Crossed the Finish Line at Sigma 2K9

Crowd at Emancipation Park after the race.

On Sunday I once again participated in the annual Sigma Corporate Run, a full five kilometer of rubber hitting hard tar in the heat of the morning sun. I wasn't as confident as I was a few weeks ago, as my training had been derailed by my recent winter vacation in New York. However, backing down was not an option. I would rather fall flat on my face and get hospitalised than not to show up and attempt the race. So at 5:30 am the alarm went off and I geared up in my shorts and running shoes to the song "Eye of the Tiger" resonating in my mind.

This year had a registration of approximately nine thousand people, even though only some of that number actually participated in the race. However, judging from the huge crowd it was hard to tell that it wasn't the full number of people. Knutsford Boulevard was crammed at the beginning of the race and immediately I had to mentally prepare myself to make my way through the huge throng of people covering the pavement with the soles of their running shoes. The race started as usual. a huge mas of people running out some at their top speed, then one by one they start slowing down to a laboured walk. But even then it was still hard to navigate my way around these sometimes mindless zombies drunk of exhaustion and the piercing morning sun. I persisted at a steady pace and kept on going using my breathing techniques.

By the time I reached over to Waterloo Road I had found myself a running partner, one of my coworkers who was steadily making her way along the route. As I ran she kept up with me and so I continued to keep my pace so I don't fall back. The sun was piercing and the pavement was hard, I felt breathless and my muscles cried out in pain but I persisted. The pressure finally got to me after running up Suthermiere Road and started the slight incline of Hope Road when my steady pace was interrupted by my body feeling like it was about to give way. At this point I slowed to a brisk walk, but this was short-lived, as I heard the call of another coworker and I began to run again trying to block out the agony my body was feeling. I guess that 2 weeks break was much more harmful than I thought!

Souvenirs from the race.

I persevered and found the energy to make a sprint... well kind of sprinted my way to the finish-line to make my photo finish in a spanking 34 minutes and 11 seconds. This placed me at position 385 out of a total of 1594 runners. Not too bad eh? Obviously I didn't medal, but I did get two souvenirs from the race. Well, I wanted to do better and would have if I had done more training, but if I am still employed to the company, I will do it again the next time around and even better my record.

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JPS Again!

Yes my friends, I am back at Yard! I have been busy since I came back, not with work, but enjoying the local leg of my vacation. My flight down wasn't too bad at all, it actually left only a half hour late and I only experienced two incidents of turbulence during the entire flight. But I couldn't go to foreign and nuh bring back something fi mi friend dem who read my useless rambles about my life! I will let you know more about that in my next post, so stay tuned.

I just got a light bill a few days ago and my light bill went up, again! Now this is just crazy, considering the fact that I have been putting out even more effort to conserve. This evil utility company is seriously on a mission to rob people! I even just read an article in The Gleaner, saying that the Jamaica Public Service, JPS is now complaining that electricity theft is driving up the light bills! This could be true, but I'm just tired of hearing JPS complain and make excuses; if it's not oil prices it's the Jamaican Dollar, even hurricanes and now it's electricity theft. Yet I don't hear them trying to correct the over twenty percent loss they have in their inefficient and outdated transmission and generating systems. I think the picture above, that I found on The Gleaner's website sums up JPS' attitude. They are really changing lives with their energy... making us poorer!

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D60 in the City

Time Square New York (taken with the Nikon D60)

Wow, it's amazing how quickly two weeks can go by when you are on vacation! It seems as if it was just a few days ago I stepped on American soil, and look I'm about to shake off the dust from my feet and head to my country of citizenship. But such is life, I guess the saying is true, "time really flies when you are having fun"... or not at work! However, this is not the end of my vacation as I don't go back to work until another week and a half. So I will still have time to relax and enjoy my new Nikon D60. The GF will be on vacation too so I will have company to go on my excursions, and I have noticed that she is slowly getting used to... or should I say tolerate my insatiable desire to take photographs of every and anything I see.

Exhibit at the Metropolitan of Art (taken with the Nikon D60 - no flash!)

I gave my camera a test run in the city and at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Saturday and it certainly lived up to my expectations! The camera even took great photos in low light conditions without the use of the flash. I took photos like crazy! I was snapping away like an excited little child with a brand new toy! But aren't we all like that when we get something we have been wanting? The camera has a lot of features, settings and controls, so I have a lot to learn. I have been reading the manual to familiarize myself with all these new, somewhat overwhelming features. But I guess it takes time, so as I learn I will experiment. I still haven't gotten myself the zoom lens as yet so I am still confined to closeup photos and portraits. Until I get the zoom lens my nature photography which involve animals will have to be put on hold as wild animals don't know how to just relax and pose for a picture! I am still hoping I will get it though... almost US$200 which is a lot of money in these hard times! Now I hope I'll get random people to pose for me so I can practice my portrait skills... better yet, any volunteers?

Now I need to get to the worse park of travelling, packing. It shouldn't be hard this time I didn't do much shopping, even though I do have several food items complements of my mother, sister and a family friend. So I will just have to ensure that none of the suitcases are overweight... this time!

