November in pictures

On November 1st I started a 365 photographic project, basically a photo every day for 365 days.So here are the fruits of my first 30 days... I definitely picked random subject matters.

November in pictures

Each photograph is individually found in my Frapto Archive, with an explanation about each subject found here-  Frapto Archive . Frapto is basically a photo blog, that I share with a group of others taking the 365 challenge.
The challenge for me, is not only to take a photo a day, but also to improve over time. This is especially important for my sisters wedding in May, as I have mentioned briefly that I am the photographer. So for the time being, if you want a daily fix of me, check out my photos on the frapto site. 

This is what my desk looks like when I am doodling

Nature surprises

Winter Nips, Olbas and Memories

At this time of year, I reach for the Olbas more frequently. It use to be a seasonal thing, but my addiction has deepened, or my sinuses have become more stuffed over the decades, so now it's an all year round habit. The Olbas addiction started in early childhood, when the Grandma Lil use to shove an olbas inhaler up my nostrils before heading out to school on a cold morning. It was only in later years, did I realise that the olbas inhaler was passed between the sisters and I, never wiped in-between (gross). That olbas inhaler had to be ancient, I never saw a new one, ever.When the ye olde ancient olbas inhaler wasn't about, a few drops of pure olbas oil was put on a hanky and stuffed in my pocket. They say that your olfactory (sniff sniff) senses link up directly to your memory, so sniffing a wee bit of olbas whooshes me back to days of duffel coats and hugs off Grandma Lil.

Another childhood memory that goes in hand in hand with the olbas, is a handful of Winter Nips, before you get excited, the nips I am talking about, are the sweets you see in the picture above..Not the scenario doodled below....

I loved  those sweets, they are small black herbal flavour boiled sweets, which don't actually sound that nice, but I assure they are! They warm up your mouth and as a kid, I was convinced that they magically warmed up your whole body. So when I saw a bag of them in the supermarket, I had to buy some! Nom nom nom nom!

So do you have favourite childhood sweet? What childhood smell tickles your olfactory senses?

What lurks beneath

Is there anything worn under the kilt? No, it's all in perfect working order.
Spike Milligan

Next year my wee sister Heather will be marrying a highlander and this means kilts, lots of them. So on one of our recent marathon phone conversations, the sister and I got to talking about photographs and the issue with kilts. As I am the official photographer, it is my job to capture all the moments of the day, that includes the 'kilt' shot. This is the true test of Scottish authenticity, will the kilt wearers be bollocko underneath. If they are, I have to photograph it at some point (why me!). Why does one have to capture this moment? Maybe it is some ancient kilt flashing tradition, where they startle the poor person holding the camera, forcing them to have the image burned into their mind forever and ever, well at least until after all the images have been processed anyways.

Has Heather had any recent proof of this tradition? Well apparently she does and this lead to the infamous 'Penis on the head' tale. I apologise for using the word penis, it is necessary, although I could have used tallywhacker I suppose?
Anyhoo back to the tale....

Heather was at a wedding with her fiance and spotted the wedding guest book. Heather loves to write in these things (pages and pages). The outfit she was wearing meant that she had to kneel down, so she got herself comfortable and started to write...
All of a sudden, a darkness enveloped her and then she felt something on her head (uh oh).
She looks up.. big mistake.
Then as quick as the darkness came, the light was returned and the true horror was revealed.

It turns out one of John's (the fiance's) friends had decided to envelop her head with his kilt and let his penis rest on her head.

This is what I will have to deal with next year.. It may end badly for some.

Please read previous post for more sensible/ sensitive stuff and less penis (as in none at all) - It all floats to the bottom (which has nothing to do with bottoms, honest!)

It all floats to the bottom

Basically, when you are down at The Bottom, 

Marine Snow is the shit which rains down on you. 

The amount, and the size of the shit depends on the season.

I have been reading a lot of blogs lately, mainly from my 'Mentalhealthish' list on twitter. Those on my mentalhealthish' list, sit either side of the couch, around it, on it or even behind it (hat tip to @wondedgenius for that phrase). Meaning they are clients, therapists or those that work in some capacity within the mental health field. Hopefully nobody on the list minds being tagged as 'mentalhealthish', it was just an easier way to keep tabs on why I was following certain folk over on twitter. They are a mixed bunch of folks, that amuse, educate and entertain constantly, not that that is their job, just a happy coincidence for me.

