Pieces of you...

(Well, D.Brown... you're not the only one that can use song titles for post titles! Haha!)

Anyway... well, for starters, I need to tell you guys... I've been "tagged." Michael Norwood is actually one of the three inspirations for this post. You see... Norwood has an awesome photography blog. (It's over <---------there. In the margin. Check it out if you haven't already!) He's also "too cool for school." In my world, "too cool for school" doesn't necessarily mean that you are truly cool. It means that you're a generally cool person, but you THINK you are even cooler than you are. I can say that about him because I say it about myself. I know I'm too cool for school. And, one of the indications that I'm too cool for school is that I use phrases like "too cool for school."

Back on track... So, yeah, I pull up Norwood's blog today to check things out, see if he's FINALLY updated. He has. (Not with pictures, of course, but whatev.) It's funny, though, because he's apparently been tagged multiple times with the same thing. And, he's FINALLY succumbed. I figure, hey, if he can do it, so can I! What is it, you ask? It's sharing eight "things" about myself that maybe you don't already know. And, then it's picking four more bloggers to do the same. And it goes on, and on, and on.

Here's the problem, though. I can't do it. I've tried. I just CANNOT come up with eight things! It's like, I had a hard enough time coming up with ONE interesting fact about myself to share with each and every college class I took however many years ago! You know? Sheesh. I HATED that. Ha! I tried all afternoon & this evening to come up with things. I asked Curt. His response? "Ummm... you're pretty open on your blog. There's probably nothing they DON'T know." Gee. Thanks. But, so as not to let Brenda and Haylee down... I'm giving it a go. (For those of you keeping track, they are my other two inspirations for this post since they are the ones that tagged me!) I don't want to hear any complaints about how BORING these things are. Got it!?!

1. I love pirates. No, I mean, really love them. (Yes, many of you know this. But, wait until the fourth to the last sentence. I should be embarrassed.) And, I just have to say, this has been a long-time love. It started FAR before pirates were fashionable. Just sayin'. I realized this when I realized that many of my favorite childhood "things" were pirate related. My favorite ride at Disneyland was Pirates of the Caribbean. My favorite movie was (really it still is) The Goonies. I also really loved Pippi Longstocking. I have no shame about it, either. I tell silly pirate jokes and form my hand into a hook, close one eye and growl ARGGHHH! No shame. :-) It embarrasses the hubster, really. Makes it even more fun...

2. I absolutely CANNOT stand repetitive sounds. Ask my kids about this. If you want to see me go from laid back & relaxed to a totally insane loon... just make some obnoxious repetitive, preferably on a beat, sound. Can't. Stand. It.

3. In high school, I played the trumpet. I liked it. And I was good.

4. The hubster & I dated for four months before becoming engaged and got married two and a half months later.

5. On that note, we basically eloped. Our wedding date was set for June 3rd. Somewhere around the second week of March, we decided we'd just go get married. March 16th, we were married. :-)

6. Green beans make me barf. Literally. I can't even smell them without gagging. It's the only food like that for me. Weird.

Is this enough? I'm at a total loss.

7. Oh. Okay... I hate Star Wars. My first two memories of life were of Star Wars, and they were both TERRIFYING. I hate it to this day. Although, my youngest daughter does something we affectionately call "the chewie," and I think it's pretty stinkin' funny.

8. I can build a camp fire. A real campfire. No lighter fluid, no purchased fire wood. Nothing. I can build it from scratch and start it with flint. Seriously.

There. I made it through!

And, now, for the second part of this whole thing... I'm supposed to "tag" a few others. So, I'm tagging:

• my hubster (bwahahaha)


• Jeanette


• Indie Anna (I just figured this out, and I think it's TOO stinkin' cute!)


• Lauren


• Denise


• Dawn


• Christie

And, because I'm just THAT clever, the second part of my post also aptly falls under the "pieces of you" title...

Yesterday, I decided to have a little play with the 50mm f/1.4 because, well, I just don't like it. At all. I thought I should give it another chance. But, you know me, I like to shoot wide open. It's GOT to be sharp wide open, or we're done. So, all these shots were at f/1.4. They were really just to test the focus. I wasn't thinking about composition, an artistic element, or anything. But, looking back on them now, I pretty much love how they came out. I don't care if the crops (which are all in camera) are weird. I don't care about much of any of that. It's my Maya...pudgy little dimpled hands & everything. :-)