Personal Update

Think Positive!

No really. Think positive. We've been having a rather unique time and haven't necessarily been unbusy. I've been working on creating new items for the craft swaps that I'm participating in. This includes craft concept sketches, shopping for extras and pattern drafting. This might not sound like much to some people, but drafting a pattern can be a bit complicated since not every pattern is as easy as I first imagine it to be while creating the piece in my head.

This was the outgoing package for the #disneySKswap

Each craft swap package is unique, and it's a lot of fun trying to tailor the contents to my swap partner's tastes. This one was a fan based swap working around Disney themed characters. I made a pillow, a toy lizard, and some blank notecards. Most of my extras ended up being Frozen themed though because it's easy to find things from Frozen currently.

I've also been working on planning future projects for here. This includes various article drafting, as well as networking. We even have another writer joining us. But I won't go to far into that because I don't want you to be disappointed if anything falls through.

Beyond that work is about the same as always. Easter wasn't horrible, in fact it was kind of fun. We made chocolate, and the kids ate chocolate. I got to play FFXIV online, and worked on leveling my white mage character, although I'm still more fond of my summoner. Last weekend I worked on leveling my fisher class. I guess I just like low key classes.

Hrm, not much else to talk about right now. But things are going well. I can explain more in depth over time I suppose, but it's not like any of you want to hear about the nonsense of daily life.

Special events are coming up, and there'll be posts about them so keep tuned. Also there's a few artist's spotlights in the works, but I won't spoil the surprise of who they're about.

In any case, hope the rest of your week goes well. Stay magical, you've got this!

A Short But Well Deserved Update

I know that you haven't really been seeing a lot of new content from me of late. Well, not even collected content for music Monday. To be quite honest I've just been a little busy and I haven't had time to write. That and not having a laptop or computer at home puts a crimp in my ability to create content while offline anyway. But that's not an excuse.

So just ~what~ have I been doing?

Reading, a LOT of reading. I read 2 books this past week, and when I get a chance I will post about them. I even started making notes about them hard copy so I don't forget my thoughts. But as I'm sure you already guessed, the ones that I'm reading lately are fiction. Though some of you may be relieved to hear I've also been slowly devouring a book on the mafia's past in Buffalo.

I've also been working. I've got a nice temp job right now. 5 days a week, Monday through Friday. They have me making outgoing calls which is fun. I just wish more people actually wanted to talk to me.

My weekends have been rather eclectic as to what's been going on. I don't even know where to begin. I've been doing things with my family and friends, and enjoying their company.

Some of the things that I've been up to I really wish I could have blogged about. Some of you might have really enjoyed the Wild Renaissance event that Hawks Creek is holding. Unfortunately it's a little late now for me to do a full posting about the event. This weekend (starting tomorrow) they'll be having a variety of types of entertainment. It's very educational, on flat land, and kid friendly. Also it supports the safety of the animals that calls Hawks Creek home. We attended the event on July 12th, and it was worth the time. JUST REMEMBER TO WEAR SUNSCREEN!

And did I mention? They have an awesome Draconology exhibit?

 

Anyway. Let's see, before that what was I up to? It really is hard to remember everything sometimes. Not to mention backlogging the events like this. But I feel bad leaving you out like I have been. Ah, I know what else I should tell you about. The Fourth of July.

 

Now I know a lot of you had fun things to do on the Fourth of July. Whether it was attending a party, or a parade, or maybe going on a picnic. But I got to be ~in~ a parade with some of my family and members of the church that I kinda grew up in. But it was an interesting experience for a few different reasons.

 

 

1. We did karaoke from the float. No really, we did. There were TV's on the sides and folks walked a couple of microphones down along the sides to try and get the audience to participate. (Plus look at that sky in the picture! It was a GORGEOUS day for a parade.)

 

2. There was a float full of oompa loompas to our left. As in like, a whole miniature Willy Wonka factory. It was absolutely adorable.

 

3. There was this little blue car that was neat in front of us, called a Playboy. What's interesting about this is that they weren't in production very long, but were built in Buffalo, NY. Plus there aren't very many of them around according to the website, so it was a treat to see one in person. You know, that old adage of "They do exist!"

