Not Another Mom Blog!

Pssst....

2009-03-16T15:48:00.002-04:00

Guess what??

I'm over here now: Jitters & Twitters!

I have a lot of blog links to put back up. If you were a reader of mine here, PLEASE leave me a comment over there, to make it easier for me to update my links!! Even if you were just a lurker!!

Thanks!!

Oh, my poor neglected blog!

2009-01-31T19:44:00.004-05:00

Again. Sigh.

When I get into my bloggers-block mode, you can always follow me at twitter. I also waste quite a bit of time at facebook:

I'm big into the LastFM thing, too!

Follow Inauguration Tweets, Live!

2009-01-19T17:45:00.002-05:00

Join the fun by leaving your inauguration comments on this blog post and Twittering with the #inaug09 tag!

Woo Hoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is freakin' AWESOME.

2009-01-08T11:48:00.000-05:00

Extrememe Makeover: Home Edition Tonight!

2009-01-04T17:14:00.005-05:00

Watch Extrememe Makeover: Home Edition tonight on ABC. The family tonight is from right in here in Pittsburgh. I got to process and print photos for the show/family! A small thing, but still... It was pretty cool.

My very good friend, co-worker, and photography guru Chuck from Chuck Brown Photography actually got to do more... he took photos, did interviews, and wrote about it for a local newspaper. He blogged about his experience here. Check it out!

I'm excited to watch this tonight, it is going to be a very touching story (as usual!). Check it out! And if you see framed family photos, photos from their vacation, etc. know that yours truly had the honor of helping to make that happen!

NAMB's Recommended Reading

2009-01-03T23:42:00.011-05:00

Time for installment 1 of NAMB (Not Another Mom Blog) Recommended Reading. Where I read something, and If I love it, I tell YOU to read it. My feature selection for today is:

The Best American Non-Required Reading 2008.

This book is Freakin' AWESOME! It includes some highly humorous subject matter, such as Best American Police Blotter Items from Kensington California. True and highly amusing tidbits from the police blotter of a very, very small town with a very bored police department.

Also, such gems as Best American Facebook Groups. I am soooo joining "I Beat George W. Bush on the SATs."

Also included in this book:

- Best American Last Sentances of Books
- Best American Names of Champion Show Dogs
- Best American Ron Paul Facts (Ron Paul invented Chuck Norris! Ron Paul doesn't pee, he liberates Urine!)
- Best American Kurt Vonnegut Writings

There is also a fantastic journal type story, called Best American Diary of the Living Dead, or: Are You There God? It's Me. Also, A Bunch of Zombies. I will let the title of that one speak for itself. It's some pretty funny stuff.

The book is not all humor, though. There were some very touching and thought provoking stories, such as:
- A story about poverty in Buenos Aires and people called "Cartoneros" who collect and recycle to make a living
- A girl given up by her mother at birth
- A boy's obsession with nonexistence
- The sun going dark for no apparent reason
- A vigilante conservation organization out to save the whales by literally running into whaling ships on international waters (The man who leads this was a founding member of Greenpeace and was kicked out)
- A biracial young woman searching for answers about Judaism in Israel (This includes a fascinating history of Ethiopian Jews)
- One of my favorites: An eye opening story about the Clinton Foundation and what they are doing for AIDS victims all over the world.

There are more stories, too. Short stories, Fiction, Non-Fiction, even a few comics and cartoons.

It really is a truly awesome book. Go, buy it, read it!

Stay tuned for more installments of NAMB's Recommended Reading!

Scrap Blogging, Anyone?

2009-01-02T11:41:00.008-05:00

I have found yet another new internet addiction! Scrapblogs! Check out a few of my creations:

More over at my scrapblog. I'm telling you, it's crazy addicting and fun!

Reflections for a New Year Fondue is YUMMY.

2009-01-01T14:45:00.005-05:00

Because isn't this what we're suppose to do? Write something deep and meaningful about all of our memories, regrets, and triumphs of the old year, and our hopes, dreams, and fears for the new year?

Perhaps post lengthy lists of all of our resolutions, to-do lists, and wish lists?

Bah. Who has time for that???!

I have nothing but Fondue on my brain. After a successful round of chocolate fondue last night, I have been furiously googling all the fondue recipes I can find.

Cheese Fondue! Pizza Fondue! Cheese Fondue with Beer in it! Caramel Fondue! Peanut Butter Marshmallow Fondue! Mexican Cheese Fondue! Italian Fondue! Cheese and Seafood Fondue!

The possibilities are endless. I'm even in the mental process of concocting my very own recipes.

Happy New Year Everyone. Go try some Fondue!

Big Sigh of Relief...

2008-12-30T11:44:00.002-05:00

It seems the craziness from the holidays is starting to calm down a little. See... I actually have time to sit here and type something up for my poor neglected blog!

Work is slowing down, things returning slowly but surely back to normal.

Don't get me wrong, I love the holidays. It was fun. Just crazy.

Maya was quite a happy camper, she really made out this year... between Santa and family, she is now the proud owner of a Nintendo DS lite (red!) and 8, yes 8 games. I have shamelessly been hogging the DS quite a bit, I must confess.

There are also a whole variety of other various toys and games and doo-dads to keep her occupied. We've been playing boggle and have yet to try out the joys of cupcake making with her Gourmet Girl cupcake maker. It's nice having her home from school, but the poor kid has a pretty bad cold right now. Sipping hot apple cider and watching Nims Island. Great movie, by the way!

I'm also the proud owner of a new Fondue Set, which I have been wanting for, well, a long time. I'm thinking of trying chocolate rum fondue recipe for New Years eve. Yummy.

I haven't had a chance to read up on all my wonderful fave blogs recently, I plan on taking some time to do that today and tomorrow, but I do hope everyone has had a wonderful holiday, whatever and however you celebrate!

See How Dorky Cool I am?!

2008-12-18T01:33:00.001-05:00

This picture taken at Primanti Bros! And if you know Primanti Bros, here is the group for you:

Burgh Moms Club.

:)

A Trip Down Memory Lane!

2008-12-14T09:45:00.002-05:00

Anyone who was a kid in the 80's... you have GOT to watch these!

More to come, I'm sure!!

Bark At The Moon

2008-12-12T19:29:00.003-05:00

So, tonight is going to be the largest full moon of the year, and I will be out and about Christmas shopping, out among the masses of already crazed people all trying to get that ever coveted deal of the century. Will the full moon make them even crazier? I can only hope not.

Going on a Friday night, 2 weeks before Christmas.. not so smart to begin with. But hey, it was pay day for the hubby and I, and my schedule doesn't allow me much freedom and flexibility. The stars aligned (albeit with the largest full moon of the year!) allowing a night off, alone time with hubby, grand parent provided kid-sitting and money in our pockets... all at the same time, on the same night. How could I pass up this opportunity?

The kiddo has requested the follow items from Santa, which will no doubt leave her one very disappointed little girl on Christmas morning:

A Laptop (Hahaha.. Santa has not yet finished paying off her laptop, and kiddo thinks she can get one? She is EIGHT!!!)

A Cell Phone. Yes, a cell phone. Once again... she is EIGHT!! Now, I do see the logic in kids having cell phones... safety concerns all that. But I'm thinking, maybe let her hit double digits first? I don't need a cell phone bill through the roof because she's downloaded 6,754 Hannah Montana and Jonas Bros ring tones. Besides, I am perfectly capable of providing my very own through-the-roof cell phone bills, courtesy of my new friend MoBlogging.

A Video Camera. HA. She is the daughter of an aspiring photographer who works in a camera shop! The kid already has a digital camera nicer than most kids her age have, AND it does shoot video, and she has a pretty little 4 gig SD card to go with it! So, ixnay on the ideovay ameracay.

Nintendo DS. Ah. Now this, I can do. Mainly because I want to play with it, too. If she lets me. Well.. she will have to sleep sometime right?

Happy Holiday Shopping to all, and... hey, wish me luck out there with all the werewolves and frantic shopping lunatics under the glow of the gigantic full moon!

I Moblog!

2008-12-09T21:48:00.004-05:00

Trying something new, just for fun! I am using a cool service over at Utterli to send live pics, texts, and even audio (have not tried the audio yet, but it will happen!) to my NEW MoBlog (mobile blogging) from my cell phone.

So If I am at the drug store and I see a pooping penguin candy dispenser, I can snap the pic with my phone and send it directly to my moblog! Fancy, huh?

So, go check out Not Another MoBlog (clever, eh?) and if you are feeling adventurous, you can even go sign up at Utterli and follow me. It's kind of like Twitter, only you can post pics and audio and more, too.

I even have a cool new sidebar widget on this blog to show off my latest moblog on my other blog... try saying that ten times fast!

I have it set to "cross blog" with the new blog I set up on blogspot. It's pretty simple. This could be fun... ya'll should go sign up, make your own MoBlog, and then we could, like, link each others Moblogs! Fun times.

Fun times, until my next phone bill comes in, that is...

Southern Vampires

2008-12-08T18:50:00.004-05:00

I don't know how I am going to be able to wait until May 2009 for this to come out!

Sigh. Anyone else read these? GREAT series. For real. If you were a fan of Twilight, you will LOVE these even more! They are sooooo much better. More grown up, too.

For the record... I <3 Eric.

13 Things Your Sales Associate Won't Tell You

2008-12-07T12:01:00.004-05:00

Based on the popular readers digest "13 things your __________ won't tell you" I bring you my version, 13 things your friendly retail sales associate won't tell you during the crazy holiday season.

1. If you are shopping anytime between the day after Thanksgiving and about a week or two after Christmas, EXPECT TO WAIT! Don't get mad at ME because, GASP! There is a store full of people and you actually have to wait for 10 minutes... the weekend after Thanksgiving!

2. I'm sorry if sometimes I seem a wee bit cranky. I am friendly and bouncy and cheerful 99% of the time, not my fault if you caught me during that inevitable 1% moment... I've been dealing with rude customers, huge crowds, noise, running back and forth, god forsaken mall xmas music ALL DAY, and really... it's nothing personal. Unless, of course, you were rude to me first. Then? It's personal.

3. Please don't stay after we close because we're too nice to kick you out. It's after 11, we've been here all day, we want to go home, the gate is down and the lights are half off... can't you hear our heavy sighs through your bombardment of questions? Can't you take a hint or 10? Come back another time. Please.

4. Every customer is important.. not just YOU. Stop expecting special treatment. We treat our customers well, we try our best to show great customer service to ALL our customers, but we treat all our customers the SAME. You can't get your photos in 10 minutes instead of an the typical hour, you can't get 50% off that tripod or camera bag just because you are a "regular" customer.

5. That joke about the item being FREE if it doesn't scan the first time? So. Not. Funny.

6. If you have to bring all 7 of your kids into our tiny store full of highly expensive and breakable merchandise, could you PLEASE parent them so we don't have to? And could you maybe NOT stay for an hour while ignoring the fact that they are hitting each other over the head with our tripods and tossing glass photo frames around like footballs?

7. When I ask you if you'd like a bag with that, please, for the love of GOD, don't say "No I already have one, she's out in the car!"

8. Items sell out. They do. Especially when it's a really good deal. Don't get all huffy just because It's in the AD but we have none in stock. There's no conspiracy against you where we are holding all the merchandise in the back room just to tick you off.

9. Speaking of back rooms, I know what we have and don't have, on the floor AND in the back. Don't ask me to please check for you when I have already told you there are none back there. I am not just being lazy, I am not lying, we really don't have any back there!

