Not Quite Perfect

Fabric Flower

2012-01-31T22:09:00.002+13:00

Perhaps this one is a bit too spiky to be a flower, but its pretty nonetheless.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Having a vector version of my school's logo. It makes creating material for my classroom a lot easier / more professional.

Dali's Bloom

2012-01-30T22:06:00.004+13:00

This one reminded me of something that Dali might make (or at least admire). Does that make it a "dalia"??

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Finally figuring out how to change the order of songs in a google music playlist (can't have itunes on an android device). It turns out that all you need to do is drag the song using the square on the left hand side. So easy. This means that I can ditch WinAmp (which was crashing far too much) and simply go with google music. It turns out that google music is perfect for my needs and life is once again really good.

Curved Columns

2012-01-29T21:19:00.003+13:00

This one took a surprising amount of effort. It was a real challenge to get it to look "just right"

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Getting my hands on a blue plastic key cover. Its surprising how much easier things are when you know which key is which. The person who invented those was a genius.

Eyes Have It

2012-01-28T23:35:00.002+13:00

Or, perhaps, "It has eyes".

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: The screen protector that I ordered for my K1 Ideapad arrived today. It doesn't appear to do all that much to limit fingerprints but its nice to have something protecting the glass and it was not too expensive.

Straight and Narrow

2012-01-27T17:01:00.002+13:00

A simple fractal which demanded some extra clip art.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: My classroom looks a lot better than it did before. Have finally gotten around to claiming the space by removing a lot of old stuff that was on the walls and replacing it with more recent work. This is still a work in progress, in part because I ran out of staples for my trusty staple gun. Am hoping to get most of the job complete before the students return on Wednesday of next week.

New Wrinkles

2012-01-26T22:09:00.003+13:00

Sometimes, wrinkles can be very pretty indeed.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Finding the winamp music app for my android. I've been struggling for weeks to find a music app which will let me change the order of songs in a playlist. Happily winamp does this beautifully. It's not a perfect solution as the winamp android app does not appear to have a search function. The work around for this is to use winamp for most things and google music if searching becomes necessary. Oh... it also crashes on a semi-regular basis but I can probably live with this. Will of course keep my eyes out for a better "all-in-one" solution.

Tunnel Light

2012-01-25T22:26:00.004+13:00

Beware the light at the end of the tunnel - its probably an oncoming train!

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: That "our" dance hall is available for a mini-workshop that I'm in the process of organising. Getting the venue, date and time sorted means that I can now advertise the event so that out of town participants have plenty of time to get sorted.

Creative Needs

2012-01-24T17:57:00.004+13:00

Needed to be creative - this was the result.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Finding a great little video which explains how to use Freemind. I've been asked to show my colleagues how to use Freemind on Tuesday and being able to show them this video will make everyone's life a lot easier.

Note to windows users: If you are using Freemind and want to quickly insert a new node, you have to push either <enter> or <insert>. <Tab> only works on a mac.

Diamon Sky

2012-01-23T22:02:00.003+13:00

Took a while to find suitable colours, but the time spent was worth it.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: The fact that typing in error messages into google invariable leads to a solution. My K1 Ideapad decided to automatically update itself with the latest "829" update but in the process things got a bit scrambled. Every time I tried to do anything, I got this error about a certain application that failed and the on-screen keyboard appeared to be MIA. After deleting the offending application, the problem was solved. Its a real pity that Lenovo released this update before it was, in my opinion, completely ready. A quick glance at the preceding link will show that I'm not the only one to experience big problems with it.

Accidental Kite

2012-01-22T22:01:00.003+13:00

This one appeared when I accidentally deleted a transform. The result was better than the "original". In this case at least, "less" was certainly "more".

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: I now have a magnificent petrol green quilted 'sleeve' for my Android. Said sleeve should protect it from bumps and scratches and means that the Android can finally leave the house. All I can say at this point is "thanks mum"!

Twisted Tile

2012-01-21T21:39:00.002+13:00

Loved the metallic / overlapping feel of this one. Was relatively quick to create which is always a bonus.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: That the new trousers I bought last week are really, really comfortable. Comfortable is good :)

The Food Processor from Hell

2012-01-20T16:10:00.007+13:00

Today's entry is a very different from my usual offerings (don't worry, we'll be back to 'normal' tomorrow).

It turns out that our much loved, much used Philips food processor "sort of" died. "Sort of" meaning that one of the critical plastic parts which was perished finally broke meaning we can't use the machine to grate cheese, carrots, nuts and so on. So, the search was on for a replacement.

