The Unsuccessful Courtship of Miss I

"Get used to it, kid." ---Daddy

A Spring Afternoon

Tickle Me Holden TMX

Is there anything more intoxicating than a warm Spring afternoon? No coats, no cold, no Winter. The flowers are blooming and the boys are bouncing off the walls. So we head outside to enjoy it.

Over the Fence

T gets out his tiny remote control helicopter - a Christmas present from his brother that the boys have been dying to play with. Luckily Daddy shares his toys. He flies it a few times and then Hollis takes over.

The Wonder of Flight

Eventually, the sun heads down for its nap and it is time to go in. But first, there is one thing left to do....

Make a Wish

If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly,

our whole life would change.

- Buddha

Love Thursday by Hollis

Today is Love Thursday over at Shutter Sisters. I'm cheating a little bit though. My Love Thursday photo is actually a piece of art work by Hollis, my 3 year old.

Say it with me, "Awwwwwwwww!"

Norfolk: It's My Town Now

The view from our office conference room. That's the Norfolk cruise ship terminal on the right. I even dig the cranes in the middle. Cranes are pretty cool.
It's no secret that I miss D.C. I went to law school, bought my first house, got my first job as a lawyer, worked in the Pentagon, got drunk and closed many bars, heckled politicians, and had my first baby there. I cling to the home I once had, unable to completely let go. I had some of the best years of my life there. Hell, I still write for the D.C. Metro Moms Blog and I head up for happy hours every couple of months.

But I'm starting to dig this place where I live now. Yes, it's a bit less culturally diverse and there aren't as many cool restaurants, bars, and museums here. Let's face it; I can't go to many of those anyway unless I fork over $10/hour for a sitter to watch the little tasmanian devils in my home.

Hampton Roads has its own appeal, the beach being primary among them! It's a bit too early for beach photos, but I recently took some photos of downtown Norfolk, where I spend so much of my time. (In the office, of course.)


This is the old Customs Building in downtown Norfolk (with the green roof) and another historic building behind it. I've always loved the contrast of the red brick with that roof.


The sunset was reflecting off of this building about a block from my office, so I headed up to the roof of the parking garage to get a few shots. I just wish I'd been a bit higher up!



This is the side of the World Trade Center building on the Elizabeth River in downtown Norfolk, where I work. I'll have to circle my office window next time, just in case Jenny wants to stalk me.


The Old Customs House again. I look at this through my office window every day.
I just love that roof.

So, it's growing on me. More than just the space around my house feels like home now. I might even tell people I'm from this area in the future. Maybe.

Superhero Photo Challenge - A New Perspective

Have you visited Shutter Sisters yet? Why the hell not?

Those chicks take good pics! (And I can say that because I am a chick.)

The Superhero Photo Challenge for this week is to take photos from a new perspective.

In the past I've parked myself flat on my back in the lawn to take photos of bubbles floating over head. That one didn't work out so well because I had my 50mm 1.8/f lens on my camera and it doesn't auto focus with the Nikon D40x. I've gotten pretty good at quickly manually focusing, but not that good. I also have this thing for taking photos of parts of people: half an eye, feet, etc....

But yesterday I tried some different camera angles and taking partial shots of some new things. The photo above and the photo to the side are the result. I like how I managed to capture the action of the sand falling in both photos.

But, of course, I wouldn't be me if I didn't try a foot picture. I had to be careful posting it on Flickr though. Did you know there are feet freaks out there?

I guess I did in theory, but when faced with the prospect of some horny middle aged guy marking a photo of my feet as a favorite so he could sit in his mother's basement and wank off, I was extremely disturbed.

So with much ado, here we have the Feet that Freaks Favorite on Flickr! (Say that fast 5 times.)



Spring is here, y'all!

Missing Her

I hesitated before putting this picture on my blog. I've never had a problem revealing my emotions or even blogging about my family. But this photo captures someone else's pain. Ultimately, I shared it because I don't think my grandfather would mind. I think he would like the entire world to know of his wife's death, to mourn with him, and to celebrate her life.

They traveled the world together. They had parties, and laughed, and had fun together. They fought and they cried and they grew together. They had three sons. Four grandchildren. Two great-grandchildren, and another on the way. They were married for 60 years.

I never want to forget my grandfather's face when I arrived for my grandmother's funeral. I never want to forget how his voice cracked and his shoulders shook as he told her good bye for the last time, standing over her casket. I never want to forget the wistful look he has in his eyes when he watches Tee, her dog, looking for her.

I never want to forget because it reminds me of the most important things in life. Our family. The people we love.