Closing out 2013.

Categories: artwork, photos, general-stuff

Tags: 2013, Samsung Galaxy S4, photos, london eye, nokia lumia 520, OMG

Date: 31 December 2013 12:10:40

So 2013 nearly done and dusted. Some bits I'll look back on and smile, other parts I'll be very glad to see gone and look forward to seeing what 2014 brings.

Loads of bits and bobs to do around the house today so only a quick splurge of blog.

The church nearest me has put OMG up in the windows for Christmas, made from fairy light strings, and fab it looks too :) A very clever way of using the architecture of the building. And it's upset a couple of people too, which is never good to do on purpose but not always bad to do by accident. Makes me smile anyhow.

My son collects rubber ducks and we decided to count them. True to form we only got part way through the beak count but we were up to 225 at the time and there was more to be done but it was fun to see them take over the living room floor.

I was given a couple of cheap and playful phone camera lenses for Christmas which I've not had a chance to play with too much but make me smile to know they're in my pocket ready to be whipped out and stuck to the front of a camera:

Phones have been an oddity over Christmas with me moving on from my very well used iPhone 4S to... well, that's the trick, I ummed and ahhed about it so much I didn't get a phone and then, when I kind of had to as I was missing calls and messages and so on, I bought a pay as you go Nokia 520 as it was fairly cheap and also ran Fresh Paint, which I REALLY wanted to try on the mobile platform (although I thoroughly enjoy it on the Surface tablet). Anyhow I miss a million apps on the iPhone which I'm sure I'll get back to sometime in the future... Which leads me to...Family and I went on the London Eye at night which was as lovely and beautiful as we imagined it would be, despite son boy complaining of stomach pains on the tube on the way to it... Fortunately he managed to hold onto his lunch and we saw London clothed in an equal amount of light and darkness. I missed my iPhone as it's the sort of thing that would Autostitch amazingly well

((for example:

-both taken last year on the 4S)).

...but it was probably a mercy to my family that they didn't have to stand around while I took 20 or so pictures and waited for them to be stitched together. I did take the above pic on the Lumia which sums up the lights at least and, for a cheaper end camera, it took the photo very well I think.

I did take a couple of pictures on the Eye but tbh was more interested in seeing the view away from a screen for once.

(taken with a Galaxy S4).

(taken with a Lumia 520).

I also had, because Hey, London, an ice cream at Chin Chin Labs. Because that's what's Camden at its best, and the picture above was an insta-CCL classic: Beetroot, Goats Cheese, Truffle Crumble (with, I think, some thyme in there as well). Yum.

I had a couple of beers over the year. This is a quick doodle on Didlr app and Samsung Galaxy S4 of a Hogs Back Brewery beer. It wasn't my favourite of the ones I've had this year (I prefer their AOT and OTT beers) but the HBB labels are a thing of wonder. My favourite beer this year? Hmmm. Probably Innis and Gunn rum finish, bottled (and also replete with a lovely label) and something I'd love to have on tap to see how it compares.

And, yes, this. Sometimes this year I've been pushing a mountain while climbing up a mountain, while the mountain was still growing. Occasionally it felt a bit futile but very often I've had lovely, marvellous and amazing friends and family around me helping me along and saying hi just when I've needed it. The best thing about 2013 has been the friends and family who I've shared the good and the bad with. Hopefully I'll take both the good and the friends with me in the following year and hopefully the same for you and yours. There will still be bad somewhere along the line I'm sure, but hopefully it'll all find a natural balance...