Friday, July 31, 2009

Turns out beets are good. Darn good.

Last night Nick and I went to our friend's new house that they just finished building with some of Nick's coworkers and their wives. Their new house is totally beautiful, up on Tablerockish — and I am hoping to be moving in within the week. I don't think it should be an issue. They have some extra bedrooms downstairs that I am sure they would be quite comfortable in.


Laura, Jed's wife, was the hostess with the mostest. She totally busted out some amazing apps like shrimp and what I was told was a yummo dipping sauce, little feta stuffed flatbreads with bruscetta topping and beets with blue cheese crumbles in endive boats. Everything was so prettyyyyy! She picked up the tomatoes for her bruscetta from a lady's garden in Ketchum. I was salivating when she spooned it on. And then we just sat there. Nobody pulled the trigger for far too long. I didn't want to be the first to annihilate the spread so I waited. It was probably a whole 45 seconds but it felt like a lifetime. Finally..we feasted.

Naturally ((I say naturally like I have had the camera more than a week) I busted out the camera and started totally tooling out with the food. It was embarrassing but hopefully I can return soon, with my suitcases. It was a great night. They opened a bottle of some wine that they made and it was freaking delish! But yes, back to these little beet wonders. The closest I have come to a beet was moving it to the side when someone accidentally put one on my salad. Let me tell you, they are goo-ood. Like any self respecting food lover would do I piled around 17 in my mouth which was probably not socially acceptable seeing as how we probably started with 20. These pics turned out like junk. So....THIS is why people use tripods? Intriguing.




They have these totally sweet bears, er I mean dogs. They are darling. I tried to snap a few pics but they didn't really come out. Bluryy McBlurrington.



Brooke

Laura and Natalie

Jed opening the wine that they crafted in Walla Walla Woop Woop

Hagrid's wine goblet. Note Harry Potter reference. He would be the giant. Yes I went to the midnight showing opening night. No I didn't wear a cape. Yes, I wished I did.

Homeboy himself.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Photoshopping bafoon

I know that "real" photographers try to get the image perfect, or close to SOOC (straigh out of camera) so they have to do very little post-production work in photoshop. Good for them. I envy them. But as previously stated, I am a designer who got my hands on a camera and know nothing about it. So, after reading tips from one of my favorite blogs, thepioneerwoman.com I downloaded some of her actions as well as purchased actions from Doug's Totally Rad Actions for the bargain price of $150 and worth every penny just a week in. Here are some before and after shots.
Before
Shutter: 1/50
Aperture: f/3.2
Focal Length: 50mm
ISO: 250

After

Before

Shutter: 1/1600
Aperture: f/1.8
Focal Length: 50mm
ISO: 200

After

A dark day for Nick

The day that most people bring home a shiny new car is usually a day full of excitement and glee. The kind where you find yourself walking by the window to casually sneak a peak outside or slowly drive by large windows so you can see how you look cruising in your new wheels. Oh...you guys didn't do that? Me neither. Today Nick traded in his 1991, impeccably maintained and cared for (until he took it over) Cadillac DeVille. The very same one that his uncle bought brand new off the lot and loved so much that he hooked the hood ornament to the horn so that if some squibly kid tried to steal it the horn would honk.

Here is a direct quote, "Its sad. Like when they have to shoot ol’ yeller.
“… you like this cadi? It will make you run cooler, make you feel like you’re running good as new.” Until they destroy your engine block and dismantle your body piece by piece in the scrap yard. And we will replace you and forget you ever existed with a foreign made car with stiff suspension and 4 cylinders instead of 8 prancing ponies."


Today Nick made the trade using the government Cash for Clunkers deal. The trade was for a shiny, black 2009 Subaru Forester and I would put money down that Nick thinks the dealership got the good deal getting his old ride. Unfortunately, Uncle Sam requires all traded vehicles to be demolished immediately. This was a hard fact for him to swallow and I am pretty sure that I saw a single, lone tear sneak out of his eye as we drove away. IN HIS BRAND NEW CAR I MIGHT ADD.

This morning he had to put some AntiFreeze in the Cadi so it could make the trip for the big swap. Lady Liberty requires all of her cars be drivable to qualify for the deal. Below are some final moments of Nick with his baby.

Fake Smile. Notice the pain in his eyes?

Here is Nick adding the juice.

So long old friend. We've had some great times.


Even Gus was upset watching us drive away.

But alas, there is a happy ending. Window tint and rack come Friday.

Monday, July 27, 2009

Trip to CDA

Here are some pics from our trip to Coeur d'Alene this weekend.

Gus on the way up...lips flapping in the wind.

Heather and Jason after their triathlon in Coeur d'Alene. Heather tied for second in her age group. Crazy!

Nick and the bean.

Doug golfing at the 10 year reunion.

Big Joe on the course.

Nick and Doug golfing.

Nick losing a bet on the course. Longest drive. Sorry Nick.

My mother-in-law, Kathy.

Nick about to drive his mom's new car. He had a nerdy grin the entire time. The kind where he was trying not to smile.

Gus' cousin, Boomer.

Kaylee Bean

I was able to take some pics of my niece, Kaylee, this weekend. It was really fun but a bit of a challenge because she is mobile right now. Right when I would get the focus set she would be running away. haha. Those blue eyes kill me.











And her daddy

Friday, July 24, 2009

First official photo with 50mm 1.8 lens

I didn't set this up or do anything cool but my lens just came to my desk at work when I was sitting here eating my tacos from Chronic Taco (which thankfully just redeemed themselves). I litterally just pulled it out of the box and shot this without playing with any settings so it isn't special at all. Or really in focus but I think that I have just started my secret love affair with the lens, and the taco. Yes, that's grease. No, it's not a good photo.

We be jammin

These pics are awful but I promise that you would love them if you could smell them. Last night I made some huckleberry jam with the fruit we picked last weekend. We even had enough to do all huckleberries instead of cutting them with blueberries (the wannabe huckleberry as my husband calls them). By tonight we should be able to dig in! Got about 5 jars out of the batch. Tasty!