Friday Wrap-Up

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Thanks to all of you who offered thoughts, advise, support and swift kicks in the ass this week. I know sometimes y'all think I'm so stuck in this quagmire I've created that I'm not listening to what you say, but the truth is I do my best to keep an open mind and take it all in. I am all too aware that often times a situation is far more clear when you're not influenced by the emotions of it all.

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Cam and I had to make a trip to Dick's Sporting Goods this week to pick up the last few items he needed for football. Chin strap? Check! Spare mouth guard? Check! Cup? Oh crap! Really? You don't know where the one is that you used for baseball two years ago? Can I just say there is something terribly awkward about having to buy a cup for my my teenage son? I think it's the part where I had to ask him, "Does the 'teen' size fit you or do you need the 'adult' size?"

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There were several questions on yesterday's HNT, so I decided to address them here. I don't know that I've ever come out and said, "Hey! Some of these pics are Gimped," but I've never (I hope) led any of you to believe that I never edit my pics either. Usually, there are only minor adjustments (color, contrast, cropping, etc.) but sometimes I get a creative hair up my ass urge and go hog wild.

Last week's HNT-Vacation? It was straight from the camera. No color adjustments, no filters, nada (both the screen shot and the click-through). It was all dumb luck in the settings on the camera and the setting up of the shot. Yesterday's HNT? It was a plethora (I love that word) of Gimp magic. There was painting, smudging, and several filters including sepia and lighting effects. In other words, it was 70% art project and 30% photography.

*CLICK* to see the original, unaltered photo

Sometimes I have a very clear idea of the emotion I want to capture in a photo, yet no earthly idea how to make it happen through the camera. When I'm stumped like that, I'll figure out how to get the central image (me) the way I want it to look through the photography, then I'll Gimp the periphery images into what I saw and felt in my mind and heart. Last step? Cross my fingers and hope that I am able to communicate those feelings to all of you. In other words ... I cheat!

And for the record, I pick the quote after the photo is ready to post, usually choosing an adjective that fits the feeling I was trying to capture in the photo as a key word in my quote search.

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And...here we go!

1. No. Really. Having to replace the roll of toilet paper is not the end of the world.

2. Sitting here, listening to the sound of rain falling, I smile at the rhythmic music of Mother nature.

3. Fresh sushi with lots of wasabi and soy sauce tastes so good!

4. Sometimes, putting others first is nothing more than making an excuse to be a martyr.

5. Seeing your child, for the first time, is breathtaking, really.

6. Well, maybe there is some truth in those snide remarks.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to homemade fish tacos, tomorrow my plans include getting Cam to football practice early in the morning, then heading out on a nice, long bike ride and Sunday, I want to see if I can't get through some of the boxes in the basement that were packed seven years ago and have yet to be opened!

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*EDIT* Ms Snarky Nice Bitch, I deleted your comment as I felt it was ... well ... not a comment on a post but a request for help that should have been sent via email. I *do* know who you are, and I attempted to respond to you via email, but neither of your your Wordpress blogs include your email address. Nothing personal!

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