A Random Photograph (+10)

I’m taking an online writing class, hoping to find a blogging groove that I’ve been missing. As an assignment, I needed to pick a photograph and write about it.

This is my Dad at the Columbus airport waiting to board the plane back to Tampa.

In 2010, I took my first trip back to Columbus, my hometown, since I was a teenager. I met my Dad and we spent a long weekend visiting with family and hanging out. It was fun to see how my brother had remodeled the old house, catch up with my sister-in-law, walk the creek with my niece Elise, and play in snow. I don’t typically spend a lot of one-on-one time with my Dad, so it proved to be a fun, bonding weekend.

On our way home, we were early to the airport, so we ate breakfast and walked through an airport history museum. He’s a pilot, so while the changing of runway patterns is fascinating to him, I was exhausted and dreaming of finding a seat in the terminal and relaxing.

I told him I wanted to sit down, but he wanted to walk around. He gave me a hard time, asking me why I wanted to spend three hours (err… like an hour) sitting at the gate when I was going to spend three hours sitting on a plane.

I suggested, probably in one of my bitchier voices, that I could go and he could find me later and then headed off towards the gate. He must have felt some parental protectiveness or responsibility because he followed me. I tried to explain that I was an adult and didn’t need a chaperone, but he sulked along behind me anyways.

Once we were through security, he made a comment about finding a bathroom and disappeared. I called my mom. I understood that it was silly aggravation rooted in both of our needs to be home and to have some personal space, so I found it humorous. My phone call interrupted him on the other line. My mom didn’t say, but I’m sure that he was explaining how stubborn I was being. No denying, it is bred in my Scottish roots.

When he reappeared, he had coffee and a newspaper and sat down beside me. He made small talk and I knew that he wasn’t mad.

Ten minutes later, he was up at the window, watching the planes and people. Too something to be able to sit still. The lighting was all messed up, but I snapped the photograph because it was so him, fidgeting in the light. The shape of him is so distinct that could be no one else. I probably shouldn’t like that we argued over silliness, but I love that the situation lead me to take one of my favorite photographs of him.

These are some more fun photos from the trip:

Now, when I go to visit, my first favorite thing to do is walk along the creek with my niece Elise. It was always my sanctuary, so I am so happy that she loves being down there as much I did. She is such a firecracker, so animated, emotional, and sweet. I love these moments when we get to walk around because she talks me, tells me about everything, and reminds of a lot of good things.

On this particular trip, I was excited because there were a few traces of snow around on the ground. By the next morning, a snow storm had completed covered the whole town. It was beautiful and magical. I even donned 18 layers of clothes and went sledding with Elise and Christopher (my nephew) on Jones's hill. Just like old times.

I can't begin to tell you the number of times on the trip that my Dad asked What the hell are you taking pictures of now? Don't you have enough already? The answer is always no. Actually, I really wish I hadn't been so shy around everyone and had taken more.

As a side note, I'm still mad at people for telling me that beret looked good, but these are great memories... driving around in a snow storm, meeting lifesized corn statues, and eating dinner at Chef-O-Nette.

Finding Some Inspiration...

I am feeling quite inspired lately. I’ve had some amazing experiences (Discovery Cove and Busch Gardens), watched a fantastic movie (Cameron Crowe’s We Bought A Zoo), read a great book (We Bought a Zoo - Benjamin Mee), and listened to one of my favorite songs on constant repeat (Simon & Garfunkel’s At The Zoo - also see Songs for Planning My Escape and From a Sad Cafe). Are you sensing a pattern yet?

            

I have always loved animals, so going to the zoo gives me a magical, childlike feeling. It is one of my favorite places to be. I just bought a season pass to the Lowry Park Zoo, but the crazy tropical storm has kept me away.

