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