Grampians Intro Trip 2006

hiker group shot
Originally uploaded by tommygunns.

An excellent trip organized by Grant. Top work Michelle for driving. I have to get a photo of Petey the car and all his tats. Apologies to Pete(the person), Sabine, Julia and Michelle for getting us lost in the western suburbs. We got there in the end, thanks Billy for the guidebook otherwise we might never have found the campsite. Found what seemed like the perfect tent site unfortunately our neighbour was a tad aggressive so like refugees we carried our tent away the next day. Highlight was desert cricket and trying to explain it to northen americans. Climbed Queen Bee with Paul and Mark, thanks Paul for leading and getting me through the hairy section. Mark I will have to see that video. Its easier taking photos hiking 2 as opposed to climbing so thats where most of them are from great work by Rachel for leading the hike and Derek for catching the stragglers. When I tried to do the same on the way back I managed to get the tail group lost (bad sense of direction I guess).
Nick showing us how its done.
Me climbing123

Commemorative 50th post

kudos
Originally uploaded by tommygunns.

The 50th post since recorded history.
Here are the stats of people who have got a thank you for something along the way.
Looks Like Ayresie just pipped in front of Jez in total Kudos competition.
I wanted to get stats for comments but blogger doesn't let you search comments. I searched through gmail and tried to decipher all these anonymous comments at least 7 from formica so he gets the crown, although Dave would be right up there as he wrote a lot before I switched on email notifications and he doesn't make me decipher who is writing.

Hopefully something interesting will happen soon. At least its got a few more people blogging - check out the links on the right. Its a good way to record stuff.

Half Moon Bay

blackrock
Originally uploaded by tommygunns.

Chicken Magoo constantly raves about a fish and chip shop on Half Moon Bay . The weather was so awesome on Saturday Gerard demanded an outing to the beach I suggested we see for ourselves if the legend was true. Thanks Dave for driving. We didn't find that fish and chip shop(ended up getting some ok fish and chips from Sandringham - Gez reckons they have probably the best potato cakes in the world) what we found instead was a really cool little beach enclosed in cliffs. We swam from the beach to the shipwreck. I found it surprisingly easy(must have been all that swimming training using the no yardage Teleformica method), Jason was almost cleaned up by a sailing boat and then a Jet ski and Gerard almost died when he finally made it to the deck. I will definitely be going back first chance I get and this time I'm taking my fins and snorkel. I have to take my waterproof camera to the wreck for some underwater shots as well as a mid-air, cliff in the background, jumping off the deck pic also.

Word amigo!

word amigo!
Originally uploaded by tommygunns.

The above photo was found by coach Murphy in the internal telstra mag, our future. Since its andy's fave farewell gesture I thought it only right botting it up a bit.

One of the best grads around Andy Botting dot Com is off to VPAC to get his hands dirty and like Jeremy Quek before him stop the big corporate crushing his soul. Wish him all the best, commend his decision, and like most of the grads we will be sad to see him go (even though its only up the road). Please write your farewell message in the comments. Don't bother registering do it anonymously and sign off with your name as Andy did in the previous post.
or comment on Andy's blog here

First day in a new rotation

Back to the Death Star.
Bit dejavuie almost the exact same seat as my first rotation just one floor up.
Interesting thing is my house is on the exact corner of the buildings all my rotations have been on.
Let me know via comment if my blog takes too long to load these days I have a few flickr scripts running. I may need to have them on the index page only.

Patricks Farewell

group
Originally uploaded by tommygunns.

So my uni mate Patrick is going back to Indonesia for a year.
Top work by Hakan and Jack for organizing his farewell dinner and buying his farewell gift cant remember who did what.

