I've moved my journal/blog/weblog to the new <a href="http://www.fookstar.com";>Planet FookStar</a>

Check it out! :)

Wow, so much has happened.

First, the party. The party was great! Heaps of people showed (THANK YOU EVERYONE!), and we had a super time! Lots of drinking, lots of sausages, lots of cheese and lots of silliness entailed. I was initially worried that people wouldn't mix around, plus the nervousness of work people meeting my "non-work friends" :) But all went well :)

Unfortunately, all wasn't daisy, coming back from the train station after picking up Vicki, the rear passenger side wheel decided to go MIA in Hal. Resulting damage: bent sway bar link, shattered rear brake caliper mount, damaged caliper, bent disc, bent axle and a fair bit of panel damage :( Stupid washer wheel nuts. The car is currently still broken. I've source most of the parts I need, but they are all still at the fabricators getting fixed up...

Thursday came round, and in my absolute feeling of lost, I called up Silvia, and we decided to go to watch a movie. Just after she picked me up, it started to hail! Lots and lots and lots of tiny hail, so much that it looked like it was snowing! Lots of cars were sliding everywhere, some were even getting bogged in the "snow", it was really quite an interesting sight. So we sat at the drivethru at McDonalds (under shade) and ate ice cream, until the hail stopped, and then we went to watch the movie - In Good Company.

It was... an interesting movie. I don't know if I would say it was really good, but it was entertaining. I liked it.

Oh yeah, pictures of the hailstorm, one of my workmates, Kelly, took some. Go see them in her <a href="http://public.fotki.com/kellyf/2005/hailstorm_190506/";>hail storm photo album</a>

On Friday, workmates and I went lawn bowling. I've been carpet bowling at KTJ before, but never the "real thing", and hmm... I think I found it fun at first, but the novelty ran out really quickly and then it just started to become rather very slow... It's a difficult game, I'm not very good at it at all.

On Saturday, the Camry decided to blow powersteering fluid out everywhere, so now the Camry is off the road too :( It would be nice to get a reconditioned rack to put in, but $700 isn't really money I have lying around at the moment, so I think a 2nd hand one from the wreckers would have to do. Not sure when I'm going to have time to fix the Camry :(

Tomorrow we're going to be having a party of some description, I guess it's sort of a housewarming, and sort of a belated birthday, or something, but I am reluctant to put a name on it, so for all purposes it is just a "generic party".

I don't actually know how many people are coming, because I've been slack at inviting people, and keeping tabs on who I've invited. But I think Cameron and some other climbing friends are coming, Silvia is coming, some work people are coming and some Rollaclub people are coming. Hmm. Quite a few people there. Biscuit Craig is also coming, and he's bringing my "new" BBQ with him! Woo hoo, one step closer to the "Big Australian Dream". Now I just need a Border Collie called Skip or something.

The weather has gotten a little warmer (11C this morning), but has been very wet. Goodo, don't need to water the house so much. The pest people came on Tuesday, to get some anti-termite and other pest things done, and they drilled lots of holes in the rumpus room. Unfortunately a few of the tiles chipped, hmm :( Oh well, better than having the house eaten up.

Just bought a new book too - Mr God, this is Anna. Rose tells me it's good, and the summary sounds interesting. It's only a little book, so shouldn't take long to read. I hope it's good!

Wow, temperature outside my room: 8C.

How do you deal with someone who constantly uses no logic, but brute force, to solve a problem? Last night Haikal was trying to close the garage door, and the garage door has some alignment issues so you sort of have to pull it to one side for it to clear the post. Anyway, instead of checking to see why the door wasn't closing, Haikal just repeatedly slammed it. Over and over. So here I am sitting at my computer upstairs, and my monitor starts to shake, my keys on my table rattle, and I can feel the floor move. Over and over, like a dinosaur walking around...

It's not like I don't have anything to worry about as it is, I've got cracks in the walls and ceilings forming everywhere (my neighbours assure me this is normal for Ipswich where the soil isn't very good) and it's a wooden house, but I really don't need someone to aggravate the whole situation by trying to shake the house down...

... and this isn't the first time he's done it either. Argh.

Temperature in my room with the doors and windows closed, and fan off: 16C

Temperature outside my room (well, not true temperature, thermometer pressed against the window): 12C

I love my flannos and ugg boots. Now I know why people in Ipswich are known for their flannos and ugg boots.

