Run Norten Run

I couldn't do my regular training swim today, so decided it was the perfect time to try out the new runners I've recently bought (went to 'Athlete's Foot' on Tuesday, where the cute salesman actually measured all kinds of things, thank you very much!). A little skeptical about these shoes that were sizes bigger than I usually buy, but soon discovered they were just perfect. I was bounding along to my inbuilt sound track from Run Lola Run (who needs an ipod when these things are just stored in my head) , my steel springs pushing me along faster and harder. So along the Sea Cliff Bridge I go, with rolling waves and spectacular scenery that less people were enjoying today because of course, first run - it rained.

There was this ecotourist family with 1 1/2 kids who were also there in their heavy duty all weather gear (me in board shorts and T shirt), the mum smiled at me , the dad gave me a look that could kill - like I was creating a tidal wave of CO2 emissions or something. Norten, our labrador, managed to keep up for half of the run - but was dragging the chain - or more the point I was dragging him all the way back. (ASICS=GOOD)

It seems running is in fact making me leaner than all my other exercise, so I'm contemplating keeping it up in summer too...

Benno's new book...

I've been sent some pics from the new Benno Thoma book - and while I posted some on 1234Men, I have more so thought I'd add some of them here. I think it would look good on my coffee table!! And you can order it online via his site Benno Thoma - Around the Globe .

And no I'm not paid to promote it - it's all out of the goodness of my heart...

Enjoy.

Pop up Windows in my Head

I wake up to one of my morning alarms, but my brain is incorporating it into a dream that is more pleasant than getting up right now, and so the brain wins and I'm still in bed, alarms blazing, surround sound and internal widescreen activated.

I’m in the shower, finally having succumbed to the alarms (or more likely woken up because they’ve turned themselves off) and while I’m lathering up I’m visualising Me, dressed in something appropriate for the weather happening outside today, and in rapid succession I’m seeing Me running at lunch time – cut to a close up of my new asics running shoes pounding the pavement of the Sea Cliff Bridge – a glance at the Molten Brown shower gel (that I look at more than use) and I’m re-living the conversation a recent guest initiated, centred on the decadence of same, I can hear his voice, see his face... smell the shower gel, which I’m still not using.

My day has started. It’s filled with pop up windows in my head – they’re usually high quality video and the download speed is lightning fast.


I’m at work, and in the middle of writing notes on my computer screen, patient sitting besides me answering my questions, I pause, it looks like I’m contemplating my thoughts for the next question or my next written sentence, but a big pop up window has opened, it contains the plans for the evening ahead visualised in detail, maybe even images of the food, it comes to a natural end and closes, and I’m wondering if my last question was what I think it was. It usually is and it seems I'm the only one who has noted this slight absence.

I’m in the process of commencing a pap test (sigh), and bloody hell, a thousand pop up windows have all turned up at once – they’re viral windows and each contains a photographic image of a prior pap test or similar examination from the past. I’m in a horror movie and I’m starting to sweat. I right click in my head – CLOSE ALL WINDOWS - and continue working. If I’m lucky, half way through a conversational reference (you have to talk your way through these things – it makes everyone feel more comfortable) a window will pop up with a widescreen holiday scene – it might be alpine, or beach, but it’s welcomed and the rest of the procedure goes by in a flash.

From time to time a patient will arrive and automatically all other windows are closed and Abercrombie and Fitch LIVE commences in 3D, no visualization required… But then I have to watch out for an x-tube window popping up at the wrong moment… in which case I then need to summon a visualisation that I have saved on hard disc for just such an event. But it doesn’t come automatically like all the others and I'm glad people can't read my mind right at this moment.

Every day is a movie – or in my case – a couple of hundred of shorts. But there's no guide, no scheduled programming, it's all random, apart from one or two selected intermissions from time to time...

Wild Wednesday

Today it's time to get wet with someone. At the beach, in the pool, in the shower at home or maybe at your gym?, in bed, at work, at the water cooler, at the bar. The location is yours to choose. For top marks do it clothed (even if the clothes do come off at some point, that's bonus marks). A water balloon, yeah that works.

