Ecstasy and Agony

Boy, this day has gone from the heights of joy to the depths of despair. Kind of.

Started out nice. Had plans to go out and photograph Julie and Ginger (Ginger's her horse, ya know). Got out to the farm quite a bit south of town around noon. I actually beat Julie there.

After getting horsie in, cleaned up, saddled up, we went out to the back fields so she could put the horse through its paces. I took a bunch of photos while Julie had the horse trot, canter, etc. Then we went to the back where the jumps were. Julie had to practice those, and was really happy that I was there to A) take pictures of it and B) to watch her and the horse for form, balance, etc. I was her "trainer" for the day. :) After about 1/2 hour at that, we took the horse back to the barn/stalls for un-saddling, brushing etc. We then went back out to the arenas, where I took even more photos of the both of them, some when Julie was trying to get Ginger to perform a trick (which she was doing great yesterday, but was now camera-shy). She gave up after a bit, and we went back to the stalls (again), put the blanket on the horse, and Julie put her back in one of the corrals while I loaded another roll of film in the camera. She changed into another outfit while I collected some of the other equipment I needed for the portraits.

She came back out in a few minutes, and we walked out to a couple of gazebos that they have on the farm. After a few shots there, we walked way out in the back of the farm in search of picturesque settings that I could put her in. We didn't find any, but I did take a few more on the walk. It was really windy anyway, and that didn't help the situation, as it kept blowing her long blonde hair around.

After a bit we decided to call it a day, and try again next week. I managed to get around a dozen shots of her, and will finish the roll(s) next time. Hopefully not as windy, but just as nice of a day. It was really fun being out there, and what was better is that she had fun doing that. I took off for home as she went in to put things away and do some more "horse-things." All in all, I think it was a good 3.5-hour swell spent. I only hope the photos turn out. I don't know why I am worried about it. I think I know what I'm doing, and I've got a beautiful subject.

This evening, I noticed my friend Greg is down at his parent's house. All the past few weeks, I've been saying that I was going to go down there when I saw his car. Now tonight, when I see it, I back out. Figures. Spineless weasel am I. Loser boy with a capital "L" on my forehead (despite what Crystal says). I guess I just don't know what to say if I went down there.

Oh well, trying not to dwell on it. It just figures. I've got no ambition, I guess.

Got Munchies?

I found out that my company condones/promotes drug use.

I was in the store yesterday, and found the following sign on a rack of items:

Halloween Mary Jane Assortment

Wow! We're selling Marijuana for Halloween! And I bet it comes it nickel/dime bags, along with the ever-popular "brick" and "kilo" amounts.

Our new slogan: "You've got the munchies for Halloween? We've got what you need!"

Topic? What Topic? Maybe 1001001

Did it again last night. Nothing really bad, just didn't pay attention to my actions. Consequently, I might have alienated a couple of people the way that I and a couple others were talking. Oh well. I always manage to put my foot in it where women are concerned. Not that it matters that these two would have any interest in me. It's just one of my many flaws.

And on a brighter note, today's another Binary Day. There are 9 of them this year:

01/01/01
01/10/01
01/11/01
10/01/01 - today
10/10/01
10/11/01
11/01/01
11/10/01
11/11/01

Fun, isn't it? :)

Production Values

Today was so productive. Didn't do a darn thing except fool around with the layout of the website.

Last night was the premiere of the new Star Trek show Enterprise. I was cautiously optimistic for it, and rightly so. It's not as bad as Voyager (yet), so there might be hope. But I doubt it. Berman & Co. wouldn't know what to do with Trek if they were omniscient. The theme song sucked Klingon Targ bile. I'm right now listening to the song "Wherever You Will Go" by The Calling. That's the song used in the teasers all summer. Too bad they didn't use it. I could have lived with it.

Maybe I'm too picky. I thought it would be a lot better. Oh well. I knew better than to get my hopes up. I'll just look forward to Fellowship of the Ring in December. Oh yeah! And Buffy next week. And every week.

Thoughts about Wild Things

Just a thought entered my mind.

I just love seeing people around having parties, and knowing that I'm not ever invited (or welcome). It must be nice to have friends who live in town.

On another thought, it's real fun to be out under the stars - like last night - and see the stars, galaxies, etc., along with moving lights in the sky. And they aren't civilian or commercial aircraft. Just gives me a warm fuzzy knowing that the guys with the Right Stuff are up there on patrol.

