Just don’t blame me if any of these backfire.  That’s the point of free will; you can do as you please.

1. Eat Popsicles

Pro: Yummy and generally inexpensive.

Con: Depending on consumption, a bath may be necessary.

2. Ride A Bike

Pro: Wind in your hair.  And you’re exercising.

Con: You’re exercising.

3. Swimming Pool

Pro: Floating on an immediate cooling source.

Con: Jumping your neighbor’s fence.

4. Lake Living

Pro: Again, immediate cooling source.

Con: Your cooling source is also your bathroom.

5. Sit In The Dark

Pro: It’s cooler.  And you can practice nocturnal living in the the off chance you fall in love with a vampire before he eats your face.

Con: You’re in the dark.  Oh, and you look stupid.

6. Go To Work

Pro: Free air-conditioning.  Free interweb.  Actually, they’re paying you to enjoy it.

Con: This doesn’t apply if you work outside.

7. Umbrella Shade

Pro: No direct sunlight.  Use less sunscreen.

Con: You still sweat.

8. Wear Less Clothing

Pro: You get to be naked.  Or close to it.

Con: People pointing and laughing.  And that possible arrest.

9. Travel North

Pro: Expected cooler weather with much less humidity.

Con: Everyone ends their sentences with “eh”.

10. Palm Leaf

Pro: Light breeze made by the hand of someone else.

Con: I see no con.  As long as pay is negotiable.

Here is my pink:

“Which one do you want: a white, a blue, a yellow or a pink?”  Nothing original or interesting.  Just something that is pink.  Inspiration has been lagging so I think there will be a break before another year-long challenge is kicked off.  Those of you that love it though – keep it up!  No one says you have to do it with a group.  Create your own challenge!

Next week’s subject is “bicycle”.  Which I’ve heard that photographs of bikes are really popular so don’t be afraid to share you photo with another flickr group; you may get some stellar feedback.  Don’t forget to check out our flickr group to see how everyone else captured pink.  And don’t forget to tune back in next week… with the blogiversary, I have a little something up my sleeve… but it has to wait until next week, you know, when I’m closer to a computer.

Anywho, with 364 days of blogging under my belt, I thought I’d share with you some of the things I’ve picked up along the way, be it from a person or an experience.  None of which is helpful knowledge when it comes to actually “blogging”.  But things that will… crap I don’t know, just go with me here.

Be Real. Because if you’re one of those “my life is puppies and unicorns and I shit rainbows” kind of people, just know that the world A) knows you’re lying to yourself and B) makes fun of you.  No really, we do.  It’s A-OK to be satisfied with your life but don’t rub our noses in your overly-optimistic posts.  Actually, you don’t rub my nose in it.  Because I don’t read it.  Because I don’t identify with it.  Makes sense, huh?

Be Nice. Not every sentence has to end in an exclamation point [unless you're one of those  'I heart unicorns' people] but being real doesn’t mean you can’t be nice.  I tend to rant on certain topics that might be not-so-nice but I’ve never used this website to bad mouth another person or be catty.  Unless you’re that lady that keeps talking on her cell phone in the ladies room.  You I will bad mouth.  But you probably don’t even know that this little piece of the interweb exists.

Be Nice.  It’s that important. When you leave a comment, don’t be a jackhole.  I delete jackhole remarks.  Because I can.  But no one can be a successful blogger with a chip on their shoulder.  You won’t gain readers, you won’t gain acquaintances and you won’t gain respect.  Everyone has a bad day but take it out on a bowl of ice cream, not someone else’s comment log.  Lighten up.  But be sure not to leave rainbow encrusted bullshit either.

Learn To Be Disappointed. Just because you’re absolutely smitten over your latest post about your deaf dog doesn’t mean anybody else gives two shits about it.  If your stats are down or you didn’t get too many comments that day, be disappointed but don’t be defeated.  Remind yourself that you blog for fun and for you and you ain’t getting paid anyway so who cares.  It usually starts as a hobby and as long as it remains a hobby, you’ll be a rock star.

Be Prepared. Some of my best writing has been spontaneous.  But let’s be real, I ain’t creative enough to keep up spontaneousness as often as I write.  Having a notebook of ideas has not only made blogging easier but more fun.  Letting ideas fester, building on them for a few weeks… these become rewarding once I hit ‘publish’.  And the photo challenge gave me something to look forward to each week.  It works.  And it pays off.

