Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!
Originally uploaded by chacal la chaise.

This building sits across the street from MJ's office. While I’ve never heard if this building is haunted, I know that MJ’s office is. Part of the building is a doctor’s answering service and they have 24-hour shift workers. At certain hours of the night, the operators refuse to walk down the hall, especially if they hear footsteps and feel cold air.
But back to the apartment across the street. It is rare that there is not a car sitting in front of the building, so I was glad when I saw the place all decked out for Halloween. Twilight was ending and no one was on the street. This apartment building has an interesting history for me. Years ago, there was a fire on the top floor. Curtie and her friend Amy were there that day and the girls saved a singed and very scared kitten. Amy kept the kitten, and they named her Whistlebritches.

Earlier this summer, my aunt and cousin came down from Colorado for my uncle's funeral. We reminisced as we all gathered around a box full of old family photos that my cousin secured from her father's house. As we went through the black and white photos, we discussed how my dad lived a block away from this building. His apartment is now the location for Sen. Eliot Shapleigh's law offices. Then my aunt remembered that this apartment building was where she and my uncle first lived after they eloped. She married him at 15 and my uncle was 21. We kept talking, remembering, laughing, writing names on the backs of photos and then, before too long, it was time for them to leave for Colorado. Unfortunately, I wasn't able at the time to find out where their rooms were located, though.

Seems as if everyone I know passes through this part of town at some point. In addition, the apartment is a couple of doors down from the H & H Carwash, and its famous Mexican café.

Amsterdam :: At the mall, by my friend, Urban Chill

At the mall
Originally uploaded by Urban Chill.

This marvelous photo by my friend Urban Chill caught my eye the second I looked at my postage-stamp sized Flickr contact images. Contact images of contacts; contact lenses, contact paper, contact us now....

And while they are not friends in the real flesh and blood sense of the word (we don’t have Meet-ups or Art Mail projects or long telephone conversations), we are compatriots in the global family of photographers. We shoot, we score; we upload, we explain; we comment and we kvetch about world events, family successes, and personal triumphs. We are there for each other, whether or not we know it. We support each other by saying “I am a contact/friend/fellow snapshooter of digital/film/medium format/toy camera pictures. I like your's and you like mine.”

That is why I chose to post Urban's image here. Evidently now, even in Amsterdam, or especially in Amsterdam, photographers are harassed and told “you cannot take photos here!” We are not out to harm anyone. We are there to capture things that interest us. We are there to document our part of the world, which makes us closer to those who view our images. We are cameras. I am a camera. I shoot, therefore I am. The photos of the people are the eyes of the gods.

Thanks Urban Chill, you keep me grounded and attached to the wider world. Thanks to all, for we all work together. Whether Reddirtrose, El Paso Joe, Silvertree, Brenda Anderson, [kren], magic fly paula, ! »☺►/streetart#───█ -_- ©██, foxglove, tchatchke, meowmeow, curtie, LensENVY, Elena777, .natalie, Mr. Yuk, gem66, Santxvike, tejas962002, or one of the others: We share a passion to communicate and share. And I thank you for being “out there” for me.

MSU :: Hubbard South at twilight

MSU :: Hubbard South at twilight
Originally uploaded by chacal la chaise.

Yes, yes I know. Where have all the blog posts gone, long time passing (sorry about that Pete, I could not resist).

Well let's see, there was a death in the family in late June (and I promised myself I would write about its impact, but haven't yet, which must mean something). Then July was uneventful, although the Judge, MJ, and I spent a lot of time getting ready for the August trip to Michigan, which arrived much too fast because…all of a sudden, August was here, and we were gone to take the Judge to college.

While there, I shot many film and digital photos to document her move-in/transition to college life. Along the way, while holed up in a way too small Red Roof Inn, a Starbucks, and the Judge's dormroom. I uploaded the images. Now they are in a set on Flickr. Before we knew it, we were saying goodbyes,and then MJ and I returned home--just the two of us. Que muzak and fade out.

But wait! Immediately upon our return, I began graduate school (albeit a week late) and since then, it's been one long state of panic and terror. No, not really. The terror and panic come on Tuesdays and Thursdays between the hours of 10:30 AM and 5:50 PM. In contrast, I can’t sleep Monday and Wednesday nights in anticipation of the following days' terror- and panic-filled hours. Although, Thursday night is best because I have Friday all to myself.

While this is a bit of a histrionic and stratospheric POV, I wouldn't have done it any different—except I'd try to be more organized. And write more blog posts so that I don't have to sound like I'm apologizing for something. And read my journal articles before class begins. And get out and take more pictures downtown like my friend Mondo Loco. And, and, and...