A New Tool

I got a new camera this week. A Panasonic LX100. Wow have they packed a lot of ability into a small package. I have spent a couple of days reading the manual, setting custom settings on the camera, and taking pictures. I want to have this camera nailed before I head for Sitges. This camera is not intended for the casual photographer, though you can set it for fully dumb automatic and hand it off to someone who will only need to point and shoot. This camera is very capable with features galore. I can easily set it for either full automatic, or aperture priority, or shutter priority, or fully manual. Many overrides are available and easy to access. It has a wonderful lens with f1.7 at the widest aperture. It should work great in low light. So far, two features have stood out - the electronic viewfinder and the level or alignment indicator. My last new high end digital camera, the Olympus Pen EP2 had these but they are much improved on the LX100. Five years of improvements in digital cameras is significant. Bottom line, top of the line lens, great features, great feel in the hands, well laid out, highly configurable, easy to carry.

 

The LX100 will replace the Olympus on this trip and take less room. With the Olympus. I carried three lenses and a flash and the EVF plus batteries and charger etc. The Panasonic has a built in 24mm to 75mm lens. I am giving up a lot on the long end, but I used my short telephoto primarily on the Olumpus. The flash is smaller on the Pana and the EVF is integrated. The battery charger takes less room because there is no cord. This means the Pana is more mobile - it will fit in my murse (barely.)

 

 

 

Spring is FINALLY Here!

I had my doubts but spring has finally arrived in Glen Elllyn. No patches of snow on the ground, the crocus (is the plural of crocus croci?) are finally blooming, fish are begging for food, and the grass is greening. Sharon has been home this week and we have been doing spring cleanup in the back yard, filling bags with leaves and the remains of last year's growth, getiing the garden ready for seeds, and pots ready for flowers. The PVC I used for the pond piping last year did not all survive the winter. I don't know if the issue was water freezing in the pipes or exposure to sun. This is PVC designed for interior use, so it is not meant to be used outside. Research is in order, but for now, replacement PVC.

The past couple of days it has been very comfortable outside in the afternoon but still a bit too cool in the morning. I have made the transition to sandals but jeans and sweat shirts are still in order. I'm looking forward to having my morning coffee outside in the sun in shorts! (Next month I'll be having cafe con leche at Cafe Bar Roy in Sitges and I will be wearing shorts!)

This week I have been putting together a ukulele song book to take with me on the road. I've included many of my favortie ukulele songs plus some I want to learn. I still find I need to look at words and chords when I play. I wonder if I will ever actually memorize songs? Oh, just remembered I need to add some kids songs for when I am entertaining Brady. The Wheels on the Bus and If You're Happy and You Know it Clap Your Hands. And while on the topic of ukuleles, I added a decal to my outdoor ukulele.

John sent this great photo of Avery with a beautiful rainbow trout taken on the Crooked River during spring break. I wish I was there with them this year. My favorite guys to fish with on my favortite river to fish.

Kristie sent this one. John is now a soccer coach. Love the pose with John and Anika!

Gotta include a cat picture. This is Shelby posing and looking pretty.

We have finalized plans for getting to and from Sitges this year. Katie Soler and I will be heading there on 5 May and Sharon will follow us on 12 May. We are flying Air France this year, through Paris. We have always flown American and/or Iberia but price and availability was an issue this year. We are trying Air France Premium Economy which cost a little more but does give us larger seats as well as enhanced food and beverage service. We are all coming back on May 30. As we have for the past few years we will be staying in the Soler piso in Sitges and are planning little more than relaxing on the beach, in cafes, and on the roof. There will be side trips to Barcelona of course since it is only 40 minutes away by train. We may do a train to Girona, maybe to Valencia, maybe Madrid. We shall see what pulls us. Matt Olson has been enlisted once more to house sit and cat sit while we are gone. It is good to know someone will be looking after everything here.

Enough writing! Outside to finish pond repairs.

 

The Week In Review

Insalata Caprese

Spaghetti Carbonara

This has been a busy, interesting, and as usual, wonderful week at Casa Jordan. Food wise our highlights were spaghetti carbonara early in the week shared with Lee who was being a bachelor. We also lamb chops and aubergine casserole on Tuesday and finished the week with another insalata caprese with tomatoes from our garden. Oh, I didn't mention boy's night at Lee's on Wednesday. A little Ouzo, some gyros and lots of conversation with friends. Lee always puts on a good boy's night.

