker (McCains Cheese)
Landscape Labourer
Fencer
Concrete Labourer
Labourer @ A French Polishing Shed
AFL Sports Ready Traineeship In Horticulture
Barman
Mini Bar Attendant
Waiter
Duty Manager
Hotel Manager
Building Labourer
Assitant Hotel Manager
Retail Manager
Computer Cable Factory Worker
Labourer At A Transport Comapny
Food Distribution Company Labourer
Yardie
Landscape Gardener Labourer

Small Business Owner!!!! (Current)
Apprentice Chef (Current)

I neglected to mention any schooling that I did in between these jobs, but rest assured that I have a hefty HECS debt and not a lot to show for it.
Just reading over this list one could easily think " well at least he has a work ethic!" but don't be fooled. I could honestly say that any work ethic I have, would have been recently accquired and is still a work in progress.

The mediocre polymath

2009-03-23T08:20:00.000-07:00

I can recall in my younger days a friend of the family imparting some wisdom on me to the tune of "you do not want to end up a jack of all trades and a master of none". Sound advice indeed, but nether the less advice that I have managed to ignore over the past 16 odd years.

See i am a dabbler, a dilettante, a hopeless neophyte to faint passing interests, a"starter" but definitely not a "finisher", I am your classic "Jack Of All Trades".

So what does this life long cipher do to reverse a trend that is threatening to bring on a premature mid-life crisis? Like any "JOAT" that is worth his salt I start something new, and this time that something is..... Recycling.

I am not talking "cash for cans" recycling but more along the lines of restoring old furniture, composting, and maybe even branching out into growing some fruit of some description, i am not really sure, but I am hoping that this new enterprise will teach me some much needed patience which i have identified as the missing ingredient from my past follies.

I have set up this blog to track whether or not I have found the cure for my "JOAT syndrome" and to allow fellow sufferers and those sympathetic to my plight to follow my trials and tribulations.

Who knows where it will end up!