Amigo, though being very flattered by your analysis, I have to note that there is no way in the universe for me to improve in photography even if I sell all my assests and buy D3X with the most expensive primes. I will always remain an amateur, and D300 with 16-85 VR is as far as it can go, LOL !
Hello most evil one. Of course the symbolism of this photo exists on multiple levels. for one thing, being about time, it is about time that you show off what we can expect from you and you new d300. On that level it appears you were successful in showing of some good strong dof in getting pretty fair edge to edge focus of this macro composition. On another level it can be ascertained that because of the big financial strain of buying top of the line photographic equipment, it is TIME that you sell off all your fine watches to literally pay for not only the beer, but for the wine as well. But most importantly, this is a composition which is a portal into the fifth dimension:
"There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man's fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call the Twilight Zone."
Zy gezundt amigo... looking forward, (counting the time) to see how you progress with your new d300