Where I Live

Lately I've been reflecting on what a convenient location it is where I live. Within walking distance I have Trader Joe's, Walgreens, a bus stop, the bike path, a good pizza shop, a half-decent Chinese restaurant, Brighams (ice cream parlor), Panera Bread, and of course a mighty fine fishing pond. Plus it's not far from two major highways. It's really a great place to live. Now if only it didn't flood every once in a while...

Anyway, I got in a couple hours of fishing after work today. Took me a while to figure out they weren't biting anything but rubber worms, but after I caught on I caught four largemouths. Each was pretty small, ~1 lb or less. The pics I took didn't come out too good, but I like this one. I cut off the fish's tail (in the pic, not in real life) but I like the silouetted trees, the not-quite-setting sun, the wispy clouds, the reflections in the water. In fact, I like it so much I made it enlargable if you want to click on it.

Pic Dump

Here are some pics I've taken over the past week or two. I caught this bass on a particularly cold day, for which I was adequately dressed. Don't usually use crankbaits much, since I'm usually fishing thickly weeded areas, but they work well before the weeds grow in.


It's tough shooting myself with the camera in my left hand, but it can be dangerous to switch a toothy pickerel from one hand to the other. They'll cut you up good if you give them the chance.


Last weekend, I spent Saturday worrying about the impending flood that all the meteorologists were predicting from Sunday's storm.


So I rolled up my rugs, and got everything up off the floor. I always go through this process when they predict more than a few inches of rain in a short period of time, usually two or three times a year. Occasionally, I actually do get flooded, as I did last year, but usually the banks can handle the swollen brook and everything is fine. This time did not result in a flood, but I still went through the exercise. Here's what my bed looks like when I'm preparing for high water.


While my floor was clear, I decided to take advantage of the situation and do some spring cleaning. I gave my floor a good scrubbing on Monday, finishing with lemony fresh knees and feet, and aching arms and shoulders. I also took a pic of my living room wall hanging which I tried to capture by hand several months ago. Does this look familiar?


This pic really doesn't do it justice, and it looks kind of distorted when it takes up the entire field of view. I'll take some close ups so you can see the intricately beautiful details.

I Got a New Camera

Yup, I got a new camera. It's a 6 megapixel Sony Cybershot. They were on sale at Sears, so it was a pretty good deal. Otherwise, I wouldn't have gotten so many megapixels. Anyway, guess what I did today?


It was probably a bad idea to go fishing today, because it was god damn cold! It was about 35 degrees with a stiff breeze. Brrrrrrrrrr! But I couldn't help myself. I went and emptied my wallet at the tackle shop, and then I couldn't wait to try out my new stuff. Funny thing is, everything I caught was on the old, tried and true stuff. All together I caught four largemouths, and one calico. The above one was the biggest, maybe around 1 lb. Below is the smallest, I'm guessing around 2 ounces. I have to get used to my new camera, and learn to hold it level while shooting myself. It was easier with the old Nikon.


Also saw a swan.

Thanks

I just wanted to thank all of you who left condolences in the comments. This has been the most difficult thing I've ever gone through, but it was comforting and heart-warming to hear from all of you. It meant a lot to me, and I appreciate it. Thank you all so much!

My flu lasted that entire week, and it just kicked my ass. No doubt my immune system was compromised by the emotional nightmare that was unfolding. I think I had every flu symptom imaginable, and the recovery was so slow, just a tiny bit of improvement each day. When the next week arrived (that would be last week), I was still tired and sniffly, but I managed to return to work. It was good to be back, just to have something to keep me busy, to distract my mind from all the other thoughts that were consuming me. And it was nice to see my colleagues--they have all been very supportive, sympathetic and understanding. Between relatives, friends (including blog-friends) and coworkers, it's amazing how much more you appreciate the people in your life when you see how they respond to you after you've gone through such a difficult tragedy. The whole situation has really raised a lot of questions about the direction of my life and my introverted lifestyle. Much more than my usual existential confusion.

Well, I have plenty more to say about that. And more to say about my mom too. But it may take me some time find the words. I'm still a mess, but I kinda miss posting, so maybe I'll see if I can get myself back to it.