In Chicago. It's cold and dreary. I brought the camera, but I'm not going to have a chance to use it. Cold. Dreary. Dinner was fab. I'm all steaked out. Tomorrow is a big day and I'm tired. I hope all is well in the south.
condensed black and white... unknown flower... star something or other...
and the color original...
Ziiiiiiiiiiiiing. Kersplat. The day whirs by and abruptly stops. Where did it all go? I can already see the positive effect the new management is having on the work environment. It's wonderful. Despite my avoidance of the little back-monkey in prior years, my new handheld has already proven its worth. Two thumbs up for BlackBerry. There, I said it. I'm off to Chicago tomorrow and have decided to take my camera and a small compliment of lenses. I am for sure taking my 12-24mm and my 50mm. I'm undecided on whether I'll take anything else. It's like Michael said, "if you don't take it, you'll see a million shots." Of course, chance are that if I do take it, I'll not have time to shoot. Either way, I know that missed opportunities are harder to swallow. I'm saddened that the trip doesn't afford more time outside of the work schedule as my good friend Greg is only a couple of hours away. It would be nice to sit down and talk eye to eye over a few martinis. Alas, another day. So... speaking of cameras, Michael (ala Hatley.org that is temporarily down) got his new Nikon D70. I can't wait to see how he wields it. It's a very capable camera body and I look forward to the two of us heading out in the field for some snippety snap. I need to pack. I think a nice glass of red will aid my packing efforts and I'll bid you goodnight. Ciao.
You ever just have
one of those days?
I've been such a lazy poster, no? It's not for lack of having things to say... I think it's just because I've been so busy. I'm flying to Chicago tomorrow on business and there is a lot going on in the office. We have a couple of guys out of the country and the usual percentage gone for this, that, or the other thing. Meetings are always a statistically unproductive thorn in the side of my day. Et cetera ad nauseam. Last night was nice... quiet wine-on-the-couch-with-the-wife night. Yesterday, Sam and I met up to discuss business matters with our consulting company over some spring rolls at mid-town. I'm all about some spring rolls. We usually go to Mai's, but were at Van Loc this time... it was odd that they put fresh mint sprigs in the roll. It was not an unpleasant taste... just different. My Chicago trip is so abbreviated and scheduled that I am considering not even taking my camera. I'm still on the fence. It's a shame because I had hoped to get some good architectural shots in the windy city. The new Blackberry is working out well. My favorite feature is the contact list sync... something I haven't had since I let Nextel a year ago. In business, you need niceties like that on a daily basis and they are often taken for granted. I was working on a print last night that will be a 20"x30" for our kitchen. I have printed this one at 8"x10" before and never noticed, but when I adjusted the resolution for the larger print, there it was... sensor dust. I try to keep my sensor pretty clean. Apparently, it's time to do some cleaning. I didn't see the splotches until after I submitted my lab order, so we'll see how it turns out. Fortunately, it is just for me and EL. If it were for a customer, I would have called the lab to cancel and removed the dust spots. Clone stamp and healing brush are the friend of the digital photographer that leaves the studio for the field now and again. Changing lenses in a dusty, pollen filled, and windy woods is not ideal for keeping the nasties away from the little charged graham cracker in the camera body. Greg, buy a Giotto Rocket. You will need it. Today is a bus day. I am inclined to go to happy hour on Tuesdays if I drive, but that's not why I hopped on METRO. I am really lethargic this morning. I intend to continue my regimented caffeine therapy as soon as I get off this tube o'sheep. Coffee. Oh yes, it will be mine.
Ah-ha! So
this is why I associate Sam with a pig.
Heh.
Kidding.
25 signs you have finally grown up
1. Your house plants are alive, and you can't smoke any of them.
2. Having sex in a twin bed is out of the question.
3. You keep more food than beer in the fridge.
4. 6:00 AM is when you get up, not when you go to bed.
5. You hear your favorite song on an elevator.
6. You watch the Weather Channel.
7. Your friends marry and divorce instead of hook up and break up.
8. You go from 130 days of vacation time to 14.
9. Jeans and a sweater no longer qualify as "dressed up."
10. You're the one calling the police because those damn kids next door won't turn down the stereo.
11. Older relatives feel comfortable telling sex jokes around you.
12. You don't know what time Taco Bell closes anymore.
13. Your car insurance goes down and your payments go up.
14. You feed your dog Science Diet instead of McDonalds leftovers.
15. Sleeping on the couch makes your back hurt.
16. You no longer take naps from noon to 6 PM.
17. Dinner and a movie is the whole date instead of the beginning of one.
18. Eating a basket of chicken wings at 3 AM would severely upset, rather than settle your stomach.
19. You go to the drug store for ibuprofen and antacid, not condoms and pregnancy tests.
20. A $4.00 bottle of wine is no longer "pretty good stuff."
21. You actually eat breakfast food at breakfast time.
22. "I just can't drink the way I used to," replaces, "I'm never going to drink that much again."
23. 90% of the time you spend in front of a computer is for real work.
24. You drink at home to save money before going to a bar.
25. You read this entire list looking desperately for one sign that doesn't apply to you and you can't find one to save your sorry old ass.
Camron left this morning after brunch and we all just lounged today after a night of grilling out on the chimanea last night. I dropped a stainless pot from the hot pad and it bounced and seared a line across my leg. Ouch. We had a great time despite the minor injury... marinated turkey breast and fresh pineapple. Sam followed up with some outdoor grill action this evening. I stopped by the Arboretum today to see what was blooming. I didn't take many photos, but I did briefly capture the first damselfly shots of the year... the first I've taken since last summer. Apparently, this guy was having a snack.
Speaking of snacks, there was a feeder near the back of the endangered plant area that entertained some doves. They were so pretty... I had to share:
I think I'm going to turn in early tonight. I have a big week ahead.
Woohoo! Henry hit 5 pounds!
I took a few shots of Camron this morning in the front yard. I think she likes this one best...
Also, while I was snippety snapping around, EL found an odd looking critter on the lip of a pint of paint. It looks like a cross between a cicada and a spider... maybe a baby cicada? I don't know. Here are the visuals:
The paint was the little sized can... I think that's a pint. I'd have to go read the volume off the label, but either way, here is the size reference...
Here is a shot taken at 2x handheld...
Here is a shot between 4x and 5x off a tripod. I can't remember the exact magnification because I was concentrating on trying to take the shot. It's fucking hard at that magnification to coordinate all the shit and capture the image. I'd really like a
Wimberly Shapeshifter macro flash bracket. That would be combo #2 or combo #3 if you're feeling spendy...
Cell phones are like a drug addiction. I staved off getting a cell phone or pager until I was in my late twenties. Yes, I'm serious. For a very long time, I felt that I just didn't ever need to be that reachable. Times change. Responsibilities change. Blah blah blah. So I spent a few hours yesterday wrestling switching phone numbers and phones to get ready for the number port to my RIM mobile device (pictured above). Enterprise email to the hip. Just what everyone needs. Oye!
My sister drove into town last night, so we're relaxing at the house this morning. The day looks wonderful, but it smells like rain. I hope my olfactory judgment is wrong this afternoon.
Nothing like coming back the office with a pile of shiznit to take care of after a great lunch break. Michael, Matt, and I rolled down to patio dine at HRC Houston. The weather is pimp and I'm worked up for the weekend. We gots jus a few moe hours to go!
