Friday, November 28, 2008

First of Two Saturdays!

The banner that Kaye created for me looks great! Thanks, Kaye!

I was up last night still trying to figure out my camera. "Noise Reduction" is not the funny sound it makes on video when it's constantly focusing, though that noise can be avoided. Don't ask me how. I read just about the whole book and my main "focus" is on the lighting and ISO settings. I remember ISO from our old Canon AE1, but never really used those much and kept it on Automatic all the time. Some of the TG pictures were very grainy - I learned that the graininess is the noise in a picture. I hope I have that taken care of. (And I wanted a new camera? I can barely operate the one I have!)

I slept this morning a whole hour later than usual and finally got up, had coffee, half a banana and a piece of the bread Sher had brought yesterday. I shared with Oscar. Paul was out rounding up leaves with the mower, then helped Joe do something over in his yard. I played with pictures and decided to upload to Walmart Photo and have prints made - I'm behind in getting prints done. There's nothing like having pictures to share with someone sitting beside you. Althought the digital are great there is still that tiny element of fear that all will be lost in a single blip or computer crash. I do have most of mine on disk and on an external hard drive. (And how long will disks and EHDs last before they go the way of the 8-track?) Anyway, I finally got my order done at Walmart to pick up - sure beats standing at their machine trying to figure out which ones you want while someone's trying to wait patiently for their turn! All editing done at home, too. Starkville pictures and Thanksgiving pictures. I' behind on our vacation ones and when I was looking through those the first time, realized I had never had our "Girls' Gulf Shores Vacation" pix printed. Another time, another era. Events go by so fast it's difficult to keep up. Real pictures are paper and though at some point a hundred or two years from now, or even the very next minute, they will all be gone, for now they're an important part of my life. I've had a camera of some kind in my hand practically since I was 12 years old. The Kodak Instamatic was my first very own little camera I had. I think I've had the one with built in "pop-up" flash and the one with the cubes. I believe the cubes rotated and you could get four flashes from one cube.



Around 1:00 Paul and I went to Jonesboro to return some things to Coldwater Creek I had ordered. No problem, got that done. While there I recognized one of the ladies who worked there and it was Donna.... and right now I can't recall her last name. She worked at the Sharp PPO and I had several contacts with her with insurance business the first time around four years ago. I know it was that long because Teri was with me one day when we went to Jboro and we had lunch with Donna. I had stopped to pick up provider directories at her office, when I was in town for a doctor's appointment. She had neck surgery similar to Beck's, about 3 months ago, and is facing shoulder surgery about mid-December. She fell on concrete steps at church and it really caused a lot of orthopaedic problems. It took four months for another doctor to finally realize and confirm her shoulder needed repair. I told her the PT would be very tough following her shoulder surgery but she would make it - just don't give up!

I went to Barnes and Noble for Kirk's friend's Backpacker magazine. Then I walked through the mall and nearly had a panic attack - the noise! the crowds! the scents from all the lotions! and potions!, candles! and perfumes! But I made it and the sock and hosiery section of Dillard's was practically vacant. I looked for and found several pair that have no band at the top (just hope they stay up!); I think a couple pair I've been wearing have caused my ankles to swell. Or I'm going to have to stop eating salt. I'll try the socks first.

Paul and I went to Sam's and walked around for a while. I can remember a time we used to go and stock up on Lay's potato chips, honey buns, bread, croissants, peppermints. All the great carbs. We didn't buy a thing this time. I didn't even buy a book. There anyway. (B&N was another story - I did get one Bren had been reading: The Tea Rose. We'll see.) Paul and I did look at the LCD TVs and one of the employees answered a few questions. We've been talking about one for a couple of years and that will probably be our Christmas/anniversary gift to each other this year. (Fortieth coming up soon! Where has the time gone? Oh, please, slow down just a little bit!)

We ate at Dexter's BBQ and it was really good. I caved and got a Dr. Pepper and it was especially good - I was just thirsty for that! Paul had eaten there before when in Jboro for a meeting.

Talked to Sher on the way home. I had not seen the news and she told me about the Walmart employee being trampled and dying! during the early shopping specials this morning - it was a Black Friday, for another reason, though. You could not pay me enough to get in that crowd of folks to go shopping 1) that early, and 2) with people stampeding. What kind of holiday will that person's family have? I wonder if some of those people coming in even knew what had happened and what they had caused. There ripple effects we cause every day without thinking or often without even knowing. I have gained a few insights over the years: 1) I can't keep up with the madness nor do I want to; 2) there's nothing I want that bad I'd get up at four or five to wait in line, hit someone or push them to get; 3) there are quieter, saner things I'd rather do. Like this. Well, quieter, at least.

When we got home, Oscar was glad to see us as usual but he was having no part of the back yard tonight. (He could see/sense/smell the damp patio.) I leashed him and we walked just about the equivalent of around the block in the dark before he got his business done.

Tomorrow we're going to Memphis to Amy's to celebrate Thanksgiving and her birthday.

Sher said she was tired of being on the road. I'm okay for now; we have or will have traveled a lot this weekend. It hasn't been rushed; I've had actual time to feel myself absorb and think about what I'm doing and enjoy the days instead of having to count every minute or wonder when I'll get this or that done. In fact, the bedroom floor is piled with laundry to be folded. Do I care? Not right this minute!

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