A Wild Wednesday on a Thursday.

I've been chatting with Guy* for 4 years or so. The exact time we started chatting and the exact internet site that we met on is a little fuzzy now, but we've managed to chat every now and again on various electronic media and keep a basic knowledge of what's been happening in each other's lives over that time. It hasn't been intense and there can be months between chatting, but it's regular and warm and it has worked both ways. So on our recent visit to France with a little time to spare we tee'd up a time to catch up. The evening was free and Guy invited us to dinner at the home he shares with his partner. Our first meeting, dinner, in . Perfect. I love the intimacy of dining with people in their homes. You don't have to worry about restaurant staff, fellow patrons nor filter your conversation from prying ears.

Knowing he is a student I was expecting a tiny flat in the middle of nowhere, but the concierge at his sparkling apartment building directed us to the elevator and the 29th floor. He was as handsome as I'd come to know in 2 dimensions, but a whole lot warmer and welcoming. The apartment was grand, and as we walked in there was central Paris before us, the sun was setting over the financial district to our left and the Eiffel tower flashing away directly in front of us. His partner was labouring away in the kitchen where they had both been working prior to us arriving.

I would have been happy with toast really, but we were in France after all and the food was simple yet gourmet. The conversation, a mix of French and English, moved through a host of topics and I really didn't want the night to end. A connection finally made tangible. A fun experience and 2 great guys. A very good Thursday night.

Its been a long time since I've posted a Wild Wednesday Challenge, but one of my favourite things is inviting new people to dinner just as Guy did us. It can be a whole lot of fun. Midweek is great for it too. I'd highly recommend taking up today's wild wednesday challenge and invite someone new to your home for dinner tonight or later this week. There are some great people out there, invite them home!!

*name might not actually be Guy.

antiwild wednesday

Today is a calming Wednesday.  A time to escape to your own space. 

In a world of constant movement, constant change and frequent contact with colleagues, family, friends and electronic bleeps updating you on the comings and going of everyone in your world, it can be refreshing to get away from it all and find your own space. A place you find quiet & peaceful, a calming place for the soul. 

Take 30 minutes out of your day and give it to you. Take yourself to a place that relaxes you - it might be the park, a museum, it might be a railway station or airport, or by a stream in a forest. My place is on the rocks by the surf just near home - a place that takes me away from it all and makes me feel invigorated no matter how much time I spend there. 

Wild Hot Exercise Wednesday

It was the perfect day for a run in the park, and today that's just what I did. Headed to Boy Charlton Pool here I met a good friend and ran around Mrs Macquarie's point, along the Sydney Harbour shoreline through the botanic gardens, around the Opera House and back. The sun was out, a cool breeze to keep us from overheating, and a dip in the pool for some laps afterwards refreshed us for the evening's events. A perfect activity for a late spring afternoon. 

As you might tell, it's another superchilled wild exercise wednesday. Today is the day to take a friend and go get hot and sweaty for a half an hour or more. As with prior challenges any for of exercise will do, a walk, a run, a swim, or some very active sex, but be sure to make it last 30 minutes at least - you'll get hotter and leaner by the minute. And at the end you'll feel great... or your money back!

Wild Wednesday

I've had my own Wild Wednesday - only on Tuesday this week.

It's not exactly something I want anyone else to have to go through so we're abandoning the communal aspect of the Superchilled Wild Wednesday today.

I'm not usually on the other side of the doctors desk, but Tuesday was the day - and I wish I could rewrite the whole of the day with more a tone of comedy than of drama, but alas, it is not to be. 

The rest of my day was spent reliving the consultation & investigations and the consequences of same. It's funny how your perspectives change so rapidly when you're faced with problems of significance.

I'm not going to go into detail, but if it gets a bit quiet here at superchilled - just bear with me. 

