Three Posts: Three

We bought a house.  In fact we bought this one...

It is an old villa that was built in all likelihood in 1914 as part of a development that was designed to create affordable housing for workers in Nelson. 

It is in a particularly poor state of repair.  You can't see it from this photo, but the lean-to area at the back of the property, which housed the bathroom, kitchen and toilet, can't be lived in at the moment - well not at least with a baby.  It has taken three months just to get rid of the mouse poo and urine stench.

It is proving to be a very interesting project.  Not only does the property need a HUGE amount of work, it is protected by inclusion in the Elliott St Historic Precinct that recognises the importance of maintaining the houses in the street as an example of early New Zealand housing.  

We had to apply for resource consent to approve the renovation work we aim to commence and were worried that this would unduly hold up the project.  However we were very pleased to have been granted consent last week, and are now itching for the building consent before we commence the renovation works.  The condensed list will see us re pile the house, extend the rear lean-to, renovate the front veranda and redecorate and insulate the entire old house.  There are also plans to add a solar hot water cylinder and re-roof but we hope to delay that a little till the funds come through.

In the end we hope that the exterior of the building will look like this:

Will have to post progress photos.

Fortunately  we have the house pictured in post Two to stay in while the work is carried out.  Even better is the fact that the in-laws, and owners of the big house, are dab hands at renovation work, having fully renovated Hillwood over the last number of years.   It is their expertise and support that has allowed us to go full steam into the Elliott St project.

That said, it is proving tricky balancing the demands of the project with a twelve month old baby.  So this Sunday I'm on baby sitting duty while the missus is in at the house sanding and scraping (we are re-using all the original lean-to windows and doors etc.).  The baby is asleepat the moment and I'm not being the productive domestic goddess that I'm supposed to be.  Off now to hang out the nappies, make some vaguely pureed veges and some homemade crumpets for the adults.  But while I'm doing that, I'm itching to be at the house...

Three Posts: Two Point Two

Just a quick follow up on the second post.  Saw this article in the paper a day or so ago.  

Spooky about how that happens; you think of something and then it pops up again a short time later.  

Three Posts: Two

As mentioned (almost a year ago now...) the plan was to head back to NZ and start settling in Nelson.  Here is a special photo of the house in which the family is currently living.

It is an amazing photo for a couple of reasons.  For a start, the perspective of it makes the massive building look like a dolls house. The miniaturising perspective was achieved by an arborist, who had climbed one of the massive redwood trees on the property.  The photo was taken in on the 28th of August last year, right after the big storms had come through the region, toppling trees and generally making a big mess.  The protected trees at the house in the picture were no exception and this arborist had come to lop off dead hangers, tidy up the fallen branches and, for good measure, climb the tallest tree on the property!  At the time we didn't knowhe had his camera with him.

The arborist died in a private climbing accident eight weeks later.  We read the news article at the time but didn't put two and two together and realise that the climber was the same arborist that had visited a couple of months earlier.  When his widow arrived a week or two later, and offered us copies of his photos, she told of how Stephen had spoken very fondly of the big redwood in his last weeks. 

We are very lucky to have this photo.  Thanks Stephen and Denise. 

Three Posts: One

It has been nearly a year and the silence on this blog has been near absolute.  Here is the reason, my lovely boy Arthur.

This is my favorite photo of Arthur.  It is reminiscent of old photos of me at Arthur's age; always smiling and always with some food in my mouth!

Being a dad is great.

Hmmn

My baby saw the new Indianna Jones movie today.  I have yet to see it.  Seven weeks old (nearly 8) and I am already jealous of him!

Home in about a month

Quick update on the return from France.  We are travelling home.  Yes home, for good.  We arrive in NZ on 02 July 08 (in Auckland) and will drive down the Nth Island to Welly town thereafter.  Plan on hitting the capital on 04 July 08, so for those of you who are also in town that weekend lets get together.  I have a son, now 7 weeks old, to show you all!

That is all for the moment.

What is a name?

