Week Fifty-One: Thank Goodness

Winding down on the 365 Project. Life is all about positives and negatives. And the occasional neutral. Generally, I like the neutrals, but I'm not averse to moaning and complaining about things I cannot control or change (blame it on the celtic blood). This week I'd like to at least attempt to focus on the things for which I am thankful. Firstly, progress on my charity: water campaign. Secondly, the simplicity of my life.

Day 1 (351): 24th of November
Well, it's been a while since the last time I had a Monday that was so incredibly Monday. Started the day by not noticing that I'd forgotten my boots until I'd been at work for a while. This caused a decision point: take an hour out of my morning to go home and collect said footwear (and in so doing lose the prime parking location), or spend about $80 and buy a new pair (and deal with the New Boot Effect all day). Three guesses which one I chose. Hint: it's the second option. Because as Scottish as I am about money, sometimes the laziness bloody mindedness work ethic wins out. Also forgot my tea tin, but thankfully had a backup stash. Then got loads of taskers, and one of them requires counting up "man-years" for FY14 and projecting "man-years" for FY15, FY16, and FY17. What happened to the man-hour? What exactly is a "man-year" anyhow? Apparently for a civilian it is 1880 hours. For us poor fools in the military, it is something rather larger. But why cannot we just use a calculation that requires less mathematic prowess? What am I thankful for today? Let's see. Tomorrow is Tuesday (i.e. not Monday), so I'm thankful for that.

Day 2 (352): 25th of November
My official, government-issued mobile phone was pickpocketed (along with a bunch of cash) when I was in London last, and in order to get it sorted, I have to file a police report with the local security. Seems so counter-intuitive, as the event happened in another country, and there is nothing to be done for it. But we do need our paperwork, I suppose. Today I'm thankful for books. The stories I've read in the last three decades or thereabouts have made me the person I am today (for better or for worse).

Day 3 (353): 26th of November
Haven't yet brought it up, but while I was on the boat last week, a castle was constructed around my desk in the office. It still stands and has been given the name Castle Carruth after the ancestral beginning of the Crothers line. Not that there was ever a real Castle Carruth, but it is a nice idea. The thing will have to come down eventually, as part of the structure is made of boxes of printer paper. There have been mumblings about getting a photo taken and maybe taking it down sooner. I hate to destroy something constructed out of creative inspiration, but may be overruled. Today I am thankful for great storms. Leaving early to go watch a reenlistment, I drove into a great torrent and watched through the windows of the event as the sky tried to wash away the sins of the world (quite a task). The aftermath of storms in old volcanoes is pretty neat.

Yup. Another rose. This one at Carney Park.

After the big, mad, torrential storm...

And when one takes the wrong on ramp, sometimes one has to go a really long way round. But it makes for a nice sunset view.

Day 4 (354): 27th of November
A lovely Thanksgiving day. No internet, thanks to the storm yesterday. Love the cyclical nature of my life. Thankful for excuses to eat massive amounts of food with no one judging (just comparing quantities consumed). Thankful for the idea (and memory) of watching football whilst digesting (games all start rather late here... silly time difference). Thankful for lovely chats with parental units (sorry for calling at 0730 local...). Also thankful for this scenery.

This as well.

Day 5 (355): 28th of November
What I'm not thankful for: Black Friday when I need to use the public WiFi. And when the place is crammed with people who don't speak English but feel free to take advantage of lax NEX entry policies to fill their bags with as much discounted merch as possible. Am definitely thankful for quick responses from landlords (a rarity, I must say) who bring Telecom guys to poke around and chat on phones and come to the conclusion that the problem is the ADSL line as a whole. Such a delight to come down from my shower to find such a sight. Even better is when Telecom guys say "una settimana" until it is fixed, but then landlords make faces and exasperated noises and Telecom guys say "due, tre giorni, maximo." In a strange way, am a little thankful for this little guy, except when he is high maintenance and requires assistance in refraining from eating his own leg.

Also thankful for roses.

