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Bedroom shops and home retailers like John Lewis talk about bright, colourful, patterned bedrooms and how they bring an element of fun and excitement for children. That might be good for the kids who play in their bedrooms, but what about your bedroom? What colours and patterns should you decorate with to create a place of serenity where you can relax and recharge your batteries?
Which colour group?
In theory, there are two colour groups: 'cool' and 'warm'. Warm colours like red, orange and yellow are well suited to the 'social' rooms in your house- the rooms you use whilst spending time with the family, watching TV, entertaining guests or cooking. Warm colours like red can raise a rooms energy level, encouraging conversation and appetite- which is why it is considered a good colour for the dining room. Black is considered a warm colour whilst white is seen as cool.
Cool colours are better suited to bedrooms. Blues and greens have calming effects and help you to relax, telling your brain that it's time to rest and getting you prepared for sleep. Soft shades of blue are said to bring down blood pressure and slow the heart rate- ideal for when you're getting in to bed to switch off and get some well earned rest. Avoid dark blue as your main colour, it can have the opposite effect and induce feelings of sadness. For the bedroom, stick to light, soft shades of cool colours and you're well on your way to creating the perfect sanctuary.
Where to start?
Neutral colours make a good base for any room. For a bedroom you may want to choose the cooler neutrals like stone, beige and taupe. You can use cool neutral colours in social rooms when they're accompanied by warm pops of colour, or you can choose the warmer neutrals here like a red milk chocolate shade.
What now?
Next, pick a colour that you like. For a bedroom, look at the cool side of the colour wheel and build a palette sticking to one colour set. Be careful that you don't deviate from this palette, or you will end up with some obscure colour combinations that could change the ambience of the room. Avoid covering the entire room in one bright colour, instead, use the neutral base and add small amounts of colour.
A general rule of thumb is to avoid mixing warm and cool palettes in any one room. Unless of course you want to create something a little different and funky, after all warm and cool colours do complement each other (think red and green and Christmas), but I would keep these experiments to a social room and focus on creating a restful environment for the bedroom.
Although purple/violet is on the cool side of the spectrum, it may not be the best colour for a bedroom if you want a good night's sleep. Budget hotel chain Travelodge conducted a survey and found that participants got the best night's sleep in a blue room, closely followed by moss green, pale yellow and silver. Purple was the least restful with participants getting, on average, almost 2 hours less sleep than those in a blue room.
Finishing touches
So you've chosen your cool, calm and relaxing colour for the bedroom, now you need accessories and furnishings to match. Stick with your selected colour palette and don't cram too many things in there. Choose good curtains or blinds that keep the light out if you prefer a completely dark environment. Keep the bedroom de-cluttered and consider removing distractions like TV's and tablets. Watching TV before bed will not allow you to rest, instead, try turning off electronic devices a few hours before bed and engage in conversation with a partner or read to help you to wind down.
One of the most important elements of a bedroom is of course, the bed. Having the right mattress plays a key role in the quality of sleep you get, so take your time deciding and make sure it's right for you. If you are looking to replace your bed or mattress, have a read of this checklist to keep in mind when you're looking for a new bed.


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Like many metal fans, I have longed for the reunion of the Cavalera brothers for quite some time. I would have preferred that this happen as an original lineup reunion of Sepultura, but Cavalera Conspiracy is the next best thing. For those who have also enjoyed Sepultura and Soulfly albums of the past, you really should check out the new Cavalera band and their Roadrunner Records release, Inflikted.
I was wary that this album would start out strong and later get boring, similar to a few Soulfly albums. The first song, "Inflikted" begins with a screeching windup and then delivers distinct riffs with the signature Max Cavalera screaming vocals beginning all at once. Lyrics do get very repetitive right away, in typical Max Cavalera fashion, but that has never bothered me. Besides, Marc Rizzo swoops in with an interesting solo.
"Sanctuary" is definitely the best song on the album, containing Arise -like guitar riffs and an amazing drum build up that I have not heard from Iggor Cavalera for some time. Iggor's great drumming talent is also showcased in the song "Hex". Fans of old Sepultura, and I'm talking Morbid Visions, Bestial Devastation and Schizophrenia, will enjoy the thrashy, very fast drums on "Hex". Max's son Ritchie lends his vocal talents to the pseudo Biblical "Dark Ark". His very deep growls and screams are a nice compliment to and change from Max's scream. Although many of the songs on Inflikted contain good, unique solos, the riffs are fairly uncomplicated and juvenile. I really feel like Rizzo could do better. However, "Bloodbrawl" contains some beautiful instrumentals to illustrate his guitar playing skills.
There is a lot of change on Inflikted . Each song is able to stand on its own, which can be a great thing, but in forming an album, it can become confusing. Inflikted needs a common theme. I can understand that Iggor and Max Cavalera are excited to be playing together again and ended up just throwing everything into one 'pot'. For a fan of Sepultura, Soulfly and the Cavalera brothers it was very exiting and interesting to hear this album. And the best part is that the majority of the material is excellent. And I for one am very glad Max and Iggor have patched up their relationship and are making music once more. I hope this is not the only album we see from Cavalera Conspiracy.
Cavalera Conspiracy is planning a tour in Europe this June and July. Keep your fingers crossed that they storm through the U.S. later this fall. That will be the real treat.

subset: commoncrawl


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2017 NEXT Conference
Thanks for checking out our presentation! Here are helpful files and links:
- Click here for a link to our Prezi page.
- Click here to view the proposal for launch of a new worship service.
- Click here to view the timeline for the worship service.
Covenant Interactive Worship Playlist
Welcome to worship with Covenant Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, NC. We love music that helps us express our gratitude for life, the joys and longings we experience in it, and the hopes we have for the life of our world. We hope you enjoy as much as we do!
Original launch video
Covenant Contemporary 11 a.m. Worship Preview Video from Covenant Presbyterian on Vimeo.


