Claire
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About

 

Me, 1985 Me, 1985 Me, 1986 Me, 1986

In Brief

My name is Claire, I am an Open University student and a part-time blogger. I currently live in the “Little Downstairs House” with “K”, my partner of 8 years and our adopted Greyhound, Ziggy.

A Web Developer by training, though not currently by trade, I am now in my sixth academic year with the OU and have gained a Cert HE in Web Applications Development and an Undergraduate Diploma in Literature and Creative Writing. I am currently working towards a BA (Hons) Open Degree.

I would like to think that I could one day write a successful novel or an anthology of short fiction. This however, remains to be seen. I drink only tea, coffee and Ribena, but not all at once. Films with Julia Roberts get on my tits and Jeremy Clarkson is my hero.

Me, 1986 Me, 1987 Me, 1988 Me, 1989

Interests

My music taste is extremely varied and spans from Kylie Minogue to Marilyn Manson. I listen to my favourite songs on a loop and am drawn to short, androgynous, male guitarists of rather dubious persuasions (Prince and Brian Molko, explicitly).

Favourite films include: The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Priscilla: Queen of the Desert, Finding Nemo, The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Little Mermaid and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (the 70s original, not the dire remakes/sequels).

Me, 1990 Me, 1992 Me, 1995 Me, 1998

Photography

I love photography and spend most of my spare time taking pictures, I publish my efforts online for fun and to motivate myself to improve. I know it seems that everyone online with a high-end Digital SLR likes to think they’re giving David Bailey a run for his money, but photography as an art form is something I’ve grown to love and appreciate since studying it at College and it’s now a significant pastime that allows me indulge my creative urges.

Originally schooled in the great tradition of 35mm black and white film, darkrooms and chemical tanks; I now shoot soley in digital format. My ‘negs’ are RAW and Adobe Photoshop Elements is my darkroom of choice.

A Nikon girl at heart, the details of my current digital kit are as follows:

Cameras:

  • Nikon D70s
  • Nikon CoolPix P6000

Lenses/Optics:

  • NIKKOR 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G ED-IF AF-S DX
  • NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8 D AF
  • Micro NIKKOR 60mm f2.8 D AF
  • Lensbaby 3G
  • Lensbaby Composer
  • Lensbaby Double Glass Optic
  • Lensbaby Single Glass Optic
  • Lensbaby Plastic Glass Optic
  • Lensbaby Pin-hole and Zone Plate Optic
  • Lensbaby Macro Kit
  • Lensbaby Wide Angle/Telephoto Kit

Supports:

  • JOBY GorillaPod SLR ZOOM
  • Manfrotto 486RC2 Compact Ball Head with Quick-Release Plate
  • Manfrotto 143RC Magic Arm with Quick-Release Plate
  • Manfrotto 035C Super Clamp

My current analogue kit includes:

  • Polaroid 600 CL Extreme

Some photos from 2001-2007 were also taken using:

  • Nikon E3200/CoolPix 3200
  • Minolta Dynax 404si SLR

I have since donated these and other photographic equipment to The Disabled Photographers’ Society. If you have any digital/analogue cameras or photography equipment that you no longer use, please consider donating them to The DPS. They are able to specially-adapt the cameras so that those with limited/no use of their hands can use them and they also adapt other equipment to fit onto wheelchairs.

Me, 1999 Me, 2000 Me, 2001 Me, 2002

Online

I spend most of my time online either writing, learning or reading good blogs. I’ve been online since 1999 and had my very first website at 15. Hand-coded in NotePad, it was named after a song, had lime green and magenta text (Comic Sans, no less!) with a black background and frames. I loved it and thought I was the dog’s danglies. I was very misguided.

This site is brought to you by Site5 and is powered by Wordpress and Flickr. All words and pictures are put together and made pretty using “Cherry”: an aluminium Intel iMac and when I’m out and about, “Dolly”: a 8GB iPhone. I used to be a full-time Windows user. I know better now.

This site has received acknowledgement for its original design at:

Perfection | Screenalicious | CSSGalerie | CSSclip | Morpheed CSS | The Daily Slurp | Most Inspired | Inspiration Folder

I can also be found anywhere that you see this (Gravatar) icon:

My Gravatar

Me, 2002 Me, 2003 Me, 2004 Me, 2005

Bunny

The little pink rabbit used as my Gravatar, is known as “Bunny”. Bunny and I have been together since my birth (he can be seen in some of my baby photos) and have remained inseparable ever since. I’m not sure who bought him for me, but I do know (by removing his little striped outfit and looking closely at the very faded tag) that he came from MotherCare.

Bunny is very well travelled and throughout my childhood stayed with Dad in the many different houses in which he lived, until coming to live with me some time during my teens. As the result of several moves and being over 20 years old (which is ancient for a cuddly toy), Bunny now looks a little bit squashed and misshapen.

The photograph used in the icon was taken from Bunny’s “good side” on 24th January 2006, whilst he sat on the fluffy comforter on my bed. Bunny currently sits on my desk, propped next to my Prince calendar.

Recently, I discovered that there are other “Bunny”s out there after a reader sent in photos of Didi, a pink rabbit that was clearly a close relative. Bunny very much enjoyed seeing photos of Cousin Didi and would ask that if you too have a pink/striped, “Bunny” (circa 1980s, possibly of MotherCare origin), please send photos and messages of squee to: bunny@claire.nu.

Me, 2005 Me, 2006 Me, 2006 Me, 2007

Physical

I am short, decidedly skinny and naturally a dishwater blonde, but I have dyed my hair since I was about 16. I change the colour I use, frequently.

Disabled since birth, I have been a full-time manual wheelchair user for well over a decade (I have Cerebral Palsy and Scoliosis). The Argon Ti by Quickie is my chair of choice and I currently rock a custom, two-tone paint-job. I talk some about my disabilities, in detail, here.

I have no tattoos, but bear many surgical scars and 8 piercings:

  • Left Ear
    • Stretched Lobe | [6g/4mm]
    • Outer Conch/Flat [16g/1.2mm]
  • Right Ear
    • Stretched Lobe #1 [6g/4mm]
    • Stretched Lobe #2 [10g/2.4mm]
    • Inner Conch [14g/1.6mm]
  • Other
    • Both Nipples (horizontal) [14g/1.6mm]
    • Stretched Nostril [14g/1.6mm]
Me, 2008 Me, 2008 Me, 2009 Me, 2009

Sending Email & Gifts

If you would like to contact me, feel free to write to me at this address: claire@claire.nu.

As I study from home, I get chance to check my Email about every, oh I don’t know, 10-20 minutes? So, I will most definitely read what you send my way and will reply to it when I can.

I get a lot of Email, it can take a few days/a week for me to reply – it’s not personal, it’s just that checking Email and writing Email have two very different time-frames.
I really enjoy getting Email from people who visit this site and “read me”. Just knowing that someone took time out of their lives to say “Hi” to an Internet stranger (i.e. me) for no other reason than to just be nice, can really make my day. Therefore, the opposite is also true when concerning those that send negative/insensitive messages. Please remember, there is a real person on the other end of this Email address.

By sending me stuff through Email that makes me laugh, cry, insanely happy/angry, you agree to acknowledge and accept that I may blog about it. However, I will never publish your Email address, except for in cases where people are being a complete arse.

Should you wish to, you may also purchase Little Green Parcels of Joy for my birthday and Christmas via my Amazon Wishlist. If you are worried about retaining your privacy, be sure to tick the “Does your order contain gift items? / Ordering a gift?” checkbox when ordering – this then hides your full address so that I never see it and it is never printed on the packing slip!