Photo Scavenger Hunt - Take 2

The latest Photo Scavenger Hunt is being hosted by my friend, Kristi on sweetsauer.com:

  

Click on the badge above to vote, voting is open May 1st-7th


**All photos were taken in the month of April with my Nikon D60; only one was post processed and 2 were cropped.**

1. Cool or interesting architecture - Neat Dome Roof; Ham Lake, MN

2. A sign of spring - Twins Baseball

3. Something musical - Wind Chimes

4. Something sweet - My Niece, Jordan Lucille

5. Something metallic - Weisman Art Museum

6. A landscape - Lake of The Isles; Minneapolis, MN

7. An interesting doorway - Anoka State Hospital; Anoka, MN

8. A reflection - Reflection of the Foshay Tower (now a W Hotel)

9. A cemetery - Anoka, MN

10. A pair of shoes

11. A body of water - Lake Freemont in Zimmerman, MN

12. A drink - Margarita

13. A mosaic or mural - St. Paul, MN

14. Rain - on my windshield

15. Classic car (1970 or older)

16. A work of art - Chandelier made of nearly 450 Grain Belt Premium Beer bottles (Harry's in Minneapolis)

17. A church - Hope Lutheran

18. A statue

19. An interesting sky - I like clouds

20. Something in motion - Wind Power; Elk River, MN

21. Lights at night - Wells Fargo Center; Downtown Minneapolis

22. A silhouette - Downtown Minneapolis

23. Something historical (pre-1900) - Stone Arch Bridge; Minneapolis, MN

24. A shot from an unusual perspective - looking up a staircase

25. Flowers - in the backyard.

26. Self-Portrait

Random - v.9.10

• LOL, I need to explain this post from last week.  On plinky, you are prompted with a question or one line that you respond to, or answer... I learned right away that it doesn't post the Plinky prompt when you publish it to the blog, so I have been trying to remember to add the 'prompt' to the beginning of my post, so that when you, the reader, look at it... it makes sense.  Some of them are kind of strange and not really a question.  So the above linked post was plinky asking me to craft the perfect excuse.  I was in a feisty mood, and came up with that.  Hope that helps, LOL, I did make some changes to that post... but just as an FYI for the future: I will try to post the plinky prompt at the beginning of each post.  Sorry for the confusion.
• A gripe about the new Facebook... Fan Pages.  UGH.  So you 'become a fan' of flip-flops, camping, texting, hugging, laughing, etc. - what is the point of this?  Sure, I like all those things, but I don't need to 'become a fan' of the page on facebook.  The things I'm a fan of are real things, like Central Park, Minnesota Twins, Dunkin Donuts, The Office, Post Secret, etc. - things that, when they have news, they can post an update and I can be in the loop.  I don't need an update on flip-flops yet I'm still a fan of them, in real life.  I just don't get it.  Follow this link to browse fan pages... you'll be surprised how many non-sensical things you can be a fan of.
• The Scavenger Hunt is almost over!  I'm sad, but Nicole has promised that we'll have another starting May 1st, so I have that to look forward to!  I can't wait for the new list, the suspense is killing me.  Here is my progress so far... I only need a self portrait to complete it, so I'll obviously finish... I'm just trying to come up with a way to make it interesting.  I posted one shot on my daily photo blog, and mentioned that, as someone who loves to have her picture taken, I'm lacking in thought for how to make it 'pop'.  Part of me wants to get all dolled up, play and have fun while the other part of me wants to show myself in a more natural fashion [just rolling out of bed in the morning, right after roller blading,  or something like that].  I have a couple days yet and several photos to fall back on if I can't come up with something.
• I've been so extremely happy as of late.  Chalk it up to seasons changing and life in general being fantastic.  I've found myself going to update the Facebook status and deleting it because it's like... too positive!  Seriously.  Is the possible?  I used to read positive updates and be like 'ugh'... for no good reason.  If someone is happy then they should be talking about it; not enough happiness is spread around this world of ours.  Back in October I posted this TFT about Optimism and I had such a great response to it!  Since then I feel I have made GREAT progress in becoming more optimistic ... without really thinking too much about it.  I think a huge part of that came with me moving on with my own life and really beginning to close a chapter in my life... a chapter that I relied on for happiness, for several years.  It feels good.  I haven't 100% closed that chapter, but I've come a long way in moving on to new chapters [I've always been a slow reader ;)].  Another huge part of my optimism is surrounding myself with good people, true friends, and an overall drama free lifestyle.  When I find myself facing the more negative people or drama-filled situations.. I instantly find myself drawing into pessimistic feelings.  Life is good, I don't need drama or negativity.  Surrounding yourself with people that you have a fantastic time with and truly enjoy is one huge key to life!  I wish I would have known this many years ago... I have amazing friends!
• Quickly, one last note... On either May 21st [after work] or May 22nd [bright and early] I will be driving to Missouri to spend the weekend with one of my amazing friends, Renee!  I couldn't be happier!!

