Day 1: Seemingly Interminable Weather Event = Whining

I swear, I've had a good attitude. Really, I have. All the way, up until now. I try to whine, sparsely, because I think I only have a certain number of "whines" allowed, and I want to use them wisely.

But what exactly does it mean when NOAH, the weather service, says "a seemingly interminably endless weather event?" I get the "40 mph wind gusts" and the "10 to 15 below" and the "windchills of 30 to 40 below, . . . significant winter weather event. . . substantial snow accummulation. . . " but what's this "seemingly interminably endless" stuff? And does that sound like scientific language to you?







So, I've made a decision. I don't want the extra second that we're getting tonight. I really, really want to give it back. I want mine on, say, . . . oh. . . July 15th! Noon. Because I'd much rather have my extra one second of 2009 in July, rather than during a "seemingly interminably endless weather event." Thank you.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Day 365: It's been a Wonderful Year. . .

. . . . in a Wonderful Life!

Who else is going to be doing the Photo of the Day (POTD) at twopeasinabucket.com this next year? It's been a wonderful year of learning, and I've really gotten to enjoy knowing so many of you, hearing about the little and big details of your lives, and sharing photo knowledge.

To all my friends and family, I hope 2009 will be a wonderful year for all of you!

Happy New Year!

Day 364: Oh Look! Another Cooperative Participant in Family Photos!

Well, at least Bonnie goes back to her pose after she's done sniffing things out. . .

Day 363: I'm Still Loving the Christmas Ornaments!

We put our tree up late . . . so I just don't have these photos out of my system yet! This next photo is one of my first attempts in using my external flash.

And here's a lovely mother-daughter photo on Christmas morning!

Day 361: Christmas, It's a tough job. . .

. . . but someone's gotta do it!

Bonnie looking exhausted.

And, note to self: Next time, twist arms and get family to schedule a time with a professional photographer.

Is something going on back there?

Why's Dianna bailing out?

OK, next time, no one's BEHIND me!!!!!

Day 356: Another Ornament

I just can't resist posting more photos of ornaments, now that we have our tree up!

And since I was asked to elaborate on item #2 yesterday, I will! (Not much arm-twisting there!) It was way back in the 70s when I was in my earl 20s and there were suicide hotlines, and we'd actually go out and see people in person. I took a call, thought I should have my partner and police back-up. We got to a hotel room, I knocked on the door, heard a muffled sound, and walked into the room. I saw this man standing there, holding a knife to his throat, covered in blood. Without thinking, I walked up to him and said something really inane like, "Oh, you hurt yourself," and held out my hand for the knife. So he handed it to me. I turned around, EXPECTING TO SEE BACKUP, like my partner, and the police. But no! These boy types, had simply put their hands on their frickin- guns and backed away to safety down the hall once I opened the door and walked in. I had to walk to the doorway, holding the icky knife and call them, and THEN they stormed the room and tackled the poor guy. Yeah. . . . not something I'd probaby do again or want my kids to do.

Isn't it funny how memory collapses and expands time; one minute you're young and dealing with crazy risk-taking, the next you're middle aged and thinking about CS3 and camera raw exposure levels?

Day 355: An Ornament & 12 Things that Turned out to Not be such Great Ideas After All

Just for fun, I thought I'd list 12 things in life that turned out to not be such great ideas after all. Life is just full of adventures, some which maybe needed to be thought through a tad more:

1. 1974: Take a job as cab driver shortly after getting my driver's license. Very shortly.

2. 1977: Taking a knife from a man who was about to cut his throat, and not noticing that the police back-up was running backing AWAY from the whole thing. (Actually, this turned out ok, but I just wouldn't advise it to anyone else.)

3. 1981: Moving my Honda Civic inside a U-Haul to California, and the following problems figuring out how to get it out of the U-Haul, without just driving it out and letting it drop to the ground.

4. 1981: Dropping our Christmas tree over the 3rd floor balcony.

5. 1984: Cutting 1 year old Scotty's hair ourselves, but having him take off his shirt, letting him eat a sucker. . . and then his freaking out when his black hair stuck to the baby drool on his belly.

6. 1985: Spraying WD40 into my gas water heater to try and loosen a valve. . . and having a scary visit from the fire department, smoke damage, buying a new water heater, and my husband coming home to see his two baby sons, wife, and the fire department all standing outside our house.

7. 1997: Filling up our car with gas. . . .before abandoning it in our garage when evacuating our town during the flood.

8. 1997: Filling up our refrigerator with fish to feed people who might need to stay in our house for shelter . . . and then abandoning the house, without power, for 2 weeks.

9. 1997: Chasing the burglar, who I had just surprised in my house, during the flood of 1997. . . .(but I'm still glad I did it because I got my wedding ring back.)

10. 2004: Throwing away a gas receipt while moving Brian to college in Missouri. . . and being stopped by the police for a $12 gas charge, accused of running the gas pumps, and having to drive 120 miles back to the gas station to keep from going to jail.

11. 2004: Throwing away a Metro receipt in France. . . and being stopped by the Metro swat team, and being fined lots of Euros for not having a receipt.

12. 2004: Putting my hand in the metro door in France to catch up with my family. . . and I'm alive thanks to 3 strong men who finally pried the door open, releasing me less than a second before the train pulled away. France does NOT have the safety devices that the US has!

Oh, there are sadly many more, but these are some that come to mind!

ETA: #13. My brother is probably right. The list should have included hitting him in the head with a dart because I thought that AIMING at him meant that I probably wouldn't hit him. (Then again, note that it DIDN'T originally make the BAD IDEA list :) )

Day 353: Tree Topper

Day 352: Man & His Primitive Rituals

Ritualistic untangling and placement of glowing talismans on plastic tree. Circa 2008; origins unknown but speculated to have arisen in ancient cave-dwellers.

Day 350: GingerBread Cookies

f/8 ~ 1/5"
ISO 400
tungsten wb corrected using WhiBal card
manual
RAW
28-75 mm @ 28 mm

Maybe a little too much ginger. I may be the only one who likes eating these :)



Just a view out our windows. . . this does not even begin to capture the dominance of the blizzard out there! I read today that we live like kings. . . that with indoor heating, we can live a comfortable life even in the midst of life-threatening conditions, something completely out of reach of most of the people on the planet even now, and certainly in the recent past. Indoor heating AND internet connection!