What’s the difference between a .net and .com domain? Quite a lot sometimes.
I wanted to visit a particular blog. The URL is the person’s name followed by .net – I was trusting my memory and tried .com instead.
Those pictures didn’t look like her at all.
Posted by Rodney Olsen
Do you have any phobias? Can you look a spider in the eye without shivering? Are you worried about small spaces? Do you have a problem flying?
My big one is heights. I don’t know what caused it but I’m not at all good with heights of any kind. Strangely enough I love flying but standing on the edge of a cliff or looking out the window of a very tall building isn’t a happy experience for me.
I’ve been OK with my phobia for years but I do think it’s been getting slowly worse. when we were at the Perth Royal Show a couple of days back I looked at some of the show rides that I would have gone on in the past and thought ‘no way’.
I’ve always thought that my phobia only affects me so it’s not such a problem. That was until Wednesday evening when my daredevil daughter wanted me to go a ride with her. Emily begged me but I couldn’t bring myself to get on the ride with her. Pauline took up the task and I went on another ride with James.
I could see the disappointment in Emily’s eyes and it wasn’t good. I don’t know how but I figure it’s time to start tackling the height issue. I need to start working towards being OK with being up high.
Emily, next year I’ll go on that ride with you.
Posted by Rodney Olsen
One of the things that has me scratching my head every year at the Perth Royal Show is the display of outdoor furniture. There’s an outdoor furniture manufacturer that’s there every year selling outdoor tables, chairs and the like. It somehow seems rather incongruous to be flogging patio settings amidst fairy floss, funny hats and show bags.
I really can’t imagine anyone telling their friends, “We had a great day. We went on the Python Loop, the bumper cars and the Graviton, then we had a burger, fresh cream waffles and fairy floss. After that we bought a couple of chocolate show bags, the coke bag, the trick bag with the whoopee cushion and the fake vomit, and then we bought an eight piece setting to go beside the pool.”
Obviously with thousands of people wandering through the showgrounds every day it’s a wonderful place to display pretty much anything but it still doesn’t quite sit right with me.
Posted by Rodney Olsen
One of the highlights of a day at the Perth Royal Show is the fireworks spectacular in the evening. As the pre-fireworks entertainment got underway last night we bought some dinner at hugely inflated prices and sat down to enjoy the spectacle. The Midland Brick Brass played a few well known tunes. We know one of the guys in the band so we were very generous in our applause.
Then came the motorbike stuntman who did all kinds of tricks including climbing a ladder on top of the bike while still riding and jumping the bike over a helicopter with its rotors operating.
The Holden Stormriders came out and narrowly missed each other during their precision driving display. I certainly wouldn’t wish any harm to come to any of the drivers but it would be nice to see them get it wrong and turn their display into a smash up derby.
Then, before the fireworks kicked off, out came the Ford and Holden monster trucks to crush half a dozen cars. They were big, very loud and they certainly punished the old cars they drove over. Maybe they could do a deal with the Holden Stormriders. It’d be nice to see the red and white utes become a little more compact.
Finally we watched the fireworks. A great way to cap off a big day.
Pauline and the kids had been there all day with my sister and all of them were fairly well wrecked by the end of the day. They’d been all over the show a few times, enjoyed heaps of free stuff and spent some money on a few show bags and other bits and pieces.
We love the show but I’m so glad it’s only once a year.
Posted by Rodney Olsen
… go round and round.
I don’t know how long it’s been since I had to catch a bus or a train.
After work yesterday I needed to get from Morley to Claremont to catch up with my family at the Perth Royal Show. While I would have loved to have cycled, it was a little impractical to be wandering around the showgrounds for several hours in lycra, not to mention having to find somewhere safe for my bike.
I decided to take public transport. A bus from Morley to the city and then the train to the show.
I must admit to being a little reticent. My previous experience with public transport left me thinking that you had to be a regular to be able to work out what to do. My fears seemed well founded at first. I couldn’t see anyone that could answer any questions at the Morley Bus Station so I eventually asked a security guard. He told me I should ask an inspector but after a quick glance around he couldn’t see one anywhere so he asked what I needed to know.
After explaining where I was going he said, “You need to take bus number 60 to Perth. Get off at the Horseshoe Bridge, then take the train from there.” Brilliant. Who needs an inspector when the security guards know so much.
The journey was wonderful. I popped in the headphones from my iPod Mini and listened to Diana Krall all the way to the showgrounds.
It was too easy. I think I’ll have to use our public transport system more often.
Posted by Rodney Olsen
