There's a New Love of My Life...

Welcome Canon 5D to my family of cameras...hello, gorgeous!

A New Adventure

The capturecincinnati.com "contest" has me more motivated to explore Cincinnati. I've lived here something like....ten or eleven years, and there are so many parts of this town that I've never seen. Like Clifton. There's a cool fountain with a statue on the corners of Clifton and Ludlow, and I've never seen it.

So, I decided to get out my map and do some exploring today!

While my hubby was at the lake sailing, I packed up Mr. Nicholas and my camera and headed for parts unknown. Our trip started out in Eden Park, and I discovered the butterfly show is going on at Krohn's [so, guess where I'll be taking the kids NEXT weekend]....

Then, we cut across town on Taft, drove around the University of Cincinnati campus briefly and found ourselves on Clifton Avenue. And voila -- we found the cool fountain on the corner of Ludlow and Clifton. Sadly, I didn't stop and take a photo! Too hard with just Nick, but now I know where to find it.


We did explore a small part of Burnet Woods by driving down Brookline Drive until it's blocked. There's this Nature Center there, and the building reminded me of this place in the Iao Valley on Maui. Nick and I took a little stroll by the lake and then headed home.

Not much for our first adventure out! Next weekend, I plan to check out the butterfly show or go to Union Terminal. All sorts of adventures we can have while Andy is off sailing....

Capture Cincinnati

The photography thing is going strong...so, I thought I'd enter a little contest....beyond the basic challenges I've been doing. The winners of this contest can get prizes and money -- and be published!

I'm doing pretty well in several "chapters" and even made the editor's top picks for this past week! Below are some of my images and links to vote:

Scott Kelby Rocks!

I love Scott Kelby. Can you hear that, Scott? I LOVE YOU! [Even if you are a Nikon man] Why, you might wonder....? And who is this Scott Kelby cat anyway....? And should my husband be worried....?

From one of his books:

"Scott is a photographer, designer and award-winning author of more than 35 books..." [Personally, I have at least ten of his books]

His website is www.scottkelby.com [who would have thunk?]

Two of my absolute favorite books of his are The Digital Photography Book -- I and II. They have helped me SO much with my photography, so I am thankful that Scott wrote them and that someone happened to give me one as a gift. I loved it so much that I promptly bought the second one.

Today, I was looking back through the first book and was reminded of a cool way to sharpen photos....and I really wish I had employed this trick on SO many photos! Ouch! Perhaps I would have a higher acceptance rate at istockphoto.com.....

For all you full version Photoshop users, it's easy....just convert an image to Lab Color, apply unsharp mask to the "Lightness" channel and then convert back to RGB. Okay, so there's a LITTLE more to it....like, how much unsharp mask [%], etc.

One example:

For people, apply 150%, Radius 1 and Threshold 10. You can try applying it twice, but if it looks freakishly sharp, then fade the second application. If you like the results or need more help, then go buy Scott's book for more tips and tricks....you won't be sorry!

[And I am getting nothing for telling you to buy his book -- not even an Amazon affiliate payment. I just applied this technique and was happy enough to share it!]

The Honeymoon Ain't Over

So, it's been a few months since I bought my Canon 40D.....and let me just say that the honeymoon ain't over. I love this camera more NOW than ever before. It has yet to really disappoint me. Don't get me wrong -- my roving eye has already been checking out the 40D's siblings, 5D and Mark. One day, one day.....

Today, I expanded my slowly growing glass collection. My 40D came with the 28-135mm, and I use that about 85% of the time. It's a great lens. For Christmas, Santa brought me a lovely 100mm Macro lens [and a sweet 580 EX II Speedlite....guess I was a really good girl last year!]. I bought a cheap 75-300mm Telephoto lens over the holidays, but I wasn't very happy with the results, so I took it back [you get what you pay for, I know, I know]. While purchasing a 50mm at Cord Camera, I asked about a replacement telephoto lens.

Based on the Cord dude's recommendations, I got the Sigma 70-300mm Telephoto to replace the cheapy Canon I returned. So, the Sigma isn't really a high end lens either. I mean, it's not a Canon L or anything....but the guy at Cord thought I'd get better results with it than the other lens, so I am giving it a go. I figure if I'm not happy with the results, then I can always return it.