In case you haven't heard, or didn't know, we never did get to do Targa Tasmania. We flew down, did all the scrutineering and documentation, and then unfortunately on the day of the prologue, Grant had to very urgently return to Brisbane, so we pulled the plug and I came back too.

In a sense I'm rather disappointed that I didn't get to do the biggest event ever, and in a sense I'm disappointed that I didn't get the time out I was hoping to get. And yet in a sense I'm glad I had the time back in Brisbane, because I've had so much to do, I still haven't even had a chance to have a breather. Work has been really busy, and I've had so much else on too.

Anyway... Life goes on, hopefully I'll get to do more events with the Sherrin Hire Racing Team soon. In the meantime, there's lots to be done.

I'm 9 minutes away from leaving the house, to go on my big trip down to Tasmania. I'm going with Grant, and we'll be taking the black Mini.

I was talking to V yesterday, and I think after talking to her I realise just about how messed up I am at the moment. I'm in major need of some time out, I think - and maybe my time away will be good for me...

I've been listening to Jay Chou a bit lately - he's a Chinese artist (but thankfully Jay-Chou.net has translations of what he sings). Shi Jie Mo Ri (End of the World) rings a bell somewhere deep inside...

Anyway, I'm off.

Wow, stress levels galore.

I've been ridiculously busy at work lately, with the project I'm working on very far behind time (a combination of waiting for a long long time for other people to get things done, and datelines getting moved forward, and team members going on leave etc). So yes, have been stressing about that a fair bit lately.

Have also not been getting enough sleep, most days I seem to get about 5.5 hours, I think once in the past 3 weeks I've managed to squeeze in 6 hours. Not enough, and it's taking it's toll.

Going to Tasmania on Sunday. For some reason, I'm still not excited, in fact I'm probably more stressed than anything else about it. Grant is supposed to call me today to tell me what's going on, seems he may not be able to drive for various reasons - and if he doesn't then I think I'm going down with Mike. Interesting. Just found my race suit and all my other stuff, will have to start packing soon. The sup regs are HUGE, like 140 pages, and then there's about 50 pages of maps, and then the other various bits of documentation, I think I've used a whole ream of paper!

Relationships? I give up. It looks like I'm stuck with platonic relationships forever, I've got a really bad case of "best friend syndrome" or something, where everyone thinks I'm really cool, but no one thinks any further. Needless to say, yes the girl I do happen to like a fair bit at the moment doesn't feel the same, but what can I do? I should be used to it by now. I expected this anyway, like they say - hope for the best, prepare for the worst. I thought I was prepared, obviously I'm not. Can you ever prepare for something like this? I want to forbid myself from liking anyone, it only ever brings hurt.

Being single, and not actually wanting a relationship, is much simpler. Much easier said than done though. Doesn't really help when all my friends are happily in relationships, and/or getting married. Constantly being the "3rd wheel" definately isn't an easy thing to do. And then everyone goes "oh but you're such a great guy, how come you can't find someone you like?". The problem isn't with me finding someone I like. The problem is no one likes me like that.

Wow, I'm looking at the date on my journal, was my last entry really that long ago? I'm slack.

Well, best not to beat around the bush, here is a very quick run down of what's been happening lately (or as much as I can remember anyway):

House:
Yes, I got the house. All the inspections etc went okay, and finance got approved while I was in Tasmania. After a lot of waiting around, settlement finally arrived, and then it was time to move.

The move itself was a nightmare. I booked a truck with Abel Rentals a few weeks before, and everything was going to plan until I actually went to pick up the truck. Then due to a stuff up on their end (like, not telling me I actually had to be 25 to drive the truck... even after confirming all my details over the phone), I couldn't get it. I wrote to them later about this, and they ignored me, I was tempted to write to Not Good Enough, but I can't be stuffed, I have better things to do. To anyone who ever wants to rent a car/truck - DON'T GO TO ABEL.

So anyway, managed to find a trailer and then it was the big job of moving. Many thanks to Silvia for helping us heaps...

How's the house now? Well, been living in it now for almost a month, and I must say it's nice to have my own place. There are things to fix, like the toilet pedestal isn't bolted to the floor, and one of the showers was leaking (but isn't anymore?). Have gotten more lights into the garage so it's a bit brighter, and done a few other things, but there's a never ending list of things still to do. And I have no money.

