After much anticipation I finally indulged in my not so secret passion for 50 Shades of Grey. As most of you know, I am a lover of the book series by E.L. James. I even went so far as to have my own fantasy cast for the movie! I was stunned that Jamie Dornan was cast as the mysteriously kinky Christian Grey. Frankly I just couldn't see it. When the promotional material began to flood the television and internet, Dornan grew on me but Dakota Johnson, not so much.
Being the frugal lady I am, I waited until I could rent the movie on demand. It was actually my viewing pleasure for Mother's Day. My poor husband indulged me and even sat with me to watch the movie. Well, that is $7 and 2 hours I will never get back. I was so disappointed in the cast. Dornan was barely able to pull off an American accent let alone hide his Irish lilt. While I enjoy looking at Jamie Dornan and that toned body, the guy couldn't act his way out of a wet paper bag. Johnson was like a dead fish. Lifeless. Boring. No passion. She stank. Actually, neither actor portrayed great passion for a film that is all about passion. I just didn't feel it.
The sex scenes were ok. They had to be tamed for obvious reasons but still they lacked that kink that I came to associate with Christian Grey.
My husband fell asleep within the first 20 minutes of the movie while I struggled to stay awake. What is worse is they ended that joke of a movie on the insinuation that there would be a follow up movie! Seriously, will they put out another piece of shite like that?
Just sayin', if you need a fix of Christian Grey...reread the book and skip the movie, what you imagine in your mind would be far more powerful than the drivel they served up on the silver screen.
Well hello readers, it has been a while. I come to you today with a confession, not an apology. I am lazy, and if I recall I may have wrote another blog entry at one point stating the same fact!
I took an unplanned leave from the world of blogging and photography. Why you may ask? Well, because my heart has just not been into it. I am lazy. Seems like way to much work for little to no payoff. I have lost my mojo.
It would be less humiliating to come up with a tonne of excuses and lame reasons for my disappearing act, some of which are completely valid, while others are full of shit. I could post meaningless mindless mumble jumble as I have more frequently than I care to admit. I could re post other peoples work as a way to get content into my blog, but I am even too lazy to do that! I have tried getting this blog mobile so that when I am away from the computer I can share morsels of wisdom, but I didn't bother to do anything with all of those apps that I purchased.
I could tell you a tall tale about how I was abducted by alien pirates and forced into cooking and cleaning for them. While that is not far from the truth, I must let it be known that my family are not aliens nor pirates. Being a full time stay at home Mom kept me very busy for many years, but the kids are getting older now and are in school full time. They don't keep me away from my "work" unless it is March Break or summer vacation.
I would like to tell you that I live in a 20 room mansion that requires all of my time to keep it clean and running smoothly. But lets face it, if I were wealthy enough to live in a mansion, time is not what would keep me away from blogging. If I am that rich, I wouldn't give two craps about sharing anything with the common folk ;)
2011 and so far 2012 have been fantastic. We were blessed to take a few really nice vacations all of which I could brag about here, but then that would just be bragging. Maybe the odd person out there would like to hear about my adventures in Italy or how when we went to Puerto Vallarta over Christmas we went swimming with dolphins. Sure they were great vacations and I have wonderful stories to tell, but I think my family and friends would rather hear about it, not the reader.
Perhaps I could share the fact that I was sucked in by all of the hype over the book 50 Shades of Grey, and much to my surprise I actually enjoyed the series. I know, shocking! I don't like romance novels, give me a good murder mystery any day, but there was just something that captivated me with the books. Do you really want to hear about how I found myself become hot and bothered by those books? No...I didn't think so!
As I sit here writing this, I realize that it does sound like an apology, a lame one at that. But let me assure you it is not. Honestly, I am sure that readers don't care if they ever see anything in this blog again. I don't share content that is going to change lives. I share stories about my life, interests and the things that make me go Hmmmm. That's it. I blog about my views and opinions, right or wrong, I don't care, they are my opinions. I may come off sounding surly in this entry, and that is fine by me, I am surly. I have often been called a bitch even by the people who love me the most.
