Hoosier Neighbour...in Oz!

Reflections, thoughts off-the-beaten-path and (in)digestion of current events by a hospital chaplain from Indiana (where we're called Hoosiers) who moved to Australia in June 2008. Taking faith seriously, trying to make a real difference in the lives of people, and seeking to maintain a "balanced" perspective by clowning around on a unicycle and twisting animal balloons as my alter ego: "Clair de L'uni" are some of my favourite ways to journey through life. Grandfatherhood is also exhilarating!

Monday, 25 October 2004

Clair and Carole Anne

(Our honeymoon photo after marriage on August 30, 1998)

Sunday, 24 October 2004

Clowning around the hospital - jest for the health of it!

How Clair, de Looney became...Clair de L' uni !

(Because he was told it takes twice the man to ride half the bike...)

Saturday, 23 October 2004

(From the historical files)

This is 1968 and I'm 15 years old -- leading our pack of four brothers all four miles to school one fine, crazy day! I'm riding what is probably the world's first "Big One" - a monster unicycle my Dad and I built together out of a 42" diameter Amish buggy wheel! (Sigh...those were the days!) We never would have dreamed about using helmets and wrist guards or any of that stuff.

And yes, I still have it...but I enjoy riding my new custom-made "Big One" MUCH MORE nowadays -- only slightly smaller, but with a MUCH softer, smoother, and swifter ride: my new one has a 36" rim, a tire with air in it that is 2 1/2 " wide -- and a pair of handle bars coming off the front of the seat so that I have something to do with my hands while I'm "cruising!" I've actually gotten it up to about 15 mph.

More on Benton James Boley...and other columns archived in this blog:

The Story Of How We Leapt Off The Continent and Headed Down Under!

On "Leap Day" in 2008 Carole Anne and I embarked on a somewhat risky yet exciting "adventure." We traveled to "the South-west" (US), then Kauai (Hawaii), Australia and New Zealand for about 8 weeks, We returned to Indiana for the month of May to sell our home & two cars, and sort, give away, sell, or pack the rest of our earthly goods. We arrived in Canberra, Australia "for the duration" on the 10th of June, 2008! Our permanent postal address is P.O. Box 827, Mawson, ACT, 2607, Australia. Stay tuned to this blog for stories, comments and photos about our various experiences and some of my perspectives along the way. ----- If you want to read about some of the adventures and challenges we experienced during a 3-week "holiday" we took together back in the States during May '09, then CLICK ON THE FROGS ABOVE!