elle weems updates

Punta Gorda and El Jobean

nobody@vox.com(yapidka) — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 22:17:35 -0400

Ponce de Leon statue and Gilchrist Bridge

We went out to El Jobean and Punta Gorda today so I could take some shots. Our last stop was Gilchrist Park, where you'd find the Ponce de Leon monument featured above.

First we headed out to El Jobean to locate the El Jobean Cemetery as described on the website, but it was baffling that the area is full of housing and overgrown woods. The plats that we suspected were very uneven and overgrown with vegetation. Shouldn't a cemetery that was active as recently as 1966 be marked and maintained? After that frustration, it was nice to actually see the old El Jobean Hotel, which is miraculously still standing, perhaps held up by the dense vegetations that's concealed its expansive walls. A visitor sees a wooden shack, not a 5,000sqft inn that was a favourite of circus folks and movie stars from the Roaring Twenties through the 1940's.

El Jobean Hotel

We went all the way over to Cleveland to photograph the Goodall-Reed House, built in 1910. The surrounding lots seemed a popular dumping site for ruined boats and broken RVs. The property was reasonably maintained with only the palms and vines overgrowing around the structure. A visitor can reasonably walk around it, but I'd recommend closed-toe shoes and long pants. Many of the windows were boarded and the front door had been broken-in and repaired with a chain and padlock.

Goodall-Reed House - side window

As mentioned above, we went to Gilchrist Park and walked along the harbor and up and down the pier in today's beautiful weather. Tommy really enjoyed the walk and the sight of the water. I've gotten around to submitting a couple new waymarks and, since we were at the Ponce de Leon monument and Gilchrist Park, I got to log visits for someone else's waymark.

I think some waymarkers forget that waymarking isn't just about posting new waymarks. It's nice to log a visit, especially in my area, because it means that someone else is taking the time to document what's interesting and important about my area. That's a very good thing.

Fisherman's Village

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Casual Friday

nobody@vox.com(yapidka) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 22:24:12 -0400

CCFEMS 16 - Tommy behind the wheel of E16

Pay day means paying bills and grocery shopping. Exciting stuff. Bailey and I detoured to our favourite pet shop to visit the puppies and pick up something for Indy. They had a baby boy blonde golden retriever but their sale price was actually more than what we'd paid for Indy! Not that I can bring home another dog. Just saying. They did have a gorgeous Macaw that they were selling with the appropriate cage for $750. If I didn't know better that you only buy a parrot if you nurse it from birth, that would be such an awesome deal.

We had dinner at Golden Corral in Punta Gorda before meeting Bailey's father for her visitation. After that, I took an update photo of PGFD 2 (forgot the hard hat!) and went out to CCFEMS 16 for some visiting. Tommy had fun with E16 and we talked with Gary and Mark for a bit.

No plans for the weekend, yet. I'd like to do something, though.

Here's Tom and Tommy sitting on the bumper of E16:

CCFEMS 16 - Tom & Tommy

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Movie Review: Ladder 49

nobody@vox.com(yapidka) — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 01:51:47 -0400

Ladder 49 (Widescreen Edition)

I avoid this movie like the plague. Tom wanted to watch it. Usually, I have an excuse and find something else to do but this was Couple Time and I just couldn't weasel out of it, lest I be doomed to watch Zorro. I'm better about it tonight than I was the first time I saw it. The first time I saw this movie was in the theatre and it brought back a bunch of memories. Remembering that worry, that fear, that sense of unknown, all the reasons why I stopped dating firefighters.

I'm married now to a former firefighter. I have the benefits of the personality without that stress. He travels a lot now but that's still worlds different than if he was at the department for that same block of time. And he's happy at what he's doing. He does miss the life. He even admits it. But he's also happy doing what he's doing now and he is very good at his job.

But tonight it was more obvious that this was just a movie, despite its moments of realism. I don't feel helpless like I used to feel. I'm no more helpful to anyone, mind you, but I don't feel defenseless. I know a thing or two about a thing or two, whereas growing up and even when I was dating, there was so much of it that was intimidating.

My photography isn't just all for me, it's also all for them. When I started the project, I didn't expect any benefits. I just wanted to do it. What I get out of this has been secondary for me. I feel an independence to enjoy it because I'm no longer defenseless with worry. Even while I can't help but to feel concern for the people I've met, it's comforting to know that I have my firefighter safe at home, with his helmet hanging on the wall.

