Outfitted for Winter

Status

I went on a nice photoshoot around Corvallis today. Instead of bringing my Nikon D60 I decided to just tote around my Nikon S8100. I have edited a good handful of photos and have made them my rotating site headers for this winter. There are now six headers in total. The more times you click around my site, the more chances you have at seeing each image. This does, however, exclude postings that have featured image headers specially attached to articles.

Hope you have a chance to see the new headers! Enjoy!

Outro/Study & Thoughts

I’m a little over a week early at posting this, but I couldn’t pass up this most opportune time to write. I usually publish this posting, part of a collection, during “dead week” of each academic term. However, we just finished the eighth week so I am writing a bit prematurely. Oh well, it’s fun.

Anyway, I’m here at Starbucks (like usual) and really enjoying this moment in time. It’s fairly busy here granted they have their buy-one-get-one-free promotion on holiday drinks. So, what did I do when I got my drink? Yeah, I look like a two-fisted drinker as I got two tall beverages — a caramel brûlée latte (a recommendation from Lindsey) and a peppermint mocha. Plus, not to forget how “gordo” I feel getting two “calorious” (my self-invented word meaning “high in calories”) drinks all for myself. Again, oh well.

So, I’m sitting here going through my H210 textbook typing up notes, but I’m also looking around and just really taking a moment to enjoy my life. Instead of worrying about the things I cannot achieve right now or that I am currently frustrated with, I’m recognizing how fortunate I am to sit here in this warm environment with happy, conversing people — and to be able to smile and know that life is great. I look at the string of ornaments and lights Starbucks has strung in front of the window… and I smile. I look at the red coffee menus, adorned with cartoon-like white hills and snow-dusted trees… and I smile. The Christmas merchandise, the snowflake decals, the people in coats, sweaters, and scarves — all so perfect… and I smile.

Oprah said today (nothing else was on television — what was I supposed to do?!) that meditation is good because it clears your mental channels. Daydreaming is my form of meditation. When I pull my mind back to focus I feel so happy and content with the world. My worries are dulled and I look at them with more acceptance than resistance. I look around and I smile.

I’m very excited for this wave of cold weather rolling into the area in a couple of days. Even if it would bring snow, I know it’s not staying long. But even if it doesn’t snow, I still love the cold, cold weather — the idea of finishing all my to-dos and just curling up on the couch, nice and warm, and watching a movie or maybe reading — with the blinds drawn back and the view of a frigid outdoors, the cars going by, and a time seemingly standing still. So enjoyable!

Additionally, I am also stoked for Thanksgiving and Black Friday. Thanksgiving will be spent at my grandmother’s assisted living community. I like when we have Thanksgiving at our house — feels traditional and the full experience, but it is just as nice at my grandma’s because their is no food preparation and clean-up to do and you don’t really overeat or have to package up the leftovers (though, turkey and cranberry sandwiches are amazing).

But, then there’s Black Friday. Nyberg Woods Starbucks closes at 4pm on Thanksgiving day and opens the same night at 11pm and is open all the way through the end of Friday to cover the Black Friday midnight crowds coming and going. This year I am not really sure what I have my sights on for purchasing. It pains me because I have no real budget for spending — but I know that if you research and strategize correctly you can find the best prices of the year. My Nikon S570 I purchased last Black Friday is still going for a higher price than what I purchased it for when it was a new product to the market. Since then, an upgraded model has even been introduced — yet the price is still higher. That was a good buy. So, I will have to give it some thought and think about what I might be interested in getting — I suppose I should use Black Friday as a shopping advantage to buy items for others, rather than myself. That’s what the Christmas season is all about… Giving.

Tomorrow I’m going the the OSU vs. USC game with a bunch of friends. Our football season has been quite a wreck, but at least I can enjoy the time with the people that are close to me.

Well… It’s back to the textbook I go!

Scribble23: A Thoroughly Blended Update… Enjoy!

Hey devoted visitors and blog stumblers… Thought I’d give a blog update on life and summer happenings.

Let’s see… Still looking for housing with my roommate for this coming fall. We are pretty much in regular text messaging contact, regardless of the fact that we are a couple of states away. We have some ideas and very draft plans, but it’s looking a bit better than originally forcasted.

Working at Tualatin Haggen Food & Pharmacy Service Deli is going well. I’m pretty much used to it, with a few quirky times now and then I have to deal with – haven’t had to directly deal with food orders yet – especially over the phone (most difficult thing ever for me). Let’s hope that time doesn’t come quickly. Yesterday I just felt so out of it the last two hours. I had just gotten back from my lunch break and all I had eaten prior to that was a donut in the morning. Ugh! I think a lot of blood rushed to my stomach to process the food I had eaten. All day I was feeling a bit achy, but after lunch I thought I would be better… But it wasn’t. The rest of the shift I just felt so sunken in my mind – like I was on autopilot. I wasn’t bubbly like I usually am – I would snap out of it from time to time and realize how drone-like I was. It was all really strange.

