Crouching Planet, Hidden Moon

I've been experimenting with Flickr and Picasa. Trying to get them to play nice together. I've been trying to use Picasa's email function to send photos to Flickr's "blog this" address, so that the photos will be shown here. I got it to work with the last post...from my phone, but not from here. Three times I've tried, three times I have no new post.
So here it is.
ast night we enjoyed standing outside in the cold (suitably attired in winter jackets) waiting for the moon to peek out from the complete obscuration of the clouds. After around 20 minutes of frustratingly small hints, we were treated to a clear sky.
I took photos.
My photos aren't great, or in focus, but we have had a good first year in our house for astronomical events. As with the comet, we were blessed with the best vantage point and invited the neighbours around to stand near the precarious edge of the watertank, in the dark, and watch the moon slip fulling into the Earth's penumbra and turn blood red. Or orange if you feel the need for truthful descriptions.


hosted on Flickr.

Mexican candle dude

Mexican candle dude, originally uploaded by Luck Monkey.

It's important to keep them facing north.

Pause for effect

Okay, I admit we've hit a little snag in motivation. Considering the most common theme that I've talked about in the past is not having enough time, it should be little surprise that little things have been taking up precisely the amount of time that I would previously slack off, then type up a post.
Also, I've been spoiled for choice as to where to spend my free time. Here's a list to illustrate that. (For homework, sort the list according to likelihood of completion. For extra points; Build a tree indicating what items are used to procrastinate when I should be doing others. For a Masters thesis, use an hueristical method to complete an A* tree and solve my procrastination problem)

• GGPO (or FinalBurn until I can get supers out)
• Hex-a-Hop (Thank you Mr Kagato)
• Forbidden Siren 2
• Information Systems Technology studies
• Catching up on work
• Traveling for work
• Traveling for not-work (posts, panoramas, diaries, video all in production)
• Metal Gear Solid 3 - Snake Eater (or MGS3-Talk to the Hand. For hours)
• Cleaning
• Sorting Paperwork
• Organising Garage
• Organising Study
• Working on the Garden
• Working on the paths
• Working on the retaining
• Paying money for other people to do stuff
• Calling people we've paid money to do stuff and getting them to do the stuff they should have.
• F.E.A.R (I have now finished Doom 3)
• Read Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows (Actually, done.)
• Try and remember what books Steve wanted me to read
• Write (Five stories to choose from)
• Program
• Do artwork
• Watch Card Captor Sakura
• Catch up on sleep.

The last one is where I'll go now. Ironically, I made sure I had an early night, only to wake and play FEAR until 0230.

Photo from our recent photos.

I’m the D-E, I’m the D-E-V-I-L

I have done something rather evil. Or rather, EEEEEEVIL!
I purchased Microsoft office. I found a deal where students (like ME) can buy Office 2007 Ultimate for $75. Sweeet.
Okay, enough advertisements. Congratulations TOM and ERIN. You guys win. For those not in the know, baby number 2, EVELYN, has been added to their household. They reach level 6.
Hugh is returning to the sunny shores of Australia after spending a number of years on the gloomy country of Sydney. We will hold a welcome do, when I am back home. Hopefully this financial year. Hopefully before we go away for a holiday.
We have been busy. Busy doing nothing but taking photos of sunsets and watching Densha Otoko. Perhaps, after this, I’ll watch it again from the beginning.:D
NEWSBREAK: Spam sues Spam filtering company. Awesome.
Also See sunset?
Is Niiice.
Alsoalso, Felicity says, ‘Hi y’all.’

=_=

This isn't a post. This is a link to sunset photos. Tonight's sunset.

Clouds

News on our coming Trip to Japan to follow.

Tonari no Comet

Hi everyone. I'm sure Felicity will start writing blog entries again when we get the house cleaned. In the meantime, I just had to post tonights photos.

Comet McNaught

JP gave us a call to ask if we've noticed the comet, and expecting the slightest hint of a comet peeking over the horizon, I went outside for a look. What I saw nearly floored me. On this crystal clear night the comet was stunningly visible above the trees with a tail trailing over a full 30degree arc of the sky. A glowing wispy cloud of a size that beggars the imagination.
We called around and told the neighbours and eventually had quite a congregation of stargazers milling around the top of the driveway, while I struggled to find the comet at full zoom. (I didn't, but I plenty happy with the wide angle shots)

