Four-legged baby

Photoshoot of our four-legged baby Fred. These are the first pictures with my new Canon Rebel T3....so, hopefully next year or in a few years we can look back on these days and see how far I've come in photography. ;)  

October Photo-a-Day Challenge

So crazy!!! I had my fingers on the wrong keys on the keyboard and trying to google "pinterest" but I was typing it in wrong because of the wrong placement of my fingers and google STILL KNEW what I was trying to type! lol

To start using my camera more, I'm taking on one of those "photo a day" challenges. I found one from here that I have been using.

It's been almost 2 weeks and I haven't even uploaded my pictures until now. I'm sure every blog post from me is like "picture overload!" but oh well...I'm sure you're used to it by now, and I'm really enjoying taking pictures and feeling artsy (I have a scientific mind, I'm really not very artsy).

From the top!
October 1: Where You Stood

yes...two different socks...

 October 2: Lunchtime

homemade ziti with cheesy bread

October 3: This Happened Today

                Ben cleaned out his laptop and realized quite quickly that the keys on the keyboard are not very easy to put back in.

also, it rained, fred and I slept in, and then later I went to work

October 4: What You Read

October 5: Shadow
this seemed more difficult than it should have been. probably would have been easier if I had just went outside. 

also, i got a neat picture of Fred:

October 6: I'm Thankful For...

  I'm thankful for a lot of things: Family, Friends, thankful to be alive, thankful for a "dream job" (thankful to have a job!), thankful for my life. I saw a very tragic accident on this same day and it's really got me going round and round with how thankful we all should be and how short our lives are. To watch things on tv and see them in real life are two totally different things that I suppose I just wasn't aware of until that day. Moral of the story: tell people you love them and drive safe. Ok, enough crying and back to blogging..
 

October 7: Light

  The sunrise was so pretty that day. Not sure if this is the best picture to represent "light", but it was enough to wake Fred up, who in turn woke me up. 

 
October 8: Angle

October 9: Red

can you guess what this is??? ok, fine, i'll post the answer below...

 

Great Weekend!

It seems like it's been awhile to actually have both Saturday and Sunday off of work and to spend with my hubby. It's been pretty nice. Saturday was our lazy day except for the morning when we went riding again on our new bicycles. It feels soooo good to feel the air on your face in the morning. Took Fred outside on Saturday. Apparently Saturday is a bad day to take your kitty outside on his leash... toooo many cars! I guess he can handle one every now and then, but it was really the only time since I've been taking him outside that he made a mad dash to get inside the house. Usually he may want to hide but on Saturday he just wanted inside and away from everything. We tried again a little later to go back outside and lasted a few minutes until another car drove by. Got a cool picture of him while we were outside...

It just seems like a very pensive picture to me. What are your thoughts?

Cat on a Leash

It's not a cat on a hot tin roof, it's a cat on a leash. Because I'm the cat lady (yes with only one cat, you can still become the cat lady), I naturally give in to whatever my little Fred wants. He wants to go outside, sure let's go. But first, let's train you with a harness and leash so I can keep you forever and you won't run away. 

Training a cat with a harness can be one of the funniest and almost heart-breaking things a "cat momma" will do. The first day we put the harness on him (which is the kind of harness that is shaped like an "H"...not sure what the technical name is), it was like we had just strapped a million pound weight on his back. He suddenly couldn't remember how to walk. He would try to walk a few feet (always leaning to the right) and then just fall on the ground and roll around, undoubtedly trying to get the foreign object off of him. This was the funny part. 

After a while though it was kind of like he was running into things (I don't think on purpose) and that was the heart-breaking part. I wanted to run and take it off of him right away. But I knew if I could muster the courage to leave it on a little big longer, he might eventually give up and learn that it is something he has to get used to. 

The first day we left it on about an hour and he did eventually calm down and lay down and sleep. Also the first day we put it on, if you've ever seen a jumping bean, that is exactly what our Fred looked like. He would jump straight up in the air. Maybe hoping it would fall off? It was the funniest thing.

The next day we put it on, he started off the same way as before, walking to the right, walking a few steps and then falling over. Also you should know that the harness wasn't too tight. It might sound like that or like it wasn't on the right way from reading this, but we made sure it was loose enough for him to maneuver around like normal; he just wasn't comfortable enough with it to try to maneuver like normal. We left it on him the entire night.

