You're in Clare Country!

End of blogging drought

Dear Diary,

Wow, it has been a while since my last blog entry!  My self-imposed hiatus was due to my inability to access the Internet at home (until now) since we moved house & work being especially demanding these past 3 weeks.  But I'm back & lots has happened.  Rather than strain the reader's eyes with drawn-out tales of our escapades, I have detailed them in bullet-points for your convenience.  I may elaborate on individual events at a later date.  Since my last blog entry (6th June 2007) the following has played out in the lives of Captain Booger Features, Ravi & I (in no order of chronology nor importance):

• We've become Balmain-ites, moving house a few weeks ago.  We love our new place.  There's a pool upstairs.  Pictures forthcoming.  Our cleaner has also moved with us!
• Ravi has resumed riding on his motorbike again.
• Captain Booger Features celebrated Holy Communion last week.
• Farewell dinner for Irene & Brian before they moved to Canada.
• We were robbed!  Thank God for insurance - everything was replaced.  Special place in hell for thieving bastards!
• Celebrated Thuy's birthday last Sunday - quite a feat in itself since Tweety usually celebrates her birthdays overseas.
• Tony Blair left No. 10 Downing Street.  Replaced by Gordon Brown.  (1 out, 2 more to go.)
• My workload is more manageable after my boss assigned me an analyst (who shall be known as "Young Paduan" in future blog entries)
• Paris Hilton started & finished her prison sentence (with a lot of drama in-between).
• Have already filled half the cast for "The Divine Plan".  More auditions to come but it's very exciting as more people get involved in this production.
• Ravi, Tung & I had Thai massages.  (Are they supposed to hurt?)
• To Captain Booger Features' horror, he is finding himself falling 'in like' with a pretty classmate called Samira.  He is starting to find out that girls can be quite strange & illogical at times.  He insists he doesn't like her despite mentioning her name in nearly every conversation.
• Ravi & Kylie challenged each other in a cook-off.  Kylie bested Ravi (although it took a score of 3 decimal points to decide the winner) - which makes me the loser of the loser (having lost the previous cook-off with Ravi...don't get me started on Ravi's billety rice!).
• Is it just me or does the Australian media seemed a bit obsessed about the endeavour to refloat the Pasha Bulker?  It's just a big ol' boat for heaven's sakes!
• Poker resumed after a long break.  Details of the game here.
• Ravi & I attended Ravi's 15-year high school reunion.  It was fun & interesting to observe the different personalities in the room - who were the loud kids in the class, the shy kids, the smart kids, etc.

I think that about covers it.  Going to sleep now . . . .

Picture originally uploaded by jenophoto.

I've been tagged (now I'm IT)

Mick has tagged me so now I continue with the blog tag game currently underway.  So here are 5 things I'm sure you didn't know about me (unless you are Ravi):

1. My 2 toes next to my big toes are longer than my big toes (Ravi says that's not normal because his big toes are the longest compared to the rest of his toes).  Is this true?
2. When I was little, I wanted to be an archaeologist when I grew up.
3. I once received a serious marriage proposal from someone I never dated.  I said no.  (Actually, it was more like, "You're kidding, right?")
4. When I was 10, an 11-year-old friend saved my life by miraculously pulling up the runaway shopping trolley I was in as it careened down a hill, stopping just short of a busy highway.
5. During my high school days, I had a serious crush on Stefan Edberg (tennis player) that lasted more than most celebrity marriages.  Thuy (pal) & I stalked him every time he hit Sydney soil.  We watched every game he played.  We celebrated his wins & mourned his wedding.  We were scary.  (I wonder what he's doing now....)

Okay, now it's my turn to tag Ravi, Tina, Tung, Sylvia & Jason/May.  Tell us 5 things we didn't already know about you....

Picture originally uploaded by cantwork.

Last Poker Game of 2006

                                                                                    I really should have written this blog entry earlier!  3 weeks down the track, I don't remember much of the night but here's what I do remember:

• Players consisted of Amy, Matt, Joanna, David, Tung, Ravi & Clare
• Tung bested us all.  Amy came 2nd.  Matt & Ravi came equal 3rd.
• I cooked my Filipino noodle dish (with the chinese sausage) for dinner
• Amy & Matt brought chocolate cake for dessert - which Matt took credit for baking despite the Michel's Patisserie box saying otherwise....
• All manner of rubbing his "Winners are Grinners" t-shirt couldn't stop David from being the 'old Simon' of the night
• We all got a lesson in what constitutes good & bad fats by Joanna (Tung brought peanuts as a healthier alternative to chocolate)
• One of the best conversational exchanges ever recorded happened that night:

Amy:  What defines a metrosexual?
Tung:  Skincare.
Amy:  No, I think it's more than that.  Being metrosexual is a guy being able to shop for a handbag for a girl in a department store and not being able to pick one because they are all fabulous.
Tung & Ravi:  (In unison) No, that's gay!
Amy:  That's Matt!
Tung & Ravi laugh their head off.
Matt:  But they were all fabulous.....

