Hey, what did the road say to the tire debris?

Don’t tread on me.

Superheroes of Southland

Want to know how I know I still got it? Still able to move about with a youthful vim and vigor? It’s dodging athletes when they come roaming out of bounds. I’ve been really drilled twice in my life, once drawing blood and the other time severe enough where the Blooming Prairie trainer actually checked me for a concussion.

On Tuesday night I was photographing the Southland, Grand Meadow girls basketball game in the quarterfinals of the Section 1A Tournament in Rochester. In the midst of the action the ball came in my general direction and so did Southland’s Lexi Smith.

I kept photographing Lexi as she sped toward me, taking a succession of fairly comical photos that showed at first concentration for the ball and then transitioning to the realization that I was sitting under the basket.

None in focus sadly.

I dodged to my right as she dove to her right, successfully avoiding the collision I was sure was coming. I believe, though not sure, Lexi hit the floor behind me, but to me she sacrificed herself for me and my camera. Heroes are blond sophomores from Southland.

Sorry Austin, still no superheroes

Tuesday morning I, along with several other journalists, were invited to watch the first chunks taken out of the downtown utilities plant as demolition of the main building got underway.

With some sadness I watched the first wall come down, realizing I failed to make good on threats to hold several shoots in the atmospheric old building.

I’m also disappointed I didn’t set up a secret lair within the building.

Everybody should strive for secret lairs, it’s just my garage at home isn’t as impressive as the downtown plant.

Pick a season already

I love winter. I really, really love winter, but this winter is trying my patience.

One or the other. Pick a task. Either it’s going to be cold or it’s going to thaw. I’m tired of having to decide whether I’m going walk the garbage to the curb, skate my way there or swim the 50-meter freestyle.

Currently, because the ground is still frozen, I have a newly dedicated hockey rink in my backyard. There are pros and cons to this. The con is that I have so much ice in my backyard and back walkway that I would recreate the sinking of the Titanic using a Radio Flyer wagon. The pro is that if Riverside’s cooling equipment fails I can host an Austin Bruins game.

I’ve actually started thinking about this and really, I think it would work. We’ll nail it down to a two-on-two game with standing room only for up to about 50 people.

I’ll turn on my car stereo for sound and atmosphere and I’ll even fire up the grill if people are okay with hamburgers and maybe some cheap hotdogs as supplies last.

If we’re lucky I can convince owner Craig Patrick to stand in the front yard with a pair of flashlights to help garner attention.

I think I’m on to something here.

Don’t yell at me

You’ll never feel so low as that moment that you’re verbally reprimanded by your cat for not getting up sooner to feed it.

Do you even selfie, bro?

I bring my sketch books to work with me just in case I’m struck with inspiration for a photo manipulation/illustration piece.

Yes, I have sketch books, even though I’ve complained in the past that my drawing skills are less than stellar. For instance, my stick figures are drawn badly, however, I can tell I’m getting better.

They are still bad, but at least now my stick figures go to the gym, it’s just the gym they go to is malforming to the body and only gives me the barest idea of what I want to do.

Does it make me want to go to the gym? No, it really doesn’t. If I’m going to go to the gym I’m going to work-out, not take the mandatory breaks to take selfies, showing I am indeed at the gym.

What do you take me for? A liar? I’ll just stay at home and take a selfie in my bathroom mirror like a normal person.