The Jeans Won

Plinky Prompt: You've got some explaining to do.  Craft the perfect excuse.





Well, you see... my jeans were so tight that I couldn't get them off at bedtime. I stayed up all night fighting with them and finally had to get a chain saw to cut them off. As you can guess, I picked the wrong tool and ended up cutting my legs off in the process... I'll be okay though, once the bleeding stops.

Happy Earth Day 2009

Happy Earth Day!

Last year on this day [when I was blogging on myspace] I wrote this blog about Earth Day and asked people how they help the cause, what they do to recycle, and strongly suggested people STOP littering.
This year will be no different, although I'll be adding some pictures of litter that I've been taking over the past few weeks.  It disgusts me!

Start noticing how many cigarette butts you see when you're stopped at a stoplight coming off the highway/freeway, really everywhere!  Not only is it completely dangerous to throw a cigarette out the window when driving [what if it flew into someones window OR what if there is a motorcycle behind you] - it's NOT good for the Earth!  It is one of my biggest pet peeves.
Last year I turned my focus on one of the guys here at work - He smokes and I kept [kindly] suggesting that he stop throwing his butts out the window on break.  I offered to get something for him to put them in, a cup or something from the gas station, anything!  A few weeks after I started [kindly] suggesting this, I walked up to his truck on break one day and noticed that he had a cup from the gas station full of butts!  Mission accomplished!  I just saved the Earth from probably 20 butts a day being thrown onto her.

Today is the day we can do something to help.  As one person, I cannot solve the worlds problems - as a blogger with a solid couple handfuls of readers, I can write my thoughts and maybe spark something in at least one of you.  I don't expect us [as a world] to change overnight, but Earth Day is a way for us to remember each spring that we need to take care of this place we call home.

Do you recycle?  If you don't; why wouldn't you?  It's so easy and imagine being able to reuse things rather than having to use brand new packaging.  You save room in your garbage and you keep a huge load of things out of our [already too full] landfills.  If you are a gardener, you should make a compost pile out of your organic materials - it's great for your plants and it also helps keep unnecessary waste out of our landfills - here is a link to help you get started.
Here is a way the city of San Francisco is doing their part... A whole city!  If they can... why can't we as individuals?

Start car pooling or ride a bike to get around [that's good for your body too!], turn off the water when brushing your teeth, reuse some old materials for a craft project [I'm in the process of turning a old window frame into a photo frame], host a Green party and use only recycled materials that can be recycled again and serve foods that can be throw into your new compost pile if they go bad, think of everyday as Earth Day - not just one day a year.

Go plant a tree, go buy an energy saving light bulb [and turn off the lights when they aren't needed], continue to recycle, and if nothing else at least get outside and enjoy the beauty of nature, take some photos, go bird watching, fly a kite - maybe that will help you appreciate our planet and help take care of it a little bit better.

