21 December 2005
20 December 2005
Secret site
A couple of times a day I go here, and look at the clounds around Mt Taranaki.
It's kinda cool. Here's this mornings effort. Stormy.
I AM THE NEXT TONI MARSH!
Boss to wife (after a christmas drinks function and a farewell):
"Yes...well, Tinks could make anything sound pornographic, but I suspect you'll know that already"
I doubt it's true, but if so I AM THE NEXT TONI MARSH!
And another piece falls into place on the master plan.
"Yes...well, Tinks could make anything sound pornographic, but I suspect you'll know that already"
I doubt it's true, but if so I AM THE NEXT TONI MARSH!
And another piece falls into place on the master plan.
19 December 2005
Noticeboard roulette 3
14. Recommendation: Wardrobe Consultant
Are you in a style or colour rut?
Have you lost or gained weight and need help styling your new body?
Do you open your wardrobe and see nothing to wear?
I can help you develop a wardrobe that suits your body, budget and lifestyle. I specialise in finding colour and style combinations from your existing clothes, plus new outfits at the right price ranging from second-hand shops to designer boutiques.
Wardrobe Consultation $85 - Shopping trip $35 per hour
How fun!
Are you in a style or colour rut?
Have you lost or gained weight and need help styling your new body?
Do you open your wardrobe and see nothing to wear?
I can help you develop a wardrobe that suits your body, budget and lifestyle. I specialise in finding colour and style combinations from your existing clothes, plus new outfits at the right price ranging from second-hand shops to designer boutiques.
Wardrobe Consultation $85 - Shopping trip $35 per hour
How fun!
Hair and Skin Trading Co
When I was a kid, growing up in the small provincial heartland, I used to buy NME every week (it was like $2 then), and religiouly hunt down the hottest albums through the Musicman - the local cd store.
By accident one day I ended up with an issue of Volume - one of those Indie compilations that mixed some knowns with some unknowns, and came with a flash book that profiled/introduced the bands. On said Volume was a song by a band called the Hair and Skin Trading Company. I think the song was something about a birthday. I have it saved on the ibook, so I might look it up later. Not a bad song from memory.
Cut to present day, and I was having a really nice Saturday - tasty brunch and vat of coffee in town (yes, it was at a chain cafe, but one that's actually okay and NOT STARBUCKS), playing with art and deciding what a lotto win would be spent on at Tinakori, finally sussed out waht to do with a bike project, did the last of the christmas shopping at Askew, and a pleasant trawl through a few other shops, generally winding down after a somewhat busy year.
Then went for a ride out at Makara peak - the sun had come out, it was warm, windless, and generally lovely. So lovely it felt just a little bit special. Not unlike a birthday...
I was on teh singlespeed, and did the usual loop, a little slower than normal (one gear can be quite hard work the day after the work christmas party), and mae it to the top, and started down ridgeline. Ridgeline's one of those tricky tracks that you need speed to ride cleanly, so when it opens out about half way down, I was going pretty quick. Until my front brake seems to have locked up, throwing me over the bars onto my knees then elbow, then shoulder, then face, then feet, then back (you'll get the idea).
So I paused for a while, took in the view, picked some stones out of my knees, ate soem cashew nuts, avoided going into shock, and dressed the wounds a little using the first aid stuff I've taken to carrying (be prepared kids). The rode home, feeling a little shaky but hard. Like Corian.
There. Full circle. Birthdayish Ride. Hair and Skin Trading Company.
It does raise the question at what age does one get a little old to be renmoving the skin off the knees. My fear is that when you answer that you also unwittingly discover the age at which heart attacks become a bigger risk than the reward of taking a singlespeed up makara peak, so we'll put that question aside for a bit eh?
By accident one day I ended up with an issue of Volume - one of those Indie compilations that mixed some knowns with some unknowns, and came with a flash book that profiled/introduced the bands. On said Volume was a song by a band called the Hair and Skin Trading Company. I think the song was something about a birthday. I have it saved on the ibook, so I might look it up later. Not a bad song from memory.
Cut to present day, and I was having a really nice Saturday - tasty brunch and vat of coffee in town (yes, it was at a chain cafe, but one that's actually okay and NOT STARBUCKS), playing with art and deciding what a lotto win would be spent on at Tinakori, finally sussed out waht to do with a bike project, did the last of the christmas shopping at Askew, and a pleasant trawl through a few other shops, generally winding down after a somewhat busy year.
Then went for a ride out at Makara peak - the sun had come out, it was warm, windless, and generally lovely. So lovely it felt just a little bit special. Not unlike a birthday...
