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Archive for December, 2009

Ponderings at the Plaza

December 20th, 2009 * Comments(0)

You know at South Coast Plaza there are a lot of really beautiful things and people, well okay women. No wait I do recall noticing one good looking dude and a very interesting looking Japanese man. I’m sure there were more men but that’s not my bag baby.

I was later pondering that there is nothing at SCP that we need, it is a purveyor of fine wants. If all we had was Wal-mart to shop at, one could live a blessedly comfortable life. American’s would still want for nothing compared to the majority of the planet

South Coast Plaza photos

December 20th, 2009 * Comments(0)
So I’d rented a Canon 85mm 1.2L lens to take some pictures of the RockHarbor Christmas service, which I did until Aida kicked me out :(    [I just can’t help my tendency for guerilla shoots].

This lens is one picky animal, due to its extremely shallow depth of field when wide open. I had a hard time focusing, it would look focused but when I’d check by zooming in on my display I’d see my “subject” wasn’t sharp. After double checking a few in a row I switched to manual focus. That was a mistake because then my focus  was completely off, which I can’t explain. So back to autofocus. Then I realized it might be the focus setting, I had it really narrow, so I broadened it. Anyway I got some in focus some not and some in-between. This lens is not really tailored to action shots in the dark, but what lens is? I’ll post the pictures after the Christmas services are finished.

So I have this lens and since I got interrupted in my shooting, I thought I’d get some more practice with it by going over to the mall and get some candids and whatever caught my eye. Well I’m really not enjoying a fixed lens. 85mm proved to long or too short. Too short for real candids. I also managed to mess-up my exposure comp settings and I can never remember how to fix it. It literally took me five minutes of trial and error before I got it corrected. I also need to change my focus back to a center pinpoint as now I could at least see what I was focusing on. Still needed it pretty much wide-open as I couldn’t very well use a flash.

Again the lens was not suited for this setting. I’d really like to get a chance to use it for portraits which is where it excels once you master the DOF. Anyway the best photos were of the miniature train set.

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RockHarbor :: Christmas Service 2009

December 20th, 2009 * Comments(0)

Anthony Maggio Jr. Memorial Mass

December 19th, 2009 * Comments(0)
Drove my former Mother-in-Law out to Palm Desert today to her Nephew’s Memorial Mass. Hard as it may be to believe but this was only the second memorial I’ve attended. It was a touching affair with at least 200 in attendance. Met a ton of Carls and Tonys from branches of my former wife’s family.

Had a very entertaining time with Ramon at lunch, he does a mean Christopher Walken impression. I only had my Webbie with me so I didn’t put much effort into taking photos. In fact I forgot I had it until the lunch at the Bermuda Dunes Country Club. It was a nice day, with the exception of traffic coming home.

24/7 Prayer

December 18th, 2009 * Comments(0)
Just finished my one hour prayer slot for RockHarbor’s 24/7 Christmas prayer. I’m glad I did, as I was praying for guests to have an encounter I was reliving some of my blessings and wishing similar experience for others. My nightly prayers have been too mechanical lately, partly due to my hectic schedule and stress level. Having an hour to focus on Christmas helped me clear out some mental weeds so that I could reconnect. 

So for you RockHarborites there are still some open slots in the 24/7 prayer project http://tinyurl.com/yda85lo, and there is nothing stopping you from doubling up on a time slot, you might be surprised what happens when you set aside one hour for one topic.  

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A stitch in time NOT!

December 18th, 2009 * Comments(0)

So I finally bit the bullet and started to process my receipts, and to my chagrin I last did bookkeeping in mid-July. So I’ve managed to sort them all by month. Now all I have to do is sort by date, input into QuickBooks and hopefully done by Christmas ;)

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RockHarbor :: Christmas 2009 Look Build

December 16th, 2009 * Comments(0)

We finished up all the “boy” work for the Christmas services. Yesterday I had my first ride in a scissor lift as we were down to 4 guys at one point. I’d always left the highwire act to others as I do have an issue with heights. Well it is more an issue with fear of falling, so the more secure I feel the less I sweat. I’m really not a fan of extension ladders, too many Three Stooges episodes I imagine. The lift was no problem, even with the creaks and groans the rental lift made. Reminded me a bit of Big Thunder Railroad.