Now that I've [kindly] suggested some things you can do to help our Earth on this day, I will leave you with some photos of the way people are helping to destroy it - this adds to the importance of why you should pitch in and do something, anything, no matter how small and insignificant you may think it is:

My heart is beating so hard and fast...

Let's hope talking it out helps slow it back down.

I'm sitting at work just now and the phone rings.... Matrix Manufacturing, May I help you?
My mom is on the other end crying... Ang...
My heart [literally] stops... Mom, what's wrong?!
She takes a breath... hang on....
...[long silence]... my Uncle just died.


I breathe.

Her Uncle is in Kansas, so she is going to have to drive down there and take my grandma with her.  Her van is acting up [the check engine light keeps coming on] so she is scared to drive it 1000+ miles round trip; understandable.  I've offered her my car to help ease her mind.

My heart is still beating out of my chest.  It's amazing how adrenaline can pump through your body so fast.... it's amazing how when you pick up the phone and hear your mother crying on the other end you're heart can come to a complete stop.

I don't know if I ever met her Uncle Dale - if I did, I was very young.  I feel bad for my mom... I would be sad if I lost an Uncle as well...

She scared the crap outta me though... I'm having a hard time slowing my heart down.

One day I'll roll in a 1970 Chevelle

What's your dream ride?

What car would you most like to drive and why?



Ever since I can remember I've loved old classic cars. The body, the shape, the power, the sound... they are so clean and beautiful to me. Back in the day I used to know a lot about cars... I rolled with the guys who knew; they would talk and I would listen. I've since grown away from the knowledge but my love for them has continued on.



My dream ride: 1970 Chevelle 454 SS - I go back and forth on the color, but as of this moment it would be dark green with white racing stripes [used to be blue, and for a short bit it was a deep red]. I'd take any color though... just to have the car.



I went to a junk yard the other weekend to take some photos and the place was full of old cars, junky, but still beautiful in their own right. Torn to pieces, picked at, and left for dead... these cars all had shape and character. You know each car had a story to tell... it was so neat to see all those cars.

Over this past weekend I watched American Graffiti for the first time in my life and absolutely loved it ... and all the old Hot Rods in it. Heaven!



Then... on Sunday Steve and I rolled down to Midway. Now, for those who don't know, Midway is a strip of road by Porky's Drive-In where all the classic cars go on Friday and Saturday nights in the summer and just roll up and down the street. Granted, we were there by the light of day, I still had a rush of emotion. I used to spend every weekend down there when I was 17, 18, 19 years old. We'd park and just watch the cars go by. I had a few friends who had pretty nice cars; an El Camino, a Grand National, and some big trucks ... with a few others that would show up every now and then. My mom had a huge truck back then, and I'd drive it down there and just eat up the attention it got me from the boys... Oh man, those were the days!



As we got older and the ways of the world changed [more crime and such], the cops started coming down around 11pm and closing the street off and pretty much made everyone go home. It got lame so we stopped going. I miss it... and I fully intend to make a trip down to Midway this summer and see what it's like 10 years later.



I love thinking back to those times in my life. I used to think I was such a bad ass chick and I always thought that hopping into a 1970 Chevelle with a wife beater and my sexy long hair blowing in the wind would be such a good look for me. Who am I kidding... besides the long hair, it would still be a good look for me. Close your eyes and picture me rollin' - one hand on the wheel, window down and the other arm resting on the window sill... music blaring, probably some bass coming out of the trunk. It's a nice thought; isn't it?

TFT: Channel Surfing

I feel like I start out a lot of my TFT's by saying: Today's TFT is simple. 

In order to carry on that tradition: Today's TFT is simple.
No really, it is.

Here is the deal, I'm curious.  My thoughts apply to different types of media.

Let's say you are having a lazy evening; you're at home watching TV [your favorite sitcom, sports, a movie on cable, etc.] live, nothing recorded on DVR and a commercial comes on; do you change the channel or do you sit though them?  Now granted you'd ffwd. right through anything if you were on DVR, but when it's live you have options.  

