Do your job
89 tweets. How about if your read your daily brief? Do you have time for making things right? Can you with all your vast power heal this country? No! You just act like a spectator. We need a leader. It’s not you. Why aren’t you meeting and coming up with a plan? Instead, you incite and divide us more. Reality TV. For all we know you sent your minions to incite and create the violence. It would be your perfect excuse to send troops. So, you are setting us up again. That’s cheating. … and lying. You’re good at that. Eh?
Boothbay Harbor
This home was for sale. It sits in the harbor on a bridge/walk right in the middle of everything. It’s the proverbial goldfish bowl. What comes to mind is that I may never walk around in my underwear. Colleen fell in love with it and begged… I said no. Luckily, on this occasion, I got my way. It’s not often I win. Lately, though, I don’t walk around in my underwear any more. Darn!
Nesting
We now have a sparrow(?) nesting in the tree outside our window. Ray (the cat) found it. He was clawing at the glass. Thanks Ray. Another photo op. Ray is now in “timeout.” He doesn’t get that annoying the new mom is not allowed. Four eggs! How’d she do it? Those are large eggs for a little bird. Neat trick. Clap hands, we need some cheer (and hope) around here.
Class
Weaving. Colleen wove this in a week. It was a sampler demonstrating double weave. ??? I think. Who knows? I was on my own to explore Amish country. Quaint. It is a clash of modern vs old. Horse and buggy, bicycle without pedals, modern hay baler pulled by horse, clothing without buttons, it’s just so dyssynchronous.
There are many who gawk. (Guilty, me.) The folks are oblivious. They tolerate. There’s no choice. They are out in the public. Or, that would make me rude. Sorry. A camera and me? There’s no way i pass up a photo op. I just do my best to be discrete.
Yum
There’s a TV show: The Best Thing I Ever Ate. The title is apropos. It’s too simple: a lobster shooter. Add lobster to a glass of butter in a shot glass. But memorable!! Colleen still talks about it. We were passing thru town past another lobster restaurant. Maine, there are lots of lobster. Do ya think? Colleen still talks about it. I had the old wedding standard – scallops wrapped in bacon.
Do you embarrass your spouse before or after lunch? Before she’s officially your spouse? Guess? Did I say Lincolnville, Maine?
Screenshot
It’s (scary) calm on my beach. It’s flat, almost no waves to be seen. Elsewhere it is a disaster. The headline always seems to say “one of the most powerful.” It supplanted the RNC convention in the news. Real news trumps fake news. Eh? The satellite video showed the sunset and lights coming on in Florida. Right about now, I’m thinking Moses and the plagues.
But on Wednesday, Colbert admitted that he hadn’t watched the third night of the Republican National Convention.
“Because right now in America, we’re facing a global pandemic that has killed 180,000 Americans, heavily armed Rambo wannabes are murdering people in our streets, the strongest hurricane in the history of the Gulf Coast is making landfall as I speak,” Colbert said in his monologue. “And the R.N.C.’s message is, ‘Who’s up for four more years?’”
“Now, I know by not watching the R.N.C., I didn’t do my job tonight. I just want to say, I feel great about it. Why should we pay attention to what they’re saying if none of what they’re saying tonight is about what’s happening in America right now? Why should we watch their reality show if it doesn’t reflect our reality? Why subject ourselves to their lies that stick to your soul like hot tar? Lies like ‘Donald Trump cares whether you live or die.’” — STEPHEN COLBERT
Subtlety & persistence
There is a fine line between taste and tasteless. Good and better are subtle. It helps to have something to compare otherwise you are out of luck. I have my favorite. And then there is persistence. I shot three times – three sittings – and finally got something I was satisfied with. It’s like ending a sentence with a preposition. You can but it’s tasteless, mostly. Ha! … ended in an adverb.
Tell the truth
There are millions of people who believe in an alternate reality. Sunrise or sunset? Without context you really cannot tell. Day or night? The NY Times feels compelled to fact check the Republicans. There are many lies. Why? I would let the Republicans pass on the fake (news) NYT. BUT! Then why are the late night hosts having such a field day!? The RNC and their speakers have provided much fodder for ridicule with their lies. There seems to be enough context to tell truth from lies. It’s a new day coming.
