Off sick again

Forgive my absence for the last few days. My great start to 2005 continued with a spectacular case of the 'flu all last week. At the moment I don't have a computer at home so wasn't able to check messages or anything. Thanks for all the comments though. I'm going to start sorting through the stack of work on my desk, but will go online later to see what you've all been up to these past few days.

Places I've journeyed to ...

According to this chart I have visited 14% of the countries in the world! Which is cool. Check it out yourself at the link above. Thanks to Didou for the link!

Sale of the flat

I'VE EXCHANGED TODAY! I'VE EXCHANGED TODAY! I'VE EXCHANGED TODAY! I'VE EXCHANGED TODAY! Not that I'm happy about it or anything.

Smarty pants parking

Can't park in Central London. Think smart!.

Wild deer

Oh dear! (sorry) Wild deer in Richmond Park, West London, on Feb 13, 2005.

Ikea and girls

This is what happens when you mix girls and Ikea. Janet looking particularly ravishing as well.

Rock wall and ice

This may not look that cool, but the icebergs are 4 storeys high and the rock wall is about 1000m high! It's in Greenland.

Tree at sunrise

I love he colours in this. It's called 'Tree at sunrise'.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2004

After a couple of really relaxing days off it's back to reality and back to work. I used to actually look forward to coming back to the office (in the good old days), but now I just don't want to be here at all. I don't know if this is because I am getting old, getting cynical, or have just realized that work is just a job and doesn't actually matter that much. Or my job doesn't at any rate. Nobody dies and the world does not end if something doesn't happen. I think this struck me even more when I listened to several messages from the past few days, this morning telling me about disasters that were happening in the office. And when I phone round to see what had actually happened I was told that everything was fine and had been resolved!

While all this was going on Janet and I had an excellent day tasting champagne and chocolates at our favourite wine place called Vinopolis (like a wine tour/tasting place/shop - I can strongly recommend it if you're in London). Tried some champagnes and Cava's which were not so good, but found a couple which I would definitely try again. I'm very much a Veuve Clicquot guy and I can't stand Moet (too acidic) or Mumm (too dry). But I tried a Charles Heidseck which was lovely. Also tried a Piper Heidseck which tasted of bread which I didn't like (it's left in the yeast longer to give it the earthy taste). Everyone else liked it, but not me. But then again I do consider myself different to most!!

As keen amateur (think I can call myself that now) photographers we went to the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition at the Natural History Museum as well. And there were some stunning images there. The above picture if the overall winner and I think it's pretty cool. It's of Bronze whalers charging a baitball of Sardines off South Africa. The photgrapher described it as 'one of the most intense experiences of my life'. No shit! I've put the link above to the other photos. The dusk/dawn ones are incredible. The shots make me feel quite humble and realise how far I've still got to go before I can come close to taking these pictures.

Sale of my flat

I've just been told by my solicitor that the sale of my old flat should be completed by 18/02/05. Which is such cool news and about bloody time too. So I'll have fingers, toes, legs crossed, tape some wood to myself and carry all the rabbit feet I come across for the next week. There have been somany false sartes in the past weeks that I won't believe this is over until it's over.

Holiday - woohooo

I've got Monday and Tuesday off which is sooooo cool. If any of you are working then I will think of you as I don't get up on Monday morning. :) Have a few jobs to do at the house and a partner to make feel 'loved' on Valentines Day. Our first Valentines Day so it's a good excuse to do something special. Even though I do think that you shouldn't put all of your energies into one day of the year. But it's nice to treat someone you love sometimes.

I'm rambling. If you're in love then enjoy. If you're not then I hope the day passes quickly.

New Years resolutions

It's nearly mid-February so time for some New Years resolutions. I'm not really that into the usual 'lose weight, get fit, drink less' crap because it's abit tacky and I think you should have more spedifically self-defined objectives. And by putting them online I'll have them as a good reminder and people can give me a hard time if I start to stray. And it'll be interesting to look back on this post at the end of the year. So here goes...

(in no particular order)

1. Eat less carbohydrates/starch and smaller meals. Not specifically to lose weight, but I have felt a lot healthier since I've been doing this. And I think it will be a better lifystyle going forward if I am in the habit of it.

2. From the Summer take up Tai-Chi once again. And go regularly to the classes. Because I used to enjoy it a lot, and I think it will help me relax and focus more. And hopefully Janet will want to come too we can learn together.

3. Go to at least one major motorsport event this year. Didn't last year and missed the buzz. Maybe the Goodwood Circuit Revival again because we can dress up at the same time (it's a historic motorsport event and pretty unique in the world).

4. Get Janet moved and settled in the UK. Bit of an open-ended aim, but I think it needs to be because neither of us knows how this will work out.

5. Make a point of going to visit friends around the Uk and Europe. we talk a lot, but there's nothing like proper human contact. And some of them have made the effort to come to me and I've been crap about going back.

6. Get the house fully networked and ordered. And look into getting a conservatory or converting the roof. Some of this will have to wait until Janet is over because her furniture will play a key part in this.

7. Change job after the Summer so that I have to do less business travellling. Since I've cut down my life has got a lot better, so it's definitely the way to go.

8. Finally complete a Playstation game. I've come close, but always lost interest right at the end. Or found it too hard. Or not had the time.

