a year in the country

It's been fun writing the code for this site. I've been laid up with a bad cold for a few days, and this has been the perfect opportunity to do some deep feeding on computer code. I already had a reasonable understanding of HTML, PHP and MySql. (For the already bored, these are a couple of hand in hand computer languages that allow websites to be built and made "reactive" through the questioning of a database.) The really interesting thing has been working on the interface between digital images and computer programs. Most digital images contain lots of bits that work together to make up a picture. I already knew that. I also knew that every digital image was attached to a data file called EXIF date. (EXIF means Exchangeable Image File Format by the way). Getting boring here, so get back to the interesting bit. I discovered that this EXIF data is attached to each image. It records such things as the camera equipment used and the settings of that equipment, and as ...

Yesterday I was fine. A little tired perhaps.During the night my sinuses became irritated and by morning my nose was running like a tap. I don't think it is 'flu because I still want to live. Hopefully it will be gone in a week, but that's no comfort to Anne who has just started sneezing. I think I'm lucky it started early, so it might have run it's course before we take off.

Next week we fly out of Tullamarine for Singapore and then on to Rome. We've been packing and repacking for a couple of weeks. I have a couple of problems. My checked baggage allowance is generous and the cabin baggage allowance not so generous. I want to carry an Apple Macbook as well as a sleep pump (I suffer from Sleep Apnoea) and a Full Frame DSLR camera as well as three lenses. Because these things are fragile and easily stolen I want them close by. This makes it a bit of a juggle to weigh everything and make sure I can carry aboard. Anyway, all looks good so far. Better get the passports and put them somewhere I won't forget.