Yesterday the Cathedral across the street from where I work stepped one step closer to completion with the spires lifted into place. Each spire weighs a whopping 9 tonne and they were lifted into place by a 350 tonne crane on the back of a truck.
I had read in Friday’s paper that the spires were going up on Saturday but there was no mention of the time. When I woke up I rang the paper, the radio station, the tv station and the cathedral and I couldn’t get any answers either due to the phone not been answered or people not knowing. I then rang work and was told that one spire was up already. I packed a camera bag, jumped in the car and rushed into work. When I got to my level at work, I saw that they were still working on the first spire and there was a sizeable crowd in the square below. I figured that I would wait in the air-con, doing some loose ends at work till there was some movement on the ground with the second spire. When I saw things moving into place for the second spire, I raced to the elevator and willed it to descend faster. Oh it was a sight to see. The spires are almost as tall as the building itself. There were lots and lots of cameras and video cameras of all shapes and sizes. From Kodak disposables to a Leica to compact digitals and DSLRs, everyone wanted a photo.
If you mouse over the photos, you should get the titles, otherwise you can click through as always to the larger photo.
Then it was over, I went back up stairs (well up elevator) to say bye to the people at work, who were still shaking their head at how I found the event exciting, then it was back to the car and home again.
Yet another post condensing most of a weeks activity into one blog post. I am so behind. I have dreams of posting a blog sooner after an event but I just get sidetracked. I have a whole week where I actually did things to blog about/process photos. Sunday I was at two concerts, Tuesday I baked, Wednesday Andrea and I went to the movies, Thursday I went to photograph Clap Your Hands Say Yeah at the Zoo, Friday I went out to dinner with Andrea and some of her friends, this morning I went into the city to watch the spires lifted into place at St John’s Cathedral. This arvo I went to the movies. Quite a week and now I am busy catching up.
I probably should start off with Sunday.
I had one goal for the arvo and that was to see Yeo and The Fresh Goods at Rics and that I did. Right next door at Kaliber, Nightillion were doing there Sunday afternoon sessions/jam thing. Fusing all sorts of musical goodness together, it was nice. Meanwhile at Rics, Mr Laneous (pron. similar to miscellaneous) were taking care of getting the arvo started. A wander round The Valley and then it was time for Yeo and Co to fill the stage at Rics and play to a bar full of Shiny Happy People. I was fancy free and relatively footloose or really it was a Sunday where we weren’t’ going to The Farm as Mum had taken Grandad road tripping and left us all at home. It is a catch 22 of sorts. I would love to go more of the Sunday arvo session at Rics/Powerhouse/etc but Sunday arvos/night is the time we spend with Grandad and I am smart enough to know that those days are a whole lot more numbered than Sunday arvo sessions at Rics. It was so great to see Yeo play live. Tom and Tiana were outside and asked me what sort of music Yeo plays, I described as sort of electro reggae, I much prefer the three myspace genres; French pop / Punk / Reggae. Much better.
Yeo, (click image for the gig gallery).
Random Valley Shot. 56/366
Sunday evening it was the Creative Vibes shindig at The Troubie, not much of a turnout but it was still good, the couches were “pulled” from the walls and arranged in a few more social friendly rows near the stage, made it feel even more like a lounge room than it normally does. The bill for the night was Tess Henderson (what a voice), Tom Woodward (see x previous posts on Tom) and Justin Grounds (technically interesting but I was too tired to appreciate it). The light seemed to be at half strength to what it normally is at the Troubie which was a bit bleh for me.
Tess’s piano player, (click image for the gig gallery).
Random Desk Shot.
Monday. 57/366.
Yep Christmas Cards are still up, it is only February (when this photo was taken) after all.
Tuesday. 58/366.
I was really tempted not to take a photo on Tuesday, was just so tempted to chucking this whole project in but I took a photo of my saeng cover, I love those flowers dearly. Yay for Ikea.
Wednesday night. 59/366.
Andrea and I went for fish (Barramundi-Andrea, Calamari-Me) and chips and a movie at Portside (Hamilton). We had 1hr 45mins between when the fish and chip shop closed and when our movie started. Granted we probably didn’t leave the fish and chip shop till a good 25mins after it closed, it meant we had quite a bit of time to laze around by the river talking, laughing, chatting and playing. The movie we went to see was Charlie Wilson’s War, which was not as funny as I thought it would be.
Thursday night I went to photograph Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Manchester Orchestra at the Zoo. I met Alain Bouvier, that was a laugh. I started talking to one of the other photographers, he said he was French etc etc, I asked if he knew Ange Takats, he said of course and we laughed, we knew of each other through Ange, that was a laugh. Music wise I preferred Manchester Orchestra over CYHSY, I left shortly after our three songs were up for CYHSY. I think that explains it.
Manchester Orchestra, (click image for the gig gallery).
Drinking Receptacles. 60/366
Friday was a hell of a day at work, just never seemed like I was going to get my work done. I got it all done though.
