Dance After Dark Photography

I’m tired, but I can’t sleep. I dozed for about an hour and a half, but I’m a little wired from something. Maybe I waited too long after taking the hydrocodone cough syrup. If I take NyQuil and go to bed, I’ll fall asleep. If I take too long puttering around, it makes me hyper instead. After kicking my sheets around entirely too long, I gave up. Now I’m waiting for the hardware store to open. I’ve got 3 hours.<InigoMontoya>I hate waiting.</InigoMontoya> After yesterday’s activity and in my weakened state I wasn’t up to much on the home improvement front, but I’ve been bitten by the bug. Thus I hung a few more pictures and a pin-board that was supposed to be part of my desk. I also threw out a lot of junk and a couple of boxes left over from previous home improvement kicks. When you buy something with a lifetime warranty, it’s a good idea to stash the manual and the receipt somewhere. You do not, however, need to keep the box for a few months, shuffling it around as it gets in your way and then ultimately forgetting that it’s under that pile you keep stumbling over. In fact, it’s the reason for the pile. Oh! Well, I’d better get rid of that.So I didn’t really do much, but there’s a lot less on my floor now. I had several stacks of boxes up against the wall, along with shelving that’s been sitting around for a year. One of the shelves was finally mounted the other day. The remaining two will go up today, and I think I’m going to add two more floating shelves to mount my two sword racks. My problem is that I’ve got a lot of stuff in a very small bedroom. I had 2.5 rooms to myself at the old house, when the entire upstairs was my domain. For a guy who likes empty space, I have a bad habit of accumulating crap and filling that space. My solution in this tiny environment (now that I’m in a house rather than a rental) is to mount everything on the walls. As more time passes, I realize that I can expand my definition of “everything.” At first I just wanted some shelves to put up pictures and a few books. Ah, but now there’s much more happening.Steff and I found some great wall-mounted drawers at Ikea. They call them a shoe rack; I call it a godsend. Instead of having a bulky and inadequate dresser fighting for floor space, I’m going to mount 9 slimline drawers directly on the wall. Not only will I triple my clothing storage, but I’ll also be able to move some of the boxes into the closet that up to this point has been overfilled with shirts, jeans, slacks, sweatpants, etc. I’ve got 3 rollaway bins under my bed, and the theory is that everything important will go under there. Dress shirts, dress slacks, etc. Work attire that has to be folded. Not that I iron anyway, but on some things wrinkles look worse.Everything else is going to get rolled into a cylinder and stacked in my new drawers. I’m even thinking about making plastic cylinders to help things hold their shape & stay organized. It wouldn’t take much. Two dowel rods mounted on a swivel, one end open. Tuck part of a shirt in between, roll it to make it cylindrical. Slide on the sleeve I’ll make, slide off the whole thing. I might even mount it on my wall over the drawers themselves. It’d rock if I could make it spring-loaded so I can wind it up a little and then let the device do the “folding” for me. That’ll be a project for another time, but I really like the idea. Heck, I don’t even need to premake the sleeves. I can use wax paper and masking tape. I’d just take the shirt bundle off the device first, use a little pressure to roll it tighter on a flat surface, and then cut & tape to seal it. Even better if it’ll be transparent enough to let me see which shirt is which.This is the real reason I started this post. Brainstorming. I just came up with that. My next big issue, and I do mean big, is my djembe. It’s big & heavy, and it usually sits on the floor. The top is natural skin, so I have to resist the urge to use it as a table. I usually wind up putting papers on it, and then from there it’s a natural progression to light boxes and random effluvia. Not anymore! I’m going to mount it high on the wall, over just about everything else. I’ll finally do what I thought about a long time ago and mount the djembe with my didgeridoo, & native american flute. It might even look pretty when I’m done. Last, but not least, the HUGE wardrobe is going away. It was a great investment when I lived with Berlin in a converted garage with no closet. This room has a tiny closet, so I needed it for a while. Not anymore, and it’s the main reason I feel cramped in here (though putting up those dark blue denim curtains really do make the room feel bigger.) I’ll take a picture before I take it apart. I’ll wind up selling it because I’ll need the money after all these doctor bills and all the time I’ve had to take off work. If I remember correctly, I paid over $80 for it. It’s solid, heavy, and sturdy with a smooth-rolling drawer at the bottom. I’ll probably ask half the original price. All of this is an effort not to give up my beautiful 4-post queen-size bed. It’s part of a bedroom set my mother’s had for a long time, so when she gave it to me she expected to give me the rest of the furniture eventually. That hasn’t been necessary or practical, and I really do like the bed. I just need more room!

