Trying Something New...Now, To Figure Out How To Record It

 It always amazes me, the incredible technology that surrounds us. For example, we're thinking about an artistic project that would require filming and posting the videos online. It's in the beginning stages, but if we do this, we've got to figure out the best way to record those videos.

The best camera we have--as far as compact--is our phones. The problem is, we don't have unlimited memory and the phones are relatively heavy. I'm sort of a camera nut and I've collected several (inexpensive...) digital cameras over the years, mostly from yard sales...

No surprise, there.

So, I dug out the cameras to see if they would work. The results so far have been mixed. Actually, less good than bad. It's the equipment. Had we unlimited funds, we could fix the issues, and if this little project proves fruitful, we might invest in those delicious examples of technology. But, not now. We're not investing just yet.

It's also fun to think about "what might happen." All this technology can turn a "regular person" into a healthy contributor in the local and worldwide economy. That would be nice.

We'll continue experimenting, continue the trial and error needed before any success can come. 

I'll keep you posted.

Trying Something New This year...Artificial-Wise

 For years, we pretty much knew what we were going to do for Christmas, as far a decorating the house and getting a tree.

We always got a real tree. Most of the time we went to a parking lot south of Layton High School and Layton Park, across the street from the old Pizza Hut (that has changed names and menus so many times since then...). A company from Montana brought trees down, we'd mill about for a few minutes--usually in the cold, pick out a tree, load it on top the minivan, bring it home, and bring it inside.

Simple. Done. The only thing to worry about was the cost.

Things changed last year. We moved and as Christmas approached, we needed a tree, but were to find one. We looked in our local area and saw no Christmas tree lots so we drove east, over the mountain pass to Logan. We found a nice tree, but in doing so, we discovered something--not new, necessarily. The cost of the trees had skyrocketed.

Fast forward ten months and my wife and I found ourselves in a Hobby Lobby store looking an artificial trees. There were a few reasons we never got a fake tree before. One, we really didn't have a place to store an artificial tree in our old house, and they were expensive. This year, we have space to store a tree and even though they are expensive, the real ones were catching up in price and catching up fast.

We found one--without lights attached--that we liked. We bought it and after Thanksgiving we put it up and trimmed it. It's tall and symmetrical--there are a lot of pluses to the tree. We don't have to worry about not watering it and it drying out, nor do we need to worry about how to get rid of it when Christmas comes to an end.

But, there are non-pluses as well. That smell of a fresh tree--I didn't think I'd miss it so much. And, I know it's not real. It checks off all the boxes of what a Christmas tree should be, but it just can't be what it's supposed to be, at least, not completely.

The cost of this tree would be the cost of two fresh trees, at current prices, so after next year, it's all gravy. And, I know being able to put it up at anytime without having to get in the car, drive to a lot, pick out a tree, try--without ever fully succeeding--getting the thing to stand completely straight, then taking it down, and throwing it away will be great. I think it's a pretty tree. It's one we'll have for a while.

Slapfish's Power Bowl...Not A Ton Of Seafood But Oh So Good

My wife and I found ourselves driving through our old town last week, and interestingly enough, we drove through around dinnertime. It would be at least an hour before we got home so we agreed we'd stop somewhere and pick up dinner.

But, where to go?

Slapfish.

You may or may not live near a Slapfish Restaurant, but if you do, you have access to some pretty good food. Normally, my wife and I would choose a double order of fish and chips. It was a cheap meal for the two of us. But, as the old adage goes, absence make the heart grow fonder, since we've been away from Slapfish for a while, I decided to spend a little extra and order something off the menu I never ordered before.

I got a Power Bowl...

But, without avocado.

The bowl came and it was huge...more food than I thought there'd be. What is in a Power Bowl? I found this from the restaurant's website:

POWER BOWL

Mixed-grill seafood, brown rice, crisp veggies, avocado, extra virgin olive oil

Yes, there was shrimp and salmon--I could have used more, but since I don't have access to the economics and market prices of seafood, I'm not sure if the amount we paid justified for more seafood or less. But, as a whole, it was very good...delicious, in fact. 

I think if we still lived close to a Slapfish, we'd probably get the double order of fish and chips. Such is life (and budgeting...). But, last week I tried something new. I'm glad I did.