10. We will be a LOT nicer to you if you are nice to us!

11. Don't bitch at me because wallymart or betterbuy has a lower price than we do. Go there, then. I don't set the prices. I'm not personally trying to rip you off. Oh, you can order it online for hundreds less? GREAT! Have fun trying to get personal service if you have a problem with your purchase. Mr. Internet will be a great help, I'm sure.

12. In the photo lab, sometimes our machines break. The world is an imperfect place, screws fall out all the time. I'm very sorry, but please, don't take it out on ME. I did not purposely break our equipment just to make your life hell.

13. If you know you need to special order something, DO IT EARLY!! I can't help it if you wait until a week before xmas, and it doesn't come in time!! I'm not the one who procrastinated, YOU are!!

Happy Holiday Shopping All! And please, show some cheer and respect to all the retail workers you come in contact with this season.... they are working LONG hours, overtime, and dealing with a lot!!

I need to get me one of these!

2008-12-05T00:06:00.003-05:00

How cool is that?!

Come Back! Please?

2008-12-04T07:35:00.003-05:00

As you can see, I am slowly but surely getting this blog put back together. Not done yet, but getting there! I miss blogging so much, I miss all my fave blogs and I miss all my readers and bloggy friends (wow, how dorky did THAT sound?)

Due to my super long Hiatus, I know I have lost a lot of readers but I'm hoping to gain you back! I will be maing my rounds to all my fave blogs over the next few days.

Check back soon, because I am BACK baby, for good!

Hi Ya'll

2008-11-25T19:03:00.002-05:00

I am still thinking about fixing up this blog and coming back to it full time. In the meantime, follow me on twitter:

http://twitter.com/IAmJavaMama

Maybe I will just come back here.

2008-09-17T16:36:00.002-04:00

Yeah, I'm not digging it at vox too much. I have more time now that Maya is back in school, and.... I miss it here! I miss blogging here and I miss my bloggy friends and the interaction... and I miss all the reading and keeping up with all the blogs on my blogroll that I LOVE... so, yeah. I need to redesign this place and open back up.

:)

New Blog!!!!!!

2008-08-28T20:35:00.002-04:00

Hey everyone... if anyone is even still there... Hello?? HELLO?? Oh, well. it's my fault for being away so long....

in case you happen to come back and see this, I have started a new blog:

http://mandy645.vox.com/

Yeah, it's kinda a lame vox blog, yet somehow cool at the same time.. anyway....

drop by there and leave me a comment... I will add your link over there... little by little.

and you should really get a vox blog. way cooler than blogger. lol.

Flickr

2008-08-28T19:15:00.001-04:00

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Another Political Post

2008-06-04T14:26:00.003-04:00

As all of you must know by now, Barack Obama made history last night by securing enough delegates to clinch the democratic nomination.

Let me start off by saying, I believe this is a monumental moment for our country. We have come a long way from the days of Dr. Martin Luther King, but I do believe we still have a long way to go.

I do believe Barack Obama is the best possible candidate for President of this country, regardless of his race, I just feel that is is quite an accomplishment someone of African American decent was able to get the nomination.

As for Hillary. I have tried my best to stay off the Hillary topic on my blog. I think I have done a reasonably good job at voicing my support for one candidate without "bashing" or disrespecting another.

Today, however... it must be done. I must voice my opinions.

Let me say, when this race for the democratic nominee first started, I had a high degree of respect for both candidates. I did my research, I listened to both sides, I listened to hard core Hillary supporters as well as hard core Obama supporters, I read both of their websites in depth, and so on. I was ecstatic that I was able to chose between a Woman and an African American!! This, too, is historical and just, wonderful. I was not going to make my choice based on Gender or Race, however.

I chose Barack Obama for a variety of reasons. We all know, by now, where he stands on the many issues. We all know his personality, his hopes, beliefs, dreams for our country. So I am not going to get into it in depth why I chose him.

I still had so, so much respect for Hillary, however. Tremendous amounts.

As the campaigns rolled on, and on and on and on, I found myself losing tiny bits of that respect here and there. I felt like she was unfairly attacking Barack at times, while it seemed like he was trying his best to keep his campaign focused on the issues, where HE stood, and NOT on the other candidate.

Up until last night, I still had respect left for Hillary. I didn't mind that she wasn't going concede before either candidate had clinched the nomination, why should she? She has broken barriers, and it was such a close race, and her supporters from every state had a right to cast their votes. Yes, I was starting to grow concerned about the "unity" of the party, but... let the democratic process continue!!

Considering the candidates we had running, I knew it was inevitable that talk of racism and sexism would come up. And yes... Racism and Sexism are both alive and well in this country. And yes, Racism and Sexism were effecting both campaigns. Only one candidate could win this nomination, and I knew, whoever won, people would be crying out either Racism or Sexism about the other candidate. And regardless, they would probably be right to a certain extent. But the fact is, only ONE candidate could win this. So, either the country would be accused of Racism in the case of Hillary winning, or sexism is the case of Obama winning. It was, and is, inevitable.

I think it is incredible that Hillary made it as far as she did and I respect that. I really, really do. And the fact that the race was so, so so close speaks volumes about the progress we are making as a country in both areas of racism and sexism. But the fact of the matter is, only one could win, and Obama did it.

Last night, was Obama's night. Hillary has a lot to be proud of, but... it was Obama's night. We have to give him that. Our Children and Grandchildren and generations to follow will be reading about this in their history books. Thanks to Hillary, they will also someday be reading about the first Woman nominee and/or President, but last night was the night for THIS particular historical moment.

Last night was also the night that should have begun the healing in our Party. We DO need to unite, we need to come together. Hillary had an opportunity for that to begin, to start that process, to stand behind Barack Obama, to get her supporters behind him. Barack Obama has clinched this nomination fair and square. She needs to accept that and even embrace that. As democrats, we need to stand united and proud that we had a woman and an african american make it so far, and we have to stand proud behind our democratic candidate... Barack Obama.

What did she do instead? She refused to officially concede, she made her speech all about her when, in my opinion, it should have been more about Obama... like I said, it was HIS night. She pumped up her supporters to continue to stand with HER. she barely mentioned him, except in one short, almost obligatory phrase. And, she stated she was not making any decisions? Well, I'm very sorry, but... there are no more decisions to make. The American People have already decided. The democratic process played itself out, the outcome has been reached. If the party is going to come together, unite, and heal... SHE needs to accept this, and SHE needs to help this happen.

I have another thing to say that has been bothering me.

In my opinion, I don't think it was very fair for her to publicly announce that she would consider the VP position. Her saying this, in combination with the speech she gave last night, has put Barack Obama in very tough position. I feel like she has put him in a position where he almost HAS to chose her for VP to keep the party united. By declaring she would accept this, and by saying all the things she said last night, getting her supporters more rallied around her than Obama, she has made it so that if Obama does NOT chose her, her supporters might get even more upset.

Is she doing this on purpose? Maybe, Maybe not. I tend to think she is, though. I feel as though is after a "co-presidency" more so than a vice presidency. I, personally, don't really like that idea.

I am not completely 100% against her being VP, I can think a lot of good reasons to like that idea, but... I can't honestly say it would be my first choice. For many dems it may be, and that's fine. And if she were to be the VP choice, I would rally around the both of them and show my full support.

I will end this long rant of mine by saying, Obama's speech really blew me away last night. I also love the fact that he was so, so gracious and respectful to Hillary, even more than just respectful. He spoke so little of himself, too. He should have been the one to go and on and on about his accomplishments, instead he chose to go on and on about Hillary's and then focus on trying to untie the party. Thank you, Barack Obama.

Also, did anyone happen to watch McCain's speech? I'm sorry but, that was just awful.

I am done now. I just had to get that all out. I probably didn't even say half of all the things I've been thinking, and I may not have gotten it all out right, but... I tried.

WOOOOOHOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

2008-06-03T21:10:00.001-04:00

Barack Obama has clinched the democratic nomination!!!!!!

Hi

2008-06-03T12:33:00.005-04:00

I just can't keep up with this blog much anymore!! I don't know what it is.

I'm not saying I am leaving or quitting. I'm just saying... sorry, I must be going through a phase, but I know the phase will be over soon.

I do have another online journal, that's a bit more personal, but it's mostly friends only. So here's the deal.

If you have a livejournal account, leave me a comment or email me: java_mama@yahoo.com and let me know what your livejournal addy is and I will add you. If you don't, well... go get one. Haha.

Feel free to do this even if you've only been mostly "lurking" here.

I'm not leaving this blog, though. So stop by from time to time!

By the way... good news. Maya was asked to try out for the "team trainers" program at gymnastics, which is a pre-team training program. So, she did... and she made it!

So, now I will be diving into the world of competitive gymnastics. I'm nervous and excited at the same time. I have read so many good things, but so many bad things, about this level of gymnastics.

But, they seem to think she has what it takes, and she loves it more than life itself right now!

So, Where have you been?

2008-05-27T12:55:00.003-04:00

...You may or may not be wondering.

Life gets in the way of blogging sometimes. Which is a good thing, really.

I've been working a lot, got a decent amount of hours, which is awesome. However, this leaves less time for my family and therefore, even less time for my dorky internet addiciton. Haha.

I know I put up that cool photo meme thing and I still totally plan on doing it, and I soooo appreciate the responses... very cool ideas, people!

I just can't promise when. Hopefully soon.

Thank goodness I'm not attempting NaBloPoMo this month, eh??

Keep in touch, though, internet. I'm still here, I swear.

p.s. I'm seriously considering purchasing the Sony a200 instead of the Nikon d40 or d60. Any opinions?

Send Me On A Photo Scavenger Hunt!

2008-05-14T14:54:00.002-04:00

A fun photo "meme" I thought I would try!

Leave me a comment, and tell me 1 to 3 things you would like me to take a photo of. It can be anything. A place, person, thing, concept, color... whatever.

I will do my best to take all the photos with either my digi camera or my new lomo fisheye camera, and post them here.

Then post this, if you want, on your blog and let people tell you what photos to take.

This could be a lot of fun!!

Lomography

2008-05-09T13:08:00.006-04:00

As part of my photography obsession, I've been really interested in this concept of lomography. What is lomography?

Check out This Site and This SIte.

I love traditional photography, don't get me wrong. I also love this idea of something a little more... conceptual, creative, artistic, different, real, raw.

I am trying to win a Diana Camera on ebay.

My favorite quotes about the Diana camera, copy and pasted from various sources:

"As a cult artistic tool of avant-garde and lo-fi photographers, it was a rousing success! They loved its soft & dreamy images, super-saturated colors, unpredictable blurring, and random contrast. Diana shots are raw & gritty, with a character all their own. They simply cannot be duplicated by any other camera on Earth! In short order, the Diana rose to prominence as one of the most treasured and sought-after cult analog cameras from the late 70's onward."

"How could you not absolutely love its lo-fi masterpiece photos? Something this beautiful, this classic, and this crucial to the world of analog photography shouldn't have suffered such an early demise. And since we had the means, the knowledge, and the opportunity to rebuild the Diana from the ground up (with a few extras tossed in) - the Lomography Diana+ was born in 2007. The Diana's original charms (radiant color-dripping lens, soft-focus surprises, all-plastic body, dead-simple shutter) were expertly duplicated to provide the authentic look n' feel of the original. On top of that, brand new Pinhole & Endless Panorama features were added into the mix – thereby paving the way for an entirely new class of Diana images and techniques!"

