Sunday, March 01, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Carnival 1
Listening to: Breathe - Midnight Oil
Some imagery from Wandering around the Petone Fair and Cuba Street Carnival on Saturday:
More to come, here and on Facebook. I was three shots shy of filling the memory card by the time the night parade ended.....
Some imagery from Wandering around the Petone Fair and Cuba Street Carnival on Saturday:
More to come, here and on Facebook. I was three shots shy of filling the memory card by the time the night parade ended.....
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Shiver me timbers
Listening to: Doubt-Jesus Jones
Not quite a sunset, but a very pretty sky at about 7:30 tonight.
While it can look nice, cloud thickening to the west is seldom a good thing in these parts. Tonight it is quite humid, warm and still. That and the sky at dusk hints there is stormy weather on the way.
Intuition and experience aside, also telling me stormy weather is on the way is metservice.
Some battening down of hatches may in order for Friday.
Not quite a sunset, but a very pretty sky at about 7:30 tonight.
While it can look nice, cloud thickening to the west is seldom a good thing in these parts. Tonight it is quite humid, warm and still. That and the sky at dusk hints there is stormy weather on the way.Intuition and experience aside, also telling me stormy weather is on the way is metservice.
Some battening down of hatches may in order for Friday.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Musings
Listening to: 1965-The Afghan Whigs. As close to a perfect album as I have in my collection, in the way that there isn't a bad track on it.
Firstly I invite you all to behold the glory that is my daughter in her Christening gown (click to biggify):
To be fair, it is the family baptismal gown, having been made for my mother (although she didn't manage to wear it for her christening), and worn for most of my family baptisms ever since, including my cousins and my siblings and I, and the various niblings.
Charlotte was baptised yesterday morning at the church her parents were married in (St James Anglican), and made it to the church her father grew up in (St's Peter and Paul Catholic) for a blessing at the evening service. She's come a long way since the NICU.
And she slept through the whole thing. Sometimes I can only marvel at how cool she is.
***
In other news, I am currently shopping for a replacement zoom lens for my camera. The minolta 75-300mm zoom I inherited from my previous body, has served me well, but may be starting to get a little tired and worn, which isn't surprising given that it is about ten years old, and has endured some pretty rough environments.
While browsing for another 300mm, I hit on the idea of upgrading to something bigger, 400mm or even 500mm. 300mm is only just adequate for the airshow work I like to think I specialise in, and I have been hankering after something better for a long time.
The only problem is that zooms start out expensive, and costs increase exponentially it seems with length. For a new anything 400mm or greater you won't get much change this side of $1200. For 500mm the change comes out of $2000 or more. This isn't for a camera, this is just for a lens.
I'm currently eyeing a compatible 400mm on trademe. The good news is its cheap. The bad news is its cheap at only a couple of hundy, but I am not sure I want to shell that much on what could prove to be merely a learning experience.
***
As noble as it sounds, I am still trying to make riding to work habitual instead of casual. The fact that I live on a 700ft ish hill may have something to do with it. The psychological (and literal) mountain doesn't bother me at the end of the day; it has the most effect at the beginning, when I am lying in bed trying to convince myself to ride.
Still, I rode today, and had the immense satisfaction of passing 50 or so jammed cars on the motorway at the stately pace of 30kph.
***
Due to the christening, I missed out on round the bays. I did it last year, purely as a fitness test. I figure it could become a useful annual ritual in this regard. Not Kate did it this year, although she walked, the pansy. That said, had she run, the story might not have been nearly so entertaining.
***
I watched the new 'Top Town' last night, and was immediately disappointed that the nearest team to my home (and hence the one I was obligated to support) was Masterton. Masterton! One of my least favourite towns (for no particular reason, I just don't like the place. I like the airfield at Masterton, but the town itself has never enamoured me). Still, they got eliminated, so next week I can support whomever my fickle ways decide.
The original series from the 1980's is now a fading memory. It used to be a travelling thing, I remember that, since the new one appears to be exclusively located at a Christchurch water park. The new challenges appear to be all water borne, which also differs from the original. I loved the original, and in the great tradition of lacklustre remakes, I was expecting the new one to be not as rewarding. Luckily I was disappointed, since the new version is not altogether bad if sunday night silliness is you're thing.