9. Focus more time on photography. I've learnt a fair amount in the past few months, but there's so much more to see and do. It gives me great pleasure so why don't I do it more?!

Let's see how this works out!

Another cold weather picture

Wonder what the person who owns this thought when they came out to go to work? And how the hell did they clear the ice?

Southern Germany snowfall

A friend in Germany sent me this picture of the Starnberger See lake just outside of Munich. As you can se it's a wee bit cold at the moment.

Alternative bloggies results 2005

The voting seems to have stopped and the results are in/on/out there. So here goes ...

Longest Ranter
By a clear majority - Rachel. Someone so young and yet so opinionated. :)

Porn blogger
With a massive (!) 75% - Cedia. The rock that binds us.

Nerdy blogger
With the most links, pictures, fading graphics and sub-menus - Darth. The guy who bought a new Mac and immediately took it appart. Twice. An inspiration to us all.

Least techy blogger
Working on the basis that simple is best - Eleses. He's even gone the extra mile and taken away his modem cable.

Comment whore
After a late challenge this goes to Rachel again. But an honourable mention to Cedia. For making the time to visit the rest of us regularly.

Person with most time on their hands
Despite a fair spread of votes, the clear winner is, once again, Rachel. See previous awards. lol


Remember it's not the winning that counts, but the taking part. If you lost then good luck for next year! Thank you for taking this in the spirit it was intended, and for allowing yourselves to be nominated. And if you would like to make a speech please keep it to less than 4 minutes due to broadcast restrictions. lol

Another Ipod update

Went and bought some new earphones for my Ipod last night and they seem to have sorted out the bass 'issues' I was having. Sony Ear Buds - definitely better than the Apple things!

Publishing job

Anyone fancy a job in Publishing in London? Long hours, minimal pay and lots of free magazines (in German). It's one of those weeks!!

First impression of the Ipod

Pretty good ... with a couple of reservations. Nothing big, but ... It's not that technical really. I don't know what I was expecting, but it's just a hard drive with a speaker port at the end of the day. It's quite easy to search through and the sound is pretty clear though. And once I get a load more tunes on there it'll be even better. I will be able to have some music whatever my mood at the time. Without having to change CD's and bags and stuff. The only other complaint really is the bass which is really bad. I tried it with a decent pair of Sony earphones and it was awful. I then put in the Apple earphones and it was better. But still not particularly good. At the moment the drums and bass guitars on rock songs for example sound very tinny.

They're small complaints though and I think I will grow to love it. I'm going to go to the Apple shop today if I can and ask them about the bass thing. Maybe some different earphones will solve that, which is my main dissapointment.

Cupid Stunt questionnaire

Rachel put these questions on her blog (see link above) and 'suggested' (lol) we put them on ours. The questions have made me think for the first time today, and are kind of relevant to recent events so here goes:

What is the total amount of music files on your computer?
As of about 30 minutes ago I have 620 songs/3.3Gb of mp3's. all in iTunes and interacting WITH MY NEW IPOD!

The last CD you bought is:
A German song called Perfekte Welle (perfect world) by a group called Juli

What is the song you last listened to before reading this?
Cry Little Sister (Theme to The Lost Boys film). There was such crap on the radion that I took control of the hi-fi in the office and decided to introduce some good music. And it was the first CD that came to hand.

Write down 5 songs you often listen to or that mean a lot to you.
1. Ludovice Einaudi - I Giorni, because it was his first song I heard and it got me into his music. It's classical, but wonderfully calmingand memorable.

2. Def Leppard - Hysteria, because it was the first song that got me into them (one of my favorite groups). And there's a lot to be said for classic rock!

3. Robert Miles - Children, because I saw him perform in 1996 and his Dream House music totally blew me away. I'd never felt taken away by music in this way before and I think I finally 'got' raves and dance music. Even now I listen to his album and it takes me back to 1996 and such fantastic memories of sun, peace and being on top of the world. And no drugs were used to get to that stage at all. (Even more unusual for 1996.) I also really like how he came to create the music. His real name is Roberto Milani and he's Italian. In Italy they were really into out of town, very high music speed raves in the mid-90's. The kids would go to the raves and be so pumped up from the bpm of the music when they left that a lot of them were having accidents and being injured and killed. He was a rave DJ at the time and (along with others) decided to introduce slower songs towards the end of the raves to make people less hyper. So for the last 30 minutes or so he would gradually being the bpm in songs down. It had a marked effect very quickly and a new genre was born.

4. Chicane - Offshore, for the same reasons as Robert Miles, but in 1997. and for taking what Robert Miles did and going the next step. I still don't think anyone has really significantly advanced what Chicane have done with some of their songs.

5. Danger Danger - Monkey Business, for being a little known American group who write corny, but catchy music. Great guitar solos, big hair and lots of energy. A poor man's Guns 'n' Roses.

This is such a snaphot and reflects my current mood. Maybe I'll come back and do this list in a month and I'll add some more. My music collection has been described by several people as 'eclectic' and 'varied'. Music for me represents memories of places and adventures.

Ipod has arrived!!!

After an interminable wait and a couple of false starts the Ipod arrived at lunchtime today. Very excited. And can't wait to listen to it on the way home. I have about 3Gb of music on it already and a huge pile of CD's still to load onto iTunes. So that's the next few weeks sorted then!