12 of 12 of 12 - the best of 2008

This has been done the last few years, where you do a recap of your year, posting one photo from each 12 of 12 you posted. I don't know if Chad's doing this again this year, as he's got enough on his mind right now, but I know I've seen at least one other person doing it. It's fun! I'm taking a bit longer as I removed my Jan-Jun 12s to redo the watermark this summer, and never got round to it, so I have to do that before I can post this!

Sometimes I've done 2 from a month, if I couldn't choose. It's my prerogative!

2008 Index (everyone)
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December

January
Original post here.

Water from the tap - just starting out on Project 366, and experimenting with the theme of "water"!

This was another photo I loved, despite not having a clue how I ended up getting that lighting! :S The golden orange and the black, with our Jaguar in the driveway - the dots are actually rain drops on the window. If I'd focused on them and the glass window, the outdoors would have been soft out of focus, and if I focused outside (as I did) that made the raindrops go out of focus, which was nice. I wanted to use this for a Project 366 photo, but not sure what theme it would fit - might have done rain, but it's not quite right. I might reshoot it another time, for the Midnight theme (obviously on a day when my parents are away!).

February
Original post here.

Can't choose again, so here are two: both on my commute home from the old job.

March
Original post here.

Ahh, Caramel Hot Chocolate with cream and drizzle. They knew my drink!

April
Original post here.

The City of London, including the Gherkin Building.

May
Original post here.

Daisies near my old workplace, as I walked to get the first bus home.

June
Original post here.

Another twofer, as I love them both!
July
Original post here.

I know there's no official bonus, so no pressure to find one, but I wanted to. And as with the above photo, I looked around for something. This is the box of tissues I've been using recently for my nose (the end of the cold is meaning a very annoying and persistent catarrhy cough and in a morning, a lovely gloopy nose). I took this photo to use for the 366 theme of Tissues, and will be posting it as such in just a second! (now done)

August
Original post here.

Possibly the best chocolate cake in the world, ever. My "just got home, I'm hungry" snack.

September
Original post here.

Looking a little more left out of [my brother's bedroom] window, and that's the flat part of the conservatory roof, with the edges (there's an oblong that's flat and felted, and then sloping panels at each end/the front).

October
Original post here.

I was aiming for Covent Garden and then Leicester Square, but had no map with me, and I got to Cambridge Circus (just off Charing Cross Road), and turned right instead of left. This is down Shaftesbury Avenue, at the side of the Palace theatre, where they are playing Monty Python's Spamalot. I was looking at the sunlight on the pavement, and how it reminded me of this photo I took in London a while back - one of my real favourites out of my photos. This time, I ended up with more of a Brief Encounter feel, I think. Don't ask me to explain why ;-)

November
Original post here.

Because I deserved a Caramel Signature Hot Chocolate with cream and caramel drizzle, damnit. Although London barristas don't seem to know it's meant to come with the drizzle on, and it's making me feel a royal diva, always having to ask them to take the lid off and put it on. 1) it's meant to be that way, don't gyp me, 2) I am paying almost £3 a time, I want the drink I should be entitled to, and 3) I need the sugar hit right now, mmkay?

December
Original post here.

One of the joint favourites (along with number 10 here). I liked how I got some bits sharp (well you try locking a focus point onto a raindrop on a window, when the bus is moving, in low light - poor camera couldn't see what was there for me to focus on!). Kind of Christmas colours too. I like it, anyway ;-)

12 of 12 (v3.0) - December

A little late, but firstly I was away for the weekend, and then I had the nightmare train trip home. My train was cancelled, I got on an (earlier) delayed one and sat on that for an hour and 20 minutes before being told to switch to another train. That moved for about 15 minutes, then spent 30 minutes sitting still in open countryside. There was overhead engineering works on the signalling or something, and it was a single piece of track for trains going in both directions, so only one train could go at a time. Once we (EVENTUALLY) cleared Lincolnshire, we got up to night speed, but instead of leaving at 8:47pm, I left at nearer 10pm. And instead of getting to London Kings Cross for 10:36pm, I got in at 3:37am and had to wait for an hour outside in the freezing cold for a taxi. With other people in it going in my direction, as it was paid for by the train company (good job, as I'd not wanted to get 2 night buses home, and had no idea how much a taxi was. The taxi would have been £40 to take me and the others home, so if you take out the detours for them, maybe £30 by myself?). I got home at 5:20am this morning. Too late to go to bed, as I'd not sleep after the stress of the trip, and my body would be telling me to get up soon. Too early to go to work (even though I could, as it would have been open by the time I showered and got there). So I got into bed to warm up, and closed my eyes but I don't think I slept. It made work interesting today.

