I’ve got a laundry list of all the events and challenges that’ve been thrown in my path, like stop sticks, over the past four and a half years. It’s all happened between 2006 and right this minute, 2010. I’m not sure why I haven’t stuck my head in the oven yet. Who would blame me? Oh, wait…it’s probably broken, too.
Broken and replaced: washer, dryer, computer, sump pump, water heater, home air conditioner’s compressor.
Broken and repaired: car’s transmission, oven, heat pump, garage door, wrist (1), house siding (2)
Broken and sitting, waiting their turn: car’s air conditioner (3), ice maker, various rotted windows, another refrigeration unit, car’s head gasket, door latches (4).
Not broken: my septic system, but the powers that be forced a sewer system through the neighborhood. I’ll be paying that bill for years. Literally.
Lost: to urinary tract disease or old age and loneliness - Monet, my gray cat, and Margaux, my black cat. Inseparable littermates. Both irreplaceable.
Lost: to alcoholism and untreated borderline personality disorder - a second husband (5).
Lost: to Tiger Woods Disease/WDS (6) - one boyfriend, who I thought was surely the right guy for me; the emotional abuse and psychotic head games took their toll, the person I thought he was still haunts me.
Lost: two jobs within six months of each other, and none found…yet (7).
I’m still here. To quote from the movie, Shakespeare in Love, it will turn out well…“How? I don’t know. It’s a mystery.”
***
Footnotes:
(1) Surgically. The doc was a magician, though. I have full use of it, which, considering the number of bits and pieces, I still consider a miracle.
(2) Once the raccoon was removed and relocated; see http://uncontrolled-airspace.blogspot.com/2010/01/raccoon-resort.html
(3) Not the best summer to have to drive around without it.
(4) How I wish I could find an all-around handyman.
(5) Divorce can be construed as good or bad, but it’s stressful, nonetheless.
(6) WDS is not fit to print…Wandering d*** Syndrome…you get the idea…
(7) But I’ve had more interviews this year than all of 2009. That’s a good thing, right?
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Brooks
He was just about the worst physical specimen for a Gordon Setter you’ve ever seen. He topped out at 120 pounds one year, until I put him on a diet and got him down to a “reasonable” 100. Breed standard for males is about 80-85 pounds. He was big boned – really. I know, that sounds like the excuse we all make for being overweight. This animal’s front leg bones were bigger than my wrists. He had droopy eyes, crooked teeth, a sagging jaw line, and a pretty poor excuse for a tail, for a Setter.
He was a dreadful watchdog, too. He never met a stranger. He’d bark, alright, but then he’d run to the door to greet anyone there, whether I knew them or not. It’s a wonder he didn’t just let the burglars in and help them carry out anything they wanted.
Repairmen would come to the house, but never ask after my girlfriend or me. They always asked about Brooks as soon as they got here. Two women in the house, and they want to talk to my dog instead??? My florist loved him, too. If I remember right, he was upset the first time he came here and found out Brooks was gone.
I was thinking about him today. It was six years ago this morning I had to let him go. After going into shock, and a long complicated surgery for cancer, he just could not fight any more.
So, here’s to you, Brooks-y-dog. I’m not the only one who misses you!
Sunday, August 1, 2010
rocket science
Only a complete fool would insult the person he/she is asking a favor of…..or so you would think.
I recently had someone comment to me that photography was not rocket science. (S)he (and I use that phrase to protect ME, not the innocent, because (s)he is most assuredly not) was begging for help regarding a photo shoot. Of course (s)he most likely wants it for cheap. [See prior blog post regarding misplaced loyalty.] Apparently (s)he thought any old Tom, Dick, or Harriet with a camera could shoot interiors without the resulting pics being dark as night, blurry, discolored…..you get my drift. Sounds like they got what they paid for. Oh….wait….they pay this guy $2,000 a month.
