Quarantine Days - Week 7 - A Visual Diary

Maybe it’s just me, but is it getting harder each week or more frustrating?!?!?

It’s the question I’ve been asking pretty much all week as we battled our way through a seventh stay at home week. We are all doing our best but our fuses feel much shorter and what can push us off our game is the slightest breeze. The isolation bubble is fine. Being with my family is the greatest gift of my life. Sylvie and Estella have matured in ways these past seven weeks that reach beyond their years. They have a greater sense of the world, an independence, but at the same time have needs like any other child. They need room to roam, the great wide open to explore. I’m sure they dream differently, the freedom of expression has been muted a bit. Life experience has been put a little on hold. Is it harder or just more frustrating? I’m grateful for my wife and all she does. With mother’s day approaching I hope I can take away some of that stress, give her time to feel like a woman, and have time to herself.

At the same time though, we are blessed for the moments where the love is all around us. It keeps us going, reminds us that we are not alone, that there is connection and beauty in the simple things. Like a pair of roller skates and roller blades as a gift from friends. The girls woke up all week and the first thing they did was strap on their skates and skate back and forth in the back yard from one end to other over and over again! It gave them happiness, something new to look forward to. And Amanda did face masks and cream with the girls a night before bed. To think that was a big deal, something special. We washed the cars and set up sprinklers in the backyard. Amanda got a care package from her dad, went through all her old pictures, reliving high school moments and texting her friends. I got on my fixie, like old times, and went out into the world a couple times to see some peeps. I sat with the Croll’s in their backyard and caught up, got to visit with my god daughter Cleo, and see that smile up close.

I met Estella’s teacher at school to pick up assignments for the coming weeks. She was shinning to see her students, if only for a brief moment up close, knowing they are okay and keeping a positive attitude. So much love. So much worry though too. So much concern for those little minds that she spent nearly 40 hours a week with everyday in person. She is a hero.

We had a nice surprise visit from the Rosenberg family. It was a moment for Alexa and Sylvie to catch up. They’ve been friends since the day they were born and last year went to summer camp together back in Wisconsin. I hope they will have that opportunity again this summer. Time will tell.

Not much else to report. Looking forward to getting back to it when we can. Staying hopeful that is in the coming month(s). We need to continue to reach out and stay connected. Stay positive and know this will not go on forever. There will come a day when we get back to it, that we’ll be able to hug and not let go. I look forward to that day!

Be well all. Stay safe. Stay healthy. Stay home. Until next week…

The Kester Elementary Yard is overgrown with weeds. It almost looked abandoned 4/25/20.

Mrs. Richardson and her daughter wait in the Kester Elementary parking lot to distribute the next three weeks of assignments for Estella’s first grade class 4/25/20.

The Rosenberg’s surprised us with a quick visit. Alexa and Sylvie have been friends since the day they were born 4/25/20.

Creams and face masks made up the evening activity before bed 4/25/20.

Estella & Sylvie play an intense game of Roblox to pass the time 4/26/20.

The car was is need of a deep cleanse so Sylvie decided to lend a hand 4/26/20.

Estella jumps through the sprinkler on a hot afternoon day in the valley 4/26/20.

Roller skating and blading has been all the rage after the Fuentes girls gave Estella & Sylvie their skates 4/28/20.

Amanda going through boxes and boxes of picture that her father sent 4/29/10.

Visiting with the Croll’s on a Friday afternoon 5/1/20.

My First Leica

To own a Leica camera is like being in a really really cool club. That little red dot. That rectangular body. And that sexy lens. It’s the perfect tool for making pictures.

I remember it like it was yesterday. It was late spring 2012. I had finally worked up the courage to go to Samy’s Camera on Fairfax in the hope of trading in all my Nikon gear to put toward my first Leica rangefinder camera.

I watched that Wim Wenders short video for the Leica M8 on repeat, dreaming of the day where I might hold my own Leica in my hand. Something so simple and elegant. And that sound, that click that is so unbelievably sexy when you press the shutter release, the shutter opens and closes, and you’ve made a picture.

When I arrived at the store, I think I literally said “today’s the day.” There is a specific person you need to see who will look at and price out all your gear you want to trade so I made sure to come on the day he worked. My goal was the hope that my gear would cover at least the M9 body and I would put fresh cash toward a lens. I was introduced to Ted Szilagyi who sadly passed away a few years ago. He was the Leica specialist who could talk to me about the camera I was about to buy. He had a big smile. This was before Samy’s on Fairfax remodeled so Leica could have their own special area up on the third floor. Until then, Leica was at the counter with all the other camera brands.

Ted walked me through everything. He was as excited as me. I was in awe. I remember when he unboxed the M9 and he said “this camera has never been touched by human hands.” That was cool, I thought. He found a memory card, slotted it in, popped on a lens and had me demo the camera. I had never shot a rangefinder camera so it was all new to me, especially how to focus. I acted like I knew what I was doing.

The sales clerk came back and gave me a number for my old gear. I was a little short and kindly asked him if he’d bump it up another two hundred because I was hoping my old bodies and lenses would at least cover the body of the new camera. I told him I’d spent a lot a money at the store over the years (which I had, honestly)! He agreed, and Ted and I picked out a lens. I didn’t have a ton of cash so I went with a Leica 35mm f/2.5 Summarit Lens. I got weak in the knees. I was ready to make some pictures.

I still own and cherish that camera. I ended up putting black tape over the red dot and the M9 engraving. I thought I was a badass street photographer who wanted to float under the radar. I was silly, but I’ll never forget that day of buying my first Leica for as long as I live.