Once again flushed with excitement, once again the master of his world
– my father is at the peak of his form directing the other
photographers in a flurry of preparation for an important presentation
tomorrow. It is good to see them so.

Quick thinking and an almost conspiratorial comment may have helped
avert an ugly mood; if not that, at least force of will and
appreciation of pressure. There will be time for recriminations later,
perhaps. Were it up to me there would be no time for recriminations at
all, there being so many other ways to gently shape someone’s
behavior. (Like a bonsai is grown not by slashing off large chunks but
rather by persuading little branches to grow certain ways…)

And – oh yes – geek power. One of my father’s assistants had spent an
afternoon working on the computer as it refused to recognize one of
the digital backs we use. Quick, short, discouraging beeps and an
unhelpful dialog box were all he got for his efforts. With some
Googling and an almost unconscious sense of what might be important, I
got the whole thing up and running. Wheeeee. =)