Life

You know this starting all over stuff is weird - to get to know someone and understand each others traits so late is really quite hard.

You meet someone and you go hey that feels good and then you get to know someone better and better. I do not know if it is laziness, conditioning but learning someone else's idiosyncrasies is a bit daunting the closer you get. Is it fear, is it poor communication - but I know one thing it hurts when you miss someone you know you love.

Day 44 The Astor True Colours

Day 44
Originally uploaded by jimman1

Went to the Astor Hotel with friends - the Music was from True Colours being Becky and Ian Blake.

They are really good - naturally as underneath wigs and costumes etc they are better known for their involvement in famous Adelaide Band "Chunky Custard".

We all had a good night - good friends, good food, good pub and great Music

Day 40

Well it is Monday again - good news with more work coming our way and the GRSA site still placing big demands on us as the Bunnie Voting enters it's final week.
The devastation of Victoria continues to evolve - one has to ask how sick are these bastards who lit the fires.
I came to the end of the day and my mate Sal rang me - a beer and a Schnitzel at the Hampstead was just what the doctor ordered. Sal is a Finance Broker and compliments of the Financial meltdown life is being a bit of a bitch. We are nearly there though.
Will be blogging about that this week over at AOEDE - seems a good week to talk on topics like that there. It will be Abraham Lincoln's 200th Birthday this week as well. The guy who failed seven times before becoming the revered President he still is. Sound likes a good week to blog that topic.

Day 39

Well it is Sunday and today Harper took his Mum and Dad to breakfast - it is their birthday' the 17th and 10th respectively that was pretty cool. Then had a Start Up Club meeting at the Findon Hotel and then went of to watch one of my daughter's Softball games.
She cracked one ball so far a beautiful Home Run and is pitching quite well. Nice to see her getting fitter and more motivated.
Then I went off to The Lion for Jonny's Birthday Drinks - not bad for an afternoon of drinks.

Day 38

It was a really hot day and as history will now reveal a disastrous day in Victoria and will be known forever as the worst day of Wild Fire in this country ever. I laid pretty low and snuck out to say g'dday to Maria - she was having a bad day too.

It was fantastic when I walked through the door to be met by her twins with a big hug and hello from them both - don't you just love kids.

Musical Memories

wesley-3
Originally uploaded by jimman1

I was cruising the net and stumbled on this photo. They are the Wesley Three made up of The Wesley Smith Twins - Martin on the Right and Peter on the Left (I think - hey they were twins). The bloke in the middle is quite well known in this town he is Adelaide Media Personality Keith Conlon. All of them pretty good blokes to my memory.
It took me on a memory trip back about 45 years to the lunch time Music Club at School gathered around the Piano in Mr Winstanley's Music Room above the Bookshop.
Jimbo the 13 year old boy soprano and these much older schoolboys - well a lot of the songs that these guys went on to record were being bandied around the piano. They were fun songs and great fun to sing. Think they released about three albums as the Wesley Three and were generally very happy feel good type songs of the mid sixties. Probably the most contentious song was about the Voyager disaster when the Aircraft Carrier Melbourne and Voyager collided at sea with a number of casualties. The chorus went something like this "tell me why did they die tell me what for and how" aggressive stuff hey?
I still love my Music as I know these guys do too - very fond memories indeed of an era I love today.

Day 37

Well Day 37 finished up pretty amazingly. Another really hot day in Adelaide South Australia. I wandered down to the National Wine Centre that was holding Fridays Uncorked. They are having one of these a fortnight. Last Night was featuring Skillogalee Wines from the Clare Valley.
My Brother in law Jim Wilton discovered this place back in 1976 and it has been a favourite ever since.
My dear Friends Antoinette from Tuscany Hyde Park and Charlie (amongst others) were able to help me celebrate my Business Card Draw win - two lovely bottles of Skillogalee

Day 36

Day 36
Originally uploaded by jimman1

Well today has been quite good - the online snake awareness training has certainly developed quite a lot of interest and that is very exciting. Our first training course (online) for Microsoft Excel will be released in the next 24 to 48 hours.
This afternoon we did a presentation of the Learning Platform "capable" and the attached learning communities. Several Learning Communities will be going live also in the next few days.
Now I am off to dinner and a meeting on the Life Relay and celebrating the one and only Bruce Birthday.
A good day is being had by all.

