nostatic at all...

For those following at home, I got back from Hong Kong Friday morning, but haven't blogged yet as I've been under the weather. Well, that is actually somewhat of an understatement. It also has taken me a long time to sort photos and go through them. I normally would do a day-by-day and blow-by-blow, but the whole trip somewhat blurred due to getting sick early in the journey. Suffice it to say that there were some great moments, but travel continues to be a challenge for me. So I'll go back and fill in the gaps, but likely just with a photo or three from each day. "Start where you are." Well, I'm here now. So there ya go...

no sleep despite some help, nice hacking cough that the neighbors must love. Now add nyquil to the list of potions to try and get me to slumber. Of course the issue is I need to wake up by 10 or 11 to receive the boy. No sleeping until 1pm. Sick + jet lag = trouble.

more youbutery...unfortunately "One Toke Over the Line" has a glitch I need to fix...maybe tomorrow it'll be up.

ok, not many excuses left at this point. Plenty of fodder for a setlist...just need to find someplace to play them. Oh, and practicing would probably help since I essentially sight-read the tunes for youtube performances.

The first part of psychosomatic is psycho. Why does the left side feel different than the right? Just tired? I am that...

Boogie Nights was in the dvd player tonight. Started out good enough...but slowly descended into ugliness. Having lived through the late 70's and early 80's, I really don't need a reminder of that stuff. I didn't have the porn thing going on, but the rest of the madness...

While I love the extra hour of light, the loss of the hour of sleep wasn't welcome. The jet lag is over but some edginess remains. I need a vacation. Oh wait, I just had one. Hmm, that is a bit of a conundrum.

More very sad news today. A friend that I raced with evidently suffered a stroke this past weekend and passed away. He left behind his wife and 16 year old son. Tom was one of the first people I met when I joined the POC, as he was involved in running the introductory STS series. Over the past few years I got to know him, as I both raced and instructed at the events that he ran. He always had a smile on his face, and was just a genuinely nice guy. Godspeed.

Tingly left arm, droopy eye, psychosomatic festivities. Instead of heading to the ER (no weakness or other issues), it was off to Dr. Ma for an eastern perspective. One look at the tongue ("too purple, you are very stressed!") and a once over led to a front treatment...with a bunch of needles. It did take a bit of the edge off but as I lie there I marveled at how twisted up my mind is. *sigh*

The lens that is...77mm ltd. No plastic to been seen anywhere. Old school.

i love this lens

I'm not sure that there actually is a lake there, but today was a roadtrip to the naval air station there to talk about possible training projects. A little under 3 hour drive each direction, through truly god-forsaken country. A little sad as the route on the 14 went right past the Rosamond exit that leads to Willow Springs raceway. Taunting me, knowing that I signed over the pink slip on the 911 this Saturday. Oh well, new chapter...

Day two of the boy's education in all things baseball. Or at least throwing and catching. He's getting a late start compared to me, but there are no comparisons, and it is never too late to start. If he got any of my athletic genes he should be fine, but it also takes a lot of work. It is second nature to me, but as I am known to say, I was literally born on a softball diamond. We tried t-ball at an early age but he wasn't interested. Maybe now it'll take. We'll see...nothing much that I can do other than to just suggest that we go out and "have a catch."

No, don't make me watch "Field of Dreams" again. There's no crying in baseball...

The boy is off school for the week but I'm not off work for the week. Solution? Work from home. And iPhone. And laptop. Luckily work mostly runs on email these days. Thank gawd. Who wants to actually deal with someone in person. That's so...analog.

Oh wait...

The 77mm ltd lens thrilled me, so I figure if one is good, two should be more betterer. Price be damned. Ha. Well, the Pentax 31mm FA ltd showed up today and excitement set in. Another beautiful piece of workmanship. But to make a long story short...I can't get a good pic out of it. Well, that isn't exactly right. I can get good shots, but I have to manual focus and really work at it. This lens (along with the 77mm) are said by some to be among the best autofocus lenses ever made. Well, that may be true, but either I got a dud or it just doesn't jibe with my camera. Rumor has it that there are some back focus issues, especially with wide primes. My wide zoom focuses like a champ though.

Oh well...at least I'm only out the shipping. *sigh*

I'm impatiently waiting for the 35mm ltd macro to show up, and historically have been into the somewhat abstract closeup shot. A regular lens will get you part of the way there, especially if you're willing to crop. Plus it does give you a bit more depth of field usually. But if you want to get up close and personal, you need a "real" macro lens. 35mm is a bit short meaning the small stuff will be hard to get (especially things that get scared). Traditionally people go with 100mm, and I had a 105mm Nikkor previously. Not sure if this one sends me though...

100mm Pentax macro, slight crop, no other pp

We used to do "book reports." You read a book, you write a book report. Sometimes you had oral book reports. I remember literally shaking before/while doing those in junior high school.

Fast forward to the modern era. Now it is a "book share." And this time, the boy has to make a paper doll, and write various things on the body parts. Summary of the plot goes on the torso, conflict goes on the left leg, etc. Hmm. Of course he *loves* to do this kind of thing. Thankfully I have a stick (screen time) to use.

And no, I did not help him and crank out a fully articulated version. I only offered editorial comment...like, "you didn't spend any time on this, go back and write some more." Good gawd, I've become my mother.

sayeth the duc

Sleep would be nice. I have to write this proposal mod first though. And sort out another project. And arrange for playtesting the beta version of the game. And get logos and templates to people. And log footage. And figure out what "edu in '08" really means.

And sleep.

Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.

- Helen Keller

Halfway through watching Goodfellas. Great so far, but it's about to start getting ugly. Blow about to make its appearance. Descent into hell. Not easy to watch...

Ruining pidgeon feeding fun...boys...