I'm sorry this movie review hasn't been about the movie.

The scene that will always get to me is the final few frames, when after the funeral scene, they give a black & white flashback to the footage of Jack Morrison's first fire. Just thinking about that gets to me.

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Portraits

nobody@vox.com(yapidka) — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 00:22:19 -0400

Punta Gorda Fire Department Station 3 - B Shift

Since I had to run a few errands in Punta Gorda and had already taken a couple portrait shots at Charlotte County Fire/EMS Station 15, I made time to stop by the Punta Gorda Fire Department, which led to a fun time taking a few portraits at Stations 1 and 3. I also caught a snapshot of the new Station 2 that's under construction off Acline Road.

Seriously? This beats nature photography ten times over.

Charlotte County Fire/EMS 15 - E15

Things are picking up more with Tom's job. While he's gone, I can't work because then I'm the only parent on duty. I miss him a lot for a number of reasons when he travels, the loss of work being only one. I'm also jealous that he gets to go to places like Chile and Hong Kong! But as long as he keeps busy and is happy, I want that for him.

In other news, our a/c is broke. Tom's fixing that tomorrow.

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Pine Island Airport

nobody@vox.com(yapidka) — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 21:22:52 -0400

TL taking off

Today, we went to Pine Island Airport, where Tom's father had flown out of the Punta Gorda Airport to join the Fly-in. We stayed for a couple hours to look at aircraft and watch people zoom around, land, and take-off. For $5 you could get a plate with a hamburger, hotdog, and all the fixings. Iced tea was free (and it was really good). Check out more photos of the airport and aircraft on my flickr's Pine Island Airport set.

TL doing preflight - finished

After Tom's father left to return to PGD, we returned to Charlotte County to window shop at the Harley Davidson dealership in Murdock. After a few more errands and spoiling ourselves with a frozen treat from Sonic, we headed on home for the day. Tom barbecued hamburgers for dinner and I spoke to my three children who are all in Illinois at the moment.

Bailey lost her first tooth yesterday and has gotten her first visit from the Tooth Fairy. She was really excited when that tooth first came loose and she could start losing teeth like her older brothers.

Tomorrow, Tom's riding the harleys with his father. For lunch or dinner, his parents are treating us somewhere in celebration of Tom's birthday on Tuesday. Of course, Tom will be in Jacksonville so that's why we've done all the celebrating this weekend. Tommy and I will do our own thing for the day until it's time to eat.

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Happy Independence Day!

nobody@vox.com(yapidka) — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 22:49:49 -0400

Busch Gardens - pounced!

We went to Busch Gardens for the morning and left around 2pm. We came all the way back towards home to have lunch/dinner at Golden Corral in Punta Gorda, then spent some time at Garden of the Five Senses in North Port. After that we came on home to rest up for fireworks since Tom required his nap and my shoes had killed my feet.

We made it just in time for fireworks at Laishley Park but it was slim pickings on free spots to sit. We ended up behind a line of palm trees that blocked the center view. I have palm trees or the bald head of the guy sitting in front of us in every shot. After a while, I gave up and just started playing with my camera and the light to see what I could create. With the rotten view combined with the non-stop chatterboxes behind us, I think it might be worth paying the admission fee next year to get further down towards the shoreline. The important thing was Tommy's experience, not my photography, so I don't mind a bunch of crappy photos as long as he had a good time.

Independence Day 2008 - Fireworks

Tomorrow is planned, but since it involves my in-laws, we'll see how it goes.

Hope y'all had a happy fourth of July and hope your holiday weekend continues to be just as fun!

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Starting off a three-day weekend

nobody@vox.com(yapidka) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 22:11:18 -0400

Tom playing drums

Tom set up his kit in the garage and I took a picture of him playing it. That about sums up the day.

For our happy fourth, we're planning to go to Busch Gardens until we're rained out, then coming back to Punta Gorda for the fireworks. I've decided to celebrate Tom's birthday tomorrow since he'll be out of town during his birthday next week. It should be easy to spoil him on Independence Day. I hope he likes his present. I found little white stetsons in the doll department in Michaels Arts & Crafts to use as package decorations with the blue raffia.