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Cloud Computing – Hype or Here to Stay?
Summary: Cloud computing is over-hyped but it is important and businesses will increasingly be run on cloud resources, both because new businesses will start up on the cloud and because existing businesses will slowly migrate onto the cloud.
The other day I read a review for an inkjet printer – the Lomond Evojet 2. Standard inkjet printers have about 4,600 nozzles on a print-head that moves back and forth across the paper. The Evojet has about 70,000 nozzles on a stationary print-head under which the paper travels, allowing for crisper graphics and faster print speeds, but at a higher cost of construction. It turns out, though, that over time the cost per printed page is quite economical and in many cases actually lower than competitive inkjets that may have lower up-front purchase prices. So what has Lomond done about this, and, in general, what's a company to do when they have high purchase price but lower total cost of ownership? For a hint, let me digress even further, and then I'll get to the fluffy white stuff.
A company once made drill-bits that lasted 5 times as long as their competitors' drill-bits, but cost twice as much to make. Market research and real-life experience taught them that the average consumer, standing in the tools section of the hardware store, 9 times out of 10 would choose the lower cost drill-bit. This company should have stopped selling drill-bits and started selling holes! It's a hypothetical example to make a point, but consider the very real example of Rolls Royce. You may think they sell jet engines, but they actually sell thrust, or hot air ejected out the back of jet engines, what they call and have trade-marked as 'power by the hour'. Rolls Royce provides jet propulsion as a service, a remarkable and successful business model. They take on all of the up-front costs and risks associated with development and manufacturing, as well as ongoing costs for maintenance and spare parts. Clients avoid high costs for purchase and maintenance programmes, and can more accurately predict their operating costs. It's a pay-per-use model where clients pay for the amount of thrust they consume. And if you're still interested in the printer example, Lomond will provide you with a printer and charge you per printed page.
In business computing, not PCs, but data centre computing where organisations run their core business applications, there have been previous attempts to adopt this model. Some have been successful, like salesforce.com. But most have fallen by the wayside, for many reasons that we'll explore later in this article. But in the meantime, does anyone remember ASP? And no, I don't mean Microsoft's Active Server Pages. I mean "Applications Service Provider" which, for those of us who were in IT back then, was widely touted as the next big thing in computing at the tail end of the 90s. Although the Internet actually dates back to ARPANET in the 70s, it didn't really pick up and become mainstream until the mid 90s with the development of the World Wide Web and the decommissioning of NSFNET, removing the last restrictions on the use of the net to carry commercial traffic.
I can't find the original quotes on-line any more, after all it was 14 years ago, but I remember headlines like "ASP will dramatically change the way companies do business" and "I can't imagine why any company would ever buy their own hardware or software when they can purchase business applications on-line for a fraction of the cost and hassle". Well, I for one can imagine why they would continue to do so. Security and legacy integration are huge issues that need to be dealt with before a company will feel comfortable running their business on shared infrastructure.
I love Google Trends. Since 2004 they've been collecting and indexing data about what people search for on the Internet, and now you can perform trending searches against a whole plethora of topics. This chart tells us what's happened to ASP. Quite likely more of the hits against ASP are to do with ASP.NET than they are with Application Service Providers, but either way it's dropped almost completely out of the public consciousness.
Now take a look at 'cloud computing':
Basically nothing before 2008, peaking at the beginning of 2011, and now appears to be heading fairly rapidly in the same direction as ASP. So is that it for cloud computing? Probably not. Google Trends is just a tool that tells us what people are searching for and doesn't necessarily correlate to what businesses are buying.
Amazon Web Services was on track to earn $1.5bn in 2012, now apparently accounts for 1% of global business computing, and has 70% market share in infrastructure-as-a-service. Their closest competitor is Rackspace at 10%, with everyone else making up the difference. Everyone else is Microsoft Azure, HP Cloud Compute, Google, Oracle, IBM, Dell and numerous others. It seems that hardware vendors are recognising that more and more of their customers want to buy holes as well as drill-bits!
Amazon pretty much invented the market back in 2004, and their cloud services now run hundreds of thousands of companies, including Netflix, Pinterest and Dropbox. Even organisations like NASA, Samsung and Unilever run some of their business on AWS. Thirteen employees built photo-sharing and social networking service Instagram on AWS and sold it to Facebook two years later for $1 billion, not bad for a company who didn't have to buy any hardware or software.
But in terms of the global spend on data centre infrastructure to run their businesses, $1.5 billion is a drop in the ocean. So are we any closer to answering the question – is cloud computing hype or is it the next big thing?
Let's consider for a moment the nature of business over time, and who buys compute infrastructure. New businesses are starting up all the time; certainly more and more new businesses are starting up directly onto cloud computing with no consideration for owning hardware or operating system software and all of the associated management bits and pieces around it. Existing businesses are doing what they do: changing existing systems, building new ones and rolling new ones in the door. More and more, however, the enterprise architects and solution designers in existing IT departments are considering their options for deploying at least some of the new stuff onto cloud resources. So I believe that over time we'll see an increase in cloud adoption by existing organisations, but I don't think many companies will actually sponsor the migration of existing applications. This costs money and the business case to change things that already work is often hard to prove. But new stuff, whether it's new build or new COTS integration, is definitely a candidate for cloud deployment.
Then there's the consideration of so-called private cloud. To me this is a sort of cloud lite – a different commercial model for hardware manufacturers to sell you their kit. But if it comes bundled with the same tools that public cloud has – allowing users to commission and decommission compute, storage and network services and only pay for what they use – and if it manages to increase utilisation because multiple departments and business units are sharing infrastructure, and if it actually costs less than buying the hardware outright, then okay, it's a good thing. And I recognise that many organisations will struggle to trust the security of publicly shared infrastructure, and many will also struggle with the ability to connect cloud applications to legacy applications and data, because their legacy infrastructure is in different data centres and possibly different countries to the cloud resources. But I'd be wary of things like lock-in, minimum commitments, scalability, time to commission and de-commission, and interoperability with other cloud services, and whether this was going to give me a real cloud or just a different way to pay. But to give credit where it's due, if I built servers or storage, I'd be building and selling public and private cloud offerings too. Or I'd be going out of business.
Companies will not only look to deploy their business applications on cloud resources. They will increasingly look to run their businesses on-line using commercial applications-as-a-service. I already mentioned salesforce.com, one of the original ASPs and still the most successful on-line provider of sales and customer management solutions, and who will turn over $3bn in revenue this year. Did you know that in the airline industry, most of the Star Alliance airlines run key operating functions like sales, reservations, inventory management and departure control on a shared applications-as-a-service model. Or that many Swiss banks run their entire businesses on a shared platform where they do not own any of the hardware or software? It's taking a lot longer than anyone in the late 90's anticipated, but applications-as-a-service is here to stay and will continue to grow. Already we see more and more migration onto standard business tools like email as a service or collaboration as a service (e.g. SharePoint). This trend will only add to the erosion of traditional hardware and software markets.
If you asked me to look into my crystal ball, then I'd say I have no doubt that in ten years time a majority of organisations will be sourcing at least half of their business applications as a service where they don't own any hardware or software; and for the applications they want to own, they'll be running at least half of these on hardware they don't own. So if I'm right, this means that in ten years time only a fraction of the server and storage infrastructure out there will be owned by companies for their own use. This will have major implications for hardware and software companies, and if they cannot re-invent themselves, they'll go the way of DEC, Sun Microsystems and many others.
Fluffy white computing is a big topic with many interpretations and players. I hope the above discussion has given you some insights and perhaps sparked some questions. If you would like help with cloud strategy or IT strategy in general, please get in touch.


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Robotic Bariatric Surgery: Your Best Choice
What is Robotic Bariatric Surgery
It is hard to believe that robotic surgery for the treatment of morbid obesity has been around for 20 years. The first robotic bariatric procedure was the placement of a lapband in a patient in 1999. Since then the instrumentation has improved, making it now superior to laparoscopic bariatric surgery.
In the Denver area, the majority of bariatric surgeons now use the da Vinci robot for some or all of their weight loss procedures. It is estimated that in the next 10 years, the vast majority of all surgical procedures will be completed with the help of robotics.
The advantages of the robot to the surgeons are great. Let's go over a few of them.
Visualization: The picture delivered to the surgeon during robotics is second to none. It is a 3D, high definition image with magnification. For the first time, this gives the operating surgeon greater detail and depth perception. It allows us to see the separation between the stomach and the liver or spleen resulting in less trauma to these organs, and consequently less bleeding.
Precision: The robot provides for smooth precise movement of the instruments at the direction of the surgeon. The instruments move just like their fingers and hands which gives them the ability to place sutures in just the right places effortlessly. The robotic stapler can measure the thickness of the stomach and will only fire if we have the correct staples for the stomach thickness. In contrast, during laparoscopic procedures, the surgeon goes by what has worked in the past.
Less bleeding: The robotic electrocautery devices we use to provide feedback as to when it is safe to cut blood vessels which results in less bleeding. To illustrate this, you can click on the YouTube video below. You will see that there is very little blood loss during the procedures.
Less pain: The staples articulate to fit the tissue, as do the other instruments used robotically. This leads to less trauma to the tissues which results in less pain. I am also increasingly finding that pain is not an issue for many of my patients, with 40% not needing any opioid prescriptions postop. This is a very important distinction in this time of extreme opioid addiction.
Shorter hospital stay: Some of the more recent studies suggest a shorter hospital stay associated with robotic bariatric surgery compared to laparoscopic weight loss surgeries. In my own experience, 80% of my patients go home on day one after surgery, and almost all go home by day two.
Finally, when you choose your robotic bariatric surgeon, it is recommended that you ask the following questions:
- Which robotic bariatric procedure is the best one for me?
- Are you comfortable performing my procedure robotically?
- Can you tell me about your training and experience with the robot?
- How many cases have you done, and what are your patient outcomes with the robot?
These questions are commonly asked of surgeons, so we are comfortable answering them. For my patients, I do all of my cases robotically. I underwent very deliberate and extensive training on the robot 4 years ago, working every week in the lab for several hours until I was comfortable with the technology. Since that time, I have become the most experienced robotic bariatric surgeon in the Rocky Mountain area. I have performed more than 1,000 bariatric procedures robotically with very few complications. My patients have had excellent short-term outcomes, such as very little pain and bleeding, as well as short hospital stays. My patients have also experienced excellent long-term outcomes in achieving significant weight loss, and resolution or improvement in obesity related co-morbidities.
So, if you are considering bariatric surgery, choose wisely and have your procedure done robotically. If you have questions or would like to schedule an appointment, please call our office (303-861-4505). If you would like to check out our videos on the robotic gastric sleeve and robotic gastric bypass, the links are provided below.
Dr. Tom Brown
Colorado Bariatric Surgery Institute


text: This past weekend, we took the kids to have brunch with my family and meet Santa. We didn't take pictures with Santa last year and to be honest, I really can't remember why we didn't. I'm assuming it was because we had just had Roman but who knows. I wasn't sure how it was going to go this year considering Loyal usually gets pretty shy in situations like this. Everyone was pretty hungry so we decided to eat first. I casually mentioned Santa to Loyal throughout lunch and asked him if he was going to tell Santa that he wanted Paw Patrol for Christmas. He shook his head yes with the sweetest little smile. After we were finished eating we got up to go and see Santa. There was only one person in front of us and Loyal seemed to be excited while we waited. As soon as it was our turn, Loyal walked right up to Santa and let him pick him up and put him on his lap! We were all SHOCKED! He was still a little shy and stiff but he did manage to say to him ever so quietly, "I want Paw Patrol." He was so sweet and my little Roman was just along for the ride, like always. Haha!


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Gorka Izagirre wins Tour de la Provence after a dramatic final at stage 4
With less than one second advantage in the general classification, Gorka Izagirre has won Tour de la Provence today. It was a close call after Simon Clarke finished second behind stage winner John Degenkolb and gained extra bonification seconds. But it was not enough for the Australian rider to overtake Gorka Izagirre in the GC, as the leader of Astana Pro Team rode a strong and decent final stage with the help of his team.


