Project 365 - June 1, 2010

Happy 30th Anniversary

When you think of how you would spend your 30th wedding anniversary, would trips to Paris or some deserted island come to mind? Well, not for Jody and Joel! Instead, we are a bit more frugal than that. Take the down-turned economy, add in pay freezes, furlough days and one child in college and the other in high school and what do you get??? Well you get two very creative people who just basically like to spend their time together. It really doesn't matter where or what we do, but that we are together.

So we started the day early. Joel thought that I would sleep in, but I didn't. I was up and dressed and in the car before anyone, with camera in hand and my notebook and pen. I was going to make a list of 30 things that we would do for our 30th anniversary!



After we dropped Adina at school, we headed off to the Original Pancake House for lovely stacks of pancakes and hot steamy coffee. Doesn't Joel look absolutely thrilled to be there??



This was on our table. If you wanted your waitress to come back, all you had to do was press the button! I thought it was pretty funny. I would like this kind of service EVERYWHERE!!



With full tummies we decided that we would do a bit of shopping at Home Depot for items for our two bathrooms that have been ruined due to water damage from a leak from the upstairs bathroom and the brand new air conditioner downstairs. Thank goodness for warranties and home insurance! So this is the sink and cabinet that will be in our downstairs bathroom. I think it looks pretty spiffy. I have memories of my friend, Susan's home improvement project. They found mold in their house and ended up having to demolish the entire house and rebuild it from the ground up! I have a feeling this is going to be a larger project than we bargained for!!! I know what I will be doing all summer!



At about noon I had to head over to the Oakland Park Library to drop off two of my photos for an art exhibition there. I stopped for a second to snap this shot of the library as Rachel and I were leaving and heading up to Commercial and the beach for lunch.




And this shot was taken as Rachel and I sat on a bench waiting for Joel to join us because the restaurant would not seat us until all of us were there. Little did I know that Joel was way down at the Dolphin Mall meeting some very pregnant woman who wanted to sell her unused Nikon D60 because she needed the money. He and Jose drove down there to pick it up, check it out and bring it home to surprise me! I have been wanted a second camera body so that I can have my 18 - 55 mm lens on one body and my 55 - 200 mm lens on the other! Well let me tell you, I WAS surprised and upset and all sorts of kinds of weird emotions running through me. I felt a sudden pressure that now I HAVE to improve my photography and do something with it! But I was also very happy because he got me EXACTLY what I wanted.

What better way to end the day than a huge surprise like that?

I wanted to include this photo of Rachel as we were sitting inside the restaurant. I loved the lighting on her face and she was very absorbed in the menu and completely ignoring me, which is exactly what I like when taking photos of people's faces.

Project 365 - May 31, 2010 (Part II)

Lazy

The day passed with not much going on. I spent most of it editing photos and selecting photos for an art show because I have to deliver the photos on Tuesday afternoon. So while I was sitting and editing, I cleaned off my memory cards and then formatted them on the camera (highly recommended each time you delete photos!!).

However, at some point during the day, Joel and I went over to Lowe's because we have to completely re-do our two bathrooms, thanks to a leak that created mold in our walls. Luckily we caught it in time.

After Lowe's we went to Hooter's for lunch. Not my favorite choice, but it was on the way home and I had a salad. This sign made me laugh, to take a serious illness and then make you laugh about it, well that is just good advertising to catch your attention so that you now think about it and give money.

Now back to the formatting disks . . . since I cleaned off the disk, I always shoot one or two test shots to make sure the disk is okay. This second shot was my view of the entire rest of the day (and my current one for your information!).

I set up my laptop on the dining room table, opened up the curtains to look outside at the world and turn on classic rock music and I am set for hours on end. I am very content. I know it might bore some folks, but not me. I love this.

Project 365 - May 30, 2010

Faces

Sometimes I like to just focus on one thing. Today I focused as closely as I could without a flash on my cat, Grace's face. It isn't as clear as I would like and all the Photoshop in the world won't make this any better. But hey, it is what it is!

Project 365 - May 29, 2010

Where the Boys Are

On Saturday, Rachel and I were guests of the City of Fort Lauderdale and the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival at the 50th Anniversary of the film, Where the Boys Are!

When we got there we weren't sure that we would be able to park or how we were going to get into the VIP tent, but my good friend made sure that my name was on the list! And we also knew one of the volunteers in the tent because she had kids that attended Virginia Shuman Young Elementary where Rachel and Adina both went to school.

The City closed A1A from Las Olas Blvd. all the way north to Beach Place! There were boothes lining the street, there was a showmobile with continuous bands playing all day long and then at 8 PM the Film Festival showed the film, Where the Boys Are, on a HUGE inflatable screen right on the sand.

It was a perfect event. There were all age groups out there enjoying the day. There were hula hoop contests and other fun activities. There was also a very wholesome sense of community. It was something we don't feel too often down here.

I do hope that the City does this type of event more often.

Of course Connie Francis was there to sing the song, "Where the Boys Are" and then she sang God Bless America to the color guard of Vietnam Veterans. Her voice is still very strong and clear.

