Tag Archives: photos taken with the little orange camera

The House So Far

BY bonnie

I wrote some entries last week. I even posted them. But then I had a fit of depression/anxiety/insecurity and removed them. They will probably come back in some form, but I felt all cloudy-brained and I felt like that didn’t make for very good writing. I’m clearer now (in more ways than one) (not physically, though. I don’t mean I’m more invisible than I was last week) so hopefully I can rewrite them in some more coherent manner. In the mean time I have only about 15 minutes before I have to do my next chore and that’s just enough time to throw together an entry of befores and afters. Of the house I mean. Not my process of becoming invisibler.

(By the way, if you click through on the after photos, you can read some of the notes I’ve added to them on Flickr. Or if you want, you can click here to see the whole set.)

Living room!

Entry! And Dinette!

Kitchen!

My bedroom!

Elliott’s room!

(OK I didn’t have great after pictures of his room.)

Margie’s room!

(OK or of her room.)

Obviously we still have work to do. We need some organizational stuff in order to finish unpacking. I need to get updated photos printed in order to put out new photo albums. I think I’m supposed to, like, hang pictures or art or some shit on the walls, but how can I dare to hammer anything into those beautifully colored walls? Except curtains. I’m rather sick of living without curtains. Very soon, hopefully, I’ll be able to afford some and also to find the confidence to learn how to actually do it.

In the mean time this place is becoming quite cozy and homey. Whenever the Universe allows it, I’m feeling quite happy here.

Geek, Local, Places We Go and Things We Do

And the Nerds Descend Upon San Diego, Part the Second

BY bonnie

Comic Con is crazy-stupid to get tickets to these days. Back in the day we used to just show up that day and buy tickets and then something happened where it exploded in population and all the people on Earth show up to stand in line. Last year we wound up being gifted a free comp ticket that a friend of a friend didn’t need (and kids are free) and I was happy with that. I want to visit other cons now (I actually had plans for both Leaky Con and Gallifrey One this year, but The Universe was all NOPE). Even so, I went ahead and entered to win Comic Con tickets because if the process was free and easy I’d totally go. I never expected to win. BUT I TOTALLY DID. (And I fully realize that I’ve used up all my Comic Con luck for ever and ever now.)

I had two tickets to the Con and I wasn’t sure who to give the other one to because most of my friends hate crowds with a passion (I don’t – but the crowds at Comic Con last year did even me in) but when I heard that Rainbow was doing a panel I offered my other ticket to Bethany so she and her daughter could go. (And you know what’s stupid? I forgot to get a picture of all three kids together.)

I don’t know these people. I just know that they are awesome.

Last year we went to the Doctor Who panel. That required waiting in line all morning and we *just* made it in the panel (see? LUCK). So this year we decided that we’d rather do other stuff all day rather than just one thing for most of the day. Besides we’d done the Doctor Who Tumblr Meetup the day before and breathed the same air as Matt Smith and all so we were good there.

So we didn’t do… much. We walked the floor (and by “walked” I mean “elbowed our way through the masses”), we had lunch with our friends and laughed a lot, we saw awesome cosplay. The kids went to a panel with their dad and I joined Bethany in Rainbow’s panel. We hung out at the Lego booth and took a picture in the Ice King’s jail. We had fun, but at the end of the day I felt underwhelmed.

And here’s why: I’m not really all that into comics. I know, I know. I feel bad for going to Comic Con when I’m not really into comics, but it’s not my fault that’s where the BBC goes. Ideally they’d plan a second, perhaps linked, con that is for geeky entertainment in general. But unless that happens Comic Con is where I want to be. Only. Most of the panels – the ones that aren’t the huge ones, I mean – are comic book-based. (There were a few for kids we wanted to check out – like how to draw comics – but we missed them due to timing.) So as a con it’s not that interesting to me. I should clarify that I am not in any way anti-comic book. I know they are an intelligent and legitimate art form. I just don’t relate to them as well as I do to books or movies. Maybe someday I’ll find a comic that will change my mind.

The panels at Gallifrey and Leaky Con sounded really, really interesting to me, but it’s just the E-ticket panels I want to go to at Comic Con. And then I realized: I like Comic Con for it’s Disneyland aspects. I would rather wait in line all day (or night) and see one awesome panel than fight my way through the crowds on the floor for a few free buttons (disclaimer: my kids may or may not disagree with me on the value of free buttons). But other cons – ones that are built around the fandoms I am a part of – I think I’d like for the convention itself.

I’m sorry. I just can’t stop showing off my awesome shoes.

Someday perhaps I’ll buy tickets to Comic Con and sleep in line to see the Doctor again, but I think (unless I get free tickets again!) I will stick to the free outside-the-con events instead. Because, frankly, for one weekend a year, all of downtown is full of magic (and crowds. Don’t forget the crowds).

Local, Places We Go and Things We Do

And the Nerds Descend Upon San Diego, Part the First

BY bonnie

We spent the day in downtown doing the Free Things that you didn’t need a Comic Con badge for like the Doctor Who Tumblr Fan Meetup, and the Regular Show Experience at the New Children’s Museum. Well. Those were really the only two things we did. But they took all day because lines. I’m throwing some pictures at you but that’s all for tonight because tired.

