Day 29.

© Ruth Johnston 2010

I have spent the majority of today on the sofa, not because I was feeling particularly hungover from last night or anything, just because I was feeling overwhelmingly lazy. I have roasted my first beef this evening though, it should be delicious.
It's lovely to sit of the sofa and watch T4 all afternoon anyway, particularly when it's freezing in every other part of the house and there is a fire in the lounge. Don't really know how I lived in the house last year.

Day 28.

© Ruth Johnston 2010

This represents pre-drinks for what is sure to be an awesome night.

Day 27.

© Ruth Johnston 2010

Tonight is a full Moon, I didn't get to see most of today's daylight, I promise I'll do better tomorrow, but I make no promises about Sunday. I was kind of feeling last night's effects, but only mildly, certain parts of me weren't working normally, I think that's what I'm going to blame for this 'not so great' photo.

Day 26.

© Ruth Johnston 2010

Tonight, as a house, we went to Big Ernie's, it is not the finest place in town to dine, this is Moon trying to figure out how to eat his 'Big Kahuna Burger', which looked pretty horrible. I have just left Stacy at Babylon with a woman, the food at Big Ernie's is a helluva lot better than her.

Day 25.

© Ruth Johnston 2010

I made this today, it was quite tasty, definitely the best cheesecake I've ever made, as the last one was a milky shambles.
Banana Cheesecake
Ingredients:
Crust:
120g digestive biscuits.
40g melted butter.
Filling:
6 bananas.
Juice of a lemon.
3 eggs.
400-500g cream cheese.
100g sugar.
1 tsp cinnamon.
Instructions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180/Gasmark 6.
2. Mix the crust ingredients together and place in the oven for 10 minutes.
3. Lower the oven temperature to 140/Gasmark 4 once the 10 minutes is up.
4. Mash 3 bananas with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.
5. Combine the rest of the filling ingredients with the mashed banana mixture.
6. Pour the filling onto the biscuit base and bake for 1 hour.
7. Turn off the oven and allow to cool, then refrigerate for 1 hour.
8. Cover the remaining bananas in lemon juice before using to decorate.

Day 24.

© Ruth Johnston 2010

This was taken in Frankie & Bennie's in Gunwharf, I don't think I ever want to go back there again, our food was basically cold. Their banana cheesecake was pretty delicious, but I'd rather make my own than go back there. We did have a voucher though, so at least we weren't ripped off.
So, Moon has finished his exams and we celebrated with an ok lunch and a screening of AVATAR, which he hadn't seen yet, I think it overshadowed the lunch, but it wasn't the best food I've ever had anyway, and AVATAR is a pretty amazing movie.

Day 23.

© Ruth Johnston 2010

Today was so boring, I re-watched American History X and was briefly interrupted by a postvan blinking through the window. It looked much prettier in real life. These photos will get much more interesting as of tomorrow when I will have my best friend back from evil exams..
American History X is as good as I remember but the ending is still as annoying as it was the first time I watched it.

Day 22.

© Ruth Johnston 2010

Gabriella made the house a delicious roast beef lunch this afternoon, look how much broccoli she gave us. How much broccoli is that? So much broccoli.
It was so tasty, the meal, not just the broccoli, I sure am loving this 'getting on as a house' thing, it's so much better and more enjoyable than last year's shambles.

Day 21.

© Ruth Johnston 2010

Feeling lazy today, finished my website though.

Day 20.

© Ruth Johnston 2010

The Road was a beautiful film, I don't think I've seen such a bleak film in ages, it made me cry, I'm unsure about taking on the book, it's bound to be much more intense.

Day 19.

© Ruth Johnston

"Monday 11th January - Friday 19th February
Eldon Building between rooms 1.72 - 1.74 (corridor on 1st floor towards the IT suite)
An opportunity to exhibit your own photographic work in an organic project.
This is a participatory project and all are welcome to take part. That there are no size restrictions, just simply come along with your loose unmounted and unframed prints and swap them with any ones you like that are on display.
30 images, 30 days, 30 pieces of art,Photo exchange is an interesting and fun opportunity in which you are the artist, the viewer and the collector. The only stipulation is that you are the owner of the work submitted. So get snapping and let the swapping begin. "

So I finally did it. Now I am part of two 'exhibitions' at a time. Is it big-headed of me to like my own images over some of the images that were at Photo Exchange?
I really like this idea, I hope there are more, if no one picks my work, then at least I got two pieces of neat artwork for free.
I sure do hope this is a sign that it's the end of my lazy week.

Day 18.