 

4. Zombie Emergency Response Operations. I don't even know where to go o this one. Let's just say the little dark person inside of me gleefully found their participation amusing. Though, they were lacking any zombies.

 

Anyways, I think that's all that I want to tell you about for now. There were some other events that I've attended as well, but I'm sure the rest of the world has been informing you about them. Besides I need to get ready for my next adventure. I'll be sure to let you know how it goes as soon as I can.

 

Keep the magic alive, Believe in yourself.

 

Just Visiting : SeaWorld San Diego

Okay, so this past week I was treated to a unique and interesting experience.  Rather, to me it was rather unique because I'd never been to SeaWorld before. At least, not that I know. Let me just say this, it was a very interesting place to go and there's really a lot to see.

SeaWorld San Diego
500 Sea World Dr
San Diego, CA 92109

Now, when they told me we were going to SeaWorld, I was kinda intrigued. Because I didn't really know what to expect. So I decided we were going to bring home Shamu in the trunk. I was told nope, and shrugged. I was surprised to find out how big they really are. But they're adorable too. But I'm really kind of getting a head of myself I think.

Ok so everyone knows that there are a lot of animals at SeaWorld. And a lot of things there are educational, and it's interesting to have the chance to actually touch some of the animals. I really liked the tide pool area. I got to pick up and look at a live starfish. I found out that it's actually called a bat star. (aiiii! See there are bat's in the ocean!) Bat Stars come in different colors, and the reason isn't really for anything beyond basic genetics. It's the same sort of thing that decides if we're going to be a blond, brunette, or a ginger.

I also got to poke at a sea urchin, which I was surprised to see wiggle it's stick like pokey barbs around when I gently poked them. THEN it started it sprouted little tendril things which I found out are it's feet. None of the tide pool animals move very fast though. I even got to poke a sea anemone which felt like a wet sticky rubber band.

I also liked getting to pet marshmallow fish again. AKA rays. They really do feel like wet marshmallows. I love how they move in the water, they kind of flip they're fins and tails so elegantly in the water. They're amazing to watch and seem so sweet.

The whales though. Just...WOW, I never really realized how big they really are. Or that they could splash so much. At the  Shamu Show, Polka Dot and me sat in t he splash zone (partially because the night before he had told me that I wasn't being very courageous so I wanted to prove him wrong.) Yeah... by the time the whales were done splashing at the end of the show I looked like a drowned rat, and Polka Dot was very cranky and complaining that his sneakers were wet, and all his clothes were wet. But I didn't care, I think it was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed it. I hadn't expected it, but I really did enjoy it.

Alright, so I know some of you were hoping to see something more interactive. Unfortunately I haven't gotten the piranha feeding video edited yet. I'll probably post the piranhas in the future, but for now it's on the back burner due to real life timing issues. So, for now here is a video of the whale show that someone kindly posted to you tube. So you can see why Polka Dot ended up all wet and cranky.

All in all, SeaWorld is a very enjoyable place to visit. I would definitely enjoy going again if I ever have a chance to in the future. But I learned a lot, and had a chance to see some things I never really ever would have thought about getting to see. So if you're thinking about going, you should. It's totally worth it.

Kingdom Rock VBS @ Reformation Lutheran

I will do a write up explaining these videos a bit more later on. I'm just a little tired atm. But here's a short video update.

 

Long Video of VBS Opening Day 3

Just Visiting : Timken Museum

So it's been a little bit since we told you about anything that there is to see or do. So today We want to share the Timken Museum with you. There are a few different reasons that we can recommend you go to the museum. One is that it has a variety of older art pieces. Another is that it isn't going to be an expensive stop.

The museum is home to a variety of artworks. From various artists around the world, and spanning a large amount  of time. There are some gorgeous religious paintings, as well as some beautiful pastoral scenes. In the American paintings area, the nautical theme is wonderful. Not to mention a lady holding a viper in her cup. It made me pause to wonder what the painter was trying to say.