(Yes, I did get some excited squeals over my E&P button.)

Giveaway!, Just Life, Places We Go and Things We Do

LA Things & Meeting Rainbow

BY bonnie

When Rainbow first announced she was going to be in Los Angeles I decided the kids and I would make a day of it and do LA Things before the book signing. We’ve seen the tar pits and the observatory and Hollywood Things before and we will again someday, but this time we decided to go check out Angels Flight, a historic train that carries you uphill for only fifty cents. I’d never even heard of it before seeing this video a couple of months ago, and neither had Annika despite being in that general area on a regular basis. So we met up with her and a couple other friends and a whole mess of kids and we rode the train. And the kids were all GOAL ACCOMPLISHED LET’S RIDE AGAIN. And I was kinda like, HELL YEAH LET’S, but I was mostly like I’M UNPREPARED FOR LIFE IN GENERAL BUT ALSO FOR THIS THING AND I HAVE ZERO CASH SO MY ABILITY TO RIDE THIS IS BASED ENTIRELY ON WHETHER MY FRIENDS HAVE AN EXTRA $1.50 FOR MY FAMILY’S FARE. (I wonder if it’s weird to paypal someone $1.50 to pay them back?)

So, in between the train ride up and then back down we stopped at this big trashy sculpture and took a group shot. Like you do.

The train is mostly indoor seating, but does have one short bench at the top that is outdoors. On the ride up I rode outside there, but the seat was taken so I was standing up. It was… alarming. The ride inside felt like any train ride, but outside – perhaps because I was standing – I felt every little jerk or jostle and the part of the track where the trains pass each other was unnerving to say the least. But, you know me. That’s my kind of thrill. Riding up a totally safe commuter train is basically my version of Six Flags. That’s just how I roll.

Directly across from the bottom train stop is Grand Central Market. I assume this is similar to Pike Place Market (although I’m guessing Grand Central is smaller?) but we don’t have something like that here. Yet. We’re working on it, but so far the Public Market is just open once a week for farmer’s markets with the hopes that it will become a full time place in the future.

Once we were done with our picnic dinner, it was Coffee Time (cause did I mention I was working on 5 hours of sleep? And I had to keep everyone alive for just about that same amount of driving). Right there in the market was G&B Coffee which made me my very first fancy latte. I don’t even know a place here in town that makes foam pretty like this so I was ridiculously excited, but the best part is that it was made with almond milk. And you know what? It was freshly-made almond milk. I can’t do (cow) dairy, and I don’t like to do soy so I get overexcited when a coffee place does almond milk in general, but this was so creamy and light-tasting that I might just drive up there again just for that. I am not even kidding.

It’s out of focus, but damn she’s adorable.

And then we headed over to Book Soup for Rainbow’s book signing. It was so much fun. I’ve known Rainbow online for a couple of years now, but this was the first time I met her in person. We didn’t get much chance to hang out that night because things were very busy but during the reading and Q&A portion of the night she was so much like the Rainbow I know. You know. At a microphone in front of a crowd of people? Well. That is, actually, a little bit like what the internet is like, isn’t it? We’re all in front of our own microphones and crowds there listening to us? So maybe this was my most accurate online-friend meeting ever. She’s going to be in San Diego tomorrow (that’s Friday, right?) so if you have the chance, I highly recommend coming to see her. And don’t forget to enter my giveaway to win her book!

We all wore matching t-shirts because we are cool or dorks or something.

Holidays, Just Life, Wheel of the year

Independence Day

BY bonnie

I think I might be dating myself if I say that I always have this desire to shorten the holiday’s name to ID4. I might be dating myself, but I think the actual phrase I’m looking for is “I might be a total nerd.” But I have legitimate reasons for this:

1. I’m lazy and “Independence Day” is long.
2. “Independence” is one of those words I have a hard time spelling for some reason. It always comes out “independance”. Maybe cause it makes me want to dance? (Answer: NO.)
3. Jeff Goldblum was super hot in that movie.

Actually, now that I type that out, I wonder if anyone even remembers that the movie was nicknamed ID4 when it came out. I remember this vividly because it was my first summer working at the movie theatre and that Fourth of July I spent 9 hours straight working without any breaks at all (because my bosses were all, “Labor laws? We laugh in the face of labor laws! *whipcrack* You! Work like it’s 1894!”) and the line for Independence Day stretched twice around the mall. Srsly. Life was so hard in 1996. Without the option to buy your tickets online ahead of time or 4 different theaters totaling 106 different screens within three miles to choose from. I remember having customers who didn’t understand what ATM cards were and thought that “up to $40 cash back” meant they might win money.

I digress. The point is that we had bacon-wrapped hot dogs and Cokes to celebrate our country’s birth. We also saw a 3D movie, had cupcakes, played with glow sticks, watched fireworks, and wore our stars and stripes Chucks (well, I did) like good Americans. It was, overall, a pretty awesome day.

