Hiya;

Thanks for all the well wishes on Monday. My birthday was all the more memorable because you remembered (at least all except the birthday fairy who ironically forgot to call).

Friday was The Boy Wonder's birthday. We got up early, decorated, made pancakes and had a nice family brekky before heading out for his swimming lesson.

We decided on a combined bash in the backyard on Saturday. The kiddy party started at 4pm, mine at 6pm. A hand decorated Thomas the Tank Engine cake had chins waging and set the bar very high in the Inner West Birthday Cake Stakes.
In between face painting (by all accounts possibly my next career path), pass the parcel, cutting cakes and preparing nosh, I didn't manage a single conversation with anyone. Heck Mere left before I'd even said hello!

Very tired but big smiles, bigger bellies and an even bigger cleanup on Sunday.

see ya,
Minas.

Where did it all go right?

I can't take credit for that title. It's from a book Damo lent me one time (which i think i still have).

We currently find ourselves in the midst of a challenging exercise - trying to live off The Lovely Samantha's paltry wage. It's really not enough and God only knows how others do it.

It's tough enough that we haven't been out for dinner in ages, but when Sam told me to save the "no frills" Camembert from Woolies for a special occasion, that floored me. The irony in the situation is that we are here because we chose to be (indirectly). If we hadn't been successful, we wouldn't have put ourselves in the situation of feeling so strapped. Odd but true.

It's been miserable weather. The rain's hardly let up for the past week which has meant we've all steadily gone stir crazy in the house. During a rare break in the weather on Friday arvo we went into the city to see the Chinese New Year official kick off. I can only assume the organisers hadn't planned on the rain letting up and the crowds coming in. I'm sure they just recycled the mascot from the year of the rat to celebrate the new year of the Tiger. Pure crap, done on the cheap.

Saturday night lifted my spirits with the broadcast of the Indigenous All Stars footy game. Cracking contest. Can't wait for the premiership to start next month.

More rain on Sunday.

Cherish your disposable incomes,
Minas.
www.minasaroney.com.au

The Trough

Gang;

I'm down. The dream is not alive. I knew it would be a financial strain initially, but I didn't think i'd react to it as I have. The realities of trying to do the news photography thing are beginning to sink in. People who's work I admire and with infinitely more experience than me find it a hard and continual struggle. I'm contemplating a more considered move back into some form of IT with photography to be relegated back to the benches. I'm not happy.

The usual symptoms of feeling down have been on display, none more so than the low libido levels. I never thought i'd say it but we're getting by with just once daily...and I don't seem to mind.

Other than that, I played the good grandson on Sunday. The Lovely Samantha was at work so Bodhi and I took Nonna and Nonno to the club for lunch. The irony of my meal was not lost on me. The steak was like my resolve once upon a time (tough), while the vegetables, much like my mind at present, were nothing but mush.

see ya,
Minas.

"Bucking"

I'll skip straight to Sunday. Taralga Rodeo day. I'd heard about it, even dreamt about it, but it wasn't until a selfless offer came my way that i did something about it.

With The Lovely Samantha working on Sundays and I was half heartedly contemplating bringing the boy wonder on a six hour return road trip to photograph my first rodeo but a late babysitting offer from Mum saved me the headache.

The event is quite popular with photo clubs with telephoto lenses almost outnumbering Akubras. In the words of Robert Capa though "If you're not close enough, it's not good enough" and the trouble with telephoto shooters is that they tend to stand a fair way from the action. As a conscientious point of difference I persevered with a wide angle lens thus forcing me to get in amongst the action.

A great day and well worth the drive. Check out the photo essay and let me know what you think.

see ya,
Minas.