Kenny Smith | A remarkable thing happens …

adventures / friends / Monday / photo / running — Comments Off
09
Dec 24

Weekend shots

The problem with photography is that some of the best images come in the early morning, when the sun is low in the sky. And that, frankly, does not coincide with my lifestyle choices.

But on days when I am up, and I’m outside, the world looks lovely again, especially when it’s frost-covered anew.

This was waiting for a run to start, which is why I was up and outside early. They began about 20 minutes late for reasons that were not explained, but let us assume it was for our safety on the roads, and not because of general disorder. So I had time to take some extra photos, before shuffling through an easy 5K.

One stretch I was doing a 5:30 pace, but then I remembered this was maybe my fourth or fifth run of the fall, so I did the rest of it slowly and sensibly. Never you mind my time, which was somewhere between Olympian and walking.

My lovely bride did a 10K Saturday morning, which is why I was there at the finish line to take this poorly composed shot.

They didn’t really have a setup that was conducive to quality finish line photos, which more people should consider when laying these courses out. Begin with the family photos in mind, I always say, ever since I started saying it, which was just a few seconds ago.

Maybe that was the reason for the delay.

At any rate we got to hang out with our friends’ son, Sammy. He did not run, though I tried for months to get his dad to convert the stroller to an e-scooter, and bolt on some foot pedals so he could just ride on. Sammy decided to stay cozy and warm, because he’s smarter than those other kids who were out doing their stroller 5 and 10Ks this weekend.

Also, this guy is The Mayor, and he knows it.

But he’s the cool guy mayor, you know? He doesn’t flaunt it, doesn’t need to hold it over people’s head, he’s not bored of it or use it to his advantage. He just lets you be charmed by his natural charisma. How could he not be?

We had Cuban food for dinner Saturday night. I just wanted to memorialize this, for the next occasion I get Cuban food.

Roasted chicken, lechón asado, ropa vieja and the only problem was that they didn’t offer me seconds. (That ropa vieja was so good, they could have offered me thirds!)

Friday / photo — Comments Off
06
Dec 24

Notes on signs

We saw this sign and sent it to a friend. Now she wants to put it on the back of her wheelchair. You have to respect the sense of humor that people put in their own lives.

What could put someone more at ease than seeing you whip around a wheelchair and seeing that on the back? This is a person determined to enjoy their day. Let’s enjoy the day, too.

The problem with authentic outdoor signage is that they are meant to be seen from a distance. Viewed from a roadway. Perhaps at speed. And you think, I’d love to have that. Put it right up in the house, along that one wall. You know the wall.

The problem is, they might not fit. Or they might dominate the room more than you’d hope. You never think of this if you’re driving by, but if you see one in a habit in the great indoors, you are reminded. We ducked into this gas station for a snack and there, off to one sign was this gorgeous old weather-beaten thing.

How would you even all that around if the sign owner did give it to you? That one barely fits beneath the gas station ceiling.

I don’t know anything about cognac, but a quick search has convinced me the makers are still in business. I’m guessing whatever store that displayed this lovely old bottle sign has long since gone. I wish there was a little note that shared more about it, but maybe it is enough that you can touch it.

I touched the bottle sign.

adventures / photo / Thursday — Comments Off
05
Dec 24

A gleaming yellow lovelight

I made it through all of the grading and message sending at probably 3 a.m. this morning. This followed a sensible “Don’t stay up too late” missive, which I dutifully acknowledged and then ignored, because there is copy editing to do!

Which was great because soon after a student helpfully sent me a note explaining that one of the links I shared was busted. Stupid hyphen. (New band name! Called it first!)

Check your work, check your work, I have said at least 64 times a year to students for the last 18 years. And the one time I didn’t check my work, because it was late … I 404ed someone. Just great.

I am mortified.

Anyway, the link got fixed this morning. Other emails will come and go and I will do my best with them all, and hopefully the instructions and advice I offered my classes will be useful and well received and acted upon in a timely fashion.

Here’s a great Christmas tree!

No, there is not an angle you can shoot this from to not get a building of some sort in a background, somewhere. You can make the complete circle, 360 degrees, and no one has figured out a place to put this with a clear backdrop, or at least an iconic one, for the Insta.

The foreground matters more, anyway. Look who’s in that ornament!

I look forard to smiles like that. Ornament smiles are great smiles.

video / Wednesday — Comments Off
04
Dec 24

Bob Wilson, please pick up the white courtesy phone

Going through my phone; finding things I’ve never used here before. I’m taking a break from writing messages to students to clean a few things off my phone, that’s how my Wednesday is going. How’s yours?

Anyway, this was on a flight from here to there, I forget which. I could look, but that’s not the point. We were in the emergency exit row, which is great for legroom, plus you get this teeny tiny little porthole to look out of, and wonder.

Expect more of this sort of place holding filler the rest of the week, and perhaps next.

photo / Rowan / Tuesday / video — Comments Off
03
Dec 24

Never not grading

I am reading students’ reactions The Social Dilemma, a docu-drama on Netflix. They have to watch the full program and then describe one phenomenon that jumps out at them, and then apply one of the concepts or theories we have discussed in the class this semester to try to better understand it.

Why any of us, including myself, continue to use social media after going through one of my classes I’ll never know.

Well, for me I know. News.

In my other classes, I am looking over slide decks and quizzes and other papers. I’m not sure if the goal is to stay in the curve or get ahead of it. Maybe I’m just preemptively trying to get in the curve.

At any rate, this was my view today.

It’s important, every so often, to look up, and to look out.