June 2008 Archives

Nah, it's not that melodramatic.

It is the last week of term. Wonderful. The kids bugger off for their two month holidays, which I am sure a sizable number will be spending in sunnier climes than Britain, and doing far more exciting things than we will be doing. It has been particularly quiet in our building this week. They're all off doing these sorts of courses that tell them how to behave and how to live at University. I don't see the point myself. None of the kids listen, all you ever hear is them pissing about during the lessons, and none of them will apply this knowledge which they didn't bother to acquire to the real world. It's a thankless, and rather pointless task, but I guess their parents would complain if people (other than themselves) didn't teach little Johnny how to survive on beans on toast.

I've had a headache for most of this week, which has been entirely undesirable. I cannot tell if it is because I have been getting too hot during the night, if I've been working too hard or doing too much, or if it's related to my jaw, which has been very difficult to open for food in the morning this week. I hope that my hospital appointment for that will drop on the doormat soon. I would like to be able to shovel food into my mouth in the morning, when I could be bothered, that would be great...Right now I could do with taking some painkillers.

What else, what else?
I've been taking photos of the library. Somehow I managed to take close to 180 pictures there yesterday, and the librarians seem to really like them. I liked doing it too. It was tiring, and I felt as though I was ready to sleep for a week once I got back to the office, and even more so when I got home and put them all into a gallery. For the first time in ages I felt as though I had actually done some work, and some worthwhile work. The little things that we do, fixing things for people, replacing items, moving things around site, that's what we are there for. But the photos really were up to me, and I enjoyed it. Meh. Wish I was good enough to make a proper job out of. That said, no - one wants to hire a photographer anymore because everyone has their own digital point and shoot cameras and if they need a photo of something they are more likely to go and take it themselves.

Apparently my course result should be available around 6th August. Woo! Not terribly long to wait! I wonder if the assignment will be returned before then? If it is, I should be able to work out my average, thus getting my course result. I really should sign up for my next one, and soon. I am quite pleased that I have about £200 to put towards it.

I wish it would get a bit warmer. It's still ever so slightly too chilly and windy for me to be happy going outside much. I hate the wind. It makes me sad :(

I also hate this headache. For which I will now take some painkillers.

So for a while now you've been coveting an ND8, or rather Neutral Density Filter. It's Monday, it's June, you come home from work, you find the filter on your door mat. Wonderous.

What is the natural course of events now? Sure, you want to take it outside and give it a try...Good on you. Can you do so? No, of course you bloody can't. Why not? It's raining.

Although now it appears to have cleared up a little. I might risk it in a short while, after taking a look at the sky. It's not looking too good, but I think I'll give it a quick go anyway.

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Back a bit later. So I went out and gave it a go. I had, in my style, forgotten to look up online the best range of settings to use with an ND8 filter. Moron. I have now fiddled with one particular setting that should be good for it, but frankly, unless I stack a few of these ND filter atop one another, it's a little bright right now. My main purpose for getting one (I had a purpose?), was for evening/normal long exposures. You know, the kind of stuff that displays movement. As we're now in the time of year when the sunset is nice, it will be good to try. I just hope that the next time I see light streaming through the clouds, I do in fact have my camera on me for once. Short of that, I will be required to carry the camera and tripod everytime I leave the house. Not ideal.

So yes, Saturday. We watched my Father do military driving. Good fun was had by all. We got a little bit sunburnt, oh well. It will wear off. There's not really a lot to say about his driving day. He had fun, it was entertaining to watch him, I took lots of photos, end of really.

After many early mornings, and very late nights last week, all I wish for is the chance to have some real R&R. Ugh, hate that term. I get the distinct impression that I'm not going to get it. That will be both through real world commitments, and through my own overzealousness at wanting to do things (or should that just be "boredom"?).

And before I sign off, one of the nicest things this week has been the purchase of a bird feeding stand. It's at the end of the patio, and lots of little birdies that we either haven't seen before, or don't see much of are using it quite a lot. How lovely.

I'm still in a little bit of a "Huh? You mean to tell me it's all over?" mood. And now I find it strange not to be doing anything in the afternoons, even a little disconcerting. I know that the OU have received the essay, which is good. But it is still a serious question...what do I do now?

My parents are coming this week, which will distract me for a few days. But what about next week? I suppose if the weather stays okay, then I might go out more, like I did yesterday. However, it's not looking so good, a bit wet and chilly. Although yesterday was particularly warm. I'm waffling.

It's early. You know, I was up, showered and had a wash on before 7am. That's rare for me. Now I have half an hour until I need to be in work. I have a cup of tea in hand, have just had some toast, and am now slowly going through the stuff on this desk, which desperately needs tidying. And I figure - what better time to do it than before my parents arrive? Now is as good as ever, right? I suppose. The rest of the house could do with it too. We've made some progress, and now have two fully assembled DVD/CD, or rather "media" cabinets next to the TV where there just used to be a pile of paperwork. They are getting slowly filled up. It certainly looks much better.

So yesterday afternoon I went for a walk into the wheat field opposite. The weather was nice, I have a camera and I'm still learning how to use it. I had a serious Gladiator moment. In fact, I had wanted to take the following picture for quite a while, ever since I had seen the wheat field across the road. Yesterday was the perfect opportunity. I think I will go out and take it again once the wheat has turned yellow, and maybe in colour this time. Maybe even a wider shot. Both of these images get larger if you click on them.

If you're at all interested in the technical (Exif) details of the following image, here they are:

Camera: Canon 400D
Shutter Speed: 1/200 sec.
Lens Aperture: F/11
Flash: Did not fire
Focal Length: 34mm
ISO Speed: ISO-400
Shot In: Black and White.

It is now.

Yep. That is definately it. My mini-meisterwerk was posted today, and I am hoping that it will arrive either tomorrow or Saturday. And so it ends. Now it is entirely in the hands of a random tutor somewhere in Britain, and their discretion as to whether I get over 30% in it. I would bloody hope I do - I spent enough time trawling Government websites to get good, firm and up to date data for it.

Eight Months ago tomorrow was the start date of DD100, 6th October 2007 and here I am, 5th June 2008 and it is all over. Wow. How time flies. Part of me really cannot believe that it is over. And it's all going to start again in October when I take up AA100 - The Arts Past And Present. It's another Level 1 course, but it's required.

And now what am I going to do with my afternoons? I'm sure I'll find something, probably relating to real work, or of course tidying up the house. Yeah, I don't think so.

So wow. It's all over now.

Weighing in at 1,491 words (at the moment), the essay is finished. All that it requires is a read through by someone else, perhaps some tweaking of words and then posting off to Milton Keynes.

Dude. A whole year's worth of work is now over. Where did this year go?

I've been driving him crazy over the past week because of this. I laugh at it randomly even if I have not seen it for a while. It is so good that I downloaded it for keeps. It is, quite frankly, the best thing on TV at the moment.