34 - Skyway

The building I work in is connected to another building in the complex via a skyway that crosses over a street.  Sometime I like to just stop and watch traffic, especially at night.  I'd love to just bring a chair and work here with my laptop when I needed to crank on something that required quiet.  Maybe I'll try that one day and see if security runs me off...

33 - Maudite

One of biggest drags about middle age was the rapidly diminishing returns on beer.  I've never been a heavy drinker, but I've long enjoyed a good brew.  Unfortunately, about the time I turned 40 I started feeling excessively bloated and tired with a headache about 30 minutes later.  Like a hangover only without the wait.  Instant Karma.  It's gotten worse over time, and as a result nowadays I'm more likely to have wine since it doesn't have that effect on me.  But occasionally I'll just decide to suck it up and deal with it - like when I have something from the Unibroue brewery singing its siren song from my refrigerator.

32 - Whew!

It's been a pretty stressful day.  It'll be this way for awhile.  Too much to do, too little time to get it done.  Every day is a gift, but sometimes you're just glad when that gift is consumed.

31 - Memory

At an abstract level, my day job is to find solutions to fundamentally complicated and intractable problems.  These are the sort of problems that don't have ideal, or in some cases even "good", solutions.  They're "solved" by devising a solution that either produces the least pain, or that optimizes around certain goals at the expense of other potential (and probably reasonable) goals.  Sadly, I have a terrible memory, which is an unfortunate trait for somebody who does what I do for a living.  The way I compensate for my memory is to take notes.  Copious, detailed notes.  I've become quite good at it.  I can write and type very fast, and with a lot of independence from other tasks I might need to do.  So, I can look at somebody, listen to what they're saying, and write or type a completely different thing all at the same time (being a musician helps with that, actually).  It sometimes freaks people out.  On the other hand, people often want my meeting notes because they're so detailed and organized.  Frankly, I'd rather have a good memory.  Because if it doesn't get noted, it's as good as gone.

30 - O' Dark Stupid

Had to get up at O' Dark Stupid (as an Army friend of mine likes to say) this morning.  I needed to get some work done but my trip to Dallas prevented me from doing it over the weekend.  So I went in to work early to wrap it up before everyone else arrived.  The early morning was foggy and drizzly, which made kind of a cool, moody scene under the street lamps.  Most times, I'm very happy with my go-everywhere camera, but it really struggles capturing these kind of ultra low-light scenes.  In cases like these I usually wish I'd brought my Nikon.

29 - What Would Ace Do?

In my last post I mentioned that I traveled to Dallas over the weekend.  The reason was to visit a dear friend and guitar collector in order to shoot several of his guitars for inclusion in my guitar series of photos I started late last year.  I got a lot of great shots, of which this is merely the first one I processed.  I'll be showing the best of them on my main blog as I finish processing them.  After I've completed the series, I intend to self-publish a photo book.  If you're interested in a copy, go to the main blog and get my contact information.

When my buddy pulled this guitar out of the case, I knew that it had to be in my series.  The cherry sunburst Gibson Les Paul has a special place in my heart.  It's the very first guitar I lusted after.  The one that kindled a life-long passion for me.  I was a big fan of KISS back when I was 12 and Ace Frehley played a cherry sunburst Les Paul.  I wanted one in the worst way.  But of course, 12 year olds generally can't afford real Les Pauls.  Shoot, I'm middle aged and it's still a whole lot of money.  I shot this one in front of an old Marshall amp because that's what Ace played 'em through, and to my mind, that's the quintessential pairing with a Les Paul.

28 - Sam Houston

I got a few days behind on posting my daily photos, but rest assured I took a photo everyday and they're going to be put on the site shortly.  This weekend I took a trip up to Dallas.  The massive statue in the photo above is a fixture on I-45 between Houston and Dallas.  It's Sam Houston - hero of the war for Texas independence, Texas governor, and a key figure in Texas joining the United States.  It's a terrific statue, simultaneously magnificent and slightly amusing in having a sense of scale that is truly Texan.

27 - Temporary Housing

We had a minor freeze here in Houston last night.  And because this is the south, that pretty much shut everything down.  They canceled school and the kids got a day off.  My company wasn't quite as accommodating - they said we didn't have to come into the office but they expected us to work from home.  (The Internet has its drawbacks, folks.)  So I commandeered my wife's library for an office for the day.  I love this room.  My brother put a lovely finish on a bunch of floor-to-ceiling bookcases for me over the summer and we got a nice desk and chair for the room, so it's an awesome place to work or play.  Certainly much nicer than my office at work.  The only downer was this was one of Edison favorite rooms to sleep in during his final year, so from time to time I would find myself looking into the emptiness of his corner of the room and I'd get sad again.

