MySpace....

So I haven't used Myspace in a few years, at least....  and am never going to use it again.  But I was trying to find someone on facebook and I couldn't remember his last name.  I knew we were friends on myspace so I logged into my account.... after several tries!  I forgot my password apparently and had to get it reset.  Finally logged into and realized how horrible myspace really is.  Why is it still around?  Who still uses it?  Anyways, I found the person I was looking for, browsed a bit, and logged off.  I will probably never log on again... unless I'm looking for someone else I used to be friends with.  :)

Its not the camera, its the photographer.

I have heard this many, many times and have always believed it.  Tonight I saw it in action.

I joined Cary Photographic Artists (CPA) a few weeks ago.  We meet twice a month and have random outings throughout the year.  Tonights meeting was peer critique.  Everyone brings in one or two photos (at least 8x10) and we share and critique each other.  No bad comments are allowed, just improvement comments, what you like about it, etc.  I saw a lot of great work and some good work.  Nothing was really bad, everything was good.  A lot of people in the group have really expensive cameras... Don't get me wrong, I have a great camera but its not an SLR with changeable lens and all.  Mainly because I don't want to carry all that equipment around and I don't have enough money for all that.  Some of the pictures taken with the expensive stuff weren't any better then what I would take.  So I am a very firm believer that its about the photographer.  Anyways the whole experience was fun and interesting.  It feels so good to hear remarks about my work and know that people like my photos... not just me. 

So here's the photo I took last night.... everyone loved it.  :-)  

My 1st Durham Bulls Game!

I've lived in Raleigh for 5 years and finally went to my 1st Durham Bulls Game last night!  I'm not sure why I have not been before this - it is so cheap to go to a game and close to home.  Anyways, I went with my friend Pavun who is part of ISPE group.  ISPE was having an outing and I went along with Pavun.  :-)  

Unfortunately, Hurricane Irene was closing in on North Carolina coast and we had some heavy clouds rolling in...

  

The sky opened up in the top of the 4th and we decided to leave... as did most everyone there. 

The game was just on rain delay and probably started playing again but we were already gone.  It was fun while it lasted and next year I will definitely be going to more games! 

Where's my Orlando? and other random stuff....

Diary of a mad black woman is a GREAT movie.  I want an Orlando....

As I sit here watching this movie, I figure I could update my blog a bit. Wow, July 30th was the last time I posted.  A few things have happened since then...

I signed up for the Big Brothers Big Sisters program.... however I'm on a waiting list because there are not enough little sisters in the program for all the big sisters that are.  They won't pair a big Sis up with a little bro because thats not the way their program goes.... so I wait. 

I joined Fine Arts League of Cary(FALC) to try and get my photography shown to the public.  Most of FALC's shows don't include photography though.... but I was able to get in one last weekend.  I was able to bring 4 framed pieces to display.  We were not allowed to sell or put prices on anything but it was great to talk to people and get compliments on my work!  Here's my 4 pieces hanging in the show....

 
In the same show was this painter - Dana Mario Wood - he was very good and had this huge picture of his wife that he had painted in the show.  Below he's talking with some visitors... they are watching his daughter - who was also very talented!  Behind them is the picture he painted of his wife.  Unfortunately I did not get a good picture of it... but you can visit his website (www.danamariowood.com) 

There were a bunch of other talented artists there as well.  It was held in the new Cary Arts Center which used to be the high school.  Very cool building.

While I was at that show, I found another group that focuses only on photography - Cary Photographic Artists (CPA).  They meet twice a month and do different shows throughout the year.  I went to my first meeting with them on Thursday.  It's going to be a fun and interesting group I think.  Looking forward to future meetings.  :-)

I ordered some more prints today to frame.... hopefully I will be showing other places besides Village Deli.  :-)  (Village Deli currently displays 5 of my works.)  

What's to come?  We shall see....   Hopefully I will find my Orlando soon.....     :-)  :-)  :-) 

Sailing!

Me and my friend Beth went to a sailing class today.  It was a lot of fun!  We had a good breeze... most of the time.  There were a few times we had no wind and were just floating.   Others times we were cruising pretty good.  Maybe I'll go again some day.  Anyways, here's some photos. :-)

Want to live in my house, let me see your auto insurance.

Yep.  Thats my new response for future roommates.... well at least if they use my address is on their drivers license.

Story:  So I received my renewal statement for my auto insurance ... and my roommate is on there! WTF!  How and why is he showing up on my insurance?  How do they even know he lives with me? And how can they add him without my approval? 

I call my agent at State Farm.  Apparently when my roommate got a new license he put my address on his license.  Ok.  He lives here, he can do that, what do I care.  Well DMV says some crap about if you live in the same household, you have access to whatever cars are in that household, so somehow, someway its ok for State Farm to add his name to my insurance without me even knowing about it.  But my agent reassures me he's not effecting my rate at all.  What?  That doesn't make it ok.  He doesn't drive my car.  He has his own car.  And the only reason he is not effecting my rates is because he has a good record.  Anyways, not the point.  The point is state farm added someone to my account without my approval or consent! 