I was on teh singlespeed, and did the usual loop, a little slower than normal (one gear can be quite hard work the day after the work christmas party), and mae it to the top, and started down ridgeline. Ridgeline's one of those tricky tracks that you need speed to ride cleanly, so when it opens out about half way down, I was going pretty quick. Until my front brake seems to have locked up, throwing me over the bars onto my knees then elbow, then shoulder, then face, then feet, then back (you'll get the idea).
So I paused for a while, took in the view, picked some stones out of my knees, ate soem cashew nuts, avoided going into shock, and dressed the wounds a little using the first aid stuff I've taken to carrying (be prepared kids). The rode home, feeling a little shaky but hard. Like Corian.
There. Full circle. Birthdayish Ride. Hair and Skin Trading Company.
It does raise the question at what age does one get a little old to be renmoving the skin off the knees. My fear is that when you answer that you also unwittingly discover the age at which heart attacks become a bigger risk than the reward of taking a singlespeed up makara peak, so we'll put that question aside for a bit eh?
15 December 2005
Kong Pie
Spot Pies, recovering from a hell week at the Agency.I really do have to get an office with a balcony. And a view of Courtney Love. I mean Place.
(and cheers Ocky for the pic and building the plane)
Kong
I somehow managed to double book for the Kong event last night - a conflicting appointment I couldn't really get out of. Bit of a shame, as the party looked like it was shaping up as a good one on the the late news, but I don't feel too bad that my invitation was lost in the mail.
On an unrelated note, for those that stayed at home watching tv last night, wasn't Old School unexpectedly funny, in that comfortable frat boy kind of way?
12 December 2005
Interesting
Yesterday, on the way back from the beach, we stopped by one of Cathy's artists and her partner, and had one of those really good interesting discussions about art, artists, culture, and pretty much everything else.
It reminded me of another excursion we made a few years ago to the home of another quite remarkable couple in Taranaki. Of these two, Roger has just released the latest chapter of his life's work: an extremely weighty analysis of Shakespeare's sonnets.
On this occasion we debated art, Duchamp, the right way to train as an artist, the merits of various recent exhibitions, artists, institutions, architectural styles, etc. It made me want to start an institute and dedicate substantial amounts of time to proving or disproving a single idea.
You can read a more recent take on the same story here.
A perhaps unrelated observation - on both visits we were made really good cups of tea.
It reminded me of another excursion we made a few years ago to the home of another quite remarkable couple in Taranaki. Of these two, Roger has just released the latest chapter of his life's work: an extremely weighty analysis of Shakespeare's sonnets.
On this occasion we debated art, Duchamp, the right way to train as an artist, the merits of various recent exhibitions, artists, institutions, architectural styles, etc. It made me want to start an institute and dedicate substantial amounts of time to proving or disproving a single idea.
You can read a more recent take on the same story here.
A perhaps unrelated observation - on both visits we were made really good cups of tea.
09 December 2005
Friday night geek
Tonight I'm going home to play with my computer and new scanner/printer. I not at all concerned if that sounds geeky, in fact I'm really looking forward to it. I've been about as close as I ever get to being a social butterfly of late. I mean 3 events last night alone. All nice, and met/remet some really interesting people, and drank some wine, and ate stuff (missed the christmas cake at Tinakori Gallery though - very sad about that).
Normal programming will resume on Monday, with a whole 2 functions to go to. It's okay liver, alcohol's not too far away. ..
Normal programming will resume on Monday, with a whole 2 functions to go to. It's okay liver, alcohol's not too far away. ..
08 December 2005
Simple. Pure.
About a year ago I got this really basic, cheap, single speed mountainbike. A few people I knew were foprgoing their 27 speeds for the simplicity, purity, and durability of just one gear, and it seemed like an attractive concept.
Last night was one of those magic nights - no wind, the harbour like a mirror, a close fought cricket match on, and about an hour long windo of opportunity, which I seized and took said singlespeed up Makara for a very quick blast.
As you'd expect with a singlespeed it's pretty demanding getting it up hills. You tend to have to sprint the whole way, so you end up going fast, but lungs and legs burning.
Last night, grinding up Sally Alley probably the fastest I've ever done it, gasping in warm windless air in the low sun, I think it was the first time this year that it actually felt like summer. It was great.
Oh - and the bike has flames on it. Cool.
06 December 2005
Noticeboard roulette
We have this electronic noticeboard that goes round office every morning via email. From this' morning's edition, the enthusiastic shopper could buy:
Cookie Time cookie buckets
An art deco drinks trolley
2 miniature horses
A blue Mercedes
A house in Mt Victoria
A freestanding pantry
And my favourite:
"For a low cost, I can help/assist with Christmas decorations, either at home or work. Phone Glenda ..."
