4.29.2002
Hannah and Henry are going to be famous!
A couple of months ago, I saw a post on a Labrador Retriever e-mail listserv requesting photos of Labs for a book that was to be published in the coming months. I figured, what the heck... the dogs are my favorite photography subjects, so I might as well give this a shot (no pun intended). Last week I sent off about 20 photos, and Saturday I got a phone call from the author. She had just received the pictures and wanted to let me know that there were several that she wanted to use in the book! She still has to clear it with the publisher, but it sounds like she has pretty significant weight in choosing the photos. She said that I would be listed as the photographer and that she would try to include the dogs' names as well. I'm not sure if they will be color or black & white - there will be some of both in the book. I do know the title of the book, but I promised the author that I wouldn't tell anyone until it comes out, which will be August of this year. I can say that it is an easily recognizable book about Labs... it isn't an obscure title. Check back here in August and then run to your nearest bookstore to take a look!
I don't know what this means for me as a photographer - the author actually used the phrase "on your way to becoming a professional" in conversation, which I'm not sure I'm comfortable with at all. I don't know where I'm going with this or what I'm trying to accomplish besides having fun, but I think that this will probably spur me to send out photos to other places just to see what kind of reaction they get.
A couple of months ago, I saw a post on a Labrador Retriever e-mail listserv requesting photos of Labs for a book that was to be published in the coming months. I figured, what the heck... the dogs are my favorite photography subjects, so I might as well give this a shot (no pun intended). Last week I sent off about 20 photos, and Saturday I got a phone call from the author. She had just received the pictures and wanted to let me know that there were several that she wanted to use in the book! She still has to clear it with the publisher, but it sounds like she has pretty significant weight in choosing the photos. She said that I would be listed as the photographer and that she would try to include the dogs' names as well. I'm not sure if they will be color or black & white - there will be some of both in the book. I do know the title of the book, but I promised the author that I wouldn't tell anyone until it comes out, which will be August of this year. I can say that it is an easily recognizable book about Labs... it isn't an obscure title. Check back here in August and then run to your nearest bookstore to take a look!
I don't know what this means for me as a photographer - the author actually used the phrase "on your way to becoming a professional" in conversation, which I'm not sure I'm comfortable with at all. I don't know where I'm going with this or what I'm trying to accomplish besides having fun, but I think that this will probably spur me to send out photos to other places just to see what kind of reaction they get.
4.26.2002
It's been a while, but the Friday Five is back at shaverfamily.org...
1. What are your hobbies? Photography and web design.
2. Do you collect anything? If so, what? My collecting career began with junk I would pick up from the side of the road while on walks with my parents (wire, screws, nails, etc.). I then moved on to collect baseball and basketball cards (and got lucky with some 1986 Fleer basketball wax packs). These days, I collect new, unused stamps if I like the design, as well as Curious George stuff and state quarters from both the Philly and Denver mints.
3. Is there a hobby you're interested in, but just don't have the time/money to do? Nah, if I'm really interested in something, I'll find a way to do it.
4. Have you ever turned a hobby into a moneymaking opportunity? I am currently putting websites together for a couple of clients for pay. If you need a site, let me know!
5. Besides web-related stuff (burbs, rings, etc.), what clubs do you belong to? Not a one.
1. What are your hobbies? Photography and web design.
2. Do you collect anything? If so, what? My collecting career began with junk I would pick up from the side of the road while on walks with my parents (wire, screws, nails, etc.). I then moved on to collect baseball and basketball cards (and got lucky with some 1986 Fleer basketball wax packs). These days, I collect new, unused stamps if I like the design, as well as Curious George stuff and state quarters from both the Philly and Denver mints.
3. Is there a hobby you're interested in, but just don't have the time/money to do? Nah, if I'm really interested in something, I'll find a way to do it.
4. Have you ever turned a hobby into a moneymaking opportunity? I am currently putting websites together for a couple of clients for pay. If you need a site, let me know!
5. Besides web-related stuff (burbs, rings, etc.), what clubs do you belong to? Not a one.
Can somebody tell me why it would be cool to put bullet-hole decals on the back end of your 4-door Saturn? I saw it last night; I only wish I'd had my camera so that I could provide evidence that yes, someone actually would be that tacky.
