Hipstamatic Fun

Like many thousands of other iPhone owners around the world, I have investigated the app called Hipstamatic.

Welcome back to the past. A time when photography meant either grainy black and White or muted washed out colours. Slightly blurred images and a look that simply shouts of days gone by.

There are so many options open to you, and it is almost impossible to try out all the possible variations.

While the photos will not win any prizes, they do have an evocative look to them and a certain something.

Ladybird

This is the original photo of the ladybird.

Easter Break

So, after three weeks without a day off apart from Sundays, I finally have a break!

Sally was up in Derby on Saturday, and was running late, so I went swimming on my own for the first time. I wasn't really nervous about the swimming aspect, I just was a bit nervous about being on my own in a "not having anyone to chat to" kind of way, because we do tend to use the time in the pool as a bit of a catchup. Or is this just an excuse to have a rest between lengths?!

It all went fine. I managed to do half a dozen full lengths, and plenty of almost ones. So much so, that even now (Monday afternoon) I am still aching!! (mind you, the weeding in the garden on sunday probably didn't help either)

I did have a couple of minor "issues" in the pool. Once when I tried to stop swimming in the deepest section and discovered that the bottom of the pool was just a smidge deeper than I expected, and once when floating on my back and failing to stand up properly meant I slipped and went under a couple of times. BUT... There were no panics on my part, I just got on with it and recovered, and then laughed to myself.

None of the staff asked me where Sally was, which was a shame, as I was going to tell them that she was happy for me to go on my own now that she knew where I kept the insurance policies!! ;-)

Sunday, after a nice lie in, I helped Sally in the garden, we cut the budleah back a bit and weeded the flower borders and the gravel area. It didn't take as long as I thought it would, and was well worth the effort as it looks so much better for it. We can't do anymore for a while as the garden rubbish bin is now full!

Monday saw another nice lie in as I catch up with my beloved sleep, though I did venture into the garden to take a few photos.....


This was a photo of a ladybird on plant in the garden that I ran through an app on the iPad to make it look like a sketch.

The worst car in the world?

I have to confess that I had been wondering if Sally was justified in being unhappy with her latest company car. It is a silver KIA Venga, which is not related to the manager of Arsenal football club from what I can gather.
Having only been a passenger in it, I was not able to comment other than the seat was fairly comfortable, but the ride was very "bouncy".
Today I had the chance to drive it from my parents house in Kenilworth, to ours in Coventry, a distance of around 6 miles, and I have to say that every yard of those few miles was sheer hell!
Not only does it bounce along the road like a demented space hopper, but the drivers seat is more akin to the comfort of a very old deckchair. To say that the car handles like a shopping trolley is actually to be unfair to most shopping trollies. None of the controls feel like they are actually connected to anything. The throttle may as well not be there, as pressing it only elicits an asthmatic wheeze from the engine. I actually wanted to give it my inhaler to use in the vain hope that it might actually help it.
The brake pedal does not appear to do anything until about four seconds after you press it, the gear lever feels very floppy, and the steering wheel really does feel that it is just spinning around on a shaft while not doing anything.
I can liken it to driving on a very poor computer game. Mind you, even a Playstation 2 gives a more realistic experience with half decent feedback.
I really cannot express just how poor a car it is to drive. I had to agree with Sally's complaints about it and even apologise for not believing her before.
The sooner she can get rid of this pile of junk the better. You even doubt that anyone would even steal it if you left it unlocked and with the keys in it!!
They may give a seven year guarantee with this car, but the only guarantee I can see they can offer is that you will be disappointed with it.

Yes sir, i can swimmy, i can swimmy all night long......

Didn't really want to go swimming tonight after work. I was tired, achy, and looking forward to just chilling out on the new sofa. Sally felt the same.
However, we both knew that it would do us good and we would feel better for it, so we climbed into her new company car (Kia Venga, AKA the bouncy castle) and off we went. When we got to the carpark, we were a bit worried by the large number of other cars there - would it mean the pool would be busy? Was i about to get grumpy?
Well, no - as it happened, we had the pool to ourselves! The water was a little cooler than of late, but still pleasant enough. I felt comfortable and happy in the water, and started to do my usual half lengths. Then, something strange happened......
......i realised that i hadn't done half a length this time, it was more like three quarters, and if i could keep going just that bit further.........and then, that was it - i had done a length! For only the second time, and the first time for ages! Yeehaaaa.
Then i did it again. And again. And again. Altogether i did 8 full lengths and a few almost ones too. (i expect to ache in the morning!)
Buoyed (geddit?) with my new found  success, i tried some floating on my back without help, and managed to do that too without any major hiccups. Even when it did go a bit pear shaped, i was able to recover it without incident.
I have to confess that i felt so pleased with myself, proud even, and i know that i couldn't have done any of this without the help and patience of the SAS. (Sally And Sue) - huge thanks to them both.

Tools of the trade...

Well, i was taking some photographs at work the other day, and when i finally got bored of what i was supposed to be photographing, i started experimenting, and took some of part of my bench at work. i thought that some of the photos were quite interesting.......

I really want to get back into taking more photos, and as i don't go to many places these days maybe i should keep looking for interesting views that i see everyday.......