The verdict is in......my baby has suffered hard drive failure, and needs a transplant. I really hoped it wouldn't have to come to this. I prayed this would be a simple outpatient procedure.
The Doc is in the process of attempting a file transfusion from the old hard drive to the new one, in hopes of saving precious files. (i.e. 24GB of un-backed up photos). The next step in recovery involves me rushing the temporary hard drive to Baltimore with me so Doc Joe can work his magic and preserve the files on DVDs.
...and the search for a hard drive donor is on. Thankfully, Doc Joe is an expert at locating vital PC organs on the cheap.
With luck, and a little cash pulled out of thin air, we'll be on the road to recovery in few weeks. :)
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
I NEED 50 CC'S OF RAM, STAT!
Today is officially day 2 of my computer being in intensive care. I came home from work yesterday to my beautiful electronic baby repeatedly trying to boot up, then starting over, trying to boot up, starting over.....and this time, even with Chase attempting to talk me through it over the phone, I couldn't resuscitate him. I'm supposed to get the diagnosis from the doc sometime tomorrow. I'm not sure what I'm going to do if there is no hope! I'm not exactly in a financial position to adopt a new baby right now....but I also can't live without one! For the moment, I'm borrowing a laptop so I don't feel so alone at home....but it's just not the same. I feel like I'm cheating on my PC. Hopefully he'll understand.
I feel almost sinful though...because I'm finding myself stealing glances at those cute Macbooks....My PC is still alive, and I'm already 'shopping'. Not sure how'd I'd be able to snag me one anyway...but I still feel sinful.
What I need to be doing right now is praying. Praying that he pulls through, and that his medical bills aren't astronomical. It's hard saying right now....it's possible he may need a transplant of somesort. Depending on the specific ailment, that COULD get pricey....at least for those like me that don't have insurance.
So, if you would, please keep my dear PC in your prayers tonight....pray for a quick and cheap recovery!
I feel almost sinful though...because I'm finding myself stealing glances at those cute Macbooks....My PC is still alive, and I'm already 'shopping'. Not sure how'd I'd be able to snag me one anyway...but I still feel sinful.
What I need to be doing right now is praying. Praying that he pulls through, and that his medical bills aren't astronomical. It's hard saying right now....it's possible he may need a transplant of somesort. Depending on the specific ailment, that COULD get pricey....at least for those like me that don't have insurance.
So, if you would, please keep my dear PC in your prayers tonight....pray for a quick and cheap recovery!
Friday, March 16, 2007
Sleep deprivation is good for the soul....or..something like that.
Sleep deprivation: one of nature's many ways of keeping you humble.
How can you be cocky when you tell the bank teller you're tired because you were up til after '2:30 o'clock' last night, when she asks how you are?
How can you be arrogant when you answer the phone at work by saying, "Hi..er..uh..I mean...Davidson Home Improvement, how can I help you?"
Is it possible to remain cavalier after stumbling into the door frame because you haven't figured out the art of walking in a straight line?
And can you get fired from your job for acting drunk, if there isn't a trace of alcohol in your system?
Yeah, I'd say I'm a bit sleep deprived. Take a nap, you say? I can't. I have to finish out this work day.
I can sleep after I clock out, right? No. Sorry bub. Not happenin'. Gotta walk the dog. And clean the apartment. And go work out at the Y. And catch up on the last few weeks with a good friend.
Who needs sleep anyway?
The Barenaked Ladies know what I'm talkin' about....sorta....
Who Needs Sleep
Now I lay me down not to sleep
I just get tangled in the sheets
I swim in sweat three inches deep
I just lay back and claim defeat
Chapter read and lesson learned
I turned the lights off while she burned
So while shes three hundred degrees
I throw the sheets off and I freeze
Lids down, I count sheep
I count heartbeats
The only thing that counts is
That I wont sleep
I countdown, I look around
Who needs sleep?
(well youre never gonna get it)
Who needs sleep?
(tell me whats that for)
Who needs sleep?
(be happy with what youre getting
Theres a guy whos been awake
Since the second world war)
My hands are locked up tight in fists
My mind is racing filled with lists
Of things to do and things Ive done
Another sleepless nights begun
Lids down, I count sheep
I count heartbeats
The only thing that counts is
That I wont sleep
I countdown, I look around
Who needs sleep?
(well youre never gonna get it)
Who needs sleep?
(tell me whats that for)
Who needs sleep?
(be happy with what youre getting
Theres a guy whos been awake
Since the second world war)
Who needs sleep?
(well youre never gonna get it)
Who needs sleep?
(tell me whats that for)
Who needs sleep?
(be happy with what youre getting
Theres a guy whos been awake
Since the second world war)
Theres so much joy in life,
So many pleasures all around
But the pleasure of insomnia
Is one Ive never found
With all life has to offer,
Theres so much to be enjoyed
But the pleasures of insomnia
Are ones I cant avoid
Lids down, I count sheep
I count heartbeats
The only thing that counts is
That I wont sleep
I countdown, I look around
Hala hala hala...
Who needs sleep?
(well youre never gonna get it)
Who needs sleep?
(tell me whats that for)
Who needs sleep?
(be happy with what youre getting
Theres a guy whos been awake
Since the second world war)
And tomorrow, after I finally have had a chance to sleep, I'll come back and read this post, and wonder what the hell I was talking about.
How can you be cocky when you tell the bank teller you're tired because you were up til after '2:30 o'clock' last night, when she asks how you are?
How can you be arrogant when you answer the phone at work by saying, "Hi..er..uh..I mean...Davidson Home Improvement, how can I help you?"
Is it possible to remain cavalier after stumbling into the door frame because you haven't figured out the art of walking in a straight line?
And can you get fired from your job for acting drunk, if there isn't a trace of alcohol in your system?
Yeah, I'd say I'm a bit sleep deprived. Take a nap, you say? I can't. I have to finish out this work day.
I can sleep after I clock out, right? No. Sorry bub. Not happenin'. Gotta walk the dog. And clean the apartment. And go work out at the Y. And catch up on the last few weeks with a good friend.
Who needs sleep anyway?
The Barenaked Ladies know what I'm talkin' about....sorta....