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Mr. Snowman and the Nikon D60

My first Snowman

Hail crowd of people! It seems as if I haven't dropped post in a while! So what have I been up to? Well, I went out into the snow that remained on the ground for some time after the storm, in fact there are still patches of snow all over the place. I just couldn't resist the opportunity to go out with my camera to take photos. However, my outdoor experiences were not limited to just photography as I made my first snowman.... Well I had my first attempt at making a snowman. It was a small one though, only about 9 feet inches (thanks Pepper) tall and I had to improvise to make his facial features. But it was fun nevertheless, I was almost a kid again... hmm, did I really grow up? You can see more of my winter photos at my photoblog.

On Thursday it was down into the city, to explore... well not really, I still had that Nikon D60 on my mind. It was over US$500, but I really wanted this camera. It took a while and some serious consideration, but I made up my mind to just get it. After all, a few hundred of the camera money was earned right here on this site... shhhh nuh tell nobady! I went to BH Photos down in the city to get my camera as it has been recommended by my sister and some of my fellow bloggers. That store was like a photographers heaven, the had everything a photographer, professional and amateur would desire... except my Nikon D60. I was crushed, now my dreams of getting my camera were dashed. As I walked along the cold New York streets, a bright light shone from the side of one of the tall skyscrapers, it was the J&R store! So I wasted no time and it was full speed ahead to J&R. Not getting the camera at BH was a blessing in disguise, as I got the camera at J&R cheaper and was able to hustle a camera bag for a discounted price too! I only got one lens though, the 18mm-55mm which doesn't have much zoom. So now I plan to get the 55mm-200mm telephoto lens as some money has found it's way to me (thank you Mommy and big sis). Despite having to use the viewfinder to take photos instead of the display screen, I love this camera, the picture quality is fantastic! So without further ado (drumroll), here is the new Stunner Nikon D60!

My Nikon D60 and Camera bag

Tomorrow it's off to the city once again, this time to take a small tour to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and other places. I wanted to check out Madame Tussauds Wax Museum as suggested by GC, but it's a bit pricey. So I will check it out the next time I head to NYC, possibly in the summer. Well it's late and I have a lot of walking later in the day and a lot of reading in the night as I have your blogs to catchup on. Likkle more!

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White!!!

A view of the neighbours yard and the street.

Yes that's exactly how I would describe outside when I woke up this morning. Snow was everywhere, and not just light covering, several inches of snow! Snow was on the walkway, on the ground, on the trees, on the roofs, it was even on the windows trying to come in! I saw snow the last winter I came to New York but that was nothing compared to this.

My boots surrounded by walls of snow

I think the snow was over 6 inches high as my Tims sunk deeply in the white puffy layer of fluffy snow. It is not that bad to me right now, but I feel it for all those people who have to get out of bed and make their way to work in hostile, hazardous conditions like these. The most I did was to go outside to take a few pictures, and even that was hard. I only went out twice to take pictures. Why twice? Well within five minutes my hands were so cold and numb i couldn't even feel the shutter button! I have a greater appreciation for my climate now, as the most I have to face is heavy downpours of rain in the rainy season. Snow like this only serves on purpose, for couples to cuddle in bed and find ways to keep each other warm (wink wink).

Things should be warming up be the weekend, and I really hope it does as I have a few places to go and a few things to get before I fly out of this freezer to warmer temperatures.

PS: I will be posting more photos on my photoblog.

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Up Inna Di Cold!

Whhaaiiiii it cowl! I know I posted about how Jamaica was cold a few weeks ago, but that was like being in 96 degrees in the shade compared to the temperature here in New York. At first when I came up here, it was very cold, but it just seem to be getting colder and colder as the days progress. Yesterday, I heard on the news yesterday that a cold front was heading to the New York area and today it certainly did! It even started from Saturday evening. The forecast even went as far as predicting a snow storm, 6 to 13 inches of snow! I woke up to flurries on Sunday morning but I keep hearing the worse is yet to come. So as I sit here in the warmth of the house, I am gearing up myself to see more snow than I have ever seen before. So if that materializes, then you can expect to see quite a few snow pictures, heheheh.

Last night I had my first visit to Red Lobster and I totally enjoyed it! The food was great, and I ate my belly full. I had a dish which comprised of grilled salmon and shrimp fettucini and mashed potatos. I had to ensure I limited my intake of shellfood as I am somewhat allergic to shellfood, so I had to mix my seafood. This was preceeded by ceaser salad and some of the tastiest buscuits I have ever tasted. To wash this down, I had a tall glass of mudslide. It was certainly a feast, so much so that I couldn't even deveour the entire main course. I hope this doesn't throw me too much off course with my getting lean diet. I hope all of what I'm eating don't make me put on too much as I have not even done one act of exercise, not even in my mind!

I haven't done much shopping, just a few items, as I didn't plan to do much shopping. I am still hoping to get my Nikon D60, but parting with so much cash these days is making me have second thoughts. Later this week I hope to go down to the city to check out some camera stores. Until then I will keep considering and budgeting and watch the snowflakes accumulate.

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