Make contact personal

make personal contact

another chance at that 15 minutes of fame

i can't resist sharing this, some time ago in April I made a comment on Scoble's blog about his April fool ruse today he's letting us all know about a real product that's very similar to the vapourware he joked about

My amusement lies in the fact that he quotes me :-)

Robert Scoble noticed me yipee!

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Change the world or go home

A compelling argument to do something rather than do nothing



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I'll let Hugh speak for me

Sometimes you just see something that reminds you of things you think in the quiet recesses of your mind. This one came from the dark recesses of Hugh's mind. We must be twins.



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the youth of today, an old man smiles

Saw a link to this story it's something we can all be grateful to, and something for our children to aspire to.

there is abundance and good out there, and not too far to look to find it either.


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GAR!

I couldn't resist this before wednesday [International talk like a pirate day]


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my little boy isn't

he's a big boy now, here he is grading for his yellow tip



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Cub Sleepover

had a lot of fun with the Cubs, here they are getting into the shape of 100 in celebration of the centenary of Scouting this year

not sure we cracked 100 activities in 24 hours though :-)




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spoiled in abundance

was blessed to see the beach this morning in the pre dawn light: misty, frost down almost to the water, sunshine glowing along the horizon and the moon hanging in one corner of the sky



not quite taken today, but of course i forgot to take the camera with me today

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a motorbike, a son and a long black

Had a great day yesterday, nothing planned, just open to the possibilities

For once a bike ride that had the tailwind in both directions

Subway and coffee in the afternoon sunshine

A bike ride on Eliot's new bike; over the hills to Lyttleton for Chai at Coffee Culture. Got to say though, a return to the bike and sweeping corners was a bit scary at times. Adrenaline is good for the soul though!

Great!

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It's a party day!

Having turned 48 during last night's sleep, I awoke to a day like any other
day except for one crucial difference!

Everyone else had remembered my birthday and was intending to spoil me. Yay!

Home made cakes from Bex and Robyn ably assisted by Steve
Morning tea in the atrium
And a treat lunch at Drexels

Topping it all out, have been lots of txts, and the chillies are coming
round tonight, so we can all go out a celebrate

To absent friends!

SFX: low background cheers and party poppers

15 seconds

there's some emotional sunshine to go with the 15 seconds more sunlight than yesterday, roll on summer, it's just around the corner

World famous in New Zealand

Does this mean I'm making the big time?



I do hope this doesn't mean that the clock is ticking on my 15 minutes of fame, I was rather hoping for something more radical than a spelling mistake

you've gotta love Christchurch in June

it's seven degrees in the bathroom here which is only five degrees
warmer than it is outside. I love beach houses without insulation or
effective heating

I'm grateful i'm not out by the airport it's -4C there, so it's sub
tropical here by comparison

Here's a reason to do what we do [BLOG]

I also posted this at the business blog, but it makes particular sense here to answer the question of why I bother



Yehuda over on his blog writes a great list on how he got some income from what he did. All too often people want to know why anyone would blog. Yehuda shows that even though there may be no apparent financial incentive to do it, there's often so much more incentive than is apparent.



Read his entry to get the whole thing, but the following quote summed it all up for me:

A. The direct results:



By post number 1000, I had made $75, which I gave back to my readers in the form of games. I'm now up to around $50 a month in Text Link Ads ($35), Google Ad-Sense ($12), and Amazon ($3).



Not very impressive, I admit. However ...



B. The indirect results:



I landed a professional blogging position at a company. I went in for a programming position and offered instead to be their company blogger. And they accepted.



I have had a game published by a publisher who is one my readers.



I've received dozens of free games to review.



My writing is getting better all the time.



I know hundreds of great people around the world.



I've had articles published in professional journals around the world. I've even been interviewed a few times on various subjects.



I know a lot about my field and interest.



I'm enjoying myself.

Seasonal changes

there's snow on them thar hills. it's going to be cold this weekend.
Hope to get out on the bike anyway

golden

rising over the dunes at first light to see the horizon limned in
gold from the yet to rise sun, the ocean calm and horizontal, the air
warm from the north west and peace surrounding me. Golden.

how cute can kids be?

