Photography Friday

In keeping with tradition, the picture below is my pick of the week for most visually appealing.


A picture of his gorgeous dog Crawford, taken by Matt Dickman himself, there are so many spectacular elements to this shot I hardly know where to begin.

(Editor's note: my dear friend Matt is an amazing amateur photographer, making for one more talent this man has - is there anything you can't do?)

Looking at the photo, what jumps out at me first is Crawford's adorable face. A shallow depth of field helps to accomplish this with even greater clarity in the foreground of the image. Shot with a wide lens, the light from the sun illuminates the background and helps bring out the colors from the surrounding landscape.

Lately, depth of field has become my photography obsession. With more focus on the subject close up, there's greater clarity without additional noise from the surrounding environment.

In my humble opinion, Matt got the depth of field perfect here. Not too shallow so you pick up the surrounding imagery, but just enough so that the eye, and subsequent emotion, is drawn to Crawford. Besides, who wouldn't want to focus solely on that adorable face of his!

Cheers!

-A

My love

I love airplanes.

Probably to the point of obsession.

Maybe even more than sushi - yes, that much!

Growing up, I loved to fly - the feeling of being pushed back in your seat at take off, the moments of weightlessness upon descent, all of it. Trips to Traverse City just to see the Blue Angels perform out over Like Michigan were always anticipated.

As an adult the thrill of the flight has subsided, but my love and appreciation of the aircraft has grown substantially.

In college I found myself seeking out information on military planes.

Living in San Antonio during my internship proved exciting as there were five active Air Force bases where aircraft were often tested and flown. My favorite by far was watching the C5 Galaxy take off and land - it's amazing how that beast of a plane can take off and stay in the air.


As an entry level PR professional I was blessed to have a client that served military members, veterans, and their families. As I mentioned in this post, having met and worked with Major Mike was an honor, as was serving this organization. The best part was working the Lackland Air Fest and being around these machines for an entire weekend and getting to watch the Thunderbirds perform directly overhead.

(I even got to sit in the cockpit and chat up some rather cute pilots)

So what, you ask?

So...this year the Blue Angels are performing during a 3 day airshow in the city, and given that this is the week before the show, the pilots have been practicing right outside my office window. I'm in awe - of the speed, the power, the incredible aerobatics - and having quite a difficult time concentrating. And unfortunately, my efforts at taking a stunning shot with my point and shoot as they whoosh by so close you can see the pilot inside the cockpit has not been as successful as I'd like. But it looks something like this:

Needless to say, I'm in love.

If I could experience one thing in my life before I die it would be to take a ride in an F-16 (as opposed to the F-18, I'm an Air Force jet kind of girl) to experience the G-forces. And yes, I know about the possibility of getting sick and losing my lunch all over the cockpit, but I'm willing to take that chance.


Maybe next time Capt. Nicole Malachowski is in town with the Thunderbirds, she'll take me for a spin. After all, we're tight - we go way back.

Cheers!

-A

(Another vision from Lackland. Even the military has a sense of humor!)

Cold pizza for breakfast

If I could eat one thing for breakfast for the rest of my life it would be cold pizza. With Pepsi.

Don't get me wrong, I love breakfast. I just prefer my pancakes and hash browns for dinner instead.

Cold pizza at 6 a.m. is where it's at.

This weekend I came face to face with that girl (you didn't really think I was just going to write about my breakfast food preferences, did you?).

We all know the girl I'm talking about - the one that all girlfriends aspire not to be with their significant other and his/her friends. The type that defaults to pet names rather than calling her boyfriend by his actual name, with a voice so irritating you feel as if you're bleeding from the ears.

Remember that episode of Seinfled where Jerry and his girlfriend call each other schmoopie and make the rest of their friends want to puke?



Yeah, this was worse.

On top of that, she found any reason to pick a fight with my friend.

My friend, talking to his buddy, "I've gotta be to work tomorrow at 8:30."
That girl, assuming he was addressing her, "Baaaabby, why do you aaalways do this to me..." followed by a lot of whining.

She's one of those who loves to hear her own voice. Turns out, it's fingernails on a chalkboard to the rest of the world. Where's my air horn when I need it?

Sometimes I wish life was like a game of Taboo where you could buzz the other players when they spoke out of turn (or something like that). After this weekend, the batteries in my buzzer would be dead.

Now, in my trivial attempt at giving her the benefit of the doubt, she is only 19. In hind sight I really should have slapped my friend upside the head for dating her in the first place, but that's an entirely separate issue.

So the question is, what possesses men to date women like this?

And girls, why oh why do you behave so?

Insight much appreciated.

Cheers!

