Wow.

How time flies.

So lately, I've just been enjoying the weather and the World Cup. Yeah!

And on I've been trying to sprinkle in some good deeds into my daily routine.

Ome of these god deeds was to help my friend's school out. She's the new director of a nursery school and the school is in bad financial shape.

So they have been holding weekly flea markets to raise money just to paint the school.

Since I have the time but not the money to help, I decidedto make some goodies so that they can sell them to raise money.

I ended up making several dozen chocolate chip cookies and some rice krispy treats. Even had time to experiment with a new recipe for Chocolate Chip Oreo Cookies. (I didn't have enough chocolate chips to meet the recipe, so I added in some peanut butter chips.) I'm not sure, but I think people liked these a lot since they went faster than the traditional Chocolate Chip Cookies I made. But why wouldn't you like it? It's a marriage between two awesome cookies! mmmm.

The cookies and snacks ended up raising more than $30 for the kids. We'll start small and go from there. :)

Back from Slacking

It's been so long since I've had a new post that I almost forgot how to do it.

But lucky for you readers, I didn't.

It's been nearly 2 months since the last post...this is not atypical as I've done this before. Usually, the reason was because I was too busy or had nothing to post. But I have been out and about doing things, but I could not get myself to blog or even take pictures of what I have been up to. Sheer laziness this time.

So since February I've obviously baked and cooked. I have even travelled!

I tried out a new banana bread recipe using nearly black bananas. Because I have just recently read on numerous blogs and sites that bananas ripened until they are black is the secret to moist banana bread. The recipe I tried the first time around didn't quite measure up to expectations. It was moist, but I'm not sure if it was because it was supposed to be that way or if it was underbaked. Attempt 2 will take place this week and results will be documented.

But last night was a success story! My first time using my deep fryer to make Spicy Fried Chicken. I think it turned out pretty well.

Bonus pictures!

Today's lunch - Cracked peppercorn turkey sandwich with Lars spicy brown mustard (soooo good), swiss cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers on a Brooklyn Bread bagel. Lately, I can only imagine eating sandwiches from fresh baked breads/bagels...so I got some fresh bagels from the neighborhood.

And look how beautiful Turkey is!

Hungry Much?

Friday, January 22nd was my last day of work. It's been two weeks now.
And I am not ashamed to say that I have been sleeping 10 hours a day and enjoying the time.
This is not as easy as it seems, folks!
Being the self-imposed workaholic that I was, it's quite a bit for me to just sit down.
I still haven't really been able to do that.

What I have been doing a lot is thinking about food.
Must be the lack of mental stimulation, but since I'm just watching some TV or surfing the internet, I find myself being hungry all the time. Then I look for recipes and think of new things I want to make. I'm always thinking about what I can eat next now a days.

This could be the start of an eating addiction, but hopefully the start of some epiphanies about what I want to do next.

Some food porn. Right now, they're pretty dark but I'm researching some tutorials on how to fake good daylight in the kitchen. Cause food looks even more glorious when its all bright. Wait for those to come soon.

Nut up or Shut up

Title is from Zombieland. Surprisingly one of the better movies of 2009.
I've been MIA for a while. I've been meaning to do a lot of things but not doing it. (I know, my usual MO.)
With the craziness of the holidays and work, I haven't been able to do a 2009 recap or wish everyone a Happy New Year yet. So, Happy New Year, Everyone!

2009 Highlights:








A fresh start is coming for me in 2 weeks. Lots to do.
Hello 2010!

New Beginning

I am picking up 2 lenses that I have rented tonight or tomorrow. 35mm f1.8 and 50mm f2. I will have these puppies for a week and a half. I will be carrying the charger eveywhere so that I can snap away. I really need an 8gb memory card now. :)
Hopefully, I fall madly in love with one of these guys, because the rental guy at Adoroma said the kit lense is not even worth fixing. What does this mean? It means the lense broke because it is made out of crappy plastic. The real good stuff have metal bodies which make them more durable. So there you go, the 18-55mm lense I have now is my new paperweight.