Pictures (from top to bottom) - Tung; Joanna; David; Matt & Ravi; David, Clare & Amy.

Poker - Newbie Wins Again

                                                                         Let's get the admin stuff out of the way.  The usual suspects:  Michelle, Female Jo, Matt, Male Jo, Simon, Ravi & Clare.  Dinner was Filipino noodles with chinese sausage, vegetables & sliced boiled egg.  Dessert was a home-baked chocolate chip cookie (one massive one which we divided amongst the 7 of us), chocolate chip ice cream & butterscotch ice cream (thanks, Simon).

I'm not going to pretend that I have Tung's capacity to remember every single hand.  The fact is, I don't.  But I do remember Matt becoming the resident Simon, being the first to lose all his chips (although it was fairly late into the night when that happened - everyone was still playing well after 9:30pm).  Then Female Jo followed suit, proving she had lost her mojo from kicking our butts the last time she played poker with us.  Then Simon bowed out (thereby restoring the balance in the universe).  Ravi was next, going all-in one too many times.  By this stage Male Jo (newbie) had amassed a fortune in chips, built on a strategy of (seemingly) bluffing to the max (not realising that someone would usually call it).  By the end of the night I came 3rd, Michelle came 2nd & Male Jo bested us all.

Most memorable verbal exchange of the night . . .

Male Jo: The question is, should I milk or be milked?

Matt: What are you - bitch or butch?

Casino Royale Birthday Partay!

       Why is it always a little flat after a party?  I guess that's a sign of a great party!  Made great by the fabulous company who all arrived dressed up to the nines in Bond & Bond Babe gear.  Made great by the authentic props meticulously organised by Ravi - the roulette wheel, the blackjack table & the high-rollers Texas Hold 'Em poker table.  Made great by the seemingly infinite supply of alcohol & delicious catering - although some guests were visibly disappointed at being served finger food by stocky, middle-aged, paunchy Ken rather than a living barbie doll (sorry, Cenk, that's what eyelids & imagination are for).

While Ravi managed the roulette wheel, I tried my hand at blackjack.  20 minutes later (& completely chip-less by now) I was relegated to playing as the 'house'.  Never before was the dictum 'the house always wins' defied.  Guests would amass their multi-coloured chip fortunes at the blackjack table, lose big on the roulette wheel, then return to the blackjack table to win their fortunes back.

Ravi & I had a great time, gambling with funny money, skulling 'Kylie Dorbons' & catching up with our closest friends.  We were also pleasantly surprised at the myriad of presents we received from people (when once we thought ourselves too old to receive birthday gifts - ever since Santa Clause stopped coming to my house all those years ago . . . ).  I just want to thank everyone for coming, partaking of the fun & frivolity, & making it such a special celebration for us.  For a different perspective, click here to access Ravi's thoughts of the night.  Photos are in an album on the right called 'Casino Royale Bday Party - Aug06.' 

I Am The Champion . . . Of The World!

For the 2nd week in a row I kicked arse at the weekly poker night on Thursday, this time more spectacular than the last, particularly since moula was involved this week!  Greatest moment was relieving Tung of all his chips after he went all in.  I was heard to say to Tung over the din of shifting all his chips to my side, "It's not so much you losing your chips, but me winning them."  That was the quote of the night!  Welcome to Simon & Jonah to the weekly poker nights.  Your moula will always have a home in my wallet. hehe.  Another thing.  Enjoy those FHM cards, boys.  I'll be breaking out the Chippendale ones soon.  Once I find a shop that sells them.  Today, I was in a shop in town looking for the cards.  This was my conversation with the man behind the counter . . .

Shopkeeper:  (Big smile)  Hello.  How can I help you?

Clare:  I'm looking for playing cards.

Shopkeeper:  (Bigger smile)  Right this way.  (Plucks a normal pack of playing cards off shelf & hands to me)

Clare:  I'm actually looking for playing cards with pictures on them.

Shopkeeper:  (Still smiling)  These have pictures on them.  (Turns pack over to show the suits on the other side of the cards)

Clare:  No, I mean pictures of girls . . . . of boys . . . .

Shopkeeper:  (Not smiling anymore.  In fact, looking at me like I have started showing leprosy on my face)  No cards like that here.  (Turns his back on me & returns to standing behind the counter)

Clare:  (Slinks out of the shop, feeling like a pariah)