Miscellaneous

P.F. Chang’s

Dorothy wanted to meet a friend at Columbia Mall this evening so we all went. Dorothy drove and then went off to find Lauren. Cathy and I went into the mall for a little while and then had dinner at P.F. Chang’s.

This is the candle on our table. There is an interesting mural on the wall over the bar. It depicts eight characters that I assume are from Chinese history or legend. It’s a nice restaurant but I have to admit that I would prefer a small, hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurant. Generally the food is better and you aren’t paying extra for expensive decor. But that’s just me.

Pin Cushion

It was a very busy week and I didn’t get out to take pictures today. In the evening I took some pictures of a pin cushion that’s next Dorothy’s sewing machine. It isn’t actually Dorothy’s machine, but rather my mom’s back-up machine, her old Bernina. Anyway, this pin cushion was there and looked like a good subject for a photograph. I’m not sure what the little note says in full. I think the Red Cross pin is one I earned back before the Red Cross decided I was at too high a risk for BSE (too much time in England).

Balance

I was working in the basement this evening, taking apart our dehumidifier to see if I could figure out why the compressor isn’t coming on. Of course, it could be the compressor that’s gone bad, and if that’s the case then it is probably done. But there are two other possibilities, and I wanted to test them out. While I was in the basement, I decided to take a few pictures. This scale is one that I’ve used in the past for two different things: photography and ceramics. For photography, I used it to weigh out chemicals for processing black and white film and prints. For ceramics, to weigh ingredients for glaze. It’s been a while since I did either of those things, but I’d really like to get the ceramic work going again. I have the wheel and kiln here and just need to get a few things in place and I’d be ready to pick it up. I’m pretty much out of practice, but you never know, it might be like riding a bicycle. Or not.

Actually, the balance seems pretty significantly out of balance and I need to figure out what’s going on with that before it will be much use.

Liquor Bottles

Cathy and I went out for a somewhat late dinner this evening. We decided on Branded 72, a barbecue place that used to be O’Brien’s. The barbecue is good. If you are trying to cut down on carbohydrates, your side order options are a bit restricted. Fortunately I actually like collard greens, although what I had left a bit to be desired. Certainly not as good as the ribs. The restaurant is divided into two sections and we were alone in our half. There was talking and laughter coming from the bar (the other side). This windowed wall separates the two halves of the place and I set my camera on the table so that the 1/3 second exposure wouldn’t be blurry.

Hose Faucet and Bricks

I enjoy little things. I suppose anyone who has been following my blog for any time already knows that. We were up in Olney for dinner this evening at our favorite little Thai place and had to wait a little while for a table (did I mention that it’s a little place?). I walked around outside a while looking for things to photograph. I like the simplicity of this picture and also the colors. It’s just a hose faucet in a brick wall, but we often forget how convenient life is, when we can get water practically anywhere, just by turning a knob. Life is good.

Ophthalmological Instruments

As many of you know, I had cataract surgery in my left eye yesterday. I had a follow-up appointment this morning and all seems to be going exactly as planned and hoped. Here are three instruments in the ophthalmologist’s office. On the left is a phoroptor, used to determine the eyeglass prescription needed. The instrument is familiar, even if the name isn’t. Then, in the middle, is a keratometer, which is used to determine the shape of the cornea. Finally, on the right is a slit lamp, used to examine eyes. I’ve spent a lot of time behind this last item over the last five years or so.

Purple and Orange

Cathy and I went out to dinner this evening. While I usually have my camera with me these days, usually a crowded restaurant isn’t the sort of place I’m comfortable taking lots of pictures. I had the camera sitting on the table as we waited for our meal, however. I turned on the screen on the back and moved it around. seeing what I could see through the electronic viewfinder and taking a few pictures. This abstract image is one of those pictures. I’m not sure what it is supposed to convey, but there you are.

Rainy Reflections

Another rainy day today, as we come to the end of April. In fact it was a very rainy day. As I got to work it was coming down quite hard. I sat in my car, enjoying the sound of the rain and the quality of the light. The back of my office building has a large area of mirrored glass that reflects the trees in and around the parking lot. I’ve posted pictures taken in them before and I’m amazed at how different they can look, depending on the time of year and the weather. So, here’s a reflection on a rainy day.

Loose Screws

It’s pretty widely acknowledged that there’s a screw loose somewhere. Well, that’s what I’m constantly being told, anyway. I think I’ve found a few of them. They were in a box on a shelf in my kitchen. That’s probably because I put them there. I’m glad they aren’t with my marbles, because I lost them. These, or some of them, are destined to hold up some brackets that will hold up a ladder that’s taking up altogether too much space in my garage. Hanging it on the wall should make it much less of a bother.

Hot Sauces

Many years ago now we went to dinner with Cathy’s parents, our friends Brian and Lisa, and another couple. Our hosts were from Bangladesh and our dinner was wonderful, Bengali home cooking. One dish happened to be a little spicy. Actually, it wasn’t bad if you didn’t bite into one of the small green chilies. Well the wife of the other couple didn’t realize what they were and had one. Her reaction was the title of this post. We tried not to laugh at the time, and our hostess was a little embarrassed. She said she thought they were green beans. After we left we laughed and laughed. Over 20 years later we are reminded of it when we walk past the hot sauces in the grocery store. We even quote her on occasion. “Wow, that’s hot!”

Easter Eggs

I’m playing catch-up again, posting pictures well after the dates they were taken. I posted the Easter Flashback but of course, I need to post a picture taken on Easter of this year, as well. We went to the sunrise service at Fourth church, or at least we got there before it was over. I had started to set my alarm clock for 5:00 a.m. so we would be up in time to get to the 6:00 a.m. service. Then, thinking the girls might need a little longer to wake up, I set the alarm “back” ten minutes, changing the minutes to 50. Unfortunately, it was now set for 5:50, not 4:50, and we were lucky to get there before the service had finished completely. We went to the earliest of the regular services, as well, and then came back to our house for a lamb roast and the various fixings. Dorothy and Kendra dyed some eggs and later they were hidden in baskets in the yard.

Rainy Day Colors

Personally, I love a rainy day. We like to complain about rain, especially when it spoils our plans but it’s often quite beautiful when it rains. I won’t say this it an amazing photograph (it’s just the view from the third floor of my office building) but it does, I think, convey some of why I love the rain. The colors of most everything are made stronger and more beautiful by the rain. The browns and greens, in particular, benefit from being wet. Throw in a little brightness from spring blooms and it is even better. Yes, give me a good, wet, rainy day now and then. I won’t complain.

Bricks

It was a beautiful day and a good day for a drive. That’s fortunate, because I drove down to Richmond to pick up Dorothy. Traffic was heavy on 95 southbound but I didn’t have any real problems. Coming back was another matter. Interstate 95 is grossly inadequate for the traffic on the east coast. Anyway, I picked up Dorothy and we went to get her things before heading back north. This is a brick wall outside where she was staying. I like the warm color and rough texture of the bricks and may use this in an composite image at some point.

Fresh Guacamole

Cathy and I met our friend Collyn (see yesterday’s post) for dinner at Villa Maya Restaurant this evening. Two more friends were planning to join us but things came up (or had already been planned but temporarily forgotten, actually) and they had to cancel. No matter. Dinner was nice and we got to concentrate our attention on Collyn. Well, her and the food, which was very good. They have a cart with all the ingredients for guacamole and a young woman pushes it around from table to table, mixing up the luscious dip to order.

Chair and Coconut

I really don’t know what to write about this one. The title of this post says it, really. This is a chair, or two chairs, really, and a coconut. There’s a clipboard, as well, of course, and perhaps I should have given greater emphasis to that.

I like the fact that the darker floor tiles, the chairs, the coconut and the writing on the clipboard are all in basically the same color family. That certainly provides a unifying element to the picture.

I also like the strong lines of the chair, juxtaposed with the round nothingness and incongruity of the coconut. “Why a coconut and what is the connection between that and these chairs?” And what is the meaning of the cryptic sentence scrawled on the paper, “Where is my Fish spear?”

For now, it will remain a mystery.

Snow on Rose Branches

So, the rain that’s been falling since early Saturday turned to sleet and then to snow this afternoon. Perhaps that was predicted but I didn’t see it coming. I went out to the grocery store and when I got home it started coming down quite hard. At first it only accumulated on the car windscreen but then on the bushes and finally on the grass. I went out to take a few more pictures and like this one of a few brown leaves on the rose bush just outside our front door. This winter has been hard on the shrubs. The leaves on our boxwood has burned quite badly and I have a feeling that both Camellias that I planted last year have died. After so many mild winters, I thought it would be safe but I’m afraid this winter has been a test of their hardiness that they have not passed.

A River Runs Through It

It rained all day yesterday and everyone was glad it was rain and now snow. Today, people were starting to feel waterlogged and wished it would stop, even for a little while. Tomorrow the forecast is for “sunny, with a high near 59, and breezy.” Today, the lawn is about as wet as it can be. There is a little swale between our yard the the yard next door. When it rains like it has done for the last 36 hours or so, it turns into a bit of a stream. The stream was flowing today, as you can see.

Late March Snow

I feel like a broken record. I don’t know how many times we’ve had a snowfall and thought, well, at least this should be the last for the winter. Each time we are more sure that a snowfall this late is unusual, only to have one even later come along and make us forget the earlier one. I also don’t know how many times I’ve hear people say, “I’m really ready for spring!”

Of course, I don’t know any more than the next person whether this is the final snowfall of the year. I do know that there are a lot of people who seriously hope it is.

It was actually quite lovely out today and the snow came down fairly steadily for much of the day, starting at about 8:00 AM and not stopping until a little before I drove home in the evening. It didn’t really stick to the roads or other paved surfaces, so it wasn’t nearly the bother some previous snowfalls have been. This was the view out of my office window.