I've lived here for years and seen the Princeton University boat racing team practice on the lake. They compete against other college teams in the spring. I always wanted to take photos, but never remembered to. This time, I planned ahead.
I have been fortunate to call Montgomery Township, situated on the border of Princeton University, my home for over two decades. My small home is a hop, skip, and jump from Carnegie Lake, a manufactured lake constructed in 1906 by the philanthropist and industrialist Andrew Carnegie. The lake serves as the training ground for the University's rowing teams. Living in such proximity to Princeton University's Lake Carnegie is truly a privilege.
I have lived in the area for decades and have often noticed the Princeton University boat racing team practising on the lake. They race against other college teams in the spring, and I always intended to photograph the races. However, I regretfully admit that I never managed to put the event on my calendar, and I would always lament that I had missed it again.
I remembered the event this year and checked the date and times on the Princeton University sports calendar. I added the events to my calendar and planned ahead for parking. I knew that the northwestern side of Carnegie Lake would fill up quickly, so I decided to use a different approach. I knew that the southeastern side of the lake was accessible by foot or bike from the parking lot at Kingston Lock. I parked my car near the Kingston Millhouse and walked along the Delaware & Raritan Canal Park trail until I found a clearing across from the Princeton University boat launch. It was a convenient and efficient way to attend the event.
The crowds were gathered on the opposite side of the lake, cheering for their respective teams: Princeton University, Yale, and Cornell. Although I couldn't see the beginning of the races, I had a clear view of the boat launch house, the finish line, and the Kingston Millhouse at the far end of the lake.
As I snapped photos, a graduating senior from Princeton University zipped up on his bike from the trail's south end and popped a chair down. We chatted about the upcoming races, the Princeton University team, and his exciting plans for the future.
From what I observed, the men's heavyweight teams from Princeton University placed second in all the races, while the women's teams from the same university won the majority of the races.
This morning I realised that my response to urgent events is a rise in anxiety and stress. I think I have always experienced this, but I don’t think I ever consciously acknowledged it. What prompted my thoughts on this?
Yesterday May 17, I received an email from a junior accountant at the firm that taxes that I had to file a state business tax payment and file an extension electronically by May 17. When I attempted to do it on the state website, I got an error that my business registration was not found. My anxiety immediately increased, and panic set.
Unless I have a preset method for handling things, I like time to understand the issue at hand, research and review my options before deciding.
It turns out that the junior account was in error. The tax isn't due until 2021.
Tuesday
Now that I have full-time employment again, I have not had much time to spend with Alphie during the day. I have noticed that he jumps onto my desk more often than usual and makes what sounds like a furtive meow before he plops down on my keyboard.
Wednesday
I'm settling into the new gig reasonably well, but I went from zero to nine projects in two weeks, and I have been heads down reading pages of documentation and attending peer review meetings. I'm exhausted at the end of the day.
I'm settling into the new gig reasonably well, but I went from zero to nine projects in two weeks, and I have been heads down reading pages of documentation and attending peer review meetings. I'm exhausted at the end of the day.
This morning I realised that I had forgotten to order the whole bean from Rockaffe. I enjoy the process of making fresh coffee in the Chemex each morning, and Bhavna has come to see as her in-house barista. She gets upset when I don't make morning coffee. Fortunately, Vitality, the owner of Rockaffe, also owns Buy the Cup, a coffee shot in Rocky Hill.
Before Bhavna awoke, I popped in to get us each a take-out cuppa. I grabbed my Minolta XD-11, attached the MD Rokkor-X 45mmF2 lens and loaded a roll of Vision 250D.
After I put the coffee in the car, I drove to Crescent Avenu and photographed some homes. Then I went to the Rocky Hill section of the D&R Canal and walked around on the wooded mound near the parking lot. The air was cool and crisp. I felt refreshed and made a mental note to persuade Bhavna to do an evening picnic on the grass. Or at least, if the early morning is conducive next week, grab a bacon egg and cheese bagel sandwich and a coffee from Buy the Cup and ti out on the grass by myself. Zen.