"With each click of the shutter, a moment is captured in a unique and fairly unpredictable way—and a small narrative begins to reveal itself. As the viewer, you're invited to read into it and interpret it in your own way. On top of that, you can count yourself as an individual note in the Diana's illustrious history - which dates back to the better part of 40 years."

The Diana uses 120 film, which we sell where I work. I can also process the 120 film, turning the film into negatives... I just did this for someone yesterday actually. However, the negatives need to be sent out to be developed into actual prints.

There's even a Diana Flickr Group.

Does this obsession of mine have no limits??

No Boyfriends Until You're 40 (Her Dad Says...)

2008-05-08T14:24:00.006-04:00

Getting back to my "mom blog" roots...

Maya has a boyfriend.

Here's the thing. I want to be the kind of Mom she feels she can talk to about to anything. I want her to be able to come to me for support or advice, I want her to feel like she can tell me anything, I want us to have that close relationship.

She is only in first grade, 7 years old... but it starts now. The trust thing, we have to start building it with our kids from day 1. I firmly believe this and I have tried, in so many ways, to do this as a parent...

I have been very involved in every aspect of her life (well, DUH, I'm her mother!), and obviously school is one of the most important aspects... so obviously, I have been very involved in this, also. I have volunteered in her library, her computer classes, class parties, book fairs. I meet with her teacher and we discuss her "gifted" status and the challenges her teacher gives her, I have a wonderful relationship with her teacher.

A few weeks ago Maya was Student of the Week. This means, among other things, parents get to come to the school and do a special project with the class. We made and decorated foamie sun visors, the kids loved it! Many of her classmates know me pretty well by now, I get a lot of "Hi, Maya's Mom!" comments as I walk through the halls.

I keep getting off point here. Anyway. While the kiddos were busy with their projects, Maya's teacher pulls me aside and says, "So, have you heard the news? About the romance?" I was like, huh?

So she proceeds to tell me that Maya and Devon have announced that they "like" each other and are now boyfriend-girlfriend. Whatever that means, to 7 year olds. At first I was a little freaked, I mean it's cute when it's someoneelse's kid... I asked the teacher if this was normal and she assured me it was, normal and healthy at this age. She got married in first grade. Hehe.

My next reaction was, why didn't Maya tell me?? Have I failed already?? At only 7 years old, does she already feel she can't tell me these things?

I didn't need to worry, though. While we were driving in the car, a almost an after thought, Maya says "Oh, hey mom! Guess what!" and I got to hear all about her and Devon, and how funny he is, and how nice he is, and how great of a climber he is on the playground equipment.

In other wonderful mom news... They have moved Maya up, from level 1 to level 3 in gymnastics. Skipped her right over level 2!

Also, I'm looking forward to her spring school musical show this month. These things are beyond cute. Their Holiday show was adorable and just awesome, and now they are going to have a spring show... A Year with Frog and Toad.

Obviously, I will have photos! :)

My Vintage and Antique Camera Collection

2008-05-07T14:40:00.005-04:00

Check out all the photos of my collection HERE.

A Dedication

2008-05-07T11:34:00.003-04:00

I don't understand why nothing I do is ever good enough. From the very beginning it seems there was always a focus on the negative.

I'm tired of being what you want me to be
Feeling so faithless
Lost under the surface
I don't know what you're expecting of me

It was always about what I couldn't do. I couldn't do this, I couldn't do that, and if I could, well... I couldn't do it right. I couldn't do it your way. My way was always wrong. Maybe you did want the best for me. I'm telling you now, it wasn't best.

Caught in the undertow
Just caught in the undertow
Every step that I take is another mistake to you
Caught in the undertow
Just caught in the undertow

There were, and still are, times when all I needed was a little support. I could never talk to you, when I did I was patronized and mocked, or yelled at. 28 years old, and nothing has changed. I can't take it anymore.

I've Become so numb
I can't feel you there
Become so tired
So much more aware

I wonder what would have happened if you had supported me, just once?? If you had expected me to succeed instead of assuming I would fail?? Perhaps when I was 14 and my art teacher told you I had a knack for photography, you could have encouraged me. Instead, you were too busy screaming about my math grades. And all of the other things I was so awful at. I have failed at everything I've tried. That's not true... I have either failed or given up out of fear. Fear of failure. The minute I start to think I might be good at something, I might be able to succeed and make something of myself, I give up.

I'm becoming this
All I want to do
Is be more like me
And be less like you

Well, no more. I'm done trying to come to you for support or advice, just to get beaten down. I'm done being afraid of failure. I'm done giving up on my dreams. I'm done listening to you tell me what I am doing wrong with my life, done listening to you tell me how bad I've screwed up, over and over again... I'm done.

Can't you see that you're smothering me
Holding too tightly
Afraid to lose control
'Cause everything that you thought I would be
Has fallen apart right in front of you

Yes, I rebelled as a teenager. I had every right to. I may have done it the wrong way, but what did I know? I was a teenager. I needed love and support, I needed someone to talk to, someone I could trust, someone to look up to. I needed so much more than being told what a mess I was. I was never given an ounce of trust. An ounce of freedom. You called it "tough love" and said that's what I needed. Well, that wasn't what I needed.

Caught in the undertow
Just caught in the undertow
Every step that I take is another mistake to you
Caught in the undertow
Just caught in the undertow

As an adult I've still been living in the shadows of all your negative words and actions. I still can't do anything right in your eyes. When you have to step in to help me out, you hold it over my head and I can't escape from it... the words you use, the way you say them...

I've Become so numb
I can't feel you there
Become so tired
So much more aware
I'm becoming this
All I want to do
Is be more like me
And be less like you

No more. I am going to live my life the way I want to, and I am going to follow through with my dreams an goals, without the fear and self doubt you've instilled in me.

But I know
I may end up failing too
But I know
You were just like me
With someone disappointed in you

(lyrics in white from "Numb" by Linkin Park)

Woo Hoo!

2008-05-07T00:20:00.004-04:00

So, how about these primary results tonight, eh?

:)

Argh!!!!

2008-05-06T14:49:00.001-04:00

What a mess.

So. I was planning on paying for my Nikon D40 with our Stimulus Check from the Uncle Sam. We assumed that because we received our tax refund via direct deposit, our stimulus rebate would be the same. This is what they were saying, anyway.

We assumed we would be getting this deposit into our account this week, no later than Friday, May 9th.

Which was perfect, because the deal on the camera was ending May 10th.

We filed our taxes using Tax Act Online, and had the fees taken directly from our refund.

Each day I've spent, anxiously and excitedly waiting and checking, for that rebate money. Growing more and more excited and more and more impatient.

Now I've come to find out, we probably will not be getting our rebate direct deposit after all... we may have to wait, until JUNE 13TH, for a paper check... because of the way we filed our taxes.

It seems that if you've filed with a third party service, i.e. tax act, or turbo tax, etc.. and had your fees taken directly out of your refund check, you're stimulus rebate will NOT be coming direct deposit... you have to wait for a paper check. (This apparently does not apply to those who used such a program but paid the fees with a credit or debit card).

The thing is, My sister in law claims she filed the same way we did, using the same program, and she had her rebate direct deposited yesterday...

Online, in various forums and sites, I've come across many people who filed the exact same way we did, and some of them got theirs direct deposit and some of them didn't and have to wait for the check.

I am confused and frustrated, and extremely disappointed. I already have so many plans coming up for that camera, that I will now have to miss out on. Plus, by June 13th, the special deal will probably be gone...

So, anyone else go through this with their stimulus check??

Great Photography Websites and Books

2008-05-03T15:26:00.006-04:00

Today I'd like to share with you some great links and books for learning photography. These are the websites I've been visiting and the books I've been reading.

Some of the books are slightly outdated, because I bought them cheap the half priced book store... but the basics remain the same, as far as learning about aperture, shutter speed, ISO, composition, etc.

Also, a few magazines I've been buying.

I can't wait to get my camera, So I can finally put some of this info to use!!!

First, the links:

PhotonHead.com has a ton of useful information, my very favorite being the Digital Camera Simulator which is very useful in helping to learn about the effects of shutter speed, aperture, and camera shake. You can mess with the settings and "shoot" the photo to see how it turns out.

This isn't going to as helpful as actually doing this yourself with a real camera, but it's still really cool.

Next up, KenRockwell.com is a great site. I'm not so sure I necessarily like the style he uses in his photography, but that's a personal preference and says nothing about his skills. He's great. Plus, he is a Nikon fan, in particular the D40, so this earns him major brownie points from me!

My very, very favorite, Digital Photography School. This. Site. Rocks. The tutorials, tips, guides, etc. are amazing and easy to understand. Soooo much info, all very useful and helpful. Plus, there's a forum that rocks, weekly assignments, and much more. I've gotten the most from this site. Love it!!!!!

A few others include all the amazing groups you can find on Flickr, The photography forum at DeviantArt, and even something as simple as checking out the ratings on photos at Good Shot or Not.

Now, onto the books. I'm not going to get into detail here, a lot of the info found in each book is take it or leave it... some very helpful info, and a few outdated and pointless things, either way... not too bad.

The Digital Camera Handbook

Digital Photography Problem Solver

My newest book is wonderful: Magic Lantern Guides: Nikon D40. I probably like this one the best because it is new, and it is camera specific.

My favorite photography magazines include Photography Monthly and ShutterBug.

So, there ya go. For those interested in learning as much as you can, like I am trying to do... this should help! It's really been helping me.

On a final note, I want One of these Lenbabies Lenses. Heh.

Here's to doors, and "a lot of others" opening up.

2008-05-01T09:03:00.004-04:00

I'm posting these lyrics as a dedication to a time in my life, a time and place. NOT to a person. To a small fraction of my life that has passed.

Now that it's all said and done,
I can't believe you were the one
To build me up and tear me down,
Like an old abandoned house.
What you said when you left
Just left me cold and out of breath.
I fell too far, was in way too deep.
Guess I let you get the best of me.

Well, I never saw it coming.
I should've started running
A long, long time ago.
And I never thought I'd doubt you,
I'm better off without you
More than you, more than you know.
I'm slowly getting closure.
I guess it's really over.
I'm finally getting better.
And now I'm picking up the pieces.
I'm spending all of these years
Putting my heart back together.
'Cause the day I thought I'd never get through,
I got over you.

You took a hammer to these walls,
Dragged the memories down the hall,
Packed your bags and walked away.
There was nothing I could say.
And when you slammed the front door shut,
A lot of others opened up,
So did my eyes so I could see
That you never were the best for me.

Well, I never saw it coming.
I should've started running
A long, long time ago.
And I never thought I'd doubt you,
I'm better off without you
More than you, more than you know.
I'm slowly getting closure.
I guess it's really over.
I'm finally getting better.
And now I'm picking up the pieces.
I'm spending all of these years
Putting my heart back together.
'Cause the day I thought I'd never get through,
I got over you.

That was Over You by Daughtry.

News!

2008-04-28T09:46:00.005-04:00

I'm becoming a bad blogger again. That's ok though, because I'm enjoying time with my family and working...

I have exciting and terrific news. I'm getting my camera!!!! The perfect starter dslr, the Nikon D40. Isn't it beautiful:

Hopefully, if the deal at work is still going on, I am also getting a cool bag and a second zoom lens.

I love the people I work with. Love them. This one guy, Chuck, is a professional photographer... he does everything. Weddings, portraits, you name it. He even has his own studio. He really liked my work so far, and he's going to have me "shadow" him to learn the ropes of professional photography. He also teaches digital photogrpahy classes.

