Five-Hundred Word Challenge 1505: In a Somewhat Quiet Space

Sitting here in a building, listening to the new These New Puritans album. Sitting here in a somewhat quiet space, but it’s filling with noise. It’s filling with sound, and so are my ears at the same time.

It has been a rough few days of cleaning and sorting and housework and cleaning and mowing and getting angry and trying to not, but routine is developing and that’s great. That’s a good thing to have in my life at the current moment, because routine is necessary. Things are getting unpacked and the room is taking shape, and maybe this is all my life is at the moment and forever will be. I doubt myself too much, or maybe not enough. But I wouldn’t be someone who relentlessly perseveres if I didn’t keep on trying, and so I keep on trying.

I had these thoughts that I wanted to crystalise and capture yesterday, and now the moment has gone, and that’s on me. I should have worked a little harder yesterday to get them all down, as I feel like now I’m writing about an impression of something that wasn’t quite. The details are missing; the moment isn’t here and so I’m chasing dust. But that’s okay. Maybe.

So I worked hard especially yesterday in cleaning up this place and getting the gardening bin full, and I rested, then unpacked my records, and I had this moment where a bit of the grief hit me. It’ll come and go, of course, but this was a moment that struck out and hit a little hard, and I felt sad, and I’m not sure why. My ex wasn’t that into records and so unpacking them had nothing to do with her, but I guess it’s due to how it’s cementing the change of scenery. I don’t know, but it passed and I carried on.

The whole process of unpacking is tough, however. I’m doing it tired already and I don’t want to be, but I have to, and also it’s cementing a location and I’m not sure how cemented I want to be. I’m really tired and I want to keep on moving, and doing this prevents that in a sense. But I don’t have much a choice anyway, because I need to get a bunch of stuff done and sorted, and I can’t afford to always be moving either.

Beyond that, however, the only way to be able to throw stuff out is to be able to go through things and work out what I’m fine to keep and what I’m fine to get rid of. It’s a process, but it always is. Ultimately I’ll have significantly less over the next few months than I currently have, and that’ll be a good thing once it is all done. Hopefully. But it’s a lot of work.

Sometimes I do wonder if this really is all there is, and maybe my trying to improve my lot in life is pointless, but I’ll keep trying.

The time it took to write five-hundred words: 07:04:19

Fine speed, not good writing. I feel like I’ve slumped, but I’m also working on coming back up, if that makes sense.

Written at work.

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Last Leaves

Unfortunately it looks like this plant has passed, which is a little saddening.
Still, makes for a photo of contrasts interesting to me.

I hope you enjoy.

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To Endure

This is a sculptured featured in last year’s Sculpture by the Sea. The artist is Min-Sub Park.

I hope you enjoy.

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Dead buds

These are, sadly, dead buds.

The plant these are from likely won’t make it, and that was the concern when I took this photo.

I hope you enjoy.

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Five-Hundred Word Challenge 1504: Sitting in a Café

Doing the whole sitting in a café, idyllically, thing again. It’s not a bad way to be. Was hoping to be at work sooner, but you can’t win ’em all.

Was hoping to have coffee at home too, but the kettle that’s there is rusted heavily on the inside and so instead I’m sitting here, just vibing as the kids say. Just enjoying life, auramaxxing, that kind of thing. The weather is shit, but life is good.

Still losing a lot of money, but continuing on. That’ll stop soon. Tonight I’m getting back to cooking, prepping lunches, all those things. Getting back to being healthy, and working hard on it. Going to make the last of this year my year. Nearly halfway through, there’s still plenty of time to turn things around. Plenty of time to get into a better position, but need to make the most of every day and all that. And I will!

So I sit here and I beaver away on this bit of writing, and it’s a good day. It’s a bad day but it;s a good day. It’s heavy weather, but pleasant weather, and cool and warm and I’m already sweaty, but I won’t be later. I’ll be all snug and wrapped, and I can get on with the getting on and all that razzmatazz. And things will be fine and continue on, because I can make it happen so long as I put the work in, and by golly I’m gonna.

But right now, in this moment, sitting here is nice. Sitting here is pleasant. I’ve a moment to pause and think and relax a bit, so I am relaxing. I am taking it easy. Gotta do a big rush home this afternoon and that won’t be fun, but that’s for later. For now, I’m just gonna take it easy. I’m gonna enjoy my coffee and the easy music, and I’m gonna appreciate life as it currently is, because I’m alive and I can make things happen, and I will. I will work on it and make things happen.

Well, I hope I will. There is always no telling as to what will happen down the road, of course, but that’s not an issue right now. Right now it’s all about just getting on with the getting on, and moving out of survival mode and getting back into a position of improving. Lowering stress, calming down, appreciating what I currently have. Living life and all that.

I think this café is getting to me. I think its hipness is striking me down in ways I never expected. It’s changing my position in life and making me become “down” with the “lingo” of today.

But seriously, I’m just feeling happy. Sweaty, tired, wrecked, but happy. Things are okay, and they’re getting better. Just need to keep on working on it until they are where need to be, and where I need to be. If I don’t do that, then I’m backsliding. Rather walk forward.

The time it took to write five-hundred words: 07:10:43

I thought I shared this earlier. Didn’t, apparently.

Anyway, bit of a mess, bit not a mess. Sits somewhere around there.

Written at Dirty Red.

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Yoshino Aoki: Curse

One listen.

Was a little blindsided by how short this song is. Not sure why – I saw the length – but I was. Still, I think I wrote well about something coming from it. I was hoping to get across a darkened space and that didn’t quite happen, but I’m still happy with the result.

