The Zamboni and the Net

20 September 2007
Due to the magnanimous nature of some of our friends, and the niceties of the boss, Marita Beth & I went to see some Dallas Stars pre-season hockey last night at the American Airlines Center. My boss, despite the work-load hanging over our head, said, "Go. Don't miss your train." So, with a little bit of guilt (that quickly disappeared) and an ear-ache (that did not so quickly disappear), Marita Beth and I went to get tickets for the Trinity River Expressway. The TRE takes us from a train stop very near my office straight to Victory Station. This time around, we bypassed Victory Station and went on to Union Station where we hopped a Blue Line trolley to the West End station. There we met Adam & Bill at TGI Fridays for some before game libations (and food in MB's case). Then we hopped one of the numerous free omnibuses that shuttle folks back & forth to & from the game. Great fun. The season-long seats that Bill & Wendy and Terry & Deborah have are in row P in section 329. As you can see

they are directly on the North End goal line and provide an excellent view of all action in this half of the ice. The far end is a little more difficult to see, but at this height, there's precious little that's not visible. In short, I think were I to buy season tickets to the Stars they might just be in a very similar place. Thanks, Terry & Deborah for offering up your seats to us last night. We had a great time.

Oh, I nearly forgot. I took all of my photos last night with Marita Beth's camera as mine is just too large to carry into a sports arena. I really need to take care of that.
Cheers.

~KR (20 September 2007)
Listening to:
Fields of Gold by Beer Bong
on Beer Bong

Camera: Canon PowerShot A520
Exposure: 0.017 sec (1/60)
Aperture: f/5.5
Focal Length: 23.2 mm
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV
Flash: Flash did not fire

Tags: ZAMBONI, HOCKEY, DALLAS+STARS, AMERICAN+AIRLINES+CENTER, CANON, PHOTOBLOG, PHOTOGRAPHY, PHOTO

Weed & Wire

19 September 2007
On my way into work this morning, I was running a little late, so I figured what the heck, I'll add a couple more minutes, and I took a backroad that I don't frequently travel. While driving that secluded section of Mossier Valley road in Ft. Worth, I spied an Historical Marker I'd never seen before. I took photos of it thinking, "this is cool, I can use this for my photo assignment, 'In My Life'." However, I didn't because I liked this photo better:

This barbed wire fence was directly in front of the historical plaque and rendered nearly invisible by the weeds. Why is it that so frequently it's the weeds that are prettiest in a garden? These bright yellow whatever-they-are caught the light just right and with the inclusion of the fencepost create a rich dichotomy I couldn't pass. Ohhh, and the Champion's League match between Arsenal and Sevilla just finished at the Emirates. The Arsenal won handily with 3 goals to the good by Fabregas, Van Persie & Eduardo. Up the Gunners!
Cheers.

~KR (19 September 2007)

Listening to:
A Sort of Homecoming by U2
on Wide Awake in America

Camera: Canon PowerShot S1 IS
Exposure: 0.004 sec (1/250)
Aperture: f/4.5
Focal Length: 16 mm
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV
Flash: Flash did not fire

The Hydrant and the Box

18 September 2007
Construction. Everywhere, construction. I suppose it's a sign of a burgeoning economy and more middle-class growth. To me, it's an eye-sore and a further strain on an over-peopled area. But, there are certainly things that no construction zone should ever be without: a hydrant, a pile of dirt and an empty box.

This construction site is right next to my office building. So, I suppose it'll be good in that it'll offer a greater choice of food stuffs for lunch, more hotels for visiting travellers and a new gas station that will be far more convenient than either of the other two immediately available. Nonetheless, I could do without the constant construction & subsequent inconvenience.
Cheers.