That and sprains. While the padding should eliminate lacerations and broken bones, it seems tailor made for hyper extension or contraction of limbs and appendages. Which adds to the visual fun I suppose. Wouldn't be any fun without painful looking and inelegant falls and sprawls.
***
And finally, a shout out to the legendary D3vo, who is parking up his blog for a while. As a constant source of interesting reading, and one of the inspirations for this blog, its been fun. I offer a metaphorical salute, and await its return when the time is right.
Firstly I invite you all to behold the glory that is my daughter in her Christening gown (click to biggify):
To be fair, it is the family baptismal gown, having been made for my mother (although she didn't manage to wear it for her christening), and worn for most of my family baptisms ever since, including my cousins and my siblings and I, and the various niblings.Charlotte was baptised yesterday morning at the church her parents were married in (St James Anglican), and made it to the church her father grew up in (St's Peter and Paul Catholic) for a blessing at the evening service. She's come a long way since the NICU.
And she slept through the whole thing. Sometimes I can only marvel at how cool she is.
***
In other news, I am currently shopping for a replacement zoom lens for my camera. The minolta 75-300mm zoom I inherited from my previous body, has served me well, but may be starting to get a little tired and worn, which isn't surprising given that it is about ten years old, and has endured some pretty rough environments.
While browsing for another 300mm, I hit on the idea of upgrading to something bigger, 400mm or even 500mm. 300mm is only just adequate for the airshow work I like to think I specialise in, and I have been hankering after something better for a long time.
The only problem is that zooms start out expensive, and costs increase exponentially it seems with length. For a new anything 400mm or greater you won't get much change this side of $1200. For 500mm the change comes out of $2000 or more. This isn't for a camera, this is just for a lens.
I'm currently eyeing a compatible 400mm on trademe. The good news is its cheap. The bad news is its cheap at only a couple of hundy, but I am not sure I want to shell that much on what could prove to be merely a learning experience.
***
As noble as it sounds, I am still trying to make riding to work habitual instead of casual. The fact that I live on a 700ft ish hill may have something to do with it. The psychological (and literal) mountain doesn't bother me at the end of the day; it has the most effect at the beginning, when I am lying in bed trying to convince myself to ride.
Still, I rode today, and had the immense satisfaction of passing 50 or so jammed cars on the motorway at the stately pace of 30kph.
***
Due to the christening, I missed out on round the bays. I did it last year, purely as a fitness test. I figure it could become a useful annual ritual in this regard. Not Kate did it this year, although she walked, the pansy. That said, had she run, the story might not have been nearly so entertaining.
***
I watched the new 'Top Town' last night, and was immediately disappointed that the nearest team to my home (and hence the one I was obligated to support) was Masterton. Masterton! One of my least favourite towns (for no particular reason, I just don't like the place. I like the airfield at Masterton, but the town itself has never enamoured me). Still, they got eliminated, so next week I can support whomever my fickle ways decide.
The original series from the 1980's is now a fading memory. It used to be a travelling thing, I remember that, since the new one appears to be exclusively located at a Christchurch water park. The new challenges appear to be all water borne, which also differs from the original. I loved the original, and in the great tradition of lacklustre remakes, I was expecting the new one to be not as rewarding. Luckily I was disappointed, since the new version is not altogether bad if sunday night silliness is you're thing.
That and sprains. While the padding should eliminate lacerations and broken bones, it seems tailor made for hyper extension or contraction of limbs and appendages. Which adds to the visual fun I suppose. Wouldn't be any fun without painful looking and inelegant falls and sprawls.
***
And finally, a shout out to the legendary D3vo, who is parking up his blog for a while. As a constant source of interesting reading, and one of the inspirations for this blog, its been fun. I offer a metaphorical salute, and await its return when the time is right.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Hot summer nights
Listening to: Led Zeppelin III, which I found at the Warehouse for $9.99. Bought mainly because it has 'Gallows Pole' on it. Score!
So when it is a hot humid windless moonlight night in Tauranga, and it feels like you're in Fiji rather than New Zealand, and its too hot and sweaty to sleep, what do you do when you are staying in a place like this?
Go down to the beach and take pictures in the moonlight of course
You're awake anyway, may as well explore new surroundings
Its amazing though what can be acheived when you leave your tripod at home and have to improvise. Trees and washed up tree trunks become your friends
The stillness and silence was absolute, and almost alien to this Wellingtonian. Very cool.
