Monday, June 22, 2009

oh those wildwood days...

This past weekend was the annual Cabs at the Beach drum corps contest in Wildwood. I freakin' love Wildwood. I've been to Wildwood with some of my family for a week of vacation during the summer before, and have been to the drum corps show several times in the past, but last year was my first time actually competing in the show.

This year I've opted to sit out marching Cabs, and I really miss it. Apparently a bunch of people miss me. I decided to go to the show this year, to support my friends and cheer on my family - the corps, and I ended up feeling a tad bit sad that I was not marching this year. I spent the weekend with my dad hanging out and spending some quality time together, while also checking out his practice and my friends' practice. Several people begged me to come back this year, telling me there's still time to march, but I already have a performance commitment, and I can't back out now because that would be impolite and unprofessional. But after seeing them for their first show this weekend, and seeing all my friends again, and hearing how much they miss me and want me to come back, I'm seriously considering marching again in the '10 season (the sudden change in drum staff has only encouraged me slightly..... :) ).

Speaking of drum staff.....Anna and I were putting together my perfect man with different defining qualities of hot Cabs members (they're all drummers, by the way.....). He'd be comprised of EB's eyes, MS' smile, DF's facial structure, and IT's nose. That's what we've got so far.....not sure about his hair situation just yet.....might have to stick with DF's hair.

I miss my jet-pack, by the way. And I really do miss playing, it's just I hate all the rehearsals and that stuff leading up to the memorable moments. I miss putting on the magic suit and performing in front of the crowd. I think I'd actually jump back in in a second if I didn't have a prior commitment. :(

Oh well.....I'm support staff/cheerleader this year.

See you at the Grand Prix! LET'S GO CABS!

Monday, June 15, 2009

it's picture perfect the way you work it, girl

My dad finally took out his old camera for me. I just wanted to look at it, but he said if I wanted to, I could use it, and I really think I'm going to. I need to get some film for it, and probably some batteries, but then I'll be open for business. It's not a digital camera, but I'll use it sometimes, for special things.



And oh man, I love the shutter sound! And then maybe one day I'll get my own digital SLR camera. :)






Viewing our tv through the wide angle lens (picture taken with my digital camera, looking through the wide angle lens)

Dad also showed me some pictures he took with that camera, and wanted to show the difference the wide angle lens made. He took out an album from when they went to Europe, and I came across this picture (that was actually made up of two pictures). It looked so familiar to me, I had to go grab my album of pictures from when I went to Europe in 2006.

Sure enough, Dad and I have the same picture. He took the picture from the window of the Neuschwanstein castle in Germany, and 21 years later, I took the same picture from probably the same window.


The top pictures are Dad's, the bottom one is mine. You can tell the difference in the colors, and how the trees are overgrown in my picture, but it's basically the same thing, the same village, the same countryside.



It fascinates me.

Friday, June 12, 2009

I need you, darlin', so come go with me...

Hey kids,

It is quite early in the morning (it is 2:30am) and I leave for my retreat weekend in exactly 12 hours. I'm leaving my house at 2:30pm because my train leaves at 2:50, and I'm meeting my friend Liz at 3:10. We're making a quick stop to the grocery store, then picking up Maria and Michelle, and we will be meeting up with our other Treblettes and "retreating" to some town on Long Island, near water and beach area, and we will sing by some windmills. I am pretty damn excited, but I'm just getting some laundry together and packing up my bag. I could potentially do this in the morning, but I know I'm going to wake up later than I want to, and therefore run late if I have to pack on top of that.

I was watching tv and perusing the web before (about 1:45am) and my mom woke up and asked me to print out some pictures from her students' 8th grade trip and another picture from their 8th grade dance. She needs to use them for some display they're doing for their graduation (which is tomorrow.....or today?). Yeah mom, lucky I was up at 1:45 in the morning to unload your pictures from your camera and print them out for you. Because you can't do it yourself by now.

