Inside the Red Head's Head

Watch Robert's Cat Conquer the World

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Last Notes

2025-08-09 22:09:43 UTC

The End Continues
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ryx-eRSwSs
And if the trailer weren’t magical enough, there is this……..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WWTzQ-mRFw
#Movies #spinalTap

2025-07-03 18:21:07 UTC

Moody
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54631047169/in/dateposted/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54629974152/in/photostream/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54631047189/in/photostream/
#Cat #Kitty #lily #Nikon #nikonZ5 #photography #robin #z5

2025-07-01 19:46:15 UTC

Thief
Check out Robin trying to steal my water bottle. Thief!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54626250734/in/dateposted/
#Cat #hipstaKitty #Hipstamatic #iphoneography #Kitty #photography #robin

2025-06-27 13:47:16 UTC

Nerd Family Portrait
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54616430727/in/dateposted/
I’m from North America so I pronounce it Nykon, not Nickon. That is probably wrong, but I don’t care.
#cameras #iphoneography #Nikon #photography

2025-06-26 20:02:36 UTC

Annoyed
Someone got her nails trimmed today and she doesn’t seem terribly happy about it.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54615895405/in/dateposted/
#Cat #Kitty #Nikon #nikonZ5 #photography #robin #z5

2025-06-25 13:14:40 UTC

50k
The upside of the endless traffic jams during the morning commute is that it’s easy to take a picture when you happen to catch your car’s odometer hitting a major milestone.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54612103242/in/dateposted/
Happy 50k miles, Mazda.
Also, it was over 90 degrees outside before the clock struck 9:00am. It’s going to be a rough day out there. It’s still a zillion times better than cold and snow though.
In closing, here’s a cat:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54611941037/in/photostream/
#50000Miles #Cat #commute #iphoneography #Kitty #lily #odometer #photography #traffic

2025-06-24 17:47:48 UTC

Congratulations!
Harry just told us that he got his first job offer. One month and six days after graduation. Excellent work, Harry! I think I am going to burst with pride!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54528555968/in/album-72177720326195140
#adultKids #collegeGraduate #congratulations #Family #grownUpKids #jobOffer #Kids #Nikon #nikonZ5 #photography #pride #proud #proudStepFather #StepKids #workForce #z5

2025-06-21 11:58:31 UTC

Chickens
Apparently we have chickens in our neighborhood now.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54602903497/in/dateposted/
#Nikon #nikonZ5 #photography #z5

2025-06-20 13:05:20 UTC

Ask Me
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54602147594/in/dateposted/
From the parking lot at Lowell General Hospital early this morning. I was just there for blood work ahead of a check up next week but I couldn’t resist. Best bumper sticker ever?
#iphoneography #photography

2025-06-13 11:42:35 UTC

New Favorite Picture
I have a new favorite picture. My peoples.
https://flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54585888729/in/dateposted/
#boardwalkHotel #DisneyWorld #Family #Nikon #nikonZ5 #photography #Travel #Vacation #z5

2025-06-12 11:30:04 UTC

Should Harry be Worried?
Look at this picture:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54583810618/in/dateposted/
Harry, mugging it up with Minnie Mouse. It’s adorable, right?
Look closer… do you see Mickey Mouse in the (blurry!) background? Does he look… jealous? Does he look like maybe that smile on his face is not sincere? Does he look like there is trouble brewing? Should Harry and Minnie be afraid of some sort of repercussion?
I don’t think so but… I don’t know.
#DisneyWorld #HollywoodStudios #Nikon #nikonZ5 #photography #Travel #Vacation #z5

2025-06-11 18:49:04 UTC

Go
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54581932592/in/dateposted/
That’s today’s photo a day picture. Number 284 of 365.
Also…
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54581946692/in/dateposted/
#365 #365Challenge #365Project #DisneyWorld #florida #Go #HollywoodStudios #photoADay #photoADayChallenge #photoADayProject #photography #StarWars #STORMTROOPER #theFirstOrder #Travel #Vacation

2025-06-11 11:33:04 UTC

What Day is Today?
Today is Wednesday, which makes this day four of the trip? I think so. I am on vacation so I refuse to do math.
Yesterday was Magic Kingdom but the weather went down the crapper in the afternoon and we spent a lot of the time at the hotel watching lightning. One blast hit so close that we think it might have hit something in the hotel complex. That was freaky.
Today is Hollywood Studios. We’ll spend the morning there then go back to the hotel to rest up for an extended after hours event that we bought tickets for. We may be riding Star Wars rides until after midnight. Fortunately I had my first good nights sleep in weeks last night, so fingers crossed I’m up for it.
I hope to be posting pictures of First Order stormtroopers soon.
#DisneyWorld #familyVacation #florida #HollywoodStudios #magicKingdom #Orlando #Travel #Vacation

2025-06-10 11:29:54 UTC

Day Two
Yesterday, our first full day at Disney World, was the second day of our trip. We went to Animal Kingdom for most of the day and later went to Epcot for dinner. We ate at Space 220, 220 miles above the surface of the Earth. I didn’t take any pictures in the restaurant, but I did take this as we were leaving for the night. I felt it was appropriate.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54579283173/in/album-72177720326730063
We are heading to Magic Kingdom today. I hope to sneak back to Epcot at some point, but it’s not looking likely. We’re only two days in and I am wiped out. Fun! WOOHOO!
#animalKingdom #DisneyWorld #Epcot #Family #Nikon #nikonZ5 #photography #Travel #z5

2025-06-08 21:38:31 UTC

Interesting View
The view from our hotel room is interesting.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54576103813/in/album-72177720326730063
Photo a day challenge number 281 or 365.
#365 #365Challenge #365Project #animalKingdomLodge #DisneyWorld #photoADay #photoADayChallenge #photoADayProject #photography #Travel

2025-06-08 07:53:39 UTC

3:52am
I am up and I am getting everything ready. We’re less than an hour away from the start of our journey.
Florida or busy, babie!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54574610704/in/dateposted/
#DisneyWorld #florida #iphoneography #packing #photography #Travel

2025-06-08 01:37:37 UTC

Travel Tomorrow
It is 9:30pm on Saturday night. The car that is taking us to the airport will be here at 4:45am. My alarm is set for 3:30. Here’s hoping I get at least a little sleep tonight.
We’re 95% packed. All that is left is last minute things like this laptop I’m typing this post on, and some chargers, and things like that. Harry is here and he’s doing some laundry, so he has to finish that tonight too.
One thing that isn’t here is the new/ancient film camera that I bought off of ebay last week. The USPS delivery date/time was today at 9:00pm. It was set for that for almost a whole week. At 9:00 tonight the estimate changed to Monday at 9:00pm. Fucking post office. I’m so pissed off. Now my new/old camera is going to sit on the steps for almost a whole week while I’m off visiting Mickey in Florida. Fucking post office.
I’m going to try and get some sleep soon. Here’s hoping for a smooth journey tomorrow, a successful week’s vacation with the family, and a safe and easy trip home next weekend. It’s going to be a great week… despite the fucking post office.
#airplane #Airport #DisneyWorld #florida #Orlando #Sleep #Travel

2025-06-07 17:17:43 UTC

Packed
I just packed up two suitcases and a backpack.
Who’s ready to fly to Florida to see The Mouse?
We are, that’s who. All we need is for Harry to get here. Well… that and for it to be tomorrow when the flight is scheduled. That too.
#DisneyWorld #florida #Travel #Vacation

2025-06-06 18:17:34 UTC

Frugal Film Project
I wanted to do this back in January but it was cold out there and I forgot.
The Frugal Film Project is an internet challenge to buy a cheap camera and shoot a roll of cheap(ish) film through it every month for a year. The rule used to be that you had to grab the camera for under $50 but that was before prices ballooned during the pandemic so now it’s $75.
I bought my little Soviet TLR camera, a Lomo Lubitel 166 Universal, for about $40 so it qualifies. You’re supposed to use budget film but I don’t think such a thing actually exists anymore. Even cheap film is grossly expensive. I am going to play this game with the Lubitel and Kodak Gold 200 film. I started it on Memorial Day at Riverside Park in Methuen, a couple of weeks ago, so month number one is May 2025. I’ve already shot a roll in June too, in Harvard Square, but I won’t get that developed for a couple of weeks.
The camera only shoots 12 pics to a roll and (magically, for me) all 12 on the May roll came out okay. Here they are……..
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54560827040/in/album-72177720326546462
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54560678084/in/album-72177720326546462/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54560498326/in/album-72177720326546462/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54560498291/in/album-72177720326546462/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54560827010/in/album-72177720326546462/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54560732908/in/album-72177720326546462/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54560678014/in/album-72177720326546462/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54560732918/in/album-72177720326546462/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54560732913/in/album-72177720326546462/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54560498281/in/album-72177720326546462/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54560827055/in/album-72177720326546462/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54560732963/in/album-72177720326546462/
#120Film #filmPhotography #frugalFilmProject #KODAKGOLD200 #lomoLubitel166Universal #mediumFormat #photography

2025-06-06 15:23:17 UTC

Groundhog Day
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54571357265/in/dateposted/
That’s a groundhog, right? I can picture it sitting on Bill Murray’s lap, driving a pickup truck so it must be a groundhog.
Photo a day number 279 of 365.
#365 #365Challenge #365Project #Nikon #nikonZ5 #photoADay #photoADayChallenge #photoADayProject #photography #z5

2025-06-05 21:40:49 UTC

AirPlay Fail
I’m trying to listen to a Jefferson Airplane playlist on my iPhone and have it stream over to the HomePod on the shelf above my desk.
It keeps crapping out on me. Failure is the theme for this day.
Robin stares off into infinity, pondering the mystery of audio streaming between two Apple devices.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54569966101/in/dateposted/
#airplay #Apple #Cat #jeffersonAirplane #Kitty #Nikon #nikonZ5 #photography #robin #streamingAudio #z5