There is even a Rembrandt painting in the collection. It's very dark, but it's still a lovely painting to get to see. It's not every art museum that has one. It's the kind of thing that's nice to be able to tell people that you got to see. At least, if you're interested in more classical art and history.

The people that supervise the museum are also very knowledgeable. So if you have a question they might have the answer. The museum does do special exhibits. So make sure to check their website, they may be showing a "new" painting you haven't seen before. This helps to offer different pieces for viewing and appreciation.

The Timken Museum is open with free admission 10:30am - 4:30 pm Tuesday through Saturday.  So don't bother trying to get in on a Monday. They're also closed for major holidays.'Located in Balboa Park in downtown San Diego, it can be found near a number of other destinations of interest. While admission is free, they do appreciate donations as a way to help keep the paintings and art pieces available for public viewing.

Timken Museum of Art
1500 El Prado
Balboa Park
San Diego, California 92101

Through The Camera Lens

The world we live in is a place full of beautiful things. We often take it for granted, used to it's existence in our lives. When someone takes a moment to reflect on it though, we are amazed. Sometimes we have forgotten that the world can be beautiful. We get into this space in our minds where it is all ugly. But it is only as ugly as we want it to be. There is always something beautiful to be seen.

When I have a camera in my hands, I want to take pictures of everything I see. It doesn't matter what it is. I just want to be able to remember it. I will admit here, that my memory isn't all that good, I forget things very fast, and pictures are one of the things I have figured out that helps me to stay cohesive. But that's a whole different bushel of bananas.

When it comes to taking a picture, there is no right or wrong in my opinion. The purpose of the picture is to capture something that you see with your own eyes,enabling you to see this view in the future. Cloud formations, plants, animals, they are all different every time you see them. Although some people will say that they aren't I pose this questions. Are they permanent fixtures? Clouds move, rain falls, animals run and burrow. Plants change as the seasons move in turn. What you see one day may be gone the next, in some cases far faster than in others.

So what do we take pictures of? Should we just take them haphazardly for no reason? No, that's not what I'm trying to get  you to do. Instead you should think about what you're taking a picture of. Because when someone asks you what a picture is of or what it is for, you should have something to say.

An example. The other day Polke A. Dot and I went to Balboa Park. It was a rather busy day at the park, and there were a lot of people there. I was very surprised by this fact. We ended up slightly lost, though it meant we got to see a few areas in the park I hadn't seen yet. I was impressed by the beautiful buildings there (I always seem to be, every time I go there something new pops out at me).

We were walking around enjoying the slight breeze and people watching. When I noticed the interesting detailing along the building that houses the Sporting Museum here in San Diego. It's reminiscent of Aztec or Mayan work, and it's lovely. So here are two of the pictures that I took. They are very simple, and focus mostly on one thing.

Now why is it that out of all the pictures I took that day(around 15), These are the two that I like? For one thing they are timeless. There is no time in the picture, no people, no animals, nothing living. The top one does have some shadowing and light dabbling from the sunlight getting through the trees, but it adds to the shadowing in the sculpt detailing. The second one though, with the shift from the usual perspective is probably my favorite picture I took while we were at the park. I just like the way it feels.

You don't have to just take pictures people will immediately recognize. I wouldn't have a clue what these pictures were actually of if I hadn't taken them myself. So remember that what you see through your camera lens can be used for many things. Don't play it safe forever, especially now that many of us are using digital cameras. There's no film to develop, it's a low commitment level...

Take the picture!

Awesome Fish and Chocolate Scented Flowers

I hope you enjoy this bit of footage we took when we visited the Botanical Building last week (on May 1st), the same day that we visited the MOPA. We were tickled by the large koi to be seen in the lily pond.

Now the MOPA was no camera's allowed, so sorry... No images inside..... next time we go somewhere We will let you know about it.

St. Patrick's Day in San Diego

Okay, so we didn't really do much for the holiday. THOUGH We did have the double stuffed Arby's sandwich's they had special for saint patrick's day. >.> But Here's a little bit from what we did get to see. I caught about half an hour in video clips, I'd merge them into one video, but I don't exactly feel like it, since they're not perfect splices anyway. And yeah, I know it's been almost a month since the holiday, but I just managed to find enough time to upload the files. >.>

So here's what I got. I hope you enjoy it. Oh! Yeah, it is kind of educational, because we managed to find a spot right next to where the announcers were that were telling people about each group participating in the parade. So in my opinion, that's a good thing because you can hear some stuff about the city and learn something.

Everyday Magic

Everyone is looking for something different to do or see now and then. Now, back in Buffalo our Disney stores closed down and aren't around anymore. So one of the things that I was curious to find out was if there was one around here in San Diego. And there is. When we hopped off the trolly they had a giant key behind the counter, and I was curious as to what it was for. The salesperson explained that every morning they use the key to start the day, opening up the imagination. Also she said if you come it's possible to get your own key to imagination if you're chosen to use the key.

Hrmmm... now where is everyone and why is it so quiet?

See Proof! We were there!*points at Polke a Dot in the picture near the key hole*

Lucky Little kids ^_^

Just a Day Out

Today was a bit of a change of pace.  We went out and did a little bit of nothing. Just spent some time looking at stuff that we don't need and can't afford. But it was kind of nice to see Polke laughing and looking at stuff. Sometimes it seems like he isn't really interested in much more than his video game anymore. But he had some fun out of the house.

We went to the Tierrasanta park and had lunch. We packed it here at home. I was going to take some pictures at the park, but there wasn't really much there to take pictures of. It was more like the park at the end of O'Connell Ave(pardon if my spelling is off, am a bit tired atm), With some sports fields and a playground and things. What makes it a bit different than the park in Buffalo is the fact that they had two or three buildings there for indoor activities.

One building housed some basketball courts. The other one was a pool building. I saw another building there that looked like a large gazebo, But I'm not sure what that one was for. It's a nice looking facility to be honest, but when I was thinking about going to the park for a picnic, this kind of location wasn't exactly what I had in mind. It was nice to watch some parents playing catch and kick ball with their kids, and there were a number of people playing baseball and basketball.

One thing that I saw while we were there that was interesting may seem a bit silly when I mention it, but I thought it was interesting so I took a picture to show you.

Yeah, You're not seeing things. It's a soda machine in a cage. I don't think I've ever seen one of these before. Polke says that it's a common practice here. If it is, it's not as common in the area's that we've been going to as he thinks. But that's alright.

The other thing I saw today that I thought was AMAZING was at the Lego store in fashion valley mall. Remember how I mentioned we looked at things we didn't need or afford? Well, this was SUPER cool, and we definitely don't need it. But we both thought it looked like a lot of fun to maybe make. So I took a picture just because we could.

Mhm! It's R2D2 made out of Lego's. XD. I thought it was interesting, so I took a picture of it. They had a few other neat Star Wars kits completed and on display, but this is the only one that really interested me. If the store hadn't been so full of kids we might have gone a bit further in and looked at some of the other things that they had there. But because it was as full as it was at the time we only stayed in the front of the store.

Anyway, that's a little about the way our day out went. Thanks for reading. Remember, we miss you and you can always drop either of us an email or a message in the comment section here on the blog. As an added bonus for the day here's a music video for a song that I've found enjoyable, and kind of expresses how I feel about some things lately.

More shots from the Bay

At the Bay : Sea Dragon

More Info about this sculpture HERE and HERE

At The Bay : Unconditional Surrender

Absolutely gorgeous statue, bringing a well known photograph to 'life' in a larger than life manner.

More Info HERE

Salute to Bob Hope

More information on this Piece HERE It lists what/who the statues each are.

Info about Bob Hope & WWII HERE

Check out some video of Bob  Hope performing a Christmas show (1968) in Vietnam HERE

Going To The Bay!

Ok so Here is the video that I took today when we went to the bay. It may not be the best, But it is better than nothing! AND In the future I will hopefully have better videos. So I do apologize for these ones being a bit odd. But at least you can see some of what we have around here ^_^. MISS YA!