© Ruth Johnston 2010

Today, after incredibly sporadic bouts of post, we had four postmen, one at 7:55am, one at 8:05am, one at 9:15am and one at 12:30pm, all different men.(!)
It was like Christmas all over again, I got post in 3 out of the 4 lots, so thank you Royal Mail for graduating my parcels (presents) and not overwhelming me.
Today I got,

• The new copy of Source: Photographic review.
• This weeks copy of British Journal of Photography.
• A 35mm back for my Diana F+ - so I am now capable of using it, but I do plan on attempting to use 120 when I'm more comfortable with it.
• A flash extension cord for my external flash
• A pair of peacock false eyelashes
• And two packs of Polaroid film - I also found another pack while I was clearing up, so I have three and one currently in the camera before I go on a desperate hunt again.

I have become so sluggish over the past couple of days, I think I was so nervous about the exhibition and getting up on time for hand ins and family coming down that I tired myself out.
Although today, I had the most banging headache, it was pretty frustrating to do most things, it's disappearing, so I hope to be more efficient and functional for the remainder of the week - and achieve the three things I wanted to achieve this week.

Day 17.

© Ruth Johnston 2010

This is my 'photography box', it's where I keep most items that aren't in constant use, like my 35mm SLR, film, darkroom paper and polaroid stuff. I should probably take a couple of rolls of film on my SLR and develop them before the break is over. As I made the effort to tidy the box up yesterday, I think I should ruin it sufficiently to feel like I've achieved something.
It's not that I was running out of steam today, I was just feeling pretty lazy, I didn't get up as early as I wanted to and didn't get going to do what I wanted to do. Sorry this image isn't of vast photographic interest, but it is better than some of the images featured in the 'Document This...' exhibition, say what?!

Day 16.

© Ruth Johnston 2010

This is the sun beginning to set over Asda car park at 3:55pm, I can't wait until daytime is longer.

Day 15.

© Ruth Johnston 2010

This is a nice photo. I think it may be first photo of my sister and I since she had her braces taken off and learnt to smile again. We watched The Lovely Bones when she stayed over last night, it's a story about murder and rape, you'd think they'd have made it a bit more gritty and a bit less lame.

Made it 2 weeks, it's still easy.

Day 14.

© Ruth Johnston 2010

Today was the day of the exhibition opening.
I didn't take as many photographs as I thought I would, it was a pretty good turn out and the openings group put out a good spread. These are the sweets that were put out, I assume for the children attending the show, the boys indulged in a few packets of these. They were quite nice.
It was an alright hour or so, not particularly exciting, but it was still ok. The guest speakers weren't great but that's not my area, I was just happy to see my family and that my housemates made the effort to come along, it was lovely to have everyone's support.
Moon got me some flowers, it was a nice day. I hope our turn-out is alright for the rest of the exhibition.

Day Thirteen.

© Ruth Johnston 2010

This is all the work I handed in today.

• 7 x prints for Brief One (Documentary Practices).
• 7 x prints for Brief Two (Documentary Practices).
• 3 x Research & Development books (Documentary Practices).
• 2 x Project reports (Documentary Practices).
• 2 x copies of invitation to 'Document This...' (Project Management 2) exhibition.
• 1 x book to accompany work for Brief Two.
• 1 x digital Research & Development file for Project Management 2 on CD.
• 1 x Issues in Contemporary Media essay.

My first semester of being a second year degree student is done and dusted, now to get the exhibition opening out of the way tomorrow afternoon and relax for the next three weeks...
This time next year I'll be full on thinking about my dissertation.

Day 12.

Sorry, was really slack with this today, I've basically been sitting at my computer typing up my Project Management 2 RDB since I got up (Which wasn't early anyway). Didn't have much time to snap away. I'd imagine the next 10 days or so are going to be quite mundane in places, so I couldn't even make this a good one.

© Ruth Johnston 2010, But Moon may have taken these...

Totally sums up my mood today, even Eastenders didn't help - but at least I've finished now and can role on hand ins tomorrow and my exhibition :)

Day 11.

© Ruth Johnston 2010

This came in the post today, I think I have found my new favourite thing ever. Not even sure where to begin labelling stuff, my laptop has already been claimed.
Thank you Urban Outfitters for your availability of annoying 'must-have, don't need' impulse buys.
Took this on Photobooth, there aren't any rules about only being professional with this. I think a mixture will look pretty neat overall, I've seen some that have only used Photobooth, that will get really dull when it gets to 3-4 weeks, plus it's kind of not that interesting unless you're creative about it. But then again, it is quicker and easier.

Day 10.

© Ruth Johnston 2010

This is a photograph of the only thing I have received in the post apart from my print since the snow, I quite like it, but it is not as good as I thought it would be.

Day 9.

© Ruth Johnston 2010

This looks so much smaller than it actually is.
Today I hung up my image at Portsmouth Cathedral, it took about 45 minutes longer than I wanted it to and Moon took an instant dislike to someone for the first time in his life.
I hope it stays like this, I'm quite happy it's done, I just hope it doesn't snow anymore so my family can come down and look at it.
Part of me wants it to snow some more though, just so the the paths will stop being ice rinks, I guess that means I'm willing rain as well.
http://documentthis.org.uk/

Day Eight.

