Well, I did it.

I ordered an iMac! I was previously thinking about the Macbook Pro, but, as much as I'd like a laptop, I do my best work on a desktop computer. Must. Have. Mouse. Plus, I feel the iMac is a better investment for my future career. I'll get the Macbook Pro down the road at some point.

I await its arrival with great impatience. I regret that I did not order before the 7th because I could have received a free iPod touch. However, I still do get $100 off of an Epson Work-something or other printer, which will bring it down to $50. Can't complain about that.

Now, the next step is to order the Adobe CS5 Design Premium Suite with my education discount, which is a humungous savings, to say the least. I almost have enough cash for it. Next week's paycheck and/or the proceeds from the anniversary party gig will provide me with the little bit I'm short at the mo'.

This decision was made mostly because I feel I am behind the rest of my classmates in the design software area, considering my focus is mostly on photography. I have concentrated mostly on gen ed classes for quite a while, as well. Therefore, my software knowledge from the intro classes is a bit rusty. However, that's no excuse for not knowing it as well as I should.

Let's see, on the project front, I've got a few things on the burners. Outside of class work, I shot photos at a friend's parents' 50th wedding anniversary party. I'm currently up to my ears in editing those and plan to have them done this weekend.

I also took some shots of my guitarist friend Micah's gig last Sunday night. Those are in the queue for after the anniversary party photos.

For my Digital File Prep class, our next assignment is to design a notepad geared toward high school students who are also prospective PSU students. I'm excited about this one. This weekend's project is to come up with ten thumbnails and two full-size rough sketches. Not a whole lot of time, but that's the nature of the beast. I also have to draft up a synopsis of Team 3's presentation, which takes just a few minutes.

Let's see, I've got a couple of Portrait Photography assignments in the hopper, as well. I've shot, edited and printed the photos for Assignment 1, which consisted of photographing an individual in the studio using just one key light. Assignment 2 focuses more on the 5 basic lighting setups, and I'm sure will take up more time. We also have some reading and writing to do for those assignments, too. The fun never ends! I'll end up at the 'bux at some point for the writing assignments and thumbnail sketches, I'm sure.

Can't forget Tech writing. We're currently drafting resumes. I've had a working resume for quite a while and I'm just touching that one up and adding/eliminating select info and putting it in the proper format.

On TOP of all that, I'll be up at the rear-crack tomorrow morning to take in the CR-V to get the right tie-rod end fixed/replaced/whatever is wrong with it. Appointment at 7am! Yeah, buddy! Then, Mom and I may head to Whole Foods up in KC for their awesome pizza and then shop around some. I'm already out of veggie straws! I can tell that's going to be a new addiction, along with sesame sticks and Casey's pizza.

I was hoping to hang with Josh and Lindsay tonight for said Casey's pizza and crazy movies, but that's still up in the air. But MAN, I could certainly use some Casey's right about now. Oooh, sesame sticks, too.

There. The play-by-play of my weekend. You're welcome. I'll try to post some photos for ya later as compensation for reading. Try.

Well, here's to the weekend and a speedy delivery of my newest investment!

Road trip!

Ahhhh, I'm so ready to drag myself out of bed at 2:00am on Saturday, load the CR-V, and head on out to visit with my sis and the gang in Kentucky for a week! I plan to bring along my colored pencils and some black and white prints of my photos so I can stay creative even without a computer. 'Course, I'm sure the girls have plenty of coloring books and crayons, so that'll rock.

I also have it on good authority that the girls have new sidewalk chalk. Can you say PARTAY?? I'm going to bring along my big-ass bubble wand, too. Woot!

Man, I'm so ready to do absolutely NOTHING for a week before the madness of the summer sessions start. (Where have I heard this before?) Did I already talk about this. Oh well, I'll say it again. I'll be taking six credit hours this summer so that I may achieve senior status by the fall semester.

