Sunday, June 24, 2012

That's PROFESSOR Dumbass, Ph.D.

I like to tell people, "My brain is highly specialized."  Because sometimes, I do things like this:

Wake up at friend's family apartment in Blarg city.  Look at stuff to take to Deltaville, a town 2 1/2 hours away from Blarg City, where I'm going to be spending a week in the archives.  Ask host/friend if I can leave my hand luggage with him for the week, then pick it up on my return.  He says yes.  I sort while charging various devices (so the many, many cords can be one of the things I don't haul with me), then toss the "keep it here" bag in his closet.  I make darned sure that computer, clothing, toiletries, cell phone, camera, and Books I'll Need actually make it into the "take it with me" bag.

Get on train to Deltaville. Unpack bag in hotel.  Everything is in order.  Take out book and wallet as I go out to scout the location of the archive, and try to find a place for dinner.  Take camera, too, because the sun is setting, and it's going to be great picture-taking conditions. Leave computer and passport in hotel room.

Half an hour into my walk, I'm down near the river.  Pretty light.  Something photo-worthy pops up.  Dig camera out of bag, remove lens cap, turn on, look through viewfinder... wait -- what?

Why am I not getting a clear picture?

Did i not turn it on?

What's going on?  Did I break it?

No, dumbass: you left the conscientiously charged camera battery in the charger, then put the charger and cord in the "leave it here" bag.  It's back in Blarg City.  Two and a half hours away.  And you need it for your research here in Deltaville.


::sigh::

So, since I can't show you the picture I would have taken today, here's another one from a couple of nights ago:

Much like my brain: An Unintentional Abstract

10 comments:

Comrade Physioprof said...

Whoops!

Contingent Cassandra said...

Oh, dear. This is one of the reasons that, when I shopped for a new archive camera (not as fancy as yours, I suspect), I went with one that takes AA batteries. I have a couple of rechargeable sets, but of course, in a pinch, I can buy disposables pretty much anywhere (at least in the U.S., where I do my research). Because I am totally capable of doing exactly this.

Fie upon this quiet life! said...

Oh no. Can the guy ship it to you?

Susan said...

No, it's just you in absent minded professor mode. But unless Deltaville is REALLY small, I would expect you can buy,...

Notorious Ph.D. said...

Actually, I just sucked it up and hopped on a train back to Blarg City, picked up the battery, and an hour later got on the train again.

And perhaps it was meant to be like that, because three-quarters of the way on my walk to the station, a colleague from my department stepped out of an internet kiosk RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME. Seriously, we almost knocked each other over. He had told me he would be in Blarg City for two days, but since those days were my days in Deltaville, I promptly forgot about it. And there he was, halfway around the world.

Susan said...

It really is a small world!

Priyanka said...

To your credit, you didn't pack your camera, notebook, assorted other touristy participant-observation tools... and then, in a rush, leave home without this little handy tool-kit, and spend the entire day without pen, paper, camera, eye drops for your ageing eyes, or mints to suck on and unfamiliar strangeness happened all around you.

That's right, Professor. You lost this one to me. The one and only.

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