I hope that getting this off my chest will inspire me to share more of my pissy attitude with you, sooner rather than later. Perhaps next time you check in I will have written 3 posts! Fancy that! So until next time, bugger off!
I have mentioned before that I like to do "research" for my blog by trolling about on the web and discovering new blogs (at least they are new to me, sometimes I am late discovering things).
Well this week so far I have found a blog by a lady who made me nearly piss my pants. I appreciate her candid and sometimes crass sense of humor. It is humor that I can totally relate to. So I would like to pay it forward and share my great find with you. Visit Kristine over at Wait In The Van for a good laugh.
I am back. Did you miss me? Did you even notice my absence from the blogosphere? Frankly it has been a while since I last felt like I had anything worth posting! I have been in a rut lately in all of my creative outlets such as photography and writing. I just have not been that "into" it! But like any procrastinator or lazy bum out there I feel the need to come of with excuses for not having updated my blog in a while.
Let me share with you some very lame and careless reasons for not posting new blog entries!
1. Too Busy - I have been so very busy with the family and house that I have had little time for myself let alone writing a blog post. Actual reason - Lazy! I would rather Stumble or visit Facebook and troll about looking at old high school chums status and photos and laughing at them. The Young and The Restless is just more interesting than what I have to say.
2. Poor Timing - Often times when I think about updating my blog it is in the middle of the night. Sometimes I am startled out of my sleep by angry blog readers hunting me down looking for a new entry....(self important much?!). Rather than get out of bed and loose precious hours of slumber I choose to put of writing until the mood strikes again. Sometimes I think about blogging when I am sitting down to eat some ice cream and watch Oprah...really do you think I am going to give up that precious time to blab about how I am gaining weight. Shit...I just realized I may be gaining weight because of the mindless eating and inactivity....damn you Oprah and Pralines & Cream!
3. Research - I am doing research for my blog by reading countless other blogs! What that research is has yet to be determined, but be assured I am reading other blogs... then wishing that my blog was as good as some of the others out there. This then spirals out of control because I get down on myself for having a crappy blog and then I just want to give up. Then I find myself saying "No! You can do it! You ARE the best blogger out there! Keep up the hard work, just focus more and do your research!"...see, vicious cycle.
4.Writers Block - this is just another fancy term for I just have not put any thought into it. You can be the best writer or the worst, but you almost always have ideas to share and opinions to boast. If I took the time and just chose one topic to focus on then I am sure I would have plenty to say. I would likely be able to write several entries on one topic that I feel passionately about....hey maybe I'm on to something here....oh wait, I have to check the television to make sure I am not missing any good cooking shows, oh and I am feeling a bit tired right now, maybe I will just sit and stumble for a while....friggin' laziness!
5. Lack of Focus - out of all of my excuses this one is the most accurate and honest. Since I started my blog I feel as though I have lost my way. I try to think back to why I even started blogging. I have plans to discuss everything from parenthood, food and photography to travel. It is with this large scope that I overwhelmed myself. I realized that I was trying to pay too much attention to everything and as a result absolutely nothing was accomplished! I need to narrow down..... Hey look! Something shiny!.... See, my focus is terrible!What I was trying to say is that I need to narrow down the niche of my blog.
In all they are pretty lame excuses for something known as Laziness! I really want to promise you that I won't disappear again, but honestly...I know I likely will. Unless this blog some how earns me the big bucks, I can't imagine putting countless minutes a day into it! I am not saying that I won't try, but maybe I need to fine tune my expectations. I should start by narrowing down the type of content I write about. I think I will let go of the dream of sharing photography tips and recipes on this blog ( save those for my other blogs - Cibo and Licini Photography) and just rant about being a woman who happens to be a crazed Mom and wife! Yeah, that's it! Half cracked wife and mother...something I certainly know a great deal about!
The 2010 fall television season has brought a new show that I have been enjoying quite a bit. I don't know what it is about the show that I like so much, I assume it is because I have always had a soft spot for Michael Chiklis, or that I like Julie Benz because she was on my favorite show Dexter. Or maybe because I wish I had super powers like the Powell family! But ABC's No Ordinary Family has become one of my guilty pleasures this year.