I'm glad to get to spend some time with my sis and the kids. I feel like a rebel because Patty and I hang out and go shopping while the girls are at school. Hahahahaha!!

I'm also going to spend a day in Louisville with Pineapple and MAYYYYBE L if she gets her rear out that way. I'm looking forward to a ton of laughing so hard that it hurts and you can look forward to some more crazy-ass videos, if you're my friend on Facebook. Hmm...I guess I could post them here, too. Yeah, I might just do that. So there!

Anyway, just have to get through the rest of Thursday and then Friday and the brain will be turned OFF for seven or eight days. Woot!

Summer!

Well, it's finally here. I've been enjoying it for a week now. 'Course, it makes for long days at work when I'm used to leaving at least once a day for class. But, I must say, it's a lot less stressful. It's taking a lot more to keep me awake, mind you, but I think that has a lot to do with my out-of-shape arse going back to the gym this week. I'm determined to fit into the groovy t-shirts I bought last summer when I got myself in shape.

I'm really hoping that my summer classes don't have a whole lot of homework so I can continue to get to the gym.

Man, coffee isn't even doing it for me this morning. Not that it normally does, but I need something especially this morning because of the Tylenol PM I took last night to relieve my aching muscles. It was a great, almost uninterrupted, night's sleep, but I'm finding it extremely hard to keep my eyes open today. It'll most likely be another Amp afternoon.

OK, I think I'm rambling because I can hardly stay awake............. so here are a few random photos while I snooze...I mean work.


Kerrington Cooper


Pier in Lavallette, NJ


Sanctus Real


A back road near Winfield, KS

I'm pretty sure...

...that my brain is already on summer break. Well, the three weeks that I will get before and after the summer sessions.

The biggest thing I'm worried about, really, is my short story revision. I think it's because I don't have it in me to think and be creative at this point in the semester.

I've got one more project due for Commercial Photo, and I'm hoping it won't take too much time because it involves working in Photoshop and distorting images and stuff that I normally don't want to deal with.

Let's see, I'm almost done with my personal website for Web Site Design. (AHEM...) I just have to find my notes from Web-based Software to refresh my memory (or, more appropriately, relearn) how to make a slideshow in Flash CS4. I opened up an exercise we'd done in the class, and it absolutely did NOT come flooding back to me. At all. So, this could prove to be a problem.

Hmmm...what else...one more exam in Org Theory and then The Final. I'll find out tonight how I did on last week's exam (crossing fingers) and get the study guides for Exam 5 and The Final. And tonight's the last night of lecture. Not that I'm complaining, but I do enjoy Dr. Baack's lectures. They're very information-rich, and we're writing ALL class period long. No lie. I have to stop sometimes and shake out the cramp in my wrist. But he keeps it very entertaining with his stories from his younger days that relate completely to the point he is making at the moment.

Well, I guess I know how I'll be spending the rest of the week and Sunday. If I were wise, I would have my nose in the "books" all weekend, but Artsfest is occurring this weekend in Springfield, and I want to go. That's all. Just 'cuz.

I also have to write a short-short story for Creative Writing about a wedding cake that somehow ends up in the middle of the road. Should be interesting. I need to come up with something really wacky for this one. It doesn't have to be that long. Max of four pages. I'll probably fall somewhere between two and three.

Yeah, I believe that's it. OH, I have to come up with ten questions from a reading assignment for Commercial Photo for tomorrow. Yeah, so that's what I'll be doing after class tonight before watching the DVR'd The Biggest Loser.

Well, yeah, if you've made it this far, ku-friggin-dos. That would be COMPLETELY boring to anyone but me. So, here's some compensation...


Not the best shot, but it was hysterical. This was
in the parking lot of the WalMart up in Independence, MO.


A pretty sunset somewhere around here


Lavallette, NJ *sigh*


Some, um, pretty flowers


A park near Cherryvale, KS

The Broadway Bridge in North KC

Downtown Anderson, MO

Commercial Break Photos

Well, I finally remembered that Family Guy is on, and since it's on a commercial break, I thought I would share some photos from an impromptu photo shoot with my good (and very photogenic) friend, Jenn.

