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5/29/09

Pool Pics

I just discovered my camera has an additional 14 settings!! For sport, sunsets, snow {I'll be using that one a lot!! LOL!!!}, landscape, fireworks, plus 9 more!

There is even a setting for underwater with a waterproof case. That could be fun!

So, I took the girls to the pool about 7:30 the other night. The natural light is perfect for pictures & there usually is no one there at that hour during the week.

I got some cool shots of R.

Naturally it was a battle to get any of D.

S was being just as uncooperative.

Because she had a couple friends over.

God forbid her mother take pictures when her friends are around.

I got this cool shot of R. What makes it look so neat are her freakishly long legs!!

I love how at the angle I took it her head is so big {it could be the hair, too!} & her legs are all blurry from the water.

I told her there is one advantage to having freakishly long legs, she takes interesting pictures!!

I tried the same thing with D. It just doesn't quite work with short stubby legs! LOL


So we did some basic, boring pool poses. I think I get pictures of them like this every year!!


I adjusted just the background to black & white & told them they were in Pleasantville!!

I got one more good shot of R before they wanted to swim & it got too dark to take any more.

We went back last night so I could get more pics of D & try something new.

We went a little earlier to get catch the light before it got too dark.

Some kids decided to fill the jacuzzi with shampoo, so the Manager closed the pool.

This was the only picture I got before he kicked everyone out....

With the palm trees behind her, it looks like we went on vacation.

To Hawaii.

I guess AZ is close to it.

It's hot & we have lots of palm trees!!

We're just missing the ocean.....

5/25/09

Family

Yesterday Mom had a BBQ at her house. So Jan swung by & picked the girls & I up & we headed out to Mom's.

On the way, the sky was full of puffy gray wet clouds. The sun was shining through & it was sprinkling.

Weird weather like that often happens in Arizona.

I like to call it a sunny rain day.

Anyway, I wanted to take a picture of the clouds with both the rain & sun peeking through.

I've never taken a picture out the front window of a car going 65 MPH down the freeway.

I wasn't too sure how they would look.

And Jan's windshield isn't the cleanest.

Not bad...

For this one I stuck my head out the window!

By the time we got to Mom's the sky had pretty much cleared, the sun was out & there was a nice cool breeze.

Mom had a 3-seater swing that was still in the box.

She thinks she bought it about a year ago and wanted to put it together, so we helped.

It only took 3 adults, 2 kids, one pinched finger, & about 2 hours to put together.

Guess who got their finger pinched??

Yours truly.

I took this pic this morning. It doesn't look so bad. But let me tell you, That. Sucker. HURT!!

Jan laughed at me when it happened.

When I get hurt {I have a very low pain threshold} I can not talk or form any kind of sensible sentence. So when my finger got pinched & I needed Mom to let go of the swing, all that came out was a weird scream.

To the amusement of my Punk Ass sister.

As soon as it was done, the kids hopped on.

Crappy picture, I know. Not sure what happened & why the girls are so outta focus...

When we finished that we sat around eating munchies & I shot a few more candid shots of the girls.

Later on, a family friend stopped by & cooked some BBQ for us. Chicken, ribs, burgers, & hot dogs. I only ate the chicken & a rib & they were pretty yummy. That and the corn on the cob.

I love corn on the cob....

All in all it turned out to be a pretty nice family get together.

5/23/09

Saturday Morning in My House

Here is a typical Saturday morning conversation in my house.

Mind you, I go through this every weekend.

The Ghouls act like it's all new to them.

Punks.

As soon as S got up, I told what she had to do around the house.

She hates that.

"Leave me alone. I just woke up!"

Never mind that she "just woke up" at 10:30. Which she feels is early.

Meanwhile, I "slept in" until 6.

"Please pick up Connect Four & the towel so R can vacuum."

"Why don't you ever pick up anything??"

"Did I get out Connect Four & play it? Did I use the towel to wrap up the kittens while I clipped their nails?"

Silence.

