Mayo & Ketchup

I was recently eating a burger and wanted some mayo and ketchup on it. So I grabbed some from the fridge and poured some on my burger.

I should have noticed the battered bottled. But I did not. And took the first bite of my burger.

And boy was it hot! hot! hot!

Turns out my son made some ultra hot barbecue sauce and poured it into an empty ketchup bottle. He also made some ultra spicy mayo and filled the empty mayo bottle with it.

Thanks guys! But can I have my regular ketchup and mayo please?

Mug

I got his free mug at work the other day and brought it home. Little did I know that it would create havoc in my house.

My sons told me that it was way uncool to bring a Texas A&M mug to our house. Way uncool. So uncool that it was almost abuse. I am only allowed to bring longhorn mugs home.

So now I have to give this mug away. I know at least one aggie fan so that's a good thing.

Vandalism

So my son went to see a concert in Austin downtown the other day. After the concert, he came back to the car and saw this. Someone had vandalized his car.

How rude!

Nothing was stolen from the car and most importantly he was safe.

But seriously. How very rude!

And what was the purpose of this? Someone trying to steal the car? I have no idea. As my son pointed out, there were more expensive cars parked out there.

My son was very crushed. But I told him to be thankful that he wasn't hurt. And the car was still there. We could get it fixed.

I wonder who goes around doing this. And what there intentions are. Do they go, "tonight I am going to go out with a baseball bat and damage some cars just for fun."

Do they not realize that bad karma will catch up with them?

I seriously feel sorry for whoever did this.

And all I can say is how very rude!

Michael Jackson

His music will never die.

May he rest in peace.

Fire

I've been busy fighting fires and working on tons of exciting stuff. It's all job related so I won't bore you with all that stuff. Suffice to say that I am excited about wrapping up projects, starting new and exciting ones.

Question: Are you working on an exciting project? Do tell! Or if you have written about it on your blog, do paste a link.

Happy Wednesday!

Sago Palm

My sago palm has two babies.

Now the trick is going to be digging the babies up and transplanting it into a new location. Obviously a task best left for professionals.

I remember many many years ago when my hubby bought the plant. It was the most expensive plant we had ever bought. We planted it in our front yard. And it grew with a vengeance. After a few years, it completely blocked the entry to our home and we had to replant it in the back yard.

When we pulled it out with help of gardeners, we discovered that it had about 12 babies. I kept 4 babies and gave the rest away. The babies are now mature adults and are thriving.

And now these babies. I think I will keep them.

The return on investment on these plants has been so much better than my stock portfolio. Or my 401 K stuff.

Maybe I should buy some more sago palms?

Wordless Letter

A while back, Mythos and I collaborated on a project called Letter. It was for a gallery in Baltimore, Studio 2219.

I sent him some photos and he created fabulous collages out of it. All three pieces got into the show. I was way too excited about it and if you are a regular reader you know I went on and on about it.

The wonderful thing about this show is that the gallery owners decided to make a book out of all the entries. Last week I got the book. It is the most amazing collection of artwork. I was completely stumped with what I saw.

Here is one of our entries.


The best part about this project was certainly the collaboration. Both Mythos and I had a blast! The only catch about this? I had to tell Mythos my real name:)

The book is available here.

Top 10 Fun Jobs

I consider myself lucky enough to have a great job that I love. And have fun with. I know numerous people who hate their jobs with a vengeance. They hate going to work every day. Why they don’t consider other alternatives I do not know.

But the other day, I made a list of some fun jobs. Jobs I think are ideal jobs. If I change my career, here is my list of dream jobs:

• Travel Photographer: Oh to travel around the world with only one purpose. Discover the place and take photos. OK. That is two purposes. Imagine traveling to the Antarctica or Africa. I would love to go to Australia one day. And see the coral reef.

• Travel Magazine Writer: I would love to write about different places. And how fantastic would it be that not only does it get published but also that they pay me to do this. Free vacation! All year long! Yeah!

• Cantina owner on a Playa del Carmen beach: Imagine being able to work barefoot and in a bikini and a sarong. All day long. Sure restaurant business is hard work. But it would be so much fun! My son1 could become a chef and son2 could be the cantina manager. Every night, we would have a new band playing. And Mariachis. Tons of fun and games. People could walk in barefoot. And we would serve drinks to people without shirts. Who cares! You are on one of the best beaches in the world!

• Cruise Director: I used to watch Love Boat all the time. A better TV show was never ever made. Who does not want Julie’s job? What is not to love about that job? Travel everywhere. Meet new and interesting people. Entertain them. Make sure they are happy and comfortable. I think I’ll go to the Disney’s website and see if they have any openings for a cruise director. Do you think watching Love Boat counts as job experience?