~KR (18 September 2007)

Listening to:
I Hope You Meet Again by Saw Doctors
on If This Is Rock and Roll, I Want My Old Job Back

Camera: Canon PowerShot S1 IS
Exposure: 0.002 sec (1/640)
Aperture: f/4.5
Focal Length: 58 mm
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV
Flash: Flash did not fire

Tags: HYDRANT, BOX, CONSTRUCTION, SAW+DOCTORS, PHOTOBLOG, PHOTO, PHOTOGRAPHY, CANON

Cubicle Hall

17 September 2007
As you've likely gleaned, I work in Corporate America. I'm not always happy about it, but it does (kind of) pay the bills. And for the greater part I'm proud to be part of the company I work for. I work at the Headquarters of one of the largest (if not the largest) employer in North Texas. This photo is of the hall formed by the mass of cubicles directly outside of my cube.

I've no idea who that is that walked through the photo just as I pressed the shutter, but it speaks well. The headless, nameless almost etheral personage is pretty much the way most corporations see their employees. We're more a number than a name and are easily (and sometimes frequently) replaced. Ahh, the cubicle hall that is also my cubicle hell.
Cheers.

~KR (17 September 2007)

Listening to:
Blue Monday by Tanghetto
on La Mujer de Mi Hermano

Camera: Canon PowerShot S1 IS
Exposure: 0.2 sec (1/5)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 5.8 mm
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV
Flash: Flash did not fire

Tags: CUBICLE, OFFICE, CANON, PHOTO, PHOTOBLOG, PHOTOGRAPHY, LA+MUJER+DE+MI+HERMANO

Lamp Texture

16 September 2007
Nearly caught up am I. This is my last photo of the sequence of "catching up." After a lazy day in which MB and I saw a movie, had lunch & went grocery shopping, it was bedtime before I realized I hadn't a photo to my day. I grabbed my trusty Canon and took this just before I turned off all the lights for a peaceful sleep.

The camera is resting on the hem of the shade with the focal point on the texture in the centre of the image. I tilted the camera just a little to get a corner-to-corner line with the seam. In truth, I kind of like it.
Cheers.

~KR (16 September 2007)

Listening to:
Black Hole Sun by Soundgarden
on Superunknown Camera:

Canon PowerShot S1 IS
Exposure: 0.067 sec (1/15)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 5.8 mm
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV
Flash: Flash did not fire

Tags: LAMPSHADE, TEXTURE, SOUNDGARDEN, BLACK+HOLE+SUN, PHOTOGRAPHY, PHOTO, CANON, PHOTOBLOG

Cherub

15 September 2007
This is a weekend I look forward to all year long. It's the yearly Grapevine Grapefest, now in its 21st year. As per our norm, Joe, Starr, Marita Beth & I secured tickets to the People's Choice event. But, to start the day, MB & I had breakfast with Joe & Starr (and Troy and Alex) at the Capp's house. We were treated to absolutely delightful quiche, scones, coffee, tea, ,mimosa's, beer & fruit. Hooray for a great way to start the day. I took a scad of photos and really had difficulty narrowing it down. But, I chose this one ultimately:

It's a cherub that was on the base of a statue of the Madonna. I like statues, I like hand-made statues. But this one was creepy. It was being sold by someone called Trailer Couture (I think). Unusual offerings in an unusual setting.
Cheers.

~KR (15 September 2007)

Listening to:
Nat King Cole by Adam Green
on Jacket Full of Danger

Camera: Canon PowerShot S1 IS
Exposure: 0.008 sec (1/125)
Aperture: f/4.5
Focal Length: 58 mm
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV
Flash: Flash did not fire, auto mode

Tags: GRAPEFEST, GRAPEVINE, MADONNA, CHERUB, VIRGIN+MARY, PHOTOBLOG, PHOTO, PHOTOGRAPHY, NAT+KING+COLE, ADAM+GREEN, CANON