So when it is a hot humid windless moonlight night in Tauranga, and it feels like you're in Fiji rather than New Zealand, and its too hot and sweaty to sleep, what do you do when you are staying in a place like this?
Go down to the beach and take pictures in the moonlight of course
You're awake anyway, may as well explore new surroundings
Its amazing though what can be acheived when you leave your tripod at home and have to improvise. Trees and washed up tree trunks become your friends
The stillness and silence was absolute, and almost alien to this Wellingtonian. Very cool.Tuesday, February 03, 2009
The Art of Nails
Listening to: Further down the spiral-Nine Inch Nails
A brief primer to the sport of Nails
As introduced to this land by a certain WA Reptile
The equipment required is illustrated below:
In this case, the game board is close to ideal size, however any flat circular wooden surface wider than a dozen centimeters can be used if required, provided the surface to be struck is end grain.
Once willing players are found, each can choose a nail for themselves, and marks it by placing a finger upon it. This is important, as it signifies to the player which nail must remain standing in order to win the game, and of course which nail the player should avoid hitting.
Here the nails have been chosen, and the hammer is visible being elevated ready for starting player selection:
The hammer is spun to select the starting player:
Once play commences, three throw options are available to the player:
1. Straight in front. When successfully completed this awards one hit.
2. Under the leg. When successfully completed this awards two hits.
3. Behind the back. While the most difficult, this awards the player three hits.
To successfully complete a throw, the hammer must complete at least one 360 degree evolution in the air, before being caught on the handle only. Catching above the handle or dropping the hammer forfeits the throw, and the player must consume the amount of drinks being competed for. The hammer must be thrown, caught, and wielded in one continuous movement. Pauses for target selection and grip adjustment are not permitted, and will result in a forfeit of the turn, and commensurate consumption of drinks.
If successful, the player can hit the nail(s) of their choice. If the nail is struck, that nails player hit must consume one drink. If the nail is not struck, the wielding player must consume one drink.
If a nail is struck and sparks are generated, all players must consume one drink.
If a nail has been struck so that either; 1. A fingernail cannot be inserted under the complete circumference of the nail head or 2. the nail does not cast a shadow, that nails player is eliminated and takes no further part in the game.
Disagreements regarding eliminations can be referred to the other players for adjudication.
When all but one nails have been eliminated, the owner of the last nail standing is declared the winner.
Here the In Front, and Behind The Back throwing techniques are being demonstrated:
Safety equipment can be employed if available, but is not mandatory. Here two players demonstrate correct use of safety equipment:
The following pictures demonstrate correct hammer holding technique and general gameplay:
For added interest, the game board may be soaked in beer. This has been shown to both aid accuracy and increase spectator participation via the splash effect when a nail is struck:
A brief primer to the sport of Nails
As introduced to this land by a certain WA Reptile
The equipment required is illustrated below:
In this case, the game board is close to ideal size, however any flat circular wooden surface wider than a dozen centimeters can be used if required, provided the surface to be struck is end grain.Once willing players are found, each can choose a nail for themselves, and marks it by placing a finger upon it. This is important, as it signifies to the player which nail must remain standing in order to win the game, and of course which nail the player should avoid hitting.
Here the nails have been chosen, and the hammer is visible being elevated ready for starting player selection:
The hammer is spun to select the starting player:
Once play commences, three throw options are available to the player:1. Straight in front. When successfully completed this awards one hit.
2. Under the leg. When successfully completed this awards two hits.
3. Behind the back. While the most difficult, this awards the player three hits.
To successfully complete a throw, the hammer must complete at least one 360 degree evolution in the air, before being caught on the handle only. Catching above the handle or dropping the hammer forfeits the throw, and the player must consume the amount of drinks being competed for. The hammer must be thrown, caught, and wielded in one continuous movement. Pauses for target selection and grip adjustment are not permitted, and will result in a forfeit of the turn, and commensurate consumption of drinks.
If successful, the player can hit the nail(s) of their choice. If the nail is struck, that nails player hit must consume one drink. If the nail is not struck, the wielding player must consume one drink.
If a nail is struck and sparks are generated, all players must consume one drink.