This is the best shot I got of the moon with the first lens [the cheap-o Canon 75-300mm]. Okay, so it doesn't totally suck, but it just isn't as sharp and clear as I would like. I did everything I should, too....used a tripod, used the delay, shot in RAW, shot in manual, blah, blah.....we'll see how Sigma does next full moon....

Free Sushi Tasting Party

Free Sushi Tasting Party....and my photo is invited! Recently, I was contacted by a design student who attends Princeton University. He had seen my work on Flickr and asked to use one of my sushi photos for a poster. I figured, why not? It's some exposure for me, a piece for my portfolio and some bragging rights....right?

This is obviously the finished poster. It's cool to see one of my photos being used in a design that isn't my own....makes me think I might actually be good at this photography thing.

Turkey Day

That's about all I've got time to write....busy with the bird and making pie!

Leave Santa Alone!

Yahoo.com is my home page. When I opened my browser this morning, I saw this article about Santa.....and I thought, "What the #%$&@&$^@?!?!?!??!?!????" Are you kidding me.....??? Santa can't say, "ho, ho, ho", because it might offend WOMEN....? What women? The HOs??? Too bad! Or a bunch of uptight, overly politically correct morons with broomsticks jammed up their bums??? Get over it!

And do the children think of prostitutes when Santa says that....?

Santa: Ho, ho, ho, Bobby!!
Bobby: Wow, Santa, I get THREE prostitues this Christmas????!

I am really sick and tired of all this "politically correct" crap and fear of offending someone.....and that is coming from a person who is rather PC and tries to consider feelings and not offend and blah, blah, blah.

But enough is ENOUGH.....this is going too far.....and really, don't we have bigger fish to fry in the world? I say.....

LEAVE SANTA ALONE!


=============================================

Article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071115/wl_asia_afp/lifestyleaustraliachristmasoffbeat

SYDNEY (AFP) - Santas in Australia's largest city have been told not to use Father Christmas's traditional "ho ho ho" greeting because it may be offensive to women, it was reported Thursday.
Sydney's Santa Clauses have instead been instructed to say "ha ha ha" instead, the Daily Telegraph reported.

One disgruntled Santa told the newspaper a recruitment firm warned him not to use "ho ho ho" because it could frighten children and was too close to "ho", a US slang term for prostitute.

"Gimme a break," said Julie Gale, who runs the campaign against sexualising children called Kids Free 2B Kids.

"We are talking about little kids who do not understand that "ho, ho, ho" has any other connotation and nor should they," she told the Telegraph.

"Leave Santa alone." [I agree!!!]

A local spokesman for the US-based Westaff recruitment firm said it was "misleading" to say the company had banned Santa's traditional greeting and it was being left up to the discretion of the individual Santa himself.

Where Have You Been All My Life?

I love photography. I'm not professional by any means, and maybe some people don't even think I'm very good at it! I don't care -- I love it regardless.

At one time, I had a pretty good film camera. It was an Olympus hybrid SLR. But I couldn't photograph as much as I would have liked, because film and developing costs were involved. With digital -- not an issue.

When our nice Nikon camera died, I rushed out and bought a cheapy point and shoot from Staples. Another Olympus. It's actually been a good camera for us, and my mom ended up getting the same model [FE-210]. For about $130, I got some really good photos.

But it was time for a REAL camera....

After hours and hours of research, I had narrowed my camera search to two models: the Nikon D80, and the Canon 30D. Both are stellar DSLRs, and I kept going back and forth between the two models. Everybody had a different opinion, and the Canon vs. Nikon battled raged on!

Finally, I went to Best Buy to see both of these beasts in person. There's really only so much you can tell from looking at photos online. I needed to hold these cameras and decide if one just felt "right" in my hands.....

I felt like Harry Potter looking for the right wand....when I found it, I'd know. This turned out to be true.

Prior to this shopping trip, I think I was leaning towards the D80, so I picked it up first. After a few minutes to looking it over and pretending to shoot, I put it down and was handed the 30D.

And that's all it took. This camera felt like a REAL camera. It was a little heavier than the D80 and what I was expecting, but that was okay. It felt like a real camera, and it felt good in my hands.

At that point, I think I knew -- I was going to buy the Canon. But I went home to do a little more research and opinion gathering, as that is my nature. Research it to DEATH, but I rarely have any buyer's remorse, so I guess that's the pay-off.