Speaking of which, I am taking photography classes as soon as the next session starts.

So, the ball is rolling. I can't wait! Can you tell I'm excited??? :)

A whole Lotta Nothin

2008-04-23T00:06:00.002-04:00

I'm not going to blog about the obvious. No, not tonight. You all know how I feel, You all know where I stand, you all know what has happened and you all know what I believe the future holds despite what has happened. So, let's move on for now, shall we?

My mind is all over the place, so bear with me.

Tonight at work, I "played" with one of the Nikon DSLR's. I've got it bad, people. Real bad. The photoholic bug. I thought strep was bad... HA. Strep ain't got nothin' on this virus.

The moment that beautiful camera touched my hands, my fingers were literally tingling. Seriously. I was holding my breath and fighting back tears.

Sigh.

Now... I lied, up there when I said I wasn't going to blog about the obvious. I changed my mind, really. I do have one thing to say. Numbers, people. MATH. In other words, IT DOESN'T MATTER!!!!

There, I feel better!!

Guess what I did today...

2008-04-22T11:20:00.003-04:00

Well, today's the big day here in PA.

Will Obama pull this off, and get the big win here? Honestly... probably not. I'm still hoping, don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to be a pessimist, either. despite what the polls say, despite what the media says, I do think he has a chance, but I have to be realistic and say it's not likely.

It will be close, for sure.

Regardless of whether or not Obama gets PA, I still believe very strongly he will get the nomination in the long run.

I want him to win my state, though. So many volunteers like myself have worked so hard for this.

For now, I wait. Sigh. I hate waiting.

Weekend Snapshots

2008-04-21T13:50:00.004-04:00

This weekend's Weekend Snapshots:

And now, I must go back to my couch and my soup, because I have a rotten case of Strep Throat :(

30 Tiny Moments

2008-04-17T23:26:00.004-04:00

I've just joined a group over at Flickr called 30 Tiny Moments. From the group profile:

...to capture the little moments of daily life for 30 days, I have created this group so the rest of us can stop and appreciate the now...
...these photos are a collective memorandum to the tiny moments that so quickly escape us. They don't need to be perfect, just full of whatever you want to remember.

Sounds wonderful, doesn't it?? Special thanks to Frances for suggesting this to me!

My photo for today:

The Story Behind The Burning Tree

2008-04-17T11:25:00.003-04:00

Because yesterday was "Wordless Wednesday" I couldn't exactly tell you why I had a photo of a burning tree. Which is just as well, because the element of mystery made it that much better. In my opinion, anyway. I won't keep you in suspense any longer!

It all started with my genius of a neighbor. The folks who live right behind us like to burn... garbage, leaves, the kitchen sink... you name it, they'll burn it. You may be able to tell where this is going by now.

Have I mentioned that it is illegal to burn where I live??

My genius of a neighbor had been burning for days, so I paid little attention to the billows of smoke pouring out from his backyard. Other than the smell was really starting to get on my nerves...

I happened to glance out the kitchen window, and immediately had to do a double take. Were there flames coming out of that tree???!!?? Nah, couldn't be. My eyes playing tricks on me again, most likely.

I walked around to various other windows in the house, squinting and trying different angles, and still it seemed there were flames shooting off of the tree.

Grabbing my camera on my way out the door, I meandered on over to find out what the heck was going on. Did he light the tree on fire on purpose?? I knew he was a genius, but I didn't think he was that insane. Or was it the more likely scenario, a spark from his illegal fire flew up and lit the tree ablaze. If so, was he even there? Did he know about it? Why wasn't he hosing it off with water or calling the FD before it took out other trees, and then houses??

These thoughts, and others, drifted through my mind when suddenly I saw him... Mr. Genius himself. Standing nonchalantly on his back porch, beer in hand, watching the flames jump and dance from the tree, listening to the crackles and pops of dead, burning wood.

I called out hello, and then began asking questions... because his little pyro show was a little too close to the pine tree in my yard, for one thing.

So he proceeded to tell me his story. No, the tree was not suppose to be on fire. Yes, he knows that is indeed, it is on fire. He can't call the fire department, because they would fine him... you know, the whole burning being illegal thing. I was also told not to worry, because he had everything under control. Let me tell you, WHEW did I feel better! Because when you want someone to be in control, you definitely want that person to be a genius like him.

"I'm just watching it, going to try to let it burn out and fall, hopefully it won't fall on my shed...."

His shed, his all wooden shed, which was about 10 feet from the burning tree.

I, on the other hand, was slightly more worried about my property. You know, the pine trees, the house.

I'm still not too sure why he didn't get out the hose... my guess is he actually did light the tree on purpose, to get rid of it. I can hear his axe chopping up the charred wood as I type this.

After all was said and done, everything turned out ok. It was actually sort of amusing at one point, when dozens of sirens could be heard coming our direction... Genius dropped his beer and was running to the front faster than you could say "pyromaniac's in hot water now!"

Before you ask me why I didn't call the proper authorities or the FD, let me say: I thought about it. I had my cell phone firmly gripped in one hand. The thing is, the tree was not close enough to any houses to start anything major right away, and I figured if I saw it get too out of hand then I would call. The way the yards are positioned, it was highly unlikely that any damage would be sustained in our yard. Not without plenty of warning, anyhow. He wants to burn down his shed, his house, well... that's his prerogative I suppose.

So, that's the story of the Burning Tree!

Burning Tree

2008-04-16T15:13:00.002-04:00

Wordless Wednesday:

Selling Prints

2008-04-13T14:35:00.005-04:00

I have about 2 pages of new photos over at Flickr... so, for my weekend snapshot here's a mosaic of some of the shots I took.

And now I am going shamelessly promote myself by telling all of you to check out my Deviant Art Store where you can purchase prints of my work, because Mama needs a Digital SLR camera...

Hey, at least I'm not just begging for money or putting ads on my website (no offense to those who do, I have thought about it!) I am actually selling something. So help a starving artist out!

I admit, I have a problem...

2008-04-10T14:47:00.004-04:00

I am an addict. An internet addict.

Yes, I've posted about my 'net addiction in the past, but... it's gettng worse!

I have signed up for so much crap that I don't have time for it all. I have profiles all over the internet, people! All Over!

We've got your typical Myspace and Facebook pages to start with. Then I am a member of a bunch of motherhood and parenting sites and forums... Maya's Mom, Cafe Mom, the list goes on.

Then, you've got your photography and art sites, like Deviant Art and Flickr, and a few others I don't even go to anymore. I found one just the other day called Robot Laundry, but luckily I managed to have the will power to click the little x in the right hand corner instead of signing up.

Then you have random things like Ravelry, for instance. I haven't even been knitting lately, I'm too busy with my latest photogrpahy obsession.

It has to end, I know it does... I drop by these places once in a blue moon anymore...

Oh, and I also start blogs (other than this one, of course) that I don't update... like my Photo Blog, for example.

Can anyone recommend a good 12 step program for this sort of thing?? Anyone??

Spring!

2008-04-07T14:01:00.002-04:00

I can't tell you how happy I am that spring is finally arriving. It's in the upper 60's here today, and it feels so, so good to drive around with the windows open and no stuffy winter coat on.

There's something about driving on sunny days. I don't know what it is. The sky is blue, with little fluffy white clouds, the air rushing through the open windows is refreshing. The radio is on and all is good with the world, even if for just those few moments when it's you and your car and your music.

Watching the kids play outdoors with just sweatshirts on, seeing green starting to pop up through the bleak remnants of winter.

Soon the pool will be open. I can look forward to splashing with maya in the water, water parks and amusement parks, school picnics and photo hunting at various state parks. Eating ice cream from the local 4,567,324 flavors of soft serve joint, ordering frappacinos instead of hot coffee from starbucks.

I love spring. I love summer. I hate, hate winter. But that passionate hatred I have for winter only makes my love for spring and summer more intense. So, maybe it's worth it. Then again, maybe not.

This N' That

2008-04-05T21:17:00.004-04:00

I'm still here, I'm alive, I swear! I've been reading other blogs but no time for posting my own or leaving comments. Busy, Busy, Busy!

Maya's "little cold" turned into pneumonia and she was home from school all week. Poor kid. She is all better now, though! Just in time for her gymnastics class today. She takes gymnastics at Gymkhana and loves it. You should see the spark in her eyes when she's going to class, talking about class, coming from class...

She's actually really good, too. She may even compete someday! Yeah, I'm her mom and maybe a little biased but... I've seen her do things in class that the other kids couldn't do... anyway enough bragging from mom...

In other news, I'm still lovin' the job and thanks so much to everyone for wishing me luck on the interview and the congrats for nailing it. I'm learning so much and I love it. I'm also studying some photography on the side, I bought a few books and I'm even taking notes because, well, I'm a dork like that. I finally understand about shutter speed and aperture and fun stuff like that. Hopefully someday I will be able to afford a kick-butt camera... I want an SLR in the worst way. But I still love my little canon powershot.

Well... as always I will leave you with a photo, and there are new photos over at My Flickr Page and My Deviant Art Gallery.

31st post in 31 days.

2008-03-31T22:21:00.001-04:00

Well, I did it. Here's my 31st post in 31 days.

WHEW!

My first day of my new job was awesome.

I have a migraine and I am going to bed so, good night all!

Rambling and Good News, Too!

2008-03-30T23:12:00.003-04:00

One more day and NaBloPoMo is over for March. I might do it again, someday... but not for april, not soon.

I thought if I had to post everyday, it would somehow inspire me. Motivate me. I think the opposite has happened. The pressure of not wanting to mess it up was just too much, and when I feel like I am being forced into something... well, I hate that. Now that I can blog at my own pace, I will most likely post almost every day anyway... but I won't feel like I have to, and I will be more relaxed, and blog for me, which is what I intended this blog to be all about in the first place.

Everything has been so crazy these days. My sister was injured in a car accident and is going to be having surgery, my daughter has a pretty bad cold, I've been pretty busy with my volunteer work and the Obama campaigning, and some days I'm just tired. The coumadin I have to take every day messes with me, and I hate it. Maybe I will have more answers after my heamatologist appointment in April. (For those who don't know, I take coumadin, which is a strong blood thinner... well, actually it's rat poison haha... due to being hospitalized with a pulmonary embolism in January).

I had a point when I started typing, really I did. I guess what I am trying to say is, now that the pressure is off I will feel more relaxed and blog more freely. I love this whole concept, and I love the sense of community in some parts of the internet world. I have "met" through various online journals such as mine many awesome people. Many great moms, artists, writers. I love being a part of this and I feel like I came on strong and lately I have been so... disconnected. I know I still have readers, I see my site stats... and that's great. I still read all my faves, too. I may not comment as much as I used to but, I still love everyone as I said in an earlier post. But from now on, I am blogging for me, not because NaBloPoMo says I have to. I know it was my choice and I am glad I experienced it, I am. It has taught me that I am better off blogging for myself, and reading other blogs for my own enjoyment and education and enrichment, and for the sense of community I love so much.

I tend to ramble a lot when I'm exhausted. Heh.

Onto something a little more coherent and concrete... I got that job I wanted! I start tomorrow morning, and I am super excited. I am going to be working for a well-known, major photo company. I'm going to do lab work in a photo lab, as well as working with customers, cameras, photography equipment, etc. I am sooooooo excited about this.

It pays a lot more than my last job paid, too. I wasn't expecting that. My new manager, I like him already. He talks a lot, like I do... the "interview" was more like a fantastic conversation between two people with a common interest. So this should work out nicely.