Friday night I went out to dinner at Sitar with Andrea and some of her high school friends who I had met round her parties before.
80% of us had the deluxe banquet. I was glad I wore a dress as I wasn’t unbuckling a top button like the others. Oh it was good, of the four curries we picked, the only one which we all disliked was the Bengal Prawn Masala most likely because the prawns were like rubber. The Lamb Korma was oh my and don’t get me started on the Peshwari Naan. I could eat that for breakfast, lunch and tea for the rest of my life.
That brings us to today, Saturday which will very much be another blog post as that has photos, photos, photos of the spires going on St John’s.
It has been a very busy last few days at work. One of the girls has been off this past week extremely sick and then the other girl has been off after having her wisdom teeth out. Which has left myself, the other new girl, our boss and our part timer trying to catch up. It has been keeping us very busy. Thursday though I had to get out of the office and have lunch in the square which is where a few of these photos are from. Friday though I finished at 4pm, ever growing stack of files could wait till Monday. I caught the bus into The Valley and went to the Thai grocery/DVD store to get a few things I was after from the cooking class with Leanne the other week. Friday night Mum had a slideshow with the three other ladies that she went walking in NZ with. That was quite nice. So many nice places in the the Fiordland area.
Saturday, yesterday, I didn’t do much, it was a stinker of a day. We turned the air con and I watched some more Alias before making some pasta for lunch. Then I watched some more Alias. Then I went to Taste in the Valley for a Moghul cooking demo with Gaynor Long. Then I watched some more Alias, cooked tea (Harissa grilled steak with cous cous and a pea/capsicum/sundried tomato mixture. I then crashed to the sounds of classics on 4MBS.
I woke up at 6 this morning. I couldn’t sleep. I had breakfast, made some not so melting moments (the still taste ok but just not like melting moments) and then went back to sleep for a little while longer. Just taking it easy, I’m going to go out later for some music and assorted fun. As I type this now though, I am listening to a piano CD I have from ABC Classics, the current “song” is Adagio from Beethoven’s Moonlight sonata. I have my desk cleaned off and actually creating for the first time in ages, I had forgotten how it feels to write with a pen on cardstock. To look at photos, thumb through papers.
It is by far nearly bed time. I should be in bed right now but I feel like typing. There are lots of things I want to type but they can wait. Tonight I will type about some photos from the last few days.
Somehow still managing to take a photo a day. However it is so often a struggle. I take my camera to work. I take my camera home with me and most times it is not till some time in the evening that I finally press that shutter button. Today though the photo that I picked was from when I was waiting at the bus stop after Pabbi had just dropped me off. Still getting a lift to and from the bus stop at the moment. Though I have ditched the walking cane and am moving much easier round the place. I can almost walk down stairs properly too albeit slowly and with much thought. That is all with the brace on though. With out it is a whole new story.
This 366 thing gets harder and harder during the week, on the weekends it us fun. It is not that I don’t want to take photos, I love it. However you have grander and grander images in your head as you look at something and think of how you would love to take a photo of it, from this angle, with light there and with that as the focus point etc etc. Then you take the photo and due all those environmental or technical variables that you didn’t control. You only end up with a photo that is 5% of what you had in you mind. Then you think someday.
This is a Blue Ginger or Ornamental Ginger, it grows in our back yard in the very back corner. The flowers sure a pretty and the leaves are that not quite glossy dark yet rich green.
On Sunday we went to the Farm. As we do :), I mean how could you not want to go see Grandad? He rocks my world. We don’t speak very much, but then we share a smirk or he comes out with a line and you just go hell yeah. This was at the farm the other day. Grandad has pumpkin vines growing just about everywhere. There is also the cherry tomato plants that would live through a nuclear war, those things are indestructible, however it is not their season at the moment. There are a few little green cherries on the plants but only one red I saw. I carefully picked it as it looked like the skin was about to split, gave it a polish and a little fun with it.
I bet you haven’t seen a pumpkin flower that looks like this before 🙂
After I took a few photos, I put it in my mouth and enjoyed that short moment of sweetness and tartness before it was gone to my stomach. Then I took this photo. Pumpkin. Almost ready for picking.
I got Season 1 of Alias on DVD from the Library the other day, slowly making my way through the discs. I had forgotten how much *fun* the show was. I must admit I like watching it on DVD as I can fast forward the bits where I get scrunch up my eyes and get slightly scared. Even though I know what happens in the end I still go slightly eek.
Monday.
I went to my doctor on Monday arvo to see what he said about my ankle. He said that I sure did a good job of it, re-tearing the ligaments that I tore playing silly buggers about ten years ago. All that I can do is rest it, keep it supported and wait. He said that it should take no longer than six weeks post injury and I have to be very careful in that time not to injure it again.
I took this photo as I lay in the recliner watching something on TV
Tuesday.
This photo has the same tale as the one above. Laying in the recliner, watching something, seeing what photos I can take and only been slightly happy with this one.