4.25.2002
Last night I had a strange dream. Ryan had become a member of The Raleigh Ringers and while we were on tour, he became blind overnight. He climbed on the bus for the day's trip in a horribly matched outfit and I started teasing him, until his roommate from the previous night told me about the blindness. I somehow managed to take Ryan to several opthalmologists but none of them would listen to us or even try to figure out what was wrong with him. I think I woke up not long after that, but Ryan never regained his sight in my dream.
4.24.2002
I've finished uploading pictures to the Colonial Williamsburg album (6 new pictures) and the arboretum album (11 new pictures).
4.23.2002
The photos I took in Colonial Williamsburg are now in their own album in the photo gallery. I'm really pleased with some of them, especially the one of the male historic interpreter in front of the Capitol. I have a few more to add, but right now I've got to go to bed. Enjoy.
We're thinking of going to a pickle festival this Saturday. Hey, when you're in North Carolina, you've got to expand your horizons, right?
4.22.2002
We had a great trip to the 'Burg this weekend. We enjoyed visiting with friends we hadn't seen in a while and I had a great time taking pictures in Colonial Williamsburg. I'll try to get those up in the photo gallery as soon as I can - maybe tonight. Henry also had a blast... he and Tanilla (yellow Lab) were instant best friends. His biggest accomplishment of the weekend was learning how to navigate stairs... we hope he doesn't forget by the next time we're around stairs again (we have none whatsoever at our house or even in our neighborhood).
4.19.2002
This Old Crate, hosted by Henry Vila.
Welcome to today's episode of This Old Crate, a do-it-yourself show for all dogs who are interested in remodeling their surroundings. Today we'll learn how to remove old flooring to prepare for that new flooring that you're sure your humans are about to purchase. At any rate, once you apply the techiniques you'll learn today, they'll need to go out and get new flooring!
Since I assume many of you spend your days in a wire crate with a plastic floor, like I do, that's what we'll be focusing on today. Start at the far back corner, away from the door (as you still want to be able to go and come while you are remodeling), and get a firm grasp on the plastic floor pan with your teeth. Don't waste your time and energy by pawing at the flooring with your feet. I have learned through experience that this method is not effective - it's best to just tackle the job with your teeth. Brace your legs and pull up and back until the plastic begins to splinter. You may want to have some earplugs handy for protection, as this makes quite a loud popping noise. You may only be able to remove an average of a 4x12 inch piece in a day's time, especially if you stop to chew off smaller individual pieces. Now that you know the basics, though, you should be able to have the entire crate floor removed by the time your humans are ready to purchase that new flooring. Good luck, and tune in again tomorrow - we'll be dealing with a similar topic: how to remove floor coverings such as rugs and carpets.
(This was what Chris came home to yesterday... sorry for the lack of pictures... maybe later.)
Welcome to today's episode of This Old Crate, a do-it-yourself show for all dogs who are interested in remodeling their surroundings. Today we'll learn how to remove old flooring to prepare for that new flooring that you're sure your humans are about to purchase. At any rate, once you apply the techiniques you'll learn today, they'll need to go out and get new flooring!
Since I assume many of you spend your days in a wire crate with a plastic floor, like I do, that's what we'll be focusing on today. Start at the far back corner, away from the door (as you still want to be able to go and come while you are remodeling), and get a firm grasp on the plastic floor pan with your teeth. Don't waste your time and energy by pawing at the flooring with your feet. I have learned through experience that this method is not effective - it's best to just tackle the job with your teeth. Brace your legs and pull up and back until the plastic begins to splinter. You may want to have some earplugs handy for protection, as this makes quite a loud popping noise. You may only be able to remove an average of a 4x12 inch piece in a day's time, especially if you stop to chew off smaller individual pieces. Now that you know the basics, though, you should be able to have the entire crate floor removed by the time your humans are ready to purchase that new flooring. Good luck, and tune in again tomorrow - we'll be dealing with a similar topic: how to remove floor coverings such as rugs and carpets.
(This was what Chris came home to yesterday... sorry for the lack of pictures... maybe later.)
4.18.2002
Sorry I've been so quiet lately. It's been a really busy week, on top of a busy week before that. One of the best things we've done this week was dinner with my boss and her husband at their house, Hannah included. They have a big pond behind their house and so after dinner we walked down to the pond and let Hannah take a swim. It was the first time she'd been swimming since last summer, and I think she thought it was way overdue. I unsnapped her collar and she charged right into the water. She had a great time retrieving sticks and splashing around, and her behavior was top notch all night long. What a fun, relaxing night.