The biggest problem I found with him wearing it for long periods is that he wasn't eating all of his food in his bowl. He did eat some, but not all. Which is unlike him. So we would go a few days without him wearing it and then put it on again for a day. 

Then came the big day to try to go outside with the leash hooked up to the harness. Amazing! He suddenly could walk perfectly fine because he was outside!  

This is the front porch area: 

The first day Fred and I walked to about where Ben and I are in the picture above. Of course, first he had to check out the bushes that are between Ben in the picture and the house. Once we got to that corner of the sidewalk, Fred wanted to go behind the bushes that are in the front of the house and I wouldn't allow it. Once he started to get fussy because I wouldn't let him go behind the bushes, then we came inside.

The next day we went outside, Fred was feeling more comfortable and we even walked in front of the garage (nothing to hide from there!) and to the side of the house where he smelled and munched on the grass. He wasn't afraid when a car would pass by, which was interesting. He did very well. Also in the training, treats and positive praise are exactly what animals need. When we put the harness on him, we would give him a treat. When we came inside, we would give him a treat. We don't give him treats all the time, so he definitely knows when something is a treat. 

Ben took him outside in the back yard (which is partially fenced in and is a corner lot; there is a road in the back and on the side). That day, Ben learned just how easily Fred can slip out of his harness if he needs to. Fred wasn't harmed, but Ben said he got spooked when there was a car on the side road and on the back road and he started freaking out and just about the time Ben picked him up, he noticed Fred was almost out of his harness. 

Today I took Fred outside again. At first, I put the harness on him and he went and laid down like he was going to take a nap. But once I unlocked and slightly opened the front door, he was at my feet in an instant! I put the leash on and we headed out. This time I attempted taking a few pictures. It was definitely difficult trying to make sure he was not going to get wrapped up in the bushes, along with making sure he wasn't getting spooked by anything, along with holding the leash, and trying to take pictures. Next time I take pictures I will wait until Ben and I can go out together with Fred because this was definitely a challenge. 

Here is my favorite picture:

He is trying to nibble on a piece of grass, but I really like how it's almost like 3D, like you could touch his whiskers.

Another favorite of mine just because of the detail of the flower and because in the background you can see Fred again checking out the plant is:

For Ben's benefit, I cropped the picture so now it looks like this:

which honestly probably is a better picture. But if the blurriness of it makes you sick then keep scrolling down because I have picture overload of my furry little Fred.

it is a small palm tree but it looks funny him looking at it that way

relaxed on the front porch

Giving the Whisker Lickin treats props for making my kitty happy

we've made it to the front door...will we make it inside?

Almost inside!

Nah, I think I will just lay here between the inside and outside.

 "Mommm!! I don't wanna go in!"

Had to actually pick him up to go inside. He was not a happy camper. But he ate the treats anyway. 

whatchulookinat

Venting

So...we're supposed to be getting a house (fun fun!! our first home!!). We were supposed to have closed on it on April 10. Then that got moved to April 11. Then that got moved to April 18. Then to April 20. Well it's the 19th now but more than likely it's not going to happen on the 20th and it will get pushed back again. We will be lucky if we can close on our new home in May. Well no, we will be super lucky if we can close before this month is over, but at the rate it keeps getting pushed back, I'm shooting for May now. It's a short sale home. So, it's a GREAT price but an annoying and frustrating and stressful process. 

Aaaannnnd... my work is starting with their new computer system on Sunday! It really is a great computer system. I've worked with three different computer systems in different hospitals and this one is by far my favorite. But of course it is new and takes time to get used to since we've all been used to the current one for a long time. On top of that, on Sunday we also go live with a new analyzer. It will definitely be a fun day all around. There are some people at my work, however, who are already starting to go a little haywire because they are so nervous as to what may happen on Sunday. What they are failing to realize is that no matter how crazy they become between now and then, we are getting this new system whether they like it or not. So either, embrace the change and learn to grow with it, or freak out and find somewhere new to work. Really I feel the first one is the only answer to this. But it is quite a sight to sit back and watch what happens to some of these people as they are forced to step outside their nice little box and jump into this new world that they are not used to.

