My Life Without Me

Buzzing

2010-06-27T13:52:00.006+02:00

To set the scene:
It's the football world cup, Switzerland is taking on Chilli and, living in Switzerland, it would be rude not to show our support. Hence we sneak out of work early and eventually find a suitable place to watch the game (which is quite an achievement considering everyone else in town is trying to do the same thing). Tension is mounting, Swiss are uttering several strange words in quick succession which we can safely assume should be x-rated so the only thing left to do is order a beer and cross our fingers. SEVERAL beers later the Swiss are a tad unhappy, but we are strangely enough feeling a rather pleasant buzz. After the game we go for dinner where we continue working on said buzz with a bottle of wine (or two) and it's at this point that we set off to see a Chris Isaak concert. So, considering the buzz, a lame warm-up band and a camera at hand what were we to do....?

PS And yes - the concert was fabulous

What happens when you're not at home......?

2009-09-09T20:59:00.001+02:00

X-RATED!!!!

2009-05-01T20:21:00.004+02:00

Ok, I really thought long and hard whether this was suitable material for this here blog, but at the end of the day I couldn't resist.

So

The story goes like this. The other adorable half has a sweet tooth the likes of which I have never encountered. When we go out for dinner it is not uncommon for him to have FOUR deserts. As I have mentioned before the food in Istanbul was to die for (which would also explain why I struggled to get into my jeans for about 2 months after...), including all things sweet and delicious looking which drove the other half to near delirium with pleasure.

After another day of endless walking and frenetic picture taking on my part we were suitably famished and wandered into what appeared to be a very funky little local restaurant. We had fab grub and even though I was ready for bed the other half insisted on sampling just one desert. And that is when the fun started.

Dark Chocolate Dream was his poison of choice. The waiter came over, the other half ordered and the waiter exploded into fits of laughter. Great was our confusion, but he assured us that he was not laughing at us and after apologising profusely ran to the kitchen....rather suspiciously. We soon forgot and continued sipping our whiskey's serenely when we heard a bit of a ruckus approaching us.

There was the waiter, the other half's delectable desert aloft, approaching our table to howls of delight from the other tables. What could possibly be so funny, what could possibly make complete strangers storm your table to unashamedly take photographs of what you are about to eat you ask?

Sit down.

Grab a stiff drink for the shock.

Send the kids to their room.

Phone a friend

And get ready for this......

How to kill a snowman in 4 easy steps...

2009-04-27T20:33:00.002+02:00

So as you have probably gathered from my several groan session regarding snow and how after 7 months it is SO not cool anymore I was rather looking forward to kicking the snowman's proverbial. I just didn't realise that in Zurich they like to do thinks in a rather more spectacular fashion.

At the start of spring they have a snowman burning/exploding fest which is rather bizarre to say the least and yet another reason to bet money on something completely ridiculous. Said snowman is painstakingly built for months beforehand (shrouded in secrecy as he has been abducted once it is said...), but where the traditional would be snow-made this poor soul is made of wood, straw and several kilograms of TNT.

Once he is secure on his platform the whole thing is set alight and everyone waits with baited breath for the head to explode. I kid you not - the swiss has a dark side I was not aware of... The point being that the shorter the time for the head to explode the longer the summer. ok. erm. yes.

But apparently the theory has been proven as not so long ago it took almost a staggering half hour before poor snow man's demise and it was the most depressing summer in many a decade. So let's hope this year's 13 and a bit minutes means it's going to be a scorcher because I can do with some serious defrosting!

ISTANBUL (take 2 and still very much wordless)

2009-04-19T21:23:00.000+02:00

Wordless Wednesday: It's a Dog's life

2009-04-15T20:10:00.001+02:00

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ISTANBUL

2009-04-14T21:08:00.003+02:00

Wordless Wednesday: Kiss my Lily white.....

2009-03-04T07:40:00.001+01:00

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Wordless Wednesday: Desolation

2009-02-25T20:55:00.002+01:00

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A Whiter Shade of Pale

2009-02-22T22:28:00.000+01:00

Wordless Wednesday: ooooo now where'd I put my moisturiser.....?

2009-02-18T16:09:00.001+01:00

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White Noise

2009-02-14T17:16:00.003+01:00

Even though this is the other half this has been me the last two weeks. In the doldrums. Lots of reasons I won't bore you with as I am now thoutoughly bored with myself (and a bit with snow).