With my new camera and the places I’ve been in the last few months, I’ve captured some amazing photographs of the animals. When I take photos, I love to paint my favorites. In a photo, I can capture a moment and a feeling, but when I paint, I like to mess with the colors and the perspective. I started with an elephant, and then a flamingo, and I’ve just kept going from there. I’m obsessed with the birds, but I have crazy, fun ideas for the big cats.

I recognize that there is something special about my own story in all of this. It is a piece of my childhood that I still love so much. It has ignited a story in my head.

So, with my inspiration, I’m working on two of my bucket list items to write and illustrate a children’s book. It's not to sell, or morph into someone else's idea of what it should be, it is a project that has come together in a fantastic way that makes me feel excited in the most amazing way.

I am still in the initial stages, but I thought that I would share two of my first paintings:

Family Photos

I wrote about my fascination with my Family History a few weeks ago. That little bit of reading and research has fueled a total addiction to researching my family tree (also seriously loving ancestry.com). The research and work is a really complicated puzzle. It taxes my brain a bit, but when I happen across a great find like the following family photo, it makes the whole thing so exciting and worthwhile.

The following photo was not directly connected to any of my immediate relatives, but when I opened it, I recognized my Great Grandfather right away, then my Great Grandmother, and beside her my Great Great Grandfather. After that, I realized that just about all (if not all) of the people in the photo are family members.

The research makes me feel connected to family members that I never got the chance to meet. I love piecing together facts and getting to learn about their lives.The following are a couple of my favorite photos of my Great Grandparents. It is all just amazing to me.

2012 Reading Goal - Books 1-26

Last year, my goal was to read 26 books. Two books a week sounded like a lot, but once I got started, it was a lot of fun. I also ended up reading 36 great books.

In my typical overachiever mentality, I wanted to do better this year, so I bumped my goal up to 52 books . Whenever I mention it, people look at me like I am crazy (except for my family members who are equally crazy).  It is only April, and I'm 26 books in. I'll be golden. Here's a rundown of what I've read so far this year.

1: Codependent No More and 2: If Life Is a Game, These Are the Rules

Sometimes, I wish that I had studied psychology in college. It's not that I wouldn't want to be a writer, but I find human emotions and motivations fascinating. Reading books like this gives me a glimpse into one of my alternative realities.


3: Talking to Girls About Duran Duran

Rob Sheffield is funny and  has great taste in music. This is a memoir set in the 80's to a most bodacious soundtrack (each chapter is a memory based on a song). I enjoyed the format and would love to read one for the 90's too.


4: The Book of Joe

Apparently, despite the similarity, this book wasn't the inspiration for Beautiful Girls or October Road. I seriously love that movie (Happy piano players work the circus...) and the show. Anyway, the stories are remarkably similar and enjoyable. I loved this book. It was both hysterical and heartbreaking, which is exactly the kind of bipolar novel that I love.


5: Before & After: How to Design Cool Stuff

I subscribe to Before & After magazine. It is a a level of design awesomeness that I aspire to, and I always find the articles inspiring. I have McWade's other books, so a lot of this book was a repeat of the articles and books that I already have. The book was still packed with useful information. However, I bought the Kindle version and was surprised to find that it wasn't formatted very well...  I wish they would fix that.


6: Little House on the Prairie, 7: Farmer Boy, 8: On the Banks of Plum Creek, 9: By the Shores of Silver Lake, 13: The Long Winter, 14: Little Town on the Prairie, 15: These Happy Golden Years, and 16: The First Four Years

Confession time. I love Little House on the Prairie. I loved the show and have always had a crush on Michael Landon as Charles Ingalls (what a man!). It still amazes me that these are the stories of real people and are probably typical of many of the first American settlers. I love the adventure of the time period and was totally consumed with the whole series. My favorite book was These Happy Golden Years because it focuses on Laura and Almanzo falling in love. Ahhh sigh.

10: Socs and Greasers

Rob Lowe and The Outsiders. Two of my favorite subjects in the world.

11: Beastly

I enjoyed both the movie and book version of Beastly. It is an interesting, modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast that really worked. It was a fun, light read at lunchtime.



