Sorry about the bad quality of this picture, the bigger one wouldn't link up from Flickr.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
WE: What are you doing this Fall?
Sorry about the bad quality of this picture, the bigger one wouldn't link up from Flickr.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Little Sweetie
Kjersti and Jay asked me to take pictures of Reagan to send out in announcements. When they had Kameryn, they had Danae's sister-law, Angela, do them, but this time, they asked me to give it a try. I am really impressed with how well I feel they turned out. It makes me feel like I actually know what I am doing as a photographer.
Weekend Exposure 4
The question for this week's W.E. from the bchronicles is:
What do you appreciate most about America/your home country?
What do you appreciate most about America/your home country?
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
ADORABLE!
Kjersti and Jay asked me to take some pictures of Reagan so that they could send out announcements like they did for Kameryn. Instead of asking Angela to do it this time, they asked me to try it. If I may say so myself, they turned out REALLY cute. I don't have time to post most of them tonight though, but check back soon. :)
Don't Be A Victim!
Monday night, I was working in the Darkroom for my class, and there was this lady from another class in with ours. I didn't mind that she was there, although she was carrying a timer that would beep everytime she had to move her prints into the next chemical, so that was kind of annoying. If we all carried timers with us instead of just counting on the clock like we are supposed to, there would always be timers going off and no one would ever know when to move anything. Anyways, this lady really got on my nerves when it was time for her to leave. When we our washing our prints, after all the developing process, we have a big bin big enough to put two 8x10 sheets side by side, and about 40-50 deep. In between each row is a little see-through plastic sheet to keep each row separate. Coming out of that is a hose that runs into a big open bin for the smaller sheets so nothing gets stuck in the huge thing. This lady is in Alternate Photography, which is something that I tried to sign up for but hadn't completed all of the pre-requisites. So, this lady should know more about being in the darkroom than I do, but she decided to put her little 4x6 and 4x4 pieces of paper into the huge bin with me and my 20-odd class mates all working on 8x10 paper. Needless to say, when she was ready to leave, she was having a problem finding her prints. She was complaining to anyone that would listen to her. She even got a couple of people from my class to help her find some of them.
Maybe, ten or fifteen minutes later, when I was coming out of the darkroom to look at one of my prints in the light, she was out on her phone sobbing to one of her friends that she could find the last two of her prints and that she couldn't leave until she did. Then when she came into the darkroom again, she was just kind of mopping around and starring at the bin helplessly. It drove me crazy! There are so many different ways to solve that problem. Any of which wouldn't take nearly as long as she was taking pouting about it! I think if you let the problem overwhelm you, then you aren't really looking for solutions as much as just dwelling on the problem. I finally stepped up and offered to help her since her helpless attitude was driving me nuts and I just wanted her to leave! I decided that most likely, her prints were behind someone else's because they were too small for anyone else to notice that they were there. So, I actually found it within the first minute just by pulling out other prints and looking on the back of them. The second one was smaller, so it was a lot hard to find. However, the case is clear, so I started pulling up other prints and looking to see what wasn't coming up with the rest of the normal sized ones. There were enough, though, that I was having a hard time trying to hold them all and look through the bottom of the bin, so I started handing prints to the sobbing, mopping, pathetic lady. I am actually proud of myself for not punching her or something, because she did NOT want to help me hold prints or anything else. I seriously just wanted to yell at her and tell her to find it her damn self if she was going to be that un-helpful when I was trying to help her. Anyways, with that system going, it didn't take me too much longer to find it. The hardest problem was then deciding which little two plastic things it was between, because even though I can see it, it doesn't really help tell me which small thing its in. So, I just had to stick my hand down a bunch of them. (Not very comfortable, by the way!) My hand was actually really hurting by the time I was able to get ahold of the stupid thing and pull it out. Even though the lady said thank you, she practically shoved all of the other prints at me as she took off. She didn't even help put them back into the bin!
I know, I know. Some of you are going to be reading this and be thinking that I just had to save her since she was in trouble, but really, I did it more for me than for her. She was bugging me to death and I figured the best way to get her to leave was to find her stupid prints. A couple of other people in my class even commented that they were impressed with my patience with her since she wasn't being very nice about it. One girl said, "I wasn't going to help her, but I was impressed that you did." Also, I really enjoy using my head to solve problems. It makes me feel really smart when I can come up with solutions to problems that other people see as impossible.