Who Needs Sleep
Now I lay me down not to sleep
I just get tangled in the sheets
I swim in sweat three inches deep
I just lay back and claim defeat
Chapter read and lesson learned
I turned the lights off while she burned
So while shes three hundred degrees
I throw the sheets off and I freeze
Lids down, I count sheep
I count heartbeats
The only thing that counts is
That I wont sleep
I countdown, I look around
Who needs sleep?
(well youre never gonna get it)
Who needs sleep?
(tell me whats that for)
Who needs sleep?
(be happy with what youre getting
Theres a guy whos been awake
Since the second world war)
My hands are locked up tight in fists
My mind is racing filled with lists
Of things to do and things Ive done
Another sleepless nights begun
Lids down, I count sheep
I count heartbeats
The only thing that counts is
That I wont sleep
I countdown, I look around
Who needs sleep?
(well youre never gonna get it)
Who needs sleep?
(tell me whats that for)
Who needs sleep?
(be happy with what youre getting
Theres a guy whos been awake
Since the second world war)
Who needs sleep?
(well youre never gonna get it)
Who needs sleep?
(tell me whats that for)
Who needs sleep?
(be happy with what youre getting
Theres a guy whos been awake
Since the second world war)
Theres so much joy in life,
So many pleasures all around
But the pleasure of insomnia
Is one Ive never found
With all life has to offer,
Theres so much to be enjoyed
But the pleasures of insomnia
Are ones I cant avoid
Lids down, I count sheep
I count heartbeats
The only thing that counts is
That I wont sleep
I countdown, I look around
Hala hala hala...
Who needs sleep?
(well youre never gonna get it)
Who needs sleep?
(tell me whats that for)
Who needs sleep?
(be happy with what youre getting
Theres a guy whos been awake
Since the second world war)
And tomorrow, after I finally have had a chance to sleep, I'll come back and read this post, and wonder what the hell I was talking about.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
New York City, March of 2007
I already posted my New York City travel log on The Photo Forum so I'm just going to copy and paste it into here....
Well, I'm home (and back at work :grumpy: ) from my first trip to NYC. From the beginning right to the very end it was a truly wonderful experience, despite getting into town several hours late, and not being able to find where we were going to park. (we left for NYC several hours late due to things beyond our control....and then Joe wrote down the address of where we were parking wrong. :P ) We were also accompanied by Joe's two roommates, Jon and Becca.
Our parking place was on the street of TPF's own very own Torus34, on Staten Island. Let me tell you, after 3 hours of driving, and at least a 1/2 hour of being lost, Jim was a welcome site. We were welcomed in by 3 generations of Jim's incredibly friendly and hospitable family. Before this trip, none of us really even knew anything about Jim himself, and instantly we each felt like one of the family.
And I want to take this time right now to say thank you again, to Jim, for going so far out of his way to make our journey a wonderful experience. He not only walked us to the train that took us to the Staten Island Ferry, but he also rode with us the whole 40 minutes there....AND the 25 minute ride across to Manhattan...and was fully prepared to make sure we made it all the way to our hotel, but since Sky was there to meet us on the other side of the Ferry, and he'd already been to our hotel, Jim parted ways with us for the first night then. So he basically went more than an hour out of his way, each way, just to make sure we made it ok. So, Jim...on behalf of all of us, I want to thank you for the generosity you showed us. Please know that it was not taken for granted by anyone.
The ferry ride was fun....Joe and I walked up and outside, and were both met with a sense of awe when we saw that gorgeous NYC skyline lighting up the horizon (it was 9ish by this time).
I've been to a lot of cities now....but nothing is like New York. The atmosphere is totally different, and it's a thick atmosphere...we could feel it change as we entered into it.
After parting ways with Jim, meeting up with Sky, and getting checked into our hotel, it was time to find somewhere to eat...we were famished. Our hotel was in Lower Manhattan, in the Financial District....not exactly anywhere to eat after 9pm in that area....so we headed off, cameras in tow, to Times Square. Times Square....after 10 on a Friday night....wow. So lively and exciting. We found a little Mexican Restaurant to have some dinner there...wasn't too bad, but not phenomenal....I don't think any of us cared though....I mean...we were in Times Square....in New York City! We finished eating around midnight or so, and decided it was time for night shooting! Not an easy thing to manage in Times Square! :lol: At this time Joe's roomies parted with us, as they aren't photographers and standing around looking through a viewfinder wasn't as appealing to them as it was to us. :P Somehow we managed to spend an hour and a half or so there (Sky already has some pictures up...they can be found [URL="http://thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=74863"]HERE[/URL] ) We then headed back to our hotel (got there around 2 or so, I think) to go to sleep for the night. Oh wait...I meant goof around for another hour and a half watching You Tube videos. THEN it was bedtime.
....only to get up again around 8. :P
Saturday was the actual 'meetup' day. Joe's roommates were doing their own thing for most of the day while we did our thing. So Joe, Sky, and I grabbed a quick bagel at the place around the corner from our hotel and scarfed 'em down as we walked towards our meeting place near Ground Zero. There we met up with Jim again, along with Digital Flower and NYBrit. (Chris and Dave). I must say, we certainly did have a good little group....all of the above were great people, and I know that I enjoyed meeting them very much.
So, our starting point was the World Trade Center area...Ground Zero. From there we made our way to the South Seaport where we stalked seagulls for a while. Then we decided to make our way up to China Town, and passed through some of Tribeca on the way. It was my first time in any sort of Chinatown area, so I thought it was incredible. CROWDED...but incredible. At this point Jim had to leave us again....and let me tell you, it was incredibly difficult to find somewhere in Chinatown to take a group photo before he left! But...don't worry...we did it! :P I'll try to get it posted up tonight. :) So...after Jim made sure we knew where we were and how to get where we needed to be next, he left us.
Our group, minus Jim, decided it was time to head further North. We hopped on a Subway and went up near Central Park. We went into the park just a bit, but not much, as it's not really the time of year for good Central Park photos. And besides....we were starved. Our original plan was to find a Deli and eat there....I mean...after all...we were in New York City!!! You can't go to NYC and not eat at a Deli.
