Now that the Boards are over, I have to start getting ready for ur trip to Hawaii. Specifically, here are some issues that I'm thinking about.
- Packing. Seems like it would be easy enough, but since we're flying scary ghetto ATA, the company that notoriously fucked up our flight from LA, I don't really trust them all that much and, given that we have not one but two layovers en route to Honolulu, I would prefer to only bring a carry-on and handle the transfer of my own luggage, thanks. I think it can be done. Once I packed just a carry-on for a two week road trip. I never even had to wear the same shirt twice. (Well, it was summertime, so the clothing was less bulky.)
- Activities. We decided that we're going to do this day trip to Wailua Falls with a group, because, according to our book, it's notoriously difficult to be able to kayak up to these particular falls without a guide (though apparently more for reasons of lucre than safety). Which leads me to worries that I'm going to wimp out on the kayak ride and not be able to propel our vessel through the water, especially during the leg when we'll be paddling into the headwinds. But then again, maybe there'll be two-person kayaks and Joe can be the motor man, and I'll just supervise and yell at him to go faster like a coxswain.
- Shoes. When we made reservations for the trip to the falls, the person on the other end of the phone suggested that we bring Tevas or "water socks" or some other form of high-traction hydrophilic footwear. I do not have any Tevas. Honestly, I never wanted Tevas, because girlfriend, they ugly. And don't get me started on "water socks." I don't know what those are supposed to be--maybe those little footie things that surfers wear for traction?--but how durable can they be if they're called socks? What if I step on a nail? (Yes, we'll be out in the rainforest, but maybe someone was trying to build a little fort out there and left some pile of nails for me, like a booby trap.) Of course, the reservation lady said,the other option is that we could just rent a pair of Tevas or water socks for the day. Which is just--no. Tinea pedis, lady. So I caved and got us each a pair of cut-rate Tevas from some bargain basement shoe warehouse. What I saved on the sale price I made up for by requesting next day delivery, because we're leaving for Hawaii on Saturday morning, and I have no use for those ugly-ass shoes except on this trip.
- DVT prophylaxis. Due to the length of this flight, let's just say I'm concerned. But maybe I'm just paranoid because once I saw a woman visiting New York from London who developed a DVT on her way over and had to spend her whole vacation in the hospital. To understate rather hugely, that would be terrible. It would be like that commercial for Immodium AD, where the family goes to Hawaii but then they were sad because they were "all stuck in the room with diarrhea." Only worse.
Yesterday night I went out to practice some night-shots with my camera, what with the long exposure time and futzing with the aperture and whatnot. I figured it was as good a time as any, since the night was mild, and I don't want to be standing out in the freezing cold in the middle of the night later in the year trying to figure out how to use the damn tripod. So I walked around the neighborhood, and over to Bellevue, where there's a lot of glass and light and construction and fun stuff like that. The problem with shooting over at Bellevue is that there are a lot of borderline psych cases skulking around. Of the paranoid variety. I couldn't have shot pictures of people if I tried--with the longer exposure times, basically anything that moved at all would have been a giant blur--but there was this one woman (who I'll describe as a little bit "off") walking by as I was looking through my viewfinder at the building above, and she was convinced that I was taking her picture. And it was all scary, because she had a lot of plastic bags with her, and I didn't know if there was maybe something pointy in one of them, like a shiv with my name on it.
LADY
(Kind of menacing)
Why did you take my picture?
MICHELLE
(Flustered)
Oh, I didn't take--I was just looking through--I didn't take your picture.
LADY
(Louder)
Why are you taking my picture?
MICHELLE
I swear to you, I didn't take your picture. I'm just practicing with my camera, taking pictures of buildings at night. I promise you. No pictures of you.
LADY
Why did I see a light?
MICHELLE
The camera does that. There's a light that goes on when I focus. But I didn't take your picture. No pictures.
LADY
No pictures.
MICHELLE
Right.
LADY
(Suddenly cheerful)
OK, bye!
Note to self: stay away from Bellevue at night. Either that, or wear scrubs the next time so I blend a little more.
New on the photo project: Walking home from midtown, after the Boards yesterday.
Currently reading: A PICU handout about analgesia and sedation for my project.
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