Too... Many... Magazines

I've gone a bit magazine crazy. I've always been more of a book reader, but recently I've found myself reading more and more magazines. I've always had a subscription to EGM, but that's really been the only one I've consistently subscribed to. Recently, I decided to subscribe to Newsweek. It's a really great magazine, but it comes weekly. I often find myself not finishing it, and the unfinished issues have been piling up. Add to that a free sub to Wired, and I simply don't have the time to read them all. They're nice to have at work for breaks and downtime, but that's about the only time I read them. There simply aren't enough hours in the day.

The Second Shot....

As I said in a previous post, we're going to be taking pics of Steph roughly every two weeks so we can look back at her progress after the baby is born. Yesterday was two weeks, but considering the news from yesterday, we obviously waited until today.

Well, the job search still continues. I check the websites daily, but it's pretty slim pickings. There's usually about 5 or 6 jobs posted daily, but either I'm unqualified, or the pay is way too low. I just keep looking, and hopefully something will come up. I've heard the Lowes Distribution Center is hiring, and I've filled out my app for them. Hopefully I'll hear something soon.

It's A Girl!

Horray! We had the 20 week ultrasound today, and fortunately for us, the baby decided to cooperate. We got some great looks at her various "parts", and this fantastic "4D" shot of her face. Steph says she looks like me, but I can't really see it yet. Everything looks great, and she is exactly where she should be at this age. It was pretty amazing to be able to see her spine, ribs, organs, fingers and toes. I really wish that we could do an ultrasound every month-- it's my favorite part by far. We've decided on Violet for her first name, but we haven't yet picked her middle name yet. I guess it's a good thing we're having a girl, because we had absolutely no idea for a name of a boy.

Icy Night

Having to do the bulk of my photography at night is a real pain. The literal translation of photography is "writing with light," so obviously the fundamental part of that is light. No light, no photographs. Sometimes, that lack of light can make for some amazing spectacles. Tonight, after some pretty serious ice and rain, everything around is covered in a thin layer of ice. When I took the trash out tonight, I saw the light passing through the ice on these branches against the shadows of the branches themselves, and I couldn't pass up the shot. Beautiful.

Well, tommorow is the big day! At 8am, we have an appointment for Stephanie's 20 week ultrasound. This is the big one. If the baby cooperates, we should be able to see if it is a boy or a girl. I've said all along that is doesn't matter to me either way, and I still very much feel that way. I just want a healthy baby with an easy birth for Stephanie. If I can get those two things, I'll be happy. Look for an ultrasound tomorrow!

Little Shirts

It's so odd and exciting to see stuff like this around the house. It's such a foreign thing, to see baby clothes laying around, but it's something I'll become all to acquainted with over the next few years. We've started looking for some of the "big ticket" items we'll be needing to buy. This is the ideal time to be getting them, since I really have no idea what kind of job I'll be getting, or what kind of money I'll be making. Steph has picked a pretty nices stroller/carseat combo, and I've started researching video cameras. I know a video camera may not be a necessity, but it's something I want for sure. I'll also have to invest in some serious external storage for my computer, as the 160 gb external I have now is nearly full, and digital video takes up some space. I have to admit, it's nice to have a valid excuse to buy "toys" like that. It's for the baby!

Amazon Prime

Amazon Prime is something we've been thinking about getting for a while. If you sign up for it, you get 2 day shipping for everything Amazon sells. You can also get discounts on things by signing up for "subscriptions" of that item, like diapers or toilet paper. It's a pretty good deal at $80/year, and since I did so much shopping last night on Amazon, we decided to sign up for it. Now would likely be the only time we could afford to do it, with my inevitable release in February. We found some affordable biodegradable diapers that we'll be using, and that company provides a series of affordable, "green" products on Amazon--from baby wipes to paper towels. I know it will be difficult and a little more pricey that normal, but we'd like to try to be as environmentally friendly as possible with the baby.

Late Nights, Laundry

Sometimes it feels like the only thing I accomplished on a weekend was getting a few loads of laundry done. Is that normal, or is that a "I Sleep During the Day" third shift thing? There's really not a whole lot you can do at 2:14 am, so I guess I shouldn't feel too bad about it. I also spent about 2 hours on Amazon doing some Christmas prep. At least now, being the self-imposed recluse that I am, I can still get some shopping done. Oh, and laundry too. 2 months to go....

Overcoming Illness

The last few days have been rough. I've been battling a particularly nasty cold, and it's forced me to miss a couple days of work. I'm feeling much better today compared to yesterday, but I'm still not out of the woods. My voice has dropped a few octaves, and I'm coughing up some spectacularly green stuff. Not a lot of fun at all.

