So, I’ve been shooting a large volume of film lately. Processing it too! I’m a real photographer now! I think I have a decent system for development. The only problem is warming up the water from the basement tap. I use a hose and point it toward the floor drain but that method causes a lot of floor splash which is unsightly and plain messy. I think the only solution is a utility sink. At that point, I might as well just go for the whole deal and set up a real darkroom.

I will also be able to develop color film soon. I’d like to thank anyone who is following on my Flickr account for bearing with me on my large posts of black and white photos. It’s about me, not you. The exhibit has long been closed.

Let’s see, what else?

Oh yes! Big ass fish tank purchased. Well, big ass for me. It’s a 37 gallon tank. I have three fancy goldfish in it (Firecracker, Squirt and Buffy) and one Plecostomus. Nothing makes me feel more like an aquarist when I say Plecostomus! Actually, it’s an Albino Plecostomus. Ugly mother, but essential. He eats crap and algae. We haven’t named it. The tropical fish in my 10 gallon continue to flourish and no unspeakable acts have occurred. They are a happy tribe.

So that is my news! Film and fish.

Touché.

I have two cavities. Each on opposite distal bicuspids on the lower arch. I asked Amy Jo what “distal” meant and she was like, “On the far end”. It was totally the best part of the appointment. I really do like my dental hygienist. We talk a lot about movies (she lets me talk).  Anyway – the cavities will be filled in March (the dentist is way booked) in two separate appointments. They don’t like to numb the entire lower jaw since the two cavities are on opposite sides. I look forward to it because Dr. Stewart makes the meanest cocktail of Novocaine. I don’t know what else she puts in it but it sure is fun (although the drive home tends to be problematic).

Photographically, I am looking forward to two things:

1) shooting with Kodalith

2) developing my very own black and white negatives. I have the chemistry.

I’ve pretty much dried up on shooting digital with the exception of C_ flipping her hair around. Those photos generate money for some reason or other. I should get back in the habit of digital photography but it’s just not that exciting. Perhaps I need a new lens.

Other areas of interest include:

1) first shooter video games (shooting Nazis never ever gets old)

2) Wii bowling after dinner with my family (we’re pretty good)

3) my aquarium (something unspeakable happened to one of the mixed fruit tetras and it remains a total mystery – all I found was its spine)

4) cleaning the kitchen (a clean kitchen is essential to good living)

5) thinking about skateboarding

6) thinking about the 80s

7) thinking about summer

All of these are very good things to have and think about. 2010 is looking to be a very good year. In February I will be coming up on 1 year of non-smoking life. It is the best I have felt since the day before I took up smoking. I have my energy back and my mind. It’s like, being a kid again. Sort of. But with responsibilities, that can sometimes suck.

In the distal past...

Honestly, I don’t even have to try and I am able to find photos like the one posted above tucked away in a book or small box. If you look carefully, you will see the that we are enjoying a fondue. Easily one of the most continued Christmas Eve traditions that is kept at the Wieczorek household. My mom is trying out an electric fondue this year. For a short time we had Canadian bacon and pineapple pizza and later there was a Kentucky Fried Chicken period. We will try different things but it always comes back to the fondue.

Friday night I had the best intentions of going to the Wieczorek Family Christmas party. Another tradition. It used to be held at my Uncle David’s home on Christmas Eve but as extended families continue to disconnect and spread apart they have it earlier in order not to inconvenience anyone. By the time Saturday night turned around I wasn’t feeling it. I opted for “Earth” in high definition. C_ woke me up at midnight. I had fallen asleep on the couch. James Earl Jones is a very heavy tranquilizer.

So today, in order to make up for last night’s lame dismissal of family, we went out to my mom and dad’s place. It’s always such a nice tie. I got the Armada up and sailing on battery power again (touchy bloke). Vacuumed the house with the Dyson (hey, who knew, it’s awesome) Dad showed me how to make a fire in their fireplace. Apparently it involves much more than just throwing some wood in it and striking a match (thanks for showing me how to open the flue, Dad!)

How to start a fire at my parents’ house:

Open flue (pull down vent panel and move lever all the way to the left, tap to the right after fire gets going so it doesn’t burn so quickly)

Log cabin style stack the kindling, placing chunks of starter log underneath various pieces.