On Wild Wednesdays, anything goes.

The Race

Location 19... where is this? (click for large view)

It was a tight finish in leg 18 of Superchilled Race Around the World, and Jessica beat everyone to identify Bahnhofstrasse in Zürich as the location for the photo. Yarravillepaul won the popular vote, intoxicated and in the gutter of that same street, he just didn't know where he was.

Which brings me to today's race location. Summer is getting closer here, and coming to an end up there in the northern hemisphere, so we can all enjoy the beauty of the summer swimming pool. But where is this one? And what is the man sitting in the foreground thinking?

First correct and most creative entries for the respective questions win.

Your Race starts NOW.

Bonus picture here->

Bourke Street Bakery and More

Mine was an awesome weekend. Our catch ups with friends at BSB have reinforced to me that you really don't need any specific event or objective, nor a stunning location to have a great time. It is the people you spend the time with that makes it. We have spent time at various places this weekend with different friends. We've also taken time out for 'just us' time, and it has been great.

Above we have Jon & Gordon who joined us at BSB for the first time this weekend. I think they fit the ambience well. They'll have to come back. Brenton (below) was ubercool and ever-reliable coming despite multiple fractured ribs and crushing soft tissue injuries from collisions with poles and mishaps getting tied up... All this exercise is certainly getting him ready for summer!! Christiaan was notably absent, but he's in a whole other world right now anyway.

Spring is here and Summer is decidely in the air. I am so looking forward to it.

12 Years On

(be patient with this flash animation - it may be slow to load)

September 1st is our anniversary - the day when we declared that we had fallen for each other back in 1995. It was also the day we came out to each other. A big day.

We were of course on the telephone at the time, something like 2 or 3am after a 4 hour plus phone call. I was working in the country - The Frenchman studying back in my home town, and it was to be a week or so before we'd actually be together to say it live, face to face. Needless to say it was a long week! It was the first time I'd had that sensation of my heart being ignited that I knew I was waiting for. It just felt right. And now 12 years later it still feels right. There have been times when that's been questioned of course, but they have obviously been transient.

I'm not sure where I'd be if it weren't for my mum bringing him home, all those years back, for dinner... (thanks mum) . It's been a fast and fun 12 years. So much seen and done, and continuing to happen. Our relationship has morphed through time but keeps strengthening. I did a 'facebook' likeness quiz someone had sent me this week - and it turned out Sylvain had entered details for it too - we got a 98% score - 'twins' which is a little spooky as I don't think were THAT similar, but I guess there are certain essentials that are there that work, as they have for 12 years. Perhaps we've grown more alike as couples tend to. Regardless of the analysis it has been a great 12 years. I'm looking forward to the next 12, though I really have no idea what they will bring.

Happy Anniversary Babe!!

Catalytic Moments

I'm sitting in one of the wards at the hospital where I'm working overnight. There have been 2 caesarean births I've attended - both boys and startlingly well, and other relatively minor happenings to deal with. Keeping me on my toes, but not really a challenge. When I'm working I'm dealing with the innermost workings of people in every sense. A physical, intellectual and emotional mix that varies in it's persuasion from one patient to the next. I can connect with most of the people with whom I interact professionally and often in quite a powerful way, but in most of these connections I am really the catalyst for things, taking part in the actions, but not part of the end result nor changed significantly by the process.

I enjoy doing what I do and being a part of this process for people. But sometimes I wonder if I'm making gains myself. Is there something I could be doing better with my own life? Am I doing enough? Should I stop and smell the roses, or should I up the ante and try to achieve more?

I guess its a question I ask myself frequently. But I tend to be a bit of an overachiever, and most people think I'm doing too much already. So the correct answer is YES I should up the ante...

I just need to find a focus...

1234Men Update

You've seen the links and things for 1234Men... I've just finished a new post there on depression. Have a look and see what you think - we're also regularly posting there, so please check it out. Any feedback is welcomed.

