Post a good thing that happened in your life today

[Betty LaRue]

18 hours ago, Michael Ventura said:

I almost posted this in the "bad thing" thread but I think my outcome was pretty good.  A couple of weeks ago, I had a cardio stress test, along with a CT scan of my heart and my cardiologist saw some things that were concerning like possible blockages in vessels.  Well today, I underwent a heart catheterization procedure....I was pretty stressed about it so I didn't really want to mention it here until it was over.  Things went pretty well, no obvious blockages but still saw things he wants to address through medicine and diet/exercise.  The best part of today was that this was scheduled at the hospital where my daughter works and I was treated extra special, since most people knew her and she was able to come and hang with me thru it all right after working her 12 hour shift.  Even one of the guys working on the surgical team scheduled himself to be part of the team since he dates my daughter's housemate, who is also a nurse there.  I did not know that until afterwards.     Once I was discharged, we got a quick late lunch and she drove me home.  She is now sleeping in my bed.....I think she deserves it more than I do.

 

Sorry no photos to post, sometimes you just have to leave the camera at home.  Oh, I did take this gem with my iPhone before getting wheeled into the OR

 

My not recent contribution.

 

Both images to do with mammography after my breast cancer.

Edited August 6, 2021 by Betty LaRue

[John Mitchell]

2 hours ago, Michael Ventura said:

Yes very comforting to have her around but sometimes she tells me too much,  like stories of when things go badly.  I didn’t need to hear those stories.  But still better than being alone.  Most hospitals are still not allowing family to be with you due to Covid but since she works there, this was not an issue.

 

Glad to hear that you're getting excellent care, Michael. Hospitals are allowing visitors here, but on a limited basis -- usually one person per day.

 

Best of luck. I was "nuked" and scanned a few years ago to check for possible blockages, but everything turned out to be fine. Still it was a bit scary.

[John Mitchell]

9 hours ago, Bryan said:

I've great grandfathers from Cornwall in the deep south and Scotland to the North, so covering a lot of bases within the UK and highly likely. 

 

However they reckon the domestic cat has the closest match to human DNA.  I'm more of a dog man myself.

 

Interesting. I hadn't heard that about cats and humans. It might help explain some of the strange behaviours often exhibited by us Homo sapiens.

 

I come from a long line of Cumbrian bricklayers and stone masons on my father's side. My mother was from Devon, so I guess that covers some bases as well.

 

 

[NYCat]

I just heard some complicated, beautiful bird calls from out in our garden. I went to the window and saw a flash of red. A male cardinal, and I was able to watch him for a few minutes. It reminded me of what happened during my Zoom yoga class. The teacher has a cockatiel and he was quiet most of the class but started calling towards the end. I had heard a jay in the garden and it came to the tree near my window and started answering. So delightful.

 

Paulette

[Betty LaRue]

11 hours ago, NYCat said:

I just heard some complicated, beautiful bird calls from out in our garden. I went to the window and saw a flash of red. A male cardinal, and I was able to watch him for a few minutes. It reminded me of what happened during my Zoom yoga class. The teacher has a cockatiel and he was quiet most of the class but started calling towards the end. I had heard a jay in the garden and it came to the tree near my window and started answering. So delightful.

 

Paulette

Nature is so grand!

[Betty LaRue]

The last Monarch emerged today. Healthy and excited to test her wings. 4 females, one male.  It’s been a good month plus watching them grow. These will parent the last ones of the season that will migrate to Mexico.

[Phil Crean]

Just had some of my abstract work published in Spectaculum Magazine:

https://spectaculum-magazine.com/2021/08/07/tenerife-layers/

No money changed hands but in lots of ways more satisfying than some of the stock licences as it is a recognition of something other than pure illustrative photography.

And I do sell prints from this type of work so being published in an arts based mag helps with the profile.

Phil

[spacecadet]

51 minutes ago, Phil Crean said:

Just had some of my abstract work published in Spectaculum Magazine:

https://spectaculum-magazine.com/2021/08/07/tenerife-layers/

No money changed hands but in lots of ways more satisfying than some of the stock licences as it is a recognition of something other than pure illustrative photography.

And I do sell prints from this type of work so being published in an arts based mag helps with the profile.

Phil

Another LCP man. Hi.

[Phil Crean]

1 hour ago, spacecadet said:

Another LCP man. Hi.

Indeed! Was there 85/86

 

[spacecadet]

4 hours ago, Phil Crean said:

Indeed! Was there 85/86

 

BA Photography, film & TV 79-82. Apart from driving by, I didn't go back to the Elephant until last year to work on the Steenbecks at the Cinema Museum round the corner. I've only recently found out that the metal box on the roundabout is a 70s memorial to Michael Faraday.

Edited August 8, 2021 by spacecadet

[Phil Crean]

30 minutes ago, spacecadet said:

BA Photography, film & TV 79-82. Apart from driving by, I didn't go back to the Elephant until last year to work on the Steenbecks at the Cinema Museum round the corner. I've only recently found out that the metal box on the roundabout is a 70s memorial to Michael Faraday.