We today take this first step by acknowledging the past and laying claim to a future that embraces all Australians.
Hopefully now we will only take steps forward and the gap will close.
One of the things I most enjoy about working on the twelfth floor is the chance to observe what is happening below me, watching people on the roof of a building having a smoke, the window cleaners, the witch’s hats on the roof a building that move round with the rain. Perhaps what I enjoy most is watching the going-ons of St John’s Cathedral directly across the street from me. I have seen the spires grow a little bit each day, watched the workers sitting on the scaffolding as they eat their lunch, observed the washing on the washing line of the residence and what strangely delights me the most is watching the portaloo move between spires as they work on different spires each day. Watching a crane lift a portaloo up and move it through the air is a strange sight to see. As in the above picture, it also sometimes has to get taken down to the ground to be emptied. The picture is not the best due to the windows we have, they are double glazed with blinds in the middle.
Thursday.
One of the things I most enjoy about catching the bus to work is that it gives me a chance to read a lot more. I have also been reading even more this past few weeks as I lay in bed with my foot up. One of the other things I have been doing is quizzing myself on trivia questions. 🙂
Friday.
I catch the bus from outside the Hotel Orient, a hotel I grew up hearing stories of as it was the resident hangout of my older brother when he lived in Brisbane, back when it was one of the icons of the local music scene. Now it the local pub for work and where I catch the bus from outside of in the afternoon.
I spent part of the bus trip home talking to Sam, and the job she is just about to start as the Indo (Indonesian) teacher at Townsville Grammer and the trip she will have to make to get there. Sam is from Emerald a town that has had some pretty bad floods this past month. The trip north to Townsville normally takes about seven hours. However, at the moment the whole area from the coast out west to Emerald area is in flood and it is not looking to improve any time soon, the only option she has to drive there is a sixteen hour drive the long way. At the moment she is just waiting in Emerald hoping the waters start to recede.
Friday night, Mum and I went to see 27 Dresses and oh what a laugh it was, a whole lot better than I had expected from the previews. Then I came home and watched Pride and Prejudice.
Saturday.
I woke up to see a message from Karl on Sykpe after messaging for a little while, I picked up the headset and pressed dial. We spoke for a while and then Mum and Pabbi came in chatted as well. Then they went shopping and we kept on talking, nearly two hours later we hung up. I went to have breakfast, Karl went to entertain. I could not fathom to imagine how much that phone call would have cost if I had made it on the landline, nearly two hours from Australia to Iceland, it would not have been cheap. The best thing is that he had little piece of news for us, he is planning on coming home for Christmas :D, also my second eldest brother, his wife and his two daughters are also planning on coming to spend Christmas in Australia too 😀 Christmas 2008 is going to be a blast 😀
Sheets on the line, the sun coming and going between the storm clouds to the south. Sheets billowing in the wind.
I was getting a bit stir crazy yesterday laying inside, so I went outside with my 85mm lens and lay on the old brick bqq taking a few photos. I took a few frames of this shot, trying each time to get the sheet billowing just right in the afternoon breeze.
I have looked up at the antenna on the roof next door numerous times, each time thinking that would be a cool photo, yesterday I took the photo.
Last Friday one of the girls at work had a birthday, so I baked a cake. A cheesecake, just like the one we always make. Though this time I added some chocolate to it 🙂 It went down oh so very well, so well in fact that one of the nurses made it the next day for a gathering.
Crumb Base
1 250g packet scotch fingers
bit of all spice
50g butter/marg
50g copha
2 tbsps or so of cocoa if desired
Melt the butter/marg and copha together.
Crumb scotch fingers till they resemble fine breadcrumbs. Stir through the all spice and cocoa if using. Stir in the melted fat mixture. The mixture of dairy and vegetable fat is used to give a better “crumb” and how it holds together. Press in to the bottom (and sides if desired) of a greased 20cm spring form pan (line the bottom with foil) and chill in the fridge whilst making the filling.
Filling
500g cream cheese
bit of lemon juice
bit of vanilla
4 eggs
2/3C sugar
Cream the cream cheese till smooth. Add in the vanilla and lemon juice. Beat in the sugar till smooth and then beat in eggs one at a time till mixture is smooth. Pour on top of the base and cook in 160deg oven for 40 mins or until cooked. Run knife round edge of spring form pan and cool overnight.
Topping idea very loved from Smitten Kitchen
50g butter
100g+ chocolate – dark or Cadbury Energy or Lindt 70% etc – Mix it up with a few different chocolates, increase the flavour or use up those half used blocks…
2 tsp honey
You could also very easily add some flavours here such as peppermint extract, mmmm.
Melt all ingredients together in a bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Pour over top of cooled cheesecake and place in fridge for 30mins to set the chocolate topping.
When cutting this cake (due to the chocolate topping) if you want a clean cut you must dip the knife in a glass of hot water after each and every cut.
In the kitchen just after it came out of the oven.
