Happy Thanksgiving!

I was cropping this picture from last year to make it look better. Then I realized that most important part of this picture isn't the turkey or the stuffing. It's the people gathered around the table.

With everyone in our lives so far flung it's impossible to be with everyone we care about. We have friends and family all over the U.S. and all over the world. Even if we don't see you every day, know that Wookie and I are thankful to have you in our lives.

Times Are Tough

In this age of cutbacks even lunch meats are affected. Behold...LOAF!

The deli guy is telling curious shoppers that it is "like pimento loaf or olive loaf, but without any pimentos or olives."

Here I thought that would be bologna. I shudder to think what loaf would be otherwise.

Work in Progress (And Lots of It!)

I know I haven't posted the results of my last session of pottery class yet. I haven't had time to shoot those pictures yet. In the mean time, this is what I've been up to this term...

Please pardon the badly stitched together picture.

Somehow over the last few weeks it escaped my notice just how many pieces I had thrown in pottery class. Today was the first time I had them all out on a table to look at. I've got a lot of work ahead of me to get them finished!

52 Weeks of Photos, Weeks 4-11

I have been trying to keep up with the 52 Weeks of Photography project. Posting my photos has been more of a challenge than taking them and blogging about it has been even harder.

Here's what I've been up to...

Week 5 Exposure: Multiple (OR: Creative Exposure)
 Post 9/18

(It was decided that those of us with point and shoot cameras could opt to just re-do a previous topic, so I did another food shot.)

Week 6 Body Parts--Start shooting 9/19 Post 9/25

(They didn't specify whose body parts.)

Week 7 Composition: Fill the Frame
--Start shooting 9/26 Post 10/2

Montezuma's Castle--Camp Verde, Arizona

Week 8 Upside Down
--Start shooting 10/3 Post 10/9

I was on a flight and found it was easier to take pictures out the window with the camera upside down.
The result is this shot that looks like I took it from space! 

Week 9 Contrasting images (two photos)
 --Start shooting 10/10 Post 10/16

Week 10 Exposure: High Key
--Start shooting 10/17 Post 10/23

I am not sure if this qualifies as High Key, but I thought I'd give it a shot.
The hood ornament was on a white car. I boosted the exposure in iPhoto. 

Week 11 Monochrome
--Start shooting 10/24 Post 10/30

A Voice for Radio?

Last night began my fourth year of teaching for the Celebrant Institute. The first year, I taught one class in person and one class online. The next two years all of the classes were online. Online classes were typed chat sessions. While I loved having the transcripts to look back at for reference, my hands were always tired after a night of teaching.

This year we’re using Go To Training. The students and I can actually talk to one another and I can show them slides.

I had anticipated it to be very much like an in person class, but without being able to see each other. Instead, it felt like I was hosting a talk radio show. Maybe it was the headset and saying things like, “and now, let’s talk to Jane from Colorado…”

It was nice to associate voices with my students and to hear them actually laugh when they found something funny. I guess that’s where the radio comparison ends, because a radio host can’t hear all the people they are speaking to.

This is going to be an interesting school year.

Accident Priorities

So, over the weekend, a freak nor'easter dropped several inches of very wet, very heavy snow on our area. The result was a lot of downed trees—even here where there aren't that many. My family had no power over the weekend. So we lent my mother a generator Sunday and ended up stopping on the way to render aid at a three-car collision.

Wookie got to put his EMT training into use (and me my first responder training) as we tended to the drivers and passengers of the three cars. It was a lesson in priorities and I'd like to use my platform here to issue some advice.

People, if you're in a car accident--especially if the airbags deploy--don't move or move as little as possible. If you get out of your car, you are risking further injury--either by moving some part of you that you don't realize you've injured, or from other cars on the road. Some injuries, like a torn aorta, or even whiplash are not obvious right away but can be very serious, or even deadly.

To the police out there, I understand that you have your own set of priorities--but clearing the accident scene and getting people's licenses and insurance is NOT so important that you should tell someone with a possible C-spine injury to reach over to their purse or glove box and get their papers. You can wait, or you can ask to reach in and get those things yourself. Your report is not worth someone becoming paralyzed or worse.

Also, maybe have some respect for the people who stop to render aid--especially if they are trained first responders, EMTs or paramedics, etc. We stop to help. We're not trying to make your life harder but, really, shouldn't your first priority be the welfare of the accident victims too? If you have someone there who can help them till EMS arrives (and we're often on scene before you are) then take advantage of the assistance. (I've been first on scene to several accidents over the years. Sometimes the officers are happy for the help, others pretty much ignore me, yesterday the officer just wanted us gone but it took an hour for EMS to arrive and the officer--in my opinion--did not show much concern with monitoring people for injuries at all. You might say that's not his job, but if no one else is there to do it then whose job is it?)

Finally, to all drivers, know that gawking just risks adding you to the accident. If you are not stopping to help, then slow down but keep going--and keep your eyes on the road. Really, DO slow down. The people who were speeding past us yesterday were careless jerks. I have no more eloquent words to describe them, and the terms I would rather use are far less polite. They put everyone at risk.

