Lmst

Bribes

Remember when bribery was illegal? That was before the nazi in chief of the fascist states of america declared that it was a smart move to let a foreign government give you an airplane as a present. Our new air force one, which will stop being air force one and become trump’s personal plane once he leaves office, assuming he leaves office before he dies.

Yeah, this country fucking sucks. Can you imagine if Barack Obama told the public he was taking a passenger jet as a gift from an Islamic nation? Fucking fascists.

Change of subject. Two things to look forward to this week. First, I have my three year post-gastric bypass surgery check in at the weight loss clinic. I expect them to tell me that I am the greatest patient they have ever had, and that no patient they’ve dealt with has ever had such overwhelming success with their post-op program. I am hoping for a plaque or something to honor me.

Of infinitely greater importance, my step son Harry is going to graduate from the University of Vermont this weekend. I am so proud I am so proud I am so proud I am so proud. Did I mention how proud I am? We’ll be heading up there after work on Friday. I am really looking forward to it. I don’t know if you can tell by the context of this paragraph, but I am really proud of Harry.

Okay, Robert. Back to work with you.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54514909030/in/datetaken/

#365 #365Challenge #365Project #bribe #bribery #Cat #collegeGraduation #collegeKids #Family #gastricBypassSurgery #graduation #grownUpKids #health #Kids #Kitty #magaIsACult #Nikon #nikonZ5 #photoADay #photoADayChallenge #photoADayProject #photography #Politics #robin #StepKids #trumpIsAFascist #trumpIsANazi #trumpIsEvil #z5

Morning Photos

Finally! The sky was clear at sunrise on a weekend. I took four, count ’em four, cameras out with me. My digital, Nikon Z5, my two 35mm, Dad’s Pentax K1000 and my Nikon FG-20, and my new/ebay medium format experiment, Lomo Lubitel 166 Universal.

The 35mm cameras each had a roll already started. My goal was to finish them off. The Lubitel… what the hell, Robert. I’ve had the camera for months and had not completed even a single test roll. I had already messed up the first roll by over advancing it once and blowing a shot, and then flashing the film when the camera back popped open on its own once. My goal was to finish that roll and then put a second roll through and hope that something worked on one of them enough to let me know if the camera actually works or not. Besides all of that film fun, I just wanted to take a bunch of pics with my Z5 because it’s super fun.

I completed all of those goals. I now have four rolls of film to develop. I’ll place an order today and ship them out tomorrow. The two 120 rolls were fucked up even more than I already knew. I didn’t have any trouble with the second one… or so I thought. The camera can be setup to shoot in 6×6 format or in 4.5×6. I was using the 4.5×6 numbers for advancing the film after each (well… most… there are going to be a bunch of double exposures because I am too stupid to operate a manual camera, I guess) but upon further review, the camera is clearly set up to shoot a square format… so every single shot is going to overlap. Moron.

Anyway… here are a bunch of digital pics.

Hampton Beach, NH at sunrise!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54511514041/in/album-72177720326030447

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54511704974/in/album-72177720326030447/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54511705149/in/album-72177720326030447/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54511871920/in/album-72177720326030447/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54511514956/in/album-72177720326030447/

These are from a spot in North Hampton, NH, just a little north of Hampton Beach.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54510648997/in/album-72177720326030447/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54511706029/in/album-72177720326030447/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54510649457/in/album-72177720326030447/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54510649492/in/album-72177720326030447/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54511872655/in/album-72177720326030447/

These are from a little spot on route 1A just south of Hampton Beach. I don’t know if it is in Seabrook or in the town of Hampton Beach, but you can see the Seabrook nuclear power plant from here so… kaboom.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54511872890/in/album-72177720326030447/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54511778403/in/album-72177720326030447/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54511873030/in/album-72177720326030447/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54511516321/in/album-72177720326030447/

After that spot I drove home, but didn’t go home. I went to the Spicket Falls Dam in downtown Methuen. We’ve had massive rains over the last week so the river was roaring.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54511779063/in/album-72177720326030447/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54510650717/in/album-72177720326030447/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54510650887/in/album-72177720326030447/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54511708124/in/album-72177720326030447/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54511708319/in/album-72177720326030447/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54510651887/in/album-72177720326030447/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54511708629/in/album-72177720326030447/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54511780758/in/album-72177720326030447/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54511709204/in/album-72177720326030447/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54511875585/in/album-72177720326030447/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54511781263/in/album-72177720326030447/

