the weekend in a few pictures

dragon boat races on saturday and a meandering macro, overcast sunday.  then later sunday a marathon of 'pillars of the earth' series on demand with my nephew.  watching the dragon boat races was a lot of fun - it was the first time the city has held them and i enjoyed watching the teams.  next time i need a pass were i can get close to where all the boats were docked.

the pugs got a bath saturday and lizzie was hyper excited to be all clean and pretty.  this is my brother playing with her.

the wind hampered the macro morning - but i did get to explore some things that i typically don't shoot like the lichen.

it's friday and i love a list

some days we all run a bit ragged and need a bit of a breather... (just like this little guy)  i hope you have a beautiful friday and have the opportunity to catch your breath.

my favorite ways to relax:

• exploring with my camera
• sitting outside reading a good book
• reading magazines in bed
• sitting around a campfire telling stories
• driving in my car  with no particular destination
• laughing with friends or sharing a bite to eat together
• staring at the stars
• listening to the waves at the beach, and 
• though i know you're not supposed to do it - swimming alone

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today on my ipod -  sundown (gordon lightfoot), fields of gold (sting), hold my hand (hootie & the blowfish), dock of the bay (otis redding), wonderful tonight (eric clapton), barely breathing (duncan sheik), wonderland (angie aparo), wonderwall (oasis), until i fall away (gin blossoms)

magical potions

inspired by kim's recipe book today with a bit of michelle black and playing with brushes mixed in....

this may be my favorite portrait of her yet.

update

upd

update:  miracles of miracles, they think they were able to save my tooth and i'm sitting at home with a temporary crown.  i was in the dentist chair for about five hours today while they worked me in and did an emergency root canal on the spot.  i'm a bit sore but so far, so good.

theme class has wrapped and i'm struggling with what to take next - i need to take a photoshop class in order to get into the advanced photography class.  but...i'm wondering if i can get a pass because i'm not sure how often they offer the advanced class.  the shots you're looking at today were for my last theme "rainy day women #12 and 35"....the limitations were that we could not shoot anything with drugs or any images of bob dylan.  ms. c is always such a good sport and jumped right into doing some of the shoot in the rain.  my favorites are the 2nd and last shot.

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today on my ipod (mellow monday around here) - turpentine (brandi carlisle), hang (matchbox 20), hey there delilah (plain white t's), one (u2), solitary man (covered by chris isaak), i'm yours (jason mraz), because i told you so (jonatha brooke), close to you (far too jones), nobody knows me (lyle lovett), lover's cross (jim croce)

it's as real as it gets around here folks. an accident yesterday rendered me into something that resembles stu's fraternal twin from 'the hangover'.... so there will be an emergency dental visit tomorrow.

definitely not pretty. 

so, i have been amusing myself making new headers and watching old movies.  i did sneak down to my office today to leave some things for meetings i'm supposed to be in tomorrow.  i can join by teleconference....if i'm not in the chair.

it's just been that kind of weekend - the movie was so-so (the switch) and the food at my favorite chinese place was not so hot.  lizzie has decided that she loves pooping in my studio/den.  the weather is still hot.  but, in the grand scheme of things it could all be worse so i best make the best of it.  i have dental insurance now, jason bateman was adorable in the movie (so was the little boy), the chinese food wasn't so horrible that i didn't eat it...and the dog issue can be resolved with a bit more diligence in making sure she goes outside more often.... right?

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today on my ipod - brilliant disguise (bruce springsteen), get your sh*t together (beth hart), mercedes benz (janis joplin), a pirate looks at forty (jimmy buffet), meet virginia (train), tyrone (erika badu), easy to be hard (three dog night), who's going to ride your wild horses (u2), lean on me (bill withers)

it's friday and i love a list

there was supposed to be a pretty picture along with this post...but for some reason since i took my tablet to nashville it's been acting like a recalcitrant little hussy.  so...no pretty picture for now.

seven signs that i'm tragically unhip...
1.  i have no idea who the "animal collective" and "lcd soundsystem" are - silly me i thought one was a sequel to a literary classic and one was something you got for your high def tv. 
2.  i'm too "old" to wear 3-inch heels anymore.  i'm more into comfort than style.  *tragic sigh*
3.  i shake my head at some of the stuff "the kids" are wearing these days.  this from the girl that rocked the hot pants back in her day.
4.  i regret my tattoo choice.   not the choice of getting it - but rather going with the whim of the time and the location.
5.  i hate texting.  there i said it.  i do - i hate it - it seems like a big waste of time when i can tell you quicker than i can type it.  i only use it in emergencies.
6.  i don't "get" twilight.  i don't think it's particularly well written or a good message for its original audiences (the tweeners)
7.  i used "hip" in the title of this list.  (i also remember the cold war, paper boys, vinyl records, and television before cable and/or remote controls)

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today on my ipod -  cinnamon girl (neil young), heartless (covered by william fitzsimmons), take me (edwin mccain), the scientist (coldplay), hooch (everything), little fire (patty griffin and emmylou harris), son of a preacher man (dusty springfield), tempted (squeeze),

summer's golden haze has melted into dark, stormy clouds that haunt my horizons - taunting me with whispers of cool weather...if only, if only.  she steals my breath away - not with her beauty or, lately even her bounty - but with wet buckets of air that sap my strength and vigor.  leaving me quite languid and slightly more than just irritated.

i never want to wish away time....but today, and maybe even tomorrow and possibly next week.  i long for fall's cool embrace.