The next day, I returned to Best Buy. Ironically, I had received a 10% coupon in the mail. Big plus, since I had decided to get the 40D and not the 30D....and there's about a $300 price difference. All I read told me that the 40D had some necessary improvements over the 40D.

Since unpacking my new baby, I have been in HEAVEN. Even some quickie "tests" have turned out phenominal!! I almost cried the first night I downloaded the photos from the camera. I love this camera and couldn't be happier! The photos in this posting obviously came from my new love....

Happy Birthday, Taylor!

My New Baby

I've Had ENOUGH!

Nicholas celebrated his second Halloween yesterday. He was only two months old for his first one. We dressed him as a lobster and carried him around to our neighbors last year. Andy stayed at the house, and the girls, Nicholas and I went trick-or-treating.

This year, it was just Nicholas and me. The girls were with their mom, and Andy was on an airplane somewhere, trying to get home to us.

Nick was a lion this year and a darn cute one at that! He helped me pass out candy, and once again, we visited our neighbors. They kept offering candy, but Nick has yet to enjoy the bliss that chocolate can bring! Well, for some.....chocolate doesn't do anything for me. So, we passed....

Went all out with the decorations this year. We had webbing, multiple carved pumpkins, fake spiders, howling things in the trees....it was too fun! Only scared one kid, but my brave boy wasn't afraid! He liked to set off the chattering heads and stick his finger in their plastic mouths.

But, by 7:00 p.m., he had ENOUGH of the whole Halloween gig. So, I changed him into his soft, warm jammies and got his bedtime bottle ready. One more pair of boys rang the bell, and with that, Trick-or-Treating 2007 was over.

Nicholas and I snuggled on the couch while he drank his bottle and immediately passed out. My little lion was obviously quite tired....which was GOOD, because Mommy forgot to turn off the howling things in the trees.....they went off all night, and they were right below Nicholas's bedroom window! I didn't discover my boo-boo until I heard them going off in the background of his baby monitor....whoops! Let's hope my neighbors still speak to me.....

I hope everyone had a Happy and SAFE Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

Silly, FUNNY Halloween Card

Ultimate Toy Drive

Click Here for more information on helping.

Glitter Graphics

More fun with whacky text....this time, it's from glitter-graphics.com. These sites are great for generating silly, animated text that can be used on Myspace, bulletin boards, social networking sites, your own site, etc. They are also easy to do, so the kids can have fun with them!



I'll have to make sure I show the girls their names. Both girls like hearts, so these are both good ones for them. But they may like one of the other ones better. Maybe Taylor can add to her E-mails to friends....

This Doesn't Make You Cheap....

Need a nice dinner out? [I do, I do!!] Want to save some money, too? [Yes, ma'am!] Then check out restaurant.com. I use this site all the time -- even when I travel for work! I've gotten some great deals at really nice restaurants all over the country and saved some big $$$, too.

Right now, Restaurant.com is offering 70% off! This means their $25 restaurant gift certificates that normally sell for $10 have been reduced to just $3!! So, for $3, you get a gift certificate worth $25. Make sense? This is why I sometimes use these when I travel -- I get a nicer dinner, and keep my expenses low, so my manager doesn't get upset!

This offer is valid from October 24th to the 31st, so get yours today and plan a special night out with or withOUT the kids....CLICK HERE to get yours. And use the code TREATS. Otherwise, you won't get the 70% off.



About Restaurant.com:
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The Bug War

I've lived with my older brother, Scott, twice. The first time didn't end on the best terms [he's 13 years older and a "he"....and we're a lot alike]. But we gave it another try. I even helped him pack up his apartment to move into the house we would share.

Well, my brother is a pack rat, and he had tons of JUNK.....including some plastic cockroaches. While he wasn't around, I slipped them into my purse for later.

That started what has become known as "The Bug War" in our family. After we moved into the new house, I hid the cockroaches in various places -- under a phone receiver, on a kitchen shelf, etc. Once my brother started to find them, the game was on.

Next, he took a creepy spider decoration I had bought for Halloween and attached it to fishing line. This he attached to the toilet seat, so when I got up at 2:00 a.m. to use the bathroom.....yeah, I screamed when that big, black spider came flying out from behind the toilet!
This went back and forth, each trying to best the other with plastic snakes coming out of tub drains and spiders on fruit and creepy bugs under things. All fake and plastic, of course. It quietly ended, and I eventually moved out.