If a nail has been struck so that either; 1. A fingernail cannot be inserted under the complete circumference of the nail head or 2. the nail does not cast a shadow, that nails player is eliminated and takes no further part in the game.
Disagreements regarding eliminations can be referred to the other players for adjudication.
When all but one nails have been eliminated, the owner of the last nail standing is declared the winner.
Here the In Front, and Behind The Back throwing techniques are being demonstrated:
Safety equipment can be employed if available, but is not mandatory. Here two players demonstrate correct use of safety equipment:
The following pictures demonstrate correct hammer holding technique and general gameplay:
For added interest, the game board may be soaked in beer. This has been shown to both aid accuracy and increase spectator participation via the splash effect when a nail is struck:
Although entertaining, repeated rounds of nails combined with beering the board can quickly decrease the amount of beer available:
This concludes the description of the basic Nails game.
Other variants of the basic game suitable for more advanced players have been discussed if not yet evaluated:
Big Bang Nails
Each nail is coated in gunpowder prior to gameplay commencing, crowned by a capgun style explosive cap. Recommended for night-time competitions.
Strip Nails
May be employed when the beer runs out. Single throws only allowed, with items of clothing removed replacing drinks consumed
Run-up nails
Players are allowed to stand at some remove from the board, and approach the board at a run to deliver their strikes. The hammer must remain in motion at all times, preferably in a Pete Townshend arm windmilling action.
John Woo nails
Two hammers are employed, one in each hand. Simultaneous throws double the amount of hits on offer. An extra hit is awarded if strikes are delivered while diving sideways toward the game board. Delivering strikes with the hammer held sideways will result in a turn forfeit.
Industrial Super Heavy Duty Action nails
Employs railroad spikes and 10 pound sledgehammers, and ideally a fir tree stump or larger. Handle restrictions relaxed to include the whole handle, as there is no separate grip for these hammers. All basic throws allowed. For expert players only.
Happy Nailing everyone!
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Itsy bitsy spider
$2 coin for scale. Maybe not big compared to say a tarantula or something, but certainly not itsy bitsy to have roaming free around my house. We first encountered this guy on tuesday night, when it eluded my attempts to trap it (Fi was reaching for the bug spray, but since I don't like killing things without trying other elimination techniques first I managed to stay her hand. Besides, I have a soft spot for spiders). Those big long legs mean it can move quite fast.
It wandered up to say hello last night while I was at the computer. And after recording its presence, I successfully captured it this time, and reintroduced it to the backyard.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Still diseased
I was forcibly reminded last night that despite how fit I may get, despite being able to ignore it most of the time, despite having the lung function of a 19 year old, I am still an asthmatic, and probably always will be.
Lung function is no good if your airways are constricted. More than two hours after the frisbee game ended, I was still wheezing and coughing, speaking in a low quiet voice and having to pause for breath at the top of the stairs (while good for my calves, living in a three story house at times has its disadvantages).
I'm not sure if there is anyone out there who doesn't at least have a schoolyard understanding of asthma and its symptoms (wiki wrap up here. So useful wiki). Contrary to most people's impressions it is not a lung condition. Asthma restricts the windpipe and airways through spasmodic contraction of the surrounding muscle tissue; the analogy of breathing through a straw is a good one.
I was symptomatic since birth, with a remission between the ages of five and ten. A lot of my early memories feature driving through darkened streets to the hospital, coughing uncontrollably, and often with the familiar wheeze accompaniment. I remember the oxygen masks and the hospital stays as well, contributing to my lifelong loathing of such places.
That said, I am only very mildly afflicted. It plays up when I have colds, or run too hard or too fast, or get exposed to the wrong kind of smoke, dust or vapour. 90 percent of the time I don't even notice it. I don't use a preventer inhaler, all I need to carry around is a ventolin puffer to use as and when required. For some it is a debilitating condition, and for others life threatening (remember Scarlet from 'Four Weddings and a Funeral'? The actress who played her died from an asthma attack).
I am just symptomatic enough to be aware of it, be occasionally frustrated by it, and for it to deny me my lifelong career ambition. I hate having it.
I'm not sure what the trigger was yesterday. I think my utter lack of nous when it comes to Ultimate Frisbee may have something to do with it. I'm not unfit. I'm not super fit either. Having a cold last week didn't help either, as I couldn't exercise as much with the cold, and my colds tend to linger no matter how mild.
