"PLEASE DON'T TAKE MY KODACHROME AWAY!"

Actually, I haven't used Kodachrome since around 1976, but prior to that Kodachrome Transparencies were about all I ever used.  I shoot 400 ASA in black & white for my advertising job at the time, and some large format film for the wedding business I had on the side.

Since Kodak stopped the manufacture of Kodachrome film, and the necessary enriching development chemicals, in June of 2009, the last place in the entire world that developed Kodachrome, Dwayne's Photo in Kansas, will process and develop its last roll on December 30th!  That is, providing their chemical supplies don't run out first!

Dwayne's started processing Kodachrome in 1956.  Now that service is being discontinued, but don't worry 'bout Dwayne and crew, they will continue to process other types of film and provide all other photo services. Only Kodachrome processing is being discontinued.

If you thought you were being smart by squirreling away a roll or two, you're still out of luck since Kodak's 74-year-old film cannot be developed in your basement.  The Kodachrome process was an after development color enrichment process that can only be done with specialized machines.  Dewayne's had the last remaining machine!

So, let's all say good by to another icon of yesteryear!

I snapped away while in Vietnam, and had King Photo in downtown DaNang send the film off to be processed.  I couldn't wait to get them back and then send selected ones home.

Double click on the studios photo envelope and you'll see I paid a huge $3.84 to get 32 frames developed in 1966!  That was expensive to a GI back then.

I also used to come home for lunch in 1974 and take shots of my Corey.  I was (am) so proud of him I could barely wait for the workday to end.  The family loved to sit around and watch my slide shows of Kodachrome.  The entire family loved their gatherings, especially Christmas, so there was always a new "show" to watch on the weekends.

The little single-lens reflect 35mm I used in Vietnam did a superb job and got me interested in photography.  That interest and love remains strong today.  While my taste has moved from 35mm film to digital photography, there is still much one can do with a camera today...probably a lot more!

As I told my brother-in-law, who remarked that my new Nikon was a good looking camera, "A camera has film in it...these are computers!"  And that's so true and now there's a little less excitement in filmed cameras...'cause they're gonna take our "Kodachrome away!"  

So long old friend and thanks for the memories you've helped me record in true color.

A BOOK SIGNING

Nope, not something I would normally do, but, as it turned out, I had a ball and met some new friends.

A gentleman named Al Williams (seated in "Big Orange" shirt), wrote a children's book called "A Friend Indeed", proceeds from the book’s sales go to Big Brothers Big Sisters of East Tennessee.  So, he and Myra Yeatman, of the BBBS organization, invited others to come and support the sales of the book at the book signing this past Saturday.

Muse Watson, of NCIS and movie fame, Bill Landry, local icon and narrator of the "Heartland Series" for over 25 years, Tennessee basketball coach Bruce Pearl, and alumni basketball star Dane Bradshaw showed up in support.

Muse and Bill are long time friends of mine, but Myra Yeatman (above middle), Al, Bruce, and Dane are new acquaintances.  My son, Corey, was so jealous of me getting to rub shoulders with his basketball heroes! 

Muse and Bill are going to be at the newly opened Channel 15 Station in Harriman, TN this evening, so I'll get to hang out a little more.  However, I'll probably be sharing the experience with a crowd of people wanting to see the studio, see Muse and Bill, and get their DVD of "A Christmas Snow" signed.

While I'm on the subject of Channel 15, please check out my Princess Theater blog.  We are working on a complex of buildings in the center of Harriman, TN that will provide local high school and Roane State Community College (RSCC) hands on experience in operating and producing television and stage productions.  

The complex will be called “Princess Performing Arts, Education and Conference Center”.  It will include the television station, the newly restored Princess Theater, and a series of other connected buildings that will eventually house a conferencing center, green rooms, and storage for musical instruments, costumes, and stage props.  

So anyway, back on subject, I had a ball at the Borders book signing in Knoxville, and I'm sure the celebs did as well.  

Come see us when you can!

IT'S BEEN A HAPPENING!

As I've posted, my brother visited this week and he and I spent the first day making the rounds and doing a little target practice.

