6 - 2009 - RodneyOlsen.net

Let me entertain you

June 24, 2009

I posted this some weeks ago but it’s really important so I thought I’d drop you a reminder. If you live in the Perth area I’ve got a favour to ask which will benefit you too.

This is an excellent way to save heaps of money and support those with disability in our community.

The brand new 2009/2010 Entertainment Books for Perth are now available and are bigger and better than ever. I have stocks available that will raise vitally needed funds for Citizen Advocacy Eastern Suburbs. (I am a member of the management committee of Citizen Advocacy Eastern Suburbs or CAES.)

Valid until 1st June, 2010, and featuring many of the best businesses from Perth and surrounds, they are just $65 each. Our family’s book pays for itself over and over again each year. We literally save hundreds of dollars each year.

The Entertainment Book is a restaurant and activity guide that provides special 25% to 50% off and 2-for-1 offers from many of the best restaurants, hotels and attractions throughout Australia and New Zealand.

Click here to see some of the businesses offering discounts.

You can ring the CAES office on 08 9371 7537 to order a book or contact me via my Contact Page.

I can even arrange to drop the book to you in most cases.

Please consider supporting this important work.

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The Swim Home

June 24, 2009

by Rodney Olsen

3 Comments

It’s all a bit hit and miss with the weather at the moment. I don’t mind the cooler weather too much. I have extra layers to keep me warm. I don’t mind the rain too much. It’s only water and I have a rain jacket.

The problems arise when parts of the cycleways I use suddenly disappear under water. The picture in this post shows one of the areas that floods if the river’s up and the rain’s coming down. I took the photo on Friday morning, right before I turned around and headed back across Windan Bridge to find an alternate route to work.

Today was a different story. There had been a fair bit of rain and so I thought that the same thing may have happened. I intended to detour on the way to work.

As can happen, I got lost in the moment and turned the same way I always do, following the same route I always do. Thankfully there was no flooding so I just headed on my way to work.

This afternoon I needed to go to a meeting. I was running late and so I tried to push myself to make up time. I got to the Causeway underpass and found it flooded. That should have been warning enough. I headed back up the cycleway and crossed the road to rejoin the path on the other side.

Once I got to the area just before Windan Bridge I saw a very wide river which had totally engulfed the cycleway. I was already running late and didn’t have time to back track. I put my bike on my shoulder and waded in. At some points the water was almost up to my knees. Keep in mind this is not just a puddle, it’s part of a river, a moving, swirling river.

I finally stepped out at the other end with some very soggy shoes. I jumped back on the bike and headed off for my meeting.

Thankfully I didn’t have to cross any more flooded cycleways although I did have to ride through an extremely heavy downpour a few kilometres from home. I didn’t mind that too much because the bike needed a really good wash to get rid of all the sand and road grit it’s been picking up from riding on wet roads over the past couple of weeks.

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5211

June 20, 2009

by Rodney Olsen

5 Comments

Thirty kilometres into my Saturday morning ride today I reached a significant milestone. In less than six months I’ve now cycled more kilometres in 2009 than during the entire twelve months of 2008.

Last year I managed to notch up 5 192 kilometres. As of the end of my ride today I’ve cycled 5 211 kilometres so far this year.

I started the year hoping that I’d be able to reach 10 000 kilometres by the end of December. At this point I’m right on target with a little bit to spare. I don’t know what waits around the corner but I generally find that there’ll be something during any particular year that will rob me of a large chunk of kilometres. It can be sickness or a number of other things but so far it’s looking good for me being able to reach my goal.

Speaking of cycling, I’ll be letting you know very soon about an interesting cycling adventure I’ve got planned for October this year. You’ll have a chance to be a part of it no matter where you are in the world.

The only downside to today’s ride is the flat rear tyre which only just got me home after coffee. I’d better go fix it so I’m ready to keep building the kilometres on Monday morning.

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We're going to get along fine

June 20, 2009

by Rodney Olsen

1 Comment

I made a new friend last night. I get the feeling we’re going to be spending a fair amount of time together over the next few years.

After dropping Emily off at youth group last night I had a couple of hours to kill. I was already fairly close to where we’re going to live once we eventually move so I decided to drive past our new house before dropping in to the local cafe. It’s about a kilometre from the new house and I reckon I might be seeing a lot more of that cafe.

I ordered a long black and a melting moment biscuit then sat down with a book I need to read for a review on my radio programme. It felt like home, or at least a home away from home. The staff were friendly, the atmosphere relaxed, the decor warm, and the coffee was just right.

Things don’t always turn out as you plan but I can imagine that I’ll be back at that cafe very soon. I can imagine spending time there alone with a good book or three. I can imagine taking Pauline there for a bit of time out together. I can imagine taking Emily and James there for a treat now and then. I can imagine drinking coffee there with cycling friends that I haven’t even met yet. If you’re in the area you might drop in and have a coffee with me there too.

That cafe and me, I think we’re going to get along just fine.

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Vincent

June 18, 2009

by Rodney Olsen

2 Comments

I was reading yesterday morning that about 120 original letters by Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh are to be exhibited, alongside the works he was writing about, later this year at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.

His letters are rarely shown in public due to their fragility and sensitivity to light. Most of the letters being used in the exhibition are addressed to his younger brother, Theo.

The museum apparently owns over 800 of the 902 letters known to have been written by van Gogh. The museum intends publishing them in a book in the near future.

I wonder what’ll happen in 50 or 100 years when a famous person is being honoured in a museum. Will they display their emails or perhaps their Twitter account.

If you ever became famous would you like having your private correspondence put on display?

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Archive - June 2009