Category: Blog

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Goodwill sunset

I bought the iPhone 12 Pro Max for it’s excellent camera array intending to elevate my vlogs, but within the 14 day cool down period I decided it wasn’t for me and returned it. I think I got suckered into the marketing hype.

Instead I decided to get a proper camera for myself, the Sony ZV1. It’s a point-and-shoot form factor designed specifically for video, based on the RX100 line. I wish I did this ages ago.

With a notional risk of community transmission I decided not to meet up with friends this weekend, opting instead for a call and some Animal Crossing. But I still wanted to do something with myself and get some exercise, so I decided to ride into the city and take some b-roll.

A cloudless sky looking along the Brisbane river at Southbank and the ferry stop on the north side.

It was a fun ride, and I managed to use some of the new CityLink paths. They were not especially convenient coming from Roma Street but I appreciated them nonetheless.

I spent a little time in the city, but for the sunset I camped out on the Goodwill Bridge to watch the birds, ferries, and generally life go by. It was cold but nice.

Later in the evening the sun has gone down further leaving a fiery red on the horizon. A CityCat pools into the stop.

There’s no shots from the camera because it’s really only for video. But I got a few good clips you might see in an upcoming vlog.

It wasn’t a spectacular sunset, but right toward the end as the daylight died it delivered the goods.

My phone did a decent job of capturing the magic.

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Blockies with Gav

I have just now finally got my shit together and am just about to leave the house.

First officeworks

Then maybe guzman? idk i need food

My Friend Gav

We had been loosely planning to catch up this weekend, so after some finagling we decided to meet at Office Works and have burritos in the park.

A panorama of a field with trees overhanging. People in uniform playing hockey to the left, and a pair of trash and recyling bins to the right.

It wasn’t an especially beautiful day, but it was nice and cool to sit outside on the bleachers (what even is the Australian word for these?)

There was a women’s hockey game being played nearby which was strangely compelling. I don’t really care for sport, but I was drawn into the action on a couple of occasions. The number of times the sticks went flying reminded me of the SBS feature on concussions in women’s sport from a couple of nights ago.

All in all, a decent way to spend a few hours. Gav mentioned this area always feels like the gross old sporting area, as seen while walking along Enoggera Creek. But it’s quite lovely when you’re in it.

The beautiful old fig trees, or at least I think they're fig trees, along the sides of the field. A couple of bleachers, and a soccer goal in the distance.
The beautiful old fig trees, or at least I think they're fig trees, along the sides of the field. A couple of bleachers, and a soccer goal in the distance.
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Flight

I was in the shower today and a low-flying plane flew past the window and startled me. Partly because I wasn’t expecting anything to be up there in that clear blue sky. But I also realised that my little escape from the continent has left me with an aversion to air travel.

Sure, airports always sucked but a trip in an aeroplane used to have this excitement of adventure about it, a chance to climb into the tube and escape from reality. But now all that conjures is masks, hazmat bags, the unforgivable malice of the person leaving their mask down over their nose. Being stranded in a foreign country as the world ends.

It was one of those little culture shocks to be back in Brisbane and see a plane flying overhead for the first time like everything’s fine. It was like a little omen, there to remind us of our hubris. They still startle me, and I didn’t know why. But perhaps now I do.

Between corona and the climate I would happily never step foot in a plane again. I don’t think that’s realistic. But it’s a feeling.

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Lokal & Co

The exterior of Lokal + Co on a rainy day. Umbrellas and greenery everywhere.

The little West End trendy Scandi brekky cafe. Tae and I hadn’t seen each other for some time and we decided to catch up.

It’s been a fairly miserable week weather-wise. Wet and dark. But that’s a welcome la niña change from the usual Brisbane dry, so we were both happy to head out and grab breakfast before work.

I had the chilli scrambled eggs, crispy coconut sambal, plum chutney, roti bread for $17.0. Tae had almost an entire pumpkin on sourdough. We both drank our volume in coffee and it was nice.

I’ve missed breakfast. The best I managed in Amsterdam was brunch at 11 am, which was fine but I remember it being a stressful affair. Working weird Dutch hours means I haven’t really had mornings since I’ve been back. But I’ve been working on that.

So I hope to do this more often.

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It’s a bit warm.

After a cold snap in Brisbane, we’re back to our usual summer programming. It was only 34 today, but it’s still uncomfortable to be amongst so I’ve been trying to optimise my ventilation.

It has reached the point of the day where outside is cooler than inside so now I get to open up the house.

HOWEVER the little portable aircon I bought is still running in the office. Even though it can only ever bring it down about 3 degrees, it’s still much more comfortable than sweating into my seat. I’ve been trying not to use it too often, but a little climate control is invaluable while I’m working.

This is the strategy.

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Just a little thing about lockdown

It was a bit of a surprise to wake up this morning and find we’re heading into lockdown.

After developing a case of the sniffles and going for a test the night before, I’d preemptively cancelled all my weekend plans already. But it’s different when it’s official, you know?

I always joked that moving into a proper house with a yard was a reaction to living isolated in a shoe box in Amsterdam. That the next lockdown I would be stocked and ready. Turns out despite the physical preparation I still wasn’t there, mentally at least.

At work in between tickets I would check the ABC News live blog for updates. It’s a bad habit, of course there aren’t any, but in a time when we don’t know anything, even the smallest scrap of insight seemingly means something.

Part of me just wants to jump forward a couple of weeks when we know the outcome of the outbreak. Skip to the end of the book and read the last page. Do things turn out ok?

But I’m doing fine. It’s been raining, so I’m very cosy on the couch under the doona. I have a naan dough and some curry ready to go tomorrow and we’re making pizza for date night on Sunday. Everyone on Twitter is talking about the Star Trek finale, so maybe I’ll put that on now and tune out for a bit.

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North Stradbroke Island/Minjerribah

  • Main Beach stretches into the distance from the Gorge Walk
  • The Pacific Ocean from Cylinder Headland Foreshore
  • Looking out to Moreton Island from Cylinder Headland Foreshore
  • It’s just me, right before I was attacked by a march fly
  • Cylinder Beach at sunset
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Break

My place seems to have regressed. My desk broke, my outdoor setting broke, and mum bought me a brand new cabinets which lives in the middle of the sitting room. There are boxes everywhere and the place looks like I’ve just moved in.

Again.

Thankfully today marks the start of a week off so I’ll have time to do all of the things I’ve been putting off lately. Starting with my tax, putting my office back together, a trip to Bunnings to sort out my yard, and a couple of nights on straddie. Oh, and I want to catch up on my vlog. Relaxing!

Things have been going well enough but I’m looking forward to having a bit of time to myself. There are plans in motion so I don’t fall so far behind in life again, but that’s fairly new so far.

Right now I should really be sleeping because it’s 2:30 and R invited me to brunch and pebble curation in the morning. Haven’t we done well.

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Koel

I was escaping the heat in the garden the other day when a strange bird landed on a branch near me.

I sent the picture to mum because she’s good at knowing these sorts of things.

The bird is a female koel also known as the rain bird, they are the ones you here very loud in the early evenings.

My mum, via Google Hangouts

That makes sense. I’ve been noticing a lot of different bird calls lately, but particularly the warbling whistles as I’m heading to bed dinner it’s often at 3 a.m when there’s no other sounds.

So it was nice to spot the bird responsible. There’s one whistling outside my window now.

I’m very happy with how well the yard is coming along, but especially happy with the quality of Wi-Fi. It’s fast enough to stream games when it’s too hot sharing the office with my computer.