December 2003 Archives

With 5 minutes to go. Happy New Year to all and blessing may fall to all. Peace on earth.

Dave Marquis

This is on of my first pictures with the Holga. Actually, this is a picture from the contact sheet that I made. When I get around to printing the pictures, I can control the contrast a bit more.

I took this picture as Yuko and I were on the way to the vet to have Ivy checked out for her chewing hair problem.

We made it back and boy have we been busy. It all started with a nap. Then we took down the tree and out to the trash it went.

We had a great time with the folks and relatives.....

Here are some more pictures from Lake Peppin.

Well we are on our last night at the folks, here in Iowa. It will be nice to get past the holidays and relax a little bit over the New Year's vaction. In other news, Yuko felt the baby for the first time, I believe. I am so excitted!!!!!!!!!!!

Not a lot happening tonight. I have upgraded my MoveableType to the latest version, 2.65. It looks like the next version, 3.0 is going to be really cool.

We are almost done with our xmass shopping. Man has it been a tiring last couple of days. I spent a couple of hours in the darkroom today playing with my new toy...

Yuko Marquis

Santa came early for me. I got a almost new Beseler 23C II darkroom enlarger. It was a long shoot to say the least. I saw an ad for it and I offered 250.00 dollars for it and the guy agreed on the price and I picked it up on Friday. What I didn't know before I bought it, was that is is almost new. It was sitting in the guy's closet for a couple of years.

The beseler didn't have a base, so I did so searching on the 'net and the wife and I headed out to homedepot to get so'pllys and I built the base in an hour. Amazingly enough, it is 99% square. Good enough for government work. :-)

I am back again. I am in the process of upgrading the server to allow me to run some other software to enhance the site.

Also in other news, our friends have been dealt a heavy blow with the unfortunate deaths of loved ones in an airplane accident. Our prayers are with them in their time of hardship. We didn't know them very well, but our hearts are heavy hearing this sad news... Here is the news stories (1) (2) (3).

Here are some items that I found on the beach of lake Peppin.

Well now that I have some free time, ya right, I have taken some time to scan the numerous rolls of film I have laying around...... Well anywazs, here are some more pictures from Lake Peppin.

David Marquis

Man is it ever cold here! I am finished with classes this semester and now I have to plan my next ones. Uggg.... I need a year off, but no rest for the wicked...

BlogShares is open again!!! Yes! Now I can take over the world.

Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner

Roland was a warrior from the Land of the Midnight Sun
With a Thompson gun for hire, fighting to be done
The deal was made in Denmark on a dark and stormy day
So he set out for Biafra to join the bloody fray

Through sixty-six and seven they fought the Congo war
Fingers on their triggers, knee-deep in gore
For days and nights they battled the Bantu to their knees
They killed to earn their living and to help out the Congolese

Roland the Thompson gunner...

His comrades fought beside him - Van Owen and the rest
But of all the Thompson gunners Roland was the best
So the CIA decided they wanted Roland dead
That son-of-a-bitch Van Owen blew off Roland's head

Roland the headless Thompson gunner (Time, time, time
For another peaceful war
Norway's bravest son But time stands still for Roland
'Til he evens up the score)
They can still see his headless body stalking through the night
In the muzzle flash of Roland's Thompson gun
In the muzzle flash of Roland's Thompson gun

Roland searched the continent for the man who'd done him in
He found him in Mombassa in a barroom drinking gin
Roland aimed his Thompson gun - he didn't say a word
But he blew Van Owen's body from there to Johannesburg

Roland the headless Thompson gunner...

The eternal Thompson gunner, still wandering through the night
Now it's ten years later but he still keeps up the fight
In Ireland, in Lebanon, in Palestine and Berkeley
Patty Hearst heard the burst of Roland's Thompson gun
And bought it

-The late, Warren Zevon

We just finished watching the new Battleship Galactica mini-series. I hope they continue the show as it is really good. It brings back memories of when I was young. I wish I could see the old series as it was so long ago....

Uggg... the last days of this semester are here. I am almost finished! Well tonight we went to dinner with a couple of friends of ours, Asuko and Jason. We went to Shuang Cheng's Chinese. I had a tasty dish called shrimp with spicy salt, which really is chinese 5 spice. They fry the shrimp minus head, leaving the shell. It is crunchy and good! Overall, good time was had by everyone.

We went out and got the xmass tree. Let me say that is was soooo cold today. We tromped around the tree farm and could find a tree we like/price range, so we went with one that the farm had cut aready earlier today/week. I will post pics soon.

The semester end crunch is on!

Wow! The Last Samurai is Awesome. It was better than I expected! Tom is tom, of course but he did better than I expected. He really got into his part and I think he was very believable. Don't take my word for it...

"In two and a half hours, this movie flew by. When you see the samurai come charging over the hill on horseback in full regalia, you'll be glad you watched it." Says Jeff Over at alive in kyoto

The fighting scenes were very realistic and not so gory like, Kill Bill. Even Yuko gave it 2 thumbs up.

Sorry I have posted here in awhile. It has been crazy here with the holidays and the end of the school semester converging like a pair of fully loaded frieght trains.

I am sad to announce that Blogshares is dead. It is the blackest of day before us. I loved you, Blogshares! You will be missed dear friend.

This is a picture that I took when we visited Lake Peppin in October.