But somehow....we...couldn't...find one. :shock: So we ate at a nice Pizza place instead. Can't go to NYC without New York Pizza, either. :-P
After that it was off to Times Square again, to see it in the daylight. After a little time there, NYBrit/Dave said his goodbyes to us.
Dave, it was great meeting you! I'm looking forward to seeing your pictures! :D
And so we were down to four: Joe, Sky, Digital Flower/Chris, and me.
Digital Flower had to go soon, too, so we slowly meandered our way towards Grand Central Station. (for some reason I feel like I'm skipping something here, so meetup folks, let me know if I did). After taking some photos and resting a bit at Grand Central Station, Chris caught his train home, and we hopped on the subway to Calumet Photographic to return the lens Sky had rented.
And if you know us at all....you know that the three of us can't go to a city and NOT search out a Gelato place. We'd done our research, too. Sky found what looked to be one of the best in the city. It's call the [URL="http://www.laboratoriodelgelato.com/"]il laboratorio del gelato
[/URL] and it was AMAZING! It was certainly worth the walk to get there! I highly recommend it! But don't expect to sit down there and eat it, unless you're lucky enough that the bench against the window that seats three, is free. When we got there, the line was so long, it was out the door....which means there were about 6 people in front of us! :lol: It's very very small....but good things come in small packages, right? It's certainly true in this case!
By this time we needed to start heading back to our hotel to meet back up with Jon and Becca, and get ready to go to the Broadway Show we had tickets too. If you are ever in New York....and you aren't easily offended...and you have the time for it...DO NOT MISS 'AVENUE Q'!!!! I don't for one second question the 'Best Musical' Tony award that the show received a few years ago. I had to massage my cheeks afterwards, because they were so sore from laughing. That show is GENIUS!!!! :lol:
Once the show was over, we were pretty hungry, and it was starting to rain, so we ducked into a delicious Chinese place called Ollie's for some more Times Square nourishment. :-P
By this time, I had 3 blisters on one foot, and one on the other! :lol: Never have blisters been so worth it!
Back to the hotel on our second night...attempted to watch a movie but it didn't work out so well....1/4 of the way through it and all three of us were nodding off. Joe's roomies had the right idea by going to bed right away rather than trying to watch a movie. :lol:
Sunday we woke up to beautiful blue skies and fairly warm weather, but with a bit of a cold wind. Not that weather has ever stopped us before anyway (refer back to the original Big DC meetup).
Again, for a decent part of the day, we parted ways with Joe's roomies so we could be photo geeks. First stop: B&H Photo and Video!!!!! OH MY GAWD THAT PLACE IS AWESOME!!! I am totally in love. I'm still not sure how I got my fair share of oxygen, with it being so crowded in there, but I survived it. Joe bought a nice ball tripod head to attach to his new Gorillapod that he bought last week (works quite nicely, btw....we highly recommend the gorillapod/ball head combo). We walked around, played with cameras we can only dream of owning, and did our best not to empty our bank accounts right then and there.
By then it was time to meet back up with Joe's roomies again. We had planned to have a sushi lunch at [URL="http://www.morimotonyc.com/"]Morimoto
[/URL]. Unfortunately, we were unaware that they only did lunch on weekdays, so when we got there they were closed.
However, not all was lost. We still had yet to eat at a deli. And what better NYC deli to fill our stomachs than the world famous Carnegie Deli!?
So, off we went in search of that. When we got there, and I ordered a turkey club sandwich that cost me $21....I was wondering what in the hell I'd gotten myself into. $21 for some meet and lettuce between some bread?
Then the sandwich came. If you can call that thing a sandwich. I'm pretty sure I could have fed a third world country for about a week with that thing. I couldn't even eat a FOURTH of it! It was cut in half and each half was around 6-7 inches tall. It was delicious, too! After eating all that, you'd think we'd never want to eat again, right? Wrong. We had to have dessert, of course! Joe and I both wanted to try a slice of New York Cheesecake....I was dumb enough to ask the waiter how big the slices were because I somehow wasn't sure weather or not it would be big enough that we should just split a piece. :er: Yes, I fully admit that I occasionally have periods of time in which my brain isn't exactly working correctly. The waiter said the slices are 'generous' in size. Hah! Generous! Generous is a size that makes you loosen your belt up slightly. Generous is just enough to make you feel like you got your money's worth. This was MASSIVE. If I'd have eaten that entire thing, even without eating the sandwich beforehand, I've have split open my stomach lining. Between the five of us, we ordered three things (all of equally ginormous size), and shared it between everyone. That cheesecake was phenomenal!!!! I will never EVER look at cheesecake the same way again, because nothing will ever measure up!!! And no, even with multiple people eating, we were not able to finish any of it. We may have missed out on Morimoto, but I don't think any of us were too upset after finding out what the Carnegie Deli had to offer.
Unfortunately, by this point, our time was getting short, and we didn't have much time left to do very much. Becca really wanted to go to the huge Toys 'R' Us in Times Square, so we headed back that way. It's not like any of us act our age anyway. :-P Oh, to be a kid again, and get the chance to wander around in a toy store like that! If I were about 12 years younger, I totally would have rode the ferris wheel they had. After a little while of walking around and admiring the giant Lego sculptures of the Statue of Liberty and the anatomically correct dog, it was unfortunately getting time for Sky to catch his train. Joe and I left his roomies at the store and headed back to the hotel with Sky to get his bags. We got there and Sky called Amtrak to buy a ticket, and hooray for us....his train didn't leave for a while, so we had a little over an hour more with him! :D We headed across the street over to the waterfront to get some pictures of the sun going down behind what I believe is Jersey City...took some pics of that, and I finagled my way into getting Sky to let me practice my portraiture on him a bit before he had to go.
By the time Sky needed to start heading to the Subway to get to Penn Station, Joe's roomies were back with us, and we started collecting our baggage to head home, as well. We all walked together until we got to Sky's subway stop, at which point we said goodbye....and I bawled for the approximately 8 blocks to our Subway stop...and for half of the subway ride.
...er...I mean uh....I didn't cry. At all. I'm not an emotional girl, I swear!
(....how many of you buy that?)
So, Joe, Jon, Becca, and I started to make our way back to the Ferry, back to Staten Island, and back to Jim's house.
