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Posted on March 31, 2010
It’s a time of wonderment and excitement. When the world is a curious thing and every thing is new. Dry leaves are amazing, wet ground is fun, and the world is your playground!
Wesley turned one a few weeks ago. We took some portraits in Washington Park to celebrate this milestone. Just as any other one year old that’s a whiz at walking, Wesley sure was hard to keep up with. (He learned how to play this super fun game…it’s called “Let’s run and make Mommy chase me!”) But since he’s so cute, you can forgive him. Happy 1st Birthday, Wesley!
Posted on March 30, 2010
I made a boo boo.
I often eat in front of my computer when I’m busy working. I know, I know, it’s a bad habit. But when you spend hours editing each session so that the photos are at their absolute best, sometimes you might get hungry. And you might be so focused on what you’re doing that you don’t want to take a break. (You’re on a roll!) So the decision stands between eating while working or forgoing eating. For anyone who knows me, I would never choose the latter.
So, for lunch today, I was eating a tasty bean burrito while prepping some photos for my blog (to be posted tomorrow, I promise!) I was on the last bite (that’s always the one that does you in, isn’t it?) and plop! A gloriously yummy avocado, smothered in sour cream and cheese, fell onto my keyboard. I quickly got a napkin and proceeded to clean my keyboard. Worried that I would forever have sour cream stuck in between the keys, I thoroughly wiped the front, the back, the top, the bottom, the inside, the outside and the fourth dimension of each key. I paid no attention to the gobbily-gook that was flashing on my computer screen.
With the keys satisfactorily clean, I resumed my work….and quickly realized that the number keys didn’t work. And that the number 5 opened Word. And that the “S” key cascaded my windows. And that all of the keys on the right hand side didn’t work. So, I saved what I was working on and restarted my computer.
I was greeted with this screen when my computer started back up:
I held my breath and stared at that screen. It stared back at me. Squinting my eyes, I gave it my best “cowboy-challenging-a-duel” face. It didn’t waver. Not even a smidge. And just when I was about to pass out from holding my breath, the computer started loading normally like nothing ever happened.
Moral of the story: Don’t eat at the computer.
Moral of the moral of the story: Don’t randomly pound buttons when trying to clean up food on the keyboard.
Sigh of relief: Thank goodness I back up!
Posted on March 27, 2010
Goal for this summer: Explore Wyoming.
It’s a big state (you could drive for hours and never leave). Before I moved to Wyoming, Tristan had never really left Laramie and explored Wyoming. It’s very easy to get settled with what is in front of you and never look around. I would hate to move and regret all of the miles I left undiscovered.
So, my goal this summer is to pick a different location each weekend and drive there. Recently, I took a detour by driving down WY-11, near Centennial. It curved along the mountains and through the Centennial Valley until ending at Albany, WY, a town with a population of 11. At the end, the prairie all the sudden turns into trees and mountains…and I unsuspectedly found myself in the middle of snowmobiling country, in a sea of trucks. I quickly backed my Toyota Camry up, turned around, and politely drove back the way I came. 
Posted on March 24, 2010
He had always regaled her of his stories of growing up. He was from Boise; she was from Philadelphia. Despite growing up on separate sides of the country, they both had similar upbringings, filled with parental love and happy memories. Some of his favorite memories from high school involved the times he would slip away from school with his buddies to go each lunch at the Mongolian Barbecue. All you can eat for only $5: it was a teenage boy’s dream. (Right up there with fast cars and pretty girls.)
Although she had never been to Boise, or Idaho for that matter, he promised her that he would take her to the Mongolian Barbecue. She smiled and nodded. During a vacation with his family back to Boise, he called her to catch her up on the days’ events. He told her that he was going to Mongolian Barbecue and would bring her back some. Since she was 700 miles away in eastern Wyoming, she laughed at the joke.
Tristan came home from his trip and handed me a bag. With a big smile on his face, he said “I have a surprise for you.” Looking at the bag, I asked, “Cheesecake Factory?” “Nope,” Tristan replied. He removed a small cardboard box from the bag and opened it up. Inside were lomein noodles, beef, celery, bamboo shoots, and baby corn. “Mongolian.”