Day 6 (356): 29th of November
Also not thankful for the phrase "that's just the cat's meow." Unless, that is, the phrase is being used to express the sending of one on a massive guilt trip. But even then, all I think of anymore as regards a cat's meow is the godawful little gutteral noises that come from a cat in pain (or just fed up and feeling needy). Guh. But this is the week for positive things, so I'm thankful for rain that holds off until after I've finished bringing the wash in from the line.

The normal fall shot (though it's winter).

Day 7 (357): 30th of November
End of the month. End of a long w/end. Gosh, how boring is my life. Spending excessive amounts of time and energy looking after the fool feline. Probably not even doing it right, but I have to do something, and he cannot be trusted to not make things worse. Ugh. Thank goodness for Twin Peaks marathons. Though I have to say, the cat has good taste, as he keeps staring fixedly at the screen at important moments. Besides fantastic old TV shows, I'm thankful for the little details in life. The mornings we wake up fully rested (rare things, indeed), the perfect cup of tea in the morning, the spider web I didn't notice until I was editing this photo.

The little flower that blooms in the sunshine and hides in the dark.

Oh, Life. I am thankful for you. In all of your goods and others. You are a colourful beast, and never cease to entertain. And exasperate, but that's why you're you.

Week Fifty: On a Boat?

Most of the week on the boat this time. Not much of it properly underway, and not as much of it as was originally planned (thanks, there, higher-ups). A little insight into the naval goings-on for a girl on shore duty. Oh yeah, not much traction yet on the charity:water campaign (thanks, family and friends, for the enthusiastic response). Wow, that was a trifle passive aggressive, but ah well. So here's another plug for the thing. Not asking for a huge amount. Any you feel like donating is grand, as all donations are matched by Keurig. My Birthday Campaign.

Day 1 (344): 17th of November
My how time flyeth past. A bit broken-recordish, but rightfully so. Every time I stop and look up, another week has gone by and I'm not entirely sure where it ran off to. Someone really ought to keep me in the loop on these things. Makes one feel all at sea. This shot started like any other sunset shot via iPhone, but then in post I didn't feel like getting too technical, so I just blurred and sepia-ed the lower part. Seemed like a good idea at the time. The colour contrast at least is a bit different. You decide how well the bit works.

Day 2 (345): 18th of November
Up to the boat. Love me some Gaeta. As I've said before, it is a bittersweet thing to come up here to embark on the good ship Whitney. Such a nice place, so it makes a great change of scenery, but it reminds me that we used to be stationed up here in a nice building on the hill  just above the ship. Living up in this neck of the woods would be so much better. Even the drive up is relatively serene. Particularly when that trip starts at 0700. Nice skies.

Not such a bad side of this part of Italy.

And finally the mighty ship herself. In this light she doesn't (really) look like the fourth oldest active ship in the Navy.

Day 3 (346): 19th of November
The rest of the gaggle finally got on board today, so thus began the dance to get senior folks' computer accounts sorted and point out important features such as the toilets and wardroom and gyms. Someone had the bright idea to schedule several meetings in the morning, prior to the arrival of the masses. I thought about attending mine, and just having a good chat with myself at the table. It was suggested later that in that case, I'd at least have minimal arguments, but I pointed out that I can argue with myself better than anyone else I know. It might have made for an interesting side show. This is my room. Note the EEBDs (Emergency Escape Breathing Devices). And the lack of really neatly made beds. Thank goodness no one bothers to inspect officer rooms. Not that this is half as bas as my rooms were on the carrier. Those were decorated and personalised to the max extent possible, because my roommate(s) and I were stuck living in them for many months on end. This one will house me for a few days at the most.

Day 4 (347): 20th of November
Properly underway this morning. I wasn't convinced we'd really pull away from the pier, but in fact we managed to get on the road, so to speak. I have a roommate who I kind of know, but I don't get the feeling she likes me all that much. And she spends rather a lot of time sleeping. Early morning meetings are one thing, but going to bed at 1800? Is ten hours really the going norm these days? I leave for work every day at 0500, and the earliest I fall asleep is 2230. I guess I'm just odd. NO comments on that statement are needed thanks very much. Check out the scenery outside. This is the view from the starboard sponson (that's like a deck on the side of the ship).

