Goodbye Old Friend

Ok, so this blog was not long-lived at all! I have created a new one here. The feed is here.

Also, you should join NaBloPoMo and add me as a friend. It is basically committing to updating your blog each day of November and it's just for fun! See you there!

B is for Balance

often in my life,
I get off the middle road
and veer to one side

Balance in my life has been something I have wanted to attain for as long as I can remember. I am one of those people who goes from working too hard to playing too hard, barely even noticing the center as I fly by. One of my goals is to find the road between work and play and walk down it each day. I fear that is easier said than done.

Another connection that I need to balance in my life is my mind-body-spirit connection. Often, I will focus on one of the three and leave the others to grow stagnate. I want to be a tree -- strong trunk supporting arms that sustain growth each year.

I crave balance now;
three parts working together
mean a healthy me

A is for Allison

Hello, my name is Allison. I have known people who hate their names, people who feel neutral, and people who feel their name really fits. Others just have a difficult time with their name. For instance, I went to school with someone named Marijke (mar-EYE-kuh). It was painful to hear her have to correct the teachers who would butcher her name at the start of the school year, but she did it with such patience. The funny thing is that in Dutch, her name is the equivalent of Mary!

I actually really like my name. I think Allison is a warm name that flows easily. Also, the spelling my parents chose gives it nice symmetry. I am glad my parents didn't decide to spell it Alecin or Alycyn, as I have seen.

When I was young, my mom told me the story of how she and my dad chose my name. They were wavering back and forth between Nicole and Jennifer for some time. One day, they were looking at names and together they both said "Allison." It was an instantaneous decision that just felt right.

I have to say, my name has always felt right to me, too. I have always felt like an Allison and I've never really wished my name was something else. How do you feel about the name people call you every day?

Still alive and babbling

Wow, hi. Yes, I am still alive. I have been swamped with school work the last few weeks, and then vacation, and then sickness ... and of course the new blog was the first thing to slide. It is almost September, people. When did that happen? It seems like the year just started. I think it is a getting older thing -- a year just doesn't feel as long as it used to. I am not liking this being five months away from turning 26. Not one bit.

I still haven't gotten the new camera yet. I think I am still going to wait a few months for it. Being an adult and being responsible with money sucks. They don't always go hand in hand, but I am trying to get them together. You might think of me as a brilliant matchmaker of sorts.

Anyway, the trip to the East Coast was decent for the most part. We didn't get into the city like we'd wanted because of rain. In fact, it was chilly and rainy most of the time we were there, to the point that we were really hoping for sun. And when it finally got sunny toward the end of the nine days, we were just stunned at the humidity to the point where we almost would have preferred the rain. We did get to visit Luray Caverns in Luray, VA which was just awesome. It was my second time going, and it was just as fantastic as the first. If you have never been there, you really should make an effort to see it if you are ever in the greater Washington, D.C. area. We also hiked around Swallow Falls State Park in very western MD. It is a very nice park and it is always a good bit cooler in that part of the state. With the high humidity, though, being able to splash ourselves with the cool water was a welcome relief.

Being home this time was different than the other times I have been home in the three and a half years I have lived out here. I think that, for me, the novelty of Las Vegas has faded away. While at my parents' home in Maryland, I found myself really wishing I lived on the East Coast and wishing that we had never bought a house in Vegas. But we are planning to move away from here around a year from now, housing market willing, so I know that the end is in sight. For now, I am grateful to be in such a magical and different part of the country and to be so close to so many things. There are still so many places I want to see out here.

Now, we are back in Vegas and I am gearing up for a full-time semester. I am taking fifteen hours, which I haven't done for a few years. I am a bit nervous about it, especially considering I have never taken more than three classes at a time online. But thinking about finally (FINALLY) having my B.A. next summer makes me want to plow ahead. The thought that I will be 19 hours away from my degree after this semester is really quite pleasant.

Anyway ... to keep this blog rolling along, I am going to snag Karen's blogging project of sorts, which she got from Bella Dia, which was inspired by Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life by Amy Krouse Rosenthal. Basically, it will be an encyclopedia of my life, running from A to Z. It is hard to say when I will get to Z, but at least it is a blogging project I can work on for some time to come. Look for A soon.

Music: Colbie Caillat

Perusing iTunes the other day, I discovered a new artist I really enjoy: Colbie Caillat. She kind of looks like a young Jennifer Aniston, but has an awesome voice hiding behind that big smile. According to a review on iTunes, she was the number one unsigned artist on MySpace. Her first album Coco makes me think of Jason Mraz because I don't skip any of the songs on the album -- much like Mraz's first album. Though she isn't as improvisational as Mraz (who is?), she sounds unrehearsed, genuine and unpretentious, which are three awesome qualities I find in Mraz's style.

The tone of her voice is rich and goes down as smooth as honey. Her voice kind of reminds me of Joss Stone's, but more controlled and lovely. I'd love to see her do a song or two with Mraz; they would compliment each other quite nicely.

Her music is something I would play when I just want to feel warm and good -- on a road trip, or, better yet, while walking down the beach. I definitely recommend checking her out!

D40

I have been in a search for a new camera for the last few weeks. Though it has served me well the last four years, my current point-and-shoot camera just isn't cutting it anymore. I was thinking about upgrading to a Nikon D80, but have decided not to for several reasons:

1. It costs $850+ to get the camera from a legitimate source (i.e. Ritz, Adorama), and that is only to get the body! To get a decent lens would be hundreds of dollars more, and frankly, I am not willing to drop over a thousand dollars on a camera.

2. The reviews I've read of the D80, while good, are not enough to justify the price. If I really wanted a super-duper DSLR, I should spend the funds to upgrade to a D200. But I am not anywhere near the point where I am willing to throw down over a thousand dollars before all is said and done.

I really just want something that is an entry-level-ish SLR that will take the pictures I want it to. (I realize I am the photographer and the camera is just a tool -- not something magic that will take amazing pictures all on its own.) Besides, it seems more worthwhile to put the money toward good lenses as they are what will carry on with me for years, while the camera itself probably won't last more than five.

So, I have all but decided to go with the Nikon D40. According to reviews, it is a good quality DSLR that is light and very portable -- great for capturing those times you don't want to miss. The boyfriend is all for it, too, because it will replace our current cam and isn't just a fancy-schmancy thing only I will be able to use.

I'm going to go ahead and order it before we take our trip to the East coast next month. The bad news is that is only comes in a kit, but the good news is that the kit is around $540 from Amazon or Adorama and it comes with a pretty good lens.

Thanks for reading about my unabashed camera geekery. I hope to have some good photos to put up in my Etsy store in the next month or so!

Welcome

This is my little corner of the online world where I will share with you my endeavors, be them creative or not-so-creative. I'll write a little bit about everything, from my photographic pursuits to what I see on tv or while surfing the web. I will try to make this an entertaining and engaging place for all, but at the least I will be sure to entertain myself. Welcome to my blog!