I was also without a computer for a little bit, my desktop is gone, and my laptop hard disk crashed. So I bought a new one last week, it's pretty cool :p Still setting it up.

Umm, what else...

Motorsport for me has rather sucked lately. I'm driving very badly, not entirely sure why. Have done my first WD in a khanacross, and also my first WD in a motorkhana, and taken out more flags than I can count. Have also managed to push in the front end of the Corolla, so both front guards are a little messed up now, bugger.

I've also started Shorinji Kempo, which is proving to be rather addictive.

Work has been very busy lately, the project I'm working on that's got to do with storage space for students, is ramping up big time so I'm putting in a fair number of hours. I'm also doing a Team Management Development Program, and that's taking up a fair bit of my time too. Hmm, just remembered, I was meant to email my team members today. Oops. I'll do that after this, I think.

Oh yeah, and I turned 25 too. Hmm. Birthday was uneventful, didn't do anything special at all. Kinda went to work, went bowling, went home, and that was it. No cake, no party, no music, no nothing. Another year, another birthday, no biggie.

Also making a big attempt to learn Mandarin at the moment, Rose is showing me a thing or two, but I really suck at language and the going is slow and rather tough. I'll get there, one day.

Okay, I'd better go. Must get work done and catch train to go home...

Wow, so much has happened since my last update... Where should I start?

Well, the building and pest inspections for the house at North Booval went well, but then 2 things happened:

1) I found out there is a fairly significant easement in the property, and that it sort of runs under the house too.
2) I couldn't get finance because the banks thought it to be too great a risk that the bottom half of the property is under the Q20 flood levels (meaning it is likely to flood once in 20 years)

So... That went down the drain. $2K out of pocket, and no house :( Was really really disappointed with that...

Anyway, Haikal and I went round looking at lots more houses, and found one in Silkstone that we both really liked. Probably the best house we've looked at so far, and there were so many people looking at the house we could barely even get parking on the street! I threw in an offer, and managed to get a contract in before anyone else could (and by the sounds of it there were several other interested parties). The house was on the market for just 1 day!!! I also met the neighbours, Rhys and Mary, and they seem like a nice couple.

I do hope everything goes well with this house. I don't see a problem with finance (no issues with flood at all), I hope the building and pest inspections go well. Here're some photos:

<img src="http://images7.fotki.com/v151/photos/1/12090/1841227/PICT1996-vi.jpg";>

<img src="http://images7.fotki.com/v151/photos/1/12090/1841227/PICT1984-vi.jpg";>

Tomorrow I'm going to Tasmania with the Sherrin Hire Race Team for Rally Tasmania. Iain isn't driving this time, so I'm co-driving for his brother, Grant. I hope it all goes well!!!

That's right, I signed the contract on Tuesday for the house, WOW! So much stress! The seller hasn't signed it yet though (he's in New Zealand), it's supposed to come back today. Means one more day of waiting, but I guess it's a good thing because it gives me more time to get everything done.

Today I'm getting the pest inspections done, followed by the building inspections next Monday. Mum and dad go and see the house on Tuesday...

What's left to do? The flood reports (which should hopefully come back today or tomorrow), and finance. I've gotten pre-approval for more money than I intend to borrow, so there shouldn't be any problems there...

I hope it all goes smoothly, if so I'll have the keys to my new home on the 4th of March!!!

WOO HOO!

Mmm, kitchen... I must learn to spend more time in this room:

<img src="http://images6.fotki.com/v79/photos/1/12090/1799692/PICT1936-vi.jpg";>

Been really busy house hunting in the past week, have looked at quite a few houses and spoken to quite a few people and read quite a bit. I've been watching the real estate market for probably about a year now, and I've decided it's time to get in it before it becomes too late. That said, I recon the market looks to be fairly stable till towards the end of the year, but you never know...

Anyway, I'm looking in the Westside (yo!), Ipswich way. Was initially looking at Redbank Plains, decided I couldn't afford it, moved out to Riverview and Dinmore, discovered they weren't the best suburbs in the world, and now have moved out again to Bundamba, Booval, North Booval, Silkstone etc way. About 40 minutes on the train, about the furthest I recon I could take travelling each way to work every day...

