For the second time this week (I did not think it would be possible) I dashed outside because the possibility of seeing the moon was there, despite the weather showing up as completely cloudy on my always incorrect phone weather app, and managed to get in some moon captures right before the entire sky covered up with clouds. Also, just as I was thinking it would be nice if some clouds moved into the frame, some clouds moved into the frame! My reaction? I am singing and dancing all over the house. My current level of happiness is joyfully over the top and I know it. This is more than a sense of accomplishment, it is sheer joy. The pandemic bar is low guys, low. A single image has the power to make my day, the lack of one to crush it.
Now, in a normal world I would probably suggest to anyone who would listen that it might not be the best move to link the moon's visibility with their level of daily happiness and fulfillment, but..... Here I Am. Not only am I here, but, we all know how my mind works, and even though taking a daily photo of the moon was my own idea, I was not challenged by anyone outside of my own private thoughts, and even my photo coach seemed to pause on this idea, as if she didn't know how to tell me that it kind of maybe sucked a little bit and would be a hard sell in the end, I decided I would do it simply because I had committed to the idea TO MYSELF IN MY OWN HEAD and now I can not quit because I have that hang up that tells me I WILL NOT BE A QUITTER. Some times that hang up works in my favor, like when I had the realization that the twisted grad school head of the program thought he was more powerful if he could get as many people as possible to drop out. I didn't care if I was the only one who crawled onto campus that last session. I was not going to quit. I was going to crawl out of there with my degree and his psychological issues were not going to get the better of me. (over 1/3 of my class did not make it to graduation) It had become a contest of wills. Game on! And then sometimes the whole not quitting thing morphs into an inability to change gears kind of thing and I get stuck. Stuck with all sorts of things I should quit, like way less than ideal relationships. (Having a breakthrough moment here, now I have a topic for my next therapy session)
I'd really like to tie up the night animal project, I am 100% done (more like suddenly OVER IT. My enthusiasm for putting that camera out every night is no where to be found) with the photographing part. Interestingly enough, I only "forgot" to put the camera out one single night of the entire year. Not bad right? I did have to cancel plans due to over the top weather conditions a few times, and before I mastered the cement trail camera support there were a few nights of technical difficulties due to wind (sky pics anyone?) and also a few nights where the camera wasn't quite pointed correctly, but all in all I'd say that out of the 365 days of 2021 I probably got >350 of them right, so I am feeling pretty satisfied with my record. If I could turn back time though, I did drop the ball on the daily editing after I had to replace the camera, and I would absolutely let my past self know that future self will be kicking past self because it isn't tough to edit daily with the thrill of last night's capture fresh on the screen. It is tough to edit thousands and thousands and thousands of images when one lets over 4 months of photos slip through without pulling out the great ones. Just saying. (shaking my head) I tend to get sleepy when sitting in front of the computer too long in any situation, but clicking through monotonous streams of single deer chewing and chewing and chewing, while waiting for that spark image to show up, is tough and I am having trouble making myself do it even though I want to get an edit down to only the spark images. Last night I stopped on August 28th. I am going to try to finish up the year in the next few days. I am telling myself, no wasting time on social media (which has become a serious time suck for me, might need a social media intervention, but I am so fucking bored between hiding away from covid and trying to nurse this slow healing ankle back to health) and all those movies can wait too. Let's get this torture over with so I can begin the fun part of MAKING THE BOOK!! Oh my gosh, I am rubbing my hands together in evil scientist type anticipation. I am already designing layout alternatives in my mind. Years ago I saw an ancient book that could open in 6 different ways and I am thinking that this book may be a candidate for that technique. I guess I will be back in the hand made book groove once again. Maybe this time there will be both a handmade book and also I boxed set of mass produced books. I have decided that going forward I want to make all of my handmade books in editions of 18. You know, for good luck.
And lastly. I am so proud of myself. My shower drain suddenly stopped draining and I knew there was probably some huge 11 year accumulation of gross hair ball down there. I attempted to do it myself but the shower drain appears to be grouted into the floor so long story short, I put my back into spasm lying across the step into the shower trying to scrape the grout around the drain away so I could pry it out and then pulling so hard to no avail. In the end I took a 2 day break to let the back calm down and think this through and I put a foot stool in the shower to lay across and managed to make a hook out of the metal hanger and pulled the entire clog out in long thin disgusting strands of goop coated hair. And now the drain is so clear that I can hear the water echoing as it spills down. Who needs a plumber? Not me! Just kidding. I think I might need a plumber because the husband has either fallen on or leaned too hard onto his bathroom sink and I think it's coming off the wall. Same with his toilet. It wiggles. My hanger isn't going to be much help in this situation. I am trying to figure out how to ask the plumber to see his vaccination card though. I won't let someone in this house if they're unvaccinated. I'm afraid that plumbers aren't going to be the most vaccinated group of people. You know?
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