Day 35

Day 35
Originally uploaded by jimman1

As you know today was my good friend Peggy's Heart Operation - she is in ICU and going fine.

Refer to my Day 15 photo for further reference.

Also just down from here you will notice the online Snake Awareness Course is really really alive at last. Have had an extraordinary amount of enquiry this afternoon - fantastic.

Snuck out for a little Schnitzel and a Beer and was greeted by this as I made my way home.

Day 34

Day 34
Originally uploaded by jimman1

Well a quiet day for me - had a bit of asthma lingering so spent the day in front of my home PC.

My good friend James dropped by to say g'dday and we shared a couple of beers.He is the man who made my backyard beautiful.

If you look at his website you might recognise this if you have been to my house.


Vist James at www.urbanwaters.com.au

Snakes Alive

At long last you can now enrol online just follow the URL:- http://lww.competency.com.au/branding/intro.aspx

Andrew and Kim's Wedding Day

DSC_0088
Originally uploaded by jimman1

It was a very beautiful wedding and I think this is my favourite shot. The wedding was held on the lawns of Eden Park House which was the Home of the Harris Scarfe family and now is part of the Marryatville High School.
This is where Kim and Andrew met all those years ago. Anyway I like this photo as the Happy couple and friends were making there way back to where guests were having post wedding drinks and nibbles while mandatory Family Photos were being taken.
We all wandered off from here for a quick drink at the Royal Hotel and then the reception at The Wine Centre.
I did take a couple of photos and you can view the set here at: http://flickr.com/photos/jimbob51/sets/72157613167549449/

Day 33

Day 33
Originally uploaded by jimman1

At home this evening and just editing a few more photos of the wedding - will post a blog about that in a moment or two. Love this photo of the Bride just checking the Groom signs the book. Lol anyone would think the Bride was the Lawyer.


Check out the wedding shots here - http://flickr.com/photos/jimbob51/sets/72157613167549449/

Day 32

Day 32
Originally uploaded by jimman1

Spent the day uploading wedding photos from my Nephews Wedding - dropped into the Robin Hood for a beer with the bridal Party. So hot at home went for a drink in a cool spot with my good friend Quinny

Day 31

Day 31
Originally uploaded by jimman1

This is Pete and Sandy they are really good friends of mine. The day was spent getting my car ready for the Wedding - went and picked up the Groom and his Brothers and drove them to the wedding.

Took lots of pictures at the ceremony and the reception and they are loading as we speak - quite a nice day made all the more special when Harper brought Mum and dad to the reception.

Day 30

Day 30
Originally uploaded by jimman1

More heat in Adelaide - picked my Car up from Crash repair. Only thing wrong with BMW, dented the front spoiler low to the ground - the whole nose has to be replaced.

Anyway my car is in my nephews wedding tomorrow and it is all beautiful.

My house has been locked up without much air conditioning due to serious power failures in my district - thank heavens for my swimming pool.

Day 29 the opening of Strategon's New Office - this is Alison

Day 29 the opening of Strategon's New Office - this is Alison
Originally uploaded by jimman1

Strategon is one of our clients and today they officially opened there new office. They are using our new learning community software and we will be launching a number of these next week. Had quite a productive day in E-learning land today with quite a deal of progress being made on a number of fronts.

You can read about that effort at http://friendsofccm.blogspot.com/

Day 28 - Heat Wave

Day 28
Originally uploaded by jimman1

Well almost forgot to take this - the heat here today has been a record for 70 years - 45.7C/108.3F. Now the power failures start and my dear friend Charlie has probably already received so many messages on the breakdowns she cannot sleep either.

