I don't read your blog... any more

Keepings up…

Since the bicycle accident my life has undergone a significant downscale… Besides not being allowed to drive or ride a bike, my concentration and energy levels have dropped too. 

Even though my enthusiasm for the cyber existence had been waning prior to the accident, a couple of fractured fingers has made it very difficult to type and my back doesn't like the idea of sitting at a computer for hours so I've pretty much given up reading blogs… The fact that flickr has drastically changed it's format hasn't helped either!

It's old news that Google reader would cease to exist after July 1st but by the time July came I’d completely forgotten that it was scheduled to be shut down! How ironic that I should look for it today July 16th and discover that I could have migrated my subscribed blogs to another RSS feeder up until 12pm yesterday!

I guess that’s one way to cure me of my voyeuristic romanticizing of the world through the eyes of others…  Maybe now I can just get on with my own life instead of coveting the fascinating lives I’d subscribed to over the years!

I must have been subscribed to a couple of hundred individual blogs, Possibly a quarter of them had ceased publishing since I started reading but there were some that were exceptional and which I would have liked to have continued to read. Of those I can only recall the titles of a handful…

To all the skilled, gifted, green fingered, mechanically minded, artistically driven or just plain cooky  bloggers, writers, artists I’ve followed over the past several years thanks for the inspiration… Maybe I’ll stumble across your blogs by accident again someday but chances are… I won’t.

Since I do remember some of the titles of blogs I used to subscribe to via my old reader, I thought I'd post them here so I can find them again... You might like to check some of these out there's some serious artistic talent and happy cycling/sailing tales to read here.

The Smallest Forest

http://smallestforest.net/

 

The Homeless Guy

http://thehomelessguy.blogspot.com.au/

 

Up in Alaska (Oops now it’s called Jill Outside)

http://arcticglass.blogspot.com.au/

Free Advice on How to Fix Bikes

http://www.howtofixbikes.ca/

What I did on Friday

http://katefern.blogspot.com.au/

 Outrigger Sailing Canoes

 http://outriggersailingcanoes.blogspot.com.au/

Green Commotion

http://greencomotion.blogspot.com.au/

Art of Kris Larsen (He says he’s through with this blog but… you never know)

http://monsoondervish.wordpress.com/

 After several years of skipping around the internet I think the luster has finally worn off. I don't get online social networking at all, I don't like having the free stuff I use fiddled and tampered with... (OK I'm seriously resistant to change... Big F---ing Deal) 

I'm ready now not to be aware of every nuance of change affecting the socially aware universe of hipsters and cool Steele... So much phony baloney! I've had a gut full of the coolest happenings, flashmobs, community inclusion, ukelele playing, moustachioed fishermen's pant wearers, nude cyclist, AK47 machete wielding survivalists, gender neutral, Organic Perma-anticultural-subcultural super networks, bean eating jet-setters chasing celebrity love harmony and Government grants for feeding the downtrodden and underprivileged children... (so long as it looks good) 

Name droppers... Oxygen thieves... But wait... 

"You think that's air you're breathing now?"

(Morpeus (Laurence Fishburne) The Matrix 1999)

On The Road...hit it hard!

I came back to Melbourne again last week to see mum before she started Chemo.
Walked most of the way from Airport to Greensborough... lost the path too many times did too many extra miles and was saved the embarrassment of quitting when my sister called and offered me a lift just before the trail ran out... ;)

Crossing Western Ring Rd

Creek reserve near Broadmeadows

A rare signposted section of track

I wish they'd painted these at intersections.... This was a fair way down the path

Locals turn roadside reserve land into orchards and veggie gardens

The path was blocked from Edgars Rd, there was nowhere to walk after this section...

Walking the Western Ring Path took me several hours I had to jump a few fences and double back a lot but the bicycle trail has some very nice sections for walking and cycling. A lot of disused land, old horse paddocks and creekside paths to explore. My legs weren't up to such a long walk after having no sleep the night before and a 2am flight but next time I'll be do better (or I'll ride. ;)

THE CRASH!

I would have posted more about this trip and earlier but while down here I had a mishap on my bike and have been unable to do much at all for the past week.

What happened? Well; determined to make the most of my time in Melbourne I decided to cycle to Ceres down on the Merry Creek. It started as a lovely ride through Greswel Forest, Bundoora, I noticed the axle nuts on my front wheel had come loose, I had no spanner so tightened as best I could by hand... (Stupid!)
Of course hand tightening is not enough for axle nuts... They loosened and as I was riding down the hill on Plenty Rd, just past the cemetery, I came over a bump and something went wrong... Cognitively I knew what went wrong but it all happened so fast I don't remember much more than thinking... "Oh shit somethings wrong..." ..........***DUSH***THUD***

I got up... spitting blood and bits of tooth from my mouth... with a heavy feeling all over. My bicycle helmet was hanging in pieces from the strap around my neck... sunglasses smashed all over the road... my bike somewhere between the curb and the middle of the road... fronth wheel somewhere else... I hit the road hard.