Watch out!
Originally uploaded by ninefish.

well, about this cute.

They all had come back from the beach and figured they'd go to New Brighton for a while. They did their hair, smelt nice, got dressed [a couple of changes] and off they went.

They came back with lollies and chippies and what seemed like more groceries than I buy in a week, but they'd had a fun time and looked a real picture

just one of the many

norwest morning, girl in her pyjamas
Originally uploaded by ninefish.

there's been a lot of times with Henny this holiday, she gets left behind when we're surfing, and is often at the back of things by dint of her size [youngest and littlest].
But these have been some very special moments, surfing on the same wave on our boogie boards, going out past the big guys to the deeper waves, long rides on bicycles to get chocolate to make some Ganache together. Early mornings before the rest awake.

And here, a beautiful warm norwest morning when the rest of them are still asleep and unaware of the beautiful day outside. We snook out, Henny still in her pyjamas and saw a few wonders including the smack of jellyfish babies. Good times

I love this time of day

IMG_0950.JPG
Originally uploaded by ninefish.

the light is so special. hopefully this is what living in the mediteraenean is like: i'll find out one day for sure.
Sunsets and sunrises, beautiful quality times of day, especially by the beach

weekend smiles

long conversations
blue belt visits with eliot
sunday sunrise

thank you

the inventor of SMS txt
cubs with enthusiasm
phones that work as alarm clocks
sunrises an hour later
orange
chocolate scotch fingers

mindlessness

Whose your Vampire personality?

Turns out I'm more Dracula than Blade, I'd rather hoped to be more Johnny Depp. That's life I guess

Skite

almost unnatural
Originally uploaded by ninefish.

awaking this morning to find that this photo got an award on flickr! My 15 minutes of fame is almost up :-)

a fresh start

You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing that we call 'failure' is not the falling down, but the staying down.

Mary Pickford

it's been a great weekend

but one of the best things has been not wearing shoes since friday

having the doors open all day for the last two days, and the warm streaming in all day

getting all the financial papers organised, and throwing out all the irrelevant stuff that's been hanging like an albatross round my neck for the last 18 months


it takes two [whit to woo]
Originally uploaded by ninefish.

Eliot and Tom coming surfing of course, and big fella bringing pudding

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pizzas, movies, boys and fly spray
Originally uploaded by ninefish.

Eliot and tom came to stay last night, so we went surfing, made pizza and watched a movie

Eliot had bought home a Raspberry Ganache that was 'ruined' for selling, but good to eat

Woke them, [not too early], fed them pancakes and fresh coffee, and sent them off to Karate

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quick 360

here's a sense of what it's like every morning when i go for my walk



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city of angels

walking along the beach this morning, knowing eliot was at home sleeping

for some reason, the beach was just like the morning scene in "city of angels" except instead of angels on the beach facing the sunrise, it was sea gulls

lots of them

cool!


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splish splash

the joys of bare feet andsea water



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Could've been me #1,021

draw your own conclusions at Savage Chickens

the year of the pig

my year!

I'm a pig [many would tell you that for nothing] so the year ahead will be a good one

the numbers also add up to 9 so it's doubly mine!

I'm in love, loved, loving life, healthy [very] just need to work on wealthy and wise for the next 12 months.

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Walk a mile in someone else's shoes

with seven children that I love, I'm so grateful that they're all alive and doing well.

For just over a year now I've been involved in the periphery of Sara Young's life. Last January she found out she had a brain tumour. I set up a web site blog where she could keep in touch with her friends [and they could keep in touch with her by leaving comments, and messages that would be brought to her wherever she was.]

It's been both heartening and life affirming to watch last year unfold. And whilst I had a shitty year last year, it was nothing like hers [and her family and friends']. I'm grateful to have been involved and witness some of that. I met Sara twice and got a sense of the energy that her friends saw and talked about in their commentary. I'm grateful to have seen some of the good things that come out of the nerdy things I can do.