-A

Songs of my life

It's Friday. Therefore you should be reading a post about photography. But you're not. Get over it.

Instead, I drew some inspiration from one of my favorite bloggers who recently posted 13 songs that comprise the soundtrack of her life.

However, because it's Friday and I need to utilize every ounce of brain power to get me through what tends to be the most stressful day of the week, I've come up with the eight most approriate songs that describe my life. As you'll see, I'm not all that complex. But as always, I'd love to hear the song (or songs) that best sum up your lives as well - there's got to be some better descriptors out there than these:

1. Thunderstruck (AC/DC) - this is the song I always throw out there when we talk at baseball games about your up-to-bat song, and I'm sticking to it.

2. Born to Run (Bruce Springsteen) - one of the favorites on the ol' iPod running list.

3. Distraction (Angels & Airwaves) - because I will be your distraction. Just ask my co-workers.

4. Hero (The Verve Pipe) - I wouldn't go so far as to say I'm a creep from the cradle, but a hero is what I want to be.

5. Accidentally in Love (Counting Crows) - remember when I talked about meeting men that don't live near me...yeah.

6. Rise Above This (Seether) - I've fallen before and continue to rise above the challenges (woohoo, go me!)

7. True Love (Angels & Airwaves) - because deep down I'm a romantic...what can I say.

8. I Kissed a Girl (Katy Perry) - no wait. I didn't. But I had you thinking there for a second...

So tell me dear readers, what songs best describe your life?

Cheers!

-A

Good meeting, bad meeting

...though not in the sense you would expect on this blog.

This time I'm referring to office meetings. A good friend of mine recently suggested that we discuss the office meeting and its place in the corporate world. More specifically, in what instances are meetings actually productive rather than being a complete waste of time for 90 percent of participants in the room or on the other end of the teleconference.

In my personal opinion, most meetings I've either run or attended in my short career thus far have been highly beneficial. This of course has mostly to do with the fact that I'm doing everything in my power to soak up as much corporate knowledge as possible to be a partner by the time I'm 25, so sitting and taking notes and learning from those above me has been a big benefit to me. But in realizing that not everyone works with people as smart and talented as I do, this is a biased opinion. This also does not apply to company specific meetings - if I have to sit through one more two hour session on proper time entry I think I might have to stick needles in my eyes - that'd at least be more enjoyable.

As this shows, I don't know what the crap I'm talking about.

I do believe, however, that all meeting organizers need to consider their audience beforehand - if the content isn't 100% relevant to an individual, refrain from sending them the invite.

According to my colleague Luke Armour who is significantly more brilliant at the corporate life than I (well, okay, so life in general), believes that meetings can be productive if your audience, objectives, and action items are all aligned. If one of these elements does not correspond with another, you end up with a meeting that can be unproductive and frankly, a waste of time. Problem is, most corporate meetings do not have these three critical elements in alignment, mainly because the objectives are not clearly defined in the first place.

This is great insight.

So whether you're planning your next creative brainstorm, informational meeting, or group working session, outlining the objectives first is key in walking away from a productive meeting.

So tell me dear readers - in your opinion - the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to corporate meetings.

Cheers!

-A

Demon Cat

The roommate has cats. Two of them.

I am a dog person. The bigger the better.

Though growing up I did have a cat who lived for 13 years. Bonkers. He held a special place in my heart. We rescued him from the side of the road and took him in as our own. As an indoor/outdoor cat with claws, he had serious boundaries inside the house. Quite the little attitude on him too - it was his way or no way. The only person he ever really interacted with was my dad - but we loved him just the same.

The roommates cats are indoor, declawed, people-loving creatures. They shed like crazy, therefore my bedroom is off limits. This requires me to keep my door shut at all times, but I'm okay with that.

One of the cats hates this with such a passion, it has become her mission to enter my room, destroy things and bury herself so far under my bed she never has to leave. Unfortunately for her, I will go to great lengths to drag her out from under my bed - which really isn't all that difficult given the fact that she has no front claws to anchor herself to the carpet.

The weekend started with these antics followed by a number of other hi-jinks including knocking the awards off the desk in the living room, chasing and torturing the other cat, wrestling with and tossing the throw rug up into the air, and the grand finale of bolting up over the kitchen counters and ending atop the refrigerator. It's at moments like these you look into her eyes and see what I like to call Demon Cat. She goes to great lengths to do things she knows she shouldn't and shows not one ounce of remorse after the fact.

The roommate thinks she's insecure. I think she's possessed. Is there such a thing as a cat exorcism?

Cheers!

