Week Forty-Two: Idea Flight

Hard to come up with an intro for this week. So hard I didn't even do it when I first posted this thing. But as I am being overrun at the moment by a cat who talks in his sleep (who knew cats were dreamers?) and who thinks I am his personal bean bag, I figured I'd go back and do it right. Or at least as right as one can with subject matter that so defies categorisation. So consider this week introduced.

Day 1 (288): 22nd of September
Have you ever waited for a thing for a long time, and wanted that thing, and then one day realised that thing had long gone out of reach? You build it up in your mind for what seems like ages, then find that Life did whatever it had always intended to do. What is that about Life happening whilst we make plans? I think it prefers to just ram through those plans, squealing with laughter. Or so I think. My plans usually consist of "if I had my druthers..." and little else. Big scary fence. At night. Kind of slanty.

Scary wavy weed trees. At night. Not too bad an execution on this one. Didn't even use the tripod. Just my thick skull propped against the wall. It's almost October, so I guess the Dark and Stormy thing works.

Day 2 (289): 23rd of September
Today was angry music Tuesday. Just needed to hear a little shouting on the music box, so out came Halestorm radio. While it occasionally hits the odd christian metal song, there's only a rare need to hit the down thumb. Have you ever noticed that the only time things get really clear is when we are dreaming? Makes sense, then, that we can never really clearly remember our dreams; the only thing that is easy to grasp is that maybe things made sense for a minute. Jabba the Hutt makes no sense. Neither does this photo that was poorly captured and more poorly edited. Not terribly clear at all. Too dark.

Day 3 (290): 24th of September
An old friend of mine recently suffered one of the worst tragedies that a person can experience. His 23-year-old son was killed in an accident. As someone who has no kids and likely never will, I was left speechless (rare for this gobby, opinionated, somethingorother). Now it is taking up rather a lot of real estate in my brain. Wish I could do more for them. Really, knowing what to say to people who've been clobbered like that has never been my strength. All I know to do is to be there and hope I keep my foot out of my mouth long enough to be of a tiny bit of help. I only kind of knew the boy, but he was such a good kid, and had just gotten into the groove of following in his old man's naval footsteps. Golly. Any rate, following the theme from yesterday, got a better pic of a conversation no one ever thought happened.

And then got this sunset. Didn't even tweak more than the exposure a little bit. All but the sun itself came out alright.

Day 4 (291): 25th of September
What's the cure for a brain out of whack? I really wish I knew. Knowing the things need done, but finding it nearly impossible to dig in and bloody well do them. Stayed far too late at the office today because I stuck around to get homework done and forgot to put the "CLOSED" sign out on the door (and was dumb enough to answer my phone when it rang). Real highlight though was getting home to find the internet finally functioning. Thank the Wee Man. Realising as I post this that the following picture is a bit serial killer-esque. But no matter. Playing around with an old lens for this one.

Another killer sunset that needed no editing at all. Makes my work easier.

Another rose. What can I say. They are not my favourite flower (not my least, either), but they are everywhere, so I photograph them. If there were lilies out here, they'd be featured far more. Who doesn't love lilies?

Day 5 (292): 26th of September
End to a dragging on week. Brain still feels like someone is jangling keys somewhere just out of sight, which is incessantly distracting. Temporary ADD, I think. brought on by madness in the surrounds and an uncertain future. By the time one is thirty, these things ought not be issues any longer. The ubiquitous "they" say directionlessness is a thing for twentysomethings. Liars.

Day 6 (293): 27th of September
One can be in a strange mood all day (week?) and never know the cause. There are a great many Things Needing Done, but only a rather small number will see the light of completion. Not because there's no time, but rather because there is no inclination. I watched a cat get in an epic battle with a blue Beanie penguin wearing a santa hat (the penguin wore the hat). Then later, to get out of my funk, I threw Under the Table and Dreaming into the car CD player and got so lost in the perfect that I drove nearly three miles past my exit before I realised I was going in completely the wrong direction. Came home to find that it is the 20th anniversary of that very album. In honour of spending far too much time with a fool feline, here he is in classic repose. Gosh I need a dog.

Pretty scenery, though. If you squint, you can just see the islands.

Day 7 (294): 28th of September
Got to do the school. The midterm, any rate. Gave myself a few hours for fannying about this morning, but now it's time for Important Things. To do with this. There is currently a ginger feline form lolling about on it, decidedly not helping. Gosh I need a dog.

Crazy. But that's how it goes...

Week Nineteen: The Shape of Things to Come

Semi-thematic this week. But really just some more photos. A bit weak this week, I'll be honest, but my muse seems to have taken a holiday without asking my permission. Really uncalled for, there, Muse. At least take me with you next time. I could use some time off...