I was a professional photographer for a number of years for two local architectural firms. I also had my own darkroom business for 10 years. I was, as far as I know, the only Cibachrome lab in the state. I had a good reputation for nailing the color, spot on. I have enough camera equipment to weigh down a medium sized pack animal.
The problem that I continue to see with the advent of the digital world is that everyone with a camera thinks they can do the job. Thus the derogatory, derisive comment…."it’s not rocket science.”
Oh really?
Maybe…or not. I’ll grant you that half of a successful shot is having a good eye for composition. That, to me, means you’ve got an artist’s background. You were most likely born with it. You can foster it, but it’s pretty hard to flat out learn if you don’t have that inclination to begin with. The folks involved in this latest tale do not have an artist’s eye by any stretch of the imagination. You would think they would acknowledge that, and, knowing they can’t and you can, your God-given talents would engender some respect. Why is it, anyway, that art is so discounted?
Even so, after inherent artistic talent, shooting on automatic will only get you so far.
Do you really know your equipment?
Do you know the correlation between f stops and shutter speed?
Do you know the concept depth of field, and why a shallow DOF is sometimes desirable?
Do you know the difference between shutter priority and aperture priority, and in what circumstance each should be used?
Do you know what ISO is?
How about white balance?
Do you know why you shouldn’t use an ordinary polarizing filter on an auto focus lens?
Do know the differences between jpg’s, TIFF’s, and raw files, and the advantages raw files have?
Do you know what a histogram is?
What happens remains to be seen. I’m still waiting on the phone call. The pity of it is, it’s a job that would be fun. I love photography. I love going to job sites, setting up, working through the problems until you get a good product. [Frankly, I would never turn in substandard work, and it amazes me the other guy did.] But is it acceptable to work for people who insult the craft and, it follows, me?
I recently had someone comment to me that photography was not rocket science. (S)he (and I use that phrase to protect ME, not the innocent, because (s)he is most assuredly not) was begging for help regarding a photo shoot. Of course (s)he most likely wants it for cheap. [See prior blog post regarding misplaced loyalty.] Apparently (s)he thought any old Tom, Dick, or Harriet with a camera could shoot interiors without the resulting pics being dark as night, blurry, discolored…..you get my drift. Sounds like they got what they paid for. Oh….wait….they pay this guy $2,000 a month.
I was a professional photographer for a number of years for two local architectural firms. I also had my own darkroom business for 10 years. I was, as far as I know, the only Cibachrome lab in the state. I had a good reputation for nailing the color, spot on. I have enough camera equipment to weigh down a medium sized pack animal.
The problem that I continue to see with the advent of the digital world is that everyone with a camera thinks they can do the job. Thus the derogatory, derisive comment…."it’s not rocket science.”
Oh really?
Maybe…or not. I’ll grant you that half of a successful shot is having a good eye for composition. That, to me, means you’ve got an artist’s background. You were most likely born with it. You can foster it, but it’s pretty hard to flat out learn if you don’t have that inclination to begin with. The folks involved in this latest tale do not have an artist’s eye by any stretch of the imagination. You would think they would acknowledge that, and, knowing they can’t and you can, your God-given talents would engender some respect. Why is it, anyway, that art is so discounted?
Even so, after inherent artistic talent, shooting on automatic will only get you so far.
Do you really know your equipment?
Do you know the correlation between f stops and shutter speed?
Do you know the concept depth of field, and why a shallow DOF is sometimes desirable?
Do you know the difference between shutter priority and aperture priority, and in what circumstance each should be used?
Do you know what ISO is?
How about white balance?
Do you know why you shouldn’t use an ordinary polarizing filter on an auto focus lens?
Do know the differences between jpg’s, TIFF’s, and raw files, and the advantages raw files have?
Do you know what a histogram is?
What happens remains to be seen. I’m still waiting on the phone call. The pity of it is, it’s a job that would be fun. I love photography. I love going to job sites, setting up, working through the problems until you get a good product. [Frankly, I would never turn in substandard work, and it amazes me the other guy did.] But is it acceptable to work for people who insult the craft and, it follows, me?
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