Learning
If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
Speaking of moving along – I called the community access program officer at the university of melbourne yesterday and got her advice. If I can manage the timetables, it looks like I’ll be taking my first class in july! Everything’s thundering forwards – kinda scary, but lots of fun. I’m terribly excited about the idea of the fields of study I’m going to be getting into, so I can’t wait for it to begin.
Masonic Style
I just registered domains for masonicstyle.com etc – the name of my new masonic imports business. I’m going to be sourcing rings primarily, but also other items of merchandise, some clothing etc, and I’ve had a lot of interest just around my own lodge. Hopefully I’ll catch up with our WM soon and have a chat to him about getting around the lodges but it’s looking pretty good so far. Obviously it’s not a truly sustainable business – as R points out it’s likely to peak for the first year or so then settle to a regular trickle, as the market isn’t particularly renewable. But that suits me fine – it doesn’t need to make me rich, but I could earn some reasonable cash as a side venture, and a) get more people in the lodges wearing this stuff and b) get myself around a lot and start making myself known. It’s all moving along nicely.
Pomp and Ceremony
Last night was my Masonic “birthday” – a year since I was first initiated as an Entered Apprentice. It was also the occasion of my raising to the third degree, or the rank of Master Mason. The ceremony was fantastic, and all the people involved did really well. It was very long, and fairly arduous at times but it was truly fascinating, and a moving experience. My mentor Otis also gave me my masonic regalia items for my real birthday present, so that was a very nice surprise also. I came home with a bunch of papers and books to read, and many thoughts whizzing around in my head. Next stop the SRIA!
Birthdayness
Birthdayness
Thursday mornings I get up early to have a business meeting with a friend of mine with whom I’m developing some online software, and this Thursday it happened to coincide with my birthday. We were talking about doing the birthday thing when I came home, but R and B decided to get up extra extra early and do birthdayness. It was really lovely – I was very sleepy, and got brought a nice cup of coffee, plus presents and snuggles. I got some great presents, including a book I really wanted but hadn’t had on my list – the Jesus Mysteries – a book of research into the evidence of a non historical jesus in early christianity. I know, sounds riveting doesn’t it – but it interests me ;p Lots of other nice stuff too, and I had a very pleasant snuggle. When we were all piled up in the bed the cat came to get in on it too so I had the whole family!
I c ame home that evening to some lovely cards, a really nice dinner and a fantastic black forest gateau which was brought out with candles and everything, much to my surprise. All in all I had a very nice birthday – I am a spoiled Nate.
Stability
A thought just occurred to me while talking to R about the lease agreement I just received in the mail. My landlord is pretty casual, and we were commenting that he must love me cos I’ve been here for ages and only had very basic requests. It occurred to us that I’ve been here for 6 years now – and that’s the longest I’ve lived in one place, ever!
That is all. Move along.
Public loo conspiracy theories
Whilst abusing the facilities in my local Borders at Chadstone Shopping center, a thought occurred to me that had never occurred before. Either I’m competely thick and this has occurred to everyone but me, or I’ve uncovered a dark conspiracy at the heart of public convenience logistics.
I was sitting quietly, mentally grumping as usual at the poor quality toilet paper, and I thought it was almost as if they didn’t want me to wipe my backside properly. I mean, it’s hard to get out of the stupid dispenser, it’s waaaay too thin and you have to use loads of it for any level of safety while abluting (is that a word?). But then this thought led to more – it suddently hit me that the same people who make the toilet roll thingies also make the soap and dispensers you find on the wall by the sink. I’ve noticed this before but the true evil behind it never clicked. They give us rubbish toilet paper because they *want* us to either have a mishap or just not feel clean enough, and hence use more toilet paper *and* use more soap! And so the viscious cycle continues as we rack up the fees these companies earn from the suppliers of the toilets.
How evil. Of course, it could be just a silly coincidence, but I think I’m onto something here. If I suddenly stop blogging, the Rentokil people have probably had me silenced…