Category: my life

  • Smashing Pumpkins 20th Anniversary Tour

    Smashing Pumpkins 20th Anniversary Tour

    Chris and I just got back from seeing the Smashing Pumpkins at DAR Constitution. I have to admit that I’m a fairly casual fan and Chris is the more hard core fan. This was my first SP concert. I have no shame in admitting that I like the greatest hits, and maybe one or two songs from the earlier albums that weren’t singles. My brother, Michael, was a huge fan so many years ago, and I remember the songs being played over and over again in his room and in his car. (To his credit, I think he pretty much did have every single album, B-side and import, so it wasn’t like it was just Mellon Collie on repeat.) The opening strains of Today, included in tonight’s set list, always remind me of when he was learning to play guitar.

    The show was not really for the casual fan, but I did enjoy it, save for the 20-minute Pink Floyd cover which might be the biggest reason as to why I can’t hear a thing right now. That and the fact that we were so close to the speakers. I thought DAR was kind of a strange venue for SP. Our seats were close up front to the stage, but high up enough that our view was partially blocked. But I love people-watching, and it was a great spot for that. I was even able to scope out my friend Alia who had seats on the floor. Hi Alia!

    Just a couple of crummy pictures with the point & shoot for posterity:




  • My Civic Duty

    I haven’t forgotten about my 101 in 1001 list at all – in fact, I can check off item #97: Vote in the 2008 Presidential Election. I didn’t take my camera into the polling location out of respect for the rules and for the other voters, so as proof of fulfilling the item on my list, I hope you’ll accept a photo of me post-vote with my “I voted” sticker.

  • Happy Halloween!

    I used to be super into Halloween – I’d say it was easily one of my favorite holidays. I was a total ham, I’ve always loved being creative and dramatic, so dressing up for Halloween really fit the bill. When I was too old to go trick-or-treating myself, I still loved handing out candy to the neighborhood kids. Alas, the neighborhood that we live in now is completely void of trick-or-treaters. We are in the tiny townhouse section next to the streets full of huge mansions – which would you pick if you’re looking to score good loot? And I haven’t dressed up in a while either. The last couple of jobs that I have had as an adult didn’t really allow me to wear a costume to work, and while there were a few parties going on tonight, I found myself needing to get some work done! So the Halloween spirit has dwindled a bit for me. BUT…in the interst of still celebrating the day, I thought I’d post something festive: old pictures of my Halloween costumes and my top-five list of scariest movies!

    First, the pictures. They’re scanned from prints, so please pardon the quality. These are all more recent than not. I’m sure my parents probably have pictures somewhere of me as a child wearing those plastic costumes. You know, the ones with mask that has the cheap rubber band to go around your head, with the tiny airhole you can barely breathe through, and the plastic character-printed smock that gets so hot. But here’s what I could find in my own archives.

    My senior year of high school, I bent wire hangers and wove my hair around it for the perfect Pippi Longstocking ‘do. I used red food-coloring to tint my hair a little. The wire was painful, but cute I thought:

    When I was a waitress during college, I dressed up as a goddess, making use of a dress I’d never wear again – I just added some drapery cord and made the wreath for my head:

    And easily the worst of them all, me (in the pink) with a few girls that I worked with at my first office job. Here we are dancing around, flashing peace signs and playing, “Wannabe” on a boombox, barely passing as The Spice Girls. There were only four of us!

    And, as promised, my top-five scariest movies of all time, according to me. Let me preface this by saying I am a big weenie, I hate scary movies, and only watch them when I am forced to or by accident, like when I am flipping through the channels and land on one that piques my curiosity.

    1. The Exorcist – Two of my friends made me watch this when I was about 8 or 9. I think I slept with the lights on for two weeks.
    2. Poltergeist – I can’t even have a doll or stuffed animal (and definitely not a clown) sitting anywhere in my room because of this movie, and static on the TV gives me goosebumps.
    3. The Ring – Again, static on the TV freaks me out. I watched this one with the remote in-hand the whole time. I changed the channel a few times.
    4. People Under the Stairs – Dude with the missing tongue…gross.
    5. Blair Witch – I have no idea why this is so scary, it just is! I think about it whenever I see a dark, wooded area.

    And my runner-up for sixth-place is Beetlejuice. Chris thinks that’s ridiculous, so it’s okay if you do too, but it really creeped me out when I saw it in the theater. Happy Halloween everyone!

  • Stopping for Photo Ops

    People ask me all the time if I just carry a camera with me everywhere because of some of the things I photograph (inside grocery stores, things on the side of the road, random moments, etc.), and if I’m afraid of looking like a tourist. The answer is yes, I do have a camera with me most of the time. And no, I’m not afraid of looking like a tourist. It’s a part of me – I’m a photographer. That said, if you’re ever driving around with me, you’ll probably be witness to the fact that I will pull my car over at any given moment if I see something I want to shoot! Thank goodness Chris is used to this and doesn’t mind, even when we pulled over along a scary winding path on a cliff in St. John. And no matter how many times I gasp and say, for example, “Look at that cool tree!” (or door, or puffy cloud, or whatever) he humors me with, “yes, that’s a cool tree.” Speaking of which, I was driving home yesterday when I saw this cool tree, so I hopped out in traffic, got my shot, and hopped back in.

    I so don’t care if I look like a tourist. 🙂

  • One Year

    One year ago today, I was incredibly lucky enough to marry my very best friend. While he knows I love him dearly, I know I don’t tell him thank you enough, so I thought I’d shout it to the world (or at least my little blog world) here for the things that I’m so very grateful. Chris, thank you for…

    …letting me talk on and on, even when you’re so tired and ready to go to sleep, or when you’re watching the game.
    …actually listening.
    …always being up for any of my crazy ideas, and for not making me feel like they’re so crazy.
    …being so supportive and encouraging. I love how you cheer me on in everything that I do, and whether or not I succeed, it just feels good knowing that you’re behind me 100%.
    …making me laugh so hard! You’re hilarious, and this is one of my favorite things about you.
    …restocking the Diet Coke in the fridge when I forget.
    …watching TV shows and movies with me that I know are probably pretty unbearable for dudes.
    …being so quiet on the mornings that you get up before me (okay, all mornings) so that I can keep sleeping.
    …(speaking of sleeping) helping me to locate a fan on our trips and vacations because I need the white noise to sleep.
    …holding onto me when I walk in heels along tricky terrain like ice and cobblestones because you know I’m so clumsy.
    …leaving post-it notes for me of things that I need/want to remember.
    …carrying heavy stuff. I love when you greet me after a shoot to help me get my gear upstairs.
    …properly disposing of the six-legged and the dreaded eight-legged creatures that find their way into the house (and knowing that “proper” means not just in the trash…it means FLUSH).
    …taking such good care of me. I know I’m a bit of a princess sometimes, but just know that the wonderful little things you do for me don’t go unnoticed.

    What some of you may not know is that Chris and I have actually been together for a little over ten years! So for fun, I dug up a picture of us (badly scanned from a print) from early on in our relationship. I think this was taken in 1999. I love you (so much), Chris! Happy anniversary.