Cafe Bound

I am sitting in a Cafe.  I am watching people walk in and walk out.  I am listening to orders.  I am listening to people joke and I am also listening to people not joke.  Coffee is serious business.

There is a table with 2 adult women and a younger man.  I am sitting directly across from him and he looks like he would rather be anywhere but here.  I can't tell if he is with his mom and maybe sister- but he is fidgeting and uncomfortable.  He keeps stepping outside every 10 or so minutes with his phone attached to his ear.  He comes back- makes eye contact and just looks like he is ready to run.

Every time I feel eyes on me I look up and he looks down.  It is funny.  I don't think it is anything other than we are across from one another and what else do you do?  You look at someone with out really looking at them but heaven forbid you get caught.

I am listening to the hiss of the steamer- and the ice getting thrown into cups.  All I can think is, this is home.  This is where I feel comfortable.  Seattle, well, it is my home away from home.  If I could live anywhere- it would be here yet again.  I miss it.  I don't miss the tax rate.  I don't miss how much it costs to own a home here- but I miss the weather.  I miss the coffee.  I miss the people.  I miss my friends.  I miss being able to go out at 9p and still have something to do. I miss the cultural diversity.  I don't miss the smell of urine in Chinatown.  hahaha.

The grass is always greener and then you end up on the other side.  How can you miss two places at once.  Home and "home". Sigh.

Bon Voyage, Etsy Order

Here is a little order being shipped to FL today.

I hope Elizabeth enjoys her hand made photo greeting cards.

Her cards featured this photo:

I love creating special items for people.  She bought a pack of 6, so I gift wrapped them to make it a tad more special. :)

Typical

Just a blurb for thought-

I love Tea Tree Oil shampoo- but dislike it in my eye.

That is all.

-jny

Ode to a Day Off

Yesterday was Mother's Day.  This I know bc everyone kept reminding me that it was.  I woke up, "Happy Mother's Day". We went to church, "Happy Mother's Day".  We went to lunch, "Happy Mother's Day".- and then I had to work and got told Happy Mother's Day about 90 million times.  Though I am happy that people actually think to say this or be nice about it- I was a broken record of thank you's and "yes, I am a mom" every time someone asked.
I will say, getting flowers from my employer was unexpected and sweet.  I mean, I did spend most of my mother's day at work. Alone to handle customers, cashiers, and various other things that will go unmentioned.  So, the thought was appreciated.
I came home to a nice surprise- which I am typing on now.  Totally wasn't expecting it and was half expecting the camera lens I have been harassing everyone in my family about.  This is why we shouldn't expect things.  It isn't like I was expecting a gift anyway- but I thought from the amount of harassment I have given my hubby and direct family members- that would have shown up. Anyway- this was a lot more than I was expecting and am still trying to learn the ways of a new lap top.

I think my favorite gift of all was my card made by my son.  He is almost 5 and he apparently FLOVE's me. :)

I wouldn't have it any other way.  So, to not continue the cycle of yesterday I waited until today to say, Happy Mother's Day to you and yours.

I've killed my plant

This week hasn't been my favorite.

I bought a plant.  I killed that plant.  I don't have a green thumb.  I hope this doesn't mean that my garden won't grow.

My dad had a 'minor' heart attack- which I am not all that certain what can be minor about a heart attack.  However, he was in the hospital and then out in the same day- with scheduled appts for the next week.

I have an interview for a potential full time position at my current employer.  My hours would be set hours and with my son starting kindergarten in the fall- it would be beneficial.  However, the interview keeps getting bumped and with each bump I feel like my confidence is waxing and waning a bit.

I had an anxiety attack for the first time in a long time after work today.  I think all of the little things combined with a couple large emotional things are taking their toll.

I am registering my baby boy for kindergarten this week.  Kindergarten.  I can not believe how quickly time has flown by.  He has gone from this:

To This:

It feels like a blink of an eye.  Just yesterday he had no hair and no words only giggles and chubbiness. I am so very proud of him and when he starts school I am sure I will be more of a wreck than he will be. 

On a totally different note- I was featured in a front page Treasury today (well, yesterday) and here it is:

Yeah, yeah- I could make a widget- but I am the photo on the end in the second row.  Double pointed needles- in a macro shot.  I love that photograph.  I love how warm it is- even though it is just a few inanimate objects.  It inspires me to create- and I love that.  

Now, I am done whining and tooting my horn.  Sleep is calling bc I have to work job #2 tomorrow. 

over & out 

jny

Why I Love Egg Rolls

Some people turn to chocolate.  Others turn to cookies, cakes, chips, french fries.. I turn to egg rolls.  There is just something satisfying about it.  I love the crunch it makes when you bite into it, the immediate flavors that hit your taste buds.. and how it is a guilty pleasure bc in no way is it healthy for me.  You can try to tell me otherwise- but it is deep fried with pork inside of it.. and there isn't a way for it to be 'good for you.'