I am also excited about all the things I am going to learn about photography now!

I have to be up bright and early for my first day, so... probably best I get my butt away from this computer and into bed, no?

Interview!

2008-03-29T11:49:00.005-04:00

I have a job interview today, for a job that I really, really, really, really want. More details to follow... but let's just say it's a major first step in getting the career of my dreams, and I'd be working in an industry that revolves around a passion of mine.

Last year was a very rough year for me, but things are turning around. Sometimes I think bad things happen for a reason.

Whenever one door closes, another one opens... remember?

So, I need this job. Not because it pays a fortune (it doesn't, and I'm leaving something that potentially could for something that I'm passionate about, because life is too short...). I need it because I need to do what I love. I need to know that my life is moving in the direction it was meant to. I need to hold onto that hope, I need to know that I do control my own destiny and If I want my life to be a certain way, I can't just sit on my ass and cry and hope that something magical will happen and POOF things will be ok.

But, anyway...

I will update, of course!

I saw Barack Obama!!!

2008-03-28T22:04:00.006-04:00

Haiku Friday. The OMG I GOT TO SEE BARACK OBAMA LIVE AND IN PERSON edition!

Do you see this girl?
It is I! Waiting to see
Barack Obama.

And Look! There he is.
In a photo that I took!
I got to be there!

Live and in person
So much closer than I thought
I would ever get.

I can not even begin to describe to you how completely amazing and just, awesome it was to be a part of this. I took a TON pf photos as you may have guessed, you can check them all out here at my flickr page. At least 2 pages worth of photos over there!!

I will get into details about the event here tomorrow!!

My Bad

2008-03-27T22:01:00.003-04:00

I have not been a very good blogger. Heh.

I promise to start actually writing something substantial on here, at some point. Life gets in the way sometimes. I haven't even had a chance to read my favorite blogs recently.

I still love all of you!!

A Chance to Be a Part of History

2008-03-26T14:04:00.005-04:00

Wordless Wednesday. and check out my new Deviant Art page!

Yay!

2008-03-25T23:25:00.001-04:00

Guess who is going to see Barack Obama speak at a town hall meeting?? Like, live and in person? Guess!! Give up?

ME!!!

Yay!

PhotoBloggin'

2008-03-25T18:35:00.004-04:00

I'm always adding more photos to My Flickr Page.

As I Fall Asleep On My Laptop

2008-03-24T23:27:00.003-04:00

It's almost midnight and I have to post because of NaBloPoMo but I'm exhausted and I have nothing to write about. So I will babble I suppose.

An overview of our weekend:

Easter egg hunt. Watching a building downtown being imploded. Easter baskets. Candy! "kids" hair dye... pink and blue streaks, oh my! A new microscope and the great hunt for decent prepared slides. Cool looking insect wing x 300!

Yes this is an incoherent post but hey, I did it and March is almost over. I am soooo not doing NaBloPoMo in April. Ha.

Happy Easter!

2008-03-23T14:58:00.002-04:00

An obvious choice for weekend snapshot!

Photo Hunter: Metal

2008-03-22T16:17:00.005-04:00

The theme for Photo Hunter this week is metal.

The USX Tower in Pittsburgh, because steel is a type of metal.

Smiling Faces and Muddy Shoes

2008-03-21T19:22:00.007-04:00

Friday Haiku time! (Is it really sad that I almost forgot and my 7year old daughter had to remind me?)

What is important
on this journey we are on
this journey called life

the smiles of our kids
all the innocence and awe
that they radiate

And remembering
that muddy shoes can be fun
more than a hassle

We went to a local park for a nature walk today. My hubby made fun of me for taking over 100 photos, haha. I only posted a little over 20 of them, which can be seen over here on my flickr page.

Our Family Comic Book: Part One

2008-03-20T22:13:00.005-04:00

I can't remember how it all started, but one evening my daughter and I were drawing cartoons about our family. We drew quite a few of them, all highlighting some of the quirks we have both individually and as a family. I decided to post a few of these on my blog every so often, and here is the first installment... please disregard the lack of artistical talent. I'm not going to tell you which toons my 7 year old drew and which ones were my doing, because frankly there isn't much difference.

Five Years Too Many

2008-03-19T09:29:00.008-04:00

I am participating in March 19th Blogswarm today.

In Memory of All Who Have Lost Their Lives in This War

Nearly 4,000 US dead, and 30,000 Wounded.

Between 100,000 and 1,000,000 Iraqis dead and 4,000,000 displaced.

Almost $1,000,000,000,000 Spent.

No One Left
- The Nightwatchman

"Each one had a father.
There's no one left.
A name and a mother.
No one left.

Each one had a dream, a prayer on their breath.
The world's gone black.
No one left.

On the streets of Manhattan,
a dusty wind blows
letters and wishes,
a girl with a rose.

On the streets of Baghdad,
a dusty wind blows
letters and wishes,
a girl with a rose.

Each one had a father.
There's no one left.
A name and a mother.
No one left.

Each one had a dream,
a prayer on their breath.
The world's gone black.
No one left.

Fire and vengeance
in the New York sky above
stole my angel,
stole my true love.

Fire and vengeance
in the Baghdad sky above
stole his angel,
stole his true love.

Each one had a father.
There's no one left.
A name and a mother.
No one left.

Each one had a dream,
a prayer on their breath.
The world's gone black.
No one left.

I stand out on my front porch.
I look up at the sky.
Will my world go black
in the blink of an eye?

He stands out in the desert.
He looks up at the sky.
Will his world go black
in the blink of an eye?

Each one had a father.
There's no one left.
A name and a mother.
No one left.

Each one had a dream,
a prayer on their breath.
The world's gone black.
No one left.

Each one had a wish.
Each one had a home.
Each one had a name,
a name and a rose."

We The People

2008-03-18T11:56:00.006-04:00

I mentioned in my previous post that I could not find the words to tell you how I was feeling about the whole matter. Well, true to form, Barack Obama found them for me. It is long, but I urge you to listen to the entire speech.

For a complete copy of the transcript of this amazing speech, Go Here.

Your Pastor Tells You He Loves To Murder Kittens

2008-03-18T09:16:00.007-04:00

...therefore, You must love to murder kittens! Sounds ridiculous, doesn't it?

I have it up to my eyebrows with this whole Obama's pastor crap. Have a mind of you own, people. Think about it.

One of the things I can't stand about politics is the digging up dirt and continual bashing. If you read Obama's book and maybe actually did a little research on the guy, you would find out that he hates that side of politics, too.

I am frustrated, because there are so many thoughts flitting around in my head and I can't find the right words to get them all out.

My father was an Obama supporter. Now he is not. Why? Because of Obama's pastor. In case you haven't heard:

The Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Obama's pastor for the last 20 years at the Trinity United Church of Christ on Chicago's south side, has a long history of what even Obama's campaign aides concede is "inflammatory rhetoric," including the assertion that the United States brought on the 9/11 attacks with its own "terrorism."

Apparently the pastor is also racist towards white people (Um, Hello people, Obama's Mother was white).

Anyone who cares to actually research Senator Obama's character, views, values... would know that Barack Obama does not hold the same views as this guy.

I am begging you, do a little digging of your own. You may not agree with Obama's views yourself, and that's ok... but please, please make sure they are actually his views before you decide.

So, guess what? I am still supporting the muslim, terrorist, inexperienced, unpatriotic, liberal communist, anti-christ, racist for President of the United States of America. Because I know the truth.

And for the record, it's not like there is a whole lot of true equality in the country. I'd have to say that some African Americans have the right to get a little testy at times.

I'm sorry, I just really had to vent there.

My Youth is Bent

2008-03-17T21:10:00.002-04:00

From my Photo Blog.

"The force that through the green fuse drives the flower
Drives my green age; that blasts the roots of trees
Is my destroyer.
And I am dumb to tell the crooked rose
My youth is bent by the same wintry fever."
- Dylan Thomas

Photo Blog

2008-03-16T23:27:00.004-04:00

I started a photoblog: Click. See. Feel. Still needs some work, but go check it out!

Weekend Snapshots

2008-03-15T23:03:00.010-04:00

I took a TON of photos this weekend. I can't post them all here, so please go to my flickr page to see all of them. I filled 3 pages over there with new photos!

This weekend, we went to the Flight 93 Memorial, and we stopped to take some cool photos on the way there and back. Here's just a few, but remember to check out the rest over here!

Weekend Snapshots:

Enjoy The Ride

2008-03-14T19:27:00.004-04:00

Is it really time for Haiku Friday again?

Time to ride the waves
They will take me where they will
Just enjoy the ride

Stop, Look, and Listen
Life is moving around you
Don't want to miss it.

Breathe. See, Smell, and feel
It will all fall into place
So just let it be.

You Asked...

2008-03-13T22:14:00.006-04:00

...So I'll answer!! Some of these are kind of tough. Here we go:

Sandy wants to know: "Do you take coffee and practice yoga at the same time?"

I wish! Haha. No, I'm not that talented. I used to go to Yoga class at The Yoga Loft faithfully every Tuesday evening. I haven't been there much lately, but I do try to practice at home when I can. I have my own Yoga Mat and some books and Yoga cards. The coffee thing, I'm pretty much drinking all the time... except when doing yoga, and taking a shower, and sleeping. There's coffee running through my veins instead of blood. Heh.

Kelly wants to know: "Most embarrassing moment of your life?"

This one is tough. I don't get embarrassed easily! I was a strange, goofy child... so I'm sure I did a lot of embarrassing things, just nothing that actually embarrassed me. I do remember one thing, though. When I was a young teenager, there was a local radio station at the mall. I happened to have a harmonica with me, and they let me play camptown races and amazing grace live on the air. I kept acting insanely goofy, I kept messing up the song, I was being a total show off. Looking back, I can only imagine the things they must have said about me after I had left! I'm sure there's more, If I think of them I will post them.

Angel wants to know: "What tattoos do you have, and where are they?"

I will post photos of them another time, but I have 5 tattoos. My very first was a tiny, purple butterfly on the back of my right shoulder. I also have a larger, more colorful butterfly on my upper left arm. I am obsessed with butterflies, I love everything they stand for... freedom and change. I also have a Ring of Fire around my left ankle, a tribal desing with a rose on my outer right ankle, and a cute, colorful koi fish on my inner right ankle. I also love the things the koi fish stands for... perserverance in adversity and strength of purpose.

"What would you wear to an exhibition of invisible man-eating zombie llamas?"

I wouldn't go! But, If I had to go, I would wear a suit made of seaweed. Because everyone knows man-eating zombie llamas are severely allergic to seaweed. It's like poison to them!!

"Have you always gone everywhere with a camera in your hand?"

It all started in Jr.High. In art class, we had a semester on photography and I fell in love. I bought a cheap, junky 35mm camera and had it with me all the time. Since then I have gone through a few different cameras, and I love digital the best! I honestly don't feel as though I have a drop of talent but I love it, and that's all that matters!

"What would you wear for camouflage if you were hiding in a gingerbread house?"

Brown Sugar! No, wait... I totally would not hide camouflaged in a gingerbread house, because who I was hiding from might accidently eat me.

"in what shape would you make a device capable of destroying the Earth, and where would you keep it?"

I would not make a device capable of destroying the Earth, because I'm a pacifist!

"What do you like to read?"

Almost everything!! I'm such a bookworm. I love books like One Flew Over the Cuckoos nest, 1984, The Catcher in the Rye, The Bell Jar, Slaughterhouse Five. I also like Shakespeare. I LOVE poetry! Old, classic poetry, as well as the newer, modern funky poetry. I love Jack Kerouac... his books and his poems. I have also read quite a few books from the Oprah Book Club, and have enjoyed most of them as well. I don't like trashy romance novels though!

