Before

Well, tomorrow the contractors will begin ripping out the kitchen. I haven't gotten a picture yet today, but I wanted to post before midnight just to keep the daily thing going. I'll be updating this post sometime later tonight with a "before" shot in all its horrible, horrible glory....

*Edit*
Here's what the main wall of our kitchen looks like now, and yes, I did choose those colors. Yikes. Anyway, we'll be tearing all that out, and putting up drywall, so those colors will be adios, see ya later. Not to mention the awful counter tops. As you can see, I will actually have one more dishes session to look forward to tonight. Hooray! Can't wait!

Huzzah!

Today was the last time I'll have to do that. Starting Saturday, we're having a new kitchen put in. Drywall, cabinets, counter tops, dishwasher, the whole works. We're pretty excited. As you can see, the counter tops are a truly horrid brown faux marble textured laminate, and they are falling apart. The cabinets are all in okay shape, but some of the drawers aren't working and most are actually plastic. Really cheap stuff, but the house used to be a rental, so we're not too surprised. I'll be posting pictures of the destruction starting Saturday.

Feeling Introspective Today

It amazes me sometimes how beauty in everyday things can be taken for granted. The rising sun, how Stephanie's face lights up when she smiles, the tranquility of my cat when he sleeps. All these things I see very day, but life's pressures and constant motion can just whip you right by. I was really wracking my brain the last few hours of work today, trying to think of something to shoot. I think it's these average days that will be the toughest. On the way home I happened to look into the eastern sky, and was struck by the simplicity and beauty of the rising sun. I've been on third shift for 3 months now, but never before took the time to take in the sunrise. It's amazing what you can see when you look.

Turned Turtle

First and foremost, no one was hurt in the shooting of today’s photo. It’s really amazing considering the condition the car that you can’t see in the shot. The front end looked like it was at a 45° angle to the rest of the car, and it’s quite likely most of the engine was in the front seat.

Of everything I’ve ever read or been taught when it comes to photography, the one thing I never really practiced was the “Always Have Your Camera With You” mantra. The last thing I want is to have thousands of dollars of equipment stolen while I’m getting groceries. I have a point and shoot, but frankly it’s cumbersome and bulky. I guess I’m saying that I didn’t feel it was worth it. Now I understand how wrong I was. While I’m very disappointed with this photo, what I saw this morning really hammered home why I should always have a camera with me. I wasn’t able to get a really spectacular shot of this accident, but if my camera hadn’t been with me I wouldn’t have gotten a shot at all. You never know when life is going to give you that opportunity to see something really unique and interesting. For a photographer, you never want to miss that moment, nor miss the chance to record it forever. Always have a camera with you!

Kitty Litter Pie!

Sorry the image is so small, but this was too good, and all I had on hand was my cell phone. This is what greeted us today at work. Sitting on our team table on the sand deck was what my co-worker Kelly decided to surprise us with. As an owner of four cats (yes, four!), this is pretty damn authentic looking. It was a desert dish that was kinda like a cake, but not quite. I think it may have had some pudding in it as well. The "droppings" were actually Tootsie Rolls that were shaped and formed into a very believable shape. The entire package was wrapped up in an actual cat litter box, complete with its own scoop. And yes, they were clean. It took a supreme act of will on my part to even attempt to eat this thing. I must say, it was quite good! I could not, however, bring myself to eat the Tootsie Rolls.

How I spent my New Years

Happy New Year everyone! This is a pretty good idea of not only how I spent my New Years Eve, but also most of my vacation. I was off for about 10 days, and when you work third shift (11 pm to 7 am), the nights get pretty long. Now the beer wasn't there every night, but the Xbox was. I did manage to adjust my sleep schedule for the first 1/2 to a more resonable time, but the last few nights I've been shifting back. Ugh. I don't know why I even tried. By the way, if you own an Xbox 360, and you don't have Gears of War, go buy it. Now. It's phenomenal.