Category: This Week In The Loft

I’ve been amazingly busy these past few weeks with work.   I just got home from a week of training and workshops with my teams in Sydney.  And during it all there were loads of late nights with plenty of drinking.   So it’s nice to be home for the weekend to get some rest.   The big news is that later this year when we are doing our SAP upgrade I will be doing the user testing in our office in Germany.   It looks like I could be over there anywhere from 2 to 8 weeks!  It will be nice to see Germany again.  I have so many nice memories from my previous trips there.   I will be based in a city near Frankfurt from late in September.

The big telly has arrived!   I ended up buying the Panasonic 50″ plasma.  It’s not the best telly on the shelves right now but it’s much better than my 12 year TV…  and really cheap too!   But the big surprise came when I turned it on.  It tuned itself in and now I with the digital and HD channels I have more channels than before.  I was about to get Foxtel (cable TV) put on, but some of the shows I like are actually on the new channels.   And the reception is much much better than before.   I’m pretty happy with the new addition to the Loft.   Now if only I can stop myself from watching so much TV.

I camer home from Sydney early this week with a rotten head cold.   After some problems with the Qantas planes on Thursday I finally got home to Melbourne and could go to bed.   I spent Friday in bed and then on Saturday I had to get out.   Staying in bed drives me crazy!   So I have been looking at buying a new telly for a while now.   So at the Myer sale yesterday I ordered myself a bright shiny new telly (not the one above).   It arrives on Wednesday so I’ll show you what I bought then.  But I can tell you…  I got a REALLY good deal!  And now I’m going back to bed.

Okay..  it’s probably not the best shot from the shoot but I kinda like it.   I was busy shooting last weekend so I’ve had a break this week to catch up on some editing.   And then I have to load up all the new stuff to the Private Room.
In the meantime work is keeping me pretty busy.  I’m heading to Sydney again this week to catch up with the rest of my team.  Then it’s back home again to enjoy the Queen’s Birthday long weekend.

Now this is probably my favourite hotel room for shooting in.  It normally has a tonne of great light through those large windows but we had a cold rainy day on this day.  And the spa tub in the bedroom between the window and the bed is great!   I have shot in this room a couple of times.  The actual furnishings are old and worn, but it doesn’t take away from the shoot results.   That’s my assistant snapping away..  and trying not to drop the camera.  If you want to try this room for yourself, it is the Executive Spa Suite at the Rydes on Exhibition Street in Melbourne.

I have been amazingly busy these last few weeks shooting guys for the site.   I have taken advantage of being home in Melbourne to be shooting new stuff every week.   It’s been fun meeting so many new models too.  Shortly there will be a huge swag of updates in the Private Room.

This is a terrible story.
Last Sunday morning the early train arrived from Werribee at Flinders Street Station (just across the road from the Loft).   Passengers waiting to board the train quickly pointed out to railway staff that there was a lifeless young man lying on top of the train.   The 20 y/o man was later spotted on security video climbing on to the top of the train at Newport during the night.  The train was then parked for the night at Werribee before heading back to the city.   The newspapers say that the guy was “train surfing”.
I can’t believe anyone would even consider trying this on an innercity electric train service with overhead power lines.   The guy had been electrocuted to death.
I was glad to hear the train service provider put out the statement telling everyone that if anyone climbed on top of ones of their trains it would most likely lead to death.  I would have hated to have been the parents being informed on Sunday.

Last week I had my parents staying with me. It was cool having them about for the week. The more I hang out with them the more I realise why I am the way I am. Crazy!
So on Friday we decided to spend the last 2 days of their stay travelling up to Tumbarumba to see my sister and her husband. We underestimated the length of the trip… it ended up taking 6 hours each way. My dad hired a funky looking purple car (not the car above) which really drew a lot of attention out in the country. It was fun seeing the tiny NSW country town of Tumbarumba. My sister often finds snakes and stray cattle in her yard and everyone knows EVERYONE. And being at the foot of the snowy mountains it was cold! I thought Melbourne was cold… but Tumba is almost freezing. We stayed overnight, had a quick tour around the town, and then started our long trip back to Melbourne. I like car trips… but I have learnt that the trip between Melbourne and the NSW border is pretty boring. I had once planned to drive it myself. So it was nice having my parents along for the trip.

Something really interesting went on in the lane behind the Loft today.  I finally dumped the boxes of VHS porn tapes that I had accumulated over the years.   I placed them in the lane this morning for the council trucks to collect tonite.   Then after a couple of hours I checked back (from my window above) to see a girl rustling through the boxes…  which I had taped up.   She left with a couple of the tapes.
Then later I checked back again to see the boxes had moved again.  And now a group of people came along and joked about the titles in the boxes.   One of them only touching the contents with a stick.  By now the few straight titles had made their way to the top of the boxes.
Next up the bulky security guard from the parking station came out, picked up all 3 boxes and took them into the parking station.   About 10 minutes later I heard the parking station door go up and a lot of dragging noises.  I popped my head out the window just in time to see the guard dumping the boxes back on the ground and kicking a Cardinot title several metres up the lane.   It was very funny!   Obviously not his taste.
About an hour later as the lane darkened I checked back…  the 3 boxes…  gone.

I had the boys stay over this weekend.  It was nice having the guys stay over in the Loft.  Of course the streets of Melbourne put on one of the noisiest nights ever.  I am used to it but I think the guys had a restless night.