It’s been quite a while since my last update. In theory, I’ve been sorting and editing pictures from my two weeks in Arizona. In practice, I’ve been sitting here staring at the screen and not accomplishing much.

I think I took too many pictures. It’s overwhelming. I’ve gotten rid of most of the outtakes. I edited all of Stacey’s pictures. (She’s a Phoenix-based model who met up with me for a TFP shoot. Time For Prints - an even trade between photographer & model.) I’ve already printed several of my favorite shots from the South Maricopa Mountain Wilderness, Camelback Mountain, and the Tonto Natural Bridge. The problem is the remaining mass of photos from Camelback, Besh Ba Gowa, the Superstition Mountains, Globe, etc.

Tonight I’ll begin with the photos of Empty and the Pimplet. I should’ve had those done by now, so they make a good starting point. At least cute kid photos are easy to edit.

In other news, I’ve watched several movies lately. Some of them were even worthwhile. The one that stands out in my memory is Rise: Blood Hunter, starring Lucy Liu. Be afraid. This movie is a horrible waste of time. Sure, she’s half-naked in several scenes. Go for it if semi-anorexic spine protrusion is your thing.

Best line was between Michael Chiklis and Lucy Liu. She’s already become a vampire at this point, but she’s been drained of blood. She wakes up and asks, “Am I dead?” He says, “I’m not sure how to answer that.” This sucked pretty hard (no pun intended) for a movie with Lucy Liu, Michael Chiklis, and Mako. I’ll blame it on very poor direction and a horrible script - both of which can be laid at the feet of Sebastian Gutierrez. Remember this name. Never watch his movies.

In an effort to revive Family Movie Night, we watched Surf’s Up and Ratatouille. I was disappointed with Surf’s Up. The kid penguins were cute, and there were some good lines. Overall, the movie wasn’t worth it. It was cliché, of course, and the dialogue wasn’t clever enough to make up for the formulaic approach. Ratatouille was better, but it’s still not on par with Flushed Away or Toy Story.

I asked my co-worker today why she had Penny Lane written on the back of whatever it is that sticks up past the edge of my desk. She explained that it’s a photo of her niece, and her name is Penny Lane. Then she pulled out a photo of her nephew.

“What’s his name? Sergeant Pepper?”

Can you imagine that family reunion? “This is my niece Penny Lane and my nephew Sgt. Pepper. I am the Walrus. Have you met my son the Carpenter?”

This is yet another example of why it can be bad to know music & lyrics as well as I do. Sometimes all it takes is a word or two to get me started. The co-worker across from me has a note tacked up. I don’t know what the front says, but the back side shows just a little above my desk. It says “Penny Lane 3/2005.” Now I have the Beatles running through my head every time I happen to glance at the paper.

So, what DO you do with a drunken sailor?

And it’s official: Not as bad as I imagine it could be, but I’m still experiencing my first real hangover.

I say “real” hangover because when I worked in the Keys for a month I played drinking games with some co-workers after going snorkeling the same day. I thought I had a hangover then, except the nausea & ringing ears stuck with me for 3 days. The doc I was working with at the time told me I’d put a pinhole in my right eardrum. Oops! Aside from that, my worst drinking experiences involve tequila and a sour stomach afterward.

More than you all wanted to know, I’m sure, but I’m the King of Over-Sharing.