We finally settled on a smart looking Russell Hobbs machine which had similar functions to our trusty Philips. Unfortunately, said machine is incredibly poorly designed. I suspect they know about the issues as the manual does reference some of the problems but their suggestions for avoiding the issues are ineffective.

Here's a picture of the shiny, new instruction manual that came with the machine.

So, with a picture being worth a thousand words, here is what happened when I grated 1 Kg of chilled (straight from the refrigerator) Tasty Cheddar cheese.

About 800 g of cheese resulted in 162 g of soft ungrated cheese at the top of the machine. Once I'd grated the remaining 200g of cheese, I put the ungrated cheese back into the machine and after that was left with 80g of useless, ungrated cheese which was far too soft to do anything with.

In addition, when transferring cheese part way through the process, some inevitably falls into the middle of the machine as in the photo below.

Sadly, the story does not end there. Cleaning this particular model was beyond difficult. The chute through which food passes on its way to the grating blade is two units which have been joined together in such a way that trapped food is almost impossible to dislodge. Said units cannot be dismantled for easy cleaning.

Also, the lid of the food processor has been really badly designed as soft cheese gets wedged into part of it as shown by the red area in the image below. It's impossible to adequately describe the level of frustration experienced when attempting to get this device cleaned. Did I mention that the food pusher itself has ridges on the bottom rather than being flat further complicating the cleaning process.

Today's Gratitude Item: That we can get our money back and return the machine reviewed above with ease.

Love Tile

2012-01-19T22:45:00.001+13:00

The appearance of the heart was a pleasant surprise. Isolating it and then reusing it on the LHS of the image was not as hard as one might think.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: That my sewing machine works even if the light bulb does not. Let's just say that the whole 'bag making' adventure is continuing and so far its going well.

Fooling Around

2012-01-18T22:28:00.003+13:00

This cold be a funky button on a not so traditional joker / harlequin costume - hence the name.

I have darkened the image below on flickr as a symbolic protest against the pending legislation of two U.S. piracy bills. I'm not against piracy, but the bills in their current form could have an impact far beyond that which is intended.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Successfully making a miniature bag to hold the power cable for my K1 Ideapad. Tomorrow's mission is to make a full sized bag (more like a sleeve) for the K1. I could spend between $40 and $70 buying a bag but making one which is individual from sort of recycled fabric was more appealing. Needless to say the 'big' bag will be sufficiently padded to protect the Ideapad from any accidental knocks.

Jewel Star

2012-01-17T22:23:00.002+13:00

Sometimes things just all "click" into place - this was one of those times.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Shutterstock accepted a bunch of images that I thought would not make it. Here's hoping that they sell.

Sieve Star

2012-01-15T22:46:00.003+13:00

This one worked better than expected. The intricate white detail was only visible once the transparent background was replaced with something a bit more solid.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Freemind. It's an open source (and thus free) mindmapping tool that has considerable power. It can be used for all sorts of things like summarising / structuring information, making notes and even planning. I will be getting my students to download this piece of software and I suspect we will be using it quite a bit.

Sound Design

2012-01-14T22:32:00.003+13:00

Named as it reminded me of what sound waves might look like if we could see them.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Making it through a walk without my hat being blown off. It's been rather windy most days and walking with one hand holding down said hat is somewhat awkward (and looks funny too). The good news is that it was not too windy today. Bad news is that we got caught two houses from home in a sudden downpour meaning we got pretty damp despite making a run for it (literally)!

So Star

2012-01-13T17:02:00.002+13:00

An experiment. Its a bit "busy" for my taste but not a complete failure.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: It turns out that there is a New Zealand Herald app for my android. I'll probably download it in the near future and see if the reading experience via the app is better than on the web. It's great that accessing the news is so easy.

Sunset Spiral

2012-01-12T21:41:00.001+13:00

The colours on this one worked well.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: My car is "good to go" as in it had a service and got a WOF (warrant of fitness) which is great. Did I ever mention how much I love my car :)

Hot Crazy

2012-01-11T22:03:00.001+13:00

Ironically, this one was created on a cold, miserable day.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Finally finding a way to stop the annoying spam generated by LinkedIn. You might be familiar with their messages - the ones where someone invites you to join their network (even though you don't have and don't want a LinkedIn account). The invitation message is followed up with frequent annoying reminders. Anyhow, it turns out that you can get LinkedIn to add you to their do not contact list and that will stop all invitations and reminders. I can say that today I have reclaimed my Inbox!