Summer got lost on Tuesday

27 Degrees? It's mid-winter and a foreign summer day got lost and found itself on our shores. I'm not complaining! I had half the day off. I went to the beach and used it to it's summer glory. I even jumped in the ocean blue. It was a shirtless day for much of it too. There were surfers everywhere - although not with their summer tans.

photo courtesy aussiebum

Boundless energy would best describe me Tuesday - just no end to it really. I churned up the water at squad training like there was a shark at my feet. I was at gym and, having lost Lynnette my regular gym buddy to Tasmania early in the year, I was alone again and thinking, maybe I am ready to move to somewhere else for a while. We have been contemplating this for some time... I can handle a change - something different - a challenge that makes better use of all this energy. It would be nice to have some more regular people around to do things with during the weekdays and evenings when I'm not working. But I need water, I need warmth, I need interaction with good people... But where to find that?

Mild Wednesday

Today is a rest day - so there is no official wild wednesday this week. Feel free to do everything you always do on a Wednesday. Do nothing at all, be boring, stay at home, don't look a stranger in the eye, don't buy a lover flowers, don't challenge yourself. Have lunch in your office on your own. Get a DVD of a generic movie and watch it on the couch eating your wednesday dinner. Don't do any exercise, at least nothing that pushes you at all. Going outside? Forget it, it's MILD wednesday. Nothing happens on mild wednesday.

to mac or not to mac

As a teenager when I walked past the apple shop that had the first mac I knew I wanted one. I've been a closeted graphic designer from way back and the whole graphic interface that was oh so new then, had me at hello...
Being a convincing lad, I managed to persuade my parents to buy one, telling them that because of how easy it was to use even they would use it, and everyone at home would find use for it too... Well, it didn't happen overnight - but it did happen and when I went away to university they couldn't bear to part with it. So I ended up doing all my assignments when I came home weekends... The first computer I bought myself was a mac (a Classic II, I recall) when I was in my final years at uni - I think it was so gee whiz that it had its own internal 40Mb hard drive... but it still had a black and white screen, and when I grew out of that the pc market was flooded with brilliant (and cheaper) options that took me away from the apple orchard...

But now I'm looking back. I'm contemplating a notebook pc and the windows world is rather foggy. I'm deliberating getting back to my roots and investing in an apple... there's mutterings of the new notebook mac coming about soon (if anyone knows details please let me know) I'm thinking of waiting for it and then take a byte or two. But are they worth it? Everyone I know who owns one says they're the bees knees, but I want the honey? And what's the best? The most Regal Honey? Apple blossom flavoured or the generic version I can see through my Windows?

BSBSBSBSBSBSBSBSB

Okay I had some rocky days there - but I've worked through it - thanks everyone who lent a hand. Chink in the armour repaired, but no anticorrosion guarantee... Hell, life's no fun without feasts and famines now is it?

So we got together at the usual - Lindt Cafe was just too good for us last week, and hell, I don't think enough people could hear us there. So back to the great outdoors, and the ever increasing queue at BSB in Surrey Hills. Guest star this week was Sir Richard, whose name might disappear from here if he objects to the publicity, or maybe not.

I didn't save the world this weekend, but I had a lot of fun not doing it.

The BSB crowd outvoted me to see the French film 'Inside Paris', though Sir Dick managed to avoid commitment, and I was saddened to have missed the movies I had voted for - some great new Australian movies that I wanted to see and support... (has anyone seen The Home Song Stories, or Jammed ?) And at the end of the film most wished they had not voted against me. I wanted to fall asleep in the first half - almost made it - but the second half revved up and became quite insightful and even beautiful in its dealing with humanity. The Frenchman very much enjoyed it for this reason - (and because he's French and can't help himself) but agrees that it started off poorly. The brother is quite cute by the way...

I'm going to try to get to bed earlier for a while. Emphasis on TRY, but we shall see - and maybe you can too - or maybe I'll edit the time postings so you'll never know... (yes I can do that, the wonder of technology).

There's lots in my head - so you may get to hear a lot more from me this week - beware...

