I opened the windows near my desk so the cats have been joining me here and there today.
Lily just crashed a video conference call a minute ago. No one complained. Obviously.
I opened the windows near my desk so the cats have been joining me here and there today.
Lily just crashed a video conference call a minute ago. No one complained. Obviously.

I played some guitar this morning. Judging by the above screen shot from my Apple Watch, I may have changed up the recording workflow a smidge.
Oh yes, yes I did.
I played through a speaker. Instead of using my Fender Bassbreaker 15 and my Vox MV50 Clean amps with their direct line outputs and speaker cabinet emulation functionality, I plugged into my Fender Deluxe Reverb. In the next photo you can see that the power light is on and it is glorious.
I then did the craziest thing ever. I took the volume knob and turned it up. Way up. It wasn’t full blast, but it was close enough for a Thursday morning. In the next photo you will see proof.
The volume was a smidge under nine. Again, glorious. Spectacular. I had an overdrive pedal boosting the input signal as well and it was distorting nicely. Tube amps are just the best things ever. I should have actually brought the volume down a little as the signal was over compressing to the point of being a squashed, squirely mess, but that’s okay. I’m just making demoes, right?
I played my SG because it was out of the case and sitting on the stand next to my desk. I probably should have played my Les Paul Custom, but this was fine with me. I ended up adding rhythm guitars to one song and leads to another. Oh, and I also added vocals to two songs. Fun. I probably could have snuck in a little more 50/90 challenge work, but I had to get ready for work and didn’t want to risk being late.
The one question that remains to be asked: Are my ears still ringing (about an hour after I stopped playing)?
Why yes, yes they are.
Glorious
It’s casual snuggle time for Miss Lily.
What you looking at, red head?
Obligatory I’m-in-the-office-today-so-I’d-best-snap-some-photos-before-I-leave-the-house pics, which are by definition either cat pictures or guitar rig pictures. This time around it’s guitar rig pictures. Variety is the spice of life and shit.
Still very pleased with my cheap-o third party lens, but I really need to go outside and do a photo-takin’ walk around somewhere to really put it through its paces to know if I got a really good deal or just a regular good deal. Next week we are on vacation but are just staying home (a staycation, as it were) so I hope to have a few opportunities for photo walks. I’ll let you know.
I am back to work today. My bereavement leave is done. Wouldn’t you know it I went ahead and screwed up my whole morning routine today. Right on queue. Ugh.
I did sneak in some guitar playing though. That was nice.
The calendar says it’s still summer for a few more days at least.
Stop this autumn crap, right now! Right! Effing! Now!
She looks like I feel. I had a crappy night’s sleep last night.
Did I mention that I bought a new lens?
For the first time ever, I have purchased a third party lens for one of my cameras. It is a Meike 85mm F/1.8. I’ve never had an aperture wider than F/2.0 before so get ready for lots of blurry background fun. The reviews I have read said the autofocus is a bit of a gamble, and in the few minutes I’ve been playing with it I believe it. The same reviews suggest that keeping the aperture wide open might not be the best move, but it’s going to take some time before I get over the 1.8 giddiness so we’ll have to see about that.
Here are a few pointless shots where I just prove to myself that the lens actually works. It does.
Note, everything in my living room has a yellowish tinge because all of the lights in my living room have a yellowish tinge. Just in case you were wondering. When we move to the dining room the colors look less yellow.
That last one is at F1.8 and the plant is in front of a window which is why the background is totally obliterated. That’s not a lens issue, that’s a composition issue. Also a photographer sucks at photography issue. Clearly.
So a new lens to play with! WOOHOO! Does this mean we try for a sunrise at the ocean trip tomorrow? Maybe.
We are out to lunch on this fine Sunday.

I’m delaying gratification as the UPS man brought me a new camera lens today and I haven’t played with it yet.