retrofocus ramblings.

I got up today plenty early.
I did, I really did.
Then why O why did I just slide into the boarding line at gate 34 by the skin of my teeth?

Poor intel!

That’s what I get for ASSUMING that the Logan Express shuttle bus runs every 30 minutes. Nope. Not on weekends it doesn’t. “Next Bus at 8:00″ read the slightly worn paper sign taped to the window. This was obviously a ploy by the man in the booth to save his vocal cords. It worked. And so began the gnawing in my stomach that lasted until 8 minutes ago.

However, truth be told, I’m ‘blogging from seat 18c on an Airbus A320. Riding JetBlue to JFK for a couple of days.

See ya!

A view while working today:

I usually have my head on straight. Which is to say I very much value the contents of the bag I sling over my back when I head out and do what I do. However, on Tuesday afternoon I left something of significant value in a place that I completely forgot about for a solid 6 hours. That’s how long it took me to realize that I only had 2 Nikon Speedlights in my bag and my handy-dandy blue-handled clamp was missing. A panicked email to my contact for Tuesday’s shoot and I felt a bit better. After an early morning drive in the snow back to the scene of my stupidity for something completely different I pondered the probabilities. A few hours later I had what I had left in my hands. Safe and sound. Given where I left the SB-800 I’m not really surprised that this leaving was a total non-event. Good people surrounded it from the moment I placed it where I did. Just one person failed in his duties to retrieve his possessions. That would be me. I am very happy to get my gear back, and thank all involved.

All good people. A good karma day for sure.

There is a nifty super panorama photograph of the Inauguration floating around on the web. The technology used allows the viewer to zoom in and see amazing details. It’s definitely a very cool digital record of a moment. I invite you to check it out if you have not yet seen it. As an emotional image it kind of fails for me, but it is really neat.

* see it here *

Went flying again in the Skymaster Sunday morning. It was a cold day to fly, but the crew of the Norwood Aero Club are hearty souls. Three of us ventured to Westfield / Barnes Airport for a spot of breakfast.

Made a few winter-themed snaps with a point and shoot. A few are below.

Still plowing through my take from D.C. will have a few more, with the right year watermark, to share soon.

So it’s been a few days since my travels to D.C. for the big event. A few hours after my return I had a full day of work for one of my clients. Therefore editing of my Inauguration images has taken a small back seat. Before I go napping tonight I want to share one of my favorites from a quick view through my images. It was a great – if cold – day to be in Washington D.C. It was awesome.

Greetings – I have returned from my D.C. adventure. It was quite the drive today as I left Washington a slight bit before noon. Arrived Dedham Mass. twenty after 9 p.m.

Apologies for not posting as much as I had hoped on this site. The total lack of laptop internet made posting more of a chore and the iPhone’s battery on lasts so long.

More to reflect on tomorrow. It was an amazing trip!

My feet are cold and sore. But this trip was amazing. Photos are nothing special, however never will I regret a millisecond of my time on the National Mall today. It was magical.

Okay I’m a sap. I admit it.

After 8 hours in the rental car I’ve arrived in Washington D.C. great spot to be right here, right now.

For most of the ride I listened to an audiobook. This audiobook was read by the author. The author will soon be the 44th President of The United States of America. It was quite interesting to listen to Barak Obama read his first book and later to hear him speak on the late news. If our next president is still, at least in part, the man who wrote that book I think we have elected one of the most interesting and competent people to come to Washington in a long time.

I am very curious about tomorrow.

I love to fly. However, flying and being PIC takes cash which is in short supply of late. Thankfully I have a group of friends in the Norwood Aero Club that love to fly as much as I. When I can I love to ‘go for a ride’ with my friends who own aircraft.
This Saturday I rode ‘right seat’ in a Cessna Skymaster and we flew from Norwood Memorial Airport to Lawrence Municipal Airport to help another pilot friend pick up his R44 helicopter as he was relocating the bird to Norwood. While moving the chopper out of the magnificent Executive Flyers hanger at Lawrence Municipal I had a chance to eyeball one of the Extra Aerobatic airplanes owned by Michael Goulian who was the 1995 National Aerobatic Champion.
The fully aerobatic airplane had it’s top cover and engine cowl removed and was quite a sight. Matthew Goulian was kind enough to let me grab a few happy snaps of the bird.
Must be a real fun ride!