Nobody is Promised Tomorrow. . .
The rain continues. Came home today via Uber.
But, I was able to take a short stroll late this afternoon when I was able to sneak up on some nice fat green flies. These guys live about 2-3 weeks in this adult form. The adults feed on nectar and pollen. The larvae feed on decomposing tissue. Which leads to some interesting, if gory, medical applications.
I am sort of playing with my 60mm macro lens right now. Hence, the bug of the day.
Still making progress de-acquisitioning my old photos. Once I know that they are in my computer – I think I’ll be able to pitch the prints. Just have to keep reminding myself that I am not Ansel Adams and I will be doing everyone – myself included – a favor if I get rid of them.
I didn’t go to work today, I blamed the rain. Real reason: I have actually worked my way out of a job. That was the whole idea. But, still… going to work has shaped my days since well since forever. How exactly did I get this old? When did it happen and why wasn’t I consulted?
Today’s adventure with the macro lens. A tiny black wasp-like creature.
Today’s best idea to shake up things at the asylum – put a suggestion in the box asking that condoms be sold in our little store! Well, STD’s are a serious health issue among our demographic. Just trying to be helpful.
Rainy yesterday. Rainy today. When the going gets tough, the tough get brunch.
Well, week 11 in garden/weed land was hot and dry. Week 12 is supposed to be rainy and maybe cool. Good thing: I’ll not have to water. Bad thing: weeds will be loving it.
Went to a funeral. A second funeral for the same person. It was raining when we came out of church. In Hawai’i that would be considered a blessing. Not sure anyone felt particularly blessed in Virginia.
Yesterday, I started on my photographs from 1992.
No photographs have actually made it to the trash yet. Photographs cannot be recycled. But, they are being collected in a box. If I completely wimp out the box can go down to my storage unit. I really think that I’ll be able to toss them in the dumpster. But, I only want to make one trip to the dumpster.
And that is about it from the old bat on this rainy afternoon.
Today when I went out to look for bugs, I found some. The swamp milkweed beetle was a new one for me.
Today I attended to my hopefully last “widow work” task. I removed Carlton’s name from my checking account. My lawyer told me to keep his name on the account for a year – just in case he got a check – I figure that it has been long enough.
Funny thing was when I finished talking to customer service at the bank – the agent said: “And, thank you for being a customer for 59 years”… OK, that is a long time.
July 20, 1969, at 20:17 UTC the Eagle landed on the Moon. Six hours later – Neil Armstrong stepped on the lunar surface.
And now, 49 years later, the president of my country is a fucking game show host. And, nobody seems to care. Oh, we complain and post stuff online. Heck, we might even vote come Nov 6th. Or not.
It is time to pick a mountain to die on. Easier for me to do than for a younger person. I will be giving up less time if I die on that damn mountain. But you dear children will pay the price for inaction far longer than I will.
I guess you could say the I am pissed. Gives new meaning to “Better dead than red”. To quote an old right-wing slogan from the 1960s.
At about 0545, opened my eyes – and what a lovely sunrise. This is why I don’t close the blinds.
I have been meaning to do some bug photography – so – this afternoon I put the right lens on the right camera and stuck the combo on the monopod and went out on a bug hunt.
But, the damn bunny was hopping all over the place.
Failed to mention yesterday’s fine asylum meals. Breakfast: quesadillas. Dinner: soft-shell crabs. No wonder my weight has reached critical levels. But, on to more important things. There is free wine tonight and the special pizza is “crab”. Not too sure about that one.
Today, I started to get dispose of some of *my* photographs. The photos that I have from 1993. And I started with the color prints. Most of them are in 3 ring binders.
I quick and dirty photographed all of them. I didn’t post-process them or anything. Well – did crop out the background.
And, I will dispose of most of the originals. I am not Ansel Adams. No one will want them when I am dead. I am not even sure I want them when I am alive.
For me this is huge – I have done 2 huge downsizings in the last 15 years and *my* photographs were always untouchable. But, now, they are being “stuff”. And “stuff” can be de-acquisitioned.
And, I think it is time for a new USGS header photo – from sunrise yesterday. Fissure 8.
Almost ready to ditch Carlton’s photos. In Carlton’s collection, I found these two zombie photos. I was totally faking being a serious lady person. I am not sure about Carlton.
I still wear the earrings I have on in the picture. And, I wish I had the suit. I loved that suit. I was 37.
I wish I still had that man. I loved that man. Carlton was 36.
Political commentary w/o comment.
I played around with the plastic box as copy stand today. It picks up reflections, So, I will have to do some work on that. And, I tried my old iPad Mini and my iPad Pro. The iPad Pro seems to consistently choose ISO 64 whereas Shamu2 chooses ISO 160-200. So, the iPad Pro shots pick up less noise.
Many of Carlton’s photos when directly to the to be pitched pile. If I didn’t know the people in the photo, or, if I didn’t remember them fondly – they don’t even get scanned.
But then – there was this chick.
I think this is a woman that Carlton used to see when he went to Florida without me. She used to call from time to time and she seemed harmless. After seeing this picture – maybe I shouldn’t have been so amenable.
It was that kind of a day. The US will survive or it will not. Getting down to pick the hill you are willing to die on time…
Went out to do a little work on my weeds this morning and look who I found.
Late last week “they” got the irrigation system working. So, at least I don’t have to water this anymore.
It gets 4 gallons of water every day. I haven’t any idea if that is the correct amount. But, everything seems to be doing OK.
OK – I can do this. Maybe – the photographs and negatives.
This should be an easy place to start. Well, the easiest place to start.
But wait – there is more.
I made a copy stand for Shamu 2 using my trusty pocket knife.
So, maybe I can get this done.
Of course, I will had added to my digital collection – but it will be easier to pitch my files I think.
I have spent an entire life collecting stuff. It is now time to let go. Past time.
Happy Bastille Day – or – when will we storm the White House? Seems to me the Brits welcomed Orange Lord in fine style.
The Queen Anne’s Lace with bugs and leaves was today’s photo subject.
Note to young people: Yes, you can tell that you are getting old. Things that were once easy now take real effort. The decline in physical ability is perceptible. What is more disturbing is the mental decline. I know that I am not as sharp as I was. I used to be able to mentally leap from A to D. Now I have to very carefully go from A to B to C only to arrive at D and wonder what was I thinking about.
This is not to say that life isn’t sweet. But so much has been lost. So much more will be lost. AND, this is really scary. People my age are running the country. (Into the ground, I might add).
Happy Bastille Day – or – let us eat cake and drink wine.
The only thing I did today was laundry and try to make MailChimp Little Old Lady Proof. I feel sure that I can teach 1 or 2 little old ladies how to operate MailChimp. I am not at all sure that I can teach the other 103 LOL’s how to find the mailings in their respective Spam or Promotions folders.
And that is it for Friday 13. I have no more functioning brain cells.