Las Vegas

Steps for Sunday were 8, 151 - a bit disappointing to be honest.

Monday is day 40 of the GCC walk and it started with a walk for Millie. Steps to the top of the street and back = 5253 and the walk took about 55 minutes.

More about Las Vegas. The name means "meadows" in Spanish as the town is an oasis in the Nevada dessert.

Population = 478,434

Yes, it is true, there is a drive through wedding chapel in Las Vegas. The Tunnel of Love Drive-Through Wedding Chapel was originally created to make it easier for individuals who have difficulty walking to get married but the idea took off as a novelty way to tie the knot. If you do here's hoping you have better success than the locals - Las Vegas has the highest percentage of divorced residents and the highest rate of suicides in the US.

There are more than 35 wedding chapels. In the first five months of 1995, there were 44,104 wedding licenses issued including 158 in Laughlin. In 1994, 99,310 wedding licenses were issued in the Las Vegas area, with 79 in Laughlin. $35 license fee; Marriage License Bureau hours are 8 a.m. (0800) to midnight (2400) Monday through Thursday; 8 a.m. (0800) Friday to midnight (2400) Sunday; 24 hours all legal holidays in Nevada. On Valentine's Day weekend in 1994, 2,353 marriage licenses were issued. A license can be purchased in Laughlin 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Justice Court Clerk's office in the Regional Government Center, 101 Civic Way.

Some of the local attractions that I could try while here are listed below - however my next destination is the Grand Canyon. Sad as it is I can remember when the Brady Bunch went to the Grand Canyon! This went to air in the US in September 1971, later in Aus. If you are excited by the connection (loose though it may be) there is an Encyclopaedia Brady.

MT. CHARLESTON -- 35 miles (56 km.) from Las Vegas, highest elevation 11,918 feet (3,615 meters), winter skiing, picnicking, hiking, horseback riding, tours available.
BONNIE SPRINGS OLD NEVADA -- An old western town in Red Rock Canyon 16 miles west of Las Vegas with a motel, shops, activities and western shootouts.

DEATH VALLEY -- 135 miles (216 km.) from Las Vegas, 40 minutes by plane, lowest elevation on North American Continent at 280 feet below sea level (84.93 meters), Zabiske Point, 20 Mule Canyon, Scotty's Castle, tours available.

ETHEL M CHOCOLATE FACTORY -- Self-guided tours available for factory and outside botanical garden and cactus display.

GRAND CANYON -- About 300 miles (480 km.) from Las Vegas, 1 1/2 hour flight by plane, tours available.

LAKE MEAD NATIONAL RECREATION AREA -- Closest point 25 miles (40 km.) from Las Vegas, more than 550 miles (880 km.) of shoreline, swimming, water skiing, camping, boating, fishing, six marinas, tours available.

HOOVER DAM -- 34 miles (54.4 km.) from Las Vegas, 726 feet high (220.00 meters) from bedrock, wonder of the modern world, tours of inside and outside of dam available; in July 1994, the 30 millionth visitor toured the dam since it opened. Visitors touring the dam totaled 279,205 in the first five months of 1995 and 712,130 in 1994. Black Canyon River Raft Tours available below dam.

RED ROCK CANYON -- 15 miles (24 km.) west of Las Vegas, 3,000- foot (910 meters) escarpment produced by thrust fault, Bureau of Land Management visitors center, scenic area of rock formations and desert.

VALLEY OF FIRE STATE PARK -- 55 miles (88 km.) from Las Vegas, scenic landscapes of hidden canyons and unique rock formations, petroglyphs and remains of ancient Indian civilization, Nevada Park Service visitors center, tours available.

BIRTHDAY -- The city of Las Vegas celebrated its 100th birthday on May 15, 2005. The events celebrated the May 15, 1905 auction in which 110 acres of downtown Las Vegas laid the foundation for the city we know today. The celebration began on December 31, 2004, and lasted throughout 2005.

Gotta stop now, slice still to make - stats from Sole Sistaz tomorrow.