Wild Relationship Wednesday

I was catching up with a friend today who's in emotional turmoil. He's been seeing a guy for a few months, and they just click. Nothing is difficult - they just connect on all levels and since he's been seeing him there has been absolutely no interest in anyone else apart from the new guy. It's really a first for him to have this emotional connection. He's a great guy who doesn't mix in gay circles, never heads to pubs or clubs nor internet sites seeking men. The thing is, the new guy is still attached, to a boyfriend who lives overseas around 50% of the year for work, and now the boyfriend is back, so it's all up in the air. That prior relationship may continue or it may not, and having fallen in love, my friend is living in limbo waiting for things to be resolved and wondering what direction to take. His heartache is palpable. It's hard to watch, also hard to resolve. Matters of the heart are a complex beast. On the positive side he's found that there are guys out there with whom he can connect, in a sea of people he finds incredibly disparate. And chances are there is someone else out there with whom he can again form a similarly strong bond should this current situation not resolve in his favour. 

It's not easy for gay guys who are living in the wider community to meet other like minded guys though. So it's been a long time for him to get here. Will it take the same length of time to find the next one?

For those readers who are in a relationship, today is the day to appreciate the relationship you have, to work on what you have to make it better, to celebrate it and enrich it. If you know someone who is seeking but hasn't yet found the right one (or ones) then be mindful of the difficulty they can have and maybe keep a look out for them. You never never know what might happen. 

Wild-Bake Wednesday

I've baked rusks again, of the South African variety, with a recipe courtesy of Martin at The Green Light at the End of the Dock - they're starting their overnight journey in the oven. I want to eat one now, they're highly addictive, but I'll have to wait until the morning. This is batch number 3 in as many weeks, and after the first batch I have modified the recipe each time. (Prior to this baking frenzy the last time I'd baked anything sweet was like a year ago.) Here is a photo of batch 1. This new lot will have more nuts added in various forms, gotta love nuts.

Through the night we're going to smell the continuing baking process this Wild-Bake Wednesday, and I'm going to wake up hungry.

So what's the Wild Wednesday challenge? I'm glad you asked. It's to hit the kitchen and bake something special. I think all around the world we're focussed on the election in The States, so your work in the kitchen will hopefully result in something to celebrate with. Failing that - some consolatory baked goods can't hurt. My next favourite thing to bake is banana & chocolate cake (the chocolate is in bits / chunks). It's a great one to share. 

Oh and Martin - if you're keen to share the rusk recipe - feel free to post it in the comments, but given it's your family recipe, I'm going to leave that to you.

iGoogle therefore iAm

I must admit, I'm quite the fan of Google Earth. 

Exploring the Ordesa Valley randomly back in early 2007 evolved to a more thorough exploration of the Spanish Pyrenees later that year with friends. More discoveries followed that would never have happened were it not for Google Earth's insight into a valley otherwise unheard of, at least by this non-Spanish speaker. 

I've since travelled more roads on Google Earth, ones I travel daily and ones I've never been to and enjoy the 3D generated images... Now with Google Earth on the iphone you can travel to places while you're traveling in other places! You can even follow your GPS plotted location on 3D images on your iphone as you move around with perspective changing as you move the phone... like you're really there... hmmm. 

In this climate of Economic Armageddon iTravel is increasingly enticing, you really can travel without leaving your home. But this is Wild Wednesday, and staying at home is not today's theme. 

Instead hop onto Google Earth and fly to somewhere you've never been. It might be in a land far far away, or just  over the mountain from your place, and make plans to make your way there by hook or by crook in the not too distant future. If you have an iphone - you can download it and iGoogle your way as you make your way.

When you get there - take a photo and send it to me - I want to know where you ended up.

Wild Inspiration Wednesday

What is it that inspires us?

Often in life we go through the motions, doing the things that we're used to doing. Not really allowing for change to the routine, not being ready for change. Routine can be comfortable. It can in fact be productive and efficient. But occasionally something or someone will come along to inspire you to look at things from a different perspective. To reassess where you are in your life, and make you think about if it is where you want to be, or if you can make things better, make a difference in the world more than you already do. 