2025-06-05 15:28:26 UTC

Photo a Day Fail
It’s gorgeous out today. I have windows open in almost every room in the house. Eventually it will be too warm outside for that and I will close them all and let the central air take over. For now though, let’s enjoy the breeze.
Robin was sitting in front of the dining room window, as she often does. I lined up a shot for today’s photo a day, as I often do…
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54569137521/in/photostream/
She saw me coming and decided that rather than play the role of the model, she wanted some attention. She ran away just as I was about to press the shutter. She ran right over to me and demanded I pet her.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54569361748/in/photostream/
So now this is the photo a day photo instead of the cat in the window I was trying to get. Either way… adorable.
278/365
#365 #365Challenge #365Project #Cat #Kitty #photoADay #photoADayChallenge #photoADayProject #photography #robin

2025-06-04 23:15:50 UTC

Photo a Day
Photo a day challenge number 277/365.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54566802791/in/dateposted/
And one to grow on…
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54567123234/in/dateposted/
#365 #365Challenge #365Project #Cat #iphoneography #Kitty #photoADay #photoADayChallenge #photoADayProject #photography

2025-06-04 13:44:56 UTC

Flickr is Down
I’m working in the office today so it was very important that I take a pic or two before I left the house so that I would not forget and put my photo a day challenge thing in jeopardy. I used the Hipstamatic app and took a bunch of cat pics. All is well.
Except…
Flickr appears to be down today. At best the service has been intermittent. It works for a minute, then it doesn’t. I got today’s pics uploaded, but adding tags and permissions and albums has been difficult.
I wanted to try to sneak in a photo a day post here, but I can’t get to the pics right now. Let’s all send some happy thoughts to Flickr. Hang in there, folks. You’ve got this… whatever it is. Good luck!
#Flickr #imageHosting #internet #offline #serviceDisruption

2025-06-03 15:49:31 UTC

Changes Coming
My music nook is about to go through some shit.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54564886321/in/dateposted/
Photo a day 276 of 365.
#365 #365Challenge #365Project #Guitar #Hipstamatic #iphoneography #Music #photoADay #photoADayChallenge #photoADayProject #photography

2025-06-03 01:27:50 UTC

Substack
Right folks, what are our thoughts on Substack? I subscribe to a handful of them but I only ever actually read stuff from the guitar player who used to be in The Blake Babies (and I’m just thinking that it is really getting to be time for another Blake Babies reunion record, don’t we think?) and one film photographer from youtube who lives somewhere in the wilds of New Hampshire. Truthfully, I don’t read every post from those two users but I read some of them. Sorry.
My first thought when I learned about Substack was nope, I’m too old for that shit. The Blake Babies guy is older than I am though… he’s also 100 times cooler and a lawyer (yikes) and his cred level is 100000000 times mine… though any number that quantifies your credibility is higher than my complete and total lack of credibility, right?
My second thought was… it’s an email newsletter. Anyone who would be dumb enough to subscribe to mine would mark me as spam within a couple of days of my pointless brain droppings.
Still… am I thinking about it? No… but… yeah, no.
What else, what else… new camera coming soon. The USPS tracking number says it will arrive on Saturday. That doesn’t give me any time to shoot and develop a test roll before I go on vacation, but I had already decided not to bring a film camera on vacation this time. I’m going all digital on this trip.
Part of my initial film camera attraction was using fully manual, mechanical cameras. I didn’t want any automation at all. I didn’t want anything electronic. This time? The new camera has autofocus. Oh praise be, it has autofocus! I’m getting blinder by the minute and manually focusing is a bitch. Wearing bifocals (well, progressive lenses) makes it so much worse. Now I am going to be able to autofocus with film and oh how the heavens will sing in gleeful glee.
What else? This is traditionally the longest week of the working man’s life. The full work week before a vacation. One day down, four endlessly long and painful days to go. But hey, there’s a new camera and a vacation at the end of it! There’s two carrots on the end of this week’s stick. The best part? Both kids are coming on this trip. We’re going as a full family. How cool is that? Both kids are in their 20’s and we can still get them to come on vacation with us. Life is pretty fucking cool sometimes, don’t you think?
I should join Substack and write a big article about it.
#adultKids #blogging #cameras #Family #grownKids #grownUpKids #StepKids #substack #Travel #Vacation

2025-06-02 00:13:35 UTC

Film Thoughts
Two thoughts on the mountain of film I got back from the development lab today.
First, I need to learn how to hold my camera without leaning to the side.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54560685504/in/dateposted/
Every square format shot is tilted. Do I have one leg longer than the other or something?
Second, I am not vibing with this brand of film. I bought two rolls of 120 and two rolls of 35mm. I shot the two 120’s last week and one of the 35mm’s today. After I finish the last roll I think I am done with this brand. Oh well.
#filmPhotography #harmanPhoenix200 #lighthouse #lomoLubitell166Universal #photography #plumbIsland

2025-06-01 16:49:00 UTC

Film Scans
I got my new batch of film scans back today! Can I get a WOOHOO from the audience?
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54560842160/in/dateposted/
#Boston #filmPhotography #hancockBuilding #harmanPhoenix200 #lomoLubitell166Universal #mediumFormat #photography

2025-05-31 13:04:47 UTC

Travel Plans and Parental Controls
Bellana came home late last night. Late enough that I was asleep. I woke up at 4:00am for some reason and checked the driveway and her car was there. Wonderful! My step daughter is home!
By 8:30am though we had dropped her off at the airport. She’s flying to Denver, meeting a friend, and then driving back to somewhere in North Carolina. From there she’s going to Atlanta and flying to Orlando where she will meet up with the rest of us for our Disney trip the week after next.
That’s a lot of traveling!
Her flight hasn’t boarded yet, but according to flightaware.com it is still on time. Safe travels, Bellana! We love you!
On an unrelated note, I think I need to set up parental controls on my computer. I think I need to block ebay. Yeah… I bought another camera last night. What the fuck, Robert? This one is a 35mm with autofocus. It has a 50mm lens too. Bonus! I still don’t think I will take any film on our vacation, but it is pretty clear my self imposed two month film hiatus isn’t going to last more than a few days. Oh well. I tried.
While we’re on the subject of film, I got a notification from the lab I sent the last batch of film to that it arrived. That was Thursday afternoon. I was hope hope hoping that I would receive word that the scans were available yesterday but I gots nuttin’. I doubt they’ll be working over the weekend, so hopefully early next week we’ll have the results. I’m optimistic that the five medium format rolls come out okay. Four of them might at least. One of them might be a smidge under exposed. I had the light meter app on my phone set wrong during one roll. Dumb ass. Everything else (hopefully) was free of user errors or dumb ass fuck ups. Fingers crossed.
#adultKids #destination #Family #filmCameras #filmDeveloping #filmPhotography #GearAcquisitionSyndrome #grownUpKids #StepKids #travelPlans

2025-05-30 11:00:35 UTC

16 Years Ago Today
16 years ago today was a good day. A very good day. A life affirming, life changing, brilliant day.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/4038763754/in/album-72157622529340555
Happy anniversary to the love of my life, Jen. 16 fantastic years, and the best is yet to come. I love you more each day.
#16thWeddingAnniversary #anniversary #Family #weddingAnniversary #weddingDay

2025-05-29 23:50:34 UTC

Giddy
Look at the nerd boy being all giddy.
The film lab sent him an email saying the received my latest film order. We’re going to have new film shots to play with at some point over the next couple of business days.
Squee, bro… squee.
#120Film #35mmFilm #filmDeveloping #filmDevelopment #filmLab #filmPhotography

2025-05-29 13:20:29 UTC

Photo a Day 271/365
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54553751409/in/datetaken/
In the office today. Wishing I was home playing guitar, or walking around town taking pictures. Being an adult is such a downer.
#365 #365Challenge #365Project #Hipstamatic #iphoneography #photoADay #photoADayChallenge #photoADayProject #photography

2025-05-28 16:33:31 UTC

Photo a Day
Once again, the photo a day photo is a cat staring out a window.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54551627961/in/datetaken/
#365 #365Challenge #365Project #Cat #Kitty #Nikon #nikonZ5 #photoADay #photoADayChallenge #photoADayProject #photography #robin #z5

2025-05-26 18:46:42 UTC

Recreated
I think it was Father’s Day in 2006. I had a nice little Kodak point and shoot camera and I wanted to use it so I drove into Boston and just walked around. I had an idea to stand at the base of the Hancock building and point the camera straight up. That didn’t quite work the way I had hoped, but when I moved just a little bit I got this:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/3508496301/
It might still be my favorite photograph that I have ever taken that doesn’t have Jen or Harry or Bellana or my niece or any of my nephews in it. I like it.
Every time I get a new camera I think, “I’m going to try and recreate that picture” and then it never works out as well. My Nikon D90 gave me a bunch of really good pictures, but nothing close enough to the accidental original. I just couldn’t figure out what I was doing wrong.
Ever since the film obsession began a few years ago (when my sister found my father’s Pentax K1000 while cleaning out his dresser and asked if anyone wanted it and I suddenly realized that I really, really, really wanted it) I’ve been wanting to go into Boston and see if I could pull it off on film.
Today I went into Boston to see if I could pull it off. I had the K1000, the Lubitell 166, and my digital Nikon Z5. I was messing with the K1000 when I accidentally figured out what I needed to do. I didn’t move to my left, like I thought I did. I moved to my right. All three cameras tried it out. Obviously we have to wait to get the film developed to know how they did, but the digital I can already see.
Close enough?
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54547114851/in/datetaken/
All I need now is the airplane to come back.
#Boston #camera #cameras #hancockBuilding #hancockTower #Nikon #nikonZ5 #photography #recreation #reflection #z5

