paparazzi life

 

This past week, we were dog sitting Chaco's dog, Ella, while Chaco was out of town. I'd say she and our dogs have become pretty comfortable seeing this as Ella's home away from home. She settles in well with the daily routine, and Chaco gets majorly cheap dog boarding.

Even the cat, with whom Ella cannot be left alone, tolerates her presence for the most part.  He hangs out in his room of choice while being separated from the dogs and lets us know when he'd like to change his room of choice. His humans are well trained.

Chaco checks in on her occasionally, and I try to send him pics when he does. Clearly, though, Ella doesn't seem to like having her picture taken. She'll be sitting in picture-perfect form or outside basking in nature, but as soon as I get my phone out, *zhoop* she turns around or dashes off.

One evening, while out for a walk, I was able to capture her standing still. Well, it was the back of her head, but at least she was still. I knew if I went around to her front, she'd pull a blur move. But we managed a temporary sit still moment. 

The bunnies understood the assignment.

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Linking up this week with Mama Kat for the prompt:

5. Show us a recent photo you took and let it inspire your blog post.

eau de Pepper Potts?

Remember, a while back, we'd had our big P.E.O. wine and cheese fundraiser, and I was going to publish photos in our newsletter, but alas, I didn't take any photos?  Neither did anyone else?  Looks like I did it again.  Apparently, I'm just not on board with the snappin-pics-all-the-time culture.

Yesterday was Chaco's birthday, so we all met up at his place for some birthday acknowledgement.  I meant to get a photo of all the guys because I'm still in touch with the woman who cared for them when they were babies.  I don't have a recent photo and meant to get one for her.  Oops, forgot.

Well, I'm okay with it.  I know some people on the other end who take multiple photos and post them on social media for every little thing.  Some of us have to balance it out, right?

So it was a nice get together.  I find it difficult to get gifts for our kids.  When they were little, we never did the wait-for-your-birthday/Christmas-and-you'll-get-it.  If they wanted something we deemed appropriate, we'd typically agree to get it no matter the calendar date.  Chaco's birthday in January, but he's outgrown his bicycle in June?  Why wait until January when it will be snowy and icy?

Now that they're grown, it only seems harder to bestow a "special" gift, but always worth a try.  And we had a nice meal.

But speaking of gifts... I saw a headline about Gwyneth Paltrow selling a candle that smells like her vajayjay, and just rolled my eyes.  Honestly, I'm not surprised.  I didn't care to read the article.

This morning, I opened up my newsfeed which included another article about Gwyneth's hoohaa candle and a link to an anti-Gwyneth video.  Fine.  I investigated.

Gwyneth has a website:  https://goop.com/  full of  (questionable?) health topics and information.  It also features a shop for a variety of things including the now famous candle.  For $75, one can own a Gwyneth Paltrow vagina scented candle.

Oh.  Wait.  Nope.  It's sold out.

Well, of course it is.

fat photo friday

I'm here playing with myself... er... playing with my blog settings and cleaning out some phone pics.  So I thought I'd put up some fat photos from this week, see if they fit, maybe play a little "I Spy"

We went to a girls high school basketball game this week to watch Meego play.  No, Meego doesn't play on the girls high school basketball team.  He plays in the pep band.  We've gone to a few games this season, and the girls team is actually quite good, but crowds are typically small, see?

Extra points for anyone who can spy the school mascot!  I see him!

Photo galleries for the Super Bowl half marathon were published.  Looking at them now, the snow is kinda pretty, rather than the "razzum frazzum fricker frackum" snow it was during the race.

I found myself.

And now for more photographic skill pleasure, Meego's jazz concert.  Like a bunch of (faceless, dressed in black) Amish doll musicians!  That's as good as it gets with my phone in a dark auditorium.  At least the music was good.

I'm not going with fat pic on this one, but I am going with blurry!

Brother Hagrid, man of mystery, and my SIL recently renewed their vows.  I can't post pics of Hagrid.  I can of SIL, but in keeping with the blur theme...

I did get together with Hagrid last week, to go over some stuff regarding my dad and just have a nice little catching up time.

I often look to Hagrid, as he's 15 years older than I am, to gauge my genetic near future.  Things look pretty good - look, hardly any wrinkles!

What's in your phone?

one does not simply...

Like The Incline, the story doesn't necessarily end when you reach the top.  It's all...

"Yay, we made it!"

"Look how purdy!"

and soon becomes...

"Okay, now we gotta get back down"

But, what to do?  Because...

Incline people are typically a courteous bunch, watching out for each other because of the common bond formed from climbing over piles of trash together.  One unwritten rule is that, you climb up, but you don't climb down The Incline.  It's just common courtesy to the suffering souls going up.  

