This will hurt me...

Late afternoon swim. Little Howrah Beach. January 2014. I think that I owe you a Q and A. How about the Summertime meme ? 1.) What first tells you that Summer is here? The girls are showing a lot more of their thighs. 2.) Name your five of your favourite distinctively Summer habits or customs. Swimming, snorkelling, evening runs, early-morning walks and fruit platters. 3.) What is your favourite smell of Summer? The beach. 4.) What is your favourite taste of Summer? Icy poles. 5.) Favourite Summer memory? Swimming during intense electoral storms. 6.) Extreme heat or extreme cold? Which would you choose and why? Hot hot hot! 7.) What books do you plan to read for the season? Good books! 8.) What is your favourite part of summer? Anything involving the water. 9.) What's your favourite quintessentially summer food? Least favourite? Fresh berries are my favourite. I don’t usually eat what I don’t like. 10.) Best beverage to beat the summer heat:...

Waiting at the lights, Cnr Harrington and Macquarie Streets, Hobart. September 2012. Three books this week, and a real mix to boot! The Alchemist , by Paulo Coelho: This book has apparently sold more than 65 million copies (which puts in the top 15 in sales accoring the the lists I've seen). It has been translated into 169 languages, which makes it the most translated book by a living author. Millions of people have described it as wondrous , life-changing , and unique . I have a few words myself: trite , banal , self-important and mediocre . F . Four Stories , by Alan Bennett: A collection of four of Alan Bennett's most famous, most admired [long] short stories. All very good, Bennett has a great ear for dialogue and his capacity to shift from the filthy and hilarious to heartbreaking in a paragraph amazes me. B+ . Age of Iron by Nobel Prize winner J. M. Coetzee: Another fantastic novel that draws together themes of aging, confession, death, freedom, all framed w...

Sunshine came softly though my window today... Magnet Court, as seen from Mayfair Plaza car park. September 2012. Sunday Stealing is closing down, it seems, which means that I'll need to find a new source for these questions! Until then, here is The End is Near Meme, Part 1 1. Ever been given or received an engagement ring? Despite the fact that I am married, I have not experienced either honour. 2. Longest relationship? It’s going strong at eleven ( 11! ) years now. 3. Last gift you received? I got a comfortable jacket for Father’s Day. As well as an Essendon FC bookmark. 4. Ever dropped a mobile phone? LOADS of times. 5. When's the last time you worked out? I’ve cut back on my non-habitual exercise of late. I walk everywhere, we do a bit of swimming and a lot of my ‘relaxation’ involves trekking somewhere or other and often involves carrying a reasonable heavy child, so the excess workouts aren’t really necessary. 6. Thing(s) you spend a lot of money on? ...

Geometry. Harrington Street, Hobart. September 2012. As you know, the Internet is a wonderful place filled with the rich and varied treasures of the world holds (and RSS feeds.) The following are some things that I've had a look at in the last week. I call this: a Compendium of Click-throughs for Monday Morning... How Children Succeed. Which matters more, cognitive ability or motivation? You may have wondered this: Why are there so many seagulls in cities? What Your Crutch Word Says About You? At present, mine is probably ' possibly ... I can think of a few kids who are stuffed. Babies learn humour from parents! Quite literal, really... The crocodile feeder of Ivory Coast.

Going home. Sandy Bay Road, onto Davey Street. June 2012. As you know, the Internet is a wonderful place filled with the rich and varied treasures of the world holds. Unfortunately, the Internet are these parts does not appear to be working! I'm going to have to postpone the weblinks for another day. If this post ever manages to actually go live, please feel free to stick around and enjoy the view...

The sun retreats behind Mount Wellington. Howrah Beach, March 2012. Sunday Top Five, and in response to the frightfully awful 'holiday' that is Easter Saturday, I present to you My Top Five Holidays That You Should Be Embracing This April Because They Are All Far Far Superior To The Nonsense That Is Easter Saturday! April 7: International Pillow Fight Day . Remember, this is International , so if you happen to see a foreigner, get the bastard! Quick bonus tip, a handy brick inserted into the pillow case gives you that little bit of extra power. April 12: Drop Everything and Read Day . What are you waiting for, get yourself a book and READ ! April 14: National Reach as High as You Can Day . A about setting and celebrating realistic goals. This is something that I can get behind... April 26: Hug an Australian Day . I know a couple of Australians who I might be hugging this day... April 27: Morse Code Day : .-. .. --. .... - --..-- / ... --- / -.-- --- ..- / .... .- ...- . / ... ....

Lots o' dogs. Howrah Beach, as seen from Little Howrah Beach. March 2012. Another Watery Wednesday and today, we pop down to Howrah Beach and enjoy a canine afternoon delight . Naturally, these evenings I usually find myself in a state of extreme concentration, the task being that of ensuring that some stray furious accumulation of muscle, sinew and enormous set of jaws on petite legs pit bull does not snap and make a meal of one of my children...

He's a god now...

Two stray waifs fleeing apocalypse.