Yesterday Peter took me around (he lives out there now), saw quite a few houses and I think I've found one I like. I think. Will probably make an offer today, am considering waiting to get the word about pre-approval which will hopefully come in by lunchtime. If not I'll call, or maybe I'll just make an offer anyway. Dunno. Rah rah, too much stress...

<img src="http://images7.fotki.com/v150/photos/1/12090/1799692/PICT1944-vi.jpg";>

<img src="http://images8.fotki.com/v147/photos/1/12090/1773543/PICT1734-vi.jpg";>

Yes, I am back indeedy! Sherrin Hire Team did good, Super Yellow Mini came in 33rd outright (out of a school of 110 entries), 2nd in class behind Ray Vandersee's Skelta (which really... is a class of it's own...). GT3 came in 3rd in class, 3rd outright (podium finish!!!) behind Jim Richards and Alex Davidson. Porsche would have to be happy, top 4 spots are all Porsches, all different models (GT2, GT3RS, GT3, Turbo)

<img src="http://images7.fotki.com/v142/photos/1/12090/1773543/PICT1872-vi.jpg";>

Mt Buller Sprint is an AWESOME event, had so much fun, what a great piece of road. Alpine mix surface is bizzaro, it melts in the heat and turns to goo, last stage was cancelled because it got too bad, it was like driving on an oil slick. Otherwise very very sticky though, so much fun... Super Yellow Mini rocks, it just pulls up hills like nothing else. I like pacenotes too, so much more fun than silly tulips.

Lots of awesome machinery, lots of Porsches, lots of Evo's, 2 WRX's (both of which blew up in stage 1, one even left an oil slick on the road, typical...), a Detomaso Pantera (cooool), a GT40, a Giocattalo, GTR's, the V8 Elfin, Ford RS200, a few Z's (mmm), a few Mustangs and umm... some other cool cars that I can't remember now... Photos are up <a href="http://public.fotki.com/fookseung/automotive-1/track_days/mt_buller_sprint_2005/";>here</a>

Anyways, have lots of catching up to normal life to do now!

Mmm, just woke up *yawn*. Today I leave for Victoria!!! Been busy packing and packing, I hope I have everything... We fly down today (meeting Iain at his office), settle in today and then tomorrow we have all the paperwork to do, and the prologue at Mansfield. And then Saturday and Sunday are the big days up the mountain, then we fly back on Monday!

Wish me luck!

Yup, still alive indeed, and well back into the "mundane" everyday life, although this year I've had a chance to do some extra stuff which has been rather exciting!

For a start, flew down to Victoria on the 7th (Friday after I arrived), with Iain, Mike and Alistair to recce Mt Buller. Mike rented a new Magna and we were on our way. Mt Buller is a GREAT piece of road, 16k's of twisty, well surfaced, well cambered roads all the way up the mountain. We ran through the pace notes and made a few changes to suit us, and ran through the notes one or two times. Must say, while all the concentration going uphill makes the trip seem short, the downhill run seems to take forever and makes you feel sick! On the way back we stopped by Mansfield and had a look at the prologue stage, looks like FUN!!!

Also have a video of the run up Mt Buller so have been busy watching that and practicing reading out the notes and trying to make the calls better...

The next day, I went out to the Mt Cotton skidpan, the Sherrin crew were having a practice day out there. Great to see both Mini's flying around the pan :)

And then on Sunday (what a busy weekend!), I went for a drive up Mt Nebo and Mt Glorious with Travis, what an AWESOME piece of road! We got stuck behind Mr Sunday Driver on the way up Nebo and Glorious which made our drive rather very boring, but all the way down Glorious and back up again was just totally awesome. I think the front swaybar is set a little too stiff (a little bit too much understeer) so I've lightened that off a touch, haven't driven it again yet though.

Also, that afternooon East Coast Targa was shown on TV, a one hour special. Unfortunately, as expected we only got about maybe 2 seconds of glory in total, but it was still good to watch, brings back fond memories :)

Yesterday, went out to Morgan Park with Iain, Mike and Alistair, and a few other people, was a good day! Got to meet a few new people, and had a chance to see in real life how much difference tyre pressures can do on the track! We wiped out a whole 2 seconds around the track just by altering the tyre pressures, and it also made the car feel like a whole new car! The Porsche GT3 (that Alistair and Mike crew in) is an AWESOME car, it sounds so good coming past the pits :)

On the home automotive front, put on all the bits on Hal, and got a wheel alignment done so now I'm running about -3.5 degrees camber on the front, and about +3.5 degrees castor. Car feels pretty good, although like I said before the front swaybar could be a touch stiff. Should take the car out for a drive again and see what it's like soon. Also, might take the car out to Cameron to have a look at, he came across to me yesterday at Morgan Park as someone who really knows his stuff so hopefully he'll be able to provide some suggestions...

