I have whooping cough

Before you know it, we have exhausted more than half of our yearly quota of public holidays. This Easter, thanks to some insidious bug, I had the misfortunate bestowal of a 5 day weekend. Sounds great ... but for the fact that I had to WORK FROM HOME on my sick day.

Perhaps the rigours of long weekend activities were partly to blame:

Attempting to play a 18-hole links-style championship golf course when: a) you have a 40/45 (depending on mood) handicap; b) your golf set has been sitting in the garage untouched and uncleaned for the past 6 months; c) suffering from whooping cough; and d) play well as an exception rather than the rule. Taken together, it's fair to say that it was a tough day all around.
I didn't play the game. Nay, the game played me (into the rough, the bunkers, the water hazards etc etc etc).

The salvaging moments? Finding 5 new golf balls (after losing 3); making donuts in sand with the golf buggy (then getting bogged); winning the day by one point (what that must say about Wayne and Sharlene's golf game .. mehehe). The not so-salvaging moments? Throwing a hissy fit on the 10th hole.

We need Sic Pandy from SicBo/Pandemonium fame to return!

Having to endure an entire Bulldogs game without being to cuss or curse due to malfunctioning voice box. Very trying! I won't get started on my close to intense antipathy for that football club. Just within this past week, the Bulldogs club has had TWO controversies over two of their star players. It's only Round 5?!? I recognise that there may be some historical reason for supporting the Bulldogs club, but what's the point of supporting a team where you can't respect the players that make up that team?

These pictures speak for themselves ...

Easter show was fun, despite not being able to eat meat. Not too easy when you are constantly surrounded by farm animals and seduced by taste testing treats. See Bec's colourful pixelated recount.



No point puffing up your chest ...



... unless you can hula hoop

Mr World .. and his motorbike

Perusing through the hard-hitting SMH headlines this morning, the following newsworthy item caught my [optically modified] eyes: "Battle of the Cheekbones". The narration accompanying the headlines reads: Aussie boy misses out on being crowned Mr World 2007.

Being an avid admirer of beauty contests of all variations - as reflected by this part blog-homage to the vast wonderfulness of the Miss Universe Pageant (to be held on May 28 in 2007), I encouraged my fingers to do some Mr World google-ing (is Google-ing in the dictionary yet?). Lo and behold: http://www.mrworld.tv/ - worth a visit if you are in the mood for some frivolous fun.

The Mr World contest claims (or boasts) to be a competition that filters out "the world’s most desirable man"; the beau ideal man.

Interesting to note the criteria for the beau ideal man. Clearly they have to possess "great looks and well-toned bodies", but it goes much further. They must excel in the following "immensely challenging" tasks:

• Traditional raft building
• Jungle survival exercises in Tropical Rain Forest
• Mountain River Rapid Series
• Scuba Recovery Challenge
• Martial Arts and Tai Chi Training School
• Elephant Pull
• Cooking & Cocktail Challenge
• Beach Fashion Show

Sounds like a frick'n summer camp to me! How tugging an elephant makes you desirable is a mystery to me.

Perusing through the 80 odd contestants, it seems to me that the real criteria for the title of the world’s most desirable man is:
• to speak more than 1 language
• hobbies that include either football or basketball
• ambition to excel as model, actor and singer
• ability to ride a motobike
• ... and of course, the ability to pull an elephant?

One of my faves, Mr Norway, comes with the following credentials:
"He also works part-time at a news-stand ... In his spare time, Silvert enjoys motor sports, diving, tennis and climbing in the beautiful Norwegian countryside, while his other main passion is restoring a spectacular 1971 Jaguar XJ6. Silvert speaks Norwegian and English."
BEAU IDEAL MAN!

Perfect concept for a Ben Stiller/Owen Wilson movie

Although ... Mr Philippines is a bit of a looker!