Here is my thing, I sit through commercials.  I wold rather watch them then take a chance in missing something that I'm watching, especially because sitcoms and movies have a story line and sports... well, you just can't miss part of the game due to channel surfing!

I'm finding that a lot of people I know are big time channel surfers.  

As mentioned above, this applies to different media; let's talk radio.  It's funny... most people listen to CD's or iPods now-a-days, I don't even know if this will apply.

So, you're listening to the radio, let's go... your favorite morning talk show... they take a break from talking to play some ads for you... do you change the station right away or do you deal with it so you don't miss the segment coming up?  

Me?  I wait it out.  I just don't care enough to change the station.  I listen to the KQ Morning Show, and there really is no point in my listening to some other show for 5 minutes during commercial breaks.  I don't know the people so what's the point.

Now... radio during the day, if a commercial comes on I may be more inclined to change the station.  You have a much better chance of finding music you like while they have their break.

It doesn't bother me when people do it... I just don't get it because I don't.

I'm also curious if you people find that channel surfing tends to be a male vs. female thing.  Does one sex do it more than the other?

It's kind of a silly topic - but what do you do?!

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

So... Thoughts for Thursday:  Do you channel surf?  Why or why not?  Do you know people who do?  Does it bother you if people do?  Do you think channel surfing is a battle of the sexes?  Any other thoughts or opinions on the topic?

IF anyone posts a TFT today, I'll link it here (seems TFT is falling by the wayside)

I need a hug

If all the world's a stage, and we're merely players, how does your next scene begin?

Black and white .22 caliber bullet

The next scene begins with me sitting at my desk with a gun to my head.



...keep reading...



Some days I hate my job more than others. Today is one of those days. Some days it's extremely easy for me to be in a good mood and other days I wake up with a short fuse.



Clearly I'm joking about the gun to my head, life is not that bad and come 4 o'clock, I'm out of here on to bigger and better things [except for today, because I have to stay and clean]; 4 o'clock I'm no longer working. It's real easy for me to forget about work once I'm gone.



I know how to do my job and I do it extremely well. I don't need to be reminded of something that I have every intention of getting to before the week ends.

Unfortunately for me today, part of my job is answering the phone and the phones have been ringing off the hook - how am I supposed to focus with constant distractions? What's worse is sometimes people in the office find it necessary to repeat a page after I've made it - I know what I said, there is no need to say it again.



A few weeks ago I spent almost an entire day redesigning an 8 page document because we came to the conclusion that the previous one had somehow become corrupt. This document has tables, forms, grids, symbols, and special formatting... it was not a piece of cake. Today I find that we are having the same problems with it... only to find out about 2 minutes later that it seems to be working fine again. UGH.



Taking a short break to write out my frustrations generally helps a great deal; whether in private or in public. I'm hoping this will be the case today.



I'm 27 years old and, while I make act like a child sometimes, I am no longer a little kid.



I want an office with walls so I can escape when I need to.



--end scene--

Relive a Vacation - Mexico

It seems I've been reminded of Mexico a lot as of late, with the most recent being a friends status on Facebook stating that she was in Playa Del Carmen. It is so fitting that Plinky has asked me to relive a vacation on this day.


As sad as it is, I'm often brought back to Mexico just by the sewer smell in Downtown Minneapolis.


I've been to Mexico a handful of times; Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, and Playa Del Carmen.


Playa was one of my favorite trips because of my age and the fact that I was with my mom, brother, and best girlfriend, Amanda. I think there is no better way to travel to Mexico than to book an all-inclusive hotel. This means your meals and drinks are included in the cost; granted things have changed and this may not be the best option anymore.


