This is my BFF's cousin's dog, Jasmine. She's a Rhodesian Ridgeback, a rescue dog who had to have her front left leg amputated. She's a sweet girl, but so very sad. She posed for me, though. :)
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Finial.
Sometimes my PAD is easy to find...I'll be out and about and something will catch my eye, and that's that. Sometimes I have to go looking. And occasionally, it'll get late in the evening and I'll think "OMG, I forgot my PAD...what can I shoot?" Today was one of those days, but that's not always a bad thing, because I really like this picture.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Perpetual motion.
I picked up the camera tonight to find something to take my daily photo of, and of course, this drives Jadis insane. She can't bear it when I'm walking around, she much prefers me settled somewhere so that *she* can relax. Wretched beast. So, I tried again to get a picture of her, but if I'm standing, she's incapable of standing still for more than a fraction of a second. Too bad this isn't a video, you could have experienced the yowling that goes along with this neurosis.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Remnant.
Went to my brother's for football today, and it turns out that one of his bad beasties knocked his Christmas tree over sometime after the family left on Christmas day. Instead of putting it back up, he just decided to take it all down and put the decorations away...except for this guy, the last remnant.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Aloof.
This wretched beast has been ungodly clingy today, after her vet appointment this morning. She was like glue until I got the camera out, and then she couldn't be bothered to come anywhere near me.
Friday, December 26, 2008
The haul.
I borrowed one of Mom's big blue IKEA bags to haul my loot home from my brother's yesterday, I didn't get around to unpacking it all yet (except for the Ugg slippers perched there on top, and a Stephen King book of short stories that I've been loafing around reading all day). Those of you who have been to IKEA and experienced their big blue bags will appreciate the ridiculousness of this haul. :D
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Entertainment.
After xmas eve dinner, my sister provided post-dinner entertainment...Rock Band II. :D
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Perspective.
Last day in the office before my xmas vacation (taking tomorrow and Friday off, xmas day is a paid vacation day). My friend Nicole's Festivus party is tonight, but I was afraid if I waited to take my PAD at the party, I wouldn't be home in time to post it on the proper day. So, we have a work-themed photo instead. :D
Monday, December 22, 2008
Gifts.
My hatred of shopping is legendary. I've told my family on many occasions that whatever they'd like for any gift-giving holiday had better be available for order online somewhere, because I am NOT going to the mall to get it. The result is what has developed on my dining room table. I think that either FedEx or UPS has been to my house every day for the last 3 weeks or so. It doesn't help that my sister is coming up from NC for the holiday and she decided to have a bunch of the stuff that she ordered shipped to me instead of to herself and then have to haul it all up here.
I have much wrapping to do.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Grump.
This is my brother's cat, Peanut...aka PITA. He's a dainty 19 lbs. He *loves* having his nails cut. :D
Saturday, December 20, 2008
More xmas II.
I used the tree trimmings to decorate the banister, and managed to set my vertigo off in the worst way. I spent all day yesterday dizzy and yarfy (only nauseated, not actual barfing). Whee. I think the banister needs lights or something. Or maybe something red.
Friday, December 19, 2008
More xmas.
Mom usually buys me a new ornament or two each year for xmas. Last year, she gave me 2 of these. I love big ornaments. This one is about the size of a grapefruit. Nifty. :)
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Xmas derailed.
Mom came over tonight to help me put up and decorate my tree. The lights are on and Mom was working on the cascades of gold ribbon, when I ducked under the tree to put the skirt on and discovered that the tree stand was leaking. Apparently, the plastic stand I've been using for the last 12 years has finally bit the dust...it must have a crack in the bottom, because it was definitely not overflowing. The water was seeping out from underneath it. Feh.
Mom started sopping the water out of the base with a tower, then discovered that it went much faster with the turkey baster. We slid a towel under the base to soak up the final dregs, and tomorrow I'll be at Agway during lunch shopping for a new stand. Whee. So, xmas preparations are now on hiatus.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Drive through view III.