Day 1 (127): 14th of April
Naples is rather notorious for mildly insane traffic conditions. In my time here, I've seen embarrassed trucks on their lids, small Renaults gone flying over guard rails, horrid backups caused by rubberneckers, etc. Today was a new one. There was a little red Fiat going maybe 35 km/h in the right lane of the motorway with his four ways flashing. All the cars were slowing as they passed this poor fellow, causing a bit of a snarl, but as I came to pass him myself, I saw the cause for interest. The whole windshield looked as though some angry ex-wife had had a go at it with a bat. The thing was literally caved in and hanging in the face of the driver. I've no idea how he stayed on the road at all. Smashing, really. Felt like being a bit slanty today, so I played with the diagonal split idea that was a failure last time. Better results this week. 

Evening shadows on the stone floor were intriguing. Didn't get quite the split I'd wanted, but not too bad.

Day 2 (128): 15th of April
This evening, I lived a real-life horror movie scene. Someone let Mothra into my house, and he proceeded to terrorise me for nearly an hour before I outsmarted him. It was no small task, mind you. The beast was all flappy wings and thwoppy bouncing on the walls and ceiling and doors... But I was victorious. Now, however, there is a giant moth trapped in a glass votive holder on the floor of my hallway. Chances are it will stay there for a long while. Guuuuh. I shudder thinking about it. Partly because it is still flitting about inside the glass making sickening noises. Mlergh. On to the photos. More slanty lines. This time not shadows, just the fence and the stormy sky.

It was pissing with rain outside and I tried many times to get a good shot of the fence reflected in the puddles but all were crap. The light was all gooey and too dark to get anything good. At least with my skill level. But this worked rather nicely. The gate reflected off the shiny soggy mosaic tiles.

Day 3 (129): 16th of April
Wednesdays really have it all. Sit in the middle of the week and make people's lives feel meaningless. My job is conducted almost entirely on the internet, or at the very least relies on connectivity to get done. This afternoon all of our connectivity dropped, thanks to some fool parking on the cable in Germany or on Mars, stopping the flow of internet juice. Thus, the last few hours of the day were spent sitting on our collective thumbs and shooting nerf darts at one another. And there was NO MUSIC!!! Because the MUSIC COMES FROM THE INTERNET!!! On such days, I've no issue crying uncle and going home early. Staying at work just to stay at work is preposterous. Speaking of things preposterous, the below shot is still a bit of a mystery to me. Through a hole, sharply. 

This is a cool rose whose shape was fascinating. It is two flowers coming from the same bud. I made it black and white partly for effect, and partly because the rose is really intensely, downright offensively pink. 

Day 4 (130): 17th of April
Busy day. We've had out of towners in of town this week to do an "assist visit," which basically means hang out, see how we do business, and make sure we are doing things the way the higher HQ likes to see. Goes without saying (but I'm saying anyway) we've done wonderfully, flying colours and that. Goes to show that when given a deadline and a set amount of work desired, we get things done. Take that, haters who think our unorthodox work environment gets in the way of getting things done and looking good doing it. You don't like the music playing all the time? You don't like the d-bag jar? Good thing you don't have to work for me. So long as the bosses're happy, I'm happy. Merry it happy, too, though this face would suggest otherwise. I think we've all made that face a time or two...

Another check in with the intrepid clone trooper... I think he's gotten in a bit over his head here...

 
Day 5 (131): 18th of April
Helluva Friday. Made plans for a whirlwind trip to NYC whilst I am back in the States. Never been there, so it ought to be interesting. Whole point is for the premiere of a film I helped produce (via Indiegogo), but the fool thing is on a Sunday evening and I've got to be back in for training in Va Beach on Monday morning. Keeping fingers and toes crossed the travel gods smile upon me, rather than smirk. Any rate, played about with photos of blowy grass in a nearby field, but the blowy nature of the blowy grass made for many awful shots. This one came out OK.

Day 6 (132): 19th of April
Rubbish weather. Had plans for outdoor fun at a park in a volcano, but had to adjust fire. Thank goodness for adaptability and indoor fun. Brief jaunt into the out produced these photos. More flowers, yes, but this first one had me quite pleased. You can just see the raindrops on the petals. 

The raindrops on this guys are far more obvious. Gosh these roses really are annoyingly pink...

 
Day 7 (133): 20th of April
Didn't realise it was Easter until this morning, when was reminded that there was brunch to be had. Do love a good brunch. Don't really love it when silly bright sun keeps foiling my attempts to suck less at outdoor photography. Here I really like the little closed blooms more than the open one with its silly overly bright middle part.  

April almost gone. How does this keep happening? I keep thinking that I've got forever left here, and then I notice I've lost another week, month, etc. Have been phoning in the photos a bit of late. I think it's because I'm in need of inspiration. Hopefully my upcoming trip back to the U.S. will be the kick in the proverbial trousers I need. Not sure which proverb I am referencing there, but you get the idea.