2025-05-26 18:46:42 UTC

Recreated
I think it was Father’s Day in 2006. I had a nice little Kodak point and shoot camera and I wanted to use it so I drove into Boston and just walked around. I had an idea to stand at the base of the Hancock building and point the camera straight up. That didn’t quite work the way I had hoped, but when I moved just a little bit I got this:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/3508496301/
It might still be my favorite photograph that I have ever taken that doesn’t have Jen or Harry or Bellana or my niece or any of my nephews in it. I like it.
Every time I get a new camera I think, “I’m going to try and recreate that picture” and then it never works out as well. My Nikon D90 gave me a bunch of really good pictures, but nothing close enough to the accidental original. I just couldn’t figure out what I was doing wrong.
Ever since the film obsession began a few years ago (when my sister found my father’s Pentax K1000 while cleaning out his dresser and asked if anyone wanted it and I suddenly realized that I really, really, really wanted it) I’ve been wanting to go into Boston and see if I could pull it off on film.
Today I went into Boston to see if I could pull it off. I had the K1000, the Lubitell 166, and my digital Nikon Z5. I was messing with the K1000 when I accidentally figured out what I needed to do. I didn’t move to my left, like I thought I did. I moved to my right. All three cameras tried it out. Obviously we have to wait to get the film developed to know how they did, but the digital I can already see.
Close enough?
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54547114851/in/datetaken/
All I need now is the airplane to come back.
#Boston #hancockBuilding #hancockTower #Nikon #nikonZ5 #photography #recreation #reflection #z5

2025-05-26 11:55:50 UTC

Ducks
The cameras and I went out again this morning… and I think we’re going out again later today as well. We’ll see how things go between now and then.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54545361082/in/album-72177720326414589
#ducks #iphoneography #Massachusetts #MemorialDay #merrimackRiver #methuen #Nikon #nikonZ5 #photography #z5

2025-05-25 12:29:25 UTC

Sunrise Fail
The forecast called for clear skies at Salisbury Beach at sunrise today. The forecast was wrong. I was there and I took a bunch of pictures, but the clouds covered the horizon and there was no photo of the sun coming out of the water. It was a wasted effort on that front, but I went to Plumb Island after and got a nice pic of the lighthouse.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54543753511/in/album-72177720326390739
When the sun eventually did break through, it made the Merrimack River look nice.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54543940424/in/album-72177720326390739
#365 #365Challenge #365Project #lighthouse #Massachusetts #merrimackRiver #Nikon #nikonZ5 #photoADay #photoADayChallenge #photography #plumbIsland #river #z5

2025-05-25 00:35:37 UTC

Queen
Regal. Cat royalty.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54542982534/in/datetaken/
#Cat #iphoneography #Kitty #photography #robin

2025-05-24 16:04:18 UTC

Happy Place
We visited my beloved bride’s (retail) happy place today. Microcenter in Cambridge, MA. The region’s finest computer store… even if the sales staff is a bit on the pushy side.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54542225570/in/datetaken/
#iphoneography #photography

2025-05-23 18:14:31 UTC

Another Day…
Another day, another photo of Robin Sparkles the Cat looking absolutely adorable.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54539292402/in/datetaken/
She also kinda looks annoyed, doesn’t she? Is she thinking, get that friggin’ camera out of my face, asshole?
#Cat #iphoneography #Kitty #photography #robin

2025-05-23 02:36:20 UTC

Burrow
This is new behavior for Robin. Lily does it sometimes but I’ve never seen Robin burrow under a blanket before.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54538979050/in/datetaken/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54538874933/in/datetaken/
#Cat #iphoneography #Kitty #photography #robin

2025-05-22 17:15:30 UTC

Doing Okay?
How’s your Thursday going? Everything going okay? Hope so. It’s a busy one for me. Robin… not so much.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54538161940/in/datetaken/
#Cat #iphoneography #Kitty #photography #robin

2025-05-22 00:21:42 UTC

I’m So Tired
I am so incredibly tired. So thoroughly exhausted. I am so tired I tried to use Lily the Cat as a pillow. She was tres confused.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54536407701/in/datetaken/
#Cat #iphoneography #Kitty #lily #photography

2025-05-21 14:22:56 UTC

Rerun
Didn’t Miss Robin Sparkles the Cat and I do this exact same photo shoot yesterday? Does this post feel like a rerun? Do we care? No. No, we don’t.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54535268625/in/datetaken/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54535110719/in/datetaken/
#Cat #iphoneography #Kitty #photography #robin

2025-05-20 15:47:56 UTC

Silhouette Cat
How do you spell silhouette? Did I do that right? I can never remember how to spell that stupid word.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54532636923/in/datetaken/
#Cat #iphoneography #Kitty #photography #robin

2025-05-19 15:44:19 UTC

Back to Normal
The cats were very displeased with us when we got home last night. They hid for a while before coming into the room with us but keeping their distance. By morning they were being super affectionate again. Actually, they seemed more affectionate than usual. Maybe they were just starved for attention. Two days without humans constantly baby talking to them must have seemed like an eternity.
Jen and I are both back to work. We’re both really tired. We were so busy this weekend that it feels like we need a weekend to recover from our weekend. I won’t be getting one though. This week at work has the potential to be pretty rough. Here’s hoping the universe takes it easy on little old me.
We have to put a pause on the celebration of my step son Harry for a day. Today is my step daughter Bellana’s birthday! Happy Birthday, Bellana! WOOHOOO!! A couple of weeks ago I was sad because I had a birthday that moved me from my early 50’s squarely and undeniably into my mid 50’s. Today sees a similar (though less depressing) thing for Bellana. She moves from her early 20’s squarely and undeniably into her mid 20’s. The poor thing. The poor, still very young, thing. Heh, sorry.
Apart from the birthday celebration everything is back to normal. I even looked at the long range weather forecast and as expected, it calls for rain next weekend. Of course.
#adultKids #backToNormal #backToWork #birthday #catRevenge #Family #grownUpKids #happyBirthday #homecoming #Kids #StepKids #Travel

2025-05-19 03:32:36 UTC

What a Weekend
We are home. Graduation weekend is over. Two things happened. One, my step son graduated from UVM and that is amazing and he is amazing and its all amazing. Two, rain. Constant, never ending, drowning, soaking rain. The whole time. Rain sucks.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54527401537/in/album-72177720326195140
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54528642185/in/album-72177720326195140
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54529218464/in/album-72177720326195140
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54529274693/in/album-72177720326195140
#adultKids #collegeGraduation #collegeKids #Family #graduation #grownUpKids #Kids #Nikon #nikonZ5 #StepKids #universityOfVermont #UVM #z5

2025-05-18 10:18:05 UTC

Graduation Day
Today is the day! My step son graduates from the University of Vermont! I am so excited, I am so proud, I am just standing here beside myself with glee right now!
Two years ago we sat in the crowd together watching his sister graduate from UVM and now today it’s his turn. He starts grad school in the fall so his academic career isn’t over yet, but let’s not think about that today. Let’s just focus on what a fantastic achievement this is and let’s all just shower him with praise and love and congratulations.
Harry! You did it! Fantastic work!
#collegeGraduation #collegeKids #Family #graduation #grownUpKids #Kids #StepKids #universityOfVermont #UVM

2025-05-16 16:07:10 UTC

Medium Format
I just got the scans from the four rolls of film I sent out for developing! My new/old ebay purchased medium format camera works! Well… it produced an image. Moron over here didn’t figure out how to actually use it correctly until he’d basically ruined two rolls of film, but those two rolls of film both produced images that look mostly okay!
My Lomo Lubitell 166 Universal works!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54523767765/in/album-72177720326178174/
That image is from the second roll. Note how there are two images over lapping. That is because I am an idiot who is bad at geometry.
The second roll came out much better than the first, but the first one was exposed when the back of the camera popped open on me. Everything was messed up to various degrees.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54523615084/in/album-72177720326178174
The next roll I shoot will be better… I think. We’ll have to find out. Focusing this thing is a bitch, so who knows.
#120Film #filmPhotography #harmonPhoenix200 #KENTMERE400 #lomoLubitell166Universal #mediumFormat #mediumFormatPhotography #photography

2025-05-16 11:25:34 UTC

Big Event This Weekend
There is a big deal happening this weekend. It’s been four years in the making. I guess technically it has been 22 years in the making but it’s the last four that really count.
My step son, Harry, is graduating from college! The University of Vermont’s commencement weekend festivities kick off tomorrow and I am so proud of Harry that I legitimately fear that I am going to spontaneously combust. Like, ka-boom and stuff. He has grown up to be such a fine human. Brilliant, kind, a deep seated hatred of donald trump the orange shit clown. He’s a far better man than I am, and this weekend is all about him. A Bachelors Degree in Psychology. Good work, Harry!
We’re heading up to Vermont as soon as I punch out of work tonight. I can’t wait to spend the weekend celebrating Harry and his accomplishment. It’s going to be a great time… even though… the forecast is calling for rain during the Sunday morning outdoor commencement ceremony. That might suck. Everything else though, I can’t wait!
#adultKids #collegeGraduation #collegeKids #commencement #Family #graduation #grownUpKids #Kids #StepKids #universityOfVermont #UVM

2025-05-15 18:52:15 UTC

Follow Up Complete
Three year post-gastric bypass surgery followup appointment complete. Clean bill of health.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54521556809/in/datetaken/
#iphoneography #photography

2025-05-15 01:25:51 UTC

Theater
This one might be enough to bring me back to the movie theater. Maybe not the one in our town because it recently had a problem with rodents and… ya know… ick… but some other theater… maybe.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ox8ZLF6cGM0
#DCComics #movie #movieTheater #Movies #superman #trailer

2025-05-13 13:19:11 UTC

Today Might Be the Day
Today might be the day that I cancel all of my social media accounts including this blog. I’m about 80% sure that I’m done.
I am completely uninterested in comments on the subject.
Here’s a duck to celebrate:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54516663929/in/datetaken/
#iphoneography #photography

