Old habits

Saturday, May 3, 2008 ~ 5 Comments

Louise and I commute to and from work. We get up in the morning, stumble out of the door around 7am and return home around 6pm. A quick coffee, dinner, and depending on what needs done around the house a quick tidy up or anything that needs done for the next day.

After that, it’s either TV, computer or some other sedentary habit.

However the cross trainer has been extracated from the garage and is back in the living room, and whilst I’ve still to venture near it, Louise has taken it for a spin a few times.

The habit is the hard thing to break. I managed it when I started jogging a couple of years ago but as I’m trying to lose more weight before trying that activity again I’m finding it hard to diet hard enough to make any kind of progress.

That said, I have lost 11lbs since my blood pressure scare a couple of months ago, and I’m still watching what I’m eating (to a point). I know I could do better but… habit, you see.

So, my dear blog reading friends. Have you broken a habit? If so, how? Please share your wisdom in the comments.

Distracted

Saturday, April 26, 2008 ~ 2 Comments

Looks like a day of constant drizzle ahead so I’m stuck indoors. Louise is away out to do some shopping and catchup with a friend over lunch and freshly brewed coffee is currently gurgling away in the kitchen.

Tasks for the weekend are to finish the flooring in the kitchen. We failed last weekend as the starting point, cutting back the flooring in the hall, took much longer than we thought (lifting a few boards of laminate, against the lay pattern, is bloody hard!).

I’m also toying with installing Ubuntu on my old PC, and if I still have time I WILL make a start on organising my books.

But, of course, that doesn’t account for any distractions. The internet being an obvious one with the ubiquitous “I’ll only be 5 minutes, I’m just checking my email” swiftly becoming an hour spent surfing completely random websites (all of which are fascinating, of course). My current problem is, as I mentioned the other day, that as I’m trying to figure out how to best to get an online community up and running, I’m spending a fair amount of time researching ideas, trying technologies and so on.

It’s worse when I’m at work. Just when I’m getting my head around something another distraction appears. Of course, most workplaces are full of distractions, especially with the way we do things at my current place which relies heavily on conversation as a way to share information.

Although I do have to confess that I quite like being distracted. Naturally some distractions are more welcome than others and, if I’m very honest, I do occasionally seek out distractions. Sometimes it’s to avoid that task that I don’t want to do, but sometimes it’s a a means to an end, a way to refocus.

As an avid “lifehacker’” (Lifehacker.com, 43 folders etc), there are some techniques which I follow, but none to which I avidly subscribe. I have an almost zero inbox, I do break large tasks down into smaller ones and so on and so forth. Removing distractions is a common method to be more productive, allowing you to get into the ‘zone’ (allegedly), but I find those self same distractions can kick start the creative juices and… well you get the idea.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that I welcome and seek out distractions knowing full well that I’ll reap the benefits later.

Now, where’s the remote?

A kick up the arse

Tuesday, April 1, 2008 ~ 18 Comments

So I’m now on pills for my blood pressure and next Tuesday they take blood to check my liver and kidneys are functioning correctly, and to see what my cholesterol level is at the moment.

Then, later that day, I get an ECG.

It’s all a bit… much really. As I feel fine but the numbers don’t lie.

The disappointing thing, the thing that really fucks me off, is that for the past two weeks I’d been careful with my diet, cut out as much salt as I could, and managed a few short walks (still not enough I know but my knee still isn’t 100%), yet my blood pressure went up!

Edit: Read on at your peril, it’s a bit maudlin and ranty and ‘teenage angsty’. Don’t say you weren’t warned. The short version is, “I’m fine, I’ll be fine, I just need a moan”.
(more…)

I see no… photos

Tuesday, March 25, 2008 ~ 10 Comments

Flicking through Flickr … ahhhh I get it now …

Anyway.

I was … ummm … browsing Flickr last night and it struck me that I’m just not generally of a mind to take photos. I’m still very much a “go and take photos” type of photographer, rather than a “quick, take a snapshot” type of photographer. Now I’ll admit that, in the grand scheme of things, this isn’t really that big a deal but, as we all know, it’s the minor things that tend to piss us off and this, currently, is one of mine.

Before I continue I’ll point out that, as I type, my camera sits in the bag at my feet. It’s been there for the past couple of weeks (in the bag, not at my feet).

The lack of photos is not for the want of subjects either, for a start the building I work in has an art deco frontage and a modern glass, copper and metal extension, and even then I do seem to have a fairly good eye for composition (ohhh modesty, wherefore art thou?) even if my technical know-how still needs to be improved. No, I’m definitely not short of subjects.

So, I have the camera, I have the subjects. What on earth could possibly be stopping me taking more photos? Ahhh yes, of course. The idiot holding the camera of course!

Despite the fact I see many things, on a daily basis, that I think would make interesting snapshots (a shaft of light burning through the air, a discarded bike by the side of the road, the blossoming smoke rising from an industrial chimney) my camera remains unsheathed. I really, really need to get over this. But how?