I didn't think I was having a boy, but when it became apparent this name stuck.  It is a good name:

Arthur Finlay Gillespie

I am a Dad

I have a son.

Born 7:10am 02/04/08 3.54kg.

Thankfully mother and baby are fine.

I suspect I will write more about this.

Tune in next time when Spidey says...

Interestingly I need to blog based on a radio interview that Dylan Horrocks had on bFm the other day (should still be here). 

 

It was an interesting enough interview to be sure, about E. Gary Gygax, but it took a big turn for the amusing-as-hell when Dylan began chatting away about how the advent of computer game style scriptwriting/storytelling as being seen by some authors as a corruption of the form.  I think the next second or two, and the ensuing comment, will live with me forever, for after a dead air radio pause, Dylan said in response to this evidently preposterous notion:

 

"Fuck that shit!"

 

Spidey, it appears, completely disagrees.

 

Another one of those moments of the "'O' for awesome" ilk.  Totally made in NZ; it sure made me laugh and made my day.  Still a small part of me, the one that is tickled pink due to expecting to be a father any-day-now,  the same that has been actively thinking about the things that I say and not wanting a little mimic to parrot a large number of them back, went "You can't say that Dylan!"

 

Then of course I went around all weekend parroting it myself (and chuckling whenever I did). Me thinks that the little one is doomed...

 

--

 

On that count, not long to go.  3 days till due date.  Signs abound that it is ANY-DAY-NOW, which I think I already mentioned.  Can you tell that I'm excited (and just a wee bit scared)?  News will follow and unlike other blog promises you won't be able to stop me from telling you over and over again all about it!  Till then...

 

 

Another thing to enjoy...

Blade Runner most especially because it allows you imagine drinking spirits (like gin) with impunity.  Tomorrow shall tell.  Avoid We Own The Night.

One more fucking day at work and this year of it is OVER.  Of course the same shit will still be there next year, in an all too brief 10 days time.  Still 2008 is shaping up to be a cracker.  And you can't have crackers without a sacrifice or two. 

Have a good holiday kids, all 0 of you reading this (; and lets see if we can't swing the numbers in 2008!

Ha! - The Mathematical Proof!

Look at the statistics below. They make me laugh. Blogs are selfish.
Don't treat them otherwise, just fucking enjoy them!

--

sidonia.net

-- Site Summary ---
Visits

Total ........................ 2,115
Average per Day .................. -
Average Visit Length ............. -
This Week ........................ 0

Page Views

Total ........................ 3,766
Average per Day .................. -
Average per Visit ................ -
This Week ........................ 0

--- Visits this Week ---
Day
Hour 12/12 12/13 12/14 12/15 12/16 12/17 12/18 Total
---- ----- ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ -------
1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
13 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
14 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
15 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
16 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
17 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
18 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
19 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
20 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
21 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
22 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
23 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
24 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ -------
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

--- Page Views this Week ---
Day
Hour 12/12 12/13 12/14 12/15 12/16 12/17 12/18 Total
---- ----- ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ -------
1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
13 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
14 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
15 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
16 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
17 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
18 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
19 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
20 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
21 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
22 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
23 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
24 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ -------
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

A Bi-Monthly Rhythm

It appears that I only blog every 2nd month. Three posts in half a year. Not a very good average...

--

I think it may have something to do with Google Reader which has organised my web based readings away from sidonia.net (where I used to link to all my favorite blogs etc.). Means I don't visit this space often and can aviod the 'guilt' of not utilising it.

--

Many things on the boil at the moment.

Work is going OK. Embroiled in a project which is equal measure frustration, stress and satisfyingly busy.

As per last post (now a further two months along) Sal is pregnant. This is by far an away the most exciting thing that has ever happened in my life (that I have chosen to do). Six months is a long time to be excited, but it remains, changes and progresses and I have no doubt it will continue to build till the end of March when the little babe pops out into the world and says hello! Can't wait.