Different camera settings. Not too shabby.

Day 5 (348): 21st of November
A day for culinary brilliance. They do feed us well on this ship. And not much money. Three squares for a week costs all of $70. For snack we realised the proper dipping chips were AWOL (thanks, night shift), so the Cool Ranch Doritos had to substitute as a vehicle for the queso. And how they did. After a breakfast of eggs, bacon, french toast, and sausage (all covered in garlic Texas Pete's), and coffee cake, and a lunch of chicken fingers, salad, fries, coffee cake, and cookies, I burgled PB&J fixings for dinner. Such a healthy way to live, no?  I've decided I want the person responsible for the Deadwood soundtrack to do the score for my life. As it is, my dreams have pretty decent tunes, but my day to day needs a good musical treatment and the soundtrack for the much-missed Deadwood is about the right speed. For the longest time I wanted Danny Elfman and/or Curt Smith to do the job, but now I want something different. Not that my love of both those individuals has lapsed; they still have a place in my heart, mind, and dreams. This is a shot of my semi-cyanotic hand (and this is after I'd run it under the warm water in the sink). It gets a bit chilly on board a floating tin can.

You can almost pretend these are normal flip-flops on a sandy beach, rather than shower shoes on blue stateroom carpet. Another change from a carrier room. Those had no carpet.

Good to know which liferaft is mine. But really, I'm on #31 so...

The water on this trip has been like glass. We might as well be pierside as little as the boat has been listing about.There is nothing so soothing as the sound of crew-served weapons shooting into the night. Makes a perfect backdrop to the serenity of a night on the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Day 6 (349): 22nd of November
Shafted a day of no commute, prepped meals, and easy living. That said, it will be nice to do crazy things like laundry and not going to meetings on w/end mornings. Pulling back in to Gaeta, the sea state remained the same as it has to whole trip. Look at that surface. An iPhoneto, so bear with me.

A bit hazy this afternoon, but still such a gorgeous, warm (for November) day.

Day 7 (350): 23rd of November
Certain felines have been gimping about noisily, attempting to garner sympathy. And dammit if it's not working. Turns out a tiny piece of an anti-inflammatory in the food seems to be working. Stupid cat. Pretty morning sky.

Leafy thing.

And lemons. Because, well, lemons.

Seems this week was more iPhoneto heavy than usual. Not necessarily for the best, but I kept finding myself in places with no Olympus (and often no Moment lens). Guess I'll just have to hope the intent behind the pics speaks louder than the low quality of the iPhone.

Week Forty-Eight: Cardiff When it Drizzles

Alright, so perhaps it's not as sexy as Paris, and no one thought to put Audrey Hepburn in a film about it, but Cardiff is just fine by me. Besides, with a name like Rhiannon, I really was overdue for a visit to Wales.

Day 1 (330): 3rd of November
Damn you, Netflix. You are adding to the shameful wretchedness that is me. A certain show that shall remain nameless has sucked me into a binge spiral and reminded me of better days. Not enough of a sharer to go any further into the explanation of that, but suffice it to say a good (nonfictional) man really is hard to find. So are nice looking boots that don't give one blisters. In other news, this ought to be a good week. No school, four days of work, big pay increase coming, and a Haj to the Whovian Mecca that is Cardiff. Happy little weedy plant.

Day 2 (331): 4th of November
It's rather irritating when someone decides to put a perfectly disorganised process to rights. Sometimes, not following a policy is the best thing. My ancient BMW has to get inspected every year to stay registered, and in the past those inspections were wonderfully simple and done in a delightfully Neapolitan way i.e. strolling around the car with a clipboard, vaguely checking things off the list and asking overcharging to "repair" problem areas. When I say repair, I really mean sell a person the wrong kind of headlight bulb for twice its worth. Now, the inspectors are all about following the process, and insist on properly fixing broken headlights and slightly bald tires. What was wrong with looking the other way and charging for "new rims" that never get installed. Hydrant. In greyscale. Because.

