I totally need to practice macro photos

We have more flowers growing by our front door, so I figured I would take my Canon Rebel T7i outside and try to get some interesting shots with the Fotodiox Macro Extension Tube Set I bought ages ago. 

Well, I couldn't get close enough using a tripod, so I had to hand manage the photos. 

And I failed. 

Try as I might, I didn't get the combinations I wanted, even though I did capture some interesting shots. 

Yes, I used "manual mode" and fiddled around with the exposure. Which is also why I didn't edit the photos either. The sun is setting away from the bush, so everything is getting enshrouded in darkness, plus it's slightly windy out. I made the attempt in Photoshop to sharpen the images, but because they're meant to have some blur in sections due to the way macro is, they came out "okay". 

I also used the stock lens that came with the camera, so there's a combo platter with the photos below.

I think I felt rushed with these because I could have done so much better if I took my time and set everything up properly. They feel cold and look it, for it being close to 80° this afternoon. I do like the way the close up of the over exposed ones came out; they're pretty neat. But otherwise, I know I could have done better. 

I don't like standing outside too long in my neighborhood with my camera. I feel awkward and weird because I have a lot of nosy neighbors who like to cause trouble. Even though I'm taking photos of the flowers at my door, I know they're bound to ask questions. 

As it is, the people who share the walkway, the man likes to attempt to stop us and ask questions about the community, yet, he's an original owner. He doesn't pay attention to the information that gets put out to the residents, so he will ask my mom. Just like a couple other people tend to do. She's made friends with some of the single men on our street, just to say hi and be neighborly. Nothing more. These are the type of neighbors you ask stuff to - what's popular, what's bad. Not the type of people you'd want to really go out and do stuff with because everyone has their own likes and dislikes. It's just enough information from each other to keep everyone sane. 

But yeah, I know I need to practice more at my photos, much like I need proper editing equipment (computer, etcetera). One day I'll have the opportunity and I'll stop making excuses. Haha. 

It's like the other day, I used my iPhone 11 to capture a gecko I inadvertently sucked up into the shop vac when I was cleaning out the AC pipe outside.

I did try to edit myself out (poorly) because I was a reflection in the water. 

I don't know where the dude was, but he wasn't in the bucket when I put it all together. But he showed up and I put him in the flowers so he could find a new home for the moment. Let him literally hang out and dry. Catch a breath and relax. I totally scared the tar out of him because he was breathing quite heavily when he landed on the leaves. 

It's funny how I've been able to get decent photos on my phone, for as much as I don't like using it as my main device. I used to carry a point and shoot around with me everywhere, so maybe I'm used to that type of aspect. Carrying around a camera case with all the accoutrements for a digital camera is hard and you're not welcome in a lot of places sometimes when establishments see such a thing. So having a camera in your pocket can be a good thing, except when you really need to hone in on a bigger unit. 

To each their own, I suppose. 

I guess that's about it for now. Just wanted to do a quick update with some new stuff. 

Hope everyone is safe and well.

Cheers;

Local PSA: Be careful what plastics you buy

Everyone we know in Fort Myers buys cases of water and keeps the plastic bottles in the garage. All through heat and humidity, rain and wind, the travel H2O is always outside, keeping space next to the car. The people grab the water when they need to, and bring it in the house to cool off and eventually drink it. But otherwise, the water stays outside all the time.

We have always wondered what the elements do to the overall bottle - doesn't it warp the plastic and ruin the liquid? People typically say it's fine when they finally get around to opening each pack and taking a drink of the now so many weeks old hydration soother. The person can't tell a difference in what they're having; it tastes like normal water once you put it in a glass with ice (or put the bottle in the refrigerator to chill). 

Unfortunately for us, we learned our lesson with a 32 bottle, 16.9 ounce case of KerSplash Spring Water. 

I don't even remember how we acquired it, because it's not a local water bottle company. There's no store around here that is selling it and even Amazon doesn't recognize the name. It might have been one of those cases we got after Ian when there was a supply distribution center in the Walmart parking lot and they were handing out necessities for people (water, cleaning solvents, food, toiletries, etcetera). A little more research and it seems like KerSplash is a off market brand name under the Silver Springs Bottled Water Company in Silver Springs, Florida. The company is about four hours north east(ish) of me, and the website is very basic and broad. It doesn't really delving too deeply into all their offerings and where to find them. Sure, it gives some information, but the general idea and consensus isn't there. 