2025-05-12 16:23:24 UTC

Bribes
Remember when bribery was illegal? That was before the nazi in chief of the fascist states of america declared that it was a smart move to let a foreign government give you an airplane as a present. Our new air force one, which will stop being air force one and become trump’s personal plane once he leaves office, assuming he leaves office before he dies.
Yeah, this country fucking sucks. Can you imagine if Barack Obama told the public he was taking a passenger jet as a gift from an Islamic nation? Fucking fascists.
Change of subject. Two things to look forward to this week. First, I have my three year post-gastric bypass surgery check in at the weight loss clinic. I expect them to tell me that I am the greatest patient they have ever had, and that no patient they’ve dealt with has ever had suck overwhelming success with their post-op program. I am hoping for a plaque or something to honor me.
Of infinitely greater importance, my step son Harry is going to graduate from the University of Vermont this weekend. I am so proud I am so proud I am so proud I am so proud. Did I mention how proud I am? We’ll be heading up there after work on Friday. I am really looking forward to it. I don’t know if you can tell by the context of this paragraph, but I am really proud of Harry.
Okay, Robert. Back to work with you.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54514909030/in/datetaken/
#365 #365Challenge #365Project #bribe #bribery #Cat #collegeGraduation #collegeKids #Family #gastricBypassSurgery #graduation #grownUpKids #health #Kids #Kitty #magaIsACult #Nikon #nikonZ5 #photoADay #photoADayChallenge #photoADayProject #photography #Politics #robin #StepKids #trumpIsAFascist #trumpIsANazi #trumpIsEvil #z5

2025-05-12 00:28:43 UTC

Happy Mothers Day
If you are a mother living in the US then today is your day. Happy Mothers Day to you. I hope you had a good one.
I learned something today that will make the whole nightmare that is shooting film easier. Turns out the post office in Salem, NH has a package drop box. I ordered developing for four rolls of film earlier and the package is already in the mail. Granted the post office was closed so it won’t be going anywhere until some time tomorrow but yeah, the post office piece of the workflow is done.
What else? Because I got up at 4:00am to go sunrise chasing, I didn’t do my daily exercise first thing in the morning. I did it at 4:00pm and somehow, someway, it was 1000000000000000 times harder to do in the afternoon than it is in the morning. Why is that? I don’t know.
I have made a command decision. Normally I try to make my work-in-the-office days Monday and Wednesday. This week I am swapping Monday for Tuesday. Why? Because tomorrow is Monday, I only got four hours of sleep last night, and I just don’t wanna.
Okay, there is a new episode of The Last of Us airing tonight. I need to go get ready for that, emotionally speaking.
#exercise #mothersDay #postOffice #usMail

2025-05-10 21:03:39 UTC

Street Legal
I just spent an hour and a half or so at the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles. The dreaded RMV.
My drivers license expired on my birthday, two days ago. I needed to renew it (which could be done online) and I also needed to upgrade to the stupid fascist federal RealID card bullshit (which could not be done online). I had an appointment for 3:30 so I was able to get into the office, but the lines were long and I didn’t actually get into to do my business until around 4:30. Once I was at the window though it went off without a hitch.
When I got home, there was a visitor standing next to our driveway.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54509381147/in/datetaken/
#BackYardWildKingdom #driversLicense #iphoneography #Massachusetts #photography #realId #realid #registryOfMotorVehicles #rmv #turkey

2025-05-10 13:43:45 UTC

Morning Errands
Out running errands in the shitty weather on a Saturday morning. Let’s do it Hipstamatic style, what do you say?
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54509470869/in/datetaken/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54508412527/in/datetaken/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54509636315/in/datetaken/
Also, as a bonus… cats.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54509636310/in/datetaken/
Jen gave the cats some medication today. Something to prevent… something… heart worms? I think. It was just a drop of stuff on their skin. Lily was annoyed but mostly okay with it. Robin was pissed. She was not happy. Sorry, cat.
In closing, music to run errands to…
https://youtu.be/jN8PUgdcyxI?si=AWHImtGhHwBg2J3l
#Cat #hipstaKitty #Hipstamatic #iphoneography #Kitty #lily #photography #robin #RoryGallagher

2025-05-09 14:18:45 UTC

It is Friday
It is Friday at last. It’s also raining. Son of a…
On May 4th I wrote this big gastric bypass surgery update where I said that I am having far fewer side effects then I did a year ago. The bad experiences are less and less common with each new day.
Then last night I had a piece of toast with my dinner. I took a bite, no problem. I took another bite, no problem. I took another bite… uh oh. I knew instantly that I had taken one bite too many. It took about an hour for all the fun to end. The moral of the story being, don’t be over confident. That thing that passes for your stomach these days can still kick you in the nards, Robert. Figuratively speaking, of course.
Here’s a cat to remind you of your place in the universe.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54507468281/in/datetaken/
#365 #365Challenge #365Project #Cat #gastricBypass #gastricBypassSideEffects #gastricBypassSurgery #Kitty #photoADay #photoADayChallenge #photoADayProject #photography #robin #theFoamies #weightLossSurgery

2025-05-09 00:40:17 UTC

Smoke
I heard that there was white smoke in Rome today. This was my first response:
https://bsky.app/profile/robj1971.bsky.social/post/3loodbwd5c52p
Turns out the new pope is an American. Weird, huh? Dude’s going to speak English with an accent that I can understand. Too bad I’m not catholic anymore. It might mean something to me if I were.
Here’s a cat to celebrate:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54505624251/in/datetaken/
Here’s another cat to keep celebrating. The new pope stole the thunder from my birthday. What a jerk. At least he’s not maga. Civilization has that going for it, I guess.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54505811764/in/datetaken/
#americanPope #Cat #catholic #catholicChurch #Kitty #lily #Nikon #nikonZ5 #photography #pope #popeLeo #robin #z5

2025-05-08 19:37:15 UTC

Art Imitating Life
Sometimes I hate it when art has to imitate life. I hate it even more when the people being called out metaphorically by said art are too fucking stupid to realize the art is talking about them.
Mild spoilers for Andor season two episode nine. If you haven’t seen the episode, or if you haven’t seen Star Wars Rebels season three episode 18 (I think that’s the one), stop reading. You have been warned.
Last chance to bail (Bail Organa, if you will)…
In Star Wars The Return of the Jedi, a rebel leader gives a briefing spelling out the details of the second Death Star. It’s the “many Bothans died” speech. That character’s name is Mon Mothma. She was a senator who became one of the primary leaders of the Rebel Alliance. She shows up in a deleted scene in Revenge of the Sith, then she shows up for real in Rogue One and Rebels and Ahsoka and she’s one of the main characters in Andor. In a novel that is canon and takes place after Return of the Jedi she is actually elected to be the first Chancellor of the New Republic. Pretty sure that’s the job she’s doing in her brief scene in Ahsoka, but I have to go back and watch that entire series again just to be sure.
In Rebels we learn that her last act as a senator was to give a speech where she called out the Emperor as the bad guy for the whole galaxy. She gets chased out of the capital and smuggled to the rebel base by our Rebels heroes. Once at the rebel base she gives another speech that basically calls for revolution and the rest is Star Wars history.
This week’s third episode of Andor gave us the speech at the senate. It was perfect. Both in terms of the story itself and for our current shit show of a country. Replace the name Emperor Palpatine with Donald Trump, or even Orange Shit Clown, and it stops being fiction and starts being reality.
The distance between what is said and what is known to be true has become an abyss. Of all the things at risk, the loss of an objective reality is perhaps the most dangerous. The death of truth is the ultimate victory of evil. When truth leaves us, when we let it slip away, when it is ripped from our hands, we become vulnerable to the appetite of whatever monster screams the loudest.
“This Chamber’s hold on the truth was finally lost on the Ghorman Palaza. What took place yesterday… what happened yesterday on Ghorman was unprovoked genocide. Yes, genocide. And that truth has been exiled from this Chamber. And the monster screaming the loudest, the monster we’ve helped create, the monster who will come for all of us soon enough, is Emperor Palpatine.”
Like I said… I hate it when art has to imitate art, and I hate it even more when the monster and his cult are too fucking stupid to realize they are the monsters and not the heroes. Fucking maga cult bullshit.
That’s all I have to say about that.
#Andor #artImitatesLife #monMothma #StarWars #Television #trumpIsAFascist #trumpIsANazi #trumpIsEvil #truth

2025-05-08 13:52:53 UTC

54
I was thinking about doing something with this post where I post an image with the old Studio 54 logo. Having lived through the disco era and today being my 54th birthday, I figured that would be funny. Then I realized it would not be funny at all, it would be dumb. So I changed my mind and just went with this.
Today is my birthday. I am 54 years old. I am NOT happy about it. When I was 53 years old I could sort of convince myself that 53 is still your early 50’s. At 54 I can’t do that anymore. I am firmly entrenched in my mid 50’s and again, I am NOT happy about it.
The weather is nice right now. That’s good. Of course the forecast is calling for rain later so that’s fitting. Blah. I filled the bird feeders because I wanted those little monsters to have a nice celebration on my birthday. I took a couple of pictures. This one is with the aperture wide open, f1.8. Blurry background, babie!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54505261886/in/datetaken/
This next one is the opposite. This one has the aperture closed down as far as it goes. f22, which means the shutter speed is super slow which is why it’s a little soft on the focus. Image stabilization helps, but it’s not perfect. Note that the background is not blurry at all.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54505452014/in/datetaken/
Now when you compare the two photos you know how your lens aperture controls your depth of field. See? You didn’t realize I was going to give you all a photography lesson for my birthday, but there you go. Happy birthday, hohoho.
#365 #365Challenge #365Project #54 #54YearsOld #birdFeeder #birdFeeders #birthday #iphoneography #myBirthday #photoADay #photoADayChallenge #photoADayProject #photography

2025-05-07 21:34:27 UTC

Nutz
Today has been insane. I took the morning off so that I could take Miss Robin Sparkles the cat to her vet appointment. I dropped her off, ran some errands, went home, re-watched most of last night’s three episodes of Andor, went back to the vet’s office to pick her up, came home, ran another errand, ate lunch, and punched into work at 1:00pm.
That’s when it hit. I had meetings scheduled from 1:00-5:00. Bam. All of them. One after the other. At the same time I was getting hit with all sorts of customer issues and questions and hectic stress and wow… It’s 5:31pm now. I can punch out. I need a nap!
Here’s a picture of the clock downtown. It’s not a good picture, and don’t let anyone try to tell you that I thought it was a good picture… because it’s not a good picture. Whatevs, I’m going to go cook dinner for the love of my life and then go to sleep.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54503455759/in/datetaken/
#Busy #crazyBusy #hectic #iphoneography #lotsOfMeetings #Massachusetts #meetings #methuen #photography #Stress #stressful #teleconference #work