The latest in my drive through adventures. I'm discovering that I like a bit of deliberate underexposure better than the exposure that the camera wants to take. I'm sure the whole brooding mood thing says something about me.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Office xmas cheer.
My co-workers had a Secret Santa gift exchange today at work, and my immediate cube neighbor got this string of lights as one of her gifts. At first glance, I thought they were snowmen, but they're actually s'mores. :D
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Relaxing.
I went upstairs to my office to lay on the sofa where Jadis hangs out and see if I could get a good picture of her. Which is difficult because as soon as she decides to acknowledge my presence, she gets up and gets right in my face. Anyway, she wandered off and while I was calling her and trying to get her to come back and pose, I took this shot of my feet. :D
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Peeping.
I was trying to get a shot of one of the glass doorknobs in my house (which I love!), but the keyhole below it was more interesting. I happened to line up this one shot so that I was looking directly through it, and I liked the little flash of green beyond.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Full moon fever.
I took 8 pictures of this moon, and of course, the first one I took is the one I liked best. I forgot my camera when I went to work today, so I couldn't take any pics of the snow during lunch. On my way home, I spotted this moon, and I knew I'd be able to see it from home, but the clouds kept drifting over it and I didn't know if I'd be able to catch it at a good point. I dashed in the house, threw down my stuff, grabbed my camera and ran upstairs to my office (the only place in the house with a vantage point where I could get a clear shot) before I even took my coat off.
Oddly enough, I like this shot better than the one I took later with the "night scenery" setting on. Of course, ideally it should have been a tripod shot, but oh well. :D
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Rime.
It's been raining all day, with the temperature hovering right around 32 degrees. They're keeping the roads under control with salt/cinders, but every twig on every tree/bush/blade of grass has been covered in a rime of ice today. I was going to try to get some pics at lunch, but I forgot my camera when I ran out, and when I got back, it was still raining pretty hard and I figured I shouldn't try to take pics in the rain without someone to hold the umbrella. As luck would have it, I parked next to this tree and was able to snag a picture from the dry safety of my car with the window down. :D
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Worklife II.
Everyone has a little collection of personal stuff at work that makes no sense to anyone but themselves. This is mine. If you click through to Flickr and look at the pic full size, you can even read the fortune that's hanging there.
I'd explain all of these, but really...isn't it more fun wondering? And honestly...who doesn't need a picture of Abe Lincoln at their desk??
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
The new John Deere?
This is my second attempt at getting this barn with the buses parked behind it, and I'm still not entirely satisfied, so I reserve the right to revisit this if I can come up with a better plan. This barn is at the corner of a very busy intersection, and is actually right next to the local high school, and I love seeing the flash of bright yellow beyond the red of the barn...out of context, it's just a giant "Buh?" Like the buses are some sort of newfangled farm equipment. :D
Monday, December 8, 2008
Drive through view II.
I wanted to take a picture of these bushes against this blue fence the other day, but I ran into the the classic frustrating photographer's dilemma...seeing something you want a picture of, but being unable to stop where there's a good unobstructed view without getting yourself killed. These bushes happen to be across from the drive through at McD's, a really inconvenient place to stop and an extremely unsafe spot to get out of the car and walk over to stand. Today, however, I lucked out...there was a long enough line in the drive through that I was able to get a few shots from the car through my open passenger side window while I was waiting. :D
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Candyscape.
Getting close to the end of my candy adventures...this is the orange/cranberry/pecan bark I made yesterday. I couldn't break it up and portion it out because I ran out of ziploc bags, which I picked up today on the way home from football at brother's. I have some of this leftover...but probably not for long! :D
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Odd man out.
I'm doing a Christmas sweets swap with some of the spinning people on Ravelry. There are 4 people I need to send to, and I planned on making 3 different types of white chocolate bark (butter rum with almond, orange with cranberries and pecans, and peppermint), so logic would dictate that I'd need 12 little bags, right? Well, I found these cute paper holiday bags at Jo-Ann Fabrics on sale the other day, so I picked out 12...3 each of 4 different designs.