As we've had these bottles for a while, I've been noticing they've got some sort of deterioration going, and we are keeping them inside, in our laundry room. I'm sure it's no better than the garage due to the dryer, but at least it's more climate controlled than being out in the 100° humidity for 6 months. We may attempt to drink a lot of water, but since we have a refrigerator with in ice maker and water control on the door, so we use more of that than we use plastic. The cases are really for when we come up to rain and hurricane season, so we know we have something should we get a storm. Due to the bottles getting a little crunchy when you pick them up (they're losing air, it seems. The plastic is getting soft), we've decided we really ought to start using them at the pool and gym, and we will just buy a new case when the time comes. It'll be easier that way; know it's all fresh for the summer.

Well, we were wrong.

For over a week, I've been using this brand and have noticed something gritty as I'm sipping the water in my cup. I've got ice and electrolyte powder (because I use a 30oz Yeti Rambler and fill it with some sort of hydration powder) for after the gym and I tend to just keep putting more water in once I'm finished. Just refill the cup until I go to bed. 

As an added bonus for when I want to do some errands and still stay hydrated, I strap my Yeti into a nifty neoprene sleeve with carrying handle and off I go. This sleeve saved my butt a few times because the Yeti is so hard to hold without it's own handle. Plus, you can unstrap the buckle and put it through a belt loop or a bag loop. Having a 4 pack means if I wear one out, I don't have to go buy a single sleeve when one breaks. I've got backups and quite honestly, the quality is good enough that I'm on number two of four for the pack and I purchased them during the height of the pandemic.

If you're wondering about all the water I'm drinking, no, I am not constantly running to the bathroom. I pee regularly, but not enough that I can't go out and do things. I'm not prohibited from leaving the house because I tinkle too much.

Anyway, back on topic. 

Drinking this KerSplash, I noticed grittiness. It was a sand like additive in the liquid and I know I've fully dissolved the powder. There is just some left over feeling in my mouth, and when I move my jaw, my teeth feel the roughness. It's almost like when you go to the dentist and they ask you if you feel any dirt and grit or anything else after they use their toothpaste. It's that kind of weird. I know that when I don't use this bottled water, I'm using the fridge water, things are always fine. I've also used other bottled water and have had no problems. It's just this specific brand that seems to be a challenge. 

I decided to take a look at one of the bottles we've got in the refrigerator, to see what the problem is. If there's stuff inside or if the brand is way too old. What's the frequency, Kenneth? What's the deal? What's happening?

Again, not really remembering when we got it or from where, what I saw floating in the bottle I grabbed, was a little shocking. Not "oh my god, we are all going to die" shocking, but a "Am I looking at this correctly? Is this really what I've been tasting and drinking?? Is this aging water? Decay? Hmm".

There were little pieces of what looks like plastic, floating in the bottle. It seems to be the inside is breaking down on itself. Which explains why the bottles are getting warped and thinning out.

I don't know if it's the fact we've kept this water for more than a year or if it's decaying because we have kept it in our laundry room and the dryer is heating the bottles. Maybe it's because the best by date was March of 2024 or there's something else as the underlying cause. However, I ended up throwing out 24 bottles after I took this video. There's no way we were going to keep drinking the water with the plastic floating in it. 

Yes, we all eat, drink and breathe things that get into our system and shouldn't be in our bodies. The lotions, makeup, solvents we rub on ourselves have little micro plastics in them too, but we still turn the other cheek (literally) and beautify ourselves. But having tasted the plastic and wonder what I'm drinking (prior to this), to then see good solid pieces in the bottle, this is uncomfortable and weird. 

Sure, other brands (including straight tap from your sink) have microcosms and strange biomes floating around. We can't siphon those out. But to have an unopened bottle and actually see solid pieces of the bottle shifting around like a snow globe, no. Nope; can't get down with it. 

This is a level I don't want to play. Can we bypass it somehow?

Even though season is fast approaching and we're going to need to have water on hand, my mother and I decided not to keep the bottles on hand, if only for toilet flushing. I know it's not much, but part of me is like "this plastic can build up in our pipes and we're already having issues in the community", especially since the 16 ounce bottles have decayed to this point, what are they going to look like when we really need them? The little pieces inside are going to bring friends and then what? We're pouring stuff down drains that can do some damage to things. I know it wouldn't be major catastrophe damage, but if the plants and trees are already causing problems for the PVC, the little plastic pieces could get stuck in whatever the roots haven't touched yet. Ignorance is bliss, sometimes. 