At this point I still had a few shots left in two of the film cameras so I went over to Greycourt Park where I got my brand new sneakers soaking wet by walking around in the grass. It was nice.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54510652987/in/album-72177720326030447/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54511781873/in/album-72177720326030447/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54510653547/in/album-72177720326030447/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54511782503/in/album-72177720326030447/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54511782883/in/album-72177720326030447/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54511783023/in/album-72177720326030447/

What is that baseball doing there? Who left that behind?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54511877420/in/album-72177720326030447/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54511877455/in/album-72177720326030447/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54511877960/in/album-72177720326030447/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54511520951/in/album-72177720326030447/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54511878915/in/album-72177720326030447/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54511879445/in/album-72177720326030447/

And there you have it. Finally, a photography kinda morning. You would think this would hold me over for a little while at least, but nope. I want to go out again right now. Right Freakin’ Now.

#AtlanticOcean #hamptonBeach #marina #Massachusetts #methuen #newHampshire #Nikon #nikonZ5 #Ocean #photography #photowalk #Sunrise #z5

Smoke

I heard that there was white smoke in Rome today. This was my first response:

https://bsky.app/profile/robj1971.bsky.social/post/3loodbwd5c52p

Turns out the new pope is an American. Weird, huh? Dude’s going to speak English with an accent that I can understand. Too bad I’m not catholic anymore. It might mean something to me if I were.

Here’s a cat to celebrate:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54505624251/in/datetaken/

Here’s another cat to keep celebrating. The new pope stole the thunder from my birthday. What a jerk. At least he’s not maga. Civilization has that going for it, I guess.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54505811764/in/datetaken/

#americanPope #Cat #catholic #catholicChurch #Kitty #lily #Nikon #nikonZ5 #photography #pope #popeLeo #robin #z5

Seven Hours Later

My last post was published seven hours ago. I’m hanging in there but really can’t wait for this crap to be over. I’m fasting ahead of a medical test and I am hungry. I barely have a stomach left after gastric bypass surgery, but what I have is really jonzin’ for a snack, know what I mean? No hunger pains yet, which is odd given that I get hunger pains all the time. Maybe my brain is trying to protect my stomach? Who knows.

I can’t eat today, but the birds can.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54482797723/in/datetaken/

That is today’s photo a day challenge pic. Blurry backgrounds are fun. Bokeh.

The cats are in a state of hyper vigilance right now. There is a mouse in the house. It was in my home office earlier but it got away. In was later seen in our bedroom but I think it got away again. Both cats are on the hunt so it’s days are numbered. I will catch it and bring it outside if I can, but the feline avengers might not give me the opportunity.

Here’s a picture of Robin from before the mouse presented itself.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54482672049/in/datetaken/

Here’s one of Lily. Robin was already stalking the rodent invader at this point, but Lily wasn’t in on it yet. She was blissfully unaware.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54483320215/in/datetaken/

#Cat #fasting #gastricBypass #health #Kitty #lily #Nikon #nikonZ5 #photography #robin #z5

Holiday Schedule

I took this picture yesterday. Not sure why I am posting it now, but I am… so there.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54467314233/in/datetaken/

As mentioned in a post from nearly 24 hours ago, yesterday was a holiday in Massachusetts. Patriots Day. In my neighborhood, Tuesday is trash day. I got up early and got everything ready and opened the door to walk outside with a big trash bag and as the door was swinging in toward me, I remembered that whole holiday thing. The holiday trash pickup schedule punts our Tuesday to Wednesday. Aw, hell. I hate when I forget about that. I took the barrel out to the street anyway. Tomorrow’s an in-the-office day. Taking the barrel out now saves me about three minutes tomorrow morning. Yippee.

Now, onward to another super fascinating Tuesday. Yippee, again.

#Cat #Holiday #Kitty #lily #Massachusetts #Nikon #nikonZ5 #photography #z5

Bird

One of the cats was sitting in the window next to my desk, just watching the goings on in the backyard. All of a sudden she FREAKED OUT and ran away. A few minutes later I noticed this:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54466313014

Coincidence?

#BackYardWildKingdom #BackyardWildKingdom #bird #hawk #Nikon #nikonZ5 #photography #z5

Easter

Insert joke about a zombie giving up his weekend for our sins.

