online, offline....

(written last night!)

I have a love hate relationship with computers - love them when they work and feel like the classic cartoon of 'hit any key' with a mallet when they don't.... so having lost a great long email to Chris McC this morning because the internet siezed up on me yet again, and I'm back in the office because the connection isn't stable enough to trust using the wifi in the house, I'm torn between wishing I knew more about it all so I could fix it myself and just not wanting to go anywhere near it all in case something else goes wrong!

The lengthy email that I lost was written as a result of finding somewhat serendipitously photos of John & Rachel's wedding through someone I don't (..think) I know who'd linked to my photos on Flickr (what was that about Quakers making the world a smaller place again?) I knew their wedding was in July - along with Andy & Sharon, Hazel & whatsisname, Clare & Michael, Cat & Peter and of course Sarah & Karl - the only one I actually got to - and knew therefore it had happened but hadn't quite got my head around exactly when. Great to see the photos of it, and of Mair being bridesmaid and Bri looking smart in Cat & Peter's, anyone got pics of the others I missed by being half way round the world away?! Anyone thinking the names sound familiar it's the WGYF John & Rachel not my brother Jon & Rachel, I'm kind of assuming they'll tell me when they finally set a date...

I also found pictures from Graham of Pardshaw the same way - some of which even have me in them! Ok, so I'm still in my jammies when everyone else looks dressed I know... I keep telling you I don't really do mornings very well.

All exciting stuff this photos online business. Yesterday Alex and I went to the Wellington Flickr group meet up. Basically a rather random bunch of people who all take photos of Wellington - the vast majority of whom were ex-pat Brits. We pondered as to why this was and decided in the end it was probably because we were from the other side of the world that we found it an interesting enough place to photograph (rather than taking it for granted) and didn't have as many hang-ups about looking like a tourist.

When I lived in Edinburgh, a city I think is probably the most beautiful I've ever been to, I hardly ever took photos in the city centre. I just couldn't face looking like a tourist! But when you've bumped into far too many people because they've stopped suddenly mid-pavement to take a picture, seen lives endangered as folk step backwards off a kerb to get a better shot not, to mention overheard some of the inane comments made and questions asked ('what time does the one o'clock gun go off?' being one of my 'favourites'...) the idea of being perceived as 'one of them' rather than a local (...and I've got to live here) has little appeal. Tourists here seem to be a bit more savvy - I could comment on the difference in geographical origin but that could sound somewhat unkind!

Grrrr, lost the connection again, will save into a document and hope I can post this in the morning... just as well the real post still works, got a pile of birthdays to deal with! (Susie have you moved yet?!?)