Friday, February 29, 2008

Muddy Snippet

Happy Leap Day folks! Hope everyone spends the day that comes once every 4 years doing something that makes them happy!

Jack took this photo of me climbing out of a cave a few weeks ago. Its fairly rare for me to get mud on face, so I thought I'd share. Can't claim the slime-fest that the grotto had in the Crossings crawl on the 9th. But Um..... Yeah. This was pretty darn muddy. My boots collected so much mud I kept having to scrape the tops off. For you non-cavers - surveying and mud don't mix very well. Juggling a nice clean survey book and a pencil while crawling through peanut butter mud and up into partial canyon is not exactly the easiest thing ever. When its done and over with - I always remember the fun time. But while you're doing the limbo under a protrusion, with a survey book jammed in your mouth (trying not to laugh or your drool even more on the pages) and your gloves tucked under your arm because they're too gooked to put back on, you tend to grumble a bit. I sure did. But then I look at this picture and realize how lucky I was to have been in that mucky cave, on that very day, surveying with friends. And I laugh.

Labels: , ,

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Ahhh...Black and White Film

There's just something beautiful about black and white photography with actual film. I think its the purest form of photography in this all-digital age. Black and White is hard as heck to do correctly and not have washed out gray photos - could be the gray subject, the gray day, the gray shadows - but when you find a happy medium of contrast for everything - Black and White can be absolutely jaw-droppingly brilliant!

I pulled out my Dad's trusty old Minolta SLR a few weeks back because I felt I needed to shoot some real black and white film. Last time I'd shot a good roll of B/W was in college photography class. (um... yeah... that'd be about 10 years ago). I gave it a whirl - with my pooch as the relaxed model, a bit of late afternoon light and a few guessed f-stops. The results were not too shabby - here are some of my fav's:




If you're in a Black and White mood Unclaimed Mysteries has some really phenomenal B&W infrared photography. And then Realms of Reality just added some Black and White recently!

Labels: ,

Thursday, February 21, 2008

1524.5 miles Part III - Webster, FL


Webster is a town in Florida that's only around for two things: 1. to sell cattle and 2. to quench peoples thirst for other's junk. Every Monday empty stalls are packed with wholesale goods, truck loads of fruits and vegetables appear and dusty field become a front where folks can buy, sell and bargain for anything. My Dad and I like rooting through flea markets and MLK weekend is one of Webster's biggest Mondays. So we found ourselves on this brisk FL morning heading out before sunrise to enjoy a day in the flea market trenches.

My Dad inspecting some interesting 60's Modern cups.

We thought about bringing this beauty home... (LOL!)

Me with the most spectacular exhibit of vontage signage that I've seen! (I am a graphic designer after all - hence - I'm a sucker for old signs.)

The scariest shamrock green relish I've even seen. Anyone else think whoever added the food color might be color blind? I think I'll stay away from their "House Recipe."

My Dad was a bit weirded out by the color too but he ate his hot dog anyway. He hasn't mentioned any side effects.....yet....

Labels: , , ,

Monday, February 18, 2008

Dude, LOST the therory

WARNING: LOST Spoiler Alert!


Well guys - thanks for welcoming me to the island - I'm all caught up now and prepared to watch a new episode Thursday evening. I figure one hour of TV a week won't kill me - seeing as how I'm eating my words from a previous post right now - I still think TV & News are a waste - but LOST is seriously THAT good. And yes I will probably check out the LOST action figures (thanks Christin!).

Now I'm getting Paul caught up and we're watching one a night - we're at the point where Jack finished the surgery on Ben and Kate phoned Jack and told him the story on the radio the 5 second story... and he made her promise never to come back.... sniff... that part is so good. Desmund told Charlie that it was him that he'd been saving... Anyway hopefully I can fill him or have him read the synopsis of the missing ones before Thursday's show.


