To celebrate five years of marriage Carol and I went to see Man of la Mancha in the Commonweal theater of Lanesboro. We ditched the kids and had a great time seeing this show.
After a year of reading Don Quixote I am nearly halfway done. You may think that this means I do not like the book. You may think that I rarely read. Neither is true. I really do enjoy the book. I read often enough, though slowly.
The problem is that the book just doesn’t pull me in, compelling me to read and only read until it is finished. I never find myself making time for it or yearning to find out what happens next. I will continue to read it until it is finished, though if other books pop up I will not hesitate to read them as well.
Man of la Mancha is a musical based on the epic book. It varies from the book in many ways, but most notably for me was the way it pulled me in. I had a much easier time understanding the characters and empathizing with them.
The music was also a big success. The two song I had heard before, Impossible Dream and Man of la Mancha were well performed and really a joy to hear. This production varied significantly from what I had heard before since the orchestration consisted mostly of a piano, clapping, and banging of objects by the cast.
The whole thing was helped by the Commonweal Theater itself. I had not been there since the renovation, and was really amazed at the venue. A thrust stage always gets the audience closer to the action, but a thrust stage in such a small building really builds intimacy. This would stand out as a great theater in Minneapolis. I was shocked to find it in Lanesboro.
If you have an evening open between now and the end of October check out this show. A trip to Lanesboro is always a pretty fun bit of tourism. Cap it off with a show like this and you are sure to be happy.
A trip to a camera store yesterday led to a long, exciting photo session with my boys. Typically sunny days like that are not good for pictures, but a little shade and some really fun boys and I think we came up with some good shots.
The camera is a Canon A650 IS. It’s a better point and shoot model than what we had before. I really wanted a digital SLR, but a decent one was way out of my budget. Consumer Reports likes this one. I like it. It has more options than I know what to do with. I have plans to actually read the owners manual.
A hunter is spotted in the jungle.
I like the crisp color on this camera. Things really pop out when it seems like they should. Every time I take a picture it blasts me with information about color ranges, brightness, and other things that I have yet to understand. It has a whole separate mode called Kids and Pets.
Something is out there.
The response on this camera is a little varied. The first shot is definitely slow. It takes a few seconds for the thing to get started up. After that the camera is fast. Fast enough that I managed to catch a few action shots.
The innocent herbivore prepares for a meal
The predator reveals himself.
Before he can react the herbivore is tackled to the ground.
And it's all over.
The digital camera, a shining example of the technology of the modern age, had several useful features. A 3x zoom, auto focus, a flash. It had everything that a casual camera operator might need to record the important events of daily life.
It could not, however, arrest itself mid flight, preventing damage to its fully extended 3x optical zoom lens.
“Zoom error.” the camera states. I try to force the lens back into place. I start the camera again.
“Zoom error.”
I push harder this time. I hear a snap as something within the camera shifts. At least it seems to be mostly perpendicular to the face of the camera now. Maybe it just got disjointed and now it will return to normal. Maybe not.
“Zoom error.” The camera shuts down defiantly.
I mash the zoom lens back into the camera. It clearly is having difficulty retracting the lens. Maybe it just needs help.
The camera engages. A blurry image appears on the screen. Questioning my technical skills in the field of camera repair I tentatively push the zoom. The image becomes clear, then fuzzy. Zooming out again causes the image to return to clear. The image does not zoom.
I push the button, taking a picture of my kitchen table. A bright flash later and I have a somewhat fuzzy image on the screen. Manual focus is a little imprecise on this defeated camera.
I once again start messing with the lens. I pull it out and mash it back in again. I restart the camera.
“Zoom error.” Red letters warn me before the screen goes black.
I think I need a new camera.
I scour my computer for pictures worthy of sharing. There is the extreme closeup of Isaac’s face, blurry from way too much jiggle during the button push. There are pictures of the floor. Skewed pictures of the brown sofa evoke feelings of an artistically abstract style.
Isaac knows how to run the camera. He knows how to open the lens cap. He knows what button to push. He does not know how to aim.
This story ends badly.
Isaac helps make pasta
I find two pictures which may or may not have made it into production. They are good ones. I would like to save them forever and ever. They show me how helpful my boys are. They are taken by me, not Isaac.
I would love to teach Isaac how to use a camera. I’ve taken my share of photography classes. I’ve taken more than my share of art classes. I know how to set up a good shot, though it rarely shows in the final products that I produce.
My subjects are simply too fast.
My camera is too slow.
My camera was too slow.
Gabe helps out around the house by mopping the floor
I’ve wanted a new camera for a long time. I like our camera just fine, but image quality is a little low. Colors don’t pop out the way I would like them to. At three megapixels it is adequate for photo quality images, but the photo can never be cropped.
I wanted a new camera, but the investment never made sense.
Now it does.
Last week, during Isaac’s final photo shoot, the camera found itself in a tragic and unexpected trajectory. Gravity took hold, thrusting it downward violently.
Isaac proved himself helpful once again.
I can finally justify that new camera.
Supplies are low. Dangerously low. The summer months demand so much more from the amateur brewmiester. The last India Pale Ale still lingers around. I enjoy it, but the full 22 oz bottles really knock a person out.
The hard cider is good. But that isn’t really beer, is it?
Brewing in my basement is now an Amber Ale. I am excited. Unlike the pale ale this ought to be a smooth, drinkable beer. It should be far less bitter. I think it will make a very pleasant ending to an already amazing summer.
Here is the recipe:
Mash the following for 90 minutes
2 lb US 2-row Pale Malt
10 oz US 40 L Crystal Malt
1/2 oz Peated Malt
1/2 oz Roasted Barley
Boil a gallon of water, then add:
4 lb Alexanders Pale Malt Extract Syrup
1.5 lb Extra Light DME
1/2 oz Northern Brewer (4.5 HBU)
1/2 oz Cascade (3 HBU)
Boil 45 minutes then add:
1/4 oz Northern Brewer
1/4 oz Cascade
1 tsp Irish Moss
Boil 14 minutes, then add:
1/4 oz Northern Brewer
1/4 oz Cascade
Boil another minute. Then put it all in the primary fermentor and add water up to 5 gallons. Cool and add:
1056 American Ale Yeast
After about a week rack into secondary fermentor. After another 3 weeks add:
1 1/4 cup Extra Light DME
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