Swirlstar

2012-01-10T22:58:00.002+13:00

Had fun with this one - it looks like a starfish on steroids.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Being able to play "Angry Birds" and watch TV at the same time. A truly geeky way to relax.

Zipped Up

2012-01-09T22:20:00.002+13:00

Something went wrong (or right) at the zipper factory. Its all a matter of perspective.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Finally getting started on my planning for the upcoming term. It's good to have at least some of it out of the way.

Star Ripple

2012-01-08T22:37:00.001+13:00

This Star of David appeared with minimal effort on my part. It might look good on a greeting card.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: New Shoes, T-Shirts and some lovely chocolates thrown in for good measure. Gotta love those post Christmas sales.

Fire Fan

2012-01-07T22:05:00.002+13:00

Things got a bit heated when this one was made - hence the fire fan.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Mindless games. Sometimes its good to be able to just turn off one's brain and play for a bit.

Hot Jellyfish

2012-01-06T18:21:00.002+13:00

The jellyfish strike again! These are either the result of a nuclear "accident" or global warming.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Speedy email responses. It's really great when people respond quickly to emails. It's not expected but it does make life a lot easier.

Ring Lord

2012-01-05T23:28:00.001+13:00

The texture of this one was especially appealing. Took a while to find a gradient that worked and in the end, something simple was best.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Discovering that if you put bread dough in the fridge, it still rises and in my case was easier to work with compared with leaving it covered on the bench. You learn something new everyday. I'd thought that putting the dough in the fridge would slow down the rising but for some weird reason that did not happen.

Flame Fan

2012-01-04T23:04:00.001+13:00

Got really lucky with this one, both in the form and with the colours. It did not take all that long to create and is a variant of "So Many Stairs".

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Not over-mixing the mini-chocolate muffins that I made today. They worked really well and taste great. Only problem is they have a limited shelf life (as in they won't last very long).

So Many Stairs

2012-01-03T22:48:00.003+13:00

Playing with the "Xaos" feature of Apo allowed some extra tweaking resulting in this.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Got Gamemaker to co-operate and have almost finished creating a relatively simple platform game. Said game (the third in a series of skill building exercises) was a good introduction to the basics and this means that when my students get to create their own games I'll be able to help them with confidence.

Blast Radius

2012-01-02T23:11:00.001+13:00

At least this explosion is more pretty than destructive.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Being able to download reading material long after the library has closed. I'm loving the whole e-book experience. The only downside is that there seems to be a waiting list for a large number of books. I guess some things never change.

Jelly Tide

2012-01-01T22:25:00.001+13:00

Reminded me of jellyfish swimming in the ocean - hence the name.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Air conditioning and ice cream. Its hot and muggy at the moment and any respite is more than welcome. Gotta love summer!

Floral Blue Connection

2011-12-31T23:44:00.002+13:00

An experiment with a "new" / "old" variation that worked well. Took a fair bit of "playing" to get this image.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: The year that has been and the year that is to come. 2011 had its ups and downs but for me it was pretty good - especially as this is the first year where I have not had to worry about finding a new job in the new year due to an ending contract. Being "permanent full time" has been wonderful. I'm looking forward to 2012 - especially as this will be the first time ever that I only teach seniors (yay).

Flower Seed

2011-12-30T16:18:00.002+13:00

This one is reminiscent of a flower going to seed, hence the name.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: That my "work" is going well. I'm not sure if it can really be called work as I don't get paid to do it.

Cross Current

2011-12-29T22:40:00.003+13:00

A new variation on an old classic.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Spending time doing what I love!

Funky Tunnel

2011-12-28T23:03:00.004+13:00

The intricate edging on this one was a pleasant surprise.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Getting clothes on sale :) This is not as easy as it sounds as finding clothes that have been designed for the shorter individual can be a bit of a trial.

Spinsation

2011-12-27T23:29:00.001+13:00

It turns out that you can't really go wrong when combining spirals with a copper / gold gradient.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Finishing creating my Purim graphic and getting a bunch of other illustrations completed too. All in all, a most satisfactory day.

Lashed Out

2011-12-26T22:18:00.001+13:00

As in the edge of this one reminded me of eyelashes. It looks a bit like a peacock feather - although the colours a bit "off".

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: A lovely day spent with friends. Tasty food, good conversation and even the opportunity to get some great reference photos of horses.

Shell Shock 2.0

2011-12-25T23:35:00.001+13:00

Spiral shells have officially been upgraded.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Christmas is over! Perhaps now the return to normality can begin.