Ok I'm probably so off base I'm off the island completely - but I have to theorize about "what the h-e double hockey sticks" is going. I've come to the conclusion that the whole island actually exists in that past - at least 108 minutes behind the rest of the world (if not some number of YEARS!) Stay with me here - The button in the hatch was the release whatever pent up end-of-the-world vibes the whole worm-hole-living-in-the-past-thing creates. That's how the "rescuers" were able to say that flight 815 had been found and all aboard were confirmed dead. Because reality split in half - one reality for the island, one for the rest of the world. That explains why the women who get pregnant on the island die - because you can't give birth to a child in the past. And that also explains Locke's miracle - he can walk because he went back in time BEFORE he was paralyzed. And also Rose - she doesn't have her cancer because the island is on a time before she had her cancer. But something really wacky happened when the hatch blew up - because now the island and the rest of the world won't "reset properly."

A bit of Proof you ask?

1. When Sayid and Hurley were on the beach and they pick up that old song with the radio - I want to say its the Glenn Miller orchestra... Hurley asks him where its coming from and Sayid explains that the radio waves could be bouncing from anywhere - and then Hurley says something like "or WHEN are they from?"

2. And did anyone notice the really low iteration number from Naomi's radio (of Rouseau's distress call) just before they walked into the radio tower building - and then when you heard the iteration number inside actually playing it was a totally different number - like WAY higher? I need to go back and watch that one again!

3. The physicist rescuer (Doogie Houserslook-alike brother dude) had the boat launch a payload and they counted down and said that it had arrived - only to arrive way late (108 minutes?) with a digital clock that wasn't on the same time! Ok. Um. That's a bit odd.

The flash forwards for Jack, Hurley, Sayid, and Kate - all point toward the fact that they went BACK in time - back before Jack's father died, maybe before Kate blew up her Dad? - Hurley is driving the RESTORED car - so that means something is way different - and Hurley is now imagining Charlie instead of that other imaginary bald dude that wanted him to eat more - Jack is pleading with Kate because he wants things to happen the way they did already so they can back to the island eventually - meaning that she'd have to kill her father - and Kate doesn't want to - she's made the decision to re-do her life (kind of like what Desmund tried to do when he relived part of his life in the episode where you get the explanation of what happened to him when he turned the fail-safe key) But as Desmund understands - life has a way of course correcting itself...according to the white haired lady that sold him the engagement ring for Penny. Just like he knew one way or another Charlie was going to die no matter how many times he tries to fix it. (Random thought of Charlie being the person who actually programs the Looking Glass Key pad with Good Vibrations by the way - because he gets asked in the past - while he's still alive) So I think - unless Jack drinks himself to death/throws himself off a bridge - somehow - they will eventually make the same choices. Hurley will play the numbers and win the lottery... and so on - and they'll get to go back to the island - but...


I think that maybe they get transported to even farther back on the islands history - I have a real sneaking suspicion that the two people that the two skeletons they found in like episode 4 /5- remember the reference to Adam and Eve? - ARE Jack and Kate - and that's where the "natives" originate from - so its like this crazy circular history thing.

Labels: ,

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Dude, I'm so LOST.


Up until last month I had not watched a single episode of LOST. Three whole years without ever having watched a single second of the show. Really dude. I'm totally not kidding.

While visiting Laura and AM and Holly and all their crew in January - Eric had the brilliant idea to suggest watching the first couple episodes of LOST. They had the first two seasons on DVD so he innocently popped in the first disc. Next thing I remember it was long past midnight, Laura had cached in her chips an episode or two ago, and I was sitting on their couch with a totally shocked look on my face going "WO." I took their DVDs hostage.

I was really good at first, patient really. Once I got back home I watched all those previously viewed episodes with Paul so he could catch up and we'd been watching 1-2 episodes every night. That is .... up until the beginning of this week.

I think we got to the second season finale/season premiere of season 3 and I couldn't hold back anymore. Paul had an early morning so he took a shower and went to bed. I told myself I'd watch one more - just to find out what happens. That night I fell unconscious into my bed at 3 am after burning through 5 more episodes. Uh....Ooops. Every night since I've watched as many episodes (3-5) as I could stand until my eyes started slamming shut.

I'm three episodes away from the season three finale. James (go Jasper, AL!) just choked "Tom Sawyer" at the Black Rock. It is Jin's baby and Sun will die in about 2 months. Freckles just told Jack and Juliet about parachute Naomi and they've just listened to Ben and Juliet's taped messages. Buggy-eyed-Ben just shot Locke and left him for dead in the decomposing pile of Dharma initiative folks after he met freaky "Help Me" Jacob. Phew.

