Day 271: The Long Road Home

Somewhere in Arizona.

We drove home today.  There's not much to say about it.  That's how it usually goes for the return trip of a vacation though.  The trip out is so much fun and there's so much excitement and anticipation for the upcoming fun, but the trip back is usually tainted with sadness since it's the end of the fun.

At least the drive went by fairly quickly this time, and at least we were blessed with good weather.

I'm not excited about returning to reality and the mess that is waiting for me at work tomorrow.

Not at all excited.

Day 266: Happy Birthday to ME!

I can't remember the name of this arch, but it's in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Today was so fun! My journal entry was really long because of how great it was.  Seriously, what better way to spend my 30th birthday!  I didn't mind that I was turning 30 at all!  Who cares that I'm not married yet, when I had such great people to hang out with and meet.  

Seriously so blessed. :)

I was going to write an excerpt from my journal, but there's a reason why I wrote that stuff in my JOURNAL.  It was all too personal to post online.

But I will say this, Christine is the coolest sister ever!  She surprised me with the most thoughtful presents and made a real effort to make the day special for me which couldn't have been easy while we were on vacation. 

What a great day!

Day 265: Beam Me Up, Scotty

Sunshine on the Ocean

Today was our first official day at sea.  After my lovely bout of sea sickness last night, I wasn't too keen about the whole boat thing, but I felt better today (and I discovered the beauty of taking motion sickness medicine).  It's still colder than I was hoping.  We were going to lay out by the pool this afternoon - we even got in our suits and headed up to the deck with our beach stuff - but it was cold and windy, and the clouds kept covering the sun.  I couldn't make myself lay out in my suit, so I kept my shorts and shirt on the whole time and wrapping myself in my towel (which would have given me a farmer's tan if I had stayed out long enough).  We eventually gave up and went down to one of the lounges to hang out with the group we came with.

There's so much I can write about just today, and it wasn't even an interesting day.  So instead of writing a really long journal entry that bores me just thinking about it, I'll give you the highlights.

• Morning work-out on the track/miniature golf deck.  It was fun watching all of the 8am drunks try to play mini golf on a moving ship.
• Breakfast on the Lido deck where we were greeted with the stale smell of food blowing out of the exhaust fans at the top of the ship.  Once we were inside where they have the buffet it didn't smell, so that was good.
• Lunch on the sun deck where we froze our little toes off and tried to read our books.
• Hang out with the singles in the Shanghai lounge where we played embarrassing get-to-know-you games that involved winking and other stuff.
• Get ready for formal night and hang out with the guys.
• Formal dinner and sitting with new friends, with photo ops afterwards.
• Another dose of motion sickness meds and change for after dinner fun!
• Alas, stay in the room the rest of the night because of the drowsy effect of the motion sickness pills.

Day 258: Just For Me

The sky today.

So I completely forgot it was Valentine's day today until I was driving to work.  Ah, oh well.  It's not like I had someone to get a gift for or anything.  And I have to say, I handled Single Awareness Day much better than last year.  I felt very...unaffected.  I was glad for my married friends who had plans, and had no tinge of jealousy at their happiness.  Definitely felt more grown up about the whole thing. :)

I walked outside to run some errands during lunch and found the most gorgeous sky!  Of course, I didn't get my camera out until later and almost missed the beautiful rays.  It was the perfect day to run errands!  It was windy, sure, but it was worth it to see the awesome patterns the clouds were making on the mountains surrounding the valley.  Everywhere I drove I was in awe of the beautiful landscape and weather!  I needed a little beauty to distract me from my all-consuming vacation plans.  It was like the sky was painted just for me, to remind me to be happy for the details in life!

Day 245: Arctic Winds

The clouds blowing in.

Today was gorgeous.

And FREEZING!

I have never felt such icy, bone-chilling, teeth-chattering, hurricane-force wind gusts in the 8 years that I've lived in Utah.

Of course, the wind may have been exaggerated by my extremely poor choice in jackets this morning.  I wore my new wind breaker that I won in a raffle at work.  It looks like a great winter coat, but it has zero insulation.  I think it's made to be worn over warmer, less water-resistant coats.  Also, it's probably two sizes too big, so it allowed every wisp of air blowing by me free entrance into the protective layer of the coat, thereby rendering it less than useless because it actually trapped the cold air inside the jacket every time I stepped outside.

Next time, I'll layer.