(There are fireworks in that picture. They’re just so tiny it looks like people standing with their heads on fire.)

Local, Random

My New Favorite Picnic Spot

BY bonnie

Lovely, isn’t it? It’s right in town, but full of nature. It’s on a hill with views in every direction – Spanish style buildings peeking through trees on hillsides, a glimpse of downtown, the bay sparkling beyond the airport, underbellies of planes as they roar threateningly above you on the way down the unusually steep hill to land at the airport. What? That’s not lovely to you? Perhaps it’s not idyllic, but it’s kind of awesome in a Wayne’s World sort of way. Or if you like to pretend you’re Jack Shephard dying in a bamboo field.

That’s a little one.

I sat there with a friend yesterday talking for hours about life and humans we know and drinking Hawaiian Mochas* and judging airlines for how clean the bottoms of their planes are, and we learned some things about this park.

1. Aliens landed there. We heard them. It was a very 1950’s-Martian type alien noise so I’m thinking flying saucers.
2. Something (possibly the Predator or maybe well-camoflauged velociraptors) was jumping around from tree to tree, clearly planning to kill us.
3. A few times the sky literally ripped in half right above our heads. It’s hard to see such a thing because sky just looks like sky, even when it’s ripped in half, but we heard it.

OR? Maybe this is just all related to the sound waves, wind, and sky-tearing that comes along behind jumbo jets. If you prefer living in a boring world where velociraptors don’t glide gracefully from tree to tree, that is.

NOTE: My daughter hasn’t even seen Lost, but I just noticed that this photo that she took and the one above it are right next to each other in my photostream. LOST IS REAL, YOU GUYS.

*Coconut, mocha, banana, and cinnamon. Yes banana. It’s DELICIOUS. Don’t judge.

7 Days

7 Days: Day 2 (Internet Friends)

BY bonnie

Jen’s here because she and Bethany are driving up to Portland to go to LeakyCon this week. (I was originally going to go, too, but my plans fell through. Boo! And while I’m very sad about that, I am sending this owl as my proxy.)

So all the 7 Dayers in SoCal got together at Brenda’s for an afternoon picnic. I brought my monopod to make group photos easier, and thanks goes to Katie for the pose idea.

And yes I’ve met nearly all of these people online (I met Summer in high school and Katie through Summer). None of them are even scary murderers. I’ve met some amazing people online – people who have become close friends, people from all over the world. I am so grateful to this little box that makes the world a smaller place.

Jen, by the way, is responsible for this new blog space and I’ve LOVED working with her. I’m so glad I got to meet her today.

7 Days, Just Life

7 Days: Day 1 (Drive-In Night)

BY bonnie

(7 Days is a quarterly self-portrait group project I have taken part in for the last sixish years. One selfie a day for a week.)

Tonight was Drive-In night! I’m too tired for words to happen right now so here’s bullet points:

~Loved Monsters University
~Kids had a blast being overly goofy in the way back of the wagon
~Camping sleeping bags are cozy and warm
~Also handy: camping lantern. would have helped last year when I lost my keys for half of The Avengers
~SUPERMOON was tonight
~I miss Tony Stark, but I’m glad we didn’t stay for Iron Man 3
~Because tired (Also because I’ve already seen it)

PICTURES!

Also, I took this Instagram video that I am too stinking proud of: Projector Lights at the Drive In

Spirituality, Wheel of the year

How I Spent the Summer Solstice

BY bonnie

Tonight we went with some friends to the beach to watch the sunset. It is Litha, the summer solstice. The reason I am Pagan is because I feel closest to God (Source/The Universe/Mother Nature/whatever you want to call it) when I’m connected to the Earth. I know. A lot of people say that; it’s cliche. That’s OK. It can be cliche and also legitimate. There are some Pagan holidays in the wheel of the year that I don’t connect with as much – Imbolc and Lughnasadh, for instance are harder for me to relate to (possibly because I’m not a farmer or connected with the harvest in that way). It’s the equinoxes and solstices that I particularly connect with, I think, in part because they are very clear astronomical events. When I stop and think about the fact that today my part of the Earth is at the point where it’s the closest to the sun that it will be all year I get a small sense of just how small I am and where I am in this Universe. And then I bury my feet in the sand and I feel like life is perfect. The Earth is perfect, it’s passage through space is perfect, the way the seas rise to meet the moon is perfect, my feet covered in sand are perfect, the smell of the ocean is perfect. Nothing is perfect and that is perfect.

In past years we’d have a big to do with an altar and a feast and a circle with friends at the Pagan holidays. We haven’t been very formal about anything recently. Because life is hard, man. And sometimes I guilt myself for not being better about planning things, but honestly, that’s bullshit. I love ceremony and ritual and I love when I do those, but sometimes it’s just as meaningful to bury your feet in the sand and find perfection. Who says ceremony and ritual have to be ceremonious and ritualistic? (I mean besides dictionaries.)

So it was a very short night, with very little ceremony, but it was full of laughter and friends and these weird kids (and that MOON!).

Happy Solstice!