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National Physical Therapy Month is a commemoration held each October by the American Physical Therapy Association designed to recognize the impact that physical therapists and physical therapist assistants make in restoring and improving motion in people's lives. The increased use of prescription opioids for pain management has created a national health crisis. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urges prescribers… read more
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Is The Subaru Brz Ts Making A Comeback In The U.s. For The 2020my?
The Subaru BRZ tS appears set to return to the U.S. market for the 2020 model year, as Environmental Protection Agency documents have revealed.
Fuel economy data published online by the EPA lists the two standard automatic and manual 2020 BRZ models and, beneath them, a tS version with a six-speed manual that's been rated at 20 mpg city / 27 mpg highway, making it slightly thirstier than the regular BRZ.
Also Read: 2019 Subaru BRZ Gets Minor Price Hike, New Series.Gray Special Edition
Subaru introduced the BRZ tS for the 2018 model year and, while it didn't feature any changes to the 2.0-liter boxer four-cylinder, it certainly looked the part. Modifications included the fitment of a manually adjustable rear wing finished in raw carbon fiber as well as front and rear under spoilers. Additionally, the BRZ tS was equipped with strut tower braces, pillow-ball joints, draw stiffeners for the front suspension, STI-tuned springs and Sachs dampers, Brembo brakes and lightweight 18-inch wheels with sticky Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires.
The EPA data doesn't provide any details about what upgrades the 2020 tS will have over the standard model, but it will probably be identical to the 2018 model. So, no, much to the dismay of thousands of fans, the output will remain the same – which, of course, has always been the case despite many reports, over the past years, to the contrary.
Finally, while the 2018 tS started at $34,355, we'll have to wait until Subaru discloses the 2020MY BRZ pricing to find out about the current version.