I went for a swim earlier but came inside to a power failure and no air conditioning - it does not take long for the house to warm up.

Worst part is that there is no relief in site until next week.

Day 27 - My Gal Sal

Day 27 - My Gal Sal
Originally uploaded by jimman1

So you see this is my girl Sally - it might be a day after her birthday but much happier opportunity for a photo when we all went to dinner.

We went to a relatively new restaurant in North Adelaide called Aryia - it is Indian and I love it. Great food, good decor, lovely people.

Harper, brought his Mum and Dad and we all had a cuddle - I did hog him for a while.

Not a bad day in the office with a nice little win to set the scene off well - looking good for 2009. Close a couple more pieces of business and my May Day Meeting is looking good in North America

Andrew's Bucks Party

Andrew's Bucks Party
Originally uploaded by jimman1

Andrew's Bucks Party
Originally uploaded by jimman1

Well what a day - Andrew my nephew get's married next Saturday. Not sure I still understand this tradition but there you go. It was great catching up with family and friends. I must be getting older and wiser left well before the silly stuff started to happen.

Day 26 - Australia Day

Day 26 - Australia Day
Originally uploaded by jimman1

Today is Australia Day - it is an important day for me as it is my Daughter Sally Jane's Birthday. Today she was 26 on the 26th. So why is she not in todays photo. Well I went to West Beach to watch her play in the State Carnival Grand Final for her grade. One they lost (by quite a lot), two it was so hot and she was just so tired that if I had taken a photo right then and published it I may have been killed. Love you Babe and very proud of your effort today - hope the day finished well for you.
I made a couple of guest appearances at Maria's Australia Day BBQ and then made my way down to Adelaide Oval. Had a lovely dinner in the Bradman Room and then watched Australia come to a very sticky end. Very pleasant Australia Day. Came home and caught up with yesterdays wedding photos all in all Australians all let us rejoice.....

Day 25 - Black Sunday finished up shining

Day 25
Originally uploaded by jimman1

Well today my Wife came along and took away a bedroom of furniture, a dinners set a TV a two seater lounge for her new Adelaide Unit. Not overly happy as she in effect has a house and a half of furniture now. Not worth the hassle so I now have to buy some more stuff to fill the holes.
Was supposed to go and see Jenna Quinn get married but did not finish trying to put some order back in my house in time - not Happy.
Any way my Nephew Andrew gets married next Saturday and caught up with him for his Bucks Party - very nice time to finish the day.

Day 24

Day 24
Originally uploaded by jimman1

Oh yuk - look like shit feel like shit. Spent the morning sorting out the GRSA site again - it had over 150,000 hits in just on 12 hours - think the Bunnie Campaign is having the desired effect. The ISP has now set it up for an aggressive voting campaign. Go have a look and feel free to vote.
Went to do the final touch up on a house that is going on the market and whilst delivering my Son-in-Laws Mower home was attacked by Wasps. Never experienced that before - they were swarming around the Rain Water Tank clearly thirsty. Very aggressive little bug'gers. Only 4 stings three on my left hand that were a bit ordinary and very fortunately the one on my face was fairly minor. Got a bit puffy on the face but my hand did swell quite well. All good by morning though so no real damage done.

Day 23 TGIF

Day 23
Originally uploaded by jimman1

Well today the voting for the Greyhound Bunnies Contest got underway and it caused so much interest it brought the site down - had to get the ISP to sort it out. If you want to vote go to http://www.grsa.com.au.

The evening was spent at Cafe Primo for our regular Adelaide Bloggers meet up which is always quite good fun. A great way to interact in the flesh with your online friends.

Snuck over to The Bath Hotel later and met some more friends including one of my really good friends from Singapore Airlines.

