Photos

Somewhere along my path to Loving beer, well after college, I began collecting bottles from the different beers I have drank. At first I even bought two beers and only drank one, saving the other. At the time I didn’t understand the concept of a beer Cellar or what type of beers cellared well and which ones didn’t. I let over 4 cases of beers just go bad, keeping them for about 10 years before finally emptying the bottles. I then kept the bottles for quite awhile later, collecting more over the years until I was storing well over 300 empty bottles. Finally, I just started taking photos of the bottles and then threw most of them away only keeping one’s I thought either looked cool or were unique in some sort of way.

About 20 years ago I began my trip of beer appreciation and also began collecting beer steins, getting some of the first ones from places like Disney World and finally picking up some off the Internet and up at places like Holland, MI and Helen, GA were Belgian and German steins were sold in touristy areas. I’m only got about 10-15 at this point and haven’t really actively pursued purchases only getting them when I noticed one I liked.

The last thing I began to “collect” were beer glasses, mainly started when I began going to a place called Taco Mac here in the Atlanta area. The first place I got my “beer list” started was at one off of Roswell Rd in Sandy Springs that is now closed up, today they are called Summits but they would give out glasses on special days they would call “Pint Nights” and when you drank a certain beer you got a glass. Back then if you drank 2 you got 2 glasses, 3 – 3 glasses, etc. Now I’ve found several places that do these “Pint Nights” and have to say I’ve gotten about 90% of my glasses through these giveaways.

Even after getting rid of most of my beer bottles and substituting photos, I did end up keeping the bottle caps from most of the bottles, actually just the different caps. I plan on taking photos of the caps together for a wallpaper for my computer and possibly in order to have a framed photo someday. I’m sure I have over 100, although I haven’t done much with them after initially photographing them a while back. Since then I’m sure I’ve added quite a few more.

http://www.beersteinsandmugs.com/

Most of the day was just hanging around the house and chatting with mom & dad. We did go over to the Costco, Target and got the car filled up with gas @ Sam’s Club with Mom&Dad in the early afternoon. Found a few things at Costco I may pick up sometime, TurboTax for one and then another set of silverware but it’s a 12 piece set and I really don’t need that many.


Brownie Bull's Eye

Ended up going out about 7pm and having some drinks with Kim, I’m really wanting this relationship to move ahead or at least to become more consistently physical (not just sexual) but she is very cold right now and due to her doubts about her desirability due to her ex moving forward so quickly with another woman. Also, the death of her dad has hit her hard and I’m not getting what i want but realize she will have to work through this before I can. I feel like I need to walk away but I just can’t and if I don’t I will feel rejected when she can’t give me the things I hope for. I thought she said she was very touchie and physical but she shows non of that toward me so I should drop the relationship down a level which hurts me to think about. I guess it is already there in her mind so it really is a mute point.

I mentioned that she should take me home and she said her little dog, William? wouldn’t let me sleep on the bed. She doesn’t want to let me in. She was getting upset at the gal next to us, the blonde woman that I met earlier who has been making a play for me a bit, forget her name now, so that isn’t so bad, maybe jealousy? I wish.

Came home and mom & dad were already asleep, I watched the 2009 version of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” that mom and dad did earlier when I was out and drank the Ommegang Gnomegang and got a bit more drunk and felt sorry for myself.

Kim sent a text and said she didn’t know who she was anymore (I thought it was due to the divorce) so I sent a reply about what I liked about her and that I didn’t want to be just friends, since I was very frustrated about our “relationship” status. I think we both have our wants and they cannot be fulfilled by each other.

I’ve been wanting to do this so I figured I would take a stab at it.


measuring my macro setup magnification ratio

This is a photo full frame, no cropping, of a ruler, each notch is a 1/64 of an inch, tried to get a sub 1mm ruler but I don’t have one.

So, this shows about 30/64 = 0.469’s of an inch across the sensor, or 0.469 * 25.4 = 11.91 or 12mm

The D700 sensor is 36 x 23.9 mm. so the ratio of 36mm : 12mm is ===== 3:1 or 3X magnification

This is using my 150mm Sigma lens with a Sigma 2x converter and a 36mm Kenko extension tube. I could get more with the 60mm Nikon Macro if I still had one.