Thursday
While working remotely from home during the last three years, I have been very comfortable using my iMac and its 27" Bluetooth Apple Magic Mouse, Bluetooth Apple Keyboard, and Harmon/Kardon Bluetooth headphones with a built-in microphone and noise cancellation. The previous client used Citrix based VDI technology which means they never had to worry about shipping an asset. Since the virtual desktops are hosted on a remote server on their infrastructure, the host device's operating system that is accessing the VDI is of no consequence.
The new client does not use VDI. When I received the Windows laptop in the mail, I was disappointed. Bluetooth was disabled. I could not use my Apple Magic Mouse, Bluetooth Keyboard and headphones. I bought a Microsoft Mouse and had to use my Grado open-air audio headphones. I purchased an external microphone to prevent the laptops internal microphone from picking up the sound of my mouse movements. With the kind of work I do, working off a tiny laptop screen is like being forced to work inside a small cardboard box. I had to buy a 27" monitor and find space to put it. I'm not too fond of all of it, but I like the paycheck.
Friday
This work week was busy. Very busy. I feel like I have worked the equivalent of two weeks in one. I went from having one project to 10. Somehow I will keep up. Somehow.
I ordered a 4pk of Up to Bat, a light-bodied Belgian style wheat ale from Old Hights Brewing in Hightstown is a borough in Mercer County, New Jersey. My buddy, Ed, lives just a few minutes from the brewery. I didn't have to twist his arm to meet me at the brewery for a few pints.
I had a great time. I wanted to try the outdoor space for a while, but Old Hights opened during the pandemic, and last year, I did not feel comfortable doing more than "take out".
Saturday
Today was all about beer. Tavour dropped off my shipment and I drove the two hours round trip to Colts Neck to pick up my order from Source Brewing. Time to drink.
Sunday
Bhavna returned from Oberlin last night. It's a balmy 30ºC outside, and today could be excellent weather for a trip down the shore, but we fear the beaches may be too crowded. We're both vaccinated, but neither of us enjoys being in large groups of people. We're staying indoors.
Using a few tweaks in Lightroom, then applying a template, new sky, and the Composition AI in Luminar AI, I reworked an image I made nine years ago. I like the result, which I think also works well for this week Len's Artist Challenge for Blue and Green.
I tweaked most of the images in this post in Luminar AI after some initial post-processing in Adobe Lightroom.
Bhavna and I both dislike cold weather, but on sunny days we can persuade ourselves to bundle to get outside. Normally at this time of the year, I would look forward to the weekend, waking up early to take a walk along the D&R Canal or a hike in the Sourland Mountain Preserve. January is ending and, with the exception of a short hike along Beden Brook, we have had little outdoor activity.
It was cold and damp again yesterday and I feel that yet another weekend has been “wasted” inside streaming content on Disney+ and Netflix or drinking ales from one of the local micro-breweries. My midsection grows softer and larger each day. 😊
It rained all day yesterday, so much that many local roads we flooded. I can only imagine that the hiking trails are soggy and slippery.
I am starting to feel the effects of the “winter blues”, from the cold, grey skies all day, and the limited exposure to sunlight. It’s frustrating that I can not do any of the suggested remedies.
Last weekend, after a super short and finger freezing photo session near Carnegie Lake with had exhausted my battery, I came home to prep my photo bag for a course I was taking the next day. I wanted to be sure that my batteries were charged and my equipment was ready. I discovered that my Fujifilm X-T2 would not turn on. I tried one battery after another, but the rear LCD and viewfinder remained blank. I connected the camera via USB to my iMac and the camera came on in USB mode. I took it to the Fujifilm service centre in Edison where I hope they can restore my camera. I am scheduled to attend a food photography workshop in March.
Our kids are both attending university so Bhavna and I have more time to spend with each other. In another week, we’ll drive to Oberlin, Ohio to return the youngest to college. I’ll miss her and her cat, Camilla, but with her return, we’ll have more freedom.
Despite my health challenges over the last few years, in 2018 we visited Seneca Lake in the finger lake region of New York staying at the Grist Mill Inn and Brewery. The previous year we did some road trips west into Pennsylvania stopping to tour the local breweries along the way.
The Hudson Valley Brewery in Beacon, New York has been on our tour to-do list for a few years. Hudson Valley produces some of my favourite sour IPAs.
The sun is out this morning so tie for a break. I’m heading outside for a walk around the neighbourhood. Gotta keeps my spirits up.
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