A quiet Sunday

Mondo having coffee on a winters morning

Today has been much less "busy" than yesterday. Washing, cooking, shopping and cleaning have been the main activities.

Had lunch at Hogs Breath cafe in Woden.

Dinner is: Ratatouille (rat stew as I called it as a child) and scallops with a sauce that was invented by the chef(s) at Tetsuya's in Sydney. The scallops are JR's signature dish.

Will be making something for morning tea tomorrow to farewell colleagues. Thinking of making a slice, but really having trouble finding the energy.

Saturday activities

Today I managed 15, 136 steps - not my record but a good effort.

I walked in Tidbinbilla National Park with two other Sole Sistaz. The first walk we did was the Birrigai Rocks walk, from the car park at the entrance.



This is the view back to the carpark and entrance from Birrigai rock shelter

The walk took us just on one hour and we enjoyed the sights of numerous kangaroos and the odd emu.

The walk is uphill and back, which is good for me - made me puff and sweat. There are lots of rocky outcrops in the park too.

Birrigai Aboriginal Shelter is one of the most significant Aboriginal locations in the area. The shelter is the oldest Aboriginal site known in the ACT region and is about 21, 000 years old.

Birrigai Rock Shelter

The second walk was supposed to be the Peppermint trail - a little shorter than the Birrigai walk, but interesting. However we got lost and ended up at the Sanctuary. This is a wonderful 30 hectares of wetland that is enclosed to protect the animals from foxes and other predators. It includes the vet hospital for the park, as well as great opportunities to see close up views of birds and lizards. The track is hard top and is therefore ideal for wheelchairs and prams.

In the afternoon I took both kids and Millie to a new dog park in Forde - about 30k on the other side of town. CJK and her kids and dogs joined in and kids dogs and adults all had a wonderful romp. The park has equipment for training dogs to jump and weave and so on. Millie was in heaven, and so were the kids as they liked the equipment just as much as the dogs (if not better).

Update on Walking stats

I am currently in Los Vegas and it is about 36 degrees - way too hot for walking!!! However as I don't gamble and don't want to renew my wedding vows (on account of how JR's not here) I suspect I had better walk.

Today I have walked 12,794 steps. I started the day walking to town from work and sharing a coffee with Kathy. We then went shopping for our afternoon tea farewell - 5 out of 7 of the team finish up on Monday, my boss and I continue on - me for three months and then we will see. We then walked back to work. I carried the three bottles of champagne, so I figure I have done my weight lifting for the day as well.

Tomorrow I am off to the local national park to walk for a couple of hours with the Sole Sistaz. I will give you an update of all the stats as well as my thoughts on Los Vegas tomorrow. Perhaps I should look up the parents of my friend in Adelaide, they live in LV somewhere?

Happy walking.

Mondo.

Paddington Bear turns 50

I have fond memories of a childhood far away in time and space (in England, in the 1960's) awaiting the next Puffin edition of the "Paddington Bear" book for a Christmas or birthday present. In those days they did not sell the endless paraphernalia that now seems obligatory to provide with the latest Ben Ten or Pikachou story, it was just the book, exciting in its own right. Of course now in the noughties we can purchase a myriad of Paddington items apart from the book. The first of the comercialisation of Paddington was in 1965 when Paddington appeared on the BBC radio show "Childrens Hour". On the 25th of June this year Paddington turned 50. If you are interested in Paddington Bear then check this out. Paddington is actually based on a real bear that lives in Peru (darkest or otherwise), known as a spectacled bear. David Attnborough had a show on these bears (as well as many others) last Monday night.

Paddington Bear was brought to life by author Michael Bond, but it was none other that Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson’s mother, Shirley, who would bring fame and fortune to the polite immigrant bear from Darkest Peru.

Shirley, 73, made her name as the founder of Gabrielle Designs, a tiny spare room business that started by selling tea cosies in Doncaster and grew into an international business shipping Paddington Bears all over the world.

What initially began with Shirley creating teddies (from the illustrations by Peggy Fortnum) for her children soon escalated into a million pound business. However, things didn’t always run smoothly for Shirley and husband Eddie.