And another gratuitous sunset shot. When life gives you sunset lemons, it's best to make photos.

Day 3 (332): 5th of November
Remember, remember. Remember to never check email or answer the phone as you are on the way out the door at the end of the day. It will inevitably mean at least another hour spent at work. Even if that hour is a good one and good things come out of it, it will be tarnished by its temporal location. As it is trying to be winter-ish time, the sun sets sooner now, which means a later depart time is a darker time. And photos look like this.

Found a pretty necklace I'd forgotten I had. Really wish I'd found it in time to wear it to the ball last w/end.

Day 4 (333): 6th of November
Once upon a Thursday, a rather charming young lady rocked the house. Or at least the office. Nothing like great tunes and halfway productive days to put one in a good mood. Add to that the prospect of being on leave and you have yourself a giddy gal. Why then, does she take photos of Naples rubbish? Who knows.

My landlords chopped down this nice old tree nearby. Rather sad, now I look at it.

Day 5 (334): 7th of November
I think I again have that look about me. You know, the one that screams either "I need saving" or "I'm a troublemaker." First there was the snotty guy at customs grilling me about why on earth I'd be going voluntarily to Cardiff when there was a perfectly good NFL game attracting all the Americans to London. Now, I love a good NFL match as much as the next gal, but I've better things to do. Then the gal at reception of my hotel in Cardiff kept asking me about how many people would be in my room (how many times do I have to say "just me, thanks"?) and pointing out that the hotel locks the front door at 2300, so I'd have to buzz to get in. Must have put on my Worldly Trollop face this morning. That said, I could ride a train through the Welsh countryside for days. So lovely.

Artsy rail tracks from the hotel window.

Day 6 (335): 8th of November
Bonus round of awesome. Both Nerdy Things and Rugby Things in one day? I win. Met more cool people, got soaked by the rain in Wales, then got to see the season opener as Wales lost to Australia. Tough loss, but a good, close game, which is my favourite kind. And the seats were fantastic. And the drunk Welsh boys sitting to the left were in good spirits. They insisted on trooping off to the Great Western (a pub conveniently across the road from my hotel), where much merriment was had. See? Rugby fans are the best; even when their team loses, they still have fun.

Love this sport. Love playing it. Love watching it. Especially love watching professionals do it. No tubbos on these teams.

Nope. No pads, no flabs. All power.

Tried for a few action shots, but this was the best one (i.e. least blurry).

Ahh Cardiff. So lovely when you want to be.

Day 7 (336): 9th of November
Remembrance Sunday. Also the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Also the 10th anniversary of my signing my life away to Uncle Sam. Never really put the Berlin Wall bit with my enlistment date. How selfish. I even remember the fall. Odd, as I was all of a month shy of the ripe young age of six, but I remember the news footage. Strange the things we recall, no? Was enjoying a latte (sorry, Italy, I have to do it when I can) when the premises went silent for two minutes at 1100. Kind of moving thing. Was surprised that there weren't more people wearing poppies. Hell, I've been wearing one since I arrived in the UK on Friday. Had a nice walkabout in town and found some nice shots.

Statue of an old dead guy. A staple of European cities.

Had some fun at a fountain. Am quite proud of how this one turned out.

This one, too. Not that water is a hard thing to photograph, but I don't always get it right.

And in honour of Remembrance, a lovely poppy tree art thing near the stadium.

Honestly, why does Cardiff get such a bad rap? I could have a good time here anytime. I'll have more tomorrow as well, if you don't mind. 

Week Forty-Four: Keep it Simple

When things get excessively complicated and seem to be ready to take over, I often find it is easiest to merely force a simplification of matters. Sometimes that means sliding out of the picture and into the shadows, and sometimes it means just going at things one small chunk at a time. Like a wee bird who has a lovely kind mum chopping up his food into easily consumable bites. Though how she holds the knife I'm not sure. The paper due at the close of this week might have been better handled if such a philosophy had been applied. The small chunks of things, not the chopped up bird food. No matter. Things get done by hook or by crook. And photos get taken. I opted to feature one object against one piece of construction paper, and then give each the shadow treatment.