Don't get me wrong - I LOVE snow. But there's snow and there's snoooooooooow. In one afternoon now I've been watching poor piggy being buried in 20cm of it so I cant even use him/her as a model! Now technically my subjects for pictures have not really been wiped out by a blanket of snow, but instead I have a whole new world to play with. Only problem is it's freezing with a very long e. And not having watertight shoes does not really help matters along either. So I spent much of today forlornly glued to the window spying all sorts of fantastic pictures to be had if only I could muster up the courage to venture into Siberia.

So tomorrow I might just do the unthinkable and not only venture myself, but force the other half to venture with (kicking and screaming no doubt...)

Pink Porkers

2009-02-03T20:58:00.003+01:00

mmmmmm, so cameraclub was mmmmmmm. Not ONE word was said about my pics. Nothing, Nada, Niks. But I'm all over it so moving swiftly along.

It's month end AGAIN. I can no longer envisage a life without month end. Man, what it must be like to be able to book holidays during the first week of a month. To not get cold shivers, heart palpitations and a slightly gaga expression whenever the last day of the month approaches. It must be rather dull.

So my lovely, talented, but way to far away sister has the blues. Don't think it's the dark blue bordering on black blues, but it's enough for me to think that some cheering up is called for. And after trawling through my libraries trying to find a suitably laughable pic of myself I decided these would most def put a smile on your face even if it doesn't make you fall on the floor in fits of laughter.

We are off skiing this weekend as early celebration of the other half's imminent birthday so I will endeavor to try and capture myself doing something suitably stupid if not downright ridiculous.

So schwester, every silver lining has a cloud, but luckily then the sun comes out and burns the living daylights out of it. Here's some pigs and now I'm going to go and have a glass of wine on you.

Wordless Wednesday: Canned

2009-01-28T21:07:00.003+01:00

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Camera Club Aggression

2009-01-26T21:51:00.003+01:00

Ok. This time I'm doing it the other way round. It normally works like this:

1) I submit 2 measly pics to monthly photography club full of bravado and the hope that this time round they would not be shot down before even taking off
2) I go to club meeting and listen in despair at how they absolutely did not get what I was trying to do
3) I go home and whilst drinking half a bottle of vodka bemoan my lot in life on blog and with other half
4) Decide pics were horrid and vow never to look at them again and refuse to put them on blog

So today it's working like this:
1) Post entries for monthly camera club on blog PRIOR to poxy meeting
2) Go to meeting with big "WHATEVA" expression
3) Come home and drink wine with other half while perusing other people's lovely blogs

These were taken in the most beautiful Etosha reserve in the ever fantastic Namibia.

Footloose and fancy free

ARE WE HAVING FUN YET?????

2009-01-25T19:35:00.003+01:00

It is Sunday, again, already. I'm bored with seven days now. I vote we introduce a new day to brighten up the week. The seven we have is getting a bit drab and overworked. Just not sure what to call it.

Mon
Tues
Wed
Thurs
Frid
Sat
Sun

Looking at that lot I don't see much of a pattern except for Sat which could possibly be derived from Saturn which would tie in with the Sun so we could make it Moonday, but that sounds too much like Monday.

Random as always. Other half is at work and left to my own devices on a Sunday evening I tend to go loopy. I think it's symptomatic of a combination of flu-drugs, being cooped up in the flat all weekend, serious lack of intelligent life forms (not that I would necessarily qualify for that category right now), nothing but white when you look out the window and particularly bad TV.

So here's a shoe. Hope it fits.

It's the small things in life...

2009-01-24T19:06:00.002+01:00

Apparently this vicious man-flu is not gender biased and must have decided that I didn't have sufficient sympathy for the other half as it jumped ship and invaded me instead. It is now day 3 and I have almost regained the use of my taste buds in which case I might also be able to taste that the tomato sauce is off before liberally applying it to other half's pasta.