So I ended up pouring them all outside into the grass. Watering the mulch, which is no different than pouring them down the drain, but at least I saved the internal stuff a little more indirectly. 

Therefore, let this be a lesson for everyone: 

Watch what you're buying and where you're storing it, and for how long. Cheap brands may very well be cheap, and you don't know what you're getting. It could happen to the major brands too, so you just never know. 

Be mindful of what you're storing where, because I know there are preppers out there, getting ready for whenever some apocalypse happens. We won't know when or for how long our world will go right side up, but watch what you're buying. It's like the aluminum cans. If you're having to buy them, they too start deteriorating after a while. The better, smarter, people know about canning in mason jars. 

Not that I have my own basement full of stuff, because I don't. I've talked to enough people who hoard certain items as well as seen enough reality television to know that this is one tin foil hat arena you have to watch your wallet in. The price of admission is strange with this lot and there's nothing wrong with it. You just have to be diligent and vigilant. 

Stay wise;

Cheers

See Also:

* In the Youtube video description, I started with a quote from the movie IT: 'They float, Georgie, and when you’re down here with me, you’ll float, too'

* Youtube video taken on an iPhone 11 and edited in Pinnacle Studio. The background music is Pinnacle stock music, "Electronica | Reaction Time | For The Road"

* "What's The Frequency, Kenneth?" is off REM's 1994 Monster album (track 1). 

* Amazon information on preppers

Can you smell and taste it? | What is "Brezzy"?

Last week I went to Trader Joe's and "browsed". For me, there's no such thing as shopping at this store and walking out empty handed. 

When I lived in Brookline, I'd occasionally make an afternoon of it; I'd take the the T to Coolidge Corner, play frogger to get to the independent bookstore, schmy around the (seemingly) small space (it wasn't small, but I tended to go in spots there that were over looked) and I'd "only" make a solid purchase of a couple UK imported music magazines (MOJO and UNCUT). Sometimes I'd pick up an extra book or two; but that depended on what would jump out to me. My purchases were also depended on whether or not I was on the hunt for a one off suggestion from one of the professors I was friendly with. I was mainly on a mission for the magazines and anything else was a bonus. 

After getting my fill of all the books and knickknacks, I would hop back over the tracks to Trader Joe's. I'd again, loosely wander up and down the aisles, internally checking off a list in my head of what I could eventually buy and carry back to the dorm. I did this all four years of school, and when I was able to keep my car on campus, it made things a little easier, yet hard, because of the way U-turns are built around that area. Plus, a car allowed me the opportunity to stop at Star Market as well. Which was something I didn't always need to do. But off to shop, I went. As long as I could "pahk my cah in a free lot" (aka Trader Joe's or Star Market), so I had to make a quickie anywhere else outside of that building.

If I really wanted to make a cracking day out of it, I'd make my first stop the Coolidge Corner Theatre, then the bookstore, then Trader Joe's. That would be the excursion where my paycheck would be nil by nightfall. 

Oh, but it was worth it.... 😁

Spinning back to the current decade, I actually have a Trader Joe's "near me" yet again. I actually don't make it a habit to go to this one in Fort Myers. It's not the same as "just getting on the T and ride the line". It's not so fun to have an agenda and surprise yourself with good finds. Yes, I could literally spend a paycheck in this store, but I do end up holding back. With the way things are now, I've got to take my car to TJ's because there's no train system, let alone a proper bus system. It's close enough, but also far past a few stores I like just as well, and are a little more reliable to get to.

After some research to try to correctly explain the transportation, the local bus system runs once an hour in my area. You need to find what stop is closest to you, in order to catch the bus at a specific time. It takes you to a common area / depot in about 45 minutes. For me, this would be equal to the stop by my community and then going to the mall as the depot. From the mall, I need to catch another bus to get to Trader Joe's, which now backwards on the route I was on just on. Two different bus number lines, so it can be another twenty minutes out of the way. That's providing the bus taking me to Trader Joe's is at the depot area. Otherwise it's another "who knows how long of a wait".. at the mall.. where I didn't want to be, to begin with. If I'm going to go to the mall, I might as well stop in Books-A-Million, but I don't need a book right now. Oh well.

All that being said, I don't know if there's an exact stop at the plaza the store is in, as the transit website is vague for the area I'm looking at. I've honestly not seen any bus there when I've been at the plaza, so I don't know how people shop if they don't have a car. Uber, maybe? 

