Passing Afternoon

Paris: Gay Pride, Briefly

Paris

Violence in Brazil

Guess Who Got His New Camera!

Not that I know much beyond point and click yet, but whatevs.

 

 

 

My First Race

I've decided to do the Big Chill 5K race this weekend with Milton. He asked me if I wanted to do it last week and initially I wasn't going to because a) I didn't think I was ready and b) I didn't want to embarrass myself. Then I realized a) I do at least 3.1 miles every time I run, b) absolutely no one cares if a make an ass of myself and c) if I do somehow make an ass of myself, at least I'm doing it for charity. (Instead of paying a fee, participants donate a toy for children.) I tried to get O to do it with us but he steadfastly refuses to run when the weather is cold. Some people simply don't have the steel resolve I do. It's sad, really.

In other news, Amazon has shipped my camera! I'll soon be able to take horrible pics in high resolution. I'm already looking at the countless accessories I "need". So excited!

Another Way in Which I Am a Freak

Since I started running in September, I've been using the same pair or sneakers, New Balance 1224s. I liked them, but the padding on them all but disappeared so I had to get a new pair. Milton suggested I go to Road Runner Sports because they could do an analysis of how I walk/run and recommend a sneaker.

First we went to the Garden State Plaza mall which, in retrospect, was maybe not the best thing to do on a Saturday during the holiday shopping season. Once we got to Road Runner, a nice teenage girl whose name I forgot the very moment she spoke it analyzed my gait. For the first part of the test, I had to walk barefoot on a mat; the second part had me running on a treadmill for about a minute. After that was done, Electra - that's the name I've given to the salesgirl - told me I had a very pronated gait. That, along with flatfootedness (it's a word!) meant I needed "motion control" sneakers i.e. the special ed sneakers. 

But let me back up for a second. When Electra said I was flatfooted and had a pronated gait, she said it in the same way that one would say, "He stuck a rabid gerbil where?" or perhaps, "I can't believe OJ got away with murder." Her voice was a mixture of wonder and sheer horror, as if it a miracle I could even hobble into the store on my power. Electra didn't mean to be cruel, which only made it funnier that she was.

As I said, Electra determined that I needed motion control sneakers to correct for my Quasimodo-like gait. The other categories had at least 10 types of sneakers to choose from; I had 4.  Ultimately, I chose the Beast by Brooke because I could feel the difference they made when I tried them on. When I went for a run yesterday, I was battling the wind and focusing on not being blown away so I didn't notice any changes in my feet, but today my the inside corners of my feet aren't sore like they usually are.

****

I ordered the SLR camera over the weekend. I usually buy myself a big Christmas present, lie to myself that it's a combination Christmas/birthday present, and then buy a separate birthday gift anyway. That isn't going to happen this year.

I'm pretty sure this is what Cruell Deville wore after she captured and killed the puppies.

I want to buy a digital SLR camera, but SLR cameras aren't cheap. I've settled on a midrange camera, the Nikon D90. I initially planned on saving money to buy the camera which now costs $1225 on Amazon, but considering the economic climate and the anemic sales forecasts for the holiday shopping season, I've been wondering if I can get a good deal somewhere. Thing is, if I buy the camera now or in the next few months, I'd have to put it on a credit card, something I hate to do for something I don't need.

I also want to take a photography class, which I'd have to do on the weekend because I have no time during the week. I think it would be fun, though, and a good use of my time in order to learn more about photography than point and click.