2025-05-07 03:19:44 UTC

Season Two Episode Eight
Two new episodes of Andor down and still one to go. My spoiler free review of episode eight:
https://bsky.app/profile/robj1971.bsky.social/post/3lokgoyd6ca2p
I was planning on watching seven and eight tonight and then watching nine in the morning. It’s 11:20pm now and I cannot wait until tomorrow. On to episode nine, right now. HOLY SHIT!
#Andor #Disney_ #gormanMassacre #StarWars #Television #weAreTheGor

2025-05-06 21:26:10 UTC

Another Crazy Day
Hope you are all having a happy, fascism-free Tuesday.
I was having a calm, yet somewhat productive day today. The minute I finished lunch all hell broke loose. It became a crazy, hectic, tense, productive day. You know how it is.
Now I am about 20 minutes away from the end of my work day and hopefully things are calming down. Everything seems covered at the moment. Breath in, breath out. You’ve got this, Robert.
I have half a personal day booked for tomorrow. Robin the Cat has a vet appointment. Just her annual check up. I have meetings booked all afternoon though, so it’s going to be busy tomorrow too. At least I’ll have three episodes of Star Wars Andor to plow through before the work day starts. They come out at 9:00 Eastern time tonight. I am ready. There was a new episodes of The Handmaids Tale over night last night. I watched it while doing my morning exercise today. It was excellent. Here’s hoping Andor holds serve on the which-show-about-people-fighting-fascism-is-more-awesome sweepstakes. At this point it’s anyone’s game.
Oh good. 10 minutes away from quitting time and it just started to rain. It’s freakin’ pouring out. Good, good.
#Andor #busyDay #Cat #hecticDay #robin #StarWars #Television #theHandmaidsTale #vet #vetAppointment #work #workDay

2025-05-06 13:50:04 UTC

I Am Trying
I am trying today. I am doing my best. My best, however, ain’t gonna be good enough.
I am trying to not get mentally bogged down by idiotic shit going on in the federal government. I just want to have a day where I ignore the morons and concentrate on work for a change. Something tells me I am not going to be terribly successful in this endeavor though. Don’t get my wrong, my work is getting done. No worries there. I just find myself distracted by all the other bullshit.
I am in the office again today. This makes four business days in a row for me. Ugh. Yesterday I left the house at 7:30 and got to work at 9:10. Today I left the house at 7:20 (makes sense, right?) and got to work at 9:10. Oh for crying out loud.
On the way out the door I told the cats to take care of my wife while I am out. I always tell them that. I don’t know if they ever listen though. They aren’t really team players, you know? They just do their own thing and mostly ignore anything I say. They’re cats that way.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54500929411/in/datetaken/
#Cat #commute #iphoneography #Kitty #lily #photography #Politics #robin #traffic #trafficJam

2025-05-05 21:29:56 UTC

Not Impressed
Miss Robin Sparkles is not impressed with the state of US politics today. She hates fascists with every fiber of her adorably tiny little being.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54497277072
#Cat #iphoneography #Kitty #photography #robin

2025-05-05 18:53:48 UTC

Documentation Crunch Time
Remember back in the ’80s when all of those cold war movies showed the bad guys, the commies, stopping their poor oppressed citizens on the street and asking to see their papers? Remember how evil that felt? The poor saps having to cough up their legal documentation to the secret police at a moment’s notice?
I wonder why I have been thinking of that lately.
So a couple of weeks ago my US passport expired. My state drivers license is going to expire soon as well, and when I renew it I have to get the new federal “Real ID” because we live in a police state now. Unfortunately you need to have an appointment to setup the Real ID and a month ago when I booked one the best date I could get was after my license expires.
The good news is, my passport renewal went off without a hitch and I got it done WAY faster than I expected so I can use my new passport in the Real ID process. That’s cool. I wonder if I can renew my state drivers license first and then replace it a short time later with the federal document. I am guessing I would have to pay twice if I did that and I’ll be damned if I am going to give that tariffing fucker a penny more than I have to. Not that I am cynical about the collapse of my former country or anything. You know how it is.
Papers, please. Fucking authoritarian dictatorship fascist fucking fuckers.
#authoritarianism #Dictatorship #documents #driversLicense #Fascism #fascists #id #idDocumentation #idDocuments #idPapers #nazi #papers #papersPlease #passport #Politics #realId

2025-05-05 14:20:04 UTC

Another Painful Week Ahead
You know… some days… I really wish I could just stay in bed and wait for something to come along that magically picks me up and moves me and my family to somewhere in Europe.
I mean, what the fuck?
First, the orange shit clown announces he is going to reopen Alcatraz and use it for what he says is the worst criminals in the country but what we all know is to use it as a concentration camp for people who don’t like him. We all know that, right? Why ship immigrants to El Salvador when you can ship them to Alcatraz? Forgetting the fact that it failed as a maximum security prison once before and that it is just a museum now… Seriously… what the fuck?
I was hanging my head in embarrassed shame after reading about all of this and that’s when I heard the second idiocy of the day. The orange shit clown has announced a 100% tariff on… wait for it… you’re not going to believe this one… movies. That’s right, you read that correctly. He just doubled the price of a movie ticket. He took an industry that has been on death’s door since Covid and doubled the price of admission in order to… checking my notes… save it.
Again I ask, in all seriousness… what the actual fuck?
Here’s a photo of two cats with stunned, disbelieving looks on their little cat faces. Both of them have asked me why we’re not packing up to move to Europe where people are less certifiably insane than they are here in the country formerly known as the united states and currently known as fucking moron land. I don’t know, cats. I just don’t know anymore.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54498448638/in/datetaken/
A 100% tariff on… movies… yeah, that’s going to make america great again for sure. Finger right on the pulse there, you fascist schmuck.
#alcatraz #Cat #concentrationCamp #iphoneography #Kitty #lily #Movies #photography #Politics #prison #robin #tariff #tariffs #trumpIsAFascist #trumpIsAMoron #trumpIsANazi #trumpIsAnIdiot #trumpIsEvil

2025-05-04 13:25:25 UTC

Three Year Anniversary Weigh In
Happy anniversary! Three years ago today I went under the knife and had my insides rewired. Gastric Bypass. Weight loss surgery. Most of my stomach was tied off and a big chunk of my intestine was skipped. It was a brutal experience that required all sorts of lifestyle and diet changes and had all sorts of icky side effects but it was oh so worth it. Health care wise it is the single best move I’ve ever made. Overall it doesn’t quite measure up to marrying Jen and being a step father, but it tops just about everything else.
I weighed myself this morning and was pleasantly surprised to see I was down a little since the last time I stepped on a scale. That’s nice, huh? My first appointment at the weight loss clinic was January 19, 2022 and I weighed 452 pounds. Yup. The day of the surgery I did not weigh myself. The most recent number I had was from April 29, 2022 when I weighed 431.4 pounds. On the one year anniversary, May 4, 2023, I weighed 204.8 pounds. Suck it, morbid obesity! The lowest weight I ever recorded was the magical day of September 22, 2023 when I weighed in at 198.4 pounds. Sub-200! Glorious! We were told to expect our post-surgery weight to bottom out at some crazy number and then start climbing up again to a more reasonable, sustainable value. That’s been the case for the last year and a half or so. At my two year anniversary I was 211.2. The last time I weighed myself was the three year anniversary of the first check in, January 19, 2025, and I was 222.6. This morning, the first thing I did when I got out of bed was step on the scale. I was expecting something between 220 and 230 and I got 218.6! Down four pounds since January and back in the teens, babie! Currently I am down 212.8 since the surgery and 233.4 since the start of the process.
I still have problems with food getting stuck on the way into my new digestive system but not nearly as often as before. I can have trouble if I don’t chew enough, or eat too fast, or eat too much in one bite, but these days I can go faster and more per bite than I could have two years ago. Eating is easier now than it was before. When it goes bad it still goes bad. If a bite of food can’t get into my stomach (it’s actually technically called a pouch now) then it has to go somewhere. Either it just hangs out and blocks the path so that nothing else can get in (until it breaks down enough to enter) or it comes back up to say hello again. That’s life these days, but it doesn’t happen nearly as much as it used to.
In closing, here’s my selfie a day video from the first year. Enjoy watching me melt away.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bs-sCfi07s0
#gastricBypass #gastricBypassAnniversary #gastricBypassSurgery #health #threeYearWeighIn #weighIn #weightLossSurgery

2025-05-04 00:33:56 UTC

No Film… Again
Another weekend without sunlight and another weekend without me shooting any film. I guess I can just post a bunch of pics from the last batch I had developed. That will hold me over… forever.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54458167512/in/album-72177720300575173
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54459280558/in/album-72177720300575173
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54458135902/in/album-72177720300575173
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54459021981/in/album-72177720300575173
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54458188557/in/album-72177720300575173
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54459246323/in/album-72177720300575173
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54459172169/in/album-72177720300575173
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54459001061/in/album-72177720300575173
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54458126542/in/album-72177720300575173
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54459237223/in/album-72177720300575173
#KENTMERE400 #KODAKCOLORPLUS200 #KODAKGOLD200 #Pentax #PentaxK1000 #PentaxM1250mm #photography

2025-05-03 13:47:18 UTC

Purple and Yellow and Gross
I mentioned a few times last week that I had a medical thing last Tuesday. It involved anesthesia through an IV. Today I noticed that the area around the IV point is now a giant yellow bruise. Like… how did I not see that yesterday or the day before or whenever? Did the bruise form four days after the fact? Not likely.
I mentioned in a post yesterday that I stubbed my toe on the end of the bed while I was getting ready for work. It hurt like a mutha. It continued to hurt a little for the entire rest of the day and my foot felt a little swollen. It wasn’t bad enough to have a negative effect on me or anything like that, it was just there. Last night when I went to bed I took off my shoes and socks and found that my forth toe on my left foot is a dark purple, almost black, bruise of epic awful ugliness. It is definitely not broken but it is swollen and ugly and gross.
So those are two things I have going for me on this gloomy Saturday morning.
The sun was out this morning for the first time on a Saturday in something like 35 years. Did my camera and I make it outside to take advantage? Nope. I way over slept. Is it too late? The thunderstorms are rolling in so yes, it is too late. I am enjoying a nice breeze as Miss Robin Sparkles the cat and I are sitting next to an open window in the bedroom. That’s something at least, right?
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54493791070/in/datetaken/
#bruise #Cat #health #iphoneography #iv #Kitty #pain #photography #robin #toe #uglyBruise #wrist