The problem I have with Ultimate is I haven't yet figured out my timing, or where and when I need to be, which means I have to run too hard too often, usually meaning I wind up stranded at one end of the field with no energy while the guy I am supposed to be marking scores at the other end.
I haven't yet had the 'click' when it comes to Ultimate, the moment where everything clicks together and starts making sense. Others like Kate, Jon and Dave seem to have picked it up naturally, whereas I have never met a sport I didn't struggle with at first. I am not a natural athlete. I can catch the thing okay, throw it properly sometimes, but so far have only the vaguest notion about the subtleties of the gameplay.
I am in it for the running around with friends bit more than enjoyment of the sport itself. Not quite enjoying it yet as a game yet. I need to reach a certain level of competency before the fun starts. I'm trying really hard to enjoy it, but a lot of factors get in the way. Not being able to get to many games is a big one, that limits my skill and knowledge development.
I find it an odd game. I can see the point about not having umpires, but it would be nice not to have seemingly endless faffing around when a play is disputed, or players following some rules and not others if no-one calls them on it. Also nice would be players who can dispense the rules without being really condescending about it.
The organisation for this league at least is laughably amateurish. Telling teams on game day they have three games instead of one is simply incompetent. And noble aspirations aside, there is no way it is the all-weather sport the organisers would like to imagine it is. Highly skilled players might be able to compete in high winds and rain, but for the rest it is farcical, and running around on soaking wet grass in anything without sprigs can get injury incurring very quickly (speaking from experience as a former Touch player). To put it another way, Ultimate gets played in conditions that would cancel Touch, a game that has much less sensitive equipment.
The players are a slightly different mix from most social sports as well. To put it one way, in indoor netball you encounter players from virtually every other social code. For a lot of the Ultimate players I have personally interacted with I get the feeling that this is the only social sport they would ever consider playing, almost like "I wouldn't normally play sports, but I can play this one because it isn't really a sport" sort of vibe, like ultimate has some sort of plausible deniability attached and its too cool for school when it comes to other codes. Where this feeling comes from I am uncertain.
It is a hard perception to define, but there is definitely an explicit undertone of exclusive snobbery and disdain for other codes vibe with some players, which is present in all codes, but feels more obvious in this one. I might be wildly off base with this and no-one will agree with me, but that's my perception. You don't have to agree.
And while every sport has its uber serious players who leave their sense of humour on the side of the pitch (I know, I appreciate the irony of me writing about this), the "Look at me, are you intimidated yet?" factor somehow comes across much more ridiculously with a disc in your hand.
My long held opinion, and I'm sticking by it, is that any player who wears skins (linky) for a social sport is taking the game way too seriously. Like last nights opposition captain, who was not only witheringly patronising and anal about exactly precisely indisputably locating where an infringement took place and what particular rule section or clause had been broken, ordered his team about like a bunch of servants, was the first player I have seen invoke a time out (not once but twice) and generally seemed to be having no fun at all. And was wearing skins. There is another guy like him I play fairly regularly at netball, and like netball, I am glad I am not in his team.
This wasn't meant to be a rant about Ultimate. I can see how it could be fun and rewarding, and I want it to be fun and rewarding, but I am finding it really hard work at the moment.
Still, I get to run around and be silly with my friends, which I like.
Lung function is no good if your airways are constricted. More than two hours after the frisbee game ended, I was still wheezing and coughing, speaking in a low quiet voice and having to pause for breath at the top of the stairs (while good for my calves, living in a three story house at times has its disadvantages).
I'm not sure if there is anyone out there who doesn't at least have a schoolyard understanding of asthma and its symptoms (wiki wrap up here. So useful wiki). Contrary to most people's impressions it is not a lung condition. Asthma restricts the windpipe and airways through spasmodic contraction of the surrounding muscle tissue; the analogy of breathing through a straw is a good one.
I was symptomatic since birth, with a remission between the ages of five and ten. A lot of my early memories feature driving through darkened streets to the hospital, coughing uncontrollably, and often with the familiar wheeze accompaniment. I remember the oxygen masks and the hospital stays as well, contributing to my lifelong loathing of such places.