Generally speaking I do not enjoy shows about superheros but this one is done in such a light hearted manner that it appealed to me. The fact that this was an ordinary family until they were in a plane crash and came out unscathed with super powers really appeals to me. I wonder which super power I would like to have. Would I be greedy and want a whole array of powers? You bet your sweet ass I would! Here is my greedy list of super powers that I would like to have and why!
1. Telepathy - ability to read the thoughts of and/or mentally communicate with someone. Like "Matt Parkman" of Heroes and "Daphne Powell" of No Ordinary Family, I would want this power the most. I think being able to know what people are thinking could provide you with the most pwere. Just think about what you could do with this. You suspect your husband is cheating on you...read his mind, you will get the truth and be able to use the knowledge to your advantage!
2. Mind Control - the ability to alter the perceptions of others; the general ability to control others actions with the mind. This would be super cool! Just imagine, your tired after a long day of doing nothing (after all you already used this power earlier in the day..) and you would like a nice meal cooked and served to you. All you have to do is plant the idea in your spouses mind, control them, have them do your bidding! Awesome I say!
3. Super Speed - ability to move faster than the speed of light! Really how useful would that be. Just think of all the things you could accomplish in a day and still have time to read peoples minds and control them. Damn! That would be really amazing! Oh how I wish I was like "Stephanie Powell" of No Ordinary Family or the Silver Surfer!
4. Omniscient - the ability to know everything and anything. Wow! Again this comes in handy when you are trying to control your husbands mind! Just a thought.
5. And last but not least Accelerated Healing - the ability to heal rapidly from injuries, illness and possibly slow the aging process! Hell yes! When your busy trying to rule the world with your mind control you don't have time to waste on being ill! And lets face it, the slower you age, the longer you will be able to rule the world!!
I am sure you agree that having these powers would make me one heck of a super Mom! Or maybe like one of my personal favorite cartoon characters of all The Brain - I would be best equipped to RULE THE WORLD!! I'm just sayin'.
I was having a relatively gray and bland day until I received an award from fellow blogger Sandbox Gems. Instantly I was lifted out of my funk and was encouraged to be creative. Along with being recognized by fellow bloggers as being versatile I am also encouraged to share 7 things about myself with the whole world. Nothing too shocking for sure, I am pretty vanilla.
1. My camera is my best friend. I would rather spend time with my camera and go about taking shots of what appeals to me than spend time with people (family excepted).
2. I am a foodie. Maybe not as hardcore as some out there, but I do spend a great deal of time pouring over cookbooks, visiting gourmet grocers and watching Food Network like it is the best channel around.
3. I have a cat and a dog that I love dearly. They are like my kids. I love them so much that I have created characters for them and voices as well. I imagine what they would say and say it for them in their own unique voice....now I will sit back and wait for the men in the white coats to show up at my door.
4. I can't get enough of those paranormal/ghost shows on television. I watch them all; Ghost Hunters and Paranormal State are to name but a few. I don't know if it is that I believe in all that stuff, I just like to sit back, feel a bit spooked and wonder if there really is something to all of the claims made on these shows.
5. I hate shopping for clothes. I am way too impatient to try the clothes on, I get frustrated when they don't fit me and just hate feeling fat when the store clerks are all 20 something bone racks.
6. If I had way too much money to burn, I would get plastic surgery. I am not a vain person by any means, but I would certainly go for a tummy tuck and lipo!
For as long as I can remember I have always loved fall. It is my favorite season. As the summer draws to an end I start to get excited about the new season that is just around the corner. I compiled a list of my top then reasons for loving fall. What do you love about the autumn season?
10 Reasons Why I Love Fall
10. Pumpkin Pie! I don't need to say much about this fall time favorite except for YUMMY!
9. Scary Movies! I have always been a fan of horror movies and look forward to the autumn when a bunch of new scary flicks are released in theatres. I also enjoy viewing some of my old favorites like The Exorcist and Rosemary's Baby. As it gets closer to Halloween my hubby and I enjoy fright nights and watch spooky films, drink hot apple cider all under the glow of candle light! Love it!