2025-05-02 16:57:49 UTC

I Feel Dirty
I mentioned in the last post (at least I think I did) that one of our cars has its check engine light on. Earlier today I went to the website for the dealership that sold us the car. I wanted to see if I could schedule an appointment to have that idiot light looked at. I found the link to their service department site and went to it, but when I got there…….
My only option for scheduling required me to… oh it’s too awful to even type it out… okay… here goes… it required me to talk to an AI chatbot. Disgusting!
I feel so dirty. It asked me for my name and I ignored it. I don’t want some random AI bot to know my name. To hell with that crap! It was just gross. Why would any company that respects its customers want to subject them to such bullshit? I would have preferred being asked to call them and then getting stuck in voicemail hell for half an hour. That would have been so much less demeaning.
At one point it even tried to tell me its name, as if it were pretending to be an actual human being. I feel so dirty! It was just icky and gross and dehumanizing. And the worst part? This was hours ago and it told me it was going to have the service department call me to book the actual appointment and I still don’t have a fucking appointment! Insert the grossed out scream of frustration here.
Fucking AI. Screw you, Skynet wannabe, poorly written, bug riddled code.
#ai #artificialIntelligence #chatBot #chatbot #dirty #disgusting #gross #icky #tech

2025-05-02 13:21:56 UTC

Pain
I overslept a little this morning. Not enough to cause any problems but enough to throw off my head a little. Just a little. I found myself rushing while getting dressed and that’s when it happened…….
I stubbed my toe on the end of the bed. Holy crap! I really jammed that little sucker good. Two hours later it still hurts. Did I break a toe or two? Dumb ass. Happy Friday, you self harming moron.
What’s going on this weekend? Probably no band practice. Our drummer is going to be out of the country. Lucky stiff. If I were him I probably wouldn’t come back. Yes I would… I’m all talk sometimes, you all know that. Crap. What was I talking about? Oh yeah, plans for the weekend. I have to get one of the cars looked at. We have an idiot light on that won’t turn off. There might be a window of clear skies at sunrise tomorrow. Here’s hoping I can get up early and go out and shoot some film before the usual weekend rain and gloom rolls in. There’s a new Marvel movie (I won’t see it until it hits Disney+ but it’s out there so who knows). There will be a new Doctor Who, The Last of Us, and Walking Dead (the Dead City edition’s 2nd season opener). What else, what else… probably lots of pictures of cats. The soles of my sneakers are starting to fall apart so I need to get myself a new pair. We’re about a month away from a Disney World trip and I need to get any footwear thoroughly broken in before then.
Anything else this weekend? Probably. I don’t know. Here’s a cat for you to enjoy while I try to think of what else might be going on…
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54491339014/in/datetaken/
#365 #365Challenge #365Project #Cat #iphoneography #Kitty #photoADay #photoADayChallenge #photoADayProject #photography #robin

2025-05-01 21:33:19 UTC

That Was a Day
I’m down to the last few minutes of the work day on this screwy Thursday. I was out the last two days and figured I’d spend the first hour or so today sifting through the hundreds of emails in my inbox. It didn’t take long for that plan to go down the crapper. One customer with a critical issue lead to three of us from my group spending the day on the phone along with a bunch of other co-workers. We hashed it out and fixed it but woah was that a grind.
I actually feel pretty good about the state of the universe from a work perspective. From every other perspective? Yeah, right.
I am too tired and fried to think of anything else to write. I’m hoping for an easy commute tonight but yeah, right. What else? I don’t know. It’s May 1st. Happy May. This month will see my birthday, mother’s day, my step son’s college graduation, my step daughter’s birthday, Memorial Day, and our wedding anniversary. That’s what I call busy. May is a good month. Here’s hoping we get spectacular weather and not dreary, rainy gloom like we’ve been getting the last few months. The sun only comes out during the work week now. Weekends are gross, weather wise. I need that trend to stop and do a full 180.
Okay. It is now 5:30pm and I am clear to punch out and go home. Wish me luck on my commute.
#Busy #busyDay #commute #crazyDay #Family #may #Weather #work

2025-05-01 18:16:34 UTC

Busiest Day Ever
I can’t even tell you how busy this work day has been. I haven’t had a minute over the last four hours where I haven’t been on a conference call. It’s nuts. I have to go pee, and I need to eat lunch, and neither is an option right now and won’t be for a while.
Here’s a cat. I hope it helps.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54489460153/in/datetaken/
#Busy #Cat #conferenceCall #iphoneography #Kitty #meetings #photography #robin #work

2025-04-30 17:58:43 UTC

No Spoilers
It’s frustrating. I watched last night’s three episodes of Star Wars Andor and I want to write a 100,000 word essay on how incredible the show is right now but I don’t want someone who hasn’t watch the new episodes yet to accidentally come to this page and read what I wrote and get spoiled.
I want to talk about what’s happening on Ghorman. I want to share what I was thinking about Bix’s future and how wrong I was (for now at least). I want to rave about the Krennic/Mon scene and how fantastic it was. I want to praise Disney for the Vel/Cinta scene and Vel’s rant at the end. I want to mention how weirdly relieved I was when Syril went home to Coruscant. I want to admit that I had to fight back the urge to literally cheer out loud when Bix and Cassian completed their mission at the end of episode six.
I suppose I could go to reddit and find their Andor sub and write it all out there, but there has been so much shit posted on the other Star Wars shows from people who hated the show based on things that had nothing to do with the show (looking at you, assholes who spewed bile at Acolyte). I just don’t want to be any place that would draw people like that. I am sure I could find other forums somewhere but I don’t know.
I am listening to a two hour podcast episode recapping episodes four, five, and six (Children of the Watch). Once that’s finished (about 25 minutes from now) I might just start watching the three episodes again. I am that invested in this show right now. I just don’t want it to end.
#Andor #Disney_ #noSpoilers #spoilerFree #StarWars #Television

2025-04-29 21:38:30 UTC

Boss
When I was a kid and starting to become obsessed with guitar gear, there weren’t a lot of options around. My local music stores carried pedals from DoD and Boss for the most part. You could find occasional Ibanez, MXR, or Electro Harmonix pedals, but for the most part it was DoD and Boss. The few pedals I owned were DoD. Every time I took a Boss pedal for a test drive I was massively underwhelmed. Those music store visits back in the late 1980’s lead to a lifetime of not liking Boss gear. To this day I have never owned a Boss pedal because I have never played through one that I liked. The closest I’ve come is a Keeley pedal (the Super Phat Mod) which is a modified version of a Boss Blues Driver pedal. I like the Keeley pedal, but I don’t love it (unlike my Keeley D&M Drive which I absolutely adore).
I have never consciously boycotted Boss, I just never wanted anything they sold…
Until now.
A few years ago a couple of companies released super sophisticated amp load boxes. Universal Audio put out the Ox, which seems like the greatest thing since sliced bread. Unfortunately you can almost buy a car with the amount of money you need to shell out for an Ox.* Boss released a similar item called the Tube Amp Expander. The reviews I watched made the thing look pretty amazing, though maybe not quite as amazing as the Ox. The price was similar though and I never gave it a second thought.
Not long ago Boss released a new product. It’s a smaller version of the Tube Amp Expander. It’s called the Tube Amp Expander Core. It has all of the functionality I would want but at a much lower price. Granted, $700 is a ton of money for something like this (in my book, at least) and I don’t know if that price is before or after the orange shit clown’s Japanese tariffs. It is a low enough cost to make me consider it, but probably still too high to actually pull the trigger. It would be really cool to be able to run a direct signal out of my Fender Deluxe Reverb and into my Audio Interface, or even directly into my Macintosh.
…….it’s Boss though…. if I tried one out, history dictates that I would be disappointed. Still…….. oh the places I could go with a box like that. We’ll have to see how the economy holds up in the near future. There’s a really good chance the orange shit clown could collapse the whole country which would take the decision to blow $700 on a reactive load box out of my hands, you know?
Anyway, here’s a video that I can drool over as I watch it over and over again.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyZYV6swW-c
*Slight exaggeration
#amplifiers #attenuator #boss #Guitar #GuitarGear #TubeAmp #tubeAmpExpander #tubeAmpExpanderCore

2025-04-29 18:20:15 UTC

Mouse Hunt
I mentioned in a post yesterday that the cats were on a mouse hunt. They were going all kinds of crazy from room to room. Stalking for a while, chasing for a while, pouncing for a while. It was distracting and entertaining. I told Robin the Cat that if she caught the mouse I would give her treats.
Last night before bed I found that their endeavors were successful. There was a very small little mouse on our bedroom floor, dead as a door nail, and two cats up high on the furniture guarding over it. I scooped up the fallen rodent soldier and took it outside. Then I went to the top of the refrigerator and took down the bag of cat treats and gave our mouse hunters their reward. Good work, cats. Thank you for protecting our home. Guard cats.
If I had caught the mouse I would have taken it outside alive, but I knew there was slim chance of that. I was busy working and getting ready for today’s medical thing and I knew the cats were going to get it. This is the first time they have killed a mouse (that I know of) but it was just a matter of time. We live in the woods. Critters are a thing.
Thank you, mousers. Congratulations on a job well done. Also, thank you for leaving it where I could find it and for not offering it up like a present in the middle of the night or anything. Most appreciated. Maybe I’ll give you more treats today.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54484435646/in/datetaken/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54484713583/in/datetaken/
#Cat #iphoneography #Kitty #lily #mouse #mouseHunt #mouseHunters #mouser #photography #robin