My sister's latest post about Emma was enough to make me crawl even deeper under the covers with depression, but this just reminded me that I have a pile of washing once I summon up the energy to take the sheets off so decided to blog instead. When we went to visit them over Dec almost 90% of our luggage allowance was taken up by presents for far and wide with the biggest for Emma (Joubert had that privilege the last visit), but may I ask why we bother when hanging your shirt in a tree and bashing it down with a stick (and the help of grandpa) repeatedly is the most fun I saw her have all holiday? Although I daresay should I arrive next time with a shirt and stick wrapped up she might not be jumping for joy.

Wordless Wednesday: Computer says NO

2009-01-21T19:36:00.000+01:00

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Manflu and Namibia - all in a day's work

2009-01-19T22:00:00.002+01:00

Well, been back at work for two and half weeks now and just booked the next holiday. Feel better already.

The other half is lying on the couch trying very hard not to die - not sure if it's the man-flu or some other equally life threatening affliction, but I do feel sorry for the poor thing. He very seldom gets sick and when he does teeter on the verge of death like this he does look very cute in a drugged up sort of way. But I have to admit that I myself almost perished while in Namibia as my stomach decided that it and it's contents were no longer content with me as host. This slight disagreement lasted till about 4am and I daresay other half was prize winningly patient. So all is fair.

This then are a couple of shots from Namibia which knocked my socks of (Namibia that is and not my pictures). I've only ever been to Windhoek before which is rather dire and not particularly awe inspiring and I was so not interested in seeing the rest. MY was I wrong. The place is SPECTACULAR. I could not believe how diverse, how incredible, how indescribably beautiful the place is. This will never do it justice, but it's a couple of my favorites until I have more time once the patient is out of ICU.

The B is back

2009-01-18T18:23:00.004+01:00

Well, it certainly has been a while but before I start making excuses lets just say I needed a break and leave it at that. It's a new year and all so not being one to make new years resolutions (partly because I struggle to remember them once the champagne wears off) I have promised myself to spend more time doing what I love this year.

This is not a hugely extensive list and most things I love I already do in excess (such as eating pasta, sleeping late and trying to keep the wine rack topped up), but I had been neglecting my happy snapping terribly of late so I'm thinking nine is my lucky number.

I spent close to 4 glorious weeks in Namibia and then SA with family and that has left me with with ample supply of fodder for the foreseeable future but also inevitably the blues as I would have loved nothing more than to have that silly plane fly back without me.

So without further ado these are pics of my cousin. Odd choice for the new year you might be thinking but let me explain:

a) she got married yesterday in SA
b) she and her now husband had a reception in Oxford, UK last weekend
c) she has been very much on my mind as I wish I could have been there with the rest of the fandamily

Kinda makes sense... Anyhows, me attempting to capture a nervous, fiddly bride was the most petrifying thing I have done this year and gave me new respect for wedding photographers. Thank goodness my other half was able to nip out and get some bubbly else I never would have gotten rid of the shakes and considerably more of my photographs might have been outrageously blurred.

This then is a selection of my favorites and maybe an early indication that wedding photography is not my true calling.

Glad to be back and happy new year to all and sundry

Me Mate

2008-11-10T21:04:00.002+01:00

This weekend I went to London to visit one of my oldest and dearest friends. We have been through many an up, a down and a hangover together. She got married early last year and is now just over 3 months with her first purple one (we don't know if it's pink or blue hence we have to settle for purple) and it gave me such a kick to see her so happy.

It's at times like this that I realise why it makes sense to stop worrying about the little things and just live life whichever way it attacks you. So this obviously are 2 pics I took of her while she was beautifying herself before the wedding.

A Room With A View

2008-11-03T22:53:00.003+01:00

So this was the view out of our bedroom window Wednesday last week. Huge was our excitement and scramble to try and sort out snowboards, ski's and other torturous apparatus but alas, today we are back to green. Not that I'm complaining as we probably won't see green for many months, but the first snow of the season always gives me such a thrill. And there's nothing quite as nice as waking up and hearing the quiet, because there's no quiet such as the one that covers a landscape being duvet'd by several layers of softly falling snow.

So tonight I will not be doing the rain dance or the break dance, but instead I'll be running around outside in the probably close to zero temperatures, duly fortified with some wine dance trying to coax some random white flakes from the depressingly cloudless sky.

Green Fingers

2008-11-02T22:35:00.002+01:00

To be honest plants and animals aren't exactly my forte, but today I was dragged to our local botanical gardens so what is a girl to do but make the most of an otherwise dull afternoon?

