…and although the fire was not necessary, in fact the house warmed up pretty uncomfortably, there is something magically calming about a nice log burning the fireplace. We kept the backdoor open allowing the dogs to come and go as they pleased while attempting to keep the house cooler than the fireplace would allow. Overall, a pleasant evening.

~KR (day thirty-nine — 9 December, 2006)

Camera: Canon PowerShot S1 IS
Exposure: 0.5 sec (1/2)
Aperture: f/3.1
Focal Length: 12.1 mm
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV
Flash: Flash did not fire

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I have photo assignments every week; I share them with Marita Beth who has been quite adept at working with them. I rarely get the opportunity to actually take a photo within the confines of the particular assignment. I’m not even necessarily convinced that I did so this time, but I tried. The assignment was lines. Use your imagination; you’ll find lines in the photo.

~KR (day thirty-eight — 8 December, 2006)

Camera: Canon PowerShot S1 IS
Exposure: 0.003 sec (1/400)
Aperture: f/4.5
Focal Length: 58 mm
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV
Flash: Flash did not fire, auto mode

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What possible better way could there be to celebrate the holidays then by terrorising the local child populace with a giant inflatable snowman on your front lawn? I can’t imagine the thought process behind the creation of this abomination, but for some weird reason they’re extremely popular here in Texas. I hate them.

~KR (day thirty-seven — 7 December, 2006)

Camera: Canon PowerShot S1 IS
Exposure: 1 sec (1)
Aperture: f/7.1
Focal Length: 58 mm
Exposure Bias: 2 EV
Flash: Flash did not fire

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“Ninety percent I’ll spend on good times, women and Irish Whiskey. The other ten percent I’ll probably waste.”
What better quote to go with this photo?
Years ago, I stumbled into a newly-opened Irish pub called O’Dwyer’s. It sat on the top of a hill overlooking the road I drive on my way home from work. And conveniently, it was just about a 5 minute drive from work, which offered a fantastic place to wait out rush hour and, at certain times of the year, the setting sun. I became a regular there and befriended not only the wait & bar staff, but the owner as well. Sadly, this wonderful haunt closed nearly two years ago; but the memories linger on in my home. This half-barrel with the Bushmills logo on it hangs proudly on my bookshelf in my home-office; where it once hung proudly above the door inside O’Dwyer’s.

Sláinte!
~KR (day thirty-six — 6 December, 2006)

Camera: Canon PowerShot S1 IS
Exposure: 0.017 sec (1/60)
Aperture: f/3.1
Focal Length: 28.5 mm
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV
Flash: Flash fired, auto mode, red-eye reduction

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13 December 2006

Well, I did it!  I sat through the four-hour class and took the test (I was the only one in the class to get 100%) and now, I’m TABC Certified! 

Theoretically, that makes me more employable.  I’ve got my name in the hat to be called for private parties, wine tastings, and the like.  And, if I wanted to, little places like the Mexican restaurant down the street, might let me do some basic training behind a bar (with little to no pay, of course!)  Eventually, I’d like to be fully trained for bartending, ’cause someday, we’re gonna have that castle or manor house with it’s own little pub!

Thanks for encouraging me, Kyle, Terrill, Trista–Slainte!

~MB

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12 December 2006

As I write this entry, I’m reminded to say, “Happy Birthday, StephySmurf!” 

The fourth in my crazy little series on learning how to photograph candles.  This is a giant three wick candle that I’ve used occasionally for over a year.  It has burned down pretty evenly until recently, when first one, and then another of the three wicks got buried beyond saving.  So, now, I can only light one wick and it won’t be long until I have to say farewell to this sweet-smelling friend. 

This photo is kind of fun, although I wish the green colour of the candle itself had come through better.  But, the resulting picture is such that it’s almost hard to tell it’s a picture of a candle!  Parts of it almost seem like the interior wall of a cave.  Perhaps with a pool of water. Imagination is a wonderful thing.  H m m m . . .

Saw the film DejaVu tonight.  Very interesting. A little more edge of the seat-ish than I was really prepared for, but not because I didn’t know better! 

Purring cat on my lap is telling me it’s bedtime.

~MB

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11 December 2006

Sadly, I’ve missed more games in the last couple of years, than I’ve attended.  So, when the opportunity presented itself for me to go along with Kyle on a night that wasn’t too cold, and my deadlines don’t loom too large, I jumped at the chance.

The game was being played at a Fort Worth park called “Gateway” and Kyle was excited about playing there.  Apparently, our team hasn’t played there in quite a while, and in the interim, the city has poured some money into this park, in the shape of two, beautiful, artificial turf fields!  It really is a classy venue, and although some commented that it’s kind of tough to fall on, the pitch seems to be very friendly on the knees!  I walked across the field after the game to retrieve a ball, and it was like walking on thick rubber–almost like a gymnastic mat!  I can only imagine it might take some getting used to, but the adjustment would be well worth the effort!

Unfortunately, although Kyle played very well, and the team really pulled itself together for the second half, the Strikers lost the game 3-2.  No more games, now, until February when the spring season begins. 

~MB

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10 December 2006

Well, my photo doesn’t do the occasion justice, at all!  We had the good fortune to join our friends Ronnie and Tracy Killingsworth as they celebrated the end of a long 28 months of crazy schedules, missed social events, and much, much studying.  Both Ronnie and Tracy are now posessors of an MBA degree from University of Texas at Arlington.  It was a lovely, rather intimate ceremony for about forty graduates, held in the McDavid Studio facility of Fort Worth’s Bass Performance Hall.  We followed the ceremony with dinner at Blue Mesa Grill on University Drive.  A delightful evening — we’re happy for you and proud of you, Ronnie and Tracy!

~MB

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9 December 2006

With the possible exception of a weekend in June I barely remember (because as it turns out, I was well into the process of coming down with menangitis at the time), this was the first Saturday night Kyle and I have had to spend together doing nothing in over a year!  It may even be longer than that, if you consider that a year ago, we were hot and heavy into creating our jury package for Scarborough Faire Renaissance Festival.  January parties, February-March booth prep, April-May Faire weekends, June packing, July-September MB was away, October-November TRF weekends, right into Thanksgiving and Dickens . . . whew! 

In a season of dinners and parties and social events out the wazoo, we chose to enjoy this first Saturday night “off” by spending time at home — just the two of us.  Well, the two of us and the dogs and the cat. 

The cat, Artemis, who has the reputation of being anti-social, has decided this fall, that being in the living room with us is really okay!  (She is almost seven years old!) And, especially happy is she, when we turn our big chairs toward each other and make a nest of coziness. 

It wasn’t terribly cold Saturday night, but I had decided I wanted to use the fireplace, so use it we did.  We snuggled down and watched some TV and ordered a pizza and it was wonderful.  Our apologies to any and all who were hoping we’d be someplace else.  We missed you, too.  But, we really needed this!

~MB

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7 December 2006

An evening spent with friends.  Life is good.

Kelly and Joseph will leave in a day or so for their home in Wisconsin.  We will miss them so much!  But for now, this evening, we can bury our heads in the sand, and imagine they are with us always.

Ginger cooked a simple, but delightful meal, and we dined, and drank, and ate chocolate!  And tomorrow evening, there’s Mah Jong to be played! 

This photo captures a bit of the glow of the evening–the beautiful Girl Glass goblets filled with wine, the wine and beer bottles in the background, and the golden wrapper on the chocolate, as Ginger sneaks another bite!

~MB

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