Inspiration can come from all kinds of things. There have been a few people in the past week who have inspired me. Certainly Matthew Mitcham has been a great inspiration in ways he's not been at all aware. But there are others, like some readers who have emailed and told me how various posts here at Superchilled have inspired and strengthened them. That itself inspires me to do more, be better, and make a bigger difference in the world. 

The challenge when you've been inspired, is to actually make something come of it. To change things, or do things that effect the change you are looking for. And that's today's challenge - to make the most of the events that have inspired you, in your own world.

Inspiration can come in all kinds of forms. 

What has inspired you?

I should be so lucky this Wild Wednesday

lucky lucky lucky

I'm too nice. Nice people are boring. I don't get into enough strife, I don't have enough things go wrong, and I don't complain enough. Boring as hell. 

But hey, I'm lucky, insanely lucky. Life has delivered everything to me on a platter, not had to work for a thing at all, ever. Things just mysteriously go well for me. How lucky is that!? I'm lucky I live somewhere nice, I'm lucky I have The Frenchman, lucky I have a great family - if we exclude those members who aren't. Lucky I drive a nice car, lucky I have a few jobs that I really enjoy and where I'm out and accepted, and sometimes even valued. Very lucky with that. I'm lucky that I'm fit and healthy. Lucky I can take a reasonable photo or two, or perhaps that's more that I'm lucky I have a good camera, because after all, it's the camera you have that makes the photos good ones. Im lucky that I get to travel as often as I do. I'm lucky that I have some great people in my world, people who are always there if I need them, even though I'm so lucky I never actually do need them, but they're there anyway, waiting for the call. Except those who aren't. 

It is after all wild wednesday and the challenge today is to try to figure out what things in your life are really all about luck, good or bad, and what are all about the things you actually make happen yourself (or not happen as the case may be) that result in you being where you are now.

Go on have a think about it. 

Your time starts now.

Wild Wednesday

Get your creative boots on, today is the day to be artistic. How you choose to create is up to you. Take some unusual photographs with your mobile phone's camera, draw a sketch of a work colleague, paint a picture, redecorate a room. I decided to do some artwork a friend asked me to do for his coaching sessions. One of which is below. 

Take a minute or 10 out of your day and take yourself away from it all.

Wild Wednesday

Last week Superchilled readers were asked if they'd be prepared to sell themselves for sex, and an overwhelming 73%  said yes they would. 

A fantastic Wild Wednesday today would be to suggest that 73% of you actually (well, at least hypothetically) put yourselves on the market. But in order to do that we need a marketing strategy. 

Now there are a few options.

Walk up and down the street (or just jig around a bit) wearing a sandwich board that says something like "for a great meal, eat me. Fresh and delicious. Lunchtime special price of...". Ideally you will be wearing nothing underneath to entice those with an appetite.

Get yourself to a Gala Ball or similar, dress up to the nines, a tux might be nice, perhaps driving in in an Aston Martin might look the part too. Select wealthy fellow attendees to schmooze and leave with your calling card. Leave them wanting more... I'm guessing this is more the go if you're striving for the millions alluded to last week.

Perhaps an ad in your local rag... but what would you write?  How would you put into words your best marketing strategy? Or would you do it with pictures?

So today as your wild wednesday challenge I'm asking you to tell us your own personal marketing strategy. Or perhaps a suggestion of one for someone else. 

Get a little hot under the collar. See what you can come up with.

Got a tag line?

Wild Emotion Wednesday

Don't let anything stop you expressing your emotion this wild wednesday.

Anti-Wild Wednesday

I'm not sure about the rest of the world but I'm thoroughly exhausted. I have been going non stop at everything of late. I have a to-do list that extends for miles and days, and am adding more tasks to it as fast as I cross things off it. I do love it all - but on Tuesday I was developing a tendency to road rage, and a tightening in my chest en route to some of my tasks... too many things - too little time... even though I'd cut a few things off my plans already. 

Today is hence a day for rest. Not Sunday - because it isn't a religious thing in any way. It's an anti- wild wednesday to sleep and laze about in bed, on the couch or wherever it feels best. Alone, with a book , or with a friend so long as it's stress free and rest filled.