We saw some on Sunday night, when I was helping teach GRCC’s astronomy class. Although there had been a slight let-up in the ban on flying, there wasn’t much up there. Looking skyward, we were seeing objects moving around. I called a friend of mine in the military, and when I asked him if he knew of anything flying tonight over West Michigan, he said – in a mockingly typical military fashion - “I can neither confirm nor deny that there are any assets currently on station.” Basically that meant he couldn’t tell me. But then he said “I wouldn’t be surprised if you saw some animals, like Eagles, Falcons, etc.”

An “Eagle” is an F-15 fighter, and a “Falcon” is an F-16 fighter aircraft.

Boom!!

Well, I really blew it big time tonight (actually Saturday night, as this is now Sunday morning). And what's worse, I knew better!

But I let someone get to me. All the Zen and Sun Tsu in the Universe didn't help me this time.

I only hope the damage that I did can be reversed. Otherwise I will have ruined the best thing I had going for me in my miserable excuse for a life.

On another note, it’s been really weird being at the observatory, and not seeing any planes flying.

You get used to seeing aircraft and their contrails. But for the past few days, as the airspace is restricted to basically nothing, it’s eerie.

Yawn!!!

Tired is the word for the day.

Last night I got to the hill a tad late ("stewardess, what exactly is a tad?") and rushed to get things ready for visitors' night. I tried to take a nap earlier, but it didn't work out. After enduring several hours of showing the "great unwashed public" the view of Mars and M17 through the scope (and having to put up with teenagers in the dome for 20 minutes - obnoxious brats), we got down to the business at hand: watching the Perseid meteors. Bob & Sara showed up, along with my brother and his friend Lee. Tom showed up with some friends of his - a young lady he's been photographing, and her brother. We all sat outside to get the best view, but that's all there was - a view. No meteors to speak of. From midnight until we finally packed it in after 3:30, I saw maybe 20 meteors. Not the advertised 75 per hour. The only thing to hope for is good meteor counts for the Leonids in November and the Geminids in December. (Note to astro gods: I want these hours back. I could have been sleeping.)

Bob & Sara (or Bob&Sara to keep them together) stayed the latest, and left at 3:45 when I did. Got home a little after 4, logged onto the net to post my observations to the newsgroups and my Michigan Astronomers group, then hit the bed at 4:30. Ah, bliss!

But not for long! No sooner than I fall asleep than the stupid PHONE RINGS! I jump up to get it, and notice that it's 7:30. And what's worse, it's a wrong number. I tried to get back to sleep, but couldn't. I went downstairs, turned on the TV to the NASA channel, and half dozed until 10:00, when I went to the computer show (purchases: more RAM, blank CD-R's, CD cases).

Kinda boring rest of the afternoon. I'm trying to get a few minutes to relax, as its hill time again tonight if it stays clear. I've got to enjoy the rest of today and tomorrow, because on Tuesday (I'm pretty sure) I have to go back to the hell that is work. The only bright side is that I'll get this roll of film developed.

Total Amount? Few

A few things tonight...

1. I was taking my evening stroll around the neighborhood, as I am wont to do recently, when I had a striking, strange thought run through my head.

As I was walking down the street (at approximately 10:00 pm), the moon - nearly full - was rising in the southeastern sky. With the scattered cirrus, cirrostratus and stratus clouds in the sky, the moon gave off an eerie glow. The sky around the moon was lit up, but some of the clouds just below the moon had a stringy, dark quality to them.

All of a sudden an image popped into my head of Tim Burton films (none in particular, just his style). Along with that I began running Danny Elfman's "Sleepy Hollow" in my mind.

Very weird, and it made for an "unnerving" rest of my 1/2 hour walk.:)

2. Possible bad news on the car front. Jim called from next door, and he's found a crack in the head. That's major problems. We're looking at buying a new cylinder head, or a used/rebuilt engine. Jim said we should fix it up and sell it. I would love to have that truck I saw. Can't afford it though, and with the cost of this car repair, I can't afford anything for a while.

3. I thought I was losing my mind a few weeks ago.

I just happened to have the TV on the Weather Channel, and the Local Forecast came on. Much to my surprise, instead of the bland, repetitive music they played, I heard the instrumental portion of "Layla" - performed by Derek & The Dominoes (Eric Clapton). Wow.