Hot Target

2011-12-24T22:27:00.002+13:00

This one was a nice surprise. It was also the base for a number of interesting images.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: That "clomb" is a valid word in scrabble. Let's just say that having a single vowel on the rack tends to cramp my style.

Stone's Throw

2011-12-23T17:29:00.002+13:00

Named because these could be ripples as a result of a stone being thrown at sunset.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Peace and quiet. "Out there" it seems as if everyone is going completely crazy getting ready for Christmas. In my case not partaking in the annual madness is something of a tradition.

Sky Bridge

2011-12-22T15:43:00.001+13:00

Had fun with this one. Its closely related to "Stones Throw" - although its amazing what a change in colours and final transform can do in Apo.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Ripe avocados. Its amazing the difference a bit of said avocado made to what would otherwise have been an otherwise ordinary lettuce salad.

Good Luck Disc

2011-12-21T20:40:00.002+13:00

This disc must be lucky, its got a four leaf clover in the centre.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: "Out the Door" sushi for lunch. As in the queue to get said sushi was out of the door of the admittedly small shop. Needless to say the surprisingly short wait was well worth it.

Chanukah 5772

2011-12-20T20:10:00.003+13:00

Chanukah has always been one of my favourite holidays. This probably has a lot to do with the fact that it involves tasty food and fun games.

The ridiculously huge version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Finally managing to get an ebook from the local library onto my Android. It kept giving me a weird error and telling me to refresh the browser page when what it should have done was tell me to check my date and time settings. I must have tried to download at least four books and finally gave up in frustration. Even a trip to the local library with tablet in hand did not help. The librarian was lovely but she did not know how to get my android to co-operate (we spent about half an hour trying together).

In the end my dad tried to download a book after I'd given up in frustration, and of course it worked first time - no problems. This was after I'd changed not only the time zone but also date and time settings. Only thought to do that because the internet said to (but it was in an obscure place). Still, all's well that ends well.

Mag Field

2011-12-19T22:01:00.003+13:00

The lines on this one reminded me of a magnetic field. This could be some sort of futuristic compass.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Getting a lovely reference photo of one of the primary school students on scholar patrol. One of the students was wearing a Santa hat and it looked a bit like he was saying "stop for Santa" - which will make a great piece of clip-art. I love how my phone is able to take photos - even if the quality is not great - its good enough for reference photos.

Drain Disc

2011-12-18T23:04:00.003+13:00

This one could be geometric purple bubbles gurgling down a fractal drain. That's my story and I'm sticking with it.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Getting a K1 Lenovo Android at an amazing price. Have been playing with said Android most of the afternoon and am having a lot of fun with it.

Star Shell

2011-12-17T22:52:00.002+13:00

This one turned out particularly well. Experiment long enough and good things will happen.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: It was just one of those days were everything "worked". From not getting drenched on our morning walk to success in the kitchen everything went really well. Having ice-cream for dinner was an added bonus :)

Ripple Flower

2011-12-16T17:22:00.002+13:00

Another experiment that went well. this one is closely related to "Star Shell".

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: That Apophysis allows one to "undo" a very large number of times. I had a fractal and thought it was saved. It wasn't. Realised the error of my ways and was able to undo right back to the unsaved fractal. It took a while but it was worth it.

Flaming Inception

2011-12-15T18:54:00.002+13:00

The colours on this one worked out much better than anticipated. Interestingly, putting the fractal on a black background meant losing much of the detail.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: It looks like the rain is finally going to stop tomorrow. After a week of solid grey skies, I'm struggling to remember what the sun looks like.

Dawn's Tentacles

2011-12-14T23:25:00.002+13:00

This is the bottom half of "Flaming Inception" with a different colour gradient. its interesting how sometimes one fractal can give two very different images.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Getting a parking spot right in front of the restaurant we went to after dance class. It was our last session so we decided to cut it a bit short and go out for food / coffee / cake and a good old fashioned chat. A lovely time was had by all.

Angel Net

2011-12-13T23:09:00.003+13:00

Am not too sure about this one. Its rather delicate and seems a bit "empty" in the middle.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Finally fixing my printer tray. I accidentally made the paper tray guides slightly too narrow which was problematic when the paper got a bit low. Suffice it to say, the tray design is not exactly intuitive and trying to fix it was making me crazy.

Wild Surf

2011-12-12T22:18:00.002+13:00

All that's missing from this one is a surfer - although the waves might be a bit too wild for that particular sport.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Old Apophysis parameters which lead to new images. That and having the time to explore said parameters in more depth.

