Mosaic Life

Say cheese

So since my dad got me a rad new camera for an early birthday/graduation gift, I’ve been thinking about what it would be like to become a photographer on the side for things like weddings, children’s photos, and graduation pictures. And so I’ve checked out some work done by other photographers.

Hi-larious, my friends. I don’t know what goes through the heads of some photographers. They want something cute, something different, something poignant. And somehow they don’t think through what the pretty picture might make people think in the end. For instance, one photographer set up a toddler on a cute little red chair on the train tracks. Did you hear me? On the friggin’ train tracks my friends, no lie. Hello, social services? I have photographic evidence that these parents are negligent to their photogenic kid, and are probably standing on the side, twisting their curly mustaches and laughing like the villains in old movies. Let’s see, what else? Oh, having babies of the opposite sex (no relation to me), naked, spooning. Might I mention this was done in the South? We have enough jokes about incest as it is, y’all. And then there was a picture of a bride, alone, out on the dock. She’s laying there, looking at her own reflection like Narcissus, or maybe pondering taking her own life rather than entering into the bonds of marriage. Oh, and then she heads out to the woods alone, followed only by the camera person. The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I’ve got promises to keep…

So anyway, if I ever did decide to take up photography, I’d have to be sure and think through how the pictures might be perceived, because I’m sure there are snarkier people than me who will critique my work.

Face to the book

In my Communications class last fall, we discussed the scary and wonderful world of Facebook. My professor (who, funny enough, is now one of my Facebook friends) expressed her wonder at it, since we all have a collection of selves that we present to different people. For instance, the crass yet hilarious joke I might tell to one friend might be something I’d never utter in front of, oh, say, my Communications teacher. Or the way that I boldly proclaim my political beliefs in front of my friends who I know share them, yet politely abstain from argument or disturbing the peace with those who don’t. To many of my coworkers, I’m quiet but friendly, and I probably seem fairly reserved. So I agree, I do change a bit from group to group.

My professor, at the time, found Facebook troubling. How can we reconcile the selves that we create for different reasons? I didn’t find this idea troubling at all at first. I thought it could actually be very good. It could force us to show others who we really are, and they can accept us or not. But then again, it could also force us to play down who we really are, for fear that others will be put off by what they see.

I suppose it’s also similar with blogging. When I start thinking too much about just who might be reading, I find that I tone things down, hold back with some of the honesty, and in a sense defeat the purpose of an online journal, depending on exactly what my purpose is on a given day.

Cuteness update

We saw our niece and nephew over Labor Day weekend, and I can’t believe how fast they are growing up. They’re already 4 months old.

Rylan is starting to look more and more like my sister, with her brown eyes and defined eyebrows (a trait which we share). She’s a happy baby, and it doesn’t take much to get her to smile and laugh at you. Of course, I’m not usually the type to make very exaggerated facial expressions, especially happy ones, but these babies manage to get it out of me.

Dawson has gotten so big. He’s 15 1/2 pounds and has a death grip on him. It’s funny because when you’re holding him, he squirms as if he’s got places to go, people to see, and he’s in a hurry, yo. But I’m like, dude, you just mastered holding up your head and you just spit up on my flip flop. Slow down.

When you lay them next to each other, a lot of times they’ll hold hands on their own. I mean, sure, they probably have no idea what they’re doing really, but it’s still really sweet. I must admit that sometimes Rylan will use that time to pinch her brother on the ear. Did I mention that I pinched like crazy when I was little? She’s taking after her auntie. How sweet.

His word is his bond

Things are super busy with work, which is pretty much the usual when returning from a long weekend. So, I’ll provide the usual blog about my weekend and all of that later, when things slow down. In the meantime, here’s a bit of a conversation to tide you over.

Commercial for pregnancy test: …It is the most sophisticated piece of technology that you will ever pee on.

Brandon: Says you!

Wendy: Is that a promise or a threat?

Brandon: That’s a promise.

Monday again

Wow, it’s another Monday already. My weekend was fairly boring but productive. I wrote two papers for my last two summer classes. It was raining outside, so I really didn’t feel like I was missing out on anything outside the walls of our apartment. Oh, and by the way, I’m totally done with Hitchcock and Shakespeare! Woo! I mean, they’re nice and all, but I’m ready to move on to… Let’s see. World Lit, the classics to the Rennaissance and Media Writing. That should be entertaining.