Light a piece of newspaper on fire and hold it up to the flue in order to create a draft.

Create draft by opening door to the outside.

Light pieces of starter log, close fireplace doors but don’t latch.

Burn baby burn.

Spaghetti for lunch and then we watched “School of Rock” which is like watching Jack Black do the same joke for two and half hours. Still tho – there’s some good stuff in it. Played the balloon game with Rhen for awhile and then packed up the family truckster. Pulled out of my parents’ driveway -thinking of fondue,  snow falling , ready for the coming holiday.

The one saving grace of winter is Christmas. I am looking forward to time spent with family and friends. Rhen gets a huge pile of toys and that’s a lot of fun to watch. Nothing beats a child’s excitement for Christmas. Ask any kid – it’s serious stuff. I’ve learned that by the time a kid reaches the age of four that you do not make idle threats of Santa bringing coal  because someone didn’t eat his carrots. Once again, Santa is serious stuff. C_ had written to “Santa” on behalf of Rhen this year and in return Rhen received a certificate from Ms. Claus (Santa’s secretary?) that he was, indeed, OFFICIALLY on the “good list”. Rhen showed me the document when I got home from work and I could easily see the relief on his face. It said, “Yep. This Christmas is in the bag. I’ve got it. No worries from here on out.”

I’ve noticed that a lot of our family photos are from Christmas. For example:

I remember this slide. I refused to move from it that night.

And of course, my mom, who works so hard to put together Christmas for us every year. Even the Christmas she made us read bad holiday poetry.

Diggin' Christmas back in the day.

Well, the snow has fallen and the temps are in the 20s. Disgusting winter. I cleaned my bearings and skated in the basement with Rhen for about a half hour. He uses his Razor. The space is tight but doable. I figure once I am desperate enough I will try out an indoor skate park and hang with the 13 year old kids. Fun times.

I also learned that I find the idea of laying a fish to rest in the ground is completely taboo to me. The fish does not wish to return to the Earth. It’s home is in the water. He wishes to return to the ocean (I think). I went as far to tell a co-worker that if you bury a fish in the ground how is he to cross the River Styx and enter into the Underworld? Walk? Also, I’m not sure why the fish afterlife would necessarily default to the Underworld but I really can’t see any harm in it. This is how my mind works.

A fitting tribute:

“Oceania” by Bjork

Yesterday afternoon I put on my skateboard face and headed downtown. I skate the same line pretty much every time I go out. Down toward the river, pass the hop silos, through the car dealership lot (great deals!) across Huff Street and under the bridge, downtown (haha) and so on. Regardless of which way I take it always ends at the same place. The east building of my old junior high school, with me walking around the building checking to see if any doors are open and looking through dusty cracked windows. The halls are a dream. Wrecked and piled with refuse. All I can think when I look through those windows is if I could just get in there with my camera and tripod.

Abandoned Desk

So the nightmares started last night about the east building. I’ve had a lot of dreams about this building in the last few months but nothing malevolent about it. Really — the dream ended with me speaking to an entity called “The Core”. It wasn’t very nice.

So around I go. I had gained access to the renovated part of the east building a month ago. Devoid of all character. It had been chopped up nicely and efficiently. I want in the back end of the building where the auditorium and gymnasium still exists. The ruined hallways and dusty banisters. The red, white and gray striping on the walls. All those twisting little corridors weaving through the remains of that big beast. I suppose one day they will decide to knock it down and expand their parking lot. You’d think the two drunken letters that I’ve written to the building’s management company would garner some sort of sympathetic response. Just a little bit of the building superintendent’s time, please. For my own personal satisfaction and records.

A response remains to be seen.

Our list, in the middle of the street (now with sound!):

Ziggy Stardust, Seu Jorge

Lost Highway, Hank Williams

River Euphrates, Pixies

Let’s Turn Back The Years, Hank Williams

Good Old World (Waltz), Tom Waits

Mon Coeur Est Penetre D’epouvante, Caruso

The Black Rider, Tom Waits

My Old School, Steely Dan