I expect with the plans afoot regarding the birth and thereafter, that I will begin to use this space more often as an area for my musings (unless I'm inundated with nappies and lack-o-sleep etc.). Till then I expect that I'll continue to ignore its existence.

For Xmas I am off to Morocco (again) to go riding in the Atlas Mountains. How cool is that? I say VERY COOL. Will try to feel obligated to let you know how that goes.

A father's perspective of pregnancy is changed irreversibly when he feels the baby kicking for the first time. Try it sometime!

--

Sal is in Perth (Australia) this week! Then in Nelson (NZ) for a week and a bit to celebrate Xmas with her folks. The potential grandparents (mine included) are convening in Nelson to 'inspect' the bump. I'm very happy about this, but sad not be there to take part in this family event.

At times I have felt very selfish and irresponsible coming to the decision to have kids. I did it without consulting my side of the family, and once the pregnancy became a reality, I found the idea of telling my family difficult. I was projecting my own insecurities about having a child onto their response. When I did tell them, they were only positive and supportive. Of course!

To have them rally together to inspect the bump makes me even more grateful that we are having a kid. I feel a bit as if it has 'allowed' our respective folks and extended family to move on from thinking of Sal and me as not just long term boyfriend and girlfriend but as part of the family--there to stay, there to be supported. And it is very cool to think that active decisions I've/we've made have the backing of the tribe. This is basic life at its best.

--

Anyway, after making rash statements like "I'm not going to drink while Sal is pregnant" I am off to prepare for a Saturday drinking session. Rest assured, I've had plenty of practice in the last 6 months...

Little one (if you read this in the years to come) as well as current readers: this Dad (to be) will often not live up to his words, but he means well and wonders if this is enough?

Four Months

Last time I blogged was two months ago,
I had news back then but I couldn't tell you,
Now that same news is two months older,
And I don't want to keep it a secret...

Two plus two equals four,
I'm going to be a dad.

The Old Story

A workmate has introduced me to an excellent track, it's called La Ritournelle by a guy called Sebastien Tellier. It is a brilliant track. You should check it out in its entirety - the myspace version is a bit triangly and short. So perhaps you should check it out here... That link at least contains the increadibly beautiful buiLD-UP, enjoy!

Anyway the track is sort of a theme tune for me at the moment. Life is beautiful, but made up of an orchestra of ever-so-slightly dischordant parts. And for many resons the title of the track resonates with me; there is meaning beyond the music too. I'd explain - but I don't think I can.

--

The riding is going well. I'm turning into a speed demon, last outing had me riding to work and back in two hours and eleven mins. An improvement of a whopping 49 mins of my average round-trip ride time I started off commuting to work with. However I'm following a new route, and if this new route (on road) is accurately measured by google maps then that is an-oh-so-close effort of riding >40miles at 30km/hr or above. I mix the distance units, cause it's the UK and they still deal with stupid measurement distances here, like miles...

--

Work is actually busy - and providing me with an unusual 8am-5pm focus. I've even been staying late. Something is going wrong. I suspect that I'm finding stuff to occupy myself cause I'm exercising, happy with life and don't want work to be the only thing that dents my positive attitude at the moment.

--

A random guy walking past my window just scared the crap out of me by loudly addressing me with things like "You have a good evening!"and "God Bless".


--

That is all!

Bike Route

Lea Bridge to Ware

http://www.bikely.com/

Go visit www.bikely.com for some cool mapping tools!

Systems Check

Writing this from work, cause well, I can. I don't think that I have written from work before so it'll be interesting to see how it comes through.

In my last post I stated that I've gone bike mad. Now the total miles is greater that 420 and I've saved at least £83.20 on transport costs. The main problem with it is that recently (i.e. 3 out of the last 4 trips) the return ride home has been weather affected which typically means that a) I arrive home angry with the lack-o-summer and b) need to launder my wet and filthy gear (clothes, self and bike). I mean for christ sake, yesterday the ride was replete with rain, thunder, lightening and hail the latter of which had fortunately fallen before I rode over it but still had the effect of near freezing the puddles and consequently my soggy arse. I really should invest in a rear pannier rack or mudguard or something to keep me more dry while riding.