Without being credited as the creator of Paddington, there was the small issue of copyright infringement. However, this which was easily resolved in a meeting with Michael Bond himself, as Shirley reveals: "Michael opened the proceedings by saying that he wanted to make it clear that he had no intention of stopping us making Paddington; it was indeed the finest bear he had ever seen, he loved the whole concept.”

Mondo

Cook from the Cupboard - Week 3

From the cupboard:

• vegeta vegetable stock (replaced)
  
• last can tomatoes
• last red onion (will replace)
• another can of chickpeas
• last of the basmati rice (will replace)
• finished pkt of walnuts and pkt of pecans
  

From the fridge:

• Finished satay sauce
• fennel
• baby spinach
• philly cheese (still have another pkt)
• baby bok choy
• asparagus

From the freezer:

• green beans (still plenty left)
• chicken nuggets
• light lemon fish
  

A walking joke

You have to stay in shape. My grandmother started walking five miles a day when she was sixty. She's ninety seven today and we don't know where she is.

I should be far away now. I am currently in Santa Clara in Cuba. I will of course leave JR's phone GPS at home. Current temperature is 27C - still too hot for comfortable walking.

LOCAL DISHES: Typical Cuban main dishes are Arroz con Pollo (yellow-saffron rice with chicken), Carne con Papas (meat and potatoes), and Arroz con Bistec y Papas Fritas (white rice with beef steak and French fries). So, would you like Papas Fritas with that?

TRAVEL TIP: It is illegal to bring a GPS into Cuba with you so if you have one in your phone or a portable navigation device leave it behind. By the way, you also aren't allowed to bring in freezers, air conditioners, electric kitchens and furnaces, electric ovens, electric fryers, electric water heaters or toasters. It seems the Cubans are terrified you will overrun the country one kitchen at a time.

Today Cuba is finding its way back into the fold with a relaxing of communist principles, the discovery of oil and the increase in tourism and walking here is worry free and as you are in one of the safest, best-policed countries on earth.

For more information about Cuba click here:

Self Portrait - AJR

I love it

Another day another walk

Thursdays steps =9,484

Tact and diplomacy

'fraid I don't have this problem

chorizo and chickpea or Thai Basil

Well what a conundrum home cooking or restaurant food. This was what I was presented with on arriving home tonight - easily solved by going to Thai Basil. While the review here suggests that there is Italian in this restaurant, I have yet see any Italian (although I am sure that Italians eat here), I have not seen any pasta, pizza or rissotto in here. It is rated at 9.3 by reviewers and I think that is fair enough.

Menu for tonight for us:

• Mixed entree for me and him, as well as Beef Larb and steamed rice,
• Mixed entree and entree satay chicken for MLR
• Vegetarian spring rolls and vegetarian Masuman curry for AJR

행복한 먹기
(Happy eating in Korean on account of how babelfish does not do Thai translations)
Mondo

Camminare

Odierni punti = 14,414

Ciao
Mondo

Worrying trend

Hi Everyone,

I read this article today, as a friend emailed it to me - it made me think. It is important to maintain the art of reading. Or am I showing signs of old age?

Mondo

Walking Walking Walking

Yesterday I was in Port- au-Prince;

After the delights of the Caribbean islands that, although not without some issues, are relatively stable Port-au-Prince is a madhouse of poverty, crime and desperation (you never got to see this on The Love Boat – Episode 36 Captain Stubbing gets into a knife fight). So bad is the situation that the UN deployed troops here in 2004 after a military coup forced the president to flee. As far as walking goes, let’s rest up a bit here - gang massacres, kidnapping, shooting on the streets and large areas of slum neighbourhoods make a pretty compelling argument to stay indoors. The reason – 80% of the population live under the poverty line and 54% are in abject poverty. HIV AIDS infects and kills at incredibly high rates while deforestation from farming is leaving the surrounding region prone to floods and mudslides.

Today things have impoved (no doubt due to strenuous amounts of walking) and I am now in Hinche (nothing to do with Derryne), still in Haiti, but a much safer place to be. The temperature is 29, so it is a bit hot for me.

