Category: flickr

zodiac and a new lens

So last night, we went with Barry and Rebekah to check out the newest Jake Gyllenhaal flick, Zodiac. For those of you that know me, know that I love all things Gyllenhaal (Maggie included!), so there was no way I was going to be able to wait for this movie to make its way to DVD. So, I braved the Friday night movie crowds (those of you that know me well, know that I HATE going to the movies on opening night… crowds make me angry), and we managed to have no problem sitting together, thanks to Daniel and Andrew meeting us at the movie, and saving us four chairs. Score!! So just before the movie, when we were eating dinner, Barry mentions that the movie is 2 hours and 40 minutes long… uh, I wasn’t expecting that, but nevertheless, I was excited to see a new Gyllenhaal movie. So we made our way into the theater, settled in, and watched Zodiac. While it definitely was a long movie (seriously, almost 3 hours long, remember!), it was actually really good. There was lots of “thriller” moments, and there was actually a bunch of surprisingly vivid violence in the recreation of the Zodiac’s killings. It really captured the hysteria of the time, being that a mass murderer was just out there killing people, and no one knew who he was or where to look for him. Surprisingly, there was actually quite a bit of humor in the movie, which cut the suspense very nicely. Most of that came from Robert Downey Jr., which was nice and welcome in this serious movie. It was also cool how they followed the reporters and the police as they worked to try and uncover who the killer was before he killed again. Eventually, the police give up, and Jake’s character takes it upon himself to find out who Zodiac is years later, while writing a book about him. Overall, I really liked the movie, and I will definitely get it for our collection when it hits DVD. The only thing that I didn’t really like (even though it was totally necessary), was the continual splicing together of scenes labeled with how much later they were than the previous scene (i.e., 2 months later…). They did that A LOT in the film, and it was a little distracting, but overall, I really liked it. I’ll give it a five out of six (); perhaps another viewing will make that go up, because I get distracted in the theater sometimes, and all that time jumping plus the almost 3 hour movie proved to be a little distracting. Either way, that’s what I thought, now you go see it! [picture from iheartjakemedia.com]

drinks anyone?Other than that, I am completely reeling over my newest purchase; I got a new (very inexpensive) lens for my camera. The lens is a 50mm f1.8, which is awesome, because it has a wicked aperture, allowing me to do awesome DOF things. I am in love with it. I messed around a little yesterday, and got some pretty great pictures. I look forward to learning more and more about it, and hopefully, I will just get better with time. To the right is one of the pictures that I took yesterday (if you want to see it bigger, click on it, and it will take you to the flickr page). What do you think? (you can see the rest on my flickr page) I am impressed with how well this camera handles, and the impressive pictures that come out of it. YAY great purchase!

I hope that everyone is having a great weekend, and relaxing accordingly. We are going to have a rousing Wii Boxing game this afternoon as our workout, and then hang out with friends tonight and tomorrow night. God, weekends are the best. I wish they lasted longer!!!

fruity friday



mix-‘n-match, originally uploaded by duanecmoody.

Hope everyone is having a great end of the week day. I am having some pain in my leg, but other than that… no worries. I thought the fruit was a great way to brighten the day, no?

I am having a hard time dealing with mundane, repetitive tasks today, but then, at least I am getting stuff done, right? I will be happy when it is completed!

Last night, I was up very late, because I got really into updating my dvd library pages and whatnot. I am going to try and get all of my html files into wordpress, mainly because it is much easier to update that way. I do wonder, though, if anyone actually reads that stuff; other than to poke fun at it, that is. Oh well, I love the organization, so I guess it doesn’t really matter, now does it?

What does everyone have planned for this weekend? I am torn between things to do tonight, and I might have to make a choice for the one that I wasn’t planning on, but would make someone else very happy. I am fine with that, though; I just don’t want to let others down. Tomorrow should be relaxing, and I think that I am going to try and come up with new photo ideas… Anyone want to go on a photostroll?

Also, I am loving Lily Allen and Kellie Pickler today; talk about opposites. I am going to see Lily at the Loft on Monday, March 19th if anyone wants to come… we have a little group going, and I think it will be a blast. Oh well, let me know! That’s all for today!

the first rung



first rung, originally uploaded by duanecmoody.