Apparently the high today is in the upper seventies, which is insane. This is Hot-lanta, and it is August. I don’t care if it is raining, usually the temperatures do not go that low until, let’s see, October. So I’m all about this weather. It means that it’s cool enough to take a nap in my car during my lunch break, and I have missed those naps so much during the hot summer. I’m definitely the type of person that can’t function without a midday nap. Why doesn’t America have siesta time? That would be so awesome.

The other Georgia

So now that Georgia is on the news for being attacked by Russia, it’s got to be sort of confusing for people at first. Especially people who weren’t very aware that there were two of them to start with. I know when I first saw the news, I did a double-take and wondered why I hadn’t noticed that sort of thing. I can be incredibly oblivious sometimes when I’m focused on other things, but I’m pretty sure that bombs or fires would pull my attention away from my usual musings as I drive to work/school. But then I realized that it was the other Georgia they were talking about and did what most other Americans probably did. I muttered “oh, that’s a relief” and cared about 85% less about it.

But here’s the thing. Even though the state I reside in isn’t the only Georgia, aren’t we the most popular one? Shouldn’t they have to qualify it when they’re talking about the other one by adding “you know, that little country in Europe somewhere, not the U.S. state”? I think it would avoid a lot of confusion that way. And I’m all about avoiding confusion.

He’s still around

I realized I haven’t blogged very much about Monster lately, and that my Flickr content has been overwhelmed with pictures of my niece and nephew rather than our gray beast. Rest assured, he’s doing quite well. In fact, we’re thinking about potty training him! (If you click on the link, you’ll find lots of videos of cats using the toilet; you are welcome.) That’s right, if you come over to our place in the next few months, you could very well have to wait your turn at the bathroom door while our cat takes a squat. After that maybe we’ll teach him to eat with a fork and spoon and drive the car to Steak ‘n Shake. The sky is the limit, my friends. The sky is the limit.

Happy Friday!

Yay, it’s Friday. I have one week left in my Shakespeare and Hitchcock classes. I can’t believe they’re nearly over. I do like 8-week classes though, because we get right to the important stuff and it’s over quickly. You get a nice sense of accomplishment afterward, so that’s good too.

In a few days we’ll have lived in Georgia for 2 years. Isn’t that crazy? I feel like we just left California yesterday. When we first moved here, we lived in campus housing, which was pretty much a complete dump, especially compared to the nice apartment we left. I remember standing in the empty apartment, looking at the elementary school-style carpet, still sweating from the heat and humidity outside, and having this panicky what-have-we-done sort of feeling. At first, I hated Atlanta. I didn’t know my way around, it was hot and disgusting outside, we didn’t know anyone. But it got better. I got a job. Fall came. The trees changed colors and the temperature began to drop. We made friends. We moved out of that 400-square foot dump and into a nicer apartment. Things got so much better in less than a year.

After our visit back to California in July, people asked me if I missed it. I do. It was a beautiful place to live. When they ask where I like living better, it’s harder to answer. Both places are so very different. Southern California has amazing weather all year long, but fall and spring in Atlanta are gorgeous. I will say that it feels like it’s easier to make friends here in Georgia, but that may be because Brandon’s in seminary, so there are more people that have similar lives and interests to hang out with. Plus, it seems like there were more beautiful people in SoCal, and they have awful personalities. I’m sure they mean well, though.

Fall classes

Signed up for fall semester tonight. Here’s the lineup:

Special Topics in Writing: Media Writing

World Literature: The Classics Through the Rennaissance

The Italian Rennaissance

World Literature: The Enlightenment to the Present

Should be good fun! Now I just have three more papers to write before the end of summer semester.

It seemed familiar

Driving through a quiet neighborhood somewhere in Atlanta:

Brandon: This is a really pretty area. I’ve never driven through here before.

Wendy: It is pretty. I don’t know if I’ve been here before; it seems familiar. I’ve probably gotten lost here at some point.

Brandon: You have.

Wendy: (laughing)

Brandon: No really, you have. I remember tracking it on Google maps.

Wendy: Seriously? I have the best sense of direction.