Lazy ass post...aka photodump

                                                          =Random Bits of Life

To remember...

    I remember when my son was first born and people told me things like "Cherish these moments" and "Be careful, they grow up so fast" at the time I thought I understood what that they meant. I assumed they were saying that childhood is such a short part of a persons life and you only get one shot at it.  But now 12 years into to this parenting thing I think I really understand what people were trying to tell me.  It's not that childhood is such a short part of life it's that it's still happening no matter what else is going on. When your child is first born every moment seems like a lifetime, everything else falls to wayside and your focus is on this new life you've created.  You don't love your child any less when you have to go back to the "real world" and bills, chores, employers etc still have the nerve to expect you to give a damn about them when you just created the most perfect person!!!  Before you know it grocery shopping or car repairs and whatnot are in the front of your mind and you're watching your child growing up out of the corner of your eye. For years I meant to get a nice camera and take wonderful pictures of my son like the mommy blogs I read at the time.  Suddenly my sweet special boy was rolling his eyes and telling me I just didn't understand this or that. I knew the time to capture the sweetness was coming to an end and it would take some sneakiness on my part.  So I did what any mother desperate to have one more week with her "little" boy would do...  I took him to DISNEYWORLD !!! I picked my favorite images to put here to comfort me in these teen years ahead.  I don't know whats coming for me but I'm ready.

 And a few bonus for those really hard times

Let it snow!

I'm ready for some snow!... My son however is not happy going to bed at his regular bedtime even though there is no school

Mamas Gotta Brand New Bag! (and there's a camera in it)

   So the camera is here and I love! luv! lurve it !  I watched a youtube video on my phone about close up portraits at work and immediately went to work photographing children. I think the photos from work turned out pretty good for being taken less than a hour after touching a DSLR for the first time. With the youtube video fresh in my mind I felt confident to adjust aperture and selecting a location. Returning home and attempting to photograph my own child proved to be bit more difficult. The memory of the video seemed hazy and the incandescent lighting of my apartment deserved a change of white balance and as of now I have know idea how to change that.

The pics from work:

 

From home:

A.D.D. Week 1

  Well I failed again at this stupid challenge. I decided maybe I should modify it for losers such as myself.  I decided to make it a 30 week challenge (blog at least once a week for 30 weeks). Hopefully I can keep my A.D.D. at bay one night a week and remember to write in this stupid blog. Alas it is going to be hard to remember because I have decided to take up yet another complicated hobby. Can you guess what it is? I'll give you a hint... it's expensive and I'll tire of it quickly! Yup you guessed right it's photography! I've purchased a DSLR camera that I have no idea how to use and plan to teach myself how to use it by watching youtube videos. Definitely needed to find a cool weather hobby to replace running. Hopefully this one takes. (Just in case contact me in a months time to buy a gently used Canon eos Rebel T3i if that's even the right name of the damn thing).

#3. Slackin out of control

     Welp, as predicted today was a slacking day. The day consisted of couching it and face feeding. Now I'm half-assing a blog post. I'm dreading going to work tomorrow, I used to love my job but now its becoming a chore. I swear next time I have a golden day I'm gonna remember I hate my job and use all that energy to get a CEO job or something.  I'm just going to power through the monotony and focus on the fact that my vacation is only 20 days away.

Day 2.0: A Golden Day

    Are you there no one ? It's me JeebusFreek ... Today was a non slacking day for me. These ultra productive days come around about twice a month for me. If you are also a slacker you know the type of day I speak of. I call it a golden day and they are usually preceded by days (weeks?!?) of planning to do something and then finally being forced to do it. The feeling of actually completing the task you've been putting off is so empowering that you feel compelled to tackle vanity projects like knitting sweaters and churning butter. Without further adieu here is a list of things I did today:
1. Cleaned my apartment (including folding 6 loads of laundry)
2.Made a menu for the next two weeks
3.Grocery shopped for said menu (at multiple grocery stores for maximum savings)
4.Filed my income taxes
5. prepared my monthly budget and updated my bill pay
6.Made marinara sauce from scratch (recipe to follow)
7. Made a pot roast
8.Made rice crispy treats
9.Watched the entire sixth season of 30 rock
10.Knitted half a shrug I plan on wearing on my vacation
I did all this and am now half drunk and upholding my promise to complete the 30 day challenge. It all felt so easy and I swear everyday is going to be like this and my life is going to be so easy and perfect yada yada yada! et cetera! et cetera!  Then the sun will rise tomorrow and I'll convince my self that I need a break because I worked so hard yesterday and the cycle of procrastination will start anew.