I worried about China plans as I got everything in order so that I feel somewhat under control, Sharon's new camera arrived and I read the manual and took many photos to learn the camera. I've got cameras and memory cards, and batteries, and chargers all sorted and ready to go. I got and tested a travel WIFI router - plug it into wired Internet and out comes WIFI so our iPhones and iPad and Kindle Fire will be connected to the Internet at our hotels. Can't be without WIFI can we? I wonder how Internet access will work in China? Can we get to Picasa? Facebook? This blog? Our e-mail? We shall see. (Sunday July 22nd update - I signed us up with a VPN service for secure WIFI use in China. I might just continue with it when we get back.)

Sharon and I have planned our clothes and shoes for the trip - dressing very light for what will be quite warm weather. I am still anxious about the long flights to Beijing and back from Shanghai. Fourteen plus hours on a plane is an ordeal. I flew to Sidney from LA in 1991 but I don't really remember it except for my layover in LA and going through customs in Sidney. This time we will be in the lap of luxury since we are flying first class so I shouldn't be concerned. Plenty of food and drink and entertainment and lay flat seats for sleeping. From what I have read, we should plan on dinner on the plane one we are in the air and then nightie night for at least six or seven hours sleep. This would mean waking around 6:00 am Chicago time which I think is about noon Beijing time. Then we stay awake until our 11:30 pm Beijing arrival, get our bags, get through customs, ride to the hotel and check in, then sleep until our schedule starts the next morning. We have a full itinerary, but I don't know the specific times of our activities. The planner in me wants to know. NOW! On the other hand I really have no preconceptions of China. Yes, I have some pictures in my mind, but I really do not know what it will be like - except for a totally new experience. We will be seeing things we have never seen, eating things we have never eaten, hearing new sounds, meeting new people. All exciting!

Miata At The Arboretun

Arboretum

The weather moderated this week and it was pleasant to be out side. I spent several hours in the Morton Arboretum walking and photographing on Wednesday. It was warm in the sun especially in the prairie section, it was quite still in the woods, but all lovely. The pine trees on the West side of the Arboretum are not looking healthy. I wonder if our drought has something to do with this.

Colbyetta did housecleaning on Monday and Tuesday - the usual vacuuming and mopping and picking up. No dusting though. Shame on Colbyetta! Then there was the usual work on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. I can't wait to get out of the humidor and back onto the sales floor.

Friday night I went to Bistro Monet and sat at the bar waiting for Sharon to come out of the kitchen. I was the only one in the bar until Steve and Marge came in for dessert, but they ate and ran. Sharon joined me and we had a bite and were gone. I had a wonderful salad of grilled tomatoes and spicy diced chicken and then mushroom caps and escargot in a rich garlic sauce. Two appetizers and I am done! Sharon had soup and frites. I brought over a bottle of Owen Roe Pinot Noir that was a Sam's closeout from almost three years ago, It was wonderful.

Tonight we had ensalata caprese and a whole snapper crusted with pesto. Mmmm. It was good, And then now I am blogging and relaxing. I hope to be able to do this daily while in China. We shall see. If I can't keep up or get the blog posted, I'll do it when I return. 

This week a crazy person with multiple guns killed and wounded many people in a theatre in Colorado. It is sickening and sad and will not change anything in this country where the NRA, likely backed by gun manufacturers and sellers convince the rest of this country that guns are good. They are not, and more guns do not make us safer. But, this will not change. The voices of reason have been silenced by the money of the NRA. Read Roger Ebert's thoughts on this. They echo mine. In this country we seem to be willing to live with gun violence. We should not, but we do.

Water Lilly In Our Pond

Shelby

 

Sharon Takes a Picture of Colby!

Shelby and L,C,

Mike

Lindsey

Jared At Binny's

Art from Madrid On Our Wall!

Sharon

Today I have been moving photos from and old computer to a new one. I've been looking at what I have shot in the past and found that I used be pretty good with flowers. Maybe I should do more.

I stayed home from work today because of upper respiratory issues. It seems that cold can get me going with coughing and wheezing and I cannot catch my breath. Asthma like symptoms and I have never had asthma. I went to see Dr. Ha today and he has ordered an inhaler, a pulmonary function test, and an x-ray. We shall see what is going on. Sharon thinks this may be bleomycin related. Perhaps.