It's one of those trips that could end up being well over an hour in total travel time, one way, due to the back and forth and running around to get a ride (again, I don't know when the next bus would be from the mall to the plaza, to give a definitive answer). This time frame is not including the 45 minutes inside the actual store. Yes, I could spend at least 30-45 minutes in the store. I can admit to it. Then you have to wait for the return to the mall bus, to then get on the bus to go to my end of town. So another hour and change in travel time. 

So we're at what, over two hours already? Just on a bus ride? It's 15 minutes from my house in "easy" traffic. Providing a car service doesn't get lost in picking me up, it'd be the same quarter of an hour. 

Comparatively speaking, the bus system that I'm used to up north, the bus was at my street every 30 minutes (literally. There was a stop at the top of my road so it made things very easy). The days I took it to work (downtown), I was out my door and in the office in 35 minutes. Yes, I did walk home some days when it was nice (and it was an hour and ten minutes' walk because I moseyed and watched the flowers), but I had door to door service and didn't have to worry about catching multiple rides and starting my day hours in advance. My job was two or three stops from the main (and only) depot, so it all panned out in my favor. Plus, if I were to say, right now, "I'll walk home" from Trader Joe's (or walk to, for that matter), it would be a 2 hour and 22 minute walk, according to Maps. Publix is 5 minutes down the road from me, and would be a 25 minute walk, although I did do a similar path to a Redbox when we first moved here... so it's "manageable". That and I once rode my bike around the area - I plotted a similar radius I was used to back north, and once I saw an alligator sunning itself on the side of the road, I was like "nope" and haven't used my bike since. I actually sold it a few years ago, so I don't own two wheels anymore. 

Back to driving around the area and getting places.

To come down south and have a city that sprawls for what feels like centuries, is hard. I tell my friends who visit from out of state (or country, like when Rach was here), "think long and hard of where you want to go. Disney is three hours north of me. Key West is a minimum 5 hour drive south of me. There is no in between, where we can get to the place in a blink. Plus, for a Florida resident, there's also no major bargain for these "tourist" places. Yes, I can get a small discount on some things, but we're still paying gas to get there, hotel rooms, resort fees, admission fees. Before you know it, the bargain you hoped for, has long been depleted. Also, with blackout dates, a small percentage won't help because no one gets money off at that time (think school vacations or holidays)".

I told my friend Shawn (who lives in Connecticut and has a part time job driving one of the car services), "think of it as you going to Albany, New York. You're there in two and a half hours. I'm still driving to Orlando and you've crossed one state. If you continued driving and went 5 more hours from Albany, you'd be in Ottawa, Canada. You've crossed country borders; hope you've got a valid ID". 

To continue this idea of distance:

* In just shy of six hours, I can drive from Fort Myers north(west) to Tallahassee, the state capital of Florida. 

* I can drive north(east) to Jacksonville, Florida in just shy of 5 hours. 

However, I'm still not out of the state yet. As those two cities are near the Georgia border, it would be another hour, roughly, for me to leave The Sunshine State. 

* If I wanted to go to Pensacola, Florida, I would have to travel about eight hour and 32 minute north west. 

At this point, I would be near the Alabama border, which would put me a little less than an hour outside of Mobile. So 9 hours and 20 minutes, I finally am in another state, and a different time zone!

* If I wanted to go another hour further (west), I'd be in Biloxi, Mississippi. Thus, making a second state crossing in this one trip. 

With me on this? Did I lose you?

Essentially, Florida is freaking huge and it takes time to get to places. These are rough estimates, based on Google Maps at the time of this writing. 

So to drive myself to Trader Joe's in 15 minutes, I can do that. If I wanted to take a bus, I'd have to plan well over 2 hours of my day to get on the public transportation line. All to go grocery shopping. It's easier to drive some days, just as it was far easier up north. 

You may ask yourself, "what's the point already? Why have we deviated from the original plan?" and I'll tell you. 

I bought beer bread mix and made it. 

Actually, I bought beer bread mix and made it with carbonated sparkling water. 

It was interesting. 

I didn't add melted butter to the top, as it was optional, so the bread's surface was a little hard. 

