I am currently talking myself out of buying this shirt. Do I want it? Oooooooh, yes. Will I get it? Hmmm…

I’ve also been thinking about the Think Geek customer action shots. They posted recently about the Top 5 Overdone Action Shots. I rarely find many action shots that interesting. Yippee, ladies, a cam whore shot of your boobs in a Think Geek tee. Original.

Most people know that I already have one shot up there^*. It would be an interesting project to take action shots with a purpose. And an excuse to get the BaCoN shirt.

*Yippee, another shot of your kid in a Think Geek tee. Original. But, Jay’s face. There is no shirt on that site more appropriate for him than that one. I even bought a bigger size once he outgrew the one he’s wearing in that shot.

I was going to make Sopa De Maiz Pelao^* tonight, because you know, what sounds good on another 110+ degree day is a …warm bowl of soup? Okay, not, it doesn’t sound good. But I can make it in the crockpot which doesn’t heat up my kitchen at all. However, I’m out of garlic to make hogao^**, which goes in the soup. Tonight needs to be leftover night anyhow.

Fabric
I need to go fabric shopping. I’ve been doing some online. I want it to make some backdrops, so it isn’t too complicated. I’m just making curtains. I have the bar for the top with my backdrop stand. The big thing I want is to put a weighted bar through the bottom to help keep it taut. If the fabric is too thin, I may have to add backing. I’m basically wanting patterns, either paisley/flowery or stripes or other interesting patterns, to emulate cool wall paper. I could just use wall paper on a huge piece of foam board, but I don’t have a system to hold it up. I do have a system to hold up a backdrop. I don’t have a sewing machine.

Examples of some that I’m looking at:
Flower/Paisley
Cool pattern
Stripes

And so on. I can decide on patterns better once I plot out the photo I want to take with it.

Freakin’ Hot
Like everybody else, I feel the need to document how freakin’ hot it is outside. The heat index was 113 yesterday, and it promises to be the same today. I started the grill for dinner, and did not even feel the heat of the flames. It was that hot, folks.

It counts as an “F.”

*A soup with pork (usually the neck, but I have ribs), yellow hominy and hogao

**A Columbian sauce: diced tomatoes, garlic, cilantro, onions, cumin and saffron. And whatever else I’m forgetting because I’m not looking at the recipe. Salt.

I’ve read there are some new printing options, which I never use, so eh. I’ll spend some time looking to see what else is new that they’ve let us play with in the beta. I’m sure I’ll plunk down the cash monies for it next spring.

I’m playing around with different dough to see which I like best in a classic dinner roll. Today I chose to play with challah. It won’t be braided, but rather clover-leafed in a muffin pan. Jay helped me today. He did a pretty good job listening to directions–better than Ada usually does anyhow. I didn’t end up with a big pile of flour on the countertop either. There was one spill over and it was so small that it didn’t warrant me re-weighing the flour.

May Zoo Trip

Isn’t this a great shot of Mac? Ada took it.

While we were outside playing/taking photos on Friday, I asked Ada if she wanted to take a photo. She answered, “No. It’s too big.” True. I wasn’t planning on her doing it herself,but I should know better by now. Ada always wants to do things herself, and you don’t dare help her unless she asks^*. I decided that it was time. She’s four. She will pick up the basic operations easily. It really is the perfect time to get her started. We went back inside the house to search for my old Canon Powershot G5.

I found it nestled in its bag in the office. It has not been used since I loaned it out just after she was born. Therefore, I started my search over for the universal battery charger. I found it, plugged the battery in, and told her we could use it tomorrow. It is now her camera.

This morning, Ada came up from the office holding a brochure for the zoo. I was hesitant at first, especially since Mac wanted to go to Topeka instead of KC, mainly due to KC being mostly walking, Dippin’ Dots and twice the admission cost. I agreed on Topeka, and Ada was excited not only to see the animals, but to “take her pictures.”

I created a collection for all of her photos. The Topeka Zoo set photos are her first ever.

*It is one of her best traits, especially combined with her stubborness persistence.

Day 196: The Bag

I realize that I probably don’t need to label these by day since I blew the whole 366 thing in July.

This is another macro shot of my new bag that I bought at the KC Art Faire. I’ll take a shot of the entire bag soon.

Also, I have been waiting patiently for this. The part about this preview that makes me smile the most is the comparison shots from ISO 1600-25600. The 25600 shot is about the noise level I get with 1600 on my camera. Happiness

ETA: The press release says delivery at the end of November. Just in time for the December celebrations!

Give your friend a tragically oversized head or get rid of the mole on his cheek that’s the size of a small asteroid. It’s totally up to you.

Online photo editing tool: Adobe Photoshop Express.

Price: Free

I’m uploading today’s photo right now to try it out.

ETA: It is in beta. For real. But nice for people who don’t have basic photo editing tools. Very basic.

Here is the best part from a review

It is also taller than many of the other options which keeps you from have [sic] to stoop over as much which can really save on your back after a long day of shooting.

It will not be a problem for my back. I wonder what it will do for my calves since this tripod can extend to two inches above my head^*.

*Not a great accomplishment. Most things extend above my head.

Warning, this site will play music without asking you first if you wish to hear it. The music is fitting, but I hate sites that do not give me the choice before blasting music at me.

Stephen Wilkes’ photographs of Ellis Island Hospital.

He photographed it over the course of 5 years. It makes me want to seek out the book to see the full collection of photos.