Into Every Life a Little Rain Must Fall

Generally we've experienced the most glorious January I can remember, however in the last few days we've been experiencing a little gloom and rain. You would think it was winter! We definitely needed the rain; the gloom I can do without.

Last week I had to take my Nikon in for a sensor cleaning. Apparently this can be a diy project however it's not recommended for klutzes like me. I'd begun to see some spots on images with a blank background. Reading up on it I learned the way to check for a dusty sensor is to shoot a blue sky on f-stop 22 which I did. The image revealed probably fifty spots which were the result of me changing the lenses so often. I must not have been as careful as I should have been. Nonetheless, it is all clean now, and I couldn't wait to try it out. These images are mostly from a water pipe (I think that is what it is) by Lake Lawsona. I took the dry ones on the way home from picking up the camera--the wet ones a day or so later during the rain.

On Thursday I decided to make a little light box I'd seen on a photography website. This seemed like a DIY project I could tackle and win. Not so fast Gail! Actually it didn't turn out too bad--you take a box,(I used a wine box), cut out most of three sides and cover them with a translucent paper (tissue paper). In the inside I used some freezer paper to make my background. You place a light source beside or on top and voila! a little studio for small objects. After viewing (maybe) today's slideshow you will not want to see another so I'll save that for tomorrow.

The weekend was busy, busy. On Friday Maureen and I enjoyed a double feature--not that is an old fashioned term isn't it? Anyway we went to see Frost/Nixon which was excellent. Although I lived through the time I was raising a small, unruly son at the time and paid little attention. One little trivia piece is that while I was working at Long Beach Memorial Hospital, Pat Nixon was a patient. I remember the hospital being abuzz at the time. Turns out in the movie they referenced her health. Wierd.

We came home after a quick jaunt to return the shirt I'd gotten for Matt for Christmas. I had to explain to the folks that I'd sent it to London, it was too small, and while my son was doing business in Los Angeles he sent it to me to return in a brown mailer. I still had the receipt but I could tell they were a tad suspicious. After a bit of checking they gave me a credit.

Anyway we then headed back out to meet Bruce and saw The Wrestler which I'd planned on liking more than I did. That went for all of us. There is a particularly gruesome match that I found very hard to watch knowing it was all too real. In our family David is a walking wrestling encyclopedia. He rarely goes to the movies, but of course he watched this one. He explained the whole New Jersey angle and how low wrestling had sunk. Dinner out afterward ended a super day.

Market Saturday morning, dinner out with one of Bruce's contractors and his wife Saturday night, bedtime, market all day Sunday, and finally the Super Bowl.

I'll be the first to admit I've watched not a single NFL game all year. The market was much slower yesterday, probably due to both sketchy weather, and the game later in the day. Anyway, I likened watching the SB to people who go to church on Christmas and Easter. As you well know if you've read this blog for any length of time, Dana is a rock star to me and Bruce. She can do no wrong in our eyes. So......because she is from Pittsburgh, we rooted for her team. That said, both teams put on quite a show, as did The Boss. Very entertaining.

Bruce is so handy it hurts sometimes. He assessed my light box on Sunday, deeming it just a tad too crude. It really was, but I'm no Brucer. He fashioned a new one that he made out of white foam core--much better. As well, he fixed my bent glasses while I was at the market. Really, as all who know him will attest, there's hardly a thing he can't make, or fix. Cars are the only exception. I suspect if he needed to, he'd be able to do that as well after a bit of instruction. I am one lucky gal. As Maureen said on Friday, he's exceptional. Perfect description if you ask me.