I'm going to enjoy this one. 

Wild Hot Wednesday

It's the No Undies Wild Wednesday.

The trend for a while now has been to wear pants down low and underwear up high. While I don't mind it - it's not nearly as hot as pants down low and underwear no-wear as you can see above. 

To start the trend, today is the day to leave your underwear at home and be free. 

Make yourself even hotter this wild Wednesday.

Hang around a bit if you like - as demonstrated above. 

Wild Rock & Roll Wednesday

Today is Wild Wednesday and the challenge is this: when you get home, turn up the volume - dress down - and do what Tom Cruise does in this 1 minute clip from Risky Business. It can be a lot of fun - but it's best done when you're home alone. Make sure it's loud, and so are you.

And then when you're cooling down - remember to vote for the best of the olympic bods below.

Wild Hands-On Wednesday

The pictures say it all.

This is what you need to strive to do on this Olympic-Inspired Wild Hands-On Wednesday. 

Good luck, and may you find a great place to place your hands.

Wild Olympic Wednesday

Can you get too much of the Olympics? Probably - but we'll soldier on anyway.

Every Wednesday is Wild Wednesday here at superchilled where you're challenged to do something a little different from the every day. Today's quest is to find an Olympic sport that you've always been interested in, but never done - and actually go and try it. Diving / Triathlon / Gymnastics / Greco-Roman wrestling / Rowing... whatever it is and for what ever reason - look up where you can do it nearby and go and give it a shot - take some friends - get an instructor - just give it a go - maybe we'll see photos of you here from the London Olympics...

Wild Outdated Wednesday

My ipod is playing away - but despite having the music I've specifically selected, I get through about 2 minutes of each track before I hit the 'skip' button and move to the next one. I liked the track, but I'm ready for the next. And the next. And why isn't there something new already? Sure I downloaded new tracks today, but they're not new enough.

I walk past the newspaper stand in the morning and don't buy the paper because I know it's already out of date despite having just landed off the truck. I go online and know the update on the update. 

We used to have years when certain things were 'in' or 'current' , then it was seasons, now it's minutes or seconds. Sometimes in fact, they're over as soon as they've been mentioned. If you don't know what the new black is, then you're already too late. 

With facebook updates, text messages and now GPS enabled phones you can know not just what people are doing RIGHT NOW but where they're going - you can even see where they are before they get there if you track their iphone on your iphone, cross link with google street view and local web cams...

So what's today's wild wednesday challenge?

Forget the updates. Buy the paper, read it on a park bench with your phone, GPS, ipod, blackberry, notebook all switched off. Wear something out of date. Don't cut your hair. Don't wear hair products. 

Have an update-free day.

Breathe a little.

Blind Date Wednesday

This week's Wild Wednesday is courtesy of Martin from The Green Light at the End of the Dock.

So, I’m single – and hating it, although I am having quite a bit of fun…

Being single in a world of “couple-friends” is not great, and they all seem to have decided that I need some help – so some of them have started setting me up on blind dates. Some good, Some bad, and Most Ugly.

What strikes me though is the spirit in which it is done – and that’s today’s challenge. Set a friend up who’s been single too long, bring soul mates together – but that’s not necessarily where it stops. A blind date can be giving clothes to charity, helping at a soup kitchen, volunteering at an old age home, helping a colleague who’s just not coping, or leaving an extra big tip for your really cute waiter… the list is wide as your imagination.

Often you may not see the recipient, but you’ll know that in that moment you’ve made that person’s day – and that is, after all, the spirit of a blind date…

Wild Delegation Wednesday

Today is Wild Delegation Wednesday.

There's something that you're supposed to do, but you're not doing it - you're giving it to someone else to do. Right now.

And today Wild Wednesday is being delegated out to Martin from The Green Light at the End of the Dock. He will be posting here in about 6 hours... so until then - delegate your tasks out.

I am.