I went to the dentist today. He put a filling in the hole that the root canal man gave me. Now I think the tooth is done, fully treated. Hooray. Only 3 months later and tooth one is fixed. Now for the one that's not actually there, and they've hardly started on that.

I'm going on camp this weekend. Camps are not the easiest things in the world to organise. Lucky I'm the most organised person in the world.

Tapped Off

I am continually reminded that this world is falling apart. Decay is everywhere. My discman broke recently. How unhappy. Now I don't listen to music when I travel.

This house has a disagreements with light globes and regularly blows them.

And our bathroom door broke a while ago which meant we had to shower and go to the toilet with no door. It did wonders for the inner-exhibitionist in me.

Now the cold tap on our shower has died. So I bought some new taps today at the hardware shop. I thought it's just be take off the old tap whack on the new one, but no, the new tap doesn't fit! They looked the same from the front. So now I own two taps, but still our cold tap is dead. I'll have to go see if I can find a to fit this time. Other wise we'll have to call the land lady, but I don't want that to happen. It'll be like admitting defeat. Although I reckon that's the likely outcome.

We Built this City

I had the song "We Built this City" stuck in my head all night on Friday. Except the only thing in my head was We built this city, we built this city on rock and roll.

So I went and found the song on iTunes and downloaded it, expecting some kind of 80s rock classic. But alas the only thing good about the song is the bit I was singing. The rest of it is rather embarrassing for the whole human race. If ever we meet aliens we'll have to get to know them really well before we play them that song.

Although if I was a really good musician I'd use the chorus and write a new song around it. But it wouldn't be a rock song. Maybe a rather melancholic "Blower's Daughter" kinda track. How cool would that be?

I reckon I had a pretty good day today. I'm not sure that there was anything particularly special, I was just happy. Sundays usually leave me feeling exhausted and a bit flat, but today was happy. Jon, Helen and I went to dinner at some trendy Newtown place tonight and I had the biggest cafe glass of Coke I've ever had. It was tops. I was in heaven.

I love Coke.

I just watched Over the Top an 80s classic. Stallone arm wrestling his way into the heart of his disenfranchised 12 year-old son. It's doesn't get much better then that.

Here I am again
Back on the corner again
Back where I belong
Where I've always been
Everything the same
It don't ever change
I'm back on the corner again
In the healing game

Van Morrison - The Healing Game

Love Again

We did Love Is again tonight at an Anglican Church in the bit of Sydney I don't like. It was the first time we've been invited to perform this show outside of Black Stump or Soul Survivor, so it was fun.

I preached at the end, almost exactly the same message that I gave almost a year ago at church. It was weird doing it again. Going over it this week has been like being an actor getting back into character. I was in a different place last year when I wrote the talk and I had to get back there, conjure up the feelings and remember why I wrote what I did. It seems strange to talk about preaching like acting, but I guess it's only really about finding authenticity because there's nothing worse than a preacher who isn't authentic. Except maybe nuclear weapons and AIDS and domestic violence. But apart from those, and probably quite a few other things, there's nothing worse than a preacher who isn't authentic.

Anyway, it was good. The show was good. There is many a talented person involved. And I felt like the message went alright. So yeah.

Tomorrow I'm off to a first aid course. Yeehaa. I love first aid. I want to save everyone's life.

Fight Night

I went to the Mundine v Green fight at Aussie Stadium last night. I went with Matt, Mitch, Graham, and Matt's friend Jess. What a fun night it was. We five guys were just a small contribution to a stadium full of testosterone. I doubt you get many sporting events with a greater gender imbalance than there was last night.

Mitch, Graham and I arrived at 5pm (after a killer steak at the pub up the road from home), right at the beginning for 5 hours of undercard fights. There were 11 fights all up, and when you sit through 5 hours of men punching each other your attention sometimes wanes. You tend to watch some fights with interest and others barely register. But happily there was pleanty of other stuff to keep you interested. Like watching what happens on the field when two rival bikie gangs walk past and get surrounded by nervous cops. Or watching the reaction of the crowd when the women advertsing "men's entertainment" come near. Or seeing the look in the eyes of the man who drops his bottle of rum which you pick up for him and he thinks your going to steal it. Things like that. There was plenty to keep you interested.

On the undercard one of my two favouirte moments was when a fighter names Clinton who was knocked out one and half minutes in. He got punched, rather lightly it looked, then half a second later seemed to loose the will to fight and just drop. He didn't seem to actually get knocked out, the punch just seemed to be an excuse to get out. It was rather funny to watch. But you probably had to be there.

