andybr

Her Majesty's Birthday

andybr — Mon, 09 Jun 2014 07:02:56 GMT

Is really in April but in NSW we celebrate it on the second weekend in June. I had some mates come around to toast her health and have my own version of Downton Abbey dinner. It was a lovely night of conversation, food and booze.

RANT

andybr — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 12:33:10 GMT

My new laptop came with windows 8. It is truly FUCKED. Even the desk top replacement you can switch too isn't that crash hot.

And iTunes. I got an iPod for my birthday so started ripping CDs with iTunes It works ok with SOME newer cds. As I mostly listen to classical it seem determined to ruin my internal balance of calm. Mostly by ripping all the tracks but popping one track into a separate file and I cant work out to get the tracks back together. So i end up deleting the whole lot and trying again. And it misplaces a DIFFERENT track.

In desperation I have turned my 2004 Pentium desktop back on and started ripping with an old version of windows player which at least allows some manipulation within the folder.

Of course I realise the whole point of apple and iTunes is to get you to download your music but since I paid for 2000 CDs i want to listen to them with the convenience of mp3. Why pay twice?

The Official Portrait of a half century

andybr — Sat, 27 Oct 2012 06:21:08 GMT

Thanks to everyone for their best wishes.

Sorting and catelogueing

andybr — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 02:52:00 GMT

As I can't do much around the house until I get the all clear from the doctor, I decided to sort the CDs and DVDs. The CDs were mostly done, in alpha order by composer, so that was mainly inserting new ones and moving them along the shelves. The DVDs another matter. There is about 550 of them and I still have about 150 videos. Sorting has always been a problem. My main way is by date.....of the subject matter. Like "I Claudius" comes before "Braveheart" before "the Last of the Mohicans" etc. That works perfectly well for about a third. Its sorting the rest which is a pain as some films sort of defy rational categorisation. Sometimes I wish I wasn't so acquisitive.

Instant bathroom renovation

andybr — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 03:51:08 GMT

Both my bathroom need replacing. When I have the energy. The front one is basically an empty shell filled with left over building materials. The back one is a 70s home done job with the tiles falling off the wall. To string out its life I give it a waterproofing makeover every so often. Cost - $25. Its amazing what you can with shower curtains and duct tape.

Cufflinks

andybr — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 01:37:55 GMT

pink_halen posed the question...does anyone wear cufflinks nowdays? Here are some of mine....

weaving a web

andybr — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 11:06:41 GMT

Snow? plastic? Nets? Close...these are spider webs. The wet weather in southern NSW has created perfect conditions for wolf spiders to have fun. Read about them here:

http://www.smh.com.au/environment/weather/web-wonders-spiders-spin-for-their-lives-as-floodwaters-rise-20120307-1ujov.html

sunday...then it was monday

andybr — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 11:40:56 GMT

My brother came over and I held the ladder while he climbed on the roof. The downpipes were blocked with debris from a she-oak in the next yard. It is the tree of nightmares..the needles go everywhere. I need to convince my neighbour to have it down (if the council will allow). At the least it probaby means 3 montly gutter cleans.

I cooked pork ribs in a bag tonight and watched this movie I picked up for 5$ at the video shop. I'm a sucker for period flicks - and this one was quite good. Not nearly as bloody as Queen Margot. As usual for French period fims you get to see 95% of the main actors who does spend some time sans culottes.

carpet

andybr — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 11:16:11 GMT

Sigh. My new roof still leaks. The volume of water hitting the gutter the other day was enough to send it into the ceiling and then like a water curtain down inside. I have some ideas to waterproof up top, but had to move a wool persian carpet which was getting wet. Solution - an acrylic pile. Indestructible. And much smaller so i can move it.

Friday afternoon

andybr — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 11:05:54 GMT

After a heavy week, taking 5 minutes to recover in my comfy office chairs. My office is a home away from home...I've dragged a heap of things there that I don't want at home. Have a good weekend LJ friends.

andybr — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 08:08:12 GMT

Some other left over pictures from when I went to the Opera House the other day.

From Wiki....

At the eastern end of Bathurst Street is an obelisk which was erected in 1857 and unveiled by the Mayor, George Thornton. The monument is actually a sewer vent, and soon the joke around town was to call it 'Thornton’s Scent Bottle'.^[2] The obelisk is an example of the Victorian Egyptian style and was based on Cleopatra's Needle in London.

I don't look very happy. Must have been about to say something... The champagne was alright!

flying high

andybr — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 07:57:28 GMT

A bird's eye view of Sydney. Actually a bit higher than a bird but you get my drift. Up dawn's crack this morning to the airport for a day trip to Coffs Harbour, an hour and a bit up the coast. It would probably be about 8 hours drive? The trip up was awful, rain and wind all the way.

