Brain cells at minimum power, one of those days when I feel like I left about 99% of it on the field…
…I’ll have to try harder tomorrow, I guess.
Down A Pint
We know what THIS means!
The good news was that the nurse left that sweet little flap of folded over material on the end at the left there. This stuff sticks to itself so well and sometimes you get someone who cuts it off, lays it flat, and has that end piece around on the outside of the elbow where you can’t see it and need to be a triple-jointed contortionist to reach it. Tonight, after my obligatory two to three hours and extra two glasses of water, easy peasy!
Now to get all of my little cells working on creating new hemoglobin!
Filed under Health, Photography
The Great Crisis Before Us
Not the election.
Not COVID, although it’s probably related.
Not an incoming asteroid to destroy all life.
Nope, the great crisis before us is…
There are no Diet Cokes in our store for three weeks in a row.
There was some rumor that this might be coming, and there have been shortages of other soda brands. But I’m selfish and self-centered (isn’t that repetitious?) and I don’t care about them.
Now it affects ***ME***!
Because there had been rumors I had stocked up, so I’m not in actual desperation mode for another four weeks or so. And this week they at least had some in the big, two-liter bottles (I prefer it in cans) so it seems to be an issue with the availability of aluminum cans, not the soda itself.
But I’m a little fragile and worn thin at this point with *waves hands vaguely at everything* and if this situation craters it most certainly has the potential to be the straw that breaks my back.
The camel’s on his own.
Filed under Disasters, Photography
Mystery Muncher
Something (or someone, depending on how anthropomorphic you want to be) left a mess out at the edge of the back yard.
There’s a chair that I leave there, right on the other side of the sidewalk from where yesterday’s picture was taken, and on the next day there was a pile of debris there.
Not that a pile like this is necessarily unexpected given the critters that live about, but it is notable in that it’s the first time I’ve seen it in the 2+ years we’ve lived here. So, something new is happening, and that could be a clue to the week’s mystery.
Lots of pine trees here, and lots of pine cone detritus on the sidewalk. Who could our new suspect be?
Filed under Critters, Photography
No Context For You – October 17th
But with some context to follow over the next couple of days?
Where’s the mystery? I assure you, there is one here.
Or rather, there’s one not here.
Filed under Castle Willett, Photography
High Dynamic Range
One thing the “smart” camera on the iPhone is good for is High Dynamic Range photos, where there’s a broad range of light and darks in the image.
This is how the eye works, and the iPhone does a better job than most other phone cameras, and sometimes better than a DSLR, especially an older one like I have.
An extra ten years of better software and smarts in the iPhone can beat the crap out of a 2005 state of the art chip in a Canon Rebel XT. Big surprise, but it actually is a surprise sometimes I guess.
These are taken with my iPhone 8+ which is now three years old. It’s still a great phone and mini-supercomputer and camera – but if I really, REALLY was going to be taking photos with the phone and being SERIOUS about it rather than just having it with me and using as the best camera I have in my pocket 24/7/365, then I would be looking at the iPhone 12 Pro Plus coming out next month.
I’m not. This is just fine. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Especially at $1,400 or so.
Enjoy the really, REALLY purple flowers!
Filed under Flowers, Photography
Work-From-Home Lunch
In the next few days it’s coming up on seven months since I started working from home as COVID-19 spread. Believe me, I’m eternally grateful that I’m able to do that and that the amazing team I’m on has been able to keep everyone in our company on staff and working from home. But it’s a little odd to realize that I’m also coming up next week on the one-year anniversary of my starting there, and I’ve now worked five months in the office and seven months out.
Having said that, things have obviously changed. And things have gotten routine. And by “routine” I mean, well…
Lunch at my desk. Every day.
Some days it’s an apple or a pear instead of an orange.
Some days it’s PBJ instead of a turkey sandwich.
But that’s pretty much it. It’s lunch. At my desk. Every day.
I don’t thrive on routine and repetition, nor am I bothered by it.
I’m boring. I’m not a foodie. This is not news.
It’s simple.
In many ways, so am I.
Filed under Castle Willett, Photography
Random Old Photos – October 14th
About ten an a half years ago. Apparently we were out on a “drag.” (We never walked, I always got dragged.) It took a minute to recognize the location, off on a side street near the old house.
And there was a B-17 flying around.
The camera was my old digital Olympus “adventure” model – waterproof, rugged, supposedly would float if I dropped it. Great little camera, but the pictures weren’t nearly the quality or detail of today’s DSLRs, or even today’s phones. So I can’t be sure which B-17 it is, but my guess would be that it was the one owned by the Collings Foundation’s, Nine-O-Nine.
Filed under Dogs, Flying, Photography
Labyrinth
Thinking about it this morning, I realized that “quagmire” might not be the most accurate metaphor.
Let’s try “labyrinth” instead.
You may assume that’s the definition of the hedge maze from the end of “The Shining,” not the über cool David Bowie thing. Trust me, on the best day of my life I’m not 1% as David Bowie on the worst day of his life.
Keep moving. Never give up, never surrender.
And maybe it’s like “Doom” and at some point we’ll find the chainsaw.
Filed under Deep Thoughts
Quagmire
Too much input, too much noise, too many conflicting priorities, not enough time, everything moving too fast, progress way too slow.
Thinking through it tonight the word “quagmire” came to mind.
I understand that quitting isn’t an option. But it would be nice to have a little bit of progress.
And a little bit less stress and Catholic Puritan work ethic guilt.
Filed under Deep Thoughts
We Love The Stars Too Fondly 