I want that job!
Cookie Time cookie buckets
An art deco drinks trolley
2 miniature horses
A blue Mercedes
A house in Mt Victoria
A freestanding pantry
And my favourite:
"For a low cost, I can help/assist with Christmas decorations, either at home or work. Phone Glenda ..."
I want that job!
Tinks Drinks
Well, it is the season where we all drink far too often and then moan about how much drinking we're doing and how exhausting it all is.
Last night was the occasion of the good folk at Telecom, gaining some PR brownie points at Nikau. A lot of those sorts of things tend to be a bit dry and joyless, but this was nice.
One highlight was gettign a lift there in Philip's new Peugeot 307 XSi. Lovely it was, purring with it's 2 litres of french goodness, airbags for Africa, and some pretty sharp looking wheels. Can you tell I'm a bit of a car enthusiast?
It would appear you can take the boy out of the small provincial town, but not the town out of the small provincial boy. Or something like that.
Last night was the occasion of the good folk at Telecom, gaining some PR brownie points at Nikau. A lot of those sorts of things tend to be a bit dry and joyless, but this was nice.
One highlight was gettign a lift there in Philip's new Peugeot 307 XSi. Lovely it was, purring with it's 2 litres of french goodness, airbags for Africa, and some pretty sharp looking wheels. Can you tell I'm a bit of a car enthusiast?
It would appear you can take the boy out of the small provincial town, but not the town out of the small provincial boy. Or something like that.
05 December 2005
A real mall!
We went on an excursion yesterday to the Valley, aiming to share a final Bambina Espresso with Wanda Harland et al. Sadly they were out, no doubt enjoying some of Petone's many charms.
So we ventured on to the flash new Queensgate Mall, and what a beauty she is. 2 floors of solid retail therapy, glossy finishes, designer everything, shiny pre-pubescent shop staff, the smell of consumerism, the elevator music with a nasty christmas twist, and so much stuff you just want but don't really need. It was great, even if we couldn't find a seat for a coffee anywhere.
Douglas Coupland had this line "the Emperor's New Mall" about how malls and large internally focused buildings sit within their landscape - or without as the case may be. This isn't too intrusive - although that may be due to the angle of our approach, the softer edge of shops, and the multi level parking doing away with the acres of parking wasteland often associated with malls.
We then had a fun drive over to Porirua, for coffee and art at Pataka. More on that later.
So we ventured on to the flash new Queensgate Mall, and what a beauty she is. 2 floors of solid retail therapy, glossy finishes, designer everything, shiny pre-pubescent shop staff, the smell of consumerism, the elevator music with a nasty christmas twist, and so much stuff you just want but don't really need. It was great, even if we couldn't find a seat for a coffee anywhere.
Douglas Coupland had this line "the Emperor's New Mall" about how malls and large internally focused buildings sit within their landscape - or without as the case may be. This isn't too intrusive - although that may be due to the angle of our approach, the softer edge of shops, and the multi level parking doing away with the acres of parking wasteland often associated with malls.
We then had a fun drive over to Porirua, for coffee and art at Pataka. More on that later.
02 December 2005
Spring
I've always been a bit of a spring cleaner, which is probably why my blog has been redesigned (or rather retemplated) lately. It's been nice to see others' blogs going through similar summer season makeovers - I've noticed a couple, but pointless and absurd is the only one I can remember at the moment.
And remember kids: A clean blog = a clean conscience.
And remember kids: A clean blog = a clean conscience.
01 December 2005
I don't generally do these things, but was procrastinating this morning by trawling through a few blogs I monitor, and it was on a couple of them (you know who you are). The results are higher than I expected, but then it's summer, and things are good.
Apparently I scored abnormally high on love, so was asked to give advice on why that would then be passed on to someone who scored lowly in this area. Kind of flattering, but kind of self indulgent. Kind of fitting for a blog in some ways.
Apparently I scored abnormally high on love, so was asked to give advice on why that would then be passed on to someone who scored lowly in this area. Kind of flattering, but kind of self indulgent. Kind of fitting for a blog in some ways.
| This Is My Life, Rated | |
| Life: |  8.5 |
| Mind: |  7.8 |
| Body: | 8.8 |
| Spirit: | 8.8 |
| Friends/Family: |  5.1 |
| Love: | 9.1 |
| Finance: | 8.5 |
| Take the Rate My Life Quiz | |
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