me, my camera and my life.

Archive for March, 2007

Rocky Road to Dublin Brisbane

Published
by
Helen
on March 30, 2007
in Music
. 0 Comments

Matthew, some of his friends and I went to see The Disables and Dropkick Murphys the other night. Damm what a night it was. It was a really, really great night. I mean how can you go wrong when you mix a Bagpipes, an Accordion, a Tin whistle or two with hardcore punk?

The last time DKM played Brisbane it was +18 only, this time however it was all ages and I saw at least one 6-8yr old there with ear muffs on, as well as quite a few young teen boys there with older brothers or their fathers. When I was waiting outside the show I saw one dad ask his son how he liked the show and the boy had a smile on his face as wide as Sydney Harbour. It was a fantastic night. We didn’t get a chance to see Mouthguard who played first as Matthew and his friends decided to have a few more rounds at Dooley’s leaving me sitting outside the show waiting for them with their tickets. Oh Well. Matthew didn’t think I was going to like The Disables but I thought they were pretty cool.

When I got in the car on the way into the Valley, a DKM song was playing on the J’s and then during the break between The Disables and DKM, Wagon Wheel by Old Crow Medicine Show ( actually I am 99.9% certain it was a cover though because it sounds nothing like it does on my Old Crow CD, don’t know who was doing it though) was played (along with a whole heap of Agnostic Front). Wagon Wheel is a song that Women in Docs normally play in their live set. I thought this was all pretty cool :) I was probably the only one in the room who was singing along to it, as I don’t think many of the other audience members would be up on Old Crowe Medicine Show. They are definitely not DKM :) I had a great time people watching, checking out all the different mohawks and various other spikey hair dos.

The Disables
The Disables

Lets go Murphys, Lets go.
DKM

Leave your worries at the door boy, they’re not going anywhere
Hail, hail the gang’s all here
All the boys.

I have to say I would love to see them at their annual St Paddy’s day show in Boston, that would rock. Though the below Youtube clip is not from a St Paddy’s show but just them doing a super cool song.

Ordinary day, just like any

Published
by
Helen
on March 25, 2007
in Music, TV and Movies and random life
. 0 Comments

Mum is up at IBISCA this weekend having fun looking after a group of high school kids who were awarded bursaries to attend for the weekend. The house as a result has been quiet. Yesterday I worked all day and then went out to a local pub with a bunch of people at work to celebrate two of the girls turning 40. That was the first time I had gone out with people from work since most of the “old school” night fill people had left, it was a very different scene mainly in the reversing of the gender ratios, going from two or three girls and a heap of guys to a heap of girls and two or three guys.

Went out for a long bike ride this morning which was really good, it has been a while since I have gone on a long ride. I went out a bit later than I had planned to. I had planned on getting up at 6am and heading out but I didn’t get out of bed till 7ish and got out the (garage) door close to 8. I was dead tired from having a late night last night but it was a case of well if I don’t go I will never go and then I would be a slacker. Which is not something I want to be.

I made biscuits this arvo between watching a tape of Rockwiz from last night (I like Spicks and Specks for the comedy but as a music quiz show Rockwiz is way cooler). Deni Hines was a crack up! Before tea, I made a batch of mixed berry muffins which will be frozen and taken out one at time when in need of something for morning tea at work or a snack on the run.

It is stock take this week at work which means instead of only getting up one morning at 4:18 to start at 5am, I will be doing it twice maybe three times since I can’t remember my roster. I have nothing against starting work at 5am, the store is quiet with everyone hard at work and customer free till we open at 8am. The issue I have a problem with is the sun and when it decides to get out of bed. There are 52 weeks in the year and only 9 or so of those weeks does the sun decide to rise above the horizon before or as I start pedalling my bike to work. Riding to work in the dark whilst that does not worry me, it can be rather depressing when you are cycling to work and not even the birds have started their morning singing.

I picked up the recent Po’Girl CD yesterday on my lunch break. Po’Girl were one of those cool bands that I discovered at Woodford. I am really impressed with the CD, I have listened to it through a couple of times and I’m happy. Hearing those clarinet strains and those harmonies takes me right back to Woodford. sigh, Those were the days my friends lol.

One day at a time

Published
by
Helen
on March 22, 2007
in photography and random life
. 4 Comments

Well I have been a wee bit slack haven’t I? It is not that I haven’t been doing anything which I deem newsworthy, to the contrary in fact, it is putting off telling the news till I feel confident about the news.

What have I have been doing? Well I have been working for money, working out and working on a big job application which requires me to get a whole lot fitter (hence the working out bit). Working on a job application where I may actually be able use some of the information I acquired during those long distant days at uni.