The final copy of my master's thesis has been received in the Thesis Office at Penn State, so as far as I know, I'll be Katherine Shaver, M.S. 3 weeks from this Saturday. Of course I won't be heading up to State College to attend graduation ceremonies (actually we're going to Virginia that weekend, for a Mother's Day visit), so I'll still be holding my breath just a bit until the diploma actually arrives in the mail.
This weekend we are heading up to Williamsburg, VA, to visit our friends the Hindmans. We're boarding Hannah but taking Henry with us. It should be a fun trip and I'll be glad when we're on the road Friday evening.
The final copy of my master's thesis has been received in the Thesis Office at Penn State, so as far as I know, I'll be Katherine Shaver, M.S. 3 weeks from this Saturday. Of course I won't be heading up to State College to attend graduation ceremonies (actually we're going to Virginia that weekend, for a Mother's Day visit), so I'll still be holding my breath just a bit until the diploma actually arrives in the mail.
This weekend we are heading up to Williamsburg, VA, to visit our friends the Hindmans. We're boarding Hannah but taking Henry with us. It should be a fun trip and I'll be glad when we're on the road Friday evening.
4.15.2002
I've been doing a lot of thinking lately about what sort of camera I want to purchase next. I had naturally assumed I would stick with digital and just move up to a better Olympus model, like the C-3040 zoom. Over the weekend I got my first set of prints back from my test drive of that camera. They were only of the dogs - I haven't yet ordered any of the shots I took at the arboretum. Anyway, the prints were sharper and clearer than what I get with the Olympus D-360L, but I'm not sure they were $550 clearer, if you know what I mean. There was still some of that rainbow-colored grain or noise in Henry's black coat, and some of that silvery-white brightness in Hannah's coat, not to mention the overly-sharp, almost fake look of things like pine straw.
So I started thinking about what I'm trying to accomplish with my photography... and while I enjoy maintaining a photo gallery on this website, I am still enough of a traditionalist that I believe in having good prints in an album on the coffee table. Even though I love the convenience of digital and the ability to take tons and tons of pictures without worrying about cost of film or developing, the bottom line is that in the end (I think), I want a good print. If it's a really great shot, I'd like to be able to enlarge it. So now I'm giving some thought to a 35mm film SLR camera. The jargon in this area is overwhelming, but I'm wading through it to try to figure out what to do. I'm leaning towards Nikon, maybe an N80 if I choose to have automatic and manual rolled into one, or maybe an FM2N if I am brave enough to go fully manual (remember, I know nothing about photography in that sense... remind me what an f-stop is, again?). I've come across an article that recommends starting with a 50/1.4 or 50/1.8 AF lens, rather than the zooms that are all the rage right now (here's a little more info in another article by the same author). I'm not fully convinced, as one of the things I enjoyed most about the Olympus C-3040 was the zoom... it made it a lot easier to take photos of the dogs, who tend to jump, move, or worse, lick the camera if you try to get right up in their faces (especially Henry).
I'd really like to hear readers' opinions on this topic... both the film versus digital debate and advice on which film SLRs are good for a beginner. I can be convinced about brands other than Nikon -- I just sort of picked them out of the air because everything I've read indicates that they are a good camera company. Comment away!
So I started thinking about what I'm trying to accomplish with my photography... and while I enjoy maintaining a photo gallery on this website, I am still enough of a traditionalist that I believe in having good prints in an album on the coffee table. Even though I love the convenience of digital and the ability to take tons and tons of pictures without worrying about cost of film or developing, the bottom line is that in the end (I think), I want a good print. If it's a really great shot, I'd like to be able to enlarge it. So now I'm giving some thought to a 35mm film SLR camera. The jargon in this area is overwhelming, but I'm wading through it to try to figure out what to do. I'm leaning towards Nikon, maybe an N80 if I choose to have automatic and manual rolled into one, or maybe an FM2N if I am brave enough to go fully manual (remember, I know nothing about photography in that sense... remind me what an f-stop is, again?). I've come across an article that recommends starting with a 50/1.4 or 50/1.8 AF lens, rather than the zooms that are all the rage right now (here's a little more info in another article by the same author). I'm not fully convinced, as one of the things I enjoyed most about the Olympus C-3040 was the zoom... it made it a lot easier to take photos of the dogs, who tend to jump, move, or worse, lick the camera if you try to get right up in their faces (especially Henry).
I'd really like to hear readers' opinions on this topic... both the film versus digital debate and advice on which film SLRs are good for a beginner. I can be convinced about brands other than Nikon -- I just sort of picked them out of the air because everything I've read indicates that they are a good camera company. Comment away!