Sara died yesterday.

I'm very sad about that.

fishy

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Stick at something, get it right, get a second chance

Here's a longish story about being creative, and passionate about what you do, and how it pays off and pays back if we're patient.

read it all here

The communication was always short, light, and hopefully impactful.

My notes to Karen twice a week, went on for 3 months.

Friday evening in the spring. I will never forget it, because I was scheduled to leave for Philadelphia after work that night -- to see The Grateful Dead, playing The Spectrum in Philly, that weekend.

Over the intercom.....words I will never forget.

"call for Andy on 101 -- Karen C."

I picked up, and here is the conversation that ensued:

"Andy, this is Karen C."

My reply -- "Karen, thanks so much for calling me..."

"Andy, I have no idea who you are, and you are either crazy ,or insanely great....and anyone who is as dedicated to getting my attention with such intensity deserves a chance. Before you say a word, and I'm forced to change my mind, come over here right away..."

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A positive attitude

A positive attitude is perhaps more important at home than anywhere
else. As spouses and parents, one of our most vital roles is to help
those we love feel good about themselves. Keith Harrell

Wherefore art though?

Season's greetings

another belly laugh

Savage chickens does it again!

They always cheer me up, even when i don't need cheering up.


must be valentines coming :-)



Mum called me last night fromm England to tell me it was snowing!

Patience

Sometimes the Universe doesn't give us exactly what we want when we want it, because there's actually something better down the road.

Sandra Anne Taylor
Author of Quantum Success

These answers often come in, to questions I never asked yesterday, I'm grateful for that. They often come with lessons to learn, or homework to complete, and I'm grateful for that too!

Interpretting the entrails is the tricksy part. But I'm more than optimistic that I'm up to that task.

Fish

Waitangi walking

there's nothing like walking the beach surf line without your shirt on

written just for me it seems

The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one

Mark Twain

Let go of everything you fear to loose

Profoundity from a movie i saw at the weekend:
YODA:

The fear of loss is a path to the dark side

and

Attachment leads to jealousy.
The shadow of greed, that is.
Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose.

Weekendy goodness

Calls and warm ears from holding the phone up so hard and close

bike rides in morning sunshine

walks on the sand and wind in the hair

coffee and cheesecake i shouldn't have been eating [but the coffee was a freeby 'cause i'd bought my eight others :-)

Reading the newspaper at the high stools, with a single bag of groceries at my feet

Dinner with Rebecca who called by chance and got invited to tea before her Hannah came home for school starting in a few days

Falling asleep in movies I'd got that were on my list of must see movies. Not must see enough to stay awake!

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what am i grateful for today?

very grateful this isn't me in the video!



or this guy either!



Phew!

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Wednesday 070131

Well that's another month gone


from the front room
Originally uploaded by ninefish.

sunsets and sunrises are incredible, and so emotional [if you want them to be]

highlights for today:

i love the beach, so many moods, and yet nothing changes

terakihi [fish] in crumbs, eating it hot and fresh cooked in the car park overlooking the surfers just after high tide. possibly the best fish i've tasted from the fish shops, and this one cooks to order with fresh fish [unusual, but not that unusual in NZ]

getting through a busy day at work in a new role without too much hassle.

cycling to work and not having my heart rate get above 130

pesto on rye bread with tomato and fresh bean sprouts

hokey pokey doughnuts, thanks alan

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Finding McNaught

I think I saw it this morning!
after all the dawns and dusks I've been out on the beach trying to see the comet, and last nights big car trip hunt. I think I saw it this morning. No Photo though I'd left the camera behind.
Either way, the beach walk in the emerging day was worth it.
I wish you all could be there to enjoy it like I do, especially as today we had the beach to ourselves. Shoes tomorrow though, the sand is getting colder, or I need to go later on :-)

Hunting Comet Mcnaught

I decided that as there seemed little cloud and it wasn't raining at sunset I'd go hunting the Comet


Port hills at sunset
Originally uploaded by ninefish.

it was an interesting time, the port hills were awash in cars doing the same thing, vacationers in too few clothes, hoons and romancing couples

I took lots of photos, but the low lying cloud obscured everything but the horizon

The sunset was amazing I hope you like the photos


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Understanding the other person

This video from silentmiaow is in her own words:

The first part is in my "native language," and then the second part provides a translation, or at least an explanation. This is not a look-at-the-autie gawking freakshow as much as it is a statement about what gets considered thought, intelligence, personhood, language, and communication, and what does not.