-A

Photography Friday

In keeping with my promise to come up with a weekly column, I've come up with Photography Fridays. For those who may not know, I pride myself in being an amateur photographer and it's one of the hobbies I'm most passionate about. So each Friday I will post one of my recent pictures or those of a friend, or even interesting pictures I find online and comment about them.

Given the newness of this venture, feedback from my readers is always appreciated. If there's anything you want to hear, see, or discuss in this weekly column, just comment and let me know. But for now, on with the show.

This week I'm going to start with one of mine. Though not the most artistic shot of a lifetime, the quality is impressive given that it was taken indoors in the evening, with a point and shoot. On top of that, the photo has not been enhanced. Given the opportunity to go back to this restaurant in Philadelphia, where you might remember that I met Tony Danza, manual settings would allow me to sharpen the image outside and mute the inside framework.

Regardless of what could have been, I love this picture. It's simple yet impactful, and boy does it hold a lot of memories. In the end, capturing the mood of the memories is what matters most.

Cheers!

-A

Things that drive a woman crazy

Lately, there has been much inspiration for a post on things that drive women crazy. Between this post by one of my favorite 20-somethings discussing what makes her most crazy, recent discussions on pet peeves, and an article from Men's Health discussing the 5 things you should never say to a woman (some of which are highly accurate).

In my recent discussion, the annoyances we discussed were broader than those discussed by my friends above. Most of these cross both genders and can apply to relationships of any type - even if I don't know you. So, on to the pet peeves:

1. Shushing - first and foremost I can not stand the sound. But more than that, it's the meaning behind the sound. Not only are you telling me to shut up, you are doing so as if I was a child. Not okay!

2. This blends well with #1 - Treating me like a child. Don't tell me how I should behave in public, speak down to me as if I'm ignorant or even worse, correct me in public. If there's something I should know not to say about someone (i.e., no jokes about falling off a cliff if your friend's mom just died falling off a cliff) then give me the heads up, tactfully, beforehand. And I promise to do exactly the same when roles are reversed.

3. Telling me to calm down or relax - this is first on the list in the Men's Health article and it's spot on. If I have come to you to talk something through I'm either venting (which personally, I will tell you off the bat that I just need to bitch for a moment) or I'm looking for advice and ultimately a solution to whatever is bothering me. "Relax," is not a solution.

4. Slow and/or ignorant drivers - I am from Michigan. We drive fast there, that's no surprise. In the big cities of Texas, driving is extremely aggressive (the express ways of San Antonio are some of the craziest I've ever driven - and that includes my experiences in California and New York). No offense to all my favorite Ohioans out there, but damn y'all drive slow. And since when is it okay to drive in the left lane just because you feel like it - that's the fast lane?!

5. Dishonesty and disrespect - both are much more than pet peeves, these are relationship deal breakers. Personally, I can not be friends with someone who disrespects or lies to me. Period.

So tell me dear readers, what are some of your biggest pet peeves?

Cheers!

-A

A little cloudy

After a fun filled weekend at home with the family, dinner and Dark Knight with friends (which is awesome by the way, and that's all I'll say so I don't spoil for those who have yet to see it), and a lovely trip to Toldeo it's been difficult getting back in the game. Saying that I'm a little cloudy today is quite the understatement. Rather, my head is so far in the clouds I'm having trouble breathing. Why? Because of a recent encounter...

Unfortunately, this will have to be a topic for another day.

I know, boo. I suck.

So what's to talk about, you ask? Well I'm in an observant mood and there are a few trends I've noticed in my daily life that I find interesting, strange, and a little amusing. If you don't, tough, I'm sharing them with you anyway. But as always, feel free to poke fun.

1. I am happiest when my mornings start with favorite music from my iPod.
2. My roommate hits the snooze for approximately 2 hours every morning.
3. When colleagues visit my office, more times than not they sit on my desk rather than in the guest chair. I like to think that makes me cool.
4. Around 3 p.m. every day my ADD begins to set in - regardless of the amount of caffeine consumed.
5. Around 11 a.m. every day I crave a workout. That's not convenient.

These are the trends of my typical day. Short list, but it about sums up my life. Of course, weekends completely change it up and often have no pattern from one to the next. Does anyone else find that they too are creatures of habit, surrounded by like-minded creatures? What are some of the trends of your day?

Cheers!

-A

Home from California

In a recent conversation with my mother about my upcoming trip home to visit the fam I found out that my uncle will be coming in this weekend from California. It's been about three years since I have seen him and well over a year since I last heard his voice over the phone, so this will be quite a treat.

