TUESDAY-I get my first check tomorrow.

I got to go to a construction site today where they're building a new VA clinic thing place. Actually their just framing it right now and there's a group of guys called Mertens Bros. Construction who were doing the framing and their names are Leo (above), Les (below left), and Ronald (below right), Mertens.

Nice guys. Took the photos for a story about the new place possibly running on Thursday. Here's some more pictures from that:

There's bad sensor dust in that one (^) . I didnt feel like editing it out. Also, it's cool to have dust on your sensor. Everyone's doing it. My popularity = skyrocketed.

This guy's name is Doug Pack. He's not one of the Mertens Brothers. He's from a company called Rosa's Drywall who is bidding to do the drywall job on the place after it's been all framed and stuff. He was walking around taking lots of little measurements and marking things with his pencil.

Also today, I got to drive around a company car! There's like four of em and theyre all Mazda 3's and theyre fun to drive and hopefully I can drive them more often so I don't have to use my gas and get reimbursed for it. I took the car home and then to a basketball tournament in a town with a really awesome high school called HALSTEAD.

ZOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM! And then I had basketball pictures. Two in the paper tomorrow (the top two):


I did quite a bit of experimenting during the basketball games. I first took pictures with my 70-200 on my 1D with two Pocketwizarded flashes. Then I took pictures with my 17-35 on my 20D with the pop-up flash (above) and I also took pictures with my manual focus 50 1.4 on both my 20D and my 1D and THEN I took pictures onmy 20D with the 70-200 with no flash at all. So i had lots of different looking pictures.
Also, this picture was in the paper today for a story about reusable shopping bags. I took it at walmart. I also took pictures of cashiers bagging stuff, but they didnt use any of those. I got lots of funny looks from people.
Finally, I put these items up for sale on SPORTSSHOOTER.COM! You can't see them because it's a member-only listing, unless of course youre a sportsshooter member, but I did it after I decided a few things: 1.) I need a 1.4x teleconverter, not a 2x (middle), 2.) I don't use my 85 and it's good for about $300 I could use to get a better lens I would use (right), and 3.) I need to get rid of this Tamron lens (left) and replace it with CANON L GLASS, e.g. Canon 17-40 f/4 L. So, if it all sells, I'm looking at about $950. The perfect amount to buy myself a 24-70 f/2.8L, one of the 4 lenses I could ever need and one I would use for everything. DAMN IT THE TRAINS IN HUTCHINSON ARE SO DAMN LOUD. I mentioned in my classified that I'm hoping to save for a 24-70 and/or a mk2 camera.

My classified read:

I'm a Southern Illinois student interning in Hutchinson, KS and I've got a couple things I don't use too much anymore that I would like to get rid of to make way for bigger and better things. Canon 2x II EF Extender: $225 shipped. Good condition, used occasionally for college sports, would like to replace it with a 1.4x. Accepting trades. Canon 85 f/1.8 USM: $300 shipped. Like new condition, perfect glass. Extremely sharp lens. Bought last year and used for portraits. Can't even feel the thing focus. Comes with Hood. Tamron 17-35 f/2.8-4: $375 shipped. Bought new from Calumet two summers ago and have used it on nearly every assignment since. Still clean and sharp. I'm wanting to replace it with Canon L glass. Didn't have money for Canon glass at the time, but have been very happy with this lens. Great for student or low budget. Sells on KEH used for $499. Trying to save up enough to buy a 24-70 2.8 and/or a MkII. Student wages and car payments don't help out too much! Additional photos available, just ask. Will ship to ContUS. I'll accept just about anything that counts as money in the US.

Oh, that's cool, it pasted with a little box around it. Isn't the internet neat!

The interesting part is, I got a response. I got an email from a guy stating:

Thomas,
I've got a 24-70f2.8 Canon USM and a MII listed for sale
in the classifieds. If you're interested, email me and
we'll work something out. I'm more than willing to do
something for a fellow SS.com member.

And I live in Iowa...not Dubai :) :) :)

Good luck on your sale.

Michael

"Work something out." Isn't that interesting? I emailed him back asking what he had in mind and explaining my financial situation and I've yet to hear from him, but it would be very VERY exciting if I could get a 24-70 and a mk2 from him with the money I could get from these items as some kinda downpayment or something. Who knows? It's happened before, I got my 1D from paying $600 initially and then $650 a month later. Good ole 2003 Taco Bell shift manager money.

Oh well, guess we'll wait and see. I get to work 9-6 tomorrow instead of 1-10pm so I'll actually have an evening without basketball games maybe! That's exciting too!

TB

PS: In case you're curious, the four lenses that I could ever need are:
1. Canon 16-35 2.8L ($950)
2. Canon 24-70 2.8L($950)
3. Canon 70-200 2.8L ($950) -currently owned
4. Canon 300 2.8 L ($3500) -that one's a ways off.