This and That for 2004
Photographs
...and a new year begins. Every year we put up the Christmas tree and all the decorations on the first of December and every year a month later we take them all down. This year I put all of our ornaments on the dining room table before storing them.
Wesley Clarks. Taken on a genealogical trip to New Jersey.
Meredith in the snowfall, Julie throwing snow.
Julie was in a Lee High School production of Godspell on 2/21/04: "I have an idea!", On the platform, Julie and Jesus, My favorite shot.
Following advice found in a book about family photography, I hung some black felt up in my garage and shot some photos using only natural light. Me ("This means you"), Julie, Meredith. Shot with a Nikon Coolpix 5700, since my D100 is in the shop. (It died after taking those Godspell photos. Maybe it's a sign. Maybe the Lord uses a Canon.)
I'm happy to state that the D100 returned from the shop just fine! Julie took part in an improv competition on 3/19. Julie's announcement, "I'm engaged!" Julie and her teammates.
Meredith and her look-alike pal Amanda, in my garage "studio." 3/20.
Julie appeared in the Lee Drama production of "The Rivals," a great costume piece set c. 1775. Photos from the 23 April performance. On stage, On stage again, Take a bow, Afterwards, With her friend Siobhan.
Wes the Photographer - A photo of me from c. 1983 I recently found. Originally in color; it works better as a black and white image, I think.
I completed a marathon on 5/2/04! Crossing the starting line, in a characteristic pose, looking at a watch. ("Gee, only six hours to go!") Here I am at mile 1, Runner #74. (Coincidentally, the year I graduated from high school - 30 years ago, if you're counting.) Bring on the miles! Feeling okay at mile 7 - I gave Kelly the photographer an attitude check. Mile 11. This marker - which I point to - was at the top of a long hill. You can't see my face - but I'm not smiling anymore. This was about mile 15 or so. Another hill. No smiles. I wasn't aware I was actually ahead of anybody at this point - but the camera doesn't lie. Mile 24 - with the end in sight, I could act goofy again. The guy in red is Rob, who was walking with me due to an illo-tibial band strain. Near the end! Here we are - red, white and blue - the Three Caballeros, jogging out the last quarter mile or so. We weren't the last to finish - but we weren't far from it, either. My time was six hours, three minutes. The Medal.
Cari and her cousin (once removed) Theresa and James De Francesco - Visiting for the World War II monument dedication.
Meredith was the King of Hearts in a Washington Irving Middle School production of "Alice in Wonderland." The Trial, from the 6/11/04 performance: Cross-examining Alice. Cross-examining the Mad Hatter. With the White Rabbit. The impatient king..
I got an infrared filter for my Nikon! Me in infrared. Me again. It says "Elegant Violence" under the "Rugby," but you can't see it because it's red. Note how the stubble is darkened (I didn't shave that day) and how eyes turn weird. What's really interesting, however, are landscapes and trees. Our house in IR. It looks like winter, but this shot was really taken on a hot and humid summer's day. Here's Meredith in IR - note clouds and sky! (She prefers this one.)
My new Fender Jazz Bass - I'm enjoying taking lessons and learning how to play this thing. Right now I'm learning the seven modal scales and their associated chords. All my life Music theory intimidated me - now I'm getting over it.
July 16-25: Vacation in Los Angeles! Surfer Girls, A famous landmark, Pretty much says it all, Tiki tongue at Disneyland, Madder than a Hatter, Meredith and Alice, The only stars we saw in Hollywood, Some 1974 Burbank High classmates.
I was in D.C. at a bar with my rugby club 7/31/04 - we were holding a farewell party for a former head coach, who is getting sent overseas - and who walks in but Conan O'Brien. So, another guy and I approached him to ask him to get into the shot, and being a class act, he did. That white thing he's holding is the bullet-proof vest (with club insignia and Guinness logo) we presented the coach with. Cool, huh? (I'm not in the shot; I took the photo.)
Julie's senior portrait, Summer 2004
Meredith inspects her elaborate hair style, 8/7/04
Meredith is now in Junior Varsity Lee High School Cheerleading. Football game vs. Fairfax High, 9/14/04: Shot One, Shot Two.
Julie plays the drums as "Miss New York" in a Lee Drama Department "Murder Mystery," 9/18/04.
My nephew Steve Clark, me and Steve's brother Daryn. Steve and I last met in 1967. The sad occasion was my half-brother Jack's funeral service in Florida. 9/22/04.
Julie was in the 2004 Homecoming Court at Lee High School (back row, 2nd from left). Here we are out on the football field during the homecoming game, 10/15/04. If I look especially proud, I am. Meredith has been doing a lot of cheerleading; here she is the night before at a JV football game. The following night she and Johnny went to the Homecoming Dance.
On 11/19 Julie starred in a Lee High School production of Noel Cowards' "Blithe Spirit." She played Elvira, the ghostly wife. Julie's boyfriend Johnny played her (living) husband. Julie standing (Cari made the costume). Julie and Johnny (the Lunt and Fontaine of Lee). Julie in a pensive moment. Meeting with her fans afterward. Meredith worked on props and sold roses and break-a-leg-o-grams.
Christmas with Julie and Meredith
Ethan's Mission
All mail goes to the mission home. That address is:
Elder Ethan W. Clark
UT-SLCS Mission
7001 S. 900 E. Ste. 250
Midvale, UT 84047
Drop him a line - missionaries love mail!
Missionary Guitarist (I'm sure he's doing some real missionary work as well, every now and then.) Wheels. Other forms of transportation. A unique feature of an LDS mission in Utah.
Ride 'em, Stego!, No signs of homesickness here and Ethan and a new investigator.
In February and March 2004 Elder Clark and some other missionaries starred in a short film, "The Good Elders!"
For some reason Elder Clark wound up on the Mr. Mac website in September.
Taylorsville, Utah: Elder Clark's new stomping grounds.
Elder Clark's Christmas 2004 Photo
Family films
Click here for my list of which family-friendly films to rent and which to avoid. Many years in the making and updated frequently!
Rugby
The journal for my thirteenth season - now over without my having taken much part - is here. How I got into this sport is explained in the first season journal, here.
Clark genealogy
Click here to see scans of old family photos. For extended Clark family members only, I would think.
Click here to pull up my rootsweb genealogical page - once again, more of interest to relatives. I've been doing a lot of genealogy lately. (In fact, in the last six months I have done more than in the previous twenty years!) My rootsweb worldconnect searchable database is here.
Watches
I bought a $41 Timex Ironman Triathalon watch to do interval timing for my jogging, but that's hardly a collectible watch! Still, it is nothing if not functional. Very well-suited for its use - and isn't that what watchmaking is all about?
et cetera
I have a 2004 Dilbert desk calendar. So far, this one's my favorite. But this one is so representative of my life right now. Mothers: Don't let your sons become engineering managers.
My wonderful wife bought me a five DVD boxed set of film noir classics. I review one of them, "The Set-Up," here on my film noir website, Web Noir.
Porter Wagoner LP Covers. I don't know what prompted me to do this.
The Carroll County Accident on the Tallahatchie Bridge the Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia. A direct result of the article above which I do not know what prompted me to write. Sometimes, I am driven by strange winds...