Lineage

John Baker was my uncle. As a semi-professional race car driver (in addition to his successful shipping company that was his primary focus), he traveled all around the western United States. His family and mine had been tight for a long time because of how often we were able to get together and enjoy each others company. A freak accident not unlike Dale Earnhardt's took John's life in June of 2002. We don't visit his grave. We don't mope around on the anniversary. Honestly, he probably prefers it that way. I took this photo to admire the new picture frame I bought at Ikea without giving much though to the frame's content, but as I sit here I think about the photograph that resides in that frame on my desk. It's a photo of John in his race car. He died doing what he loved. I hope I can say the same when that day comes for me - that I chase the things that make me happy. My middle name comes from him, and if that commonality links us in any way I hope that it gives me the perseverance, ambition, and passion that he had. Nothing he did in life was a joke - everything was all-out, full-bore, and to-the-limit. Is it only the good that die young? Maybe not only the good, but John fell into that category, and certainly had enough to live for before the accident that took his life. We remember him fondly, and the day that we will meet again will be one of great excitement.

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Rest in peace, John.

Colored Leaves

I've really felt uninspired the last few days, and today was a really nice change. These three plants all came from the same big old pot we've got. The last one is definitely called Coleus, though I think the previous photos are also in the Coleus family. Anyway, I just really enjoyed taking these, uploading these, and now posting these. Not that I haven't taken fun photos lately (yesterday's does crack me up), but I've just felt really down on the whole photography thing. Fingers crossed that's over now. :)

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Potted

For ten years I have been pretty much obsessed with the Harry Potter series. Though the series is over, my love for the seven books has definitely not faded. If anything, it has only grown fonder as I can pick apart the details of the plot and the characters as they progress. Well, for the last few weeks I've been rereading books 4 through 7. I started number 7 today and can hardly wait to read it. I don't know that I could ever really choose a favorite book from the franchise, but number seven is certainly not my least favorite, that's for dang sure.

Quilted

My mom has been working on this quilt for a while, and sure enough, it is nearly done! Way to be, Mom!

Blinded By the Light

We have these wicked blinds in the living room. I love them. The end.

Classic

I'm pretty much a new person after I've had all of my hair lopped off. I love it. Oh, and Mexico Ray-Bans are a win.

 

Daily

I'm a journalism major for several reasons. One is definitely the fact that I love unfolding a new newspaper in the morning.

Walls

I have really fun things on each of the four walls in my room. I've actually showcased all but one, I think, which you can see {here}. I can't quite decide which wall is my favorite because they each have something specific to them that I freaking love, but this wall was feeling good at this particular moment.

Passionate

The passion vine blooms every summer and I never fail to be completely amazed by its awesomeness.

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Easy Living

I like summer. A lot.

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Enamored

It's just one of my quirks, and a lot of other people too. I buy something that I really like and devote all of my attention to it. The thing of it is though, I run out of things to do/discover with that object but keep trying, just so that I can spend some time with my recent purchase. I am officially debuting the new watch I purchased at Fossil the other day. Oh, and the tin that it came in. Oh, and I'm trying to take more pictures of people, but there aren't a lot of people around my house, so self-modeling will be more frequent on the blog. Haha.

Verde Valley

We traveled the road to Camp Verde to visit my awesome Granddaddy for day-before-but-practically-Father's-Day festivities. My camera died before I even got photos of family, which was sad, but I got some fun stuff still.

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Fossilization

Today I got paid. I was really really excited about it, to say the least. I don't know anyone on earth who doesn't like payday. Well, I had to run a few errands, aka find a Father's Day present (which is on Sunday, FYI, it sure snuck up on me!), and amidst all of that I happened to stop in at the Fossil store in Park Mall. I genuinely went in there because I had a question about my watch. The pin in the link seems to have broken, and they guy said he may or may not be able to fix it in the store without having to send it off. The next thing I know, I'm browsing watches and end up walking out of the store with $100 less in my bank account and a snazzy new watch and second band (to mix it up, you know?). Want to know something funny? Yeah, I already own two Fossil watches. This makes three. I just love it so much. At any rate, you get to choose a tin that houses your watch for safe transport, and the guy who sold me the watch was kind of funny... he asked me to choose a tin, and as I browsed he goes:

"Yeah, there aren't any manly tins..."

