S.O.S.

Um, so there are a few things I need to update on:

1. My big 'puter is moderately sick, and I don't like editing photos on my laptop. Therefore, there are no photos for now.

2. The fact that there are no photos is just fine and dandy, since I've found out that I've already uploaded over 400 photos to THIS blog alone this past year. I've well surpassed my quota, but I love you all, and I want you to make me feel good by telling me you like my photos. It's pretty much what gets me through the day.

3. I have quite a few empty walls, and I'd like to go ahead and toot my own horn (weird expression) and hang some of my photos up. I'm painfully indecisive, and I'd like a little help, if you are willing :).

I'm going to put some pictures below, labeled with numbers, and I'd like y'all to leave a comment about the ones you like the best. I know exactly how many IP addresses read this blog and where they're from, so please don't be shy about voting. I'll be so flattered if you leave a comment at all, anonymous or otherwise :)!

Don't worry about color or type of photo (i.e. I'll take care of what room it will go in best, for example, I probably wouldn't put an artichoke picture in my living room, and I can edit colors to go with the decor better), just tell me what you like! Also, I'll take my dumb name copyright off all of the ones that have it, should I choose to print one of those. I'm so glad I'm over that :).

If you remember a picture from a previous post that you really like, but you don't see it up here, tell me! If you don't like leaving comments on the blog, please feel free to email me at lelas512 at live dot com. (Obviously at=@ and dot=. , just trying to keep away spammers).

Ok, here we go, in no particular order...

Picture 1: Borrego Desert

Picture 2: Flowers in Poway

Picture 3: Tall Grass on Poway Lake

Picture 4: Ladybug

Picture 5: Artichoke

Picture 6: Watered Strawberry Plant

Picture 7: Curious Bird

Picture 8: Railroad in NOLA

Picture 9: Ascending Sculpture

Picture 10: Blueberry Pie

Picture 11: Twisty Vine

Picture 12: Radio Flyer

Picture 13: Robin's Egg

Picture 14: Fountain Coins

Picture 15: Cactus

Picture 16: Propeller

Picture 17: Strawberry Shortcake

Picture 18: Mortar and Pestle

THANK YOU!!!!

Day 252-259: Mom and Dad are here!

The past few days my parents have been visiting in San Diego, and it's been a lot of fun. I hate having to balance working and spending time with family. I'm dealing with a lot of guilt (which is ridiculous, since I haven't actually seen my parents in almost a year now), but I'm working through it.

First stop on the list of things to do was visit the beach. We opted for La Jolla cove, since it was the only place we could find parking.

I normally avoid taking pictures of people I don't know, because it makes me look like a total weirdo. Since I was far away for the shot of this couple, I figured that it didn't count.

I don't think I'll ever get tired of the ocean.

I took my parents to the cove in La Jolla where seals like to hang out. We were able to get relatively close to them without disturbing them too much.

The seals were colorful little fellas. Okay, actually, the adult seals were large and in charge.

Hello, little baby seal! The wound on his neck breaks my heart.

Dad and his old hat.

The seals were everywhere! Oh boy, did they have personality. They were sleeping, yes, but while they were dreaming they would fidget, scratch, stretch and be cranky with one another. This doesn't remind me of my relationship with Tony one bit. No siree.

Gotcha, Dad.

Finally, I got a smile out of Tony!

The sun set on Coronado, and I became incapable of using my camera :(.

The cactus garden in Balboa Park is a very lovely, and very prickly place.

We can never have too many pictures of Tones, even if he is cranky in most of them.

Yeowch.

This barrel shaped cactus is definitely one of my favorites in the garden. It's just so...round.

Itty bitty bee pollenatin' the cactus.

Macro in-spek-shun.

Sigh. This picture makes my knees a bit wobbly.

Dad's a very curious person. Curiosity does not equal common sense.

I love the little lizards all around California. They are, however, in serious need of a mani-pedi.

Can you believe they've been married for 40 years?!? That's almost double my lifetime. Crazy!

Tony took this photo of a lizard, and I think it's really outstanding. Sometimes my little green jealousy alter-ego likes to rear its ugly head and get cranky about who's the better photographer. Let's go ahead and keep our opinions to ourselves, comprende?

After the cactus garden we went to the rose garden right next door. My momma said that this picture looked like it could go in a magazine. Who am I to turn down flattery, or a second opinion, for that matter?

This is my favorite color rose. Ever.

My mom and I had a little photo shoot in the arboretum of the rose garden. Turns out neither one of us is photogenic. Great.

This picture sums up my Dad very well.

This plant is crazy, it looks like it belongs in the ocean instead of the desert!

Here's a close up of the octopus plant. Further evidence for my theory that this plant actually belongs under the sea.

Day 239-251: Reflection.

I'm sorry I didn't post last weekend. Tony had a loss in his family, and I thought my time was much better spent with him than writing on this dang blog.

This being said, he's in Missouri right now, and I'm by my lonesome. I wish I could have been there, but the timing and the fiances were just no good.

Speaking of no good, I've been pretty awful about taking photos for the past few weeks. You'll forgive me, right? It's hard to keep up my running routine (I CAN RUN 2 MILES NOW!!??!), cook (which I don't really do anymore) and find time to take photos of cool stuff. Anyway, I hope you like the ones I've posted today. I'm not counting how many there are, but there are a few gems in there that probably count for double (or maybe quadruple).

Here are some oldies:

This is what I looked like when I was seventeen. Not much difference, even though this photo was taken nearly seven years ago.

I wrote a little story for my Dad's blog about my first car, a 1990 Ford Mustang convertible. Here's a few photos of me and my car back in high school.

I think what's changed most about me over the past few years is that my face has become much more angular and mature. I show you this next photo because I trust you, and Lord knows it should give you a good laugh. I was a relatively chubby kid, okay? I did ballet from the time I was about 2 until 16 or 17. Can you imagine me in a leotard at 10, the same age I am in this picture? I'm not trying to be self deprecating, but realistically, I must have looked like a light pink snausage. Don't get me started on my choice of clothing. I was playing dress-up, people. Back off.

I just got my hair cut today. I really, really love it. I feel sophisticated and modern. Too bad I'm still a graduate student. Ugh.

While dorking around on Photoshop, I noticed that my hair is alarmingly orange. See what happens when I sap all of the color out of a picture, except for the real color of my hair?

See. It's not fake, people. Lawsie mercy.

Man, it's boring around here without Tony. Look! Let's go back to ballet days and put our feet in first position! AHRGH! I'm holding up the sun with my first position feet!!! I need a hobby. Photography doesn't count, so just go ahead and put a sock in it.

I can't believe it's September. The pumpkin is allowed to come out now!

This is my pal, Sophie. We attempted an Indian dish called Aloo Palak last night. We may or may not have failed.

Then Sophie made ridiculous Congo bars. Sophie: "Ok, well I don't want to waste any of the ingredients, so I'm going to dump the entirety of any bag I brought with me into a pan and call it good." Oh boy, they were good.

Sophie can run, but she can't hide. Gotcha! The girl cracks me up :).