Two mornings with 3:30am wake-up calls in the same makes for a tired girl. The end of the month, with the end of the year approaching, was in imperfect alignment with my desire to do nothing but pass out for a nice winter's nap. So my friends for the day were coffee and music.
And at some point today, I managed to realize that tomorrow is December. I have no idea what I did in November or how it disappeared so quickly. Honestly, I always thought my parents were being melodramatic when I was younger and they'd say something about how quickly time passes. That was back in the day when the distance to Christmas break always seemed interminable.
The arrival of December also means that I'm down to one month remaining in this blog-a-day mission that I set in the waning days of 2011. I've been thinking about how I want to proceed when the calendar flips to 2013. Although there's no definitive course, the daily photo and writing requirements are taxing at times. I can virtually guarantee that this blog won't continue to be daily. Perhaps instead of trying to force inspiration daily, I'll post when inspiration (visual or rhetoric) strikes.
I would say that I shouldn't worry about it too much, because I have time. But I've already covered that. Time flies.
necessary stimulants \11.30\
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Labels:
coffee,
music,
office,
work
And at some point today, I managed to realize that tomorrow is December. I have no idea what I did in November or how it disappeared so quickly. Honestly, I always thought my parents were being melodramatic when I was younger and they'd say something about how quickly time passes. That was back in the day when the distance to Christmas break always seemed interminable.
The arrival of December also means that I'm down to one month remaining in this blog-a-day mission that I set in the waning days of 2011. I've been thinking about how I want to proceed when the calendar flips to 2013. Although there's no definitive course, the daily photo and writing requirements are taxing at times. I can virtually guarantee that this blog won't continue to be daily. Perhaps instead of trying to force inspiration daily, I'll post when inspiration (visual or rhetoric) strikes.
I would say that I shouldn't worry about it too much, because I have time. But I've already covered that. Time flies.
I am happy to report that my streak remains alive. While walking home from work tonight, I was sidelined by a directionally-challanged tourist who apparently thought I looked like I knew the answers. And I did. Of course, I was also harangued by a woman who was looking for my reaction to the assertion that she could show me the female image of God.
With one final New York evening to indulge in, and considering that I completely squandered the first one in my exhausted state, I figured that I might as well set out into the land of tourists. New York does the holiday season so much bigger than Chicago. The holiday lights displays actually rival Times Square in their brightness. I would hate to see how much those energy bills hike up during the next month.
And since NBC dedicates an entire two hours of prime time to its lighting, I figured perhaps the tree in Rockefeller Plaza was worth trudging through the tourists and baby strollers. It was big. And bright. And claustrophobic. I won’t complain though, it was a pretty impressive display of lights. Plus, I parked myself a bench with a decadent hot chocolate from Magnolia Bakery and soaked in the people watching experience.
The weather forecast is taunting me with tales of temperatures in the 50s upon my return to Chicago. I hope it’s everything they’re promising and more. But who really trusts weather forecasts in the Midwest.
rockin' around rockefeller plaza \11.29\
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Labels:
christmas,
lights,
nyc,
tourist
I am happy to report that my streak remains alive. While walking home from work tonight, I was sidelined by a directionally-challanged tourist who apparently thought I looked like I knew the answers. And I did. Of course, I was also harangued by a woman who was looking for my reaction to the assertion that she could show me the female image of God.
With one final New York evening to indulge in, and considering that I completely squandered the first one in my exhausted state, I figured that I might as well set out into the land of tourists. New York does the holiday season so much bigger than Chicago. The holiday lights displays actually rival Times Square in their brightness. I would hate to see how much those energy bills hike up during the next month.
And since NBC dedicates an entire two hours of prime time to its lighting, I figured perhaps the tree in Rockefeller Plaza was worth trudging through the tourists and baby strollers. It was big. And bright. And claustrophobic. I won’t complain though, it was a pretty impressive display of lights. Plus, I parked myself a bench with a decadent hot chocolate from Magnolia Bakery and soaked in the people watching experience.
The weather forecast is taunting me with tales of temperatures in the 50s upon my return to Chicago. I hope it’s everything they’re promising and more. But who really trusts weather forecasts in the Midwest.
Life in the New York office is such an interesting change of pace. The conversations are different, the amount of stock in the kitchen is different, the male to female ratio is clearly on the other end of the scale.
Of the many productive things accomplished today, we determined that there needed to be office parlance for a "hard stop" that has a small range. So, for instance, having to finish a meeting between 4:00 and 4:15. You really can't go past 4:15, but in an ideal world you'd escape at 4:00. This shall now be known as a semi-malleable stop. Pass it on.
This morning as I was grabbing some Cold Brew coffee out of the fridge (a little upgrade from my daily Starbucks Via), I was forewarned that there was a shortage of milk. Due to the Cold Brew's high concentration, you'd better be immune to caffeine if you're going to drink it straight. I opened the fridge to reveal four varieties of milk, including one non-dairy. First world problems at their best.