The other highlight (if you can call it that) was seeing Hoppa's proffessional debut. He was set up against this big, 45 year-old guy who looked like Lando Calrissian (who I mistook for Boba Fett, what a bad Star Wars fan I am). Hoppa came into the ring with the most excitement that anyone recieved who wasn't Mundiene or Green. And then went on to destroy the guy in 47 seconds. It was pretty massive. Poor old guy, one can't help but thinking he wasn't there because anyone thought he'd beat Hoppa.

When 10pm rolled around it was time for the main event, so after an Aboriginal smoking cerimony the fighters were brought out with much fanfair, booing and cheering. I was going for Green because I think Mundine talks himself up too much.

The fight was good. Green came out looking better for the first few rounds but never seemed to dominate. But Mundine had the stamina and managed to come out looking better at the end. But both fighters, as far as my amature eyes could tell did good. It was a close fight, but sadly Mundine did that bit better. And it really was sad.

When the fight finished Mitch gave me a lift home, but we sat in the carpark listening to Spoonman (and other Triple MMM late night-ness) first for the better part of an hour waiting for some movement. It was sad. I think walking may have been quicker.

I don't need more stuff, but gosh I want more.

Yay for the Government

While generally I won't be saying the above title, it looks like the change to copyright laws are close to becoming a reality. That makes me happy. Finally the Liberals are doing something I like. I still won't vote for them though.

Today I'm going to the movies. And how I love the movies.

The hygenist told me to floss regulalry. So I have. Twice.

24 odd hours

I was writing my sermon for tonight yesterday afternoon and I got a call from my Dad telling me that our dog, Tassa was very sick (she's been sick for months) and was probably going to die soon, and asking me if I would like to go and see the dog. So Jo and I hopped in the car and headed out to Hornsby for one last visit with the dog that we grew up with.

When we arrived Tassa stood up a greeted us. She wagged her tail, and we were told that that was the first time she'd moved all day. She was really sick, she was finding it really hard to breath, and couldn't lie down because she was so uncomfortable. She'd been standing up for 24 hours.

After a family conference we decided that we should take her too the vet to have her put down, rather than delay the inevitable.

At that stage it was about 6pm, so Dad called the after hours vet and arranged to meet her at the clinic. We picked up Tassa and all walked out to the car. As we were walking out, Hannah was amazingly perceptive and kept waving at Tassa saying "Bye bye Tassa, bye bye."

When we arrive at the vet, the Vet told us what was going to happen. She was just going to overdose Tassa on anesthetic and she would just drift off to sleep. When the Vet went out to get the stuff, we decided to send Hannah out with my Auntie while the procedure happened. So we sent Hannah over to pat Tassa one last time, she patted Tassa and said "Bye bye Tassa" and as she did that Tassa seemed to try to stand up or something and then she just went limp and stopped breathing. Most of the family were holding on to Tassa at the time. Mum called the Vet in, who had a listen to her heart and told us that it was slowing down, then her heart stopped all together and she was dead. All of us were there, in the room, we didn't have to get her put down, and she died as pleasantly as you could hope for. It was an amazing. It was like God had it all figured out. I am amazed at the graciousness of God, that he would orchestrate the death of even an old, rather insignificant, family dog.

I carried Tassa out to the car and we took her home and buried her in the bush. It was rather sad, as much as she was a nuisance sometimes, she was also our cute little dog. I'd grown up with her, she'd been in my life for 15 years, and I was always fond of her, even if I didn't do a real good job as showing it ("Tassa, shut up!" isn't exactly the greatest show of affection). And now our little dog is gone.

After that I stayed at my parents house writing the sermon. I was meant to go to a party last night, but the dog stuff got in the way.

On the way to work this morning I was driving down a road near church, and I saw a cyclist get hit by a car. He was riding on the left between parked cars and the car in front of me. The car turned to go into driveway just as the cyclist was riding past it and he got hit. He went up onto the bonnet then onto the ground.

I pulled over to see if I was needed, but I felt rather inadequate. It happened right outside the local oval so there were people everywhere. People stopped and came running and were on their phones and everything. I figured I was probably a little redundant, so when was sure there was nothing I could be doing I headed off to church. It was all a bit of a shock really. I hope the guy's ok. He looked like he would be. I hope the people in the car are ok too. I'm sure it's not easy coping with something like that.

So that was my odd 24 hours. The rest of the day was pretty normal. I did mother's day lunch with Mother and family which was nice. I visited the local retirement village with my diminishing youth group (there isn't a lot of enthusiasm for hanging out with old people) which was special, because it's always good visiting, blessing and being blessed by the people there. And I preached tonight which went better than I thought it would.