What amuses me most about this photo is the fact that Jenn and I came upon a group in the parking lot of Homme as we were leaving for the night. I don’t know how the conversation started, but Michael and I were talking about the versatility and freedom of kilts. Jenn snapped this photo of Adam, myself, and Michael. As we were leaving, I swept off my hat and bowed to the ladies, to a chorus of “Oh my god he’s bald!” *chuckles*

alt title: Phoenix update # who knows? I can’t be bothered to check.

I was entirely lazy this morning, so I sit here typing instead of walking around downtown Phoenix and taking photos of the Willow House like I intended. The original plan was to walk down there (about a mile), and then I found out that the AZ Irish Festival is also today and down the street from aforementioned coffee house. Trick is, I wanted to walk to the Willow House and take photos very early, like 7:00. Irish Fest gates open at 10:00.

In the end, I talked myself out of both. I have lots of time to get the photos of the Willow House. They’re moving in a week, but the building will be there regardless. When you see pictures, you’ll understand. As for the Irish Fest, I didn’t realize it was just a one-day affair. That doesn’t sound terribly impressive. It starts at 10:00, and we’re due in Casa Grande by 11:30. Maybe I’ll drop in this afternoon, when we come back from Casa Grande and Jenn goes to work. Festival is over at 5:00. Maybe not. I’m indifferent.

Much fun has been had, though! I already feel like I’ve had a few weeks of vacation, and I’m not even halfway there. I watched Mr. Show last night because Jenn keeps making references. I’d never heard of it, so I’m glad I dragged it out. It stars Bob Odenkirk and David Shaw with a metric ton of other comedians you’ll recognize. Jack Black, Sarah Silverman, several of the folks now on the Sarah Silverman Show whose names I don’t know. I find my sense of humor warping. More and more I enjoy awkward, uncomfortable humor.

Okay, it’s time to start thinking about breakfast. Do I make the mesquite-smoked turkey breakfast burritos w/ avocado & muenster, or do I wait for Jenn to get up so we can get something on the way to Casa Grande? Decisions, decisions.

Awesome. I’m chilling at Ben’s house while he drops his son off at school. Last night Ben made Thai fried rice with deep-fried tofu chunks. Can you say fabulous? I can. I “helped” by getting in the way and not quite stirring the rice enough. I’m a very helpful person.

Pimpty Jr. is a great kid. We had a swordfight with foam tubes this morning, and he was very amused by my lightsaber sound effects. With no prompting at all, he calls me Skywalker. (Apparently that was his first reaction upon hearing my name, even prior to my arrival. I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: The Force is strong with this one.)

I’m going to cut this relatively short so I can get out of Ben’s hair as soon as he gets back. I drove up into the South Mountain Wilderness last night just in time to catch the sunset. I didn’t quite get there early enough for the truly spectacular shots, but it was still a pretty sight. I wish I had a lens that could capture the full moon over the mountains. It looked immense, but of course in the camera it’s reduced to a pinpoint of light. I still don’t understand why that happens with lenses vs. the eye. I read an explanation once upon a time. Maybe it’s time to break out Wikipedia again.

One funny and annoying side note: I was taking a 2-minute exposure of Phoenix as seen from Dobbins Lookout. It was just long enough for a yutz and his family to walk into the center of the frame, take a snapshot with their camera’s built-in flash, and consequently put themselves into my picture. Without the flash, they wouldn’t have shown up at all. I got a lot of that, although I have to admit that headlights playing over the stonework of the lookout point pavilion-thingie made for a nice effect.

Jenn and I went to her friend Matt’s birthday party last night at Donovan’s, “the finest upscale steak and chophouse in Phoenix.” Let me tell you, that place was snazzy! I’ve never felt more like an awkward ugly duckling in my life. (heh) Very cool, though. The food was fantastic, the service was excellent, and I enjoyed getting to meet & talk with all of the people at the party. (Thanks again for a great dinner, Jenn.)