Somedays, it is almost impossible just to grab that first rung and pull yourself up. Today is one of those days. A lot to do, and a big block of anxiety sitting in the way.

What happened to me… I used to be able to handle pressure pretty well. Well, I guess I at least need to reach out for the damn thing and at least give it a go.

Wish me luck.

first step towards changing the world

James and I watched An Inconvenient Truth a week or so ago, and the film was so fantastic and so compelling, that it motivated us to take action. We want to do our part to lessen our burden on the environment, and we are doing so, one step at a time. If you want to help the earth, please go to this website, and see what you can do; because even the small stuff can make a difference.

I am definitely going to write more about the movie, but I have been distracted lately, and haven’t had it in me. The film deserves so much more than a distracted thought process, so I want to do it justice. If you haven’t seen it, see it… and if you don’t believe in global warming and climate change, you MUST see it, because science can change your mind… or at least, I hope it can.
goodbye incandescent
Our first steps towards changing our energy consumption, were to change out all of our incandescent bulbs for new, energy efficient compact fluorescent ones. Now, I know you make think that these bulbs are more expensive (because they are), but the energy you save by using them more than makes up for the price difference. Also, as a motivation to get them, if you go to a wholesale warehouse place (like Sams or Costco), you can get a 10 pack of the bulbs for only $10… that is a savings of over $6 per bulb. I am glad that we have taken this first step, and I know that we are only getting started in trying to make positive impacts on the environment, rather than negative ones. Go out and get your new bulbs today!!! Seriously, they are a hell of a lot brighter!!
hello energy efficient fluorescent!
Again, more to come about An Inconvenient Truth… Hope everyone is having a great weekend!! Go Green!

a friday free-for-all!

I am all over the place today! So, in the spirit of that “all over the place” mentality I am currently afflicted by, I thought I would share! Why not, right?! I knew you would agree.

First of all, my car starting making a noise this week. Not a good noise either, it was a “metal on metal” scraping noise coming from the wheels. Shit. Of course, I am a proactive person when it comes to car care (I always get the oil done on time, and I rotate tires and that kind of stuff), so I called Acura and made an appointment for this afternoon. Turns out, it is something to do with brake pads and the rotors, and so I have to have the back ones fixed… the front ones are covered by the warranty for whatever reason. It’s going to be $165, but at least I have two things going FOR me here; the vibration and that awful metal on metal noise when braking will go away, AND, I luckily got my tax return money this week. So, I guess things could be worse. I just can’t wait to see how it drives when it is fixed, especially since they let me borrow a BRAND NEW RDX to drive while I am waiting for my car. That car is NICE, but really, the only thing about it I would want, is the MP3 CD capability, and the audio in jack for my ipod… my car doesn’t have either of those features. Other than that, I am very happy with Bianca, and can’t wait to get her back.

Second, to preface this next thing, let me start by saying that my tattoo guy had me on a stand by list, in case of a cancellation, in order to fix my ankle tattoo. Apparently, this was the quickest way to get in, because he has a massive waiting list (which is totally understandable, because he is amazing)… but I didn’t expect that they would call and be all, “um, can you come in tonight?”. Well, needless to say, I said yes, because I don’t want to have to wait that much longer; especially considering the main reason I went to Russ in the first place, was to get my ankle redone… and I ended up with a half sleeve!!! I probably want to do more with the sleeve in the future, but for now, we are doing ankle work ONLY. I can’t wait to see what he can do with it. The man is a genius with a needle and ink. The appointment tonight shouldn’t be half as painful as my last one (which was all inner arm work, ouch!). I just hope James isn’t too shaken by the sudden change of plans… he doesn’t deal well with that, but in this case, I didn’t have much of a choice. Oh well, I guess we’ll see!