Inside, it was slightly soft (the chewy, yeasty, good kind) but it wasn't that bad. I think it's because I might have over mixed it. I added Craisins in the batter, for kicks, as I figured the liquid was cranberry clementine, why not add a little fruit bonus? If "raisins are humiliated grapes", then "craisins are humiliated cranberries". I have to say, the Craisins were an added flavor for sure, but the overall profile was still lacking something. Maybe if I did add the butter as it was cooling, it would have been a better bread and the fruit would create a better (sweeter?) profile? 

Although, when I cut myself a couple slices (once cooled), one slice had peanut butter on it, and another slice had cream cheese. I'm weird like that, and I don't stick to butter sometimes for my bread. Even though I very well tried butter with this at another point. The bread did crumble a bit when adding the toppings, but it didn't completely fall apart. Each spread gave a different type of complexity, and I don't know what was better or what was worse. Out of the three, I think the butter was what we think of as "normal" for this type of situation, but the cream cheese was just as good. It wasn't indulgent by any means, but it served a new benefit. Something different. The peanut butter wasn't messy per se, but the nuttiness hid the fruit and yeast flavor, so it was a hard judge. 

I think I would try this again, only changing the carbonated drink. Since I don't have alcohol in the house anymore, I'm up for trying other things. Maybe another type of carbonated water. Who knows; I did buy two boxes...

Turning this ship in another direction, I ended up watching the news the other morning and they were talking about the weather. 

It happened to be that the television was on when I walked by it. It was the perfect time, because obviously, someone didn't quality control their job as the discussion of the next 24 hours was on display. 

My question is: 

What is "Brezzy"?

Especially in relation to temperature, such as "warm and sunny"?

This, my friends, is what the meteorologists  are teaching us; how to use new words in a sentence and not correctly spell others. Considering the person giving the weather report did, in fact, say it was going to be "warm and breezy", someone on the control end didn't catch the oopsie. 

It wasn't like this was a fully live (one hour, local) broadcast; it was one of those cut in "here's your local weather" segments from the morning national show. Someone might have had enough time to check the visuals before it went on air. I hope. Especially if the weather person was being prepped for the minute he was on air, the tech would have had opportunity to input the information correctly. 

Who am I, though? I've had my fair share of oopsies, especially on here. We all know that. 😒 But I admit to it and if caught in time, fix it. Sometimes I don't want to be bothered, while other times I know I must. 

However, to go "live, on air", is something different. Yes, people are probably absentmindedly listening and not paying attention to whatever screen the weather is on, but you still need to have your words correct. There are people who are learning things by the day, and if something is out there for them to pick up on, they will soak it in and put it back out. 

Don't throw rocks at glass houses, I know. Don't remind me. I'm not out there in the media world right now, pushing out sound and vision items to the masses. Yea, excuses, excuses. 

Maybe I should attempt to get back in to the Communication field and apply to the television stations... start on the ground floor as a little higher than an intern and work my way up to the control room. Make sure the stuff going out is on the up and up. 🙈🙉🙊

As it is, there's rumbling about the big governmental science department going away. The weather people we rely on for keeping tabs on major storms that could impact our lives (rain, hurricanes, snow, etc) and by that getting shut down, there will be no accuracy in the local channels that can deliver the information to the citizens. We're coming up on rain and hurricane season in Florida; we can't afford guess work (even under normal circumstances), considering how active the summers have been lately. If the radars aren't getting fed the right models, a lot of people could be in real trouble. 

I am trying to tread light right now, please excuse me. I don't like getting too political in my posts unless I really have to, and given some national news about sites getting shut down, I'm not about to have that happen here. 

But truly, if we can't get the information (good, bad, in between), how will we know what's right? Then again, the misspell is common around here. I'm always being told how the local news anchors can't even pronounce the simplest of words correctly, and they don't know, or realize, they've just said something wrong. The other anchors continue with the conversation like it's nothing and they keep going. It's not a "tomato / tomahto" situation. It's far worse than that. To also have cue cards with bad spelling is on the same level of not knowing how to speak (in a way). Like I said, this isn't the first time and I know it won't be the last. 

There's a big reason why I have ill feelings about some of the "ways of life" down here. This adds to it. I feel bad for the ones who need the education, but the people who earn a proper living with proper education and still have errors should know better? 

