Focus!!

I decided I'd use my Lumix ZS-100 camera today.  It is a pocket camera that is WAY beyond a point & shoot.  It has about a zillion buttons, and each of those buttons opens sub-menus that take scrolling and more button pushing to make adjustments.

I slapped that camera on the scoot and got ready to roll...

I was trying to get the sugar skull on the back of Joan's shirt, but the camera wasn't cooperating.  Rolling through LIV...

Well, that seems reasonably in focus.  As much as you can tell while going down the street on a scooter.

Through town and out on the highway...

Well, you can't really tell from the moving scooter, but it sure seemed that I wasn't getting the reassuring "beep" that tells you the camera made the exposure.  And, glancing at that little screen on the back, it doesn't look properly exposed or sharp.

It went downhill from there (camera-wise).  Nothing looked in focus.  That is sugar cane off to the right...

We decided to head back to PI, then across the causeway for a late lunch...

 
Yeah, that pretty scooter girl is WAY out of focus...

And, considering what I used to do for a living, I kinda know these focus things.  This little camera is VERY complicated with all the little buttons.  I tried to pull up the focus mode on the screen, but it wasn't happening.  It was getting hot standing out in the sun, and my belly was agreeing with my sweat glands: time to go inside and eat!  I took this photo of two smaller Vespas before we went in...

Again, no "beep," and it looked like crap on the screen on the camera.  I put the camera away, and focused (See what I did there?) on some food.

The service and food were both great.  The ride back across the causeway was delightful.  Especially so, since I locked the camera in my topcase.  ;-)

Once we got home, I pulled up the images... yep, the focus seemed to get further and further out.  I did what I could with those images to sharpen them, but there is a limit.  When all else fails: look in the manual.  This little camera has a PDF file with about the same file size as War & Peace.  It only took me about 20 minutes to find the issue: press this button, click the right arrow 3 times, then press another button.  Yep, it is focusing just like it is supposed to.  Now, I can guarantee you that I did not go through any button and arrow pressing combination while riding the scoot.  I swear this overly-complicated little camera must not like the vibrations while riding and decides to have a little breakdown.  Too bad, because when it works, it is quite handy.  But, really, it is way too easy to touch a button while just handling the camera.  So much for "point & shoot."

Cool Breeze...

For the first time since we've been home, it was cool enough to actually need jackets while out on the scoots.  One in a row!

Rolling...

Out on the highway...

Heading back home, we stopped to pick up the current scooter tag...

And back to our island...

Another look at the Quad Lock - the phone holder...

We topped off gas tanks today; my miles per gallon were, as expected, less than what I was getting in the Black Hills.  I don't know why.  It is more "the average" I do expect: 76 mpg.  Joan filled up at the same time.  Yes, her Xmax is larger, heavier, more horsepower than the Vespa... it, also, got 76 mpg.  Doesn't seem right, huh?

RIP little Torrie girl...

Our hearts ache for Steph and Dan.  Today their first, and oldest, fur baby passed over that Rainbow Bridge.  They gave Torrie a great life.  She was adopted by Steph and Dan right after they got married an moved to Phoenix.  The story is Torrie had been a street girl... when we first met her, she could run laps around the apartment, using the walls like the banked curves of a NASCAR track!

She later mellowed and got a "younger brother" who soon grew bigger that she was.  It didn't stop her from ruling.  She outlived Jake and soon had a much bigger younger sister (Tasha) and a new bigger younger brother, Alfie.  At less than half their size, she always commanded respect.

Torrie made it 19 years.  That is quite elderly in kitty years.  She gave Steph and Dan a few medical scares along the way, but she always pulled through.  Small, but tough.  She still had spunk, but that little body just couldn't go on.

We have some great memories of that furry girl.  The one that stays with me is her absolute love for Dan... he would hold her, and she would touch his cheek with her paw.  Staring into his eyes.  It would melt your heart.

We will always have good memories of that tortoise-shell feline.  RIP.

Time flies...

... when you don't know what you're doing.

Six months today since the hip replacement.  According to the physical therapist I had early on, "From six months to a year, you will just be 'living' again."  I guess I am on schedule.

Does it still hurt?  Some days more than others.  I was probably 4 months into it before I had a time when each step didn't hurt.  These days, there are more of those not-hurting steps.

Are you glad you did it?  Sure.  I can now get through a night's sleep where the pain doesn't wake me.  I can walk much further than I could before the surgery.  I can ride a bicycle again, including my (tall) e-bike, recently.  I haven't had to use a cane in a while.  My day-to-day movements are improved.

