Yogurt

I had a yogurt today, and a once in a lifetime experiance.

The experiances were related, let me explain how. You know when you tear the top off the yoghurt there is always a little bit of yogurt that sticks to the lid? That didn't happen today, it was a perfect peel, it left a flat film of yoghurt floating on a self contained bubble of air. sweet.

I took a picture so you don't think I'm some liar trying to become a saint. But I lost the picture in some random drag and drop black hole accident. He giveth and he taketh away.

Blaine and Beep send their love!

DSC00120
Originally uploaded by Ben from England

our tow semi-permanent house guests wanted me to tell you they are stoked about being on this blog, its been a dream of Blaines ever since he was born form his blister packaging.
Beep is a littel less enthusiastic, but still happy to share a post with his buddy Blaine.

Pulpe

Pulpe
Originally uploaded by Ben from England

We cooked these two treasures form the deep, they were delicious, but stunk the place out for days afterwards, until we cooked pizza. love the colours and the suckers, the most delicious parts!

Harding Marketing Open House 2008

Harding Open House 2008
Originally uploaded by Ben from England

We had a big cool, open house event this June for all our clients, suppliers, friends and hangers on, we had juts expanded the office, taken on two new members of staff and felt tlike we needed to celebrate.
Ths photo was taken in our parking lot in front of the office, we decorated the officce and put on a tour ofsome ofthe things we do, intoroducing clients to aspects of us they may not have known about.
We had a band, buffet and a full staffed coffee stand, by Nespresso.
All good stuff, lots of mingeling and mixing was done, some netowrking and some new frinds were made. I;ve annotated the photo on flickr with the name of all my colleuges above. About 5 people are missing, due to injury, apendicitis, and being in Spain.

Chateau des Alpilles

Chateau des Alpilles
Originally uploaded by Ben from England

They rose in the morning, and sunk at night. this the view form one of 4 windows in our room. As le Courbusier said, every room should have two or more windows. how right.

I;ve been getting more and more ghosts form the past, or rather memories coming back to life, people who were a big part of my growing up adding themselves back into my life. wether facebook, fiends re-united or stalkers they are all welcome.

Chateau des Alpilles

Chateau des Alpilles
Originally uploaded by Ben from England

We spent a lovley weekend here, celebrating our 1st year of marriage. no hope of getting that waffle maker back now!

it was a lovley place, and we did practically nothing. more photos on flickr...

its not bad this being married.

Like wearing sunglasses in the rain.

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Originally uploaded by Ben from England

That was one of the lyrics Sheyl Crow rejected for her song 'isn't it Ironic' and in homage to that I decided for the first time ever to invest in some sunglasses with proper lenses, to take that iritiating guesswork out of driving.

So the day we ordered them, glorious sunshine. today, three cloudy days after collecting them? rain, and its some specila day today that if it rains it will rain for the next forty days. typical.

Also I would like you to observe how good I am looking now, take that all the girls who rejected me! ...you may know who you are.

A Grenoble door

A Grenoble door
Originally uploaded by Ben from England

So Dad, the door project is half done, I;ve got nine good digital images in fullres on FLickr, and the companion lomo pics are at the developers, when I get the negs back I'll scan them at work and see what we have!

If they are good I'll make them into a square and get busy in photoshop with the contrast, it was pretty overcast the day I took the pictures. and let you have 1 file to get printed.

However, hold your horses, Claudine a Freind who has just moved back to Grenoble, and has much ore patience and skill (and a better camera) has already done this project, last year, she said she spent ages on it, so the results will probably be better... I'm going to try and see them this weekend. if they are good I'll get some prints!

Enjoy.

kydiz website, not bad.

kydiz website, not bad.
Originally uploaded by Ben from England

the site of one of my friends, Kydiz.com is sort of a public blog, not just shut away on your blogspot page, but your opinions mixed in with everyone else's it's well done and easy to use, if you live in the Hexagon and want to exprime une avis, voizi!

That URL again, Kydiz.com its a word play on Qui Dise, or who says, or he who speaks, thats how he described it to me anway!

lomo2

lomo2
Originally uploaded by Ben from England

these photos are taken by my new Lomography camera, specifically the Diana+ a reproduction of a Hong Kong classic from the early seventies, medium format film, entirely plastic including the lens, prone to double exposures (see Verona 2) light leaks, mis-winds and light leaks. Wonderful fun!
My niece, Emily, being an excellent photographers assistant

Verona, on a wonderfu sunny cold winter day, again more fur..

The Castelveccio in Verona, double esposure.

Lake Garda from the hotel.

Lake garda reflections

Lake garda reflections
Originally uploaded by Ben from England

This was on the promenade leading into Salo, we walked there from the hotel, the sun was lovely on the lake, this was the day below new years eve, everyone was strolling on their best furs. Looking fine and doing precisely nothing, its nice to feel a whole country relaxing. We certainly got into the sprit, having room service twice, which was excellent, using the sauna, watching CNN and incomprehensible Italian TV. The Hotel was owned by the same people that own the Agriturismo farmhouse that we had new years eve dinner at, right up in the mountains that surround lake Garda, it was at the end of little dirt track, an organically expanded Farmhouse with little additions, the first thing you see is the expansive kitchen in what looked like a conservatory, then round the side an entrance which terminates in three doors, so very Alice in wonderland. The food was very good, they practice organic 'farm to table' cuisine, so everything came form their farms, or local producers. the menu:

'Il Capodanno'

Il culatella '12 mesi' di nostra produzione servito con funghetti porcini sott'olio

La Lasagnetta gratinata farcita con zucca e gorgonzola tradizionale
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Il risotto con il pestom (l'ompasto fresco del salame)

Il filetto di vitellone della nostra fattoria cotto in forno in crosta di pan brioche, accompagnato da

spinaci saltati

al burro con pinoli ee uvetta

La cassata doppia, alla panna e al cacao, con amarene

As non existent as my Italian is I think at least two of the things were made by them, they make their own Wine and Olive oil (we got some at the hotel).
The service was as surly as Italian people who have to work on new years eve should be, but charming none the less. Even the owners and chefs were sitting at a big table between courses, the town mayors were out, and didn't talk to anyone except for flirting with each others wives, who did more talking that anyone else. And driving down the mountain we could see each village around the lake lit up with fireworks across the horizon.
All in all a very nice way to pass an evening.

into the Alps

into the Alps
Originally uploaded by Ben from England

It took quite a while, and the little 'snow' symbol was on most of the time, except in the tunnels.... then when we got out of the big tunnel everything was Italy flavour, you can see why its seperated from the rest of Switzerland, the French peninsular around Geneva, the italian enclave the other side of the alps.
We do some promotional catalogs for the Swiss HP people, and they don't even bother with Italian, make a tiny effort for French and put most of their effort into German. Our French was certainly useless in Luzern.

Lac Luzern

Lac Luzern
Originally uploaded by Ben from England

There was a headless horseman, the yeti and a giant wild cat. They only come out when its this spooky, THEN, the mist rolled in really fast and we all got transported to another dimension, not bad Lac Luzern.

Kim and Tim in Grenoble

Grenoble, et al 2008055
Originally uploaded by Ben from England

We had Tim and Kim Roufs stay for a long weekend at the end of January, very stimulating company. and Tims hearing thing is very cool. We were working, so it was just the evenings we got to spend toegther, and hear about the days adventures. Like all our families they are welcome anytime!
This photo was at the local bistro, TIm is out of shot.