The local dish sounds interesting:
Rice and Beans… boring? Well not the way the locals make it, cup fresh parsley, 2 green onions chopped, 2 cloves garlic minced, pinch of thyme, tbsp salt, 2 tbsp oil, 1 cup rice, 2 cups cooked beans, 1 cups vegetable broth, 1 cup water. Using a mortar and pestle, mash the parsley, onions, garlic, thyme and salt into a thick paste. Heat this paste and the oil in a large pot, then add the rice. Stir to coat the rice with the oil, then add the broth, water and beans. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover, cooking until the water has been absorbed. Stir and serve hot. Anyone interested in dinner?

Language: French (official), Creole (official).

This map shows both Port-au-Prince and Hinche

Travel advice:
Malaria, dengue fever and filariasis are all transmitted by mosquitoes and all are common in Haiti throughout the year. Filariasis is a parasitic infectious tropical disease that (rather disturbingly) can find its way into your lymphatic system and cause Elephantiasis (no it doesn't give you a good memory it thickens the skin and underlying tissues in an "I am not an animal" sort of way. Nasty so keep covered, and wear insect repellent at all times.

Some background to Haiti:
Haiti has a historical past that is easy to read or hear but incredible in its courage and importance to grasp. Haiti was the world’s first independent black republic and the only nation to ever successfully form from a slave rebellion. In 1790 the black slaves owned by the French heard about the French Revolution and thought “Ha! Now why didn’t we think of that? Get the boys together we’re going to end this slave business right here, right now... Pete you still got that knife of yours?” (Historical note: I can’t confirm if this is exactly what was said verbatim). By November 1803 the French were defeated, despite Napoleon sending another invasion force, and independence was claimed. Yes, ongoing violence has made Haiti poor and underdeveloped and yes we need to be careful here, but the spirit, the food, the music and the incredible art, particularly painting, really is something to behold.

For more information on Hinche

Today's step count = 12,290

Coffee on Monday

Steps for Monday = 9,296

Fuelled by this coffee from My Cafe

Photo finish to the weekend

Steps for Saturday = 8,425
Steps for Sunday = 9,531

By far the best thing about the weekend is that I finally have a new camera - thanks to all those who gave advice.

I have a Canon IXUS 950 IS

I have photographed last nights dinner

Mondo

Wake up call

On the up

OK so the steps are still not great, but they are going in the right direction - so steps for Friday the 13th were 6,223.

Cook from the Cupboard - Week 1 and 2

My aim with this cook from the cupboard challenge is to reduce the number of packaged/non used food items that seem to have accumulated in the various places around the kitchen, reduce the number of packaged foods that I buy and encourage us all to use what we have. This will make it easier to know what is needed and how much or little to buy.

Due to technical difficulties (read there is too much going on), this report covers week one and two. I will try to report on this weekly from now on.

Things eaten from the cupboard:

• Spices - not so much eaten as thrown out - anything that was out of date (how does that creep up to quickly) - approximately 12 vials of herbs and spices out the door.
• Three of the four cans of tomatos
• Two out of three cans of chickpeas
• Finished pine nuts
• Finished crunchy nut cereal
• Used but did not finish oats, golden syrup and rice bubbles (made a slice and some anzac biscuits)
• 300g white chocolate in a white brownie mix
• Finished dried cranberries in the above brownie mix

Things eaten from the fridge:

• Butter and copha - some odds and ends of butter and some elderly copha (who knows when they were out of date) again not eaten but thrown out of the butter keeper.
  
• Several packages of cheese that were not edible were also disposed of, including some bococcini which I bought from the deli (its cheaper) had not got round to eating and found it had gone horrible (its a technical term), not a great saving in the end as had I bought my usual stuff (more expensive) it would have been happily sitting in brine and very usable.
  
