Δαφνη Ευτυχια Αρθουρος

I've been busy, distracted, tired, distracted, busy, tired, and so on for a few days. I've started responding to comments on past entries, but I'm behind. I've got record-keeping tasks, sorting mail, bill-paying, and such that I'm trying to catch up on as well, which are more urgent. So I haven't gotten around to posting new entries in a couple of days. Hmph. And if ideas for things I want to talk about sit on the back burner for too long, they get kind of charred and go away. *shrug*

I haven't done any real shooting this week, but I did start organizing stuff, inventorying film, cameras, and lenses still here, making sure I've got notes for all the undeveloped film in the freezer (and mailing off some rolls to someone who offered to get a few developed for me as a Christmas present), so I'm at least thinking in the direction of photography even if I haven't gotten back to shooting yet. And I just met someone in the checkout line at the supermarket who might want family portraits done. (Now I need to find a way to afford another phone card so she'll be able to call me, since she said she doesn't do email.)

Actually, the chance meeting was pretty cool. I was ahead of her, getting my shopping rung up, and some half-wit who'd finished in another line spotted me and started laughing, and pointed me out to another, more intelligent-looking guy who I'm guessing (based on their interaction) was his brother. I'm pretty good at simply not hearing a lot of comments, but sometimes it's hard to ignore. I shot them a dirty look. A moment later, the woman behind me caught my eye. I complimented her on her necklace, then added, "I mean the blue one. But the rainbow is nice too," 'cause she was wearing this cool rainbow triangle design behind the one that I first spotted. Once the conversation was begun, she asked, "Do you dress like this all the time?" I explained that I basically did except when on stage or visiting my mother. She said that her boyfriend only dresses up sometimes, usually when he's going out with his buddies, and went on to complain about the stupidity of "straight" people. (I suggested that the problem was "narrow" people, 'cause lots of straight folks are cool. She accepted that and agreed.) She complained about the normals calling us crazy, when they're the crazy ones 'cause there's nothing wrong with us ... all in a low-key conversational tone. Basically that she didn't get why some folks had a problem with people like me or her boyfriend, 'cause there's simply nothing strange about us in her eyes. After we introduced ourselves to each by name and I kissed her hand, I figured I should give her my email address and web site, just because. Except that I'd run out of musician-cards (she had asked me what I did on stage), so I handed her a photographer-card, which led to questions about my photography, and did I shoot people, and so on. I hope I do hear from her again. I hope we can arrange a shoot where I can use window-light, or that I'll have useful flashes again by then.

In other news, it appears that Campbell's condensed split-pea soup is too tempting to Perrine's nose for her to notice my attempts to shoo her away as I was extracting it from the can. I put a bit on my thumbnail and held it in front of her, and she was extremely enthusiastic about licking it off. (I checked the ingredients; I did not get the version with ham in it by mistake.) There's something about the salty green goodness of it. I was really worried she'd stick her nose into the pot while I was heating it up. I did manage to move her away once the stove was lit, but I kept a wary eye on her any time I moved further than arm's length away.

What kind of tape do I want to use to put plastic over my windows in the rooms that have been painted? In the past, I just used packing tape, because it was sticking to half-removed wallpaper, half-destroyed paint, or bare plaster. Now I've got four windows to cover on the third floor with a coat (yeah, it should be more than one coat but it was done on the cheap) of new paint around them, and I don't want to damage that paint. The obvious choice would be gaffer's tape, but that's awfully expensive. Suggestions? I did make it through that last cold snap in a chilly and inefficient manner, but it's time I got off my butt and put up the plastic.

I shouldn't start a journal entry when I'm feeling nap-ish. I build up momentum and what was supposed to be a quick "I'm still here" winds up being long enough to distract me from my intended nap.