On the second day, he and I joined up with my son Corey and did some "manly man" shopping.  We also ate a Wild Wings and visited The Irish Times for a couple of black & tans!  I thought for a minute there was going to be trouble over the last wing, but they finally worked it out...they gave it to me!

Friday evening was the annual Christmas gathering of my brother-in-law Ron's old work group.  This year it was at Smoky Mountain Brewery.  The group also included two guys, Andy and Tim, that I haven't known for a couple of years and have accompanied to Roger Waters and AC/DC concerts.  This year, because of my kidney operation, they made the trip without me.

However, it was good to see the guys again and to again see some of the other work group that I've met.

Prior to going to the "brewery", Ron and I had a couple of black & tans at the "pub"...just to warm up!

I think I've written, or at least mentioned, before about the wild retirement party I had back in '05.  It just happened that the Jack Daniels "cheerleaders" visited Bailey's that evening.  Man!  We had a ball touring their "tour" bus, which included laying on their big bed in the rear, and having photos made with them.

Well, as luck would have it, girls promoting Ole Smoky Moonshine appeared at Smoky Mountain Brewery last evening.  So, it was "Déjà vu all over again"!  Again I was trying out what they were selling, getting a free t-shirt, and several hugs for photo ops!

Turns out, Andy took the bill for a table of about 15 of us...what a guy!  If you offered money, he took it and threw it into the pile in the middle of the table.  The cute little waitress made out like a bandit for all her hard work.

Check out Andy's sweatshirt...remember that?!  Ol' Bluto's shirt from Animal House!  It was hilarious and, unfortunately, he has to explain it to every youngster he meets.

One gentlemen in the bunch (don't know his name) performed bar tricks for us and amazed me by pulling this thread from a twenty-dollar bill!  Ever seen that done before...I hadn't.

So, it's been an amazing week...lots of food and brews with the guys...and gals!

Today, Saturday, was a great day too, but I'll save that until next time.

A DAY WITH ME BUBBY

Wade, my only sibling, is, what my dad called, my twin, even though there is a year's difference in our ages.  Dad called us twins because we were born 10 years apart.  I was so proud of his arrival that I combed the neighborhood knocking on all the doors and announcing, "I have a baby brother!"

Nearly as soon as he began to talk he called me "Bubby" and I remain that to this day.  We don't see each other but half a dozen times a year, but we pick back up where our conversation ended and we resume our close relationship.

He has always been a lover of my era music, with a little Fog Hat thrown in from his.  We both share a love of Pink Floyd and good blues.  We have spent hours sitting quieting listen to music, not saying a word unless it related to the tune playing, and playing air-guitar and drums!  We are, like my son Corey, uninhibited about our love for music and we show it proudly by being able to know when all the best licks come in and strum them expertly in the thin air!

He's in this week, with a little extra time off from his aircraft mechanic job with Continental  Airlines in Charlotte, NC.

We spent mid-morning firing his new AR-15 (M-16 to me) and Smith .40, and I put the virgin rounds through my Ruger LCP .380.  The "16" was as sweet as I remember them from 'Nam and the .40 cal. almost jumped out of my hands!

I wasn't too impressed with the LCP...trigger pull is long and slow and you almost have to push the trigger back in place after the firing.  However, it sits nicely in my back pocket and remain my primary carry.  I still wouldn't want to be in front of it, but I sure wouldn't want to get into a "fire fight" with one!

The rifle was somewhat off and it took several rounds to finally see that we need to shoot high.  Neither of us was exactly sure how to raise the sight, so he has some research to do.  He did finally get it hitting the center of the target by aiming at the top of the black instead of the middle 10-ring.

I was all around a 4X4 inch block of Styrofoam, but failed to notch it!  However, had it been a "bugger" he would have felt the sting of lead and copper!

Afterward, we drove up to Lincoln's in Oak Ridge, and had a snack and a couple of rounds!  Best part of the day!

On the way back to mom's (where Wade stays when he's in) he had an urgent call so we visited a lonely part of an industrial park.  He laughing in this photo because he wrote his initial on the stump!

