Stupid Hurts

So I was in the bathroom with three guys discussing advertising strategy, and we came up with an idea for an interesting marketing angle. That always makes for an interesting story.

Yesterday was my first Saturday getting away with only working 7 hours in over a month. Since I have worked the previous 15 consecutive days in a row I really didn’t know what to do with myself. I felt like a nervous ball of energy. I needed with every once of my being to get something accomplished. So i started running through my list of needs, the most important one being finding a place to live. While running around trying to get that done I passed a [tag]Unimog[/tag].

In my head I thought, “that can only be one person.” So I ran out to the [tag]Acme[/tag] building where he hangs out. I get there and is was great to see him. While we were catching up with each other, two of his friends come in and he introduces us. I shook hands with [tag]Wes Frazer[/tag]. Wes is a local [tag]photographer[/tag] who does a lot of work for several of the newspapers here. and his is one of my personal heros. he does a lot of night shooting and from time to time try I try to emulate his style. I tried my best not to gush about how much I loved his work.

After we hung out for a bit. I decided to run to the [tag]bike[/tag] shop and look around. While there I found out about a [tag]century[/tag] going on on Sunday morning. I decided I should see I my bike and i were on the same page So I got out and knocked out a few miles. I went down a trail I don’t normally take due to the amount of foot [tag]traffic[/tag] it gets, but the detour was worth it.. I met this older fellow who was riding on a pink [tag]Schwinn[/tag] [tag]varsity[/tag] that was easily older than I am. I followed his for a couple of miles at a nice easy pace as he reminisced to me about bikes past. He regaled me with stories of old [tag]Trek[/tag] [tag]520[/tag]s and [tag]Bridgestone[/tag] frames. I just rode behind him, I was in the presence of a sage. The high point was when this man who had been around for a lot of the trends and fads in cycling told me he liked my rig. I rode Until well after dark and managed to tuck away 20 some odd miles before heading to meet some friends in a bar.

Earlier before I went out cycling I delegated the task of finding me a place to live to a friend of mine who for some reason can always make things happen. She called to tell me to meet them at the [tag]Highnote[/tag]. This place is a dive but I love it. I walked in got myself a mason jar to drink out of and found my friends. After a bit of negotiating I have a place to live thats closer to work and cheaper than my last spot.
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Sunday morning started early. After a little bike work I headed out to were the [tag]century[/tag] was starting. I got lost and showed up five minutes to the start time. I needed to get my bike built and get changed. I rushed to do it. In my haste to get ready I left half cocked. I stuck my wallet in my tail bag and my [tag]ipod[/tag] in my back pack. I decided to wait before putting my [tag]headphones[/tag] on, I am glad I now I decided that or I never would have heard my wallet fall out and my money scatter all over the road behind me. After scrambling to pick all my funds up and get my wallet back with its’ scraps of paper and little pieces of me spilled everywhere. I realized I had lost the pack and didn’t know how the course was marked. After a bit of trying to figure out which way to go I eventually gave up looking and headed back to my car so I could get back into town and finish moving to my new apartment.
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Part of the way into composing this entry I realized that I was [tag]bleeding[/tag] from the index finger of both hands. Not that this is bad, just makes typing a little weird .

So this week has been amazing for me. It is Wednesday and I have been into: a [tag]stem[/tag] cell research lab, a museum, a [tag]NICU[/tag], and the [tag]Birmingham[/tag] news. A lot of my free time has been spent starting out the windows of the various high rise buildings around town enjoying the [tag]skyline[/tag].
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As I walked into the news office this morning, the stark black and white colors enclosed me completely and took me back to the last time I was in that lobby. It was a few years ago and I was trying to pitch myself as a freelance [tag]photographer[/tag]. I got turned down then.

That same feeling of defeat followed me into the office today. My chest got a little tight as entered the production floor. I looked around the floor in mute awe at the people bent over their desk furiously working at getting tomorrows paper out, before getting to work on my own assigned task.

Part of the way through said task I got a [tag]text[/tag] message from a girl that I am absolutely enamored with. Unfortunately it left me a little distracted and a few minutes later I got a reminder that [tag]Stupid[/tag] Hurts as I ran a drill bit through my index finger. Remember kids pay attention when using [tag]power[/tag] tools!!

Unfortunately I am still using my old messenger bag that is rapidly falling apart until I get my new one completed. The zipper is broken and both flap clips are long gone.

On my way into work today I was sprinting down a side road hoping I could still make it in on time, when I heard the sound every photographer fears. The distinct sound of a camera body bouncing down the side walk, each bounce thundering in my ears as I slide my bicycle sideways to a stop. I turned the rest of the way around to see it still skipping along the sidewalk. Each skip tearing off another piece of black plastic.

I have gotten lucky with it in the past and up until now the Pentax has been a pretty durable camera, but this time it just gave up on me. I think the lens may still work but my filter and my camera body are pretty much only useful for propping the door open now.