Asthmagirl- Is my cape fluttering

Saturday

04Jul

Happy Independence Day!

Saturday, July 4, 2009 at 8:59AM

I have to start out by saying it is NEVER nice here on the 4th of July. Most Seattlites would agree the good weather doesn't rear it's head until after the festivities and fireworks. Usually 'cloud cover' and 'scattered showers' are our by-words for the day. Thus, the fact that it's been in the 80's most of the week is startling, let alone the predicted mid to upper 80's today. We're having to dig out shorts and tank tops!

TOG is back from Alaska and caught many, many fish. He was very surprised when he saw what we did while he was vacationing! The girls and I stained our cedar fence! It took us three days as we did it by hand (no sprayer)! Unfortunately TOG worked a 12 hour shift last night and is now sleeping, so we haven't been able to enjoy his return as much as we would like.

K3 and I and the Brute Squad are heading out to the island to see Dad and other members of the family for our traditional grill fest! I anticipate it will be about 90 at the island but hopefully there will be a breeze. We're having a fireworks free fourth (which makes the asthma happy). We don't do fireworks out on the island and you can't see any fireworks from Dad's house. But if I drive home late enough I should see some as I pass Olympia and Tacoma.

Oh, and a shout out to my "neighbors" in the apartments behind us... I'm really enjoying the M80 firecracker festivities this last week. I had forgotten the traditional "illegal fireworks sneak attack" that leads up to the 4th. The ones y'all set off at 3:30 this morning were very loud indeed! Kudos! The Brute Squad is particularly fond of the multiple launch sequences. I think Fiona must have been in 'Nam as she appears to be reliving some sort of traumatic incendiary rocket attack. Good thing she is unarmed!

Here's hoping that your 4th of July is all that! Enjoy... oh and lets be safe out there!

AG out!

Asthmagirl |

3 Comments |

tagged

brute squad,

family,

hot weather in

Modern life,

special occasions

Friday

03Jul

Soft landing

Friday, July 3, 2009 at 6:32AM

This has been kind of a crazy week... with the hot weather and TOG in Alaska and the HUGE project the girls and I did while he was gone... all the watering chores, the crazy busy work week...

This morning since I don't have to go to work, I just want to put my feet up and relax. Well I actually wanted to sleep in but that didn't happen! So I got up and started watering the front yard before it gets too hot. And I need to get to the dishes and run to the store. So I'm sitting here in my thinnest jammies, thinking soft thoughts and sweating while I drink coffee and wishing I'd been able to sleep in!

Thus, in the spirit of utter laziness (which consumed me when I wasn't working my butt off this week!) this is all I have to offer today!

The Brute Squad!

Yawning Fiona! (and the lovely K2/Girlfriend)

Cassie and her curling toe hair!

Maddie (my beloved dork) stranded on the stairs because she won't set foot on the hardwood floor at the bottom of the staircase!

Here's hoping you have your own soft landing today. And big puppy eyes staring at you!

AG out!

Asthmagirl |

8 Comments |

tagged

brute squad in

chihuahuas

Thursday

02Jul

Work Ethic

Thursday, July 2, 2009 at 6:16AM

It's not a full on pet peeve, but this is the kind of stuff that makes me wonder how some companies remain successful. Or at lease clarifies why they aren't more successful.

Here's the online update on the package I'm expecting today.

Please note the "estimated delivery date" of July 2nd. Estimated.

Then please note that the package was at the local facility closest to my home on July 1st at 6:58 am. Plenty of time for delivery. Was it delivered. No, it was not. Why not?

Because at 8:30am someone tagged it as "Package not due for delivery"

I guess you wouldn't want to exceed anyone's expectations by delivering the package before the "estimated delivery date".

Please don't do anymore than you have to in order to get by.

In fact if it got here by Monday, that would probably be okay too.

What the heck... they could probably ship it to Portland and back while they kill time waiting for the "estimated delivery date".

Just for fun.

Signed,

Not Impressed

Asthmagirl |

8 Comments |

tagged

online shopping,

shipping in

Modern life,

whining

Wednesday

01Jul

Deflation

Wednesday, July 1, 2009 at 6:33AM

We were the last ones to ride in the balloon and we heard them say they were taking it down and going back to Oregon. TOG and I retreated a short distance away where I took the following...

then...

And I would have kept taking pictures, but TOG had to get home and get ready for work!

You know, I get tired everytime I see this series. It was like the balloon was fighting it every step of the way!

AG out!

Asthmagirl |

8 Comments |

tagged

photography,

waterfront in

photography

Tuesday

30Jun

Inflation

Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at 6:51AM

So there TOG and I are down at the pier when I look over my shoulder at the waterfront park and see this.... The ReMax Balloon!

Thinking it will be a great photo op, I urge TOG to get a closer look. Once I turned the corner into the park I got a better view of the whole balloon.

And couldn't help but contrast the two forms of flight....

I found myself fascinated by the fire and was happily snapping away when this gentleman walked up to me and asked if TOG and I wanted to go up.

Oh yeah! We totally did!

They took us up like 30 feet or so and the view was great....

If this looks familiar, it because that's where I took K3's graduation pictures!

But honestly, I was fascinated by another view...

Cuz I'm a dork.

AG out!

PS~ Cool Pulled Pork Post in the Asthmatic Kitchen! Click over!