• Finished off the parmesan in a frittata along with the cream and the last three eggs - have replaced eggs and I still have block parmesan.
• Used but did not finish the ghee.
• Finished the bacon
• Two fresh tomatos
• Three fresh carrots
• One and half bunches of corriander
• Milk - replaced
  

Things eaten from the freezer:

• Finished the frozen pies and sausage rolls
• Finished the spinach and cheese triangles
• Used a parcel of mince in a spag bol
  

Paraiso, Dominican Republic

We are now in location 28 of our odyssey across the world and we have arrived in Paraiso, a fishing village in the Dominican Republic. The town of Paraiso has on either side the small towns of San Rafael and Los Patos, two of the most touristy places in the Dominican Republic. "Paraíso" in Spanish means Paradise.

Local food: Ti malice (hot sauce) is made using hot pepper, onion & green onions, garlic, lime juice and olive oil. Sounds delish, I must try some.

Travel tip: Check your travel insurance. Doctors and hospitals will require up-front cash payment before commencing treatment (so don't fall into a coma before you or someone else pays them). In the event of a serious illness or accident, medical evacuation (usually to Miami) would be required, costing in excess of $US 20,000. Reminder to self to check health insurance and try not to get sick regardless.

SS Steps

Work means walking I have decided as today I was able to do 6,033 - not good but going in the right direction.

Raffles Steps courtesy of our trip in 2006

Will do better tomorrow.

Home today

I have been home on Tuesday and Wednesday looking after MLR who has a cold and a cough - hence the walking has not been great.

Steps = 2734

Will have to go to work for the first time this week on Thursday - two day week is my sort of week.

Made Rice Bubble slice and Anzac biscuits (cooking out of the cupboard report soon)

Mondo

San Juan Day 21 GCC

Today I am in San Juan, Peurto Rico and is a hot and humid 29 degrees. Location 26 in our walk across the world. Founded in 1521 makes it the second oldest city in the Americas and the oldest under a US flag so it prefers to eat shortbread and fall asleep in front of the television. San Juan is called 'La Ciudad Amurallada' – 'The Walled City'. During the early 16th century, San Juan was the point of departure for Spanish expeditions to charter or settle unknown parts of the New World. Its fortifications repulsed the English navigator Sir Francis Drake in 1595 (meaning it kept him out, not made him feel sick because of any sort of decorating clash of colours on the walls).

Puerto Rican culture is a mix of four cultures, African (from slaves), Taíno (Amerindians), Spanish (from... well, Spain actually), and more recently, North American (as you may have guessed... from the northern part of the Americas). This mix makes a culture that is all at once athletic, traditional, excitable and keen to make a buck.

Food: Asopao – Arguably Puerto Rico's most widely loved native dish, this hearty rice gumbo is made with chicken or shellfish. Every Puerto Rican family cherishes its own recipe for this classic comfort food.

Population: 343,374.
Photograph by Phil of Ottawa from Flickr

Catherine Tate and David Tennant

I am not the biggest Catherine Tate fan, but this clip is sooo funny. If you click on the title of this, you will see a classroom scene with Catherine Tate and David Tennant.

We have been quoting bits of this all weekend. Quotes are taking over from the usual Little Britain quotes in this house.

Of course Catherine Tate is going to turn up soon in the latest series of Dr Who!!!

Cover courtesy of Kat Clarke from Flickr

Queens Birthday Long Weekend Day 3

After all the efforts this week, between walking and cooking and cleaning I decided that Monday was the day to do nothing. Caught up on my taped tv shows, bought shoes for MLR as she was out at the toes and the heels were gone.

JAW visited with a choice article on camera's, so hopefully soon I will have a new camera. Dinner at Little Instanbul.

Steps today <2000

Bombay Movin' and Shakin'

Steps for Sunday a disappointing 8,991. The main reason I was disappointed was I was on my feet all day in the kitchen, making four different curries, plus rice etc and I felt exhausted. Steps are not the only indicator of activity.

BTW the curries were all nice, a potato, chickpea, chicken and a beef. MR, CR, JR and I had a good time - JR put together some Indian music (mostly George Harrison stuff), we also burned some Indian incense. I am ready to do it all again.

Cunningham Muffins

Queens Birthday Long Weekend Day 1

Steps for Saturday 7,378
JR played golf and got over 15,000 steps - maybe I should take up golf, wait who would look after the children, maybe not!