I left London in 94, only been back twice since for 1 nighters visiting friends. Don't miss it much😁

I didn't know that about Faraday either...

 

[spacecadet]

1 hour ago, Phil Crean said:

I left London in 94, only been back twice since for 1 nighters visiting friends. Don't miss it much😁

I didn't know that about Faraday either...

 

Well the LCP skyscraper is in scaffolding and plastic- don't know what's happening- but LCP became LCC and is now UAL. It does have Stanley Kubrick's archive though, but not ours- I asked a few years ago and was told they don't have a collection of student films at all so I assume they went on the tip :(. Too bad, I now have my own Steenbeck and only one 400ft. roll of spare 16mm mute rushes to remind me.

Film and TV were on the 11th. floor- lifts only went up to 10 so we had to manhandle all the kit down the stairs. My shoulder wouldn't stand for it now.

I get the alumnus emails but I don't have much in common with what goes on there nowadays- they haven't had a film course (not proper film) for years and the Steenbecks are long gone.

Edited August 8, 2021 by spacecadet

[Betty LaRue]

Oh, my. I was out killing aphids off my milkweed this morning, and found another Monarch caterpillar. It’s all set up in my butterfly cage, now. This one will learn how to say “Gracias” and “Si”. My only words. Bet you didn’t know I was bilingual, did you?

Hmm, is “Pronto” one?

[Michael Ventura]

20 minutes ago, Betty LaRue said:

Hmm, is “Pronto” one?

 

Not sure if it is used in Spanish, but it means "ready" in Italian.  Rather than "hello", Italians use pronto when answering the phone.  Also used when asking someone if they are ready.  "Pronti?" if asking a group of people if they are ready.  A word I hear often when speaking with my Italian cousins.

 

Maybe your caterpillar will let you know when it is "pronto".😃

Edited August 8, 2021 by Michael Ventura

[Betty LaRue]

2 hours ago, Michael Ventura said:

 

Not sure if it is used in Spanish, but it means "ready" in Italian.  Rather than "hello", Italians use pronto when answering the phone.  Also used when asking someone if they are ready.  "Pronti?" if asking a group of people if they are ready.  A word I hear often when speaking with my Italian cousins.

 

Maybe your caterpillar will let you know when it is "pronto".😃

Love your sense of humor! I watched the old cartoon “Speedy Gonzales” on my iPad this afternoon trying to pick up some words I could teach my caterpillar. All I got was what sounded like  arriba, arriba …andale, andale” as he raced off. I think once it’s a butterfly, it could use those words as it speeds off south.

Edited August 8, 2021 by Betty LaRue

[Michael Ventura]

On 06/08/2021 at 12:39, Betty LaRue said:

When Michael said “cell phone” I immediately wondered how he got the picture accepted. A very DUH moment for me. Great shot, Michael!

 

I did upload it to ST#@KIMO but not accepted yet.  I posted here from my web gallery.  

 

Speaking of good things, I just got a text from my cardiologist checking in on me! On a Sunday!  He is in his late 30s and has a family but takes the time to check in on his patients and he wrote that I can call or text him anytime, he will always respond!  I wish more doctors were like him! I have never had a more caring and empathetic doctor.

[Phil Crean]

4 hours ago, spacecadet said:

Well the LCP skyscraper is in scaffolding and plastic- don't know what's happening- but LCP became LCC and is now UAL. It does have Stanley Kubrick's archive though, but not ours- I asked a few years ago and was told they don't have a collection of student films at all so I assume they went on the tip :(. Too bad, I now have my own Steenbeck and only one 400ft. roll of spare 16mm mute rushes to remind me.

Film and TV were on the 11th. floor- lifts only went up to 10 so we had to manhandle all the kit down the stairs. My shoulder wouldn't stand for it now.

I get the alumnus emails but I don't have much in common with what goes on there nowadays- they haven't had a film course (not proper film) for years and the Steenbecks are long gone.

Yes I get those UAL mails too. Some kinda interesting stuff, but its a long way away! I were mostly on the 14th floor, in the darkroom, or the library looking at photo books! A year wasn’t enough and in retrospect I wish I’d done more. 
 

[spacecadet]

10 hours ago, Phil Crean said:

Yes I get those UAL mails too. Some kinda interesting stuff, but its a long way away! I were mostly on the 14th floor, in the darkroom, or the library looking at photo books! A year wasn’t enough and in retrospect I wish I’d done more. 
 

I must mean 14th. then, lost count over the years! The top anyway. Too long ago to look it up on the internet.

Edited August 9, 2021 by spacecadet

[Bryan]

We took a series of three service buses to reach a photo lab in Newcastle yesterday in order to pick up some prints of the family. It's the first time we've used an ordinary bus since the start of Covid. There are signs on the windows saying leave them open if possible, so we had a decent flow of air on a warm day. It's not going to work in the depths of winter!  