Throw A Bone. List a blog you like on your blog roll.  Pass along a silly reward.  Mention a site and add its link.  It may sound silly to point someone to another house when you’re wanting to showcase your own, but it’s worth it.  And the favor is usually returned in some fashion down the road.  Blogging karma, if you will.

Be Friends. The best part of even starting this little blog here is the people I share it with.  It’s also the reason why I was hesitant (note: mean people suck).  My friends and family have been supportive and tell me which stories and photos they’ve enjoyed the most.  And I’ve made several internet friends that also share what’s on their minds through blogging.  And even though these internet people are complete strangers and don’t know me from the bum on the corner, they’re supportive and encouraging and incredibly fantastic.  A virtual community that keeps me coming back.

Here’s to another year of shutterboo – because looking into the future too far makes it less exciting.  Cheers!

1.  Friday I went to the HullabaLOU Fest in Louisville.  Anticipation has been boiling since February when I knew I was going (thank you Abby and Kelly).

2.  It was hotter than the seat the devil’s butt sits on.  HOT.  I consumed water like it was my day job, stayed red-faced for who knows how long and finally began to cool down when we sat down.  Long live the ponytail.

3.  GenAdmin sat in the stands at Churchill.  Unfortunately, our seat had an obstruction but I don’t care.  (See Exhibit 1)  It was in the shade.  Shade = Heaven.

4.  Dirks Bentley was good.  I like country music but I’m not in love with it.  We’re just mere acquaintances.

5.  I love these girls.  (See Exhibit 2)  Natalie, you totally should have been there.  But you weren’t.  So don’t be mad when I talk about how awesome The Man was for the next five years.

6.  The Man.  Jon Bon Jovi.  Awesome.  The band was awesome.  The crowd was awesome.  It was awesome. (See Exhibit 3)

7.  Except for the people sitting next to us.  They just sat there.  Like lumps of coal.  OK, melting lumps of coal because the heat index was something like 103.  Boring.

Note: Paco’s zoom isn’t fantabulous.  And I asked the golf expert in the box how far away we were.  He says about 200 yards.  Paco doesn’t do 200 yards very well.  The little lady in front of us – she got some stellar shots.  But sadly, I have not stalked her on Facebook to get them yet.  But I will.

8.  AHHHHH!!!!!  I was 200 yards away from THIS, people!!! (See Exhibit 4)

9a.  So I took part in a few libations.  But I really did drink a lot of water [because this chick was not going down before The Man came on stage].  So the pictures towards the end of the night… are a little goofy.  I have no idea why I make goofy faces, I know they never look good after the fact, but I do it anyway.  So yeah… (See Exhibit 5)

9b.  I told you so.

10.  I had THE BEST TIME EVER!  I really did.  I loved singing along and dancing in place and taking silly pictures… it was FANTASTIC!  And I love my friends for including me in their plan and I’m telling you, it would not have been the same without them.  No way, no how.

Exhibit 1

Exhibit 2

Exhibit 3

Exhibit 4

Exhibit 5

Found a YouTuber (I’m assuming that what you call them) that posted a small part of my most favoritest Bon Jovi song.  Thank you, ChevalMugs for sharing your videos!  Reliving Friday on a Monday is fantastic!

A vase.  No big deal.  Other than the fact I sweated over the purchase of that vase for 30 minutes while at the store.  I remember the purchase – that makes it somewhat of a big deal.  And now that big deal is a goner.  So long, big deal.  It’s been real.

The hubs was trying to salvage what doggin toys we have left from the BDD.  He tucked Chase’s toy bin up on the mantle.  He didn’t do a good job.  As Humpty Dumpty had a great fall on to the brick hearth and shattered.  Well, the top shattered.

Note to self: No more glassware on the mantle.

I’ve got my ticket.  I got my sunscreen.  I got my bug spray.  I got my drunk people spray too.

Bring it, Churchill Downs.  Hit me with your best shot.

That’s right: HullabaLOU.  More specifically: Jon Bon Jovi.

Even more specifically: Me, Abby and our Little Skipper all screaming along to Livin’ On A Prayer.

That was a necessary visual.

OK, so I’m stoked.  I can’t wait to be blasted with music all the live long day.  And boogie to my heart’s content.  And to have the day off work… with my girlfriends… yep, that sho’ is nice.  Although it isn’t perfect.  I could live without the crowd, the people that will drink way too much and the heat.  But I’ll make do.  I have to make do.  Because Mr. Bon Jovi is the last act.  And he needs to sing to me.