AJR cleaned up his bedroom and it looks great - his three best friends came over for a couple of hours in the middle of the day, they all dressed up and made gooses of themselves - which was extremely funny, wish I had a camera! Then they all went to another friends house for another couple of hours.

MLR, her friend Micky and I went to Kid City in Mitchell, down the new GDE (Gungahlin Drive Extension) which means it only takes twenty five minutes and there are almost no traffic lights. This road was opened in late April after over a year of traffic disruptions and difficulties, particularly at the Glenloch Interchange. The new road was described by the media as Canberra's first LA style flyover road. Not sure why we were not compared to the ones in Sydney (LA sounds much more exciting I suspect). We met up with my friend CJK and her kids. Later we went to their new house in a new suburb called Forde, named after a Prime Minister not a car. After a tour and a long discussion about hot water heaters we travelled home watching the fireworks in other people's backyards.

Siparia, Trinidad and Tobago

I have now walked to Siparia. Also called the Sand City. This is location 16 in my walk across the world.

Siparia is best known for its annual Easter Sunday pilgimage when hundreds of Hindus, Muslims, Roman Catholics, and other Christian groups gather at the Siparia La Divina Pastora Church to pay homage to Siparee Mai Ke Mala, the statue of La Divina Pastora. The statue, known as Siparee Mai by the Hindus, is believed to be a manifestation of Mother Kali the Hindu Goddess of destruction. Hindus believe that long ago Siparee Mai appeared at the La Divina Church, as a baby, to grant the wishes of East Indian forefathers who were subdued by the colonial regime. Believers say the baby, who appeared close to the altar, aged as the hours of the day trickled by. By evening, she turned into an old woman and disappeared as the sun went down. It is believed the statue bestows fertility to barren women, marital success to couples, healing to the sick, proper husbands for young girls, and blessings to the poor and needy. Children who are unable to walk or speak could be healed if offerings are made to the Goddess.

Population is 49,394
Official language is English, also speak Caribbean Hindi, French, Spanish and Chinese

The local dish is Buljol: Salted codfish shredded and seasoned with peppers, onions, tomatoes, and olive oil, often served in a coconut bake. Not sure I am going to try this dish, depends how much salt is in it.

This Sole Sista Rocks

Nothing like a bit of self promotion, however I have to report that I walked 17,276 steps today - a PB for this challenge. I walked Millie in the morning (could that be a song?) and went a different way off Monash Hill, ended up taking the long way home, so I had completed just on 6,000 steps by breakfast.

At lunch K and I walked all over Civic checking out restaurants suitable for a work lunch. In couple of weeks we have a steering committee meeting for the team and we decided it would be nice to have a meal to wrap up the meeting. We walked for over 45 minutes and K sets a good pace (faster than my normal speed, but probably slower than K's normal speed). Once home I went shopping - that would be more walking!!!

Now to give you some more stats - you know you can't get enough! These are current up to and including Thursday.

• Number of steps I have taken 177307
• Daily Average 11082
• Number of kilometers I have walked 113 (I can feel every one of them)
• Daily Average 7 kilometers

Photograph courtesy of Moriza (Creative Commons, Flikr)

Ainslie on Tuesday

I was asked what I had for lunch after the long walk to the Ainslie shops on Tuesday. We (the Sole Sistaz) dined at Edgars Inn (named after the street it is on). Christine and I shared a vegetarian foccacia with a side salad and no chips - I had a lemon lime and bitters and Christine had a coffee. We had a good turn out for this trip with 6 of the 7 Sole Sistaz making the journey, the missing member of the team had a good excuse, she was on a plane. The team had chicken burgers (x2), fish and chips and octopus salad. The chicken burgers had too much chicken and sauce in them and the fish looked ginormous!

Christine and I had just the right amount of food to fuel us for the hike back to the grindstonework place.


There is a different special each day for the dinner menu - Thursdays special diner menu is vegetarian

Global Corporate Challenge day 14

Steps for today 6,544 - better than nothing I guess!