The trip back was nicer. Luckily I had 2 seats to myself both ways, the seats in the little Dash 8 aren't built for large fellas. Silly, considering half the passengers fitted into the larger fella category.

The Hawkesbury River is the next big river north of Sydney, and forms a natural northern boundary for the city. You can just see the Pacific Highway crossing the river. It is 960km long and links Sydney and Brisvegas (also known as Brisbane). If not for the clouds you would see the wide mouth of the river. Oh...and the pictures are dark as it was just after 5pm.

At the bottom you can see the shadow of the plane on the clouds in its own circular rainbow. It was hard to line up as the plane was shaking alot.

Chatswood, a suburb of Sydney. Really is a little city in its own right with lots of tall buildings.

Approaching the Harbour. You can see the Bridge and Opera House in the top right corner. Flying over shi shi suburbs..you can tell by all the boats at mooring.

Bridge now on the left. A fair sized liner at dock. You can just see the tops of another large liner on the other side of the peninsula. Its that time of year for alot of cruise ships. The triangular concrete patch used to be where the imported cars were unloaded. It is supposed to be a big new liner terminal but people don't seem enthusiastic about it. The long dock where the liner is, is going to be redeveloped with housing, hotels parks and stuff. Possibly some of the natural shoreline may be restored. It is another controversial development.

Oh and finally..speaking of birds...a photo from yesterday. Its nice having a meeting with coffee and peacocks parading around the table.

Meet me at the symphony...

andybr — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 09:52:47 GMT

Matinee at the symphony, feeling better after a few days off work with flu. Dosed up on antibiotics and cold and flu tabs. A double bill of Beethoven Piano Concerto Nr 4 then Richard Strauss's Alpine Symphony. A musical orgasm really.

Sydney turned on a nice day for once although rain is now forecast tonight then right through the week.

All wonderful. The concerto was great and the symphony was incredible.

Then horror. The symphony, the opera and a play all finished around the same time. Gridlock in the car park. It took 62 minutes to leave the opera house carpark. Then a breakdown in the tunnel...

Then more bad news....it took 40 minutes to go through a 5 km tunnel. Plus all the right lane traffic had to move left to accomodate an ambulance roaring through.

Australia Day 2012

andybr — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 05:55:56 GMT

Yum Cha with mates. Sydney has a tiny ChinaTown.

I felt over dressed in a shirt with a collar.... it was a very humid day though.

The food was good. Lots and lots of it washed down with beer.

The beautiful Plaza Cinema. Hasn't been a cinema since about 1980, but the fancy auditorium ceiling is still there under heritage protection. You can see who the primary tenant is....golden arches in the old theatre foyer. I remember seeing The Towering Inferno there when i was 13.

Oz Day Eve

andybr — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 10:17:45 GMT

Tomorrow is Australia Day. Fireworks and crowds to rival new year. Except it is pouring now and more expected.

Left work late-ish. Must have been an accident or lights out somewhere. Heavy traffic - a 30 -40 minute journey took me 90 minutes.

Unbelievably - there is still a level crossing on what used to be the only east west road out of the city - its still a busy road. Of course I got caught there.

Patience required.

The woes of train travel

andybr — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 10:19:51 GMT

I was meant to going out straight from work tonight and planned my day with train travel. Up early but stomach trouble meant i was just going to make the train. I set off, returned home because I forgot to take some tablets. Set off again, returned home again as I left my wallet on the table. The train doors closed in my face - and there must have been some disruption anyway as the indicator board said it was a different train. So I had to wait 32 minutes for the next one meaning i was late to work. At the end station, the barrier ate my ticket without letting me through. At work some knob closed the lift door in my face.

Work lasted an hour. Woozy (and on reflection now, a bit confused). So I went home. I have to change trains to get home and at the changover station there was a wait. Then my train was announced as 12 minutes late. Think I should have stayed home in the first place??

Nope. No train.

The old green sign says "taylor's gentleman's retreat". I think its an elegant way to say boarding house.

I really should have given up and gone for a beer.

At last! Dom wasn't driving it.

Do I look like I'm over it?

the only interesting thing to see on the entire journey is this Orthodox church.

At the bottom of my street was a returned servicemens club which finally went bust probably due to declining membership. It sat on a substantial parcel of land and was vacant for 2 years. Now we know what is being built there. At least these apartments look a bit better than the average box on box being thrown up at the moment. There is an arcade underneath and a supermarket. Great - we already have significant problems in the street from abandoned trolleys from the large mall nearby.

They wanted to move the cenotaph somewhere else but there was a significant public outcry so it stayed. A small Anzac Day dawn service is held here each April.

sunstruck!

andybr — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 09:42:13 GMT

Yes I mowed the knee-waist high grass. With my new toy which I have to say is a brute.