That said, I am only very mildly afflicted. It plays up when I have colds, or run too hard or too fast, or get exposed to the wrong kind of smoke, dust or vapour. 90 percent of the time I don't even notice it. I don't use a preventer inhaler, all I need to carry around is a ventolin puffer to use as and when required. For some it is a debilitating condition, and for others life threatening (remember Scarlet from 'Four Weddings and a Funeral'? The actress who played her died from an asthma attack).
I am just symptomatic enough to be aware of it, be occasionally frustrated by it, and for it to deny me my lifelong career ambition. I hate having it.
I'm not sure what the trigger was yesterday. I think my utter lack of nous when it comes to Ultimate Frisbee may have something to do with it. I'm not unfit. I'm not super fit either. Having a cold last week didn't help either, as I couldn't exercise as much with the cold, and my colds tend to linger no matter how mild.
The problem I have with Ultimate is I haven't yet figured out my timing, or where and when I need to be, which means I have to run too hard too often, usually meaning I wind up stranded at one end of the field with no energy while the guy I am supposed to be marking scores at the other end.
I haven't yet had the 'click' when it comes to Ultimate, the moment where everything clicks together and starts making sense. Others like Kate, Jon and Dave seem to have picked it up naturally, whereas I have never met a sport I didn't struggle with at first. I am not a natural athlete. I can catch the thing okay, throw it properly sometimes, but so far have only the vaguest notion about the subtleties of the gameplay.
I am in it for the running around with friends bit more than enjoyment of the sport itself. Not quite enjoying it yet as a game yet. I need to reach a certain level of competency before the fun starts. I'm trying really hard to enjoy it, but a lot of factors get in the way. Not being able to get to many games is a big one, that limits my skill and knowledge development.
I find it an odd game. I can see the point about not having umpires, but it would be nice not to have seemingly endless faffing around when a play is disputed, or players following some rules and not others if no-one calls them on it. Also nice would be players who can dispense the rules without being really condescending about it.
The organisation for this league at least is laughably amateurish. Telling teams on game day they have three games instead of one is simply incompetent. And noble aspirations aside, there is no way it is the all-weather sport the organisers would like to imagine it is. Highly skilled players might be able to compete in high winds and rain, but for the rest it is farcical, and running around on soaking wet grass in anything without sprigs can get injury incurring very quickly (speaking from experience as a former Touch player). To put it another way, Ultimate gets played in conditions that would cancel Touch, a game that has much less sensitive equipment.
The players are a slightly different mix from most social sports as well. To put it one way, in indoor netball you encounter players from virtually every other social code. For a lot of the Ultimate players I have personally interacted with I get the feeling that this is the only social sport they would ever consider playing, almost like "I wouldn't normally play sports, but I can play this one because it isn't really a sport" sort of vibe, like ultimate has some sort of plausible deniability attached and its too cool for school when it comes to other codes. Where this feeling comes from I am uncertain.
It is a hard perception to define, but there is definitely an explicit undertone of exclusive snobbery and disdain for other codes vibe with some players, which is present in all codes, but feels more obvious in this one. I might be wildly off base with this and no-one will agree with me, but that's my perception. You don't have to agree.
And while every sport has its uber serious players who leave their sense of humour on the side of the pitch (I know, I appreciate the irony of me writing about this), the "Look at me, are you intimidated yet?" factor somehow comes across much more ridiculously with a disc in your hand.
My long held opinion, and I'm sticking by it, is that any player who wears skins (linky) for a social sport is taking the game way too seriously. Like last nights opposition captain, who was not only witheringly patronising and anal about exactly precisely indisputably locating where an infringement took place and what particular rule section or clause had been broken, ordered his team about like a bunch of servants, was the first player I have seen invoke a time out (not once but twice) and generally seemed to be having no fun at all. And was wearing skins. There is another guy like him I play fairly regularly at netball, and like netball, I am glad I am not in his team.
This wasn't meant to be a rant about Ultimate. I can see how it could be fun and rewarding, and I want it to be fun and rewarding, but I am finding it really hard work at the moment.
Still, I get to run around and be silly with my friends, which I like.
Monday, January 26, 2009
'Twas a good lash*
There was sunshine,
There were pretty buildings,
There were well dressed men,
There were even more well dressed women,
There were heaps of other people too,
There was food and drink,
There was dancing,
Oh and two really nice people got hitched as well.....
Congrats M+C.