Yeah, that doesn't work out. I needed 4 each of 3 designs, not the other way around. Oh well. :D
Friday, December 5, 2008
TGIF.
It started flurrying this afternoon before I got out of work, and when I came outside to my car at 5pm, there was just enough light left to get this dreamy sort of sky and the halogen glow on the dusting of snow. And that's my car (the VW) in the distance. Roads were fine, thankfully.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
MIL's tongue.
I have this plant on my desk at work, my Mom told me that it's called Mother-In-Law's Tongue...it has long spear-shaped leaves that are pointy on the end. ;)
I'm not 100% in love with this picture, since my camera didn't want to recognize the very center pointy bit on the new growth as the focal point for the depth of field, and it is thus blurry. But the rest of it was interesting...I like the difference in color between the outer leaves and the center leaf with the light shining through it, and the bands of color. It'll do. Maybe I need to buy a digital SLR. :D
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Daisies.
I needed a little pick-me-up today, so I picked up some flowers when I was at the grocery store on the way home. Red flowers aren't *quite* as happy as yellow flowers, but they'll do.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Bevel.
A view of the dresser in my foyer through the beveled panes of my French doors in the living room.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Green.
It ain't easy being green. When it rains, it pours. What other cliches apply here? I moved this lamp onto my receiver because it was in my way when I had to move stuff around to reach the back of the TV to turn the TV speaker back on after the receiver died. First the Zune, now this. What's next? I'm afraid to ask.
In any case, I really liked how this green lamp looked against my green living room wall. I still wish I was having more of a Rainbow Connection sort of day, though.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Amy Butler.
I wish I could take credit for this cute little spindle bag, but I can't. I bought this Amy Butler fabric after seeing a friend of mine on Ravelry use some to make a series of spindle bags that I coveted. Unfortunately, I don't really know how to sew, so I took the fabric down to Jackie's this weekend, and she whipped this up for me. Isn't it the cutest???
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Clark Griswold.
It was relatively warm today (45F or so), and Jackie and Nick are in Christmas decorating mode. Nick is Clark Griswold at heart, and he was on the upper roof putting up icicle lights. He has yet to reach the true Clark stage of actually stapling lights to the surface of the house (as opposed to just hanging them from the eaves), but that's probably only because their house is brick. :D
Friday, November 28, 2008
Nativity.
Best. Nativity. Evah.
I'm at my friend Jackie's for the weekend, and she's putting out all of her Christmas decorations. This is her nativity scene. Love it. :D
Thursday, November 27, 2008
OM NOM NOM.
What else would I post on Thanksgiving? Of course, I thought about trying to get a picture of the prep chaos, or the aftermath chaos, but I never got around to it, so roasted turkey it is. Mmmm. Turkey.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Origins.
Or should I call it "Birth of a Sock"? This is what I've been working on most of the day. Three singles of what will become a 3-ply sock yarn in the colorway called Lame Duck Mallard, my October club fiber from Spunky Eclectic. Up next...plying.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
To and fro.
I don't get into downtown Wilkes-Barre anymore now that I work out in BFE, but since I'm off this week, I ran over at lunchtime to meet my friend Michelle for sushi, which is right near the building where I used to work. I spied these stairs of the parking garage while I was waiting for her. I miss working downtown. So many more interesting things to take pictures of down there.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Priorities.
I'm off this whole week, and I'll be hosting Thanksgiving dinner at my house, so my Mom came over today to go grocery shopping with me. My fridge is now full of critical Thanksgiving supplies. Such as, uh....turkey. Yeah. Turkey. Among other things. ;)
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Heat.
I spent the day at a new knitting shop in the town next door to mine, and I took my camera, thinking "Hey, knitting and spinning and yarn and wool and friends! Excellent photo ops!" And then proceeded to totally forget about my camera. So, I'm sitting here thinking "What can I take a picture of now? The pressure!" and I heard a loud CLANK! Aha! The radiator! So, here it is. Heat.
