May 9, 2012: Post 130, Day 130

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Today's Weight:        199.0 lbs 
Yesterday's Weight:    200.4 lbs
Net Loss/Gain:         - 1.4 lbs

Year 2012 daily weight from December 31, 2011

Diet Comment:

If I had to answer what the purpose of my current dietary (/lifestyle) choices are, I would point to where I am on today's chart. Right on the long-term trend line.

Daily Comment:

My father was fascinated by photography.

Somewhere, my sister has an album of pictures he took while he was in the service during WWII. When I was young, I loved looking through that album, seeing pictures. My father was a radioman, and was in the Pacific. He was stationed in Ceylon (Sri Lanka, now) and got Malaria, and recuperated in India. He said Ceylon was the most beautiful place on the planet. He had pictures of his native friends, elephants, himself (on an elephant in one, wearing a turban and loincloth in another). 

He had an old folding Kodak Retina camera with a Schneider lens. He used to take me to Peerless/Willoughby's huge photo store near Grand Central Station to window-shop the Rolleiflexes, Hasselblads and Leicas (he had a "thing" for German cameras. He was right, those old cameras were pretty spectacular, although totally unsuitable for casual picture-taking).

I got that from him.

When I was a kid, I loved to take pictures. I could barely scrape together enough money to get the film developed, so I was very stingy with taking them.

I was often disappointed in my results. If it was black-and-white, framing was a problem. If it was color, the colors weren't as bright and vivid as I recalled them. 

I assumed that I just needed more practice. It may be that what I really needed was better/more useable equipment. Probably both.

Later on, in my late teens, I could get myself some. The first 'enthusiast' camera I bought for myself resulted in a picture that got published in the NY Times. That camera was stolen. The next camera I got I took with me to Europe, and got some of my favorite all-time pictures. I loaned it to my mother when she went to Europe a year later, and she lost it.

And so on. I haven't been able to hold on to much of my picture-taking equipment. I tried to get into video, but that didn't work well for me. It didn't feel the same, and it was boring. Even to me. Sadly, my video equipment is still hanging out. It needs to go away.

Now the photography bug has bit me again. In the digital age, you can check the results immediately. Instant gratification. I want to get a good camera with a good lens or some good lenses, and I'm having fun figuring out what to get. But the ultimate goal isn't shopping, is it? Or is it?

No. The goal is to take memorable photos, interesting photos, photos that show the kind of life I am leading, that somehow convey my state of mind at the time. The idea of getting a good camera is to better enable me to communicate to people how I see the world.

I also have hopes that I can commercialize this interest. Get just a little income (my expectations are very much less than grand here) to help support my retirement. I hope to take photos that are enjoyable to me and useful to other people. It's a post-employment (aka, post-retirement) idea that could work from anywhere in the world. I'm slowly developing the plan now.

As is common in my life, once I start thinking about something, things begin to move with those thoughts, seeming like coincidence, but, you know, thoughts become things... In this case, my son reported that he would be doing some writing for a famous bi-coastal celebrity and advertising photographer to develop coursework for his new photography school. 

He has accepted my offer to proofread and edit his work. A fair exchange for the education I'm hoping to get from this.

I love it when a plan comes together. Especially in a way that reaffirms my ideas and philosophy related to visualization, causation and metaphysics.

Food Log

Breakfast

Kale smoothie: kale, almond milk, an egg, vanilla whey protein powder (36g protein), vanilla, cinnamon, stevia-inulin blend. 

Lunch

Chili (grass-fed beef, peas, mushrooms, tomatoes, black beans, spices).. Not shown:  Spring Mix greens, red cabbage and balsamic vinaigrette.

Snack
Roasted turkey breast, baby carrots and home-made spicy mayonnaise.

Dinner

Spinach and Rajma Masala (red bean curry(.

Liquid Intake
    Coffee:   12 oz,   Water:96+ oz