There were pretty buildings,
There were well dressed men,There were even more well dressed women,
There were heaps of other people too,There was food and drink,
There was dancing,
Oh and two really nice people got hitched as well.....
Congrats M+C. Thanks for the occasion, a whole lot of good times, and letting us be a part of it all.
* Quoting a cousin of mine referring to my own wedding
Monday, January 19, 2009
Yellow
The colour of the Wairarapa in summer is definitely yellow
I took a detour through south Wairarapa on the way home from the airshow on Sunday
Being from a valley, I always enjoy epic sky scapes. Here a large cumulonimbus cloud is blowing itself out after losing all its energy crossing the Tararua mountain range.
This avenue of trees is near Gladstone. I have no idea why, but I love it anyway
Tree tunnels are just cool.
Church, Gladstone.
I also found a few more abandoned houses for my collection
This one has still colourful stained glass detailing aruond the front door, and an abandoned car in the tress nearby
Some houses are more abandoned than others.....
I took a detour through south Wairarapa on the way home from the airshow on Sunday
Being from a valley, I always enjoy epic sky scapes. Here a large cumulonimbus cloud is blowing itself out after losing all its energy crossing the Tararua mountain range.
This avenue of trees is near Gladstone. I have no idea why, but I love it anyway
Tree tunnels are just cool.
Church, Gladstone.
I also found a few more abandoned houses for my collection
This one has still colourful stained glass detailing aruond the front door, and an abandoned car in the tress nearby
Some houses are more abandoned than others.....
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Heads up
Always read the fine print:
"Warning: Phenylephrine may cause sleeplessness in some people"
Got that right.
I have a cold at the moment, which I am reasonably successfully keeping at bay with appropriate over the counter meds, most of which appear to involve two or three doses a day.
Thinking I was being reasonably sensible, and not exceeding the recommended dose, I took some before bed last night.
Error.
The induced sleeplessness resulted in several hours of somewhat altered conciousness and perception as I drifted between wakefulness and sleep, never quite managing either. There might have been some delirium, and there were definitely hallucinations.
I recall feeling like my head was separate from my body. I often woke up not knowing where I was (which admittedly isn't unusual for me), but often also not knowing who I was, which I found quite disturbing.
Underlining this was a vague and disturbing dream that persisted most of the night, the contents and subject of which I have great difficulty discerning. It had something to do with the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980's. I'm not sure why or how, I just know. I am reading Robert Fisk's "The Great war for civilisation" at the moment, which probably has something to do with it, spending as it does a not inconsiderable period of time discussing the subject.
I think perhaps I may have been conscripted or something. The battlefield (I think thats what it was) was shrouded in dense mist, with isolated clearings filled with details I cannot recall, and my fellow conscripts and I were subject to imperatives and demands I could not understand.
I have spent most of the day trying to reconstruct the experience, but the best I can come up with are fleeting glimpeses and hints with no details. Confusing is a good summary.
Suffice to say, for good period of time last night I was somewhat seriously rewired, got about three hours of good sleep once the Pep wore off (hang on a minute; in abbreviating Phenylephrine it occurs to me that this could be the origin of the phrase 'pep pill'. Confirmations on postcard please), and found the whole experience quite unpleasant and disturbing.
Won't be doing that again.
***
This post was to have had a second part, in the form of a heads up for a flyover of Wellington city tomorrow (as I write, but today (Friday 16th) as you read this) by a restored Spitfire.
Lots of people have heard of the name 'Spitfire' (potted wiki history here), and this was an excellent chance for interested city folk to see and hear one flying in the flesh (hear especially, it is a lovely sounding aircraft, with an unmuffled 27 litre V-12 engine up front. Think of the deepest rumblies V-8 noise you can imagine. Then add some more cylinders and a bit of crackle and pop).
That was the plan anyway, until this afternoon, when the aircraft in question suffered some kind of problem (as yet not determined) and crash landed in Masterton, from where it was planned to be flying to Wellington, and where I planned to be sitting on the fence watching it.
"Warning: Phenylephrine may cause sleeplessness in some people"
Got that right.
I have a cold at the moment, which I am reasonably successfully keeping at bay with appropriate over the counter meds, most of which appear to involve two or three doses a day.
Thinking I was being reasonably sensible, and not exceeding the recommended dose, I took some before bed last night.
Error.
