The Annual Upgrade

[John Kasaian]

Every year I try to upgrade some part of my kit from "cheap but good enough to get by with" to "hey this is pretty slick"
For example, over the years I've upgraded:
My light meter from an "iffy" swap meet Adams to a Luna Pro SBC.
My focusing loupe went from a uiquitous Agfa to a tilting Silvestri
Assorted cable releases of disreputable ancestry to professional grade Gepes
A motley collection of worn out gear bags replaced with a pair of Mil-spec surplus coyote tan 5 gallon water can coolers for toting film holders
A downright bizarre grain focuser to a Bestwell
Little by little my kit has gotten better, or at least better functioning. I'm thinking this practice has served me well over the years. As I'm contemplating what, if anything to upgrade this year I was wondering if anyone here does the same sort of yearly thing? If so, what bit of your kit are you planning on upgrading?

[Jac@stafford.net]

I am about through upgrading.

Tried to upgrade from my 35 year-old girlfriend. The Goddess of Girls asked for an ID. She looked at it and sent me away with, "Hey, old man, yer donor card is past its "Use By" date.

Seriously, I'm a downwardly mobile kinda guy. Selling, not buying.
.

[Sirius Glass]

I am about through upgrading.

Tried to upgrade from my 35 year-old girlfriend. The Goddess of Girls asked for an ID. She looked at it and sent me away with, "Hey, old man, yer donor card is past its "Use By" date.

Seriously, I'm a downwardly mobile kinda guy. Selling, not buying.
.

Move on to other women, she is not worth your time. You can do better and men become more distinguished with age, women just get old.

[Jac@stafford.net]

Move on to other women, she is not worth your time. You can do better and men become more distinguished with age, women just get old.

I was writing in jest. Truth is, when I was young I could not fathom old couples, but now I am one living with one. When we met I was living on thousands of acres of beautiful rolling highland, had long hair and was fit. She was a skinny, red-headed Irish gal. We have been together decades. You can guess that my hair and youth is gone, and her skinniness is yesterday and red hair is really white. We are a genuine thing, and forever. Now I understand.

(We still have our original VW Bug, too.)

[Larry Kellogg]

I was writing in jest. Truth is, when I was young I could not fathom old couples, but now I am one living with one. When we met I was living on thousands of acres of beautiful rolling highland, had long hair and was fit. She was a skinny, red-headed Irish gal. We have been together decades. You can guess that my hair and youth is gone, and her skinniness is yesterday and red hair is really white. We are a genuine thing, and forever. Now I understand.

(We still have our original VW Bug, too.)

Nice. I guess that's what time gives us, the ability to recognize the genuine thing, the real article. Happy New Year to you and your Irish gal.

[Bill Burk]

I was writing in jest. ... She was a skinny, red-headed Irish gal.

Whew! Glad you were kidding. Do you still have big dogs?

That's one upgrade that almost happened, to a Pyrenees (coincidentally named Molly). That we don't have her is a heartbreak... My brother-in-law was having trouble with her roaming off his ranch. We have experience with escape-artists, so thought we'd be good for her. The dog was as loving as could be. You can't help but wrap your arms around that huge Mac-truck-built head and give her big hugs. She loved that. But she had been abused and her protective nature had been exploited. One evening after we had her for almost a week she attacked our friends - almost as if she'd been taught to "sic". We had to give her back... We get to visit her, because he'll make it work somehow. But it really hurt to have to give her up.

[Jac@stafford.net]

Whew! Glad you were kidding. Do you still have big dogs?

No. Big Dog lived to 11 1/2 years which is two years over the mean. It breaks my heart as well. I have always had hearty big dogs, the previous being a line Saint Bernards. We moved into town from the land 14 years ago; it is no place for a working dog. Great Pyrenees do not need more space than our current large fenced property, but they bark so much to remind the world that they are on-duty that the neighbor made life difficult for all of us.

That's one upgrade that almost happened, to a Pyrenees (coincidentally named Molly). That we don't have her is a heartbreak... My brother-in-law was having trouble with her roaming off his ranch. We have experience with escape-artists, so thought we'd be good for her. The dog was as loving as could be. You can't help but wrap your arms around that huge Mac-truck-built head and give her big hugs. She loved that. But she had been abused and her protective nature had been exploited. One evening after we had her for almost a week she attacked our friends - almost as if she'd been taught to "sic". We had to give her back... We get to visit her, because he'll make it work somehow. But it really hurt to have to give her up.

I've never known a GP to bite a human. Sure, he would run and throw his 175 pounds against a threat, stand on the unlucky creature's chest and bark and slobber in its face, but not bite.

My deepest sympathies and curses to her abuser. Perhaps she will recover, but it seems unlikely.

[jbenedict]

I was writing in jest. Truth is, when I was young I could not fathom old couples, but now I am one living with one.

What is weird about being 58 is having a nice lunch with a 45 year old woman and considering her a "young woman".

I had my 40th HS reunion last summer and there were so many women who were considered just kind of average back then who look really good know. I guess a life lived well makes a difference.

Some of us old guys had kind of gone to seed...

----

My upgrade is a Rittreck with a 4x5 back and I just bought an 8x10 back here in the last few days. The camera folds up pretty small. I've gone in the field with an 8x10 B&J with a big tripod, a lens in a #5 shutter and 8 holders so the weight is no big deal. A 5x7 back will finish it off. I'd like to get a modern 300mm +/- lens for the 8x10 and use it for the other sizes, too, but don't really neeeeeed one. I'll be moving some of the old stuff out soooon...

[Racer X 69]

I had my 40th HS reunion last summer and there were so many women who were considered just kind of average back then who look really good know. I guess a life lived well makes a difference.

I too had my 40th HS reunion this past summer, and also found many of the ladies who were so-so then have blossomed into beautiful flowers. And then there are the ones who were great looking then and continue to be so.

Of course there were also the ones who were the lookers then and have not aged well . . . . . . . and clearly have had "work" done.

Yuk!

[Racer X 69]

I was writing in jest. Truth is, when I was young I could not fathom old couples, but now I am one living with one. When we met I was living on thousands of acres of beautiful rolling highland, had long hair and was fit. She was a skinny, red-headed Irish gal. We have been together decades. You can guess that my hair and youth is gone, and her skinniness is yesterday and red hair is really white. We are a genuine thing, and forever. Now I understand.

I still have the full head of hair, and until a few years ago it reached a few inches below my waist. When I started driving a big truck, and found myself in Louisiana in July wrestling tarps over a load of airplane parts in the humidity I decided it was time for it to go.

So as soon as I returned home I washed it up and had Mrs. Racer braid it up real nice and cut it clean off at the nape of my neck, saving it for posterity. The hair is starting to get that distinguished grey at the temples look, which runs in the family. I can expect that this will be my "old guy look".

Mrs. Racer and I have also been together for decades. Surely she is not the svelte woman that caught my eye so many years ago, but she is still the most beautiful woman I know. Her hair was a delightful Norwegian Blonde, but these days is mostly grey. And generally she seems accepting of the changes to her form and is choosing to age gracefully.

(We still have our original VW Bug, too.)

Is it still as nice as in the photo?