I was feeling a tad apprehensive entering as just yesterday I threw out my latest attempt at household planting, but was much releived when I found Audrey II was not in attendance.

I was well pleased with the results considering it only took me about 487 shots to get these, but I am still not a converted botanist. However I made the afternoon without inadvertently committing mass plant murder so there's hope for me yet.

Proving a Point

2008-11-01T19:51:00.002+01:00

I think my last post inadvertently rekindled my lazy other half and I had no choice, but to submit to my slovenly self and shirk all blogging guilt.

I can also argue that I was practicing for December when I will probably be off-line for about 3 weeks due to holidays and had to test whether I would suffer separation anxiety.

The ongoing banking crisis also has to be given it's due for it's part although the other half seems to think we are in the pound position as all we have to lose is the delight of paying off our credit card.

But if I have to be honest it probably boils down to the other half recently starting a part-time job which has wreaked havoc on my carefully cultivated weekly schedule. I am a creature of habit and do not entertain change without a fair amount of huffing and puffing, but this was not a change, it was a historic upheaval the sorts of which I had not experienced since 2004 when "Sideways" was released and very publicly ridiculed my plonk of choice: merlot.

All excuses aside I was threatened with imminent blog closure by my dear sister if things did not happen pretty smartly so here I am. In the pub trying to coax merlot out of the corner.

Photohunt no 131: Lazy

2008-10-11T17:16:00.001+02:00

PhotoHunt

Smokin

2008-10-07T21:26:00.002+02:00

Being a bean-counter my life consists of month-ends, quarter-ends and the dreaded year-end. The past week or so I had a double whammy: month-end AND quarter-end. So please excuse the lack of new and exciting fodder on this here blog, but at this point it's a miracle that I'm not locked in a padded room let alone able to harass the poor other half yet again.

Keeping my day-job

2008-10-06T22:51:00.001+02:00

this is me
hiding in a tree

why? do you ask
your question a task

because the sky is bright blue
and I don't like that particular hue

so leave me alone
I'm hurricane prone

Photohunt no 130: Sad

2008-10-04T22:54:00.002+02:00

Very apt. Home alone. Fresh out of comfort food. Cant master the stupid central heating system so sitting in a home-made sauna. And a week-long bout of insomnia.

Sad-R-Us

PhotoHunt

Wordless Wednesday: Stolen Time

2008-10-01T20:15:00.002+02:00

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Some days I sit and think. Other days I just sit.

2008-09-30T22:00:00.002+02:00

Monday Washday

2008-09-29T12:05:00.002+02:00

Need I say more?

To hardware or not to hardware, that is the dilemma

2008-09-28T11:53:00.002+02:00

We have been in our flat for almost 1 year now. My printer is still precariously perched on the last remaining (and still unpacked) box from our epic move. It is not the most stylish piece of furnishing I have ever entertained in my lounge.

So yesterday (on the holy sleep late Saturday) I convinced the other half that it's the perfect day to go wood shopping. This due to the fact that the other half is exceptionally handy when it comes to building/fixing/over-complicating things and I have not been allowed to buy myself a much needed little table as he wants to build me one. Hence my sudden insistence yesterday when I set sight yet again on the hideousness that is my "table" that we go not tomorrow, not next week, but NOW.

This was a very VERY bad idea (note to self to learn to love hideous temporary furniture). I'm not sure how I managed to forget, but somewhere along they way I conveniently blocked past excruciating experiences from memory. Other half is like kid on a glucose drip in Disneyland when exposed to any form of hardware/DIY/hobby shop. I created a monster.

We were simply buying wood for a small little printer table. That is it. How long would a reasonable person expect to take to complete such a silly little task? 10min? 20min? maybe half an hour if you're a bit indecisive about the exact shade of pine?

It took us 3 hours. Who knew paint guns could be so enthralling, paint stripper so intriguing, rotors (no, I have no idea what that is even after other half waxed lyrical about it f) so mesmerising? I eventually hauled a 5l paint can off the shelf and fashioned myself a little bench as the memories suddenly came flooding back of endless waits in hardware stores.

But I daresay we now have wood and glue (I will have you know that you NEVER hammer when you can glue and screw....erm, ok then) aplenty. All I need now is for other half to assemble said table instead of spending the day on couch with book.

