Archive for the ‘Thru My Lens’ Category
Vacations cause us to act in ways we probably never would in our regular lives. We’re away from home, with a bunch of strangers we’ll most likely never see again, and inhibitions are low. These are perfect conditions for capturing some great photo ops. Take a look at some of the great stuff I saw on our recent cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas.
A Really Bad Idea. What kind of person thinks to themselves, “Ooh – I’m in a third world country. I think I’ll get a cheap tattoo!” I’ll tell you what kind. One that’s spent the entire day in Cozumel with her butt on a stool in Senor Frogs. I hope she drank plenty of Painkillers and her tetanus shots are up-to-date.
Oh, and what are those, er, shoes on her feet? Are they sandals or are they boots? She’s taken packing light to a new level. Thank you, domestic airlines, for the $25/bag fee. Look what you’ve done to us.
Faux Pas. I applaud you for your stamina to hang with the 20-somethings at Carlos & Charlie’s. But much like wearing white after Labor Day, balloon hats over 70 just look silly.
There’s some things money can’t buy . The cost of stopping to take someone’s family vacation photo in front of their big-ass ship? Just my annoyance with this charitable task standing between me and the all-you-can-eat buffet. The confused looks on this particular family’s face when I took their picture with my own camera? Priceless!
Where Am I? This scene on the Royal Promenade of Allure of the Seas drove me crazy the entire cruise. The pub’s name is “Bow and Stern.” The bow is the forward part of the ship, the stern is the aft. The directional signage in front of the pub, however, gives you opposing coordinates. In my opinion, whoever designed this ship really screwed up. They should have either a) named the pub “Stern & Bow” or b) put the stupid bar on the opposite side of the ship. This is a rookie mistake and just inexcusable.
Like Father, Like Son. I don’t care if you are European, do not dress your son in a matching Speedo. Matching board shorts are marginally acceptable, but inching into the “too cute” zone. Put a Speedo on the kid if you must, but spare your fellow passengers the nauseating view of your own.
The iPhone is the greatest invention since Charmin toilet paper (and the toilet). I love having one device to meet the needs of nearly every aspect of my life. I use the camera feature all the time, and it’s so nice being able to catch whackiness in the moment. Here are some of the latest scenes I’ve captured that give you a little peek through the window of my life.
Kids These Days… Are you struggling to kick the habit? Are you a punk? Does your mom ground you for smoking around Grandma? Let your Stop Smoking Coach guide you with techniques that will work specifically for you:
- Written at a 4th grade reading level
- Win butt-points for each day you’re nicotine-free
- Overcome withdrawals by shocking your system with virtual Sour Patch Kids.
- Corrective action based on proven techniques such as time-outs, loss of TV privileges, and forced visits to a local art museum.
Rated “E” for everyone!
[Photo courtesy of Surfin’ JimmyB]
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Today, you get the (completely made up) backstory for the iPhone photos I’ve taken since the last installment. Yeah, I’m a little weird. But in a completely bangin’ way. Click here to read the whole “Thru My Lens” series.
Thanks to Instagram for the photo filters.
Cooter opened the first of five “Bicycle & Video” stores two years ago in the mountains of Montana. He quickly capitalized on the affinity that mountain folk have toward tripped-out all-terrain bikes with DVD players mounted behind the seat. The 26” old-school TVs strapped to the handlebars get the job done, but effectively turn the bikes into unicycles. Montana mountain people have not yet figured out that iTunes downloads and iPads exist, for which Cooter is grateful.
Next month he plans to open a chain of “Toilet Paper & Showtunes Cassettes” stores, targeted for a specific niche market.
Everywhere we turn we’re bombarded by signs. Some are trying to sell you something, some warn you of danger, some simply try to inform, and some apparently determine your fortune. But some are confusing, stupid, and absolutely ridiculous. When I spot these paragons of bad taste, I will literally stop traffic to capture an iPhone picture. I do it all for you, loyal readers.
Today I’ll reveal some ridiculous items that I’ve seen while shopping with my wife. Some of the things for sale these days are pretty awesome. In a weird and quirky way. Which to me is always awesome. Searching for these quirky items has become like a mission to me every time we enter a store, and it keeps me out of my wife’s hair while she looks for new lamps, bathroom tile, or bras. I guess our tastes are pretty different. She goes for the more traditional and functional, and I swing toward the contemporary and edgy. The last time we went out I found a perfect lamp at Spencer’s Gifts, modeled after the Fragelé one from A Christmas Story. Alas, we did not come home with that. It was “too contemporary.” Later, as we strolled through the bra department I suggested a boostyay, but she said, “If you can’t spell it, I’m not wearing it.”
Here are a few other quirky items I’ve found lately.
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