Can I tell you how much I love this boy??
Posted on March 22, 2010
On Saturday, I went snowboarding by myself for the very first time. With my friends all being out of town due to spring break (I envy college students), I had the choice to either go by myself or stay at home. And when is staying at home and sulking ever the best option? So, I packed up my car and headed out through the prairie on my way to the mountains. It’s a funny thing to see where you’re going and still be 30 miles away.
I’m glad that I went. It was a little strange at first. Tristan and I have our routines of getting up and packing the truck (he gets the equipment, I get the clothing). We eat peanut butter sandwiches and tell silly jokes. And I’m so used to having someone to talk to on the ski lift. But it was fun, never the less.
The snow was amazing. Kind of an unexpected gift…with the warming temperatures, I completely expected our days of nice packed powder to be long gone. Lucky for me, Wyoming surprises me every time. My favorite run was relatively empty…just the way I like it. I swished and swashed down the run, giving Shaun White a run for his money. (I can’t say that and keep a straight face.) But no one can deny it, I looked pretty darn good. Considering this is the girl that is in her first season. This is also the girl that hated snowboarding for the first half of the season because she was used to taking hard falls. But now, this is the girl that finds it hilarious when her edge catches, kicking up snow and sending her flying. (Honestly, it’s pretty funny.)
I was blessed with a double standard this weekend: Snowboarding in the morning and flip flops and t-shirts in the afternoon. When I got home from snowboarding, I decided to take a bike ride around the neighborhood. Man, it feels good to ride my bike! Here are some shots from my ride:
Posted on March 19, 2010
My hands are freezing right now. I have to chicken peck this blog entry because my right pointer finger is too cold to bend. Despite the fact that it’s 15 degrees and dark outside, I decided to take a walk. On my drive home I saw so many sights that I wanted to photograph. Sure, it’s easier to stick it out inside where it’s super warm and toasty. But where’s the fun in that?
I have to be honest, my walk was cut short. Not because of the cold, although that was a motivator, but because I live slightly on the sketchy edge of town. Three blocks to the right are the shops, restaurants and bars of downtown. One block to the left and you’ll find yourself surrounded by cute little houses that house cute little families. But right here, where I live, is no man’s land. Last summer, a man down the block from me sat on a rickety old chair drunk past wits. All day. Every day. At least he has enough sense not to sit out in the winter.
So, I set out from my apartment, heading towards the land of families. I had seen one particular door that had an illuminated arch way, and I really wanted to capture it. But about 2 minutes into my walk, I start to head towards a large vehicle.
It is running, with the lights on, but is just sitting waiting. I slow my walk, biding my time to see what they do. They sit. And wait. I look at my options…a dark alley does not seem to be a good one. I look behind me and find the dark figure of a man walking towards me.
Now, I’ve lived in the city long enough and watched enough kidnapping movies to believe that the vehicle and the man are related. I know their plan. They saw me walking out my apartment. The man, who had been waiting for me, called the people in the vehicle and told them that I was coming. They knew that I wouldn’t walk into no man’s land, that I would walk towards the nice family houses. And they were waiting for the perfect moment to snatch me and force me into the vehicle.
But before I had a chance to even ponder this theory, the vehicle turned and drove away. I turned left to walk down a section of sidewalk that was well lit. When I looked behind me, no one was there. So, I took some pictures of the light pouring out of houses onto the snow. And later, when I have my hulky bodyguard with me, I’ll go capture that door with the illuminated archway.
Posted on March 16, 2010
Life. Don’t take it for granted. It’s so easy to sit back and take the easy ride. Heck, most of us would choose a lazy river over a raging ocean any day. But in the long run, is that beneficial?
It has been amazingly gorgeous for Wyoming in March. Not that I know what Wyoming in March is like…I’ve only been here since June. But so I’ve heard. It’s hard to not take this weather for granted. The snow has started to melt so the ground is wet and muddy. It’s supposed to be super cold this weekend with snow headed our way. It is hard for me to notice the mild weather when I know the bitterness that is on the horizon.