Eat your heart out, Anamaris!

I have this thing.  About school supplies.  I suppose office supplies could be included but staplers and hole punches don’t really do it for me.  Pens and pencils and notebooks and paper and markers and push pins and generally anything related… I dig it.

I have a pack of Sharpies that come in 12 different colors.   I bought a box of crayons last year for a quarter.  One for me, one for PodMate.  I know, Big Spender.  I have a super fun notebook to keep my blog notes in.  Recently, I purchased some colored pencils.  A pack of 24.  I had to have a box of my own after getting some for my niece’s birthday.  To use with her Project Runway fashion stencil set.  I envied a ten-year-old’s birthday gift – I think I may have a problem.

(I didn’t purchase the fashion stencil set.  I thought about it – but then thought better of it.  Vacation fund donation.)

I know that I’m not the only one that enjoys these little things.  But I feel like a dweeb.  I’ve tried sorting out exactly why walking down the Crayola aisle makes me happy and I’ve come to two conclusions:

1. I’m a crafter.  I like crafting.  I have a huge stockpile of scrapbooking supplies, boxes of paints and brushes, stamps and inks and even supplies to emboss things.  I like to emboss.

2. I’m a girl.  A woman rather.  But definitely girly.  But not like fru-fru girly.

The second conclusion falls into that old formal logic Venn diagram where not all school supplies lovers are women and not all women are school supplies lovers but a portion of them fit the bill.  Are you asking why would I even think this?  Never fear, I have reasoning behind my logic: my niece.

My Monkey of niece is obsessed.  We walk into Target or a book store or wherever, she flocks to look at ink pens and markers and journals in the coveted Crayola aisle.  She always wants to go into the book store when she visits.  Not for books to read.  For books to doodle in.  With pretty colors.  Child after my own heart.  This was me when I was ten.  Hell, this is me now.  A new pack of colored pencils excited me; I was  immediately inspired to draw.  And think of different ways to photograph the colors.

So tell me, am I on to something?  Or am I completely wrong and possibly *gasp* stereotyping?  Or am I just a complete weirdo that thinks about school supplies a bit too much?  I could live with that last one… I do love me some colored pencils.

Here is my grass:

Now let me say I did try some different stuff.  I took a series of shots that were a bit more “artistic”, cropping the dog in such a way that the photo held interest and had good lines.  But then I realized that it was just a picture of Chase’s butt and no one really wanted to see that so I opted for this one.

Grass fills the frame.  Subject has been identified and photographed.  (How’s that for some spy-talk.)  Chase… well, this is her “I’m being very still now hurry and take the picture or I’m gonna bolt!”  And bolt she did.  The frame following this one, she’s up and running from the scene to smell the hiney of the beagle out back.  Some things are better left to be misunderstood.

I think a few of us are still hanging in there so it might be worth your while to check out the flickr group.  Next week’s challenge is “pink” – I’ve got to get my photo pronto since my schedule is somewhat full next week.  But it’s a color challenge… and I love color challenges!

With our challenge winding down (only four weeks left), I’m slacking in the decision department.  No surprise there.  Part of me wants to start another weekly challenge immediately.  Another part [that seems to be more of a bully] wants to take a break before cranking in another year of photos.  Thoughts?  Feelings?  Anything that might make a decision stick?

Truth be told I sat down and watched three hours of the Food Channel last Saturday and one show was about nothing but ganache.  It made my mouth water inspired me so I set out to make some cookies.  And I wanted to take pictures of my cookies.  This makes me a pretend food blogger by default.

I’ve been holding on to a macaroon recipe for some time now.  I even went ahead and purchased all the ingredients so that when the whim struck, macaroons would appear.  But after reading through the recipe again, I decided that macaroons weren’t going to happen.  I don’t know why but separating an egg freaks me out.  I know.  I’m special.  But chocolate was a must.

My old trusty friend of the cookie world: chocolate oatmeal no bakes.  Mom’s recipe.  They turn out every time.

The good part: they only take 10 minutes to make.  Which means taste testing happens sooner than with most cookies.  The bad part: just because they have oats in them does not make them good for you.  I tried telling myself that for the longest time.  Until Mom gave me the recipe.  I was shell-shocked.

But if you want a quick cookie that will make the kindergartners (and co-workers alike) go mad, this is the cookie for you.  Well, it’s the cookie for me.  Me love cookies.

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