A Day in the life....
Saturday, October 22, 2011 at 8:54PM 
Some things are just so precious...
These are the MOST precious...
Just sayin.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011 at 6:34AM 
I took this picture of TOG at Bunratty Castle in Ireland. (Isn't he handsome?) While castles are lovely to look it, they aren't very practical for people of modern size. Case in point, the circular stairways in the castle corners. No matter how many times I went up and down these type of staircases (with camerabag and inhaler in tow) they always made me feel like this....
And now you know about castle staircases in Ireland!
The good news is, I'm working on my Ireland pictures trying to determine which ones I will auction off.
AG out!
Castles, Ireland, love of a lifetime in Ireland, Love of a Lifetime Wednesday, September 21, 2011 at 6:43AM 
Yes, Ben was over the other night too. He was initially having a rough night. He's two. So I was trying to be less obvious about taking his picture. This was taken up through our glass table.
When he did notice the camera (and the grandma) he wasn't thrilled.
Usually Ben's a camera hound...
But everyone has a rough day!
Speaking of Grandmothering, today I'm a Grilled Grandma over on Grandma's Briefs!
Happy Wednesday everyone!
AG out!
Saturday, June 11, 2011 at 7:39AM 
While I had a plan for posting the preparation for Ireland and Scotland, it didn't turn out due in part to a rigorous work schedule, a dramatic health scare for my darling mother in law and some raging insomnia.
We're leaving in a few hours and I'm wavering between excitment, anxiety and a myriad of other emotions.
I may not post from overseas, but keep your eyes on my facebook page for updates and pictures.
TOG and I are super excited for our 30th anniversary adventure!
Slainte`
AG out!
Tuesday, May 24, 2011 at 4:00AM 
With the count down to Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales underway, the preparation gets a little further along each day. (only 13 work days left)
Because we won't be in any one location longer than two nights, TOG and I have been focusing on mobility... Wrinkle resistant clothes, multifunctional carry on bags, quick dry underwear that can be washed and hung at night and it's dry in the morning. Both of us have been purchasing clothing specifically for the trip. Last week, I packed some of them for the conference in Yakima just to see how they would travel. I'm feeling good about the wrinkle release aspect.
Documentation is ready, passports, international driving permits, plane tickets. Still waiting for our itinerary in Ireland and we've decided to just play it by ear in the UK... no reservations and very little structure. Still have to get preloaded cards with pounds and euros.
I have my bags planned for carry on.... camera, nebulizer, medication. TOG has the netbook, passports, power converter and camcorder.
My hair color and leg waxing are planned for the day before we leave.
Things not yet figured out... shoes. How many pairs? I'm traveling lighter than I've ever traveled. I'd like to get by with two pairs, but I may have to take 3. Hair care and skin care... I'd like to buy tiny containers and download my stuff. TOG wants me to buy hair and face stuff when we get to Ireland. Comtemplating whether I can live with just a round brush and whatever blow dryer is in hotel rooms. How many memory cards will I need? Is there room for my battery charger in my carry on? How many spare inhalers will I need? Should I buy a gps?
In the meantime, my home computer burped and had to have it's hard drive wiped and operating system reloaded. I haven't even had time to plug it back in. So I'm on my laptop with no photo editing or photos except what's already on line.
One thing I'm sure of is that I can't wait to travel Ireland and the UK with the love of my life!
Yours in planning and preparation,
AG
Monday, February 14, 2011 at 6:42AM 
Here we are again.
Another Valentine's Day.
It often leaves TOG (The Old Goat) and I a bit at a loss to deal with the huge expectations surrounding the love fest.
Celebrate love?
Seriously?
For real?
Don't get us wrong. We love each other. But it's not something so fragile or unacknowledged that we need a day of celebration or everything will collapse in a heap of divorce papers.
The love we have for each other has been forged over years of marriage including bad dinners, busted budgets, raising 3 children (one with autism), changing careers, health issues, stubborn arguments and multiple instances of reaffirming that we did indeed want to remain in love and together for the long haul.... in spite of the fact that neither of us is the same person the other fell in love with so many years ago.
