playing with broken toys

Roadworks

2008-06-18T07:10:00.000-07:00

Even pedestrians get hit with roadworks. Especially in London. Everybody gets hit with construction work. You can't go anywhere in this city without passing construction work. It's mammoth. But I suppose that everything's going to crumble faster when it's this old and with this many people running around on it every day.

Chiswick House

2008-06-16T02:59:00.000-07:00

This is ISO50 black and white film. I'm not quite sure whether it's underexposed or overexposed. I don't care. It looks like it was taken 100 years ago, not a couple of weeks ago. They're ducks on the pond in the gardens of Chiswick House. They were having a lovely day. So was I. You can't see them, but there were ducklings there as well.

Leave of Absence

2008-06-16T02:57:00.000-07:00

I stopped updating when I went away on holiday. But I'm back now (well, I've been back for over a month if we're getting technical) and have photos.

Ram In A Thicket

2008-04-17T06:06:00.000-07:00

I like that Room 56 at the museum is always open. It means that my favourite object in the place is always on display. There's no specific reason as to why it's my favourite - I just think that it is incredibly beautiful, and from such a rich, advanced, civilised culture as well. For more info about the Ram In A Thicket, have a look at its entry on the British Museum website.

Christ Church Turnham Green

2008-04-15T05:50:00.000-07:00

When I first moved to the area, I thought that Turnham Green and the church were just wonderful. Then winter happened and there was never enough light or the weather was too crappy to take good photos in. I'd waited 8 months to be able to take this photo!

Shopping for Chupa Chups

2008-04-14T04:51:00.000-07:00

Chupa Chups are still called that in Italian. We explained to the lady at the coffee bar that they are also called Chupa Chups in English. It was a fun little conversation. On a technical note...my scanner is dusty.

Bus Stop

2008-04-11T05:25:00.000-07:00

The 94 to Piccadilly Circus leaves from the bus stop on Bath Road. Sometimes I get that to work if I'm not in the mood to get the tube.

Zebra Crossing

2008-04-10T03:46:00.000-07:00

Couldn't you just bounce off of them?

2008-04-08T04:17:00.000-07:00

The Street Outside My Flat

2008-04-06T06:49:00.000-07:00

I'd often use the last few frames of a roll of film just out the window at whatever was happening. Most of them look the same, some of them are out of focus, some blurred, some just really, really boring. So it took me a long time to realise that I really liked this one. Which I do.

Wrong Side of the Road

2008-04-04T07:03:00.000-07:00

I'd been told horror stories about driving in Italy. Maybe it was just that we were in the countryside (the closest we got to a city was Assisi) but it was marvellous. Very little traffic, beautiful views and only minor freaking out by me on times when I forgot that most of the rest of the world actually drives on the right hand side of the road.

The night lights are on whichever road we took to get home from Bagno Vingnoni to Castelmuzio late at night. Even at night driving through Tuscany is just beautiful.

Not a paperless office

2008-04-02T05:15:00.000-07:00

Honestly, it isn't ordinarily that messy. But then it wouldn't look as interesting clean, would it?

Best Day Ever

2008-04-01T09:19:00.000-07:00

Food, wine, fantastic weather, romantic city and a close friend are the perfect recipe for an unimaginably relaxed, fun day out. I love Elyse, and I love Italy.

Kitchen View (with Light Leak)

2008-03-31T01:19:00.000-07:00

When the weather is clear, this is what I get to look out on as I make my breakfast every morning. So really not every morning so much as once every now and then, at least until summer.

You are unlikely to be eaten by a grue.

2008-03-29T12:11:00.000-07:00

For more information about the Grue, see their entry in Wikipedia.

You're The One

2008-03-28T05:27:00.000-07:00

I love having a bath, but I miss having a shower. The duck doesn't float so is purely decoration.

Window Repair II-IV

2008-03-27T05:57:00.000-07:00

I lost a window to the wind early March. This is step one of the repair process, in three parts - having a garbage bag professionally installed.

Shoes.

2008-03-26T03:43:00.000-07:00

I've Got The Greatest View From Here

2008-03-24T09:23:00.000-07:00

Yep, that's the fantastic view from the window above my bed. Thrilling. The only good thing about that window is that it is really good for getting mid morning sun, but as I'm only able to enjoy it when I'm home (so weekends) and when the sun is out (so rarely) the window is only actually good for letting in just enough of the cold wind to be annoying enough to be a little chilly, but not enough for me to justify turning the heater on.

Another Day In The Duveen

2008-03-23T05:55:00.000-07:00

Most people don't necessarily get to throw around photos of their workplace without pictures of coffee machines, lots of paper or a cube farm. Most of the time I'm thankful for that.

Day Glo Yellow

2008-03-22T12:32:00.000-07:00

I remember in high school a friend of mine who went to raves and the like would stick reflective patches to his clothes, I guess as would be fashionable in the rave/dance party situation. Now everywhere I go I see everyone wearing them. Schoolkids on excursions have them on, workmen travelling on the tube stand out fantastically against the sea of heavy, dark winter coats, I have a whole box of them in my office awaiting filing (either being actually or euphemistically filed is yet to be determined). Tim, you were a trendsetter ahead of your time.

Eastbound District Line to Upminster

2008-03-21T06:54:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine called me the Tube Whisperer because it seems wherever I go, if the city has an underground train network, I can find my way around it incredibly easily and with only brief, if any, reference to maps. The only place I take a little longer is New York...if they all had names instead of letters I'd do better, I'm sure.

London Is Like A Website

2008-03-19T05:21:00.000-07:00

A writer I enjoy reading often makes jokes about the light at the end of the tunnel being an oncoming train, or in flames. Personally I think the light at the end of the tunnel being the intersection of High Holborn and Kingsway (or, indeed, any major intersection that also hosts an Underground station and an ongoing program of 'improvement works') is worse.

All I Wanted Was You To Take Me Out

2008-03-18T12:49:00.000-07:00

Sunday morning is always, always, desolate. I'm usually I'm sure the only person awake, anywhere, ever. The night buses are still running. There are no deliveries of whole, dead animals that I need to avoid to walk to the tube station. It's light out, but sort of only just. The sun is up, and awake, but hasn't had it's coffee yet. I usually haven't either. Where I live is usually oddly devoid of birds, comparative to the rest of this city. That's as many as I've ever seen; morning birds, I couldn't sleep anyway.

The morning I decide to document the hours of nothing that happen, a jogger is in my way. He's probably wondering why I'm taking his photo when I wasn't, really, he just ended up in it. I prefer to think that he's wondering why he isn't the only person out like he probably usually was.

I was actually on my way to work this Sunday. Only people whose jobs are to actually do things are ever up at that time on a weekend.