Kenilworth in Black & White Tuesday, Jan 6 2009

6 January 2009
I’m sitting in a hotel room (the Radisson again), having just repacked all of my luggage for the return trip. We had a pleasant dinner of breaded plaice washed down with a good pint of John Smith while watching the unfortunate result of the Tott*ham v Burnley Carling Cup match. All of this on the heels of an otherwise lovely day.
When we got up this morning, it was a very brisk -5 degrees Celsius outside, but sunny. So, we went on up to Kenilworth Castle. Kenilworth, from all reports, is one of the largest set of Castle ruins in all of England. I must say, it was pretty remarkable.

And, being there on an early January morning gave us the place nearly to ourselves. Almost all of our photos are untainted by the casual tourist. Unfortunately, my camera batteries died early in the visit even though I had charged them the night before. So much for grey-market batteries, eh? So, the first half of our visit is well-documented, the second half…considerably less so (although my wife did take a lot of photos, too).
From Kenilworth, we drove on in to London. I had to make a quick stop at the Cargo facility. After all, even on vacation, duty does call. I met with the guys there for an hour or so, then we continued on to Bath road to secure lodging for the night. We are at the same Radisson Edwardian Hotel in which we started our Hogmanay journey and in a very similar room. We started off in a different room, in a different wing, on a different floor. However, Hotel issues with plumbing (boilers went out) and our issues with smoking rooms, places us in the 3rd room of the night and here we will stay. For tomorrow we must depart and return to the home of our birth if not necessarily the home of our heart.
Thank you everyone for following along with us, for encouraging us and for allowing us to share our journey, our love, our passion for this country with you.
Cheers.

~KR (Written on 7 January 2009)

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD850 IS
Exposure: 0.01 sec (1/100)
Aperture: f/8
Focal Length: 5.8 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV
Flash: Flash did not fire

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Galvez Jetty Wednesday, Dec 10 2008

5 December 2008
Friday of Dickens on the Strand. Most years we’re already on the island and preparing for the Gingerbread Ball. This year, however, with the destruction that Ike brought with him, the ball didn’t happen so we went down a day later.
Also this year, we stayed at the Galvez rather than the Tremont which is still closed. Not as convenient as the Tremont is the Galvez, but just as lovely in different ways. I especially loved the view over the Gulf of Mexico we had from our room

Cheers

~KR (Writtenon 9 December 2008 )

Listening to:
Maybe Someday by Cure
from Join the Dots: B-Sides & Rarities, 1978-2001

Camera: Nikon D70
Exposure: 0.008 sec (1/125)
Aperture: f/5.6
Focal Length: 145 mm
Exposure Bias: 0/6 EV
Flash: Flash did not fire
ISO Speed: 800

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Ahhh, Faux Fur Thursday, Dec 4 2008

3 December 2008
A close up of some of the faux fur from my wife’s new coat.

Today was a shitty day. Aside from being a difficult day at work, I found out that one of my good friends got laid off today. He’s been with the company for 6 years, but they just couldn’t see keeping his position as a separate entity and rolled it into a business unit. Therefore, he has to go get a new job at a time when job-getting isn’t easy. I wish him the very best of luck.

~KR (Written on 4 December 2008 )

Listening to:
I Won’t Back Down by Johnny Cash
from Legend Of Johnny Cash Vol. 2

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD850 IS
Exposure: 0.1 sec (1/10)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 5.8 mm
ISO Speed: 200
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV
Flash: Flash did not fire

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PF Chang Rails Tuesday, Dec 2 2008

26 November 2008
I’m not a big fan of Chinese food, but tonight I was in the mood of P.F. Chang. My wife, it turns out, had never been to one, so we found a local restaurant and went there for dinner.

I had a nice Malbec with their Orange Beef dinner while she had something else entirely. The photo is of their ornamental separators with the bar and a bartender out of focus at the end.
Cheers.

~KR (Written on 2 December 2008 )

Listening to:
When Doves Cry by La Mazz
from When Doves Cry

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD850 IS
Exposure: 0.25 sec (1/4)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 5.8 mm
ISO Speed: 200
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV
Flash: Flash did not fire

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Brown Boots in a Red Glow Wednesday, Nov 19 2008

18 November 2008
At the end of a long (not as long as Monday seemed), tedious day at work, my friends Brett & Jill texted Marita Beth & I to see if we wanted to join them at No Frills Grill for beer, burgers & trivia. I was still at work when the first page came in, and the second page killed my battery. I did, however, finally get in touch with my wife, who was very interested in a quick bite, so called Brett and said sure. We got there nearing 2000 hours and had that quick bite.
On the way back to the car, I noticed that my wife was wearing some kick ass little brown boots…and said so (hubby points are very, very important). I followed up complementing her boots with a photo for which Marita Beth was happy to provide her still-booted, red light-bathed feet.

Do I get hubby points for taking the photo, too?
Cheers.