Day 22 - Twitter 365

What a day so many bits and pieces that just need finishing off. January has been a bits and pieces Month work wise. At long last nearly ready to take enrolments in our Snakes Course - http://friendsofccm.blogspot.com/2009/01/snakes-on-line.html

Alan's Girl Bec dropped by the office to say Hi - so she gets to be Day 22

Day 21 - MS Society

Well day 21 and sorry to nag but had a meeting today with the Fundraising Manager at Multiple Sclerosis Society (Michael Elwood) - we really have got to raise more money for the Society. The MS Society in this State does not just serve people with MS it assists with people with all forms of neurological conditions. So If you can follow the link every dollar counts.

http://www.everydayhero.com.au/jim_manning

Multiple Sclerosis - fundraising

This time of year is very hard on people with MS. High temperatures are very debilitating. The Society needs help to maintain the additional Services over this period if you can help please go to this site I have set up. All money goes directly to the Society Account.

http://www.everydayhero.com.au/jim_manning

Day 20 Twitter 365 Project

Well just another day in Paradise - Hot Day ahead (although 32C/90F) is quite nice really. Plenty on at work. Have a meeting tonight - good friends -couple of beers should be good.

Day 19

Well another warm day in Adelaide - kept fairly busy with meetings and phone calls. Had an early dinner dropped into my cousin to finalise Virus Software but key did not come through.
Printed a couple of photos for Charlie dropped them off, quiet beer - home feet up cool drink in hand - TV - life is good.

Day 18

Well a bit of a ho hum kinda day - was supposed to go to tour down under but went to help my Cousin Pictured to sort her new laptop.
Gee I love Windows Vista and all of its upgrades after you buy the bundled Laptops that are so prevalent. It is a nice HP and very adequate for Juliana

The 18th January 1969

I have to write this - today is the 40th Anniversary of when I met the lady in the photo. I was married to her from 1972 and it pains me to find myself here. I have not been an Angel all the way along nor did I identify how low my brain had gotten for various traumas in my life.
My friends have been saying move on Jim and I am - I am good at me and I like what I have achieved and I also identify the life changes I have to and am making. When it comes to Masterpieces in life not even the "Mona Lisa" is perfect and I know I am certainly not. I just needed to write this because on days like today it makes me sad to have lost the perfection I once had. That is all.....
I shall write my Twitter 365 later.

Day 17 - A mixed day - but mostly great

Well a mixed day - started out with a nice breakfast in Hutt Street and followed by heading of for a defluffing of these grey wispy locks. Received some sad news from a very dear friend in North America but I know she will be OK at the end because she is a very determined person. My heart aches for her pain though.
I headed of to my son's house and can say I had the best two hour cuddle with young Harper - he gets cuter by the second - he is a beautiful boy.
Later in the day went to some drinks for a Facebook Friend on her 30th Birthday - took Charlie and her daughter with me. JM had a great day playing on the entertainment in the Glenelg area - check these out. The day was exceedingly pleasant.

Day 16

The end of a working week - whew!!!

Today is my mother-in-laws 88th Birthday - Happy Birthday Gram hope you are feeling better. I am a most fortunate man to know this God given Gift.
This has been a day with many challenges and finished it with a drink with the Staff in the Tivoli (3 times in 8 days is not addiction - is it?).
As everyone went their separate ways was wondering what to do where to go so went and saw my dear friend Quinny. My mind was galloping and the brain and body hit the exhausted wall. Thank God for good friends.....

Day 15 - Peggy

And so to day 15 - The lady in this photo is someone I met in May 1971 and she is a very special friend. Apart from being the mother of my God Daughter and the Granny of my Angels she is just special.

Peggy was once Australian Women's Water Ski Champ and that is how her family met the family of my wife.She met and married this cool guy Bill who was a Champion NZ Water Skier. Bill was one of the early pioneers of Hang Gliding in Australia and at one stage held various flying records including endurance for being towed around Lake Bonney Barmera for 24 hours I think. He also held a height record having been hoisted aloft beneath a Cathay Pacific Hot Air Balloon.

My friend has been in Hospital and now faces Heart Valve replacement surgery. Love you Peg - it will be fine.

