Routine

Sometimes it's nice to have routines. For instance, when I go to the beach with my friends J and R, we always stop and get basically the same picnic supplies:

8 pack of potato rolls or hamburger buns
1/2 lb swiss cheese
1/2-1 lb smoked turkey
1 lb potato salad (to eat as a side and also put some in the sandwiches)
lettuce
tomato
watermelon (from a truck in harlem)
Sun Chips and/or Doritos
Double Stuff Oreos for J and Peanut Butter Oreos for me & R (although we'll all eat some of each.)
Something to drink--usually water or Fresca

Usually we get together in the morning and go to the store together. We have to stop at MacDonalds either before or after so that J can get a large diet coke with extra ice, and R and I can get ice cream cones or fries. Then we drive an hour or so to the beach, set out our sheets, umbrella, and J's beach chair, and eat. Next we get in the water, then spend the rest of the day between the water, laying out, reading, and eating more. It's a great routine, one that we will hopefully keep up throughout the summer.

My Super Power

According to my soon-to-be sister-in-law, I have a talent that I was not previously aware of. This is not a talent that I've heard of in anyone else. It's pretty amazing. I can cause rainbows to appear. Not just any rainbow--double rainbows. It's not something that I have conscious control over, but it's happened three times now. Once when we were together in Ohio, once in Utah, and again this week when they received a package from me. (Apparently I can do this at a distance, since I was in New York and the rainbow was in Utah.)

Now the question is, will I use my powers for good, or evil?





Look carefully in the corner for the second rainbow!

Just another day on the subway

I was reading my book on the subway tonight on my way home. Since the car was full, I was standing, holding onto the pole. After several people got off at one stop, I looked around to see if there was a seat open. No such luck. Oh well. At the next stop, I noticed an elderly woman sitting at the end of the row, gesturing that there was a seat available across from her. Since I only had one more stop before transferring to another train, I smiled and thanked her, but said that I only had one more stop to go, and stayed standing.

I thought that it was quite nice of her to notice that I had wanted a seat, and to let me know when there was one open. As I got off the train to transfer, I realized that it probably had more to do with the book I was reading than with her observing me looking for a seat. The book was Your Pregnancy Week by Week, which I'm reading not because I'm expecting a baby, or planning on having one any time soon, but because I'm certifying to become a birth doula, someone that helps pregnant women leading up to and during labor. But she probably assumed that I was pregnant, and really needed that seat!

The Summer of Weddings Part 1

Working for a wedding photographer, as well as photographing some weddings myself, I am often surrounded by weddings. But this summer is different, as I have been to several weddings as a guest. Here are the highlights:

May 9th I was actually invited to 3 different weddings--one in Boston, one in S. Carolina, and a Sikh one in San Jose. I wish that I could have gone to all of them, but decided on my best friend from high school's. I didn't take any photos at the wedding or reception, but they did have a lovely photographer. I even am in few of the photos on the photographer's blog. (The two b&w of her getting ready, and one of my hand with a plant.) It was a beautiful wedding, complete in every detail. The ceremony incorporated much music, and the reception focused on dancing. I am so happy that the two of them are together, and that I could be there to witness their union. Here's one photo I did take, at the bride's apartment, where she graciously let me stay:



Both hat and cello belong to the bride.

As favors they had a bottle of honey (from Ohio State bees! Educated bees make the best honey.) and elm tree sprouts, which they raised themselves. Two people at my table were not taking their trees home, so I brought home three. One didn't make it, and I was worried about one of the others, but I have 2 healthy plants right now. Here are some plants in their greenhouse:



In the next installment: Phun in Philly or Alien Nuptials...

Undiscovered Talents

So I found out tonight that I can not only drive stick shift through the city, but I can do so with a kitten climbing on my lap and over the steering wheel. Who knew?

I would explain, but I think it's more fun for you to wonder.

You know you're tired when...

You try to use your subway card to pay for your groceries.

Baby Steps

I don't know why I didn't think of this before. I've been "working" on my new photo website for over a year now. Maybe even two years.

I think that the main thing that's been holding me up is my perfectionism--I want to do a thorough job, go through all my files and find the best photos. Decide what the best number for each category is. I've probably sorted through the same wedding photos 5 or 6 times now, making sure that I have a good sample from each wedding, well balanced and as even as possible. I finally weeded it down to 75 photos--25 each from 3 of my favorite weddings.

I also am busy with so many other things that I haven't been devoting much time to the website project. Recently, though, I've started working on it again.

Tonight I was talking to the friend who's doing the website design, and she suggested that I start by picking 5 photos for each category. I quickly went through the photos I've been collecting, and although it was tough to only pick 5, having that limit was helpful. I picked 5 from each category & formatted them in about 40 minutes.

I can't wait to get them up and have a functioning site!