Got up early this morning even though I didn’t need to, I set up the camera for some star widefield shots of Orion but my vantage point with the camera put Orion behind a tree. From my room windows it was well centered between the trees. I went back to bed after that and got up about 8am instead. Went over to the Home Depot and picked up another tube of caulk to finish up the caulking before I could paint the interior of the bay window. Caulking was finished and I was doing a few cleaning chores inside when the BACP Termite inspection dude arrived. I felt a bit ashamed when I took him down into the basement due the the mess that Brian keeps there. We discussed the pile of wood in the back under the deck and I’ll need to get rid of alll the branches and things that are WAY to small for Brian to use for building things, I should be able to use it for firewood but I don’t know if it would even be practical to use it.


First shot with my IR modified D200


I had my old D200 Modified by removing the IR filter on the sensor, they replaced it with a visible light filter so the photo you see here is mostly if not all inside the InfraRed spectrum.

I then began painting the inner panel of the window, all by hand with a 3 inch brush, not all that bright. By the end of it my hand and arm were really feeling it and the coverage wasn’t all that good. The paint can was a bit rusty and some was falling into the paint as I used it. Later I moved the paint to a tupperware bowl and will need to get another can possibly later. The three seam areas at the top of the window, the one in the center and the others on either side look quite noticeable at close inspection but at the road are not all that bad. With a little work I could make them better I think. Or else, I may just do some creative decorating and cover them up with something.

I had just completed the painting and cleanup about 3:30 when the UPS truck pulled up and I got my newly modified IR D200, snapped a few shots like the one up here and later realized that they had left the camera on JPG and not RAW, I think for the PRE-set White balance they set. Need to look up the stuff on the web, I’ll do that tomorrow.

Neighbor's house

First shot with my IR modified D200

Decided to head over to Hooters for some beer and an order of Buffalo Shrimp, got to hang with AshleyS and then Trish & Shawntea. Shawntea has a new large side tattoo of a flower of some sort, daisy? Not sure I didn’t really get a good look at it. Ashley’s son’s name is Titan, very odd but considering who the father is I’m not very surprised, he’s a nice guy but… I really don’t understand how some folks name their kids, the kid has to deal with it, it’s not as bad as Tweezel or Moon-unit I guess. 🙂 It was the last Bike Night, got to see Rick the photographer, Ted, Anna, LaurenD, Brad the DJ, and meet a few more “new” people. The place was DEAD when I showed up about 6:30pm, got a bit better but truly not much. I feel for LaurenD, she knows how GREAT the place was when it was under “good” management.

Dreary and overcast most of the day, the clouds continued moving toward the west all morning long. Lots of wind.

Read a bit about Christopher Columbus, seems he wasn’t a really nice fellow. Terrorized what is now the Dominican Republic, killing and enslaving many Indian and Caribbean people. There are people who want us to stop having a Columbus Day, seems silly since we are not really celebrating the man but the fact that he helped start colonization of the USA back in 1492, wow, that was almost 300 years before we became our own country, and we have only been a country for 235 years. Kind of reminds you how young we really are as a country compared to all the ones in Europe & Asia.

EPROM

EPROM

I went over to the Natural Foods Warehouse for some frozen things for lunch, ended up seeing a dude I’ve met over at Taco Mac – Mall coming out of the Beer Depot in the same shopping center across from my office. Just after I finished my lunch I realized that it was raining outside, the light misty kind.

mmmmmmm beer

Checked on my package to LifePixel (D200 IR conversion) and it is out for delivery today. Should be finished 5-10 days from today (also should get email from them tonight) and then be back to me sometime by the end of the month. Need to get set up for adjusting the focus on the camera just in case.

Came home and had some dinner, then watched some Ancient Aliens again, then some FoodTV. Noticed Terra Nova was recording but some Dumb-Ass baseball game was still on, Fuck, now I won’t have it recorded.