Oh, and you're not imagining things. I did indeed miss a day. That day I was really sick, and I actually spent the last two hours before leaving for work asleep in the recliner. The way I was feeling, posting on the blog was the last thing on my mind. Had it been in March or some earlier month, I'd have surely posted something. Considering how close I am to the end of this thing, I think I'll let it slide....

Snowy Roads

We got hit today with our first major snowfall of the year. We got about 5 inches, and sitting on top of a layer of ice, it's a little nasty. The first sonwfall is always so beautiful, but that is soon shattered by the cold reality of winter.

I'm still pretty damn sick today, but to avoid any disciplinary action at work, I'm going in tonight. Hopefully when I get there I'll be able to get an early out.

Oh, and by the way, I'm pretty sure that streak in the upper left is actually a shooting star! It only appears in three shots I took, and I took those shots in rapid succession. Pretty cool!

Favorite Shots# 21: Crazy Corn Face

I know I've been doing this "Favorite Shots" thing a little often lately, but considering how awful I feel today, I don't feel a bit guilty. I decided to stay home tonight and try to rest. I'll likely get in trouble at work, but at this point, who cares? They're going to lay me off in 2 months, with absolutely no hope at a call back. Does it really matter at this point if I get a write up? Yeah, I didn't think so either. I'm usually not like this when it comes to work. I like to think that the one good thing (and probably the only good thing) that came out of having Dennis for a step-father was my work ethic. He may have been a work-a-holic, but for some reason it stuck with me that it's important to put yourself into your work. I dunno. Maybe I got it from him, maybe I didn't, but the bottom line is I really don't like the fact that Chrysler is driving that out of me. I can't wait to get out.

Oh, the picture! You're probably wondering what the hell it is. All I can tell you is that I think it's a sign for sweet corn. As to why is so incredibly creepy and potentially frightening to small children, I have no answer. I thought it was cool.

Christmas Prep

We've never really decorated that much for Christmas. When we first started living together, we had a full sized tree with all the decorations. That soon went away, as the cats simply would not leave it alone. The tree got smaller and smaller, and now we have this 3' Christmas Shrub that we put up. We have to put it up high so the cats can't get to it, but it's good enough for me.

Reading Material

Steph and I stopped in at the new Barnes and Noble at Cherryvale Mall on Friday night. I was looking for one book in particular, but ended up getting two. I had heard on NPR about a new translation of Beowulf, and after watching the new movie, decided to pick it up and read it. In the process of browsing, I also discovered the new movie with Will Smith, I Am Legend, is also based on a book. I've been interested in the movie, so I picked up the book so I can compare the two. I really haven't read many books the last couple years, and it felt good last night to sit and read for a couple hours.

Hot Tea

I don't know what it is about hot tea, but the only time I really want to drink it is when I'm sick. Nothing soothes my sore throat like hot tea with a spoonful of honey. I've been feeling pretty crappy for the last 4 days or so, and this weekend has probably been the worst of it. Constant draining sinuses has given me a pretty upset stomach. It should be fun to go to work tomorrow night.

Well, my new project- a family driven blog- has gone live. I've invited my 5 (computer owning) siblings to contribute to the site, and I've also invited my dad. I thought he'd get a kick out of it. It should be a lot of fun to read what everyone else writes.

November: In Review

Brrrr! It's damn cold. It's that time of year, and my intolerance to cold is starting to get to me. It never seems that the good weather lasts as long as the winter months, but I'm sure that's my imagination. Nevertheless, winter is certainly here, so I guess I'll deal with it like I usually do.

Well, I have one more month of this thing left, and at this point, I've decided I will not continue into next year. It's gotten to the point where it's become a real chore to try and force myself to photograph something every day. I feel like it's having a negative impact on my photography, and that's something I don't want. On the other hand, something completely unexpected has happened in the creation of this blog. I've learned that I really enjoy the writing of the blog. Never for a moment did I believe that would be the one thing that I took from this. So what does that mean? That means that I will be continuing to blog in some way. I haven't yet decided what that format will be, but I was thinking about creating a blog not only for myself, but one all my siblings could also use. It would be a great way for all of us to keep up with each other, and it would be great for me to read about you guys for once. I'll keep you all updated on what I decide, and hopefully I have something up and running by the end of the year.

Here's my favorite shots for the month of November:

Super Mario Galaxy!

I try to avoid as much as possible writing about video games. They are a big part of my life, and by far my favorite pastime, but I'm keenly aware that most of my readers are not quite as interested as I am. That being said, for those of my readers who do get into games, I feel I have to talk about Super Mario Galaxy for Wii.

I originally wasn't going to get this game, but when there was a killer deal on Black Friday, I decided to give it a shot. Considering the glowing reviews this has been getting, at the very least I could always sell it on eBay. Considering the cost, I would likely make money on it anyway.

