hanging out in bondi with my folks, we wander through the streets gazing in windows at trinkets and cafe's and resturants, my dad hobbles about on his stick, my mother talks loudly and interferes with my equilabrium, these old patterns regenerate but i'm more aware, more concious of how to change them and respond appropriately. i offer a drive to the blue mountains to escape the trappings of bondi, everyone acknowledges this would be a good move, even my brother travels with us. i'm driving slowley my car not used to the full capacity, sluggish and without it's usual power. it's a beautiful day, the roads are empty and driving is a pleasure. we pull into katoomba and head for the pub. i'm the only non drinker in the pack although i do appreciate a pint of guinness occasionally. the claridon is an amazing place, high ceilings and nice velvet lounges, it's a very english structure with many rooms, even a library for guests. later we wander down the street looking at all the shops, dad enjoying the crystals and specialist displays. i show him some moldovite which originates from russia, it has a green colour and looks how i imagine kryptonite would look if it were real.
the three sisters are massive rock structures, getting progressively smaller set in the most beautiful landscape you can imagine, almost like the grand canyon but with trees and an abundance of life. we potter around like tourists and soak in the nature. i'm always amazed at how times arrow plays out amongst rock formations, geology is a good way to get perspective.
on the way home i stop in china town and we grab some food, it starts to rain heavily so we jump into the movie theatre and dad and i see 'wolverine' while mum and martin see 'the boy in stripped pjs'. wolverine is good but given what martin and mum experienced they obviously c hose the better film. martin said it was the best film he had ever seen. it's late when we arrive back home.

the next day i attend mind body and spirit and im not that impressed, it's all so corporate and exploitative, the only thing that really blows my mind is a vibrating machine demonstrated y a gorgeous girl from new zealand. there is a big tee pee on display but it's flap is down and i can't go inside and sit.
my friend lilly has multiple healings and prayers. i get some weird shit from the happy high stand. i chat about cacti with some girl from england. i meet several people i have not seen in months and just as i am about to leave a stand i recognize, 'freedom potentials' who really do deliver the goods, great people great organization and it's really quite wonderful to reconnect.

the following day jake arrives and we all go out for a beautiful dinner with martins girlfriend, the conversation gets strained when i start to talk about some of the positive aspects of scientology, martin immediately starts to tell me to 'shut up' dad starts to say scientology is crap as it's all about aliens, and mum starts caring on about how terrible it is. i attempt to say that some of it actually makes sense and they should not just slag something off because they don't understand it, i want to explain the psychology of energy fields that they use as these are very good mental techniques but again martin starts to tell me to stop talking about it. i figure that i will talk to jake about it on the way home.

here some of my families patterns crop up again, the usual ones that even jake sees with slight objectivity, this is why i couldn't live close by, some f these patterns are so entrenched a course in scientology may just be what my family need.

sunday night monday morning, i drive across the city with jake, we talk about memes, religions, cosmic stuff, he makes a lot of sense. i'm proud of him.

after about three hours sleep i'm on my way to parramatta with the millionaire who is buying gold prospecting equipment. he buys about 3000 bucks worth of stuff and plans to go prospecting. i wander around the second hand book shops looking for interesting stuff but finding nothing.