Why oh why don't they make these things for left handed people? The throttle control is on the left binnacle but its too heavy to balance with both hands on the handlebar and I have figured out how to use the harness (which I think is too small to go round my amply proportions anyway) so the motor needed to rest on my hip. 4 hours later and 4 litres of water later I finished and almost couldn't get up the back steps. Cramps (too much salt loss? emergency spoonfulls of vegemite), sunburn and I discovered my nipples were really tender. I think the vibrations were making my rings turn and turn without me realising it. Who would have expected a brushcutter to be a tool of tit torture?

Do I look hot and sweaty yet?

Despite the sunglasses, (and no hat, which is really unfogiveable, I usually venture out with a hat) even my eyelids are clearly sunburned. So must my ears, neck and crown be.I had a cold shower which is unusual, I like it HOT. Now I need someone to rub aloe vera all over me. Including the non burned bits. All offers seriously considered.

On leave, shaving, and other things

andybr — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 06:57:03 GMT

I was supposed to be on leave all this week but work is so busy I opted to just have Mon and Tue off, so I can mow the grass, which you can see is now waist high. Added to that the swamp is looking more swamp like in that it now is growing grasses. I suppose one day I will get it filled in.

The problem has been the very wet summer we have had. Today was no exception, with a midday downpour of tropical proportions. So maybe mowing is on the agenda for tomorrow.

I ended up shaving down the cheeks. I figured Santa duty is ages away so can start growing back in October. Will probably have more silver and white by then anyway.

If you look carefully you can see my great grandfather hanging on wall. Since Mike progbear seems to enjoy 19th century moustaches I snapped the old fella as follows:

Wierd face about me: At lunch I made the reflection that I have used the same set of everyday cutlery for 20 years. Still all in one set and still in good condition. Italian, which might or might be a statement of the quality. Oh..the other canteen is nice deco flatware I use for special dinners where the bear(s) get the full table service experience.

When snapping the spoons I noticed where Claude has found a spot for snoozing. I had wondered where so now i know.

Rats and Hats

andybr — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 09:20:33 GMT

My cats left me a new year present on the kitchen floor. It went into an empty pizza box before the bin. Not your typical pizza...this one is mostly protien, very little fat.
Lucky the bins are emptied tonight in my street. I am calling this photo "Still Life in the Kitchen". Wonder if I can interest the gallery of contemporary art?

Oh and the hat......its a Stetson!

Happy New Year to all my LJ mates.

Post Christmas Review

andybr — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 12:13:07 GMT

Its all over now in this time zone....

Fantastic turkey and 10 vege and roast pork and I'm a complete piglet. Oh....and must have been the booziest Christmas ever at my folks place. Sherry, martini's and lots and lots of champagne.

Good thing I got my noodles out or it would have been face down in the pool which was surprisingly warm considering it has been raining here for weeks. Hope you all had a good day today~!

And yes I need to weed the fence line. Been waiting for a week of good weather to spray them.

Santa comes again.....to an office near you

andybr — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 08:40:38 GMT

It was our office Christmas luncheon and KrisKringle. So I did duty again as a slightly more traditional Santa. Made a palatable punch as my contribution to the lunch. After distributing the kringle gifts (I ended up with Calvin Klein lip gloss...well I dont have to put it on my lips do I) I also judged the office decorating competition.

Full beard or mega goatee?

andybr — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 11:35:24 GMT

Should I shave down the cheeks? I've had a few months of growing it out to remind me of what it is like. Then I get the need to shave it down. You tell me.

Santa Hat Day

andybr — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 10:01:19 GMT

bearpawly decreed that Dec 15 is Santa Hat Day. I was Santa for a children's party today. No traditional costume..it was Cowboy Santa.
I am still tasting the beard spray after several hours and a shower....

There were 2 "special photos" at the end of the reel but they didn't download so use your imagination.

Skippy yum yum

andybr — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 11:29:42 GMT

Who could resist this? Kangaroo fillets grilled with champagne mustard and a light salad. Nice and pink on the inside.

Anna Nicole

andybr — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 13:04:57 GMT

I was only every peripherally aware of Anna Nicole, apart every so often from the lurid headlines . A mate sent me the DVD of the opera "Anna Nicole" for my birthday. I suspect he did it as a bit of a gag (but then again...I have hundreds of operas on CD and DVD so it was a safe bet).

Surprisingly I enjoyed it. Not exactly something to listen to....it definately needs the performance element and at the end I was rather sad for ANS. The Dutch soprano Eva-Maria Westbroek was fabulous and the promo shots got the right look.

I definately don't recall the colostomy bag.....although alot of that scene was shot with a whole stage view.