Day 14

Well this day finished on a very special note. Today is Charlie's Birthday, it also marks the anniversary of our meeting face to face. Yep, I met Charlie on line I started a Group Save the Australian Wine Industry, Charlie Started Dead Reds both on Facebook and that was late in 2007. We joined each others Group - well we communicated, poked and played on Facebook for sometime until Charlie said - oh hell we know each other so well you had better come to my Birthday.
So started a friendship that has ridden one of the most incredible 12 months in which we have both seen some amazing wins and successes to some pretty incredible lows and sadness. Throughout it all our friendship has endured and flourished and for that I am thankful.
The group pictured is a group of people who represent Charlie's friends old and new and mostly new for me. It was Charlie's Birthday and it was a great party (believe me)- and to me an anniversary of when I came to know Charlie, Amber and JM and ultimately the group of people pictured who I happily call friends. This day will remain very special for the rest of my life and for that I am most grateful.

Day 13 - whew!!!!

I might finally get to keep this blog up to date but am failing dismally. At least I am now keeping up with Photos.

Today has been a mere 43C in Adelaide (to my Northern Hemisphere friends who are watch Hell freeze over that is 106F)

I spent most of the day working from home planning resources for the upcoming year. At the end of last year I was worried that my business could well feel the effect of the "downturn" as often training as such is seen as a discretionary spend. Well it appears that the opposite is happening - companies are realising that on-line training actually is a far more economical way of training staff "in situ" and enquiry is on the increase - fantastic.

I cleaned my pool and prepared it for my little girls to come home for swim and cook a BBQ. Daughter and her husband joined us - pleasant evening couple of beers and a bit of 20/20 Cricket - life is good.

Day 12

Well need to catch up my photos and Days - Monday the twelfth was quite a good day. Bit of a meeting working out all outstanding projects and now have the task of working out resources - nice problem though.

The lass in this picture is the beautiful Rachel Jane -she is the mother of the angels from yesterday. A lovelier person in life you could not wish to meet. Mind you as my God Daughter she has been by nemesis, my friend from the day she drew breath - she would also kill me if I told you how long ago.

Whats Love got do with it?

Love what a word and how diverse is the meaning. I hereby officially declare myself a lover. I love life, I love people, I love the world, I love my friends, my family, my extended family.

What is worse I do not understand how love can cause so much pain. The love of a person be it your spouse, your children, your neighbour where and how do we get it so wrong.

To talk about ones life partner and love and yet in so many cases it just withers on the vine and dies. The unadulterated innocent trusting love that appears in children is so perfect and yet we contaminate and infect it.

It seems however, we need it, it is the very essence of our presence on this planet.Or is that where the problem starts, we need do not simply accept it, be it. As we hit the pot holes of life why do we do it, screw it up - is it a lack of respect for our fellow man, a fear of communicating honestly, of being an equal - how do we choose our life partners and stay happy. What makes us fall out of love and create this anxiety and pain.

Being a logical man "what's love got to do with it" - maybe it is just a second hand emotion after all?

Day 11 - Happy and Sad

Well a mixed bag today - still finishing remaking beds at my place. Baby sat my son's cat before Xmas and there was one bedroom he could get into because he just opened the sliding door with his foot. For a short haired critter leaves a lot of fur.
Off to lunch with a long time friend - she might need a lung transplant and agonizing over whether to do it or not. It was a lovely lunch and she is a really good friend.
Home in anticipation of my God Daughter and her kids have not seen them for months.
It is kind of bitter sweet there Granny is off to hospital for a heart check - it appears she has a leaking valve.
It will be lovely to see my surrogate Grand Children though.

Day 10 - Cleaning Day

Well not much to say - the end of Xmas New Year - washing, remaking beds and cleaning at home and at an investment property getting ready for sale.

Finished the day helping Charlie shift her Dining Room Table.

Fish and Chips with Charlie and Family and Bruce - early night very tired boy.

