Track 40: Happy Earth Day

Today was beautifully warm and sunny. To celebrate (and because it was way past due), I spent the morning and evening in my garden plot. Thanks to Joshua, the garden had spent all winter under a nice layer of straw, so I was greeted with minimal weeds and nice, dark soil. I added some compost, forked it in a bit, added water, and breathed a sigh of relief. Tomorrow night: planting seeds.

Track 39: Prom Night

The fourth (and final) Kirchgessner Prom was held this past Saturday. Senior Prom! And seriously, it was way more fun than my actual senior prom. We unanimously decided that proms are so much better when there's alcohol involved. And I wasn't even drinking.

I took my camera gear along for two reasons: to shoot a homework assignment, and to get some nice pictures for the Kirchgessners as a thank-you for holding the Event of the Year for the past four years. Not only do they bring friends and family together to have a good time, they raised around $44,000 for a scholarship in memory of Anne (almost twice their goal).

I was a little nervous at first, and it took me a while to get warmed up and shooting, but I think I got some good shots (enough for my homework assignment, at least). Here are a few of my favorites:

Debbie and Jake toast their awesome costumes

A little "slash and flash" action

Note the fantastic wigs in the foreground

About 10 seconds later, Steve fell on top of his dancing partner

More slash and flash. Probably my favorite shot of the night.

Track 38: What's Yin without Yang?

Why, yes, I DID pass my T'ai Chi Chih teacher certification class. Thank you for asking! Look for upcoming classes at a community center near you.

Track 37: Little Known Facts

From "Tooth Talk", the newsletter my dentist sends out:

Little Known Facts

• The average hamster, if provided a wheel, will run up to eight miles per night
• October 9 is "Moldy Cheese Day"
• The banana is the world's largest herb [?]
• Every square inch of the human body has an average of 32 million bacteria on it [?!]
• "Arachibutyrophobia" is the fear of peanut butter getting stuck to the roof of your mouth [?!?]
• Twelve cows make a flink [who comes UP with this stuff?]

Track 36: Remembering

"Above all, be true to yourself, and if you cannot

put your heart in it, take yourself out of it."

- Hardy D. Jackson

I was thinking about where I was a year ago, and how I wish I would have heeded this advice sooner. I don't regret my years at my old job, but I regret that I felt so stuck for so long, you know? I kind of want those years back. But I'm so grateful that certain people at that old job saw something in me and pushed me to follow my bliss. I needed that push, and here I am, a year later and a billion times happier.