But this here is the picture that won he "open" category in my camera club as mentioned on Thursday's blog (I think), but I would like to reiterate that there was a much worthier winner (out of the 6 entries), as this picture I have many faults with starting with the ridiculous piece of green leaf in the corner...

Photohunt no 129: View

2008-09-27T18:09:00.003+02:00

This was taken in the South of France just outside of Monaco and is one of my most favourite views for many reasons.

We flew into Nice without much of a plan expect a rental car, several maps (Nick is an utter map addict) and six days to fill. It was epic. We ate, we drank, we slept in a "broom closet" (the room was described as such by the hotel staff as we went to St Tropez which was completely booked out everywhere, but as we both fell in love with the place we simply had to spend the night and this was the only hole that was left) and somewhere along the way to Paris we fell in love all over again.

I remember drinking whisky in the hotel bar till 4 in the morning, I remember eating a heap of muscles so large I could barely see over it, I remember trying to order McDonalds in French, but most of all I remember being the happiest I had been in many years.

Not like me to get sentimental, but every now and then you have to give thanks where it's due.

So I'd like to say: Nick, jy is my hart se punt. (Apologies, but too much gets lost in translation)

PhotoHunt

Pumpkin Patch

2008-09-25T20:03:00.003+02:00

So against all the odds my mini pumpkins have survived the week without being turned into soup. Decided that even though they look adorable they are much harder to capture on camera. So after wrestling with the orange brigade for the better part of an afternoon this is the best I could come up with.

And then we had monthly camera club meeting on Tuesday and one of my pictures in the "open category" won (bearing in mind that there were only 6 entries it's not the world's biggest achievement especially as there was a stunner entered which most def should have won by a mile). Where was I....oh ja, then I get home and share the surprising news with the other half. His response?

"You won with THAT picture?" (horrified expression on face)

Had I not shared his sentiments I would have been able to post some pics of two black eyes tomorrow and the most certainly would not have been mine...

Wordless Wednesday: I WANT TO BREAK FREE-E

2008-09-24T07:29:00.003+02:00

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Of all the things I've lost I miss my mind the most

2008-09-22T22:30:00.004+02:00

If only I had some marbles to start with I can now say with quiet confidence that I lost them all.

If I had been a slightly demented pig farmer I could say I lost all my little piggies.

If I happened to be some very poor and unsuccessful scriptwriter living of McDonalds in LA I could say I lost the plot.

Alas, all I could find to loose were some corn kernels.

I'm not insane, I'm just hormonally challenged. VERY challenged

Sunday blues, reds, yellows...

2008-09-21T20:54:00.002+02:00

What do you do when it's Sunday, it's cold, you're bored and your other half prefers fly-tying to entertaining you? You drive him insane with your camera until he admits defeat!

Easier said than done as I had no idea fly-tying could be quite as engrossing a hobby. Something about small things and small minds? Anyway. After I had rearranged all his fly-tying tools the final straw proved to be when I was cheeky enough to jam my camera in front of his latest fly-in-the-making.

At least I got some attention, but this rude intrusion only reminded him that he was in desperate need of some nicotine (yes, the reformed smoker has relapsed rather spectacularly) and promptly ran off to find some solitude on the freezing balcony.

Never one to give up I followed him out to the balcony to his utter dismay. He for one will be very happy when Monday rolls around and I have to go back to work and get out of his hair.

Photohunt no 128: Road

2008-09-20T17:37:00.002+02:00

The road to winter is paved with many a pumpkin here in Switzerland. I have never before been exposed to such an explosion of pumpkin colour and it almost makes me dread winter less.

But what is even more interesting is that they grow special little miniature pumpkins purely for decoration. Of course I couldn't resist even though they cost a small fortune and arrived home with a small arsenal of weirdly deformed baby pumpkins. Unfortunately I'm not sure I've convinced the resident chef yet that they are NOT ideal for pumpkin soup...

So I daresay this week might feature more than one pumpkin installment.

PhotoHunt

Photostory Friday: Piggy Snead

2008-09-12T07:16:00.000+02:00

This here is the story of Piggy Snead, the traveling pig. He mysteriously found his way into our garden when we were living in London and we spend many a night trying to piece together the past of this enigmatic pig.