Technical prowess or blindness
My kids make fun. They tell me I’m blind. Or, at the very least I don’t pay attention. Colleen says the same. I concentrate and am oblivious to an earthquake. It served me well when I was in a noisy operating room. I was testing and comparing three cameras and their ability to photograph flowers. I zoomed the lens and let fly. It’s amazing what the camera saw that I did not. It’s equally amazing to get good shots. What I learned is that a blind squirrel does get a nut, sometimes. As for seeing detail, I’m lazy. The camera does the work. Press (the shutter button) early and often. Then again, what they didn’t tell you is when to do it. That’s judgment and it’s something you have or not. But… I did not see the pistil nor the water droplets.
Art
I’m messin’ with cha. In follow up to my museum musing, I saw Dave’s painting on my wall. It would not be out of keeping in a museum. …’cause I don’t know how to be an art critic. It’s my kid’s work. Kid proud! But! He’s got talent. I’m not kidding. There is that subtle, ” je ne sais quoi.” No denying it. The other, modern art. A bunch of fake flowers juxtaposed with a wall remote. Oh yeah! If you print and frame it, someone will love it.
Museum fever
Colleen adores museums. Me? I’m mixed. And with my sense of humor… Diane speaks of museums like trophies… the pictures (art), she has seen..nauseating. I consider it art snobbery… like name dropping. !!! You don’t do that to a (former) New Yorker. It’s fodder to mine a rich vein of humor.
How? Sometimes, I just make her pose. It’s a testament to Colleen’s good humor.
Sometimes we Photoshop. Yes, I do have some talent. Unfortunately, My sense of humor is cracked, somewhat.
And, Colleen has been a willing participant. Well, maybe she humors me. … maybe, unwillingly.
What do I say? We like to laugh. We have a good time. I go to museums to humor her. I am humored by the peace and quiet. Quiet? Contemplation? Nourishment for the mind and soul? It’s perfect. We are so well matched.
So much art
So little time…
It’s about fun. Eh?
‘cause sometimes it ain’t art
IMG_0771
I did a search on the hard drive for a picture. These images all carried the number “IMG_0771.” The image number(s) recycles. It is the nature of digital cameras. Fish in the Red Sea. Cat in Delaware.
I was surprised by the images that had the same number spanning many years. The image of Jules, around 2007, and Colleen 2014. Jules – Maine or Vermont. Colleen NYC.
I was blown away by the mask and the drawn face. It was a bit of shock. I have no recollection of that joke, date and place, unknown. And then, there’s a cerebellar tumor, Jeddah circa 2013? As I recall we successfully removed that tumor and it’s recurrence. IMG_0771, this image, has been an interesting historical journey touching significant things in my life.
Torn
Somedays. It is, indeed, a strange world out there. After all my complaint about iPhone, Colleen and I made this shot up in a restaurant. The price of gas – fluctuates. It has been as high as $2.70 around here. When the oil market collapsed it was a low as $1.71. I’m at the end of the line, a so-called end-user. I don’t get to speculate for barrels of oil on the open market. Price? That’s Scotland, price per liter: we are so privileged. Surreal – a la Dali.
I’m torn between truth and reality. Aren’t they the same? Ummm, surely you jest!?
See what I mean?
So, I have been lamenting the lack of patience I have to wait and calmly compose a good photo. It’s not a job! So, I enjoy it how I enjoy it. I guess it’s good that I enjoy and that I get images as good as I do. I’m better than the average iPhone user and not as good as a professional. I’m free. Ha ha. No $. No responsibility. No one to please. (I do value Colleen’s feedback.) Nope, it’s just me. I am a work in progress. Each image teaches me. I hope to not repeat the same mistakes. I rarely make the same mistake… twice in the same day.
Pretty good
I have so many flower photos it’s impossible. Too many good ones. It is random. I should have many more good ones while I have so few. Technically, most are good and then, most fall just slightly short of good. Confused? It’s a mixed bag and I am confessing again to be lazy. I just go out and shoot and shoot. I don’t have the patience to really slow down. I just point and hope. It’s a hell of a bad habit. But, then again, once in a while I do get something noteworthy. Which is to say, something good happens by my madness. Or, “even a blind squirrel gets a nut sometimes.”
Almost great
I was in the garden taking flower pictures. I think – unfortunately – that I am blind and just press the shutter and hope for the best. It’s awful. There’s no plan. Just point and shoot. Bad! The flowers (subject) are not going anywhere and can’t complain if I spend time getting the right shot. And I really don’t check as I go. I simply take more than one and hope one of the two will be good. So, it is, that I took this picture to find that I almost got a bee. That! That would have been a winner. Close but no cigar… another one that got away.
