Library = Christmas

I go to the library on a regular basis.  Mainly because in a certain MD county, it is free to take out dvds and you get them for 3 days at a time.  Some items you get for 7 days, if it's a tv series rather than a film.  Between dvds, books AND cds, it's a good thing I carry around my Wilco tote bag for such needs.  It compacts into a ball and has a little pocket built into the bag itself so you can tuck the bag fabric in there.  

Anyway, yesterday I had items due so I quickly scanned all necessary sections for new items to check out.  In the way of music, I snagged the DCFC Codes and Keys album, Wye Oak (which I'm loving), and the newest Ryan Adams (which I'm not loving...it's a total snooze).  I also obtained a few books, one of which is The Help.  I have heard great things about the film but will not watch the film unless I've read the book.  Started reading it last night but apparently 11:30pm isn't a great time of day to begin a new book because I only got through the first paragraph and fell asleep. 

I haven't been shooting nearly enough images lately (shameful) and tonight I was determined to make an entry so you get to see what movies I checked out yesterday.  I put in The Other Guys last night and was excited since the back of it says, "The funniest Will Ferrell movie since Anchorman".  Yeah, that guy was incorrect.

Here is the dvd stack.  It's a pretty random assortment.  Tonight I think it's gonna be Trainspotting.  Seen it before but it's been awhile.  I remember it to be a bit disturbing, mainly the worst toilet in the world part and the baby in the crib scene.  I do recall never wanting to ever ever do heroin after seeing it the first time.  I will reassess after tonight.  (whether I enjoyed the movie that is, not whether I'd ever do heroin......obviously). 

Music is my medicine

I decided after all the years of keeping concert ticket stubs, that I would make it into art to hang in my apartment.  It felt like I had a lot more than what actually appears in the 3 frames they fit into.  Of course, I know some stubs are misplaced because I know every show I've been to and after sorting through them I know what stubs are missing.  The ones missing in action are probably in another purse or wallet along with miscellaneous bobby pins, ballpoint pens, and lip balms.  Inevitably those are the items I find when I change a purse (which isn't that often because it's kind of a hassle). 

Initially my plan was to just make one large frame of the stubs, but then I thought better of that because multiple frames would be more random.  Plus I am going to incorporate the tour posters that have been rolled up in tubes for years into this large collection of wall art.  I would take a 'before' shot of the wall but...really?  It's a white wall. 

Here are a couple shots of some framed stubs.  Plus one of me with Pete Yorn.

epic

That little blue ticket is what got me my spot 1st in line to get the Tori Amos tickets for the Aug 8, 1998 show.  Remember when people used to actually go to a Ticketmaster location and wait in line?  Well, the night before tickets went on sale people were able to go get their little blue ticket which would hold their place in line the next day.  You can see that being 1st in line paid off because I got 2nd row center.  Also notice how inexpensive that ticket was.  $29.50 plus $3.50 service charge.  In less than a month I'll be seeing Tori again but the ticket cost twice as much as it was in 98. 

311 Halloween show last year.  I wish I had gotten an actual ticket rather than the piece of paper.

Pete Yorn signed my ticket

Then we took a picture.  I don't recall him being as short as he looks there.  I believe he was halfway perched upon a barstool.

The only time I saw Pearl Jam.  If you don't include Tibetan Freedom.

Drive in drive out

I used to just drive around all the time and have fun getting lost seeing whatever came across my path.  This was before I was so into photography, but I have a lot of neat memories from some of those drives.  One time I was with an old friend, Adam.  I think it was 1997 or 1998.  We were just cruising around listening to probably either 311 or Pearl Jam.  We ended up somewhere in Pennsylvania.  It was in the summer time.  We'd been driving for awhile and out of nowhere on this country road, we had to stop because there was a river that had overflown up onto the road.  It was literally impassable.  We got out for a minute to just look it over and then thought....hmm, well I guess we aren't going that way anymore!

I could never understand how people don't like driving around on a nice day, windows open, music up.  Man, that's heaven.

So tonight I was on my way someplace and stopped to take a few shots of the sunset.  I'm glad I have my camera with me all the time now.  You never know what you might see and think, "damn I wish I had my camera".  Not that this is by any means an A+ sunset photo, but it struck me so..I stopped to take it. 

I'm reminded that I should just drive around with no purpose a little more often.  If anyone ever wants to join me, I have a stellar music collection to be played in the car.

My dog is cooler than yours

It's a chilly Sunday morning here and it looked like Lila was in need of some warmth.  So I broke out the Hello Kitty blanket.  It used to be mine but once it became a little tattered, Lila inherited it. 

I should mention that no dog has ever made me laugh so much out loud like she does.  If you have heard someone say dogs are just people with fur coats it's totally true.  Lila has the neatest quirks and while sometimes she drives me nuts, I would be so lonely without her! 

Back to the blanket....so, I tell her to sit on her bed which she does, and I position the blanket on her.  She will pretty much stay where and when I tell her to and allow me to take a picture.  If I send Christmas cards this year, those on my list will probably open the envelope to see Lila donning some sort of holiday accessory while sitting pretty for my Nikon.

So here she is with a casually draped fleece blanket.  Since I took the photo, she has dragged the blanket to the middle of the living room floor and brought along a few Ugg boots for snuggling purposes.

This.....is why my dog is cooler than yours.

From the window

Taken from my living room window the other day.  The tiny dot at the top of the power line photo is an airplane passing by.  I always wonder where people are traveling to and from when I see planes in the sky.

This is Halloween weekend and the weather forecast has snow in it for tomorrow.  Really, Maryland?  How about let's keep that at a halt for now?  The fall colored leaves are still on the trees.  It's not time yet for the white stuff by any stretch of the imagination.  I didn't really want to be cold in my awesome 80's aerobic instructor costume but I'll manage.

Outtake - wind and long hair. It's not a good combination.

Here's one image from my day trip to OC.  As you can see, not ideal conditions for photo taking.  It's basically a tornado of hair. 

Good times!

More later.

OC in October

Here are a few images from my day trip to Ocean City last Saturday...

Seacrets flag

Boardwalk toward the inlet

Fat Cats - every summer my sister and I sit and watch this guy do airbrushing

Rides

Natty!

Dad observing the Corvettes

Corvette parade