Friday: A productive day, even if it didn’t get done what I really wanted to do. I’m finding it frustrating some days just having general life stuff to do which can take up so much time and leave little to no time for photography. I need to prioritise better, but I have to do my exercises, and I have to get to the PO when I need to post things and I have to do the running around that Centrelink keeps demanding (don’t even go there for the latest stuff-up on their part which wasted a whole morning for me). Really, at the moment the thing that I find myself cutting back on is socialising. (I know my housemates may not believe this!) So many people I want to catch up with, but so many things I need and want to get happening in my life at the same time. I’m in the process of creating the routine and lifestyle I want. There’s just not enough time for everything and I have to keep bringing myself back to what’s most important in my life right now: knee rehab, photography, zen_cat and Ophelia. This is where the majority of my time is spent, with work, general life stuff and group socialising taking up the rest.
Anyhoo, this is off-track. The physio was very happy with my hamstring progress. I can now do resistance exercises. I still have to be careful and not overdo it – as the physio says, the last thing you want now is to get tendonitis in your hammy, which could happen if you push too hard. So still gently does it.
Friday night was Nick’s birthday. Good company, a chance to get to know some people better. It is always interesting to meet people in different circumstances and with different people. I’ve known two of zen_cat‘s friends for a while – one used to come and stay at our house many years ago – but I saw much more of his personality in one evening of meeting him with zen_cat, than in all the times previously. Unfortunately the food at the restaurant was pretty bad and the banquet somewhat skimpier than the menu suggested – apparently *everything* is better covered in salt, and people don’t actually need plates if they have bread’n’butter plates. We elected to go home rather than kick on to the pub – an early start for the next day was scheduled.
Saturday: Up very early – though still a sleep-in compared to weekdays! – in order to take a walk before getting in the car and heading down to Smythesdale to see my godmother, Joy. We arrived in Ballarat earlier than I calculated, so we meandered around and took a look at Lake Wendouree, which is not so much of a lake anymore as a marshland reminiscent of Scotland landscape, or so zen_cat assures me. (Having never been there myself, I can’t really say, although it fits with my imagination of Scottish landscape.)
We spent a lovely day at Joy’s – staying for both lunch and dinner, as she had thought we were staying the night. Usually I do go up for a night at least, so her assumption was not far wrong. I find I relax so much there that I rarely feel like driving back the same day. However zen_cat had much driving to do on Sunday as well, so tempting as it was, we took a raincheck and will stay the next time.
She asked if I was going to enter her poetry competition this year. Bolt out of blue. We’ll see – I haven’t written anything in years and it’s not something I’ve ever felt completely confident in, despite her constant encouragement. She sponsers a poetry competition every year. anachronoclast, I think you should enter 🙂 The theme this year is “When all the juices flow”
Sunday: A relaxed morning with lots of D&D discussion going on between zen_cat, evil_hamster and teknohippi. Shortly after zen_cat left for his work function, I too left for work – the last day of the labs being open on weekends. Anna joined me for lunch again and completely baffled my mind with talk of her current assignment. I love how different our minds are – it can be like stepping into a different reality listening to her work stuff – so far away from anything I do or experience.
A quick cuppa on the way home with kitling, then much geeking with zen_cat, evil_hamster, teknohippi, arienmir and non_lj_mark. Despite my fairly steadfast aversion to getting involved in ongoing games, I have found myself intrigued and suckered into this one. Largely due to loving evil_hamster‘s GMing – the one ongoing game I’ve always regretted not continuing was one of his. Now it seems like a great group as well so I’m kinda excited by it. Still, last night was a little bit intimidating. With the cons it doesn’t matter so much that I know bugger-all of gaming systems and rules, but it really comes out and makes me wonder what I’m doing there when sitting down to character create. Very happily zen_cat offered to work out all my stats for me, and the way evil_hamster organised the character creation evening, everyone was able to pitch in ideas for the background story and flesh out my character better than I could. There is good reason why I like playing characters which other people have written!
This week I have three and a half days of work at uni, and one day of work at Mum’s. The half day that I don’t have official work, I have centrelink stuff to do – so essentially a full week of work. Also going to see Miss Saigon with Mum on Wednesday. A very nice mid-week interlude 🙂
Now, for work and study.
Ooh! Ooh!
What brand of D&D are you playing? I’d love to see what the devious brain of evil_hamster would do to the old fantasy cliche!
And I’m glad you are getting your life in order 🙂
Spelljammer!
Dunno if he’s doing 3rd ed or not – from what I see he tends to play around with the system a bit so really it’s an Adam system game, based where convenient on set systems 😉
I was thinking of you when we were setting up the group and thinking you’d enjoy this. Maybe you can join when you move here!
Awesome! I love the idea of Spelljammer, though I’ve only ever skirted the edges of it in games. The best games are homebrew, though.
I’d love to join! Especially with such a brilliant line-up of players! I’ll have to buy Adam lots of sugary things whenever I’m over 😛
And it’s wonderful to see your photography taking off again. I haven’t gotten round to commenting on individual posts but your work just keeps getting better, and your eye for interesting and provocative shots is astounding.
thank you for your comments. I’ve actually been feeling pretty haphazard with my photos and thinking they reflect that. If anything, I’ve thought my photos have gone downhill recently – but then it is rare for me to see what it is that others see. It is the continual comments and encouragement from people like you which helps me keep believing that it is worth me pursuing this road and not leaving it to other photographers who surely are better than me!
(((hugs)))
Well…it’s like cooking. The cook always knows the shortcuts, weird ingredients and mistakes that went into the food, but the eater only appreciates the meal that’s put in front of them.
You see haphazard, I see spontaneous and opportunistic. You catch things at an angle that very strongly suggests the human perspective rather than the staged, level and controlled artifice of a prepared shot. That’s what makes your work special; it’s like your showing us from your own eye, and that is a great talent to have in photography.
Reminds me (somewhat sideways) of a quote from Bladerunner. Where Roy is speaking to the Eye merchant;
“If only you could see the things I’ve seen with your eyes…”
*love n hugs*