Round Robin Photo Challenge: Wood

I skipped the RRPC on spring cleaning.

I just could not get inspired by my mop.

So when I saw the one on wood, I thought it could be fun.

Then I waited until the last minute to do this.

So I was out in my back yard this morning.

Let's see if I got anything.

This is some wood left over from when the manfriend built the deck.

The pieces are about a foot and a half long.

I don't want to toss them. But I don't know what to make.

Maybe a planter.

For some reason there are wires coming out of my lemon tree.

Something to ponder.

I like the contrast of textures here.
This is a trunk of a small palm or marginata type
tree next to a dead palm frond.

Here is a detail shot of one of the palms.

One of the planters has some wood posts along one side.
The rosemary and vines from the wall are growing all over it.
Another nice contrast of color and texture.

Sounds familiar

Oh that Natalie Dee. She is always spot on.

More proof of not being old

I got carded last night.
And not at Trader Joe's.
And not by a kid.
Usually it is someone at TJ's who looks about 17.
My standard response is "Really? I am old enough to be your mom. I mean, if I started young. But still..."

Nope.
Last night I was carded at a restaurant when I ordered a beer.
The waitress looked to be in her late 20s.

She carded me.
She did not card the manfriend.

Not young, not old

I had a birthday.
Am I old?
Am I young?
I am closer to 40 than to 30.
But I still get carded at least once every couple months.
Maybe they are just being kind.
Would I be considered middle-aged?
I don't think of myself that way.
I could do stuff to make myself look and feel younger and better.

In some ways I think I am ahead of the game at this point in life.
In some ways I think I have some catching up to do.

House - check
Kid - um, no
Job - check
Job security - um, no
Husband - well, there was that one guy. Then there was that other guy. So... um, not anymore.

I try not to set deadlines for having things like kids and husbands and houses.
When the good stuff comes along, I try to just enjoy it.
When the bad stuff happens, I try to get through it.

I like to think it is more good than bad these days.

But I do still want the kid. Which I guess means I do still want the husband.

As for the job... I think I would rather just win the lotto.

Since that is unlikely, I guess I will have to make do and keep my fingers crossed.

Downsizing

In this age of downsizing within my industry, I have decided to do a little downsizing, too.
Specifically my desk at work.
I was thinking about it yesterday after some people were laid off.
They left the building and did not come back up to get their stuff.
There may be people coming in over the weekend to get their stuff. Or someone else may pack it up for them.
Me?
I took a look at my desk to assess what I actually had there.
At my last job I did not have my own desk.
So when I got to a place where I had a desk that was mine, I brought a few things in to decorate.
I have a wall behind me, which is a rare thing in my office. Those spots are great.
I think I have just about the best spot in the room.
But if something happens and I get laid off, I do not want to worry about getting my stuff.
So I have made the decision to bring home anything I would not be willing to leave.
If I get laid off, I want to just walk away from the place.
So I will be bringing home the few pictures I have there.
I will be bringing home a couple of the nicer bowls that I made when I was doing ceramics.
I will bring home my second place award that I got for non-news page design from the Small Newspaper Association. Or something like that.
I cannot remember exactly. But I got it for work I did at my last job.
And I liked that job. I was proud of my work there. So I have the award on my desk.
I also have a couple of design books there that I want to keep.
And that really is about it.
The rest of it I can leave.

Not that I fear my job-loss is imminent.
But I don't feel like this is the most stable place to be these days.

So it is time to go minimalist at work.

Another sad, scary day at the office

I was not actually even at work today.
But notes from friends Jim and Beth clued me in to the fact that there were more layoffs today.

Me, I am still OK.
No one in my department was cut.
We live to fight another day.

It sounds like it was mostly managers this time.
Some volunteered. Many did not.

I am not sure yet how this will shake out yet.
But as usual we move on and we get the work done each day.

I wish readers knew how much we care about what we do.
I wish they knew that they pick up the paper each day there are people behind that other than the bylines.

We are there. We are there nights and weekends and holidays.
And we care, damn it.