• Event Coordinator: Party! Party! Party! I love arranging parties and events. As long as they have nothing to do with a wedding. A woman I know is an event coordinator. She throws parties in Vegas, California and Europe all the time. And she gets to go there! How cool is that! She also picks out the cute presents to give to the attendees. And keep a few for herself. Super, super cool!

• Personal Shopper: I want to be Julia Robert’s personal shopper. Or someone who has a ton of money to spend. This one guy I know is hired by some rich folks who have a house in Austin, Texas. His job is to make sure that when the family arrives, he stocks up the pantry and the fridge, have tons of fresh flowers everywhere. One year he even decorated a Christmas tree for them. He bought tons and tons of fabulous and expensive ornaments. Things he could never afford for himself. But he had so much fun decorating the tree! He loves his job and has so much fun!

• Personal Stylist: Good God! What the heck do people wear? I understand that everyone has their own personal style. The glam look, the casual look, the grunge look. All that is ok. What is not OK is that some people wear the most unflattering clothes at the most inappropriate time. Too much clothing. Too little clothing. Too casual. Too frumpy. They could use some advice. A good personal stylist does not change your sense of style. She simply enhances your personal style. Her first and foremost task is to make sure they you are comfortable when you wear it. I would actually do this for free.

• Politician’s Speech Writer: Oh I would love to do this. What a challenging thing to do! Imagine you have to write a speech for a corrupt politician. Who cheated on his wife. How do you twist the story to your advantage? As a writer, how do you shift the blame and accept no responsibility? How do you point fingers in other directions and then throw in a few distractions hoping no one would notice. Think it is effortless? Nope. It is a craft. And I would love to write the speech. Heck, I don’t have to deliver it. Plus, think about the hundreds of politicians who are corrupt and cheat. I’d never be out of work! Wait… my phone is already ringing…

• Food critic: To go to all the great restaurants and order tons of food, sample everything and all for free! All you have to do is write 200 words about it. How easy is that? 200 words is nothing for me!

• Wine Taster: Taste wine. All day long. Need I say more?

What are your dream jobs?

What are some other fun jobs?

Talk to me!

More Henna

Here is a manly man's tattoo. Go UK go!

Henna

I was archiving stuff and found these photos of henna. And no those are not my hands.

Traditionally, at Indian weddings, the bride gets henna art done on her hands. Other women also get henna artwork done.

Indian wedding ceremonies last for days. One of the ceremony is the Mehdi or the henna ceremony. Professional henna ladies come in and all the ladies get henna. There is music and dance and always some food.

Note to family: When is the next family wedding?

Shoe Shopping!

This weekend I went to an outlet mall to buy some clothes etc. And to see what's out there. It so happened that it was the first day of 100 degree weather is year. Oye! Although the mall was outdoors, the stores were nice and cool. So we could duck into stores really fast. And spend a lot of time there.

Smart people these store owners.

So I got these cute shoes that I fell in love with. Aren't they lovely? The best part is that they are very comfy. And spiky!

My kiddos got shoes too. I looked at them and realized that I've given birth to Giants! Look how large their shoes are!

Amazing!




Meanwhile, here is a post I wrote about spike heels. Turns out that it is very popular on the internet. Enjoy!

Lunch

Yesterday I went to have a nice lunch with my co-workers at a restaurant called Ski Shores. It is located by a river and you can arrive in a car or a boat. They have the best hamburgers in town.

I had a great time. We guzzled down hamburgers as we watched people in boats arrive for lunch. So what do these people do to support themselves? How come they are cruising along the river on a working day?

Oh well.

My friend has a gorgeous tattoo. I've been wanting one for a while but my family is vehemently opposed to the idea.

I really, really want one. I have no idea why. Certainly not for the cool factor. My birthday is coming up in July and I was thinking of getting one. I am terrified of the pain but I am sure my friend will hold my hand during the procedure.

What do you think? Should I get a tattoo? What kind? Do you have tattoos?

Tornadoes!

Yesterday, we had numerous tornadoes touch down in Austin, Texas.

My hubby and I met some old friends for dinner and came home. The weather was just fine. It was cloudy but no rain. I plopped myself in front of the TV and started watching taped episodes of Judge Judy.

In the far distant, I could see some lightning. I hoped it would rain. And then went back to watching Judge Judy.

In about 5 minutes, my son yelled, "Mom! Pause your show and watch the weather news. I got a text message from my friend. A tornado is coming our way."