Another Friday!

Wow, it's Friday already! My weeks are so nutty that it's hard to believe another one has passed. However, you won't hear any complaints from me!

So, what's everyone up to this weekend? Anything fun? Well, mine will be half and half. Tonight, I'm headed to Springfield to catch an acoustic show by Sleeping at Last, and then Jenn and I will be some hanging out with good friends that we haven't seen in a while.

Then, Sunday is reserved for studying, and then a break for dinner with Mom. And then, probably a few more hours of studying will resume after that.

Just so you get an idea of what these next two weeks will be like for me, picture a giant, overweight cat squishing itself into a shoebox. That, right there, my friends, is what my immediate future is going to be like.

I've got three projects for Commercial Photography, a website to design from scratch, a couple of killer exams in Org Theory, and some writing and revisions for Creative Writing. It wouldn't be so bad if I could focus on just those projects and get them done. The challenge is finding time to get to the computer lab and the printing lab while working everyday from 8:00-4:30, and then night classes on Mondays and Tuesdays.

I mean, it's all fun stuff (other than the Org Theory...no offense to Org Theory people), but there's just literally not enough time to get this all finished, well, and keep my sanity. Ah well. OK, this is turning into another whiney post. Shoosh, Kris...

Here are some photos to reimburse you for your time spent reading that...


The Butterfly House in Chesterfield, MO


Goodbye Tomorrow


Deas Vail


Sounding the Silence


Kerrington Cooper

Sanctus Real

Eureka Springs at Night

Sunday Evening Whinings

You know, crafting a 12-hour class schedule around a full-time job is pretty difficult in itself. Add into that mix the fact that there are no night classes that I can take, and you've got yourself one hell of a headache.

So, I finally decided on a decent schedule, and I come to find that the Digital File Prep class I was going to take in the fall is now listed as a Writing to Learn. Oh, hell no! I paid my dues back in freshman and sophomore "years." I put quotation marks around 'years' because I was a freshman and sophomore for far longer than the normal person would normally desire. Like I said, working around a full-time job is not pretty.

Alright, time for some happiness. And, what could possibly be happier than a huge bowl of Cheerios with a ton of ripe, delicious strawberries? Nope, nothing.

On that note, let me see if there are any random photos I can share this evening before I grab my laundry out of the dryer, put the other load in, and fold the dry load...

Oh, for the love of tonsils!

...or not. I'm going to whine and say that the left side of my tonsils and my left ear are KILLING ME!!

OK, so for enduring that, I'll share a few extremely random and very unrelated pieces.

(this one was in the Morning Sun back in May 2005)

Scheduled Post

Well, we are working on a team project at the moment. We are creating a website for a local florist, and I have volunteered to take the photos. I just finished uploading them to the class folder, and I'm probably going to make another trip to the florist to shoot some more arrangements that may be missing.

That's about it. I'm ready to get out of this room, aka sauna.

Until next time...

Album of the Day

...that's right, I said "album." It is none other than Breathe's "All that Jazz," featuring the 80s hits, "Hands to Heaven," and "How Can I Fall?"

I'm showing my age, I know.

Well, here are some more extremely random photos for your visual enjoyment to go along with the ear treat suggestion.

Micah and Anneliese "AJ" Burdick (two of my most favorite people in this world!)

Micah rockin' out with his former band, In the Fire

Micah playing for us with AJ's help

Strip the Colors at the Foundry (Joplin, MO) in July 2007

A tulip in my front yard, circa 2005

Some Photoshop fun

Some more photos

I thought I'd share some more random photos from the archives. Feel free to comment or critique!

More random shots

These shots are of the Dunlop boys from a few years ago, probably around 2004 or 2005.

Click here to see more of my photos, and here to see more that I've posted so far on this blog.