2025-04-29 14:12:33 UTC

Home
My medical morning is done. I am home watching Doctor Who with Lily. I’m still a little woozy but otherwise all is well. I also had breakfast. My first food in almost 36 hours.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54483939462/in/datetaken/
#Cat #iphoneography #Kitty #lily #photography

2025-04-28 18:27:11 UTC

Seven Hours Later
My last post was published seven hours ago. I’m hanging in there but really can’t wait for this crap to be over. I’m fasting ahead of a medical test and I am hungry. I barely have a stomach left after gastric bypass surgery, but what I have is really jonzin’ for a snack, know what I mean? No hunger pains yet, which is odd given that I get hunger pains all the time. Maybe my brain is trying to protect my stomach? Who knows.
I can’t eat today, but the birds can.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54482797723/in/datetaken/
That is today’s photo a day challenge pic. Blurry backgrounds are fun. Bokeh.
The cats are in a state of hyper allegiance right now. There is a mouse in the house. It was in my home office earlier but it got away. In was later seen in our bedroom but I think it got away again. Both cats are on the hunt so it’s days are numbered. I will catch it and bring it outside if I can, but the feline avengers might not give me the opportunity.
Here’s a picture of Robin from before the mouse presented itself.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54482672049/in/datetaken/
Here’s one of Lily. Robin was already stalking the rodent invader at this point, but Lily wasn’t in on it yet. She was blissfully unaware.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54483320215/in/datetaken/
#Cat #fasting #gastricBypass #health #Kitty #lily #Nikon #nikonZ5 #photography #robin #z5

2025-04-28 11:18:08 UTC

Today is Going to Absolutely Suck
I have something scheduled for tomorrow. It’s a medical thing. A test. It requires some heavy duty prep-work over the 24 hour period before the test.
The side effect of the preparations is going to be me having one seriously awful day today. Like, grade A suck. Its the sort of thing that would suck for a normal human, but the stomach is involved so people like me who have had gastric bypass surgery (three years ago this coming weekend)… I wonder if it will be worse for me. Probably not, but maybe? We’ll have to wait and see.
Clearly I am not going to share what’s going on until it’s over, if then. 24 hours from now (it is 7:15am) I will be at the clinic, hopefully getting ready to get it over with. I just have to deal with some awful today and a small chunk of tomorrow.
Shit.
#gastricBypass #health #middleAge #test

2025-04-27 19:18:36 UTC

Drive
Lots of driving in the city today. Lots and lots of traffic jams. Lots and lots.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54480228358/in/datetaken/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54480306505/in/datetaken/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54479258667/in/datetaken/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54480462625/in/datetaken/
#Boston #drive #highway #iphoneography #photography #traffic #trafficJam

2025-04-27 01:26:33 UTC

Furry Friends
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54478390834/in/datetaken/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54478407309/in/datetaken/
#Cat #iphoneography #Kitty #lily #photography #robin

2025-04-26 16:41:46 UTC

Practice: Complete
Just got home from band practice. Lucy did not pull the football away from Charlie Brown.
My finger tips ARE KILLING ME. The last two songs we did I could barely play. My fingers just said, “yeah we’re done for the day” and that was it. Outside of that, things went pretty well. There probably won’t be a practice next week as our drummer is traveling, but after that I hope we can get onto something like a regular schedule.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54477861465/in/datetaken/
#BandPractice #bandRehearsal #CoverBand #dadRockCoverBand #Guitar #iphoneography #lizardfish #photography #rockCoverBand

2025-04-26 13:20:34 UTC

Line Check: Complete
Band practice is supposed to start in 43 minutes. As of this moment we’ve all chimed in that we’re good to go for today. Fingers emphatically crossed that nothing changes.
I did a line check with all of the gear I want to bring today. I am massively downsizing the pedals and massively upscaling the amp situation. Also… I’m going to play the SG. I don’t know why. I am just feeling like today should be an SG day.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54477136501/in/datetaken/
Everything is working. The new reverb pedal sounds cool. Here’s hoping nothing falls apart over the next 41 minutes and we actually have a practice today. It’s going to be painful. I have no calluses on my left hand finger tips. I’ve only played for about five minutes and already I am hurting, big time.
Bring it on, kids!
#BandPractice #Guitar #GuitarGear #iphoneography #lineCheck #lizardfish #photography

2025-04-25 16:33:33 UTC

Meow
As predicted in the previous post, the opportunity to take a picture of a cat did arise. I took full advantage.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54475570304/in/datetaken/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54474532697/in/datetaken/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54474532692/in/datetaken/
Look at that little diva, mugging for the camera. What a super star. What a pro.
#Cat #hipstaKitty #Hipstamatic #iphoneography #Kitty #photography #robin

2025-04-25 12:00:07 UTC

Practice Tomorrow
Band practice is on for 10:00am tomorrow. Morning practice is weird, but it will work. Hopefully the bass player’s family will all be awake before all the noise starts (eek!).
I told the other guys that I put it on my Google Calendar so there’s no backing out now. We’ll see. Lucy still has about 14 hours to pull the football away from Charlie Brown (me).
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54475303693/in/datetaken/
I’m rewatching the three new episodes of Andor right now. I’m up to the third episode with that scene with Bix. It is fucking disturbing and really hard to watch. Star Wars for adults is a pretty accurate description of this show.
What else… I don’t know. One work day to survive before the weekend arrives. It’s going to be a long day, I fear. I haven’t taken any pictures of cats yet. I’m sure the opportunity will arise eventually.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54474189332/in/datetaken/
I also haven’t looked at the news yet today. I’m always afraid to do so. I’m always in a borderline state of panic to learn about what fresh nazi hell was unleashed overnight. I’m so tired of living in “interesting times.” Fuck this. I want my country back. Failing that, I want my state to just leave and start over. 249 years was a good run, I guess.
What else… I don’t know. Here’s hoping for a nice easy work day followed by a nice and calm weekend… that includes my cousin’s husbands wake… fuck. The universe is just piling on. Hopefully there are brighter, less depressing, less fascist days ahead. Now, where did I put those two cats?
#BandPractice #Family #Fascism #friday #funeral #iphoneography #lizardfish #nazis #photography #Politics #wake #weekend

2025-04-24 20:16:59 UTC

Compulsion
I feel compelled to write something here. Why?
The Red Sox are playing a getaway day game against Seattle right now. They are losing 4-2 in the bottom of the eighth inning. Bummer.
I just found a bug on a script a former staff member of mine wrote on a Confluence document we use to track the minutes of our daily meetings. I am sad because I don’t know how to fix it. I know I can figure it out but I don’t have the time or the energy. Bummer.
The federal government of the united states is in the grip of fascists who are using the constitution as toilet paper after a particularly nasty shit. Bummer.
The Red Sox just scored. It is now 4-3. That is not a bummer.
Here is another obligatory cat photo. Also not a bummer.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54473354465/in/datetaken/
I have 82 minutes left in the work day. 82 minutes between me and the drive home. That feels like a super long time. Bummer.
I just finished my water bottle. That’s good. I hit my water goal (64 ounces) for the day. I’m still thirsty though and the filtered water here at the office always tastes a little funny to me. I don’t like it. Bummer.
The Red Sox are out in the eighth. They still trail 4-3. Here’s hoping they hold the Mariners in the top of the ninth and come back in their last ups. That would be nice. We’re still losing though and that’s a bummer.
Okay, enough of this. Back to work, red head.
#Baseball #BostonRedSox #bummer #Cat #iphoneography #Kitty #photography #RedSox #robin

2025-04-24 13:42:28 UTC

Another Day
Up and at ’em. Back at it. Repetition and all that. Deja-Vu. As Iron Maiden once said, “feel like I’ve been here before.” Probably because I was here before. Yesterday, in fact. Today is another day in the office. Celebrate with a cat pic:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54473266743/in/datetaken/
Roar.
I’m tired. I went to bed earlier than usual last night but it doesn’t seem to have been enough. Maybe it’s just mental fatigue induced by driving for an hour to get to work. Who knows. Maybe it’s just mental fatigue induced by the collapse of american society. What used to be our country sucks a little more with each passing day and maybe it’s just wearing me out. Could be.
We’ve reached the point in the week where I start looking longingly toward the weekend. I can’t do a band practice on Sunday so I threw out the idea of doing Saturday instead. It’s still up in the air. I want to do some sunrise/ocean photos too but the weather forecast calls for shitty with a chance of shitty on Saturday. Sunday looks okay. Will it be okay at sunrise? Too soon to speculate.
Shit. I feel like I need a new hobby. I don’t want a new hobby, I just feel like I need one. Man, simple things get confusing when you reach old age (see yesterday’s post for more. Yes, I know I have not reached old age yet) and your country flushes itself down the crapper. All I really want to do is curl up in a ball on the couch and wait for it all to finish crushing me. You know how it is, right?
Sunday is out for band practice because I have to go to a wake. My cousin’s husband passed suddenly last week. I think that might be part of the reason for the funk I’m in right now. I also have a medical procedure on the books for Tuesday and I think I have to start prepping for it a couple of days in advance. I won’t say what it is. It’s not a procedure really, it’s just a test. Let’s say it’s one of those tests that people in their 50’s need to have and it involves completely clearing out your digestive system. Nudge nudge, wink wink. Are you digging where I’m coming from? Are you picking up what I am putting down? Ouch town, population me, bro. Maybe that’s another source of funk-feeling. Not funk in a good sense. Not funk in a George Clinton sense. Funk in a… blahhhhh sense. You get it.
Okay. Time to get cracking on the work day. Two meetings on the books. Both require some prep work. Get to it, Red Head!
#365 #365Challenge #365Project #Cat #health #iphoneography #Kitty #medicalProcedure #medicalTest #ouch #photoADay #photoADayChallenge #photoADayProject #photography #robin