I don't care.  I love Egg Rolls.  I would say that I love egg rolls more than I love a Dick's Cheeseburger.  Those of you who think I am making a gross remark- I am not.  Seattle, WA has one of the best burger joints known to man.  The name of this restaurant chain is, Dick's.  They were perfect drunk food- or just food on the go.. So good.  Seems that I am just talking about all of my poor food choices tonight.  However, I am just trying to make a comparison that apparently only a small group of people would get bc you would have had to gone to Seattle and eaten there- or lived there and bought a burger.  However, egg rolls take the cake.  I only need to eat one.  They are good when they are cold.  They just make my heart smile (and probably congeal my arteries with fat- but who cares?! My cardiologist..)- but it isn't like I am eating an egg roll a day.  I was just having a rough day today.

Work was busy and we didn't have enough employees to help the immense amount of customers that were there.  Of course, I get to handle it- bc after all, that is my job. However, it was raining.  Which made it insanely busy.  It made me miss Seattle.  On my lunch I went to my car completely anticipating a salad like usual.  I am obviously not a perfect eater- but I try to behave myself on the regular.  I just kept thinking about Seattle, my friends, the places I miss but mostly the faces I miss.  All of a sudden I found myself parked in front of a local Chinese food joint- and what was I ordering? "Chicken with Broccoli.  Wonton Soup.  1 Egg Roll" Comfort food city right there.

I still have that feeling of longing for my home away from home.  I was born and raised in upstate NY.  I moved away for college.  I lived in WA, AZ, and then back to WA, then in CA, and back to WA.. and now I am back in NY.  Do you see a pattern?  Seattle was one of the few places I ever truly felt at home.  My son was born there, (well, Kirkland- but WA), I met my husband there.  I had friends there that had known me since the ripe old age of 18- and we are still friends.  I don't mean fair weather friends- I mean Friends.  Yes, with the upper case F.  I had friends there that didn't know me for that length of time- but it felt like I had known them forever.  I miss them.  I miss the rain.  I miss good coffee shops.  I miss the tourists.  I miss living in a city where many cultures existed and managed to coexist with minimal problems.

Days like today remind me of the things I miss.  Days like today call for the medicinal powers of the Egg Roll.  I do feel better. Thanks, Egg Roll.

I am pondering how it is physically possible for someone to run a marathon.  I am wondering how you can even walk that far when it is 90 degrees outside.

I would like to give a little shout out and congrats post to my sister in law, Kelly.  She completed the Boston Marathon today in 4 hours and 30 minutes.  This is something that I would never be able to do in a million years.  Running and I aren't friends.  She is an inspiration though- bc if I remember correctly, running wasn't exactly her friend when she first started either.

10 years ago, almost to the day, Kelly's father died of a stroke.  Three days before that, my brothers mother, (we are a yours, mine, and ours family) died from a massive heart attack. April 15th and April 18th - one tragic week for a family, especially a family expecting a second baby.  Through much heart ache, tears, and strife- the family made it through to brighter days and happier smiles.  My philosophy in life is yes, it hurts, yes, it is okay to cry because of the loss- but they would want us to remember the happy times.  They want us to remember them when they were- when they were here with us, laughing with us.  I digress.. 6 years ago Kelly started running.  The beginning of her journey was when she received a post card in the mail that simply said, "Train to End Stroke."  Was it coincidence to get this card? Was it fate?  Was it a postcard from heaven?  Truly touched and immediately reminded of her father- Kelly decided to find out what this whole "Train to" thing was about.  She put on her running shoes- and had at it.  Her first marathon was in Hawaii.  She ran it in 5 hours and 17 minutes.  She raised $7,000 to 'end stroke.' She hasn't taken her running shoes off since.

She has run in 14 full marathons and 2 ultra marathons.  She qualified for the Boston Marathon which landed smack dab in the middle of the anniversary of losing her Mother In Law and her Father.  She has coined the Boston Marathon as the "Superbowl for Runners"- and she did it.  She kicked complete butt today.  God Bless her.  She is an inspiration to many and doesn't even know it.  Because of her I signed my, "I hate Running" ass up for a 5k in June.  This is nothing like a full marathon at all- it's just over 3 measly miles- but it is a start. I walk at least 4 miles a day- I think if I get my butt in gear, it should be a fun challenge.

Huzzah for my sister! Congrats, Sis!  You totally rock!

Trying This Again

Trying my hand at blogging yet again.  I am actually quite terrible at it.  I don't like talking about myself bc I think there are far more interesting things for people to show interest in.  That is just me.  I am going to try to keep this blog short and sweet and full of my photography instead of me making some sort of world record in run on sentences and bad punctuation.  I am a photographer, not a writer.

On that note here:

Here's to luck for me actually keeping up with this.  Here's to hope in actually piquing another souls interest in photography.  Here's to nerdery and being over caffeinated and over tired..

Happy Friday the 13th- watch out for this guy:

I hear he breathes heavily and walks like he is wearing cement shoes.