My dad's brother and his wife moved out to California over 20 years ago where he took a new sales job and they've been out there ever since. My uncle, aunt, their five children, and now their children's children have always felt like long-lost family members to me. In my lifetime I've seen them less than 10 times, but every time we get together I realize how much I miss having them around. Though both of my parents are children of four, we have a relatively small family, and with half of my dad's side living thousands of miles away it makes for an interesting dynamic. (You didn't know you'd be getting my entire family history today, did you?)

Needless to say, I'm extremely excited to spend time with my uncle this weekend. On top of that, my family and I are headed to a local park to go kayaking and trail running. Follow all that by dinner with friends, a movie with the BFF and a friendly visit on the trip home and it makes for one hell of a weekend. And I'll be sure to meet some interesting people along the way.

Cheers!

-A

*Don't you just love the picture of my cute little family?

A bi of all kinds

This past weekend some friends and I were discussing the trend of bi-polarism. Okay, so not in the literal sense (and yes, I do realize that bi-polarism is another one of my made up words...let's call it an Aism).

The conversation arose due in part to a reference to one of my close friends that tends to fall off the map from time to time and just not show up. We consider him socially bi-polar because one minute he's all excited to hang out and the next he decides not to show and disappears for a couple weeks.The next thing you know, he's back and excited about the next opportunity to plan something and be a no-show.

This conversation has me thinking about other types of bi-polarish behavior out there, so I've come up with the following examples from my personal experience. If you know of any others, I'd love to hear about them.

1. The Office bi-polar - one minute they can't praise you enough, the next they are e-mailing in all caps or calling to tell you how stupid you are (yes, in fact, I've have both of those happen).

2. The Relationship bi-polar - this is the person who is all excited about the relationship, is really into it and into the other person, then decides maybe this isn't the case. Shortly after breaking it off, they are back claiming they've made a huge mistake. (note: we are not referring to those casual instances where someone keeps coming back for more action, this is in a legitimate relationship.)

3. The Drunken bi-polar - this is that friend who is super shy and quiet, but when drunk you will find her dancing on tables and taking her top off. This also is the friend who is super happy go lucky and becomes the extreme emotional drunk where crying and yelling and fighting ensue.

4. The bi-polar sports fan - we all know this guy, some like to call him the fair weather fan. He loved the Pistons until Ben Wallace left, then we lost to the Cavs and he jumped ship. Now he's back in his Prince jersey "knowing" they'll win it all this season. C'mon Jack, true fans don't work that way. He could take a lesson or two from the devoted Brown's fans in town.

5. The Grass-is-always-greener bi-polar - these folks always want what you have, then when they have it, they're not so impressed. So they go back to their old ways and remain as unhappy as always - and they let everyone know about it.

6. The Social bi-polar: as described above, this guy just doesn't show - even when he's the one who's arranged the outing. What gives?

7. True bi-polar: we can't forget to leave these guys off the list. There's one in my life that I will not discuss to preserve anonymity.

(Editor's note: bi-polar disorder is a serious personality issue that should not be joked around about, and this is not my intent. Rather, I'm making fun of all those people who just can't seem to stay on one side of a decision, thought, or experience for more than 10 minutes).

What are some of the bi-polarisms you've experienced?

Cheers!

-A

Misperception

Today I was thrown for a loop - and a rather large one at that.

Generally I consider myself to be a good judge of character. When sizing people up upon first interaction my overall feeling typically ends up being fairly accurate. Not only that, when meeting others in a group, most members of that group tend to have similar views of a person and can agree on the general nature of the new guy. Today, this was not the case.

After walking away from a recent interaction and upon further discussion with those involved, my opinions were solely that, mine. It seems that the others have opinions that border on polar opposite my initial thoughts. This has me taken aback. Looking back, I see some valid points in their thought process that make sense, and in making a character judgment I want to not only base my opinion on how the interaction felt and my emotions walking away from the situation, but also on actions that took place during the encounter.

Still, however, after reflecting on the situation in great detail, I have a perception that greatly differs from those with whom I shared the experience. It scares me to think that I my opinions differ so wildly from those I'm closest to. But what scares me more is that I may not be as good a judge of character as I originally thought.

So is it me, is it them, or is it the new guy? And how exactly do I get my keen sense of character perception back on track? Looks like I may have some more pondering to do on this one.

Cheers!

-A

Colorado here I come

For all who are interested, I officially made plans to visit the greater Denver area this fall. I just couldn't let 2008 pass me by without visiting this amazing locale. Sarah is welcoming me with open arms for some serious catch up time, R&R, and crazy shenanigans that are bound to ensue.

With a large client event wrapping up at the end of October, this vacation comes at a perfect time to escape the Cleve and celebrate a productive summer. Needless to say, I can't wait.

That's all for now, dear readers. Have an enjoyable weekend.

Cheers!

-A