So tonight what happens? I've got the channel on again, and when the Local Forecast comes on, I hear the instrumental part of "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" from Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" album.

Makes me wonder what else is going to show up. :)

4. At work a couple of things happened. Jamie called me on my empty threat to rat her out about an inside running joke between us, because she knows I'd never do anything to hurt her. I told her I wished I wasn't a nice guy, she gave me a dirty look, when I then restated it by saying I wish I wasn't that predictable. Then Crystal said she didn't mind - and actually wanted me to - go with her to a hockey game. I really don't think she meant it. She was just trying to be nice to my face. I know people put on fronts, and I'm guilty of doing it myself. But I know the truth.

More later...

Synchronicity II

There must be some kind of cosmic synchronic thing going on lately. There have been a ton of coincidences that are giving me the willies.

1. My friend Ron calls a cement contractor about some work that needed to be done at the observatory. The guy knew Ron, and went to school with him. Not only that, but I went to school with his sister.
2. I'd been thinking about Sarah from the astronomy club, and lo and behold she shows up one evening. (See, it's getting weird).
3. My Dad has people over to give estimates on putting in central air. One of the guys knew him from when my Dad sold auto forms. Another guy played little league baseball with my brother.
4. Last week, I waited on a customer who I went to school with years ago (think Kindergarten & grade school). She remembered a few things, and about hanging out at the old ice cream shop at the corner with my old friend Greg.
5. A few days later, Greg's sister comes in and I wait on her. She tells me to try and email him again, and her as well.

So far that's it, but who knows what else is around the corner? In fact, I was thinking about an exchange student I knew years ago, and when I went over to my friend Ed's house last night (he and his S.O. were in town from L.A. for the weekend) I had this strange feeling that she would show up - but she didn't. Maybe that broke the string. We'll see. What (or who) else should I think about? Maybe something will happen. Reminds me of a joke I came across:

"Stressing the importance of a good vocabulary, the teacher told her young charges, "Use a word ten times, and it shall be yours for life."

From somewhere in the back of the room, came a small male voice chanting, "Amanda, Amanda, Amanda, Amanda, Amanda, Amanda, Amanda, Amanda, Amanda, Amanda." "

Time will tell.

Missed Opportunities

Figures! All the fun things happen while I'm at work.

I'm standing doing my job, when over the intercom comes word that there's a Tornado Warning for us. Aughh!! And what's worse, I find out that there have been touchdowns, not just TVS's (tornadic vortex signatures, for you lay-people) from the Nexrad system.

One of the guys who I work with saw a vortex, and apparently a funnel passed right over work. Yeah! And also, Christie was up in the break room, and saw the damn thing pass right over!

Also funny is that I walked to one of the security people during this. He was holding a weather radio and listening to it. I asked what was going on, and he replied that it was none of my business and I wouldn't understand. Yeah, right. Me not understand. I've just been chasing weather since the mid-1980's. So I open my wallet and whip out the card I have from the National Weather Service - the one that says I'm a trained spotter. Well, this dude changed his mind right then.

Once again, I was in the wrong place.

Synchronicity

Wow! Talk about weird synchratic occurrences! Up at the observatory last night (for visitors' night) and having fun. After most of the public left (the "great unwashed," as we call 'em), Randy, Jeff and I are hanging out in the dome. I mention that I was thinking about Sarah, and about maybe trying to get in touch with her.

Cut to 20 minutes later. Randy had left, and Jeff went downstairs to see who was still around while I moved the scope. He comes back up and says that Sarah's outside! Woo-hoo! So much for my dilemma of calling her mom to get her (Sarah's) address.

Man, she still looks and sounds the same. Great as always. She's living on Colorado, and engaged to be married. Reminiscing ensued, but we didn't bring up the most embarrassing things in respect for her fiancé who was there.:) I won't even bring any of that stuff up here, in case they do look at this site.

I'll send her an email, and hope she stays in touch. There are always certain people you want to keep in contact with, just on general principles. Sarah's one of them.

A Thousand Years

As I write this it is less than 12 hours until midnight, January 1, 2001. The new Millennium! The 21st Century!