I guess I just need to get over myself, get over the sense of… what? awkwardness? Not sure but I need to get my mindset sorted. Right. OK. Yes!!

In fact I’m going to take the first step right now.

There.

My camera is now on my desk.

Hey, baby steps and all that..

Remember to live

Friday, March 21, 2008 ~ 5 Comments

It seems I can’t avoid this blog post so I may as well crack on and see what falls out of my head.

My father-in-law lives in small town in Spain and, as such, is part of a tight-knit ex-pat community over there. Early this week a man we’ve met a few times, and who was always friendly and welcoming, dropped dead. We saw him just last month. Quite a shock.

Then I read this post from Tom about a man who dropped dead in the street. Tom closes his post with some advice:

…live life to the full. Make yourself happy. Try to make those that you care for happy. Your life is the only thing that you truly own and you only get one - so don’t sweat the small stuff.

Sounds twee, sounds “new-age hippy crap” but he’s right. It’s not easy though, grabbing fragments of life during the bustle of your day, pausing long enough to breathe in a moment of beauty. But we must try, mustn’t we? If not, what else is there to this life?

We all face challenges, situations arise and every day we put off doing something simple and easy. Reality slips past unnoticed, our vision narrowed by repetition. There is always something beautiful and unique, always a moment to grasp.

What is art?

Wednesday, February 20, 2008 ~ 11 Comments

During a Saturday afternoon wander in London, joining the throng of tourists meandering along the river, I decided to head to the Tate Modern. It’s been some years since I’d been there (Anish Kappor’s Marsyas was the installation at the time) and my art tastes veer towards that end of the scale so I do enjoy visiting it

The current installation is a large crack in the floor of the old Turbine room, installed by Doris Salcedo, and represents:

Whilst I’m still trying to figure out HOW the crack was made (it’s definitely the original floor, or a very very good copy), what was more interesting to me was how people were reacting to it, and interacting with it. Like myself, most people started at the top end, nearest the entrance, and traced the crack the length of the hall, peering down into the depths, occasionally glancing back. Young children hopped over it, adults stood astride it, intrigued, puzzled and in no small matter fascinated.

Wandering the entire length of the hall only to find that the end of the crack doesn’t reveal anything more, or less, than the beginning, I wondered what had driven me to do that. Surely there must be more, surely it can’t just be a crack in the concrete? I wasn’t alone, with huddles of people at the bottom end of the hall discussing the whys and wherefores.

As ever it was the human interface to the art, seeing the piece through the eyes of others, that was most interesting. To those standing astride the chasm there was almost a sense of dominance, of man over matter. The ability to overpower something that was not fully understood perhaps? Given that the crack, even at it’s deepest point, was no more than 7 or 8 inches deep then surely the subconscious was more at play than any conscious thought?

Moving upstairs to view a few of Munoz’s pieces was a completely different, and personally far more disturbing experience. Two pieces in particular, both of which deliberately feature midgets (his words, not mine) to challenge our preconceptions of sculpture and beauty. The pieces themselves were simple, a young man standing on a table, clutching a chess set, a young woman on tiptoe to view photos of herself spread out on a pool table. The featureless faces adding to the discomfort of viewing. Interesting experience.

Alas, the rest of my wander round the galleries wasn’t as inspiring with the Idea and Object level being particularly hit or miss but I’m glad I went. As far as art goes, like most people, I know what I like but I’m also open to being challenged with what I view.

What is art? The question is the answer to itself if you ask me. If you have to ask, you’ve already been provoked/challenged/intrigued enough to consider the question and that, is art. Although, re-reading that sentence, isn’t it just the kind of self-righteous, head-up-arse response you’d expect from an artist… oh dear.

Happy being ordinary

Wednesday, February 13, 2008 ~ 4 Comments

I think it’s safe to say I am a fairly average guy, with an average life. I spend my working week at the grindstone, pottering about in the evening, watching TV occasionally, playing computer games, or mucking about on the computer. Weekends are usually full of family or the usual lot of the average man; B&Q, IKEA, and as much time spent sprawled on the sofa watching footie as I’m permitted. Occasionally we got out for dinner, or visit friends, or attend parties. Nothing particularly out of the ordinary.

It’s safe to say that I am not extraordinary.

And you know what, I’m quite happy with that. I’ve made peace with the fact that, whilst everyone is unique, mostly we’re all similar. We have similar habits, similar patterns to our daily to-ings and fro-ings. Yes, I’m happy being ordinary.

To a point.

Not being extraordinary does mean that you miss out on things. It means realising that others, those that shout louder, will get the attention and all too frequently the glory. I mean they do say “Nice guys finish last”, don’t they.

That makes me sound bitter when I’m exactly the opposite. I’m sweet. I’m sugar. Candyfloss and marshmallow am I.

Because, you know, one of the advantages of being ordinary is that when you do make a little noise, it goes a long long way. The rewards swing round, and you realise what you suspected all along.

Sure, the extraordinary noisemakers get the glory, but us ordinary people, we get respect and kudos. And you know what.

That suits me just fine.