Jim had told us we could stop in if we wanted to on our way home....we were worried we'd be getting back to late, though, so he told us to knock so long as the porch light was on. It was around 10pm when we got off the train and walked up the street to Jim's house, and where our car was parked....boy were we glad to see that light still on! Jim and his lovely wife, yet again, welcomed us in to their home, offered us tea, coffee, and water, and some absolutely delicious cake. Jim made certain that we began our journey on a good foot, and that we ended it equally as good. I hope he enjoyed our company as much as we enjoyed his.
....and so began our 3 hour drive home.
Yes, I know this was a long post, with a lot of reading....but 'New York was amazing' just doesn't cut it.
Picture can be found HERE!
Well, I'm home (and back at work :grumpy: ) from my first trip to NYC. From the beginning right to the very end it was a truly wonderful experience, despite getting into town several hours late, and not being able to find where we were going to park. (we left for NYC several hours late due to things beyond our control....and then Joe wrote down the address of where we were parking wrong. :P ) We were also accompanied by Joe's two roommates, Jon and Becca.
Our parking place was on the street of TPF's own very own Torus34, on Staten Island. Let me tell you, after 3 hours of driving, and at least a 1/2 hour of being lost, Jim was a welcome site. We were welcomed in by 3 generations of Jim's incredibly friendly and hospitable family. Before this trip, none of us really even knew anything about Jim himself, and instantly we each felt like one of the family.
And I want to take this time right now to say thank you again, to Jim, for going so far out of his way to make our journey a wonderful experience. He not only walked us to the train that took us to the Staten Island Ferry, but he also rode with us the whole 40 minutes there....AND the 25 minute ride across to Manhattan...and was fully prepared to make sure we made it all the way to our hotel, but since Sky was there to meet us on the other side of the Ferry, and he'd already been to our hotel, Jim parted ways with us for the first night then. So he basically went more than an hour out of his way, each way, just to make sure we made it ok. So, Jim...on behalf of all of us, I want to thank you for the generosity you showed us. Please know that it was not taken for granted by anyone.
The ferry ride was fun....Joe and I walked up and outside, and were both met with a sense of awe when we saw that gorgeous NYC skyline lighting up the horizon (it was 9ish by this time).
I've been to a lot of cities now....but nothing is like New York. The atmosphere is totally different, and it's a thick atmosphere...we could feel it change as we entered into it.
After parting ways with Jim, meeting up with Sky, and getting checked into our hotel, it was time to find somewhere to eat...we were famished. Our hotel was in Lower Manhattan, in the Financial District....not exactly anywhere to eat after 9pm in that area....so we headed off, cameras in tow, to Times Square. Times Square....after 10 on a Friday night....wow. So lively and exciting. We found a little Mexican Restaurant to have some dinner there...wasn't too bad, but not phenomenal....I don't think any of us cared though....I mean...we were in Times Square....in New York City! We finished eating around midnight or so, and decided it was time for night shooting! Not an easy thing to manage in Times Square! :lol: At this time Joe's roomies parted with us, as they aren't photographers and standing around looking through a viewfinder wasn't as appealing to them as it was to us. :P Somehow we managed to spend an hour and a half or so there (Sky already has some pictures up...they can be found [URL="http://thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=74863"]HERE[/URL] ) We then headed back to our hotel (got there around 2 or so, I think) to go to sleep for the night. Oh wait...I meant goof around for another hour and a half watching You Tube videos. THEN it was bedtime.
....only to get up again around 8. :P
Saturday was the actual 'meetup' day. Joe's roommates were doing their own thing for most of the day while we did our thing. So Joe, Sky, and I grabbed a quick bagel at the place around the corner from our hotel and scarfed 'em down as we walked towards our meeting place near Ground Zero. There we met up with Jim again, along with Digital Flower and NYBrit. (Chris and Dave). I must say, we certainly did have a good little group....all of the above were great people, and I know that I enjoyed meeting them very much.
So, our starting point was the World Trade Center area...Ground Zero. From there we made our way to the South Seaport where we stalked seagulls for a while. Then we decided to make our way up to China Town, and passed through some of Tribeca on the way. It was my first time in any sort of Chinatown area, so I thought it was incredible. CROWDED...but incredible. At this point Jim had to leave us again....and let me tell you, it was incredibly difficult to find somewhere in Chinatown to take a group photo before he left! But...don't worry...we did it! :P I'll try to get it posted up tonight. :) So...after Jim made sure we knew where we were and how to get where we needed to be next, he left us.
Our group, minus Jim, decided it was time to head further North. We hopped on a Subway and went up near Central Park. We went into the park just a bit, but not much, as it's not really the time of year for good Central Park photos. And besides....we were starved. Our original plan was to find a Deli and eat there....I mean...after all...we were in New York City!!! You can't go to NYC and not eat at a Deli.
But somehow....we...couldn't...find one. :shock: So we ate at a nice Pizza place instead. Can't go to NYC without New York Pizza, either. :-P
After that it was off to Times Square again, to see it in the daylight. After a little time there, NYBrit/Dave said his goodbyes to us.
Dave, it was great meeting you! I'm looking forward to seeing your pictures! :D
And so we were down to four: Joe, Sky, Digital Flower/Chris, and me.
Digital Flower had to go soon, too, so we slowly meandered our way towards Grand Central Station. (for some reason I feel like I'm skipping something here, so meetup folks, let me know if I did). After taking some photos and resting a bit at Grand Central Station, Chris caught his train home, and we hopped on the subway to Calumet Photographic to return the lens Sky had rented.
And if you know us at all....you know that the three of us can't go to a city and NOT search out a Gelato place. We'd done our research, too. Sky found what looked to be one of the best in the city. It's call the [URL="http://www.laboratoriodelgelato.com/"]il laboratorio del gelato
[/URL] and it was AMAZING! It was certainly worth the walk to get there! I highly recommend it! But don't expect to sit down there and eat it, unless you're lucky enough that the bench against the window that seats three, is free. When we got there, the line was so long, it was out the door....which means there were about 6 people in front of us! :lol: It's very very small....but good things come in small packages, right? It's certainly true in this case!