I've also applied for my CAMS International Rally licence (to do Targa Tasmania in April), had to get a medical and stuff done but no biggie...

So many things to do, so much excitement for the year!

Well, I'M BAAAAACK!!! After more airline delays (this time due to a hydraulic leak) I arrived back in sunny Brisbane, 2nd January. I completely missed new years!!! Oh well, such is life of the jetsetter hey?

Anyways, went to pick up my luggage and found all my stuff sticking out of my bag! Upon further inspection it looks like the US customs opened my bag for a "security check". That I didn't mind. That they cut my locks to do that, that's okay with me too. But that they also cut my zip AND my straps, WTF??? Is it soooo hard to unzip a bag or unbuckle a strap? After all they've already cut the locks, there's NOTHING locking the bag??? BASTARDS!!! Oh well...

So yes, got a train back to the car, spent an hour trying to get the car to start and actually move, got home (it's so hot!), made a few phone calls to sort out work and a few other things, spoke to Sri on MSN (or was it ICQ?) for a little while, and got under the car to do some work on it... Took a lot longer than anticipated, a few setbacks (and one I'm still working on - trying to get the swaybar links back on) and proceeded to fall asleep... Under the car. Grease monkey and all...

Waking up under the car is a bizzare feeling. When you feel the cold hard concrete under you, roll over and have a spanner poking you in the ribs, open your eyes and find you're under a car... Haha :p

Oh well, now having some instant noodles, my "dinner"...

We've just gotten back from New Mexico, and wow what a trip it was! Some ups and downs, but that's to be expected with any big trip in a little van with lots of people right?

Anyways, we rented a Chrysler Town & Country Limited (MPV), and WOW WHAT A VAN!!! It's a 7 seater van, 2+2+3. It's absolutely PACKED with features!!! It had a DVD player (with 6 stacker), GPS, phone holder, floor storage compartments, seat warmers, full climate control (with individual controls for passenger and driver, and rear passengers (so 3 controls in all), using IR to gauge surface temperature of the occupant. Also had ceiling storage compartments, more cup holders than you can imagine, cruise control, buttons on the steering wheel to control just about everything, auto leveling lights, hell even auto headlights (they turn on when it gets dark), 2-stage central locking, traction control, ABS, electric seats (with memory for 2 drivers), garage door openers (programmable to your very own garage, 3 in all), trip computer that tells you a multitude of information, electronic compass and thermometer, and BEST OF ALL, buttons inside and on the key remote to open AND close hatch and both rear doors!!! And if you close a door and not shut it completely, it "sucks" the door in the close it properly!!! SO COOL. Also one of the most comfortable cars I've ever driven... On par with the Lexus.

Anyways, drive to New Mexico was pretty alright, we left at about 8.30am and arrived at about 6.30pm. We stopped by the Petrified Forest (think trees, but made of rock), and passed through Alburqueque (spl?), Santa Fe and stayed at Espaneola.

Day 2 was spent umm... Wandering around Santa Fe. Visited a few art galleries and stuff, it was pretty cool.

Day 3, we went to the mountains!!! I went snowboarding!!! SOOOO COOOL!!!! Everyone had been telling me that snowboarding was really hard and that I was going to hurt myself and that if I had only one day on the snow then I shouldn't go boarding, I should go skiing, cause I wouldn't get anywhere in one day... Especially since I've never been skiing or anything like that... By the end of the day (9am - 4pm), my wrists hurt like hell and my legs were killing me, but I could stop (both heel and toe edge), do J-turns, C-turns, slaloms, falling-leafs and occasionally even do switchbacks!!! Could also ride fakie a little, but was really crap at it. SO MUCH FUN, am hoping to go again sometime next year (in Vic or maybe NZ? See how the holidays/expenses go)

Last day was spent at Los Alamos (where the nuclear bomb was developed), it was pretty cool. Also went to Bandelier National Park, that was pretty cool too.

