Thursday, February 28, 2008
Give Texas Back...
As if there weren't enough reasons already.... Heck, then I'd feel bad for Mexico. Hearing a young texan refer to a presidential candidate as a "stud" , declare his devotion to Huckabee, and then say that we should have a male running the country almost made me hurl my oatmeal and a few expletives this morning. Man, it seems like none of these huckster supporters read Rolling Stone. I don't know if their religions prohibit it or not, but jeeeeebus! These folks need some serious help and probably should escape from their own zip codes more often.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Just Luck
As CP runs around the house happily playing among all of the crap that's accumulated in our tiny house, the radio discusses what happens to school kids in North Korea. Instead of spending time actually learning the three Rs, they spend time trying to find scrap material for that school that can be recycled. If they're lucky enough to get out, they need years of intensive catch up work. One girl that was mentioned was at least five years behind, but she was working through her high school studies in her mid-twenties.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Seeds For Some Change
Well, the LW and I just finally got off our collective butts and ordered seed for this year. As always, it'll be interesting to find a spot for everything - especially since the garden space was downsized by 40 square feet or so. We'll make it work though. There's plenty of space in the CGT plot and a good bit of unmolested space in the pre-CP version of our herb garden.
Today was jury duty for part of the day. It was rather quiet and I got to watch part of Hunt for Red October and read some of Animal Vegetable Miracle. I like this book more and more as I read it and can only hope that some of my relatives will enjoy it as much as I do. This weekend we found out that we got an invitation to join the Tucson CSA, so tomorrow we'll be headed downtown for a bit of a hike over there to submit our application. It's a first come or get none type deal for the application, so I hope that we make it.
Today was jury duty for part of the day. It was rather quiet and I got to watch part of Hunt for Red October and read some of Animal Vegetable Miracle. I like this book more and more as I read it and can only hope that some of my relatives will enjoy it as much as I do. This weekend we found out that we got an invitation to join the Tucson CSA, so tomorrow we'll be headed downtown for a bit of a hike over there to submit our application. It's a first come or get none type deal for the application, so I hope that we make it.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Team Roping and a Testy Toddler
On Monday the LW covered for me so that I could run up around Globe and shoot at a team-roping event in which Aunt Carie was participating. It was fun. I showed up at around noon and had 982 shots on the clicker and only had 35 remaining when I finally had to head back home. The event was for $10,000 and there were a buttload of folks there going for it. They had 900+ teams and I have no idea as of yet, how it went or how long they had to go.
It was my first run for the little prime lens that could. As it turns out, it couldn't. The focus mechanism kept hunting for focus and
just about every shot that I took has some amount of blur in it, then there was the ghosting/flare....sheesh. Turn it to manual focus you say? - well, that'd be a good bet if it weren't a f1.8 lens. I had to keep it pretty close to wide open to get anything, which means that just being a hair off of focus blurs everything. All in all, it was a good lesson - a good lesson in why many photographers say "I could do that", but most don't. I really could have used the speed and accuracy of something like this or this, but the price is just a bit out of reach. If this stuff starts paying anything, I may just try to rent a lens every now and then. There are some companies out there that have a lot of cool equipment that's out of reach for regular folks.
CP has been exerting her will more and more of late. This has caused no small amount of distress and consternation among her parents. This morning at storytime, she didn't want to have any part of putting the bean bags back in the box after the games were finished, so we had to make several trips outside to discuss things....fun.fun.fun.
It was my first run for the little prime lens that could. As it turns out, it couldn't. The focus mechanism kept hunting for focus and
just about every shot that I took has some amount of blur in it, then there was the ghosting/flare....sheesh. Turn it to manual focus you say? - well, that'd be a good bet if it weren't a f1.8 lens. I had to keep it pretty close to wide open to get anything, which means that just being a hair off of focus blurs everything. All in all, it was a good lesson - a good lesson in why many photographers say "I could do that", but most don't. I really could have used the speed and accuracy of something like this or this, but the price is just a bit out of reach. If this stuff starts paying anything, I may just try to rent a lens every now and then. There are some companies out there that have a lot of cool equipment that's out of reach for regular folks.CP has been exerting her will more and more of late. This has caused no small amount of distress and consternation among her parents. This morning at storytime, she didn't want to have any part of putting the bean bags back in the box after the games were finished, so we had to make several trips outside to discuss things....fun.fun.fun.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Persepolis Night Out
Auntie M. watched CP last night, so the LW and I were allowed to play around town like real grown-ups. It was nice. The first thing that the LW said that she wanted to do was to go see the movie Persepolis. Knowing nothing about it, I dutifully smiled and nodded. Once we made it to the loft, I recognized the movie we were seeing and was glad that we were there. It was just amazing. If you didn't catch it while it was in town, I pity you. It's that good. Really.