Today is the first day of October. I want to celebrate the end of September because it was a very trying month for me in many ways. I had a rough start this morning, but I'm hoping the September kinks are still making their way out and October will kick September's butt in so many ways.

Cool Stuff. Fun with Photography.

Baby is broke

It's official. My 18-55mm lense is currently hurt. On Saturday, I took the camera out thinking that it was bruised, but not broken. After a few zoom ins and zoom outs and the lense seemed like it was getting tighter and tighter. Then I was longer able to zoom in or out. I took the lens off of the camera base and there was a piece just floating around all loose. My heart broke.
If it cannot be fixed, I'll have to get a new one. Luckily the 18-55mm is not one of the outrageously expensive lenses.
I felt withdrawal because I didn't have any cameras around and my fingers were itching to click away.

Shopping

My last entry was in Mid May. It's nearly the middle of September. Wait! It IS the middle of September. Gees. Time flies when you are doing nothing. Well, not nothing. But a lot of things not things I should be doing to better myself.

What's new on the horizon?
2 weddings coming up. 2 Amys too. My good friend, Ada's sister, Amy is getting married in October and my own sister, Amy is getting married in November.
So I am shopping! for a new lense. How exciting, right?!?! It is for me.

I like archiving moments for people.

I'm thinking of these:

#1 is the 50mm f1.8

#2 is the 35mm f1.8

#3 is the 10-24mm f3.5-4.5

Actually only #1 and #2 are in the running because #3 costs at least $800.00!

I'm doing my homework to find out more.

When I know more about these babies and their capabilities, hopefully I will not be lazy and post about it.

In the meantime, I have been reading up a lot on Ken Rockwell's site. Extremely Helpful.

P.S. Some pcitures from the summer in Vermont.

Hiking In Mist

Hiking in misty, cool air is pretty incredible.
To just shrug off all that polluted city air and go some place quiet.
Upon first glance, it seems like there is nothing out there. Fog surrounds you, but don't let it fool you. When you look deeper into the woods, everything is vibrant and lush.

Do-Gooders

So this morning, I was getting ready for another day of mindless, repetitive emails and Facebook Scrabble, when I finally paid attention to this AT&T ad. This guy is awesome.
I am aiming for my next new pair of shoes to be TOMS.

If you didn't know about TOMS, they are a company who makes and sells shoes. For every shoe they sell, they donate one to kids in need.
I am blown away at what this guy has done. This is the type of company I would love to work for.

I haven't been feeling very opinionated or even passionate for much as of late.
This AT&T ad didn't change my life, but it reminded me of how Americans have so much more. We whine about so much, but we have so much more than a majority of the world.
So this is me trying to be positive and trying to minimize the whining.

I'm not always so eco-friendly or so selfless, but I love companies with a mission like TOMS shoes.

Allergic

to work. I really might be.
Everytime I try to do something I itch a little. Then my mind wanders off to better things.
Scrabble on Facebook is indeed classified as better things.
Today on Flickr, I rediscovered a photographer who has caught my eye before.
Steph Goralnick has some great stuff on Flickr.
She made wanderlust return and geve me camera envy (might be kinda like a version of penis envy, but in my case i wish i had her G9 and her waterproof case! Oh, and I do not have penis envy.)
I want her camera and her wicked photography style.

A thought also occurred to me. I am waaay older than I thought I was, yet I don't feel as adult and independent as I would like to be. Example: Most people my age have moved out and travelled to as many places as their poor selves can afford. Cause you gotta do it while you can, right? Now look at my situation. I am dirt poor (even with the job. Maybe I exaggerate. I am one step ahead of a struggling college student) and I have no rent to pay nor do I have kids or outstanding bills and I have never toured Europe or Asia.
I expected to be much more....what's the word to describe this?....worldly and experienced about things and places in general.

I need a trip. An exotic one.