2025-04-23 19:40:25 UTC

Tired Afternoon
I stayed up too late last night and now I am tired. That’s how it works for all of us, but it seems to be a bigger issue for folks who are old like me. I am going to have a birthday in a couple of weeks and I’m going to be 54. Wait… really? How is that possible? I know in the grand scheme of things that 54 isn’t that bad, I mean it’s not 80 or anything, but damn… I was 27 a few days ago. Wasn’t I?
What was I writing about?
Oh yeah, I am tired. It seems somehow worse than that though as I didn’t have time to follow any news yesterday and today I got caught up on the collapse of civilization. So RFK wants to create a autism database or some shit? Hmmm… didn’t the nazis do that with mental illnesses? Yeah, something like that. No surprise that we’re resurrecting that particular evil, but there you go. That on top of prison time without due process and willfully collapsing the economy in order to scam a couple of bucks off the rubes. Yeah. Are we great again? Maybe I’ll open up a new Signal chat and ask about it.
Ugh. Here’s a cat:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54470856163/in/datetaken/
If the cat didn’t temporarily straighten out your soul, maybe a song will help:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ygi8v7UcNMs
#americanFascism #Cat #fairportConvention #Fascism #fascistStatesOfAmerica #health #Hipstamatic #iphoneography #Kitty #Music #photography #Politics #robin #trumpIsAFascist #trumpIsANazi #trumpIsEvil #unitedStatesOfFascism

2025-04-23 13:46:55 UTC

In the Office
Today is Wednesday and Wednesday is an in-the-office-day. Welcome to Wednesday in the office. Here’s a cat:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54470588251/in/datetaken/
Did you see the season premier(s) of Star Wars Andor last night? Three episodes. I watched them all before I conked out for the night. I only got about five hours of sleep because somehow I managed to get up when my alarm went off without hitting snooze 10 times. How did I do that?
My spoiler free review of Andor season two episodes one through three, which covers the year BBY4 (four years before the first Death Star battle from the original Star Wars movie [so… 1973? Haha!]):
I dug these three episodes so much that I cannot wait for the next three episodes that are coming out next Tuesday!
There you go. There’s my review. Let’s celebrate with another cat pic:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54469872696/in/datetaken/
I took that picture last night while sitting up in bed watching Andor on my laptop. The cat is laying against my foot. Perv.
Okay. Time to publish this puppy and dig into that customer issue that I am covering while the assigned programmer is on vacation. Nose to the grindstone. Crack that whip (give the past the slip).
#Andor #Cat #Disney_ #hipstaKitty #Hipstamatic #iphoneography #Kitty #lily #photography #robin #spoilerFreeReview #StarWars #starWarsAndor #Television

2025-04-23 01:01:51 UTC

Three Minutes
It is 8:57pm. In three minutes Disney+ is going to release the first three episodes of season two of Andor. I don’t know if I am going to be able to stay awake long enough to watch all three, but I am sure as hell going to try.
Three episodes tonight, three episodes, next Tuesday, three episodes the Tuesday after that, and then three episodes the Tuesday after that. We are effectively getting a new Star Wars movie every week for four weeks.
I am not one to put too much faith into reviews, but season two of Andor is currently at 98% on rottentomatoes.com. Yeah… it’s going to be good. Really good.
It’s now 9:00pm on Tuesday April 22, 2025. Those first three episodes should be out now. I’ll let you know how they go. No spoilers, of course.
#Andor #Disney_ #StarWars #starWarsAndor #Television

2025-04-22 21:00:50 UTC

Meetings
File this one under first world problems.
I just want to have some lunch. I usually break at 1:00pm but I was added to a meeting at that time. I punted lunch to 2:00pm but when the 1:00 ended I was added to a 2:00. I tried to reschedule my 3:00pm but I needed to keep it in place.
Dude… I just want to go to lunch. Why can’t I go to lunch? It is 5:00pm now and still no lunch. At least I will be able to have dinner soon.
What a day! Here’s a cat.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54468767075/in/datetaken/
#365 #365Challenge #365Project #Busy #busyDay #busyWorkDay #Cat #Kitty #lunch #lunchBreak #meetings #photoADay #photoADayChallenge #photoADayProject #photography #robin #work #workDay

2025-04-22 11:14:36 UTC

Holiday Schedule
I took this picture yesterday. Not sure why I am posting it now, but I am… so there.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54467314233/in/datetaken/
As mentioned in a post from nearly 24 hours ago, yesterday was a holiday in Massachusetts. Patriots Day. In my neighborhood, Tuesday is trash day. I got up early and got everything ready and opened the door to walk outside with a big trash bag and as the door was swinging in toward me, I remembered that whole holiday thing. The holiday trash pickup schedule punts our Tuesday to Wednesday. Aw, hell. I hate when I forget about that. I took the barrel out to the street anyway. Tomorrow’s an in-the-office day. Taking the barrel out now saves me about three minutes tomorrow morning. Yippee.
Now, onward to another super fascinating Tuesday. Yippee, again.
#Cat #Holiday #Kitty #lily #Massachusetts #Nikon #nikonZ5 #photography #z5

2025-04-21 15:09:13 UTC

Bird
One of the cats was sitting in the window next to my desk, just watching the goings on in the backyard. All of a sudden she FREAKED OUT and ran away. A few minutes later I noticed this:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54466313014
Coincidence?
#BackYardWildKingdom #BackyardWildKingdom #bird #hawk #Nikon #nikonZ5 #photography #z5

2025-04-21 14:21:48 UTC

Patriots Day
Happy Patriots Day. No, we don’t have a holiday for a shitty football team. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has a state holiday to remember the start of the American Revolution. Fucking irony, eh?
Today is Marathon Monday in Boston. As a result, it is also the day we have the weirdness known as the 11:00am Red Sox game. The game starts early so that it ends at about the same time the Marathon runners are reaching Kenmore Square. You go to Fenway Park, watch the Red Sox, leave Fenway Park and head for the Green Line station and catch the leaders as they fly by. I’ve only participated in this once but it was a really cool experience.
Every year when Patriots Day comes around I go to work like it’s a normal Monday but I promise myself, I full on swear to myself, that next year… next year I am going to go to the North Bridge re-enactment of the first shots of the American Revolution in Minuteman National Park in Concord, MA and then I am going to go to the Red Sox game and then I am going to watch a bit of the Boston Marathon and then I will still be home before dinner.
And then every year I forget all about it until I wake up and realize it is Patriots Day again and I forgot about all of it. Oh well.
So the Pope died on Easter Sunday, eh? Wouldn’t it have been more on brand if he had died on Good Friday? Sorry… too soon?
I can’t help but be flippant about everything on Earth today. On top of the continuing collapse of American Democracy, I watched season two episode two of The Last of Us last night and it absolutely destroyed me. I knew from talking to a gamer player a few years ago that last night’s twist was coming, but I didn’t know when. I figured it would be late in the season, maybe in the finale. Nope. Episode two. On top of the twist, the whole thing going on in the town (no spoilers!) was maybe the most intense episode of television I’ve ever say through. Damn. Just… damn.
In an attempt to calm myself down after watching that show last night, here’s a cat.
https://flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54465993041/in/datetaken/
That didn’t fix me so here’s another cat.
https://flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54465993191/in/datetaken/
#bostonMarathon #Cat #fenwayPark #kenmoreSquare #Kitty #lexingtonAndConcord #lily #Massachusetts #minutemanNationalPark #oldNorthBridge #patriotsDay #photography #robin #Television #theLastOfUs

2025-04-21 00:00:26 UTC

Sugar Free
It’s a sugar free cake and it is delicious. Thanks, Nana!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54465045854/in/datetaken/
#iphoneography #photography

2025-04-20 15:27:29 UTC

More Fun with Film
Did I take advantage of the perfect Spring weather to go out and take a shit load of photos today? No. No I did not. I suck. To make up for it, here’s another bunch of pics taken with my father’s Pentax K1000.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54459291023/in/album-72177720300575173
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54459291043/in/album-72177720300575173
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54459021971/in/album-72177720300575173
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54459206289/in/album-72177720300575173
Note the matching t-shirts.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54459367300/in/album-72177720300575173
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54458167427/in/album-72177720300575173
Not a horse’s ass, but…
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54459001181/in/album-72177720300575173
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54459172139/in/album-72177720300575173
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54459172234/in/album-72177720300575173
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54459163664/in/album-72177720300575173
#35mm #35mmFilm #blackAndWhite #blackAndWhiteFilm #Burlington #colorFilm #DisneyWorld #Epcot #filmPhotography #FUJISUPERIA400 #GALAXYSEDGE #HollywoodStudios #KENTMERE400 #KODAKCOLORPLUS200 #KODAKGOLD200 #magicKingdom #Manhattan #NewYork #NewYorkCity #Pentax #PentaxK1000 #PentaxM1250mm #photography #Travel #vermont

2025-04-20 13:32:26 UTC

Easter
Insert joke about a zombie giving up his weekend for our sins.
The plan is to visit Jen’s mother and step father today. It will be a lovely day, I am sure. They have a new cat. The resemblance to our cat Robin is striking. I expect I’ll use the wrong name at least once or twice.
Until then here is a photographic study. First, we have two cats who were pretending to be asleep as I snuck up on them with my camera.
Awake Lily:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54462894402/in/datetaken/
Awake Robin (also, today’s photo a day picture winner):
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54464088330/in/datetaken/
Then a couple of hours later I returned to the scene of the crime and found both of them actually sleeping.
Asleep Lily:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54463924264/in/datetaken/
Asleep Robin:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54463927054/in/datetaken/
Cuteness overload. Happy Easter from my cats to yours.
#365 #365Challenge #365Project #Cat #Kitty #lily #Nikon #nikonZ5 #photoADay #photoADayChallenge #photoADayProject #photography #robin #z5

2025-04-19 18:47:27 UTC

Protests
We tried. Twice. We drove up to Kingston, NH for a protest but when we got there there were only a couple of people holding signs in a park. We changed direction and headed to Billerica, MA where there was a big rally going on in the town common. We tried to stop but there wasn’t any place to park and well… at the risk of TMI… there were full bladder issues that needed attending.
We will do better next time, and I promise there will be a next time. Until then, here’s a cat.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54462513639/in/datetaken/
#50501 #antiFascist #antifa #Cat #handsOff #Kitty #Nikon #nikonZ5 #photography #Politics #protests #robin #trumpIsAFascist #trumpIsANazi #trumpIsEvil #z5