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Blog Archives
The Sin Next To Power
There's an old saying "power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely."
The saying may be old, but it's more relevant than ever. From the world stage to the community stage, too many people use the slightest bit of authority to benefit themselves. Sometimes they do so with no thought to the damage they do to others, sometimes they tell lies to hide their true intentions, and sometimes they just don't care.
But those left in their wake do care.
I should know.
In the last few months, weeks, and even days, the fallout from multiple instances of abuse of power has seeped into both my personal and professional life.
But, like so much in life, I've had to make a choice. I can either ignore the problems or I can can learn from them.
I've chosen to learn, and here's what I've figured out: people only abuse their power because other people let them.
Sometimes, people allow the abuse of power because they think they too will benefit. They realize what is happening is wrong, but the potential gains outweigh the immorality of the situation. So they say and do nothing.
Sometimes people are afraid to call out the wrong doing. They fear they'll be hurt, someone they care about will be hurt, or that an institution or organization in which they are invested will be hurt. So they say and do nothing.
Sometimes people believe more in institutions than they do people, and they will do all they can to protect those institutions. So they say and do nothing.
Sometimes people are in such awe of power that they truly believe that the abuse of power is justified. Or they believe that those who are abusing the power somehow earned and deserve to be where they are and to do what they do. Or they were taught not to question authority. So they say and do nothing.
These may be excuses, but they should never be excusable.
In the end, people who abuse their power only do harm: to people; to communities; to organizations; to institutions; and even to countries.
And while their behavior is reprehensible, looking the other way when abuse occurs is what allows it to continue.
It's the sin that sits next to power.
The Bug In My Eye and the Bug In the White House
There's a reason people with good sense wear glasses when they ride their bikes. It prevents bugs from flying into their eyes.
Apparently, I don't have good sense. Or at least I don't have enough good sense.
Because I wasn't wearing any protective eyewear when I was out bicycling last week.
I was heading down a steep hill and into a blind curve when a gnat flew into my eye.
There was nothing I could do about it. Stopping on the narrow road with no shoulder would have been more dangerous than allowing the gnat to stay.
So I continued pedaling and focused my mind on other things. By the time I got home, I had almost forgotten about the gnat in my eye. Almost.
But that night, when I was taking my contact lens out of my red and puffy eye, the little bug made his reappearance – both literally and figuratively.
When I finally threw him away in the toilet, I realized how lucky I was. Ignoring the irritation would never have made the problem go away. It would only have caused more harm.
My short-lived relationship with the gnat resembles my too-long relationship with the guy in the Oval Office.
They both arrived in my life unexpectedly and in the most unwanted manner.
My problems with then could easily have been avoided if I, or others, had actually understood the danger they posed and acted appropriately to mitigate the potential disaster.
And even though ignoring them felt like the only way to keep my sanity, that's never been an option.
Last Sunday, an old friend asked why I hadn't been writing recently, I was honest when I said I've been busy and overwhelmed with work and other responsibilities. But that wasn't the whole truth.
I've also been trying to ignore the ongoing barrage of embarrassing and disturbing news coming out of Washington DC.
But I can't nor should I.
Instead, I'll do what I can to cope and face the problem while doing my best to address it.
And hopefully, in the near future, the bug in the White House will be flushed out of Washington DC as efficiently as I flushed the gnat out of my life.
When Hate Comes Home
I've been wanting to write about something that happened to me last Monday, but, up until just now. I haven't been able to.
I could use the excuse that I've been busy (which I have been), but I've never before let that prevent me from writing about something so incredibly important.
The real problem hasn't been lack of time. It's been a lack of words.
I just don't know how to write about hate.
You see, last Monday morning, a man came into my office and spewed racist venom at me.
I sat in shock as he got up in my face and yelled at me about using agency money to help Hispanic and black people. He even accused me of not caring about white people. Despite my efforts to be calm with a clearly irrational person, I admit glancing down at my arm and saying, "You do realize that I'm a white person, right?"
He couldn't hear me. He was too absorbed in his own anger.
And, other than simply waiting out his verbal assault while my colleagues tried to decide what to do, I was powerless.
I can't imagine how I would have felt if my skin color were darker.
I used to think I understood the problem of racism.
At age five, I cried on the first day of kindergarten when I discovered that I was the only white child in my class on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation.
But my parents and teacher (who was also white) rushed to my rescue. They had the only other white child in kindergarten transferred into my class so I felt more comfortable. I can only imagine how the man in my office would react if a Hispanic of black family had done something similar for their child.
By first grade, my parents moved our family off the reservation, and my class was full of kids who didn't make me self-conscious about the color of my skin, eyes, hair or culture. As I moved from childhood into adolescence, I claimed to have experienced racism because I had been one of only two white kids in my kindergarten class.
I hadn't. My limited experience didn't even come close. Being a different color doesn't equate to racism if you still have power. And my family had the power to get me out of a situation that made me feel uncomfortable.
But I didn't feel as though I had any power last Monday.
I was in an office with no escape as the angry man stood between me and the door. I was in a situation in which reasoning and rational discussion couldn't resolve the problem. And I was face to face with an individual who truly believed in a social hierarchy based solely on physical characteristics.
No matter how calm my voice was as I repeated the mantra "We care about all people here. We don't care about their skin color or their religion," I felt powerless.
When the man finally left, I rehashed the incident with my co-workers, expressed relief that he hadn't been carrying a weapon, implemented a safety plan and complained that the current political environment is empowering bigots.
But I never doubted my convictions or the words I'd said to him.
He may have tried to intimidate me with his hate, but my words of love actually had more power – of that I have no doubt.
Hate might come knocking on my door. Sometimes, it might even walk in. But I will never, ever allow it to stay.
And knowing that makes me feel incredibly powerful. As it should.
Close EnCOWnters (Pun intended)
Here are a few of my favorite things:
- Animals
- Riding my bike
- Taking time to enjoy the awesome beauty of nature
- Having a good story to tell
Here's what I'm known for:
- Having random weird stuff happen to me on a regular basis
Thankfully, that random weird stuff often involves animals that I encounter as I'm riding my bike while enjoying nature. Those events, in turn, generally make for a good story.
Take, for example, what happened Wednesday night as I neared the end of an otherwise uneventful 16-mile bike ride. I was zipping along a flat, straight stretch of road that runs parallel to a large cow pasture when something unusual happened.
I've ridden by that pasture hundreds of time, and the cows have never demonstrated the least bit of interest in me. Even when I've belted out Rodgers and Hammerstein tunes such as "Oklahoma"and "Oh What a Beautiful Mornin" they have remained unimpressed while they chewed their cud.
But not on Wednesday.
On Wednesday I didn't even have to sing to grab their attention. In fact, I wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary. I was just peddling along when a big white cow with black spots started chasing me.
I've never seen a cow move that fast, and I wanted to know why.
And so, I stopped to ask.
But the cow didn't provide any explanation as to why she felt the need to stalk me.
When I went up to the fence to question her, she didn't udder (pun intended) a sound. Instead, she started licking me.
She licked my hands. She licked my stomach (or at least my shirt over my stomach). She licked my leg (or at least the pants over my leg). She licked my shoes then she licked my ankle (she really licked my ankle – not just my sock).
She even tried to chase away the other cows who, like me, had become curious as to her motives.
But, after I scolded her for not playing well with others, she allowed the other cows to join us at the fence.
I literally had a whole herd of cows at my fingertips when I finally realized I needed photos to document my whole "cow whisperer" experience.
Taking pictures on my phone with a herd of cows jostling around wasn't exactly easy, but I got a few.
Not until I got home and was looking at those pictures did I realized two things.
First, not one photo captured the essence of the moment. Sure, some gave a glimpse into it, but none captured the actual experience. That's because truly magical moments have nothing to do with what is seen by the eye and everything to do with what is felt by the heart and soul.
And second, I'll probably never experience something like that again. No matter how many times I ride my bike by that field and no matter how loudly I sing to those cows, they will probably never come running again. (My singing might actually make them run in the other direction.) But even if they do come running, their actions won't be nearly as remarkable. Remarkable moments, like remarkable people, can't be duplicated. And, like people, the more unique they are, the more they should be treasured.
But here's the thing: whether or not the cows and I now have some kind of undefinable relationship, they are now on my growing list of favorite things.
And anyone or anything that goes on that list will forever be part of not only a good story but of my life story. And that, in itself, is magical to me.
Falling Out of Bed
When I was a little girl, I fell out of bed on a regular basis.
Sometimes, I'd pick myself up off the floor and climb back under the covers. Sometimes, my father, who must have heard the thud, would come into my bedroom, scoop me up, and tuck me back into my bed.
I don't remember being particularly concerned or afraid of falling out of bed, nor do I remember my parents worrying about it.
It was just something I did until, one day, I didn't do it anymore.
Like so many childhood memories, my habit of falling out of bed was locked away in a part of my brain that only opens with the right key. Sometimes that key is a piece of music, sometimes it's a smell, and sometimes it's a conversation. But there are times when I have no idea what key unleashed a memory. It just pops into my mind, and I can't shake it. Those are the moments when I realize my memories have come out of hiding and dusted themselves off because they are trying to teach me something.
And so it was last week with my memories of falling out of bed.
As I thought back to those nights decades ago, I realized they represent all of life's struggles. Those times I fell out of bed were only a fraction of all the tumbles I've taken. And yet, I only remember a very small percentage of them – the ones that left behind scars and a good story.
But almost every time I stumbled or even completely fell, I had the choice to wallow in the pain and humiliation or to pick myself back up. Those few times when my struggles were so great that I couldn't just pick myself back up, I was fortunate to have someone nearby who heard the thud and immediately responded with a helping hand.
There are so many individuals with no such people nearby. On almost a daily basis, I watch the stream of people coming through my office doors for financial assistance or other social services. I realize that most of them had very few, if any, people nearby listening for their thuds. And I wonder if it's harder to pick yourself back up when you know that no one else is paying attention to your struggles.
I also wonder if knowing that you are safe and that someone has your back makes it easier to teach yourself not to fall. When you trust that people care and realize that falls are part of the learning process, it's easier to have the fortitude and the ability to prevent self-inflicted bruises.
My memories were reminding me that I, like everyone else, needs to pay more attention and react to the thuds when someone nearby, no matter who they are, falls.
The Antidote
I try to be a nice person. I really do.
But sometimes, the person I strive to be and the one in my head couldn't be more different.
O.K. – not some of the time. Most of the time.
In fact, I've often wondered if the first verse of "Cell Block Tango" in the musical Chicago was written with me in mind. In it, a young woman explains how the habits of other people can "get you down." She complains about Bernie, who popped his gum when she was having a bad day. Her bad day turned into his bad day when she shot and killed him.
I can't say I've ever come close to killing another person, but my mind is often plotting revenge. I just don't act on these thoughts.
But when I'm in a funk, like I was last week, people or situations that are normally just irritating suddenly proliferate as though purposefully torturing me.
The moms who have known each other for years and don't make an effort to include me in their conversations, even when I try to insert myself, morph into that pack of mean girls from high school.
The people who talk about updating the living room paint to "this year's color" make me feel completely incompetent and out of touch. (Up until this year, I never even knew that some shades of beige are "in" and some are "out." I generally feel accomplished when the old, faded living room carpet at my house gets vacuumed a couple of times each month.)
The grocery store clerks who make comments about the food I'm buying completely annoy me. Even though I tend to be a chatty person with almost everyone, I don't need complete strangers talking to me about my eating habits.
Parents who make sure that they drop a list of their children's accomplishments into every conversation seem to taunt me for my less accomplished (in their eyes) kids.
And those are just the people who irritate me. I haven't even mentioned the ones who make me really angry:
- Individuals who don't take pride in their job. I just don't get that. If you are being paid to do something, you should never, ever expect other people to compensate and clean up your messes.
- People who compensate and clean up the messes for individuals who don't take pride in their job. When that happens, the lazy people never learn.
- People who post derogatory comments in social media about low-income people who receive government benefits. No one in this world goes without the help of others. Some people are just fortunate to have family, friends, intellectual gifts and opportunities that helped them overcome difficult situations.
- Individuals who don't take time to listen to others who may be less educated, less beautiful, less wealthy, less accomplished or less socially connected. We are all on this planet together, and I'm fairly confident that God doesn't care more about some than others.
- Those same people who flaunt all they have by dropping snide comments or making off-hand remarks that are actually intended to put down others.
- Anyone who makes decisions that hurt my children and cause them to question their abilities or their dreams.
Generally, my antidote for this anger is to make up and play out entire scenes in my head. In them, I say just the right words or take just the right actions to cut down the offenders and put them in their place.
