Pretties

Pretties
Originally uploaded by Anonymously Uncool

We've been spending a lot of time outside lately. It's been warmer (aside from Thursday and Friday) and we have weeds growing all over our yard in the form of dandelions and these purple flowers. Our maple trees are sprouting new leafs and we've had a few bees.

We got a gallon of bubble solution and spent the evening outside last night and again today. It's been great.

Although I hate that my new job requires I work five days a week, and that I have to work until 5:30 once a week, it is nice getting home by 4:00 the other days of the week, and being able to take the kids outside before bedtime.

I'm working on writing and illustrating a childrens book, or two, or three. I have a lot of ideas. The more I write, the more ideas I have. I can write them. The question is, can I illustrate them. I'd like to illustrate one of them. Just one. Then I am more than willing ot pass off the illustrations to somebody else.

I'm trying to get my creativity back. It used to be my life. Now it's hardly anything.

The Thing with Project 365

If you follow my Flickr at all, you've probably realized that I am no longer participating in Project 365 at this point. I just wasn't getting what I wanted out of the project; I was getting very little feedback on my pictures, they were getting worse instead of better, and I was slowly finding myself caring less and less about getting a good picture. I'd comment 30 people and not even get a single view on my shots, which made me bitter, and isn't what I want photography to be about anyway. So yeah, that's why I stopped doing Project 365.

I also started a new job today that is making me work five days a week instead of four, and with the total upheaval of my life, it just wasn't conducive to continue. I will try again later. Maybe this summer....maybe.

We've been going to the zoo rather often, and I've been taking a lot of pictures...some I love, some not so much.

I took some of my kids on the carousel at the zoo, which was originally built in 1914. I know this, because they repeat it before and after every ride. I played with PSE, because I wanted an older feel to them, to go along with the old carousel, but I think I like the originals better.

Our last trip to the zoo was an all day event, because it was the last weekday I would be home with the kiddos, so we were all exhausted when we left.

I love the koala's.

The elephants are pretty cool too.

065/365: All Dressed Up with Nowhere to Go

065/365: All Dressed Up with Nowhere to Go
Originally uploaded by Anonymously Uncool

I haven't blogged in a while. I've been having a hard time getting a good shot every day, and an even harder time getting things uploaded in a timely fashion.

I knew I wanted to take this picture, at least the one of me laying face down on the bed, for a long time. I decided to add in some additional sequential pictures for effect. I kind of like it, but it's something I will probably reshoot later.

I bought this little black dress for my 10 year high school reunion. My husband said he'd take me out somewhere we could wear it when we returned to Ohio. It's been hanging in the closet for six months now.

I think I want the shot of me in bed from a higher angle.

Your Hand is Cold as Ice

Your Hand is Cold as Ice
Originally uploaded by Anonymously Uncool

I really don't have much to say about this. I love the shape of the icicle, and I love the light reflection off of it. I used my Speedlite and angled it towards the snow covered ground, so it reflected back up and off of the ice. The ice is so distructive though; it's pulling shingles off of our roof.

Being a Good Neighbor

Being a Good Neighbor
Originally uploaded by Anonymously Uncool

Not my 365 shot, but maybe it should have been. The more I look at it, the more I like it.

I called the gas company to report a gas leak outside. I wish I could take all of the credit, but really it was the contractor that was here to fix our basement that noticed the smell. I just made the call.

The gas company said that had somebody not called, the leak would have been in their house within a matter of weeks, and they likely would have gotten carbon monoxide poisoning.

We hardly talk to anybody on our street, but the neighbors came over to thank me for calling and saving their lives. I joked that I almost felt I should apologize after seeing the holes in their yard. I'd like to think they would have done the same.

Really, I can't take the credit.

038/365: Peaking through fences, we see our neighbors dirty laundry

038/365: Peaking through fences, we see our neighbors dirty laundry
Originally uploaded by Anonymously Uncool

I'm finding myself increasingly disenchanted with the Project 365 group on Flickr. I like to take pictures to take pictures, to see an improvement in my work, and to get critique from other photographers with more knowledge and experience than I have. I'm really just starting to learn how to use both my camera and my photo editing software to get images that I like.

It is frustrating to post pictures on the Flickr group and not get any responses, or even any views, but 100x more so when you deliberately post your pictures on threads that are supposed to illicit comments from other photographers. Three of my last four five pictures have had zero comments from the person that was supposed to comment on it.

I guess I just have to accept that some people are just so self absorbed that they do whatever to get their pictures seen and forget everybody else.

Anyway, as you can tell, I'm on a little tirade today. So many little things that are just irritating the ever-loving crap out of me today. Nothing monumental.

I'm ready for spring. Actually, I'm ready for summer.

I walked around my yard trying to figure out what I wanted to photograph today, and decided my neighbors yard was more interesting, so I shot it through the fence.

ETA: I was stewing over a particularly bad experience at Burger King last night; yes, still stewing this morning. The girl asked us to repeat our order several times, then when we got to the window, she was playing with a cell phone, or one of her coworkers were. This is the second time in less than a week that the person at the drive thru window was on a cell. They got our order wrong, even after we asked to make sure that it was right, and then I tried calling the resturant three times this morning to complain, only to have nobody answer the phone. So I got into my car and drove out there, asked for a manager, and told her everything that was wrong with the experience.

I came home with three free cheeseburgers, the two pies they didn't give us last night, and replacement drinks for the ones they screwed up last night. And hopefully somebody will be told to stay off of a cell phone when you're working. I work at a desk all day and still try really hard not to answer my phone while I'm working; only breaks and lunch.

Jan Mosaic

Jan Mosaic
Originally uploaded by Anonymously Uncool

I made it through a month of 365. I honestly can't believe it. I haven't blogged everything, because quite honestly, I have been having a hard time getting pictures on the computer. This past week has been hard for me to get pictures at all. There has been so much going on that I haven't really been thinking about pictures until late in the evening.

Here's to 31 days down, only 334 to go.