Over the months watching Piggy sitting outside our house patiently awaiting our return from work everyday we grew rather attached to the poor little fellow. So attached in fact that when the removal truck came for our big move to Switzerland he was carefully wrapped in bubble wrap and got his very own comfy box.

So now Piggy Snead currently resides in our mini garden almost on the Swiss Alps and I can almost swear that I spotted him on the ski slopes last winter...

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

2008-09-11T21:41:00.000+02:00

Oh well if all else fails there's always food (yes, we're back on the subject YET again). Just spend about an hour on the phone with my parents catching up on all the gossip while Nick was lying on the couch gorging himself on chocolate.

This, combined with my determination to not have any myself (having had more than enough cheese already) of course got me on the subject of food and Thursday is kinda a be-nice-to-yourself day. You've ALMOST made it all the way through a whole week so surely deserve a bit of pampering? And no, work really is not that bad, but my bed is just soooo good.

And I'm taking note from my sister who keeps telling me that when (IF) I have kids one day all my late lazy Saturdays will be but a distant, albeit fond, memory. So I'm packing them in while I can, but Saturdays take oh so long to come around.

But in the meantime there's always food...

Wordless Wednesday: Here's looking at you kid

2008-09-10T18:47:00.000+02:00

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Winter Woolies

2008-09-09T19:26:00.000+02:00

As much as I hate to admit it, Winter is slowly but surely creeping up on us. I'm still in denial so refuse to wear a sensible Autumn jacket to work and instead stand shivering every morning while waiting for the bus and promising myself that tomorrow I'll maybe not be so stupid again.

Combined with this pending gloom I was only just yesterday thinking that I had not been sick for ages when today I woke up with a decidedly dodgy throat which only got progressively worse.

So in keeping with the blue-ish theme I started yesterday (even though it had an orange lining) I thought I'd stick with it, but give it a chilly twist.

And whoever developed Lemsip should be made to drink a double dose every other day until they admit that it is the vilest concoction since grappa!

Monday and life is just peachy....

2008-09-08T19:30:00.000+02:00

apart from missing the adorable Emma's second birthday (and first come to think of it...) and being RIDICULOUSLY tired having been away for the weekend (hence the blogging strike) life is grand.

I have a glass of wine in hand.
I have my other half in the kitchen cooking up a storm
and last but not least I have the couch within crawling distance

What more could one want except of course calorie-less cheese?

Say Cheese!

2008-09-04T20:57:00.000+02:00

This here is my nemesism, my best friend, my worst nightmare and my complete adiction.

CHEESE

I have steadily been growing sideways over the last year or so and have been a right grumpy cow of late not being able to shake the excess baggage, but also not really prepared to get back to doing any sort of serious exercise.

This might be due to the fact that my mates roped me into running the London marathon about 2 years ago. Finish I did (5 hours and 20 minutes later), but crawling was very much me for the next week. So after this less enjoyable experience my body has taken control and refused all forms of calorie burning save running for the bus.

This unfortunately left me realizing my only way forward is food, or rather lack thereof. This sounds easy as pie except for one small thing, CHEESE. I cant resist the lure of the big yellow monster and yet again tonight indulged in far more than is required for a mere garnish. Having read somewhere that acceptance is the first step to recovery can I please say this:

Hi, I'm BlouKous and I'm a cheese-aholic!

Wordless Wednesday: Ash Wednesday

2008-09-03T19:57:00.000+02:00

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MY HERO

2008-09-02T21:00:00.000+02:00

This little chappy is my hero of the week. Being rather far from home I generally see my family only once a year which is especially hard with my sister's kids growing so fast. Every time I see them they seem to have double in size! This understandably gives rise to bouts of severe homesickness which gives me carte blanche to wallow in self pity and indulge in more than my allowed quota of wine. This funnily enough seems to coincide with the female hormonal cycle making me more susceptible than normal.

This happened to be one of those weeks and I was fretting away about the fact that my sisters kids wont even know their weird aunt the next time she shows up to harass them with her camera. So when I phoned her today to see whether she likes her copy of Elbow's "Seldom seen Kid" (yes, me shamelessly promoting again, but this band is simply too fabulous to remain obscure)and her son answered the phone I proceeded to drill him with hundreds of ridiculous questions without telling him who I was seeing as I firmly believed he would have no idea. GREAT was my pleasure when he asked me to hold on and hollered to his mom that her sister was on the phone.

