What to say about the Notre Dame fire?
It’s been covered ad-nauseam already, both in traditional media and social, but I was on a boat during the event itself, and I feel like I want to acknowledge the event.
Everything on earth is temporary, and moments like this really serve to drive that fact home. On the plane home, I got to thinking just how many times I’ve seen the roof and spire of Notre Dame de Paris specifically, and it turns out the answer is “kind of a lot.” See what you can, make experiences and memories because all of a sudden, that thing you’ve been putting off for so long because you’ll get to it someday is impossible because the thing is gone. We were lucky with this fire, I know that, but it feels very close nonetheless.
More, as usual, after the break. pictures, too. Plenty of pictures
After the break, I’m sticking in a weird 5.5-minute video about re-upholstering chairs that I shot yesterday and edited today. I haven’t been as successful as I’d like to be with the whole creativity thing this winter, although I have been better. Then again, I could hardly have been worse.
I may be the auto industry’s version of a basic bitch. Rains for one day, i run out and buy new wipers for both cars.
Also, when some poor sap was trying to valet for me the other day, I noticed that my center brake light was out, so I bought a new bulb for that, too. The last lightbulb (on the top right here) lasted 15 years, so if that trend holds true, that photo holds 45 years of lighting right there. Impressive. Also impressive is how easy that thing is to change. I forget sometimes that there are a handful of things in this world designed by humans for humans and it’s always nice to find them.
Also, my jeep had a dead battery yesterday, so I stuck the charger on it and let electrons trickle in all night. I’m about to go try to start it. Let’s keep our fingers crossed for good luck. I don’t wanna replace a battery. But thank god for chargers. At least I can get it started (probably) if it’s absolutely necessary.
Back in May of 2013, I visited South Africa’s wine country an hour or so north of Cape Town for a couple days and loved it. As you can see by the pictures below, I couldn’t get enough of the mist atop the mountains on morning 1. The views were breathtaking and the weather was perfect.
From bizarre museums to beautiful baths, Budapest really had a lot to offer. Again, more than a year later, I’m thinking about the things I didn’t photograph and wishing I had, which is strange for someone who takes so many pictures. But nothing of our weird AirBnB accommodations, nothing of the baths (which was, I believe, against the rules anyway), and nothing of any of the places we ate, which, while not spectacular, were at least enjoyable and unique.
With all this talk about travel, it occurs to me that during my 2+ year layoff where I didn’t post, some things happened that I’d like to have record of, here, somewhere, wherever. So I’ll break those things up into some posts and put them up as I think of them.