After dinner we went to Charlie’s, which is what Cowboys in Orlando should be. I mean, there’s a hot pink neon “cowboys” sign out front. How is that not a gay bar? *grin* Charlie’s was far less flaming on the outside, much more so on the inside. Drag queens and muscle-bound bartenders with big cowboy hats were the norm. At this point my back was killing me from trying to keep proper posture at Donovan’s. I guess I did that to myself, but Donovan’s doesn’t strike me as an elbows-on-the-table kind of place. We ducked out of Charlie’s early on my account, but not before I got to meet some more of Jenn’s co-workers and friends.

We got in at about 12:30 — impressive in my book, but waaaaay early in everyone else’s. I’m used to going to bed between 9:00 and 11:00, so I get the feeling I’ll be fighting Pumpkin Syndrome for a few more days while I acclimate to the new schedule.

Today’s agenda is not to have an agenda, although my vague plans include wandering around downtown some more with a 50% chance of hiking in the afternoon. The scar on my ankle has been tightening over the past few weeks anyway, but being in this dry heat has accelerated the process. Walking hurts, but it helps too.

I’m killing a little time until Jenn gets off work and we head off to meet a local model named Stacey for a photo shoot. I’m also recovering from drinking Poor Man’s Black Velvet, Cuba Libra, and a very good margarita last night. It’s an odd mix, and I think the tequila has it in for me.

You’ll all be amused by my airport misadventures. My plane left Orlando at 2:41. Accordingly, I planned to be at the airport at 12:41. Unfortunately, I planned it so far in advance that I convinced myself the plane was leaving at 12:41 and I needed to be there at 10:41. On top of that, Daniel gave me a ride and we wound up being a little early for being early. I sat at the airport for about 4.5 hours. iPod, you are my salvation. (And thanks again, Daniel. You saved me a hell of a lot of money.)

Last night Jenn, Ben, and I went to Seamus McCaffrey’s for a late dinner. We had a feast of fried things: fish, chips, mushrooms, jalapeños, and zucchini. Pub food and vegetarians don’t get along well, and deep-friend was the only option. From there we walked to Burn to check out the goth night turned semi-raver. Cool people, but the music wasn’t entirely appealing. It was at Burn as someone checked out my t-shirt from a northern Georgia state park that I chimed in, “Tallulah Gorge is my stripper name.” Much amusement, at least on my part.

After Burn, we went to the Bikini Club. Talk about dive! I loved it, though. White-boy reggae DJ who didn’t quite nail the accent all the time, but everyone was having fun. It was proven that sometimes there can, in fact, be too much cowbell. Dawn the Bartender made the smoothest margarita I’ve ever had. No bite to it at all, and the tequila only hates me about 1/3 as much as it usually would the next day.

I went grocery shopping this morning. Just had a nice mesquite-smoked turkey & muenster sandwich, and the kitchen that was already clean is now gleaming. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the kitchen. I just started with one dish and couldn’t stop myself. I should seek professional help. In other news, we have chicken, sweet potatoes, zucchini, and sweet onions. I’m not sure if that’ll be dinner tonight or tomorrow, but it will be good. Jenn has fresh pasta in the fridge, and I plan to usurp it.

So! This is much more of an update than I expected to make on the entire trip. We’ll see how much more I’ll be able to share. I foresee a lot of free time.

P.S. Construction in downtown Phoenix can suck my balls.

The fact that I’m getting 15% return on my 401K investments delights me to no end. Does that mean I’m a geek, I’m old, or both? I know I’m both, so I guess it’s a moot point.

In 6 months, I’ve made close to $300 for doing practically nothing. I adjusted my investments once because I saw a consistent drop in performance over a period of a few weeks. I wasn’t losing money, but I wasn’t gaining as much as I had been. In the 3 weeks since that adjustment, my year-to-date return has jumped from 5% to 15%.

Speaking of geek, did you know that the phrase “moot point” has come to mean exactly the opposite of the original? I suppose it’s a commentary on human nature. A moot was a meeting of government or ecclesiastical leaders, and a moot point was originally something that could only be decided by agreement among all the leaders. People being as they are, perhaps the modern usage of the phrase comes from the futility of trying to get everyone to agree on a course of action. Pure speculation, but entirely possible.