Uh Oh

Her: Mom? You like bands?
Me: Yes.
Her: I like bands. You like rock n' roll bands?
Me: Yes, A LOT, why? What kinds of bands? Kid rock n' roll bands?
Her: No! Grown up rock n' roll bands with guitars!
Me: Do you talk about music with your friends at school? Or in Mr. B's class?
Her: No. I just love rock n' roll bands. Not like the stuff from the library in my kids section... like, REAL bands.
Me: OK, well the library cds we get are real bands.
Her: They are?
Me: Kind of - they're real bands who make kid versions of their songs. Would you like me to pick out some rock n' roll cds of mine that are appropriate for you?
Her: YES!!! (Wide eyed.)

There must be something going on in that little brain. Last week she was obsessed with my Bob Marley cds. Good grief. Isn't she a little young for this? I guess I started with some glam rock Bowie when I was 6ish (I also loved Muskrat Love!). She's not even interested in ear-bleeding Disney soundtracks, thank goodness. I guess she really is part me. Look out, Daddy!

Rainy day in the past

I should be doing homework now. Do people in Alaska catch colds as often as people in the midwest do? How about in Hawaii?

Can't remember which camera I used for these. Maybe the old Olympus, which is a totally underrated camera. Has a live LCD that rocks. A rainy day. A funny kid. She makes life good.

7 weeks left

Some days are better than others. It's taken nearly 3 weeks but, today, I'm not so shocked by what happens in my classroom. Most interesting potential discussion bombs of the day...

Kid 1: Why do you have more than 2 earrings?
Me: Ummm. Same reason why you only have 2?

Kid 2: Are you Christian? Are you Christian? HUh? Are YOU??? Are you Christian?
Me: Ummm. Not exactly.
Kid 2: Oh so you're Jewish??
Me: Nope.
Kid 2: So you're NOTHING? Wow. Why don't you get yourself a pair of Uggs like us?

Kid 3: What are you ordering for yourself at the McDonald's party tomorrow?
Me: Coffee.
Kid 3: Coffee??? Son of a bitch!
Me: Hahahahaha (oops). That was inappropriate. You're losing a point.

Late summer in Chicago...

All Around Fripple Town

That's the name of my kiddo's favorite video game. Here are some photos from around my Fripple Town. I like the Jesus sticker machine in the Mexican laundromat.

Yikes, Part II

Today I got the full story of two of the 6th graders I've been teaching and got to see their disaster-on-legs parents. As they say, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

And now here's a nice little marbleized and sparkly geode.

Day 11

It's day 11 of working. Three of us teachers for just six kids. Working with these kids is a lot like working in day care, which is something I never ever ever aspired to do. Eight weeks left and counting.


Like puppets (not the political kind) as much as I do? http://www.puppetbike.com

So long ice, uh, blobs

It was nice while it lasted.

New Year

To me, time is just another weird invention. I think about it all too much. It's obvious Faulkner was pretty concerned with timelessness and time. I am a chronic clock watcher and prefer to forget it when I'm not working.

A good thing about New Year's Eve is that people get sappy and start recalling the past. It's also great to spend an extra day off together. I was archiving some old photos and ran across these.

A fun day at the farm


A campfire with Ben's family - Robert blabbing and Glen lurking


Back yard drawings


Harley dude on I-88

Crazy, dizzy in 28mm

Some things make the head spin. For me, it's heavy patterns and contrasting colors. How 'bout you? Here are some pretty abstract mistake shots since I can't seem to take any real ones this week. It's nice to call them abstracts, don't you think? Argh. My eyes are bleeding.