Internal Frustration

2011-12-11T22:13:00.002+13:00

This one was made some time ago. It was after a tough day at work where little got accomplished. Was so frustrated that taking refuge in something creative was my only recourse.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Getting at least some of the items on my list done. Sometimes writing stuff down is rather helpful - especially when it is all to easy to lose focus.

Making Waves

2011-12-10T22:51:00.002+13:00

This one took forever to create. Happily the gradient was kind to me and it turned out well in the end.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Cooler weather :) Normally things are "hotting up" at this time of year and that is not always a good thing.

Folded Fall

2011-12-09T18:00:00.003+13:00

This one took a while to create. The original fractal has been rotated, reflected and trimmed to get the patchwork / tiled effect. Creating this image was immensely satisfying.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Finding a $10.00 note when shopping this afternoon :) It was a big surprise and made a nice change from finding coins. Also getting a new travel drive after discovering that my old one had died. I was doing a back-up and the thing would not work. I don't think I've lost any data which is a relief. It was also a bit of a wake-up call. Having multiple back-ups is a good thing given that even travel drives can fail without warning.

Apocalypse Now?

2011-12-08T21:57:00.001+13:00

Or not. We all knew that Harold Campings expensive doomsday prediction was extremely unlikely. This one was created on May 21st, well after 6pm New Zealand time.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Getting a reasonably priced popcorn maker to replace our old one which died. It's nice to be able to make popcorn again with minimum fuss and relatively few calories.

Heart Path

2011-12-07T23:54:00.001+13:00

Tried a new variation with interesting results. Having the heart shape appear was an unexpected pleasure.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: That next year I'll only be teaching senior classes (information technology and computing). Whilst it will be challenging, I'm really looking forward to it.

Sphere Crazy

2011-12-06T21:04:00.002+13:00

This one is totally different to my usual offerings. There was surprisingly little post processing involved. All I did was edit the background.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Having a really good book to learn the basics of Game Maker. I need to know how to create games for next year and it was great to get a head start. There are heaps of tutorials on the 'net but having everything in one place was very useful.

Torn Adversity

2011-12-05T22:07:00.003+13:00

Created whilst trying out a new Apo Plugin. Said plugin produces some interesting results which is nice.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: An easy day at school. We had "activities day" where students choose to do various activities rather than have regular classes. With two days before holidays, its a good way to keep everyone busy and sane.

Decision 2011

2011-12-04T22:47:00.002+13:00

This one summarises the results of last week's election. It is a bit of a protest over the fact that it is possible for some parties to poll quite low (0.6%) and still get a seat in parliament whilst one (polling at 2.8%) missed out as they did not win an electorate seat and were below the 5% threshold.

The 'tea' cups are an allusion to that now infamous cup of tea that John Key (leader of the National Party) had with John Banks (leader of the Act Party).

The massive version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Rain + Sunday = Fantastic Nap :)

Floating Rose

2011-12-03T22:49:00.002+13:00

Sometimes the apophysis addiction can be a good thing.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: That despite a bit of a shaky start, my baking today worked well.

Modern Flag

2011-12-02T17:38:00.002+13:00

Got very lucky with the equilateral triangle just appearing in Apo. Moving the transform even a tiny bit would have been enough to wreck it. Of course faced with a blue triangle, playing fast and loose with the Israeli flag (again) was the only logical option.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Having enough chocolate left in my drawer for everyone in my 9th grade class. It was our last session in class and they got chocolate because they have been a great group and we are almost at the end of the year. Needless to say everyone left happy.

Jewel Tide

2011-12-01T21:19:00.003+13:00

This one was a nice surprise after a long struggle. Lets just say that Apo is not always all that co-operative.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Being able to see out of my rear windscreen. It was pretty dirty but the nice guy at the service station cleaned it for me when I filled up with gas. It was also nice not having to pump my own gas. At the moment, they seem to be trying to put the "service" back into service station which is weird but kinda nice at the same time.

Peach Burn Out

2011-11-30T22:35:00.002+13:00

This one, made some time ago was the best I could come up with on the last day of a two week vacation.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: One more week of school to go. Let's just say that everyone is eagerly looking forward to the summer vacation.

Chunky Ornament

2011-11-29T22:19:00.003+13:00

This one was fun to make. I would not mind having a necklace like this one.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: That those early morning Hebrew lessons I had back when I was a child were not wasted. It turns out that being able to read / decipher Hebrew can be useful when music files for Israeli dance arrive with the names all in Hebrew (sans vowels)! Said files need to be renamed for quick, easy ipod access.

