Newspaper.

I was in it the other day. Small local paper for the city of Johnston where the company I work for is. Its a small franchised owned print shop. The headline says it all really. A small local shop, surviving off local businesses, which in this economy is very hard. Considering many local businesses, not to mention print shops, have closed down. Thankfully we are left standing. However with the insane rise of Health Insurance percentages, which my boss/myself have to pay out of our income. Who knows how long insurance will last.

I am thankful to have insurance. I've only had it a year but I've used it. It may not be the best coverage ever but its good to have. Even though I am paying about $150 a month to have it. Though it could be worse. I could not have it at all or I could be paying a hell of a lot more to have it if I paid for it personally. Thankfully when our rates went up last year my boss told me that I'm going to be paying the same amount and that he is going to cover the extra amount due to the raise. At what point though is that going to stop? Until I either have to pay more, which I don't think I could afford OR my work cannot afford to cover the amount of money to continue my current rate/insurance policy thus canceling my coverage.

Its a crazy thing unfortunate thing.

Women.

"A man didnt have to have a women in order to feel as real as he could feel, but it was good if he knew a few. Then when the affair went wrong he'd feel what it was like to be truely lonely and crazed, and thus know what he must face, finally, when his own end came.

I was sentimental about many things: a womens shoes under the bed; one hairpin left behind on the dresser; the way they said, "im going to pee..."; hair ribbons; walking down the boulevard with them at 1:30 in the afternoon, just two people walking together; the long nights of drinking and smoking, talking; the arguements; thinking of suicide; eating together and feeling good; the jokes; the laughter out of nowhere; feeling miracles in the air; being in a parked car together; comparing past loves at 3am; being told you snore; hearing her snore; mothers, daughters, sons, cats, dogs; sometimes death and sometimes divorce, but always carrying on, always seeing it through; reading a newspaper alone in a sandwich joint and feeling nausea because shes now married to a dentist with an I.Q. of 95; racetracks, parks, park picinics; even jails; her dull friends, your dull friends; your drinking, her dancing; your flirting, her flirting; her pills, your fucking on the side, and her doing the same; sleeping together....

there were no judgements to be made, yet out of necessity one had to select. Beyond good and evil was all right in theory, but to go on living one had to select: some were kinder than others, some were simply more interested in you, and sometimes the outwardly beautiful and inwardly cold were necessary, just for bloody shitty kicks, like a bloody, shitty movie. The kinder ones fucked better, really, and after you were around them a while they seemed beautiful because they were. I thought of Sara, she had that something extra. if only there was no Drayer Baba holding up that damned STOP sign."

Australia Here I Come!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You'd think I would look more excited? Well, in reality, I truly am. This is so huge! I'm going to be the first one in my family to go VERY far away. Everyone in my family is really tight knit and secluded. I'm sure other peoples families are like this too and I'm not alone here. Some people just don't have a desire to travel I guess? Members of my family get really stressed out even driving into Providence because of a simple merger onto a highway. Yes, its THAT bad. My sister has lived in Ohio and Kentucky. My grandparents have been to Montreal Canada, Cancun Mexico and Jamaica but I am going to be going to the other side of the globe. To places my mother, father and aunts have never and may or may not ever make it to.

However, booking flights gives me the biggest case of anxiety ever! It turns my brain to mush! After many many many and many months of procrastination, considering I've had the appropriate amount of money saved for a while. I finally buckled down this past week and scoped out flights and costs. No more than an hour ago, I got my ass off the couch and said "I'm booking a god damn flight, right now" and I did. 

So for the last 2 weeks of September I will be in the land otherwise known as OZ. I'll be back just in time for the Autumn lovin. While I am in Australia, you can bet your ass that I will be crossing off 1 thing on my "Things I'd Like To Do Before I Die" List . Which is something I have really been slacking on.

This experience is going to really open my eyes to the whole "Live your life" cliche. I've always really enjoyed traveling. Theres SO much of a world out there and YOU have the choice to see it. You can go anywhere you want to. So GO.

Australian Snacks!

The first interaction I've ever had with anything to do with "Australian Food" is this video right here. Its a Warped Tour video from a band called The Academy Is. One of the members of the band is Australian. That member being the infamous Michael Guy Chislett.

So needless to say when I first met my Australian friends I immediately asked them about Vegemite. After watching this video, my expectations weren't all that high...

And after trying Vegemite you can see that my expectations were right on this one. Its SO salty.
However, Australia has plenty of other great things to offer. They also seem to be A LOT better than things here in America. Using the word "healthy" I don't think would be correct, but they are still leaps ahead of us.

Here is a Cadbury "Crunchie" bar, which we do not have over here in the states.

Another Cadbury product "Furry Friends" showcasing the fine wildlife Australia has to offer

Here is what Dunkaroos look like in Australia. Not only is the Kangaroo different than the one advertised in America but instead of using that gross processed frosting, this uses Hazelnut Nutella.

Last but not least, The Nestle Milky Bar. I can't even begin to explain how much in love I am with this. I'm a large fan of white chocolate. This bar takes it to a whole new level.

Drum Tensions For Tama Swingstar

For personal reference.

10x12:
Remo coated emperor- 75
Remo clear ambassador- 80

16x16:
Remo coated emperor- 73
Remo clear ambassador- 80

18x22:
Remo Fiberskin 3-Reso: 70
Remo Powerstroke-kick side- 70