Aurora Australis, Pacifier, Martin Phillips, and a "Jumper"

About 11pm last night one of my flatmates knocked on the door and suggested we headed outside. Perhaps the most exciting aurora I've seen in a few years, with rays from the horizon flickering over the horizon, and blues and reds in addition to the more common green. Jumped in the car, and headed up Signal Hill (along with a good number of other people) to get away from the city lights and get a few pictures.

It was only after I got home that I had a look at the number of pictures left on the film and realised that I'd allegedly taken thirty shots. I felt sick to the pit of my stomach. I never buy 36 exposure films (they take too long), so I'm now in weird limbo. It may be that I have lost all the photos I've taken for the last few months forever. Or that I randomly acquired a 36 exposure film. I guess I'll pull the film out soon and take it in. But I'm scared. There should be heaps of amazing photographs on that film. I might kick me over the edge and make me go digital. I love film, but I hate it everytime something goes wrong and I loose any shot. It's quite odd though, as it will be most first big fail with my SLR. My point-and-shoot is more prone to film failure, because it takes the film up automatically.

Thinking of auroras, the last one I saw was just over a year ago, driving back from invercargill having been at the Pacifier gig, curtesy of the lovely (but defunct) Two Lane Black Top. It was quite a surreal night, having driven hell-for-leather to Invercargill to go to the gig, being part of the huge earthquake that night (but not noticing because it was during the encore), seeing the Aurora on the way home, getting a few hours sleep, and then driving to the Nelson Lakes the next day.

I saw Martin Phillips in the rose garden on the way to work this morning. At least I think it was The Chills founder chatting to a parks staffer in the Botanic Gardens. The morning took a turn for the weirder when I was blocked from walking to work near the Staff Club and re-routed round the back of the registry by St Margarets. There was another cordon round the back with at least half a dozen police cars, an ambulance, and a fire engine. Following the gaze of everybody I noticed a guy on top of the scaffolding around the Richardson (Hocken) building. Seems it was a jumper, although officially no-one was talking. When I ventured out about 11am to visit the science library everything was gone, and no evidence that he'd jumped. I did seem him throw an enormous plank off the top. The sound of a 4m piece of 2"x8" landing after a 10 story fall was pretty impressive, and appears to have damaged a tree below, but not too much else. It seemed to nice a day for jumping, although maybe it was exam related or something. I hope he didn't jump. I'll let you know if I find out.