12: The Help

Everyone I know who read the book first disliked the movie. For once, I watched the movie first and ended up loving both the movie and the book. I would suggest you go that route too. The book is both funny and shocking. It makes you think, which is pretty rare for anything making the book club rounds these days.


17:  The Creative Writer's Survival Guide: Advice from an Unrepentant Novelist

I was lucky enough to have John McNally as a writing professor in college. He always had good advice, was fair in his critiques, and gave great advice. His book reminded me so much of being in his workshop class, reminded me of old friends (Jonas), and filled my head with good advice. It also made me rethink panning a book (or anything really) too quickly on my blog.

18: The Hunger Games

Ok, yes, I read this book again. My sister was reading it, and I wanted to read it along with her. I was also about to go see the movie (enjoyed it). After a second read, I still love this book. It is accessible to many readers, but it still is able to make a lasting point. I respect that in any writing.


19: The Chosen and 20: The Diary of a Young Girl

These books did something magical for me because they made me think about the past and sprouted an interest in my grandparent's lives (Family History). I have always been interested in their lives, but after reading both of these, it made me ask questions and wonder about things in a totally different way. In addition, it pushed me to learn more about the Holocaust, which is a important to never forget about. They taught me about things that I didn't even know that I should be asking about.

21: Tex and 25: Taming the Star Runner

S.E. Hinton is one of my favorite writers. Her books are straightforward and simple enough for anyone to read, yet she is able to pack them with characters, situations, and emotions that are so vivid and wonderful that you can't help but be sucked into their world. I've written about her before (No Jazz Before The Rumble) and feel that both of these novels hold their own. They make me want to run away to Oklahoma to ride horses and hang out with the cowboys.

22: What Do You Want to Do Before You Die?

I love the guys from The Buried Life. They are silly and a bit crazy, but they do some pretty awesome things. I had to have this book. Canadian boys seem so lovely, I think that I need to run away to Canada too.



23: Franny and Zooey

I enjoy Salinger's writer because he knows how to capture a character on a page and make them feel so real in my mind.  I've read Catcher in the Rye more times than I care to count (It's history. It's poetry.), and Holden Caulfield is like an old friend (granted a nutty one). I haven't read much of his other work, so that's one of my current goals. I want to get acquainted with the Glass family.


24: Cat's Cradle: A Novel

This was my first Vonnegut novel. I was always worried that he was too weird. This book was totally weird, but it was also hysterical and poignant. At first, I was lost and confused. I wanted to give up on it, but I am so glad that I didn't. Now that I know that Slaughterer Five isn't about working with dead animal carcasses, it will be my next Vonnegut novel.


26: Burning Bright

I appreciate the way that Steinbeck saw the world. He loved his characters and his readers. After reading one of this novels, I  feel like I have been transported to their world. I feel like I have lived their life. I read The Winter of Our Discontent  when I was 15, and I have carried Ethan Allen Hawley with me ever since. This one wasn't quite as powerful, but I still enjoyed it.

If you want to follow along with my reading, follow me on shelfari (awdylanis). Also, if you have any book recommendations, add them to the comments below. I'm always looking for interesting books to read.

Family History

A few weeks ago, I read The Chosen (Chaim Potok) and The Diary of a Young Girl (Anne Frank). I enjoyed both, but they haunted me for days afterwards. I thought about both stories and did a lot of research about the war. I learned about the World War II in school, but I don't remember taking the time to really think about it.  I am embarrassed to admit how much I didn't (and still don't) know or understand.

In particular, I was disturbed by the Holocaust. I considered how I would react if I saw those same things going on around me. I want to believe that I am the kind of person who, when faced with something so horrible, would stand up and do what I needed to do to protect the people around me. I want to be that brave.

I wondered about the people who were brave enough to stand up and do something. It made me think about my Grandfather.