I hope the people from the accident are all okay--we have no way of knowing. No one asked us for our information (and in the last few years, I think I've only been asked twice).

I will say, too, that I am terribly proud of Wookie. He did a great job checking on everyone and, later, assisting the local EMTs when they arrived. He's my hero.

From the number of sirens I heard over the weekend and the damage we saw of downed trees and power lines, I'm sure that the storm left everyone here with a lot of clean-up to do.  This afternoon, our neighborhood was alive with the sound of chainsaws. From our house, Wookie and I heard a combination of sounds that spoke of someone else having a bad day:

1. The sound of chainsaws and cracking tree limbs
2. The sound of a car alarm
3. People shouting

Never a good combination.

Winter has come early my friends. Be careful and stay safe.

Reflections on 40

So next week is a big week. Celebrant classes start again, and I turn 41.

It’s been a very busy year.

• I turned 40 and we celebrated with ride in the country, then dinner, followed by helping a girl who was freaking out a bit fix a flat tire.

I took this picture the day I turned 40. It's been all twists and turns since then.

• That weekend, we had a huge party celebrating my and the Wookie’s birthdays.
• I saw my niece earn her black belt.
• I started pottery classes.

©Cristina Kollet 2011

• Wookie Graduated EMT school.

• I saw my Celebrancy practice grow to include Memorials and a rally for abused animals.
• I was investigated by police for bribary—I learned to check the marriage license envelope for my wedding fee before I mail it in.
• I lost my job; becoming unemployed after 15 years of continuous work.
• We found out that Frankie had cancer.

©Cristina Kollet 2011

• I learned to give subcutaneous fluids to a cat.
• I taught the Social Media course I developed for celebrants for the second year.
• I presented at the Celebrant Foundation Collective Wisdom conference and celebrated the 10^th Anniversary of the Celebrant Foundation and Institute.
• I watched my third class of Celebrants graduate.

©Paul Skehan 2011

• We had friends over from Canada for Graduation and I got a tiara.

• I celebrated my fifth year as a certified Life-Cycle Celebrant® by entering into the Master Celebrant course.
• I got henna for the first time.

• We had some SCUBA fun.
• I went to NYC to celebrate the start of Marriage Equality in NY.

• Frankie passed away.
• I attended a social media conference in NYC.
• We had an earthquake, and a hurricane, and our basement flooded, all in about a week.

• I tore my cornea and learned a few weeks later that I should stay away from over the counter eye drops because…
• They might trigger something called Aides Eye—which looks a lot like an aneurism.

• I learned that my EMT husband knows which local hospitals have fully staffed MRIs and the shortest routes to them. (I went to the eye doctor and it turned out not to be an aneurism, but it was good information to have.)
• I drove to Arizona with a friend.

©Cristina Kollet 2011

• While I was gone my house flooded.
• My awesome husband made it so that I could continue on the trip without coming home.
• When I got home I helped Wookie teach his Dive Squad CPR.
• I ran a successful online fundraiser for the Celebrant Institute.

• I learned that I need to improve my math skills before ordering at the all-you-can-eat sushi place again.

• I learned I can’t eat squid ink.

• I took over 6000 pictures.
• I enjoyed another year with my Wookie, my family, and my friends.

©Cristina Kollet 2011

It’s been one hell of a year. 8 days to go.

Here’s hoping 41 is a good year.

Ink Is Not for Eating

Back when the Wookie and I were in the early days of our courtship, two strangers emailing each other via Match.com, he asked me what kind of food I like. I responded with a long and diverse list of cuisines ranging from Italian to Spanish, Chinese to Vietnamese. Wookie’s response was simply, “wow, you have eclectic tastes!”

My friend made a similar comment when we were at dinner the other night. I had just ordered pasta made with (I think it was) squid ink. She said I was adventurous and I commented that, as I had no known food allergies, I felt I could afford to be.

(Yeah, I know it's an octopus, not a squid, but this sculpture outside of Cliff House in San Francisco was the closest I had to a squid.)

Even as I let the words slip from my mouth, I knew I was tempting the Fates. So really, it should have come as no surprise to me when, roughly five hours later, I found myself making sacrifice at the porcelain throne.

It was at that point that Wookie walked in and declared, “no more ink pasta.”

You see, I’d had it before. And while all I remember from the experience is thinking that I didn’t like the consistency very much, Wookie remembers that night ending in a similar late-night serenade to the gods of plumbing.

Apparently, there is something I cannot eat.

It’s not a huge loss really, after giving the dish two tries in two different restaurants, it was tasty, but not a favorite anyway. Though I did prefer having a short list of things I would not eat and nothing in the “can’t eat it” column.

Still, the crème brulet was delicious. 

A Boat Load of Sushi

So the Wookie and I took the Mighty Jeepster to see our friend Rich this week. We ended up the evening in a place with all you can eat sushi.