~KR (Written on 19 November 2008 )

Listening to:
What About Everything by Carbon Leaf
from Indian Summer

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD850 IS
Exposure: 0.3 sec (3/10)
Aperture: f/3.2
Focal Length: 8.6 mm
ISO Speed: 320
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Flash did not fire
Software: picnik.com

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Protector Tuesday, Oct 7 2008

2 October 2008
The night Marita Beth brought me home from having my eyeballs lasered open, I apparently was pretty pathetic. For, the next morning when I opened my eyes to a (relatively) non-blurry world for the first time in 35+ years, this is what I saw:

My wife had bought me a little stuffed bear to watch over me while I rested & recuperated.
Cheers.

~KR (Written on 6 October 2008 )

Listening to:
Pomp & Circumstance by Edward Elgar
Veronica Mars Soundtrack

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD850 IS
Exposure: 0.25 sec (1/4)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 5.8 mm
ISO Speed: 200
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV
Flash: Flash did not fire

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iPod Love – Late, Rather than Never Tuesday, Sep 23 2008

21 September 2008
I resisted the siren call of the iPod for a long time. If you read my ramblings, you will have noted that I love my music. I even include the song I’m listening to when I write a particular post at the bottom of the post. I’m almost never without music in some form. So, when the iPod came out I was delighted as it meant easy access to portable music in the form of iPod clones. Unfortunately, every clone I tried was worse than the one before. They were clumsy to use, too small to hold enough songs for a long flight, or too large to fit in my pocket comfortably.Finally, despite my overarching despite for anything proprietary, I broke down and bought an iPod. I bought a refurbished one so I didn’t have to pay the obnoxiously expensive full price; and haven’t looked back. The iPod truly is a remarkable feat of mechanical engineering. It’s slick, easy to hold, easy to navigate and easy to use. I detest iTunes, but haven’t found anything else I prefer more yet…although believe me I keep trying. This is my iPod

It’s got 40gb of music ranging from classical (Mozart, Brahms and Strauss primarily) to hip-hop/rap (JayZ & Eminem) to Death/Black Metal (Ministry, Blind Guardian). I also have most every CD I’ve ever bought at a Renaissance Festival (Corsairs, Queen Anne’s Lace, Jolly Rogers &c.) and most of the music I’ve bought at Scottish & Irish Festivals (Brother, Clandestine, Saw Doctors &c.) across the country.
In a comment to my post yesterday, Deborah asked why I like the Saw Doctors and how I found out about them. Here’s the story:

Several years ago my boss & I were on a business trip to Portland, Oregon. We had some time on our hands, so being who we are and what we do when travelling, we found a local bar. This bar, the name of which I can’t recall, was an Irish bar of some flair. Beautifully decorated, with a fine selection of Scotch & Irish whiskies and a decent selection of draught beers. We settled in. It wasn’t too long before I commented on the hat that the bartender was wearing, as it was a Pogues hat. We established soon thereafter that the bartender and I shared a common love of the neuevo-Celtic sound that was being made popular by groups such as the Pogues, the Flogging Molly’s, the Dropkick Murphy’s and the Saw Doctors. I aired my ignorance and asked who the Saw Doctors were. He disappeared into the back and brought forth two CDs which he gifted me. The first, Play it Again, Sham was by the Saw Doctors while the second was the debut album of Four Men & A Dog. When we left, the Saw Doctors CD went straight in and we listened to it for the remainder of that trip. Both Terrill & I liked them so much that the next summer we made a trip to Minneapolis/St. Paul to see them in concert at a little Irish Festival they have up there. I’ve been a monumental fan of their’s ever since.
Deborah, I hope that answers your questions.

I hate to admit it, but I love my iPod.
Cheers.

~KR (Written on 23 September 2008 )

Listening to:
Still in Love Song by The Stills
from Veronica Mars Unofficial Soundtrack

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD850 IS
Exposure: 0.077 sec (1/13)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 5.8 mm
ISO Speed: 200
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV
Flash: Flash did not fire

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Remembering Thursday, Sep 11 2008

11 September 2008

Seven Years Later

I’ve been thinking a lot about how seven years seems like so long . . . and like it was only yesterday.

When I talked to Kyle this morning, he said I’d missed a call from him (I was unhooking the truck and trailer) just moments after he left the house.  Apparently, there was some sort of ceremony taking place at our neighbourhood’s new Heroes Park.  Kyle said there were police cars and sixty or so people; traffic being directed manually, etc.  He was hoping to tell me, so I could run down there . . . and I would have! 

As it was, immediately after unhitching my rig, I chose to remember 9-11 by doing some searching online regarding any ceremonies taking place in New York or Washington.  I learned that today was the day the new Memorial site at the Pentagon was dedicated.  I went to the television, but could find nothing, so I read everything I could find online.  Entering the new memorial, visitors pass under an archway marked with a stone carved: “September 11, 2001–9:37 a.m.,” the exact time of the Pentagon attack.  The stone itself bears the scars of that attack—it is a stone recovered from the smouldering, wrecked wall of the building. The architecture of the park is arranged in rows, symbolizing the years in which the victims were born.  The surrounding wall doesn’t just keep out the freeway noise—it’s built beginning at a height of three inches and rises to 71 inches—it symbolizes the youngest victim, a three-year-old, and the oldest.  The park consists of a bench, a pool of water and a tree, for each of the 184 victims of the terrorist attack on the Pentagon.  Each bench bears the name of someone who died there that day.  To read the names of those who died within the walls of the Pentagon, you must face the building.  To read the names of those who died on American Airlines flight #77, you must stand facing the western sky.