And you want me to buy him a Hallmark card?
Certainly.
As soon as I find one that encapsulates what he means to me. I gave up looking for that card long ago. And so did he.
It was so much more meaningful that he took a few extra moments this morning to sort through the sourdough turnovers I made last night looking for the perfect one to take for his lunch. Why? Because he's going to showcase it in front of his co-workers so they'll see how lucky he is to be married to me. You can't get that kind of feel good from a $2.00 card with a big red heart on it.
And for goodness sake, don't even think about sending me roses!
AG out!
Sunday, January 2, 2011 at 10:01PM 
On the 30th of December, TOG and I celebrated a marital milestone... 30 years.
We look a bit different than we did back in the day...
Which is probably for the best!
Unfortunately the roads were so icy the night of our anniversary that we canceled our reservations at our favorite seafood restaurant and went to our local bar and grill. I think we both felt like it was pretty anticlimactic for a 30 year celebration, but it was the best we could do for that night. A more suitable celebration is planned for later this year, but the details aren't ironed out yet!
So for now, it's just tacky pictures in front of our tree, a nice meal at the local bar and grill, acknowledgment that we're both blind as bats now and a bit of amazement that we've hit this milestone just by being stubborn and hanging in there when times got tough.
And dear lord, I can't wait to cut this hair off!
How do you feel when you look at pictures from back in the day?
AG out!
Thursday, September 30, 2010 at 7:09AM 
Exhibit one: Bad enough K3 took this picture when we were at dinner in Bozeman. Bad hair...multiple chins... what was I thinking wearing that shirt?
However, as is often noticed in the Asthmagirl family portraits... we can't maintain the façade of normality for long....
Exhibit two: I know you are asking yourself... "Self? Why would she post such an embarrassing picture of herself?"
Two reasons:
1. K3 is perfectly capable of taking a clear picture (see exhibit one). This one is blurry because she's laughing so hard that even with a VR lens she blows it. I love it when she laughs!
2. The longer I look at this picture, the more I think that it perfectly encapsulates the essence of TOG's and my relationship. That whole "a picture is worth a thousand words?" In this case, this picture is worth about 30 years.
And that's probably worth an embarrassing picture or two!
AG out!
Monday, August 30, 2010 at 6:39AM 
I'm going to be a Wheemaw again!
The Old Goat and I are pretty excited!
Babies are just so fun!
But I'm feeling bad for my little girl...
I'm pretty sure she's going to look like this again.
I'm sorry Baby!
And I love you!
And don't worry....
It's just as awesome the second time as it was the first!
Love you!
Wheemaw out!
Friday, August 27, 2010 at 6:46AM 
I'm posting a few additional shots TOG and I took last weekend. I find it interesting to shoot with TOG because he sees things completely differently than I do. Not in a bad way, just differently...
Take the shot above... TOG insisted I take this shot. When I hesitated, he explained that he loved the green of the bank of trees next to the water. I felt it wasn't enough of a focol point so I framed in the rocks in front of us as well to give perspective. Otherwise it would have looked like this...
Which is the shot TOG wanted me to take. Either way, I wouldn't have shot it. Which is why it's so entertaining to do photography with him!
Now this shot I took. TOG thought it was a bad shot. He's right. It's bad in that it isn't interesting at all. That's because it is the town I live in. Nothing happens here. Let me give you a tour. See the orange cone on the far right left? That's the entrance to the harbor. We don't have a boat, so it's not interesting at all. See all the condos facing the water? This is where we can't afford to live. They have a beautiful view of Maury Island and Puget Sound. See the tiny water tower on the far left right? That's the hill I live on... That's really about all there is in our town aside from a couple of dive restaurants, a few stoplights and good proximity to the airport and the main freeway to Seattle. This is the charm of our town, this little pocket of non-development so close to the "big city"!
This concludes our tour of bad photography!
AG out!
