JJB’s Ramblings

They say that all good things must come to an end.  I think that this probably holds true for exhausting, time consuming things as well.  When I finally fall asleep on  12-31 (or more likely early on the morning of 1-1) I will have taken the last photograph in the Photo of the Day Series.  After a 3 year run (or 36 months, or 156 weeks or 1095 days) of taking a photograph between the time I woke up and the time I fell asleep, it is time to put the camera down. I thought it would be nice to take a look back and share with you my Top 5 Favorite POTD’s for  2005, 2006 and 2007. 

POTD 2005

5. Here. On a grey skyed sunday I found myself driving around up in the gloucester/essex area and had pulled off when i saw this boat floating alone in the shallow water. 

4. Here. I love my macro lens and I wouldn’t be surprised if a few more macro shots make it into the top five.  I always loved my bright orange countertops in Somerville. 

3. Here. This may be an all time favorite.  I was in Vegas with Roo for a few days and rented a car and drove out to Red Rock National park.  A little hot for my liking, but absolutley beautiful. 

2. Here. I think that this photo is the only one in the 3 years that I couldnt stop smiling after I shot it.  I was so excited by this grab that I was grinning for at least an hour afterwards. 

1. Here. It took me a while to figure out how to wrap the year up and after all was said and done, this was the best possible way. 

POTD 2006

5. Here. My friends became a constant subject through the POTD years and this is prob one of my favs.  The best ones always came when they were aware. 

4. Here. You know I love my snow and cold, but it was REAL hard not to enjoy this. 

3. Here. An excusrion to the west coast for the first time and did a little road trip with an old friend.  This is one of my first HDR images. 

2. Here. No seriously, I laugh every time I see this one. 

1. Here. This was more on the creative tip (maybe i do my best work on the last day of the year) and the compliation came out exactly like I wanted. 

POTD 2007

5. Here. While the others were skiing, I was hiking around on a bum ankle and ventured out on the Kangamangus Highway. 

4. Here.  I found that the finished wedding product was so much better when I had a vested interest in it coming out superb. 

3. Here. One of my more creative moments. 

2. Here. Another HDR photo that became an instant favorite. 

1.  Here. It was really nice to have such a large number of family members (immediate, distant and new) together for a brunch after thanksgiving,

So thank you, all my friends and family that have kept up with this project over the years.  Though I am reluctant to put the camera down (I am sure it will be used on the 1st) I think that the break will make way for better things.  In fact, there is a collaborative project with Roo that is in the works and should be up and running in the early part of 2008.  It will require participation on your part, so enjoy the break from the POTD, but don’t wander too far because we have more time killing fun ahead. Thank you

JB

This is an actual conversation that took place after Kirsten decided to throw herself a half birthday.  After discussing plans for the eveing it came up that we had read the same book.  I take you now to a conversation that is already in progress… 

K:  What book are you reading?  

J:  some layup novel called Night Fall by Nelson Demille.  It isnt very good. 

K: that book IS terrible.  That is the one about the plane crash off LI and the guy who is convinced that there is a conspiracy or some nonsense, right?  I blocked out most of it, honestly, but I do remember that much.  And that it is terrible.  Although, I finished it.  It was like eating a rice cake when you want cookies.  At least you ate/read something, but mostly you just feel cheated. 

J:  thats the same one.  I finished my other book and my co-worker gave me this slop.   I hate writing (that is) in the third person.   Justin Bates thinks it’s a good idea for Argentinian food with his friends tonight.  He may not like them, but it’s better than eating alone.  Justin wants to know what time we should head over

K: Kirsten feels that it would be unfair of her to tell Justin to go to hell, and that she doesn’t really care for him either, since she did arrange this get together.  So, instead she emails him back.  “Come over whenever you and E are ready,” she wrote, against her better judgment.  “I am not sure when Matt will be home, but we can head over in one car when he gets here.”  What she failed to add was and while you are here, I can feed the wolves.  Kirsten believes that Justin agreed to write a blog this way.

J: After reading Kirsten’s reply, Justin decided that since he didnt have any other plans and E would be amenable to anything, he would accept the offer.  What Kirsten didnt count on was Justin’s lack of energy.  Instead of taking creativity into his own hands, he would just copy their conversation and post that.  Justin feels good about sharing.  

K:  Her fingers hovered about the keys as she looked for the words she wanted.  Bring it sounded good, but as everyone knows, those words can win you a serious ass-kicking if uttered at the wrong time or place.  She chuckled inside, thinking about the crazy Marshfield woman.  No, that was not the right sentiment.  Kirsten searched her mind.  Ah—there it was, lurking in the back.  Intellectual Property Rights Cage Match.  It captured the true paradox of this situation.  On the one hand, Justin has as good as admitted to the world that he was stealing what was clearly Kirsten’s intellectual property.  Really, who would have believed that he could have written that anyway?  But, cage match was the best way to describe what was to come.  There was no way that Justin could have known when he stole the lines that it would lead to this.  Of course not.  If he had that much imagination, he would have written his own blog today instead of cutting and pasting from a friend’s email.  But a cage match it must be.  It is the only way to settle a dispute over intellectual property rights, as any attorney will tell you.    Of course, in order to settle this dispute to the letter of the law—the only way to preserve the friendship—it would be necessary to locate a cage large enough to house this match.  The Stanley measuring tape, for all its bright, yellow friendliness told Kirsten only disappointing news: Bunny’s cage was not large enough for a death match.  Quickly, she opened Firefox and pulled up the Home Depot website… J:  I challenge you to find anything intellectual in any of this.  Though thanks to the power of Gmail, and the fact that it scans your email and shows product reccomendations based on your conversations, I feel that we will have a cage in no time flat.

The End

… is an anagram for Bacon UPDATE! 

So you want to know the progress of my bacon making?  Check it here.

 No, but seriously I have no idea.  It is day 3 of the 7 day curing time and all I could gather when I flipped it over was that it was starting to draw juices.  Soon though…. very soon.