29 March 2010

NEWS - DAY SEVEN. THRIFTAPALOOZA 2010, MINT OLYMPUS AND THE FIRST SALE.

I got a late start on the day as I was able to sleep in for the first time in a while. I needed that. The promise of some good thrift store action pulled me out of the house and into Ventura.
By the time I got down there I was starved and in dire need of coffee. Within about 30 minutes on E Main Street I had 2 shot-in-the-darks ('red eye', 'canadianno'... etc.) and was sitting down in a fifties style diner called... something to do with a 'Bee'... ordering the best club sandwich I've had in a long time. (asking for vinegar to no avail). Fifties diners are so much better when the waitresses wear cheerleader uniforms and the tables have mini-jukes on them.

Then, fed and fully caffeinated, I went in search of thrift stores. I noticed one, a pretty big one, and went in. It was the Child Abuse Thrift Store (they really need to come up with a better name... I understand it's purpose, but it just doesn't sound right.) I found a handfull of frames that the lovely Sommer (left) rung through for me and walked out to find that there was another thrift store right next door. Dropped off my finds in the Troutmobile and returned to store two where Casey (not left) sold me a couple more. (if either of you are reading this please and your name is mis-spelled, please let me know)


...then it was back up the street to the Troutmobile to throw my booty in the back seat (for you kids out there... 'booty' used to mean 'treasure'... not 'ass'... my ass goes in the driver's seat). Then I realized that I was parked right in the middle of thrift store heaven with several on either side of the street. By this point, I figured that I had enough frames but needed to check the places out anyway. Each one was better than the last. It was crazy. I could have spent a thrifty fortune in that town. But I was good.
In the very last one I went into (parking had long past expired and I was risking tickets) I found this little doosie for 8 bucks and couldn't say no. It's in pretty good (maybe not 'mint') condition.


I had only just found out about these recently as I read an article that said Olympus just re-issued these cameras in digital format. The article explained a bit of the history of the PEN series. The unique (I think it was unique... I didn't look too much into it) thing about these is that they shot half-frames on 35mm film. So, instead of 24 exposures you'd get 48 pretty interestingly formatted little pictures. Now, I'm a little dubious of this re-issue in digital format as with digital you can:
a) crop it to any dang size you want anyway. You can crop them into a frikken rhombus if you want to.
and
b) shoot how ever dang many shot you want in digital.

...can you say 'money grab'?

Anyway... I love my new little toy. It took me a while to figure out how to load and have taken a bunch of shots with it since. I will update you all on that when I get it developed.

Then it was back to Camarillo where Leah and Derrick's friend Jeff joined us for dinner with yours truly whipping up another seafood pasta which went over fairly well I think. Leah and Derrick were wonderful hosts and, when I was leaving the next morning, purchased a framed print out of the trunk of the Troutmobile. Officially marking my first sale of the trip. Thank you both very much. Derrick also loaned me a pair of running shoes as I'd left mine at home and gave me a Jamba Juice (is that what it's called?) gift card. He's just that kind of nice.

The next morning I was off to LA...

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