I found some footage of a lone bagpiper walking among the benches as he plays “Amazing Grace.”  And I found a couple of nice news reports about the new site.  I also learned that at 3:30 p.m., both Obama and McCain gathered with folks at Ground Zero in Manhattan to remember the lost, there.  I’m hoping to find some footage of that.  We, as Americans need to remember much, much more often, how we pulled together on that day, and think far, far, less of how different we think we are, one from another.  That the two candidates joined for this event, today, is heartwarming.  Kyle had said he hoped something like that would be done, and I doubted the likelihood.  I’m glad I was wrong.

As I drove home this afternoon, I took a quick, impromptu turn in at Heroes Park.  I did a U-turn, and parked my truck, immediately across from a no parking sign. (Isn’t that crazy?  Where are we supposed to park to visit this little place?)  I walked down the marked path, and read the engravings, such as: responsibility, sincerity, dedication, sacrifice.  I walked all the way down to the wall bearing the names of Arlington’s fallen in the line of duty.  Under each name, is either a Fire or Police Department badge symbol, and the words “Last Call” or “End of Watch” with a date.  A beautiful wreath seemed to be perhaps a remnant of this morning’s ceremony.  And I picked up a piece of trash and carried it back to my truck.  <sigh>

Tears for many reasons.

~MB

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Happy Anniversary & a Longhorn Saturday, Aug 9 2008

5 August 2008
Happy Anniversary, baby!
13 sensationally marvelous years.
Because of the hours I’ve been working lately, and the vagaries & uncertainties of non-rev travel, I did not plan anything overtly special for our anniversary figuring that if she did indeed get home from afar that just being together would be enough. Turns out I was right. 🙂
With only one car at home, she took me to work this morning and picked me up when the day was done. We immediately headed into downtown Ft. Worth knowing that we could find a variety of things to do in Sundance Square. We did. First, though, as we walked around the area, I saw this topiary longhorn. Just seeing it rattled a branch in the far-flung tree of my memory and I took it’s photo for comparison:

Back in January, I was in downtown Ft. Worth with a vendor from out of town, and he marvelled at the sight of the topiary wrapped in burlap to protect against the angry elements of a Texas "winter." Being from Denver, CO, I’m guessing topiary longhorns are a rarity.
Anyway, from this bush beast, we descended on a bar we didn’t know was there, Durty Murphy’s. Nice place even if it is a smoker’s haven and the decoration-only bartender has NO clue how to build a proper Guinness. One pint of Guinness, part of a Zon (from Boulevard Brewing) and a shot of Forty Creek (complements of the Republic Liquors representative) later, we departed and headed for food. We settled on Cabo Grande where the wee wife discovered fish tacos. She really liked them. After that, it was back home to a relaxing evening in the house with the wife & dogs. Nothing special turned into very special. It was a lovely day and the best 13th wedding Anniversary I have ever had.
Cheers.

~KR (Written on 8 August 2008 )

Listening to:
Oh What a Lovely War by Brother
from The Terrain Around Here is Far Too Dangerous

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD850 IS
Exposure: 0.006 sec (1/160)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 5.8 mm
ISO Speed: 80
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV
Flash: Flash did not fire

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Sheer Sunday, Aug 3 2008

2 August 2008
Saturday. Marita Beth is in Wisconsin and I…I spent my Saturday working. I met with Terrill and the crew out at the airport where we were finalising and implementing a long-awaited completion of a project. The only unfortunate things were the HEAT and the fact that it was a Saturday. Normally, I’d have spent my Saturday in the cool of a movie theatre or perhaps at No Frills playing trivia with friends…in air conditioning. But, this Saturday I spent sweating my arse off in the outdoors, where even in the shade, the temperature was nigh-unbearable. By the time we were sure the implementation was going to go well enough, I was pretty well spent. By the time I’d driven home I was completely spent and holed myself up in the house for the remainder of the day. But, I did manage a photo or two. This is the sheer that hangs over the French doors to the backyard. A much thicker, heavier curtain hangs over the sheer to prevent heat & light leakage, but I realised as I let the dogs out that an appropriate focal length might just make a good photo. I wasn’t so wrong.

Today, I will go play trivia with friends.
Cheers.

~KR (Written on 3 August 2008 )

Listening to:
Valerie’s Friend by Gazpacho
from Night

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD850 IS
Exposure: 0.1 sec (1/10)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 5.8 mm
ISO Speed: 200
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Flash did not fire
Software: picnik.com

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