05/25/11 - Capsizing Cat and Dirty Lenses

Wednesday was our first real down day, by choice at least.  After chasing storms across most of northern Oklahoma the evening before, we secured a hotel room in downtown Tulsa - a high rise Holiday Inn Express (third floor, back room, view of AC unit).  Not only were we able to park our trusty and overworked steed in the underground garage, but John and I were finally able to enjoy a civilized meal in the hotel's "Boulder Grill".  While watching storm radar on the bar wide screen we enjoyed a couple pints of the local IPA, and hamburgers which provided insight to the naming of the place - grilled boulders. We plan to avoid the Hard Rock Cafe east of town.

John's Mug at the Blue Dome Diner in Tulsa

The next morning, after a nice jaunt along the riverside trail, we sought out a local place for breakfast.  There is only so much frosty flake cereal and mini donuts one can take.   We were fortunate enough to stumble upon a place in the eclectic Blue Dome District on 2nd Street, cleverly named the Blue Dome Diner.  The sign on the outside read "EAT", so we did.  We both enjoyed some of the best eggs and home fries ever.  Even the sour dough toast was made from the on-site or local bakery, with real butter.   While the coffee was just average, it was the mugs which grabbed the honors.  Like the diner each mug was quite unique and eclectic.   John's took the cake however - labeled "Fat Cat Capsizing" - and it did!  Free WiFi held us captive for well over 90 minutes.  It was between meals, so the staff did not mind.  Homemade chocolate chip cookies beckoned us as we departed.   If in town again, we will be back.

The lack of chasing that day gave us time to backtrack to Enid, to recover my wayward camera. With over 24 hours elapsed since leaving my Nikon on its own, there is no telling what trouble it was getting into.  After being whisked away from the bedside romance with the clock radio I was sure it had been stored it in "The Land of Low-Tech Toys" that nobody wanted.   It was probably mingling with other out-of-date devices such as 1.3 GB laptops, flip phones and maybe even a recently discarded I-pad 1 tablet.

When I finally took possession of the D-40, I was surprised to find it fitted with the telephoto lens.

The lens mystery was quickly explained after reviewing the latest images on the memory card.  Since we had little time to shoot many storms, the card was essentially empty.  Was.   The shock of finding many additional images shot since our separation over a day ago, gave me great insight into the life of a middle-aged camera, going through a mid-F-stop crisis. A life of snapping pictures of girls soccer matches, birthday parties and the occasional school play was not enough excitement for him at this stage in life.

Do you like it hot, baby?

The first shot revealed that is was not the clock radio which wooed my camera away, but the seductive mini coffee maker.  The alluring curve of her handle and come-hither "on" light was too much for D-40 to resist.  The telephoto lens was his attempt to impress the perky appliance, and he presumably lied about his megapixel rating; likely telling her he was at least an 8 or even 10.  The Melita mistress was no cup of day-old Folgers either, with a more-than-adequate 4-cup size endowment.  It appeared their encounter was brief, as I found no coffee stains on his lens.  He was likely discovered by the maid and transferred to the above-mentioned misfit technology room (aka Lost and Found).  I hope he kept his lens cap on!

Additional time-stamped images revealed his late-night mingling with some Koda-Chrome cougars, a radar detector and a Walgreen's disposal camera.  How low can he go?  This all must have proved quite stimulating, as he was returned with his flash-unit extended and battery nearly drained.

All was not lost however;  there were no images for several hours during the rest of the evening, and through the next morning.  He must have had second thoughts about life in the 1-hour-developing lane;  his last image, taken the afternoon we arrived, was of a small girls birthday party in the hotel lobby.  Life without D-40?  I shutter at the thought.