Last night as I fell into dreams I thought - you know - I think the "natives" on the island are actually the survivors of that crazy old ship - that one dude that met the young Ben in the jungle hasn't aged a flippin day even though now it looks like Ben and he are the same age! The island is like the fountain of youth. But then again Locke's Dad made it sound like it was H-E- double hockey sticks - and the whole rest of the world thinks everyone on Oceanic flight 815 is dead?!

Over the past month tons of random thoughts from 3 years of LOST have been bouncing around in my head - things like • I love how they cut straight to the action - bypassing the missed minutes used for the normal intros • Ok, Hawaii, sooner or later I gotta go there - the eye candy in the first season is phenomenal! • Jack's tatoos are the real deal - but they don't translate to what was said in the show • Locke is a bad-ass • Charlie was funny in the first season, a bit squirely in the second and brooding in the third • "You didn't hear about the polar bears?" Jack is Mr. Angst • Widescreen TV shows are the bomb • Sawyer is a jack ass • Sawyer's kinda cute, in a red-neck Alabama kind of way • Nope, Sawyer is a jerk again • "Dude." • I can't believe Jack's never going to find out that... Ana Lucia was with his Dad the day he died... or that Claire is his half-sister and he's an Uncle! • Sorry Michael - even with your construction expertise - there's no way you can say "this is a load bearing wall" in a cave • "Chain gang looks good on you" • Did they really have to kill of Libby? • Trust no one - oh wait that's left over from X-Files • Don't trust the Others • The numbers are bad - 4 8 15 16 23 42 Flashbacks - cool - its two stories in one • Ugh! Flashbacks suck - get back to the island • What's up with Desmund loosing all his clothes when the hatch blew? Why didn't he get burned? • "I'm a bloody rock star!" • Cages and Fish Biscuits, eh? • Jorge García pretty much plays himself as Hurley • What the heck is that black smoke monster - and why is Locke the only one who's got an understanding with the thing? • "Are you going to beat me with your Jesus stick?" • Did Michael and Walt really get away? • 5 seconds • So if the island has healing powers why did Boone bite it? • What's up with the black horse? • Alex is Shena's daughter • Did Jack win that very first golf tournament? • Sawyer has a nickname T-shirt on cafe press • Aw come on - why can't Jack and Kate get together? Why?! Why?!


So now I'm really close to catching up with the rest of the world. Right now I'm really spoiled having watched three years of LOST without commercials, one right after another. Just a few more episodes and then I'll have to buy the 3 or 4 episodes of season 4 off iTunes and then I don't know how I'm going to handle having to wait a whole week at a time to get another LOST fix.

Labels: ,

Tuesday, February 05, 2008

1524.5 miles Part 2: Holly's Baby Shower

The second leg of my FL trip was to Holly's baby shower.

I said hello to the Atlantic ocean on the way there.

Holly's Mom (Ronny) and Michelle.

The fun (and really yummy) cake.

All the attendees of the shower.

Some of Holly's family.


Justin, Holly and I goofing around after the party on Melinda's back porch. I had such a blast visiting with everyone! Wish I could have stayed longer - but I had one more stop on my little trip - Webster.

Labels: , ,

Saturday, February 02, 2008

1524.5 miles


Without further adieu (and before Laura comes up here and puts me in time out) here are some photos of my super-speedy (Jan 17th-21st) trip down to FL for Holly's Baby shower and all points in between - including a fun fantastic visit with my bestest-roomie from Flagler - Laura, her husband Eric and their son Bryce - And with Annamaria and Shawn and their kiddos Jillian and Ava, Holly's way fun baby shower and then a one day flea market extravaganza with my Mom and Dad before jumping back into the car and driving some more.

Friday Laura, Eric, Bryce, Annamaria, Jillian and Ava took me to the zoo in Jacksonville:

Jillian checking out the anteater.

The cutest tiny little primates I've seen of late.

Laura and Bryce brushing the goats.

Jillain.

Eric helping Ava make a collect call to Shanghai.


Bryce and Jillian climbing out of the tree house.


All the cool kiddos hanging around on the vines.

The well fed giraffe.

Annamaria, Shawn, Eric and Laura.

Apparently I did not get the memo about wearing red ... ah well ... its a cute picture anyway!

More trip next post.

Labels: , , , , , ,