4.13.2002
Henry's had three doses of his cephalexin and he's doing much better - he hasn't limped at all since we got up this morning. Hopefully we're well on the road to recovery.
4.12.2002
The vet put Henry on 750mg of cephalexin every 8 hours, so hopefully this will clear things up. If he's not better by Monday, he'll have to go back to the vet and be sedated so that his foot can be examined more closely for any foreign objects. Even then there's no guarantee they'll see anything, even if there is something there. It could drag on into a long process, culminating in cutting into his pad -- not just "probing." Let's hope this clears up over the weekend.
Henry's foot has worsened and is now oozing some blood / pus. He and Chris are at the vet right now... we invoked the blood rule, which says that we try not to rush to the vet at the first sign of a problem, but when there's blood, that means it's time to turn it over to the pros. I'll let you know what I find out. Poor boy. :(
4.11.2002
Boy, if it's not one thing, it's another in the Shaver household. First Hannah was sick to her stomach, then she got a UTI, then Henry was sick to his stomach, and now he's limping and favoring his left rear foot. We've checked it all out as best we can, and we think it's due to a crack in his pad, but we're not sure -- Hannah has always had rough pads with some cracks and it has never seemed to bother her. Anyway, I came home early from work to keep an eye on him... he was chewing his foot like a madman this morning. I washed his foot and applied some Bag Balm, and then put an old sock on his leg. He wasn't too happy about it at first, but really, he is being such a good boy. I used hair scrunchies to hold the sock on his foot, and he is leaving everything alone, which would be an impossibility with Hannah... socks and scrunchies are her two favorite things to eat other than food. Here he is in all his sock-footed glory, visiting Jefferson... you know Henry's not up to snuff when you can take a picture like this:
4.09.2002
It's been a busy week so far. We've gone for walks both nights after work. Tonight we're making a run to Kinko's so that I can print the final version of my master's thesis and put it in the mail tomorrow. Sadly, I don't feel much of anything about this... not really happy, or relieved, or even proud. It's just one more thing I can cross off my list. It's really too bad it ended up this way. But whatever, in May I'll finally have that M.S. degree, which will be nice.
4.08.2002
I. am. tired. But the RR mini-tour this weekend was a good one, and I am quite relieved to have my first concert out of the way. For those dear readers in VA, you can catch us in Richmond on Saturday, May 4 (e-mail me if you want more info on how to get tickets), and for those of you down in the Peach State, we'll be giving a concert in Marietta on Saturday, August 24. For more details, check out The Raleigh Ringers' upcoming events page.
4.05.2002
Ooh, I'll have to get my hands on some of these... maybe the whole set. I'm not sure why, but I'm an automatic collector of anything related to the 50 states. It probably started with the song we learned for a PTA program in early elementary school, "Fifty Nifty United States" (...from the 13 original colonies, fifty nifty stars in the flag that billows so beautifully in the breeze. Each individual state contributes a quality that is great. Each individual state deserves a bow, let's salute them now. Fifty nifty United States from the 13 original colonies, shout 'em, scout 'em, tell all about 'em, one by one till we've given a day to every state in the USA... Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut... Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana...). Oh, how I loved that song... and I can still sing all 50 states in alphabetical order today.
Hey, Henry has done his first Friday Five, the little booger. I'm sure I left him in his crate when I went to work this morning...
A so-mundane-it's-fascinating topic for the Friday Five:
1. What are the first things that you do in the morning to start your day? Hit the snooze button at least twice, maybe as much as 4 or 5 times. Roll reluctantly out of bed, let Hannah out, feed her, put her back in her crate, turn on the computer, let Henry out, feed him (in his crate if I'm ready to shower or out of his crate if I'm too hungry and have to eat breakfast before I shower). Proceed to shower. Do not pass go, do not collect $200.
2. What are the last things that you do at night before going to bed? Shut down the computer, wash my face, brush my teeth, set my alarm, put lotion on my hands, figure out how to turn off the lamp now that my hands are all greasy from the lotion.
3. What daily routine have you recently added to your day? I've recently gotten pretty good at taking my vitamins (One-A-Day for women, calcium, and sometimes potassium if I'm afraid of nighttime leg cramps) in the mornings with a glass of cranberry juice after I finish eating breakfast.
4. What routine do you wish you could get rid of? I can't really think of one. I can only think of more routines I need to add (such as an exercise routine).