Not sure how to write this without sounding too gushing, sappy or just ridonkulous, but some of the posts I have read, have been far more inspiring and insightful than any book I have read of late. I think it is important to constantly keep your toes in the water, whatever stage of learning/studying you are at. You can never stop learning, if you think you know enough, then you are quite simply daft. Also the perspective you gain from hearing/reading about mental health issues from all parties is invaluable.

The doodle is inspired by a poem, a blog and well some more blogs. Some people have the rare talent of being able to write so well, that you feel almost part of their world, not in their world, but teetering around the edges. You get a glimpse of the highs and the lows in their life. It is impossible to be unaffected by the emotions so beautifully written, even if they are painful, you are grateful that they have been shared. So from that mixture of emotions, the above doodle was born. Click it to see it 'biggified' if you like.

Don't worry I am not getting anyone's face tattooed on my body yet! I am no mentalist! (Alan Partridge reference). I just hope people keep on writing, so that I can keep on learning (without anyone feeling like a guinea pig).

Some poetry follows...(Don't worry not mine!)

Zombies, Frapto and Mumborg stuff

CEASE AND DESIST VISITORS FROM Hip and Hemipelvectomy Amputees 'Appreciation'group, your presence by linking or mentioning this blog is NOT welcomed. In otherwords piss off and get your kicks from elsewhere.

I am quite simply awful at computer games, with the exception of spider solitaire, I get motion sickness, bored and a whole other feast of side effects when playing them. Even with all that, I have persisted in playing one online game for the past three years (just before I started this blog). The game in question is Urban Dead  and basically:

Urban Dead is a free-to-play browser-based multi-player game where you play the survivor or victim of a zombie outbreak in a quarantined city centre, alongside tens of thousands of others.

I have died 34 times and I am currently one of the undead once more, until a kind soul revives me. I don't like being a zombie, it seems awfully rude to munch on someone to gain points. Of course stabbing, shooting, bludgeoning to death a zombie is the height of politeness... Anyhoo I wander aimlessly round the streets offing zombies, healing survivors and barricading myself in rooms. That is about my level of competence, I think you can see why I have died 34 times.. I don't mind having a bite on a zombie whilst I am undead, but as a zombie I have standards! No eating hoomans, just say no to man flesh when dead.

Dr C R Pitt

What else has been happening that doesn't involve zombies? Well keep reading.....

Plot Bunnies, photographs and sunshine

First of all thanks for reading the rather long winded 'Three years and counting' post. Hands up if you just scrolled down to the comments? I know some of you buggers did..... heh.
(click to read definition of 'heh', as my offline folks don't usually have a clue).
Anyhoo it was nice to see folks from the past emerge and comment, I call those folks the 'oldies' and was pleasantly surprised to see new folks comment, those shall be the 'newbies'.

The Evil Plot Bunny

For some it is nanowrimo time once more, this is when some crazy folks crack out a novel in a month. All those that I know doing it, are what I would call writers. This leads me once more into the murky world of writing vs blogging. I am firmly entrenched in the ' I am a blogger' category, because quite frankly calling myself a writer feels utterly ridiculous. In saying that, I feel bad, I have spotted that light, I have followed it down a murky tunnel..... Yes I want to be a writer, I want to write a book and yes I hate myself for it. Alright I don't actually hate myself, but it does feel rather daft and grandiose.

I blame .............The Evil Plot Bunny, that furry creature that leaves droppings of ideas all over the place.

Miss Dorman inspired this doodle, so thanks a lot! (lol)

Mumborg News

The Mumborg should be released on Monday, if they get all the paperwork in order. She had a weekend visit and that went rather well, so huzzah and all that bollocks. It will be nice to finally get back to living and having some fun! For the Mumborg I mean. It has been bloody boring, well up until the removing of the leg part. Once she is all settled in and sorted, I will write a longer update.

Keep reading for more stuff and nonsense