Little white stetsons

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Food and Photography (with some food photography)

nobody@vox.com(yapidka) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:26:17 -0400

Lime and onion

MAHI MAHI MAUI STYLE
1 1/2 lb. mahi mahi
2 tbsp. butter, divided
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp. teriyaki sauce
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. honey
1 tbsp. sesame seeds
In skillet set at 250 degrees or medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter; add garlic and saute until tender. Remove from heat. Stir in teriyaki, lemon juice, honey and sesame seeds. Pour over fish and marinate 30 minutes.
Heat 1 tablespoon butter in skillet. Set at medium heat. Add fish and saute 4-5 minutes on each side, basting with marinade.

Mahi Mahi Maui style with white rice

I don't have my son's flair for food arrangement, so it was served with a simple side of white rice. I had to substitude a white onion for garlic and a lime for lemon juice. I had to work with what I had in stock and I'm out of garlic. I don't know why. I also thought I had one of those little plastic lemons with the lemon juice inside but I don't have that, either. By the way, "Mahi Mahi Maui" is really fun to say. More fun to eat.

Tommy and his camera

Tommy's camera does not have an LCD screen like mine does, but he still flips the camera around to show me what picture he's taken. I'll have you know that he's very talented at taking imaginary pictures. His new fascination has been with the movie, Spiderwick. I laugh that Tom had thought the movie would be too scary for him. He's got just about all the dialogue memorised. My review on that movie and Demetri Martin's stand-up, Person, will come soon.

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And then there was one.

nobody@vox.com(yapidka) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 15:54:08 -0400

Bailey on the couch

Bailey's father picked her up several hours later than what he had told her, but I'm not complaining. When she went, Tommy decided to take out his anger about the situation on me. The poor thing is out of siblings for two weeks until Bailey returns and then August when his big brothers come home.

Being down to one kid is a very odd feeling. It will make going places easier, for the most part, but with the weather rolling in predictably when Tom is finished with his workday - which is earlier than the standard workday so with cooperative weather I'd have good light and dramatic shadows to play with - there's still not a whole lot I can do... unless I muster up the courage to start photographing lightning. I've come to view Florida lightning as especially dangerous and unpredictable, but I also have to photograph lightning to bring all these ideas in my head into reality. This one-child timeframe is complicated further with Tom going to Jacksonville from the 7th to the 10th. But it's only three days plus some travel. He'll work with me, I'm sure. He has been so far. It's a real downer that he'll be out of town on his birthday.

I haven't concreted any plans for the fourth. Tom keeps asking me what we're going to do. I don't even know what we'll do just the three of us. With the way Indy hates thunderstorms, I think the fireworks in the neighbourhood are going to freak him out. Wherever we go, maybe we should bring him with us.

We had hotdogs for lunch but are still planning to have bratwurst for dinner. We need to do some shopping first, for propane and also for milk. Tommy was very creative in arranging his lunch, using one of Bailey's paint palettes. Thank goodness it was thoroughly cleaned out and disinfected!

Tommy's creative lunch display

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More splitting up

nobody@vox.com(yapidka) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 08:23:45 -0400

Tom, Tommy, and Lt. Brad Wasmus

My Sunday was pretty uneventful. After I delivered a print to CCFEMS 12, we had breakfast, went shopping and stopped by CCFEMS 7 so Tom could see an old friend. There wasn't much else to the day after that, just relaxing. We had subs and watched Spiderwick again.

Bailey starts her two-week visitation with her father this afternoon. It's the longest she's been away from home and, of course, they're taking her all the way to Chicago instead of considering the possibility that she's going to get homesick [read: miss her mother] at some point. I don't remember if I'm supposed to meet him in Punta Gorda or if he's coming here. He was supposed to email and didn't. So, I'll see if he calls me in a panic because I'm not in Punta Gorda, or if he shows up here. I think because he's taking her on Tommy's birthday and there was the disagreement about it, he knows I'm not going out of my way.

I actually wouldn't mind going to Punta Gorda today. It'd be a good opportunity to find those South County Park geocaches.

While the older boys have decided not to go on visitations when they're old enough to not be forced (13, I think?) (they know better than I do), Tommy is the only child that never has to go anywhere. So, I guess we're looking at camps or my parents' house when he gets a little older. Then again, I really hate having an empty house.

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