Who stole that brick and how did they get up there? Sandy Bay Road, Sandy Bay. September 2011. I'm on struggle street today. Burdened down by what seems like a flu but with a meeting so important that it cannot be postponed, I suspect that today is going to be a very long day .™ I think that I'll need provisions, including: Handkerchief (x 3). Grapefruit. Orange juice (with pulp). Bottle of water. Forlorn gazes out of window at sunshine.

Heading home. Harrington Street, as viewed from Sandy Bay Road, Sandy Bay. July 2011. Sunday Top Five and what could be finer that Five Of The Best Henry And Ezra Brotherly Love Photographs That Have Appeared On This Very Blog! Easter Picnic in the gardens! Look both ways! It's all in the eyes! Pirate training or iron man training? Does it matter? Two old hams putting on a show at Eaglehawk Neck! Just missing the cut? Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow... , Ezra shows Henry the ways of life in the big city , Scooter break! , and Beach beefcake!

It's a waiting game: Jen and Henry, Tullamarine Airport, Melbourne. April 2011. There really is a limited amount of opportunities to take photographs in an airport, especially when you are on toddler-guarding duties. Henry can be entrusted with the trusty Sony PSP (and cross your fingers that the battery holds out), but Ez is like that 1980s pop combo Wa Wa Nee ; he needs stimulation . It's a waiting game: pilot fiddling, Tullamarine Airport, Melbourne. April 2011. We tried to arrange for a little jaunt up in a 737, but there were just too many forms to fill out (and people to bribe), so we stuck to a knock off Dorcas the Explorer [no relation] merry go round instead. It's a waiting game: planes await, Tullamarine Airport, Melbourne. April 2011. Oh we can laugh about it now, but at the time it was terrible ...

Waiting for the light. Campbell Street, intersection with Davey Street. February 2011. There are many things that one can do while waiting for the lights to change. If not reading a book or taking photos, I like to subtly alter the lyrics of popular tunes of yesteryear to amuse myself. If I can’t think of any, I concoct hypothesised conversations between any pedestrians that might be lurking around. If I’m really bored, I like to speculate what kind of foibles, desires, hidden strengths or indeed pervasions that complete strangers in the street might possess. Try it. It’s fun.

One never knows what sky will come. Campbell Street, Hobart. September 2010. I like a nice sky. To be honest, I like a nasty sky too. Any kind of sky really. Raining, sunny, you know, anything goes. Well, not a grey one. I’m not too much of a fan of a grey sky. I’ve not seen a green sky, but I’m sure it’s nice. I have seen orange skies, purple skies, red skies, pink skies. Blue skies of course. So yeah, any kind of sky really. Except grey.

Mount Wellington and a tree. As seen from Geilston Bay. July 2010. Once upon a time there was this... boy . This boy lived in a hut made of... cats . The cats - of course - were dead. Well, most of them were dead. One of the cats was... magical . Magical cats eating... mushrooms .

Afternoon sun over Geilston Bay (as seen through a gum). East Derwent Highway, Geilston Bay. October 2010. I think that I forgot to post. Oops. Can you tell that I've been busy?

Late afternoon and vampires start circling Royal Hobart Hospital. August 2010. Today already feels like a living version of the first joint-authored treatise of Friedrich Engels and Karl Marx. A Critique of Critical Criticism . Indeed, supplementing the first draft of my critique of critical criticism will be much sweary-language and quiet groaning. I’m in pain.

Shoulders back Henry! Head up! Goodness gracious child, you walk like a peasant!

Interesting sky. New Town, August 2010. At some point I'm going to run out of things to photograph at this bus stop. Henry and I sat down yesterday to work out today's Sunday Top Five : Henry's Top Five Movies (This Week)! Shrek II Finding Nemo Shrek I Wallace and Grommit: Curse of the WareRabbit Shrek III Now, if anyone wants to make some suggestions for films that Henry (or indeed Ezra) might enjoy, let us know in the comments! Yoga at the bus stop. New Town, August 2010.

Waiting for the bus in Campbell Street on a Friday afternoon. Hobart. July 2010. Part Three of my "too busy and thus tired this week to think up posts" meme answers! 31. WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO TELL SOMEONE HOW MUCH THEY MEAN TO YOU? Revolutionary concept that it is, how about “telling them”? 32. SAY A NUMBER FROM ONE TO A HUNDRED: Seventy. 33. BLONDES OR BRUNETTES? Curvy brunettes named ‘Jennifer’. 34. WHAT IS THE ONE NUMBER YOU CALL OFTEN? I never really ‘call’ numbers. I text Jen’s mobile a lot though. 35. WHAT ANNOYS YOU MOST? How long have we got? A lot of things annoy me. People not thinking things through or reflecting on something before shooting their mouth off really annoys me. 35. HAVE YOU BEEN OUT OF THE U.S.? I’ve never been IN the US! 36. YOUR WEAKNESSES? I could be a mite more sympathetic. I have high standards, and lack patience with those that don’t, sometimes unfairly. 37. TATER TOTS OR FRIES? Chips. 38. FIRST JOB? Delivering newspapers. 39. EVER PRANK CALLE...