Back in 2001 the four of us made the trip down for what turned out to be one of the best vacations of my life. There is nothing better than a white sandy beach with a fruity cocktail in your hand, nothing. We found a cocktail called a Banana Mama – which I assume to be just like a Bahama Mama with Banana, I’m not sure and I’ve never found a bartender in the States who knows what it is. They were a blended drink, which was great for the heat and they were easy to drink, which was great for us underage [in the States] girls.


We sat on the beach or around the pool by day and hit up about every club by night, we [Amanda and I] followed the cutest boys everywhere, and we participated in just about everything they had going on every chance we got. There was volleyball in the pool, water aerobics, shot contests, etc. every day and some sort of super fun show at night which always ended with them calling everyone up onto the stage to the tune of Follow The Leader by The Soca Boys. We even got my mom up on stage a few of the nights we were there! Our trips to the Mermaid in Mounds View afterwards often found us requesting the song and doing the dance we learned!


The three of us took a trip up to Cancun one night, which consisted of an hour long bus ride, one way. We hit up Senior Frogs for a good part of the night and ended up hooking up with a guy I knew from back in Minneapolis, that was a good time… and we all got pretty wasted; I don’t remember much of that night.


Back in 2001 my extra-circular activities were that of any person my age that grew up in the city… if you follow. I remember one night we ended up hanging out with a few siblings we met and doing some illegal [in the States] stuff. If you ever hear my friend Amanda use the line Hey Ang, are my eyes transparent? you now know that line came from that night.  Here is a picture from that night:

I honestly could go on for hours about the things I remember [and things I don’t] from that trip.


I can just close my eyes and go back...

Plinky

My blog is hosted by blogger - in my dashboard [which is like the 'homepage' for my blog] I have blogger buzz, which is news and sneak peeks into new things blogger is hosting or associated with.  Today I found out about Plinky.  Plinky is a site that offers something for those with 'bloggers block' [aka writers block]... they post a new question or semi-thought provoking thought for you to answer and give some feedback on.... daily.  The account is free and you can link it to your blog, facebook, twitter, and many others.. then you have the option to answer the question and have it automatically post to your selected service.  


I've joined and linked it to this blog.  You will be seeing, once in awhile, posts from me with the little "Powered by Plinky" icon at the bottom; today was my first... so it was just a test.  The question was "If you could eat only one type of cuisine for a year, what would it be?" 
I wish it would post the question on my blog... but you can find that out by clicking the "Powered by..." icon.  In the future I will post with a different title.  I even have the option to have Plinky post it with a photo for me!


Anyhow- thought I would explain that post and throw the site out there for those lacking topics for blogging [also may be helpful for the TFT posts].  New sites are fun.  Enjoy!

I could eat nothing but Japanese for a year

Salmon sushi

Japanese!

You've got sushi, rice [fried or steamed], noodles, fish, vegetables; what more could a person want for an entire year?

A Little Change

It was brought to my attention that some people were having issues commenting on my blog.  I did some research and found that the way I had my comments set up (embedded, for those who care) was the problem.  There were many bloggers out there who posted about the embedded comments were having issues and by changing to the pop-up comment form it should fix the problem.... I tried it and it worked, so I will be sticking with that way of doing things, even though it's not my preference.  

For those of you who like to read the comments you now have 2 options: you can click on 'comments' and it will open a pop-up window with all the comments that have been left and also the form to leave a comment if you so choose AND you can click on the title of the blog, which opens the URL for that individual blog and will have the comments embedded at the bottom - no form to leave a comment with this option, it's just a way to read them.

Also, just a reminder [especially with all the photo scavenger hunts] that you can click on any picture I've posted and see it full size... and with my new camera [which is not new anymore and I think I finally have a name for her!].... there are some pretty big photos!

I think that's all I've got for this day... I hope you all had a wonderful Easter!

TFT: Can, Bottle, or Tap

This could be the single most important TFT I will ever write.

As a woman in her late 20's [ugh], I find myself drinking alcohol quite frequently.  I think this is normal; I drink with my friends and, occasionally, I will have a glass of wine at home by myself.  There is no one thing I drink all the time... hell, look at the url for my blog [dirty martinis and a bottle of wine] - obviously I drink dirty martinis and wine.  I often times find myself ordering a margarita [on the rocks with salt], shots are quite regular on the weekends, but more than anything I find myself drinking beer.  Plain old delicious beer.

I'm a huge fan of Grain Belt Premium - which is produced locally here in Minnesota.  Other times I drink Miller Lite or Bud Lite.... I'm not picky, but I don't drink dark beer.
So, when I'm out at the bar the beer comes from a tap.  If I'm at a friends I'll pick up a case of cans.  A lot of places do not offer Premium on tap, so it'll come from a bottle.  I'm fine with most any of those options.... but I do have a preference, much like any person would.
This also applies to soda - you can get a 20 oz. bottle of Mt. Dew or you can get a 12 oz. can of Mt. Dew... of course there is also Mt. Dew from a tap that you'd find at McDonalds or Burger King... or wherever has 'taps'.

My main focus of beverage here is alcohol because I rarely drink soda, so I just don't feel it applies [to me].

What a silly topic... the more I type the sillier it seems to me. :)

If given the option I would take beer [or soda] in a can over anything else.  I don't know what it is about the can, but the flavor is so much better to me.  I used to HATE beer from a tap... ugh, it was just awful to me!  I drink it now and I guess it's fine [generally cheaper], so I drink it.  A bottle is good and does the trick... but it's just a container.
I love the can; maybe I like the taste of aluminum?

Thoughts for Thursday: Don't think too hard here... just go with what feels natural and what you like best.

Which do you prefer and why; Can, Bottle, or Tap [for anything you drink]?

Other TFT's:

Random v.9.9

First of all, if you're reading this and you've never commented on my blog... go DELURK here, otherwise I'm making my blog private and you won't have access to it anymore. (Don't read on until you do.. you know who you are!)
I appreciate those who did comment and those who have in the past.  I don't need a comment on every blog, but I also don't need you reading my shit all the time without me knowing.  Make your presence known.

Second of all [boys turn your head, I'm going to talk girl stuff here], when I'm, what most people call, PMSing [which BTW does NOT mean I'm a bitch or bitchy] - I have several symptoms of PMS [bloating, fatigue, emotions out of whack, headaches, tenderness, etc.] all of which I can handle.  The one that drives me absolutely up the wall and I can never understand is my need to eat... and not just eat anything, but salt.  I feel like I should just stick a salt stick in my mouth when I wake up and let it ride throughout the day.  I hear most women crave sweets, and it makes me wonder if their cravings for sweets are as bad as mine for salt?  The one huge downfall of craving salt is that it adds to the bloating because I find salt and eat it!  I ate an entire box of Triscuits yesterday [throughout the course of the day] because I needed the salt and never felt full.  Then I start to worry about gaining weight and other stupid things ... it's just sooooo frustrating!  I want to go one month without having these craving and without having to eat [salt] every 5 minutes.
UGH.

Third of all, I just finalized some plans to go to NYC for the Twins @ Yankees series in May- I'm so excited for that!  I am meeting a friend there and we are going to the Friday night game and the Sunday afternoon game [then flying home right after].  I haven't been to New York since last April, and now that I have my new camera... I'm excited on a whole different level!  Best of all... as usual, it's free to me :) [I mention that just for you Shannon ;)]!