Sure enough, there aren't any overtly man-oriented tins, but I thought this one suited me fine. I really liked all of the snazzy little illustrations on the side (particularly the one of the camera), so it's all good. No photos of the actual watch today, I'm still struggling internally if I'm willing to officially part with the $100. I'm famous for buying something I love but don't actually need, and then returning it because I like the thought of having that money back in my bank account. Well, we'll see if that rings true, because I really love this watch!

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Older Generations

I still love this plant's marks from the previous level's impressions as it grew and unfolded.

Cool Beans

Summer is a time that is full of fun and lighthearted abandonment. Beyond those lovely things, it's also a time for reproduction. The mesquite trees are growing their fancy bean pods and soon enough they'll be yellow and falling off the trees. Why is that such a big deal, you ask? Well, they get everywhere. The cover up everything. These bean pods are easily one of my father's most hated nuisances provided by nature. They're interesting to look at in various stages of development, but not so interesting when I get to pick them up.

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Starched

I had my dress clothes dry cleaned. Twenty three dollars later and I've got some nicely shined up clothes. The interesting thing? Yeah, they weren't actually dirty. I figured they ought to be cleaned since it had been a while though. Better clean than not, I guess. I love the addition of the plastic sleeve over my suit coat. It adds some interest, some mystique to the drab of the gray.

Over Achiever

I won't lie... I don't do a lot of dishes. We use the dishwasher for just about everything, and while I am very good at emptying it, loading it is generally taken care of by someone else. Today, I did dishes. Both by hand, and a quick rinse to be loaded into the dishwasher. Be proud of me.

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Tying Up

I have always been amazed at how clothes are made. My mom is a whiz on the sewing machine (which I still don't get how they work...), and she knows fully well all types of crazy stitches and patterns and this that and the other. It's crazy business!

Orange You Glad?

We have this fun little cactus that blooms pretty regularly during the summer. Well, today was kind of amazing. It has never been this covered in flowers. So cool, right? After admiring the flowers, I proceeded to the luau at the Collett's home where I was able to capture some people. Bless Tanner, but he was not interested in having his photo taken that second time. Haha.

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International

Throughout my entire life I have wanted to travel to far away places and experience the many different things of this world. While I haven't been a lot of places internationally, I have been fortunate enough to have visited some really great places, including but not limited to San Francisco and New York. Deep in my heart, Italy has been a place I have dreamed of and is at the top of my future travel plans (directly behind London but before Spain). Venice is definitely at the forefront of my Italy interests. I saw this shirt and knew it had to be mine for a number of reasons. Mostly, because it was on clearance, but also because there lies Venice, showing me the potentials of my life.

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[My I'm-going-to-travel-the-world-someday face, dimple and all]

Bow String

Yesterday I had been taking photos in sepia just to try it out. Well, none of those really panned out. This morning as I went to take pictures of my lovely horsetail that I love so much, I had forgotten that my camera was still set to sepia. What a wonderful surprise. And I took one in color just to have both.

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Fearing the Unknown

My dad planted a few new plants along a wall of our house that gets a lot of sun. According to him, these bushes that are presently just a few feet tall will end up being something like a towering 96 inches [which is 8 feet, haha]. They're going to help shade the wall to keep the inside of our house cool. What they are I have no idea, but do you want to know the exciting thing? One of them will probably grow to start shading my room too, which makes me plenty happy.

Viewpoints

A fun new perspective can make things in life that were otherwise rather boring far more exciting. I love this euphorbia... I really do. I have just been having a hard time getting inspired in my surroundings. I feel like I've captured all there is to capture in my home, and I'm trying really hard not to be that annoying guy at parties that takes pictures of people. Plus, people would probably be upset that I've taken a photo at a weird angle to add interest. Anyway, looking at it from a different perspective made it a little more exciting.

Silhouette

I was sitting on my bed in the near darkness, admiring my photographs of my trip to Salt Lake when inspriation struck.

Return to Sender

Day four. Our trip ame to a close. We're all returning to normal work weeks tomorrow and couldn't be any less excited, to say the least. Four days away from communication, obligations, worries, life in general was so refreshing and rejuvinating. It isn't right that we have to reenter the real world (the hot, 112 degree world) after such a nice trip to some place so nearly perfect. Well, not perfect, but so wonderful in great comparison to the frustrations of daily life. But alas, all things come to an end, and we're back to finding joy in the small things, which is probably better than constant excellence. It keeps us more well rounded. [That last photo is of my fake tattoo I got. Haha :)]

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