Work With What You Have

Yes, I have gotten lazy, but I am still alive.
February has actually been a big blur.
There was San Francisco, Tahoe, Birthdays, Valentine's Day, Anniversaries, and a whole lot of other things going on.
As greatful as I am to have been out and buzzing for the last month, I am tired.
Only last week have I realized that I have not doodled anything, written anything, or worked on any personal projects in a while.
I did however have a chance to play with my Nikon and take some fun pictures.
Picture taking with the Nikon is a different feel than the compact digicam papparizzi sessions.
It feels nice to have so much more control. I won't post pictures up from that day, because I don't want to post pictures of someone's baby all over a blog they know nothing about.
But trust me when I say they were cute.

I am a person who wants their cake and eat it too.
So I want to try to maintain socializing and being active while still trying to get my creative juices flowing and work on little side things. How does one get so much energy without having to resort to drugs and red bull?
I hope I figure it out because I feel worn.
I may also be feeling worn because I found out that a friend of a many of my friends died yesterday along with his girlfriend in the fire that happened in Chinatown. He was 32 and she was 33. Too young.
I had trouble sleeping because I truly felt for the family and friends. I met him a couple of times and I had a chance to get to know his brothers and sisters, so it is quite sad to hear news of the death of someone. Even sadder when you can put a face and story to the name.
A moment of silence for Tony and Anna.

As I said, they died too young. They're not much older than myself. And it makes me think about how much I have done and how much more I want to do. So I'm trying to do the best with what I have - which is in perspective a lot more than what other people have - and make the most out of things.

SAD?

I normally don't like to post anything unless I have been doing things...but if I were strict on that then I would not have very much to post.
I was reading A.M. New York and I came across a health article about Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). I guess this is basically seasonal depression characterized by sadness, lethargy, irritability, lost of interest, impaired concentration, and in several cases, oversleeping and overeating.
I was reading this, and I was making mental checks of all these symptoms!
I think I have just found my diagnosis.

Apparently some cures would be a Caribbean vacation, a mild antidepressant in the Prozac family, or long walks in the daylight.

What?!?! Dark Chocolate and Jalepeno chips should be on that list of "cures".

Anyhow, I just wanted to mention that little bit of information.
And Today is Inauguration Day! Happy New President Day!
I'm watching the inauguration as I write this. (Finally, the 2 computer screens at work come in handy.)
I have to pee so badly, but I can't pry myself away from the speeches and the beautiful instrumentals of YoYo Ma.
And Barack Obama is now officially president!
Hahaha. The dumb newscasters nitpicking. They say he "bollixed" the speech by saying "to" the people instead of "of" the people. or something silly like that.
Reporters need to find better hobbies.

I have to say the turn out in D.C. looks even more powerful than the crowds that gathered the night he was elected. Pretty amazing.

My current philosophy is, "Tomorrow will be a better day."
On winter days, I just love listening to Kirk Franklin.

Just Pathetic

January 15th. My first post of the new year.

Pro - Pay Day! Woot woot!
Con - No pay raise, so pay check is still as crappy as 2008. What happened to "out with the old, and in with the new"?

Pro - I'm updating.
Con - I have nothing to update about.

Pro - I've gotten past my Twilight madness and I'm reading "Running with Scissors" by Augusten Burroughs.
Con - I still think about Twilight. And I haven't been able to get myself to do anything else but eat, sleep and read for longer than 15 minutes.

Pro - I went to the James Jean Kindling Opening on Saturday, January 10th. AND I touched him and got my photo-op with him.
Con - I didn't bring my Fables Covers book for him to sign and I would have liked him to be wackier. (But I'm told artists are more reserved people. pffft. whatever.)

Some things from the Exhibit. Check it out.



Admiring from afar and upclose.



Some other wonderful things from the same building:
Tom Duncan: In Serach of Lost Time, 6th Floor.


Kim Foster Gallery, Various Artists. 1st Floor.


Getting over a cold now, so I have no more excuses to not do more this year.....except it's so damn cold out and there's a recession, so money's tight.....