Again, I know I've done bad things. I am not excusing myself. I do try to fix and apologize. This may be a public blog, but I'm not "live and on air" and putting things out there that are all together bad. Or at least that's my attempt. I could possibly write something that can be misconstrued, and I really am sorry for that. It isn't my intention and I tend to free write and not thing too clearly. Which is why sometimes I tend to ramble and have the mistakes. I circle around things because it's how I think most days. At least I'm trying to improve myself, my education, and not speaking in front of people with poor language skills or push out a piece of information on the screen with a word that doesn't exist ("teh" doesn't, but it's a rip on someone in my expansive circle from when this blog started. There's a backstory). 

It's just one of those things where I wish there was better opportunity around. If I can catch the wrong, who else is? That's a good question that I can never seem to answer. I don't think I ever will be able to answer it. 

Which is also why a lot of people can't stand watching television and movies with me. I catch the small stuff and have to make a comment about it. Yes, its needless knowledge, but if they didn't catch it, surely I didn't mistake the scene? Rewind, backtrack, talk it out. Yup; after explanation, they caught it too. Strange... 

I have been working on this post for five hours because I keep getting squirreled. It's sooo past my bed time right now, I think I'm at the point of making stuff up. So in order to maintain some sense of everything making sense, I'm going to end it here. 

It's going to be 80 something degrees tomorrow, so if you're in the heat, stay hydrated. If you're in the cold, stay hydrated and warm. If you're in between, choose your own adventure. 

Until I get a proper rest, stay safe and cool. 

Cheers;

See Also:

* MOJO Magazine via Amazon

* UNCUT Magazine via Amazon

* Trader Joe's Beer Bread Mix via Amazon

* The "Humiliated Grapes" reference is from the movie, Benny & Joon. 

I'm not good at math or measurements

 .. so I stay out of certain industries.

However, someone failed to do their job correctly when mass producing an organization system.

The machine wasn't correctly level or numbers not properly put in correctly to make the overall inside rods fit in the holes.

Okay, back up for a minute. 

At some point last year, my mother saw on her Facebook feed, a random user bought a "True Living Compact Closet Shelves" organization system and converted it to a bottle holder. It was purchased by the user at Dollar General for around five dollars (it's now listing at close to nine) and she liked the idea enough, she decided to try it out for herself.

The only thing I could find on Amazon is the Whitmor 4-Tier Compact Closet Shelves - Gray. It looks really similar to what my mother ended up buying but the A to Z version is "not currently available" to purchase, unless you use a third party vendor. 

The reasons for Amazon not making it available for purchase with them?

"No featured offers available

We feature offers with an Add to Cart button when an offer meets our high standards for:

Quality Price,

Reliable delivery option, and

Seller who offers good customer service

“No featured offers available” means no offers currently meet all of these expectations. Select See All Buying Options to shop available offers."

Apparently this doesn't meet their standards, and based on what I'm going to say, I think they're right. Especially since I've stumbled on other bad reviews of this same looking product (even the DG version).

Although "hindsight is always 20/20", she bought the Dollar General contraption so we could clean up our washer and dryer area a little bit. Cases of water are everywhere, and there seemed to be a lot of positive reviews about turning a shoe rack into a more economical bottle bottler rack. 

Once home, she puts the thing together, it lasts okay, and now that we're using the bottles more frequently (because the "best buy date" is coming up... yes.. plastic bottles!! We also don't drink as much as we should from the plastic containers as we use the contraption in our fridge for H2O consumption), we are noticing some defects in the organizer. 

Overall, yes, it's nice and slim, but the rods aren't long enough. They keep sliding from the holes, making everything fall into the middle and mound upwards. It's a big pain in the butt because nothing is lining up properly and holding steady. 

It's like whoever designed this organizer, didn't expect things to sit in the middle. If they did, they were expecting feathers. The rods are literally a hairpin short on each side, so the second you get it lined up right, it falls out the second you turn away. Let alone when and if you try to balance something on it.

So this week, I got tired of looking at the water bottles piling up and decided to take action. 

I got some tape, made little arms from the tape, and then stuck it in each end of the rods. Then I taped around the rod ends and onto the little arms I made, making a little more stability. From there, put the rods back on the holder. 

Seems to be working. 

It's like, "how can you mess up something this badly and mass produce it?", like the upside down "Made In America" sticker on my laundry machine. (Someone failed to quality control that one too). 

Why is this okay? Because it's "cheap enough", people won't mind? 

I fail to see the logic behind it. Why should I have used tape to secure the thing together? Like bubblegum and shoe strings, this thing got Macgyvered (for those who may not know the reference, do yourself a favor and watch the Richard Dean Anderson series). 

On another note, I got new shoes!