The smile on my face stretched from cheek to cheek that this adorable creature knew who I was so today and for the rest of the week he is without a doubt my most delicious hero. I took this pic of him about 2 years ago, but it's one of my favorites as you can see the mischief dancing in his eyes with a smile that will melt anyones heart.

This is for the birds and I cant fly...

2008-09-01T20:24:00.000+02:00

At my monthly photography club meeting last week we had a quick presentation on back lighting and I was so inspired I could hardly sleep. I had so many brilliant ideas churning away it was all I could do to stop myself from waking Nick and making him play midnight model.

Woke up less energetic next morning, but still packed camera full of ideas for post work playing as the day before the light in the station coming home was positively angelic. So there I was, ipod firmly plugged in to drown out anyone shouting at me trying my hand at backlighting. I must have walked at least 10km up and down those silly platforms and scared at least 9 weird tourists, but alas, failure.

This was the best of the lot which as you can see leaves a lot to be desired. A far cry from what I had in mind and almost went straight into the bin had I not been so sentimental about my seriously sad photographs.

Sunday bloody Sunday

2008-08-31T11:06:00.001+02:00

Ok, this is stressing me out now. This blog is MINE not so? Then why do I feel this mountain of pressure on me if I don't have another award winning (yes I have a slightly warped imagination) photo waiting in the wings to make it's grand entrance? So even though I technically had Thursday off being out and about and shirking me blogging duties I decided Sunday is just random day. Whatever happens, happens.

Today nothing of historical notability has occurred yet save me spending most of the morning in bed finishing my book and switching on the dishwasher (wanted more coffee but aoh (adorable other half for those of you not familiar with the lingo) pointed out the rather distressing fact that we are fresh out of clean coffee cups). I suspect part of the book finishing marathon was a weak attempt on my behalf to avoid impending blogging duties. Was MUCH relieved as I had just about resigned myself to imprisonment under duvet all day when it dawned on me that I am, contrary to popular belief, the ruler of this here space.

So as ruler I declare today list day, but unlike other dull and overcomplicated kingdoms, in this here place lists are not to-dos, they are not-to-dos.

So here's my not-to-do list for today:
1) Don't do poxy tax return (whoever came up with that ludicrous idea anyway?)
2) Don't water plants as I'll forget again sooner or later so why postpone their impending death.
3) Don't attempt to restore order to war-ravaged flat as there's surely another war to be fought today, if not on the couch then most certainly in the kitchen where a soon-to-be-roasted chicken is awaiting its fate next to a bowl of suspicious looking red juice which was supposed to have been turned into jam many weeks ago (aoh's attempt at impersonating Nigella Lawson)
4) Don't start dreaded task of saving all photographs onto disc even though long suffering hard drive has been on life support for several months now.

It's amazing how cathartic that job was. I feel liberated. All I need to do now is convince aoh that drinking your first glass of wine at 11 in the morning is not a sure sign of alcoholism. Alas, just as I was feeling better about life in general the sun has decided to follow suit and also take the day off. This is particularly distressing as convincing oah to take a dip in the lake is about as easy as catching mosquitoes in the dead of the night (which I failed at miserably again last night and might explain the horn growing on my forehead), but as the sun was at it's best behavior this morning he agreed to a quick one late afternoon. Even more reason to indulge in pre-decent-hour-to-have-tipple glass of vino.

On that note do yourself a favor and invest in a copy of Elbow's CD: The Seldom Seen Kid. I was just as dubious as you undoubtedly are now, but it only took 2 songs to convert me. Sent a copy to my sister, but as she probably hasn't received it yet being subjected to the incredibly efficient system with is the South African Postal Service she cant back me up just yet so just take the plunge and thank me later.

Now the question is just do I feel like white or red???

Photohunt no 125: Beautiful

2008-08-30T15:29:00.000+02:00

So how exactly does this qualify as being beautiful? Please permit me to explain. My most lovable other half has been smoking ever since he thought he was an adult without so much as a thought to the consequences being invincible and all...

