Ben - TKB

My camera stopped working again, and I finally decided to buy a new one. Then I reasoned that, since I was buying a new camera anyway, there was no reason not to try to make it work by hitting it against the table.

My camera is now working again. Here's a picture of my new ride (as per Dan's request), and also a set of shelves that I built (that nobody asked to see). I think my next project should be a proper workbench, the little portable thing I have is too lightly built and also too low for someone of my height.

Dan - house not destroyed

Went to inspect our house in Darlington. We were happy to find that the large quote for repairs and cleaning wasn't because it had been deliberately trashed, just rather enthusiastically lived in.

Anna : Dolphins!

Summer is slipping away down here in the southern hemisphere so beach time is seeming more precious. But the water has reached a wonderful swimming temperature and this morning we saw a pod of four or five dolphins swimming about 30 metres off shore.

Magical.

Shannon - Holly's first milestone!

Today her little umbilical stump fell off! Its amazing how exciting being a parent is :)

David - Fate is a Capricious Thing...

So, I found out today that LIU would like me to hang around New York for another 3 years. We are now starting negotiations as to what terms and conditions I require in order to spend another 3 years in the insanity that is the US of A.

At the same time I found out that Mutant Chronicles, the movie, (go to Apple.com to see the trailer) comes out on my birthday. 24 April. Sure it is cheesy, but how can I not go and see it? Its the first role playing game that I ever bought... for those who know the place, I picked it up after high school one day in that weird little Tin Soldier store in Liverpool. I think I then ran a really, really crappy game for Guy, Horns, Crans and Ferris one afternoon. Or as I like to think of it, the game that convinced me I am better of being a less imaginative wargamer!

Jen - excited!

Word just came in that Shan's off to hospital to be induced. I am bouncing with excitement and will eagerly await the news all day. Fingers crossed for an easy birth!

Guy - For Ben (who we assume is dead).

Kit remembers to hand stuff in

The pesky assignment, which was due in November (08), has *finally* been handed in.

Becstarr : A super-productive Caturday!

Joel's gone sailing for the weekend and left to my own devices in the house, I have surprised myself by having a super-productive start to the weekend!

I have not only but also: swept and mopped the kitchen and bathroom floors; done three loads of washing including a backpack, sports shoes and the shower curtain; used the final rinse grey-water from each wash on the lawn; sourced and fitted water aerators to the kitchen & bathroom taps; cleared several GB of space on J's laptop; met Karinne for a catch-up date over chocolate and churros in Glebe; and done a massive fruit & veg shops at the wonderful Harris Farm.

Woo!

Ben - Full throttle!

Guess who just got a sweet new motor scooter?

If you guessed 17th century science fiction pioneer Margret Cavendish, you were dead wrong. It was me!

Dan - school's back

It's the end of our first full week back at school - Dante and Atty were at school all week. We're all exhausted and cranky, and we'll be resting hard this weekend. Hopefully we'll be able to recover despite the cruel and unusual heat the BOM has planned for us.

falsedan - I am a victim of the global credit crisis

My bank won't give me a credit card unless I show them the last few months of bank statements. :(

Shoshe - Sprouted!

The lettuce that I planted on Sunday sprouted today (Wednesday)!

Tancred - It's rather cold this morning

It’s cold today. According to the web it’s -6° and feels like -9°. Last winter the server room AC froze and tore it’s self apart (no one remembered to put antifreeze in the chillier).

This morning our AC stopped working. It’s now 41° in the server room. IT sits outside the server room doors which are open, and all our windows are open trying to make a draft to help get cold air in there. Damm it’s cold. I’m indoors and I can see my breath. I think we should all just get to go home.

Shoshe - Groundhog Day

Sadly, Groundhog Day doesn't mean as much when you know that there will be (way) more than 6 weeks of winter, and that spring is most certainly not right around the corner.

Shoshe - Go my brain!

I got brilliant insight into 2 of the questions on my Celestial Mechanics homework last night at about 2:30am, after finishing a teen vamp novel. I even figured out some stuff that the super-maths officemates didn't get! Clearly I should be doing more...light reading.

Over the weekend we set up the winter greenhouse. I re-potted the aloe and planted six little pots of lettuce, and we brought the bay tree, rosemary, and orchid home from uni. They're all in a bookcase sort of thing with growlights and mylar. The greenhouse is bright!

Tancred - Blizzard

It's not just snowing - It's a blizzard :)

Jaime - rubbing bellies for the win

Last night I won a poker tournament thanks to "Pixel" kicking at the right moments to tell me that it was the hand to play, baby is indeed getting a new pair of shoes.

Guy - First week done...

While I'm woefully unprepared, as always, I'm happy to be back.

The midgets are great and I like what I'm teaching.

In Studies of Religion we were defining religion and one student was very eager to explain to everyone the difference between a ghost and a spirit.

"A ghost is where it's a figment of your imagination and a spirit is real."

Something in my face gave away that I didn't agree with her, and so she asked if that was right.

I said that traditionally speaking a ghost was the spirit of someone who had died, while spirits were a much broader category, including spirits of trees and animals and the Holy Ghost and whatnot.

However, what I was thinking was; Of course it's made up! It's all made up! Everything in this course is a figment of people's imaginations. Ghosts, spirits, miracles, God.

I didn't say it because I probably shouldn't alienate any of the students at this early stage of the course...

David - Boy Howdy Is It Cold

So, I was in Chicago a week or so ago. The temperature was -21 Fahrenheit, -31 if you factored in the wind chill.

To put it in practical terms, the half frozen river was releasing steam because it was warmer than the air. I walked the 6 blocks to my hotel with a jumper, jacket, overcoat, scarf, gloves, beanie, boots and at least 3 hits of whisky. I couldn't feel my legs by the time I got to the hotel. I had to go to the bar for another 3 emergency shots of whisky to stave off hypothermia. How the hell Grizzly Adams managed to survive I will never know...