Fourth of all, I've been adding pictures to my latest Photo Scavenger Hunt - you should be checking that often because I'm not going to tell you every time I add more.  I'm having SO much fun taking pictures for it!  I liked the first one because of the local theme but this one is much more challenging, imo, because of trying to find things while still being creative.  The one thing I am struggling with this time is a lot of the topics similar, or at least my thoughts going into the topic are similar.  For example - The Stone Arch Bridge was originally going to be my interesting architecture, then I found out that it's pre-1900, so it went under Historic.  The Weisman is also interesting architecture but it's also metallic, so it went there.  A statue and mosaic/mural can also be a work of art... so while I'm having fun taking the pictures when it comes to placing them, I am having a hard time.  I've been in Minneapolis a lot trying to get all the shots and I'm trying not to have the same thing be under two categories.  There has been a lot of travel involved in getting these shots which has allowed me to see some different things - I love that!  It has also been interesting for me to start looking at things in a different light... I normally see Minneapolis as my city and I love it... it's beautiful to me.  Through this, my eyes have been opened in a new way.  It's amazing to me.
A very special thank you to Steve who has been driving me around, helping me think, and putting up with me ;) since this started.  Also thank you to Nicole for posting the first PSH, and thank you to Kristi for continuing with the trend and posting the second!

Life is good today.

DELURK 2009 DELURK 2009

Denise had this on her blog the other month so I thought... What a Great way to find out who my readers are and why exactly people read my blog. So here we go...

Hello Lurker,

You're reading my blog and I am not sure why because you don't leave a comment. You're a Lurker. I like you, but still you're lurking and it's one of those things where you get to peek into my life and I have NO IDEA. Maybe I used to work with you, maybe we went to high school together, maybe I used to date you, maybe you are an old friend maybe I am related to you or maybe, just maybe, you don't know me at all. 

Either way, I would like to know who you are because perhaps you have a blog that I would like to read or maybe we could hang out, eat sushi, drink wine and laugh about anything and everything. It is just DRIVING ME CRAZY not knowing WHO is reading so before I go insane or set my blog to Private PLEASE Come Out, DELURK and let me know who you are!

I ask you Dear Lurker to take today to DELURK. Just fill out a little comment. Here's how you do it. See that "0 Comments" (it might say 1 or 4 or 7 or really any number) link. Click on it. Type in the box and then fill out the form. You can put your name in the box and check anonymous if you don't want me to be able to e-mail you back. Or if you want me to e-mail you back and say"HELLO and Thanks for reading" then please leave your email address.

Commenting is tough... this I know. So I will ask you a question: Why are you spending time reading my blog?   Be honest.  And also let me know where you are from.

Have a Great Day and Get Commenting!!! :)

Anniversary

Today (Thursday, April 2nd) would have been my parents 32nd wedding anniversary.  That's a long time to be married - especially considering that my mom just turned 50 back in October.  
What's even more crazy for me to think about is that they divorced after their 24th wedding anniversary - it's been a long time.  I'm honestly not sure if they actually made it to the 24th anniversary, because I don't know the actual date... but right around there.  


To think back on the past 8 1/2 years is a huge rush of emotion for me.  Roller coaster rides are fun, but not when its one of emotion.  I had such hate in me for a very long time.  Sometimes I think I still struggle with that.  I'm open to talking about the divorce if someone brings it up, but you will almost never hear me opening up a long intense conversation about it.  It's probably the single hardest thing I've ever had to go through.  I'm not okay with what happened but I am smart enough to know there is nothing I can do about it, so I deal with it.  


It is, overall, a tough day for me today.  I don't dwell on it, but it's always on my mind.  I think of how things would be different in my life if they hadn't divorced... both good and bad.  I wonder if my dad is truly happy with his life now, I wonder if he has any regrets, I wonder if he misses me as much as I miss him.  There have been several events over the past couple years that have me completely worried about him as well as angry with him for how he has dealt with them.  I have several mixed feeling towards my mother over the entire time line of events... there is just so much history that factors into their divorce.  I know I harbor negative feelings for my mother because of that ... I don't know how to successfully let them go.  


I know getting older generally comes with getting wiser - but a huge part of me feels I've learned so much just by going through this.  I know I believe in love, because I've both given and received it... its hard, though, to still believe in a successful life with another person; marriage [not that I'm looking for it!].  People will always be faced with temptation and, in todays world, marriage doesn't seem to be taken too seriously.  I don't understand that.  It's hard to believe in something that I watched crumble right in front of my eyes.  Life is tough ... 