By this time we needed to start heading back to our hotel to meet back up with Jon and Becca, and get ready to go to the Broadway Show we had tickets too. If you are ever in New York....and you aren't easily offended...and you have the time for it...DO NOT MISS 'AVENUE Q'!!!! I don't for one second question the 'Best Musical' Tony award that the show received a few years ago. I had to massage my cheeks afterwards, because they were so sore from laughing. That show is GENIUS!!!! :lol:
Once the show was over, we were pretty hungry, and it was starting to rain, so we ducked into a delicious Chinese place called Ollie's for some more Times Square nourishment. :-P
By this time, I had 3 blisters on one foot, and one on the other! :lol: Never have blisters been so worth it!
Back to the hotel on our second night...attempted to watch a movie but it didn't work out so well....1/4 of the way through it and all three of us were nodding off. Joe's roomies had the right idea by going to bed right away rather than trying to watch a movie. :lol:
Sunday we woke up to beautiful blue skies and fairly warm weather, but with a bit of a cold wind. Not that weather has ever stopped us before anyway (refer back to the original Big DC meetup).
Again, for a decent part of the day, we parted ways with Joe's roomies so we could be photo geeks. First stop: B&H Photo and Video!!!!! OH MY GAWD THAT PLACE IS AWESOME!!! I am totally in love. I'm still not sure how I got my fair share of oxygen, with it being so crowded in there, but I survived it. Joe bought a nice ball tripod head to attach to his new Gorillapod that he bought last week (works quite nicely, btw....we highly recommend the gorillapod/ball head combo). We walked around, played with cameras we can only dream of owning, and did our best not to empty our bank accounts right then and there.
By then it was time to meet back up with Joe's roomies again. We had planned to have a sushi lunch at [URL="http://www.morimotonyc.com/"]Morimoto
[/URL]. Unfortunately, we were unaware that they only did lunch on weekdays, so when we got there they were closed.
However, not all was lost. We still had yet to eat at a deli. And what better NYC deli to fill our stomachs than the world famous Carnegie Deli!?
So, off we went in search of that. When we got there, and I ordered a turkey club sandwich that cost me $21....I was wondering what in the hell I'd gotten myself into. $21 for some meet and lettuce between some bread?
Then the sandwich came. If you can call that thing a sandwich. I'm pretty sure I could have fed a third world country for about a week with that thing. I couldn't even eat a FOURTH of it! It was cut in half and each half was around 6-7 inches tall. It was delicious, too! After eating all that, you'd think we'd never want to eat again, right? Wrong. We had to have dessert, of course! Joe and I both wanted to try a slice of New York Cheesecake....I was dumb enough to ask the waiter how big the slices were because I somehow wasn't sure weather or not it would be big enough that we should just split a piece. :er: Yes, I fully admit that I occasionally have periods of time in which my brain isn't exactly working correctly. The waiter said the slices are 'generous' in size. Hah! Generous! Generous is a size that makes you loosen your belt up slightly. Generous is just enough to make you feel like you got your money's worth. This was MASSIVE. If I'd have eaten that entire thing, even without eating the sandwich beforehand, I've have split open my stomach lining. Between the five of us, we ordered three things (all of equally ginormous size), and shared it between everyone. That cheesecake was phenomenal!!!! I will never EVER look at cheesecake the same way again, because nothing will ever measure up!!! And no, even with multiple people eating, we were not able to finish any of it. We may have missed out on Morimoto, but I don't think any of us were too upset after finding out what the Carnegie Deli had to offer.
Unfortunately, by this point, our time was getting short, and we didn't have much time left to do very much. Becca really wanted to go to the huge Toys 'R' Us in Times Square, so we headed back that way. It's not like any of us act our age anyway. :-P Oh, to be a kid again, and get the chance to wander around in a toy store like that! If I were about 12 years younger, I totally would have rode the ferris wheel they had. After a little while of walking around and admiring the giant Lego sculptures of the Statue of Liberty and the anatomically correct dog, it was unfortunately getting time for Sky to catch his train. Joe and I left his roomies at the store and headed back to the hotel with Sky to get his bags. We got there and Sky called Amtrak to buy a ticket, and hooray for us....his train didn't leave for a while, so we had a little over an hour more with him! :D We headed across the street over to the waterfront to get some pictures of the sun going down behind what I believe is Jersey City...took some pics of that, and I finagled my way into getting Sky to let me practice my portraiture on him a bit before he had to go.
By the time Sky needed to start heading to the Subway to get to Penn Station, Joe's roomies were back with us, and we started collecting our baggage to head home, as well. We all walked together until we got to Sky's subway stop, at which point we said goodbye....and I bawled for the approximately 8 blocks to our Subway stop...and for half of the subway ride.
...er...I mean uh....I didn't cry. At all. I'm not an emotional girl, I swear!
(....how many of you buy that?)
So, Joe, Jon, Becca, and I started to make our way back to the Ferry, back to Staten Island, and back to Jim's house.
Jim had told us we could stop in if we wanted to on our way home....we were worried we'd be getting back to late, though, so he told us to knock so long as the porch light was on. It was around 10pm when we got off the train and walked up the street to Jim's house, and where our car was parked....boy were we glad to see that light still on! Jim and his lovely wife, yet again, welcomed us in to their home, offered us tea, coffee, and water, and some absolutely delicious cake. Jim made certain that we began our journey on a good foot, and that we ended it equally as good. I hope he enjoyed our company as much as we enjoyed his.
....and so began our 3 hour drive home.
Yes, I know this was a long post, with a lot of reading....but 'New York was amazing' just doesn't cut it.
Picture can be found HERE!
Monday, February 12, 2007
Snow, snow, go away!
Ok, so as you can tell from my previous entries, I like to travel quite a bit. And it's pretty tough on the ol' bank account. So, I decided I was going to start looking for a 3rd (yes THIRD) job to get a few extra bucks each week that can be devoted entirely to my travel fund.
I've been worried, as it's not really a time of year that is good for finding a job. This has been proven by the fact that it'd been three weeks and not a single call from ANYONE. However, during the middle of last week I received a call to come in for an interview at Bath and Bodyworks!!!!
The interview was to be today at 3:30. Yesterday I started to get a little nervous, as we had a snowstorm coming in, and I was afraid the roads would be too dangerous to drive there. So at around 6:30 last night, I was delighted when they called me and told me there was a scheduling conflict, and they wanted to move it to Tuesday at 4:00. By then, I'd hope, the roads would be clear and safe to drive on.
....nope. I checked the weather again when I first woke up this morning....the snow has been pushed back a bit...starting to night at around 6, with a winter storm warning affective until Wednesday morning. We are expecting 6-8 inches with high winds on Tuesday.
I am PRAYING that if things are going to be as bad as they are supposed to be, that my interviewer calls and reschedules. I do NOT want to tell them I can't make the interview due to the weather. That won't exactly look good when it comes to HIRING ME. And I NEED this job!!!!
So, wish me luck on this...cuz I need it.
I've been worried, as it's not really a time of year that is good for finding a job. This has been proven by the fact that it'd been three weeks and not a single call from ANYONE. However, during the middle of last week I received a call to come in for an interview at Bath and Bodyworks!!!!
The interview was to be today at 3:30. Yesterday I started to get a little nervous, as we had a snowstorm coming in, and I was afraid the roads would be too dangerous to drive there. So at around 6:30 last night, I was delighted when they called me and told me there was a scheduling conflict, and they wanted to move it to Tuesday at 4:00. By then, I'd hope, the roads would be clear and safe to drive on.
....nope. I checked the weather again when I first woke up this morning....the snow has been pushed back a bit...starting to night at around 6, with a winter storm warning affective until Wednesday morning. We are expecting 6-8 inches with high winds on Tuesday.
I am PRAYING that if things are going to be as bad as they are supposed to be, that my interviewer calls and reschedules. I do NOT want to tell them I can't make the interview due to the weather. That won't exactly look good when it comes to HIRING ME. And I NEED this job!!!!
So, wish me luck on this...cuz I need it.
Friday, February 02, 2007
Garth, I think you're on to something.
Unanswered Prayers, by Garth Brooks
Just the other night a hometown football game
My wife and I ran into my old high school flame
And as I introduced them the past came back to me
And I couldnt help but think of the way things used to be.
She was the one that I'd wanted for all times
And each night I'd spend prayin' that God would make her mine
And if he'd only grant me this wish I wished back then
I'd never ask for anything again.
(chorus)
Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers
Remember when you're talkin to the man upstairs
That just because he doesn't answer doesn't mean he don't care
Some of gods greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.
She wasn't quite the angel that I remembered in my dreams
And I could tell that time had changed me
In her eyes too it seemed
We tried to talk about the old days
There wasn't much we could recall
I guess the lord knows what hes doin' after all.
And as she walked away and I looked at my wife
And then and there I thanked the good lord
For the gifts in my life.
*chorus*
Some of gods greatest gifts are all too often unanswered...
Some of gods greatest gifts are unanswered prayers
That song just came on my radio here in the office at work. It made me think of all the times I'd wish and pray for Erik to tell me he loves me....for him to tell me that I'm the only one he wants for the rest of his life....
...and you know what? I think Garth knows what he's talking about.
Just the other night a hometown football game
My wife and I ran into my old high school flame
And as I introduced them the past came back to me
And I couldnt help but think of the way things used to be.
She was the one that I'd wanted for all times
And each night I'd spend prayin' that God would make her mine
And if he'd only grant me this wish I wished back then
I'd never ask for anything again.
(chorus)
Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers
Remember when you're talkin to the man upstairs
That just because he doesn't answer doesn't mean he don't care
Some of gods greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.
She wasn't quite the angel that I remembered in my dreams
And I could tell that time had changed me
In her eyes too it seemed
We tried to talk about the old days
There wasn't much we could recall
I guess the lord knows what hes doin' after all.
And as she walked away and I looked at my wife
And then and there I thanked the good lord
For the gifts in my life.
*chorus*
Some of gods greatest gifts are all too often unanswered...
Some of gods greatest gifts are unanswered prayers
That song just came on my radio here in the office at work. It made me think of all the times I'd wish and pray for Erik to tell me he loves me....for him to tell me that I'm the only one he wants for the rest of his life....
...and you know what? I think Garth knows what he's talking about.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
I am blessed.
'What goes around comes around.'
'You reap what you sow.'
For the most part I've always believed these things. If you are a good person, and do good things, good things will happen to you. If you lie and cheat and steal, it'll catch up to you and knock you to the ground.
There are times when I get dragged down by things going on in life, and it's not so easy to believe. I start thinking that it doesn't matter how hard I try, good things will never happen to me.
This is not one of those moments. Nope...Karma has totally outdone herself. In fact, I think I owe her now, cuz what goes around came around threefold.
This year has been immensely difficult for me to get through. But the bumpy road was smoothed over quite a lot by the extraordinary friends that I have been blessed with. They are the reason I say Karma has totally outdone herself. Most people have one or two close friends....I have several.
I do NOT want to think about where my life would be without them. They are the reason I get up each day. They are the reason I strive to better myself. They are the reason I have love and joy in my heart.
It's been nearly five years since I met Natalie....we met though work. At the time I worked at Walgreens, which was still located in the mall. Natalie was the manager of Claire's. Our mall doesn't have much in the way of food, so most people would come to Walgreens for their lunch or break-time snacks. That's how we started talking. It was no time at all before I started referring to her as my best friend. In the time we've known each other, we've gone through a lot....I've gone through two boyfriends, and lots of heartbreak....she's gotten married, bought a house...changed jobs a time or two.... Strangely enough, we're not at all alike in a LOT of ways....but somehow it's a nice mix.....our friendship just works, and it works well.
She was asking me this weekend if I could pick one word to describe her, what would that word be. I've thought about that question for two days now....and one word just isn't enough. There is no one word in the English language that sums it up. In fact, I can't even think of the right words to properly conclude this paragragh...so I'll just move on! :P
So, a little over three years ago, I met Erik and we started dating. Yeah, I may have a lot of resentment towards him, and he may have not been very nice to me, especially in the last year....but you know what he did do for me that changed my life forever? When I was getting more and more interested in becoming better at photography, he's the one that told me I should find a forum to join. So, one day, I typed in 'photo forum' in Google, clicked on one of the first search results, and joined up. If you'd have asked me then what that forum would mean to me in three years, I'd have never been able to guess what it's become to me now.
