Yesterday – Saturday 27th October – must have been one of the most perfect spring days in Sydney since I’ve been here. It was around 30degrees, clear sky and a very light wind to keep it pretty much perfect.

It was Dave’s stag do, so we figured a day at the races followed by dinner at Churrasco’s in Coogee was of the order.

Everyone was dressed up to the nine’s, and it was really nice to see everyone looking so smart. Was really classy till later in the day when everyone was drunk and mildly sunburnt. A few of us were still feeling the previous night’s effects on our body, but thankfully, that age old tradition of hair of the dog seemed to do the trick.

As for the racing, well… Lets just say that there’s a few bookmakers that are better off than me now. The horses just didn’t seem to be in my favour. I had several place wins, but as everyone knows, they very rarely pay the bills.

But it was great fun, if a little costly. Such a great atmosphere, and if you’re here for the Randwick Spring Carnival, it’s highly recommended as a fun day – apart from trying to get a cab afterwards.

So from there, we headed down to Coogee – via Steve’s for a top up – to eat at Churrasco in Coogee. It’s a Brazilian style BBQ where you pay a set amount – $35 – and they keep topping up your plate.

They wander round with a selection of Pork, Steak (beef), chicken, lamb and pineapple (surprisingly good when barbecued!). Naturally, the rice and potatoes are ignored as the meat is so tender and well cooked that it seems to just melt in your mouth. I made it through 14 or 15 servings. Steve somehow managed 20. Good effort!

The atmosphere was great, with everyone sitting around wooden benches, and chatting. In true Brazilian style, everyone was very friendly, including the staff (most of them). Good food, great wine, great atmosphere. I’d definitely say give it a try. It’s a 7 out of 10.

First off, a confession… I’ve been a little lazy the last few weeks. My bike has been sitting there, pinning for me to take him out to stretch his wheels. So yesterday I did, going out as usual, but something I’d read recently made me keep my eyes on the roads a little more.

The headwind was a killer! Every direction I went, it seemed to be in my face. And Sydney’s not a very flat place, so those hills suddenly seemed a lot worse!

The Sydney Morning Herald recently ran an article, Sydney needs to wake up to the benefits of pedal power.

In it, Sydney is compared to European cities and how the help and encourage cycling. While I was out I started noticing things like the drain covers running in the same direction as you’re cycling, making them into something akin to a cattle grid for bikes – something some car drivers would love I dare say. The potholes were still there, but seem to have gotten bigger. And suddenly I was so much more conscious of how I was having to swerve from the safety of the gutter into the traffic to avoid falling over. It was very disconcerting!

But then, the areas where there were cycle lanes, the cars were very good and stayed clear and didn’t pull across in front of you – or look like their indecision might see you eating metal and tarmac.

And then a curious thing that I’ve always wondered about in London is the coloured areas – the green area of road with a cycle symbol on. I only passed one, but I could visible see the cars a lot more aware of me. It was weird. Almost like I suddenly had a beacon on my head and was 20 times more visible.

I’m hoping given the number of bikes now sold, the number of people now cycling and the cost of petrol that they’ll fix the potholed and turn the grating covers. Paint some more cycle lanes and add in those magic green areas. Read that article, especially if you work for the transport department in Sydney! Please!

There’s just so much I want to write, and but sometimes I just can’t get the inspiration. does anyone else find that? You spend so long work, with your friends, and reading everyone else’s Blog that it’s hard to find the time to indulge in life’s little pleasure of writing for fun for yourself.

I’m a project manager at the moment, and that sees my day filled up with organising people, writing technical documents and ensuring that projects make money.

Tech writing is fun and challenging, coming up with solutions and describing them in a way everyone else on the project will both understand and find useful, whilst still solving the problem. But, it’s for work, and good as it is to get positive feedback, it’s just not yours…

I mean it is yours as far as you researched it, you decided what it should do and you wrote it. But, most of the time, it didn’t come from something you read or did that inspired you. If it did, that’s a good feeling, but a lot of the time it doesn’t given the satisfaction of just writing because you want to.

Now Blogs are a different story. They’re usually based on something that really pipped your interest. Perhaps something you read, or an encounter that got you thinking. Perhaps something on telly or in the news. You know it when it hits you, and you know you have to write it.

Next question. When do you do it? That’s the real trick. My best time seems to be sitting in front of the telly in the evening. That sounds odd, but it gives me the time to just drift dreamily in and out of what I write.

It’s strange, but the background noise and distraction seems to help me focus. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s the comfort and familiarity of the surroundings. Maybe the telly gives off some kind of weird aura. I don’t know.

But I know I enjoy it when and I do it, and I really need to do it more. Both at home and at work. With the internet as my inspiration, I don’t really have an excuse not to, do I!