It’s Friday night and I’m still in Summerville. I was remarking to a coworker earlier in the week about how seldom it is that I ever get sick. Presto! Changeo! I started feeling kind of ‘iffy’ on Wednesday, worse on Thursday, and the absolute worst on Friday. Saturday remains to be seen.
When I left work and come back to the apartment, I stopped on the way back and purchased a digital thermometer, popped in my mouth, and confirmed what I already felt. I had a fever. 101.9. It might not seem like much, but my normal body temperature runs somewhere around 96.8, not 98.6. I’m one cool guy! So, this was about 5 degrees above normal. I felt like crap! So, after a cool shower, some ibuprofen, lots of cold water to drink, a cool room, and a ceiling fan, my body temperature is down to the normal range now, at least temporarily.
I decided not to drive back to Charlotte this evening. Furthermore, if I wake up with a fever tomorrow morning, I’m not going to Charlotte at all this weekend. Next week Tony has finals as well as an important basketball camp. I’m not going to go there and infect my family, even though I really want to see them. That would just be selfish.
Anyway, I thought that I’d entertain myself with a Netflix movie, Resurrecting The Champ, and then a perusal of a blog or two. I read, with a certain amount of disagreement, two posts: The Leica as teacher and Why it has to be a Leica. In it, Mike attributes some mystical, magical powers of using a Leica for a year to become a better photographer. Some of it, I think, was tongue and cheek, but for the most part he was serious about it.
It was, nevertheless, somewhat entertaining, especially seeing the comments … many of whom agreed with him, at least in principal, about how to become a better photographer: Single camera (Leica). Single lens(35 or 50mm). Single film type. One year of shooting almost every day, or at least several times per week. I think that this could be accomplished with any type of camera, digital or film. There’s nothing special about the Leica, only its association with famous photographers who just happened to use one. It’s doubtful, at least to me, that the camera made the photographer.
Dang, speaking of cameras and digital and whatnot, I’ve not shot with my D300 in about 9 days! That’s some kind of record. I’ve been all enthralled with my Mamiya 645. I think that I have about 4 rolls to develop. Perhaps it’s five. Well, if I am forced to stay here, then perhaps I’ll get to develop some film in my spare time … but I’d much rather go to Charlotte!
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7 Responses to “Friday night”
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Paul, I hope you’re feeling better.
Thanks, Earl. I still feel quite run over, but at least the fever is gone. I’m just left with sneezing, coughing, and a headache. It is interesting, though, how things worked out. My package got rerouted to here and I figured that I’d pick it up from the office on Monday after I returned from Charlotte. This morning at about 8:00 AM there was a knock on the door. I went to open it and there was my package right at the door.
Now imagine that if I had gone, that package would have been sitting there all day Saturday and all day Sunday … in an apartment complex. Makes me wonder about the wisdom of FedEx and their drop off policy! Anyway, I have all the stuff that I need to do developing except the energy!
All the best and speedy recovery!
And I completely agree with you – Leica is a great brand but certainly no mystic box that turns you into Robert Capra as soon as you touch it. Confining your gear to one focal lenght and film might acutally improve your shooting much more.
I read Mike’s recommendations, and like you figured something was wrong. I suspect that developing photo excellence probably has little to do with the camera, but I think Mike was in part recommending the Leica because of it’s “low cost”.
Myself I believe that practice with feedback is the key to getting better at anything. Knowing your computer background Paul I know you know about feedback. For me digital gives much better feedback than film. With scanners though the film feedback thing must change, so I’ll be interested to see how your 645 works out.
I do like having rolls of negatives or positives rather than cantankerous disk drives. On the other hand it is hard to back up film and over my life I have lost all my early negatives through misadventure in my early life. I wonder what would have happened if I had digital back then.
What a good news, bad news, good news story. I am so sorry to hear that you have been feeling rotten. I empathize with the business of having a normal below average temperature. On a couple of occasions while hospitalized, I have had trouble convincing a nurse that even at 100 degrees I feel as though I am burning up. At least this nasty bug kept you home to receive your package. I hope you make a speedy recovery and soon feel like developing some film. Take care. I know your family appreciates your consideration.
@Anita: It’s funny that you should say the good news, bad news, things as it reminds me of my favorite parable. These things are just events, neither good nor bad, and who knows how they will turn out.
Regarding the body temperature, it is hard to get someone to believe that you have a low grade fever when they thermometer says 98.8. Last night, I finally got back to normal, 96.4. Through the day I’m back in the 98.9 – 99.6 range. I’m trying to drink lots of cold water and save my energy so that I can develop a roll or two today and tomorrow.
I’ve been scoping out the places that I could load the film! I just have to quit sneezing long enough to get the film loaded.
LOL! My diaphragm HURTS because of all of the coughing and sneezing. I do miss the family, but they really do appreciate that I didn’t come home and bring them this present!
Hey, Paul, what are those last two comments? Sometimes my internet knowledge is woefully weak. And, as you know, I sorta agree with Mike (except for the Leica part). I think the one camera one lens thing IS useful, but we’ll just have to agree to disagree.