Took some shots like the one above, messing with the reversed 50mm on my 150 macro, used the NIKON CLS flashes.


another tiny

Up and Adam this morning, I did hit the snooze once but I had woken up about 4 and then again at 5 dreaming some shit about work, mostly worried about something. I’ve dreamt similar things in the past, odd buildings, weird happenings. After getting to work and messing with some iPhone bug I went out and sent the D200 to Life Pixel Infrared, $26 and change to get it there by Thursday. Hopefully I’ll have a IR camera before the end of the month. After messing with installing the Server at work I figured out that I needed 2008R2 and not just plain vanilla Win2008 so I downloaded the ISO burned using my Mac and then started the install just before going on home.

Came home and made some chicken and mushrooms with Whatsthishere sauce, simple and good. Then watched a few of Beyond the Wormhole, then took some photos of the bird skull I’ve got. Let the TV to Nicki after I made sure that Terra Nova was going to record.

Went upstairs and played on the computer with photos for awhile.

Got up wondering what was up with Autumn that she hadn’t called to let me know what was up for today. Went out to the Shroom with Brian and poor Lauryn is getting worse instead of better, sinus issues galore. I texted Autumn but got nothing back in the next hour. After lunch I went over to Hooters for a beer cince B.Ritch was going to be working her eligebility day at the bar so I figured I’d go in and say Hi.

Turned into a nice early afternoon, got to see BritR and then a few other “regulars”, Bruce, Alabama dude, Desire’, Rick-photo, as well as Alex, Trish the Gator, and even Anna (still blonde but I can’t seem to get used to it). There was this very Gothy looking petite chick at the end of the bar, a few tattoos showing very pale skin and dark hair. She had a few beers, fries and sat with her one foot up on the char so her knee is up around her chin. I did notice she was really small all around with a cute little butt.


Shroom

I finally got a text from Autumn while there at Hooters watching UGA do OK against Ole Miss. She had JUST gotten up, must have had a bad (long) night. I texted such but got no reply to that only that she was watching UGA as well. Asked about meeting up at T-Mac for the UF game @ 7 but no real reply to that. Came home and just hung out and messed around water plants, cleaning up around the yard, etc. I got my re-newed PASSPORT today and absolutely hate the picture on it. I look like my Grandpa Walton, plus the color is all wrong. I’m suppose to get my old passport back as well a bit later.

I then took off to T-Mac for the Florida/Kentucky game, had some dinner, a few beers and they won, 48-10. Brian also stopped in and had dinner with me, him a panini and I the shrimp/avacado salad, but forgot to tell them to leave off the fresh jalapenos, OUCH I got a few and they really did BURN. I also chatted with a nice couple, the gal a redhead about 7.5 months pregnant and as cute as a button, strawberry blonde, fair skin and a boat load of freckles. I may have chatted with them before. Also a crew from the Petite Le’Mans just got into town and were there, Boz crew?

Finished watching the game and then came on home, nice cool evening by now, lower 60’s on the drive home. Watched some TV with Jeremy and Nicki, then we figured out the Wii wasn’t working when Nicki tried to exercise, find out then that it’s been having trouble all along, she has been leaving it on and then not removing her disc which hasn’t made things better.

Didn’t get together with Autumn, maybe this is an omen. Got a call from Becky about her moving this next week, needs to be out of her VERY NICE but VERY expensive apartment at the end of the month. She is not happy about this at all.

Wet this morning, although not actually raining as I drove in. Issue at work came back because as soon as the original bug was fixed another popped up. Now its about the number of files sent, over 2000+ but the issue isn’t that I’m afraid, more interesting I think, not sure yet.


bubbles

Went over to the Suwanee T-Mac and had the BOTM after a French Broad Easy IPA, very GOOD IPA IMHO. Then I had the Sierra NEvada Torpedo IPA and it just didn’t float my boat. Lastly I had the Victory Moonglow, nice Bock beer, enjoyed it. I got to chat with a gal, Susan, a bit heavy but nice. Then Bonnie came in, wow, I really have a hard time NOT staring between her boobs, yes, boobs not tits. Swoon. I wish. Oh yeah, I got the Tumbler glass I forgot Thursday before last.