Solution:  I have to prove he has his own auto insurance to take him off mine!  What?  He is renting a room in my house and I have to ask him for his CAR insurance??  Seriously?  Ridiculous!  So I talk to my roommate.... he has state farm too.  State farm can't figure this out in their own system?  I called my agent back.  He took car of it.

It's fixed now.  He has been taken off my insurance.  For now.

NOTE TO SELF:  Future roommates are not allowed to put my address on their license.  If they do, well.... just don't do it. 

30-day challenge

So as some of you may know, I have a photo blog as well as this one (http://april80512.blogspot.com/)  The idea behind the photo blog was to post a photo a day.... however, I'm terrible at keeping up and never remember to take a picture a day.

Many of you may have seen the 30-day photo challenge going around on facebook a few months ago.  I never did it but I'm going to do it now.... on my photo blog.  Its supposed to be a picture a day but it has certain criteria attached to it.  It may take me 90 days instead of 30, but at least I'll blog more.... although that could be a bad thing ;-)   

So if you are not following my photo blog, sign on and follow me!  (http://april80512.blogspot.com/) I need followers.... it motivates me :-)    And if you're not following this blog, you should be.  I like followers... although I'm not sure how my friends get so many people to follow them when I only have 8 followers....  Anyways, on to 1st day of the "30-day" challenge :-)

Life.... and misc ramblings......

As I sit here watching The Man from Snowy River (yes 1982 CLASSIC :-)   I think of all the things that i need to be doing, should be doing, people i need to talk to, people i miss.  But still I sit here and watch.  My mom and I have this movie memorized and could recite it word-for-word... it never gets old.

Anyways, LIFE.  Right now there are a million things i want to do and seem to be doing NONE of them.  I need to get out more, meet more people, go to new places, read my daily devotions, etc, etc, etc.... the list goes on and on.  But where do I start?  Good question....

So earlier I went to a friend's birthday party and met some new people.  While talking to these people I apparently joined a team - its pool, which i already play on Tuesday nights.  This team plays on Wednesday nights but same place i play on tuesdays.  I thought this team that I apparently joined did not start until next session..... i was wrong.  Its a different league and they are 3 weeks into their session.  So I start this week, on Wednesday.  I guess there's where I start!  New people but not new place... but a start to something anyways. 

I am doing some other things to make my life more exciting.... I am trying to join the Big Brother Big Sister program.  Apparently there is a waiting list for the big sisters part because there are not enough little sisters in the program.  I don't really understand why the little bros can't have big sisters?!?  My brothers had a big sister.... There is a shortage in big brothers so why can't they have a sister?  But its not the way their program is ran I guess so I'm on a waiting list.  They tell me possibly end of September something may be available. 

I would love to get into event planning.... but I don't even know how to get that started. 

I am (at least I think I am) putting some of my framed photography up at a Cary gallery... I think its just for a day though.  I'm also supposed to some work during the day to be able to display it for the day... not really sure on the details.  It's in August so I'll find out soon enough.  Anyways, we'll come back to that later.

Anyways, it's about that time to call it a night.... Actually its a bit earlier then my normal time but I'm trying to make myself go to the gym in the morning so the more sleep the better.  :-)   I do know that tomorrow I need to get my left headlight on my car fixed.... its probably not a good idea to drive "tipsy" at night with a headlight out... not saying I did that, just saying it probably wouldn't be a good idea ;-)   

Enough rambling.... until next time :-)  

National Wildlife Federation Photo Contest!

I entered in the NWF photo contest... check it out and vote for me :-)
http://www.nwf.org/PhotoContest/PhotoContestHome.aspx?perma=camenischcreations%40yahoo.com

Family Reunion.... I guess.

Wow!  I haven't posted since April 17th?!?!?  I'm terrible at this blog thing.  I'll try to be better... Well, a lot has happened since then and you may have been able to see some of it if you follow my photo journal (which just got updated today with a bunch of June stuff....) http://april80512.blogspot.com/  

But it would take me all night to update since then so I'm just going to start fresh.... well, almost fresh.... I'm going to back up a few weeks to Fathers Day Weekend.  This is the weekend we were having a family reunion.... or so I thought.  Apparently family forgot they were supposed to show up.  This is not something that was planned spur of the moment.  This is ongoing, every two years, since 2005, same weekend (fathers day), at the same place.  There is really no reason we had a terrible turnout.  I'm pretty sure we are not even going to plan another one since no one seems to care anymore...  Anyways, let me get off my soapbox now....

Don't get me wrong, we still had a great time with the hand full of people that showed up.  It was great to see my cousin Phillip and his beautiful family!  I had a great visit with aunt Vicky and am trying to get to Austin to visit her later this year.  John and his wife came up with their huge dog!  Corie drove up from the heat of Greeley for the day with her daughter Aviana.  Adam showed up for a while and sang songs about everyone.  :-)  It was a great time and loved visiting with everyone.  Enough talk  - heres some pictures!