I'm not writing this for sympathy or anything of the sort.  It's my blog and sometimes, believe it or not, I actually write for myself... you're just lucky enough to read it.  I just needed to get it out.

Thoughts for Thursday - People Watching... YOU!

We all know what people watching is, right?  Personally, it's one of my favorite things to do, someone told me the other week that I enjoy people watching more than anyone they've ever met.  I can't help it... people are strange and generally they make me laugh pretty hard [which is not hard as I laugh at everything, I guess]!
I love [LOVE] to see people fall... assuming it's not a nice little old person.  I think it's funny how many people pick their nose in their cars.  Interaction between people is also very fun for me to watch... especially parents with their kids.

I was sitting at the airport last weekend, in Seattle, and I was watching this lady eat soup out of a bread bowl while she was reading.  This woman would scoop up some soup and wipe the bottom of the spoon on the edge of the bread bowl about 7 times before she'd eat it.  It made me laugh... she was, obviously, into her book and didn't realize she was doing it... but the bottom of the spoon was clean after the first wipe!

Shortly thereafter I found myself doing one of the silliest things I've probably ever done in public - which is more what this blog is about... People watching YOU.
I was in a deep text message conversation with Steve, talking about what size shirt I wear [yeah, that's right], I was wearing my Joe Mauer Twins T-shirt which I was sure was a youth size shirt... and I was pretty sure it was a Medium or Large.  So here I am at a sports bar in the Seattle airport, I have a French Dip and a beer in front of me [which I am woofing down], and I am pulling on the back of my shirt and twisting my head in both directions to try and read what the size is!  On top of all that, I end up using my phone to take a picture because I couldn't make it out.  Apparently I'm not very good at aiming my camera on the back of my shirt, so I had to take like 3 pictures until one showed what I was looking for (it was an XL, btw).

Now imagine you are an avid people watcher and you see me doing this!  I completely stopped what I was doing, laughed [literally, out loud], and took a big swig of beer!  I looked around and it sure didn't look like anyone was watching me, but I also know I turn my head pretty quick when I think someone is about to catch me watching them!
It got me thinking pretty hard about the things I do in my life and in public... I wonder what people see!?  I am now officially paranoid about EVERYTHING I do [J/K] and am never stepping foot in public again [J/K].

So... Thoughts for Thursday ~ 

Have you ever found yourself in public doing something odd that someone watching you might laugh about?  Do you ever think about the way you come across to someone who might be watching?  Maybe someone catches you checking out your reflection in the store window as you walk [or drive] by and thinks you are extremely vain.  Maybe you scratch an itch in an inappropriate place and someone thinks you're a filthy pig.  Have you ever slipped down almost an entire flight of stairs at, say, a sporting arena?  When was the last time you stopped to think about what you're doing and if people are watching?!

Also, not exactly the point of this blog but, do you enjoy people watching?  Any good stories?

Other TFT's: Christie, Denise,

Pictures

I've been wanting to post a blog with some pictures I've taken along the way during the photo scavenger hunt and since I've started the daily photo blog... these are the pictures I liked but they just didn't make the final cut.

Enjoy!

Little Cakes, I thought this looked like an Olive, it made me smile

Jasper, my dad's bird

A huge tank in a Princeton Cemetery

My dad's bathroom... I loved walking into it with that shower light on, had to snap a shot

Some glasses in my dad's bar (remember I spent a week there)

The Amusement Park at the Mall of America; the balloon ride

From Steve's car with my shutter open for a LONG time!

Under the 10th Ave Bridge, downtown Minneapolis

The new 35W bridge

I was lucky enough to see some graffiti in the making... 

Downtown Minneapolis from the car, after the Auto Show

Oregon Coast

Wine corks, you have no idea how many pictures I took of these corks!

...and the wine glass!

Nothing special... just a few I wanted to post!