Happy St Patrick’s Day

Happy everyone in and around Boston, Massachusetts pretends they are Irish day! Even those of us who actually are of Irish descent. It dawned on me yesterday that with all the weight loss over the last year, and all of the needing to buy new clothes, I don’t actually own any green clothing. After I had that realization it also occurred to me that I didn’t own any green clothing last year either.

We are not doing anything special to celebrate my national heritage this year. I floated the idea last week, but after having Harry home for spring break it seemed underwhelming and I didn’t pursue it. I’d like to drive to New York instead, but I haven’t floated that idea at all so it ain’t happening. Unless Jen reads this and jumps at the idea. Heh heh heh.

No stomach issues today. Yesterday I was dealing with stomach aches off and on all day. The day before I had a minor stomach issue at lunch and then a huge issue at dinner. Today, nothing yet. I had a protein bar and a little bit of chicken for breakfast. No problems. I am hopeful that I can keep this trend running for the day.

I’ve been trying to get into Mastodon (@RobJ_1971). I wrote there this morning that if I had my way my agenda for today would include playing guitar and watching The X-Files and nothing else. Obviously that ain’t happening either (thanks, adulthood). Tomorrow though… Sunday though… who knows. I might finally stop thinking about it and start trying to sell my Stratocaster and using the proceeds to make repairs on my ES-335 (frets and wiring harness) and Les Paul Custom (frets, wiring harness, and pickups). Maybe. Frankly, the idea terrifies me. Mostly because I don’t know what a 2000 American Series Stratocaster’s fair price should be. The used guitar market is constantly in flux and I don’t want to let it go too cheap. I also don’t want to try to gouge people either. I’m thinking $1,200, but is that fair? I don’t really know.

Okay. Get to work, Robert. Happy St Patrick’s Day, everyone. Happy Friday. Don’t drink and drive tonight. Be careful out there. Wash your hands and be safe.

Running Late on a Friday Morning

I didn’t get out of bed until almost 6:00am, which is almost an hour later than I was hoping to get up, and then got wrapped up in a couple of things and didn’t get to my morning joggin’ (yoggin’) until after 7:00am. Yikes!

While exercising, I watched a youtube video with two film guys gone shootin’ in New York. I thought to myself, self? You and your wife are going to New York this weekend, damn it! Then I checked the weather and saw we’re getting a foot of snow starting tonight and ending sometime tomorrow night.

Shit.

No New York this week. No ocean pics, no nothing pics outside of the house. What a waste. We need to go to New York soon though, and I need to take one of the film cameras with me. There. I said it. New York on film, babie! It’s going to happen. The sooner the better. I used to write all of those Stir Crazy Files posts in the early days of the pandemic lock down, but this one is stir crazy for really reals. I need to get out of the house.

My mother’s big brother is out of the hospital. I am happy. We needed some good family news, and now we have some. Continue to get well, Uncle Jim.

Jen is having computer problems. Last night I went to Micro Center in Cambridge, MA to get some components that might help, but apparently they aren’t. We might have to fly back there tonight after work, assuming the snow doesn’t come early. The Bruins aren’t playing tonight, but the Celtics have a home game at 7:30. We’re bound to hit rush hour traffic plus Celtics traffic, but it will be okay. Assuming the snow doesn’t come early. Fingers crossed.

Okay. It’s 8:24 and I still need to shower and shave and get dressed before punching into work at 9:00. I am way behind schedule today. I hate this feeling.

I am going to cheer myself up by sharing one of my favorite film shots from the Disney World trip in January. This is my road tripping travel companion love of my life woman of my dreams wife Jennifer. I absolutely adore this picture. It’s my favorite film shot by far. By miles. By astronomical units. By light years. I love her and I love this photo of her. How could you not fall head over heels in love with that smile?

243717470009_10A — I love her more than I could ever put into words

Possible Big Things Next Weekend

There might be big things happening next weekend. There is a concert in Burlington, VT that will include my step daughter and her staggering vocal talent. That’s a big deal. Might the weekend turn out to be an even bigger deal?

Before the dark days of Covid-19 ruined everything, Jen and I used to try to go to New York during the Christmas season. Sure it’s freezing cold, but it’s New York at Christmas and it’s worth the frostbite and the shivering and all that.

Over the last month we’ve been talking ourselves into and out of making the trip. Jen wants to go but I’m nervous, then I want to go but Jen is nervous, and back and forth we go. Covid-19 paranoia at it’s worst, right? Yesterday Jen asked if I wanted to go to New York next weekend before we head up to Burlington. Sure it’s three hours in the wrong direction, but it’s still doable. I said yes, immediately. No doubts this time.

