Batteried and Bruised
Aug. 13th, 2005 12:55 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
howeirdBrought my camera and my two best lenses with me to work, so I could get pictures on my lunchtime bike ride. Yesterday I saw three burrowing owls, standing tall, looking like mutant prairie dogs, atop a man-made mound which the park had built with white plastic pipes buried inside to help keep the nesting area from collapsing. I have been going to this park for more than 10 years, and all that time the warning signs have been up telling us to stay on the path so we don't mess up the burrowing owl habitat, but in all that time I have only seen a single owl, and only once.
So it was very frustrating when I took the camera out of the car and it wouldn't turn on. And even more frustrating and scary when changing the battery didn't fix the problem. So I left the camera stuff in the car and took my ride without it. As I rode by the mound, they had some traffic cones up to warn people away, and a photographer with a huge lens & tripod was there chatting with one of the staff. Apparently some babies have peeked out too.
Got home and put the official original battery in place, and the camera came up fine. I popped both spares into the charger, and they charged way too quickly - a sign they are malfunctioning. So I went online and ordered a couple of real Nikon batteries. Turns out they now have one which is 100ma stronger than the originals, for about 25% less. By contrast, my Brand X losers are 100ma weaker than the original.
If I have time tomorrow I'll go out there again with the camera. Otherwise it will be Monday.
Wednesday after lunch I went to Mission College and handed in the signature form for admission, verified that I'm enrolled in Fall quarter's Perl programming class, and bought a parking permit. Then I went across the street to a tech jobs fair, and handed three resumes to prospective ignorers. Everyone wants QA testers who are programmers. Everyone wants support people to be on call all the time.
Today I got a call from a headhunter and email from another with two jobs which would have been perfect, except they are short-term contracts. Foo.
I also got a call from Lisa, the CMT from last week, and made an appointment to see her tomorrow. Yay.
Spent some time at the end of the work day looking into places to go to see shooting stars. It looks like King City down south of Salinas might work out okay, if I want to stay in a motel overnight. I think RW&B Beach is still the best choice, since I can camp out, and the weather has been nice enough that I should get in some stargazing after the moon sets.
So it was very frustrating when I took the camera out of the car and it wouldn't turn on. And even more frustrating and scary when changing the battery didn't fix the problem. So I left the camera stuff in the car and took my ride without it. As I rode by the mound, they had some traffic cones up to warn people away, and a photographer with a huge lens & tripod was there chatting with one of the staff. Apparently some babies have peeked out too.
Got home and put the official original battery in place, and the camera came up fine. I popped both spares into the charger, and they charged way too quickly - a sign they are malfunctioning. So I went online and ordered a couple of real Nikon batteries. Turns out they now have one which is 100ma stronger than the originals, for about 25% less. By contrast, my Brand X losers are 100ma weaker than the original.
If I have time tomorrow I'll go out there again with the camera. Otherwise it will be Monday.
Wednesday after lunch I went to Mission College and handed in the signature form for admission, verified that I'm enrolled in Fall quarter's Perl programming class, and bought a parking permit. Then I went across the street to a tech jobs fair, and handed three resumes to prospective ignorers. Everyone wants QA testers who are programmers. Everyone wants support people to be on call all the time.
Today I got a call from a headhunter and email from another with two jobs which would have been perfect, except they are short-term contracts. Foo.
I also got a call from Lisa, the CMT from last week, and made an appointment to see her tomorrow. Yay.
Spent some time at the end of the work day looking into places to go to see shooting stars. It looks like King City down south of Salinas might work out okay, if I want to stay in a motel overnight. I think RW&B Beach is still the best choice, since I can camp out, and the weather has been nice enough that I should get in some stargazing after the moon sets.
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