Afterwards, Rachel and I wandered up and down A1A and explored. We found Pirate Alley, my friend, John Wang -- a street artist who finally won his court battle to do his street art, and tons of old cars and the one from the movie when they lift it up and move it from the corner of Las Olas and A1A!!

We really had a fun time and we didn't really want to leave, but we had to go pick up Adina at her friend's house. Ah yes, reality always sets in!!

Connie Francis receives a proclamation from Mayor Jack Seiler and City of Fort Lauderdale Commissioner Charlotte Rodstrom


Connie Francis singing "Where the Boys Are"













Street Artist John Wang sketching Rachel's portrait


John (Chuenwen) Wang hard at work!






Rachel poses with the car that was in the film!

Project 365 - May 22, 2010

URBAN MARKET

Today I was up by 6:30 a.m. Yeah, I know it is a Saturday, but I slept great and woke up raring to go. By 8 a.m. Joel and I were in the car heading down to Riverwalk to the Urban Market. I have been hearing all about it, but wanted to check it out myself.

I wandered from vendor to vendor and chatted with almost every vendor! I think they appreciated it. And when they see a camera coming, they seem to warm up immediately. Maybe one of these days I will get an official media pass!

As I wandered, I also ate my way through the market! I started with oatmeal cookies, moved on to spinach empanadas, then wonderfully fresh tomatoes and a rugaleh from one of my colleagues at Stonewall Library!

Check out my skinny husband! He weighs about what he did in high school! I am very proud of him for keeping the weight off.



Loved all the colors of the fruits, so I played with my zoom lens as I snapped and here is the result. I like this one a lot.



Yummy oils with all different flavors. We tried a few of them with tiny bits of bread.



I know, bizarre tomato! This guy was like a vaudevillian actor! Made me laugh so we bought a bunch of tomatoes.



Just loved all the different colors of the tomatoes.



After the Urban Market we headed up Federal Highway to Urban Brew. I guess it was an urban day for us! We read the newspaper cover to cover as I sipped my very strong coffee. I go to this place a lot to have meetings. Free WiFi and easy to park there and no staff to interrupt the meeting!!



Typical day at Urban Brew with a line up of people on their cell phones while on their computers sipping coffee.



After coffee, we were off to the Home Depot on Sunrise near Wilton Manors. I needed some potting soil and a couple of clay pots for my ailing plants in my office. Always with a camera in my hand, I was pushing the cart as I was snapping away at the plants and flowers.

And as we were about to exit the parking lot at Home Depot, we found this homeless man sitting under the cover of the shade to keep cool with his belongings all around him. Kind of puts a knot in my stomach when I see this and I see this so often where I work. I actually know some of the homeless because they are regulars at the library. Hey it is a public place and they have access to restrooms, water fountains and plenty of books to read and chairs to rest their weary bones.

Project 365 - May 11, 2010

I'm Back

Today I hung my photos at the Sailboat Bend Artist Lofts gallery (with the help of Jose of course!). The opening night for "The Right Moment" is Saturday night. When I stepped back and looked at my photos, my hard work of shooting, crawling around, waiting for the right time to snap the shutter, endless nights of editing . . . . well, I couldn't really believe my eyes. There is was in front of me. Art! And I had done it. It was a great accomplishment.

What is even more exciting is that on the opposite wall across the room are my teacher's photos!! To have been invited to exhibit is one thing, but to be exhibiting with my teacher . . . well that is a privilege!

I got home a little earlier than I have been lately. I have been working hard, and long hours. I lot of events, night meetings. So to be home and have eaten dinner before 8 p.m. was special. So off I went with my camera.

To be honest, I wasn't very inspired by much of anything. But these are the results of what I shot.

I just wanted to show off the landscaping around our house. It is looking pretty spiffy!




This last photo is the end result of my daughter, Adina, and her artwork. She did this in about two hours (after she finished her homework!). It was all done with charcoal. I am amazed at her talent. She just keeps getting better.

Project 365 - April 10, 2010

Routines

Sometimes we don't realize that we have a routine. But we all do to some extent. Humans are basically creatures of habit.

On the weekends, I usually get up on a Saturday and go to the gym. Well this particular Saturday, I was easily talked out of it and Joel and I rolled out of bed extra early for a Saturday morning and went to one of our favorite breakfast joints. It has been around for a really long time in Tamarac and if you don't know it is there, you just drive by it. It is called the Orange Tree and it is a Mom and Pop operation. The atmosphere is quaint, there are curtains on the windows and the food is country cooking, but you can also get other stuff too.

As Joel was about to sit on the stool at the counter, I noticed that the chair had vinyl lettering on it and I snapped this before he sat down. I thought it was a funny shot. Sort of captures the morning spirit until I have a cup of coffee!










This shot speaks to me of a morning routine that probably takes place in many homes around the world. A cup of hot coffee with the morning news. Simple pleasures. It is also a very timeless shot because this could have been taken in 1960 or 1970 and still have told the same story. So I uploaded it in color and in black and white.

Opinions? I am always interested in your opinions.