Another unfortunate bilking experience was I lost a shoe! No not off my foot in a "Puff! Hey my shoe disappeared!" kind of a way, no the sneaky wee bugger wormed its way out of my bag on the ride to work last Friday. In actual fact it totally unzipped my bag and then jumped to freedom. So I had an interesting Friday walking around work with no shoes, good for encouraging pre-weekend laughter I suppose. Couldn't find the shoe on the ride home either, which is a shame cause now the path has been rained on too many times to consider picking it up even if it comes out of hiding...

Anyway, more biking related news that you probably haven't missed is the fact that the Tour de France started in London this year and yours truly went to Hyde Park to see what the fuss was all about. Got a little distracted by the weather and the cycle village to actually push my way to the circuit but did watch the lads ride around extremely quickly on the big screen they had put up for lazy people like me. Was a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon in the sunshine. Even signed up to sustrans to help cover the cost my cycling on the national bike network (most of the tow path I ride is on their network). Oh and I got interviewed by a BBC radio reporter about the Tour while sitting on the grass and playing with Sal's bike. I wonder if anyone heard it!

Enough of bikes - so will quickly finish off with what I'm reading at the moment - David Mitchell's "Black Swan Green". He is a writer that the dependable morgue introduced me to - probably back in 2000 when he gave me "Ghostwritten". I loved that novel, still do in fact, and that copy is still in a shelf somewhere at home (I am now better at sharing book love!). Since then I have read his other two novels as well, "Number9Dream" and "Cloud Atlas" the latter of which is amazing

Best quote thus far and has me pleased in the sense that the novel may have some of the fantastical elements present in David's first three novels is:

'Unborn Twin murmured, Go to the lake.'

Reading is fun kids.

The News

I don't have anything more cool to report than this.

"And the crazy lady said yes."

Go Mr and Mrs Trees, King and Queen (of France), God and Goddess!

That said, I will also bore you with some of the details of my life!

Travel:

Have recently returned from a diving trip to Gozo, the



See I was diving! While I was underwater I saw some cool stuff including:



and



(Thanks Arna for the great pics)

We are of to Paris this weekend, sadly not for King Leon's marriage. Never been to Paris. Travel is cool.

Biking:

Have been biking like mad recently Purchased a bike very similar to this one (but with nasty touring front suspension), and have been thrashing it to and from work as a commuting option that a) saves me £8.20 per day if I ride both ways b) gets me fit c) gives me a reason to go to work and a) saves me £8.20! Did I mention that already?

Thus far I've ridden 240miles to work and back, saving a total of £50.40. That is about 20% of the value of the bike. I've lost about 3kgs in about three weeks and have gotten to a point where the time it takes me (approx. 1hr 30mins) is beatable. I managed a 1hr 22mins ride this morning (fastest ride between home and work so far) without really pushing hard. My next goal is to push this towards 1hr 15mins and still maintain the ability to walk and stay awake for a full work day afterwards. Energy levels seem to be recovering with a pita bread and jam before and after, and a bunch of food throughout the day! I'm eating LOTS, but it is still tons cheaper than £8.20 per day!

Made an interesting discovery that climbing shoes make good cycling shoes - light and sturdy (my current climbing shoes are too big for climbing, so this is now a good use for them). Am also too cheap to buy proper cycling shorts so my bum is feeling it.

The ride is pretty cool, 20 miles of almost-sealed 'single track' along the Lea river. I have seen three deer, lots of rabbits and almost got a pigeon as roadkill on Monday! Main problem is that the track is bumpy and has lots of puddles that a) in the recent wet weather make for a very dirty ride and b) will make the route impossible during winter. At that stage I'll have to commute along the road, which after the recent traffic free experiences I've been having, will be a hardship. Still £8.20 per day...