So that's put me back about a half hour. Now I'm just sitting here, gathering things together to pack, listening to some music (and the rain fall on my window at random times). I've got the window fans blowing in some cool air since it's pretty hot in the house right now. I just sucked down some Cran-Wild Berry juice, so maybe that will give me another 20 minutes of energy.

I feel a little bad about going away this weekend, because as it happens, today (the 12th) is my best friend Lisa's 25th birthday, and I am missing it. I originally hoped that she would maybe be willing to go out for birthday breakfast or lunch with me, but she told me that she usually does that with her mom and her grandpa. I don't want to mess with tradition.....believe me, I'm all for tradition, actually. This weekend also holds my cousin Erich's graduation from 8th grade. He's having a party on Saturday (the day I will be kayaking, singing by windmills and any other place available, playing games, pigging out, and getting drunk with my Major Treble girls) so I'm going to miss a family event and a momentous occasion for Erich.

I mean, I'm a little upset I'll be missing it because Erich and his family will be moving next month, so I only have a few more times to see them here in NY, before I go to seeing them only at holidays and major family events. I see them rarely enough as it is, so it's a little bit sad. :(

However, last summer when I was marching drum corps, I missed a lot of family events and momentous occasions, so I'm pretty sure I can deal.

I think the Cran-Wild Berry juice is wearing off on me. I may have to throw back another gulp or two to get through packing my bag, and then seriously, I'm hitting the pillow.

Let the weekend begin!

Monday, June 8, 2009

your lips touching mine in the photobooth

I found a list of 26 things to photograph on http://www.sh1ft.org, and since I've been running out of ideas to blog about, I decided I wanted to get back into the picture-taking groove and do this as a side project.

This is the list:
- sound
- press
- turn
- label
- wheels
- silence
- new
- old
- list
- creep
- stand off
- admiration
- mess
- always
- half
- strings
- hallway
- grand
- graffiti
- juicy
- instrument
- logo
- on the horizon
- yawn
- bump
- macro

I'm not sure whether I'll start at the beginning and go straight down the list, go backwards (start at the bottom, and go up the list), or pick them at random. Thoughts on this?

I'm also determined to finish my original 100-photo blog project, which can be found under its new name and link: kristin's photo blog project. I have six more pictures to take, and my cousin has already picked out the order in which they will appear, so be on the lookout for those last six.

My brother's fiance was showing some of her artwork at this festival called Art by the Ferry, so I went to hang with the two of them today, and got to see some of her new work. This is a photo I snapped of her corner of the room, with all of her artwork in one frame.



It was awesome, a lot of fun, and it definitely got my creative juices flowing again, which is why I'm seriously going to finish this photo blog project, and start the new one. If anyone knows of any other sort of daily photo projects, please let me know. :)

goodnight, kids.

Sunday, June 7, 2009

marry me today, guess I'm wishing my life away

Back when I was still in college (I think maybe Freshman year) I saw this trailer for a movie that was coming out, and I remember wanting to see it so badly because it had an acapella group in it. Them, for the longest time I couldn't remember what it was called, so I couldn't search for it. Finally last night, I just did a Yahoo! search with some of the key words, and came across this gem, which is the movie I was looking for.


The Wedding Weekend

So I ordered it and should be receiving it in the mail sometime next week. I also ordered Rachel Getting Married because I wanted to see that for so long and missed seeing it with Kelly.

I also want to get Bride Wars because I want to see that as well, but it's cheaper at a different place from the place I ordered The Wedding Weekend and Rachel Getting Married.

I find it funny how I want to see three movies that have to do with weddings. I don't know why, but I've seriously got it on the brain, and it's kind of creeping me out a little bit.

In a little while I'll be heading to SI for the Art by the Ferry festival thingamabobber because my brother's lady is showing some art there. I always enjoy her pieces, and own one of them, so I'd like to go out and support her and check out her new stuff. I went to her first ever Art Showcase and her art is gorgeous, so I'm really looking forward to seeing what she's been working on lately.

Well, off I go. Maybe another cup of coffee first.... :)

Saturday, June 6, 2009

now put your hands up!



Thank you, Joe Jonas. Thank you.