First Thanksgiving at home in 8 years!

I wanted to share a brief part of my Thanksgiving weekend with you.  I haven't been home for Thanksgiving in 8 years.  It just never worked out, and the last 2 years I haven't been home for that or for Christmas.  So, this year is quite the joyous occasion as I get to go home for both!  As a result I wanted to share some of my mini vacation with you.  First, because of commitments to work I wasn't able to leave for home until the day before--which is usually the way it is in the working world, so no big deal.  But, what I wasn't ready for was the traffic.  Normally my drive home is about 5 hours because of traffic in Chicago.  Not this time.  I drove 7 hours because of traffic in Chicago.  So, to give you an idea, see the picture below.

In the red circle on the bottom, that is total time in hours. Notice: 1 hr and 4 min.  In the red circle at top, that is total distance to destination, and then right below total travelled distance.  Notice: 10.32 miles.  Translation, it took me just over an hour to travel 10 miles from my house... ouch!  (side note: that max speed was not my driving, that was with someone else.)

On a brighter note, this is a photo of my neice, Megan.  It took her almost the whole time I was there to lighten up to me, and finally when she did she would whimper some when I wasn't around.  We'll see if she remembers me the next time I see her.  But isn't she cute?!

All in all the holiday time with my family was fantastic (outside of the drive out there).  It was great to see my parents, my sister and her daughter (her husband was away at training for his new job), and my dog.  There is so much to be grateful for in my life, and, even though I complain at times and wonder why things aren't going the way I would like them too--I wouldn't have it any other way.  I have grown in ways I never imagined, learned things that have changed my life, and been a part of things I never thought possible.  What a wonderful life it has been thus far, and I look forward to everything coming in the near and distant future!

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This is by no means all of the pictures that I took while on my trip to Costa Rica, but these are pictures that I think will give you an accurate idea of what I did and saw while on my trip. All in all, it was amazing and I hope to go back. The sights, sounds, tastes and smells were incredible. Definitely an experience I will never forget.

Also, the pictures are in no particular order, so I hope you enjoy them as they show up.

Some of the coolest sunsets I've seen

Jungle river hiking

You gotta love the monkies!

You can't go to Costa Rica without doing some surfing!

P.S. I touched this thing... 17 feet long, and what you see is only the head. According to National Geographic, he is the largest crocodile in Central America.

This was from some exploring on the beach among the rock formations.

You want an adrenaline rush? Trying riding zip lines at 30 mph hanging upside down 200 feet from the ground... call me crazy if you want!

Drinking from the local fruits.

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Tico-land photos and stories are coming...

I just got home from Costa Rica... and what a trip. I need to get my photos up. It wont be all of them because I took 200+, but I will get my favorites up for sure. So look for those in the next few days. Due to needing to catch up with work I can't do it right now. I will get it up though, promise. I just wanted to make the note that they are coming.

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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...

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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!

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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."

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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!

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