The guest of honour himslef

How to cheat on a trivia night at a backpackers bar

Parmalla Anderson

Photo Courtest of AndyBotting.Com's collection
I'll just say this, chicken breasts aren't naturally that big. Now I'm not saying the Metro are drug cheats but I would be interested to hear the results of their chickens urine test. Ever since that day I have been telling people how its as long as my forearm and that the first sight of it strikes fear in the hearts of mortal men.
Thanks Andy for the invite to the much talked about "North Melbourne Metropolitan Parma challenge".

Here is a link to Andy's awesome entry on the same subject.

Bike ride: Port Melbourne, St Kilda South Melbourne

Another Sunday arvo ride with AndyBotting.Com as our guide(it looks like it will become a tradition) we rode from the Innovation Centre to Port Melbourne then along the coast for Gelati in St Kilda (Genius Idea by Kerr Unit). Showed Andy(originally from Geelong) and our interstate companion(Brisbane) the famous Melbourne landmark "Sam Newmans old house". I am too lazy to take photos these days. Andy should have them on his gallery soon enough (then I'll leech off him as usual) bug him about it.

1 year at Telstra Anniversary

3/4 of DCIT
Originally uploaded by tommygunns.

Top job Teleformica setting up a celebratory drink for all us grads who just hit 1 years service.

Here I am telling a captivating story(have no idea what it was).

And here is everone losing interest rapidly.


Check out the rest of the photos from the night on Andy's gallery.

Williamstown bike ride

Smoke stack
Originally uploaded by tommygunns.

Good work AndyBotting.Com guiding Kerr Unit and I on a bike ride to Williamstown.
Of special note was resisting the temptation of a train trip home - actually got on the platform when Boot Camp Commander Kerr Unit kicked us into shape.
Andy's birds eye view shot

Andy's one arm self portrait group shot

Pie in the park

Check out the rest of the photos from the ride on Andy's gallery

Scienceworks and Sahin

ScienceWorks
Originally uploaded by tommygunns.

We finally got an excuse to go to scienceworks:
Jays 5 year old nephew slept over.
As always the sport section was a heap of fun, we checked out the lightning show which was of special interest to me after almost being struck by lightning 2 days before.

Aussie Lamb day, Kayaking Lysterfeld and BBQ Spa

Action packed last couple of days. Champion work from Harnie for another classic Geelong gathering. We all left straight after work on Wednesday and met him at the pub. Onya Val for driving and talking to that freak at mackas and putting up with little kids in the back seat. Australia day was spent eating $70 of lamb (Val send the photo) and getting hammered by monster waves at Torquay cant get much more aussie than that. On Friday caught an early coach from Geelong and then a train back to parents home before jumping on the push-bike to get to Lysterfield. Awesome work by Chicken for organizing water activities at Lysterfield and bringing the Kayaks - that's a paddlin'. Had a bourbon 'n cola then went on a far-too-long swim straight after. After Kayaking we all went to Jodies place for a barbie. I took a short cut through paddocks on my push bike which involved jumping 3 barbed wire fences, dodging cow pats and blackberry bushes then climbing into someone's yard when they weren't home. We all chilled out in the awesome pool/spa and watched the large horned cows (who's paddock I just rode through) have a good time. The rain got a bit annoying so we got umbrellas.

Lightning Rods
Originally uploaded by tommygunns.

5 mins after that photo was taken a lightening bolt hit 100 m from us - we decided to take a break from sitting in the spa with lightning rods in our hands. Here is an interesting article chicken found.

RACV club and retro cricket

Got my 80's retro cricket top in the mail,
they missed an 'N'.
Formicatel has been taking us to the RACV club as guests its awesome. Kick-ass 25m pool overlooking the street as well as a spa as wide as the pool but it can be hard to find. We're getting better doing more and more chicken laps every week. Last week had to walk home through the glitzy entrance with wet bathers. There's also a pool hall and bar with full sized pool tables plus free apples. Oh yeah Arrivaderci Roma is a mad cafe for lunch (4 times a week). Good work Teleformica.
Heres Andy's entry from the grad lunch at Aroma Cafe.