Author: Peg

I tried the perspective adjustment tool on this iPhone photo that Sue took of me one day last month. I think it did a fine job.

I have become very crabby with the US lately. Becoming an expat is looking better and better. But, no surprise, not not so many countries have the welcome mat out for a couple of old people.

Since I did not get expensive FIOS and am staying with snail internet – I treated myself to Lightroom 5. No, of course I didn’t NEED an upgrade. I WANTED an upgrade. (How did I get the software considering my connection? Simple, I used a computer in the lobby that has FIOS kick-ass speed. But for some reason the “house” WiFi is also snail speed. Not sure why that is.

One of LR 5’s major new features is the perspective adjustment tool. It does a pretty good job on something that is easy to fix. I doubt it will do such a fine job on things that are more difficult. I’ll test that tomorrow.

But, the main reason I wanted LR 5 is “Smart Preview” meaning I can edit photos that are in my collection – but are stored on drives that are not plugged into the Airness.

I am also going to treat myself to a new underwater camera. Mine drowned last winter.

While walking home today, I stopped several times to “consider the lilies of the field” or in this case the neighborhood yards. They smell great. Outdoors. Indoors they are rather too much.

After much dawdling, I arrived home. What to cook in a flash for lunch? Something nukable? Nope, nothing to nuke in the freezer. Only some rather weary looking frozen solid tilapia from Trader Joe. The fridge yielded some yellow squash. Heat up oven, pop the frozen fish in a iron skillet. Cover with Old Bay Seasoning. Slice up the squash and and onion. Put them on top of the fish. All a little more Old Bay, drizzle on some olive oil. In the oven it goes. Cook until done. Put some lettuce on plates. The fish and then veggies go one top of the lettuce. Toss a handful of blueberries on top of the veggies. Balsamic vinegar and a little more olive oil and in about 30 minutes you have a good enough lunch. Without nuking anything.

In addition to my new “job” writing SQL reports so we can get information out of our new computer system – I have been making this little “ads” to put in the hospital-wide computer system. All things considered, I like making little ads more. But, I gotta admit I am pretty amazed when I get a report that does something that needs doing. Making Avery Labels for our employee files was a huge hit with my nurses. They have never been able to grasp Mail Merge. If Steve Jobs had designed Mail Merge, it would be usable by normal computer phobic people. But, Mail Merge came from Bill Gates.

Carlton and I both went to the dentist this week. We have different dentists. Carlton goes for cheap (a relative term where dentists are concerned). I go for quality of the work and location. I got out with just a cleaning. Carlton was told he needs to have a tooth pulled. He is in no rush to get it done. Not a surprise.

I broke down and took a moon shot. Nothing special. I just balanced the ZS15 on the balcony rail and put the timer at 2 seconds. Just one shot – but that was all I needed.

I think the scaffolding is finished. I think it will look like this for the next 2 or 3 years. I still want lights.

Bored today. Bored is a good thing after all of the medical angst since last December. I either need a vacation or some retail therapy.

Note to self – when it comes time to find an old folks asylum – find an urban one. I would have a very hard time being happy in a peaceful, verdant, restful, community surrounded by nature. There is plenty of time for peaceful, verdant and restful after you are dead.

 

Yesterday was a bit dreary and too cool for a nice afternoon at the pool. But, today the sun was shining, the clouds were no where to be found, a glorious first day of summer.

Carlton seems pretty happy. I think he feels better knowing that he has a plan for getting his hernia fixed after Labor Day. But, he has a backup plan in case he needs to have it fixed on an emergency basis.

And, I manufactured a rather complex SQL report at the volunteer job this morning. Not too shabby for an old assembly language code slinger.

Life is good at this very instant. Carpe Diem. 

 

Eat Less, Take More Pictures. The “fat” pants fit just fine now. Time to cut back.

Mr C went to see a surgeon about his hernia this afternoon. He really likes her. So they have a date in the OR at 0730 hours on September 6.

Well, after putzing around with my messed up Lightroom catalog – I hauled out my Time Machine backup and put everything back the way it was the day before the little “accident”. Thank You! Time Machine.

Mr C went to see his dermatologist today. They told him that he had to keep a big band-aid on his head for another month. And, this made him really unhappy – next month after they work on his nose – he will have a big band-aid on his nose for 5 weeks. Maybe we can get him a clown nose?

I almost ordered up FIOS. Then I remembered Carlton. Carlton hates wires. And, FIOS will involve wires. If he doesn’t like the way the installation looks – I’ll never hear the end of it. Also, if the phone is in any way different from our copper service – well – he would complain about that too. As in “The phone just hasn’t been as good since YOU got FIOS”. It isn’t worth the drama. Sooner or later Verizon will force us off copper. Then he can blame Verizon.

OOPS. While I was looking around in Lightroom on Saturday… Looking for pictures of our forefathers, I had a little Lightroom accident. And, as a result I ended up with an additional 3,500 images in my Lightroom Catalog. I could have restored the catalog from Friday’s backup. But, I decided to keep them in the catalog and figure out what the images were. Mostly, they are fish. I kept my fish photos in a separate catalog. But now, I think all of my fish are in the main catalog. So, maybe, I’ll keep them there.

But on thing is sure – I have way too many turtles.

 

Neither Dad nor the horse look really happy with the situation.

And this rather strange photo of Carlton’s Dad in his boxers.

And another strange photo – Carlton’s maternal grandfather.