And then I pray to be a kind person and pretend to be the nice person I wish I were.
Usually, that's enough, and the anger and irritation subside.
But when the irritation and anger continue to linger and the notes from "Cell Block Tango" become an ear worm, I have to do something a littler more dramatic and employ a stronger antidote.
That's when I write about the people I annoy me. And sometimes, I even make those written words public.
Without Clock or Calendar
For the last few months, something has been missing from my life. Its disappearance is particularly unnerving because I am given a sufficient supply of the missing element every day. But when I go to bed each night, I am left wondering what happened.
Time is that common yet mysterious element that belongs to everyone, plays favorites to no one, speeds up and slows down at the most inopportune moments and steals the occasions we treasure most while gifting us with memories.
When I was young, 24 hours per days seemed more than sufficient. Now, it's anything but.
Which is why, on Christmas Eve, I felt as though I'd won the lottery. I had 11
days, or approximately 264 hours, without any significant appointments or commitments. And even though I had a long list of projects I wanted to tackle, part of me that just wanted to escape life as I know it.
Which is exactly what I did on Christmas Day.
After the presents were opened and the Christmas dinner was prepared, I escaped to find evidence that life is more than a series of events or accomplishments that are documented with time stamps and dates to remember.
I took my bicycle out on an unseasonably warm day, and, for the first time in a long time, I didn't pedal to
cover a specific number of miles in a specified number of minutes.
In fact, I often didn't pedal at all. Instead, I stopped to investigate. I stopped to listen. I stopped to breathe. Most of all, I stopped to take photos on my phone and to simply appreciate life without the constraints of deadlines or appointments or expectations.
And what I discovered was that, unlike people, most of the world pays no attention to clocks or calendars. While everything is affected by time, only people give it power.
The rest of the world just exists in the moment, adapts to the elements, accepts changes and stays committed to survival.
In other words, the rest of the world can teach us humans a thing or two.
And I'm ready to learn.
Anger Management
Despite all the warnings against doing so, I went to bed angry the other night.
I was mad that cancer had taken the life of a good friend. I was mad at a self-serving state legislature that is pandering to special, extreme interests rather than improving the lives of Mountain State residents. I was mad that years of previous hard work had been torn apart by people who care more about touting their own importance than about doing the right thing. I was even mad that I had spent the day fighting with my work computer, which was eventually diagnosed with having either a bad virus or a bad hard drive.
Most of all, I was mad that not one of those situations was within my control.
And so, I lay awake thinking that, since I couldn't change the random nature of life or the priorities of other people, I could at expose the selfish nature and behavior of others.
But no matter what scenario I imagined, I was never satisfied.
My friend would still be dead. Constituents would still vote against their own self interest and politicians would still prey upon emotional rather than rational voters. All of my hard work would still lie in ruins at the hands of people who never really tried to understand my efforts, and my computer would still be on a shelf waiting for repair.
And I would still be angry.
My mood hadn't improved by the time I arrived at work the next morning.
Knowing that I had to put my anger aside, I spent the first few minutes in my office repeating one of my favorite quotes, "Holding on to anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die."
Saying those words to myself wasn't sufficient, so I started sharing them with others.
Then something miraculous happened.
The people with whom I shared that quote not only empathized with me, they also shared their own anger.
In doing so, we talked about our values and about not feeling valued. We talked about how difficult people are often doing their best and just don't know or have the skills to do better. We talked about our own successes and all that we hope to achieve in the future.
And when we spoke, we didn't use flowery language that made us sound noble. We spoke from the heart with words that are best left behind closed doors (they were) but are sometimes the best way to describe our feelings.
I hadn't had a complete attitude adjustment by the end of the day, but I did gain something important: perspective.
No one goes through life untouched by anger, and pretending we are above it is ridiculous. Instead, if we share it in the right way with the right people, we can learn more from anger than we ever could from happiness.
With that said, I'm hoping to be much less studious in the next few weeks.
I can only take so much anger management.
Conversations with Strangers Part 2 – The Phone Call
Wallowing in self-pity never results in anything positive, and I'm generally annoyed by people who use it to gain attention.
At the same time, I've been told that sometimes the behaviors that annoy us most are the ones we revert to when we are at our worst.
I was at my worst this week.
Nothing horrible or life shattering happened. I just had to deal with some difficult and taxing situations at work. By the time I got home each night, I was too exhausted to do much more than complain about how tired and stressed I was.
I deal with people who struggle to meet their basic needs on a daily basis, so I should recognize how fortunate I am to have a warm and safe home to take shelter in each night. I have friends who are struggling with serious health issues, so I should wake up grateful for a (relatively) strong body and mind. I know people who go to jobs in which their only reward is a paycheck, and I should realize that being passionate about my work is more gratifying than any financial reward.
And yet, I forget.
This week I forgot so much and complained so much about my stress that I was even starting to annoy myself.
Which is why, when my cell phone rang at 6:30 on Friday night, I almost didn't answer it. The caller i.d. showed that a volunteer from my office was trying to reach me, and I thought I had reached maximum capacity for anything work-related. At the same time, the responsible side of my personality (the stronger one that completing despises my whining and self-pitying side) had to answer the phone.
So I answered it, and the call served as a wonderful reminder of why I should be grateful for feeling overwhelmed at times.
The volunteer actually wanted me to speak with his wife, who was also interested in being a volunteer. The couple recently retired in another state and moved to my town to be nearer to their children and grandchildren.
I'd never met the woman who I spoke with on the phone, but on a cold evening in February, she was the only person who was able put my week in perspective.
I initially tried to hurry her off the phone. After confirming when she would come in to discuss volunteer opportunities, I said, "Have a good weekend."
She wouldn't let me go that quickly.
"I'm just hoping you can help me," she said.
That shut me up.
"My mother is 94 years old," she said. " That means I likely have 30 years of retirement ahead of me. Everyone tells you that retirement is great. No one tells you that no one values your skills anymore."
She went on. "I used to take pride in my work. I liked contributing something. I don't feel as though I'm doing that now."
I told her I understood.
And I did.
I may complain about all the stress in my life, but that stress means that I'm overwhelmed by demands on my time and talents. That stress means that others depend on me and need me. That stress means that I'm valued and that others recognize how important my contributions are.
In other words, the type of stress I experienced last week is a reflection of what I value most: the ability to make a difference to others.
The woman I talked to on Friday night may or may not decide to be a volunteer at my office. But whether she does or not, she's already made a difference in my life.
Sometimes, strangers can do that.
The Observer
In a life that requires me to fully participate on an almost constant basis, I truly appreciate days when I can simply be the observer. At those moments, I have the luxury of recognizing how total strangers are always touching my life.
Generally, we pass each other unnoticed – like the drivers and passengers in the vehicles on the roads and interstates that we travel on a regular basis.
Sometimes we barely brush against each other – like the shoppers in line at the grocery store or the other patients in the waiting room at the doctor's office.
But every once in a while, when I have the opportunity to be more observant, complete strangers can provide insight, spark curiosity or simply remind me that sometimes the world is much less random than I generally think it is.
So it was last Saturday.
My son was spending the weekend playing music at a local university, and my husband was working. Recognizing the opportunity, my daughter suggested we "do something."
What Kendall was really suggesting was that we "go shopping." But having spent plenty of time and money shopping during the recent holiday season, I suggested we go into the city instead.
In our case, "the city" is Washington D.C., which offers plenty of opportunities to "do something" without having to "go shopping."
She agreed, and, after dropping my son off for his music audition and subsequent day of practice, we headed to the Metro Station.
As we parked the car and headed toward the entrance, I noticed a young couple walking in front of us. I don't know why I noticed them as they were quite ordinary. The boy (he looked like a boy to me although my daughter insisted he was at least 20) wore khaki pants and glasses. The girl, who was slightly taller than him, wore boots and a black coat. We lost sight of them as they punched in their SmarTrip cards while we had to purchase Metro farecards.
After changing trains once, our first stop was at the National Archives. As we crossed the street toward the ornate structure, Kendall poked me in the ribs and giggled.
The couple we had first seen as we left our car and headed toward the Metro Station was once again in front of us. I don't know if I was more surprised that our destination had been the same or that my daughter had also noticed the pair.
Kendall and I soon forgot about them. As we went through security at the Archives, she was incredibly amused by the security guard who tried to put some humor into the "no photographs can be taken" rule.
Or, as he put it, "That also means no selfies, no me-sies, no we-sies, no you-sies."
While Kendall was amused, his words made complete sense to me. In this day of constant access to cameras, you have to be as clear as possible. Even more importantly, people really understood and heeded his words.
They were also polite as we all patiently stood in line to see the most popular documents on display: the original Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. But that peaceful order was disrupted when a group of young beauty queens (they advertised this by wearing sashes inscribed with their titles) and their mothers entered the rotunda. The girls pushed their way through the patiently waiting crowd to see the prized displays. I was reminded of the spoiled Veruca Salt in Roald Dahl's classic novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory but kept my opinion to myself, even when one of the mothers encouraged her daughter to crowd her way to the glass cases that displayed the Constitution.
The woman behind me wasn't as reserved and spoke up about their rudeness. "The people who try so hard to be important usually aren't," she said. "And the people who don't try to be important usually are."
She had a point, and her words made a lasting impression on me.
After getting our opportunity to see the documents (with no pushing involved), Kendall and I were debating where to go next when we noticed that the couple from the Metro were now patiently waiting in line to see our nation's beloved documents.
Kendall gave me an amused look as we decided to head to the National Gallery of Art. Our short walk there wasn't without incidence. As we approached the corner of Madison Drive and 7th Street, we heard yelling. The reason soon became obvious.
A man in a pink (yes pink) funnel cake truck was yelling at a security guard to let go of the handle on his truck door. "You are going to break the door!" he yelled. The guard had a bemused look on his face and a hand on holster.
"You need to move your truck" that security guard yelled back. I didn't know how the driver could move his truck when the security guard was gripping the handle so tightly, but that was none of my business.
The yelling continued when the guard noticed all of us on the sidewalk.
"Civilians stand back!!!" he yelled.
We did. My heart was thumping as I willed the red hand on the crossing light change to white.
We had no such luck and were forced to watch the drama between the funnel cake vendor and the security guard escalate. The funnel cake man got out of his truck, and the security guard drew his gun.
And the crossing light did not change.
Then, out of nowhere, two police officers appeared and told the guard to put away his gun.
That's when the crossing light finally changed. As we walked away, I could hear the funnel cake guy yelling, "He's tripping! Did you see that? He's tripping."
"They're all tripping," Kendall said.
She had a point.Their anger and potential violence were totally unrelated to criminal activity and demonstrated the power struggles that so often precipitate violence.
As Kendall and I walked into the the National Art Gallery, my heart was still beating faster than normal. Fortunately, the peaceful halls soon calmed it. Unfortunately, we didn't have enough time there. But then, we wouldn't have had enough time even if we had arrived when the museum first opened. We were awed by the paintings by Leonardo da Vinci, Renoir, Monet and Manet.
We weren't so awed by the work of Jackson Pollack.
"I just don't get it," I said as we stared at a painting that looked like paint dripping. I got as close as I could, staring at the paint and feeling a bit like Cameron staring at the painting in Ferris Bueller's Day Off. The more I looked, the less I saw. I wasn't the only person who didn't "get it."
Kendall and I were joined by two college-age women, one of whom who was questioning the artistic value. Her intellectually superior friend tried to put her straight.
"What is aesthetically pleasing isn't the same as what is artistically lovely."
I'm sure that meant something, I'm still not clear what. Maybe if I understood Jackson Pollock I would understand her words.
But while I didn't get her point, I did appreciate that she sees the world in a totally different way than I do. Besides, I was more interested in the fact that the couple from the Metro Station was now in the same room in the art museum.
We stayed in the building until a guard announced that the museum would be closing in 2,000 seconds. Apparently, humor is part of the training for Washington D.C. museum security guards.
Kendall and I left, took the Metro to another destination for dinner then finally decided we needed to head home. Our energy level had dropped with temperature – or so we thought. As we got off the train and were headed to our car, Kendall challenged me to a race. Because I was so cold, I was all in. We giggled as we ran to the car.
Then, we both stopped abruptly.
There was a couple walking in front of us. The boy wore khaki pants and glasses. The girl, who was slightly taller than him, wore boots and a black coat. Kendall and I giggled and she took a picture on her phone.
That couple will forever be a part of our lives.
They serve as a reminder of all of the strangers we pass each day. Some go completely unnoticed. Some provide us with memorable quotes or life lessons. And some stay with us forever like the shadows in a photograph. Those are the ones that remind us that life's best teachers aren't always the most obvious. Instead, they are the ones that require us to take a backseat and observe all that life really has to offer.