Sainto Babari Dori no Stain

The cake was a rampaging success, but the recipe will follow when we can get back into the house. I'd post a photo, but I wasn't clear thinking enough to shift the camera out. So you'll all have to wait for the weekend. I suppose I should explain.
I'm sending this post from the pile of furniture in the garage. Jasmine is curled up on the bottom of a chair from the dinning room, Felicity is curled up on the couch. It's hot. Today we had the acid poured on the concrete all through the house. Our floor is now brown. Tomorrow it will be browner and then it should get shiny, then glass-like on Thursday. On Friday we'll be able to walk on it and on the weekend we can move the furniture back in. I kinda forgot to bring a few things out.
I forgot; clothes, medications, toiletries, shoes, breakfast cereal, milk and yogurt (not that they would have kept), the camera, books and cat food. I did remember to get the laptop, the cat, her water, her litter tray and her scratch post.
At this point it would be good to be able to pass through walls.
So that's what's happening now.
Earlier, as in since the last post, we have been to see U2 (bought a T-shirt), finished my final assignment for my stats course, spent a week in different states (me awake and Felicity in Adelaide), tried to see DJ Food (He canceled after he was canceled in two other cities), saw Talvin Singh (Rocks the boat the guy who holds the world stands in) and spend three entire weekends, most weeknights and all night Sunday scrubbing every little bit of paint and plaster off the floor by hand. My knees, elbows, shoulders, wrists and hips have given me hell for it and I am sick and tired of having my eyes, nose and mouth filled with concrete dust.
Viva les epoxy.
Viva le Polyurathene.

Anyone going to be in town to see Amon Tobin on the 14thDecember? I'll get some tickets.

Also, We're going to try and get Skype running at least once a week (it kills the computer) So search for us and send a text message to arrange a talk-fest.

Surprise Photo

Glen has made a deal with me - I write on my blog and he cooks the cake for Ruth's birthday tomorrow. Considering I have no idea what to write it wasn't such a good trade. After searching through our recent photos for some inspiration I am now ready to start writing - meanwhile, Glen has already put the cake in the oven! The cake Glen is baking is called a Honey Picnic Cake - it is our first try for this recipe, if it is good we'll post the recipe on here for all to enjoy. Anyway, back to the main point of the blog - which is me - because this is my blog site - Glen does all his weird way out writing, which seems to deal heavily with zombies - and I just write stuff.

So..... I was searching through the October photo folder and found this really nice photo of myself with Jasmine in front of our large window / door in the loungeroom. I didn't know Glen had taken this photo and as soon as I saw it I decided to put it on the blog.

Cookoween!

Happy Halloween!
On the most accessible night before All Hallow's Eve (Saturday!) we held a weird food diner. The party-goers, Ruth, Emma, Amy, Andrew, Felicity and I, met in the Central Markets to have coffee and a meal (with Mark). Felicity wheeled out her recipe book and we all chose an obscure vegetable/fruit to cook.
Amy cooked Idli and Daal.
Ruth cooked a Paneer curry with peas.
Felicity cooked Bitter Gourd.
For dessert Felicity chose Jackfruit and Banana spring rolls.
Felicity, however, was unfortunate in her choices. The Jackfruit was not ripe and the recipe mentioned nothing of the sticky, sticky glue that seeps out when you cut and squeeze the Jackfruit. And the Bitter Gourd was bitter. Really bitter. Shouldn't really surprise us I suppose.

Andrew and I made Jack-o-lanterns

From Haloween

Of course, Australians don't grow pumpkins for jack-o-lanterns. So Andrew and I carved Capsicums. Felicity, ever the traditionalist, went with a Butternut Pumpkin. The innards of this pumpkin went on to make a fine set of scones.

Rhododendron Valley - Mt Lofty Gardens

I had planned to abandon good intentions of further blogging tonight as image uploading is seriously lagged. However, Jasmine has curled up on my lap so I will write one more before going to sleep. The Mt. Lofty Botanic Gardens are just up the road from our place. Now is the time to go to see the display of Rhododendrons and Azaleas. A few weeks earlier there were also a lot of Camellias in flower. We made a last minute dash on a Sunday afternoon - about 15 minutes before closing time - to have a look.

To maintain order, I've backdated this one because Felicity forgot to post it.

From Flowers

Meadow's Country Fair 2006

Well, it is no big surprise to anyone that I am very behind in writing my blog. After calling friends in Nagoya today I am now feeling inspired to add some new entries to the Luck Monkey site. As there are several months to catch up on I've decided to go with the most recent first (which will be last if you start reading from the top of the page - oh well). Sunday 15th Oct'06 was the annual Country Fair in Meadows - a small country town south of Adelaide. We went because I had seen a quick glimpse of a banner in town and I thought it was for one of those in vogue country farmer's markets (I'm on the hunt for good plant bargains). However, when we arrived it turned out to be like a mini rural Royal Show - lots of wholesome family entertainment (sack races, hay bale stacking and milking (cows, not hay) competitions etc etc) plus an assortment of food, sideshow and trading stalls. We did find some plants to buy - and of course we couldn't resist some fresh spun fairy floss!

Incoming!

This isn't a post. This is a notice of an impending post.
I have a couple of nifty photos to put up, but it's too late tonight, not enough time tomorrow night or Friday night. By the end of the weekend I'll have at least three photos, and update on the house and cat and maybe even a word or two from Felicity.
Anyway, back to Kill Bill.