Frankly, it was hard to believe because it did not look that bad outside. I've seen worse. But I changed the channel and this is what we saw.



Two tornadoes had already touched in Austin. And the storm was heading our way.

We all got into action. The guys scrambled to get the car in garage and cover it up. Hail would soon follow. I did what any normal person would do. Grabbed a flashlight, candles, and my camera. I prayed and prayed that the camera batteries had enough juice.

I took photos of the TV but there was no rain yet. The guys were busy trying to cover up the cars outside the garage. Everyone was shouting.

"Get me a scissor to cut this rope"
"Not that scissor. The other one!"
"Guys! Another tornado touchdown! Debris is falling! It is headed our way!"

Yet there was no rain. Only gloomy silence. Soon we started hearing what sounds like gun shots. Thud. Thud. Thud.

What is odd about tornadoes is that you get this isolated hail even before it starts to rain. That's when you know it is really, really serious.

It was a tornado event.

The guys all got in the house and we huddled around the TV. And it started to rain. And hail. We only got a little hail. But it was very scary.

We don't have a basement. We really don't have a closet that we can all fit into. So we just waited.

It poured and poured. And then it was over. The worst had passed us. We were all safe.

This morning, I will take my camera to work. And take photos of the impact of a tornado event.

One half of a hail.


Big hail

Love! Love Love!

I have an assignment for you today.

Spread love.

Love comes in all kinds and sorts.

There is romantic love, platonic love, friendship love, admiration, hero worshiping... I could go on and on. But you get it.

And don't get confused with the love genres. In other words, if you hero worship Brad Pitt, don't show up at his house naked and covered up in red roses. It is not romantic love. Simply hero worshiping. He will call the police. And Angelina will do serious harm to you. Trust me on this one.

So show your love today. Dump Hatred. Dump all the negative thoughts.

Hatred sucks. It burns a hole in your body. It sucks the energy out of you and everyone else around you.

And love is so much more fun than hating. And more rewarding too.

Dump the haters and the embrace the people who focus more on love than hate.

I promise you that it will be rewarding!

Keep me posted!

PS: This photo was taken on the western coast of Mexico.

PPS: Birdie is throwing a temper tantrum right now and refuses to get one her perch. She is angry! She is attacking! I think this has something to do with the fact that her "boyfriend" came home last night. Great. He gets to go to California and she is mad at me for this? Can anyone recommend a good bird therapist?

Pier in Cabos

Photo Tip

For those of you who are really interested in transitioning from an amateur/hobbyist photographer to a professional one, I suggest joining a local Photography club.

You will have to pay some money but the rewards are amazing.

• You get to hang out with some very experienced photographers who are actually interested in discussing photography with you and sharing their experiences.

• They have some planned projects that you can participate in. And they help you pick out the best of your photos and allow you to exhibit your work with them.
  

• They tell you about the latest call for entries and give you tips about shooting. They suggest the venues. And they organize shows.

• They open doors for you. For example, I am now part of this project called "New Beginnings" at Concordia University. CU recently moved to a new location. They want a show about the new building etc and I will be one of the photographers shooting. Yeah! I would never ever had this opportunity had I not joined the group.

So go join a group. I joined the Texas Documentary Photography group.

Now I am off to find out what exactly Documentary Photography is. And what exactly is my genre? What kinds of photos do I take? I need answers for that. Can someone help? What kind of photographer am I?

For some reason I don't think telling them that I just point and shoot will be acceptable.

Hot Love

Yesterday I went to a theater in Leander Texas to hang a couple of my photos for an exhibit. The theater is called Way off Broadway. They are displaying this piece and this one that Mythos and I did together. The theme is last of the red hot lovers. A play by Neil Simon.

I call this piece hot love. For some reason the red on red makes me think of turbulent relationships. And of mad crushes. That is all I have to say about that.

So I had to frame 2 pieces. And let me tell you that it is a pain in the a$$. I am simply not mechanically inclined nor have any desire to be. So I bought ready made frames with matting. I paid extra per frame to get a wire hanging thingy. All I had to do was pop the photo into the frame.

And I could not do that. I mean I ended up doing something but it took longer than what I expected and it was so not fun. And the job was mediocre at best.

Next time, I delegate this task to someone else.

Happy Monday! And do tell me about any mad crushes you've had. I will tell you this... Years ago, I stood on one foot (a yogic position) and prayed for 15 minutes. I wanted a certain boy to fall in love with me.

It did not work.

Thank God!

Yuck!