He was the most kind and gentle man I've ever know. He was soft-spoken and introverted, but when he laughed, he was super silly and his blue eyes would light-up. We spent summers building rock gardens together. He hung a swing for me from the tree in the back yard. We ate peanut butter and butter sandwiches, and I tagged along after him wherever he went.

My Grandpa fought in World War II. Three of his brothers fought also. He was born in Canada while his family immigrated from Scotland, so he became a US citizen in Algeria on his way to war. He was a gunner and a paratrooper. His record say he fired a grenade laucher. While in Anzio, he was taken prisoner and spent nearly 15 months in a German prisoner of war camp (Stalag VII B). He rarely spoke of it, and no one ever asked him about it.

Growing up, I would beg my Grandma to show me old photos. She always showed me photos of him in his uniform. She was so proud of him, so even without fully understanding, I was inherently proud of him too.

I think of my Grandmother too. She was only 17 when they were married, and then he was gone overseas. She worked in a factory and took care of everything at home. She lived for over a year not knowing his fate.

I realize that in 1940's America, this was the norm, but I still can't seem to fully wrap my mind around all of it. I don't want people to forget what happened to them (and so many others), and I really hope that we don't ever have to go through anything like that ever again.

For my family, I am researching and writing down our family history. I'm working on our family tree, scanning photographs, and connecting with long-lost relatives in hopes of collecting stories, photos, and memories. I'm interviewing my family and writing it all down, so it won't all end up forgotten.

Scavenging in NYC

I’m going to New York City again soon. Both times I’ve been, I had a lot of fun taking photos of all of the sights, but this time I wanted to do something different. Between looking at things to do in the city and an episode of Project Runway, I got the idea to set out on a bit of photography scavenger hunt this time around.

I started to create the list myself, but I obviously knew all of the places that I would go and realized that I was being far too easy on myself. To shake things up a bit, I sent a sample list to some of my family and friends and asked them to add items. You have got to love my friends. What has resulted is the following list:

1. Where I am staying
2. Something that tells me where I'm going
3. A street sign with a meaning
4. Something that inspires me
5. Something mentioned in literature
6. Someone doing their job
7. Something inviting
8. Something better in black & white
9. Something that makes me smile
10. Something abstract & unidentifiable
11. Something ugly made beautiful
12. Something purple
13. Something very old
14. Something very new & shiny
15. Something tasty/yummy
16. A recognizable place from a movie
17. Biggest fountain
18. Most unusual statue/sculpture
19. Best store window display
20. Most obvious tourist
21. Most peaceful place
22. Best advertisement
23. Something that represents dignity
24. Something that inspires hope
25. Something that inspires fear
26. Something that represents greed
27. Something with a contradiction
28. A ritual
29. Something that highlights different cultures
30. The most obvious fake cripple begging for money
31. Best dressed on the subway
32. Worst dressed on the subway
33. The most disgusting thing you find laying on the ground
34. Something that reminds you of Louis. :)
35. Something that reminds you of Lois. :)
36. The person with the most butt-crack showing in public. (Can't be you. That's cheating.)
37. Police horse poop from central park and a matching picture of what (or who) it looks like for comparison.
38. A phallic symbol
39. Typical NYC
40. Atypical NYC
41. An interesting view of the Brooklyn Bridge
42. 2-story fast food restaurant
43. Something shady...as in a shady character
44. An NYC manhole cover
45. Something gothic - architecture counts
46. Something heavenly
47. Interesting graffiti
48. A record shop...actually selling vinyl records
49. A famous person
50. Something unexpected
51. Punk rock!
52. "The World's Best Coffee!" (think Elf)

My goal is to find something for every item on this list and in return see some things in New York that I may have overlooked. Wish me luck and creativity.

The Invention of Sugha Dust

Just cause I think I am funny and am a major music geek (...err just geek really, but whatever), I've set up a new blog so I can write about and post the music that I'm currently listening to. Music is my longest enduring obsession.

