The "52" Project: Hangin' with Mr. Lemon

Hey there. I'm back with the latest installment of the 52 project. This is actually the first photo to ever capture my bathroom and front door (sort of) in the same frame. You should consider yourself lucky for being able to share this moment. I actually took this picture back in April when I first got the fisheye lens, but due lazin- I mean business I'm just posting it now.

There's really not a lot to explain about this one, just the many ways I hang out in the apartment. This picture is actually eerily similar to the first ever clone picture that I ever did (right down to the clothes I'm wearing!) way back in the winter of 2009. I was much less mature back then and my photoshopping skillz (yes the "z" was necessary) were not at refined as they are now. Anyway, I hope you like this one and it was worth the wait :)

Lost and Found

Summer is finally here, a few weeks ago I decided to put away my winter stuff and clean up my cluttered apartment. There are three suitcases in my closet, so they were the obvious location for me to hide junk that I wasn't using, but didn't want to throw away. Inside of one of them I found a bag of stuff from when I first moved here. When I looked inside with was like a time capsule.

First of all, I found an old watch that I thought I had lost soon after I moved. When I was in high school I bought my dad a watch for Father's Day, but he never wore it, so midway through college I started wearing it. When I moved to DC, I wore it for a few weeks, then it disappeared. I though I left it on the train or someone stole it. I was devastated because as you can see below, that watch was awesome.

See what I'm talking about?!? Pure awesomeness. I'm shocked you could buy that watch in stores and that I was foolish enough to give it away in the first place. Now all you naysayers out there may say "Hey, that's not your car, that lady kissed all the tourists if you paid her a dollar and those cups are wood, you'll probably have to get three tetanus shots after drinking from them." Ok... true, true and true, but it was still a cool watch.

The other thing of note I found was a business card this random girl gave me when I was out at Buffalo Billiards watching college football one afternoon. She was a grad student at American University and she told me that she was hosting a watch party for Grey's Anatomy or some show like that. She wrote her number on the back of her card, gave it to me and said I should come by.

I wasn't a fan of the show, and for whatever reason I didn't think she was interested (I know, it's amazing I have a girlfriend now with that ninja-like intuition) so, I threw the card in a pile of junk when I got home and didn't think twice about it. Posted below, is not the actual card, but a replica that I created to protect the true identity of the girl in question:

Ok, so it's obvious possible that the card was heavily a bit exaggerated, but the facts still remain. I inadvertently spurned some poor girl's advances. Sigh.... it isn't easy being a heartbreaker... On the bright side, my apartment is now clean and ready for summer.

FIRE!!!

*click* *click* BOOM!!!!!

That's what woke me up this morning. Strangely enough I didn't immediately get up after hearing that. There had been some workers out yesterday morning; I thought they were out earlier this morning. Annoying, but no reason to get up.

Then my upstairs neighbor started going crazy. It sounded like he was going back and forth between rooms making way too much noise for that early. Is anyone gonna let me sleep?

Then I heard sirens in the distance. At first I was mad. Its was just after 5:30 so I had about another hour to sleep. I'm never gonna fall back asleep. Then they go closer and I thought, "good, now someone's gonna get in trouble for all that noise..."

As the sirens got closer, it became clear there was something wrong. I decided to get up and take a look and outside my window was red. I pulled the blinds open and saw a fire bursting out of the garages across the alley. The fire truck hadn't arrived yet. At this point I was more intrigued than scared. I went to the living room to get my camera (The blog must know of this!)

I opened those blinds and the fire had grown. OH S***!!! It seemed to be only to be feet away from my building. Now I'm in panic mode. I flung into action. PUT PANTS ON!! GET YOUR SHOES!!!! GET OUT!!!! I could actually feel the heat in my own living room. I had my camera out, but the wrong lens was on and there was no way I could focus even if it was right.

At this point the calvary(firemen) show up. I swear there had to be at least 25 of them. They put the flames out in maybe 25 seconds. It was quick. After that there were a few minor fires that sprung up, but they handled those easily. They actually ended up having to cut up the room with a giant saw to get the last of it. It was a crazy morning.

On a sidenote. It's really hard to find pictures of firefighters that aren't of them undressed. I mean seriously. It's ridiculous:

So, I'm gonna post this safe dalmatian one instead and call it a day. Thanks firemen.

52 Project: Hi Vis

Most people know that I love soccer. What most people don't know is that I'm obsessed with soccer balls. I know it sounds weird and a bit ridiculous, but it's true. Whenever I go into a sporting goods store, I always have to go back to the section with the soccer balls and its always tough for me to not buy one. It's kind of like Mel Gibson with The Catcher in the Rye in Conspiracy Theory. In case you were wondering, there are currently 5 soccer balls in my apartment.

Anyway, to the photo. This is my latest purchase. Its the Nike T90 Strike Hi-Vis ball for those of you keeping score. During the winter months the English Premier League uses a yellow version of their ball because of its higher visibility. It's probably a con to get people like me to buy more stuff, but I like it because it's yellow. I know its ridiculous, but c'mon that's gotta be the least of it. I mean look, there's actually a hover board and optimus prime's head in the background of the shot :)

I'm a Crotchety old Man

There are some young punks skateboarding outside my window right now. I'm debating whether or not to tell them to leave. Hopefully they go before I make them feel bad. These kids look to be early 20's suburban kids. Probably American U students. I think if I go angry black man on them they'll go without incident. OK. Channeling my inner Samuel L Jackson.

As I put my shoes on, the kids left. Maybe tomorrow night.

Who skateboards at 12:30 anyway?