I've never really been into the 3D Mario games. I guess I'm a bit of a purist when it comes to platformers, preferring them to come in the "classic" 2D style. I didn't like Mario 64, and I hated Mario Sunshine, but this game has made a believer out of me. It's really unlike anything else I've played before. I'm not going to get into the specifics, since there are a lot of reviews out there that do that already. Let me just say that if you have a Wii, there's no reason for you not to have this game. If you don't own a Wii, this is a great reason to get one. Today. No, I mean it. Go right now.

Veggie Soup

Tonight Steph treated me to a bowl of some really great vegetarian soup. The recipe was given to us from my sister Kathie, and it really brings back memories of the vegetable beef soup Grandpa used to make. Except, of course, the beef. Frankly, I really didn't miss it. The only thing I recommend is to cut the recipe in half, since what she made was enough to feed a small army.

Kale Soup

Ingredients:

1/4 Cup Olive Oil
1 1/2 Cups Kidney Beans
1 Cup Onions
1 lb Fresh Kale
1/2 Cup Carrots (diced)
28 oz Can Chopped Tomatoes
4 Cloves Garlic
1 tsp Thyme
2 Quarts Vegetable Stock
1 lb Red Potatoes



Directions:

Heat oil in a large pot. When hot, add carrots and onions. Cook 5 minutes.
Add garlic. Cook 2-3 minutes, stirring often. Reduce heat to medium.
Add stock, potatoes, and thyme. Simmer 15 minutes.
Add tomatoes and beans. Simmer 10 minutes.
Add kale. Cook 5-8 minutes.

Note: Cut Kale crosswise into 1-inch ribbons.

Showing

18 weeks along, and Steph is staring to show. She's actually been showing for a few weeks now, but this is the first picture we've taken of her "belly." I think we've decided to take a shot from here on out every other week, but we'll see how it goes. We may go monthly. Next week Steph has an ordinary check-up next week, then the following week is the big one- the 20 week ultrasound. This is the one where we may find out the sex of the baby! Yes, we are going to find out. Steph and I both like to be prepared.

Favortie Shots #20: Happy Anniversary!

Today was our 3rd anniversary. Happy anniversary Steph!

3 years ago today, Steph and I stood in line for about an hour in the hot Las Vegas sun to get our wedding certificate. With me in my suit and Steph in her dress, we were by far the most dressed up in the entire crowd. It was a little surreal to be standing amongst all those people dressed like that. I really don't dress up very often, and had I known it would have been that long to stand in the sun, I likely would have waited to put on that suit.

We were married in the "World Famous" Chapel of the Bells, and the surreal atmosphere carried on into our ceremony. The woman that married us reminded me forcibly of the old woman from Poltergeist, not only for her overt creepiness, but she actually looked like the woman. It was bizarre. The photography session consisted of about 6 shot in the chapel, and that's the only thing I regret about our wedding. We have virtually no shots, and the ones we do have that were shot by them are pretty bad.

After the ceremony, we were treated to dinner by Steph's aunt Suzy's father-in-law, Dick. He lived in Vegas at the time, and we won't soon forget the hospitality he showed us. He's really a great guy, and took us on a tour of Vegas that was really great.

Marrying Stephanie was the best thing I ever did. I'm really lucky to have someone so wonderful to me, and so understanding and patient of all my flaws. I couldn't ask for a better person to spend the rest of my life with.

Happy Birthday Nathan!

Today was my nephew Nathan's 2nd birthday. Jennee and Jason had a nice get-together at the local Grange hall, and even though I didn't get there until around 4, it was still nice to see everyone for a while. I was only there long enough to snap off a few shots, but I think I got some pretty good ones. The last one would have been my favorite, had I not gotten a little fuzzy around the edges. The shutter speed was a little slow. I know that's just one of my nit-picky issues, so sue me. It's my shot. Anyway, I still like it.

Here's a couple more:

Shooting You, Shooting Me

Deja vu! I have seen this somewhere before.... Apparently, this is something Cory and I do often enough that I now have a few shots like this. Oh, and for the record, I got off 5 shots to his 1.... Figure that thing out, dude!

Tonight I had a nice dinner over at Cory and Harmony's house. There were a few of us there, including Rich, Brandy, Mia and Addison, Tim James, and our hosts, Cory, Harmony, Emily, and Brook. Steph wasn't able to join us, but it was probably for the better. She's been sick for about a week now, and the last thing I would want to see is those little girls getting ill. It was really nice to see everyone again, especially Rich and Brandy, who I rarely get to see anymore. We talked a little about Belvedere Company, and I told Tim to pass it on that I'd come back to build the Mirage. I was only half kidding.... :)