Traveling has been on my mind (cue this post). I need to figure out if/when I can swing on down to San Francisco this summer – needing an escape from this enjoyable but monotonous routine and scenery. It is kind of important to get my Request Time Off (RTO) form in ASAP. Also, I still have aspirations to travel the world some day. Really, if I were to win the lottery, the first thing I’d do probably would not be to purchase some disposable item like a new car or some tech device – it would be a classy itinerary for places I’d be experiencing around this globe… Back in real life, I must note that each day seems to fizzle by faster and faster. Today I looked at the clock to expect it to read probably around 2 or 3pm… 6:15! Wow. What is going on?… Anyway, just got back from Busch Garden (a Japanese restaurant (nothing like Sushi Groove in SF)) just down the road. They have pretty good sushi and various other Japanese entrees compared to other locations in Tualatin (by the way… never get Washington Square shopping mall sushi or pre-packaged sushi sold in marketplaces… bleh!).

I’m working tomorrow morning again – all day 11am to 6pm!… But my schedule is really twisted this week. I then get Monday off, but work Tuesday. After that, I have Wednesday off, then work (although just the shorter closing shift) Thursday and Friday, but get Saturday off. Seriously… A household member providing for a whole family could probably not deal with it. But I like what I do, and don’t really mind the schedule fluctuating so much – I kinda think it’s fun.

Hmmm… Anything else?… I’m thinking…

56 days until Hawaii – that’s something to look forward to – really looking forward to doing some fantastic photography. I’m bringing my tripod, remote shutter release, and all that jazz – I’m stoked. Most likely (hopefully!) my roommate and I have a place to call home by then. Then, my parents and I return from the islands, I pack up, move in to the new place in Corvallis, and get ready for school. I think I’m pretty excited for this next school year – really looking forward to all the new things it can offer with new people. Sometimes I wonder how come other people are so successful with the formation of best friends – I’m talking about the kiddos that you see on Facebook, and although are wealthy, invite their friend on vacation with them, and party and forget boundaries. My emphasis is not on the money part, but rather on the idea that this extremely strong friendship can almost make you like family, and you couldnt really imagine living without this buddy anymore – and despite perhaps attending school apart, the quality and duration of that connection never fades. I never grew up like that. What/who do I blame?… My parents for sheltering me?… No one because we relocated from San Jose, California to Lake Oswego, Oregon and then to Tualatin, Oregon, or myself because I failed to take a chance outside the bubble created by my loving family? I mean… I had pretty good friends in Lake Oswego – two of my besties moved away, but there were still others. I sometimes stop and think what’d it be like if I never left. It seems that the longer you’ve known your best friend (especially from birth or a very young age like before double-digit years) the more exclusive, personal, and established the bond is. I recently found several elementary school friends from Lake O. on Facebook – all grown up they are! I even found my #1 bestie – he’s one of those jock types now (*jealous). But now that I look at the past, I see that if we still lived in the same town and still were the greatest friends, today we would be one of those permanent best friends – the never-ending #1′s. LOL… Then suddenly he stopped talking to me on the social networking site within a day of becoming friends. He never replied to my wall post, and even thereafter I asked him a simple question about one of our shared besties – no answer. Screw him… But I miss those times. We were exclusive best friends – something that hasn’t existed in the past 10 years. It’s a bummer.

On a lighter note… I really want to see Bruno in theatres. It looks hilarious – who can deny that?!

Going to try not to splurge on things to buy for the next school year. I had way too much stuff in the dorm this last freshman year. I think I’m going to be packing light, and adding as I need it. Although, I am considering an LCD TV – don’t know what yet or even if. I don’t know if I really need it – it all depends on if I can get a stupid DTV signal in Benton County. On the official DTV map for Oregon, the northwest portion of the state is covered very well… all the way until Benton County. Then it just stops. Sad day! I could not get a signal in the dorms, but my roommate could receive channels loud and clear – perhaps it’s his TV’s built in tuner. I really don’t know. Could it have to do with him being on the opposite side of the brick and concrete building as me? Clueless…

Just bought Battlefield 1943 – an Xbox 360 Arcade game – I really like it so far, but have to get used to the controls a bit. At first glance, I’ll just say it’s superb for an arcade game, which are usually dinky little puzzle-like games or strategy stuff. I think I’ll go play now.

That is all for the dialy dose…

Out.

Proofread and edited on my iPhone 3G.

Photography

I have posted new photography on my Flikr page (see right column for my photostream —-> ). There are three new photos, two of them from La Caletas, a private island in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and one from San Diego. The two pictures in Mexico were taken December 17th, 2008, and the San Diego Panorama was taken December 21st, 2008.

Parakeet Posing for a Photo (Click to Enlarge)

 

 

San Diego Panorama Prior to Sunset - The Cruise Ship is the M.S. Oosterdam, the Boat we Sailed Aboard to Mexico

San Diego Panorama Prior to Sunset - The Cruise Ship is the M.S. Oosterdam, the Boat we Sailed Aboard to Mexico (Click to Enlarge)

 

 

Saw This Photo Opportunity and Had to Take it - I Do Not Even Know the Woman

My Favorite: Saw This Photo Opportunity and Had to Take it - I Do Not Even Know the Woman (Click to Enlarge)