Tut Tut

2011-11-28T21:43:00.002+13:00

As in this one reminded me of King Tutankhamen's death mask - only his was not as cool.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Vetkoek Dag. As in all the South African teachers at school met for a lovely lunch which included some traditional favourites. Best of all, my job was simply to bring along plates and cups :)

Be Accurate

2011-11-27T17:12:00.003+13:00

This image fits the bill in that it is neither "too much" nor "not enough".

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: That my WACOM table its working again. I turned on my machine today and whilst the lights were on, the tablet was not functioning. After a brief panic-search (as in panic, then search), I downloaded a new driver and this fixed the problem. In fact, it appears to be better than ever. Needless to say, being deprived of said tablet for even a short period of time was decidedly uncomfortable.

Quality Piece

2011-11-26T23:31:00.001+13:00

This may be one of the few times when the preview looked better than the rendered image. It does not happen often which is a good thing.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: That elections are finally over. It will be nice to get a break from politics.

Pretty Pink Flower

2011-11-25T16:24:00.002+13:00

I'm not mad about pink and flowers,but it turns out that combining the two resulted in a pleasing image.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Sushi at morning tea. The CYC Trust put on morning tea for the staff at school today to thank us for our work this year. It was a super-nice gesture and the food was fantastic.

Knowledge Bloom

2011-11-24T20:06:00.002+13:00

A simple flower type fractal with a not so simple quotation.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: That yesterday we had fine weather for our beach trip. All of our 8th graders get to visit the local rocky shore (its a 10 minute walk from school maximum) at various times this week. The aim is to count critters at high tide, mid tide and low tide and draw some comparisons (as in a nice mix of Science and Maths). Anyhow, yesterday we had perfect weather for our excursion. Today's groups were not so lucky with it being both windy and rainy. Lets just say that wind + rain + slippery rocks is not a good mix. Sometimes one takes good weather for granted and days like today become a reminder of how bad things could have been.

Learn 2 Think

2011-11-23T22:35:00.001+13:00

It turns out that learning and thinking go hand in hand. Why is it that students are often reluctant to learn and even more reluctant to think?

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Learning a new dance from one of our visiting dancers. She was one of the most clear teachers that I have ever seen and this made learning said dance very, very easy. The dance itself has some tricky bits in it and in this case, having a gifted teacher made all the difference. When I grow up, I want to be able to teach like that.

Keep Going

2011-11-22T22:16:00.003+13:00

Sometimes, its worthwhile to remember that even a small amount of progress is better than nothing at all.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: A great day! You know how sometimes days can be "good" and others can be "great"? Well, today was "great". My "Best Practice" workshop was extremely helpful in that there was a lot of really useful information and I made a number of contacts at other schools. Then on my walk, I found $2.00 and 5 pence. The 5p being foreign currency which was probably dropped by a tourist of some description. Basically, today was a day where nothing went horribly wrong and I had a lot of fun. Can't really ask for more than that.

Icy Symmetry

2011-11-21T22:07:00.002+13:00

This one did not start off as a reflection, but the original needed the improvement.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Not having to travel quite so far to go to work tomorrow. I'm at a Professional Development "thing" which means spending the day in a conference type environment instead of going to school. Hopefully the day will be interesting and useful.

Sun City

2011-11-20T22:20:00.002+13:00

This one reminds me of the rays of the sun awakening a sleepy city. Its probably too busy to make a good wallpaper but time will tell.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: My experiment to make spinach / pine-nut and paremesan bread scrolls worked really well. Said scrolls taste really, really good - especially warm from the oven.

Every Beauty

2011-11-19T22:14:00.002+13:00

The flower was a bit of a surprise on this one - but then sometimes surprises are a good thing.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Being able to sleep in tomorrow. Thank goodness for weekends. Only two and a half more weeks of school to go.

Flawed Diamond

2011-11-18T16:30:00.003+13:00

One could argue that all diamonds are just very pretty pebbles.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Managing to coax some information out of the school database for a colleague. She needed the information so that we can get funding for the Numeracy program we are running and could not get the database to put student's tutor teachers next to the standard "Name" / "DOB" / "Ethnicity" information. After playing around for about 20 minutes I figured out how to do it. Said colleague is very computer literate and getting the database to cooperate was quite a challenge :)

Ignorance

2011-11-17T22:14:00.002+13:00

Playing with an old variation can sometimes result in something "new".