Day 9 - Don Rice

The photo is taken in the Tivoli Hotel (no I do not live there - just because I appear in the same pub in Charlie's Day 8). The man in the Photo is a man by the name of Don Rice (read about him here). As you will see Don has excelled at the top of the game of Baseball in South Australia and Australia. Well I first met Don when I became the President of the East Torrens Payneham Baseball Club (The Redsox) - let me tell you I was really the first non-baseball background President of this Club and it made for an interesting life as I grew in the Games Administration. Any way Don has been battling the dreaded Cancer since he was in his early fifties and we have become the best of Friends over the last twenty years or so.

He rang me as we had not caught up for a while to just have a beer. Well the Cancer is back and Don is headed for more Chemo soon. I know two things - the first Don's determination will give this next bout a hell of a shake again, and second his Mates will be standing by him every step of the way.

Don love you mate so lets get out their and give this sucker nuthin'

Twitter 365 - Day 8

Spent the Day in the office - the guy in the picture is Dean Allan from My Bookkeeping Services, and yeah he does my bookkeeping. Thursdays is debt adjustment day around our place - yep the Day we go into more debt. Honestly though if you live in Adelaide and looking for a guy to help out he is your man - you will find him here at www.mybookkeepingservices.com.au - and that was Day 8

Day 7

Well the other day I was driving down a road near a new sub-division about 7Kms (5miles) from the centre of Adelaide. Granted this used to be an experimental farm run by the CSIRO but that has not been for a number of years - low and behold I spied in the field behind my photo a "critter" - I stopped looked and sure enough it was a fox.

Any way I had need to be passing by again on Day 7 with Camera in hand - please view the slideshow along side for the result

The Family of one Charles Bruce

Well as I said on Day 6 of Twitter 365 I took a photo of my family after dinner. My Uncle was leaving, the following Day to return to the hometown and childhood house of my Grand Parents, my Dad and he.
As you do we got to chatting about history and low and behold the above photo presented itself being a photo of my Great Grandfather Bruce and the tribe. They lived in a town known as Cadia not far from Blayney on the Western Slopes of the Blue Mountains in NSW.
The town disappeared when the mine became no longer viable to operate and like so many others Charlie moved his family to the North Coast to work on the duplication of the Sydney Newcastle rail line.
So now I have the bug again and am going to try and trace my Grandfather a bit further back. I shall share a bit more as we go along. Will also share some of this with my mate Allan Cockerill over at Coffee with Allan - he is quite into the History of the area.

Twitter 365 - Day 6

So Tuesday 7th January - worked from home a fair bit of it headed into office for an appointment.
Any way as I promised myself I would - went to Mum and Dad's for Dinner. Nice night and my Uncle was going to be heading back to Sydney so was good to catch up. So in this photo is my Uncle Jim, My Mum and My Dad and yours truly on Day 6

Twitter365 - Day 5

Well Day 5 - decided my phone needed replacing - needed some 3G access so now have the good old Nokia N95. First day at work and everyone back on target for projects due this week. So here is my first Nokia N95 pic

Twitter 365 - Day 4

Well when I find Day 3 I will let you know - seems my time was so consumed with so many Birthday wishes. It is a very Humbling experience that so many people spent the time just to say Happy Birthday. Between my phone, my email, my Facebook and Plurk I had hundreds of friends say Hi. I have tried to respond to you everyone and if I have not sorry - I do thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

The testimony to Social Networking comes home so powerfully on those occasions - thank you all I am so blessed to know each and everyone of you.

Day 4 finished with a nice meal and a great glass of Red with friends.

Twitter365 - Day 3

I have lost the photo I took on Day 3 - It was my Birthday - I was not drunk - well not that drunk - hmm on what and where did I take the photo- Stay tuned

Twitter365 - Day 2

And already I struggle - but I will make an effort this is Just a Happy Little Web Cam Shot. January the 2nd - where did the Day go

Twitter 365

Well I have started doing the Twitter 365 Challenge - so here is Day 1 photo. And what a Day 1 - My Grandson Harper Francis was born on New Years Eve and this was the first cuddle on New Years Day.

In case you had not noticed he is Beautiful