Category: Adventure

NIGHT TIME PHOTOS

Since getting my new camera I’ve been intrigued by diving into more of what I can do with the manual settings. I mean, I’ve been using cameras for decades, but mostly in the auto-mode, shooting from the hip, and taking what I can get.

Now though it’s interesting to dig through PDFs, watch some YouTube videos, and figure out how to make some nice photos. I have literally no idea what I’m doing, as you can tell by how grainy and well, not great this photo is, but… but this is what I want to get to, taking good night time, spooky back street photos.

BACK IN THE CAMERA GAME

I finally got around to buying a real camera (Nikon Z30), and I absolutely love it. I haven’t owned a digital camera since my Bike Nerd days back in like 2010 or so, and I’ve never owned a camera this nice, period.

Sure, the camera on the iPhone is nice, but using something that just does one thing is real nice. And when I pull out my iPhone to take a photo I could see a notification about an email, a message, or whatever else.

The camera is just a camera, and I love that.

New Years Day means the streets are empty and I can take this sort of photo. Unseasonably warm, sorta quiet sort of day. The exhale of the holiday.

RACING THE SETTING SUN

I was in search of a new camera today. I’ve been pining for a “new toy” for a bit. Been looking online, tried visiting a small camera shop today (it wasn’t there anymore), and hit two BestBuy stores and their presentation was horrific. If I do end up buying something, I’m ordering from a reputable camera dealer online, thanks.

That said, after all that driving around, I took the woods. It was late afternoon, but I figured I could beat the sunset on my normal route, and I’m glad I gave it a chance.

It was in the 50s today, but as the sun went down, it seemed like a layer of fog or mist rolled in. There was a chill in the air, and it felt like magic.

Almost 1000′ of climbing, some gorgeous views, and made it back to the car just as the sun set. A damn good day.

ROUND AND ROUND

I keep watching as Twitter implodes, and seeing Facebook further incinerate its relationship with legit news, and realizing that I’m not jumping to another social media network. I mean, I’m just tapped out.

It’s wild that the boomers latched onto Facebook as hard as they did, which makes sense since so many of their kids got tired of their racist, xenophobic shit, and got tired of hearing how they paid for college working a 12 hour a week summer job, but still… I just can’t imagine being 60 something and going, “you know what? I want to spend more time on a computer.”

So I keep optimizing (read: spending) for adventure. Bikes, more running gear, gas in the car to head to the hills. Even though I have to drive through some sketchy traffic to get to the park pictured above, it’s very worth it. A paved one mile loop with no cars? Sign me up.

Life is here, in front of me, and that’s just fine.

RIVER RAMBLING

The day started at 5:30am, as I had to get to a friend’s house, then up to the Delaware Water Gap for the 10th running of the River Ramble.

The weather report said there was a 7% chance of rain by 9am, but there was a light rain pretty much the entire time. And it was also like 65F, with 90% humidty.

Like, train all summer with the dreadful humidity then reap the rewards during races in the Fall when the humidity is supposed to be gone, but the air was thick and heavy. I was supposed to run the 10K route, but I knew at mile one I’d only be doing the 5K.

My pace went up at each mile (11:26 > 11:07 > 10:14), and averaged a 140bpm rate, so I was happy with all that.

Finished in 32:13, which is a 10:23/mile pace, which I’ll take since I haven’t ran that pace consistently in any of my running this year! I guess my slow mileage has paid off.

THE FALL IS ALL I NEED

Had a nice chill 15 mile bike ride on Saturday. This trail is a rail to trail, so uphill for the first half, than downhill for the second half, but it’s easy and chill. I wanted something I could ride without much thought, and just enjoy scenery.

Then on Sunday I had my first run in three weeks, probably the longest time I’ve taken off since I started running in 2016. I tweaked my foot a few weeks back when running a little too fast downhill, and paid for it by needed to take some time off.

I ran a full mile, 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off. Felt good, felt like I could have ran more of it, but figured I’d take it easy, and will continue to do so for this week and next, probably.

Thought of how neither of these efforts was hard. Neither worked up much of a sweat, but neither were a waste of time. They probably didn’t help me achieve peak physical prowess, but it’s all foundational, one brick at a time.

LOST MY GLASSES AT A TURNSTILE SHOW

I haven’t been to a show since 2019, but my friend Meem suggested we go see Turnstile in October, so we did just that.

Not even 30 seconds into their first song I was pushed from behind so hard that my glasses flew off my head. I was on the ground (it was pavement), scuffed my knee, looked for my glasses for a quick second, and then got the fuck out of there. My friend was punched in the face. Another woman near us ended up on the ground, too.

I mean, in our combined 50 or so years of show-going experience we thought things would be chill, but that wasn’t the case.

I couldn’t drive us home, as I’m blind as a bat without my glasses. My buddy had to drive me to center city Philadelphia to get me new glasses so I could drive back home that day. It was about $380 and I got my new glasses in a few hours. The photo above is from the nearby mall while waiting for the glasses.

Oh, and my friend got a parking ticket while we my glasses.

When it rains it pours, but at least we have another story to last us another 25 years.