CP has returned from her overnight fun and has been on the go all
day. There is a good bit of snow on the rich folks and rain flowing in the streets for the rest of us today. This photo is the reason that I recently picked up a 50mm 1.8 prime lens for the camera.
CP has returned from her overnight fun and has been on the go all
day. There is a good bit of snow on the rich folks and rain flowing in the streets for the rest of us today. This photo is the reason that I recently picked up a 50mm 1.8 prime lens for the camera.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Mommy on A Bike
Last night the LW and I tried to adjust her front shifter on the bicycle so that she could ride today. I'll know whether or not it worked when she gets home this afternoon. She was up with the alarm at 5am this morning and off to the Y for a workout, then came home, packed her stuff and was off to the library for some sorely needed "out of the house" time.
We put our names on the CSA list for vegetables yesterday, so we'll see where that goes. Just one more issue to be crossed off of the "put our money where our mouth is" list.
I hope that the LW's enjoying her time today because it's been great for CP and I, even though she's been upset a good bit. We got out and about this morning in search of a potty chair at Target, but didn't find anything. We didn't find a pottty chair, but we did manage to run into the wife of the architect who has offered to help us with the strawbale project. It reminded me that I needed to return his email. Sometimes I'm just awful about doing that. The inbox fills up so fast that I think I'd need 4 monitors stacked on top of each other just to see what's there.
CP's trick for today was to fall completely off of her chair at the lunch table and land flat on her back on the kitchen floor. On the way she bumped into several things, but it still didn't make her very happy with life in general. She's sleeping now and I'm trying to sneak around the house and let her get a nice long nap.
We put our names on the CSA list for vegetables yesterday, so we'll see where that goes. Just one more issue to be crossed off of the "put our money where our mouth is" list.
I hope that the LW's enjoying her time today because it's been great for CP and I, even though she's been upset a good bit. We got out and about this morning in search of a potty chair at Target, but didn't find anything. We didn't find a pottty chair, but we did manage to run into the wife of the architect who has offered to help us with the strawbale project. It reminded me that I needed to return his email. Sometimes I'm just awful about doing that. The inbox fills up so fast that I think I'd need 4 monitors stacked on top of each other just to see what's there.
CP's trick for today was to fall completely off of her chair at the lunch table and land flat on her back on the kitchen floor. On the way she bumped into several things, but it still didn't make her very happy with life in general. She's sleeping now and I'm trying to sneak around the house and let her get a nice long nap.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Busy Weekend
This past weekend was pretty full. The LW kept CP on Saturday when I went to a garden meeting, a photography meetup, and then ran up to Picacho to a team roping event to take pictures. The garden meeting was full of folks and it was good to see. The photo meetup group discussed composition, but I had to bail out before the comment/critique and monthly contest got started. Today was another garden meeting and it was beautiful out. CP got her foot stuck in the mud and was not happy about it. The mud made a suction around her foot and she couldn't get out. Pretty funny stuff really.
My event story: It took me almost an hour to get up to where the roping event was being held. Every road here is being rebuilt and at the same time the Gem and Mineral Show is in town. Crazy traffic - like Kansas City really, but with barricades and fewer orange barrels. This roping event was the Ivan Muxlow Memorial and it was held at the Aros Arena in Picacho. It was my first semi-official gig for the new photo business and it went well. I learned some things about the camera and about the event that I will be able to use in the future. CP's Aunt Carie is going to be in one of these events really soon and I needed the practice. She looked the shots over and gave me some good ideas and an overall positive critique. I showed up with 493 possible photos available on my camera's CF card and left with less than 50 shots available. There are over 360 shots out on my PhotoReflect website now and it's almost set up. I hope to have the Labtricity portion of the ordering process running by Monday afternoon and the website ordering portion will be ready to run full blast.
I need to get on the inside track for knowing who puts these gigs on though. I walked into the office as the event was ending so that I could drop off a couple of business cards for the announcer and it seemed to me that she kinda gave me a bit of the stink-eye. Almost in a "yeah, buddy..whatever" way. It's something that I'll have to work on.
