Lessons Not Learned

You would think I would know better.
I mean I am a teacher
Of sorts.
More like a facilitator.
Whatever that is.
Anyways, new arrivals:

I've been waffling on my next big camera purchase for a while.
I like all the cameras I have and use them, for the most part, on a regular basis.
The only camera I think/wonder about is a Leica.
I don't know why.
It's not the camera don't you know.
Well I've been posturing to get one but every time I get close I buy something else.
Like another Nikon S2.
Why?
I'll use it more.
At least that's what I'm telling myself.
For now.
I also got some newfangled film in, some cinema film.
Crazy film I call it.
For one thing, it doesn't act like regular film film, it has no latitude meaning you can only pretty much shoot it one way.
If you try and overexpose or underexpose well, it doesn't take too well:

What it does do well is clouds!
Boy, I could shoot clouds all day using this film!
In fact, maybe I will!
Later.
I'm still working on dialing this film in speed and developing wise, but I think it's awesome.
So far.
Not an everyday film but something to use every once in a while, you know, to keep you honest.
Selfie:

Wicked sharp!
More on this Eastman 5363 film later.

Newfangledness

Finally!
Not in the sense like Finally! I did it and I'm happy, but it's more like Finally! I did it and well, I did it.
Entered the 21st century did I:

In keeping with my penchant for all things vintage, it's a 5s.
The 6s made it look like I was happy to see someone.
If you know what I mean.
I don't know why I waited so long to upgrade my phone, my phone from the last decade.
Seriously, it's been that long.
Well okay, one of the reasons I never upgraded is that no one ever calls me.
Like I'll take maybe one call a month.
If I'm lucky and get a wrong number.
I don't text.
Texting, if you've been following along at home, is the lamest form of human communication ever invented.
It's like Morse Code without the code part.
I don't need a camera cause I have a camera with me all the time anyways.
I could go on, but let's look at why I did.
Upgrade I mean.
I was embarrassed.
My phone was so old, the kids looked at it and wondered what it was.
No way! where's the screen?
I gotta say, it surely felt strange going forwards in technology, especially since I spend so much time going backwards:

My newest to me camera.
Which seems to be having trouble making pictures:

Then again, it could be me.
More on this later.
Back to the new technology.
Actually this all started when I decided to treat myself to a new iPod.
I have one my bother gave me, the Shuffle, but I needed something larger and I was looking at the iPod Touch.
Then I thought well if I get that then I'll have to carry around two things and then I'll really look like I'm happy to see someone.
Then it's like the batteries in my phone aren't what they used to be and I've been having to charge it up quite a bit.
The thing is, that olden days battery still lasts longer than the newfangled battery.
Then again, I can't play songs on my old phone.
Anyways, I feel sort of sheepish about the whole thing.
Late adopter don't you know.
Nothing though, can compare to the feeling I got when I was selecting a ring tone for a phone that never rings.
Sort of like wearing different colored underwear.
If you know what I mean.

Outside the Box

Or inside the box.
Or just a box.
Camera I mean:

I don't know why but I was compelled to purchase one of these olden days box cameras.
Okay, I really liked the deco looks.
These cameras are/were good examples of how simple photography can be.
A box, a shutter and a way to advance the film.
Really all you need.
Come to think about it, that's how my pinhole cameras are made.
Anyways, I was surprised by the pictures I got:

The images are not super sharp, then again they don't look like they came from a camera that cost like one dollar.
Way back when.
Them Kodak Brownies brought photography to the masses, allowing everyone to own a camera.
Which I'm guessing, everyone did.
Own a camera I mean.
The film for this thing ain't cheap anymore, it's medium format shooting 6x9:

So you only get eight shots per roll.
I gotta say though, there's a nostalgic feeling you get shooting this thing, the most basic of cameras.
Hopefully I'll get more shots over the weekend.
Better than time travel.

Sunday Early Edition

Wow!
Is it Sunday already?
Seems like it was just Sunday, like last Sunday.
Don't remember what happened in-between.
Oh wait.
Okay, I remember now.
I took a bunch of kids up to the North Shore:

Here we are on the bus heading out to Hale'iwa.
It was a 2.5 hour ride; we should have left earlier.
More on this later.
I was really anticipating this trip cause there were waves out there:

It was only about 6-8ft, the swell was coming down.
While I was watching the waves, the kids were off looking at dead fish:

I don't think they even walked on sand.
Go figure.
We just ended up taking some pics around the harbor:

Besides the boat harbor, Hale'iwa is a one strip town, mostly catering to tourists now.
Gone are most of the old school surf shops, replaced with gift shops and food places.
Some things are still the same:

Mostly though there's a ton of renovations going on with the old buildings taking on a newer look that only appears old.
Old Hale'iwa is slowly becoming the new old Hale'iwa.
If you know what I mean.
Anyways, we ended up mostly looking for someplace to eat; lunch and ice cream.
We didn't have much time to actually spend there as we needed to get back by a reasonable time.
The motley crew with the famous Hale'iwa bridge in the background:

I swear it looked like I was leading a tour group around.
Anyways, I think the kids had fun even if most of our time was spent on the bus.
A couple of them had never been out to that part of the island so it was nice for them.
We're already planning the next trip.

Sunday Early Edition

Well how are ya?!
Me, I'm doing fine!
So far.
It's a new year!
Yawn.
I'm don't make to much of the new year, I mean for me it's actually right smack dab in the middle of my work year.
My new year starts in August.
Sort of.
Anyways, I started off the calendar new year with a ride on the new to me bicycle:

I finally got my rack attached.
More on that later.
Well I was a pedaling around, sub sonic, and well, it just didn't feel right.
Turns out this thing has 180 cranks!
WTH?
I mean the bicycle was my size but I felt like I was churning some giant sized pedals!
I swear my knees started to hit my chest!
I'll need to fix that.
I also need to get rid of that skyscraper stem.
When I walk the bicycle up the stairs, the handlebars keep hitting my chin.
I got most of this stuff in my box o'crap.
It's just that I don't know where exactly my box o'crap is.
Anyways, away I went making giant sized pedaling circles:

I went a this way and a that way, mainly because it's been a while since I've been a this way and a that way.
I was also testing out my new to me camera; this will be the all analog edition:

It was New Year's day and I sort of surprised to see so many folks out and about.
Fishing:

Some afternoon hula:

I actually watched them for some time before getting the shot.
The one on the right was showing the one on the left the moves and lemme tell you the one on the right had all the right moves.
Ahem.
Further along the shore and into Waikiki it was business as usual:

It looks all nice a pretty out a that away, but behind me dark clouds were gathering and the wind began to pick up.
So I packed it all in and headed home.
You know, before it started to snow.
Brrrrrrrrrr.
Been in the seventies around these parts, hope it's not freezing like this where you are.
So anyways, that's the beginning of my year.
Then there were all them laziness drills.
Boy, that made me tired.
I also got another new camera.
More on that later.
I'm so sleepy.