Another example of that quality in me, is my resourcefulness in my job. Like when I worked at the bountiful store and had to make cakes out of quarts and other cakes, and make circles into squares to get all of my orders done for the day. I think that is another reason my boss wants my help down in Sandy. That store really needs a lot of work. After working there on Monday, I can tell it is going to be a lot of work.
Maybe, ten or fifteen minutes later, when I was coming out of the darkroom to look at one of my prints in the light, she was out on her phone sobbing to one of her friends that she could find the last two of her prints and that she couldn't leave until she did. Then when she came into the darkroom again, she was just kind of mopping around and starring at the bin helplessly. It drove me crazy! There are so many different ways to solve that problem. Any of which wouldn't take nearly as long as she was taking pouting about it! I think if you let the problem overwhelm you, then you aren't really looking for solutions as much as just dwelling on the problem. I finally stepped up and offered to help her since her helpless attitude was driving me nuts and I just wanted her to leave! I decided that most likely, her prints were behind someone else's because they were too small for anyone else to notice that they were there. So, I actually found it within the first minute just by pulling out other prints and looking on the back of them. The second one was smaller, so it was a lot hard to find. However, the case is clear, so I started pulling up other prints and looking to see what wasn't coming up with the rest of the normal sized ones. There were enough, though, that I was having a hard time trying to hold them all and look through the bottom of the bin, so I started handing prints to the sobbing, mopping, pathetic lady. I am actually proud of myself for not punching her or something, because she did NOT want to help me hold prints or anything else. I seriously just wanted to yell at her and tell her to find it her damn self if she was going to be that un-helpful when I was trying to help her. Anyways, with that system going, it didn't take me too much longer to find it. The hardest problem was then deciding which little two plastic things it was between, because even though I can see it, it doesn't really help tell me which small thing its in. So, I just had to stick my hand down a bunch of them. (Not very comfortable, by the way!) My hand was actually really hurting by the time I was able to get ahold of the stupid thing and pull it out. Even though the lady said thank you, she practically shoved all of the other prints at me as she took off. She didn't even help put them back into the bin!
I know, I know. Some of you are going to be reading this and be thinking that I just had to save her since she was in trouble, but really, I did it more for me than for her. She was bugging me to death and I figured the best way to get her to leave was to find her stupid prints. A couple of other people in my class even commented that they were impressed with my patience with her since she wasn't being very nice about it. One girl said, "I wasn't going to help her, but I was impressed that you did." Also, I really enjoy using my head to solve problems. It makes me feel really smart when I can come up with solutions to problems that other people see as impossible.
Another example of that quality in me, is my resourcefulness in my job. Like when I worked at the bountiful store and had to make cakes out of quarts and other cakes, and make circles into squares to get all of my orders done for the day. I think that is another reason my boss wants my help down in Sandy. That store really needs a lot of work. After working there on Monday, I can tell it is going to be a lot of work.
Saturday, September 06, 2008
Whirl of Change
In a recent conversation, I was asked how I believed the horrible state of the world could be fixed. As usual when faced with a verbal debate, I choked. All I could manage to get out was that "I believed that people are good". My friend's verbal satire instead of being something like the Irish's "eat our own babies" solution to the potato famine was that we should wipe out all the people in largely populated cities. While trying to wrap my head around how such an idea could possible start helping anything, satire or not, my friend's brother stated that we should start with New York. He said, "I have a great idea. Let's take some planes and run them into a couple of buildings." I choked.
All I could think about was how I had been to New York, stood at Ground Zero and personally seen the devastation there. I remember walking the streets of New York and seeing all of the posters up for the missing people that hadn't been seen again since 9/11. Allison came to mind, who plays Dante's Prayer and lights a candle every night in remembrance to the people that lost their lives that day.
My friend's point is that he sees all the evil in the world and sees it as a sort of cancer. He would like to cut it all out simultaneously, to ride the world of it all at the same time; take something as overpopulated and unnatural as a large city, and just wipe it out to start over anew.
I can agree that there is a problem with this country and with this world. There are days when all the missing children posters, news articles about the gang beatings and school shootings, wars and rape overwhelm me and I feel like the world is going to hell. But still, I feel there has to be a better solution than just wiping out a vast majority of the population to start over.
Growing up, my dad would take my family to various places around the country looking for Medal of Honor recipients. He would stand at their graves, place an American flag there and read us the stories of what those men did to be awarded their medals. As my dad's voice with crack with emotion as he read those stories, in the closest place he would ever come to being able to meet his heroes, I knew that there were good people out there that were willing sacrafice their lives in the hopes of making a difference, to making the world better.