I lived in Italy for 4 years as a child I became a sauce snob. My mother got this recipe from Italian woman and it is my go to recipe for sauce
       



                                     Some Old Italian Lady's Pomodoro Recipe
Ingredients
2 cans crushed tomato (I think Dei Fratelli or Pomi are the best I've tried in the states)
olive oil
1smallor medium head of garlic (6-8 cloves)
1 cube Knorr vegetarian vegetable bullion
 about 2.5 teaspoons of salt
 Italian parsley to taste
1 wedge of crazy expensive Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions:  *Inspect your head of garlic before buying and if it has any weird shrinkage, soft spots, or powdery mold reject it* Remove all the normal looking outer cloves of garlic (about 6-8 cloves)leaving the weird shaped skinny cloves for your compost pile. I'm sure these fugly cloves are just as good and you can use them if you're some sort of garlic affirmative action proponent; but for me they're more trouble than they're worth. Make sure to remove all the peels from the choice cloves then cut them lengthwise. If you see a green shoot in the middle of the clove remove the shoot or your sauce will be bitter. Once you have your shoot free garlic pour enough olive oil to cover the bottom of a stockpot about a quarter of an inch. Turn your burner on low and add the garlic to your olive oil once bubbles form around the garlic remove from heat and let sit for two minutes then repeat. Add cans of crushed tomatoes; rinse each can with about a quarter cup of water and add that as well. Add bullion cube. They way I was taught this recipe was to make a cup out of your hand ,like you are going to drink water from a stream, and fill the deepest part with salt and add that to the sauce. I know everyone has a different sized hand so I measured it today and it was about 2.5 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon of salt. Simmer on low until the sauce thickens(1 to 2 hours) it will splatter so if you have a splatter guard  USE IT. Stir about every 10-15 mins. This sauce like all spaghetti sauces is better if you prepare a day or two ahead.  When you are ready to eat it boil your pasta and use just enough sauce for the pasta you are going to eat immediately add parsley to the portion of sauce you are using and reheat on stove top *do not microwave *garnish with as much cheese as you like and enjoy.

Hmmm... Day one again

    Well obviously I didn't complete the thirty day challenge last month... Never fear, a new month is upon us and I guess I'll try again.(I am aware that this month has 28 days but lets just cross that bridge when we come to it). I think I'm reluctant to complete this challenge because I'm terrified someone might actually read this shit and think I'm one of those freaks on the Internet who thinks people want to read about their boring life! On that note..I'm recovering from a wicked stomach flu and was able to eat my first solid meal tonight! Went to Outback with my girls. While we were there my friend told us that this was only like the sixth time she's been out to eat IN HER LIFE! I can be a blunt bitch sometimes so I hope my shocked look and smart ass comments didn't hurt her feelings. Someday I'll learn to think before I speak and I hope its soon because I'm 31. Anyway I also think I may have my white friends and coworkers thinking they have to give me presents for Black History Month. You know to make up for slavery and prove they're not racist etc. I don't know why I say shit like that but I'm the only black person at work and they treat me like I'm some sort of black ambassador. They just come up to me asking questions about hair weaves, how to deal with their black neighbor, or if I know the name of a rap song they heard on the radio. I saw a comedy show or something years ago that said we should get presents during Black History Month and one thing lead to another and at work and I was like "You guys say you're my friends and are not racists but you've never once gotten me a present for or even wished me happy Black History Month"!  You would've died if you saw the shocked looks on their faces. I kinda joke around a lot so I hope they think I'm joking or at least google it. (Note to self: create numerous blogs and websites with names like What to get your friends for Black History Month? and Not quite sure how much to spend on your Black History Month gift? Take this quiz to find out! or Not celebrating Black History Month? You might as well be a slave owner ) I feel kinda pukey so this it for tonight. I'll let you know if I get any presents on Monday.

Has it only been 3 days!!

     It seemed like when I started this challenge It would be a breeze. I had all these ideas about crap to write about. Hell half the time I can't sleep at night because I have so many thoughts and ideas zooming around my brain propping my eyelids open like toothpicks. Now here I am with a blank page waiting to receive all that flotsam and I'm struggling to tap out a few sentences. I think it's fear mostly what if someone actually reads this crap?  I'm sure once I get into the habit of this blogging thing it will get easier. If not, oh well no one will know. I pretty sure this count as a blog entry so day three down. Interesting thing that happened today I watched two girls one cup and now I want to kill myself. Well maybe help those two girls make up with their dads then kill myself. Not joking just had to see what all the hype was about.

Blog challenge Day 2

     I almost forgot about the challenge today.  So it's safe to say I'm pretty much fucked and will almost certainly fail at this challenge. Rather than just give up I'm gonna follow the theme of my life and ride this bitch 'til the wheels fall off.  Sooo... now I suppose it's time talk about the resolutions that I failed miserably at.

1. Date!! Well as embarrassing as it is to admit to the no one that reads this, (SPOILER ALERT AHEAD!!) I didn't go on a single date in 2012. I did try...a little and by try I mean I updated all my internet dating profiles, halfheartedly chatted with a few sexual predators, and tried to maintain eye contact with all the drunk old dudes that flirted at bars.

2. Go back to school and/or get a new job. This one is a bit more complicated. I love my job but it pays like shit and I don't have health insurance. There is no room for advancement so bottom line
 I NEED TO GET A NEW JOB.

     I 'm going to take tomorrow to think about how I'm going to accomplish these goals. I guess this is farewell until tomorrow.


Proof that I take more pics now

30 day challenge

Can't believe it's been almost a year since I made this blog to keep track of my NY resolutions! I'm pleased to announce (to no one)that  I was successful in almost all my resolutions. In 2012 I quit smoking, ran a half marathon, barely read, and took tons of pics. We'll talk about the two failures later... Anyhow I decided to participate in the 30 day blog challenge (blog and comment every day for 30 days) and today is the first day! It's late and I'm trying to get in under the wire for 1/1/13 so that's all for now. Without further adieu here is a funny video to make this bullshit post less sucky.