Round Robin Photo Challenge: Variety Show

It's Round Robin time again!

The assignment is:
Varieties.

Photograph something as viewed as an assortment...
something that comes in different varieties.

For example, it could be a bunch of flowers
or nuts or crayons or birds.

So here we go...

Cookbooks.

I know I have a lot of cookbooks.

This is just a small sample of the
variety of cookbooks I have.

Buttons.

A while back I bought a box of mixed buttons.

Then I added to it the buttons that came with new sweaters.

I added in buttons that I took off of shirts I turned into rags.

Some buttons I bought just because they might
be cute on cards I make got tossed into the mix.

Oh, and there is the snowman button.

I am not exactly sure where he came from.

But I dig him.

Markers.

I used them for the cards I make.

Just markers.

I jerked the camera accidentally
just as the shutter clicked.

I like the effect.

Watercolor pencils.

I also use these for my cards.

When I feel like experimenting.

They are a little more work than I like for the cards.

Shells.

About 15 years ago I went on a trip to Tahiti and Hawaii.

These are random bits I picked up on the
shores of places including Bora Bora, Moorea, Oahu and Kauai.

My favorite is the one with the tiniest little rocks stuck in it.

You cannot tell from these images,

But most of the shells are the size of a fingertip.

Beers.

This is a picture I took on my recent trip to Denver.

The walls of Falling Rock Tap House
were lined in beer bottles.

Yeah, that was a pretty good night.

Linking list:

Nancy - POSTED!

Nancy Luvs Pics

http://journals.aol.com/nhd106/Nancyluvspixs

Karen

Outpost Mâvarin

http://outmavarin.blogspot.com/

Carly - POSTED!

Ellipsis

http://ellipsissuddenlycarly.blogspot.com/

Sandy

Myanderings

http://myanderings-myanderings.blogspot.com/

Sarah

Charish

http://charish-me.blogspot.com/

Chrissie

Chrisseas-corner

http://chrisseas-corner.tripod.com/

Kiva

Eclectic Granny

http://eclecticgranny.blogspot.com/

Kat

In My Dreams I Can Fly.....

http://journals.aol.com/sunflowerkat321/in-my-dreams-i-can-fly.../

TJ

Tj's Photo Expressions

http://tjphotoexpressions.blogspot.com/

Jennifer Robin

Robin's Woodshttp://robinswoods.blogspot.com/

Wammy

The Ellis Family Cincinnati

http://theellisfamilycincinnati.blogspot.com/

Lisa Marie

Lisa's Chaos

http://lisaschaos.blog-city.com/

Monica

Family Affair Photography

http://www.familyaffairphotography.blogspot.com/

Marie

Photographs & Memories

http://journals.aol.com/mariebm56/PhotographsAndMemories

Annie

Pictures of Craziness

http://krspkrmmom.blogspot.com/

Suzanne R

Living . . . Suzanne R's Life

http://newsuzannerslife.blogspot.com/

Robinella

Robinella's

http://notastepfordwife.blogspot.com/

Angela

Chocolate Syrup for the Soul

http://angelas-craziness.blogspot.com/

Janet

fondofphotography

http://www.fondofsnape.com/

Jan

The Prytz Family

http://www.theprytzfamily.com/

Martha

Perception

http://journals.aol.com/lifes2odd/perception/

Jama Hameed

Sweet Memories

http://mummyjam.blogspot.com/

Momma - POSTED!

Sandcastle Momma

http://sandcastlemomma.blogspot.com/

Swampy - POSTED!

Anecdotes, Antidotes, & Anodes

http://anecdotes.typepad.com/

Sahvvy

The Instantaneous Existence of Me

http://instantaneousexsistence.blogspot.com/

Gattina

Keyhole Pictures

http://gattina-keyholepictures.blogspot.com/

Kim

Nekked Lizard Lady

http://nekkedlizardadventures.typepad.com/

Vicki

Visions by Vicki

http://journals.aol.com/cmishvicki/visionsbyvicki/

Teena - POSTED!

It's all about me!

http://purple4mee.blogspot.com/