Another new thing (which I have yet to try) is probably not all that new at all, but I am just now reading about it, and that is: washing your face with oil. It actually seems to make a lot of sense the more you read about it, and I'm very excited to try it because my face is really a sight for sore eyes most days. Basically what the reading is saying is that it is more natural to wash with an oil because these cleansers you find in stores (they're usually "oil-free") are actually stripping your skin of its natural oils, causing your skin to actually produce MORE oil. An interesting idea, and like I said, I haven't tried it yet. Coming from someone with a very oily face, I'm interested to know if it will actually cut back on the oil that my face is producing. More on this to come once I've actually been trying it for a few days or weeks. 

And now for the picture of the day: Zombie Fred! Ok it's not really zombie Fred, it's more like Green Fred. Maybe it's Fred-enstein! Sure we'll go with that one....

Happy Easter!!

We've been packing a little here and there for the past couple of months, but today we started packing a lot more. We're aiming for closing on our house on Tuesday (YAY!!!). However, the bad news is if we don't close on Tuesday, we will lose the house we're looking at (it will go into foreclosure on Wednesday) and we will have to start the house hunting all over again. It's all in God's hands, whatever happens, happens. But it will kind of stink if we have to start all over because we only have until August when our lease is up, and renting where we currently are month to month is crazy expensive. So keep your fingers crossed that we can close on Tuesday!!! 

I took a picture of Fred today after he hopped in my basket of towels and made himself comfy. It kinda looks like he's in jail. That's my creepy eye in the background. :(   Anyway his green eyes are really pretty.

Oh, this week someone posted on facebook this picture that is hilarious. Any dog or cat owner can surely appreciate it!  

And one more because I love my cat. He looks like a statue in this one.

Happy Easter!!! 

oh man! I should totally give Fred bunny ears and Easter-y stuff since he looks toooo serious in that last picture....

 I went a little overboard with the Easter-y stuff. The photo editor I used though didn't have bunny ears, sadly. There are 8 eggs in all, happy hunting!!

Picture Fun

My 2012 Valentine's Day Flower Collage....(drumroll please).....

Fred likes flowers. And he's very photogenic at times. My favorite is the purple iris with Fred in the background. Here's a better picture of it by itself:

Didn't that turn out cool?  I wouldn't call myself a photographer by any means, but every now and then I feel like I snap a good one. 

Here's a couple other random pics I played around with:

If you have any experience in art or photography and somehow stumble on this blog, I will gladly accept any constructive criticism.  :)

Picture Overload

Ben's digital camera broke a few years ago and I have never gotten my own digital camera (still have the camera that takes film, which [sidenote] is a funny story because at family get-togethers, if there is a young kid around, they always want to see the picture I just took and I have to always disappoint them because my camera isn't digital so they aren't able to see the picture....and usually they don't understand that concept since they're growing up in a world that's all digital). Anywho we got married in June and received some money at the wedding and I told Ben "hey lets finally get a digital camera on our honeymoon and we'll have all these awesome pictures, blah blah" and he said "no lets save the money and just buy disposable cameras for the honeymoon" (and no Ben I won't let you live that down, haha). Well we made a pact then and there that we would get a digital camera on Black Friday. So we did (I made sure of it, haha)! We got a good deal and I've been trying to take lots of pictures....but I typically forget to put them on the computer.... so get ready for picture overload!

                                                Fred and the new vacuum are not friends

                                           playing with the macro function on the camera, 

                                  these are some really cool coasters we got as a 

                                                       wedding present

                                                            aww what a little angel

                                                             stickin' his tongue out

                                              accidentally had the flash on but gosh
                                        what pretty green eyes he has!!!
                                                  (he's curled up in a ball here)

                                              hard to tell but the note says 
                                          "Happy Valentine's Day, I Love You" 
                                                and inside is reese's! Yay!

He also got me flowers, but I will share those pictures in another post. I'm trying to take pictures of them everyday because when i got them, the buds were still closed, but they're opening up a little more everyday. I want to make a little picture collage of them opening up. They're verrrrry pretty! :)

Well, it's someone special's birthday today and I need to go decorate and run some errands before he gets home, so toodleloo!