8. New TV season. I look forward to the return of all of my favorite show come September. I find that watching the boob tube in the summer is just awful so welcome the much needed entertainment at the end of a long hard day.
7. Fall Colors. I absolutely love the color of the leaves in the autumn. The bright reds, oranges and yellows are so enticing. I find myself at least once every fall finding a big pile of leaves that I can just jump into and smell that sweet decay. It is also my favorite time of year to go for long drives in the country or walks in the forest.
6. Fall Harvest. I love to visit farmers markets this time of year. It is partly because I just love eating squash and corn and all of the other great bounty, but again I love to see the colors and textures of the harvest!
5. Thanksgiving! This is a great time of year to get together with your family; immediate and distant, and share in some great food and great times. It is also a cue for us in our household to start thinking about Christmas shopping!
4. I feel creative. For some reason all of the great colors, food and crisp cool air bring out the creative mom in me. I spend a great deal of time taking walks with my camera, decorating for Halloween and coming up with fun costumes for the kids (and myself).
3. Halloween! This is one event that we love in our family. Hubby and I take it very seriously. We look forward to turning our front lawn into a graveyard, having Jack-o-lanterns all over the house, spooky music, candle light and so much more. We thrive on taking the kids trick or treating in our neighborhood; I guess it helps that the community as a whole gets right into the holiday as well. Best of all, hubby and I love to raid the kids candy bags once they have gone to bed. Chocolate for me, chips for hubby!
2. Cooler temperatures means more clothing! Yes! I look forward to this point in the year when summer has ended and the requirement to wear less clothing comes to an end. No longer do I have the shove my wobbly bits into tiny sundresses. No longer do I have to wear tanks that show the blubber on my arms. Goodbye shorts that display all the cottage cheese of my posterior. Hello jeans and warms knits, hooray for hoodies. The best part is that it is not so cold that you need to wear winter jackets, mits, hats and all that stuffy fashion that winter requires!
1. The number one reason for loving fall so much...pretty obvious to a lot of parents out there....BACK TO SCHOOL time for the ankle biters!!! Its the most wonderful time of the year!
I have to admit something very personal, it is something I am not proud of, I AM LAZY!
That's right, LAZY!
I often find myself dreaming up wonderful crafts to do with the kids, but often they never come to fruition. Why? Laziness. I don't feel like purchasing the supplies to do the craft. I would rather watch a movie with the kids than have to clean up the mess that would surely be involved in said craft making venture.
Not only does my laziness prevent me from being a good mother, wife and housekeeper, but it also gets in the way of my one true hobby, photography. As a budding photographer I have snapped hundreds, if not thousands of photos over the years. In the beginning I was 'gung ho' to get the photos developed. I filled at least 30 albums. As time passes though I find my interest in developing the images has waned.
The walls of my family room are a dedicated showcase for my photographs. 90% of those photos are of family or special places we have visited. Recently I was going through my deep archives of pictures on the computer and came across quite a few images that have not been printed and that should be on display in my home. I was embarrassed. One picture in particular is loved by so many family members who have seen it on Flickr, but I was too lazy to give them prints. I don't even have a print, not even a small one.
So I have vowed to get off my lazy ass and get multiple prints of this photo printed. I will also spend quite a bit of money to get 500 more photos printed. This sounds excessive, but when your a 'photographer' it is the least you should do!
There are so many things to love about Italy. The food, shopping, architecture and history make visiting Italy repeatedly all worthwhile. But, and this is a big but, the driving leaves you with a really bad taste in your mouth (a mix of bile and blood from biting your tongue and being frightened).
When we visit Italy we like to rent a car for a few reasons. We do a lot of traveling and enjoy the freedom to do so without having to worry about schedules etc. The moment my husband steps behind the wheel of a car in Italy I see a change come over him. He becomes intense, on edge. He never smiles, never seems to enjoy himself. I am always amazed at the litany of foul words that spew from his otherwise polite mouth.
