I just thought I would would post a few pics just before I leave from a recent photo adventure I had with a good friend of mine...

Read More

This is a warning!

I just wanted to forewarn everyone that reads this blog.  It may not be many of you, but still, consider yourself warned.

Starting this coming Tuesday, November 4th, something will be different for a while.  Blah, blah, blah, the election this and the election that... I know.  But the while is only a week.  What will be different for a week?  The fact that you wont be able to get a hold of me because I am going to be in Costa Rica my friend!!

So, from the 4th until the 11th my phone will be off, I won't be on the internet, and I won't have an address to send letters or anything else to.  And, I could never be more excited to be cut off from the world.  It is going to be great.  I have been looking forward to this for a while now, and I only think in terms of the relation that things have to my trip.  Either they are in connection with it or not, and they are happening either before or after it.  The rest of the details, don't know, and right now I don't really care.  I'll deal with it all when I get back.

So, unless something else comes up and I feel so inclined to post before Tuesday, I'll talk to you when I get back.  There will be pictures to show and stories to tell I am sure!  So be like the Boy Scouts!

Read More

Playing with light

I've been playing with the setting on my camera a lot lately and really trying different things. I have come to find in my photography that I always in corporate different lighting into what I do. Obviously is takes light to take pictures, but I think that most people use light to compliment the scene. They set up the light to get the picture they want. I think that I have been using the scene to compliment the light and set up my scene based on the lighting. So, last night as I was out and about wandering around Evanston, I found this little park with the lighting that I just loved and came out with these pictures.

One of the things I love here is the ghost-like quality of putting myself in the picture, but not for the entire time of the actual shot. I decided to entitle these, "Leaving my mark on the world."

Read More

Blogger composition page

I've decided that I hate the composition page here in Blogger.  And quite honestly, I don't care if they read this and delete the post or get rid of my blog all together.  Here are my complaints, and if anyone knows how to fix this, PLEASE ENLIGHTEN ME...

1. The area that I can use to create and edit a post is way to small.  It is hard to see what you are actually doing without hitting preview 5 bazillion times.

2. You can't pick the spot to upload your pictures.  You put your cursor where you want the picture and hit upload and the picture shows up at the top of the page.

3. When you move pictures around it messes up the format you have already set up for your text.  Then once you get the pictures where you want them and try to fix the text, it messes up the pictures.  If you try to do pictures first, it is a beast to get the text to go where you want it.  It is a never ending circle of frustration.

In all honesty, I am amazed that I have been able to post what I have up to this point.  But for now, I'm going to live with it in hopes that it will change one day, and I will keep on blogging.  In fact, I have 2 posts that I am working on and can't seem to get to be set up the way I want them to be.  I'll keep trying, but for now... I'm out!

Read More

The power of a smart car...

Have you ever googled your own name to see what comes up?  Well, I just did mine and there were 427,000 pages.  Now, of those I am sure I only actually have maybe 2 that are anywhere related to me.  In fact I know of 1 for sure.  The second hit that came up was my facebook profile.  Hmmm... very interesting.

Also, the other day I got hit by one of these...

Yeah, a stupid little Smart Car.  Now, it wasn't like I physically got hit myself, but as I was driving my car I got hit.  **side note: I am sure if it had been my physical being that I would have done more damage to it than it to me**  Anyway, I was stopped behind an SUV and I looked up into my rearview mirror and watched as this little thing came towards me, and not showing any signs of slowing down.  Now, in any normal situation someone's life generally will flash before their eyes thinking they are about to die.  Nope, not this time.  I watched it, said to myself that I was about to get hit, heard screech and bang and almost started laughing.  We pulled off to the side of the road and I got out, looked at my car and there was no damage.  I swear she was going at the car's top speed too--you know, like 10 mph.  I turned to look at this girls car and see if everything was ok and she was stressed out of her mind.  The hood of her car popped completely off.  As she was trying to snap, yes I said snap, the thing back into place I had to ask myself 2 questions.  Did snap tight models invent this car?  And did she buy the thing from Wal-Mart?  After helping her put her hood back on, which I almost grabbed some super glue out of my car to do, and her friend cussing up a storm because she was so surprised that no damage was done, we were on our way.  Disaster averted?  I think not because I don't think those cars could cause a disaster.  But, I got to thinking... maybe we should all be driving smart cars.  Why?  Because you can't go fast enough to do any damage when you hit something, and when you do hit something all you have to do is snap the pieces back on and be on your way.

Read More

1 month in Chicago... what have I learned?

Well, I have been in Chicago now for a month. And as I was reflecting on that I started thinking about what I have done since I have been here and what I have learned. So, I have decided to make a list of those things.

1. It was finally brought into perspective how much I travel and am NOT home. How did this happen? Well, I just finished my first roll of toilet paper since I have been here. The same roll that I put on the thing the first day I moved in.

2. It isn't that you shouldn't talk to strangers, you really just can't. I was on the train one day and talking to my friends. Some lady accidentally bumped into me with her bottle of wine. She politely said she was sorry and then I proceeded to start a conversation. Nothing huge, just asking about her plans for the night since she had the wine. That's when she and everyone else on the train looked at me like I was crazy. I then told her I was new to the area and it was my first time on the train. That's when I got the stink eye and everyone ignored me.

3. People are way too attached to their iPods/MP3 players. I swear, everywhere I look half the people have theirs on. That I understand. But what I don't understand is that I see half the people driving their cars with them on too. Now, call me retarded but doesn't your car have a stereo system in it. And most newer cars (which they are all usually driving) have an auxilary port that you can plug your iPod into. That way you don't look retarded, your music sounds better, and most importantly you can actually hear when there is a cop or ambulance coming down the road behind you. In fact, I think it is even illegal to have your iPod on when you are driving.

4. Unless I am driving for work when my miles are paid for, it is cheaper for me to ride the train everywhere I go instead of driving my car. I can get a metra pass for the weekend for $5 and ride it as much as I want to that weekend. My ticket is paid for in just one trip to downtown and back, plus then I don't have to pay $20-$30 for parking. That's a no-brainer.

5. Buying furniture is a beast. Not only is it stinking expensive, but it is hard to find something you like. I don't know how many counches I have looked at that either didn't come in a color I liked or weren't comfortable. I'm not 50 and looking for flower print or green leather.

6. Chicago has laws about when you can have your heat on... so GAY! I went to my landlord's just yesterday to pay rent and ask how to turn on my heat. They said, "If your heat isn't already on, it's not on. Chicago has laws against when you can have it on anyway." Ok, so it is getting down into the low 50s at night already here, so what law needs to be changed so I can not freeze at night?

All in all, this place is weird... but I love it! As I continue to learn here I will continue to let you know what it is I am learning.

Read More