What stunned me is the obvious.

I don't understand.
[But if I make an effort I might be able to]
As Steven Covey said in the The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Seek first to understand
and then be understood

watch it, don't watch it, it doesn't matter.
All I know is watching it made me think about the way I communicate



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tuesday turnaround 070116

Getting nettie's house moved in only two trailer loads [the garage is over full now]

pepé the cat didn't mess in the house [yet]

eating greasy takeout late at night as they closed the beach car park and knowing there was a shower coming before bedtime

bruce's help in the truck

watching over the blankets

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monday 070115

Getting paid [well, for not doing much]

calls with dad [who sounded chipper]

the living room being red hot when you get home from work, so deliciously warmed by the sun, and lasting for such a long time

riding to work on the bike after so long off it [luckily the hole in my shorts where my willy poked out was spotted before the embarassment of finding the hole at work in the lunch room]

the day was warm even though early, and there was very little wind. fun ride

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sunday

pancakes with the children [and ice cream] the end of a wonderful holiday break together

salmon dinners, red wine and pistachios

evening walks at sunset [obscured by clouds]

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Sushi on a doorstep with lots of kids

an empty and organised garage at last

getting up early and walking the beach looking for pinkalicious and the missing shoe

unfortunately it was a no show for the shoe and the phone, but it was worth the walk any way, and the day got better from there

lastly, sinking into a warm chair for a movie with the chillies, tired after a big, long day

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rolls, swimming and surfing,

no illustrations today, just thankfulness

morning calls [hearing voices long unheard sounding cheerier than in my imagination]

stealing time from the day and spending it enjoyably

baking rolls and sharing food with good friends

walks and moments

getting things wrong and then clearing things up [almost]

sunshine, surf [big stuff, we hit the tides just right]

missing pinkalicious already

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Possibilities surround us

Become a possibilitarian. No matter how dark things seem to be or actually are, raise your sights and see possibilities - always see them, for they're always there."

Dr. Norman Vincent Peale
1898-1993, Author of The Power of Positive Thinking

dolphins, bonfires, pizza, old friends

so much happened today, so many smiles, and so many things to be grateful for:

Nettie popped in for the day with Hannah

we had a big table of pizza [and some red wine]

while the kids were surfing in the dusk, we saw dolphins just a few metres behind the break where they were surfing. I've never seen them here before


Beach bonfire beginnings
Originally uploaded by ninefish.


We made a bonfire on the beach, wrapped ourselves in blankets and once the kids had finished they came to warm themselves around the flames, they cooked few marshmallows


just before the Firemen came
Originally uploaded by ninefish.


but the fun was truncated when the firemen came to put out the bonfire. There was a fire truck, sirens and the stern voice of the fireman.


walking home
Originally uploaded by ninefish.


apparently it was a danger to shipping, it's not as if it was a beacon like in Lord of the Rings, more of a smoky little thing we were well in control of. It was more a miracle that it was alight at all as the driftwood was so wet from the rain during the morning

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tuesday fun and games

Things to be grateful for today:

Nettie flying into town

Morning walks on fine still mornings

running barefoot in the sea foam

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shackleton street and the port hills skyline

shackleton street and the port hills skyline
Originally uploaded by ninefish.

We live in a most beautiful environment

We'd just been surfing, the sun was setting, and the port hills were gorgeous, the rich guys in the dress circle had their lights on, and their were so many layers of scenery

and this is all just metres from the front door

Hannah's new lampshade

Hannah's new lampshade
Originally uploaded by ninefish.