Will it happen? Who knows. There’s still a week to go for one of us to change our minds, but as of last night we’re in. I even took the last two hours of the day off next Friday in case we want to sneak out early. If we do it, we’ll do it on the cheap. In other words, we’ll stay outside of the city and take the commuter train into town. We’ve done that before. Staying in the city is preferable but hotels in New York are amazingly expensive. Cheaper rooms are the better option when you have two kids in college. Believe me.

If we do this it will be for me, personally, a test run for Disney World from a camera perspective. I’d bring a film camera and a digital camera and start with film and go until I finish a roll (or two?) and then go digital for the rest of the way. The only question is, which film stock should I bring? Oh, the questions. Talk about a dilemma, right?

The final New York question would be is The Book of Mormon still running on Broadway? Screw Hamilton, I wants me some South Park (adjacent)!

It’s the day after Thanksgiving so I guess it’s officially Christmas season, whether I like it or not. HoHoHo and all that crap.

Not Ready for Monday

I am just not ready for this… Monday. Crud.

I’m on track today. I started work before starting breakfast, which I don’t like, but otherwise all is well. My day’s exercise is done, the laundry is running and the bed is made and things are looking good. I just want another day for the weekend, that’s all.

I only got four hours of sleep Saturday night, thanks to the sunrise chasing. Last night I got seven hours but the numbers were as good as I’ve ever seen. I don’t know if that’s enough though because I am pretty seriously sleepy right now.

I stayed up later than I should have last night because I was being a camera nerd. Well… a camera researching nerd. Is that a thing? I was on youtube watching videos of common film photography mistakes, and tips and tricks for film photography beginners, and videos of people taking their Pentax K1000 on street photography photo walks around various places. I’ve done that a couple of times in Boston and New York. Well… usually I was doing something else and just took my camera with me and pretended I was on a photo walk.

I want to do it again with Dad’s camera now. Like… lets do it now! I need to get some fast film so I can do it at night too (assuming I don’t screw up loading the film again). I want to start at the old Tower Records location and just walk down Newbury Street to the Common, and then walk through the theater district, and then go back up to the building formerly known as the Hancock building and the church next door, and then go to the North End and go through the farmers market, and then, and then, and then. Man, I friggin’ love Boston. Screw Covid for keeping us away.

Oh, and then we need to go to New York, and then we need to go back up to the mountains and find waterfalls. All of it.

Also, if I don’t play my guitar soon I am going to die. Just saying. Thursday is the day I have pegged for trying to trade in my Strat. If they give me cash I will use that cash for the upgrades to the two 1970’s Gibsons.

Okay. Time to take on Monday. Mondays suck. I wanna go to Boston and wander around instead. Unless it starts raining… and it’s supposed to rain. Crud.

Hindsight

This one’s going to be a little depressing. Also kind of irrational and not very happy.

Jen has been re-watching Sex and the City and I’ve been coming along for the ride. We just watched a cheese puff episode that got really real and uncomfortable.

After seeing the World Trade Center twin towers in the opening credits, the episode opened at a party full of New York Firemen. We think the episode originally aired in 2000.

Reality and cheese puff fiction blurred for a moment as a character said he worked at a station in lower Manhattan. Jen and I exchanged uncomfortable looks and speculated that he was very likely dead.

Suddenly the show wasn’t quite as light and fun as it used to be. 20+ years and it is still painful.

Moving On

It’s not the same. It’s very different. That doesn’t make it bad and it doesn’t make it good, it just makes it different.

Things move on. Sometimes moving on is tough. Sometimes it hurts even when you don’t think it should. Time doesn’t care though, it just keeps going, right?

Album Cover?

If I do 50/90 and come up with a new album’s worth of demoes and stuff, should this be the cover I use when I post to bandcamp.com?

Eating Dinner Outside Like a Couple of Tourists or Something

Columbus Circle, Central Park, and Park Plaza

Two words: Selfie Stick. I tried to keep a count of how many I saw, but after the World Trade Center and Columbus Circle… well… I’m not smart enough to count that high.

You know I am an artist because I took a picture of a lamp post in Central Park.

World Trade Center

It took two tries, but we made it to the observatory on the 100th floor of the new World Trade Center tower. It was difficult. Not scary, just very emotional. There were a couple of moments when I was very close to breaking down. Wimp? Yes. Do I care? No.

See the plane?

I think this was the view that affected me the most. I remember seeing a lot of these buildings damaged by debris and I couldn’t help but think that this was the last view many of the jumpers had. It was a very intense feeling.