Crickets.

Nothing.

Nada.

Zip.

The crap was promptly removed from the living room.

I love it when they see it my way....

A Little Funny for Today

funny pictures of cats with captions

5/22/09

You Won't Belive This

It's another rainy day & all I feel like doing is curling up with a good book.

Then maybe watching an old movie.

Or, watch a movie while I clean up my hard drive & back up files.

Multi-tasking is good.

So.

Anyway.

I could strangle my oldest.

Look what she brought home on Wednesday.

She is the ugliest kitten I've seen in a long time. And tiny. Just about half the size of Piper.

One of S's guy friends cat had kittens and she decided to bring one home. They were kept outside & this one was sleeping in a bowl.

The bowl.

Yes. She actually brought the kitten home in the bowl.

Reenactment of kitten brought home in a bowl.

This is not an exact reenactment. The kitten was laying down when Savvy & her friend brought her home.

It can be difficult to photograph a reenactment with a slightly uncooperative kitten.

Piper was feeling left out & had to get into the act.

She's such a brat.

So now the kitten needs a name. Savvy has been calling her ET. 'Cause she looks like an ugly Alien.

I call her Ugg Lee. She looks Asian. And is ugly.

R said I was mean.

"How would you like it if someone called you Shorty?"

"Uh. That's true. I am short. And it's not like I haven't been called that before."

Then S said her name is Zong. So I said she can be Ugg Lee Zong.

'Cause she looks Asian. And is ugly.

The kitten doesn't care. As long as we feed & pet her.

And let her sleep in a little patch of sun.

In my computer cords.

5/21/09

Last Day Pics & Rain

This morning was cloudy with the scent of rain in the air. I was convinced it wasn't really going to rain. Half the time when the weather man says there is going to be rain, we never get it.

Today we did.

But before the rain came down, I made R & D pose for last day of school pictures.

Idiot me didn't think of this for S.

Anyway, I wanted to see how some pics would look against a cloudy sky, so we went out to the parking lot before I took R to school.



They came out OK. R died her hair again. Back to dark brown.

For now.

I've created a hair coloring monster. Mwahahahaha!!


As usual, D did not want to take pictures.

Punk.

Seriously, I think she's rather have teeth pulled that her picture taken.


While taking D to school, the rain started to come down a little harder. Not a down pour, mind you. But just enough to wet everything.


I am a rock. I am an island...{name that song}

Check out my grill, Homz....

And just for the fun of it, a dripping spigot.
'Cause that's how I roll, Baby.

5/20/09

The Ending & The Begining

It is the end of the school year for the girls.

It doesn't feel like the end of the school year. Usually it's hot & sunny & kids are itching to hangout by the pool.

The kids are still itching to hangout by the pool, but it's cloudy, humid & raining in some areas of the valley.

The humidity is killing my hair. :p

Today, is S's last day. They get out at noon then she and H are going to A's for their last sleep-over. A & her family are moving to OK, so this is their last time together. S made her a cute Memory Box that she decorated then added some mementos of their years together. They've been friends since middle school. :(

Last night was D's 5th Grade "Graduation". It wasn't a graduation per se, more of an awards ceremony.

And I forgot my camera.

She received a Presidential Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement which included a letter from President Obama. It was so cute to see the kids expressions when looking at the letter. Even though it was a mass produced letter given to many students throughout the US, it was so sweet to see how excited the kids were that they got a letter from the President! Even the students who didn't receive an award were in awe!! She also received her certificate of completion of Elementary school.

We are now done with Elementary School.

Well, almost. They have one more day. So does R.

Then we're done.

Until it starts all over again next year.

And so our summer begins.

Who knows what we will be doing.


On to....

Piper

She's like having a puppy.

When anyone heads out the door, she runs towards it. Hoping to get out.

When I come home from dropping the girls off at school, she runs to the door to greet me. She will follow me all over the apartment until I pet her.

While I sit at my desk working on the computer, she has to lay next to me.