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today on my ipod - i go blind (hootie & the blowfish), where you lead (carole king), she talks to angels (black crows), tom's diner (suzanne vega), roll on (little willie), long day (matchbox twenty), warm whispers (missy higgins), the freshmen (the verve pipe), wasted time (eagles), solitude (edwin mccain), with or without you (u2), just like a woman (bob dylan), breakdown (tom petty)

too many thoughts

today my mother would have been 72.  i don't know really how she would have reacted to being that age, except for being grateful to have reached it.  she would have loved a party with the family, hugs from her grandchildren and being surrounded by people that love her.  and my mother, for all of her follibles, was well loved by most that knew her.  and i miss her.  i miss her a bunch.  and i feel like every time i say that in this place, that i need to acknowledge all of you that are missing someone.  so i stop and say a short prayer for them too.  but as the saying goes, life really is too short to live with regrets.  so today i celebrate all that she was.  she was an elvis loving, margarita drinking, silver-haired, laughing, historical romance reading, hug-dispensing, pepsi (not-coke) loving, creative woman.  so - happy birthday mom - hope you celebrate with all that you love that are with you. 

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for some reason, a collaborative book of some sort between my blogging buddies.  for some reason today it just popped in my head.  maybe i've been reading too many cookbooks by patricia yearwood or blogs or something but...it is just nagging me.  i'm not talking about one of those fancy blurb books that costs so much money - unless you all felt that way.  but i'm thinking like everyone take a couple of pages - type recipes, tips, add photographs, drawings, jokes, quotes, whatever...a hodgepodge of advice.  and then let's put it all together in a giant sandwich of something.  we can share it via a pdf or something.  my brain hasn't gotten that far.

also...for those of you that participated in lens.us.together.  we have come to the end of our year together - do we want to continue...let it go into that good place or what?  if you are interested, have suggestions or what.  let us know.  or maybe that's where our pages can go....onto that blog.  just a thought about it anyway.

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today on my ipod - harvest moon (neil young), i shall be released (bob dylan), bring it on home to me (sam cook), good (better than ezra), anna begins (counting crows), send it up (vertical horizon), slow dancing in a burning room (john mayer), where are you going (dave matthews band), i fall to pieces (patsy cline), sugar magnolia (grateful dead)

i love a list

it seems i never get to this on friday anymore - this friday was particularly hectic. the last theme in my photography class was "six"....so here are six things that i love:

photography,
elvis,
bottles,
birds,
globes and
old glass doorknobs.

i hope you had a wonderful weekend.  it seems that mine was both too long and too short.  weird.

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today on my ipod -  days like this (van morrison), out of my head (fastball), aida (sarah mclachlan), midnight Rider (allman brothers), wrapped around your finger (the police), no one else on earth (wynonna judd), hard headed woman (cat stevens), i want it all (edwin mccain), if god will send his angels (u2)

sleepy girl

work has been crazy hectic with the interviews of potential assistants, the awarding of an RFP (request for proposal), an advisory commission meeting...and the fun never stops.  no, really - most days it is really fun as i feel we are doing something exciting - much like when we went mainly from paper checks to atm cards....just with medical records.

the most jaw dropping thing that happened to me today is during an interview i had someone lie directly to my face and when i told her that i worked in that office about 10 years before her and worked on the same project she was calling her "success story" - she still didn't back off the lie.  it was pretty amazing to see in action actually.  needless to say, she is now off the list of potentials.

i'm glad that the last blog touched so many of you.  on the days where i feel the world is kicking my butt, it's good to know you know how i feel.  now, if i could just get some of you to come rub this crick out of my neck, life would be sweet.  

if it doesn't rain here soon, my entire yard is going to burn up.  it's crazy that it is raining all around us, but not here.  i'm ready for a day long, steady rain.  not the gutter washing kind or the intermittent storms...but just the kind that keeps you lazy in bed.  but, the clear weather is good as i'm trying to decide if i want to set the alarm for 4:00ish to go watch the meteor shower.  i have good intentions but....  (hahahaha)  what about you....would you do that?  have you?  i'm enough of a science geek to think about it.