5. What's the one thing that makes you feel like something is missing if you don't do it some point within your day? Check email.
1. What are the first things that you do in the morning to start your day? Hit the snooze button at least twice, maybe as much as 4 or 5 times. Roll reluctantly out of bed, let Hannah out, feed her, put her back in her crate, turn on the computer, let Henry out, feed him (in his crate if I'm ready to shower or out of his crate if I'm too hungry and have to eat breakfast before I shower). Proceed to shower. Do not pass go, do not collect $200.
2. What are the last things that you do at night before going to bed? Shut down the computer, wash my face, brush my teeth, set my alarm, put lotion on my hands, figure out how to turn off the lamp now that my hands are all greasy from the lotion.
3. What daily routine have you recently added to your day? I've recently gotten pretty good at taking my vitamins (One-A-Day for women, calcium, and sometimes potassium if I'm afraid of nighttime leg cramps) in the mornings with a glass of cranberry juice after I finish eating breakfast.
4. What routine do you wish you could get rid of? I can't really think of one. I can only think of more routines I need to add (such as an exercise routine).
5. What's the one thing that makes you feel like something is missing if you don't do it some point within your day? Check email.
I'm happy to report that I'm in a much better mood today. In fact, I have a couple of things to be excited about. This weekend is the first mini-tour of the year for the Raleigh Ringers. We'll be at a festival in West Jefferson, NC tomorrow, where we'll present a concert at the end of the day. On Sunday we'll play to a sold-out crowd at Chestnut Hill Baptist Church in Lynchburg, VA. It will be a tiring weekend, that's for sure, but I also think it will be a lot of fun.
The other exciting piece of news is that Chris and I will be going with his dad and his dad's friend, Vince, to the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway at the end of May. Chris's dad has already gotten the tickets, and they are awesome: in the General Motors section, right on the start/finish line. I'm a little nervous -- I'm not looking to get hit in the head with a beer bottle or chicken bones, or to get in a hair-pulling catfight with some Jeff Gordon fan -- but according to Chris, the start/finish line is like the 50 yardline of a football game -- only the "nice" people sit there. I've never been to a professional football game so I have no way to evaluate his statement. In truth, the only "violence" might be between me and Chris's dad if Dale Jr. has a good day... let's just say Chris's dad is not exactly an Earnhardt fan. Anyway, happy birthday to me (my b'day comes 2 days after the race)! Even better: the day after the race is a state holiday, so I can get all the recovery sleep I need. It's gonna be an awesome weekend!
The other exciting piece of news is that Chris and I will be going with his dad and his dad's friend, Vince, to the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway at the end of May. Chris's dad has already gotten the tickets, and they are awesome: in the General Motors section, right on the start/finish line. I'm a little nervous -- I'm not looking to get hit in the head with a beer bottle or chicken bones, or to get in a hair-pulling catfight with some Jeff Gordon fan -- but according to Chris, the start/finish line is like the 50 yardline of a football game -- only the "nice" people sit there. I've never been to a professional football game so I have no way to evaluate his statement. In truth, the only "violence" might be between me and Chris's dad if Dale Jr. has a good day... let's just say Chris's dad is not exactly an Earnhardt fan. Anyway, happy birthday to me (my b'day comes 2 days after the race)! Even better: the day after the race is a state holiday, so I can get all the recovery sleep I need. It's gonna be an awesome weekend!
4.04.2002
I am feeling so very grumpy today. Watch out.
Why would anyone be proud to display this on their site?
Maybe these people can tell me, or this guy, or maybe this fine individual.
Why would anyone be proud to display this on their site?
Maybe these people can tell me, or this guy, or maybe this fine individual.
4.03.2002
Chris and I often ask each other whether kids still watch cartoons on Saturday mornings. Apparently, the answer is no.
4.02.2002
When you're a woman in an environment run by men, you can never be 100% sure that your achievement within that environment is due to your ability and not your anatomy. It would be a great personal achievement for me if I could figure out how to not let this bother me.
Not much time, but here's a quick rundown:
- We had a great Easter weekend. The dinner was successful and we enjoyed eating off of our fine china.
- Trash pickup today was uneventful, although I did notice a trash can lying on its side up at our drunken neighbors house.
- We're taking Hannah to the vet in a little while; she has blood in her urine which probably means another UTI of some sort.
- I'm mulling over the possibility of a new layout for the site (nothing drastic, just "cosmetic"), but I'm not sure if I have the time.