Chatted with a dude from the Mall of GA Honda, John works at the service department, need to get some stuff done to the car and have him do it. Brakes, about $500, then the clunk in the back tires may be the axle, he thinks I could tighten the nut on it and it may go away.

Took the bones and the skull from the “bird” that I found on the Big Creek Greenway several months ago and watched decay, and put them into a pan with some bleach in the hopes to whiten and clean them up. We will see what they look like in the morning and throughout the weekend if need be.

Gave Autumn a call after getting home. Looks like we may be going to the Chili Cookoff at Stone Mountain. Why do I always seem to get to Stone Mountain with the Rampey Crew? Mellissa, Ellen and crew are still with Autumn in a pack, guess it is wonderful to have life long friends. No driving drunk for me though.

Work is a bit slow at the moment, very welcome since I can use the time to learn a bit and search for new things in the coding world. Even though it was raining a bit while I drove into work this morning I did get out to the greenway after lunch. Much heartburn during the walk, took a zantax and ???? it helped. Not much notable on the trail, almost stepped on a large yellowish toad pictured here. Then a few katydids, a ????? spider, some feathers and lastly a doe right were the bridge meets the trail near the entrance by my office. I had heard something that I thought was an owl but I didn’t investigate nor did I try and record it, stupid of me.

Southern Toad

Southern Toad

After getting home it was mostly overcast like the entire day was, I played on the computer for awhile, messing with the photos I took on the greenway. The one up top is one of the first taken today. I then looked up some more spiders and tagged all the ones I wasn’t sure of with my “WHAT” keyword, then I went through my frogs and got most of them named as well. I’m really getting interested in all the nature stuff along with the naming of the creatures I take photos of. I guess I even do it with the people as well 🙂

Got the Indiana Krunkles IPA a wheat IPA actually. I was thinking it was a Black IPA for some reason. Noticed the Passport has a hold on my account for the $110 check I sent them, I didn’t know they could do that, I guess it’s an electronic banking thing.

Up late, out of bed after 10am, then just lazed around and played on the computer. Went outside for awhile, just out front to get the paper and then out back on the deck for awhile checking on the plants there. Then on the computer messing with the beer list and photos.


dew

Brian and I went over to McCray’s Tavern for lunch, got the goofy guy up on the patio but the food was good. A bunch of gals at the table on the far side seemed to be having a good time. One gal sat down and decided that sitting facing a bunch of people with her legs open and wearing a short skirt would be cool, I though so too. The weather is just FANTASTIC right now, in the mid 70’s and sunny. After getting home I did a bit of yardwork, mostly just trimming the crept myrtles and some of the vines in the side and back yard.

Taco Mac for the Terrapin Hoppy Monster Cask, got there a bit early after a little thing with Brian, he came up and said something about “What? you are not already at Taco Mac” and it kind-of pissed me off, I said that it was Sunday and I didn’t have to be anywhere special at any time. He made a comment about why I was being sarcastic and I said it was because he was, or at least I felt that he was. But I have to admit that I always feel he is being sarcastic when he says most things. Like when he comes up and says almost anything, it could be considered sarcastic.

Got to T-Mac and met a very cool chick, Georgia who is a chef at the Williams Sonoma over at the Mall, I need to get over there this week. A sexy brunette with great cleavage and wearing a long flowing skirt/dress. Gave me lots of info on a new boning knife, but talked me into a sushi knife which is much more what I am looking for. Let me know a bit about some things including some stuff on al-clad and mandolins. A chick next to her, hot in her own right, even hotter than Georgia but she didn’t talk to me much, I did try to start something but zilch. She asked me my name, and then told me she thought she knew me but didn’t go any farther, I should have just told her BULLSHIT but she was too nice looking for me to do that. instead I just asked where and she had no answer. Whatever I think it was a case where she didn’t understand why I gave the gal, Georgia more attention than her, because she was cool and actually talked.