Hannah asked to decorate the old lampshade, she got me to do some of the drawings, and she coloured it in. All the motifs were here request, she even got the fishbug printed and traced it onto the shade

Sunday's Grateful end

Mostly stories today

we were surfing yesterday evening and Henny complained about being bitten by crabs. Eliot and I poo pooed the whole idea and rationalised it as stepping on the TuaTua shells that litter the shoreline here. Today i was proved wrong and had to apologise to the girls.

Henny and I were screaming and giggling in the very messy surf on Sunday avo. We'd given up being serious and were just faking it in the shallows. Henny was on the big board and I was struggling with the rip and trying to keep her straight as i pushed her off the waves.

A crab bit my big toe and i leapt screaming from the water. Of course Hannah and henny thought this was very amusing, and even more amused when they found i'd been bitten by one of the things i'd denied the existence of earlier.

i happened again and again before we all came home, ever gracious in victory they pulled my leg about it all the way home

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walking in the evening with henny

walking in the evening with henny
Originally uploaded by ninefish.

the big two had gone to get showered and warm, we carried on down the beach and chatted, laughed and shared a story or two. Henny's was about getting poo on her shorts in Living Springs camp, mine was in answer to a request about how I met Nettie

It's amazing the clarity that one gets every now and again. I really enjoyed the walk on the beach with Henrietta. We were on a mission, I'd seen a plastic rake one morning and we were searching to see if it was still there. [it wasn't] We talked and chatted, pointed things out to each other told our stories and walked some more.

it was a special moment, and a special end to Ladybug day

Rescuing a ladybug

evening ladybug
Originally uploaded by ninefish.

Henny spotted a ladybug in the sea foam, it looked in danger of drowning, so she saved it and carried it up into the dunes to fly home another day

and henny movies too

I couldn't leave Henrietta out of the magic of today could I?



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Hannah fresh from the surf

Hannah fresh from the surf
Originally uploaded by ninefish.

My last favourite photo of the day, when she's not trying so hard to be cool [like every teenager since cain and abel] she smiles and the whole world lights up in responce

Hannah emerging from the surf

she tries desperately to not get caught

look at that smile



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Eliot getting vertical

Caught this from the sidelines tonight, He had a lot of fun, and so did hannah, see the stills on flickr



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Sunday's Grateful end

Mostly stories today

we were surfing yesterday evening and Henny complained about being bitten by crabs. Eliot and I poo pooed the whole idea and rationalised it as stepping on the TuaTua shells that litter the shoreline here. Today i was proved wrong and had to apologise to the girls.

Henny and I were screaming and giggling in the very messy surf on Sunday avo. We'd given up being serious and were just faking it in the shallows. Henny was on the big board and I was struggling with the rip and trying to keep her straight as i pushed her off the waves.

A crab bit my big toe and i leapt screaming from the water. Of course Hannah and henny thought this was very amusing, and even more amused when they found i'd been bitten by one of the things i'd denied the existence of earlier.

i happened again and again before we all came home, ever gracious in victory they pulled my leg about it all the way home

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2007 #7-Sunrise and sunset

things i'm grateful for today [quickly as Eliot wants his sunday pancakes before he goes swimming with Tom and Anastasia{sic} ]

Sunrise



and sunset



[i was on the beach at both times]

Surfing with the chillies [twice] everyone likes the new board, Eliot got up several times, Hannah is doing really well, and Henrietta just improves all the time, with such enthusiasm!

The guilty pleasure of reading a book in the sunshine [Finally finishing reading a book i got as a present from Nettie-with a heart warming dedication] Unfortunately Hannah could hardly stop laughing at me as she thought my speedos and pale torso were a bit much.

And I'm proud and joyful at the work i did on these sites, i've been clever and got quite a few technical under the hood things organised for free,

So now i have this cool URL: adrian.price.net.nz go there and subscribe to the RSS feed, or just visit to read it if RSS is a bit too tech for you

this revised and improved one page link site from the vanity domain: www.price.net.nz

and a couple of other things that form bridges between people who matter

and long phone calls from loved ones

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Wow! 2007 #6

Apricot pie!