Friday, November 21, 2008
John's view.
I've tried several times to get a good shot of this, but the light has always been wrong when it occurred to me to try. I left work a bit early today, and the sun hadn't quite set when I walked in the door and I thought I'd run up to give it a shot.
This is the view from my bathroom window when you're sitting on the commode. :D
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Farewell my friend.
My beloved Zune died an untimely death today. I miss it already. The prospect of sending it off for repair and sitting through work for 4-6 weeks without it is grim...but, I loved this model way better than I like the new ones. This one had character. A nice matte brown with green translucent trim. The new ones are too slick and shiny. And black. Feh.
Farewell, my friend. *sigh*
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Strata.
I've been practicing my long draw spinning, and the end result of my efforts was these three colors of Coopworth wool, which I intend to make some Fair Isle gloves with. I'm such a sucker for natural wool colors, and Coopworth is so lofty and springy. Mmmm...yarn.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Anachronism.
This phone booth is on a back road that I take to the post office at lunch sometimes. Every time I pass it, I'm amazed that it's still there. I haven't used a phone booth in probably 10 years, and that includes being in places like shopping malls and airports. I have no idea who in the world is using this particular phone booth that makes it worth it to maintain service there. It's seriously in the middle of nowhere.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Drive through view.
I spied this old house as I waited in line at the drive-through at Wendy's today. Wires, tree, blue sky, peeling paint...I don't know, I just liked it. :)
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Football kitty.
This is my brother's cat, Nugget. She's what we refer to as the little kitty, since at 13 pounds, she's the smallest of the herd of behemoth cats my brother has acquired. He also has Milo (medium kitty, at 15ish pounds) and Peanut (also known as Gigantor, at a whopping 19 pounds).
Nugget meatloafed herself up on the arm of the sofa to watch football with us today. Look at the front paws. She's so nice. :)
Saturday, November 15, 2008
The roommate.
This little guy lives in my living room...he's usually under one of the end tables by the sofa, but I dragged him out the other night when the knitting/spinning ladies came over so I could put a new candle in him. His shell lifts up and has a socket for a votive candle and then he glows. My BFF Jackie gave him to me, she said every home needs a bit of whimsy. :)
Friday, November 14, 2008
Tazo.
I have a strange relationship with tea. I love the *concept* of tea, but rarely the actuality. I wander the tea aisle at the grocery store and look at all of the delightful-sounding options: tea to wake up, take to relax, tea to energize, tea with antioxidants to prevent cancer, black tea, green tea, herbal tea. I often wind up buying something that sounds (and smells!) irresistible, and then I get it home and never touch it.
Yesterday, I bought a box of Tazo tea, a sampler pack. I love iced chai lattes when I go to B&N for knitting night, and I thought it would nice to have some tea on hand for the ladies who came over last night. Look at how pretty they are in the bowl (which is a handmade pottery bowl my mother bought me at the WV Folk Festival, btw)! I've already used the 2 chai teabags that were in the sampler, and they're AWESOME. I have high hopes for the rest.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Bosworth.
I had some of my knitting friends over tonight to spin, and we got so caught up in spinning, chatting, etc. that I totally forgot to take an action shot, which would have been awesome. Then, when they left, I could have taken a spinning aftermath shot, but....well, I forgot that too. So, this is what was left after I cleaned up. My two new Bosworth spindles that I got at Rhinebeck, which I totally love. Aren't they purty?
Oh! The table runner that they're sitting on is something I bought in Greece. It's a hand-painted/embroidered silk-edged sheer runner, and I'm in love with it. Also purty!
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Family portrait.
I took this on the way out of the hospital tonight, where I'd gone to visit my Dad. Two of my family members are in this photo (well, three if you include me), but I didn't realize it until I uploaded the picture to my computer and looked at it large. :D