Pete showed up a bit before the Terrapin brew was being drafted, I chatted with him and then the other dude, Alan that I had met before. Chatted with the Couple from NC and Timmy for a bit before they left and also the lesbian couple that were from the Army. Got home before 1- so it wasn’t a bad night. Helped Nicki wthin a thing for her bed, basically a new box-spring. Talked to Brad about a Jeep Wrangler, he got his at a place called Adventure Jeeps, in Cartersville, need to look them up on the web.

Day started out cool, didn’t get much over 75 I don’t think. It was overcast and cloudy most of the day. I messed with my Beer Site since they have been talking up a new dev release of iUI a version 0.50 dev1, also a 0.40 dev3 but I think I’m going with .50. I may have found a few bugs in the Dialog section of the CSS code. Spacing just isn’t right on text boxes and lots of other things don’t look very good.


Mites

Went over to the John’s Creek Taco Mac, MK was there, the counterpart to Cara at Mall0fGA, and I had a couple of beers along with some dinner. The Stone Russian Imperial Stout was first and then second was the Red Banshee from Ft. Collins. Not much else very interesting there.

Came on home and brought in the trees, off the deck into the house since I think it’s going to be a cold evening and night. When I left again for the T-Mac it was in the lower 60’s and I even wore a sweater, a Gator one of course. Timmy and Cara were there at the Mac, Cara leaving almost the same time I arrived, boo hoo.

Had the Florida Brewing Holy Mackerel, Panic Attack and then the Red Brick Peachtree Pale Ale. JiJi said hi as well and I chatted with another cute couple, the guy quite a beer dude even with only about 100 beers on his list, the gal was CUTE all CAPS for sure, strawberry blonde with librarian glasses, wire rimmed and lots of freckles, damn. Also was showing some really great B-cup cleavage, kept stretching and arching her back to accentuate her breasts, ha.

Nicki told me that Tammy (her mom, my ex) had lost her job today. I didn’t even know she was employed again. She was working as a MArketing Manager @ some Sugarloaf place for rich people so Nicki tells me. They just let her go stating that she “wasn’t good enough or up to standards. I said that it sucked but I guess she thought I should be more upset, uh, not really.

BeckyT texted me last night about 1am, I was getting my way back home after a couple of beers at T-Mac Mall and she was having shepherds pie over at the Ballard place, I’m guessing for the last time for a bit since she is moving to a new place this weekend. Over to where her shop is about 2-4 blocks I’ve heard.

They are firing one of those “guns” at work that mount things into a slab of concrete, can you say, “NOISY!” and distracting, I guess I’ll just keep surfing the web instead of working. It was misting rain just a bit on the drive into work this morning, overcast when the sun did finally peek out a little. Messed around with my beer website a bit, have 2 cellars, beers to drink now and ones to leave for 6-12 months, I’ve currently got cellared long term.


droplets

Had more of my daughter’s lasagna for lunch, funny aspect of her lasagna, she cuts off the little wrinkled part of the noodles, I’m afraid she may have gotten a bit of my OCD but channeled it a bit differently. No matter, the lasagna tastes GREAT!

Out to the Taco Mac Suwanee for BOTM, had the Tumbler and then a Heavy Seas Great Pumpkin, very good. Saw Connie (or Bonnie) with the blonde shoulder length hair, nice cleavage *smile*. There were also a trio of gals, all married I think who worked with the dude Mike. Then Joy (tallish with the short redish hair) came by and said something about my shaved face, she liked it but I just don’t feel it, a couple of weeks before she said I should shave my goatee off, I made sure she knew that I did it for a passport not her, not really sure why, well yes I am. Connie is who I really would like to see but Beth was being her chatty self and with some looks at Connie I ended up hitting the road. Realized that Beth is VERY much like my brother, very opinionated especially when it’s not a viewpoint most people have.

Came home and had the beer Beth gave me week before last, the Krombacher Weizen, nice but WAY too bready, banana for me. Also watched some movies with Nicki and updated the stuff for beers and dvds on the net.