Thought I'd got a ticket to the Bear Mountain Picnic!




People appeared from somewhere or other and helped me to the side of the road. Somebody called an ambulance, I remember hearing them reporting that there was "blood... lots of blood..." "...err no it doesn't appear to be squirting out but it's hard to tell..."
"OK" I thought, "Stay calm. There doesn't appear to be anything sticking out of where it shouldn't... Blood is not squirting out of anywhere at a rate that can't be handled with the sleeve of a shirt... I managed to stand and walk... I think I'll be OK."

Ambulence came and took me to the Hospital where I was x-rayed and spent the next 2 days flat on my back with no food, an IV drip in my arm and a catheter carefully inserted where I'd rather it wasn't. That was a week ago today. They finally sent me home, to my parents place on Saturday where I am expected to convalesce until they deem me fit to fly home!

How do I feel? Sometimes OK. Mostly not so good. Although there was no internal bleeding in my head I am still foggy and get muddled. My back is aching, I get tired quickly and I still can't shit properly. (apparently a combination of trauma to spine and use of certain pain killers can mess up bowel function) But, it could have been much worse! If I hadn't been wearing that helmet there would have been no need for that ambulance! My injuries were minor compared to what they could have been!

"...They unsnapped his skull cap and between his ears they saw a gap..."

GRATITUDE
I have no idea who the people were that helped me on the side of the road but I am very grateful that they did! The Paramedics in the Ambulance were first rate! Im grateful also to all the hospital staff who patched me up and provided pain relief... Thanks to Pete the orderly who took me for my x-rays and provided me with some real human interaction! A big thanks to the Nurses who rolled me onto my side, gave me a back rub and a flannel bath... that was strangely pleasant.

Thanks also to the great spirit who fucks with me from time to time and stops me in my tracks, when I think I'm calling the shots! I'm sure I must have missed your subtler messages... ;)
I guess I must be needed here for a while. I can spend some time with my folks while mum commences her chemotherapy. 

Twilight Sailing

But first about - A Graduation Ceremony.
Before I get into the drama's of learning to sail stories I'd like to mention that today (oops technically yesterday now) was CDU Graduation Day. This year for the first time CDU graduated some very special people who have managed to complete the Mawul Rom Project at Galiwin'ku. This was a very special occasion, graduands received a Masters in Indigenous Knowledges! Congratulations to those who graduated especially those members of my adopted Gupapuyngu family who have worked so hard! I was proud to see you there today! I wanted to jump for joy and cheer you but of course the atmosphere required a little more restraint!

(Academic protocol doesn't encourage emotional explosions)

Sailing


Over the past few months I've managed to complete two basic skills courses in Sailing and have even attended 4 Twilight races at the Darwin Sailing Club. It's been a real hoot! I love being on the water. Attending sailing classes has made it possible for me to experience some of the basics of sailing a yacht and provided some great moments bobbing around in the sea.

Today was the Darwin Sailing Club's final Twilight Series 'Non Serious' sailing race. This was possibly my last chance to sail until next year and I kind of spoiled it a bit by being a little too blase. Today there were no Pacer dinghies available and my regular sailing partner deserted me to crew on another boat so I had to take out a Pico. Actually I was looking forward to finally sailing solo and not having to share any of the boat with someone else but the rapture soon wore off! Picos are smaller dinghies than Pacers and the reduction in hull size means, surprise surprise, they're more cramped! With no jib to watch for my boat's orientation in relation to the wind, I soon discovered that it is a little harder to avoid the no-go-zone! Another problem which made things worse for me was the fact that the hull is more like a flat platform, which means there's not leg room. I ended up nearly dislocating my right knee 3 times!

It happened all to quickly! Directly as a result of two important factors... My lack of experience in these boats coupled with lack of concentration lead to me trying to quickly move from one side of the boat to the other during a Tack or a Gibe, resulting in my torso and everything else moving in one direction while the lower part of my leg is caught sideways under the weight of my body! The result of this unfortunate maneuver was the unmistakable shooting pain of two leg bones unwilling to maintain their relationship within the bounds set by my kneecap! I experience it as a deep pain stemming from a knee that will not bend in the usual way. It hurts, I swear, I thump the side of the boat and there's a sickening feeling like my leg won't straighten, but I try and then *POP* it's back in place. This happened three (3) times!!! Strangely now, just after midnight I can feel the pain in my hip joint! How odd!
Despite the physical discomfort and frustrating lack of skill at sea, I still managed to have a pretty good time. At least I was out there and it truly is beautiful to be propelled in a wind powered boat!

The sailing club is a new social experience for me. I found it quite a laid back and relaxing scene.When the race is over we all go back to the club and enjoy a bit of social activity and one or two free drinks from the esky. It's good fun actually but unfortunately the season is over which will mean I am at risk of forgetting everything I've learned before the season starts again next year. Looks like it's back to paddling around in the canoe with the kids.