Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Hibernating With The Green Fairy

With this blog nearing its fourth birthday, I find myself less and less inclined to post.

Generally when I have an interesting topic of discussion centring around crime fiction, I'd much rather keep the booze flowing over at CrimeSpace by posting it in the forum. So this particular spot on the web has become more of a news list than something with regular meaty content.

Before your heart attacks you, don't worry, I'm not closing the blog down. But I do seem to be shifting into my regular wintry hibernation, just like the big teddy bear that I really am.

To explain further, interests not involving the internet--at least the crime fiction part of it--have been happily taking up brain space over at Casa Hatadi's Cranium Lounge & Bar.

Having recently purchased a respectable amount of camera gear, I've been teaching myself the digital photographic ropes. You can witness the constant fruits of these efforts in the sidebar under Photografia, or go straight to my Flickr account to stalk me over there.

The other interest that has taken up the full services of my liver and brain has been that of The Green Fairy known as absinthe. This has tied in with writing, over at my Absinthe-Minded Journal. Behind the scenes I have also been very slowly working on an absinthe-related crime story, as well as trying my hand at some very melodramatic and purple poetry.

On Sunday, the two of these interests combined to form some kind of pinnacle*.

You see, one night after coming back from a work function more than a little toasted, I received an email that led me to order a very small, sample bottle of approximately 100 year old absinthe. 50mls to be precise. That's two small shots, enough to make two decent glasses of absinthe. I won't share the price of it here, as it made someone at my workplace have a minor choking fit.

This weekend I invited a couple of fellow absintheurs to partake of the extremely aged amber nectar and in between tastes, gasps and giggles I tried my hand at updating a famous absinthe painting.

So, until I blog again with some real news or expand my range of topics for some real content, I leave you all with a taste of my handiwork.



An update of a famous absinthe painting. The newspaper is the Sydney Morning Herald from 8th June, 2008 and the absinthe is a glass of Pernod Fils circa 1910.



The original: Based on a painting by Charles Maire (1845-1919), this ubiquitous print advertising Pernod Fils once hung in almost every bar and cafe in France.

Cheers,
Daniel

* Or possibly just a Voltron-like robot sword.

3 comments:

Christa M. Miller said...

OMG Voltron! I loved that show!!

Thanks for mentioning the blog again. I'd forgotten you started it, and as it turns out, a project is underway at Shroud in which absinthe figures heavily. I sent the link to a few people and I think they'll find it useful. :)

Enjoy hibernation!

Stephen Blackmoore said...

That Sigma's a nice lens. Makes me want to break out the cameras and do some shooting.

And that's a hell of an absinthe getup you got going there. Need to get me a bottle and try the stuff.

Daniel Hatadi said...

Christa: I like that the first thing you mentioned was Voltron. I'm forever trying to form a Blazing Sword but it never works.

I'm still working on that absinthe story, but I bloody well should write an absinthe horror story too.

Stephen: I got the Sigma second hand from eBay in perfect condition. Super sharp.

If you need any absinthe recommendations, I'm sure I can think of some.

In fact, your country does make a couple already.