a daffodil's view

Finally, my good friend Deb has talked me into getting a kick ass lens for my camera, because it is pretty much one of the best deal lenses for the Canon EOS cameras… it is a 50mm with f1.8, and it should allow me to enhance the bokeh in my shots (bokeh is the effect in the shot above, where the main object of the photo is sharp, but the background is blurred and softened… but this lens can make it much smoother and more soft). This is the effect in photography that I have learned, and one that I love the most, and I can’t wait to see what this lens can do, because the one that comes with the camera is pretty limited when you want to do more specific and advanced things like this; plus, it is a cheap lens (as I mentioned). I am completely loving this camera, and I am SOOOO glad that I got it. It was totally worth the wait, and I know that I am gushing about it, but I really can’t help it. Mama likes her electronics, kids!!! Also, keep in mind I waited over a year and a half to get this camera, so a little excitement is in order. Be sure to keep an eye on my flickr page, because I can assure you, things are only going to get more interesting. Well, at least I am going to posting a lot more… I have fallen back in love with flickr!

I hope that everyone has a great Friday (what’s left of it), and I hope everyone has a great weekend as well! Expect some commentary on the Oscars on Monday… GO JENNIFER HUDSON!!! WOOO WOOO!

February’s APWBWGTTD

barry through the boozeLast night was our monthly meet-up, and we had a great turn out! I was glad to see 10 people show up, even though, most of us were the regulars… which is actually a good thing, and I wish we could add more to our regular APWBWGTTD line up. Fun was had, booze was consumed, and even a few people ate. We did have a good time, and I have say, that I am super jazzed to find out that Manuel’s has a non-smoking section! I didn’t know that before last night, but I can guarantee that it will increase my desire to go there for drinks and whatnot… I won’t have to leave smelling like a bar.

There were a few things that I observed last night that I would like to share here:

  • No one should be bribed with beer to drink Au Jus. Seriously, that is just mean. And gross.
  • Maigh is a fucking freak for fireballs. And rightly so, they are delicious. (see below for proof)
  • Sometimes being around someone that you haven’t talked to in months doesn’t have to be too awkward. So long as you are willing to just let it go; even if they pretend nothing happened. Oh well.
  • At Manuel’s (at least), you can order your own pitcher… no questions asked. Sweet!
  • Apparently, this super deluxe has some funny shit. And the President’s song isn’t as funny when it comes from three drunkards. Perhaps I will have to check it out for myself. And Barry loves kitty no legs. Whatever that is.
  • Anna Nicole is not a celebrity, and people should just shut up about it already. At least, according to dave.
  • Passing your camera around to let everyone have an opportunity to take pictures at different angles may or may not be a good idea for the future… Dave wanted to take it to the bathroom, and instead just ended up taking close ups of my head. Which I deleted. (sorry dave). Other than dave’s proposed adventures with my camera, we did get a bunch of fun shots of the crew.
  • When you schedule an event on Wednesday because one person wants it to be on Wednesdays so that he can attend, don’t expect him to actually attend, or you may be let down. I realize (and this is the only reason I took the reigns from Lori), that people are going to show up, or not, and it doesn’t really matter, as long as those of us that ARE there have fun (which we did).
  • There are a bunch of political groups that meet at Manuel’s on Wednesdays.
  • Apparently, a black eye (which I have from banging my head on my chest of drawers) can be perceived as eye shadow on some… like on me. I just think it is funny that some thought I was wearing eye shadow (period), and even more, that I was only wearing it on one eye. Classic.

maigh is a fucking freak for fireballs
Well, that’s about it… I am sure that everyone else could come up with some stuff from last night, but I will leave it here. I had a great time, and I can’t wait until next month. Be there or be a gelatinous blob, bitches! The next APWBWGTTD will be on March 14, so mark your calendars now… I will send out an evite shortly. Thanks for coming out! (photos are obviously on flickr, so check ’em out, if you want)

a look at the current living room set up



living room beadboard primed, originally uploaded by duanecmoody.

We finally took care of priming the beadboard, and I couldn’t be happier!! The living room looks so “New England” now, and I love it. Now all we have to do, is go back and paint it for real, and we will be one step closer. I hate painting, but I love the end results.

We are also going to paint the walls above the beadboard like a celery color, and I hope that we do that soon, because I really don’t like having projects held over my head. Oh well… at least we can enjoy the beadboard white; even if it is only primer!

Hope everyone is having a great President’s Day!!! Thank GOD for working for the government on days like this!!!