The plan is to visit Jen’s mother and step father today. It will be a lovely day, I am sure. They have a new cat. The resemblance to our cat Robin is striking. I expect I’ll use the wrong name at least once or twice.

Until then here is a photographic study. First, we have two cats who were pretending to be asleep as I snuck up on them with my camera.

Awake Lily:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54462894402/in/datetaken/

Awake Robin (also, today’s photo a day picture winner):

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54464088330/in/datetaken/

Then a couple of hours later I returned to the scene of the crime and found both of them actually sleeping.

Asleep Lily:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54463924264/in/datetaken/

Asleep Robin:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54463927054/in/datetaken/

Cuteness overload. Happy Easter from my cats to yours.

#365 #365Challenge #365Project #Cat #Kitty #lily #Nikon #nikonZ5 #photoADay #photoADayChallenge #photoADayProject #photography #robin #z5

Protests

We tried. Twice. We drove up to Kingston, NH for a protest but when we got there there were only a couple of people holding signs in a park. We changed direction and headed to Billerica, MA where there was a big rally going on in the town common. We tried to stop but there wasn’t any place to park and well… at the risk of TMI… there were full bladder issues that needed attending.

We will do better next time, and I promise there will be a next time. Until then, here’s a cat.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54462513639/in/datetaken/

#50501 #antiFascist #antifa #Cat #handsOff #Kitty #Nikon #nikonZ5 #photography #Politics #protests #robin #trumpIsAFascist #trumpIsANazi #trumpIsEvil #z5

A Room with a View

We are only on the 10th floor.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54378608106/in/datetaken/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54378815744/in/datetaken/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54379005600/in/datetaken/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54377738137/in/datetaken/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54378608601/in/datetaken/

#Boston #bostonMassachusetts #Massachusetts #NewEngland #Nikon #nikonZ5 #photography #z5

Another Screwy Day

Today is Thursday and much like yesterday and the day before it is turning out to be a screwy day. Fun.

I overslept this morning. I had a bunch of things I wanted to do before the work day started and then I overslept and screwed up all of my plans. I did get the big things in, my day’s worth of goofy exercise, breakfast, routine stuff like that, and I managed to sneak in a little bit of guitar playing. I put rhythm guitars onto one RPM Challenge song. Not much but better than nothing.

We got a little snow last night. Probably less than an inch. The snow turned into rain and now we have a driveway covered in a nightmare of slush. At some point later today the temperature is going to drop and that nightmare of slush is going to turn into a nightmare of ice and I don’t know if I am going to have time to clear any of it before it freezes. I am super happy about that. Really. There’s not an ounce of sarcasm here. I am thrilled to the teeth by this potential outcome*.

It’s not even noon yet and the work day has been just as crazy as yesterday. Not bad, but a weird combination of hectic and frustrating. It’s looking like tomorrow will be similar, but after that things should settle again. Here’s hoping at least.

In closing, here’s a few guitar pictures from this morning because I am insane.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54324874621/in/datetaken/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54325281160/in/datetaken/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54325099104/in/datetaken/

*Contrary to the above statement, I was in fact being sarcastic. Extremely sarcastic. My words were dripping with venomous sarcasm. Just call me a sarcasm machine.

#365 #365Challenge #365Project #dailySchedule #Guitar #Music #Nikon #nikonZ5 #oversleep #overslept #photoADay #photoADayChallenge #photoADayProject #photography #Recording #RpmChallenge #rpm2025 #schedule #Sleep #SongWriting #work #z5

Woof, Bro

Gonna be a long day today. Fun.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54322976915/in/datetaken/

165/365

#365 #365Challenge #365Project #Nikon #nikonZ5 #photoADay #photoADayChallenge #photoADayProject #photography #z5

Photo a Day

Photo a day pic for day 164 of 365. Exciting, eh? (yeah, it’s been one of those days)

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54320787788/in/datetaken/

#365 #365Challenge #365Project #Nikon #nikonZ5 #photoADay #photoADayChallenge #photoADayProject #photography #z5

In the Office

I’m going to be in the office today… and tomorrow… and the next day. Sigh of sadness and frustration.

