Sh*t

I knocked a camera on the floor and thought the lens was smashed.

Thankfully it was just the lens protector. (Whew!)

Let’s back up a second.

When I was going through 20 years of photos I realized how much I missed my old Canon 5D. Somehow the photos from that camera rivaled those of newer rigs with fancier features and more megapixels.

I lent that 5D out years ago and never got it back. (A hard lesson I’ve had to learn over and over.)

A few months back I was dropping off film to get developed and the store had this old 6D available for a bargain. I picked it up because it works with all the lenses (I had not lent out).

It’s chonky, kind of difficult and I really like it.

I’m so happy the lens is intact.

I need to get another protector for it, pronto.

The tiniest of wins

Our collection of glasses is a mishmash that combines households and mishaps — I don’t think we have a full set of anything.

So when 3 groups of matching glasses emerge from the dishwasher, you bet I’m going to arrange them neatly on the shelf.

I also spend a little extra time to make sure all the spices are aligned and not showing UPC codes.

These are the tiniest of wins, and I take them with delight.

Tinned spices arranged carefully so all their labels are in the same alignment

Visual consumption

Most every time I check in on Foursquare Swarm, I share a snapshot. If I’m at the grocery I’ll document a ridiculously unhealthy item for giggles and the dozen active folks in my network. Often times it’s the best photo of the day and I share it here. (I use best loosely.)

Today I paused at the Hostess shelves because Cabel Sasser mentioned the rebrand.

The logo was in dire need of a refresh, but losing the fun product typography was a miss. There is clearly a winner when it comes to spelling out DING DONGS (I favor the old top version below).

Hostess Ding Dongs old packaging and new

Sometimes you need to curl

Casey left for Florida this morning — a yearly trip I would usually join — but given recent travels staying home felt prudent.

Edith seems to appreciate the decision to hang home.

I’ve decided to jump back into Animal Well after watching this documentary about the making of the Metroidvania platformer (that was developed by a single person1) I gave up playing a while back, but now seems like a fine time to delve back in.

Sometimes you need to curl up and veg.

Extra good

Stopped by my brother’s house to drop off coffee and other household essentials from Costco.

I feel this is the next level to buying an envelope… Going out to pick things up is nice and all, but dropping stuff off to folks you want to visit is extra good.

We had a nice catch up.

∗ ∗ ∗

Today’s soundtrack is thanks to Cory Dransfeldt who posted “Best band name, fantastic album cover.” That led me down a rabbit hole to discover the art of Taylor Adams while listening to the music of Michael Cera Palin. 🤘

Back in the saddle

Springlike temps mean it’s time to dust off the (e)bike.

Sidenote: I very much want to become a winter bike rider but have created a litany of reasons not to do so.

I didn’t even have to charge the bike’s battery from the months of neglect. It was ready to go!

Looking forward to watching all this brown turn green and then some other colors again.

I mostly use Instagram to find specials for local restaurants

Instagram makes it really hard to follow anything, but I know how to use a search box. I will not be thwarted.

Morsel & Nosh didn’t have specials this Monday, so I shook things up and threw a dart on their standard menu and struck gold with their Colosseum Ampersandwich.

Totally elevated the first day back at the desk in a week.

Two views through windows

Woke up in London, slept back at home in Cincinnati. The journey was pretty much easy breezy.

Aside from the glimpse of Greenland above, I watched two movies on the long flight.

Didn’t realize Civil War (2024) had a photo journalism angle. The whole collapse of America was believable, and it felt like it wanted to say something… but ended with a vague shrug.

Next up was Widow Clicquot (2023) which was a much more satisfying, but also dark affair. The period drama is about Barbe-Nicole Clicquot. She builds the Veuve Clicquot champagne empire and changes the entire industry along the way. It’s also a story of love lost to mental illness.

I sure know how to pick uplifting flicks to close out a most wonderful trip.

Got home and slept like a very heavy log.

Ft Washington Way, Cincinnati

Kim Deal at The Barbican

Spent a good chunk of the afternoon watching dress rehearsals and soundcheck for the big production. Lights, larger string and horn sections, backup singers — the whole nine yards.

We’d return later for the show proper and it was lovely all over again.

I’m trying not to look at remaining dates for the tour and catch it one more time.