And today, well... big drive home. Dropped by the Natural Arch National Park on the way back, but only for about 20 minutes or so (had to return the van to the rental place).

Anyways, buggered now, tomorrow I fly back to Brisbane!!!

Happy New Year people... I'll arrive back in Brisbane on the 2nd...

Merry Christmas everyone! :) I'm back in Phoenix now, Indianapolis was pretty cool. It snowed lots the night we arrived, about 10 inches I think. It was really funny seeing everyone slipping and sliding around the roads, they don't usually get quite that much snow in Indianapolis. It was really very pretty...

But yes, we didn't do much there, caught up with my aunt and uncle and went window shopping a fair bit.

Tonight my brother's friend is arriving from Dublin, then tomorrow we're heading down to New Mexico. I think we're renting an MPV, maybe a Dodge Caravan or something like that. There's me, my brother, wife, kid, parents, brother's friend and the dog. That's 7 people and a dog in a van for like 6+ hours. Ooooh it's gonna be a long long trip...

Didn't do too much today, played more Project Gotham 2 on the XBox (fun fun), wandered around one of the shopping area things, went to a few shops (Bose make some REALLY nice headphones... for USD300...) and bought an FCUK tshirt, yay. Wandered around Barnes and Nobles too, and had lunch at the Cheesecake Factory. They're food isn't half bad at all :)

Rented The Terminal on DVD and watched that (Tom Hanks, Catherine Zeta Jones), sweet but wasn't all that great I recon. Still, enjoyed it. Also taught Snowball how to use the doggydoor, so now he can go in and out of the house.

Tonight my parents are arriving, we're going to pick them up in about half an hour. Tomorrow is probably more bumming around, and then we fly to Indianapolis on Wednesday...

HI EVERYONE!!! I'm currently sitting in my brother's room, in Phoenix, Arizona. I flew in umm... a few days ago? It'll be Friday, 17th. It was really bizzare leaving on Friday, travelling 20+ odd hours and then arriving in Phoenix at 4pm on Friday again. The flights were very average, Air New Zealand is okay, but they didn't have individual screens and I was ages away from the tiny one up ahead, so couldn't see too well. All the flights were delayed as well, and there were heaps of screaming kids and babies, and some lady puked in the seat behind me while we were waiting to take off, so basically it went all downhill from there.

On the trip from LA to Phoenix (I flew Brisbane-Auckland-Los Angeles-Phoenix) I flew with United Airways, in one of their tiny planes. Twin engined, it looked like one of those you see movie stars and other people get out of, like a personal jet or something. One single air hostess to take care of all of us, and she was very very alright too :p

Anyways, have just been hanging out with my brother, Shookie (my sister-in-law), Kieran (my 16 month old nephew) and their dog, Snowball. Snowball is a 5 year old Eskimo-cross-Poodle. We've been on a hike up to Pinnacle Peak, been ice skating, met up with a few of my brother's friends and played a lot of XBox (Halo 2 and Project Gotham). I've grown a liking for Halo 2 and Project Gotham, both of which I thought were very average the first time I played them ages ago.

I've also been helping to fix up a few things around the house, installed a waste disposal unit under the sink, fitted a hand towel holder, towel rack and a toilet paper holder too. Also helped to fix the sliding door, and have been trying to teach Snowball to use the doggydoor.

Anyways, yes, been busy. Parents arriving from Malaysia tomorrow, and then we're flying to Indianapolis on Wednesday, I think. Arriving back Christmas eve, and then we're driving down to New Mexico, might try snowboarding.

Fun fun fun!

Well, today we had our work 10-pin bowling outing! And how fun it was... The whole morning was spent kinda plodding around, doing all the things I need to get done before I go away for holidays (on Friday I leave!!!) but my mind really wasn't there. It almost felt like a Friday arvo!

Anyways, we all went to Milton Bowl, and I think the lanes there are a little different to the AMF at Kedron (possibly wood lanes instead of synthetic?). Anyways, I bowled fairly good games (by my standard), a 106 and a 118. First game was a bummer, I was doing so well for the whole game, and then completely stuffed up the last frame and bowled a 1. A friggin 1. Hmm... And I even had a strike in frame 9 too...

Oh well, had HEAPS of fun anyway!