Kvetching

I suppose I should confess.  It shouldn’t be a surprise.  I’ve been whining about this for a long time.  Whether it was wise or not only time will tell but I do know it makes me happy.  I bought a Nikon D80.  I just bought the kit lens that was with it which is the 18-55.  I have every intention of buying a few primes but for now I’d like to actually have a lens so there you go.

It was not an easy thing, this camera purchase.  I spent months doing research.  Originally I was going to get the D40 but people started to put doubt into my head.  “You’ll regret it,” they said.  “You’re more advanced as a photographer than that, you’ll quickly outgrow it,” they said.  But it’s so cheap, I lamented.  And finally I decided that they were probably right and that I’d rather spend the extra money and get that then end up regretting it and no doubt replacing it sooner than I’d ever wish to.  Then before I ever had the cash to buy it, came the announcement for the D90.  Everyone said I should wait.  I was going to wait.  Then I thought about it.  I thought long and hard.  The D90 is a bit more expensive and the D80 came down in price.  The D80 was good enough for me before so why do I need to spend the extra money?  Yeah it’s a bit better and it’s got a video camera (something I don’t want) but is it really worth it, for me, to spend the extra few hundred when I really don’t have it to spend?  Obviously I concluded that no, it wasn’t and for the money I’ll save I can focus on getting good lenses.  And I need the money I’ve saved by buying this camera to use during this term.

Unfortunately it’s raining so I can’t run around outside and take pictures which is why I was taking pictures of nothing last night, my ring, the elephant, outside my window.  I’m just trying to familiarize myself with the camera and figure out what works and what doesn’t.  While I suppose I have some advantage in knowing how to use an SLR, it’s really different using a digital SLR.  There’s so many buttons and options!

Ah well, I’m actually suddenly really not feeling so well.  Thankfully classes don’t start until Tuesday though I don’t think this is anything lasting.  I just suddenly got what feels like the beginning of a migraine so rather than rambling more on my blog I’m going to go take an Advil.  Good times.

I’m waiting for the rain.  I’ve moved back for my last term of classes.  Classes don’t start until Tuesday for me and it’s nice to have the few days to get everything in order and decompress before having to get back into student mode.  My dishwasher isn’t working because someone decided to take it apart.  It’s one of those in counter ones and I was loading it and the whole thing fell out onto me with this metal piece sticking into my arm.  The whole weight of the dishwasher was on this metal thing jabbing me in the arm.  It didn’t feel very nice.  The super said he’d get maintenance to come by on Monday and I could use it and just be careful until then.  Well, I loaded it all up and turned it on and it just made this horrible noise and no water came out.  Looks like I can’t use it after all.  Annoying.  And my wrist is really hurting today (this happened yesterday).

That aside though, it’s nice to just sit around in my own space but I really would rather be home.  No point in complaining, the term will fly by and I’ll have to start reality soon enough.

I’m incredibly tired and don’t really have anything useful to say.  It’s too bad we’re supposed to get all this rain and I won’t be able to do anything fun tomorrow.  One of these days I want to go around with my camera and take some pictures here.  Not necessarily on campus because campus is boring.  Though my view isn’t too bad.  I’ll post a cell phone photo taken from the window:

I got wireless hooked up in the apartment last night so I’m free to move about as I please now.  It’s not a big apartment but one less cord is one less cord and I can bring my laptop into another room and still chat with someone.  Tell me, who could ask for more?

I’m hoping to do something with my photography.  I have stuff here.  I was going to make cards or something.  Good intentions anyway.  I’d like to keep up my momentum to some degree, even with school going on and the cold weather fast approaching.

I seem to be just rambling.  I am so tired I’m thinking about taking a nap.  How cool am I to be talking about taking a nap on a Saturday night?  The coolest.

Film: Likon 200 ISO (from the Dollar Store).  Camera:  Canon FTb

Ok, so there’s a place in the mall called Stitch It which does sewing alterations.  Being 5′1″ tall, I have to hem the legs of every pair of pants I buy.  I’ve taken jeans to the Stitch It here at the mall 3 times.  I didn’t notice at first that they screwed up the hem.  The second time I noticed but figured, well, unlucky break.  The third time I brought jeans to them and the hem was so incredibly obviously crooked I vowed never to go back.  Might I mention these 3 pairs of jeans were all designer jeans.  Wonderful.  So, I have a pair of Joe’s Jeans and the button fell off/apart.  I figured, ok, this is simple, a button.  I don’t know where else to bring them to have them fixed and I figured there’s not much to it so I went to Stitch It.  I paid $5 something and they took my jeans and said they would put a new button on.  Wonderful.  I picked them up later that night and the next day I wore my jeans.  Towards the end of the day I went to unbotton the jeans and the button came off.  I look and it’s still in one piece, it had simply SLID THROUGH THE HOLE THAT WAS THERE THAT THEY DID NOT BOTHER TO FIX!  Obviously this wasn’t going to work!  I could have bought a button and did what they did!  There was a hole from the other button and if they didn’t repair that, obviously sliding the new button through the hole was not going to keep it on!  I haven’t decided yet whether to go back and tell them how stupid they are but I will NEVER EVER go back to Stitch It in Champlain Place.

I will add a note that I have been to Stitch It in the Regent Mall in Fredericton.  The staff is friendly and they hemmed my pants properly and I never had any issues.  I’ll be going back there when I get back to school at the end of this week but I am thoroughly unimpressed with the Stitch It in Champlain Place and would advise anyone looking for any kind of work, even simple hemming or putting a button on a pair of jeans, to go elsewhere as these people obviously don’t know how to “stitch it”.

Dear Rob Zombie,

I found this picture in my house.  It instantly made me think of you.  Please feel free to use it as inspiration for your next film.

From,

Jen

I went to an antique store here to see about a book I’d seen on display. It’s an old Rudyard Kipling book, from the same series as my other, blue cover with swastikas decorating it. It’s actually badly water damaged and the woman at the store just gave it to me. I was telling my mom how it would be cool to deal in antique books. I mean clearly that’s not something I could make a full time living doing and you need some capital to start something like that but it seems fitting enough. I was raised around books.

So, tonight, after packing away some of my own books I went and had a look at some of the old books we have lying around. I found these two little children’s books.

I used to love the Brownie Bear one. I also found this Rudyard Kipling book. It doesn’t have a copyright mark at all. Originally I know these had dust jackets and I’m wondering if this isn’t a first edition since I know the first editions were red. Of course the writing inside devalues the book but it’s kind of cool to see it, all the same.

I also found this Longfellow which is pretty cool. It’s got a copyright of 1882. It’s in pretty decent condition too, all things considered.

I also found an old photo of some family member on my mom’s side. She has no idea who it is but she sure was pretty and the photograph is really cool.

And if anyone knows what this might have been for and when they were given out, I’d love to know. My mom thinks it probably belonged to one of her uncles.

I saw this over on Lyndonology and figured hey, why not.  Here are the rules:

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment to www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.

The Omnivore’s Hundred:

1.  Venison
2.  Nettle tea
3.  Huevos rancheros
4.  Steak tartare
5.  Crocodile
6.  Black pudding
7.  Cheese fondue
8.  Carp
9.  Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float (only with Coke not root beer which I hate)
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

There you have it.  Being a Jew and also having food allergies makes for some interesting strike-throughs.  I’m going to go find some Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee this week.