marc.vic.max.elliot

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Back from three days in Melbourne with the new job.  It was hot (36C/97F) and, well, work.  Putting faces to names and sorting out some of the internal procedures was about as exciting as it got.

We had a very funny episode with Max last night though.  Usually if the boys eat all their dinner they can have a small sweet treat out of a tin that we use especially for keeping the treats in.  Max had eaten all his dinner and desert and we asked him if he wanted a treat.  At the moment he is having trouble making a number of vocal sounds – “ch” sounds likes a k as in kit, “tr” – as in train also sounds like k as in kit.  Anyway we asked him if we wanted a treat and he said “I’ll koose (choose) one from the tin” Normally we let these things slide but he was in a really good mood so I thought I’d push him a bit. “What? Koose one from the tin” I said. “no, koose!” he replied “Sorry, koose one from the treat tin?” said I.  He then looked at me with a grin on his face and said “No, I’ll pick the one I want!”

Nice to see that he can think of a different phrase that means the same thing

Hi everyone

Whilst my broadband speed leaves a lot to be desired (approx 700K down/650K up) it’s a whole load better than 56K up/down!

So what’s happened?  Well I’ve just finished my first week at my new job and so far so good.  To be honest it’s been mostly meetings and so I haven’t done a lot of “real” work but I think it will be at least a couple of months before I’m even vaguely productive as there is so much to learn….. I’ve also been told that I’m off to Melbourne for three days next week and then off to the US for two weeks early next month! Poor Vic

In photography related news the Wellington Flickr Exhibition is coming along nicely it seems.  I have had this image chosen to be exhibited and even better they are allowing us to put our prints up for sale.  The price will really only cover the costs but it would be my first sale (as long as someone likes it enough to shell out eighty bucks!)

I also had a fun night with my mate rico last week and we went into the city to do some moonlit photography.  Unfortunately the night clouded over so we just had a bit of a play around.  A bit into the night I remembered a technique called Painting with light where a dark scene is illuminated using a small light source like a mini-flashlight or flash as if it was a paintbrush to light the subject while the shutter remains open during a timed exposure.  In my case it was a 30 second exposure and the area at the front of the photo was pitch black when viewed with the naked eye.  It took four illuminations of my external flash as I walked around in front of the camera to get this shot.

You can also have fun by getting someone else to illuminate you as you walk around

I think that’s it for now – everyone here is well and the weather’s been lovely (unlike poor Gina **waves**)

We are, unfortunately, still in the molasses-like land that is dial-up.  Surfing has been kept to a minimum ‘cos it ties up the damn phone line and email is sporadic.  My telecommunications provider tells me that all the ports have been given away but that they “may be able to work something out” Grrrrrr

On the other hand I am in the process of having a bit of fun in becoming involved in a photographic exhibition run by some flickr users based here in Wellington.  We have all got together and created the Wellington flickr exhibition group and are holding an exhibition at one of the theaters in town.  I’ll let you know how I get on…….

I was playing around taking shots of the boys today and liked this crop.

See ya

Long time no speak!

One reason why is the fact that when I resigned from Dell (I’m on gardening leave at the moment) to go to NetApp I needed to cancel my home office line and transfer my ADSL connection to our home line.  I gave Telecom two weeks notice and after the connection didn’t come up at the time given I entered into a round of trouble shooting.  Only at this stage was I told there was an issue with the number of connections and/or equipment at the exchange and that they had given the ports originally allocated to me away and that I might have to wait until the end of June before I could be reconnected.

I have spoken to 8 different people at Telecom so far and am waiting on a phone call from a member of the broadband management team.  As my new role will be mostly based from home (as was the Dell one) I absolutely cannot wait 6 months for broadband.

The next stage is to contact my lawyer and see a) why Telecom didn’t tell me there may be an issue prior to disconnecting my old line when I had explained the situation to them and b) why, when my area works to a 5-10 year development plan, is the primary telecommunications provider so far behind in the provisioning of exchanges/lines.

Until then it’s all dial up baby…………. 

Max’s birthday party went well.  The rain held off (phew) and the trampoline got a good workout and kept the twelve four year olds we had at the party from over-running the place!

Here are some shots.

So much going on at the moment and I apologise for a lack of updates.  Over the next few days I’ll tell you about what’s happening with the boys, what’s happening with us and all about my new job (the thing that’s been keeping me busy lately)

before all that though I’d like to wish my big four year old a happy birthday and cross my fingers that his party goes OK today – rain forecast, sheesh!

In the tradition of the last few years here is Max on each of his birthdays.