Winter Work Ride 1

It’s been a good while since I’ve been on my bicycle. I was thinking about it over the weekend. The news has been discussing general country obesity issues of recent. Over 60% of the country is technically overweight/obese! It’s appalling. I know using the standard height/weight measure, I’m included in that group (although I would argue it based on muscle mass). So between that and my poor sitting bike I decided to ride to work.
I woke up, it was raining. Tough luck, still riding. Makes lighting a fire on a Monday night even more rewarding I said to myself.
The aims to ride again tomorrow. Just have to dry my clothes and gear first! 🙂

June 9, 2014 0

Early Market Journey

An early (for a Sunday) 7am journey took us 160km south to the Cambridge street market. The journey down, as usual, was very scenic with a foggy start, and clearing to beautiful fresh morning.

June 8, 2014 4

Kaukapakapa visit

Today took us out to Kaukapakapa visiting a venue with family. Arriving early gave us time for a stroll around the little township, and to the above paddock where cows look to live in the slanty building. A nice day considering the time of year.

June 7, 2014 2

June 6, 2014 0

June 5, 2014 2

M.A.M.E Arcades I Built

More of documentation than appealing photography for today. Over the years, I’ve made a number of arcade machines, made ‘gameable’ using the MAME arcade emulating software.

Powered by fairly low power computers, they can run the classics from the 70’s-90’s. The above image (again, apologies for the quality) is of my final system I made, my Kong/Invader cab – based on original Donkey Kong plans, slimmed down due to my use of LCD rather than CRT, and influenced by Space Invaders in design. I have it playing all the classics, as well as emulating original NES, Sega and Atari consoles (still need to one day add Commodore 64). Im pretty pleased with it – build quality wise, its probably better than a lot of the original cabs.

Invader cab 70% finished.

First single player table top arcade I made.

First ‘Nano’ cab.

First full size cab I built – Aussie arcade style.

Second tabletop arcade (two player).

If I ever get around to making another, I really should try to take better build photos. If I do make one, it will probably need to be a coffee table style!

June 4, 2014 1

June 3, 2014 2

Queens Birthday Monday (New Zealand)

Today was a public holiday in New Zealand – Queens Birthday. A bit of a cold and cloudy day – marking Winter for us, we took a stroll into town where the wharf had some celebrations on. Walking there I pass the old Kestrel (one of the oldest ferry’s still floating in Auckland – that used to serve the seaside community of Devonport up to about 15 years ago). We then walked along the waterfront, past some of the bigger sailboats in the area. Not much happening,but the water was nice and calm.

Reaching the wharf, we were first welcomed by various car displays, and then some interesting old British bikes.

Check out the ‘fire bike’

Inside, some morris dancers.

Happy NZ Queens Birthday!

June 2, 2014 0

Yesterdays Outtakes

Yesterdays shot wasn’t gained in a single press of the shutter (or screen, since it was take on the iPod). It took a number of attempts to get the seagull close enough, in focus and framed for me to then edit it. Looking at the above image, its almost more like the gull was photobombing me I think!

Tempted with bread, a few of the seagulls were game enough to fly up and grab the bread from the other half’s hands. I just had to take the shot in focus enough, whilst missing the bread (Im sure I could have edited it out) and after a few shots, I decided it also needed to remove the background – too easy to get a wonky horizon, or get an uninteresting background.

I do like the closer up one (its the only that close I got) Almost used it, but didn’t, and settled on the final shot below to further edit by content aware stretching the background to make a landscape rather than portrait shot.

And click here to take us back to yesterdays final edit.

June 1, 2014 2