Can I See Some ID?

I think it's time for an Intervention.

frozen

On Monday, I experienced my first "snow day" since 1999. It was awesome. Here are some photos I managed to capture while sliding around on the "wintry mix" of snow/ice.

way back wednesday

This is another attempt at a weekly walk down memory lane. This one motivated by the picture frame application on my iPad. It randomly scrolls through your pictures throughout the day, creating a digital picture frame of your memories. I've always been fascinated by digital frames, but not eager enough to purchase or ask for one. Simply because I take SO many photos, and to whittle it down to whatever could fit on the frame's tiny hard drive would be a nightmare for me. But I've become more conscious lately about only keeping the photos I'm in love with, so it's been easier and easier to narrow down my yearly albums on iPhoto to consist of 365 photos or less (sometimes a little more.)

This photo was taken on one of Piper's first hikes as a puppy. She had managed to scramble up a creek bed, and rather than try to scramble back down to the rest of her family, she decided to just sit there and cry. Piper is an expert at crying. Although now that she's lost her big 'ol fluffy puppy belly, she's not as nervous around gravity.

The Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains) by Arcade Fire

This week's Theme from the Bottom was Lyrical Photography...interpreting the lyrics of a song through photographs.

So first, listen to the song I chose:


And then, see how I interpreted the lyrics, with the help of my homegirl Mary Claire:

They heard me singing and they told me to stop.
Quit these pretentious things and just punch the clock.
These days my life I feel it has no purpose
But late at night the feelings swim to the surface.
'Cause on the surface, the city lights shine
They're calling at me, come and find your kind
Sometimes I wonder if the world's so small
That we can never get away from the sprawl.
Living in the sprawl
Dead shopping malls rise like mountains beyond mountains
And there's no end in sight.
I need the darkness, someone please cut the lights.

I Need Something Around My Neck

When we were in North Carolina over Thanksgiving, Taylor kept saying she needed something around her neck (since I spend most of MY time with a camera around my neck.) So just to see what happened, I gave her my point and shoot camera to play around with. It was hilarious to watch her run around and try to figure out how to snap photos, and even funnier to see the stress play out on Brooke's face.

I was recently going through photos, and realized I hadn't downloaded or done anything with all the pictures Taylor took, so I am pleased to announce the birth of Taylor Amys Photography. What an interesting angle and perspective she has on the world.

blue ridge

Just some pictures taken this past weekend. To prove to myself that I can just take pictures to take pictures, even if they're not specifically for the blog or Themes from the Bottom. For me. For fun.

Cabin Fever 2010>2011

Over the years, Dirk has made a lot of great friends through Widespread Panic concerts. Well, this year, WSP played in Colorado, so we decided to ring in the New Year together anyway. A cabin in Blue Ridge, GA was rented, and everyone loaded their stuff up and headed to the mountains. We came together from across the Southeast with dogs in tow and had a very memorable, relaxing, fun weekend.
Here's the cabin, which was a little crowded with 9-10 people and 8 dogs (50% of which were golden retrievers.)
Cindy brought us all fun New Year's props. At one point I put on a wig. And then I saw a photo of myself and I looked like a boy wearing a wig. I was one ugly transvestite.
We had planned a Dirty Santa exchange with a $30 limit. Except, by that time, we were all so "tired" that no one had much energy to steal any one else's gifts. I think there was one theft. That was it. Steph's present was pretty hilarious. She opened up a box that contained another wrapped box, that contained baggies full of dollar bills. $30 total. Ha!
Oh, how I love sparklers. And fireworks in general. I could play with fireworks, writing names, twirling circles, light trails through the sky. Fun stuff. There were artillery shells, too, except by the time we were setting those off, we were so "tired" (again) that the shell was put in upside down in the tube. We all thought maybe it was a dud until there was a gigantic BOOM and then the entire tube, etc. blew up right there in the midst of us all. I laughed so hard I peed (just a little).
And, if we thought that WE were tired, imagine how the nutcase felt. She actually put herself in time out. She disappeared and this is where I found her.
It was a great way to ring in the New Year. I have great hopes and expectations for 2011. I also have a few resolutions. One is to pick up the phone more. One is to spend more time wrapped up in books. One is to log more hours in my bath tub (I love that thing.)

I admit, though, that I was very happy to be back in Birmingham and to put the suitcase up for a bit. We've been going going going since before Thanksgiving, so it was nice to DeChristmas and I'm excited to get back into some sort of routine with life.

Happy New Year, everyone!