Years later, it was my brother's wedding. It wasn't until THEN that I learned that I had WON The Bug War hands-down....something my brother would never admit to, but I found out a funny story from his good friend, Dave. He noticed a plastic spider sitting on an apple in a bowl of fruit and asked why it was there. Mom explained about The Bug War, and Dave was laughing so hard, he was crying. He then told us the following story.....

One of the "bugs" I had hidden during the war was a plastic leach. I had placed this leach on the rim of the toilet bowl in my brother's bathroom. My brother wouldn't see it until he lifted the seat to you know......

I guess Dave was at the house when Scott discovered the leach. Dave said he was in the kitchen waiting for Scott, and heard Scott SCREAMING! [I hate that I missed this....] He ran upstairs, and Scott had somehow found a two by four [in the bathroom????] and was ready to beat the plastic leach senseless......

This story is quite legendary in our family.....how I won The Bug War with a plastic leach bought for .50.

Do I LOOK Like a Shoplifter....?

Sunday night, I was flying solo with Nicholas and decided we'd go do a little shopping. A new super Wal-Mart opened near us, and I figured we'd check it out. I don't typically shop at Wal-Mart. I'm more of a Target girl and spend scary amounts of money there, but the W-M is closer to the house, and I wanted to check out their Halloween decorations.

Mr. Nick and I had a good shopping experience. We found some light-up pumpkins and other fun holiday stuff. I let Nick pick out a stuffed animal. He had been SUCH a good boy on the ride home from Columbus and while I ran errands. He liked this little, soft dog that barked when you squeezed it, and it was only about $7.....so, I got it for him. Grabbed some dinner items and other "stuff" and checked out. Paid, loaded our bags and headed for the door.

So, they have these greeters, right? I just thought they were there to say, "hello, welcome to Wal-Mart" as you walked in. Well.....when did Wal-Mart become Costco and want to check your receipt before you could leave????

The greeter [who was this small, older man and never cracked a smile] stopped me and asked to see my receipt as I was walking by.

Uhhhhh.....what????

I gave him this odd look and pulled it out of a bag. He stood there looking over it, and I noticed one or two people pass by with their carts and bags. Why wasn't he stopping THEM? So, I ASKED.

"Sooo....do you stop everyone?"

"No." Pause. Then he mentioned something about an "item" being outside the bags, and THAT is why he stopped me.

Well, that item was the $7 stuffed dog. I had pulled it from the bag as we headed for the door and given it to Nick. And for THAT, I get stopped and treated like I'm shoplifting....?

Come on, Wal-Mart. First off, I haven't stolen anything from a store since I was about five....not that you can tell that from looking at me......BUT I am relatively clean cut, and I'm in my late 30s and a mother with a toddler. I don't look like I need to steal, because I can't afford to buy something, and I'm certainly not a teen looking for a rush or thrill. Plus, if I were going to steal something, then do you really think I would run the risk of legal action over a stupid $7 stuffed animal??? The light-up pumpkin cost more! Heck, the raw chicken I bought cost more!

On top of that, the "greeter" wasn't all that friendly or nice about stopping me, because he felt the need to confirm the purchase of that stupid stuffed dog. And he had to MARK my receipt with his little highlighter. Are you KIDDING me????

As we left the store, I said to Nicholas, "We won't be shopping THERE again, baby!" And we won't. I doubt anyone at Target would have stopped me.....

Homecoming

This past weekend was Ohio State homecoming. We made a quick trip up North to visit the 'rents, see some other relatives and watch the game. Fortunately, the Buckeyes beat Michigan State and remain number 1. Woo hoo! I'm hoping this winning streak continues....I remember many years of being disappointed in the team....those would be the Cooper years. I'm a much bigger fan of Tressel.

So, this morning, we all met for breakfast at Bob Evans [minus the hubby who was on a plane headed for California]. Nicholas got to meet his Great Great Aunt Dorothy. She was sisters with my grandmother, Effie. And Dot and Nick share a birthday.

Well, off to bed! My brain is blah, and I'll have a busy week flying solo with Mr. Nick.