It's A Sign

This is one of those that are pretty unique
to our area. Our friends said they hadn't
seen them in many other places.

Swagger...

I'm posting this in honor of The Engineer...

If you didn't see this game you should search the internet for the highlight reel. An impromptu decision gave the punter a would-be 52-yard touchdown run. However, due to an "excessive celebration" call it was called back to the 10ish yard line. Either way, great play calling by the punter himself. Bummer he had to be the guinea pig on a new rule. Would have loved to see an Aussie punter get a TD.

Warmth in a Cup

I foresee many of these in my future...

Lazy Bones

Two bags full of 'em--

Looks like these guys are getting settled in and claiming their space. The cat had to pick the nicest pillow we have to call hers. She has her own bed and even access to the pup's throne-like bed, but no, she prefers the one silk item we have in the house... What a princess. (I blame The Engineer for this.)

From the Yard

I mowed the lawn today and there were TONS of these mushrooms growing. 

You can also see that half of our grass is dead. It was like that when we got here, so I cannot be blamed for killing off the grass (ahem, yet, cough, cough).

Also, one of the mystery bushes in front of the house has bloomed. It looks like an Azalea flower, but the leaves are not like any I've seen on an Azalea bush before. You master gardeners out there got any suggestions as to what it might be?

Ah, of course, the acorn. These things are everywhere. It's no wonder the squirrels are so big! They seem to have more than plenty to get them through the winter. If I showed you a photo of how many half eaten ones are laying in the side yard you probably still wouldn't believe it.

007

Just call him "Double O" for short. The pup is officially licensed! 

(Location and actual identifying information was removed to
 protect his safety in the field. When you're licensed
 you can't be too careful...)

Sad Day

Whether you love Apple or hate them you cannot ignore the impact the company has had on the world as we know it. Specifically the world in which I have lived. Being born in the early 80s, I remember a time when there weren't computers in every home (you know, before Al Gore "invented the Internet"). My world went from one with landlines in every home, few cellular phones(you know, the ones with the corded receiver that came in a bag and stayed in the car), and a lot less channels on TV.

Then as all those things became mainstream and innovations moved forward in the computer industry, our world shifted. It changed into something we had never seen before, perhaps never even imagined. One of the people who will always be synonymous with the advancement of computers and technology, and of course smart phones, passed away today. Steve Jobs, founder of Apple, died at age 56.  I didn't know him personally, but many of the decisions he made in his lifetime have had a profound affect on mine. His innovations, along with the others in his field-- colleagues, competitors, friends, classmates-- have changed everything about the way I live my life. Every-day dependence on computers, smartphones, the Internet, is not something those a generation before me would have ever imagined. I would not have imagined it even at 16 when I got my first chunky cell phone that only functioned to actually make phone calls. His influence and ideas have shaped our world. And even though he wasn't the same kind of "world-changer" as Martin Luther King or Mother Theresa, he was still a "world-changer" and it leaves me a little sad tonight. It leaves me feeling like one of "the greats" has passed on.

Love Apple, or hate them, you can't deny the greatness of Steve Jobs.

Laughing While I Can

We have had two thunderstorms since arriving in the North. One, last Friday night, consisted of rain, very minimal lightning if any, and a small clap of thunder.

I participated in a volunteer event this past Saturday and people were talking about the thunder storm and how scary it was. It made me chuckle to myself. Apparently there are not many thunder storms around here. I figured I should laugh while I can, because when that snow starts falling the tables will most certainly be turned and people will get their kicks over watching us greenhorns figure out how to work the snow blower.

I heard them talking on the radio this morning about a thunderstorm coming through sometime today. I again chuckled to myself--"Ha! They don't know what a real thunderstorm is."  And then one of the biggest thunder claps I've heard in a long time about scared me off my chair. It will probably be the only one we hear, but it was a decent one and I could understand being scared of that one!

Notables

1. I was in and out of the DMV in 15 minutes with my new license in hand. Talk about a faster pace!
2. I was offered a homemade chicken enchilada while I waited for my state inspection to be completed by a local mechanic. Awesome!
3. If there is a space between two cars equaling 2 feet longer than your vehicle, it is safe to merge into that space.
4. A safe following distance at 70+mph is just under 10 feet.
5. Our new favorite game is trying to decipher all the personalized license plates. We've seen some doozies! (JNESSA, B3LAVTA, RNOV8TR, THE-WIZ, HUGADOG, OZZZY, NINO, YOUZ, LV-MUZK )
6. You can be around 100+ people for an entire day and not one of them will mention football.
7. You can always count on your friends to "watch the (insert SEC team here) game with you" via Facebook. It's almost the same...
8. There are tons of things to do here. This weekend there was a Chili Cook-off, the Circus and Help-Portrait all in the same few block area.
9. People are pretty nice.
   
10. Having an actual season called Fall/Autumn that lasts more than three days... priceless.

Help-Portrait

Took part in a great event today called "Help-Portrait". It was organized by Jeremy Cowart, a photographer to the stars. It's a movement to give back. To think about photography a little differently. To give photos instead of just take them.

The event I was part of had tons of volunteers! Eight studio set-ups that could accommodate up to 24 families per hour for shooting. There were people of all kinds there as far as volunteers and guests go. I met a friend, so that was exciting! We talked about going to an Indigo Girls concert, so as soon as they are back up this way I know I have someone to go with! Hooray!

The event itself went well. We had at least 50 families come through before noon and I think the afternoon was supposed to be a little slower. It was so interesting seeing folks who have never had photos taken have a chance to get them made with their families. I can hardly imagine not having photos of my family from my childhood. We didn't do a lot of professional photos, but we did have a lot of pictures! A lot of people who have fallen on hard times don't even have snap shots.

Anyway, it was a great event that went off really well. Most people were in and out in about an hour and walked out with their prints in hand. I was glad to be a part of it and glad to meet some new people. I think we're going to like it here.