When I am anxious, I mentally see the task ahead as a big tidal wave. It weighs in my mind, knowing that I can’t run away and just have to embrace the impact. Horrible way to look at things, right? It honestly never ends up being a big deal, and I feel so silly for being so fearful.
I really want to wear contacts on my wedding day. As shallow as it seems, you never find brides in the magazines or in high end weddings wearing glasses. (Trust me, I looked.) And as much as glasses are part of my identity, I have to admit that it’d be nice to shed them. Sometimes I take my glasses off and I’m amazed at how much dust is on the lenses. When I clean them, I can see things with amazing clarity. I wonder how much I am missing because of dusty lenses.
I remember when I first got my glasses. I was in 5th grade, I loved puffy painted t-shirts, and Ace of Base was all the rage. Putting on glasses for the first time, I saw things I didn’t realize I was missing. I remember how vividly the trees looked. I could see each individual leaf. It’s like knowing you have a coin and one day realizing that it’s a $500 coin.
Whenever I think of wearing contacts, I feel the tidal wave building. I am so determined I will fail that it keeps me from trying. But I’m also determined to be a beautiful bride on my wedding day. So, here I stand, imobilized, in between my goal and the fear of failing.
So, let’s end with a joke: “I went to buy some camouflage trousers the other day but I couldn’t find any.”
Man, I’d take a corny joke any day. =D
Posted on March 15, 2010
Oh boy, am I a downer right now. Between the stresses of planning a wedding (and I thought we were going for a *simple* wedding), my fiance being away for the week (man, I miss that boy soo much), and feeling like the whole city of Laramie just up and left this week, I am down in the dumps. But I hate this kind of down in the dumps. This is not the kind of down in the dumps where you have legitamate reasons to be upset. This is that kind of 2 year old mind set down in the dumps aka “I’m in a bad mood and I’m going to stay like that! Hmph!” I hate hate hate this attitude because there are solutions in sight but for whatever reason, I’m content staying in my slump.
The Secret tells me not to focus on the bad, but rather focus on the good. “Your wish is my command.” What you think, you will attract. So, let me try this blog entry again.
The weather has been absolutely amazing. It’s quite shocking to me that I can go outside without a coat on. At this point in the year, I feel absolutely lost without my coat. Throughout the winter months, it becomes my buddy, sheltering me from the cold and holding my all important collection of stuff (keys, wallet, chap stick, gloves, and an odd assortment of change).
I am in love with Daylight Savings. I feel like taking it out to a nice dinner and asking it why it ever went away. Having more daylight in the evening is an amazing gift. This gift includes daily walks, time to take random pictures, sitting outside and thinking, and riding my bike (oh, how I’ve missed riding my bike!) So, thank you, Daylight Savings. I couldn’t have done it with out you.
See how easy it is to flip your frown upside down?
Posted on March 12, 2010
Sunshine, warm weather, and empanadas…I am a happy girl. :)
Posted on March 11, 2010
I went to the eye doctor on Tuesday to see about getting some contacts. I tried contacts back in my teenage years to no avail. It took no less than 45 minutes to get them in. I had a few brief moments of wonderment as I was able to see all around without glasses to frame the scene. The wonderment ended when I was not able to get them out. My mom had to pin me down as the doctor took them out.
I’m ready to try them again. I wonder if my photography would be different. Would I see the world differently if I didn’t have frames telling me the boundaries of where to look?
But as ready as my nose is to not bear the weight, my eyes are not quite ready for the intrusion. I sat in the doctor’s office for 30 minutes before deciding to give up for the day. So, I’m taking baby steps. For now, I’m focused on opening my eyes and pretending to put in contacts, just to get my eye used to having something close to it. My contacts are waiting at the eye doctor’s office, where I have to prove that I’m capable of puting them in and taking them out. I’m determined to bring those babies home by next week! Woo! (It is necessary to psyche myself up to the task ahead. 
)
