The Meaning of Life

Lissa Captures the Meaning of Life

Last week, more or less, I traveled to Missoula, MT for the Montana Professional Photographers Annual Convention.  It was an informative and entertaining event, tarnished only by the fact that the hotel didn't have a lounge.  Of course, I don't consume alcohol, so no big deal to me.  One evening, headed by Master photographer Steve Helmbrecht, we went to an alley in downtown Missoula to do some photography.  


The photo of yours truly shown below was done by Mark Bryant, who is obviously a creative genius.  Taken in the alley, and while I'm not positive, I think he used his Iphone.

Before our professional model showed up, I served as his stand in, and I must say that it was a surreal sensation, standing very still with 20 cameras taking shots at me.  Many of the photographers there were students from Northwest College in Powell, Wyoming.

Arianna, Roman, & Sarah

Random Strangers

I didn't ask who they were or where they were headed, but they were cool.  This photo makes me feel cool.  Why?  Because the two young guys are also wearing hooded sweatshirts and share my color palette.  Plus, the cat is the only one horrified to be posing with me.

Thank you Lissa for the great photos and for helping me order at the Mexican Restaurant.  For some reason, I am always confused by those menus and have never truly understood the difference between a chalupa and a chihuahua.  I understand that the distinction is clear to most people and that I am an anomaly...I can only surmise that I'm missing a gene or two.

I do, however, know what a cookie is, and when they are free, I'm there.  Apparently, there is no such thing as a free cookie, because when they told me they weren't free, I was incredulous.  Does or does not the sign say free cookie?  A brief and mostly friendly conversation with the manager ended unsatisfactorily. When I suggested that they make the cookies look like little pizzas, he told me to get out or he'd call his mom.  I guess he thought he was pretty hot stuff.  Upon reflection, I still think the pizza cookie is a good and highly salable idea.

They Lie

I Only Thought About It

MOMMA Finale: Post Middle-aged Blues

This could happen to you

Creepy Rock

After a short night at the KOA in Williams, AZ, we headed to Vegas with clean clothes and renewed vigor.

Laundry: The Fifth Dimension

Vegas--we had a nice dinner and went to a show

Russ teases the human statue

Headed home

Northcentral Montana Monument

So, I'm home again, and I believe that all three of us had our own accomplishments and failures:  Russ learned that he could levitate after five martinis, but he could not be trusted around campground night managers.  I learned how to take pictures of complete strangers, but I also ruined many group photos by quietly inserting myself into the group.  Steve successfully navigated us through the Southwest and the city of Las Vegas, but mistakenly entered the newlywed suite at the Venetian.  That was awkward.

A big thanks to Steve for teaching me about Venn Diagrams.  Apparently I missed the Venn day at school.  A pity, since they would have been very helpful to me in the past.  But, there is no time like the present, and I have created one that captures the essence of our trip:

Venn Diagram

A friend of mine who has been following this blog made the comment that at 54 I am no longer middle-aged.  Webster disagrees, and I don't care what either one thinks. It's true that my cranial retention isn't what it used to be, but I still learn new things every day.  Like Venn diagrams.  


Thomas Wolfe wrote "you can't go home again."  Wolfe was wrong--you can go home again, and should.