Things have come back to a state of normality at work after the month from hell, it was really starting to suck my will to live. Now with the other full time carer back, more medication for Simon and a new computer for me, the sun is shining again.

This week I've been to the London Zoo which I was really looking forward to as the last time I went to the zoo I was 3, but animals looking bored in cages doesn't really do it for me, and London Zoo is a pretty small place. Also took a day trip to Brighton this week, as you do, to go have lunch on the pier and breathe the cold coastal air. It’s so good to know there’s still a little magic in the air down at Brighton rock.

Work still continues on the site as I still learn more web design tricks, and the process of putting my portfolio keeps getting pushed back until I have some time to collate my stuff. I'm also in the process of getting all my print design work sent to me from Montreal, but as the club I worked for is under new management, I might be outta luck.

f.y.i: Bon Iver's new EP rocks my world.

So my new computer arrives tomorrow and I can't wait.

In my first year of Uni back in 2002 (Jesus!) I vowed to always have a sweet computer and spent all my summer earnings (02-03 for you northern folk) on a super phat computer. In fact I though why not save some cash and build it from parts, Chaintech Apogee MoBo (with 6ch sound and USB 2.0!!), blazing AMD 1.8 athlon XP chip, 512Mb RAM, 64Mb Graphics Card, and a 17" CRT Monitor, then load it up with all the pirated software you could want.

I think it cost about $1500NZ, a bargain at the time for a pretty pro computer. With a lot of time on your hands and a community of nerds (thanks studholme) I taught myself computers, learnt to overclock things, hack software and be a general geek. 4 1/2 years of upgrades kept the old girl up to speed, but when I left NZ I left powerful computing behind as well.

Fast forward to 2009 and I'm spending £1500UK on computing pleasure. Money well spent? Well maybe not, maybe I should buy some Nikon lenses with the price going up due to some sort of global economy thing??

Anyway, I got this shirt for Christmas and needed to show it off. Or show it on. You know what I mean.

Labels: computer, HDR, self portrait, shirt

My good mate Adam sent me some photos to photoshop for him of he and his partner Liv jumping around somewhere in India. I have a lot of respect in these two, they have been rolling for a good 580+ days now and have seen some crazy shit.
It must be hard keeping it together all the time moving every few days to every few weeks. Still thou, Fucking Awesome!

Wow. Time has been flying by faster and faster these days, I never seem to have enough time to get all I want done. I left off last year around the 19th of Dec just before I went to Amsterdam with Noël for a few days for a (legally!) Marijuana fueled holiday. Amsterdam is an amazing city, but not lacking in dramas, on the way there Noël had some vomiting virus which lasted about 12 hours, on the first day I was almost mugged on my way back from a cash machine, we almost got kicked out of our hotel for setting off a fire alarm smoking weed (that would have been a funny story), got yelled at by prostitutes and Noël almost went through customs on the way back with a pipe and some hash.

Other than that Amsterdam is an amazing city which I will no doubt be back in at some stage. No cars is the biggest draw card, busy silence was incredible. Didn't muck around with my camera much, but I did manage to snap off a few shots including the one to the right which I took just outside the bluebird coffee shop.

Christmas came and went without too many dramas, Simon had a fit at Christmas lunch, I got 3 dress shirts and a stylophone, and ate too much food. Post Christmas work however got a little intense as Simon's mood swings became increasingly frequent and violent with my face taking the brunt of it. Don't worry, I'm still a handsome devil, but I do make sure I cut his nails a bit more often.

New years was quiet at Noël's, didn't even make it to the fireworks, but I did have a much needed break from work before we went to Paris on the Eurostar for Noëls birthday.


Paris was amazing, cheese, wine, baguette, pastries, art, music and etc filled nearly everyday, we were staying at a guys house that was on craigslist for 25 euros each a night near Voltaire metro station which saved us a bit of cash. Much more photography was had on this trip, and even with temps dropping below -8 plus windchill, I donned some gloves and have took a bunch of HDR shots which I a still processing when I have time.

So that's the quick update, like I said there is still a bunch of photos I'm processing so check back later, I will be ordering my new computer in the next week (maybe in 2 weeks to get the latest iLife), and I am fixing and updating the site as I go. In fact, check out the new interface on the portfolio page (or not), not much content up yet but the structure is pretty sweet :D

Peace, Love and back on track.

So I'm Having some issues with uploading photos onto my blog with blogger on a Mac so have been rather tardy on my postings. Of recent I have been to Amsterdam and Paris, had a working Christmas, got beaten up by Simon, and have been super busy. I'm in the process of rebuilding parts of the site and cleaning up the code, as well as extensively playing with my camera/computer.

Check out my flickr for more photos and try clicking the wee coloured squares up the top, and hopefully I will have more functionality soon.

Happy New Year!