It reminded me of the old joke where the girls father is telling the boy's father that his son pees his name in the snow outside his house every night.  The boy's father says "boys will be boys", but the girl's father says, "Yeah, but it's in my daughter's hand writing!"

So, back at mom's, no one knowing the difference, he's on his hands and knees riding his granddaughters around mom's living room.  Don't ask...don't tell!

Tomorrow, unless the ice storm that is slicing things outside as I write, is our final day, so who knows what we'll get into then.  I'll take pictures if something happens!

A TREE DECORATING PARTY

The Dragons decided to gather Saturday afternoon and decorate sister Neena's Christmas Tree.  It's her and Ron's house we use for our Christmas Eve party, so it was only fair all the sister's help her decorate.  Judy made a flower arrangement and everyone else help disperse the traditional ornaments around the house.

Meanwhile, us Knights floated off to Lowe's and Harrison's Sporting Goods to lust after all the guns and other manly tools!  It was good to see my old (actually only 42) deer hunting buddy Bo.  What great times we used to have!

We made our way back to Los Primos in Harriman for a tall frosty mug of Dos Equis!  We then made our way back to Ron and Neena's.

Ron had bought us all our favorite cut of meat earlier in the week and he soon had everything on his grill smoking!  The steaks were all great and cooked to perfection.

With the beef, we enjoyed a tossed garden salad, and a potato casserole.  Charlotte brought a cherry cobbler and soaked in vanilla ice cream it was "heaven", as Need is accustomed to describing food! 

Naturally, while the girls finished their Christmas chores and meat slowly cooked, we all enjoyed our favorite libations.  Steve, Gary, Noel, and I settled in on a bottle of Buffalo Trace, 90 proof, while Ron stuck with his pale ales.  The Buffalo Trace was a great drink, just chilled over ice, and went down smoothly.  I'll have to repay Steve Christmas Eve with a surprise bottle of something expensive and special!

With the tree trimmed and blinking, we all settled into "quiet mode" and filled our growling stomachs, enjoying the peace that family brings.

Within the next couple of weeks both Steve and Noel will be undergoing surgery.  I've added them both to my prayer list, so I'm sure everything will be fine. 

I too will be undergoing a simple outpatient procedure this week to have my esophagus dilated once more.  This should be the last time I ever have to have this particular procedure performed.  The spasms are back and the internal gas is almost unbearable at times!  Stand clear!

Today, the Dragons took Ron's granddaughter to see the Nutcracker, so the holiday has begun in earnest!  

Merry Christmas folks, you may not hear from me again until after Christmas

I'M DOING JUST FINE!

Several of you have asked for an update on my health, so, since my buddy Gary Baker took a couple of candids of me last evening I thought I'd share them with you.  

You can see I'm alive and kicking, although weighing in a bit less than before the surgery.  I shed at least 30 pounds, possibly a few more, and wearing some old pants I had stuck back in the closet.  Feels pretty good too, but I am suffering some pain at the bottom end of my incision today.  It may have been from standing up last night for the Christmas Parade in Harriman.

Our new city TV station, Channel 15 locally, put on its first production - a live presentation of the annual parade.  It was quite a historic event for us and one we've waited on for years.  The station is owned by the City of Harriman and Roane State Community College and will be a facility for local college and high school students to gain "hands on" experience along with their classroom instruction.

The station will also televise local events and live performances originating on the new stage of our Princess Theater once it is renovated and operating.  This new stage will give our community college two stages for their performing arts department to utilize, and the entire area will be able to benefit from the entertainment.

The production was done with backup equipment, which is not of the quality of the actual equipment to be installed at the station.  Nonetheless, the picture and sound was above and beyond what we have been used to seeing on other local stations.  Everything necessary was right there on that cart!  Everyone was so proud - and relieved!

Anyway, I shot photos at the event last night for about two and half hours, and I think that's why I'm hurting today.  Other than that however, I'm doing well.

I appreciate the concern and apologize for being lacks in posting...just too much going on and not enough about me happening to post - I suppose.  I mean, our blogs are all about US...right!?