Day 1 (302): 6th of October
Another Manic Monday. Don't really wish it were Sunday. Sunday's just the day before Monday. And lately that means Homework Day. Also Blog Day, but that's hardly a chore. Right. To the photos. Or rather the photo. Can it be plural if I use two versions of the same photo? I do like the yellow on purple combination, but didn't really get the angle I wanted on the light. Probably could have gotten an external light to balance it, but wanted to use natural light this time, and it was evening when I was shooting.

Went rather dark on this, and I really like it. Makes the Pac-Man look all horror film-ish.

Day 2 (303): 7th of October
Another evening light shot, this time a candle on yellow paper. One of these days I'll sort out the lighting of white things. Always goes a bit shiny when I have a lot of light. Probably a simple solution. Must look into it.

Surprisingly, the light colour on light colour went black and white rather nicely. Except for the excess shiny on the candle.

Day 3 (304): 8th of October
Not sure about today. Went home via the dodgier route, and randomly decided to throw in the Black Hawk Down soundtrack (have been in a throwback music mode lately). Was cranking it as I blew around a curve by a bunch of local Somalis, and as I looked back at them I felt a tiny bit odd. Not that they had anything to do with those events; these kids are maybe 25. But I've no idea what the foreign language songs on that CD are saying, so I just hope it wasn't anything obscene. So this is a knife I recently added to the collection. Dragon Cycle!

Kind of an odd black and white here. Probably went too heavy on the vignette. And the TiltShift. Ah well.

Day 4 (305): 9th of October
Whatever will the future bring. Will this thing I have to do happen the way it should? Will I finish my paper in time? It is due Sunday and I've done little more than research for it. Magic Eight Ball says "Most Likely." I'll take that as a yes. Must photoshop out the sticky residue from the label I affixed that reads "Do Not Shake Me." Why do people always shake the Eight Ball?

Really like the way this one went greyscale. Less heavy on the vignette this time.

Day 5 (306): 10th of October
A blessed Day Off. And after last night, all I can say is Thank Goodness for odd holidays based on controversial historical figures. Spending most of this w/end doing homework and writing a paper I've procrastinated too much. Means I don't get to go to Stockholm with my friends. I suck at things. Like getting the wind to not blow at inopportune moments whilst I photograph things. This mask was a gift from by best friend in elementary school. She gave it to me in the fourth grade (or thereabouts). We're no longer really friends, but the mask is lovely and has some nice memories associated with it. Funny how that happens with friends.

Again in the black and white / greyscale. And again with the vignette. Not too heavy with this one.

Day 6 (307): 11th of October
Another day. Another go at the homework. Tried to go in to the office to get it done, but after taking the wrong way / long way (thanks, autopilot) I got out of my car and halfway up to the office before realising I'd left my access badge. Well done, Rodeo. Decided to sit in the car and read for a bit before getting back on the road. Brain Death is a grand thing. So is my Mars necklace on black paper.

Let the barest hint of red come through the black and white and I think it gives it a neat look.

Day 7 (308): 12th of October

The fact that this is listed as day 300 makes me think I've mis-numbered a few times along the way and am now all wrong. Seems between now and 9th December there are fewer than 65 days, but short going back through each day and fixing it, there is little to be done at this juncture. So I give you my regression to grade school and my attempt to safely use scissors and freestyle cut out zeroes. Thought about using the halves of my morning bagel as the zeroes, but my stomach had other ideas. Thus is the small butter smear on the top of the three. You'd probably not have noticed it had I not said anything, but there we are.

Went a bit mad with the vignette level, but the whole photo looks a bit less insane in greyscale.  

And because I am incapable of just leaving well enough alone and letting a thing be a thing, I give you a strangely composed, hastily shot, oddly edited photo of a blossom on the lemon tree.

Bit of a round-ish theme again this week, but done in rather a more useful (photographically speaking) manner.