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today on my ipod -  wonder (natalie merchant), follow you down (the gin blossoms), fallin' in love (hamilton, joe frank & reynolds), come undone (cravin' melon), girl, you'll be a woman soon (covered by urge overkill), try a little tenderness (otis redding), the unforgettable fire (u2), out of my head (fastball), pardon me (incubus)

wing flappin' 101

it seems a lot of my blogging buddies are in need of a little wing flappin' to lift their spirits.  some are wracked with self-doubt, some have not great things happening in their lives, and some well, to put it frankly are just having a crappy little summer.

so, i'm asking my blogging community to lend a hand and assisting these tired, weighed down angels a little assistance with flappin' their wings.

*ahem*  lordy, is that some cheese or what?  yeah, well. it was a poor attempt to gather some laughs on a very serious subject.  it seems that august is wearing a lot of my someones down.  one of my greatest lessons about blogging is that if you're feeling that way - odds are there are a lot of other people are feeling the same - doubting themselves, worrying about sick family members, about money or jobs or children or...you get the drill.  the thing is though i might feel alone, i'm not.  all of you have felt these things at one time or another. 

i keep by my desk a quote - "what would you do, if you knew you could not fail?"  so....what would you do?  how high could you reach - how self-confident could you be - what beauty could you share?  stand in front of the mirror and ask yourself that question.  you might be surprised at the answer.

and today....if you feel especially confident - make sure you engage in a little support for those that might be limping along today.  i'm sure they will return the favor for you just when you need it the most.

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today on my ipod - do your thing (edwin mccain), wasted time (the eagles), gotta have you (the weepies), real world (matchbox twenty), beautiful (india.arie), songbird (eva cassidy), i won't back down (tom petty), one big love (patty griffin), cinnamon girl (neil young), don't stop believin' (journey)

it's friday and i love a list (august break version)

i would guess that post a friday post on a saturday would be the sort of thing i could do on an august break. 

favorite driving songs:
1.  take it easy - the eagles
2.  tiny dancer - elton john
3.  lunatic fringe - red ryder
4.  radar love - golden earring
5.  boys of summer - don henley

things i love about being on the road:
1. the usatoday crossword
2.  hot waffles on the breakfast bar
3. new people, places & things
4.  king bed & four pillows

things i love about coming home:
1.  the dogs greeting me at the door
2.  sleeping in my bed
3.  the box fan
4.  not living out of a suitcase

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today on my ipod - broken (angie aparo), lonesome town (rick nelson), you're beautiful (james blunt), melissa (allman brothers), amber (311), your winter (sister hazel), every little she does is magic (the police)

august break 02

one of my loves - taken by my sister-in-law

blogger is acting crazy today - i'm not sure why so i couldn't load the shot of the sunset i took on the way home last night (blogger kept turning it upside down).  so i give you one of my precious angels having a good time on the farm.

also, i can't seem to take it off centered. 

i'm home today from nashville where i learned more about changing the face of health care - at really cool food at a localvore restaurant (they grow all of their how veg and fruit and use only organic, wild caught, etc.) - and sweated a profuse amount in this sweltering weather.  i'm attempting to catch up with you all.

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today on my ipod - surrounded (chantal kreviazuk), take it to the limit (the eagles), natural forces (lyle lovett), up on the roof (the drifters), wicked game (chris isaak),

feeling good (nina simone), feels like rain (john hiatt), just my imagination (covered by pete yorn)

august break 01

Tigers love pepper... they hate cinnamon.

it's friday (so it's really sunday) and i love a list

we're interviewing for an assistant and there are 51 candidates....fun times, right?

things overheard during interviews:  
1.   my weakness point is i can be a bit lax sometimes, but i'll get the job done.
2.   my current supervisor doesn't like me to take initiative or ask questions, but all i'm doing is trying to help
3.  i've never done that before, on any of my jobs, is that required?
4.  my weakness point is a strong point, really. 
5.  everyone is human, everyone has weaknesses, even you.
6.  i would access my grammar skills as real good.
7.  can i give you a hug, i feel as though we really connected.

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last night we went to see dinner for schmucks - with steve carell and paul rudd.  though i found myself groaning sometimes, overall i thought it was really funny too.  i didn't laugh as hard as i did with the hangover or there's something about mary, it still was great entertainment for a saturday night.  (plus i think Zach Galifianakis is one of the funniest people currently out there)

we saw a really great blues band (delta moon) thursday night.  my poor sister, i give her hell.  i really don't like the place here that has the great blues bands....it's dirty, small and overpriced and i really hate that it's usually a minimum of $50 anytime we go there to hear a band.  i need not to be such a brat. 

today on my ipod - constant craving (k.d. lang), mexican wrestler (jill sobule), all i want is you (u2), sounds of silence (simon & garfunkel), crazy love (van morrison), 32 flavors (ani difranco), she talks to angels (black crows), love is hell (ryan adams), slip away (the commitments), don't change horses (derek trucks), king of pain (the police), when i fall (barenaked ladies), life in the storm (edwin mccain)