Feels Good To Be Home

After a marathon flight across the Pacific (with the inevitable delays at JFK airport and customs in Sydney) I'm typing this up in the family home at West Pennant Hills. I had the Qantas song going through my head as we flew into Sydney, and we were drenched with a wonderful sunny day as we stepped off the airplane.

There's been some changes, especially in the roads around Lane Cove, but I was glad that our house remains as deathly cold as I remembered it to be. My parents are in good spirits, and that's the most that I could ask for. Looking forward to seeing my sis and the kids tonight for dinner.

We talked of many things on the way home, family news, shares, work in NY, other random gossip. I gave my parents their pressies, which they appreciated :) Dad showed me his latest gadget purchase (some Motorola phone that he doesn't know how to use) and Mum regaled me on how she doesn't ever want to change the TV, as she's finally worked out how to record stuff on it.

Feels good to be home.

A Sign Along The Road

Bec asked me yesterday if I was feeling excited about my up and coming birthday. I thought about it for a while, and the answer is "meh...". It seems that I get older, the days go faster, and the birthdays don't mean as much.

Yes, I will be turning 30; yes, I will be ticking a different box on those random surveys; yes, the knees creak a bit more when I walk up some stairs. But essentially, do I feel different? A day does not maketh the man, or something like that.

I feel some of the major changes in my life were in coming over here to NY last year, to being fully committed to my relationship, to buying my new watch :) Turning 30 was not something I looked forward to, nor was it something I was scared of.

I've heard that men are in their prime during their 30's, as they have got their shit together and are really making a decent contribution to themselves and to society at large. Perhaps this birthday milestone is just a sign along the road that I am traveling, an acknowledgment that things are now coming together and that I am finally starting to be a wise man.

Consumption Over

So it's finally done. The arduous journey that my grandma started me on is complete, and I have the ticking watch to prove it. It's strange how much time went into this purchase, and all the trials and tribulations that came with it (trying to get a watch ordered in, couldn't find the ones I wanted, haggling with the sales person etc etc). I wish I put this much effort into buying shares (and the worse thing is that the share purchases are much more than the watch!)

Still, it's all good now, and I have a sense of completion. Next step is to send a picture of the watch on the wrist to grandma.

I've never had a mechanical watch before, and I have to say that they ticking they make when it put it next to your ear is quite cool. I also like the fact that the second hand sweeps, and doesn't flick from one second to the next.

Yay for new goodies. Hoping this watch will last a lifetime :)

Opening A Set

One thing that I've seen recently is this series called the "Pick Up Artist". Now, some people, when they first saw this series and told me about it, said that they automatically thought of me. Why?? :) Perhaps when I was a young turk I had many theories on relationships. Having watched the series, perhaps I should have taken some of those notes instead of making my own! Ah, water under the bridge.

What I did find interesting was the transformation of the guys themselves. To see them from when they first started to where they ended up at the end of the series was quite remarkable. True, the lines are hammed up, and sound a bit strange, but it all boils down to the confidence and belief of the guy in himself. I did like some of the moves, one where the guy spins the girl around, and in the process takes the seat she was sitting in. Gold!

So single guys, if you want some quality education in approaching girls, check it out. The series itself doesn't give that much material, but it's fun to watch.

Girls, if you ever hear the line, "so did you see the fight outside with two girls?", tell them "you mean the one where on of the girl's breast popped out?", that will stop their opening :)