This was until he met me and I politely objected to the fact the he had monstrous coughing fits most mornings, but being a social smoker myself I did not have much of a foot to stand on in terms of demanding an immediate halt to all things that had to be set on fire before they were of any use or relief.

So yes, it has been an uphill battle, but after finding some miracle drug which helps you quit he has been "clean" for almost 4 months. So this brings me back to my picture:

Isn't is just BEAUTIFUL that after giving up smoking for four whole months there he sits in the garden today smoking a cigar of all things???

PhotoHunt

Photostory Friday: The Painter

2008-08-29T21:14:00.001+02:00

The painter is a series I did last year when I shadowed some workers renovating a house. I actually meant to document my friend who was the plastered, but was so taken by this painter who was the loveliest chap. However he had a livid red birthmark on one half of his face which made him quite camera shy and I couldn't help but try and capture him the way I saw him without drawing attention to the one feature most people wont be able to see beyond.

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Wordless Wednesday courtesy of the frequently abused model

2008-08-27T20:45:00.000+02:00

Go here for more Wordless Wednesday participants.

Airport Boredom

2008-08-26T20:07:00.001+02:00

My journey to work starts with me taking the bus down the hill which connects with a train to the airport and then another quick bus from there to work. Being Swiss they are ever efficient and everything is timed down to the last second. So much so that if your train is 30 seconds late you will miss your connecting bus. Having Lazy as my middle name it is against my nature to run for the bus with the result that I happen to miss the bus on the odd occasion and have to hang around the airport trying desperately not to buy a last minute ticket to Timbuktu and going awol.

As you can guess it was one of those mornings, but at least I had plenty of fodder to feed the camera and keep myself happy. Almost too happy though as I almost missed the next bus as well!

So here is my attempt to capture the going ons in an airport on a slow Tuesday morning.

Newspaper man was particularly annoyed with me and kept giving me the evil eye. Finally I worked up the courage to surreptitiously aim the camera in his direction thinking he's far too engrossed in the news to notice me, but at the very last second he looked up and I made a very hasty exit trying to hide my ferocious blushing. Mental note to take zoom lens next time...

Lazy Sunday Hangover Monday

2008-08-25T19:36:00.001+02:00

I've done it again - succumbed to a marathon Sunday afternoon snooze session. The result? A very sleepless Sunday night and a VERY tired Monday. So having barely dragged myself through the day the mere idea of picking up a camera was enough to make me pour myself another whiskey. So hiding behind the excuse that I'm still technically "warming up" I thought I'd post some more oldies although, seeing as they're only 2 weeks old, they qualify as "almost matured".

Once a year in Zurich they have a street parade which is part an attempt to increase the deaf in town and part an opportunity for the weird and wonderful to creep out from under their various rocks. Having armed myself with an ample supply of ear-plugs to combat the awe-inspiring rave/techno/house music being blasted from every direction I went forth and tried to keep my jaw from dragging on the pavement with amazement. So this is my 6 favourites in no particular order although I do love the one of the scantily clad lady with about every man in the frame looking at her lovely.....boots?

Right, now I'm off to the couch for some much needed potatoing.

a Blog is Born!

2008-08-24T11:37:00.000+02:00

I have been promising my sister for weeks now that I will follow in her footsteps (although my feet are much bigger and clumsier) and start this blog so finally, after 7 weeks of relatives, friends and imprompto parties, we have the flat to ourselves and I have a whole lazy Sunday to try and conquer my fear of all things PC related. So to ease my way into it I thought I might start by posting some of my favourite pictures.

"The Sleeper" is of my other half. He used to manage a restaurant and in the process tried to work himself to death. I have never met anyone who can sleep like the dead and look so utterly content doing it. Terrible quality, but it's the complete bliss of it that I love.

I can live without many things, but take away my books and I will be lost. This one was at a market in London, but I only just barely restrained myself from buying the lot.

The very sheepish sheep speaks for himself. If you had gangs in the sheep world he would definitely be the most fearless ringleader...

The shoes I just like. Full stop.

And the last two are my all time favourite models: my sister's adorable kids. I think they're going to start dreading my visits soon as I hardly kiss them before I pull out my camera to start hounding them day in and out, but with faces like that who can resist?

Hopefully I'll be able to do the daily thing, but unfortunately laziness is one of the qualities I have buffed and shined to perfection over the years, but there's no harm in trying!