Today's travels

Tonight finds me in Ahuas.
Here is a little information about where I am, although I have no hotel advice, so I am possibly sleeping one of the locals canoes.

Population 368.

Check your shoes before you put them on. Not for wear and tear or any sort of comfort factor – make sure there are no jungle spiders or snakes snoozing in them.

The local dish is fish sandwiches, boring but nice.

A short canoe trip takes you into Tawahkas' jungle and amongst all the rainforest animals you would ever want to see (and perhaps more). You will see creatures like monkeys, macaws, tapirs and peccaries. Of course, once you have seen all the cute and amazing animals, there is every chance you'll get to eat one. Tawahkas eat all three species of Honduran monkey - the spider, the white-faced and the howler. This ability to hunt and cook monkeys is shared by Amazonian rain forest indians with whom the Tawahkas share many other similarities.

Until tomorrow,
Mondo.

Step update day 13

Having walked to Ainslie for lunch and back, walked the dog in the rain before breakfast and having tried to be a bit more active I managed to clock up 15,404 steps today.

On my travels I am currently in Puerto Lempira in Hondourus - a small place (population 4,856) that is very poor. Hotel advice for this area is to choose a hotel with cinder blocks rather than wooden structures as it keeps the rats out better, also need to check if the hotel has electricity for more than the standard four hours from 5-9pm!

More stats for your edification!

• Sole Sistaz team are currently 797 out of 7051 teams, and leading the LWA teams (there are 5)
  

• There are 1049 companies competing in this years events


• There are 49357 people competing

Step up for tomorrow,
Mondo

Bridgetown Conference Update

My life is full of updates at the moment: In late March I travelled to Bridgetown in Western Australia to attend the WA Natural Resource Management Conference.

The report from the conference in Bridgetown has two pictures of me! Just a hint they are on pages 3 and 4.

That is my 15 minutes of fame dealt with.

Step update

Today not a good day for steps - due to over indulgence in steps on the weekend (is that possible?) combined with hayfever induced by the huge intake of dust since Friday. Anyway tonights total is a meagre 6, 524.

Tomorrow will be better as I will walk the dog, not something I could contemplate today after all the activity over the weekend.

June Challenge

For those of you following yesterday's story, I will report weekly on what I have sorted from what remains of the "stuff" in the garage.

Having been inspired by the feeling of accomplishment from finding the garage floor, I thought I need to continue the challenge. For the whole of June I am going to try to "cook from the cupboard" - that is I will only buy things that are not processed so that I am reducing the amount of food I seem to hoard in the cupboard. The guidelines for this are -

• Allowed to buy fresh fruit, veg, bread and meat, milk, margarine, toilet paper and tampons when current stocks run out.
• Not allowed to buy processed or convenience foods or convenience groceries (have to buy bread as there is no chance of me making it daily or even weekly).
• Each non-food purchase will be evaluated in terms of need versus want as well as environmental effect.
• I can still go out, just not indulge in convenience foods. So I can go to the movies but must take my own drink with me, for example.
  

The biggest challenge is going to be the snacks for the kids lunch boxes - no more instant snacks, so that is going to be tricky. I will need to do a lot of baking on the weekends and even during the week to make this work.

Also not sure how I will manage for wine. Is it cheating if I ask JR to buy it?

Also addicted to pasta, so not sure if we will survive without pasta in June (we only have three packets of pasta in the cupboard) - we will see.

I will report regularly about how I am managing this. Hang on to your hats it is going to be an interesting ride.

If you click on the link in the title you will see that I have "borrowed" this idea from Taph, thanks Taph.

Cheers,
Mondo

A poem

without walking the dog got 14, 499 steps today

by working at cleaning up in the garage

lots of dust, sweat, sky a bit grey

out goes the rubbish, in goes one carriage


7 x 130 litre boxes of toys

3 x 130 litre boxes of paintings

lots of found memories, lots of little joys

3 cubic metres of stuff to the dump

much space in the garage in which to jump


both the skip and trash pack are full to the brim

there is still more to sort, more boxes to trim

but there is space in the garage for both storage and cars

for our next activity the mission is mars