I can hardly believe it. Here we (as in mankind) are on the verge of the future. It didn't really sink in until a few days ago. Usually I regard the New Years' festivities with boredom and indifference. I don't party. I don't drink. I usually stay at home, while others whoop it up. Of the parties I have been to, they have been unsettling. I would usually stand around in a corner, watching everyone else and their wives, husbands, significant others going through the traditional ritual of giving and receiving hugs and kisses. Well, they should know that those of us who HAVE no one find it "not in good taste, these public displays of affection (PDA's)." Of course, it can also be said that we knew ahead of time it was going to happen, so we should shut up about it. They just don't realize we fell “left out” and “not worthy of being loved.”

But who cares about that. Why dwell on the past, when the future is just around the corner? Sure, we don't have a lot of the fancy things that were talked about it movies like 2001: A Space Odyssey. But we have some of them.

How did this date sneak up on us? Maybe on a subconscious level we knew that the 21st Century was coming, but it always seemed a long way off. Something to think about later. There were other things that occupied time: school, work, girls (or boys, if you're a girl), having fun, etc. But later is now. We've arrived. And we're not really prepared.

“But,” you may ask, “How can you prepare for a specific date?” Good question, and it’s one I have the answer to. To a lot of people it’s “just another holiday” whereas it’s a big (sort of) date for those of us who are science-minded. The 3rd Millennium… the 21st Century… the binary date 01/01/01.

The future holds much promise. And to that end, I am going to make a few predictions. Normally I won't do “New Years’ Resolutions” but I'll do a “Millennium Resolution.”

1. I resolve to finally have a date (not the fruit, but a date with a human female) before the end of the 3rd Millennium.
2. I resolve to NOT be working at my current job at the end of the 3rd Millennium.
3. Watch more movies.

Picture Review

Finally! A little good news for a change. I ran into Julie's mom at work today, and she told me she thought the photos I took of Julie were great. That's a good boost to the old ego. Even after years of doing photography, I am still not a very good judge of my own work. It's silly, as I've sold several of my photos, so I guess they are pretty good. I just never believe it. :)

Age is More than a number

Don't ask me why, but I'm depressed more than usual. Why you ask? My brother - my little brother - is turning 30 today. Three Oh. Man, do I feel old.

Usually I just get depressed around my birthday and the holiday season (which is coming up soon) so this is a change for me. Is change good? You be the judge.

Actually the day itself was very good. I finally got a chance to get out and photograph Julie (my "baby sister" - a long story) this afternoon. We've been trying to do this for a year, and it finally came together today. I would have liked to do it a few weeks ago when the leaves were still on the trees and in their full colorful glory, but it wasn't to be. We should have done something last week Tuesday, because the fog during the day made it a very evil, surreal feeling outside. All that was missing was some suspense music. Maybe some Danny Elfman.

Nevertheless, I went up to the farm north of Cedar Springs where she keeps her horse. She was still riding when I arrived, but soon we went way out into one of the fields where there was an old fallen tree. It makes for a great photo spot, and I shot a bunch of pictures of her with her horse, as she had no good ones yet. After the stump, we moved down to another area near a really large, evil looking tree (think Sleepy Hollow), where I proceeded to shoot even more with her and the horse.

We then walked back to the barn, where the horse was unsaddled and walked to a fenced area so she could romp with a few of her horse friends. She and I went back out to the tree (after she changed out of her riding clothes and into "civvies") for some informal portraits. I was shooting in both color and black & white, since there is just something about black & white photography that is appealing to the situation. I shot a bunch of photos of her on the tree and around the farm, with some nice wider shots of her walking in the fields and looking at the farm from a hill. I hope they turn out good. I'm always worried I will screw something up.

I finally left her around 4, because I had to stop at Best Buy and get my brother a present for his birthday. I settled on Rocky Horror Picture Show on DVD because I A) knew he liked it, and B) he asked for it. :) We had dinner at 4:30, mainly to be done and done with dishes and stuff before the sniveling, whiny rugrats came around for their Halloween candy. I always want to leave the lights off.

I did go up to the store for something to drink, where Jamie was dressed up like Tinkerbelle. After a few minutes of talking she said she'd like to go out and let me photograph her someday. I said we'd wait until next Spring so we could have some nice outdoor shots.

Ended up falling asleep on the couch just after That 70's Show was on. All that walking in the afternoon wore me out. I must have walked over a mile at the farm. I'm not complaining though. Far from it. I got the exercise I never get, I was out in the country where it's quiet and peaceful, and I was in the company of a wonderful young lady. Almost like heaven...