Such Simple Pleasures wants to know:

"What are your guilty pleasures?"

Starbucks!! I find this a guilty pleasure for several reasons: They are SO expensive and do I really need a five dollar cup of coffee? (The answer to that is yes, by the way). Also, they are so corporate. I should really be driving around looking for a smaller coffee shop to frequent. Sigh.

"Who are you celebrity crushes?"

You're all going to laugh at me. Jimmy Fallon is one. Greg Graffin from Bad Religion is the other. Heh.

"What is your biggest insecurity?"

Egads. This is a tough one too. I have come a loooooong way as far as any self-esteem issues go. I'm going to go with art and creativity, such as photography and writing, etc. I always have this overwhelming urge to be creative, but then my brain shuts down. The thoughts creep in... you're not good enough. No one will like it.

"Why did you start blogging and what did you expect from it?"

Another great question! Well, I've always kept numerous journals and scrapbooks. I love the internet and technology. I'm a very social person, I like meeting new people and networking. I guess I figured this was one way to bring all of those elements together. I'm not sure what I expected from it, but I can tell you that I am not disapointed!

Whew, my brain hurts now. If I didn't get to your questions tonight, I promise I will get to them tomorrow! This will also allow more time for more people to ask me anything!

Ask Me Anything!

2008-03-12T20:22:00.005-04:00

(Note: I'm making some changes around here again, so If things look wonky or huge parts of my site are missing, that's why!

Update: Well, I am pretty much done, but a few things aren't working right. My brain is fried so I will have to fix the "bugs" tomorrow. Like the links not working on the pull down menus, and some links missing... don't freak out if you were there before, but aren't now! I'm getting to it.

What do you think? It's a lot darker than my last one, I know I like it but... still not so sure.

Any input, suggestions, advice... what you like, what you don't like, etc. would be great!)

So.. I have seen this on so many blogs,I decided to give it try. The good old Ask Me Anything! game. Leave me a comment with a question, or multiple questions and I will answer them tomorrow! It can be anything... silly, serious, whatever. Even if this is your first time here, join in!

I am shamelessly begging for your participation in this, otherwise I will end up looking like a doofus with no questions to answer tomorrow. Heh.

Women's History Month

2008-03-11T23:23:00.005-04:00

Almost didn't post in time for NaBloPoMo.

I'm exhausted and have nothing to write about. No photos to post. So, I'm stealing something from Barack Obama. Heh.

Here is a statement he made. I got this from his Official Website. Enjoy!

"Women's History Month isn't just a chance to celebrate women's history; it's a chance to honor the extraordinary role women have played in shaping American history. From midnight journeys on the Underground Railroad to marches for women's suffrage and civil rights, from the bomber assembly lines of World War II to the boardrooms of today, women have always shown us what we can achieve when we refuse to settle for the world as it is and choose to remake the world as it should be.

But despite the achievements we honor this month, we know we still have challenges to overcome. We need to build an America where women earn the same pay as men for the same work, and have time off to care for a loved one who's sick; where women have control over the health care decisions that affect their lives, and don't have to choose between their kids and their careers. It's not enough to have a holiday that honors women if we don't also make sure our laws value women.

This holiday is particularly meaningful to me because I would not be the person I am without the women in my life. I was raised by a single mother across two continents, and by a grandmother who instilled in me her own Midwestern values. And my wife Michelle - a woman who's overcome a number of challenges as a lawyer and hospital executive - continues to make me a better man.

Every night I'm home, Michelle and I tuck two little girls into bed. And we want to make sure that they have the same opportunities as every little boy in this country. That's the dream that women have fought for throughout our nation's history, and that's the dream I'll fight to make real as President of the United States."

- Barack Obama

Strange Facts

2008-03-10T22:02:00.006-04:00

I've been tagged! I'm glad, too. I have to post because of NaBloPoMo but I am sooo tired and I don't feel so great, therefore I can't think of anything better to blog about.

This is also why I have not been keeping up with my blog reading and commenting the past few days... sorry!

Anyway, Here you go:

7 Weird or Strange or Unknown Facts About Me:

1. I'm not much of a pizza fan. This may not seem so weird, but wait... when I do eat pizza, it has to be round. None of those square "big daddy" type deals. I honestly think square pizza tastes awful.

2. I can play Camptown Races on the harmonica.

3. I don't like ice in water. I know, I know... ice is water, but seriously? It makes water taste gross.

4. When I was a kid, I got a huge kick out of blowing bubble-gum bubbles with my nose. Ewww.

5. I have recurring nuclear war nightmares, and have for a long time. It freaks me out!

6. I take Coumadin, which is a blood thinner. This may not seem so strange, but it is rare for someone my age to be on this. Plus, it's mostly "unknown" to my bloggy buddies. I have to get blood tests done every week. It's a huge pain. (I was hospitalized in January with a Pulmonary Embolism.

7. When I was a kid, I would consistantly freak my sister out by correctly predicting what song would come on the radio next. I can only do this to some extent now.

That was fun! I am tagging: YOU!

Photo Mania

2008-03-09T22:38:00.013-04:00

Weekend Snapshots:

New toys are always fun!

Being cute and goofy...

Fun at Gymkhana:

Kick A Tasty Groove!

2008-03-08T20:23:00.008-05:00

For your listening pleasure, today's blog is a Music Blog! Sit back, relax, and enjoy some awesome tunes from My Playlist. While you're at it, go sign up for your own and we can be tune buddies.

Ode to My Camera

2008-03-07T12:29:00.004-05:00

This week's Friday Haiku is dedicated to my camera.

To you I give thanks
For always being with me
Capturing my world

Keeping memories
Inside your silver body
Like magic, you are

you give me freedom
a new way to view the world
through your magic lense

Tragedy Hits Close to Home

2008-03-06T09:52:00.022-05:00

Yesterday, at around 1:30 PM my husband was at work, about 2 miles away from his parents house. His parents, my in-laws... we are very close with them, and their house is literally a second home to us. We lived there for a few years, and we know the neighborhood well, Hubby grew up there. We are there more than we are home! My daughter plays with kids in the neighborhood, and the neighborhood is very, very much home to us.

Where was I... Oh yeah. So, My hubby is at work, and suddenly they hear a giant BOOM. a huge explosion that rumbles through the building.

Turns out, the loud explosion was a house exploding, in his neighborhood, very, very close to his parents house.

You can find the whole story on wpxi.com, wtae.com, and even CNN and Fox News.

My husband drove over to his parent's house, and what should take literally 2 minutes took almost half an hour. The roads were blocked off and emergency vehicles were everywhere.

When he finally managed to get there, he discovered the windows blown out, glass everywhere.

A man was baby-sitting his 4 year old granddaughter. The man was killed. It's a miracle, but the little girl survived.

Here are photos I took from the news websites:

I also took my own photos from the scene. Thirteen of them, to be exact. Obviously I was not allowed to get too close, but I still managed to capture at least 1/100th of what was going on:

This is my husband being interviewed by a reporter from The Pittsburgh Post Gazette.

You can see the reflection of gas lines still burning in this persons door:

The house was destroyed so bad by the blast, that there wasn't even one wall left standing.

News helicopters were everywhere.

Brian's sisters, Brian, and I helped to clean up some of the damage at his parent's house.

The neighborhood was crawling with gas men. They spent so much time at each house, we were giving them coffee. Reporters, news trucks, were everywhere. The windows had to be boarded up.

The whole thing was very... surreal. You see things like this on the news, but when it happens near you... it's just unbelievable.

The ABC's of Me

2008-03-05T13:58:00.005-05:00

Since I am a relatively new blogger, and since the theme for NaBloPoMo is lists, I decided to create my own little MeMe and tell everyone more about yours truly. Here it is, The ABC's of Me.

Amanda. This is my first name.
Beauty. I try to find it in ordinary, everyday things.
Coffee. My diet mainly consists of this.
Democrat. Actually, I'm probably a little more liberal than your average democrat.
Eggrolls. I love Chinese food.
Family. The most important thing in the world to me!
Gardens. I love to get "dirty" and plant things.
Happy Pills. I take them, who doesn't?
Ice. I have a strange phobia of walking/driving on ice.
Jokes. I love a good laugh!
Kites. Nothing can quite compare to the feeling of flying a kite high in the sky on a windy day.
Love. We need more of it in the world.
Music. Rock n' Roll, baby! New rock, classic rock, punk rock, alternative rock.
Numbers. I hate them. I'm not a math person.
Old Buildings. I love seeing historical places. Old buildings and houses have so much more character than newer ones. It's almost like they have a soul of their very own.
Photos. I take my camera everywhere.
Questions. I ask alot of them. I always have.
Reading. I'm the bookworm queen of all bookworms.
Stars. Are awesome. The ones in the sky, not in Hollywood.
Trouble. I had my fair share of this when I was younger.
Uhhh.. Um.. Underwear! I prefer the cotton bikini's myself.
Vehicle. I drive a 2005 Chevy Aveo. I really want a hybrid.
Webkinz. They are just too damn cute!
X-rays. Too many, when I was hospitalized for a pulmonary embolism.
Yarn. I love touchng yarn, I love buying yarn... almost more than I actually love knitting with it.
Zest. For life. Not the soap.

If you're reading this and would like to try this out, consider yourself tagged!

Live Chat - Online Primary Party!

2008-03-04T12:23:00.023-05:00

Chat LIVE on my blog tonight as you watch the results and numbers come in for tonight's Super Tuesday 2.

Supporters of either candidate welcome, Just keep it good natured and respectful!

A big thank you to all who stopped by and participated last night: Christina, Jen, Fabooj, Katautumn, Brian. Thanks to Kelly, Scylla, David, CindyW, and 2 anonymous readers for stopping by to say hi and check things out! If I have forgotten anyone, please let me know!

This online party was made possible by CBox.

Party Time!

2008-03-03T18:04:00.007-05:00

Time for Photo Hunter and Weekend Snapshot.

Weekend Snapshot: Everyone knows I went to my very first Obama campaign meeting this weekend!

The theme for Photo Hunter was "Party" and I took a little bit of an alternative take on it:

Maya's Favorite Books

2008-03-02T21:36:00.020-05:00

Well, I was all excited to post my photos for Weekend Snapshot and Photo Hunter but I left my camera's usb cable at my in-law's house. Bah!!! I will have to post those tomorrow.

Day two of NaBloPoMo and the theme for the week is lists, so I thought I would share with you a list of my daughter's favorite books.

First up, The Ramona Quimby series. Who doesn't love Ramona? What makes this so great is that I loved reading the Ramona books when I was a kid. Her and her sister Beezus... I know you remember! She has 5 Ramona books and wants the rest of them.

The Junie B. Jones series. She owns all of the "kindergarten" ones and most of the "first grader" ones. I love reading these with her. They are so, so funny. Junie B cracks me up!! This was the second book maya ever read on her own, Dr. Suess being the first.

Earth and Space. This photo isn't the exact copy of the book she has, but it's the only one I could find. She carries this book with her everywhere! She reads it constantly and spouts off facts about volcanoes, dinosaurs, the moon, you name it. I love it because it's educational, she is learning so much from it. The illustrations are amazing, too.

A classic that I remember from my childhood... Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No good, Very Bad Day. Who doesn't have days like this sometimes? I think it's a great book to help kids relate to Alexander. They can see that sometimes, things don't go so well. That it's normal and can happen to anyone. Plus, it is kind of funny, too.