Day 230: Fire Mountain

A view of tonight's sunset from my front porch.

I almost didn't get this shot out of pure stubbornness.  Christine told me how cool the sunset was looking, but I had already taken a picture, and I suddenly felt a wave of annoyance that she would assume that I needed picture ideas.

Idiot.

I always need picture ideas, and yet I always scoff when people give me any.

Luckily I realized I was being ridiculous and got up to see what she was talking about.  

Awesome view!  Click! 

Too bad it didn't turn out as bright on the photo.  It was practically red in real life.

Day 224: Static Daydreams

Steam rising in the morning air.

This picture is me.
It's everything I like about poetry, books, music, art, movies, etc.
It's dark and beautiful, and a little confusing.
It's inexact and interesting.

One day I'll be able to write the perfect story,
Filled with melancholy
And beauty.
And intrigue.

Someday I'll find the words to express,
This thing that I love about the world.
But the words are lost somewhere.
Wherever this dream is that I keep chasing.

So for now I will have to show it in pictures.
My love of that imperfect beauty.
That static dream that is just beyond reach.

Until I get it right.

Day 183: Half-way Point!!!!

Sunset in my back yard.

Today marks the last day of month 6 and is the official half-way point in the photo project!  I made it half-way!!  Yay for me!  Tomorrow I start on the second half of the year, which is awesome and a little bit scary because I ran out of ideas a long time ago.  But I'm hoping with the holidays coming up, I'll have a lot more opportunity to take some good shots.

Thanks to everyone who reads and comments on this blog!  I know your numbers are few, but it is a tremendous boost to me on days when I'm ready to give up because I can't stand the sight of my camera!

Some things I've learned so far:
*You don't know if you're good at something until you try
*Consistency is a nightmare, but totally worth it!
*You can accomplish anything if you put your mind to it.
*Cameras are expensive, sure, but printing the photos on 14x16 mat-board is worse
*Photography looks much cooler on paper than it does on the screen
*It's OK to let yourself be proud of your accomplishments every now and then
*It doesn't matter how many times my mom, or others, praise my pictures, I'll always be a little embarrassed at the compliments.

Day 180: Endless Driving

A view from the road.

Today was endless.

The beginning of our drive home was beautiful: snow-laden trees by the thousands lined the road like a guard of honor saluting us home.  The fog was laced through the tree-filled mountains and the snow provided a beautiful contrast to it all.  The landscape around us made the trip so exciting and fun, but by lunch time it faded into barren, rolling hills that felt like an arctic wasteland.

And this is saying nothing about the storm that seemed to follow us from Washington all the way to Utah.  The storm was no fun.  The traffic was no fun.  The roads were no fun.  The 13-hour-long drive that stretched into 21 hours was no fun!

Day 144: Halloween Clouds

The storm today.

I had a monster of a headache today.  It was like a weed.  It grew and grew all day, and wouldn't go away, not matter what I did to it.  I took more and more pain meds to get rid of it, but nothing worked until I combined some Ibuprofen with a muscle relaxant.  Of course that means that I'm really struggling to keep my eyes open at the moment, but at least I'm blissfully free from the pain for a little while.  Hopefully this medicine, combined with a good night's sleep (something I haven't had for weeks), will kick that back headache once and for all.

This shot was right outside my front door.  Because of my headache, I was really struggling with getting up and trying to take any pictures, but I did manage to step outside for a moment to get some fresh air this evening, and found this.  I love the way the clouds look like they've been painted on the mountains!

Day 133: Marbled Sky

Sunset

I was trying to get a picture of the cloud trails in the sky with this shot, and although the cloud trails are visible, they are dwarfed by the sunset.  Unexpectedly cool.

I was planning on writing something lame here, to go with what I assumed was a lame shot, but now I'm wondering what to write.  I'm still in a foul mood over this project, but oddly enough, the annoyance I feel is actually fueling me onward instead of spiraling to the pit of despair.

I'm not saying I'm super hyped or anything.  But it's a start.

I still feel like whining about it, but I won't.

Instead, here's this.  A story of how tonight I nearly gave myself a heart attack in a matter of - maybe - 3 seconds.  And I am not exaggerating that time frame.

