Always, Alli

I was really excited to have my new DSLR with me for the 4th of July. I was looking forward to finally making use of all the “How to photograph fireworks” blog posts I had read in the past year.

In the past, I had recorded pictures like this one.

And I should note the pictures were shot from a boat, since the best place to see the Lake Martin fireworks is on the actual lake.

In all the fun blog posts/ articles I read about shooting pictures of fireworks, the first instruction is use a tripod. Apparently the idea of being stable is important in capturing fireworks pictures. And since I knew I would be on a boat, I had the idea of proving all those blog posts wrong.

I was going to take pictures of fireworks with my new DSLR and be on an unstable boat, and my pictures were going to look good.

Then a storm blew in and our fireworks viewing was limited to whatever our neighbors were attempting. If they didn’t blow off their hands, then some of the fireworks ended up in the air.

I had my tripod so I set up to follow the actual instructions all those bloggers gave… and the neighbors stalled in their pyrotechniques. I took a few pictures, but they were boring. And since I had to wait sooooo long between shots, I gave up.

My best shot

I’m looking forward to next year. Maybe my kid won’t be sick and maybe I’ll get some good fireworks pictures.

Our time at Lake Martin is really flying.

Oh wait, did I mention we are away? Last Friday our little family packed up and headed to Alabama for our annual July 4th trip to Lake Martin. Fuller and I have been a little under the weather, but I know we are still enjoying ourselves.

Yesterday morning I was able to sit pretty with my new camera for a while and get some great bird pictures, like this woodpecker above. I have decided to try and capture a picture of a fish jumping out of the lake, but it might prove to be my Moby Dick in the photography realm.

Relaxing (re: napping), swimming, boating, and visiting are top priorities when we are at Lake Martin, and while we have computer access, I have been using that time to upload even more pictures to Flickr. If you take a look, you might think you are actually here too.

but I’m not going to bother right now. We got home from our trip about an hour and half ago and it was nice and all, but the words just aren’t flowing from my finger tips.

I’m looking forward to when we go back at the end of the June and I can do this:

I’m supposed to be packing for our weekend trip to The Lake. Packing is kind of a non-event now since we have so much stuff already there. Damon has a whole wardrobe there. We have a whole set of toiletries in the bathroom; the only thing we have to do is make sure Fuller and I have clothes (and bathing suits).

Right now I am mustering up the energy to actually get the suitcase down from the attic so the clothes I have washed and folded can be packed neatly.

Even though this packing is a non-event, I somehow always make it into one. It is totally unnecessary, but I still do it. I have to wash all dirty laundry before I can decide what clothes to pack. I realize we will only be gone for a weekend, but I have this compulsion to clean the entire house. This never happens anymore, but the compulsion still exists. Thankfully it is Friday, trash pick-up day, so the house is empty of trash. It’s a start.

Updates from the road can be found on my twitter. See ya in Alabama!

Last week’s trip was great. Even though we have been to Dayton many times, it was fun seeing some new things like the Deeds Carillon and the playground.

There are lots of trips I would love to take in the future. Visiting my sister-in-law’s family is one, and seeing my dad is another. My SIL lives near New Orleans, Louisiana and my dad is currently stationed in Wichita Falls, Texas. I could make a car trip out of it if gas prices were to come down or I won the lottery (don’t see either happening anytime soon).

If I did drive, I could make a stop in Orange, Texas to see the W.H. Stark House. This is a house dripping with history. Built in 1894 (100 years before I graduated from high school!) by local philanthropists William Henry Stark and Miriam Stark.

Just looking at the pictures of the three story Victorian house makes me want to step up on the porch and settle in on a swing or rocking chair. Apparently the house was vacant from 1936 until 1971. And it took ten years to renovate it back to the days when the Starks were living there. I can barely imagine the work it took to renovate it, since we are in year ten of our own home renovation (and our house is nothing like the Stark house). And while we do live in a historic neighborhood, our house isn’t on the National Register of Historical Places, but the Stark house is.

And taking home tours are kind of fun. I enjoyed visiting historical homes in Charleston, marveling at the items “original to the house” (and giggling at tour guides who used the phrase over and over again). I can only imagine what an interesting time I would have on a tour of the Stark house. The pictures on the virtual tour are beautiful. Imagine seeing the beautiful sitting room and the prayer bench. Or the violin used by Mr. Stark.

I think seeing this house is a must for my future travel list.

And parts of Kentucky.

While on the road yeasterday, somewhere in the middle of Kentucky, I started sneezing and the skin around my eyes itched so badly I wanted to remove them from my face. When we got to my mom’s house, my throat started itching and feeling like it was coated in baby powder.

Last year I was suffering in a similar way, complete with losing my voice every evening after a pollen-filled day of playing and running around. I thought I had been fortunate this spring since I hadn’t really had bad reactions to the blooming trees and flowers. And then I decided to take a road trip to Ohio!

This morning we went outside to pick up sticks and I immediately started with the sneezing and itchy eyes. It didn’t help that Fuller was shoving flowers into my face so I could sniff them. I found the allergy medicine, and decided in order to really enjoy my vacation, it will not be leaving my side.