There is something about driving in Italy that requests that you have some level of insanity to deal with the streets and the folk who drive on them. Of course driving in big cities like Rome, Napoli or Palermo is always worse. The congestion is just mind boggling. Some streets are so narrow that barely two motorcycles can pass each other, but these roads are used by cars. We scraped our car mirrors twice, once in the medieval streets of Ragusa while looking for parking, and once in Napoli while a bus tried to pass us. Cars weave in and out of traffic with little regard for those surrounding them. If you are a pedestrian trying to cross the street, say your prayers and be quick and observant. I can assure you that drivers do not care that you are crossing the road, so you must be vigilant. On many occasions I saw senior citizens trying to cross the street. This one old fellow with a cane broke my heart. He stepped off the curb several times only to be nearly hit by motorcycles and cars who did not even consider slowing let alone stopping to let the old man cross. My husband stopped for this guy and the driver behind us honked furiously! I was surprised. I always thought Italians had great respect for their elders. I guess that when it comes to driving, they respect no one.
Then there are the motorcycle and vespa drivers. They may be the worst. They weave in and out of traffic, pass on the roadside, have little patience and seem to think they are invincible! If you are stopped at a red light, the bikers all swarm like killer bees to get to the front. There will easily be 20 bikes that will jokey for first spot. Speed limits in Italy tend to be a bit higher than they are in Canada, which for a guy like my hubby, he loves. Regularly he will drive 130 – 140 km per hour. Like at home the right lane is intended for slower traffic, the left for faster and those who want to pass. One time, Hubby was driving at 140 km/hr when a motorcycle came right up behind us. He flashed his light, then not even giving us time to react, he passed us on the left...on the shoulder! Within half a minute, the guy was no longer visible. He must have been going about 200km! On the autostrada, everyone drives too fast, they tail gate and honk. When you give some passing driver the evil eye, they just shrug their shoulders as if to say “Meh” and keep on going.
Parking is a whole other can of worms. Parking is really difficult. Spots are few and small. The bigger the city, the harder it is to find parking, but that is not to say that the small towns don’t have parking problems too. When we were in Napoli, we tried to find a spot for a good hour. Thank goodness for GPS locating a parking garage, but even still, with all of those one way streets and aggressive drivers, if you miss your turn, it could take a good 10 minutes just to get back to the spot you originally wanted. There is also a problem with double parking. There are those people who think they are so friggin’ important that it is ok to trap another car by parking on the road right beside the legally parked car! These are the bastards that drive me nuts. They make travelling down already narrow and congested streets a nightmare. Every time we found a parking spot with relative ease, we would be nervous. Italian road signs are often misleading and you are never quite sure if you are parked legally. We did give up a few times and acted like locals and parked illegally. We were never ticketed.
What bothers me most about Italian drivers are the seamless disregard for safety and laws of the road. My father in law, a native Sicilian, insists that there are laws on the road, but I have never once seen a driver pulled over by the police. I did see a police car on the side of the highway, with its “officers” sleeping in the front! As a mother living in Canada, I am thankful for all of the laws we have to keep us safe. Car seats for our kids, seat belts,and children not being allowed to sit in the front seat until they reach a certain age or height and weight requirement. In Italy, I saw nothing like this...at all. As a matter of fact, we even saw some of our family members whipping around town with their very young children in the back with no car seat or seat belt. We saw the car seat sitting in a back room of my husband cousin’s house, not in the car. The number of times that we saw parents driving vespas with a young child standing in the front made me ill. It was not uncommon to see an adult in the front seat of a car with an infant in their lap either. Really, why not just strap the kid to the grill of the car; it is just about as safe!
And finally there are the road signs. Often you will find way too many signs bunched together. If you sit at the intersection to read these signs, surely you will piss off some motorist. My advice, use GPS and listen to it, even if you think it is leading you down the path to hell. You will get to your destination....eventually.
