High Tech Misery

While I was back in Dublin I looked out my old photo album from the loft. I though I had moved it over with me years ago but obviously didn't.

It was nice to look back at those old pictures. One thing is obvious now though - quantity. I took over 120 pictures in Dublin last week, most on one day. I have 9 pics from our first year trip to Kilkenny in 1983, 6 from Paris in 1985, and less that 20 from a week in Normandy in 1986, and that includes a failed funny hat picture with a church steeple!
At some point I seem to have moved up to larger film sizes as I have rolls from things like Engineering Balls (but only one portrait from my Debs) and uni trips. Once I moved to Scotland there are lots of photos and typically double sets as well (but i don't have a lot of those any more)

So I had a brainwave to scan all the photos I currently have. Of course the scanner I have is pants (why I'm keeping it in the loft I really don't know - I think I just bin it). As my printer is a bit on the old side, I thought about an all in one affair. Thing is, I'm particular. I want a laser printer since I don't print that much and toner doesn't dry out. Also I don't want the paper to curl over. No suitable one was in my range so i decided to simply keep the printer I have and borrow the office scanner for the weekend.
Once I got the scanner home and its software was installing I stared to look at all the pictures I had to scan. I certainly wasn't going to be done this weekend, and thats without rotating or cropping.
Of course once the software installed and i rebooted the scanner didn't work. So i followed the obvious troubleshooting steps and tried again, and again. afer many attempts and web hints it seems that you, or me anyway, can't get a scanjet 4400c to work under vista.

So, what now? I looked at scanning services and they looked expensive though fast. As ever, a lot of cost is added via postage, so I decided to simply buy a new scanner. so a visit to the various web sites to make an informed choice (spoils impulse buying doesn't it?) and find out that tesco sell the one I want cheaper, plus I have a coupon for money off if I'm over a limit, which the scanner is by itself. So now I have my new scanner, plus points for Christmas and a coupon for next week's petrol.

So that was last night. Today, amid the Tour de France and F1 qualification, I started scanning.

Not so bad. This was the worst lot as they were in the album from Dublin, and the oldest photos I have. The plan is to scan the rest as and when i get time and even to scan Ciaran's drawings to save me some storage space here and he constantly drawing.

Once I play about I may even be able to use either the Hugin or the Microsoft stitching software to re-assemble larger items like my degrees...

Summer in Dublin

Just got back after a week in Dublin with Ciaran.
We had a really good time but we didn't do all that much as it was difficult to plan with the changable weather. We did spend a lot of time with Michele's brood. As the boys get older the age difference between them becomes less of an issue and they all get on better.

We headed into town on Thursday to do the touristy thing.
We started with "The Body" exhibition. This was a set of real human body parts, dissected. It was really interesting, especially where they can preserve the circulatory system by injecting polymer resin and then dissolving the meat around it. At the same time, just at the back of my mind it was a bit "ugh" but quiet and faint. Ciaran, as ever, seemed to neither enjoy or dislike it. I later heard that the bodies were executed Chinese but I don't really believe that. The website (http://bodiesdublin.com/) notes tht the doners were all Chinese, but I think the executed comes from the fact that some councils etc banned the exhibit.

After having lunch we headed for the key attraction (at least as far as Ciaran was concerned)- Forbidden Planet. After at least half an hour he couldn't find anyhting he wanted enough to spend his money on so came away empty handed.

We headed up the north quay and decided to take the open topped bus tour. Once we got our tickets and found the bus we stared off up towards Trinity College. Once we got there Ciaran remembered about the "Infection" exhibition at Trinity (http://www.sciencegallery.ie/infectious). When asked earlier about going he said he didn't want to - he still hasn't learned about planning - he wanted to go to Forbidden Planet. So we got off the bus and headed into Trinity.

"Infectious" was really cool - better then the Bodies anyway. It was a simple enough exhibit - just some info about how viruses spread, microscopes, etc, and a simulator where you could control a virus outbreak and specify what type of response there should be and see the impact on both infection and recovery. There was an edge - When you arrive they give you a unique RFID wafer to wear. The hall was in the middle of an infected zone - a bluetooth virus had infected one of the RFID and was being passed onto the other visitors. You could check your health by the flashing light on the wafer or by displays on the wall. Basically as you moved about the exhibit you stood a good chance of being infected with the computer virus. There were disinfection points which weren't always effective. It was really cool to look at the live wall maps of who was where and if they were infected.
I got infected and Ciaran wouldn't come near me.
Apparently this was all real research. They had tried it before at seminars, but the nature of those meant everyone was infected quite quickly.

Back onto the bus for the rest of the tour. I had hoped to get to the Jameson Distillery but when we got to the Guiness Brewery Ciaran asked to go in, and who am I to argue with that type of request? We did a quick tour and then headed up to the "Gravity Bar" for its views and a pint.
By the time we were done and back onto the bus it was too late for any more visits. So we just continued on the bus as it made its way though Dublin, up around the Phoenix Park and back t O'Connell street where a short run had us back on the old 41 for the trip back to Swords.

While we were over it was my cousin's 40th so we headed out for that. It was good to see some cousins who I hadn't seen for a while and the porter was great (That's at least 3 times I've had beer at the Guinness brewery and not enjoyed it as much as in normal (non uk) pubs!)

Flew back on Monday night. Almost shoplifted from the gate side shop - a ryanair steward with a thick eastern european accent paged virtually my name. It was only as I told Ciaran we were being paged that he said I couldn't take those things!

Happy 4th of July

Had our first BBQ of the year tonight.

Our main problem was a lack of outdoor table se we bought a picnic table before we headed to Arran.

Of course it took a few attempts to get it assembled (and the purchase of a new 13mm socket wrench) but we got it up and tested by late afternoon with enough time to light up the disposable BBQ and get grilling.

I tested the smoke alarm inside by cooking the burgers and then Ciaran took over by bringing them outside to the fire.

As Ciaran isn't a salad fan (he'll eat green salad but no mayo or cold pasta) it was simply burgers, hotdogs, corn on the cob and cold cucumber, washed down by Belgian lager and pepsi.
Ciaran then roasted his cucumber and corn.
The weather was great (still, again) and we got a few games of swingball in.

Final day

Had a pretty easy day today. Had to be up and out of the hotel by 11.00. Not that early compared to the previous days, but having a deadline always adds pressure. The day was slightly overcast with chance of rain and suited our just taking it easy attitude.

Ciaran is still into collecting rocks so we had a drive around to the usual places and he managed to get a piece of something exotic. I also managed to get some cheese and despite Ciaran getting something from the Chocolate factory I was able to resist, though the fudge shop seems to have closed.

The warship we saw last night was still lurking about. They were flying helicopters off it to a smaller boat. We took some pics of it but nothing that will give a name, the zoom is just not powerful enough. After looking at the pics and comparing them to whats on wiki it might be one of the new type 45 destroyers. Its hard to tell from the picture, but the helicopter could be a lynx, but its certainly not a Merlin. It was playing about off Corrie for most of the morning.

After lunch we headed south to Kilmory. The plan was to walk out to the cairns but there was no where suitable to leave the car so we headed back towards Kildonan. We parked up there for a while while Ciaran did some more rockpooling.

Of course, one of the things you have to be aware of while at the beach is the tide. It going out isn't that much of an issue, but when it comes back in you should be prepared. Ciaran didn't nad got cut off. The thing was I had told him to keep and eye out and had told him to take his socks off. Short wade and he was back.

It was then back to Brodick and onto the ferry home. We ordered chinese on the road homw and collected it when we got back to Troon.

All in all, a great holiday.