26 - Sun and Moon

My kids are going through a stage where they're just less malleable as photo subjects.  They won't stay in a pose for more than a fraction of a second.  They won't look at the camera.  They've learned the Camera Smile - the one where you pull up the corners of your lips but the rest of your face is on another planet.  Or in the case of my younger one, he wants to smile without showing his teeth.

You know where I'm going with this, right?

I took 20 photos trying to wrangle and cajol them into doing what I wanted, but the best of the bunch is one where I gave up and just took shots of them doing their own thing.  The problem isn't them.

For a control freak like me, the hardest part about child photography is going with the flow.

25 - Goodbye, My Friend

We got Edison from the Town Lake Animal Shelter in Austin in 2000.  For me, it was pretty much love at first sight - a little white and tan puppy with a patch over his eye.  He was also playful and friendly.  One of my most cherished memories is carrying him out of the pound that day in one arm, like a football.  He grew to be very large - about 120 pounds at one point.  And it turned out he was smart, which was a good thing since we'd optimistically named him "Edison".  We taught him how to behave himself, which is crucial for a dog that large.  And of course we taught him some nifty tricks like how to fall down and lay down when you point your finger at him and said, "bang!"  The best trick was how to ring a bell we had tied to the knob on the back door whenever he needed to pee or just wanted to go outside.  He rang that thing so much, I wondered who had been trained - him or us.  But we never had to teach him how to love.  He knew that one from the start and taught me quite a few things about it.  He was a more patient teacher than I was.  His love was boundless, unconditional, and in unlimited supply for whoever wanted it.  Today Edison died after 14 years of sharing his love so generously with me and my family.  I already miss him terribly.

Edison, 2000 - 2014

24 - Footbridge in Seven Meadows

23 - Cantina

22 - By the Light of the Flickering Flame

Funny, but some of my favorite photos of this project have been when I'm scrounging around for something to shoot.  Good thing, because by the time I get a few months into this, I might be really desperate for subject matter.

21 - I Believe I Can Fly

I'm a little late posting this, but I did take my photo yesterday.  I was fairly busy with my younger child's 7th birthday.  This isn't a particularly amazing picture, but I like it.  I shot it while all the kids were playing on the playscape at his birthday party.  I tried to emphasize the sense of motion by playing with zooming blur.

20 - Glass and Not Glass

19 - CityCentre

Traffic was terrible this evening.  Even worse than usual.  My plan was to go home, eat dinner, put the kids to bed, then go out again and get my photo for the day.  Traffic was so bad though and the location I'd chosen for the photo was on the way, so I decided to wait for the traffic to ease up while snapping my pics.  I called the wife and headed for CityCentre.

CityCentre is a very tony shopping plaza.  It's really big, really expensive, and really trendy.  I like to look at places like this and window shop, but I almost never buy anything.  Most everything is a bit too ostentatious for my tastes.  But I knew there would be some pretty photos to be had here.  I found this water feature with elevated fire pits and infinity edge that was really lovely, especially with the tree lights reflecting off of it.

18 - Big Four

Had to go downtown today for a business meeting with a partner.  It was one of the "Big Four" consulting firms.  They have very swanky digs in a skyscraper with a terrific view.  Now, my company's office is nice and it has a pretty respectable view of its own, but this office was nice.  Hell, even the elevator had fancy and very expensive rosewood trim.  For a brief moment I had a touch of envy and nostalgia for working at a big, established company.  But of course there's a tremendous downside too, that I know from hard-earned experience just really grinds me.  I'm a little company guy.  Strike that.  I'm a young company guy.

17 - Blue Light Special

Here's a tip from Captain Obvious:  If you want to photograph a hotel bar, but you don't want anybody walking through your shot, arrive early in the morning.  Unless there's a special on mimosas, it'll be empty.

16 - The Relentless Progression of Time

In my first post, I mentioned that time is accelerating.  I truly believe that it is.  Now, I don't think it is accelerating for everybody.  Therefore, I think the velocity of time is relative to perspective.  In other words, I think we all mark time differently.  But mark time we do, because time doesn't stand still.  It marches forward without rest and without mercy.

15 - Venus de Milkmaid

14 - Shizukesa

Today's photo is from the Japanese garden in Hermann Park in Houston.  The weather has been pretty crappy since the new year, either uncommonly cold or rainy and overcast.  So when this morning began in sunshine I was ready to get out and enjoy it.  The Japanese garden is a gorgeous place, even in the winter when a lot of things are dormant.  It must be absolutely stunning in the spring (and I will be returning).  Even the boys were relatively entertained.  They spotted an otter that lived in one of the ponds and they were very excited by that since otters are their favorite animals.