I am applying to join the Defence Force, the RAAF or the Air Force to be more precise, as a Graduate entry Officer, hopefully in Logistics to be even more precise.

I had my first day at the recruiting centre the other day, where I was told that my aptitude is more than suitable for the jobs I am after and that I don’t appear to have anything medically wrong with me which would preclude me from joining.

Joining the Defence Force is not something which I have all of a sudden decided to do but something that has been on the back of my mind since about 2001 or so. I thought hard about joining last year as an undergrad but the fitness requirements were slightly daunting to me and that put me off. The other week when I was thinking about it again, I decided that I can meet the fitness requirements and I will do my best to be offered a position. At the end of the day, it is something that I have thought long and hard over; is this what I want to do with my life (well at least my life for the next handful of years)? What are people going to say when I tell them I am applying to join? What will their reactions be? Will I suit the Defence Force? and vice versa? The list goes on.

Well I can now say that I have my assessment day on April 18th, where I will be interviewed, and be evaluated both psychologically and medically to make sure that both my body and mind can cope with environment of the defence force. If all goes well on that day I will then make an appearance before the Officer Selection Board about a month later and then I will get a letter in the mail after that tell me what my options are.

I really hope it all goes well and I do get in as at the moment, applying for the RAAF really does feel like the right thing to do. I mean I have even sold my soul to the devil (the gym) to improve my fitness. Between now and April 18th, I have a lot of research to do so that I can wow them in my interview. In saying that I am taking it all one day at a time and not trying to get ahead of myself.

Now for a photo, because a photo really does add so much more to a post doesn’t it? I went playing with my flash this arvo and just as I was heading upstairs I took this one of Pabbi on his “day bed”. He isn’t making any silly faces, it is just him. My Pabbi.

Pabbi

a walk or two with a new friend

Published
by
Helen
on March 15, 2007
in Music and photography
. 5 Comments

I have a new friend. Well I have a new friend by association of my camera. Last week I picked up a near new copy of a Sigma 30mm 1.4 off the camera board I frequent, from a guy who lives locally. I got it for a steal and a half. And by george it is a nice lens. Just about the same as the 50mm on a film camera as on my digital camera it comes to be about equivalent at 48mm.

I took it with me to The Farm on Sunday (well I took my whole camera bag because who wouldn’t?) when we went to have dinner with Grandad and Aunty Margaret who has been up looking after him after his most recent skin cancer removal and skin graft. I cooked tea for us all and Mum and Margaret provided desert (Chocolate self-saucing pudding, enough said). These are my two favourite photos from the little stroll I had.

I have always loved the Antigonon that covers the old tank stand, just such a pretty pink flower and it does so well in this climate (read it will climb anywhere it can) and well who can resist some tree fern goodness?
Antigonon on the Tank Stand Tree Fern

Today, it was my turn to cook dinner and earlier in the day I had spotted an ad in the paper that said Aldi was selling their salad leaves at half price for the moment. $1 for 120g is a very good buy. Since Aldi is just a stones throw from where we live, I picked up my camera and a $1 coin and went for a walk. This is what I saw.

The power lines overhead.
Power lines

A rose peeking through the fence wire.
a solitary rose

Weeds standing strong in the setting sun.
Weeds on my street

I must say I like this lens very much indeed.

Now for some music to share. Susan Enan. Sweet Music. I discovered her from watching Bones (see Clare MP, even though it might be far-fetched I found a cool artist. Bring on the Wonder was the song that was on Bones but I must say I like Monoplain thirty times more.

WhiteWater World

Published
by
Helen
on March 11, 2007
in random life
. 1 Comment

Mum and I spent the day at the new water park that has opened up down the coast. It is called WhiteWater World and is operated by and located beside Dreamworld.

Mum was going along for a Maths teacher briefing about the activities they run for senior Maths B students which use the rides as models for all sorts of maths stuff. As part of the briefing Mum got in for nicks and I got in at the child’s price :) .

We had a blast of a day going on all the rides that we could fit on (eg those kiddie slides just aren’t designed for people with hips) and going on quite a few rides multiple times.

In terms of favourite rides, The Green Room as much as it freaked me out was probably the best ride there, as long as you managed to find two other riders to take you as close as possible to the 300kg ride limit, because the heavier your tube was the higher you went up the sides of the funnel. After that the Broken Headz run in the Temple of Huey. Which the photo below shows Mum and I coming out of.

white water world

It was a blast of a day and whilst there were times when I wished it was a hot sunny day, it was very enjoyable when it was slightly overcast as it meant that the concrete wasn’t hot :)