Asthmagirl |

8 Comments |

tagged

dignity,

photography in

Irresistable,

photography

Monday

29Jun

Learning

Monday, June 29, 2009 at 6:20AM

Saturday, before he left for his evening shift, TOG and I went down to the waterfront for a lesson on how to use the D80. It really made me remember how uncomfortable I was with the camera when I first got it. While I'm far from an expert now, I've reached a point where I feel like I take reasonably good shots. And knowing that my technical expertise is limited, I've learned to compensate with things like composition and lighting and a gentle hand with photoshop. So I knew how overwhelmed TOG was feeling with even the basic controls. And yeah... the D90 is going to challenge me all over again.

Here's some of the shots we took together.... These are off the D90. I haven't seen his.

Outdoors with the sun at your back.

This shot was a lesson in focal length and bokeh!

Here's our salmon friend demonstrating too much shadow. The quartermasters office was behind us and blocking the light at the ground level, making our fish buddy too dark to see his details.

Here's my favorite:

I love shooting reflections on the water!

In the next few days, I'll show you something unexpected that happened to us while we were down at the pier! And maybe I'll show you the surprise that the girls and are working on for TOG! (if we get it done...)

Have a wonderful day!

AG out!

Asthmagirl |

7 Comments |

tagged

TOG,

photography in

photography

Sunday

28Jun

Crabpots and Breasts

Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 10:29AM

Disclaimer: I held off posting yesterday because I'm a total crab pot [crab pot= a grumpy person in Asthmagirl's house]. Oh... and there's talk of breasts below. Read no further if this is an issue for you.

It's the mammogram. Because my girls are fibro cystic, they have to go downtown to the cancer center for their yearly. This is always a somber experience as I am likely the healthiest patient there. It is a reminder to count my blessings and be thankful that I'm there for diagnosis and not treatment.

The benefit to going to the cancer center is that they evaluate the mammogram in real time. Because of the cysts, my mammos always look suspicious and thus are followed up with ultrasound which can tell the difference between cysts and cancerous cells. Often, my larger cysts are drained.... a less than delightful process but one that always brings relief. Especially since mammogramming cysts is pretty uncomfortable to begin with.

Last year I struck the jackpot with 4 cysts in one side that had to be drained. This year.... they're back. All four... in exactly the same spot. But for the first time ever, they said I had been booked incorrectly and they didn't have time to drain them and I would have to make an appt to come back.

[whining] I'm really not happy. I hate driving to downtown Seattle. I hate waiting two weeks for an appt and take a half day off work to drive in. I hate the traffic and the exahust and the rude drivers....

[even more whining] Part of me wants to forget it and hope they don't get any bigger. Part of me wants to see if there's another breast place that can "do" the girls. Part of me wants to yell at the mammo scheduler. Right now I'm leaning toward option one. Yes... I'll come around and do the right thing. But dammit I hate having high maintenance girls.

Okay... I haven't had much sleep so I'm stopping now before I get all worked up.

In happier news, I dropped TOG off at the airport this morning. He's off to fish in Alaska for 6 days. He looked pretty happy as he hopped out of the car with my old camera! Have fun TOG!

AG out (and off to work on my attitude)!

Asthmagirl |

6 Comments |

tagged

sleepless,

whining in

anxiety,

whining

Friday

26Jun

Overload

Friday, June 26, 2009 at 6:14AM

I have information overload. It's not even about all the celebrity news this week (although I don't want to turn on the TV and hear anymore about icons dying). I even turned off my beloved POTUS [politics of the United States] radio. No more politics this week I think (with their associated posturing and scandals).

What I need is a vacation. I think my battery needs recharged.

Since I can't have one right now, I'm going to remember this vacation. The calmness of this picture always feels good.

How do you recharge?

AG out!

Asthmagirl |

8 Comments |

tagged

overload,

vacation in

Modern life,

whining

Thursday

25Jun

Camera Shopping

Thursday, June 25, 2009 at 6:42AM

Just a brief endorsement for the company I bought my camera from.

If you've ever shopped for a camera online, you've probably found all the cut rate price shops that sound too good to be true. They generally are. Their low, low prices lure you in and then they practice the bait and switch. So I did a lot of research over the course of serveral days trying to find a decent price AND actually recieve my order.

One of the best sites I found is called Reseller Ratings. Through them you can either look up a specific store, or you can search for the item you want, they will show you stores that have it and you can see actual ratings of the stores.

It was through them that I saw the ratings behind some of these "too good to be true" prices and the horror stories of people that had fallen for them.... or had barely escaped. Grey market products, over charged for cut rate lenses, sold warranties that already came with the camera... Ugly.

Through them I found Cameta Camera (who had a great rating) and placed my order (through amazon). I did not anticipate getting a faulty camera, and when I did, I thought it would be a major hassle. Cameta made sure it wasn't. There were no recordings or evasions... just a real person on the customer service line who had a "let's get it taken care of" attitude. When they missed their anticipated ship date for my replacement camera, they overnighted it at no cost.

Yes, I'm happy with the camera.

But I'm equally happy with Cameta!

AG out!

Asthmagirl |

4 Comments |

tagged

camera,

online shopping in

Online shopping,

photography

Wednesday

24Jun

Eternal Question

Wednesday, June 24, 2009 at 6:00AM

And now for the answer to the question that has kept scientists in their laboratories for years.... bunson burners bunsoning, centrifuges... um... fuging and test tubes testing. The question: