Saturday Shot 30 MAY 2009
by Lynn Daniels on Sunday, May 31, 2009 at 4:18 pm
Welcome to the Saturday Shot on Sunday!
I know it’s been a while since I’ve posted — with the advent of Twitter and Facebook, I’m actually finding myself posting to the blog less. I also find myself visiting fewer blogs. I suppose everything goes in waves, and these things will be no different, right? Anyhoo, let’s get to the business at hand.
This is another photo from last year’s vacation at Yellowstone National Park. Here’s the story behind it:
It had only been three months since our accident; we’d only had Stella two months. Of course, Murphy’s Law dictates that if something was going to go wrong with the truck, it would happen while on vacation, right? Right. In accordance with the law, that’s exactly what happened. While driving through the park during a big ol’ thunderstorm, the check engine light began to glow.
The next morning, we made a few phone calls from our cabin and found a Ford dealership in Cody, Wyoming. We could have taken our normal route to Cody, which would have been back over the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway, and that would have been just fine because that’s a beautiful drive. It was also a drive we’ve seen a number of times before. Every time we come into Cooke City (our normal vacation home base) we come via the Chief Joseph. Whenever we leave Cooke City and head toward home, we do that via the Chief Joseph. So on this day, we decided upon an alternate route: The East Entrance of Yellowstone National Park.
Yes, it was a longer route, but we really didn’t care. We were on vacation, after all. Plus, that was the only entrance we’d never used. Which meant we had yet to explore that area of the park.
Along the way, we passed Sylvan Lake. There was still a tremendous amount of snow surrounding the lake, and look! It’s still partially frozen! Absolutely photo-worthy. The East Entrance of the park did not disappoint. I was, however, disappointed that we didn’t make it back over that way again for more photos. Hopefully, next time.
As promised, here’s your bonus shot — another photo of Sylvan Lake, from a different angle and converted to black & white:
We won’t be able to return to Parkadise this year, so all I’ll have to sustain me are my photographs and memories. Fingers crossed we’ll see another trip out west in the future.
In case you’re wondering — the problem with Stella was some sort of blockage, the details of which I don’t remember. While serious, it wasn’t serious enough for us to have to spend money and fix it right then. We brought the truck home and into our local dealership, where it was fixed under our service contract and cost us nothing.
Coming Soon
by Lynn Daniels on Saturday, May 30, 2009 at 11:57 pm
Big night tonight; LittleDude drove in his first race at the dirt track. He placed third in a field of six or seven go karts. SoundGuy and I are extremely proud. More details — including possible video — will be coming soon.
In the meantime, I had intended to finally return to posting to my blog with an all new Saturday shot. Unfortunately, time got away from me in preparing for the race. I’ll make it up to you tomorrow. Saturday Shot will be posted one day late, and I’ll even give you a bonus picture!
Hope you’re having a great weekend, and I’ll “see” you tomorrow.
Saturday Shot 09 MAY 2009
by Lynn Daniels on Saturday, May 9, 2009 at 8:58 am
I can’t resist. Today’s Saturday Shot is another from the Georgia Aquarium. I gotta admit, I was pretty fascinated by the alligators. Took lots of pictures of them.
It could be because this guy in particular stayed so near the plexi. He didn’t move much, yet I still enjoyed shooting him. I took full body shots. Photos like this one of his eye. Pictures of his feet. The whole time, he kinda looked like he wasn’t really enjoying it. That one eye looking at me seemed to say You are SO lucky we’re separated by this plexiglass; if it wasn’t here I would TOTALLY eat your ass.
Seriously. Look at that eye! Can’t you see it?
Now THAT’S Confidence!
by Lynn Daniels on Friday, May 8, 2009 at 2:48 pm
~*~
This morning, SoundGuy and I took a drive up to Ellijay, GA to look at a couple go-karts. We opted to avoid the freeways, which are a pain in the ass, and keep mostly to the two-lane roads. Less traffic, prettier scenery, a win-win all the way around.
We were about halfway to our destination when we came across a bird in the center of the road munching on roadkill. The bird looked up, saw our truck approaching. Under normal circumstances, you would expect a bird with a truck bearing down on him to fly away, right? Not this one. He looked up at us and then calmly — CALMLY — strolled across the double-yellow line. Yes, he took a few slow birdie steps to the other side of the road. Not all the way across, mind you. This guy walked to just on the other side of the double yellow. And he stood there. He waited for us to pass.
Once we passed him, I couldn’t resist. I turned around and looked out the back window. And saw him CALMLY cross back over the yellow line and return to his meal.
Talk about a bird without fear! I laughed until I nearly cried. I’m still laughing. I wonder what he would have done if there was a car coming the other direction. Would he have just stood smack dab in the middle of the road?
Falker Satherhood?
by Lynn Daniels on Thursday, May 7, 2009 at 11:22 pm
~*~
If you’re not a regular reader of Cake Wrecks — and if you aren’t, why not? — then get thee over there immediately by following this link and read all about the Happy Falker Satherhood cake. Make sure to watch the video, too. It’s a scream.
Proud Momma Moment
by Lynn Daniels on Tuesday, May 5, 2009 at 9:16 pm
~*~
Excuse me a post while I brag about my kid. Tonight was MiniMe’s final band concert for the year. Bands were separated by age. The 6th graders played first, followed by the 7th graders. Then we were serenaded by the jazz band, followed by the 8th graders.
MiniMe played with both the jazz band and the 8th graders. She’d warned us that the 8th graders were going to sound really really bad (she didn’t put it quite that nicely), so I was expecting a bit of ear pain. I’m pleased to say they didn’t sound anywhere near as painful as she’d said, but that’s not why I was so proud.
Tonight was also the night the awards were given. MiniMe was recognized twice! I first was surprised to hear her name called as 8th Grade Outstanding Woodwind. She received a medal for that. Then, if that wasn’t enough, I was floored when they announced the award for Outstanding Jazz Band Musician was also going to MiniMe! For that one, she got a really nice plaque.
Yup, I’m a proud momma tonight, and as far as I’m concerned, not without good reason.
Saturday Shot 02 MAY 2009
by Lynn Daniels on Saturday, May 2, 2009 at 5:47 pm
It’s Yellowstone Country again! I know a lot of people are tired of seeing cold and snow, but here in my world today it’s rainy and dreary, and I wanted some pretty in my life. I think this shot is pretty.
I got this photo our first day out after arriving in Cooke City, Montana. We took a drive partway up the Beartooth Scenic Highway (US 212) and stopped near a huge snow field so the kids could get out and play. I must have taken a couple hundred pictures of my kids in the snow, trudging through drifts and sometimes falling thigh-deep in the white stuff. It was a lot of fun.
I saw this scene across the street, so I waited until there were no cars, and raced to the other side the shot shot shot. I got as close to the water as I dared — I had visions of the snow giving way beneath me and plunging me into this creek that I knew absolutely had to be icy cold. Because of that, I didn’t stay long, but it looks like I didn’t have to. Look at the picture I got!
It Hates Me. I Know it.
by Lynn Daniels on Friday, May 1, 2009 at 8:55 am
~*~
Day Three of jury duty; the trial finally began. Nothing terribly interesting — it was a civil case regarding a property line dispute. But Day Three also marks the day I determined the courthouse hates me.
I was running a little behind when I left the house, but I still managed to get to the courthouse on time. Up to the third floor I went, then down the hallway to Courtroom Four. The bailiff was standing just outside the courtroom door when I got there. He let me in, then led me to Jury Room #4. Once we were in the hallway between the courtroom and the jury room, he turned to me.
“I’m not even going to mention you tripped and fell yesterday.”
Crap. At that moment, I knew the from then on I’d be known as The One Who Fell in the Courtroom. Lovely moniker, but then again, I suppose it could be worse.
He asked me how it happened, adding that it looked like I tripped over one of the men at the end of my row. I corrected him, telling him how I actually tripped on the bench.
He looked at me a moment. “I’d blame it on the men.”
I laughed. “Considering it was one of those men who kept me from tumbling all the way to the floor, I’ll give them a break. It was all my fault.”
Since the jurors already in the jury room heard the tail end of that conversation, I had to relay the story again — remarkably, some of them hadn’t witnessed my graceless plummet. Everybody laughed, and now The One Who Fell in the Courtroom has an amusing story to tell.
Fast forward about forty minutes. We were finally led into the courtroom where we took our seats in the jury box. Unlike the hard benches, these seats were padded and a little cushy, even with lumbar support! I took my seat and waited for the trial to start. I idly marveled that either I was really short or the seat was really tall. Since my feet barely reached the ground, I considered swinging them back and forth, but decided against it. I was supposed to look intelligent and dignified, and that didn’t include swinging my feet like Lily Tomlin in the giant rocking chair. Suddenly…
…THUNK!
Accompanying the loud noise that echoed through the courtroom was my chair dropping a good 4-6 inches. I sat up ramrod straight, and I’m sure my eyes were wide. Good Lord, I thought, why me?
Faces in the jury box all turned toward me. “We’re still working the kinks out in the courthouse,” said the judge (did I mention this courthouse is brand new and only in its second week of occupancy?). The bailiff looked like he was about to lose it.
I was afraid to move. For the entire morning, I barely moved at all, afraid the chair would drop more, or fall over, or explode. I wasn’t unhappy when our judge declared it was time to break for lunch.
The bailiff caught up with me as we left the courtroom. “I broke your chair,” he said. “You can blame that on me.”
I raised an eyebrow.
“There was a problem with that chair this morning,” he went on to say. “I tried to fix it. I put it back in and, don’t take the this the wrong way, put all my weight on it. I leaned into it has hard as I could and even used my knee, but I couldn’t get it to click in all the way.”
One of the other jurors who was walking near me started to laugh. “She probably sat in it just right,” she said.
“That must have been it,” I said, “because after I sat down, I didn’t really move. And when that happened, I hadn’t been moving at all. I was just sitting there!”
The bailiff smiled. “When y’all came into the courtroom and sat down, I was looking over wondering who got the chair. The second I realized it was you, the chair fell.”
“Only me,” I said, shaking me head. “This could only happen to me.”
When I returned from lunch, our bailiff was standing outside the courtroom, his smirk barely concealed when he saw me. “I wonder what’ll happen to me this afternoon,” I said.
“Nothing,” he said with a laugh. “I promise I didn’t fix your chair again.”
Throughout the afternoon, even as I paid attention to all the testimony, I was still mentally holding my breath. Waiting for the other shoe to drop. Would the ceiling collapse above my head? Maybe the floor would crumble beneath me. I was careful when I took my water bottle from the cubby in front of me — I didn’t want to knock the monitor screen over (there were four cubbys in a wall in front of the jurors, each cubby contained a mounted flatscreen computer monitor). I made sure to drink quietly. And slowly. I didn’t want to trap a bunch of air in my system and break the quiet of the courtroom with a giant belch. I’m happy to say nothing happened to me during the second half of the trial.
The jurors all retired to the jury room after closing arguments, and as we waited for the the bailiff to bring our evidence and verdict forms, the conversation turned again to my chair incident. A couple of jurors on the front row revealed that as soon as they heard the giant thunk, they knew it was me. I saw the faces turn at the time because they were checking to make sure I hadn’t been hurt. I resisted the strong desire to facepalm.
Jury deliberation was my favorite part of the entire process. I enjoyed the exchanges of ideas, the spirited discussion. There was no screaming or arguing even though there were disagreements. I loved seeing that people could actually still be civil toward one another, a trait I had feared was disappearing.
After about an hour and a half, we reached our unanimous decision and returned to the courtroom to deliver our verdict. Along the way, I heard from the bailiff.
“I fixed your chair again,” he said.
I looked at him sideways. “Am I going to the floor this time?”
“Like an elevator.” With his right hand up, palm down, he indicated a slow descent.
My chair didn’t fall. I didn’t trip. The world didn’t crumble around me. Our verdict was delivered. We were thanked for our service and excused. Before we left, the judge said that if we had any suggestions for making the jury’s job more comfortable in the new courthouse, we should talk to him in his office after court or say something to the bailiff on our way out. As I left the courthouse, I heard somebody deliver their suggestion to our bailiff.
“Don’t fix anymore chairs.”
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