This is the athiest worship song Uncle Jaffa sang at Soul this year.

I Believe in Nothing

Verse 1
I believe that billions cells
Formed to become a fish,
Which climbed out of the sea
Then climbed into a tree
And into my home
And that Fish/Ape/Man is me
That Fish/Ape/Man is me

Bridge
If you go to the heights of the earth
You’ll find nothing
If you to depths of the sea
You’ll find nothing

Chorus
In the universe it’s plain to see
There’s no God there’s just you and me
I will sing with my lungs and be proud
From the rooftops I’ll shout it out loud
“I believe in nothing”

Verse 2
I believe in the really big bang
When nothing collided with nothing
And formed into something
And on that something grew an ocean
And a mountain here or there
And conveniently some air
Conveniently some air

Bridge
If you go to the heights of the earth
You’ll find nothing
If you to depths of the sea
You’ll find nothing

Chorus
In the universe it’s plain to see
There’s no God there’s just you and me
I will sing with my lungs and be proud
From the rooftops I’ll shout it out loud
“I believe in nothing”

Tag
Let us eat and drink
for tomorrow we die

Fire

One day I would like to disappear for many years, the come back with a big beard and a tanned, jungle-man body, and be wearing the skins of animals that I have killed and eaten in the wild. And when I arrive I will walk into the building (whatever building I first walk into) and say: "I have returned to set this world on fire and burn it to the ground."

Speaking of burning, it's sad to hear about St Barney's burning down. Jon saw it this morning as we drove past. Happily no one was hurt.

Hooray for free miners!

Travel Fun

Tomorrow I'm going to catch a bus all the way from the city to my work. Of course, that's not a big deal for lots of people but for me, well, I'm excited. I do love a good bus adventure these days, now that I'm not so scared of buses. They really were things of fear.

Howie and I want to go on a transport challenge like on "Top Gear". We're going to start in Newcastle then race from Newcastle to some obscure place in Melbourne as quickly as possible. One group will go in the car the other on public transport (including planes). I'm hoping more people want to do it because I reackon it'd be way fun if you didn't have to do it alone. Plus, I'd quite like to be on the public transport team.

I do it with my small group or something, but I'm not sure parents would want to shell out $100 or so dollars for a day's worth of transport fun.

Saturday Home

I'm home today and it's Saturday. I haven't got around to making anything happen today. I have a few ideas about how to fill my time today. I'll see what happens.

I'm happy to see the new Superman Returns trailer. Oh how exciting is Superman? The most wonderful superhero of all time I reckon. I'm so excited. Sadly the day the film comes out is the day after I leave Australia for Russia so I'm not sure where I'll see the film. I will refuse to watch it on a plane. I reckon if nothing else I'll go see it in England some where.

I found out last night that at the Enmore Theatre they're having a Breakdancing festival or something. I thought, how cool to go see that, but alas I will be out of the country for that too.

I went to see Dave Chappelle's Block Party last night with Ryan and Libby. It was cool. Lot's of lovely people who I want to be friends with. And it made me laugh. And it had lots of hip hop. Hip hop really is growing on me. I think when I get a car it'll have to have a good sound system, woofers, tweeters and them other ones, so I can listen to hip hop loudly and feel "pretty fly". Yo, wassup dawg?!?

We played Lock On at youth group last night. It's a laser tag game that you can play at home. When I was a young lad there were few of us who bought sets, and they're still around and going strong. They are much fun. Anyway we played it at church last night and it was most enjoyable. We ran around shooting each other. I wasn't very good at staying alive but I was good at killing people. In the first game I managed to obliterate a team of three almost single handedly. And that, my friends, is why you should always play all games against 11 year-olds who have never played before.

Although after that they got a bit wiser so I died with more regularity and with less success. That was because they learnt how to play and that they could reset their lives mid game by turning the switch on their headset on and off. Oh well, I guess it was a practical demonstration that eternal life comes to the shrewd and dishonest. Which is exactly what we like to teach at church.

Yesterday I was at the bus stop and some girls from the local high school who I've had for scripture seminars came up to me and said "We've decided that we love you more than Jesus."

I wasn't sure what to do with that. But we had a fun conversation.

Today I had no car. And it was good.

I am very tempted to stay up late tonight but I should sleep. Sleep is good for me.

The car broke down again today.

We were on our way to work, Helen and I, and smoke started to come out of the hand brake. We thought it was best that the car not be driven anymore.