Ground Up came out with a new pair of Nightmare Before Christmas shoes, but they're not on Amazon, sadly, but there are new Crocs.

I wore them today, and they're comfortable. I just need to wear them in a little more and break them in. They're not canvas like the other ones I have. They're a leather material, so they squeak a bit when I stand still and move my feet a bit. More reason they need to be worn and broken in.

The bottom back says "Pumpkin King" and the inside has Oogie Boogie. The tongue says "JACK" and has a pumpkin on it. It looks like the eyelets, bats and "Pumpkin King" may be glow in the dark, but I don't know. I'll have to see if I notice it tonight, since I have that other pair that surprised glowed for me. 

That's about it for now. Photos taken on an iPhone 11 and put into Photoshop to have my name on them. My window is open and it's been cool in the mornings. Summer is trying to show its face, but the humidity hasn't stayed all day yet. It's coming, though... it's coming. 

Guess for now, stay warm if you're in the colder regions, stay dry if you're in the wet regions, and do take care of yourselves. Be happy and research everything (before you buy it)!!

Cheers; 

I was too late...

 ... to get the "red moon" last night and tonight, but I still captured enough of a full(ish) moon this evening, that I am able to post a bunch online. 

Everyone is talking about how bright red then orange this natural satellite was, and sadly, I missed it. I wasn't about to go out between 2 and 3 this morning to get pictures. I didn't realize there was an exact time to get the absolute perfect shot, and adding the fact I took a sleeping pill (Natrol Soothing Night), I definitely wasn't about to wake up. 

Yes, I'm now trying other natural sleep medicines to help me sleep the night away. I think I need to take this nightly, instead of every few nights, because it doesn't seem to be helping for the random times I need it. I mean, I'm sleeping at least 7 hours with it, but it feels far less than that. 

I find myself oddly waking up at times and only for a minute or two. Maybe that's also because I'm wearing my watch, and I'm seeing if I've been asleep for an hour or three hours. Or, it's because it's been cool enough out, and my window has been open. All the local street noises and lights are waking me up (a neighbor has a big vroom vroom pickup truck that needs to be fixed and he refuses to get it looked at. He leaves the house at all hours of the day and night. Last week, he left at 10:30pm, came back, and left again at 2:30am. Due to his muffler or tail pipe or whatever is wrong, the noise woke me up. Rattled my room, and he's not even in front of my window. He's about 70 feet away [?]. Across the street. Needless to say, I was up for 90 minutes after that). 

Overall, I can't explain it. I'm just waking up at various times. It's weird and maddening at the same time.

Anyway, back to the non moon landing.

I was out earlier with my mother and one of her friends, and where we were in the city, the moon was big, bright and semi reddish orange. My phone couldn't get a great picture of it, so I'm not posting it. By the time we got home (15 minutes later), the moon was back to regular programming: whitish gray. 

I put our packages away, got out my Canon T7i with a EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III Telephoto Zoom Lens and went outside. Yes, I also used a tripod, since I shot in manual mode. Must you ask? Haha.

Yup; I shot in manual mode, something I still need to work on. Out of 83 photos, I am only posting 20 something. Which is a lot for one object, I know. But you'll see I moved around a bit and did a little different focusing on this glowing celestial object. 

I still need practice. I admit to that. I am chock full of excuses as to why my photos aren't national prize worthy, but I take credit in what I've got. True, I did a minor edit of "sharpen" on these, slapped my name on them and posted them, but I've still got a long way to go with learning various other tricks to digital photography. That, and invest in proper materials such as a computer meant for creative work such as editing photos and video. As I don't have my monitor calibrated to do any editing, WYSIWYG with them. So on my laptop, it'll be different on your phone or when I decide to view them on my Vizio TV. Nothing is color matched to each other. 

It is what it is. 

But as evident in the photos, yes, I moved around. I zoomed in, I zoomed out. I got trees. I tried opening the focal lens a little more, I closed it a little bit. Just to attempt a decent picture. It is what it is. 

It is now 10:22pm and I've used up my time for the night. I'm sitting here squirreling away at other things instead of writing a blog post about how crazy the moon was last night and tonight. I've got to get to bed before my head lands on the keyboard (it's past my bedtime. I'm old. LOL).

Until I can sort my stuff out, go catch a falling star and put it in your pocket *.

Cheers;

* Track 46 - Perry Como, Catch A Falling Star, Today & Yesterday