I’m having mixed feelings about it.  Since moving to ND, I just don’t have the photography opportunities I used to, or I don’t have the time. Lately, though, it’s been that I don’t have the inclination.  The thought of selling it all occurred when that massive tax bill hit earlier in the year. At that time it seemed inconceivable…thankfully I didn’t have to sell then. However, since that time I’ve realized that I seem to have lost my passion for it. Well, that and the bills that seem to continue with no end in sight. But who doesn’t have that to deal with?

I wonder how I could have lost something that seemed as important, to me, as breathing. But yet, it’s gone. Maybe instead of being so intent on photographing a “moment” maybe I am doing more to live in that “moment”?  I don’t know? I still have my little point and shoot that goes with me everywhere and fits in my purse. And for now, that is enough. Maybe the passion will return? Maybe not? In any event the technology is ever evolving and will continue to be available should I find that passion once again.

Here is where the blubbering idiot part comes in.  I stopped to pick up the mail because I knew I had a bunch of new books waiting for me…that, in itself, is cause for a Christmas-like glee in me. But what I found in my personal mailbox was more like a Christmas Miracle.

Our tax bill to the feds and the state is, in my small world, equivalent to the national war debt. And let this serve as a caveat for you should you ever decide to prematurely pull money out of your 401K…

I pulled money out of my 401K to pay some bills. When I requested the money my fund administrator took 20% off the top for the feds. What I didn’t know was that the feds were going to penalize me another 20% of the gross at tax time and the state took 10% of the gross to penalize me.  So 50% of the money I took out ended up going to the two governments…I was under the mistaken impression that the 20% taken at the time the funds were withdrawn was going to be the extent of it.  I was WRONG!!!

So back to my Miracle.  I’d been stressing since discovering how much our tax bill was going to be. We decided to file an extension and have an accountant go over it and make sure I didn’t screw-up anywhere, plus it would give me time to sell all my photography equipment to cover the bill. My photography equipment was the only thing I could think of that might get us close to covering the bill.

OK, here is the Miracle part…today in the mail was a check for about 80% of my tax bill! It came from the bank that we did business with in Las Vegas before we moved a couple of years ago. The explanation accompanying the bill says it’s a credit balance refund found in a final audit of an account we closed a few years ago.  Which means I don’t have to sell my equipment.  Just thinking about it makes me start crying all over again.  What can I say, I’m a blubbering idiot and an emotional basket case!

Brian keeps checking with me each day to see if I am ready to go back to Vegas.  Me, the gal who wore shorts throughout most of the winter, want to go back to Vegas…uh, no thanks. I will survive just nicely as soon as my parka gets here! Eeek! I thought my heavy duty thermal zippered hoodie would do the trick…WRONG! After I had to spend the better part of an evening under the house with Brian while gale force freezing winds were blowing up my pantleg, I realized I really needed more appropriate outerwear.  Brrrr…this was the day I understood the phrase, “Chilled to the bone!”.

It looks like I am finally going to get my White Christmas! I’m hoping I am anyway. Rochell and Grandma get here a week from Friday…I have a lot I want to get done in the house before they get here…but I should be good, provided I don’t procrastinate! LOL

Goodbye from our little Winter Wonderland…I’m sure there will be more later! TTFN!

Initially they wanted me to cover the Mott Varsity football game tomorrow but Brian and I are trying to get out of town for his birthday…so they asked me to cover the Mott Volleyball game on Tuesday, September 1st.  Should be interesting.  Wish me luck!  I’ll post what I submit next week.  In the meantime…have a wonderful weekend!

My only bitch was that I had some baby 70+ SPF sunscreen on my face that didn’t make it the whole day and I got FRIED!!!! But it was worth it in my book. I guess I have to “suffer for my art”…ROFL. Here are a couple more of my favorite shots:

You all have probably already figured out that I enjoy blogging.  What you may not know is that I really enjoy reading blogs, especially those of my friends and loved ones.

Here is where the frustration comes in.  My baby brother has a blog.  He has a blog that is my all-time favorite to read!!!  I’m torqued that he hasn’t updated said blog for over 3 months!!!!  I check it daily, hoping for a new post…but everytime I head over to “Poor Yorick’s Almanac”, I am met with the same, tired post about giving his brain away!  I’m sick of it! I’ve even posted a comment about it being way past time for a new post! I think if you are going to have a blog, you need to either post or get off the net!  So this is my attempt to kick him in the ass!  I know he reads and comments on my posts regularly, maybe instead of posting a comment to my post, he can spout off about what a snot his sister is on his own blog????

COME ON PORTER, I AM ISSUING A CHALLENGE, POST ALREADY!!!!!

I love you little brother!!!

Mimi was able to come, even with the early hour.  Breakfast in the Multi-Purpose Room started at 7:30 and was served until the bell indicating the start of school at 9am.

David got to have breakfast with Mimi, then they came to the courtyard where my pal, Jan and I were taking photographs to commemorate all the special people that came this morning.  Then David and Mimi checked out his classroom and the Scholastic Book Fair we have going on.

The PTA then has Jan and I process the photos and upload them to Costco’s photo department so the kids can have a memento of the day.  David loved having his Mimi there.  This was the first time she’d come to this particular event and David was in his element.  Me, I spent the whole time photographing the groups, maybe, one of these years, I will get to be the “someone special”???  Probably not, and that’s OK.

I’ve had some glass slides in various sizes for eons…never opened them let alone used them for anything.  I saw some soldered jewelry somewhere and decided I wanted to try it.  I bought a soldering iron, lead-free solder, and some flux…and it sat…never been opened.

Well…guess what??? I OPENED EVERYTHING!  And here is my first attempt.  I printed a photo of David and Santa that I just love!!!  It’s over 5 years old, but that doesn’t make me love it any less! I cropped and printed at 2″square, sandwiched it between two glass slides, put copper tape around the edges and soldered.  It’s not perfect, but it will get me through the holiday season!  I just want to find some ribbon to put through the paper clip I improvised.

Hmmm…wonder what I should try next??  Stay tuned.

Brian’s birthday subscription to Playboy arrived today.  He would be mortified that I am writing about this on my blog…but he doesn’t read my blog…so what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.  Kenny, I know you will be on the phone to him as soon as you finish reading this!

You might be wondering who got him the subscription to Playboy for his birthday.  Well, it was me.  Yep…I did it.  I am one of those women who does not have a problem with Brian reading Playboy.  I also don’t have a problem with him going to topless bars or watching the occasional “adult” movie.  Never have.  In fact, truth be told, I read the issues of Playboy from cover to cover, I’ve been to topless (bottomless, too!) joints, and watched adult movies, all with Brian.

But, back to Playboy.  Honestly, if you’ve never read it, you should.  There truly are some fantastic articles and from my photography perspective it is a great place to get some creative portraiture ideas.  Yeah, quit winking…I’m serious.

Seriously though, *wink, wink, nudge nudge*, I am the one that ultimately benefits…ya know?  Now all I have to do is find someplace to keep it from the prying eyes of the resident 9 year old.

Shooting the dogs (not literally-LOL) has to be the hardest.  Scooby (brown guy on the left) will actually listen to me…for short periods of time!  Daphne (little black devil dog below) doesn’t listen at all and usually will not allow me to get more than about 5 feet away from her.  It’s ok for her to leave my presence, but not the other way around!  She’s tough to photograph because she is so dark…the only color on her face is a little white around the muzzle…and if her mouth is open (usually is!) then you have some white and pink also.  Even her eyes are dark…the darkest brown, I’ve ever seen!  Most of the time she looks like she has little black beady eyes!  But she is a cute little thing…Damn dog!