But no longer under the chair. I think she's learned her lesson there.

And when she feels the need for some attention, she jumps up on the desk and rubs against my arm.

Until I pet her.

Yesterday she was in a playful mood. My cursor was the source of her entertainment.

For awhile.

I'm sure you've all seen a hundred videos of cats chasing cursors on computer screens.

But you haven't seen Piper.


5/18/09

Morning Sun

I read on a photography site recently, that the best time to take photos is in the early morning.

Like before 7:30.

So, yesterday, since I was up at 6:30 to do laundry {Because, when you have to use an on-site laundry, it's best to do it early in the morning. Preferably on Sunday} I decided to take my camera along & see what I could come up with.

I think I got some pretty good shots. I won't be winning any photography awards anytime soon, but not bad for an amateur.

You can clearly tell its leaves & a flower!! I just did a wee bit of photo editing. The sun hit the top of the plant just right, making the flower pop.

I even managed to get a decent close-up using the macro mode!

And this one is my favorite. It's at the corner of the building, so the light was stronger. I love how it's very bright near the bottom right. You really can see the sun glow.

And this was just for the heck of it. Why not take a pic of a spigot? I played with this one a little more, making the background a little darker & the spigot brighter.

Ahhh. PhotoShop.

Ya gotta love it.

5/17/09

Weapon of Cat Destruction

OK. So it won't actually destroy Piper. But it does keep her off the kitchen table.

Although I pretty sure that once we all go to bed, she's up there saying, "Ha!! You won't be hitting me with any water now. And I will walk all over the table!"

Here, I don't mind her laying. My bathroom sink is probably nice & cool.

What a face!!!

She's simply irresistible.
{Name that song}

5/13/09

Cat Naps

If you hate cats.

Adorable, sleeping cats.

Then look away.

Do not go any further.

Because this post is full of pictures of Piper.

Sleeping.

Finally.

Her favorite spot is in the dining room under the chairs.


I imagine it's because the linoleum is cool.

And when I say cool, I mean not hot.

Because, let's face it, linoleum is rarely, if ever, "cool".


To get this shot, I was on my stomach.

On the floor.

Damn, it's hot by the fridge!

I can hear the collective "awwwww".

Please ignore the crumb.

Right there in the middle of the picture.

At this point, getting an adorable picture took precedent over sweeping.


The other spot she likes to sleep is under my desk chair.

I've run over her twice already.

Don't worry.

I just caught a bit of fur.

She's fine.

I haven't traumatized her enough to not sleep under my chair.

Last night, R & D watched TV in our room.

Because it's cool in there.

And by cool, I mean not hot.

Because, let's face it, my room is not "cool".

Piper found our bed very comfortable.

D looks so cute here.

And comfortable, too.

I was never allowed to even think about laying on my parents bed.

Much less, hang out there with a cute kitten.

My kids don't know how good they've got it.

Lucky buggers......

5/11/09

Well, Hello Piper

We'd like you to meet the newest member of our family, Piper. She is an adorable 6 month old with the prettiest blue eyes. Isn't she cute?


Our apartment manager, Chelsea, {who lives in the apt. a few doors down} had a friend who was getting rid of her. {Piper, not Chelsea!!} Chelsea knew D really wanted a kitten, so she told her friend she had the perfect family for her kitten.

D named her. It would take too long to explain, but she was Minnie for about 5 minutes, then D settled on Piper.

It's like having a 2 year old in the house! {Again, Piper. Not D. Although some days I wonder!} She is non-stop & into everything. {Piper, not D.}

I've had to get after her I don't know how many times for jumping on the kitchen table.

And probably the same amount of times for trying to jump up on the counters.

She is a hyper bundle of fluff that has barely stopped since Chelsea dropped her off at 8:30 last night.

I was emptying the dishwasher this morning, so of course she just had to check it out. By the time I got the camera, she was out & settling on the open door.



I let her rest there for a couple minutes then kicked her out to finish my work.