Yoshino Aoki’s (青木佳乃) “Curse” (“呪い”) is from the soundtrack for Breath of Fire IV, Breath of Fire IV: Original Soundtrack.

I hope you enjoy.

The sound of a cymbal, or bell, or some sort of percussion whilst chanting steadfastly progresses. Something neutral and stale, but also something seemingly with menace. No malice, but menace.

The space is haunted and thick with some sort of evil, or rather a heavy, ominousness sensation. Perhaps some sort of despair at being able to prevent the inevitable.

It continues on, unabated, spreading what it must until it fades out and the song ends.

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Forming Breaking Mountains

Another wave photo.

Not sure about how this one looks overall, but the way the water is churning makes it look like mountains to me.

This is my submission into Leanne Cole‘s “Monochrome Madness” for this week. The next one is hosted by Leanne and she has chosen “Woods, Rainforests and Bushland” as her theme.

This challenge is open to all, and I recommend joining in. If want to, check out more information about it here, and include the tag “monochrome-madness” when you share your photo. If you’d prefer not to join in, then at the least check out Leanne’s photography, and what other people submit.

I hope you enjoy.

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Backlit Dark Space

A slight story regarding to how I got to this photo.

Last week I was taking my camera in for servicing and decided to take some photos for the upcoming “Monochrome Madness”. Got the shots, put my camera in, headed on home. Had the cards with me and, once I got the camera back I was going to put them back in and move the photos over. Don’t have a reader. That’s fine.

Camera is still being serviced.

So I decided to do some digging as I don’t want to miss a week, found this photo. It’s an internal photo, sure, but streetlights are visible and provide some of the lighting, as well as add to the light line, so I feel it counts.

This is my submission into Leanne Cole‘s “Monochrome Madness” for last week. It was hosed by Brian of Bushboys World and he chose “Street-lights by day and at night” as his theme.

This challenge is open to all, and I recommend joining in. If want to, check out more information about it here, and include the tag “monochrome-madness” when you share your photo. If you’d prefer not to join in, then at the least check out Leanne’s photography, and what other people submit.

I hope you enjoy.

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Five-Hundred Word Challenge 1503: I’m Okay

So I’m sitting at a café right now and I don’t know the name of it. I think it’s Duoly Rob. I can’t tell from the writing as I’m reading the sign and from the inside it’s backwards.

Looking at the cash register, and it’s Dirty Red. Well, I was off.

Anyway, I’m sitting here, typing this out and it’s nice. I’ve just eaten and it’s something that isn’t junk food for a change, and I have to say it’s immensely refreshing. Too much junk, too much unhealthy stuff over the past few weeks. I’ve survived though and I’m here, and things can keep going. Things can keep getting better.

So I’m sitting here, and things feel good. I feel some relief, but I am also really tired. A lot of not enough sleep over the past few weeks, so it’s time to correct that. It’s time to turn things around, or rather keep things going in a positive direction. I think I can do it, and I know I can do it so I’m gonna do it. I’m gonna keep on working on getting better. But I have to put the work in.

There’s still so much uncertainty in my life, but I feel alright at the moment. I feel like things will be okay. Or rather, I feel more like things will be okay than I did a few days ago, a few weeks ago, a few months ago. Still a lot of uncertainty, but I’ll be okay. I’ll be alright. This is a good time to be alive.

I’m sore and I’m tired, but the move is mostly done now and I can rest a little easier. I can take it a little easy, but only a little. Still need to look after myself. Still need to work on getting better. But small steps.

There’s some sort of jazzy math rock playing in the café, and it’s raining outside and I’m in Glebe. It feels incredibly cliché, but I don’t care. I’m enjoying this. A few weeks ago I was here and it was raining and I was heading off to an aptitude test which I ended up passing, then declining the interview. It was upsetting in a way, but it was the right decision.

I was feeling heavy at that time, and I still feel heavy right now, but at least I’ve got some hope coming in, and not hope from desperation, but rather from knowing that I’ve come out okay. Knowing that my friends have my back, and knowing that I can be there for them when I can. Knowing that I won’t end up being homeless. It’s a better time. So I know I can succeed, and that’s my plan. I mean, it always is, but I’m really gonna be pushing hard as soon as I can. I’ve a lot to do still, so I need to get on with doing it, really.

But yeah. Things feel alright. I’m tired, I’m sore. I’m okay.

The time it took to write five-hundred words: 06:58:82

This one is a bit lacking in energy, but that’s fine. I’m feeling pretty rough at the mo from lack of sleep and moving stuff, so this is about the most I can muster.

Written at Dirty Red.

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Smudges

Of the prettiest form, of course!

This is my submission into the three hundred-and-forty-ninth Lens-Artists Photo Challenge. The theme for this one is “The First Thing I Thought of…“.

The host of the Lens-Artists challenges cycles weekly between the following people:

Tina

Patti

Ann-Christine aka Leya

John Steiner

Sofia Alves

Anne Sandler

Egídio

Ritva

This one is curated by Tina. The next one is curated by Anne.

Because I’m bad at reading, I missed that Patti broke both her wrists in March. She’s sitting out for a while and hoping to make a full recovery by November. Go send her some love.

Also, Beth of Wandering Dawgs is joining the team. It’ll be great to see the challenges she contributes.

I recommend joining the community and participating in the challenges. They’re pretty straightforward, allow room for interpretation, and provide a good way to think about photography in general. If not, however, then at the very least you should check out what others submit to the challenges.

I hope you enjoy.

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