Up and Down

My first two items I put up for auction on eBay sold on Tuesday. My Levis sold for $78.90 and the Sex by Madonna book sold for $63.75. I think that is great. I went down to the post office today, feeling like a little entrepreneur and posted them both off to their new owners.

I have put two more items up for auction, my gold and diamond ring, a present from my parents when they lived in Saudi Arabia about 20 years ago, and a two volume video set of the BBC production of Pride and Prejudice. Look for the links shortly.

Tonight I went to a meeting to hear Greg Combet, the Secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions, talk about the forthcoming industrial relations laws the Federal government is currently spending $100 million dollars of taxpayers money advertising to try and convince us that stripping away our rights will actually be good for us.

I have to say I am frightened by the implications of the proposed legislation. Especially as someone looking for a job. I could get offered a job with the most appalling conditions and because I am unemployed I MUST accept it. The government says we have the right to negotiate, but who, without collective power behind them, can negotiate with capital. Welcome to 1984… or is it The Brave New World.

Taking it to the next level

Last night I had my first solo telephone counselling shift for AIDS Hepatitis and Sexual Health Line.Istarted their 12-week telephone-counselling course at about the sametime I was invited to be on their Committee of Management back inApril. The course itself was very rewarding as it not onlyteachesnewskills but offers some interesting insights into your innerlife and what drives you. It has taken me a while to get to solo stagebut I am finally there and it was a challenging and rewarding evening.Confidentiality and ethics prevent me from discussing the calls I dealtwith but I can say that it is a great feeling to finish a call and havesomeone who phoned in anxious and afraid hang up after 20 minutessaying they feel much better. I will be doing at least one three hourshift a week from now on.

Lastweek AHSHL held its AGM and I was elected unapposed back onto thecommittee. We had our first meeting on Thursday and met some of our newmembers. I think after the frustrations I felt this year the newcommittee looks to be a very professional and we can do a lot of thethings the organisation needs to do.

I have just returnedfrom the gym and have had my workout program reassessed. I have beendoing a lot of quite heavy weights, especially for my legs and probablythe last thing I need is bigger thighs. My new program concentratesmore on cardio work with the lower body, like a circuit trainingprogram and then I move onto more intensive weight work for my chestand arms. This will be a good change as it will challenge my body allover again and possibly kick along another bout of weight loss as Ihave plateaued a bit in the last month or so. Here's hoping.

Duck!!

Walking to the train today I saw ducks! Two ducks walking along the street near my house. A neighbour was coming out of his house and I pointed them out to him. He said that they occasionally visit that part of the street and he regarded it as nothing extraordinary. In the four years I have lived here I have never seen them. Then walking a block from the train station near a new house being built, more ducks! One of the building workers was carefully herding a mother duck and her ducklings along the footpath. Seeing as they were headed towards a major arterial road I suspect that a large number of morning commuters has their journey delayed as mum and the kids found their way to the nearest creek.

More signs of the fecundity of spring were evident as I went to the gym tonight. MSAC is located in Albert Park which is currently hosting a bumper brood of cygnets with their black swan parents. Little fluffy balls are littered all over the lawns with their parents standing guard and seeing off the seagulls and other predators who imagine that a baby swan might make a nice dinner.

I had a phone call from my brother Greg tonight. He lives in Adelaide and is coming to stay with me next week when he comes over to see the Motor Cycle Grand Prix at Phillip Island. I haven’t seen him for two years so it will be good to catch up.

I'm an eBay seller!

I have started selling stuff on eBay, finally succumbing to the siren call of quick cash. I put my old Maddona "Sex" book up for auction and my pair of Levi 501s which I have never worn and were a present from my ex-partner after a trip to the USA over 5 years ago. They have never fit me but now I am working out and finally may actually be able to wear them (Yes, I am losing that much weight) I am selling them. Maybe it because after five years I have almost purged my life of John-related objects. Marge being the pemanent exception of course.

I will post links to my for sale when I can.

Back from the Gym

Yes, you read right. I have been going to the gym for a few months now and have lost a lot of weight. To backtrack, most people know I no longer work at PLWHA Victoria. That job was the reason (1) I stopped updating my website; (2) I stopped exercising; and (3) gained a lot of weight. Now I am back at the gym working out and doing classes. Today I worked out and then did an Aqua Exercise class; which is like Aerobics but in a pool.

I go to the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre and really enjoy it. The other thing I have found about exercising is that it helps me with my mood. I have been fragile off and on since leaving PLWHA and, whether it's the endorphins, the weight loss or something else, I find that when I don't exercise I feel a lot worse.

Off to bed now. G'night.

I'm back

Hi gang, I am back online after a break in which much has happened in the real world. As you can see I am now on Blogger which makes it much easier to manage my online musings.

More soon