Spider over Perth (Jan 2012)

Spider over Perth, a photo by kathrynlinge on Flickr.

In this photo a giant spider hovers over Perth city (the tiny nub on the horizon), a terrifying spectacle. I took the photo last night, yet have seen no evidence of this story hitting the news! Shocking.

The Moon (Jan 2012)

The Moon, a photo by kathrynlinge on Flickr.

This very below average shot of the moon, taken last night, commemorates my first sighting of the International Space Station, as it crossed the sky above Perth last night. We missed the 7.40 pm show (and to be fair it was still pretty light then), but managed to see it as it crossed again in the west at about 9.12 pm.

Afterwards I signed up to Twisst, a service that will tweet you when the ISS is scheduled to pass over your location.

 

The Pentagon (December 2005)

The Pentagon, a photo by kathrynlinge on Flickr.

During my visit to Washington DC, I was driven past the Pentagon. It’s pretty big.

My ICP-MS (Dec 2008)

Perkin Elmer Elan 6000 ICP-MS, a photo by kathrynlinge on Flickr.

In honour of going back to work today, here is the ICP-MS that I completed my PhD on. It was brand spanking new when I first used it ( 1997/1998). Now? Not so much. But I’ll always have fond memories (it was *way* more reliable than the Segmented Flow Autoanalyser I used for Phosphorus)

Tramp Stamp (Dec 2011)

Clevo Tramp Stamp, a photo by kathrynlinge on Flickr.

BF got a new computer a few months ago. It’s specifically for gaming and *ginormous* (indeed it is not marketed as a laptop, but as a ‘portable’ computer’). It came complete with this LED design on the top lid, which lights up the room with a red glow at night. It’s a little ostentatious.

Overhead Transparencies (Dec 2011)

Overhead Transparencies, a photo by kathrynlinge on Flickr.

It’s been a looong time singe I gave a presentation on overhead transparencies. The last major one I can remember is a conference in 2000 in Quebec (where I traveled with my talk in my hand luggage just to make sure I had it even if my baggage was misplaced). I don’t actually know what happened to the transparencies I made up during my PhD, but I’ve been hoarding some presentations I did in Honours since 1996/7 and I decided to let them go over the Christmas break (which basically meant trashing them as I’m not sure they can be recycled…?)

Here are some of my more colourful ones, including some hand-drawn diagrams. Given the amount of presentations I do these days, I am *so* glad Powerpoint is now ubiquitously electronic – it saves plastic and I don’t need to be anywhere near as prepared.

My Foot (Jan 2012)

My Foot, a photo by kathrynlinge on Flickr.

Today I am finally getting my stitches out. I have been wearing bandages and this black velcro ‘shoe’ constantly (even to bed!) for the past 3 weeks so I am really looking forward to washing my foot. And not showering seated on a plastic chair. And bare feet. And watering the veges without putting a plastic bag over my foot.

My hip is looking forward to me wearing two identically raised shoes – the heel on my surgical shoe is ever so slightly different to the heel on all my *actual* shoes so I’ve been walking with uneven hips for the past week. Stretching helps…

Tomatoes (October 2011)

Tomatoes, a photo by kathrynlinge on Flickr.

I have a *lot* of tomato plants growing this year and am expecting a good crop. In honour of my first couple of tomatoes just starting to go red, here is a photo of some tomatoes I saw at one of Perth’s leading Wastewater Treatment Plants (I was there to undertake some sampling). This was back in October, when most of my plants were just seedlings. I’ve been told that tomato seeds can travel through the digestive system without degradation, and wastewater treatment plants have a lot of nutrients hanging around. Ergo, tomatoes…

Sunflower (November 2008)

Sunflower, a photo by kathrynlinge on Flickr.

I received an annual membership to the Diggers Club in 2007 for my birthday and I’m still a member. I got a free packet of sunflower seeds with my first membership, which I never really knew what to do with them, as I was more interested in fruits and veges. Still when a spare garden bed I though what the hell and planted them. Turns out sunflowers are awesome.

Tidy Dresser (Jan 2011)

Tidy Dresser, a photo by kathrynlinge on Flickr.

Yesterday I sorted my jewelry collection (most of the way, anyway) and it resulted in a tidy dresser for the first time in at least 15 months! (Mostly because up until September, my dresser was still in the old house while we were trying to sell it – since it has arrive, junk has been dumped on it). I now have a pot of jewelry that I wan to modify or repair, and another pot that needs to find new homes.

(Also note reflection of crutches in the mirror -they’ll be back at the chemist on thursday!)