Chase started The Photo Forum a little under a year before I joined up. He's also the first friend I made online. And it's funny, because before that, I would have told you that I didn't think it'd be possible for me to make a true friend online, without ever meeting them. It's been three years, and boy has that notion been blown out of the water. :P Chase has been one of the people I have turned to time and time again when things just seem to be piling so high on top of me that I feel like I'm going to drown. He always has an encouraging word to help me feel better about whatever is weighing me down. And even when I am coming to him with the same problem over and over again that I can't seem to get past, he'll be there to listen each and every time, and to remind me that I have people that care about me.
I have an older brother, and we don't have a bad relationship...but it's never been as close as what I'd really like. I think Chase has taken that spot. He's very much like a big brother, and I pray that nothing ever happens to change that.
Along those same lines....I now feel like I have a big sister, too. I've known Alison for a few years, too, but only recently did we start to talk more and become closer. She's someone I can talk to about some of the things that others wouldn't understand. She understands, and she always makes me feel like I'm not as abnormal as I previously thought. She helps me to realize that it's ok to feel the way I'm feeling sometimes...and that I'm not alone.
And she's also one of the most amazing mothers I've ever met. Watching her interact with her children, and to listen to her talk about them puts me in awe. The love she has in her heart for those kids is one of the most pure and beautiful things I have ever seen. I hope when I'm a mother someday, I can be even half as good at it as she is. She, like Chase, has become not only a highly valued friend, but someone I look up to as well.
Oh, and did I thank Chase for installing chat on the forum yet? Yeah, I have a hell of lot to thank him for in that respect. If he hadn't done that, I'd have never gotten as close to Joe, Sky, and Stu as I have.
Stu.....how to describe Stu....he's definitely a unique one. :P He started popping up in chat over the summer. He kept us endlessly entertained with his over the top and off the wall type of humor. (That's humor, without a 'u'). After a time or two of talking one on one in MSN, we quickly discovered how alike we are in a lot of ways. We've both gone through similar things, and the way we feel afterwards and how we deal with those things is eerily similar as well. Because of that, we seem to be able to understand each other better and can sympathize with one another at a higher level than I can with most others. And if no one else can make me laugh when I'm feeling down...he always can. We have not met in real life yet, but I look forward to that day more and more as time goes on.
Did I mention Sky yet? No? Well he definitely can't be left out here.
Sky came aboard in my life as part of the original chat crew. At 19, he's the youngest one here in my list of people that I have been blessed with....but that's something that's easily forgotten about. I've always thought he was a bit 'beyond his years'. He's also someone that I admire for a lot of things. I admire him for the photographic talent that he possesses....and for the fact that he's smarter than I probably will ever be....and I admire that he's already experienced so much of the world. He'll have life by the horns by the time he graduates college, of that I have no doubt.
I've considered him a friend since we started talking a year ago, but here in the last few months it's solidified into a friendship that won't easily dissolve. He's another friend that's hard to find words to describe. But I can tell you for sure he has a permanent spot etched in my heart, and I hope we never lose touch.
I guess that' about it.....
....isn't it?
You didn't actually think I was going to leave out Joe, did you? BAHAHAHAHAHAHA! That's a good one.
If it wasn't for Joe, I wouldn't have had the courage to end a relationship that was very bad for me. If it wasn't for Joe, I'd have never gotten on a plane for the first time, sparking my love for travel. If it wasn't for Joe, I wouldn't have been brave enough to venture into the Windy City alone, exploring not only the beautiful metropolis of Chicago, but also un-chartered territory in my own soul. I feel I've grown more as a person in the past year than I ever have in any other given year of my life, and I feel that a large part of that was nurtured by Joe.
Because of him I am learning to not be afraid....of taking risks.....of doing things for ME.....to not be afraid of life in general.
He's taught me that not all friends run away from you when you are a complete mess and falling apart. Some will stay, steadfastly...never wavering...and help put you back together...help you mend the cracks and make them stronger than they were before by putting little bits of themselves into every weak spot.
Because of this I have been better able to recognize and appreciate these qualities in my other friends, as well. I have the confidence now to see that I really am a good enough person that people would do these things for me, and be there for me....and I no longer think in my head 'they are only doing that because they feel sorry for me'...or some other line to make myself think I'm not good enough to actually deserve it.
I have the confidence now to let myself be proud of my accomplishments.
None of this would have happened without Joe as my friend. I would not have been able to end my bad relationship if I didn't have faith that he would be there, every night for at least a week, on the other end of that phone to be there for me...even when there'd be minutes at a time of silence because I was trying not to cry.
And I'm learning to stop apologizing for being me. I don't have to do that...did you know that? I didn't...but I do now. I still have to be reminded at times, but I'm getting there.
I'm not even going to TRY and think of where I'd be without him. Part of me already knows, and it wouldn't be a very happy place.
After going over everything I just wrote....how can I not be blessed? Maybe my family life wasn't the greatest growing up...maybe I didn't have very many opportunities in life....but none of that matters now. That was then and this is now, and right now, I'm just about the richest person alive.
'You reap what you sow.'
For the most part I've always believed these things. If you are a good person, and do good things, good things will happen to you. If you lie and cheat and steal, it'll catch up to you and knock you to the ground.
There are times when I get dragged down by things going on in life, and it's not so easy to believe. I start thinking that it doesn't matter how hard I try, good things will never happen to me.
This is not one of those moments. Nope...Karma has totally outdone herself. In fact, I think I owe her now, cuz what goes around came around threefold.
This year has been immensely difficult for me to get through. But the bumpy road was smoothed over quite a lot by the extraordinary friends that I have been blessed with. They are the reason I say Karma has totally outdone herself. Most people have one or two close friends....I have several.
I do NOT want to think about where my life would be without them. They are the reason I get up each day. They are the reason I strive to better myself. They are the reason I have love and joy in my heart.