Meanwhile, I guess my vision has faded with age. To ask wife and kids, that has been a lot longer than recently. I shot the hibiscus. I didn’t know it had cat hair all stuck to it. Maybe, it’s not cat hair. It doesn’t look like cat hair. But then, what is it?
What’s on your phone?
I use a camera. On my iPhone it’s an odd potpourri of images. It’s rarely of great import. I just don’t think that dinky lens is better than real glass. Snob! Right! I document things that I need to remember. I take a pic that I can send instantly to someone. I photo things I plan to buy. I photograph recipes. It is a portable walking memory for me to remember items like a book to borrow. Otherwise, I have a camera on me nearly every time I carry my phone. It’s my system and my thinking. It works for me.
Random acts of kindness
I was on the hunt for a hard drive that held missing image files from 2007. Right?! Things disappear. Certainly, memory fades. I am always appreciative that computer memory is forever. GIGO – garbage in garbage out and all that. And, hard drives fail – always. But, until they go bad, what’s stored is there. My memory decays and degrades and I forget. I wonder what the memory of the human brain…. 2.5 million gigabytes.
Which brings me to – stored in a random storage bin: surgical telescope? I never called them that. “Loops.” It was magnifying lens through which you operated with a magnified surgical field. So, it was binocular magnified vision that was soon supplanted the operating microscope. They were popular just before the microscope took over neurosurgery as the go-to instrument. Dr. Fred Epstein, my pediatric neurosurgery mentor bought every resident a pair. It was his kind gift to us all. I just want to remember his kindness and remember him today as I look at the glasses I hardly used. They were a significant expense and much appreciated. When I graduated the program Fred also gave me the latest (at that time) six volume set of Youman’s second edition (now 6th). He was a brilliant surgeon, teacher, and mentor. In my own career I never forgot his kindness and often I gave back in small ways to people who worked and trained under me.
Once
The story goes like this. I remember Susan’s birthday because she told me and I made this post on the spot back in May. Otherwise I’m a lost cause. Of course, I can/could write birthdays in a list somewhere. I didn’t/don’t. My bad!
The pic? Susan’s husband and his buddy are making out in a hot tub….. we were staying in a rental. Apres ski, the boys walked in on my (former) wife and Susan in the hot tub. You do the math…. I’m just sayin’ I wasn’t there. No harm no foul. It was a few decades ago. Thank goodness memory fades. Happy Birthday! My odds are not good to remember next year’s date.
Flowers… and a cat
Some of the flowers lend themselves to closeups. It’s like cats… too numerous to count. Every day is a new opportunity. Take it.
Planted
By the time this post is published the pics will be two months old. These images are right after the deck was planted. The containers will look so much different. I thought containers and houses don’t mix. Previously I had been in an apartment and using containers. You plant beds and landscape a house, right? But no, containers have advantages. I’m happy to be living in both worlds.
By late July it was pretty much a jungle. No complaint. We especially needed color and cheer this year. Someone recently referred to our house as the New Orleans house. Thank you!
One more
Colleen made masks. She found elastic and material in her stash. Ok! I’ve only worn a mask (for)ever since I started surgery. I overheard Jess exclaim, who could wear a mask for hours? Ha ha! No big deal. You get used to it. It’s like wearing rubber surgical gloves and doing fine microscopic work. You get used to it. No choice. Now I have a Hawaiian style mask. We never had anything so stylish when I operated. Special! Or, perhaps I have been drinking the alcohol again?
Guilty pleasure
During the corona lockdown I have begun eating pop corn. I like to eat it in the movies. We don’t go. We didn’t before the virus. But suddenly we have found pop corn again! And borosilicate glass. ?? It’s double walled insulated glass. I was slow to adapt to this too. Colleen knew of it and loved it for the fact that hot or cold stays because of excellent insulation. Ice just doesn’t melt. You’d try it but where to get it. That was the trick. Now, I’m hooked.
Coming going
I don’t often have cooperation from my cats. This one time they stayed put till I got around to the front of the window. Elle, Ray, and Nutley are an unlikely trio to sit in the window together. Just trust me on this point. And, to find her in the middle is actually quite brave of her. I feel like thanking them for posing. Crazy! Yes!
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