A Lamp for Andy

14 September 2007
On the way home from work today, Marita Beth called. She was getting new glasses, but they wouldn't be ready for a little while yet. So, I told her to drive home, I'd pick her up, we'd grab a beer with Terrill and then go get her glasses. Terrill & I had planned this, sort of. We knew we had to try and get her out with me so he could give her a professionally printed, enlarged version of her excellent photograph. It made her cry. Unfortunately, immediately after the gifting and the joyous tears, Terrill received word that his little Boston Terrier Andy had to go back to the hospital. He'd had trouble breathing that morning and the vet's immediate diagnosis was an enlarged heart. That condition, apparently not uncommon in older, small-breed dogs, is treatable with medication and diet. So, Terrill left No Frills and headed home while MB and I finished our beer. After beer we went and got Marita Beth's really cute new glasses, then went to a Tex-Mex joint in Mansfield called Cha-Cha's. It's worth the trip. This lamp is on the side of the well-designed building that houses the eyeglasses place alongside a massage and acupuncture therapist.

I'm very saddened to report that Andy passed less than 36 hours later, but luckily he was surrounded by a loving family and seemed to be in little pain. R.I.P. Andy, you'll be missed.

~KR (14 September 2007)

Listening to:
Able to Sustain by Drew Smith and His Band
on Double EP

Camera: Canon PowerShot S1 IS
Exposure: 0.017 sec (1/60)
Aperture: f/4.5
Focal Length: 58 mm
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV
Flash: Flash did not fire

Tags: PHOTOBLOG, PHOTO, LIGHT, BOSTON+TERRIER, EYEGLASSES, CANON

Stumble, You Might Fall

13 September 2007
I had the opportunity to take a Business Ethics class today. It's all common sense you know, and anyone who can't understand the legal pitfalls created by ignoring ethical behaviour really shouldn't have a job in corporate America. But, nonetheless we're required to take the class ever 5 years or so. Today was my day. It afforded me the opportunity to walk halls and pathways in the overly large work complex that I don't normally traverse. That's where this photo came from. I found myself in a deserted stairwell with a little bit of time to kill, so, voila!

There's a series of stair photos, but I liked this one best (even if it is a little fuzzy).
Cheers.

~KR (13 September 2007)

Listening to:
Flashdance...What a Feeling by Irene Cara
on Billboard Top 100 of 1983

Camera: Canon PowerShot S1 IS
Exposure: 0.5 sec (1/2)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 5.8 mm
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV
Flash: Flash did not fire

Tags: STAIRS, BLACK+AND+WHITE, FOOT, FLASHDANCE, PHOTOBLOG, PHOTO, PHOTOGRAPHY, CANON

SCO

12 September 2007
Don't you hate it when you think you've taken photos, a number of them even, then when you go to choose the best one of the day for your daily journal you find out that they're all rubbish. Either too blurry, or over/under-exposed or whatever. That happened today. I took a bunch of photos of my dogs on my way out the door this morning. All (ALL!) of them were too blurry for use (or even to keep...I trashed them). Luckily, I did snap a few shots in my office (read: cubicle) as well. This photo

is of a Scotland auto bumper sticker that hangs on my wall directly in front of me over the phone. When things are bleak, or I'm stressed, I will sometimes sit and stare at the SCO on a white saltire and remember: "I work toward an ultimate goal. I want to retire to Scotland." This cleansing process works. I only wish I didn't have to do it quite so often.
Cheers.

~KR (12 September 2007)

Listening to:
Terra Nova by iLiKETRAiNS
on Progress Reform

Camera: Canon PowerShot S1 IS
Exposure: 0.1 sec (1/10)
Aperture: f/3.1
Focal Length: 27.9 mm
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV
Flash: Flash did not fire

Tags: SCOTLAND, STICKER, iLiKETRAiNS, PHOTO, PHOTOBLOG, CANON

Deal Dot Com

Clever.
Deal Dot Com.
They offer one deal a day and share their profits with bloggers and webmasters referring readers to their sites.
Hurry and sign up before they go out of the Pre-Launch because after that there will be no tiers structure!