Speaking of walking and bike riding: it was a cool start to the day here in the Tropical Tip: 57º and a cool breeze out of the northwest.  Joan got into our "cold weather gear" drawer to get me a stocking cap and gloves...

Yeah, I needed them.  And the light sweatshirt.  In fact, I walked by a guy who was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, and he commented how I was smarter than him.  I just don't like to be cold.  Walking or riding with the wind was a delight, against the wind, you noticed that cool breeze.  I got in a mile of walking and between 4 and 5 miles on the bike.  It felt good to warm up in the jacuzzi tub afterwards.

There is a scooter ride on the agenda today, and we'll be able to comfortably wear our jackets (with armor).  It has been so warm here since we got back that there were days we just had to leave the jackets home.

Let me out!

If you said, "Do you have Sir Walter Raleigh in a can?", you were probably a prankster as a kid, and you get 25 bonus points for that.  No, with Caller ID you can't really do that these days.

The wind is blowing like stink today.  We got out to vote (early voting on several ballot issues, not for anyone running for office) and run a few other errands.  When I parked so we could go in to vote, the driver's door was right into the wind.  It took a lot of grunting and straining to get the door open, and then I had to hold it tight to keep it from getting caught by the wind.  It would have been embarrassing if Joan would have had to go around the car and open my door for me... enough so that it gave me an extra push to get that door open.

We did our civic duty, then set out on our other errands.  Joan asked what I want to do for lunch... the power of suggestion kicked in: this morning, I had read an article about the "Chicken Sandwich Wars."  To paraphrase that: Chick-filet-A is winning, McDonald's is losing.  Popeye's is coming on strong.  The nearest Popeye's is in Brownsville, which would be a gawd-awful drive on Highway 48 with this wind.  We have never eaten at a Popeye's.  Joan pulled up their website, and we found out that their new chicken sandwich is sold out... "broke the internet" is what the CEO from Popeye's said.  It seems that, in spite of their market research, chain-wide, they weren't ready for the overwhelming demand for that new sandwich.

So, that chicken sandwich craving will have to go unsatisfied today.  (Sigh)

What's up with that??

Rufus was a bit wound up this morning, running full speed from one end of the house to the other.  The cold front blew in during the middle of the night (yes, we lost power again for a bit), but not much other commotion; Joan had everything on the deck battened down.  Well, one of our zero-gravity chairs blew over with a thud (Joan had folded it up).

Rufus was wanting to go outside to see what was going on.  He stepped outside and the look on his face was priceless: "Hey, it's cold out here!  What's up with that?"  Yep, it was 56º outside when we got up; wind at 34mph, gusting to 46.

Ruf went under the cover on the patio furniture...

He didn't stay out there long.  And when it came in, he was tuckered out...

That was a short burst of energy.  ;-)

I get that... I think I'll pass on the morning walk and bike ride.

Pressure points...

Not talking about places on the body to press to slow blood loss.  No, these pressure points are under my nether regions.  And, for the record, this is the first use of the term "nether regions" in the history of this blog.

I rode my e-bike again this morning.  Perhaps over-enthusiastic by having a "big bike" to ride again, but I rode further and for longer than I have since I started riding that smaller folder again.  And, speaking of that smaller folder: the timing was good for getting the e-bikes out... when I aired up the tires on that small bike, the rear tire gave up... as in: it ain't holding air.  Yes, I know it is simple enough to replace the inner tube.  Putting a new $4 inner tube on that bike would almost double its value.  ;-)

What?  Yes, I am digressing again.  Back to the nether regions.  The e-bike sits a bit different from that small folder (which has what I call a "big butt" seat).  Even though the e-bike has a gel-seat, the places where my ass-ular area (under the nether regions) rest on that seat are different from the big butt seat.  After a short ride yesterday and a much longer ride today... well, I may need a day off from the bike.  Pressure points.

Looks like I will get that day off.  Maybe two.  A cold front is going to blow in tonight... gale force winds at the coast, thunderstorms, and falling temperatures.  The high tomorrow is supposed to be 67º, which will probably happen before sunrise, with steadily falling temps.  Winds are predicted to be in the mid-30s, gusting higher.  Well, unless you believe this Weather Channel graphic...

Not often you see the gusts lower than the sustained winds.  They do things different here in the Tropical Tip.  And, people wonder why I say stuff about our weather weasels?


Back to the topic: I think "pressure points" is a better title than: pain in the ass.