It's been nearly five years since I met Natalie....we met though work. At the time I worked at Walgreens, which was still located in the mall. Natalie was the manager of Claire's. Our mall doesn't have much in the way of food, so most people would come to Walgreens for their lunch or break-time snacks. That's how we started talking. It was no time at all before I started referring to her as my best friend. In the time we've known each other, we've gone through a lot....I've gone through two boyfriends, and lots of heartbreak....she's gotten married, bought a house...changed jobs a time or two.... Strangely enough, we're not at all alike in a LOT of ways....but somehow it's a nice mix.....our friendship just works, and it works well.
She was asking me this weekend if I could pick one word to describe her, what would that word be. I've thought about that question for two days now....and one word just isn't enough. There is no one word in the English language that sums it up. In fact, I can't even think of the right words to properly conclude this paragragh...so I'll just move on! :P
So, a little over three years ago, I met Erik and we started dating. Yeah, I may have a lot of resentment towards him, and he may have not been very nice to me, especially in the last year....but you know what he did do for me that changed my life forever? When I was getting more and more interested in becoming better at photography, he's the one that told me I should find a forum to join. So, one day, I typed in 'photo forum' in Google, clicked on one of the first search results, and joined up. If you'd have asked me then what that forum would mean to me in three years, I'd have never been able to guess what it's become to me now.
Chase started The Photo Forum a little under a year before I joined up. He's also the first friend I made online. And it's funny, because before that, I would have told you that I didn't think it'd be possible for me to make a true friend online, without ever meeting them. It's been three years, and boy has that notion been blown out of the water. :P Chase has been one of the people I have turned to time and time again when things just seem to be piling so high on top of me that I feel like I'm going to drown. He always has an encouraging word to help me feel better about whatever is weighing me down. And even when I am coming to him with the same problem over and over again that I can't seem to get past, he'll be there to listen each and every time, and to remind me that I have people that care about me.
I have an older brother, and we don't have a bad relationship...but it's never been as close as what I'd really like. I think Chase has taken that spot. He's very much like a big brother, and I pray that nothing ever happens to change that.
Along those same lines....I now feel like I have a big sister, too. I've known Alison for a few years, too, but only recently did we start to talk more and become closer. She's someone I can talk to about some of the things that others wouldn't understand. She understands, and she always makes me feel like I'm not as abnormal as I previously thought. She helps me to realize that it's ok to feel the way I'm feeling sometimes...and that I'm not alone.
And she's also one of the most amazing mothers I've ever met. Watching her interact with her children, and to listen to her talk about them puts me in awe. The love she has in her heart for those kids is one of the most pure and beautiful things I have ever seen. I hope when I'm a mother someday, I can be even half as good at it as she is. She, like Chase, has become not only a highly valued friend, but someone I look up to as well.
Oh, and did I thank Chase for installing chat on the forum yet? Yeah, I have a hell of lot to thank him for in that respect. If he hadn't done that, I'd have never gotten as close to Joe, Sky, and Stu as I have.
Stu.....how to describe Stu....he's definitely a unique one. :P He started popping up in chat over the summer. He kept us endlessly entertained with his over the top and off the wall type of humor. (That's humor, without a 'u'). After a time or two of talking one on one in MSN, we quickly discovered how alike we are in a lot of ways. We've both gone through similar things, and the way we feel afterwards and how we deal with those things is eerily similar as well. Because of that, we seem to be able to understand each other better and can sympathize with one another at a higher level than I can with most others. And if no one else can make me laugh when I'm feeling down...he always can. We have not met in real life yet, but I look forward to that day more and more as time goes on.
Did I mention Sky yet? No? Well he definitely can't be left out here.
Sky came aboard in my life as part of the original chat crew. At 19, he's the youngest one here in my list of people that I have been blessed with....but that's something that's easily forgotten about. I've always thought he was a bit 'beyond his years'. He's also someone that I admire for a lot of things. I admire him for the photographic talent that he possesses....and for the fact that he's smarter than I probably will ever be....and I admire that he's already experienced so much of the world. He'll have life by the horns by the time he graduates college, of that I have no doubt.
I've considered him a friend since we started talking a year ago, but here in the last few months it's solidified into a friendship that won't easily dissolve. He's another friend that's hard to find words to describe. But I can tell you for sure he has a permanent spot etched in my heart, and I hope we never lose touch.
I guess that' about it.....
....isn't it?
You didn't actually think I was going to leave out Joe, did you? BAHAHAHAHAHAHA! That's a good one.
If it wasn't for Joe, I wouldn't have had the courage to end a relationship that was very bad for me. If it wasn't for Joe, I'd have never gotten on a plane for the first time, sparking my love for travel. If it wasn't for Joe, I wouldn't have been brave enough to venture into the Windy City alone, exploring not only the beautiful metropolis of Chicago, but also un-chartered territory in my own soul. I feel I've grown more as a person in the past year than I ever have in any other given year of my life, and I feel that a large part of that was nurtured by Joe.
Because of him I am learning to not be afraid....of taking risks.....of doing things for ME.....to not be afraid of life in general.
He's taught me that not all friends run away from you when you are a complete mess and falling apart. Some will stay, steadfastly...never wavering...and help put you back together...help you mend the cracks and make them stronger than they were before by putting little bits of themselves into every weak spot.
Because of this I have been better able to recognize and appreciate these qualities in my other friends, as well. I have the confidence now to see that I really am a good enough person that people would do these things for me, and be there for me....and I no longer think in my head 'they are only doing that because they feel sorry for me'...or some other line to make myself think I'm not good enough to actually deserve it.
I have the confidence now to let myself be proud of my accomplishments.
None of this would have happened without Joe as my friend. I would not have been able to end my bad relationship if I didn't have faith that he would be there, every night for at least a week, on the other end of that phone to be there for me...even when there'd be minutes at a time of silence because I was trying not to cry.
And I'm learning to stop apologizing for being me. I don't have to do that...did you know that? I didn't...but I do now. I still have to be reminded at times, but I'm getting there.
I'm not even going to TRY and think of where I'd be without him. Part of me already knows, and it wouldn't be a very happy place.
After going over everything I just wrote....how can I not be blessed? Maybe my family life wasn't the greatest growing up...maybe I didn't have very many opportunities in life....but none of that matters now. That was then and this is now, and right now, I'm just about the richest person alive.
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