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Dealing With A Child's Self Doubt
Sophie says "Your work is so good James, I could never do something like that! "
The above type of statement is something we hear a lot from new students. After 2-3 sessions this self doubt behaviour has gone and is replaced by self esteem.
How does this work?


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Text of Tender document
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Changed lighting and modeled a few little new things.
To-Do list:
- remaking the tents and adding more variations (<- important!)
- creating some kind of kitchen, already started with these ham things
- creating textures for the ground
- Armor/weapons, more banners and flags
- basic interior for tents


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Ursula K. Le Guin Quotes About GrievingQuotes about: Grieving
Acceptance Age Aliens Ambition Animals Art Babies Balance Belief Betrayal Birds Books Boundaries Capitalism Character Children Choices Communication Consciousness Country Creation Darkness Desire Dreams Earth Empathy Enemies Equality Ethics Evil Evolution Eyes Fate Feelings Freedom Funny Giving Goals Grieving Growing Up Happiness Hate Hatred Healing Heart Hell Heroism Home House Humility Imagination Injustice Insanity Inspirational Journey Joy Language Life Life And Death Literature Lying Metaphor Moon Morality Mothers Mountain Myth Obedience Pain Peace Perception Pleasure Progress Questioning Reading Reality Responsibility Revolution Running Sanity Science Science Fiction Silence Singing Sleep Solitude Soul Spring Storytellers Suffering Technology Time Understanding Universe Violence Virtue Waiting Wall War Water Wilderness Winning Writing
Grieving, like being blind, is a strange business; you have to learn how to do it. We seek company in mourning, but after the early bursts of tears, after the praises have been spoken, and the good days remembered, and the lament cried, and the grave closed, there is no company in grief. It is a burden borne alone.
Ursula K. Le Guin
- Born: October 21, 1929
- Occupation: Author
- Cite this Page: Citation


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As I explained in the previous post, I had to divide the resources in 2 groups to control the amount of randomness "Industrial Revolution!" had, but I was not done with my anti-randomness crusade.
I had a single deck of cards at that point, and that also created some problems of their own, making the game feel unfair in some cases.
I Had Bad Cards
Cards are the most important aspect of the game, and I spent a lot of time making sure all of them were really useful and powerful. When people said, "that's overpowered", the card was working well. And yet, many players had the feeling they had bad luck with them.
It wasn't uncommon to see somebody win the game while you had cards in your hand that you couldn't use. This is a big problem in a "Take that" game, as you can still have fun even if you lose, if you had the option to annoy the other players during the game.
"Industrial Revolution!" has many different cards, but they can roughly be categorized into offensive cards (harming your opponents in many ways) and beneficial cards (usually defensive, or movement cards… though in many cases they can also be used to harm opponents, if you are cunning enough).
The problem was, as usual with random, that I couldn't control how many of each type would be drawn, and it was common to get too many of a certain card type during a certain period.
Too many of the offensive cards in play, and it was impossible to win, as everybody was destroying all the other players, making games last too long. Too many of the beneficial cards in play, and it was impossible to stop somebody about to win, making games last too little.
Solomonic Solution
As players have to draw 2 cards at the start of their turn, the solution was obvious. I divided the cards in 2 decks, and one of each deck had to be drawn.
Other elements of the game allow players to draw extra cards, and those can be drawn from any deck the players want, allowing them to choose their strategy, but with the new main drawing mechanic, I can be sure there will always be a mix of both types of cards in all player's hands.
After the change, people stopped complaining about their cards (well, most of them… there's always THAT guy…), and games were much more balanced, both in duration and in opportunities to use the cards for all players.


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By Rosalie Tirella
District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. and the WPD mustn't let the woman at 47 Dixfield St. get away with STABBING her husband's Siberian husky – one of the sweetest dog breeds in the world! – to death.
Peter R. Ahearn, 40, of 47 Dixfield St., was arrested Saturday on charges of assault and battery. His wife, who had fled to a neighbor's house, told police that she had killed the dog and that her husband had hit her in the head. Did she brutally kill the husky before or after her hubby whacked her in the head?
Personally, we don't give a shit. Just charge the broad – take her to court, too, for God's sake. Have her have to post bail and go through the court system … . And we hope PETA can provide her husband with a kick-ass animal rights laywer so that this sicko can serve jail time.
It seems the older we get, the more enamoured we become with animals (great and small) and the less passionate we are about human beings. For the police to arrive at Dixfield Street and see Mr. Ahearn Continue reading Why wasn't the Dixfield Street wife charged?!