 

The doors were shut at the photo lab with a sign saying "wait outside" when a member of staff appeared to conduct the business. Weird when all of the shops were fully open.

 

Coming back I opted to walk some of the way, while herself took the bus into the city centre to do some shopping. It rained a bit but I took shelter beneath bridges etc during the heaviest downpours. I decided to take a short cut through the Sage concert hall in Gateshead on my walk, but the doors were locked and I had to go around the perimeter. 

 

I took a few photos, but there were few people about and the weather miserable, so nothing saleable. It was pleasant to walk in a different location.

 

We are getting back to normal, but haven't fully made it yet.

[NYCat]

NYC is also only partly back. It looked like all the way for a minute there (minus some stores and restaurants) but now we're being told to go back to masks indoors because the Delta variant has caused a come-back of the virus here. A bit discouraging. Still a lot of people out and about though and a friend and I have been meeting once a week for yoga and lunch throughout the whole thing.

 

Paulette

[Betty LaRue]

2 hours ago, NYCat said:

NYC is also only partly back. It looked like all the way for a minute there (minus some stores and restaurants) but now we're being told to go back to masks indoors because the Delta variant has caused a come-back of the virus here. A bit discouraging. Still a lot of people out and about though and a friend and I have been meeting once a week for yoga and lunch throughout the whole thing.

 

Paulette

After a nice 5 months here, when positivity rates fell to 2% and less, it’s up over 8% in my county now. I’ll go back to my super-cautious behavior. A friend in Oklahoma, fully vaccinated, is very ill with the Delta strain.  Same thing with a neighbor and friend of my sister’s, only he died.  66 yrs old.  So many break-through infections, it seems, thanks to the Delta strain.
It was nice to have a few meals out with family…while it lasted. There are no shut-downs, (yet) but people understand so much more now…what works, what to do and how to do it. It’s not our first rodeo, is it?

[Michael Ventura]

7 minutes ago, Betty LaRue said:

After a nice 5 months here, when positivity rates fell to 2% and less, it’s up over 8% in my county now. I’ll go back to my super-cautious behavior. A friend in Oklahoma, fully vaccinated, is very ill with the Delta strain.  Same thing with a neighbor and friend of my sister’s, only he died.  66 yrs old.  So many break-through infections, it seems, thanks to the Delta strain.
It was nice to have a few meals out with family…while it lasted. There are no shut-downs, (yet) but people understand so much more now…what works, what to do and how to do it. It’s not our first rodeo, is it?

 

No, not our first rodeo sadly.  Just got a call saying that a big annual shoot, scheduled for this September, is now canceled for second year in a row.  Not the end of the world, of course, but was good income.

[Bryan]

41 minutes ago, Michael Ventura said:

 

No, not our first rodeo sadly.  Just got a call saying that a big annual shoot, scheduled for this September, is now canceled for second year in a row.  Not the end of the world, of course, but was good income.

 

Sorry to hear that Michael.

 

Feeling a bit guilty as a retired person with a decent pension, our bank balance has steadily climbed throughout lockdown as there has been nothing to spend it on. In particular we've enjoyed travel in the past and that remains very problematic. Some businesses have  prospered while others, hospitality and travel in particular, have needed government bail out to stay afloat.   Fortunately our two sons have been OK.

 

When this thing is over we have the global warming scenario to deal with. Not sure that I could board a plane for a holiday trip with a clear conscience. Prior to Covid the European railways had started to re-introduce sleeper services, and we'd be willing to give that a go.  Sadly, our years of cycle touring are probably behind us. 

 

 

[sb photos]

13 hours ago, Bryan said:

We took a series of three service buses to reach a photo lab in Newcastle yesterday in order to pick up some prints of the family. It's the first time we've used an ordinary bus since the start of Covid. There are signs on the windows saying leave them open if possible, so we had a decent flow of air on a warm day. It's not going to work in the depths of winter!  

 

The doors were shut at the photo lab with a sign saying "wait outside" when a member of staff appeared to conduct the business. Weird when all of the shops were fully open.

 

Coming back I opted to walk some of the way, while herself took the bus into the city centre to do some shopping. It rained a bit but I took shelter beneath bridges etc during the heaviest downpours. I decided to take a short cut through the Sage concert hall in Gateshead on my walk, but the doors were locked and I had to go around the perimeter. 

 

I took a few photos, but there were few people about and the weather miserable, so nothing saleable. It was pleasant to walk in a different location.

 

We are getting back to normal, but haven't fully made it yet.

Reaction to Covid in businesses can be for financial or health reasons .

[Betty LaRue]

I now have six….yes, SIX! Monarch caterpillars in my butterfly cage.
Now I’ll need to teach a Spanish class, rather than tutor one student of the wiggly kind.
Nature is wondrous.