Lovely... Really..?

Hello again from down under.

We went dirt bike riding yesterday.



Saw some neat country. Tropical. Same latitude as Cabo, Mexico. Didn't find a platypus, but will try again later...




That is a gum tree! Aka Eucalyptis

Rain forest only a few miles away from the dry hot desert.

Deano and Gino. Great M8s! Dean lemme use his bike.

Gino and I.


Laughed a bunch with friends at dinner. Saw & experienced more of Macay. It grew up recently with the local coal mines. The average income supports lots of toys, neatly shaven lawns, boats, etc. We went for drinks on Sunday at the harbor; which didn't exist 4 years ago and now has 6-7 thirteen story apt buildings/condos. Now it is FULL of 30 foot catamarans and larger play things. A nice mix of women and men, which surprised me for all that I have heard about the over abundance of men in this male dominated mining town. It was fun to see some folks in a dance move to cover the stumble. Felt like home. I was quite surprised at the whole Ozzy alcohol thing. I've heard 100s of times over the last couple of months that they can drink. And, I suppose it is true. But I wouldn't say that their bodies react differently. That being said, at the Harbor there were ~250-400 people and things seemed to be cranked up rather quickly. The music absolutely sucked. It wasn't much more than a karaoke band. Yet, there was lots of moving and shaking. Good stuff. Seems harmless enough. Can I get another? Yea, you usually buy two at a time.

So, I want to write about my mood. That is what recreation is about, right? Things are well. The end goal is being more comfortable in my own skin - I think. I am a bit on edge from my recent immersion in living a tobacco free life. I have been a user for a long time and rapidly redesigning my thinking to exclude it from my thoughts. But it has been 5 days. Equal to my best stretch in 5 years. Pathetic I admit, but moving forward.

I want to remain humble, but this is important. I am not sure why I feel that way, but it is true. Interesting to note that (1) my mood has trended below mediocre in the recent long term history. (2) I am responsible for my mood and have the ability to change it. (3) I wish to experience how I feel fully. Without denial, subterfuge, fear or possession. That is living!



These guys spread out that skin around the neck to look huge! They also have a colorful mouth for very scary effect!

Be well,
Matthew