Technorati Tags: seasonal allergies, pollen, allergy symptoms

Lately my mom has been hinting at me and Fuller going to Ohio to visit. Due to gas prices, schedules, and a trip to Auburn, I have resisted the strong draw to go get some McMom time. I might be thirty one, but I am still her daughter and enjoy the times when she gets to take care of me.

On one conversation with my mom, she told Fuller about the Diego Live! show coming to Dayton. It was easy to brush off because we haven’t ever been inspired to take Fuller to one of those kinds of shows. Sure, he has an indescribable attachment to Diego, but I just didn’t see the need to pony up the cash. Also, my mom thought it was on a certain date when we definitely couldn’t be there.

And then… on another conversation with my mom, she mentioned she was wrong about the date of Diego Live. I was ready to brush it of with an “Oh, that’s nice” but then she went on to sweeten the pot. Over the Rhine would be visiting Dayton on the 25th and 26th.

So, my mom bribed me and after talking (if IM counts as talking) with Damon for over an hour, it was decided. Fuller and I will be road tripping the last week of April. McMom will get to spoil us for a few days, Fuller will get to see Diego Live! and I will get to squish into the Canal Street Tavern to see Over the Rhine again.

I would never survive politics.

Technorati Tags: bribes, Over the Rhine, Diego Live, Dayton, Ohio, road trip

We got home Sunday afternoon and have been trying to put things in our lives back together. Specifically, I have been crushed by laundry, irritated by cleansers, and laughing with my son. As hard as I tried before we left, I didn’t have my house in order and it is starting to grate on my nerves.

But really, who needs another post on how disorganized I feel? I could go on about how tired I am (part post-vacation blues and part PMS), but I don’t wanna.

All day yesterday I was trying to form a blog entry in my head but I just didn’t know how to write it without sounding like a jerk or people being bored with what is probably old news right now. So this morning I decided I should just put it out there and then move on:

When we were in the Georgia Dome and were waiting and waiting for information on what had happened during the “severe weather” I was really, really scared. I was trembling with a fear I have never felt in my life.

I recognize I was scared and am probably a little scarred by it, but I have to move on and know in my heart how blessed I was to be where I was at the time the tornado struck Atlanta. God protected me, my family, and others in the Georgia Dome. And that is what my focal point should really be.

And now, I move on (or try to) because I have an appointment.

Technorati Tags: SEC Tournament, Atlanta Tornado, Georgia Dome

I was supposed to have an entry up by midnight yesterday, but I was stuck in the Georgia Dome due to the severe weather. I was “lucky” enough to see part of the wall fall apart and not get hit by any falling bolts (which I didn’t know about until long after it happened).

I must admit, it was pretty scary. Someone in front of us said, “It’s a fire” and they were out of their seats never to be seen by us again. It wasn’t fire, but there was floating insulation in the air a long with lots of tension. We were ready to get out of there as quickly as we could, but we stayed put until they decided to postpone the Kentucky/ Georgia game.

I wish I had more to tell, but there isn’t a lot to say. I heard the rain and wind pounding on the dome roof, saw the swaying beams, and didn’t really think it could have been a tornado until that became the buzz word around the dome. To get the local news we could go to the bathroom where there were TVs, but I really wanted to be with my family.

And now we are safe at the hotel, listening to rain and getting ready for bed. May tomorrow be a better day.

Technorati Tags: Georgia Dome, severe weather, sec tournament, nablopomo

Before going to Florida I ordered a new bag. Now, if you pay attention, you will remember I bought a new bag before my trip to Las Vegas in November. I still use that bag, and while it is functional and stylish, it wasn’t the type of workhorse bag I would need for Florida.

I purchased a new Overland Bag from Zappos. Mine is in orange (my signature color) and it really served its purpose well: it handled my wallet, camera, water bottle, tissues, and other purse stuff. I always consider my camera when buying a new bag, and I am thrilled my Canon S3 fit into this one easily. The bag has two compartments for water bottles, so I think I might be able to fit an extra lens in one when I finally get my DSLR. For now I can carry my Camelbak water bottle and Fuller’s Spider-Man water bottle with ease.

One of the neat things I was able to do with it was put a hydration bladder into the back pocket (I borrowed one from Courtney), and sew a loose thread onto the strap of the bag to keep the tube on my shoulder. I prefer using a sling bag instead of a backpack because of how backpacks will rub my back and cause it to break out. I figured I could get a hydration bladder (it holds more than my water bottle) without the full backpack, and I was thrilled to find I was right! It was cheaper than buying bottled water and I was able to partially refill it in the water fountains at Disney.

In the case of my bag, the hydration bladder was taller than the bag, but it really wasn’t a bother. As the day wore on and I drank the water, I was able to squish the bladder into the pocket.

You can get hydration bladders from any sporting goods store and if you find something like Dick’s Sporting Goods coupons, it makes it even more attractive. Since I borrowed Courtney’s hydration bladder, I plan on getting my own before our trip to Atlanta in ten days.

Having the right bag for the occasion is really important to me, and I am thrilled my Overland Equipment Donner bag was the right bag.

Technorati Tags: Overland Equipment, purse, handbag, hydration bladder, camelbak, Dick’s Sporting Goods