Got another bug this morning, one for Inventory Mgr and a serial number, fixed the fact that the Manufacturer and Model were not being done correctly and now just need to get the last touches on some code from the Internet to get the REAL serial number displayed on the back of the unit. I left a bit early so I could get to the Suwanee Post Office @ 2:45pm.


20110913-104141

The Passport photo and getting everything in the envelope was done by about 3:00 and then I went over to the Beverage Superstore and picked up 3 more beers. Heavy Seas Hop Haarest Ale, The Labyrinth by Uinta and lastly the Sierra Nevada/Dogfish Head collaboration of Life and Limb 2.

Home to some WONDERFUL lasagna by Nicki and then over to the ‘Shroom with Brian for a beer. Lauryn was there to my delight, she was looking really HOT in her cut-up Mellow Mushroom shirt, the one in blue and sporting a blue/purple bra who’s straps peeked out since the shirt’s opening would allow it to fall down her shoulder. She showed her peach, tattoo that is, when Brian was talking about tattoos and Gina (Lauryn didn’t know she had died in a car accident about 4 years ago).

Home and messed with photos for a bit before getting to bed.

Everything seemed OK this morning until I got a call from Nicki that the car battery won’t start the car even with the charger, I think I messed up the cable when I replaced it and since I didn’t re-test before finishing it up it’s my fault. Told her to just take Brian’s truck and be careful. Called Brian to let him know and ask forgiveness and he told me we had left the garage door open last night, I should be more careful, just forgot about it when we came in after messing with the car.


tiny gulf fritillary

The sky was clear and I almost set up the camera this morning to take some wide field shots of the Orion constellation but didn’t. By about 9am it was totally clouded up and the wind was gusting.

Went out and got a few photos before it got bad or began to rain, stayed close in, checking on the Viceroy larva that are on a willow branch. The willow tree-bush is really small and looks as if it had been cut down more than once. Since it is close to a colvert I figure it may not continue to thrive in this area. There are at least 4 larvae, one large and three smaller ones. The Big Creek is getting smaller by the day, went down to the edge by the bridge that connects the greenway to our office building area and got a few photos of what I think are either small wolf spiders, grass spiders and some sort of jumping bug that looks like a crab.

Home and Nicki’s car is still BAD, I charged the battery again, it started and then about 2 hours later off the charger it wouldn’t start. Nicki walked to the store, didn’t even bitch about it so I told her we would get a battery after work tomorrow. I’m a sucker I know.

Watched True Blood, still weird. Then messed with some photos and made some zucchini for dinner.

This morning Nicki’s car wouldn’t start again, the battery or charging system is not working correctly it seems.

Hurricane Irene hit the east coast during the weekend and things got blown around. Not much rain here (none) or in Florida last week but the news was full of 10+ inches all up in North Carolina, Jersey and New York. And as always there are a lot of people without power right now up there.


1952 or so, my parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles

My parent’s families were friends, my dad with my mom’s older brothers (Chuck and Dean) and mom’s older sister – Glenna with my dad’s older sisters (Nadene and Glendene) ( finally everyone moved away. My mom is the second from the left, with her eyes closed and my dad is the 5th from the left. My mother’s dad (Grandpa Schadd) is taking the picture, I assume he’s doing it with the Argus that he gave me when I was about 15. Mom helped me date the photo, she figured she was about 10 here which made my dad about 14 or 15.

Walked around the creek today, saw a turtle about 6 inches long, about the size of the shell I found with a turtle missing from it awhile ago. I noticed something moving through some long grass and snuck up on it. It kept itself hidden and stopped moving as soon as I was watching it. Looked away photographing a spider and it began to move again. Walked around back to the Big Creek not finding anything good to shoot, went back to the spot where the turtle was and couldn’t find him.

Got home this afternoon and the dudes had mowed the lawn, it really needed it and I’m not sure but I think they only do it every two weeks. I need to check and see since I think I blogged about it then.

Nicki looked up a way to test the alternator on a car with a multimeter so we went out and tested her car. Seems the Alternator is just fine, which leaves the battery, it shows charged but will not start the car, I think it may be shot, put it on the charger until tomorrow morning and she will have to see what happens.