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Australia, the home of the great outdoors. Exploring places by walking and taking epic hikes has always been close to my heart. Growing up in the Yorkshire countryside, surrounded by hills for miles, Sunday walks were a family favourite. Since walking has always been something I loved to do, it's no surprise that over the years I've discovered that the best way to explore is with your own two feet. Some of the Best Walks in Sydney I discovered by accident, just from walking around!
The scenery that captivates you during walks in Australia may be somewhat different to the UK but it's just as special. Taking walks along beaches with nothing to see but the dancing ocean is magical. Combined with perfect weather most of the year Sydney is a fantastic place for walking along the coast. In this guide to the best walks in Sydney, I'm sharing some of the walks and hikes that you can't miss when visiting Australia's most vibrant city. I've also included some great walks beyond the city at the end of the post!
The Best Walks in Sydney: The City
The city centre in Sydney is where most travellers make their first stop. A trip to Sydney wouldn't be complete without a visit to The Opera House, The Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney's Royal Botanical Gardens. Though Sydney is a big city and it can take a little navigating to find your way around the best way to do so is to walk! There are numerous walks you can enjoy around the city to capture all of the sights and inner city beauty.
Harbour Bridge to Mrs Macqauries Chair
To capture all of the tourist sights in Sydney why not talk a walk from the Harbour Bridge, past The Sydney Opera House and finish in the Botanical Gardens. This walk is really nice to enjoy in the hour before sunset so that you can finish at Mrs Macqauries Chair ready to watch the spectacular sun disappearing for the day.
Start: Overseas Passenger Terminal
Finish: Mrs Macqauries Chair
Distance: 1.7 miles or 2.7 km
Difficulty: Easy
Start this city walk at the Overseas Passenger Terminal (where the cruise ships dock) at Circular Quay. This gives some gorgeous views of the Harbour Bridge where you'll get some fantastic photographs. If you're lucky enough for a cruise ship not to be docked then the views of the Opera House are also perfect. To get a little closer to the Harbour Bridge follow the walkway to the left and just follow it around adding about 20 minutes onto the total walk. From the overseas passenger terminal follow the crowds around the harbour passing the ferry terminals as you go. Circular Quay is lined with shops, restaurants and cafes for travellers to enjoy on the way if they wish.
As you follow the pavement around take in the beauty of circular quay. Filled with travellers mesmerised with the views, locals enjoying their lunch break or rushing to the ferry docks eager to get home and out of the city (a great place for people watching!). It'll only take a mere 10 minutes depending on your walking pace to reach the world-famous Opera House.
From the Opera House, you'll clearly see the Botanical Gardens to your right. Follow the walkway around the edge of the water and keep going until you reach Mrs Macqauries Chair – which is signposted throughout the gardens.
Get that Postcard Shot!
Mrs Macquarie's Chair is where you'll find the famous 'postcard shot' of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge! This short walk is wheelchair accessible and good for any level of fitness, with no hills just flat ground that's paved the whole way. In total it will take around an hour once you've accounted for how many times you'll be stopping to enjoy along the way. I think this is one of the best walks in Sydney to capture all of the main city sights.
Best Walks in Sydney: Milsons Point to Lavender Bay
Milsons Point to Lavender bay is another, like Bondi-Coogee, famous walk in Sydney but it's definitely worth exploring to enjoy scenic city views!
Transport to Milsons Point
Milsons Point is located in North Sydney and easily accessible by public transport or by taking a walk over the Harbour Bridge. If you're travelling from Circular Quay then the train will be the quickest way of getting across the water. There is a ferry that goes from Circular Quay to Milsons Point but it's expensive. The journey lasts only 5 minutes and will cost a whopping $6! The train will only cost a couple of bucks if that so the train is 100% more budget friendly. To enjoy amazing views from the ferry then save it for visiting Manly which is the same price for a journey that's 40 minutes rather than 5.
Milsons Point to Lavender Bay: The Circuit
Starts: Milsons Point
Finishes: Lavender Bay
Distance: 1 km or 0.6 miles
Difficulty: Easy
The walk from Milsons Point to Lavender Bay doesn't take long at all. In fact, if you don't stop on the way you could easily do it in 10 or 15 minutes!
The trail is paved the whole way so accessible for everyone. Start at Bradfield Park and walk under the Harbour Bridge enjoying views of the Opera House from a different angle! The view of the Opera House from the back is actually my favourite angle! I love how the glass panes reflect on the water and the architecture is so phenomenal. Continue under the bridge and past Sydney's Olympic pool wandering onto the Luna Park. Fun for everyone the Luna Park is great to explore. Entry is free just for a nosey around or enjoy the fairground rides if you fancy! As you follow the path around the Luna Park you'll find yourself in Lavender Bay. A small bay where boats are bobbing on the water and the views of the city remain sublime.
The Best Walks in Sydney: Coastal Walks!
Sydney is renowned for its picture-perfect coastal walks. If you're planning a short trip to Sydney then I recommend doing at least one coastal walk but I have no idea how you'll choose one! Bondi-Coogee is glorious but it can be pretty touristy especially in the summer. I love that walk but I wouldn't say it's my favourite. I think that title goes to the Hermitage Foreshore Walk over in Rose Bay, imagine weaving in and out of secluded beaches with views of the harbour in the distance. One thing is for certain if you tackle any of these coastal walks that I'll be mentioning – pack your swimmers!
Coast Walks in Sydney: Hermitage Foreshore Walk – Rose Bay
Starts: Bayview Hill Road
Finish: Neilsen Park
Distance: 1.6 km or 1 mile
Difficulty: Easy
Starting at just outside of Rose Bay on Bayview Hill Road the Hermitage Foreshore Walk is a tranquil trail that weaves along the edges of the Sydney Harbour National Park. You'll find an array of beauty on this walk from tiny beaches, still waters perfect for swimming and panoramic views of Sydney. Pack a picnic and your swimmers because the beaches you'll pass will be screaming your name. The beaches are carved like bays so the ocean is still which is my favourite kind of ocean! Crashing waves are fun but I love when you can just relax and bob up and down on the water.
My favourite beach on this walk is Milk Beach but there's so many to choose from. The beaches before you reach Milk Beach will be the quietest. Shark beach which is just before Neilsen Park will be a little busier with tourists and locals alike but still a far cry from anything like Bondi, Bronte or Coogee Beach.
Transport to Rose Bay
Getting to the start of the Hermitage Foreshore Walk is quite straight forward if you're coming from the city. Simply catch the ferry from Circular Quay to Rosey Bay and follow Google Maps for Bayview Hill Road. The walk to the start of this walk from the ferry terminal is about 15 minutes. Alternatively, you can catch the 325 bus from Town Hall all the way to Bayview Hill itself.
Coastal Walks in Sydney: Bondi to Coogee
Starts: Bondi Beach
Ends: Coogee Beach
Distance: 6 km or 3 miles
Difficulty: Easy-Medium
Tip: Route includes some steep steps and hills. Not accessible for wheels or prams.
The Bondi-Coogee walk in Sydney is a popular activity for both travellers and locals. It's one of the favourites for runners with its gorgeous views and many beaches to stop at along the way. If you only have a short time in Sydney then most people do this walk because it's central and you're probably going to Bondi Beach anyway. This walk can be split up into sections, Bondi-Tamarama, Tamarama-Bronte, Bronte-Clovelly and Clovelly-Coogee racking up 6 km or 3.7 miles. The walk can take anything from one hour to three depending on your ability but I urge you to spend as much time on this walk as possible.
The walk winds around the coastline stopping at five of Sydney's best beaches along the way. You'll find a separate ocean pool at each beach too so if you have little ones who would love a swim then they can so safely. The awesome thing about the Bondi to Coogee walk is that it can be split up. You don't have to do it all if you wish. Simply conquer the part of the walk you want to see, but it is beautiful the whole way around.
Best Coastal Walks in Sydney: Watsons Bay
Starts: Camp Cove Watsons Bay
Ends: Hornby Lighthouse
Distance: 1.6 km or 1 mile
Difficulty: Easy
Tip: Route includes some stairs
This short walk may only take around 20 minutes but its definitely worth exploring if you're in Watsons Bay. Watsons Bay is one of the cutest coastal towns in Sydney. It oozes character, relaxation and beauty. The beaches are small and locals friendly. As you hop off the ferry at Watsons Bay you can explore the esplanade filled with restaurants and bars. The walk to Camp Cover is only short taking about 10 minutes.
Arriving at Camp Cove, a pristine beach complete with a smoothie shack, makes you feel like you've transported to a tropical island. I couldn't believe my eyes when we stumbled upon it late on during our time in Sydney. From Camp Cove, you can follow the broad walk all the way to Hornby Lighthouse. Be warned that there is a nudist beach on the way around – it's hidden away very discreetly so it gave us a little surprise when we saw people down on the beach! What baffled me was the viewing platform that looks directly onto Lady Bay Beach – weird!
Transport to Watsons Bay
The Ferry from Circular Quay is the easiest way to reach Watsons Bay from the city. Keep on an eye on the ferry times at this website because they are less frequent to Watsons Bay than to other areas of the city.
My Final Coastal Walk in Sydney: Fairfax Track North Head
Starts: North Head
Ends: Fair Fax Lookout
Distance: 1 km or 1 hour (see alternative walk in the description)
Difficulty: Easy
Another short walk in Sydney offering some incredible views of the city. The Fair Fax track itself is perfect for families or people who don't enjoy walking. Pull up in the car park and walk the easy 1 km to Fair Fax lookout offering ocean views with the city skyline in the distance. Unfortunately, we did get rubbish weather and the city was all hazy but on a clear day, this view will be stunning.
There is also another option for this walk. Park or get off the bus at the bus stop and walk all through the bushland. You can also walk the Australian Memorial Walk dedicated to those who fought in the wars. We added this onto our walk during our time at North Head and It was worth it taking the walking time to 1 hour.
Transport to North Head
North head is located in Manly north of the city. You can get the 135 bus from stand B at the bus stops directly outside from the Ferry Terminal. To get to Manly from Sydney catch the Ferry from circular quay. The slow passenger ferry is the cheapest and takes 40 minutes but there is also a fast ferry option. Fast Ferry takes 20 minutes and costs around $11 opposed to $6 so it depends on your time and budget.
Walks Beyond the City: Walks Around Sydney
If walking is your thing then as you can tell there are plenty in Sydney to choose from. These few are my favourites but there are hundreds of walks around Sydney. The great thing about Sydney is its prime location on the coast. Just a few hours west of Sydney you've got the Blue Mountains and a couple of hours north is Palm Beach. Both the Blue Mountains and Palm Beach are well worth visiting during a trip to Sydney or New South Wales if your itinerary allows it. To finish this post I'm sharing two more walks, one from the Blue Mountains and one from Palm Beach.
Barrenjoey Lighthouse Walk Palm Beach
Starts: Pittwater Beach
Ends: Barrenjoey Lighthouse
Distance: Access Track 800 metres or Smugglers Track 400 metres
Difficulty: Medium
Tip: Steep slopes or lots of steps! The Access Track is steep slopes up to the top or Smugglers Track consists of steep steps direct to the Barrenjoey Lighthouse.
Palm Beach aka Summer Bay! If you're a soap fan then you might know what I'm talking about! If not then you've probably got better things to do with your time than the rest of us! Home and Away is an Aussie soap set in Palm Beach. After seeing the famous peninsula so many times on the TV it's quite awesome to be there in person! During a visit to Palm Beach, a hike up to Barrenjoey lighthouse is a must so that you get that epic view. The walk up to the lighthouse is short but steep. The walk gives you two options as outlined above, the Access Track is easier than the stairs it's still steep. We walked up to the Access Track and back down Smugglers Track.
Walks in the Blue Mountains
The Wentworth Pass adjoining to Overcliff Undercliff Track
Starts: Wentworth Falls
Ends: Wentworth Falls carpark/picnic area
Distance: 5km
Difficulty: Medium-Hard
The Blue Mountains is inundated with glorious walks for all abilities. We spent two days in the Blue Mountains and I'll admit I wish we'd had more time! We did tackle a few walks over our two-day visit but the Wentworth Pass was one I enjoyed the most. This track is hard with a large distance to cover with some steep hills. The views are incredible and totally worth any sweat along the way! I'd share some of the epic views with you but my old laptop died last year and of course, I hadn't backed up properly (you live and learn) so we pretty much lost ALL of our Blue Mountains photographs! But take my word for it you want to do this hike! The National Pass hike, also located at Wentworth Falls, also looks stunning but the track was closed during our visit.
More information on walks at Wentworth Falls
Whether you're staying in the city or venturing up into the mountains, there are plenty of walks to keep you busy. These are definitely not all of the walks you take on in Sydney but just some of the best ones!
For more information on some epic Sydney walks you can take a look at the NSW website for walks here.
Which is your favourite Sydney walk? Let me know in the comments below!
Don't forget sharing is caring!
If you enjoyed this post or know someone who might please share it! If you're heading to Sydney then why not take a look at my 3 Day Guide to Sydney – the only travel guide you need for a weekend in the city!
Wishing You Happy and Healthy Adventures!