Just now, as I was trying to type this entry, I heard movement upstairs.  It was just the neighbors stomping around in their house, but because Christine mentioned earlier that she freaked herself out by mistaking the neighbors and our cat for intruders (and because the house is dead quiet and Christine is fast asleep), I immediately thought there was someone in the house.  BUT, before I could remind myself that it was highly unlikely to have intruders, an entire scene played out in my head in a matter of milliseconds.  I saw a killer break in the front door and wander around the living room before sniffing us out,  finding the stairs to the basement and pounding down them so fast as to render escape - or any movement - impossible (as if being cornered in the basement weren't trapped enough).  I saw the killer round the corner to my bedroom and tear down the hallway in a mass of noise and murderous rage.  I saw him fling open my door and head straight for me without a second's hesitation.

The vision was something akin to a scene from 28 Days Later, and my heart rate spiked so quickly from the split-second horror that I felt like I'd been given an electric shock.  I freaked myself out so badly that the air was sucked right out of me.  I found myself staring wide-eyed and horror-struck at the door to my bedroom.  Frozen in fear, unable to move, or even dispel the vacuum in my chest and draw a breath, waiting for the psycho killer with lightning-fast stair skills to come charging around the corner in a bloody, screaming rage...with arms outstretched to rip me in pieces with his bare hands.

A second later my voice of reason caught up with my imagination, and I was able to draw a shaky breath and look away from the door.  Hand over my heart, and chuckling at my ridiculous imagination, I turned back to my computer with suddenly nothing to say.

Now let's see if you can go to sleep without nightmares.

Day 101: Good Morning

Sunrise in front of my house.

I stepped out the front door this morning to leave for work, and this is the sight that greeted me.  GORGEOUS!  I could not pass up the opportunity to capture this beautiful sky.  Luckily for me, I carry my camera with me everywhere I go, so I grabbed it from my bag and within seconds of leaving the house I had half a dozen sunrise shots on my memory card.

It's views like this that make my day go so well!  How can anyone ask for anything more beautiful!

Day 87: More Storms

Another oncoming storm.

I stepped out of the restaurant last night to see this awesome storm headed our way.  The sun was still up, but those black clouds made it look like it was full night.  I realize I've taken several cloud shots this month, but we've had so many cool storms lately, how can you blame me?!

I have this perverse love of storms.  Where other people groan and whine when they see black clouds headed their way, I get giddy.  My favorite thing is to stand outside and feel the wind blowing a big storm in.  I love the smell of oncoming rain, the way the pavement seems to sigh a breath right before the rain hits it.  I love the sound the rain makes on our metal car port, how it amplifies the sound.  I love when it pours!  I once danced in the rain.  I know that you hear that a lot, but how many of you would actually have the guts (as a grown-up) to go outside in the pouring rain and dance to no music at all.  Yes, it's a little embarrassing, but liberating at the same time.  :)

Day 86: Moonbeams

The moon rise...tweaked a little.

I tried to capture the moon as it was rising over the mountains tonight, but I was without my tripod, so I didn't get a clean shot.  But the flare from the street lamp added a nice touch, so I kept the picture anyway.

Here are some things I noticed today:
*The satisfying sound the spiral binding machine makes as I punch holes in the papers
*The bug bite scars on my arms make me feel like a small pox victim
*Hiding in an empty office to clear my mind doesn't feel childish anymore because it really made my morning go better
*Spontaneous compliments are the best
*Watching a movie for the third time is still fun if you watch it with someone who hasn't seen it yet
*Dinner with friends is a nice break, even if the food sucked

Day 82: A Gale's A Blowin'

The view from my back yard.

Such a nice breezy day today.  It made the heat bearable.  And then, at dinner the storm blew in!  The wind was so strong that it knocked our mini nursery over in the back yard.  Luckily it was empty.  As we stood on the back porch watching the trees dance in the strong wind, we looked up to see this heavenly break in the clouds.  We also noticed a plastic bag flying through the air, at least 50 feet up. It was dancing too.  Tossed back and forth by the chaotic wind.  

I snapped a few shots of the sky and ducked back inside just as the rain started (a poor showing of rain for such a windy storm).  When I reviewed my photos I noticed several of them had this dark section in them.  It wasn't the clouds that did it, just something wrong with my camera I think.  But it looks cool, so I kept it.

All in all, a good night for storms.

Day 66: Storm Chasers

Classic shot of my family checking out the storm after dinner tonight.

After I snapped this photo, everyone turned on me, thinking that my flash was a lightning strike. Or so I thought.  Actually, just milliseconds after I took the picture, lightning did strike, but I didn't see it because my eyes were obscured by the viewfinder.  Awesome.


