Thankfully that wasn't my sunday. Instead, I set out at midnight toward the Redondo Beach pier. My rickety tripod was angled in the back, my camera case secured across my chest. I hadn't had much luck photographing while people milled around me like farm animals. Now it would just be me, some handfuls of hardcore fishing people and the occasional couple. The traffic was light like conversations in a marriage. I went my usual backasswards' way--the only way I know to get there--and promptly deposited the truck in a parking space (being that my car is still, yes, mostly dead).

I strolled down to the beach, planted my tripod and thus began three and a half solid hours of nothing but photographing using long exposures (i.e. you click camera button, camera eats scenery for 6-15 seconds, shits out light and beauty). At one point I tried photographing one of those huge Chinese market tanks of crabs--sortof for that 'prisoner of society'/alien lifeform feel--but the bastards weren't bunched up enough. I felt suspicious and out of place at first, but after awhile I figured that the fishing people didn't give a shit about some mongrel white boy with a tripod. I was much calmer after that point.

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Monday is about as clear as a frat party on friday night; I think I wrote more and edited some photos. 'nuff said.

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By and large I spent today at the lab weaning our young rat pups and arranging shit. L had a nasty cold but for some reason looked more cute because of it. We were able to wean about 27 of the little guys, since one liter is still too small to corral the youngin's into separate cages of 3.

Volunteer-wise, we have a classic case of 20-something over-booking on our hands. Our prized summer possession was to be Santa Burbur Girl(SBG). Neither Grettle nor I know SBG's name; it's too amusing to bother right now. SBG had met with Dr. Zivago and confided that she had all the time in the world this summer. The girl, unfortunately, decided to pack her schedule such that she's almost entirely useless. Of course, it also stands to fate and reason that she's a completely green, never done research before type of a graduate; not that I don't mind running people through research boot camp, I just wish it had more of a pay off.

We also have a swathe of undergrads. staying around to help out. It's volunteer work, so I can't expect them to show up at set hours. Still, L and I wish we could get some definete schedule down to get our learn on experiment-wise.

Fortunately I only need to stop in at Mt. University once near the end of this week. Hopefully I'll spend the extra time doing something productive like studying for this test. Yeah, one four hour test and another 3 hour one just on Psychology. It's oddly pleasant sometimes, sick as that sounds.

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Anyway, here's the beginning of my pier series:

Floodlight and Flourescence 01

Comment: No comment needed.

Floodlight and Flourescence 02

Comment: It's not a "shock and awe" piece, but the differences in color and especially texture are impressive.

Comment: Yes you, you depraved megalomaniacal coccaine addict!

Patriotism need not blind common fucking sense. If you have a problem with this pic, read the news article and ask yourself: could a country like Iraq really dispense of tens of thousands of pounds worth of chemical weapons in just a few months? Without other nearby countries literally catching wind of it? I found it hard to believe back then and impossible to believe now.

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