As I write this post, I feel myself becoming anxious. Every time I was in the car I felt anxious. So here is a word to the wise. When in Italy, seriously consider using public transit (if you can figure it out). You will be somewhat safer and have fewer worries!
Well we are now 2 days into "March Break" and I officially want to dive into a bottle of wine and not come up for air until Sunday!
Like many parents out there, you feel a great deal of pressure to entertain your precious angels during the winter break (aka nervous break) with outings, crafts, movies, dinners out....you try to give them an amazing week of fun and entertainment. Now I am not saying that my adorable offspring are spoiled rotten (except the little one...she IS a bit of a DIVA), and I try not to give into their every demand. But like most mom's I asked what they would like to do with their time off from school. Of course the answers were typical for their 6 and 3 year old mindset. "Let's go to the zoo Mommy!"...sure a good idea...if you would walk and not expect me to pull you along in the wagon (essentially dragging a good 80lbs of dead weight). "Let's do some crafts!"....sure...if you didn't get paint everywhere else other than the paper it was intended for.
Today's activity was an excursion to Reptilia. A small "zoo" housing reptiles and amphibians. The kids really enjoy seeing all of the snakes, lizards, crocs and what not. But the walk through takes only about an hour, and that is if you linger at an exhibit or two! Of course, like most touristy places, the venue has a "gift shop", right at the exit of the "zoo". I normally avoid these shops like the plague, but today, I decided to reward my sweet children for being so good while we walked through the exhibit. I bought them each a snake (which they later used as weapons in the car). So for 1 hour I dished out $40 to see some snakes and lizards! I also stopped at a small municipal airport so the kids could see the planes. They were fortunate enough to see an Air Ambulance loading a patient and taking off. They were sooo excited. They stood just a few feet away from the chopper and got a real sense of how load and windy it would be. I thought for sure I was going to be a hero, that they would do whatever I asked them to! Yeah, I am one big fool!
Alas it was time to eat. Sebastian asked if we could go to Burger King. Sure...I have been dieting, but I will give in for the love of my kids (not the Whopper). We place our order, sit down to eat and all hell broke loose. The kids started fighting with each other, refused to eat their food, whined and cried about everything. I packed up the food and we left. Let the buggers starve.
On the way home I had to stop to get some milk and bread. Rather than drag the whining little shits through the grocery store, I opted to pop into one of those super drugstores. The touched everything they could get their hands on. My daughter grabbed an ovulation test kit and yells out "Mommy I want this!". My son tried to play hide and seek and I lost him 3 times (this all in a span of about 5 minutes). By the time I reached the cash with my bag of milk I felt like holding up the chemist for Zanax! We got back in the car, the snakes became weapons again, my son picked his nose until it bled and Gabriella would not stop singing the "ABC's".
Needless to say the minute I arrived home, I turned on the boob tube, sat them in front of it, poured a glass of wine and tried to hold back my tears. I calmed down, came to the computer to rant here a bit, then realized that I still have 5 more days of this hell!
Someone, please put me out of my misery!
Monday, March 8, 2010
I was Stumbling in my free time this morning when I came across Velina's Blog, with a most hilarious post.
I was close to tears from laughing while reading this, and actually understand just how the person in the letter felt. Give this a good read, especially you women out there. For you men, the letter is very educational!
Supposedly this is an actual email to the company of Proctor and Gamble regarding their feminine hygiene products.