It's hard to tell, because she won't sit still for 5 minutes for a good pic, but her tail is light brown.

It's so darn adorable. Makes me want to hug her & squeeze her & make her all mine. {Name that movie. Hint, it's by Disney}

5/10/09

For All Moms....

5/9/09

It. Is. So. Flippin' HOT!!!

Yesterday the high here was 101!!

The high in our apartment was 93!!!

We all sit around the fans {yes, that's plural} not wanting to move away from them because then that would set off profuse sweating.

Getting up to go to the bathroom is hell.

Hell, I tell you!!

We had the same problem last year & maintenance told us our AC is working fine. How can it be working fine when it gets over 90 degrees in here???

Once the office opens {they're supposed to be open at 10 AM, but apparently someone decided today would be a good day to not go in until noon} I'm heading down there to give them a piece of my mind.

Just a small piece.

I don't think I have a whole lot left to give them.

The heat has melted it away......

Help me. I'm melting......
{name that movie}

5/6/09

Back in the Saddle Again

At least part time. For now.

Levi & I worked the home show all weekend. **Whew**

Naturally, Saturday was the best day. Tons of traffic. Overall it wasn't too bad. Plus I got paid for it!! We had a small booth with just a few pieces that gave the passer-by an idea of what we offer. I also got to work with Greg, who is a rep for both Allied gate & Con-Wear!! I think they're trying to get him mostly into Allied to work on Contractor/Builder accounts.

Anyway, he's a nice guy, divorced with 2 kids & a girlfriend. Easy to talk to & joke around with. I also got to know the owner, Robert & GM Lupe better. Both very nice guys. And fun to joke around with. It's nice to work with a group of people who aren't so uptight. We did a lot of joking & goofing around our 3 days at the HS!!

I took some pics of our booth. The first isn't so great. The lightning in the building sucked & there was a glare from the windows behind the booth. But it gives you an idea of how it looked.

Levi designed & built this grand entry door. It's huge ~ 8' wide & nearly 12' high!!

The security doors are typical styles you see with almost every company that sells security doors.

I'm working on changing that!

We shall not conform to the norm!!!




A stair railing, gates & wine room door Levi also designed & built. So pretty much he designed & built all the home show display pieces. Except maybe the green gate in the bottom pic. I think Allied had that from before he started.

He also didn't make the wine rack.

He could.

But he didn't.

If you look really close in the top pic, you can see Levi in the background. He's was listening to some music & was doing some rock star moves.

'Cause he thinks he's a rock star.

He has a band.

So that makes him one.

At least in his own head!!

That's why I love him. I could say all that to him.

And he'd laugh & say "yeah, probably".

5/2/09

A Late Night

This weekend {Friday - Sunday}, I'm working the home show for Allied Gate with my buddy & former co-worker, Levi {yes, I get paid for it!!!}.

{We worked together at Distinctive Iron.}

Allied is a fairly new company {they've been in the business for about 4 years} and their backed by a pretty big mining company, Con-Wear. Anyway, Levi's been trying to get me in there full time {I've been doing freelance designing for them} and thought this would help push me further in the door. Plus, I get paid & they get some experienced help other than Levi. The one sales rep they have worked for the mining company, so is new to the custom iron business.

{Shannon, you may recognize some of those SD designs!! LOL}

So, they needed a catalog for the security doors with pricing & options. Levi forgot to get that done before the show. Typical guy. The GM asked me if I would put it together for today & tomorrow's show so we don't look like yahoos & know what we're talking about! {He didn't say the yahoo part} I was getting paid for it, so naturally I said yes. What I thought would be about a 3 hour job, turned into a 6 hour job!! I was up until 12:30 last night getting it finished up.

When you usually go to bed at 9:00, 12:30 is a late night!!

I'm typing all this while I wait for Levi to come pick me up.

I feel like I have a hangover.

And I didn't even have anything to drink last night!!

Except a glass of milk!!

This post is probably full of typos.

I getting to damn old for this....
{name that movie}