Underwater Blues

One of my favourite photos from Croatia

When your best just isn't good enough

There are days when I really just feel like staying in bed all day. I guess today is one of those days. Being out here in the sticks (although technically it's more ocean, sand and trees) means that I am essentially alone at the moment anyway, so if I keep warm, it's just the same. In my head, alone. The Frenchman's at work and I don't start until a bit later in the day - and then I'm working all night too, but if it's not busy, then I'm really existing solidly in my own space again.

It's a kind of cloudy day today too. The air is cool, and it all fits the mood. At work I've had a record number of people seeing me who I've been diagnosing with major depression. Sometimes there's be weeks without anyone new with that diagnosis - but on Saturday morning alone I had about 4 or 5. But at the same time there are people I know socially who have been going through similar mood issues. Maybe it's all starting to rub off. I'm always the happy one, and that can annoy some people. When I tell them that I'm not happy, sometimes people are quite thrilled because finally I'm human! Not exactly encouraging me to share my feelings. But invariably when I do report any negativity, it just makes things worse. So today I'm blogging about it, well because I can, and I usually don't. Perhaps it's my real wild wednesday, which is characteristically outside the ordinary for me, and occurring on Thursday. Alas I was going to do all manner of things this morning - but my usual enthusiasm is gone. And nothing has been done. I'm even mid way through writing a post for 1234men on depression - but that's going to have to wait.

I know it will pass, but right now I just really don't care. Superchilled today is less super and more chilled. I feel like hitting the road and just going for a while. But there's nowhere else I want to go.

Wild Wednesday

Today's Wild Wednesday Challenge is a little out of the box. On 1234Men last week we asked everyone what was their favourite part of the male body, and there was a very wide range of answers. Today I want you (or someone you trust) to take a photograph of your favourite part of YOUR OWN BODY, and email it to me. Any part will do. Edited, cropped or any way you want it. I'll compile them and publish them in a later post. I won't publish any names unless you request it. I'm not expecting photos like the Abercrombie & Fitch one here, but if that's you - go right ahead. Feel free to tell us here as well if you like.

Email to superchilledtrevor@gmail.com

Be wild, have fun & see what you can capture.

BSB @ Lindt

'Twas a dark and stormy day...

And sitting on crates outside the regular Bourke Street Bakery wasn't quite so appealing. So to try something different we headed to the Lindt Cafe in Martin Place Sydney. I've known it's existence for some time and had always planned to get there - but never quite made it. Today was perfect for it, and so we did. Lynnette was in town and needed to be spoilt, and spoilt we were! The hot chocolate was decadent, as was everything, I mean we even had linen table cloths, fine cutlery and even crockery, none of which are a specialty of BSB. The menu consisted of columns of delicious desserts. Not great for one's waistline, but god it's good. Melt in your mouth Heaven.

Here I am below on the very wet street after we spent some time at the Argyle hotel (above) - see more about that at 1234men - I'm wet in the photo - but we were saturated by the time we got to our cars. Thankfully I had towels, we really needed them!

Aussie Export

Checking out the Aussiebum website, as one does from time to time, I discovered the photos of the ad campaign over in NYC. And it just seems a bit odd. I guess I'm not used to seeing Australian branded goods internationally, and on the roofs of the iconic NYC Taxi it seems really quite a step. I like it. It makes me think that if you want to make something happen, you can. And sometimes you've just got to get out and do it. Sure it's not saving the world, but creating a new brand in a brand saturated world is quite a feat. The whole branding is quite bold, the men no less than gorgeous, and there's a decided sense of fun in it all, (if you haven't seen the recent aussiebum video, you really haven't lived). If we can have Levis and Calvin Kleins all over the world, there's room on a few taxi's for Aussiebums too.

But what brand am I going to create and push to world no. 1?
Or should more humanitarian goals be my focus?
Or perhaps a blend of the two...?

Something to ponder on a lazy Sunday.

Race Around the World - Stop 18

The Superchilled Race Around the World continues. Last stop found us in Berlin being ambushed by local women, as correctly identified by Brenton who it seems does get out. But where have we stopped this time? And where have all the people gone?

The winners are the first to identify the location correctly and the most creative answer...

The Race starts NOW.

A&F Beach Boy ad

Here's a pleasantly distracting ad break
39seconds