Maya's World, a series by great auther Maya Angelou. I partly named my daughter after her! This series introduces children to other children from all over the world. Maya's favorite is the France one. Kids can read all about other countries, other cultures. It's wonderful!

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! This is a hysterically funny book where the reader is in charge, and can't let the pigeon drive the bus... but the pigeon isn't giving up so easily! Your kids will love it! Maya loves to really act out the parts, which is really cool to watch her do!

If you don't know who Pippi Longstocking is, the you need to crawl out from under that rock you've been living under and head straight to the nearest library. I love Pippi. When I was a kid, I wanted to be Pippi. Now my daughter is following in my footsteps!

The Magic Tree House series. Amazing! They are educational and entertaining, and they allow kids to really use and expand their imagination. We've learned about dinosaurs, vikings, dolphins, the middle ages, and more. A brother and a sister find a tree house that whisks them away, through time and all over the planet... and beyond!

Last but certainly not least, Walter the Farting Dog. I don't think I really need to say much more about this book. I dare you to read it without laughing!

I have been an avid reader my whole life, and I have been reading to Maya since she was born. Earlier than that, even. This has sparked a love for books in her which was my main goal, and for that I am thrilled!

I believe this is also why she started reading on her own at a very early age.

This was a very short list of favorites, the list could go on and on!

Do your kids have any favorite books? I'd love to hear about them!

Day One of NaBloPoMo - March!

2008-03-01T14:44:00.002-05:00

Welcome to my first NaBloPoMo post. The theme for this month is "lists" and somedays, I may stick to that theme but not always. Today I am going to tell you about my very first campaign meeting for Barack Obama.

Oh. My. God. It was awesome. These are my people!! I'm am so, so excited about the campaign now, and it feels so good to be involoved with something I feel so strongly sbout. I have a shiny new Obama bumper sticker, and 2 Obama buttons. Right now we are trying to get as many to register to vote as possible. Myself and a guy from our team are going to be setting up a voter registration booth, should be interesting!

We are also trying to plan a major rally for our county, which is going to be very cool. Trying to get college students on board, young voters. I am also going to be part of a phone bank, calling registered democrats. I love this. It's really bringing out the activist in me!

I am a listed on the Pittsburgh Blogs site, so if anyone from this area is reading this and you want to get involved somehow, let me know!

And last but not least, a big shout out to my fellow March NaBloPoMo bloggers... here we go!

Maya's Art

2008-02-29T12:44:00.009-05:00

Time once again for Haiku Friday!

The mind of a child
Through creative expression
An amazing thing

A showcase of some of Maya's artwork:

As a parent, it can't get much more inspiring than this!

Friendship Chain

2008-02-28T16:51:00.004-05:00

I was tagged by Juliana to do this friendship chain. I'm tagging everyone on my blogroll!!

~~Begin Copy~~

This is the easy way and the fastest way to :

1. Make your Authority Technoraty explode.
2. Increase your Google Page Rank.
3. Get more traffic to your blog.
4. Makes more new friends.

Rules :

1. Start copy from "Begin Copy" until "End Copy" to your blog.
2. Put your own blog name and link.
3. Tag your friends as much as you can.

1.Picturing of Life 2. Juliana's Site 3.Not Another Mom Blog!

~~End Copy~~

In other news, I have officially signed up to be a volunteer for the Barack Obama campaign in my county. So excited!!

Also... any liberal blogging moms out there? Would you be interested in joining a Liberal Mom's social network? I'm considering creating one, but please, let me know what you think!

The One Where I Get Political

2008-02-27T11:08:00.009-05:00

I've decided that I have some things to say. I am an Obama supporter. It's come to my attention that some women think that I am somehow betraying my gender, that I should be voting for Hillary because she's a woman, etc etc etc.

Please note: I know not all women Hillary supporters are voting for her just because she is a woman. Scylla for instance is an extremely informed voter, knows her issues, knows where she stands, and though I may not agree with her on some points I have the utmost respect for her views and her reasons for being a Clinton supporter.

I am all for having a woman in the white house, I really am. The thing is, I am not going to vote based on anything except the issues and what I believe in. I am not supporting Obama because of his gender, his race, his eye color, or the type of shoes he wears. I am supporting him for many, many reasons but none of them are listed above.

I agree with his views on healthcare, I respect the fact he was against the war in Iraq from day one, I agree with his views on almost everything. I think we do need change. I do not think he is all talk and no action, I have read about actions he has already taken in his life for the issues he cares about. Issues that I, too, care about. He inspires hope in me, which is something no other candidate has done since I was old enough to begin caring about this sort of thing.

Do I respect Hillary Clinton? You bet I do! She is a strong, passionate woman, intelligent and motivated, and has done some wonderful things. I just agree with Obama more. Will I be devastated if she gets in the wite house? No way! I think all democrats and liberals on both sides of the fence can agree on one thing: Bush is finally going to be gone and we need another republican like we need holes in all of our heads. And I will add this: Nader better not screw things up again!

Now that I am done rambling on and on, I just want to say that I know not everyone who comes here is going to agree with me on some or all of my points, and you know what? That's great! That's what makes this country so great. We can all have our own minds, our own opinions, and voice them freely. I am not of the "I am right and you are wrong!" mindset, I am of the "everyone is entitled to their own opinions and theoretically majority rules so voice your opinions and get out there and vote!" mindset.

You may agree or disagree all you want in the comments, I welcome that... all I ask is that you keep it respectful!

Wanted: New Best Friend

2008-02-25T11:50:00.004-05:00

Married mother of one in the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh seeking new best friend to help her learn more about knitting.

I enjoy sipping lattes, groping yarn in every craft store I go into, ~~and untangling the mess of knots I get when trying to find the ending in a new ball of yarn.~~

I am extremely motivated ~~and a very fast learner.~~ Unfortunately, motivation doesn’t turn 100 yards of beautiful yarn into something more useful, like say, a scarf. It also doesn’t turn the squiggly spaghetti-like lines in a “learn to knit” book into anything coherent.

Qualifications:

Must posess inhuman amounts of patience.
Must be able to resist the urge to laugh at giant knotted mess of yarn that was suppose to be a hat.
Must be willing to work ~~for free~~ in exchange for a free cup of coffee and the satisfaction of knowing you made a new best friend for life.

More Photos, Of Course. Yes, I am obsessed, than you very much.

2008-02-24T22:09:00.007-05:00

It's already Weekend Snapshot time again! Ths week I am also participating in Photo Hunter. So, let's get started, shall we?

This weekend we went to one of my FAVE resaurants, Mad Mex. Where else can you get a meal called angry hippie burrito and see art like this:

Cool lighting like this:

And shirts like this for sale:

Also, I got new yarn! Yay! I am obsessed with buying yarn. I swear, I love picking out new yarn almost as much - if not more - than actually knitting with it.

Now for my very first Photo Hunter submission. The theme was "wooden" so, here's mine:

Hmm. This is turning into more of a photo blog than anything else. :)

My Fueling Station

2008-02-22T15:40:00.008-05:00

It's that time again, Haiku Friday!

Oh, my dear Starbucks
You evil corporation
How I adore you!

Oh, my dear hubby
So embarrassed to be seen
with fru-fru coffee

Hee Hee. My husband is not going to be too happy with me for putting that photo on here.

Thursday Thirteen

2008-02-21T21:48:00.006-05:00

For some reason I'm just not feeling inspired to write about anything else. I was going to make some witty remarks about American Idol, mainly about Garret's hair:

(DUDE, the 80's called... yeah yeah, you know how it goes...) but no, not tonight. Instead, I'm going to try out this Thursday Thirteen thing.

My list: 13 things that are coming up in my life that I am looking forward to.

1. Tomorrow I am getting a Flickr Pro account. Yay for more photos and albums!!

2. Sometime this weekend I am getting my hair done. The last time I got my hair done, I got it cut shorter in the back and longer in the front, dyed reddish, with blondish streaks in the front. I love doing new things with my hair!

3. This weekend I am getting a new sweater. It doesn't take much to make me happy, haha. It's a long one, with a hood... and I love it.

4. Maya is going to be in a science/art fair. For the science part, she is doing an experiment on whether or not music has an affect on our heartbeat. For art, she is going to make a sculpture.

5. Maya is going to be in a chess tournament! She takes chess classes now, and she is good.

6. I got invited to Ravelry which is an online knitting community, and I can't wait to check it out some more!

7. The weekend is ALMOST here! Yay.

8. Sometime soon, we are going to go downtown and to station square, and I can't wait to take tons of cool photos.

9. Hubby and I are goig to get a fancy schmancy hotel room. Once in a while it's nice to have some alone time!

10. I haven't been to Yoga class in a while, and hopefully this thursday I am going to go back. I love it. I go to The Yoga Loft. It's awesome.

11. I'm super excited that I am almost to number 13 because wow, coming up with 13 things is harder than I thought it woud be.

12. OH I know! Spring. Spring is just around the corner. I hope. I mean, it's almost March, in like a lion out like a lamb, right? I like to see the glass as half full.

13. Our income tax check comes tomorrow! Yay!!

Whew, that was tough. Next week I will try to be a little more creative!

P.S. Thank you to everyone who left me such wonderful and supportive comments on my Homeschooling post below! Also, Thanks everyone who shared with me what the daily zen meant to them. Very deep thoughts and great interpretations! I will try that again sometime!

Daily Zen

2008-02-20T13:29:00.004-05:00

Today from Daily Zen:

The way to true spirituality
Cannot depend upon others;
One instant of enlightenment
And I go beyond body and self.
The myriad and profound virtues
Are complete;
Anywhere in the universe
Is now my home.

- Mokuan (1611-1676)

So, tell me: what does this mean to you?

Weekend Snapshot(s)

2008-02-17T21:25:00.007-05:00

It's Weekend Snapshot time!

This weekend was a time for play:

A time for learning about reptiles:

And a time to be goofy: (Yes, that's my hubby with Steve Irwin!)

The Decisions We Make

2008-02-15T11:55:00.002-05:00

Time for Haiku Friday!

We all want the best
When it comes to our children
But how do we know?

The decisions we make for our children can affect them for the rest of their lives. At times, this can feel like too much pressure, and you may doubt yourself and second guess. In the end I think the very fact that we want what is best for our children counts for something. Counts for a lot, actually. We're all going to make mistakes, and sometimes there is no right and wrong, sometimes there's just too much grey.

Right now I'm having an inner battle with myself over my daughter's education. Here's a little background, and please don't take this the wrong way, I'm not trying to brag.

Maya has always been extremely bright. She knew her alphabet and was speaking in complete sentances at around 18 months old, has been reading fluently since before kindergarten, soaks up information like a sponge. She has a photographic memory. She can read a whole chapter out of a book and then recite it back to you, word for word.

I never "pushed" her, but she always asked questions and just loved learning, so of course I went with it. Last year in Kindergarten, her teacher could not get over how bright she was. She got perfect scores on standardized tests, and was going to be in that schools gifted program starting in first grade. We moved to an area that has a much better school district, one of the best in our state. After she started first grade I asked to have her tested for this schools gifted program and she didn't make it. Her teacher was shocked, and so was I. I fought with the school over so many things already... I fought so that she would be allowed to check out chapter books from the library, instead of the easy readers they're suppose to get in first grade, for example.

Now I am running into a major issue... she is bored and losing interest in school altogether. I am going to speak with everyone I can, her guidance counselor, the head of the gifted program, etc. I've been in close with her teacher for some time now already.

