Mar 5, 2008
Posted by Perry
As Shelley posted, yesterday was not a good day for her – in fact – it sucked out loud.
Shelley loves to take photos and she’s quite good at it, so having her camera break only hours after getting her new lens really bummed her out. To top it off, the whole “starling flying free in the office” just put toppings on the proverbial ‘crap burger’.
To Shelley’s credit – she managed to laugh it off for the most part, but I could tell her blood pressure was pegging. She toughed it out and made the most out of what tattered remains of the day she could salvage.
They say that adversity builds character – and no – I’m not comparing a broken camera and a surprise visit by a cast-off from an Alfred Hitchcock movie as ‘traumatic’, but it does say something about Shelley’s character – she dealt with what she had in front of her and moved on.
Now on a side note, I’d like to say a little something about this ‘Dr. Death’ thing. Neither the good Doctor, nor myself, in any way harmed that Starling (emphatic finger wave). The flighty little s@*# flew its happy @** right on out of here and into the wild blue yonder. So please people – no hate mail for ‘the good Doctor and his faithful assistant’.
Mar 5, 2008
Posted by Perry
Super Tuesday the Sequel happened last night and John McCain wrapped up the Republican nomination by winning all four states being contested. The Democratic primary was a different story…
Barrack Obama had a chance to land a knockout blow to Hillary Clinton’s campaign by winning either Ohio (not a great chance) or Texas (his best shot) – he could not win either of them – and as a result – their much-heated contest continues.
Obama still leads in pledged delegates and is still the probable nominee, however, even his most ardent supporters must be becoming concerned at his inability to seal the deal. He is now facing some very tough questions about his dealings with Tony Rezko, comments about NAFTA, and his inexperience. He didn’t get his message across in Ohio and Texas and must now come up with a plan to get it out in the next few weeks.
Most high ranking Democrats were hoping (secretly of course) that he would end the contest last night so that he could then focus on the General Election and John McCain. Party officials know all too well that a long, drawn out battle will lessen their chances of reclaiming the White House come November.
Hillary has said she’s “Going all the way.” Unfortunately she’s right. We will now have to hear day-in and day-out about her campaign – how she has this vast “experience” (even though she doesn’t) and listen as the media fawns over her big “comeback” (even though the math says she loses even if she were to win the rest of the primaries by huge numbers).
Sadly – this race goes on, and with it, the hopes of Democrats taking the White House.
Mar 4, 2008
posted by Shelley
Today was absolutely not a banner day for me. If you’re not into reading crybaby whiney posts — skip this one. From the time I last posted, my day went to Hell. Although many things happened that made this day rank #1 in the bad category for 2008, I’ll just mention two.
You know the great lens I bragged about? Well — it’s still great, but the camera it was purchased for is now broken. The photo below was taken with an old Canon PowerShot…
You are now probably wondering what Carl and Perry are doing in the photo — and you know the answer is coming. After about an hour of hearing a bird flopping around in the pipe of the wood stove, I called Carl. Carl is better known as Dr. Death. Anytime there’s a problem that requires ‘toughness’ in regard to an animal, Dr. Death is summoned. First, the good doctor and his assistant removed the stove pipe, but the bird could not be found. Next, they opened the stove doors and voila! We chased a bird throughout the house for the next 20 minutes.
The good news is — tomorrow is a new day; the bird finally escaped the clutches of Dr. Death and his faithful servant by flying out an open door; and I’ve ordered a new camera that should be here within a few days.
Mar 4, 2008
posted by Shelley
FedEx just left and I’m the proud owner of a new lens for my camera. Many years ago I obtained a degree in photography from Ivy Tech — yes, when the parents were paying for my education and I was going to school so I didn’t have to get a job. I do use what I learned insofar as different techniques and lighting and such …pretty much on a daily basis. And I’ve always had an interest in taking photos, but I’ve never aspired to be a professional photographer as a career. Still, I want the “cool stuff”.
The 85mm 1:1.8 lens is great for portraits. Basically, it blurs out the background that would normally be much clearer even with a telephoto lens. Soooo, your ‘Life with Libby’ photo of the day was the first shot with the new lens …expect many more (whether you want them or not.)
Mar 3, 2008
Posted by Perry
Shelley picked up a new printer a couple of days ago – and hates it. From the very first moment she installed it (which seemed like it would never end) to the time she tried it for the first time, she has been very unsatisfied with its performance.
Now here is the kicker – this printer is supposedly the best photo inkjet on the market. It’s supposed to print fabulous photos and documents quickly and with ease. Just try and tell Shelley that one.
The previous printer used here was an OKI laser printer that did a phenomenal job, but was simply too expensive to resupply with toner. That cost is suddenly seeming to be not so bad once you consider the ease of use and the quality of printing it did. Lesson? You get what you pay for.
I may post again later – Shelley might be printing again and I’ll have to keep her from smashing this thing to bits. More later…