Yesterday I goofed around and puttered around the house. I had bad allergies and decided to read and take naps.

My lovely son made dinner. Pork tenderloin with a pineapple habenaro sauce. It was delicious.

Everything was great. Except...

My Son1 made this sauce that required a ton of cooking. And then he had to blend it. So he put it all in the blender and turned it on.

The blender exploded. Did you know that you are not supposed to blend anything piping hot? The steam has nowhere to go and essentially pops off the lid.

So the blender exploded and the sauce was everywhere. On the counter, on the walls, on the floor. Of course he cleaned it all up.

But... my standards for clean are a little different.

This is what my kitchen floor looks like this morning. Yuck!

This morning I scrubbed the counters and the walls. But I had to take a photo before I scrubbed the floor.

See how exciting my life is?

Have you ever had a similar experience? Do tell!

Happy Saturday!

I took this photo at a wild life preserve. Just love the grassy weed.

Photo Friday: Metal

My entry for Photo Friday.

Pay it Forward

I am participating in a fun project called Pay it forward and I invite you to join in.

Here’s how it works:

• I make a handmade gift for the first three interested people who leave a comment on this post.
• I have 365 days in which to do it. What it will be and when it will arrive is a total surprise!
• The catch is that you must participate as well: you must have a blog and continue to pay it forward. Write a post on your blog about paying it forward and invite your readers to participate. Keep the fun going.
  
• Anyone who is interested in receiving a hand made gift from me must provide a shipping address to me in an email.
  

I hope enough people will be interested and look forward to participating in the blogging community in this way for the first time.

I got this idea from Janice.

Deep in the Heart

This photograph made it to a local gallery show. I found out last night.

Yeah!

Further proof.... keep trying. You never know when and what will give you the lucky break.

Fun

Yesterday I wrote a post about goals and blah blah. So today I wanted to write about the importance of having FUN. Every single day in your life. While it is important to have goals and pursue them, also take the time to have some fun. I have to remind myself of this all the time.

Laugh, giggle, be goofy, and to quote my friend, dance like no one is watching.

Hang out with people who make you feel good about yourself.

Take a break from people who are always trying to make you feel bad about yourself.

Life is as serious as you want it to be.

Take control.

Hang out with girlfriends who make you laugh. And smile at cute waiters who serve you lunch.

Share the positive energy.

Be happy and make others around you happy.

Life is short and unpredictable. So be happy today and make someone smile today. Even if they are smiling at your goofiness.

So... I want to hear from you. What fun stuff will you be doing today?

I'll certainly keep you posted on the fun stuff I will do today:)

Hotness

Phew the month of May flew by! I had so many plans, so many things to do, and so many deadlines for May. Some I made it, some I didn't. The fact that my computer had to go to rehab for being naughty was a huge curve ball for me. I was lost and disoriented.

Oh well. Here comes June. And it is going to be a hot, hot month. Already the temperatures are close to a 100 degrees.

But, I have 2 gallery shows this month. One in Baltimore and another in Austin. I am super excited about that.

In other news, a lone tomato grew in my veggie garden. I waited forever for it to turn red. And then when I went to pick it, I discovered that it had already been eaten by a bird or another animal. I was so disappointed! That tomato cost me a fortune!

Moving along...

Every month, I tend to write down my goals for the month. What do I want to accomplish? What do I need to do? Etc. Etc.

So this month, I thought I'd share my goals for June with you...

• Plan the July vacation to Atlanta/Savannah. Book hotel, get airline tickets and plan clothes. The planning clothes part is very important because we are attending a traditional 3 day Indian wedding in Atlanta. Then we need beach clothes for Savannah.
  

• Work on my website. I've been trying to build my own website for a couple of months but it has been on a back burner. I already have my domain, hosting and am now wrestling with wordpress. Ugh. This month I'll research a decent template for my site and plug that in. I tried to get help from some unemployed students but these darn young kids have no sense of responsibility. They say they want to work but they really don't. That's all I have to say about that. So I am looking into templates and going to do it all by myself. How hard can it be? PHP and CSS here I come! My goal is to launch phase 1 of my web site in July. We'll see how it goes.

• Print and frame stuff for my gallery show. While this may sound easy, trust me, it is not. Printers have a mind of their own. And I have to figure how how to matte the darn stuff. It seems overly complicated.

• Take photographs of Concordia University. As a part of a photo group I recently got in, we have to take photos and I may even create a book for this.
  

That should keep me busy this month.

So tell me, what are your plans this month? And are you a crazy person like me who plans and overplans these thing?