luckycanuck

I stayed in Canberra this weekend.  Dad left on Saturday morning and I was going to go up to Sydney to take him to the airport but I was going to see him again soon anyway, and in the end staying in Canberra was a better choice, especially given that I leave next weekend.  I'll  have enough going on without driving up and back to Sydney.

On Friday I got home from work and Malice, Roxy, and Helga were into our dress up box.  As soon as I walked into the room I was in a very good mood.  They got a pair of bunny ears and a pink feather boa and fairy wings on me, which I wore in my typical masculine fashion.

(Picture to come... hopefully.)

We then made plans to go out to a friend's house for cocktails they were having, and I quickly went from "extraordinarily good mood" to "periodically rocking with stress" just before we left the house.  It was aspie time and there was a minor freakout.  The evening had gone from being spent with people I know and like to being in a foreign and far more complicated environment.  I did go with them, and felt a bit stressed in the early stages of cocktail night, but eventually relaxed a bit.  I did spend more than my share of time outside alone on the balcony where there was nobody to talk to.  (I decided that aside from my housemates, I wasn't all that interested in speaking to anyone else.)  I did have a mojito for the first time in my life (and possibly the last as I'm not really a cocktail guy) and I chose not to go out to a bar in the city with everyone afterwards.

On Saturday, there was footy to be played.  It was Politicians v Press in a pretty fun game.

(Team photo to come... hopefully)

The Sydney Swans donated their training tops for our team to wear, and I discovered after the fact that the guy who normally wears number 8 (chosen by me because it is 2*2*2 and therefore one of my preferred numbers) is the same height as me, but is 17kg lighter.


(Not pictured, Luckycanuck)

They put me at a key position at centre half forward and I nearly managed to kick a point in the first half but the play had already been whistled dead.  The Australian Capital Territory Minister for Sport kicked all three of our goals in a match that ended Politicians 3.2.20 Press 1.4.10.

I also got to use my rugby tackling skills to good effect and caused a couple of turnovers, one of which led to a goal about ten seconds later.  I wasn't allowed to play in my rugby boots as they have metal studs, but a borrowed pair of more appropriate boots were found just in time.

Later that night the girls came to the pub where we were having drinks after the game, and after I went home for a shower, I joined them at a pub frequented by university students.  I was at least a decade older than most of the people there, and Helga's assurance early in the evening that I would "pick up for sure" was ultimately unfounded.  It was really not my scene.  Coming home and having sausages and poached pears in mulled wine made by Malice was much nicer.

Today I picked up an electrical adapter for my trip to America and went for a big session at the gym.

TW: Tabata "Pushing".  Bench press, wall ball, dips, kettlebell swings, pushups, corner presses.  Then practicing thrusters to improve my form and my willingness to go deeper in the squat part of it, and later 100 more pushups in the sauna.  HOORAH!!!

I think I may do tabata workouts for pulling, legs, and core for the remainder of the week.

Also, the housemate formerly known as Malice really doesn't like the name, so I think I'll change it.

I was in work for a bit today much to the surprise of CoS and W and I said hello to some of the MPs who had turned up for Parliament.  Then it was off to pick up Malice from her trip to Europe.  She had brought back gifts including half litre beer steins from the Hofbrauhaus in Munich.



They will come in handy for our Oktoberfest night.

I proposed pizza would be a good call for her first night back, Roxy added a dynamite spinach pie, and we had Coffee Snob over.  I've had a lot of friends over since moving into Chez Canuck.  Either I am happier bringing people over now or I have more friends or both.

TW: A Crossfit workout I saw a trainer taking a guy through yesterday.  Row 500m, rest 1 minute, 2 minutes of double unders, then pullups, 24kg kettlebell swings, ring pushups - 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1.  My time, 15:00 flat.  And I actually did four double unders.  I have always struggled with things that require rhythm.  I was only able to do them one at a time before the rope got caught.

Later I managed to increase my deadlift maximum to 140kg.  It was easier than I expected and I manged five.  Then it was 200 closers.

And now for a closing giggle courtesy of an ex-girlfriend's Facebook status: Insert name here supports the Jedi's right to build a temple, but do they have to do it less than two parsecs from the ruins of the Death Star?

And that reminded me of this little clip.

I'm in Canberra and happy to be home, even if it is for just one night.

Helga made dinner for me so I would have a nice home cooked meal, and tomorrow morning Malice is making a household breakfast of french toast before I go. Also, when I got home, they had redecorated my room with baloons and a variety of trinkets and chocolates spread out on my bed along with a Mr Happy book (I seem to have taken on the nickname of Mr Happy) and everyone had made sketches of the four of us and they are currently above my bed where they will stay. (Pics will follow, but probably not until after the election.)

I really missed these guys, and I've only been living in the current Chez Canuck for a short time.

Also, I have picked up two cheques, one a substantial dividend and one a return of some of the money I put towards the Aurora Oil capital raising that was scaled back. Hooray! I come home to a household that is happy to see me, a bunch of delightful little gifts, dinner, and a pile of cash.

Back to the campaign tomorrow, but the end of the election is in sight.