The way down is the Barr Trail, which is the trail that leads to the summit of Pikes Peak.  The top of The Incline hooks up with the Barr Trail, and there is also an outlet about two thirds of the way up The Incline for bailing out, for those who are so inclined (see what I did there?)

So the process of cancelling out all of the gain in elevation of The Incline is going down a three-mile stretch of loose gravel switchback trail.  Many Incliners like to run back down the trail.  That's kinda what we were doing, peppered in with some walking, chit chatting, and enjoying the views.

Halfway down Barr Trail
Chaco says, "Take our pic, the more Mom smiles the bigger I will frown!"

We were about two feet from the end of the trail with Ellie Mae in sight - me in the lead, Chaco behind me, and Wolfgang bringing up the rear.  We were strangely discussing anesthesia and pain killers (foreshadowing?) when I sense this slight ruckus behind me.  

I turned to see Chaco writhing on the ground, gripping his ankle.  Wolfgang explains, "Yeah, he rolled it", showing me the side of the trail that fell away making for perfect ankle-rolling.  

So I'm thinking, "Great, we make it UP The Incline, DOWN Barr Trail, and he breaks his ankle in the parking lot"

But he didn't.  Break it, that is.  Just a sprain leaving him a bit of a gimp. 

And it didn't foil his photography skills.  He got more nice shots of the Thunderbirds later that day during USAFA graduation. 

I put together this little video which features some of his photos, the YouTubization of which doesn't do them justice.  There's also some shaky video coverage of graduation practice that I take full blame for.  I mean, I could totally make a blooper video from the footage, but it would run twice as long at least.

Turn up your volume, Sound o' Freedom!

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friends in town

One time, I was innocently shoveling in China's pen when it happened.  Other times, I've been out on some bicycling mission.  Yesterday, I was out shopping.

We don't hear them coming, don't think to watch for them or sit in waiting.  They just suddenly appear with teeth rattling report.  OH yeah, must be end of May.

So yesterday, I was finishing up my purchase when the telltale sound and shaking of spent jet fuel announced the arrival of the Air Force Thunderbirds.  Air Force Academy graduation is Wednesday.   Recall that the Thunderbirds were grounded last year, and we had an oddly quiet end of May.  The Commemorative Air Force stepped up and volunteered for the fly over.

It was elegant, poignant, very well done.

This year, the grounding has been lifted, and it's nice for us Academy neighbors to see and hear the jets again, although China begs to differ.  They fly around practicing, and I can't help but think that they buzz the nearby neighborhoods and schools on purpose, giving us a freebie.

I arrived home to find Chaco in the backyard snapping a few photos.  He got some nice shots, so I'll share a few of them.  Click on 'em, they get big!

Anyway, it seemed like a fitting part of Memorial Day.  I hope my blog friends were able to enjoy some time in recognition of the holiday.

I managed to get caught up on a few things and then spend a good part of the day playing.  Meego and I got in some playground basketball where he succeeded in beating me in both HORSE and PIG before Magnum joined us and the three of us took turns abusing each other in Knockout.  Afterwards, we went for a Slurpee bike ride so I could pay up and Meego could collect his winnings.

And Chaco prepared a yummy Memorial Day lunch for us and slaved away in the yard as mentioned.

Somebody's gotta do it.

Silver Liningness Sunday

I will start by admitting that we have NO Christmas decorations up.  We don't even have a tree yet, but that's pretty par for the course anyway. That should all change today, though.  At least that's the plan.

Other than that, this was a good and productive week.  I already mentioned that the college semester came to a close.  All of my grades have been posted, and I'm happy with my GPA at this point.  My two teaching classes were, more or less, weeder classes for people to see if they really? want to be school teachers - thrown right to the elementary and middle school wolves, but it was all pretty familiar to me.  We did lose a few along the way, and now I'm glad to be done with those and get on with the remainder of the program.

As for my calculus class, that was just so fun and reminded me of what a nerd I am.

The weather's been up and down, but the frost did finally burn off yesterday.  Wolfgang has recently taken up longboarding, and I've recently taken up playing with the camera (I can't quite call it "photography"), so I practiced some action shots yesterday.

Meego had another band concert this week.  They sounded really good - and so much more enjoyable than those 3rd grade recorder programs!

I'm also glad to say that the eye dermatitis has ebbed and I feel almost human... at the moment.  Puffiness has deflated and wrinkles are of a more appropriate depth.  And the winter solstice was yesterday, I can feel the days getting longer already!

So onward!  There's a Charlie Brown Christmas Tree with our name on it!

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won't you be my neighbor?

Fall is my favorite season.  It's a beautiful fall day today.  I was doing homework, and it was strangely fun, but Magnum, Meego, and China were all outside.  Pout.

I grabbed that new camera and went out for some playtime while the menfolk "worked".

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