{ Posted 1:25am, Thursday, January 1, 2004 }

Here we are: 2004. I don't get excited about New Year's Day. If anything, it's become something to dread. Another birthday cometh.

Last year was tough. I moved onto the next checkbox. You know, when you fill out those surveys that ask you your age. For a long time, I was 30-35. Last year I moved to the 36-40 box. Nothing like a questionnaire to make you feel mortal.

Another sign of approaching middle-age? Pajama pants. I was strictly a shorts guy, but this year I bought some pajama pants to wear with my T-shirts. I came to the realization that pajama pants are for old guys when one day I needed to get the mail. I looked down at my pajama pants and thought, "No way in Hell I'm going outside in these."

Guys my age don't wear pajama pants outside. Old, balding guys wear pajama pants outside. They fetch the paper in them. Water the lawn. Walk the dogs.


Monday, I managed to make it to the final breakfast at Union Square landmark, Sears Fine Food.

I had seen the people line up for years (I attended the Academy of Art College about a block away) but had never gone there to eat. The lines were always too long. On this momentous day, I braved the rain and long lines to take part in the end of an era. Yes, I jumped on the bandwagon.

I would recommend the 18 Swedish pancakes, but its too late for that.


As I get older, I become more and more difficult to shop for. My income has increased to the point where I can buy pretty much whatever I want.

This Christmas I got a lot of utilitarian items. Gloves, socks, underwear, scarves. I did get a cool R. Crumb Mr. Natural statue.

I collect Spider-man stuff, but I'm almost impossible to shop for on this front because I have everything that's affordable. I can't begin to count the times someone buys me a Spider-man item that I already have. I did get a few Spidey items this year that I didn't have though. The only thing left is original art, but that stuff runs $500 and up, so it's never happening.


As promised, I've redesigned the page. The older entries still feature the previous design though. I've also redesigned the art direction (not ready to go live just yet), illustration and photologue pages.

The ad portfolio site's been in the works for a couple months, but I did the illustration and photo sites in a day. I'm pretty happy with the results considering how fast it all came together.

In addition to the links at the right, there are links to some of my favorite blogs on the Archive page. Be sure to check them out.


I updated the Photologue section with a handful of new pictures. Just started playing with my two new cameras: the digital Pentax Optio 555 and the cheap plastic Holga. I can't wait to get my first roll of Holga film developed. It's my first experience using medium format film. Of course I have to find stuff worth shooting first.

   



Pentax Optio 555
Fuji Finepix 6800Z
Holga


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Bud Powell in Paris
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  -Gaze
Fishbone-Truth & Soul
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  -A Love Supreme
XTC-Collected works
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©2004 Ron Lim unless noted

KEYWORDS: Ron Lim, Ron W. Lim, blog, art direction, photographs, illustration, Spider-man, Amazing Fantasy #15, comics