A Haiku:

Love my family!
Swapping stories, making fun
Laughter all around.

Day 65: Wide Angles

The view from my boss's office.

I did a little time lapse experiment today.  My boss is out of town, so I took advantage of the dark office and set up my camera to take time lapse shots from his window.  The streaks down this shot are from the reflection of the blinds in the window.
I want to get a few days of time lapse before I post a video of them because today's time lapse shots only made a 17 second video.

Some days, there are no words in my head.  I sit and stare at the monitor, or I stare at the wall in front of me, and nothing comes to mind.  Today is one of those days.  I'm trying to think of something profound to say...about my recent family reunion, the amazing weather the last few days, my inability to concentrate, my recent fall off the wagon into the world of sugar, or anything else that is new in my life (well, the concentration thing isn't new, but it's consistent), but I've got nothing.

- To the family reunion, I say it was awesome, wonderful, exhausting, long, and completely worth it.
- To the amazing weather, I say that I wish big storms were a regular occurrence in my town, that the lightning makes for great pictures and the thunder (amazingly) makes me feel calm.
- To the inability to concentrate, I say, I hate you. You ruin my day almost every day and make me feel stupid and little.
- To my recent lapse in self discipline, I say it's never been a funner ride, I love to eat sweet things but I know it can't last, I know my concentration has gotten worse since I started eating sugar again, so I'll probably go back off it within the week, but I make NO promises.
- To my lack of inspiration, I say: The joke's on you!

I win.

Day 64: Storms

The view from one of the windows in my office.

The coolest storm cluster to hit my area all year, and I missed all the cool parts.  While all my other friends were out taking pictures of down-pours and lightning strikes, I was either asleep or sitting in my cubicle staring at my computer.  When I finally did get my head out of the sand, I whipped out my camera as fast as I could, but was only able to capture the tail end of the storm as it rolled through AF.

Then there was a second storm which practically on the heels of the first, and again, I was stuck in bad traffic and couldn't pull over to grab a shot.  The sad thing is, that puppy is still going strong and I keep catching glimpses of lightning strikes outside my window as I type this.  But I'm tired and I'm in my comfy pajamas, and I don't feel like trudging outside with my tripod and gear and waiting in the rain for the opportune moment.

Oh well...there's always next time...right?

Day 45: Trees!

This is one of my favorite trees.

I missed the clouds yesterday.

I kept noticing the lack of clouds every time I looked outside, and when I walked to my car last night, I was a little sad.  They must have missed me too, because they came back in full force by this evening!  I tried to get the awesome sunset-filled clouds with this amazing tree, but the angle didn't work.  These clouds are pretty cool too!

Clouds and trees...what more could I want?

This picture reminds me of a song my mother used to sing to me when I was young (I don't know the title):

I know a place,
Where no one ever goes
There's peace and quiet,
Beauty and repose.

It's hidden in a valley,
Beside a mountain stream.
And lying there beside the stream,
I find that I can dream.

Only of things,
Of beauty to the eye.
Snow peaked mountains,
Rise up to the sky.
Now I know,
That God has made this world,
For me.

One can imagine,
Himself as in a dream.
Climbing up a mountain,
Or down a small ravine.

The beauty of this peace and quiet,
Ever will stay.
To make this place a haven,
Each and every day.

Oh how I wish,
I never had to leave!
All my life,
Such beauty to receive!
Now I know,
That God has made this world,
For me!

Oh yes, for me!

Day 42: Inspiring Views

The beautiful sky.

The following is a short blurb on the sun.  This is what I noticed today as I was driving around in the dappled light, wishing I wasn't driving, so that I could take a million pictures as I passed scene after scene of breathtaking awesomeness!

The sun,
Partially obscured by thick layers of clouds,
Shines intermittently on the vast landscape,
Casting it's shrouded gleam onto the world below
In a patchwork of light and dark.

With each beam, the sun creates a new landscape,
paints a new canvas with stark beauty.
And just when you think you can't look anymore,
The clouds come and veil the brightness
Until it is bearable again.

The world then takes on a new look.
One of deep blues and purples,
With shadows and hidden recesses.

Neither light nor shadow is better than the other.
Rather, their mutual presence creates a fairyland,
An alien landscape of bright contrasts
That are so beautiful,

You can't look away.