More links

Seems like I can't reference anything on Mr Gibson's blog without have to retract it later!

 

The interest rate hike means that NZ is looking less attractive to return to with a stash of UK pounds.  The losses in translation will be large.  But it is good news for you NZ bound folk, take advantage of the strong NZD and come visit me!

 

Biked into work.  One hour and thirty five minutes to work.  I blame the 'uphill' going against the Lea River flow.  Cause water always flows downhill right?  Certainly felt like a hill at times!

 

And finally, what a fucking stupid idea!  Can't say much more than that.

 

 

Quick Update!

Am waiting for William Gibson's latest novel to arrive in the stores and always keep an eye on his blog just in case any news of interest pops up.  It just did.  That made me think of Pattern Recognition, and how I also read recently that it is not going to be made into a movie just yet contrary to my post about it over a year ago.  Another movie to add to the Quince's I wanna make it wish list I suppose!

 

Am physically tired after the ride yesterday and weirded out about my water intake.  At work I drank 2L of water. I didn't carry water on the ride itself (I have no bottle cage and I didn't want the additional weight on my back) but when I got home I drank another 1.5L H2O and two glasses of OJ.  I thought that this would be plenty of fluids to cover any dehydration from the ride, but I think I was wrong, my head is fuzzy and to be blunt I've peed only dribbles since.  Hmmmn.  Hydration is interesting to me, but that was probably too much information for you!

 

So there you go, I've just blogged about my favorite author and my urinary observations...

 

Stuff

Have been meaning to write more on the pharma industry, but have been preoccupied with mini-adventures that have so far prevented me. In lieu of some thing considered on that front, here is a random smattering of stuff I've been reading, looking at and trying out:

Reading Margret Atwood's Oryx and Crake at the moment and enjoying it for the pessimistic attitude towards technology and the stupid industry I'm in.

Then The Moose linked me to this article saying that most research is false. I've printed that for further bathroom (my new library) reference. Read it.

A colleague at work showed me one of the news article about this, which gave me hope that what some people in the industry do is worthwhile. But then I got depressed about pills; about big pharma business eking out only a couple of months for patients from their profits...

I've mucked around with Facebook and I just have to say that it is a little bit scary no matter what Morgue says! I'm also thinking that the social networking sites like Facebook facilitate a move towards what I have already talked about somewhere (can't remember where) where not only will we tie up far too much importance on computing technology to get 'together' but it will also widen the gap between those with the technology and those without. * searches for what he thinks he wrote a long while back * Ah ha! Here it is!

Anyway pet project number one has been the whole can I get to work and back without relying on public transport. It has involved much oohing and ahhing and a hell of a lot of hand wringing about the distance - something more than 22 miles (I'm still not sure - but suspect an upper maximum would be 25 or 26 miles). Doesn't sound too bad on paper - but realise folks that that is a MARATHON!

Anyway, my lovely girlfriend has been totally supportive about me buying a bike and just trying it out, and what sage advice that has been. The bike has been great for getting around in the city. But I've been too scared, I mean I've deliberated and not tried the work ride... until now!

And I can report that it was a bloody good ride. I forgot how easy it is to chew up distance on a bike when the main enemies to momentum, namely wind and hills, aren't present. And so, door-to-door, it's an one hour and twenty five mins... That's not too bad for a traffic free ride to work especially considering the train is one hour and five mins door to door. The only pain is the time lost in having to change, which I'm gonna have to work on, cause it still feels as if I've come home and hour later than usual.

Anyway, to aid answering how long the work commute is, I've created a My Maps at google maps. I have mapped out part of the route into nifty straight line segments and then worked out a way to grab the coordinates of my markers so that I can calculate the distance between them to add up to a journey total (all this for an error improvement on 4 miles!!!). Of course I will need some math to help me work out how to get the distance from markers A to B to C etc. and from a quick foray into the interweb I suspect it is here, but crap, I just rode 22+ miles and I can't quite get my head around it yet!

That is all for now. I've just had some exercise, can you tell?