Not quite an E-ticket but fun nevertheless.

My Wish list suggestion for anyone itching to use their Amex Black card.

December 14th, 2009 * Comments(0)

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EF-1200mm-f-5.6-L-USM-Lens-Review.aspx

Richardson Family Reunion

December 13th, 2009 * Comments(0)
Drove my mom, Renee, Bruce and Robbie to the Richardson family house in Flintridge, built in 1925 by Renee & Robbie’s Grandfather. Aside from Robbie picking on my poor sister Renee the whole ride up, it was nice drive. It was a pleasant afternoon even though I hardly knew anyone there. Saw some home movies of the family including my mother, Robbie as a baby and Robbies dad from say 1949 and in color - now that was living in style to have color in the 40’s. Sandra makes an amazing miniature manger/village scene on the billiard table, which local school children get to come see as a field trip. I’d been to the house once before as a wee pup but only have the foggiest of memories. Beautiful old-school house with a decent amount of grounds, some years ago they sold off the front and back ends of the property, which now house other homes. I could make do with something like this, though I’d prefer it in Newport Coast. All I’d need is say $75 - 100 million and for Dean Koontz and a couple of his neighbors to sell their lots ;)   

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A Very Grinchy Christmas

December 13th, 2009 * Comments(0)

Just got home from the Christmas Cat Castle and realized I didn’t get to see any of the twelve cats :(

I didn’t really have much to offer as a Whoville costume so I had to make do with my doo.

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Not all Faith is equal

December 12th, 2009 * Comments(0)

Faith in Jesus = Good, faith that I don’t need no stinking raincoat in church = bad. Maybe I’ll be dried out before I head back out in the rain to make my way to the Cat Castle.

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LG is in the House

December 10th, 2009 * Comments(0)

Had a pleasant evening with my LifeGroup at the Yard House, made a little more pleasant by the waitress carding me. So does that mean I can hang out at the clubs and not look like a Trout?

The upcoming dictatorship of the EPA

December 10th, 2009 * Comments(0)
“But this administration will not ignore science or the law any longer, nor will we avoid the responsibility we owe to our children and grandchildren. By taking action and finalizing the endangerment finding on greenhouse gas pollution, we have been authorized and obligated to take reasonable efforts to reduce greenhouse pollutants under the Clean Air Act.” EPA administrator Lisa Jackson 12-7-2009 EPA Speech

So to translate, it is painfully obvious that the unwashed masses are realizing that Emperor Gore has no clothes. So before the electorate has a chance to stop us we will be pursing our dream of environmental domination in an effort to line our pockets via the largest fraud ever perpetrated on mankind, well since Eve got snookered anyway.

Just follow the money people. Just how does a narcissistic Vice-president make 100 million in ten years?

Carbon dioxide is not a pollutant.

Do you really want to give up your right to have babies or the amount of them?

How about Beer or soda, want those outlawed?

Like veggies? I hope so because livestock are a huge contributor to green house gases, only a matter of time before meat really is murder.

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BJ’s with LifeGroup II

December 08th, 2009 * Comments(0)

So everyone dropped out at the last minute so it was just the group leader Diya and me. So it was a boy’s night out. Nice conversation and a tasty patty melt (I couldn’t very well order pizza now could I?). So I guess I’ll be stopping by BJ’s Pizza again in the year 2032, since I can only seem to make in there every 23 years. Yes you heard right the last time I was there was on a double date with Lauren in 1986.

Good Food, Friends & Fun

December 05th, 2009 * Comments(0)

Great day with me peeps celebrating the elegant Bonnie’s Birthday early.

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