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Getting planning documents from a colleague who teaches Metal Tech and being able to adapt those for Information Tech for next year. Lets just say that the planning documents left by my predecessor where unusable (in a very scary way). Happily it should be "all good" for next year. I'm really fortunate to have passionate, supportive colleagues who want to help.

Respect

2011-11-16T22:08:00.002+13:00

Another "old" variation experiment that worked better than anticipated.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: A fantastic turn out for dance group. Our numbers are currently being swelled by tourists (two visiting dancers makes a big difference to a relatively small group) and tonight was really fun. I got to play chauffeur after class which worked out well as both our tourists are staying in the city centre reasonably close to each other.

Tartan Bloom

2011-11-15T21:41:00.002+13:00

Making the "pots" for this one was rather fun. Its a pity that making real pots is not nearly as easy.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: That one of my brighter 9th graders found a quick way of getting data into the software we use to generate graphs and statistics. He did this without any help from me and his solution was far quicker than the way I used to do things. Sometimes when students don't read instructions it can be a good thing!

Pink Stretch

2011-11-14T23:43:00.002+13:00

This one reminds me fabric that is really stretchy. Took a while to find colours that "worked".

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: That someone other than me folded this week's laundry. It was really nice not to have to do it.

Hot Orange Wire

2011-11-13T21:39:00.003+13:00

Took forever to create this one - a lot of experimenting was needed. Result, of course took ages to render.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Getting started on this free database course. So far its been a mix of interesting and frustrating. Having started so late, everything I submit is overdue but the learning is still valid. At least by the end of it I'll have a better idea of how databases work.

Hot Dreaming

2011-11-12T23:03:00.002+13:00

This one reminded me of aboriginal designs for some reason - it could be the colours.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Getting to the library before it closed and finding a surprisingly good Steven King novel (I'm not a huge fan of Steven King, but this particular offering is great).

Believe

2011-11-11T17:10:00.002+13:00

A nice cheerful one which may feature as my school wallpaper at some point.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Getting all my reports typed up and printed out for proofing. I still have mountains of stuff to do in the near future so getting those reports "out of the way" was quite a relief.

Winged War

2011-11-10T21:45:00.002+13:00

In life, as in war, it always pays to have a plan.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Finally getting my request to the NZACDITT google group approved. I think the first request got "lost" (I'm being charitable) but this time it went through which is great as it means being able to access various resources and collaborate with colleagues who also teach Computing / IT.

Flower Vase

2011-11-09T22:36:00.003+13:00

This one was really easy to create. The "revolve" function in illustrator means that quickly creating 3D vases is literally child's play.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Surviving today! I was exhausted after last night and managed to leave my laptop at home (a really dumb move). I only realised my mistake when I got to school (ie: 35 km away) and going back to retrieve said computer was not an option. Happily all my work was backed up to the school network and there are plenty of available computers which can be used instead of a laptop. Its not quite as convenient and it would have been a nightmare if I had to teach a class but luckily I did not have any junior classes today and I managed to get at least some work done.

Girl Power

2011-11-08T23:17:00.003+13:00

The large fractal fan reminded me of a jet engine, hence the clip-art.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Not having to wear academic regalia / sit on stage at senior prize giving! This 2 and a half hour long ceremony is where we celebrate student achievement and its a great night unless you are stuck up on stage unable to move much. Happily, I was responsible for the Power Point presentation that showed recipient's names so was stationed at the back of the auditorium up in the lighting booth which meant being free to move around / stretch from time to time. Even better, I've been asked to do the same job again next year :)

Liberation

2011-11-07T21:36:00.002+13:00

Apophysis really is the gift that keeps on giving. I'm constantly amazed by what it can be coaxed into producing.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: That after tomorrow things at school get a tiny bit less crazy. This is a good thing.

Technology

2011-11-06T21:43:00.002+13:00

Is it just me or is technology sometimes more about the "bells and whistles" than actually having a product that is inherently useful?

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Going out to see a movie. Said movie was for a fund raiser and it was really nice to get out and see a film on the big screen. The actual movie was not all that great but there is something special about watching a film with a bunch of other people who all react in the same way (especially for the scary bits).

Opinion Piece

2011-11-05T21:17:00.001+13:00

Loved the quotation. All too often people seem very quick to give "opinions" which are ill-informed at best.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Marinated Sun-Dried Tomatoes. These taste really good when incorporated into a savoury bread.

