Da Goddess

Plus the original version

I’m breathing better. Yay!

Got a new camera bag that will also hold my laptop. Now travel will require one less bag. And, I can actually fit my purse in one of the compartments. Color me thrilled. I probably should have spent the extra $40 on the bag that was slightly larger, but this one will help me to pack a bit lighter no matter how near or far I roam. Best part is that when I go hiking (yes, I’m slowly getting back into it), I have a bag that will sit where it’s supposed to: center of my back.

Roast beef is good.

Miniature Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups rock. The minis have the absolute perfect chocolate to peanut butter ratio.

I entered a photo in my meetup group’s monthly challenge for the first time. I find out tomorrow if anyone liked it.

A friend of mine used me as a model for a shoot last week. He’s almost done with the photos and I’m actually very excited about seeing them.

Another friend needed a model for a class assignment this last Sunday (before my unfortunate food adventure). I was that model. I think I taught him more than anything else, which was cool, I guess. I’m a little curious to see how the images came out. He called to say one of the portraits turned out well and was considered the best for the whole class. That sort of scares me. I mean, if any image of me is the best anyone could turn in… no no no no no…I have to get over thinking like that. I know this. I just couldn’t resist the joke.

Today I did a shoot with my friend K. We used available light in her home and got some really beautiful images. Since she’s also a photographer, I was thrilled as she proclaimed her happiness with the photos. She’s very sweet and pretty and I knew we could accomplish what we set out to do. It was exceedingly gratifying to have the results equal the intent.

Breakfast With Scot is a lovely movie. I encourage everyone to see it. I’ve never been a Tom Cavanagh fan before, but this movie made me one. I’m not going to say anything else about the film other than: this is what love really is. Now go rent it.

Also saw The Answer Man. I quite liked that one, too. Jeff Daniels’ character is very familiar to me. That’s kind of like Buster.

A Serious Man was good. I rented it on Saturday without knowing it had been nominated for an Oscar. To be honest, I loved the opening.

The best happy thought I have for the day though is knowing I get to see the kids this weekend. I’m off to San Diego to dog sit for friends and that gives me the opportunity to spend time with the kids. I miss them so much! I’m feeling practically giddy knowing that it’s just a matter of hours…

And you? How have you been?

I really like this video. Hope you do, too.

Apparently the people who catered last night’s opening reception for WPPI had the crazy idea that photographers have good eyesight. That’s the only explanation for the teeny tiny signs placed in front of the food they were serving. I didn’t see the sign that said “Ziti with Lobster“, all I saw was ziti looking yummy. I hadn’t eaten more than an apple and two bites of some cajun chicken earlier in the day, so I was starving.

My friend and I got in line for food, grabbed our little servings, and began to eat. There was something different about the pasta, but it wasn’t anything I could identify. It was good. I kept eating. K had the white version to my red and I asked how her’s was. “Pretty good, except the mushrooms. But I figured mushrooms were easier to avoid than lobster.” I was befuddled. And then it dawned on me. D’oh!

Guess who’s allergic to shellfish?

That would be me.

I was a little concerned, but then I figured that I wasn’t experiencing the reaction I normally have when I ingest something to which I’m allergic. Usually, my tongue starts tingling right away. Then I start feeling very congested and my breath becomes a bit ragged. I grabbed a few glasses of water and pounded those down. I also ate some turkey (good, good turkey). I was feeling okay and I thought maybe, just maybe, I’d outgrown this allergy.

An hour and a half later, it was apparent that I was quite wrong. My chest was getting tight, I started itching, things were feeling weird. I dug into my water supply and started downing as much as I could, figuring I’d dilute what I could.

Obviously, I didn’t die. I’m okay. I’m still a bit wheezy and a little itchy, but the reaction I had was nothing like I’ve had in the past (can you say fire department showing up at your little girl’s kindergarten picnic because there were tiny shrimp in the pancit? Yeah, that kind of fun) and for that I’m grateful.

I’m still a little irritated that the signs for the food weren’t bigger. Things like shellfish and peanut/peanut oil (not one of my allergies, but there are enough people…) …those are things that can take people down very quickly. They should be labeled very clearly. I go out of my way to ensure food (like eggrolls and fried won tons) at restaurants don’t contain shellfish. I don’t like to take chances with such things. I prefer to breathe. (Note: My biggest “I don’t want to die this way” is suffocation. I think it would be the most ghastly way to expire.) Breathing is good. Breath = life. Simple stuff. So I do hold a little ill will toward whoever made up those signs with the itty bitty print.

I stayed home from WPPI today. I slept quite poorly. Funny how that whole breathing thing gets in the way of sleep, huh? I missed out on a freebie class I wanted to attend, but am glad I recognized my limits and took care of myself. I’ve not died. I’ve eaten. I’ve been drinking lots of fluids. Took enough Benadryl to dry up the entire state. And, I’ve managed to sneak in a little sleep here and there. Buster’s checked in to ensure I’m still alive every now and again. So far, so good.

Now I must get back to work on an article I’ve been laboring over for a week. Perhaps the lack of oxygen at various times last night have cleared my mind enough for this thing to write itself. Sigh. Probably not, huh? Ah, well. If I’ve learned nothing else in the last 24 hours, it’s that photographers are NOT always the most observant people and that reading labels becomes even more important if you want to do more than just live a healthier life. No, you should do it because someone might be slippin’ you the ultimate mickey if you’re not careful.

Read article. Every time you see a word related to photography or gear, simply change it to something related to life in general.

Guess what? You’ve just uncovered one of the secrets to living your life fully.

Show of hands, please.

Yesterday was all about communication. Seven hours in one place conversing about photography. Sharing our ideas, our photos, our inspiration, our aspirations, crafting business plans, and generally just enjoying the fellowship of it all.

I also spent an inordinate amount of time on the phone. Mostly photography-related. There was no such thing as a quick call. Okay, if you count 15 minutes as quick, yeah, there were one or two of those. Otherwise, it was at least 45 minutes per call, more like 1.5 hours each time. I didn’t mind. It all served to stir my enthusiasm and creativity.

Then I had a phone interview. Related to photography.

After that, I had the whole music thing going on. Got plans put together so I can do my Doheny run in May. I’m going with someone who is just as passionate about the blues as I am and who truly admires the musicians as I do.

And then I got a call just a bit ago from a friend who was missing me. Funny thing: he was as keyed up and chatty as I’ve been all day. I’ve noticed this about several people I’ve seen or talked with today. There’s something going on. There’s a different energy in the air. People are waking up and getting excited about life, about Spring, about each other. That’s a great thing!

Oddest thing of all, I decided it was time to Skype. Discuss amongst yourselves. You get to choose my tipping point.

I’m going to have to look for the photos from when I was a kid so I can play along with Me Now Me.

One of my personal challenges this year is to get over myself and actually appear in photographs. I’ve made great strides this weekend, but still have a long way to go. YMNM could actually help.

I find this whole concept to be pretty amazing. Some people still live in the same place, or revisit the one shown in the photos. Some have similar clothing. There are those who assemble all the same people to recreate their images, and there are others who document the passing of time by the absence of loved ones or the presence of new ones. Intriguing. Funny. Heartbreaking. Lovely.