In other news, the penguin humidifier is really doing a great job and CP's on the mend. I spoke to my folks this evening and she felt well enough to say, "Hi Grandy" into the phone. We hope that she'll start eating regularly again soon.
My event story: It took me almost an hour to get up to where the roping event was being held. Every road here is being rebuilt and at the same time the Gem and Mineral Show is in town. Crazy traffic - like Kansas City really, but with barricades and fewer orange barrels. This roping event was the Ivan Muxlow Memorial and it was held at the Aros Arena in Picacho. It was my first semi-official gig for the new photo business and it went well. I learned some things about the camera and about the event that I will be able to use in the future. CP's Aunt Carie is going to be in one of these events really soon and I needed the practice. She looked the shots over and gave me some good ideas and an overall positive critique. I showed up with 493 possible photos available on my camera's CF card and left with less than 50 shots available. There are over 360 shots out on my PhotoReflect website now and it's almost set up. I hope to have the Labtricity portion of the ordering process running by Monday afternoon and the website ordering portion will be ready to run full blast.
I need to get on the inside track for knowing who puts these gigs on though. I walked into the office as the event was ending so that I could drop off a couple of business cards for the announcer and it seemed to me that she kinda gave me a bit of the stink-eye. Almost in a "yeah, buddy..whatever" way. It's something that I'll have to work on.
In other news, the penguin humidifier is really doing a great job and CP's on the mend. I spoke to my folks this evening and she felt well enough to say, "Hi Grandy" into the phone. We hope that she'll start eating regularly again soon.
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Sick Baby
Well, just like clockwork, with less than two weeks to go for her next checkup at the doc's office, CP is ill. A cough started over the weekend and is now a full-blown, fevery, and snot-laden mess. One trip to the mall play area in the flu/vomiting disease season is all that it takes. The LW was up last night at midnight with snotty vomit all over her. CP coughed so much that she finally started chucking, so the LW got in the tub with her and the tired baby got to play a bit with the light-up ducky. It appears to be flu-like and the LW and I are just wondering when, not if, we'll get it.
We did start getting eggs from our feathered pets this week though. It's a nice change and proof that spring is right down the road a bit.
We did start getting eggs from our feathered pets this week though. It's a nice change and proof that spring is right down the road a bit.
Monday, February 04, 2008
Drippin' Eaves
Calling my brother back in KC to tell him about how I'm walking around in sunshine in sandals has come back on me today. It's good to see the rain though, since it really cleans the leaves and the extra blue brings out the deep green colors in the plants that is normally washed out by the sun. CP is at preschool this morning and I've been able to arrange photos and get things cleaned up in general. I also was able to book my first semi-official photo shoot with a friend this morning. I'm excited about it and nervous about things coming out like I want them to be. Either way it'll be fun and I hope to shoot some at some other events soon too.
This morning on the drive home, I was treated to this broadcast on NPR. It made me really grateful to hear that some folks are capturing stories like this and sharing them. There's so much dreadful stuff going on right now with factory farming and the chemical companies that run parts of the government.
Some folks aren't taking it and are fighting back. We really need to not only hear stories like this one, but seek out others and begin to understand what's going on with all of the things that many of us take for granted on the grocery store shelves. Perhaps folks think that they're immune from crap like the stuff that Monsanto is pulling, but none of us are immune if big companies gain a hold on the seeds, the very stuff that makes plants, and patent them. Yes, patenting seeds. Don't believe me? Check this out. They're taking seeds that have been around for eons - and claiming patents on them. It's almost as ridiculous as the schmucks at Smuckers trying to patent the peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It won't seem rediculous though, when standard strains get mixed with the patented seeds and the patent lawyers come knockin'.
This morning on the drive home, I was treated to this broadcast on NPR. It made me really grateful to hear that some folks are capturing stories like this and sharing them. There's so much dreadful stuff going on right now with factory farming and the chemical companies that run parts of the government.
Some folks aren't taking it and are fighting back. We really need to not only hear stories like this one, but seek out others and begin to understand what's going on with all of the things that many of us take for granted on the grocery store shelves. Perhaps folks think that they're immune from crap like the stuff that Monsanto is pulling, but none of us are immune if big companies gain a hold on the seeds, the very stuff that makes plants, and patent them. Yes, patenting seeds. Don't believe me? Check this out. They're taking seeds that have been around for eons - and claiming patents on them. It's almost as ridiculous as the schmucks at Smuckers trying to patent the peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It won't seem rediculous though, when standard strains get mixed with the patented seeds and the patent lawyers come knockin'.
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