Learning Experience

2011-11-04T16:45:00.002+13:00

This one made me smile, mostly because I wish I could use that quotation with my students when they make mistakes.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Only one more session with my senior Maths classes. I can't believe how quickly the year has flown by. I'll still have my junior classes for another month but when the seniors go, theoretically, I should have more time to get things done which will be great.

Reverberate

2011-11-03T22:15:00.003+13:00

This may be feature the longest quotation to date. It seems fitting that the biggest dreams take the most time / effort to be realised.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: The fact that I have a registered, licensed copy of photoshop at school and that it lets me grab images from .pdf files with minimum effort. Best of all, having used Illustrator and In-Design for some time now, I'm finding photoshop reasonably intuitive.

Dream Deed

2011-11-02T22:09:00.002+13:00

Theodore Herzl is one of my heroes. So its seemed like a good idea to let him do most of the talking.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: That I don't have to mark junior exams or write junior reports. Most of the work for my senior classes is done and its nice to have a bit of breathing space. I get the junior classes that I "lost" back again next week when the seniors leave (they have a brief study break followed by final exams). By that time, their exams should be marked and their reports should be written :)

Blank Canvas

2011-11-01T22:12:00.002+13:00

This one is not quite "blank" but then its not quite "canvas" either. Was thrilled with the result.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: That packaging up the External assessments for my senior Information Technology classes did not take nearly as long as anticipated.

Peace Beacon

2011-10-31T21:49:00.003+13:00

This one reminded me of a special type of light house. Got lucky with the quotation.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: "Exam Survival Kits". These were handed out by the head of Technology to everyone in the Tech department this morning. Said kits included clever items like a Time Out bar (because that's all the time out you'll get today), nuts (you are not nuts, exams are), a nail file (to take the edge off), some coffee (please don't sleep on the job) and two panadol (in case of headaches). There was more in the box and all of it was thoughtful and fun resulting in a cool start to what will be a busy week.

Marta's Cross

2011-10-30T21:20:00.001+13:00

When I saw this one, it immediately reminded me of one of my friends, hence the name.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Being able to access the school system (ie: work) remotely (ie: from home). This means being able to easily check emails and write reports from the comfort of my own home.

Stringing Along

2011-10-29T22:18:00.002+13:00

Not sure if this one "works". Have the nagging feeling that there is more than the customary quotation missing here.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Finding a Terry Goodkind novel in the library that I had not yet read :)

Wind Flower

2011-10-28T16:49:00.002+13:00

This one is a cross between a fan and a flower. It was rather fun to create.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: The work from one of my students that had gone AWOL mysteriously appeared in my pigeon hole today. I knew that said student had handed in the work but it was lost (not by me)! Happily, what once was lost has now been found (I think there's a song about that).

Blue Grasping

2011-10-27T19:07:00.002+13:00

The white background looked much better than the black - a rarity but it does happen.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Getting a new computer at school :) The biggest advantage is that it lets me connect with the wireless at home which is great. There are still a few "kinks" to iron out but the change was both unexpected and most welcome. I love shiny new technology.

Mysterious

2011-10-26T22:11:00.002+13:00

The translucence of this one adds to the appeal. Can't help but think that something otherworldly is lurking near the centre.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: A colleague has agreed to take one of my more challenging students off my hands. This is a huge relief as with him out of the class, we should be able to revise a lot more effectively.

Star Paper

2011-10-25T20:37:00.003+13:00

This one is probably too busy for a long-term desk top wallpaper but I still like it.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Progress. As in a number of my students successfully resubmitted one of the assessments which gives them more credits and me a bit more peace of mind. With less than two weeks to go before the seniors leave, the pressure is mounting!

On the Ball

2011-10-24T20:57:00.002+13:00

The illusion / 3D effect on this one was a nice surprise.

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: Going back to school tomorrow. Our senior students get a bit more revision and then they are on their own. I'm looking forward to getting this "out of the way". The fact that this last term is crazy short means that even though this set of holidays is over, the next lot are tantalisingly close.

Catching Happiness

2011-10-23T21:55:00.002+13:00

Presenting a wavy net which might be useful in "catching happiness".

The wallpaper version is available at the preceding link.

Today's Gratitude Item: We (as in New Zealand) won the Rugby World Cup. This is a very big deal and its something that we've been waiting for since 1987 (the last time we won). The match was pretty close, final score All Blacks 8 to France 7. That's a bit close for comfort but a win is a win and the entire country will be in party mode tonight and tomorrow.