Likes games
Endearing. Colleen loves games. She asked me early on when we met whether I liked to play games. Little did I know… She loves it. Fun! She’s a good sport about it. She gets immersed in the play and everything else falls away. Win or lose matters not. It is just the fun of the play. I did not think they could pull it off. But both kids slept and Noa was good enough to let us play when she was awake. A newborn sleeps – a lot. So Quinn was never in the game. Colleen had such a good time.
Noa? Nary a problem. She’s reached the right cute age now. She has a million dollar smile and mischievous nature just like grandpa. The only problem for her is that I am bigger.
Is it picture or story? I did not see who took our picture over Jules’ shoulder. Colleen or Jeff? Brilliant. I see this happen infrequently. Picture in picture. Neat! I guess in this post the pictures illustrate the story. Ordinarily it is the picture that inspires the anecdote. Well, it’s entertainment no matter how you look at things.
Canon G3
I have to credit Lisa with transitioning me to digital photography. She bought me this camera one birthday long ago. Until then I was an Ektachrome slide photographer. Nikon would not put out the digital D70 for a year or more. This (G3) was the camera recommended by the camera shop. I enjoyed the use of it though I never made it my “go to” camera. Nonetheless, I used the G3 to shoot some of Susan’s daughter’s wedding though I never did use it extensively. And then, the Nikon D70 came in 2004. I shot Dave’s high school graduation and never shot another frame of slide film after that. Just like that – analog slide to digital. Julia swore she could always tell my scanned slides from digital images, until she stopped complaining one day. Yup, I still have this camera. It’s unused. It occupies a treasured spot on the shelf, honorably retired. (My mistake. it’s gone missing. The G3. I have an extensive collection of unused gear. It’s there somewhere, just where, I’m not sure.)
The latest greatest? I just learned (realized) how much I have evolved. I did a photo shoot with a mirrorless camera. Advantages over my big Nikon DSLR: smaller, lighter weight!, LCD viewfinder. I shoot at different angles and compose differently. Embrace change? It’s a tool (camera). Know your camera and it’s capabilities. Use it. I love learning new things after all these years.
And, once more I apologize to my dear (present) wife. Colleen weaves. She reads (weaving), takes classes, and watches video at every opportunity. I have often wondered why? You know it, already? And then, I look at what I know and how it evolved. She’s always right. And, I can hear, “I told you so,” coming right around the corner at me!
Lost
Grab shots, where you grab the camera and don’t get a chance to really get it (the pic) because conditions are awful. But, hey! There is a completely embarrassing photo not included today. You may guess, but I have no desire to relate humor at the expense of my dear wife. (Eh? I will get to live another day.) What you get is that my cats play a game, as illustrated here. The bat their toys under the sideboard. Then, they sit and watch, patiently waiting, until mercifully my wife will go under the cabinet to retrieve their toys. Then, they promptly lose them again. Insanity! Repeat, and hope for a different result? Oh yeah!
Overboard
No one ever accused me of being too conservative. Exuberant! I tend to jump in with both feet… without looking. I got started on artificial flowers. I probably shouldn’t. They are not cheap. Then again, we have a bunch of vases that are empty. Ah! And there are tons of cheap vases in the thrift store or antique store. There are expensive vases too. No need for (expensive glass). Don’t laugh. We (now) have enough (arrangements) to compete with a florist. Nice stuff. I only need to learn restraint… and pretty quickly.
Tips: Vases can be found everywhere. Most are cheap enough because they are so plentiful and discarded because mostly everyone has empty unused ones. Yes, even the antique store has bargains. And yes, we cleaned out the thrift store. Others are more elaborate as with the custom pottery pitcher from the museum store. Okay, that was an indulgence. Flowers (artificial) are expensive. Darn! But there are bargains where people have discarded them (flowers) for other treasure. I found a (cheap) trove in an antique store. Really! And then there was Michael’s (30% sale/member discount). That was still pricey! But there is a lot of bang for buck. Remember, fresh flowers are way more $$ and last only ephemerally. So far… so good.
Dominoes
Do you? We were playing a game. And during the interlude to bathe the baby, Colleen and Jeff set up a domino rally. Noa was scared from the noise of the falling dominoes. Of course. But it was a fun interlude.
Rematch
No, Bill did not return for a rematch with David. This was some sort of card collection. Kids would collect cards of some sort. It was not baseball but some kind of fantasy game. David was demonstrating. Bill was demonstrating amused ignorance at what makes little ones tick. And now it has become my turn. There are enough grandkids around that I don’t understand things like Minecraft. I’m probably even spelling it wrong.
Othello
Even in this out of focus shot you can surmise that Bill is concentrating. Othello is devilishly easy to learn. The strategy is a bit more complicated. And if you don’t pay attention you can easily lose. I’ve played the computer and it’s often touch and go. It took me a while to get the strategy and win >50%. David got it. He was beating Bill consistently. And then, Bill tried to win. And he lost. Imagine getting beat by your pipsqueak grandson. He stopped playing. He didn’t want to get beat anymore. He? The loser would be Bill.
Cards
This would be David playing cards with Audrey and Lila. They were indulging him? He was seriously beating them. Can’t you tell? Cute! It makes me smile to see his devilish grin behind the cards. And did you notice he has all the cards in front of him. Luckily no money changed hands.
It amazes me how my photography is a memory anchor. I remember this shot and can tell you who was there and can’t be fully seen. There are shots I’ve taken and don’t remember too. Memory is not like a computer. I wish…
Fast forward… we played Catan with Dave the other night. He won. He has always had a good grasp of games and strategy. I’ve always been older (Ha!) and it dawns on me, that he grew up and is better than me.
Dominoes
Rain or shine – well it never rains…but the men’s dominos game goes on whether or not there’s a crowd. The guys are tolerant. People were crowded all about them snapping pictures. I mean the crowd was in their space! The game was on and no matter the crowd, it was proceeding. Just one table and one game…. The last time I saw this group, it was on an evening tour of the Balad. The tourists crowded and shot images. The men ignored them and played on.
For Susan
What do grown-ups do at night after the kids are sent to bed? It’s a family resort, the Tyler Place in Vermont. Lisa and Kevin (Susan’s husband) are playing a game called ‘spit.’ I’ve never played it. We also played spoons, a game that Kathy taught us. It was competitive, very, and there were a lot of laughs because in the end everyone is a winner. We had to play in a room far away from the kids. It’s kind of like the secret life of grown-ups acting like kids. And now all of our kids are grown-ups with kids of their own, which makes this a young picture of a bunch of old grandparents.
Jeddah Mall – Generic
There’s a formula that they seem to follow. There is usually a super grocery store. There’s a food court. There is entertainment consisting of amusement rides and video games. What I don’t get is that they are so large it really is ideal to exercise in a climate controlled environment. Instead people visit the food court and gain weight.
Stores like this usually have a sign that says “Families Only.”
I’m not sure that I’d pay for this haircut. Truly, I could do just as well at home.
Games of chance gain you tickets which you redeem for prizes.
And for the young adventurers…
…or to fulfill your fantasy.
Here you have a choice – corn in a cup or pop corn two ways.
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