Didier Farm wagons


Pretty colors

I used a 28mm lens on loan from dad - good in low light, but not that great, right? I'm glad I didn't waste my money on this thing. I tend to forget about the focal length conversion. So, what normally would be a nice wide angle lens for a 35mm camera won't be that for me. Why was I thinking wide angle for this anyhow? I just like the perspective. Some day I'll be full frame! We were in Best Buy this weekend and I picked up the 5D. Lovely, but it seems huge now that I'm finally used to the wee Rebel. I still love my female friendly camera. I kinda wish I'd gotten the black body, but for $40 less I'm happy with what I have. I'm not ready for that investment just yet. Maybe at age 40? I guess I'll need a job. ;)

Snow

It snowed last night. Here are some pictures with a normal lens. The snow wasn't great - just hard specks pelting the ground at about 60 degs. Not too interesting, but it's only the 2nd snow - plenty of time to get something good and get in some flash practice. Flash is something I really haven't worked with much outside of my flip-flash camera in first grade - that was cool. I know how to turn it on, off, where to find it, how to bounce, but that's about it. :)

Snow

Christmas lights

Ice

My friend Cheryl asked if I took pictures of the snowfall yesterday.

icicle


icicle starbursts

It's still fall, remember?

It's funny how kids equate certain things with certain seasons. Right now there's snow on the ground so it must be winter. Winter starts on the 22nd. What?! Anyhow, here are fall pictures taken in the yard and on the farm.





On Oct. 19th, on a whim, my little assistant came with. I noticed these clouds on the way back from grocery shopping and knew we had under 5 minutes to get out to the field down the block.



The inevitable always happens. That's why it's called inevitable (get out of the frame please, giggles). :-)


I like this picture because this is what life feels like for me some days while my child laughs her head off.

An excellent cover

I thought of an old vacation.


Today I was reminded of a surprising, excellent cover by Phantom Planet. And it just so happens that this little video of travel in Barcelona uses the song as background music. I haven't thought of that city or this song in some time. Funny how things are paired together some times. Have a listen. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZhfiZ4Rr1o

I am losing it. I used to be able to identify a song pretty fast. I could also tell you what other bands the guitarist was in, dumb trivia like that. Obsessed. What do you expect from someone who was a DJ and worked in a record shop. Now I hear this pathetic Cadillac commercial with an OLD Flaming Lips song in it and it takes me 3 months to place it in my head. I'm sure you can relate. :)

Random = mediocrity; the moon, bloody stumps, and fun cards

Wow. This is jammed with random junk . Here's a neat Web site to help you track sun/moon rise/set, for photo purposes of course (I will probably start a new project this weekend and you should, too):
http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/RS_OneYear.php

I usually try to tie each day to some sort of theme. It gives it meaning. I've done this since I was a kid. Things that are "random" are usually mediocre. This posting has no theme. Here are just some pictures I'm thinking about. They suck. Maybe that's the theme.


She has lost her first tooth. Click on the photo to see the bloody cavern left behind. Remember that taste?

And here's a boring picture only I would bother thinking about. It's low grade, but I like the composition, except for the ugly pool behind the fence. I hate pools, especially ones in yards.

If you want me to stay away from your house, tell me you have a pool.

I liked the "cheese holes" in the moon face if that makes any sense, which, it just might after one has enough Sudafed and has been cooped up for a while. I liked the fences here, that's right. And also the mossy green color the grass takes on when its half dead. That's my favorite color. I'm not kidding.


And here are some babies. I like the bluish green. New sedum plants growing in a pot. Still growing on 11/28. I try to grow plants and they die. I leave them alone and they sprout. Go figure. This is another crappy picture. You can't win.


Fun Card
Here is a fun card I almost bought for a relative, whom I barely know. She's in that early 20s vanity phase that, unfortunately, some women never grow out of.

Cover picture: 2 teenage girls
Girl 1: So where's your birthday party at?
Girl 2: Don't end your question with a preposition.
Open card - inside.
Girl 1: So where's your birthday party at bitch?

Haha! I ordinarily don't like that sort of humor. But it would be great to send that to her.

There's also one I wanted to send to some die hard republican relatives. I can't stand when people say they're a die hard this or that, it just shows they aren't thinking for themselves, but what do you expect with the way the average American is raised? Back to the card. It's one of those George Bush cards.

Laura: So, the polls are rating you low.
George: What about the French and Germans?

What I am thankful for...

:-)

Vine Series

Here I tried different depths of field and looked for color contrast. Whether you're 13 or 37, some things never change - with photography it's still true that if you pick a theme, study it, pick a few nuances within the theme, and then study that - you learn. On a gray day with a creepy sun. There's a nice rusty old fence behind the orchard that has lots of vines winding around it.