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This video describes how to use distress ink. First we have to take a paper that we want to work on. Next take the distress ink colors. Spread the lighter colors first on the paper. Take the first color and spread it on throughout the paper. Next take the vintage photo and work on the edges with it. Next take the spiced marmalade ink and spread it on the edges again. Next take the paper and apply the paper edges directly to black soot ink pad. Next wait for sometime until it dry. Next take the distress tool and rub it on the edges. Next take the spooky stuff stamp set and apply color on it and then press it on the paper. Next give some more effect with the stamp set by applying the color on the bottom side of that. Next take any logo and apply the ink on it and then stick it on the paper.
While you're stuck at home, make the most of your time by learning a new language, skill, or even train for a remote-work job with our new premium online courses.


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Safety, risk and working environment
In Vår Energi, our highest priority is the health and safety of our employees and contractors. As a result of this, the main objective in all business activities is to be the safest operator on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS).
Risk management
A systematic approach to identify, evaluate and mitigate risk factors in the working environment is established. This helps to ensure that the working environment and other appropriate conditions are safe and sound and according to applicable laws, regulations and guidelines.
Employees potentially exposed to health hazards are especially monitored.
We continuously manage risks associated in our operations to ensure high standards. Health and working environments are governed by management systems, aligned with applicable laws, regulations and guidelines.


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Planning for Your First Utility Bill
If you are moving in to your first apartment or home, there are a lot of considerations to take into account that you might not be used to yet. Paying rent or your mortgage is the largest expense you will face, but don't forget about your utility bill! Depending on your living situation, your utility bill each month might be quite sizeable. So exactly how much will it cost? Below you'll find information that will help you figure it all out.
Which devices or appliances do you have that use energy?
The first step for planning for your first utility bill is to take an inventory of all of the devices and services in your home that might influence the bill. Such services might include heating, electricity, air conditioning, Internet, cable, and cooking gas. Once you have catalogued all of these sources, it's time to start adding up how much that will likely cost you.
The first thing to consider when calculating your heat is whether you are in an apartment or a house. If you are in an apartment you may not be charged for heat, since the cost is sometimes built into each month's rent. However, if you are in a house, then things are more complicated. Since there are several different methods for heating a home, this will entirely depend on your situation. As a point of reference, the national average (when considering all energy sources) is roughly $160 a month, according to the Energy Services Group. When considering heating options, make sure you know the pricing situation before signing a lease.
Usually, electricity bills are somewhere around $30–$50 a month. This can vary based on what types of electrical devices you have and how much you use them. Do you use energy efficient appliances and light bulbs? Do you have outside lights that are left on through the night? These things can drastically impact the amount of electricity you consume each month. It should also be mentioned that if you require air conditioning, expect your electricity bill to be higher in hot months.
Air Conditioning
Air conditioning is difficult to predict because its cost depends on how much you use it. In some areas, air conditioners are rarely needed, while in others they are used year round. For a point of reference, let's look to national averages: in the US, the average household spends roughly $280 a year on air conditioning, which is about $24 a month. Of course, during the winter you can usually expect to spend little to no money on air conditioning, while during a very warm summer, you might pay $60–$70 a month.
Cooking Gas
Do you use a gas stove? If so, you are using natural gas—but the cost is generally fairly low at about $10 a month. This won't break the bank, but you'll want to remember this cost when calculating energy usage.
Non-Utilities to Consider:
The following items won't be rolled into any of your utilities bills—water, sewage, gas—but they are common costs to keep in mind when budgeting for the month.
According to a study by the New American Foundation, you can expect to pay roughly $35 a month for Internet access at home. However, this can vary based on which area you are in, who your Internet provider is, and if you have any other add-ons rolled into your Internet cost.
If you have cable television, it is likely you will have it bundled with Internet. You can expect to pay about $90 a month for such a package, though this price can also be higher if you want more channels or access to premium video-steaming apps. Additionally, keep in mind the extra energy usage that comes from utilizing cable and Internet services, as that will have an effect on your overall electricity bill.
Add it up!
Once you have figured all of this out, add everything up. To use the numbers we provided as an example: if you lived in an apartment and used the average amount of electricity, air conditioning, cooking gas, and had an average Internet connection, here's how everything would play out.
Heat ($0, rolled into rent)+Electricity ($40)+Air Conditioning ($24)+Cooking Gas ($10)+Internet ($35)+Cable ($90)=$199
If all this sounds like a lot of work, we'd be happy to help! Check out our website to get a quote on how much your gas and electric will cost you based on your location—or give us a call at 1-844-4MY-STAR to talk with a representative.


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Whilst it's possible yet difficult to save your way to a property deposit, it's almost impossible to save your way to a comfortable retirement.
If you attempt to save a lump sum for an outright property purchase, you might only buy one or if you're lucky two homes over the course of your entire life.
You simply can't save money fast enough on an average income to keep up with the growth in property prices in most capital cities.
Enter leverage.
The whole aim of leverage is to borrow other people's money to control a larger asset and enjoy the investment returns you make from controlling that much bigger asset.
Example 1: No debt or leverage
Say you've got $100,000 in cash, and it will return 10% per annum.
In one year, your investment is worth $110,000 and you've earned a $10,000 profit.
You also have no debt, so all that profit is yours.
Example 2: Using debt and leverage
What if you took that same $100,000 and borrowed $400,000 to buy a property worth $500,000?
Let's assume the same 10% return, but this time you're paying 5% interest on the borrowed money.
After a year, the property is now worth $550,000. So, you've made $50,000 whilst paying $20,000 in interest. But, you're still $30,000 in front.
Using leverage, you've increased your total return three-fold from $10,000 to $30,000. You're building wealth three times faster than if you hadn't borrowed money at all.
That's the power of leverage.
But remember, for leverage to work, the expected capital return must always be higher than the interest rate on the borrowings.
As your investment is growing quickly, you'll be able to use the equity that you've earned in the initial investment much sooner to buy a subsequent property.
For example, if you need another $100,000 to buy a second investment property, it would take 10 years of earnings under example one, but just three and a half years under example two.
As long as you can afford to service the debt, you'll build wealth substantially faster than if you didn't use leverage.
Your money is working harder for you because it's controlling a much bigger asset.
Yes, you're paying interest with leverage but the bigger asset will generally return more rental income as well.
Three types of debt
So, what about the fear of debt?
Most people have been taught that all debt is bad.
But we think that debt is misunderstood and knowing the three types of debt will help break down the fear.
1. Horrible debt
You use horrible debt to buy anything that goes down in value.
Examples of this kind of debt include personal loans, credit cards, and store cards.
You should steer clear of accumulating this type of debt.
It's absolutely fine to have a nice car and fashionable clothes, but save up and pay with cash, rather than financing these purchases by going into debt.
2. Tolerable debt
Think of the tolerable debt used to buy a family home.
It keeps a roof over your head, but it's not making you any money.
The reason it's tolerable is, whilst your property might be going up in value, you're typically the only one paying for it.
3. Productive debt
Sensibly embrace productive debt to buy income-producing assets that are likely to grow in value.
Ideally, we'd all have zero debt, pay no interest at all and have mountains of cash to buy investments outright. But that's just not realistic for most Australians.
The beauty of the productive debt on an investment property is you're not servicing the debt alone.
The main difference between tolerable and productive debt relates to who pays the interest.
In a productive debt situation, it's the rental income or tax concessions that will contribute the most to paying off the interest.
So you're contributing a much smaller amount to service that mortgage than with a tolerable debt situation.
With a tolerable debt, you pay it all.
So, making friends with productive debt may well be the key to financing a comfortable retirement.


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Saturday, March 26, 2016
10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
University of Texas at Arlington
CAPPA Building
(College of Architecture, Planning and Public Affairs)
Room 201
Registration fee: $60.00 (Includes workshop materials and lunch)
This AICP Workshop will provide an overview of what to expect from the AICP Exam. We will cover helpful tips on how to study and test taking strategies. The major topic areas of the exam will be covered providing helpful examples of material that one could expect to see appear on the exam. Learn from the nation's leading AICP Exam Preparation Instructor, Dr. Jennifer Evans-Cowley, AICP.
To register, please send your name, email address and phone number to:
Richard Luedke, AICP
Texas Chapter Professional Development Officer
(817) 938-4409
Registration fee will be collected at the workshop (cash or check only). Maps to the workshop location and designated parking areas will be sent to each registrant.