Category: Generic

Stuff

All this talk of the new Pentax half frame camera has me wanting stuff. What kind of stuff? I don’t know, stuff.

I’d like a bunch of new lenses for my mirrorless camera. I’d like a bunch of new lenses for my two film cameras. I’d like to get my hands on a decent medium format camera. Rather than stepping down the resolution with a half frame camera, let’s up the resolution with a great big honkin’ 120 film. Maybe a Pentax 67 or something. I think an old (ancient) folding camera would be cool. Maybe a Zeiss Ikonta. The downside being that these cameras were initially manufactured in Germany prior to World War II which means there may have been slave labor involved. I would have to make sure the manufacture date of any camera I bought would be post-war. Just for my own piece of mind.

I want a new guitar. A Les Paul Junior. A Les Paul Special. A Les Paul Deluxe. A Firebird. An ES-135. An ES-125. An ES-355. I want a new amp. A Marshall 1962. A Marshall Plexi. A Mesa Boogie California Tweed. A tweed 4×10 Fender Bassman. A tweed Fender Deluxe.

I want a new MacBook Pro. I want a new iPhone, but not a 15. I’m willing to wait for the 16.

Forgive the conspicuous consumerism. I am just in a retail therapy kinda mood for some reason. Not honestly though. I’m saving my pennies for not one but two future trips to Disney World. Well… that and getting film developed. There won’t be any money left over after those two things.

Still…

I want. I want. I want.

Me

Daily writing prompt
What’s your favorite thing about yourself?
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My favorite thing about myself, clearly and by far, is my deep rooted sense of self loathing.

I’m being sarcastic of course.

Or am I?

I want to stay on the surface level (literally) and say it is my red hair. Unfortunately at my ancient age of 53 years it is a very safe bet that my days as a red head are numbered and that number is pretty small. My older sister and fellow red head had her hair turn pretty much white by my age (I think). I feel lucky to still be red at this point, but I see white in the mix and I know that soon enough the white will take over. It is inevitable.

Like most red heads, my childhood was rough. I was always picked on for being different. There aren’t many of us out there and we’re all targets. It’s still a sore spot and a trigger for me. Call me ginger and I will fucking slay you. That’s sarcasm too… or is it. Once you get into the deep end of puberty though suddenly having red hair is an asset somehow and all of the little kid abuse suddenly seems worth it. It’s like running a gauntlet and coming out the other side 10 times stronger.

So, keeping things light and not getting too psychologically daring here, my answer is my red hair… and my deep rooted sense of self loathing. Sarcasm… or not.

Yeah, Right

Daily writing prompt
How do you want to retire?
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Retire? That is hilarious.

My career is going to end, and thus my retirement begin, when I keel over and die. That’s a fact, friends. I am going to spend my retirement in a casket. It’s that simple.

If we look at this question from the point of view of pure fantasy, which it literally is, then I guess Jen and I could move to San Diego in a nice little place on the water somewhere. I’d have a little music room setup where I could play my guitar and write and record crappy songs, just like I do now. Maybe I could have season tickets to the Padres. I hear those are pretty cheap. The closest NHL team would be Anaheim? Probably too far away too consider season tickets.

Mostly, Jen and I would just spend our days in the sunshine enjoying our quiet life together and digging the fact that we don’t have to go to work every day. I could handle a life like that. Hopefully our health will hold up in this fantasy land and we could do some traveling and live a good life.

It’s not happening though. I am never going to be able to retire. It’s just not an option in the real world. I’ve come to terms with it.

Back Yard

The patio umbrella is open for the first time in two years. The weather today is perfect.

Also, the mangled bird feeder pole has been replaced. I’d say upgraded, but it feels a little flimsy.

Let’s see if the birds start visiting while I cook lunch on the grill for the first time this year!

Nothing?

Daily writing prompt
What’s the oldest thing you own that you still use daily?
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I can’t think of anything. Seriously. Something I use every day? It has to be my house, I guess. There’s nothing terribly old that I use regularly enough to list. My wedding ring is 15 years old and I wear it around the clock. That’s a good candidate. I don’t know how old my house is, but it’s older than that and I do “use” it every day.

I would like to say it’s my 1978 Gibson Les Paul Custom but I fail to play daily so that’s out.

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Me, playing my ’78 back in ’03.

I guess the answer we’re going with is my wedding ring. Not because it’s older than my house, but because it’s super high on the list of my favorite things.

Rock on, brothers and sisters.

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Me, playing my ’78 back in ’04 (I think… maybe ’03).

Easy Answer

Daily writing prompt
Describe one of your favorite moments.
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There is one favorite moment that stands above all other favorite moments. Obviously there are a lot of favorites over the course of over 50 years, but there is one that is the clear favorite of favorites.

May 30, 2009. I stood at the alter and waited patiently, with the biggest smile ever, as my bride to be walked down the aisle toward me. We then stood together in front of family and friends and expressed our love for each other and vowed to share the rest of our days together.

As favorite moments go, that is the tipity top of the mountain, let me tell you.

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Well… That Doesn’t Work

Daily writing prompt
What notable things happened today?
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Suddenly my usual daily writing prompt workflow seems inadequate. It is 6:35am. The only thing that is notable that happened today is that I woke up and did my morning exercise without issue. There was one moment while I was still in bed where the cat jumped on me and missed landing on the family jewels by about an inch. That would have been notable for all the wrong reasons, right?

I guess I can extend the daily question to include the entirety of the last 24 hours. It’s my blog after all so I can do pretty much whatever I want… right? I guess.

Last night my step son came home. At the start of the day yesterday we weren’t expecting to see him this weekend. Toward the end of the work day we were expecting him to come later tonight. By the time I finished dinner he was on his way. That is notable for all the right reasons. I’m so happy he’s here. I just wish I wasn’t working in the office today, but it’s time to pack up and get ready for the morning commute.

Welcome home, Harry!