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I know Peter’s a math geek, but he sent me this comic strip yesterday and I thought I’d share it. Very funny. To me anyway.
Enjoy!
More from xkcd.com
We went hiking in Wilsons Prom for Peter’s birthday and all ended up being very sore and walking like penguins after 2 days of nonstop walking. Here are selected photos of the trip.
We drove up on Friday night fighting weekend traffic escaping Melbourne and camped at Tidal River. It’s a very luxurious, giant campsite with hot showers, and flushing toilets. After the rugged hiking in SA where a composting toilet is a luxury it felt a bit too much like a “nice holiday” rather than camping.
The next morning we parked at Telegraph Saddle and began our walk in a clockwise direction towards Sealer’s Cove and spending the night at Refuge Cove. The less popular walk takes you to Waterloo Bay for the first night. It’s a bit longer but we think it might be better as 1) the campsite there is less crowded and 2) the most boring bit (Telegraph track to Telegraph Saddle) is downhill rather than uphill.
You can see our route here (thanks to wonderful C!).
Anyway, we met some Spanish physicists on the first day and I was so happy to have someone to speak Spanish with that we made friends quickly. They ended up borrowing our stove as they had forgotten theirs and were very grateful they didn’t have to chew on raw pasta for dinner. We’ve been invited over to their place for a dinner of Spanish tortillas which will be fun.
Overall the hike was spectacular with lots of great views over the water and wonderful rainforest scenery, but it was hard work. It’s also very humbling when a very fit looking older couple speed past you with packs the same size and legs to die for! We all survived in the end, with many happy memories. Everyone was very glad of the “luxurious” showers at Tidal River and I spent a very happy time under the hot water washing away all the trail dust.
Anyway, we all creaked and groaned our way into our cars and stopped off at the Meeniyan Hotel for an excellent meal. Everything was cooked to perfection, and our meals were better than most I’ve had in Melbourne, with great country service (casual and attentive) and a small crowd of locals taking the piss at the silly hikers who could barely walk. I should have shot a video of us getting out of the car, but the battery died and the camera would also be shaking terribly as we were all laughing ourselves silly by then.
It was quite funny and sobering that: a) I was that unfit, b) I was mentally crap – I whinged a bit too much! and c) I was sore as hell at the end of it. But the funny thing is, like childbirth, you forget, and now I think it will be nice to go on another hike again soon. Oh dear…
At the risk of sounding cheesy, it’s hard for me to forget how lucky I am everyday. With a loving, happy relationship and rewarding (if very stressful) work, I’m comfortable and happy most of the time.
A good friend has been traveling, and is shocked when poverty is on show in the streets. I used to look at it everyday in Mexico, walking past abandoned, crumbling, half-demolished buildings or people living on the streets was commonplace.
However, as a resident in one of the “posh” suburbs here, I’m forgetting how precious my lifestyle and civil liberty is. Today, I read this article on the mental state of Russia:
THE practice of “punitive psychiatry”, perfected by Nikita Khrushchev in the aftermath of Stalin’s Great Terror as a palatable way of dealing with political dissidents, was thought to have been buried with the Soviet Union.
But the treatment of one critic of the Putin Government has raised fears among Russia’s human rights community that the Kremlin is preparing to incarcerate a new generation of dissidents in asylums.
… continue reading here
And then came this one, about the police investigation of a Thai professor who asked his students:
“Do you think the monarchy is necessary for Thai society? How should it adapt to a democratic system? Please debate.”
In Thailand, one of the few countries where laws protecting royalty are strictly enforced, it is a taboo question which could land the 46-year-old philosophy lecturer in jail.
Yikes.
Thank goodness for my intelligent husband & friends (that’s all of you out there) for ensuring my continued awareness of the state of the world we live in.
And don’t forget to count your blessings!
This one is for all the closet geeks in all of you. I know who you are, I know you read my blog, and I think you’ll like this.
Wired magazine writes a short article with interesting ideas on where to go. Ranging from movie locations in Lord of the Rings and Star Wars, to an antimatter factory – there’s something for every geek (except somewhere to see the Aurora Borealis).
I’m very annoyed that I’ve been working from about 4pm – midnight most days these past few weeks (feels like a year, not a month). It means that P leaves for work while I’m asleep, and I get home after he’s asleep. So all we say to each other is “Good morning/night”. Not good for my social life, sex life or any life. I need to get a life. Argh.
I’ve been communicating with a friend who has been traveling, and I miss solo travel so much.
Being in a relationship means I forget that I’m very happy and comfortable alone, that I can do things by myself (being an absolute lazy bum I try and con my husband into doing everything for me!), that I am quite capable of surviving, even thriving, by myself.
I’m terribly overdue for another trip where I pick up my pack and decide where I want to be, how I want to get there. I miss long bus trips when I have time to think, watch the world go by and catch up with my music collection.
I love traveling, especially alone. Magically you start getting to know yourself better, as you get to know the world around you better too. Sometimes I try to resolve to always be a nomad, moving every few years after I get to know a place. I’m afraid of getting too comfortable. That’s not what life is all about. I keep thinking, I have to keep moving, I’m running out of time. Still, I remember to enjoy what I have, my family, my close relationships, and I try to enjoy my work (at least I enjoy the people I work with).
Oh well, that’s the best I can do for now. Wonder where I’ll go next? India and China? Anyone want to join me?
I finally got Facebook. It’s been great to catch up with old friends, so welcome to my blog, if you’re here from Facebook.