I'm just so afraid... I would love for her to go to a private school, but I can't afford it. I feel like... she is being held back. Her potential stretches so much farther beyond what they will let her do in school, school is in essence holding her back. I work with her at home on things she wants to learn that they don't teach her in school this young, like Spanish.

I have toyed with the idea of homeschooling. I love the concept and I have so much respect for those brave parents who do homeschool. It scares me to death, though. I don't trust myself to be able to give her what she needs, I'm afraid of her missing out on the social aspect of school, I'm afraid she will miss her friends and she will feel she's missing out on "normal" life, I don't know. I don't really know any homeschoolers personally, so maybe that's why I'm afraid.

I have been looking into Agora Cyber Charter School and I have to admit, I love the sound of this. But still, the fear is there. It's a huge decision. I do work off and on as needed, and due to financial circumstances will most likely have to work a lot more, so then how would I go about doing this? There's so many issues, so many questions.

For now, I will continue to fight for the education she deserves, do my best to work with her at home, and see what happens. If the situation escalates I will have some major thinking to do, and one of the hardest decisions of my daughter's life to make.

Happy V-Day!

2008-02-14T12:02:00.001-05:00

Yes, I mean Valentine's Day. Get your mind outta the gutter!

So, How about these Webkinz things, eh? I went to the local Hallmark store to get one for Maya for Valentine's day, and my God, The madness!! You should have seen the mom's in there, all crowding around the webkinz display as if they were oxygen and oxygen was going out of style or something. Everyone wanted the limited edition Valentine webkinz, which obviously you are not going to get on Valentine's day. Oh, wait! That's right! A town 45minutes away STILL HAS THEM PEOPLE!!! Let's all hurry up and get there before they are gone, gone, gone! I kid you not, a few mothers actually left to do just that.

Don't get me wrong, I actually love webkinz. They are just so damn cute, I almost wish I could collect them myself. Maya has 5 of them, and when she returns home from school today she will have 8...

Yes, that's right I bought her 3 today. In my defense, they are lil'kinz and they were buy 2 get 1 free.

I made the mistake of having my parents with me while picking them out. My mom kept grabbing animals from other shelves, "look at this! Isn't it cuuuuuute!" Yes, mom, very cute but that's a Beanie Baby. She likes Webkinz. My mom just didn't seem to get it. I explained the whole virtual world to her, I think I lost her at "You go to this website..."

Sigh. The times they are a changin', no?

Yay, Me!

2008-02-14T00:14:00.000-05:00

Well, I did it. I changed over to blogger beta, the whole xml deal. Complete with a fancy new look! It took me forever but as far as I can tell, I didn't lose anything and everything is working as it should. After I'm done posting this, I can't wait to close my laptop and go to bed.

It's been a crazy, hectic, and did I mention crazy? week. Maya was sick to top it all off, so sorry for neglecting all my wonderful daily reads... tomorrow I'm devoting some time to being a 'net addict again so I can catch up with everyone out there in cyberspace.

Well, I think my bed is calling my name...

Weekend Snapshot

2008-02-10T21:19:00.001-05:00

My first weekend snapshot, not sure if this is allowed but I got a little crazy with the photo editing!

Maya ~ Serious

Maya ~ Serious ~ Warhol-esque

Happy Pills

2008-02-07T12:59:00.000-05:00

I take anti-depressants. There, I said it. Not that I'm ashamed, it's lost quite a bit of "stigma" over the years, thank goodness. I bring this up because, well, I guess I want to tell my story because I know so many out there can probably relate.

It started when I was a teenager. When I was first diagnosed, I thought it was cool. Look at me, I'm deep and I'm angsty. I had no problems whatsoever with taking the prozac every morning, my mother standing there watching closely, making sure I was actually taking the pills... and I was. And they worked.

But suddenly, I wasn't cool anymore... so, I stopped taking them. I sat around in my room all day, dressed in black of course, listening to Pink Floyd's The Wall or Nine Inch Nails and writing ~~horrible~~ "deep" poetry. I pondered society and their rules. It was society that was messed up, not me! These shrinks, these doctors... they want to turn everyone into robots! They want give everyone pills and make everyone happy! They want to "rearrange us 'till we're sane!"

It got worse when I was in college, because I went to an Art School, and I had to be depressed, because I had to be creative and deep... that was my mindset, anyway. Needless to say... I flunked out of Art School after one semester, because it does help if you actually show up to class instead of laying in bed all day thinking about how horible doctors are, how wrong society is, and how awesome it is to be emotional, deep, creative, you get the picture.

Everything changed when I became a mother. I grew up. Oh, I'd still like to think that on some level I am deep and creative, but now... I can get out of bed and do something with that ceativity. Now, I can be the mother that my little girl needs me to be. I love it. I was missing out on so much before, I was missing out on living my life...

Every day I happily gulp down my 40mg of Celexa, without my mother standing there with her hawk eyes... but with my little girl standing there with her big, blue, full of wonder and life eyes, wondering what fun activity I'll have planned for the day.

Look! I can be crafty, too!

2008-02-06T13:18:00.000-05:00

I'm always looking for a creatvie outlet. Though I love to write and paint, I completely lack the talent... doesn't stop me though! Lately I've been itchy to be crafty. I see so many crafty mama's out there and I get so jealous, because WOW, look at that awesome knitted hat and look at that super cool sock monkey and holy cow your kid's handmade valentines are waaaaay cool. I've messed around with a few crafty things, and a drawer filled with scraps of colorful paper, stickers, stenils etc. means that scrapbooking is one of them:

I even dabbled a bit in beading and jewelry making (and heaven knows I have hundred and thousands of assorted beads lying around in tupperware containers to prove this):

Now, my latest endeavor: Knitting!

I bought myself a knitting book, 2 sets of needles, and... some other crap that I have no clue what to do with. Oh yeah, and cheap yarn to learn with. I want to make wild, crazy, funky hats and scarves! I've even started a Knitting Blog, because, well I'm a dork like that.

I'm going to leave you with one last picture, a screenshot of my laptop desktop... because I think it's cute and awesome!

Love and Hate

2008-02-05T10:36:00.001-05:00

I was tagged by Juliana, and now I am tagging anyone who reads this. What do you love? What do you hate? Here's mine:

Loves
My family, being a mother, thunderstorms, seeing new things, seeing new places, trying new things, taking pictures, reading, poetry, music, anything unique, open minds, free thinkers, beads, reading with my daughter, painting with my daughter, being outdoors, spring, summer, fall, the ocean, the desert, coffee, campfires, yoga, driving with the radio up loud, the internet, peace, and lots lots more.

Hates
Goerge W. Bush, rudeness, winter, mashed potatoes, snooty stuck up people, war, the fact that there are so many starving children and families in the world, liver and onions, violence, most romance novels, and probably lots more.

Let me know if you do this on your blog! :)

My Bucket List

2008-02-04T17:54:00.001-05:00

I haven't even seen the movie, but I have seen a lot of bloggers posting their bucket lists (things you want to do before you kick the bucket) so I figured I might as well hop on the bandwagon. Coming up with this list was a lot harder than I thought it would be!

First of all, I want to make sure I do the very best I can raising my daughter. I want her to be independant, smart, creative. I want her to know how to think for herself and stand up for what she believes in. I want her to be strong and disciplined, but free-spirited.

Next, I want to someday live somewhere that's warm all year round, and has breath-taking scenery. Possibly a beach, or even Arizona. I hate the cold!!!

I want to visit soooo many places before I die, and take amazing pictures while there. This list includes but is not limited to Ireland, Australia, Egypt, New Orleans, California, New York City.

I want to make peace with anyone I need to make peace with. I want to leave this world on good terms with everyone, I want closure where closure is needed.

I want to go sky diving, learn to ride a motorcycle, get a poem published, learn to knit, grow a vegetable garden, and grow my hair really really long.

I'm sure there's more, but these things all popped in my head as I was typing this. What would be on your bucket list?

Maya Sings Hannah Montana

2008-02-03T22:08:00.000-05:00

I took this video at my in-laws house... trying out the video option on my new camera!

The Internet Is My Crack!

2008-02-01T10:10:00.000-05:00

First, my very first Haiku for Haiku Friday:

Oh, dear internet
Why can't I escape your grip?
Rehab I may need.
How true it is, too. I thought this might be a good time to highlight just a few of the very cool things I have come across on my surfing adventures.

First up... The Shape of a Mother. For those of you other moms who have ever felt, well... like a cow. I know I have! This sight is wonderful... Stop looking at celebrity mommies who are fake, who can afford to spend zillions of dollars mutilating their bodies into looking "perfect." Go here and see Real Moms with Real Bodies!!

Next, because I am a huge sucker for anything artistic and unique, check out Bent Obects. You will be amazed at the creativity that goes into these sculptures!!

While surfing about, I keep seeing all these really cool knitting moms. I always say to myself, ooooh I want to make funky hats and scarves!! Well thanks to Knitting Help I have decided to go ahead and learn how to knit!

Last but not least, here's my profile at Maya's Mom. I love this social/blog network for a few reasons... obvious reason number 1, my daughter's name is Maya! Also, it's very addicting, love the unique set up and you can find groups for pretty much anything.

If you're looking for some interesting blog reading, check out the "I Read" section on my sidebar!

Imperfect and Proud!

2008-01-30T11:26:00.001-05:00

Obviously there is no such thing as perfect mother. This is due partly to the fact that we are all humans, and partly due to the fact that it's all objective anyway... what seems really good to one mother may seem awful to another. I've decided to not only accept the fact that I am not a perfect mother, but to be proud of that fact. So here it is... a partial list of some of the reasons I am not perfect:

1. I don't always make the bed.
2. Clutter is ok in my book.
3. My child does not always eat organic. Sometimes, she even eats (GASP!) McDonalds.
4. I don't ban junk food. Moderation, people!
5. Some people may believe that the fact that I do not spank or believe in spanking makes me imperfect, but I actually think this a good thing!
6. I have tattoos which means, of course, my daughter will grow up to be a hooligan like me.
7. I let her listen to regular music, including some rock, punk, etc.
8. I didn't spend 2 million dollars so she could go to the Hannah Montana concert.
9. I didn't teach her sign language when she was a baby. (I did, however, try those baby mozart CD's... a lot of good that did since she now wants more than anything to play the electric guitar and currently owns her very own drum set...)
10. She is allowed to watch TV. Again, Moderation!
11. Sometimes, I DO give in to whining.
12. Sometimes, I will let her argue her point with me. She will make a wonderful lawyer someday, I'm sure.
13. She can't carry a tune to save her life, but desperatly wants to be a rock star when she grows up..well, that and an astronaut... but I have yet to tell her the truth about her talent or lackthereof. I have visions of her making a fool of herself on American Idol someday.
14. Sometimes when we go out in public her hair is messy and her socks don't match.

I'm sure there's more, but this list is a pretty good start, don't ya think?

The Next Chess Prodigy?

2008-01-29T18:38:00.000-05:00

Maya and I went to our first chess class today. I wasn't too worried about how she would do, I was really more worried about myself. It was actually really fun! It's a 9 week class, and right now we have only learned how to set up the board, and how pawns move and capture. She loves it so far. I'm just happy to be playing something other than Hannah Montana Girl Talk!

Um.. Honey... That's a great idea, but...

2008-01-28T21:25:00.000-05:00

My daughter has announced that for her first science fair project, she would like to clone our dog. Hmmm.