The Curious Weeks of September

It’s been a curious couple of weeks.

Why would I install a kitchen cabinet handle on the dashboard of my car? Keep reading to find out.
Why would I install a kitchen cabinet handle on the dashboard of my car? Keep reading to find out.
  • Abby’s sister Gail is currently hospitalized with cellulitis. Don’t look it up; if you do, you will be grossed out beyond belief. One result of Gail’s illness is sympathy illness in my wife, who is suffering today with what could only be described as an “arthritis attack.” I cite Gail as the causative agent, but I can tell you that while it sounds like the stuff of country legend, people with “rheumatism” like Abby honestly can feel changes in the weather, which did, in fact, change dramatically yesterday.
  • I once had someone describe my job as “glamourous.” I don’t know if that is exactly the right word, but I will say that there is an element of romance about it. Recently I have enjoyed an uptick in my local celebrity status, with people bragging on my work and telling me they love my column. Two notable examples were a small boy at the Free Fair who wanted to shake my hand, and two people yesterday in a pawn shop who asked, “Are you Richard Barron? It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

    This book of some of my favorite travel images was made using iPhoto, and printed by Apple. The image quality and product value are outstanding.
    This book of some of my favorite travel images was made using iPhoto, and printed by Apple. The image quality and product value are outstanding.
  • Then today, a former Latta basketball player collared me early this afternoon to tell me that after one of my images of him appeared in the daily last year, someone sent him a copy of a paper in which he appeared in one of my images at Glenwood kiddie pool when he was two.
  • I cranked up iPhoto last week and self-published several products, including a hardcover book of Shoffner Family Reunion photos, and a calendar of pictures of our grandson for Abby. I am most proud and excited about a 74-page hardcover edition called, “Photographer Richard R. Barron: Travel Photography, 2002-2012.” Everyone who has seen it has been unable to hold back the wows.
  • This week probable breaks a record for the most number of videos I have produced for The Ada News’ web site. They are fun and easy to make, and I think the public gets a kick out of them. You can see some of them here.
With the handheld radio (in this case my Kenwood TH-22AT) hanging on the dash, it's easier to hear and operate, and its antenna is in the open for better reception. I'm sure such a mount point could be used for any number of devices.
With the handheld radio (in this case my Kenwood TH-22AT) hanging on the dash, it’s easier to hear and operate, and its antenna is in the open for better reception. I’m sure such a mount point could be used for any number of devices.

Finally, since we are somewhat shorthanded at our newspaper right now, I have tried to increase my vigilance in scanner listening. This includes using two radios in my car, my Icom IC-2350 dual bander, which is installed, scanning all the critical public safety frequencies, plus a handheld for monitoring either amateur radio or a particular on-scene frequency like a fireground channel. The trouble with that has always been that keeping that handheld upright so it could get a decent signal meant propping it up in my cup holder, where it was in the way, and flopped around as I drove. I thought and thought about how to solve this, and I think I may have come up with an answer; a kitchen cabinet handle. I bought four of them the other day at the local home improvement store and installed one today on the dash of my Nissan Rogue. It looks fairly nice, and anchored well, such that it feels like it’s welded in place. My handheld scanners and amateur radios hang on it quite neatly, although I am telling your this because it might be really handy for all kinds of other things, from phones to garage door openers to maps to MP3 players.

This is a screen shot of iPhoto showing about the first third of the travel book I produced. iPhoto is amazingly easy and intuitive to use.
This is a screen shot of iPhoto showing about the first third of the travel book I produced. iPhoto is amazingly easy and intuitive to use.

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