So yes, that's why I couldn't post it last night!

Anyway, let's get started. Chad's idea this thing - take 12 photos on the 12th day of each month. Post 'em and share 'em. Check out Chad's Blog for his own 12 of 12 and the list of other participants. And leave a little love for Chad right now. It's been a rough few months for him [hug].

Times are wrong on my camera... I think they might still be on Atlanta time (!), so I'll add 5 hours to everything, mmkay?

1) 6:16am - Bathroom, Stratford, London

I got up early in a bid to get to work early - as I needed to leave early to get the Megabus up to see friends for the weekend. My plan didn't work, and I wasn't in much earlier than normal [doh].

2) 7:25am - Bedroom, Stratford, London

Ironing clothes for the trip.

3) 7:27am - Bedroom, Stratford, London

Kind of knowing I'd need photos today, as I would be at work for most of it, and on a coach in the dark for most of it... this is the view through my balcony glass doors, hence the reflection. Crap photo, but that's the view, which isn't bad.

4) 7:50am - Stratford, London

Sunrise! Nice to walk out and see!

5) 7:54am - Stratford, London

And a slightly deeper sunrise when I walk a bit further to the Tube station.

6) 8:27am - Canary Wharf, London

Despite normally being a careful packer and doing a list (plus a "last minute/morning list"), I ignored the morning list this time. Because my plan to get up/get into work early plan wasn't working, I rushed - and forgot my toothbrush, face wash/moisturiser, and PJ bottoms (which had been drying overnight). I chose to but them before work, rather than have to get them after I left work (before getting two Tubes to Victoria).

After GAP's ridiculous sizing frustrating me the other day (I am a size 12 in skirts/trousers, and their 12 wouldn't even zip up a TINY bit), I picked up a medium PJ bottoms in Next (they said small were 8-10, medium 12-14. When I put them on that night (on the 12th), I could pull these "medium" trousers up to boob level, and pull them out enough to serious worry me that I might end up with them round my ankles by morning time. And I was using my friends' sleeping bag. As Joey said, you don't go commando in another man's fatigues, you know? I need to complain to them about this (and chew GAP out).

7) 1:18pm - Canary Wharf, London

Writing Christmas cards to my Grandparents and friends (who I was visiting that weekend). Not a lunchbreak, just long enough to do that and scarf down some food.

8) 3:40pm - Green Park Tube station, London

I think, anyway! I'm sure it was - I then got the Victoria line to Victoria Tube/rail station, and walked up to the coach station for my Megabus.

9) 3:50pm - Victoria area, London

Or maybe the Tube station in the previous one was Victoria - otherwise I somehow managed to walk to the Victoria line platform, board the Tube and go one stop, exit Victoria station and start walking in 10 minutes. Anyhoo - this is on the walk up to Victoria coach station. I said I was gonna be needing photos for this day!

10) 4:39pm - Central London somewhere

Again needing photos, I started playing with the tungsten of the street lamps, the condensation/rain on the outside of the windows, and the traffic. I liked this one!

11) 4:42pm - Central London somewhere

And let's blur traffic with the low lighting!

12) 4:43pm - Central London somewhere

I noticed pretty architecture, which went soft with the low light and bus starting to move, and the red is the LED clock display which was in front of me (on the wall behind the driver - I was on the first right hand row of seats). Still kind of pretty though.

BONUS - 5:22pm - Central London somewhere

One of the joint favourites (along with number 10 here). I liked how I got some bits sharp (well you try locking a focus point onto a raindrop on a window, when the bus is moving, in low light - poor camera couldn't see what was there for me to focus on!). Kind of Christmas colours too. I like it, anyway ;-)

That's all folks - sorry for the boring/few themes this month, it was just how the day ended up, with work and travel (in dark hours) not giving much for photo opportunities! Here's to a better January!

Not sure if Chad's doing a best of 12 of 12 as he usually does - where you pick one favourite photo from each 12 of 12 you posted, and make a year recap. He's got a lot on his mind right now. I might do one anyway, for fun - but tomorrow, I need sleep!

12 of 12 (v3.0) - December

This will be a few days late, I'm away for the weekend with friends. I'm back Sunday night so I'll try to get it then.

Here's your warning it's a really boring one though! It's what happens on a work day when I'll be spending any time outside the office pretty much in early morning/the dark evening!