I am not niave enough to think that there isn't also people that put themselves first and make choices purely for their own gain. I know that there are people that make bad choices and end up hurting other people. I do, however, see progress being made. In the not so distant past, people used to be able to lynch a black person if they wanted to. They were considered inferior and not even considered to be a whole person. Now we have a black man running for president. I believe that through our own negligance, we have caused the enviroment great harm, but I also see the green movement now and the people that are trying to make it right. I believe that through education and working at tolerence and peace, we can teach the next generation to do things better than we did and work toward a solution to the problems of today. I know that changes like that don't happen overnight, but I still believe they are possible.
Friday, September 05, 2008
Temporary
Starting next week, I won't be doing cakes at all at 4th South for a while. I am going to start training as the Assistant Manager here, but only two nights a week. Since the manager at Sandy quit, Justin is moving Jennfier, the manager at West Valley, down there to get things going better. He is also moving me down there. He wants me to help keep up on their cake case, while training new cake decorators and day-time people to work at that store. He said that everyone that he is moving down there to help get it going the way he wants really knows what they are doing, so he thinks that I will only have to be there for about two months. I hope he is right. I am not looking forward to the commute down to Sandy, but he said that training all these people down there will help me on my way to becoming Assistant Manager and maybe, eventually, a manager. Even though I kind of hate training, there is something flattering about being the go=-to person to get things working better. I like that I am the one that he always wants to have train new cake decorators. It makes me feel like what I do is important, and a skill that he wants to be passed on the the newer and upcoming people. That way, there will be something of me that stays even after I have moved on to other things.
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Labor Day Pictures!
I kind of hate the holidays since I usually have to work them, and end up really stressed out when they are huge cake holidays. This Labor Day, though, was really fun. I was off early from work and got to spend some time with the family, so I loved it! Here are some of the awesome pictures that I took! :)
Thanks Allie and Steve for throwing an awesome BBQ at your new house! I had a great time. I am so glad that you guys live so much closer now. It is really good to see you both on a more regular basis. Allie, I also really appreciate that you help me out with whatever I ask you about. You are an awesome sister and I love you so much!
Danae and Gary, it was also really good to see you guys. I really feel like I don't see enough of you guys, but I love the time that I am able to spend with you guys. Isaac is growing up so fast and he changes so much every time I see him! I think you both are great parents. I know sometimes you guys have some rough times juggling the working schedules with school, etc... but I think you guys are amazing and are doing a wonderful job. You guys can do whatever you set your minds to doing, and I really admire you guys for that.
Kjersti and Jay, I can't believe that you have another such perfect daughter. I already love her so much and it feels so natural to have her part of the family. I admire the strength and determination that you both have. You always find a way to make it work out. Kameryn is so cute. I love her personality. I can't wait to see how Kameryn and Reagan are similar, but also the ways that they are different. Thanks for spending so much time with me, and being willing to put up with watching some of my TV shows with me so that we have something to do together. I had a great time playing cards and going to lunch with you guys last Saturday. And, Jay, "Don't point at me like I know what you are talking about!"
Geoffrey, I like that you are going back to school and that you make your own decisions based on what you want, rather than just on what other people want you to do. I can't wait for LOST to start up again so we can have our pizza night. I have a great time with you and I think that you work hard on the things that matter to you. Call me when you want to go take some pictures to put up to show your online girlfriend. ;)
Little Momma, thank you so much for everything that you do for me. I think you are an amazingly strong person. I think you are doing a great job with the house, and your new awesome job and just in general. I love that you will stay up late talking to me even when you know that you are missing out on your sleep. I love that we can share our books on CD's together and the times that we go see movies. I think you are awesome and I can't even tell you how much I love you. Thanks for being my mom. :)
Wesley, it is so great to have you home agian. I love that even though you live far away, you always make sure you are keeping up with what is going on with our family. I can't tell you how much it means to me that you call every holiday and birthday just to talk with us. I love talking about photography with you. I think that Elisabeth is way awesome too and I love that she is a part of our family now. I am happy that you found someone that is such a great match with you in so many ways. It means a lot to me to see you so happy. I love seeing you play with the kids. You bacame fast friends with Kameryn and Isaac by getting them chips whenever they wanted, jumping in the puddle with them, letting Kameryn chase you all around the yard and pushing them on the swings. :) Wesley, you make a great uncle, and I am sure you will make a great dad when you decide to have your own kids.
Okay, that's it for me and all of my sappiness. I just wanted you all to know how much I love you and that you mean more to me than words can ever say. I love our family. I love how close we all are and I love spending time with you!
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