No guitar playing today, but here’s a guitar pic for the photo a day thing. Hooray.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54318497541/in/datetaken/

#365 #365Challenge #365Project #hybridWorkSchedule #Nikon #nikonZ5 #office #photoADay #photoADayChallenge #photoADayProject #photography #returnToTheOffice #work #z5

Ouch

I’m too old for this shit.

Shoveling, I mean. I felt okay when I first came back inside after shoveling, but now that a few hours have passed… Ouch town, population me, bro. Every inch of me is sore, and despite having two of the best nights sleep I’ve had in ages over the last two nights, I am completely exhausted.

I don’t know if I have the energy to do anything other than sit on the couch for the rest of the night. I think we were already planning on ordering out for dinner tonight. Maybe I’ll be able to crawl to the door to bring the delivery in.* I mean, really… that’s asking a lot.

It is a good thing I managed to put rhythm guitar tracks onto two RPM Challenge songs this morning before I shoveled. I don’t know if I will be able to do any more than that tonight, though I really need to. We’ll see how the pain goes. For now though, it’s just couch time. Much needed couch time, believe me.

Here’s a few guitar pictures to hold us over until next time.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54316576981/in/datetaken/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54316806444/in/datetaken/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54316994390/in/datetaken/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54316805879/in/datetaken/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54316805869/in/datetaken/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54315686237/in/datetaken/

*Obviously I exaggerate. I mean, it’s still laundry day after all.

#365 #365Challenge #365Project #exhaustion #Gibson #GibsonGuitars #GibsonLesPaul #gibsonday #gibsunday #Guitar #health #LesPaul #Music #Nikon #nikonZ5 #pain #photoADay #photoADayChallenge #photography #Recording #RpmChallenge #rpm2025 #shoveling #shovelingSnow #Sleep #Snow #snowShoveling #SongWriting #sore #soreness #Weather #winter #z5

It Was Just a Matter of Time

May 8, 2021. The musical nerd moment I lived today has been inevitable since May 8, 2021. On that day, my 50th birthday, my beloved bride bought me the best birthday present ever. A new guitar. A Gibson Les Paul Standard 50’s. Since that day I have been living the life of a glutton who owns two, that’s right, two Gibson Les Pauls. I’ve had a Les Paul Custom since 1990, and now I have two. From that day on it has been inevitable that I was going to be a total nerd and record some music with the guitar parts doubled using both Les Pauls together.

Today became that day, of course. I put rhythm guitars onto five RPM Challenge songs. In each case, the guitar coming out of the left speaker is my Les Paul Custom and the guitar coming out of the right speaker is my Les Paul Standard.

Yeah… nerd.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54314748814/in/datetaken/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54314762328/in/datetaken/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54315308744/in/datetaken/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54314195197/in/datetaken/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54315307919/in/datetaken/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54314195117/in/datetaken/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54315319038/in/datetaken/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54315308629/in/datetaken/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54315319728/in/datetaken/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54315504755/in/datetaken/

#Gibson #GibsonLesPaul #Guitar #LesPaul #Music #Nikon #nikonZ5 #photography #Recording #RpmChallenge #rpm2025 #SongWriting #z5

Photo a Day: 157/365

Now that we’re home from vacation, we’re back to all cats all the time. Enjoy!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54306412617/in/datetaken/

#365 #365Challenge #365Project #Cat #Kitty #Nikon #nikonZ5 #photoADay #photoADayChallenge #photoADayProject #photography #robin #z5

Random Vacation Pics

Duck and cover, kids… there are going to be a lot of pics in this one.

Disney World. January 2025. Me, my wife, my step daughter, and my mother in law. It was a great week.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54292178378/in/album-72177720323431096

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54291049392/in/album-72177720323431096

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https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54297767241/in/album-72177720323431096

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https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54298018603/in/album-72177720323431096

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https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54299665158/in/album-72177720323431096

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https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54299849465/in/album-72177720323431096

#DisneyWorld #florida #Nikon #nikonZ5 #Orlando #photography #Travel #Vacation #z5

Photo a Day: 153/365

Today’s photo a day comes from me taking way too many pictures while wandering around Disney Springs. I am really tired now (it’s 10:03pm) and I need to get some sleep because we fly home tomorrow afternoon and still have much to do to get ready.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54299666328/in/datetaken/

#DisneySprings #DisneyWorld #florida #Nikon #nikonZ5 #Orlando #photography #Travel #z5