{that's who made the board}

the jury is in. It is floatier, it is more stable, it looks like it could be great.

also came to the conclusion that my wet suit is too big. I used Eliot's since he's romancing anastasia, and it's a tighter fit. I didn't get cold today

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it looks beautiful

it looks beautiful
Originally uploaded by ninefish.

I love the sea

Kids are all home

hannah
Originally uploaded by ninefish.

though eliot is missing from these shots

Henny
Originally uploaded by ninefish.

suck that thumb!

India
Originally uploaded by ninefish.

one day she'll get over her fear

2007 #5

the board corner
Originally uploaded by ninefish.

grateful for a new board,lots of happy surf to come i hope

southern sunset
Originally uploaded by ninefish.

One of the joys of a walk along the beach at sunset. Really grateful for this today, and thought it might be a great start to every day, it's so close and so good for me

smile #1

ever the optimist, but still striving to be more optimistic in 2007, go see what the savage chickens have to say on this, be prepared to smile

serendipity # 1

"The more tranquil a man becomes, the greater is his success, his influence, his power for good. Calmness of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom."
James Allen
1864-1912, Author of As A Man Thinketh

another gem from the ether. one of the things i made a note to be this year was to be more comfortable with solitutude, this reminded me of that goal and inspires adherence.

2007 #4

Gosh, i had a thought yesterday that i've not had since i was much younger: How great is it to stand on warm flagstones in your bare feet? I had to get something from the car so walked out in bare feet, and the flagstones around the house were still warm from the day's sun, joy!

more sunshine in our lives, and peace and quiet, the sussuration of the waves as i ate dinner at the beach watching surfers in the evening sun [thursday is big deadline day so it often goes late at work, and i'd stopped in to look at a second hand surf board on the way home, all the chillies were staying somewhere else tonight]

the regimentation of a work day: helps to stay focused

settling in

home
Originally uploaded by ninefish.

grateful for feeling more at home by the beach

getting used to being in a small space again, the warm sunshine definitely helps. It's a great location and that is after all why i wanted it.

2007 #3

had fun at work even though it was like a morgue [cold and deserted]

coming home in the car which had been heated all day by the SUNSHINE, for the first time in the day i was warm

pizza and beer with the boys while we watched fight club [the confused conversation as it dawned on them that jack and tyler were the same person]

it's amazing what a difference a little sunshine makes

it's amazing what a difference a little sunshine makes
Originally uploaded by ninefish.

yesterday we got home [from actually working for the first time in a while] and the breeze was warm, the sun was out [and golden in the evening] and the view to the south wasn't obscured by cloud and rain.

bring on summer!

storm from the south

storm from the south
Originally uploaded by ninefish.

This unseasonal weather continues to amaze me, and i'm grateful that we are still willing to get out amongst it and be outside still

please, see the other images too, they're a little sunnier

three things tuesday

The glowering clouds impressed me

I'm grateful that my big girl Hannah still takes the time to cuddle up on the sofa even though she's grown up in so many other areas.


That the kids can have so much fun with some sand and some sea water

2007 #1

three things to give thanks for:
2006 [being over :-)]
2007 [for all the numerologists amongst you, it adds up to 9, must be my year]
finishing the jigsaw, now all that's left is to find somewhere to put the beast other than the box!

of course there was beachtime yesterday as there is every day

and food! the sausages from the freezer were a big hit, though of course no one could tell the difference between the chicken, beef and breakfast varieties. this is either an indication of the immature palates of my children or the fact that anything made with the crap from the abatoir floor can't be that gourmet. I was particularly proud of the tabboulleh and the handmade fajita and the kids seem to concur.

forest gump on the TV was also fun, as usual i see lessons in every movie, and forest had many for me. Blind naive love being the one i probably already know, but should forget

it's 2007 yippee!

new year's eve henny glowing
Originally uploaded by ninefish.

whilst a bit of a damp squib weather wise, we had a mini party here, though we cancelled our beach bonfire, Titanic was too enthralling and we were warm and dry.

I'm glad 2006 is over, too many moments