The induced sleeplessness resulted in several hours of somewhat altered conciousness and perception as I drifted between wakefulness and sleep, never quite managing either. There might have been some delirium, and there were definitely hallucinations.
I recall feeling like my head was separate from my body. I often woke up not knowing where I was (which admittedly isn't unusual for me), but often also not knowing who I was, which I found quite disturbing.
Underlining this was a vague and disturbing dream that persisted most of the night, the contents and subject of which I have great difficulty discerning. It had something to do with the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980's. I'm not sure why or how, I just know. I am reading Robert Fisk's "The Great war for civilisation" at the moment, which probably has something to do with it, spending as it does a not inconsiderable period of time discussing the subject.
I think perhaps I may have been conscripted or something. The battlefield (I think thats what it was) was shrouded in dense mist, with isolated clearings filled with details I cannot recall, and my fellow conscripts and I were subject to imperatives and demands I could not understand.
I have spent most of the day trying to reconstruct the experience, but the best I can come up with are fleeting glimpeses and hints with no details. Confusing is a good summary.
Suffice to say, for good period of time last night I was somewhat seriously rewired, got about three hours of good sleep once the Pep wore off (hang on a minute; in abbreviating Phenylephrine it occurs to me that this could be the origin of the phrase 'pep pill'. Confirmations on postcard please), and found the whole experience quite unpleasant and disturbing.
Won't be doing that again.
***
This post was to have had a second part, in the form of a heads up for a flyover of Wellington city tomorrow (as I write, but today (Friday 16th) as you read this) by a restored Spitfire.
Lots of people have heard of the name 'Spitfire' (potted wiki history here), and this was an excellent chance for interested city folk to see and hear one flying in the flesh (hear especially, it is a lovely sounding aircraft, with an unmuffled 27 litre V-12 engine up front. Think of the deepest rumblies V-8 noise you can imagine. Then add some more cylinders and a bit of crackle and pop).
That was the plan anyway, until this afternoon, when the aircraft in question suffered some kind of problem (as yet not determined) and crash landed in Masterton, from where it was planned to be flying to Wellington, and where I planned to be sitting on the fence watching it.
(Image copyright: Wairarapa Times-age / NZ Herald)
There will still be a flypast over the harbour at about 1300 today, there just won't be a Spitfire in it.
These things happen, nobody was hurt, and it looks like it should be repairable, but damn and blast. I will still be on the fence tomorrow, just slightly less interested.
Its been a while since I've seen a Spitfire fly, I haven't yet tried out my digital camera on one, and was really looking forward to seeing one again this weekend.
And while I am disappointed, its probably nothing compared to how the owners and show orgainsers are feeling right now as well as the WW2 pilot who was supposed to be in the back seat for the Wellington flight. There is a huge amount of material and emotional investment in restoring, owning and operating an aircraft of this kind.
Still, there is another due to fly soon in the Manawatu, and this one is by no means written off. If this had happened in 1943 it probably would be flying again within a week.
Then again, in 1943 the aircraft would have had a realistic expectation of a life expectancy measured in hours, compared to the more or less indefinite expectation of a restored example.
The near certainty of seeing two Spitfires in the air together in NZ this summer (which last happened in 1996) has now diminished to probably sometime later on. I am naively hoping it can be repaired by April and the event-of-the-season show at Omaka, which the other one is almost certainly going to be at, but its not likely.
Buggar.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Right then, back into it
Ah summer. A healthy 29 degrees on the porch thermometer last Thursday and all is well. It was actually showing 31 when we got home fifteen minutes before I took the photo. Mind you the thing has probably never been calibrated so who knows.
I am pretty sure I will look at this again in winter and sigh.
First post for the New Year, and in the best traditions of blogging, I have had squillions of ideas for posts, none of which I can remember when it comes to sitting down and writing the things.
Actually, thats not true, I have a few things in mind (like how far into the year can you get before 2008 wrap up posts are inappropriate?), but they will take a while and its already getting late tonight.
Also I found myself more or less taking a break from the whole active internaut thing over the last couple of weeks, choosing the consume rather than contribute angle. It was nice to have a break but I think I am ready to start posting again about the usual collection of miscellany that is this blog.
And on that less than certain note, Happy New Year everybody! (best said a la Dr Nick of the Simpsons I reckon).
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