I had envisioned a buffet setup, but when we arrived, we were given menus, a slip of paper, and a pencil. On the slips were printed the names of the various types of sushi rolls and tempura available.

Wookie looked at the menu and headed next door for pizza. (He rejoined us later for dessert.) Rich and I started checking off what we wanted. I had several items checked off, some with 2 rather than 1. Rich reminded me that each 1 was 6 pieces and I changed most of those 2s to 1s. 

After courses of miso soup and salad, with that lovely ginger dressing that sushi places use, the waitress put this in front of us...

I thought for sure it had to be what both Rich and I both ordered...until the waitress said that another boat was on its way. It took me a while to stop laughing so I could eat.

In the end, I had to admit defeat. This is as far as I got. 

(The much more reasonable looking plates at the top of the shot are Rich's order. He was short a few pieces, but it wasn't the barge I wound up with.)

I think I need to seriously work on my math skills before I go back...but I will be back!

The Catch-Up Post

The Wookie is wise.

He's noted that I returned from the Road Trip a bit out of phase because, while I was away, I was torn between having a good time and worrying about what was going on at home.

It's taken me a few weeks to get back into the swing of things. In the mean time, we've been drying out the house and I've been getting ready to teach the Celebrant Institute Class of 2012 in November.

I did promise more on the road trip though, so here are a few more photos from the trip and the last couple  of weeks.

On the New Mexico/ Arizona leg of our trip, we passed many of these on Old Route 66.

We debated over what they might be. I finally settled on wings for gliders.  As it turns out, they are for windmills. (Wookie knew at first glance of the photo!)  There were a great many wind farms along the way.

Here's a picture of me in Arizona.

I've already posted a few pictures from the Montezuma Castle National Monument near Camp Verde, AZ. I found this little guy while I was there. (I have not identified what he is yet.)

Here he is in action:

There park system out there is made up of several parks. I also enjoyed Montezuma's Well. I am deeply impressed by the people who walked out into the dessert and made their home there.

When it came time to fly home, I did my usual routine. I jotted down some thoughts about the trip.

And I took pictures from the plane. This time I caught something I'd never seen before, a cloud with a 90° corner.

I'll skip coming home to view the damage from the flood. I was welcomed by hugs from my Wookie and that's really all that matters.

A week after I got back I went pumpkin picking with my family. Here's mine.

I still had the SLR camera that I borrowed for the trip so I took advantage of the chance to take the close ups I really love.

So now I'm back in the groove of things. And back to pottery class. I'll post later with pictures of what I made last time around. Here's what I made this week.

More Pickles Please

I can't believe it is Friday, already. I still have a few things to say about the road trip, but since I've been back, life has been a blur of errands and playing catch-up. I am exhausted and when I get tired... well, let's just say that verbal communication isn't always my strong suit.

Today, while looking cameras with Wookie, I argued that the new Nikon Coolpix has more pickles than the one he gave me last year.

Road trip

Final destination

Location Location Location

At some point, people WALKED here and decided that this was the place to settle down.

Sacred Datura (Jimpson Weed)

Montezuma Castle

The workers/rangers in this shot were gathering wood samples to determine the type of wood used in construction. When asked if they had a goodbtime up there, they said always.

Road Trip: Day 5 The Last Big Push

Today was the last long day of driving, New Mexico to Arizona. Our route continued along Route 40, which is the historic Route 66.

Route 66 is a huge tourist attraction in and of itself. I'm not sure if the road was famous before the TV show or because of it. But I love the idea of a pair of buddies traveling the open road and helping people in trouble.

It made my day to help Tommie and Keith, an older couple who were dealling with a little car trouble.

Our trip is a bit of a blur. We passed several trucks carrying enormous wings--I think they are for gliders. We passed signs for discount meteorites and petrified trees.

We stopped at one scenic overlook, where I tested my tablet's ability to take panoramic shots.

Finally we reached our goal--reuniting Ana and Steve-the-Dog with Ana's fiance. (I'll call him Luke.) What better reason to drive 3,000 miles than love?

Road Trip: Day 4 OK TX NM

Today was a good day. Reports from home were encouraging. I'd had a good night's sleep and breakfast at the hotel was very tasty.

We left very early--around 7AM. Our route took us into and through Oklahoma, across that square bit at the top of texas, and into New Mexico.

We stopped for BBQ along the way. It was awesome. Round-Up seems to be frequented by the locals--usually a good indicator of where to eat. The ribs were cooked with a dry rub that was delicious and spicey. The BBQ sauce was served on the side. Great BBQ can be a religious experience. This was damn close.

I enjoyed the changes in landscape today as we followed part of what was old Route 66. Oklahoma wasn't as flat as I had expected--there were some rolling hills that made for a lovely drive. Texas, on the other hand, was flat but I was impressed with their wind farms.

New Mexico gave us an amazing sunset with just a sliver of moon above.

I am still without my laptop so more pics will be posted later. But here are a few to get you going. I need some sleep.