© Ruth Johnston 2010

My print for my exhibition came today, which was a nice surprise, not only because it's Sunday but also because it's wasn't even meant to be coming until Tuesday - so theprintspace gallery did a very good job. Obviously not only in delivery but I'm pretty satisfied overall with the quality of the print, I picked a metallic paper to make the colour pop a bit and I think it does just that. It's something you've got to see in real life though.

The guy who delivered it was not the most happy of chaps but I'm not surprised considering the current weather.
I'm not even too sure why I'm so excited about getting the print because whilst it means that I will be able to get it hung up on the designated day (Monday) - the opening of the exhibition may not be as big as previously hoped due to the snow and with more apparently on the way tonight and tomorrow, it sort of brings me down, everyone has put so much effort in, and it might pale in comparison to previous years just because of weather conditions. I am really hoping it does all come together though, the forecast could be wrong, the snow they said would come today, hasn't yet, but the clouds are looking pretty heavy with snow, they were that pale-yellow colour earlier.

Day 7.

© Ruth Johnston 2010

I have actually done work today, but should really be ashamed of myself because I only spent half an hour on it and the rest of the day trying to watch the Dogme95 movie, 'Julien Donkey-Boy' (wouldn't recommend it to anyone btw, it's awful) and finally finding and watching Grey Gardens (1975), it's such a good documentary, it makes me completely in love with the idea of being so rich but so filthy and lacking in common sense and I love their voices.
Out of what I've taken today, I think I like this best, would probably get rid of the glare from my teapot lampshade, but that's it, if the idea of this is to sum up the day, this pretty much does it. I also like that Edie on my laptop matches the figure in the Taylor-Wessing Portrait Prize catalogue.
I wanted tomorrow to be more productive, but I think I will be forced to go even more stir-crazy as it's meant to snow from 4am tomorrow morning until 2am the following morning, but we'll see how that goes. There is actually a bread-shortage now.

Day 6.

© Ruth Johnston 2010

Ho ho ho. I've totally had enough of taking photos of the snow now. But this is amusing.
Walking around Portsmouth today was scary, and Asda is packed full of people as though the prophecies of an apocalypse are correct. Mental.

Day 5.

I realise the snow photos are probably wearing a bit thin now but there's not much else to easily and quickly (due to work) take photographs of at the moment and I did decide to do this tonight, just to see how it felt:

© Ruth Johnston 2010

I was going to put some photos up of some coloured icicles but this was much more invigorating, so here it is for 365. It was weird, it wasn't too bad until I came back in doors, obviously Moon took the photo. The colour-cast images I took today are on my blog.

Day Four.

© Ruth Johnston 2010

"Now THAT is what you call a snowball!"
This guy made my morning, it is pretty spectacular how snow can bring out the infancy in all of us. What made this guy even better was that he wasn't proclaiming this 'fact' to his children or anything, but to other grown men. Who else is loving his high-visibility jacket?
If anything will put a smile on your face on a quiet snowy morning, it's someone echoing that halfway down the street. Brilliant.

Day 3.

©Ruth Johnston 2010

I didn't think when I woke up this morning that it would snow.
I got up, got dressed, went shopping and was freezing, but still...
Now it's snowing and there's loads of it. This is from the snow fight that my housemates and my friends Long, Pip and Alex had in our street. It was so cool (literally/jk), there are so many students in this road, it ended like a war. There were a few old biddies scowling from their living rooms, which was funny. The chav children from next door were pretty mean but they got called back in.
Who needs exercise and the gym when there's snow?
I hope I don't have too many bruises tomorrow morning.

Day Two.

© Ruth Johnston 2010

Big shop this morning, the day started off as quite productive, I mean, look how much meat Moon and I bought.
It's 13 meals worth of meat.
It looks totally disgusting when it's in a heap like this, but I know how tasty each bit will be when I get round to cooking it.

When I said the day started productive, I really meant for it to go on that way, but it's 20 to 3 now and I've not done any work yet, just spent ages internet shopping. But, at least I have all this meat.

Day 1.

Having always given up at things like these, I thought 2010 would be a good year to try again. Plus, I've been keeping up with my other blog so well.
This is the my first photo.

© Ruth Johnston 2010

I arrived back in Portsmouth today from the Christmas holidays. I got straight to work on re-arranging my room. I got rid of my 'sofa' and put my desk here. As it's where I'll most likely be doing most of this 365 from, I think it's a pretty apt place to start. I'm not really sure why I changed everything, I was just a bit bored of being freezing in bed even when the heating's on, even though it is a bit cold where I am sitting now, I now have a ton of room to dance around in...
I can't believe it's nearly 8 o'clock.