Rare Fuji Camera Spotted Yesterday Downtown!!!

 I only got a quick look but it sure seemed to me as if the camera was one of the elusive Fuji X100V cameras that have been back-ordered across the country for something like over half a year. I saw this guy out photographing on the sidewalks which is very rare these days. I walk a lot. I see few people with "real" cameras. 

This, of course, gives me hope that one day in the future we'll all have the option of whether or not we'd like to buy and take possession of one of these rare "unicorn" point and shoot cameras. They are actually a good product for $1399. I don't feel the same when I see ads on Ebay and even Amazon for $2500 and up...

Global supply chain disruption still at work? I guess. 

Sales guy at the local camera store said they got in two recently which almost started a fight between the sales people anxious to deliver a much sought after camera to "their" best customers. The two units didn't even make a tiny dent in the store's massive waiting list. 

Also noting that Q2s have been in short supply lately. Wild stuff. 

I wonder if several camera makers are about to drop new products on us and are using the supply side issue to clear inventories. I'll leave all that to the rumor sites.

Morning stroll. A visual treasure found on S. Congress Ave.

Twenty five years ago S. Congress Ave. was home to hookers and drug dealers. Not a month went by without a representative from you know which party being arrested for soliciting prostitution. The street was lined with fleabag hotels and adult video stores. All that is gone now. Replaced by a Hermes shop, designer eyeglasses shops, trendy restaurants, expensive Texas boot stores and the usual mix of over-priced fashion retailers. But two of the motels from the old days remain. 

One is the Austin Motel and the other is the San José Hotel. Both have been transformed into expensive, boutique motels which cater to a decidedly more upscale audience. 

I walked by the Austin Motel this morning and started seeing all kinds of cool Christmas decor scattered about. There was a sign that invited "everyone" to walk through their alley of decorations. I pulled the lens cap off my languishing camera and started making photographs of the kitcsh-y decorated trees. 

I shot wide for a while and then I used the frame line thingy on the Q2 for tighter, 50mm angle of view shots. It was fun. I can only imagine how cool it looks when all the trees are lit up at night and reflecting off the surface of the water in the swimming pool. I think I'll go back sometime next week just to see...

I got back in time to polish off the remains of the arugula salad with lemon basil dressing I made last night for dinner. I offset the health on over-drive by eating some Jarlsburg cheese and a piece of home made grainy, nutty, dense bread. Toasted. 

The year is winding down. The clients have all had their work delivered to them and their bills sent out. I've actually done nearly all of my shopping but I'm a bit ashamed to admit it's mostly being delivered by Amazon. Now we're in that quiet lead up to Christmas which consists of watching favorite movies, baking stuff for friends, and avoiding parties like the plague. Actually ---- the plague and RSV and the flu. They're all back and according to county data starting to spread quicker and quicker here. 

I think I used up all my motivation to do just about anything but swim, eat and sleep these days. It's not that bad of a pattern to fall into. Maybe I'll pursue this for a month or so. All the while loading fresh batteries into the Q2 and having fun walking around looking at stuff. And swimming. Lots of swimming.