13 - Google Maps Special

Took off from work a little early today to grab my photo and get a start on the weekend.  The location for this picture is a Google Maps Special.  Sometimes I'll get on Google Maps and look up a location where I know I'll be that day.  Then I'll turn on the "photos" feature in Maps which overlays photo icons on the map that you can click on to see a photo from nearby locations.  If I see something interesting there, I'll visit the spot myself and maybe get my own photo.  I always from do it from a different vantage point, but it's helpful to find photo-worthy places near places where I'm already planning to be.

12 - Jagged Terrace

The Koch office in Houston has an interesting architectural feature where the building splits into two interlocking pieces that form terraced decks for every other floor.  I hadn't noticed the building until they bulldozed a square block adjacent to it and revealed it to Richmond Avenue where I sometime drive.

11 - Where the Magic Happens

This is my office.  There are many like it (actually, a couple dozen just like it) but this one is mine.  It's not much, but it does have a nice view and it beats a cubicle.  I'll give it that.  I was lucky in that for about 6 years or so I was able to work out of my home. That wonderful situation enabled me to spend a lot more time with my sons in the first years of their lives than most fathers, which was beneficial to both them and me.  I was lucky I got to do it and that I realized how lucky I was when I was doing it.  Maybe one day I'll get to do it again.

10 - Williams Tower

 

Williams Tower is an art deco revival skyscraper in the Galleria area of Houston.  I pass by it every day on my commute.   I love the look of it - it's classic art deco in terms of its symmetry and the terraced ziggurat at the top, but the mirrored glass is very modern.  In the mornings, the glass doesn't reflect much and it looks black, which is very attractive.  It's 64 stories and at night there's a search light on top that sweeps across the sky, searching like the Eye of Sauron.  Looks awesome in the fog.

9 - Wine Stopper

I'm not a wine connoisseur but I do enjoy a glass from time to time.  I'm too cheap to ever really get deeply into it.  The ideal for me would be to become an expert on wines under, say, $25 a bottle.

8 - Let Them Eat Cake!

That poor cake never really had a chance.

I swear, not more than 20 minutes afterwards, my younger one asked, "Can I have a snack?"

7 - Feather

Fate was conspiring against me today.   I had something of a plan.  I brought my "take everywhere" camera to date night tonight with the wife with the intention of grabbing my daily photo either at dinner or at the fancy schmancy megaplex movie theater they have here in town.  A jazz trio was playing at the restaurant and there was a decent angle near the drummer to get what I thought would be a good shot.  No dice - the battery went dead just after I turned the camera on.  (By the way, the movie we saw The Hunger Games - Catching Fire.  Other than an overly melodramatic ending, it was actually quite good!)  We got home and I intended to get a photo of the boys peering through the railing on the staircase, but they weren't having it.  The boys weren't cooperating, I was getting very testy, and the photos just sucked.  So then I started getting desperate.  I started looking through the house for stuff to put together a still life.  Of the few dozen attempts, this one of the peacock feather was the one I liked best.  I think I need to start stockpiling ideas for the days when I'm creatively dry...

6 - Waterwall

Today's picture is from the Gerald D. Hines Waterwall Park in Houston.  It's a giant fountain with a 6-floor wall of water flowing down into a narrow half-circle perimeter pool.  Water flows down the outside of the structure as well.  The whole thing sits at the base of Williams Tower, which is a terrific art deco-esque skyscraper and a very worthy photo opportunity itself.  I'd been wanting to check it out for awhile and scout it as a photo location.  It'll definitely be worth a return visit because there are many more shots to be had here, including some with the kids.

5 - The End of the Day

I'd been wondering what my photo today would be.  I toyed with the idea of taking off from work for a half hour to do some street shooting but that didn't pan out.  Fortunately the sky provided an easy out today.  I will try not to overdo the sunset shot in this project, although if there's something else of interest I'll gladly shoot it during a sunset.

I should give a shout-out to my home state of New Mexico.  The combination of desert, rugged mountains, and dust in the sky make for gorgeous sunsets.  Best of any place I've been and I've been to a few places.

4 - Green Meanie

Today's picture is a new addition to my guitar series of photos.  I bought my first guitar with money I'd saved up mowing lawns over the summer.  I remember that one my friends thought I was crazy to spend so much money on it.  But in the end, it's been a passion for over 30 years, so I would argue that it was a very good investment.  I gave that first guitar to an old bandmate who had all his gear stolen from his van.  Like me, the guy lived and breathed guitar and it broke my heart to see him without one.

Oh, and the guitar in this picture is a '96 PRS Custom 22.  The Custom 22 is incredibly versatile and is probably the most playable guitar I've owned.  It sounds amazing through a vintage-type English amp, like a Marshall or a Vox.  Paul Reed Smith knows how to build an exceptional instrument.  Green is my favorite color and I particularly like this one's shade.