Dear Mr. Thatcher, I have been a loyal user of your 'Always' maxi pads for over 20 years and I appreciate many of their features. Why, without the LeakGuard Core or Dri-Weave absorbency, I'd probably never go horseback riding or salsa dancing, and I'd certainly steer clear of running up and down the beach in tight, white shorts. But my favorite feature has to be your revolutionary Flexi-Wings. Kudos on being the only company smart enough to realize how crucial it is that maxi pads be aerodynamic. I can't tell you how safe and secure I feel each month knowing there's a little F-16 in my pants. Have you ever had a menstrual period, Mr. Thatcher? Ever suffered from 'the curse'? I'm guessing you haven't. Well, my time of the month is starting right now. As I type, I can already feel hormonal forces violently surging through my body. Just a few minutes from now, my body will adjust and I'll be transformed into what my husband likes to call 'an inbred hillbilly with knife skills.' Isn't the human body amazing? As Brand Manager in the Feminine-Hygiene Division, you've no doubt seen quite a bit of research on what exactly happens during your customer's monthly visits from 'Aunt Flo'. Therefore, you must know about the bloating, puffiness, and cramping we endure, and about our intense mood swings, crying jags, and out-of-control behavior. You surely realize it's a tough time for most women. In fact, only last week, my friend Jennifer fought the viole nt urge to shove her boyfriend's testicles into a George Foreman Grill just because he told her he thought Grey's Anatomy was written by drunken chimps. Crazy! The point is, sir, you of all people must realize that America is just crawling with homicidal maniacs in Capri pants... Which brings me to the reason for my letter. Last month, while in the throes of cramping so painful I wanted to reach inside my body and yank out my uterus, I opened an Always maxi-pad, and there, printed on the adhesive backing, were these words: 'Have a Happy Period.' Are you f------ kidding me? What I mean is, does any part of your tiny middle-manager brain really think happiness - actual smiling, laughing happiness, is possible during a menstrual period? Did anything mentioned above sound the least bit pleasurable? Well, did it, James? FYI, unless you're some kind of sick S&M freak, there will never be anything 'happy' about a day in which you have to jack yourself up on Motrin and Kahlua and lock yourself in your house just so you don't march down to the local Walgreen's armed with a hunting rifle and a sketchy plan to end your life in a blaze of glory. For the love of God, pull your head out, man! If you have to slap a moronic message on a maxi pad, wouldn't it make more sense to say something that's actually pertinent, like 'Put down the Hammer' or 'Vehicular Manslaughter is Wrong', or are you just picking on us? Sir, please inform your Accounting Department that, effective immediately, there will be an $8 drop in monthly profits, for I have chosen to take my maxi-pad business elsewhere. And though I will certainly miss your Flex-Wings, I will not for one minute miss your brand of condescending bullshit. And that's a promise I will keep. Always. . . Wendi Aarons
Austin , T X
Since I received my first DSLR camera 3 years ago, a Canon EOS 40D, I have been hooked on photography. The camera is with me whenever I leave the house. I have become one of those crazy stealth shooters, always sneaking up in my loved ones and snapping some dreadful candid shot. The camera has become my third eye if you will.
I am sad to report that the 40D has decided she needs a break. For the last few months I was having difficulty getting shots. The camera had trouble focusing therefor the shutter would not release. At first, being a newbie to cameras, I though the sensor needed cleaning. Then I started to second guess what I thought I knew about exposure and what not. I decided to put the camera through as many 'tests' as I could thing of. First I did some indoor shots using all 3 of my lenses, with and without on camera flash and speedlight. I used every single setting on the camera. The shutter would only release 1 out of every 10 attempts. So then I took it out on a nice sunny day and did the same thing. Still I had the same problem. I brought it into a camera shop and had the guy test it and he concluded (as did I) that there was a malfunction in the camera body, not a problem with me or my lenses.
I shipped the camera off to Canon and am crossing my fingers and hoping that the problem can be repaired. Thank God I still have warranty left on the camera, even if it is only a few months remaining!
I can't wait until my beloved 40D and I can be reunited. My shooting finger has got a terrible itch!
Imagine my amazement and delight today when I come to check on my wee blog here and found a new comment from a fellow Mommy blogger and blog buddy that I was granted a Blog Award!
The wonderful lady that thought my blog deserved a bit of recognition is a BusyMommy over at Adventures in Mommyville . Now for those of you who have not visited this site, you should. It is cute, informative, sprinkled with really fun story telling.
Now that I am a proud award winning blogger, I too shall pass the the award on to other bloggers that I feel deserve some attention and love.
I suggest that when you have some free time, check out these blogs, maybe even award one yourself! If you would like to award a favorite blog that you visit, just grab the award picture and write up a small entry about your favorite blogs!