About a month or so ago, my friend Dale convinced me if I didn't buy Beatles Rock Band, my life was going to come crashing in all around me. How could I say no? I had already been toying with the idea because I love the Beatles and secretly have always wished that I learned to play drums. Within two minutes of finding the microphone, I forgot about the drums and have been singing my heart out ever since. I am a lifelong car singer, but now I have a way to amplify the sound from my television while having a cartoon grading system tell me I'm a rock star (well, duh.). My collection has since expanded to include all the Rock Band games, Band Hero, and Karaoke Revolution.

I know the music is important, but the most important part for any band (especially fake video game ones) is the name. One fateful day in a team meeting at work, we were all going sugar high on a big bag of Smarties and completely spazzing out. I laughed about something, and a puff of chalky sugar dust came out of my mouth. ; the name was born. My teammates gave the best part of it. They said it needed to be Sugha to make it a little more hardcore.

So now, I've created this blog, a twitter account, a bunch of Last.fm playlists, and a facebook fan page. I'm all kinds of tech savy... I think. Mostly it just gives me an excuse to yammer on about music forever.

Bead and Wire... Otherwise Known as What Has Been Consuming My Mind Lately

I have needed a creative outlet lately. All of my old favorites haven't been cutting it lately, so I took some classes at my local JoAnn's: knitting, cake decorating, and jewelry making.

My grandmother taught me how to crochet. I enjoyed it, so I thought that I would love knitting. The class was a nightmare. I haven't been that frustrated with anything in a long time, and the teacher was so over me. Stupid yarn. Stupid needles. I eventually figured out the basic stitch and worked on a scarf, but it just wasn't for me. Here's a photo of my first sad, sad attempt (looks worse when you can pick it up and watch it fall apart!):

Next, I tried cake decorating, which I thought was going to be perfect for me. I love and have a knack for baking cookies. However, I didn't love baking the cakes, and huge pots of icing sitting around my house for days was REALLY not a good idea. I ate more icing than made it onto the cake. So, to save myself from grotesque extra weight, I dropped out of the class. My first cake (coconut with chocolate pudding center and buttercream frosting) went over well, but after all a couple of nights of work, it was disheartening to see it disappear in about 10 minutes. Next.


Finally, I tried a basic jewelry making class. I learned to make a simple bracelet with beads, wire, and a crimp bead. Very simple, but nice. I was completely hooked. Within a month, I had taken classes for necklaces, dangle earrings, and woven beads. My bead stash has grown exponentially, and every other day I have a new idea that requires more learning and different techniques. I love wire jewelry now, but I'm sure it will be something else next week. It is so challenging and fun, but it also relieves stress. I have been teaching my friend Danielle what I’ve learned so far and we've been making different things on our lunch hour. Maybe one of these days I'll even try posting some stuff on Etsy: http://www.dylanisaw.etsy.com/. Anyway, here's a bracelet that I made last week:

It has been exciting to have some new challenges. The creative side of my brain was getting too weak I am happiest when challenged to create and learn new things. I still really want to take a kick boxing class, so watch out.

Ze Balcony Garden - Week 2

I've made it a week and haven't lost any of my plants. My biggest concern is how I can water them without flooding out my neighbors below. So far, mostly successful. I also added a few more plants:

• German Chamomile around the base of my sunflower (now sprouting)
• Tomato Sprouts (from not eating my produce timely)
• Loose Leaf Lettuce

Over the weekend, I noticed white flies on the catnip and something eating the leaves of my parsley. After a minor freak out, I did some research on fighting pests. I wanted to go organic, so I went with spraying a soapy mix on the plants. They plants look better and I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Used the rosemary in my weekly soup (Rosemary Scented Lentils and Sausage) and made a caprese salad with the basil. Home grown, fresh herbs are the best way to go.

Here's a photo of the progress after 1 week:
After hearing stories of my neighbor's cat falling off the balcony, I refuse to let the cats out. I get a lot of impatient faces at the window: