It's Just That Time of the Year

I saw them before they saw me, so I was already formulating a response as I approached the entrance to the grocery store. As I got closer, I realized they were just setting up their table.

The setup served for a bit of a distraction because I always feel bad saying "no" as I'm walking into the store to buy something else.

So I picked up some cash from the self-checkout and made my way to the door, knowing full well what my response would be when approached.

It's always the same routine, year in year out. Usually. Except this time, before they had a chance to approach me, I approached the three little girls and their adult leader who were out braving a blistery cold Saturday morning in February.

"I guess it's cookie time again, isn't it?," I said.

"Yes sir," one of the girls replied. "Would you like to buy a box?"

"Well, I'd like to buy about 10 boxes but I only have $5 in cash and you don't take credit," I thought.

My mom used to be a Girl Scout leader. During cookie time each year, our house would become cookie central. Hundreds of boxes. Thousands of cookies. Alot of them were staged in my room -- which in itself could have been a recipe for disaster, had a I not been threatened to have my allowance docked for every box of cookies I ate.

Knowing they change types sometimes, I asked what all they had. The little girls in the Brownie uniforms each took turns rattling off the list of cookies.

Then I took a moment and looked at the boxes, saying "Hmmm..... I'll take a box of.... Caramel DeLites."

One of the girls excitedly said "I KNEW you were going to say that."

Another handed me a box of the cookies, as I handed the third my money. Their leader watched and listened as they counted to make change and then reached for their bag of quarters. As the girls did the math, their leader began to open up the cash holder.

"I'll take the quarters," I whispered to her. I have my own reasons. I still trying to finish off my state quarter collection and am lacking two.

And so as one of the girls handed me my change, quarter by quarter, they all in unison counted "25 cents, 50 cents, 75 cents, 1 dollar, 1 dollar 25 cents, 1 dollar 50 cents. Thank you sir!"

"Thank you ladies," I replied. "I hope you sell a lot of cookies - and stay warm also."

I have a weakness for Girl Scout cookies, that is three-fold.

• They're just good. You just can't eat only one. And usually I go for an entire row out of the box at a time.
• I know what it's like to be a kid selling something outside of a business. My Boy Scout troop used to sell Krispy Kreme donuts outside of a bank in Troutman, NC when I was in middle school. It was always on a Friday - that way we could catch people as they were depositing their checks - or stop people from driving off out of the drive thru by walking up to them with a box of donuts in hand.
  
• Girl Scout cookies are just good.
  

OK, so that's only really a two-fold weakness.

I did restrain myself today as I was coming out of the hardware store today and avoided the Girl Scout cookie table set up by the entrance. But the box of Caramel DeLites is already gone - and I need another one.

I guess I better have some cash with me next time I see a table -- I know I will sometime soon. It's just that time of the year.

She Had A Long Life

We first noticed the symptoms about a week ago. At first, it was just some minor discoloration. But as the week went on, her color just kept fading. Her energy levels got weaker and weaker.

We could tell she was trying to fight. She wanted to live on. But she had had a long life ..... and it was her time.

Shortly after 8 am on Sunday, Feb. 15, she passed on.

She was a good friend to me who had been there for me all through high school, college, and the first 11 1/2 years of my marriage.

She didn't have a name - up until this past week, when I started referring to her by such phrases as "come on darlin,' you can stick it out a little while longer" or "don't die on me now baby."

My TV of 20 years died this morning as she finally gave up the ghost and left us.

I guess it was her time. Those last couple days we knew the end was near, but we didn't want to admit it.

I'll remember the good times though --- like when I was transfixed by series premiere of Star Trek Voyager on her screen. And the sad times -- when the ending notes displayed on her screen said that Sam never came home on the series finale of Quantum Leap.

You have to figure though that 20 years is a pretty long life for a TV, especially when you don't see too many computers lasting three or four years anymore. All in all, she had a good life.

The guys at the county recycling center will probably think I'm weird when I show up with a television wrapped in a blanket, with a card on it that says, "Goodbye baby. We'll miss you."

So I guess won't do that. I'll just ask that they treat her with a modicum of respect when they take her off to the land of cast off electronic appliances -- the place where televisions, computers, and the like go so that their inner anatomy does not contaminate our environment.

I'll grieve for a day or so. But as with life, I must move on. And I imagine we'll start looking soon for our first flat screen TV, considering that's all they sell now.

Trial and Error

Car wrecks. Murder scenes. Fires. County council protests. Aftermath..... Parades. Check presentations. Political rallies. Random school activities. The list goes on....

The list of stuff that I used to shoot photos of as a newspaper reporter.

I've never really had any formal training in photography. It's something that I've picked up as a hobby... one of my favorites... over the years.

I did win a South Carolina Press Association Award for a photo that I shot of a fatality involving a truck, trailer, bulldozer, and another truck (You would have had to have seen it to believe it - it was rather bizarre how the whole thing happened) all because I decided to climb a hill and shoot down at the scene from about 100 feet above.

So I've learned to get creative with photography. I've picked up tricks here and there, gotten my share of pointers, and explored the capabilities of each camera I've used.

Right now I'm shooting a Nikon D40 with one lens, an 18-135, and an SB-600 speedlight as my work system. I know I haven't tapped the full potential of the camera yet - by a long shot - and am constantly trying new things with it, reading up on photography techniques, and looking at other people's photos to see what they've done.

I think I've gotten better at conceptualizing and visualizing, and honing my technique more and more. I know there is a tremendous amount that I don't know about photography and would love to learn. I think it's such a beautiful craft.

I love taking nature, scenic and landscape shots. I love taking photos of people's emotions.

And as with most photographers I love it when an accidental shot becomes something that you never envisioned it to when taking it; and I hate when I review a shot that I thought was great when I took it and find something wrong with it. I think I'm more harsh on myself than I should be when it comes to that especially.

My job now as a public relations guru slash photographer requires me to take a lot of different types of photos - from check presentations; to faculty, staff or student feature photos; to event photos; and a whole range of others. I know I'm not the greatest photographer. I try. Although I do appreciate when someone says they like a photo I've taken, I've already gone back and critiqued it and marked it down for this or that.

But one type of photography that I never had experience with prior to taking my current job is sports photography.

I've learned to enjoy it. I'm always trying to get better at it. I'm learning more and more what works for what sport, how the camera reacts to each, what I should do for each, and which sports I like and dislike taking photos of the most.

Golf - boring and generally easy. Baseball - can be fun but it's lots of the same type of stuff. Wrestling - your timing and anticipation has to be spot on or you're going to get a butt shot.

I really enjoy softball, tennis, cross country and soccer. I enjoy capturing the emotion in tennis and cross country. I enjoy softball because I can actually get decent shots from base to base because of the smaller field as opposed to baseball.

I really don't like volleyball and basketball. I have a lot of technique honing still to go in regard to both of those sports. Plus, the lighting in our gym and my camera don't agree with each other a whole lot.

And since I've been shooting sports, I've had a few favorite shots from each sport. I'm always looking for the money shot.

You know, the shot that you're just like -- holy crap, I can't believe I actually got that. That look, that maneuver, that expression, that result -- awesome.

It's a quest. I'm sure all photographers feel that way from time to time, if not all the time

But with basketball I've still been waiting for that. This is the one sport that has really been trial and error for me -- more error than anything.

But I think I came the closest yet tonight at one of our men's basketball games. I know it's nowhere near that quality that a true professional would shoot and that there are several other things I could have done differently, but given where I was on the court at the time and the fact that I didn't anticipate him doing this, I think I was kind of lucky to get this.

Obviously, there's some toning issues that can be addressed better -- I'm probably going to monkey around with this one for a good long time.

So you pros out there (T, Jay, Otis, anyone ... ) feel free to provide any pointers or techniques that would have been of benefit in taking this, or about equipment, etc. Please. I'd appreciate it.

I've already critiqued myself enough on this. So now I need some more from someone else.