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29
Mar 22

Let’s go diving

It was a full day at the office. I had to take The Yankee in for her class, while she continues her leg recovery. I did work things, and then took us to lunch. In the afternoon I drove her across campus to her second class, then picked her up later and took her to the house. Then I bought new dress shoes, something I could write about at great length, and returned to campus for television.

We could talk about the day-to-day, or we could look at some diving pictures. I’ve spoken with my editorial committee and consulted with my high-priced consultants and it has been decided. We will look at some diving pictures!

This was the first fish I saw on this trip, and the first photo I took with my new-to-me SeaLife camera. Please meet the tropical Spot-fin porcupinefish (Diodon hystrix). You’ll find this guy’s cousins in most any tropical waters in the world.

This lovely little tangle of coral and sponge was where I first noticed how well this camera picks out the yellows. It’ll come up again.

There’s my dive buddy! You always have to keep an eye on your dive buddy.

More great sponge growth.

You have to remember to look in all the directions, and down, and up!

But if you keep looking for sea turtles, you might miss some lovely sponges.

Dive buddy check!

Here’s the lovely, and common, yellow tube sponge (Aplysina fistularis). They can grow up to four feet in this part of the world.

Clearly I need to learn the names of more of the coral and sponges.

Think it’s easy? Do you know what this fish is?

Not so easy, is it? Don’t worry, you’ll have more chances to get some names in the coming days. (And if you know the common or scientific name of that fish, do drop it in the comments.)


28
Mar 22

A week at full speed

Let’s catch up on what the television students have been doing at IUSTV. Two weeks ago, of course, they were on Spring Break, which means they have to spool back up, which means it’s a little light. But, still, they released three new episodes, including a brand new show. Check these out.

First, the late night crew did a game show.

I’ll need you to tell me if the bit at the end was deliberate, or an accident. I haven’t caught up to the people involved yet to get the … official … version of the story.

This is a brand new show, and it starts with an interview with filmmaker Angelo Pizzo.

I wonder who they’ll book next for that show.

And if you need some sports, here’s some professional soccer talk from the semi-professional talkers.

And let’s check in with the kitties, who haven’t been featured here in two weeks. Two weeks, I’m told by my consultants, is a long time to not highlight your most popular feature.

Usually this is Poseidon’s role, but Phoebe has lately been hopping into the shower.

Her brother likes water more than she does, though. But that morning, I suppose, he was enjoying a few moments in the sun.

It was cold this weekend. How do I know it was cold? These two were cuddling for warmth.

Speaking of cold, this winter Poseidon learned about the joys of the space heater. Because he is spoiled, I have to put a blanket on the floor for him to enjoy.

Ridiculous, right?

A few nights later, the house was still feeling chilled. I tried to set that up for him again. Space heater, blanket, and all of that, but he wasn’t interested. Phoebe took it to the next level, however. And you’ll just have to believe me here, but …

She’s under the blanket, in front of the space heater.

And now, we’re back to it. If you have some more time to kill right now, however, there’s always more on Twitter and check me out on Instagram, too, including tons more videos from diving in Cozumel. And the cats. Did you know that Phoebe and Poseidon have an Instagram account? They do. Check them out.


25
Mar 22

Everybody has to have a moment

At 4:30 this morning … and for the rest of the morning …

And today, it was Poseidon’s moment. He made the most of it.

The riding game chimed in.

So it was a long day, with little rest. At work, I wrapped up a three-month long project, and wrote my way out of the entire thing. It was a planned, and good thing.

I left right on time, and my lovely bride and I took a nice little walk.

She just had surgery on her leg on Tuesday, and she’s making great progress, as we expected.

The nice thing about our current walks is that she isn’t walking faster than me. This will last for two or three weeks, tops.

We have started noting signs of spring on the path behind our house. Here are some of the lush blooming things coming back to life for the new year.

I am eagerly looking forward to this becoming routine, and not something upon which we remark. (It’s the end of March and “spring” is finally coming upon us. Note the jacket. Not pictured: the gloves I’m wearing at the end of March.)

This shrub is in our yard. No idea what to do with it this year.

For now, we’ll just admire it. And the weekend, which is now upon us! Happy weekend to you! And you and you! Happy weekend to all of us.


24
Mar 22

Travel day

We drove back to Bloomington from Cleveland today. It’s almost six hours, but we needed to stop every so often for things like gas and food and stretching our legs, meaning it took the better part of three weeks to get back today.

On the drive I saw a car using C-clamps to hold the wraparound bumper in place.

It was a Lexus.

Soon after we stopped, and I saw this in a dusty, uninviting little convenience store.

I haven’t spent a lot of time in Ohio, but it is starting to make sense to me.

There’s not a lot to see on the route, but here’s a bit of the agri-scenery.

If you don’t like that, there’s also Columbus and Cincinnati, but really, if you’ve driven around part of one city on an interstate, you’ve driven around them all, really.

In a smaller way, these little views are far more interesting, if you catch them at the right time of day.

Then, finally, the garage, the cats and some rest. And then back to work tomorrow.


23
Mar 22

A – ha (or eureka!)

An idea! I had one!

I spent about three hours on work stuff this afternoon in a Cleveland hotel room. It was only three hours because I created the most detailed away message ever for my work email — and still managed to do work on my days off.

My idea was this: I should do less work on my days off.

Something to address next time I take days off, whenever that is.