My commute to the New York office is also a different experience. Since it's only a mile from my lodging, I hoof it instead of taking the subway. They say cardiovascular activity is good for you. It also gives me an opportunity to witness, and occasionally join, a real-life game of frogger at every crosswalk. No one looks at walk signals, they may as well remove them.
All of that considered, I'm still coming back for you, Chicago. It's just nice to have an opportunity to shake things up every once in awhile.
big, red and festive \11.28\
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Labels:
christmas,
lights,
nyc
Of the many productive things accomplished today, we determined that there needed to be office parlance for a "hard stop" that has a small range. So, for instance, having to finish a meeting between 4:00 and 4:15. You really can't go past 4:15, but in an ideal world you'd escape at 4:00. This shall now be known as a semi-malleable stop. Pass it on.
This morning as I was grabbing some Cold Brew coffee out of the fridge (a little upgrade from my daily Starbucks Via), I was forewarned that there was a shortage of milk. Due to the Cold Brew's high concentration, you'd better be immune to caffeine if you're going to drink it straight. I opened the fridge to reveal four varieties of milk, including one non-dairy. First world problems at their best.
My commute to the New York office is also a different experience. Since it's only a mile from my lodging, I hoof it instead of taking the subway. They say cardiovascular activity is good for you. It also gives me an opportunity to witness, and occasionally join, a real-life game of frogger at every crosswalk. No one looks at walk signals, they may as well remove them.
All of that considered, I'm still coming back for you, Chicago. It's just nice to have an opportunity to shake things up every once in awhile.
Usually taking the 'early riser' flight minimizes the risk of late flights and plane issues. The planes are patiently sitting and waiting for you to board them. The flight crew can only be late if they happened to oversleep. All of the diagnostics, fueling and stocking tasks should be long done.
Of course, I hadn't previously considered that the gate-checked luggage could get stuck in an elevator shaft, thus delaying our flight for 40 minutes while we waited for a mechanic. At least it worked out well for one lucky individual, the guy who was technically twenty minutes late for the flight.
So after a 3:30am wake up, I managed to spend a full work day at the NYC office; my focus was close to nil by 6:00pm. I checked into my corporate apartment, which feels so much better than a hotel room. Although it's a studio, I'm pretty sure it's larger than my own studio in Chicago. And the view of Midtown Manhattan from my 20th floor windows is a little different than the alleys I look out at from home.
In a city with such an array of choices, you would think that I set out to find myself some sights and flavors that I can't get at home. Here's a let down for you. I grabbed a box of Whole Foods' version of shells and cheese, a couple of cookies, and made my way back to the apartment to wear pajamas and watch Big Ten/ACC basketball.
I'll try to be more interesting tomorrow. Tonight I'm just out of fuel.
home away from home \11.27\
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Labels:
apartment,
furniture,
nyc
Of course, I hadn't previously considered that the gate-checked luggage could get stuck in an elevator shaft, thus delaying our flight for 40 minutes while we waited for a mechanic. At least it worked out well for one lucky individual, the guy who was technically twenty minutes late for the flight.
So after a 3:30am wake up, I managed to spend a full work day at the NYC office; my focus was close to nil by 6:00pm. I checked into my corporate apartment, which feels so much better than a hotel room. Although it's a studio, I'm pretty sure it's larger than my own studio in Chicago. And the view of Midtown Manhattan from my 20th floor windows is a little different than the alleys I look out at from home.In a city with such an array of choices, you would think that I set out to find myself some sights and flavors that I can't get at home. Here's a let down for you. I grabbed a box of Whole Foods' version of shells and cheese, a couple of cookies, and made my way back to the apartment to wear pajamas and watch Big Ten/ACC basketball.
I'll try to be more interesting tomorrow. Tonight I'm just out of fuel.
Yes, Chicago, despite your wintry gray skies and freezing temperatures, I love you. Despite that, I'm leaving you tomorrow. To cheat on you with a city that many consider more prestigious. We'll only be together for three days, so I hope you'll accept me back with open arms.
So I'm off to New York City tomorrow, before dawn even cracks, to visit the mother ship and add a few more tricks to my professional arsenal. I found myself wondering if the streets of New York still have a constant odor of trash in the winter (I've only been there in August or September). And for some reason I found myself feeling like I should set aside some time to peruse some of the iconic festive sights.
It's funny, because in Chicago I steer clear of the festive areas, clogged with tourists. Of course, I've seen them all before, too. No reason to subject myself to pandemonium when there's nothing new within it. And after musing about the possible wintry smell of NYC, I walked outside into the Chicago twilight and it smelled like chocolate chip cookies. It's one of those little things about the city that makes me smile.
And it sort of makes me think, for just a nanosecond, that the streets are going to start flowing with chocolate and my life will transform into a Willy Wonka movie. Of course, there's always the dirty wet dog smell to convince me otherwise. After four years, I'm pretty convinced that it tends to waft around the city on days with a combined high humidity and pollution level.
city love \11.26\
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Labels:
chicago,
graffiti,
urban,
words
So I'm off to New York City tomorrow, before dawn even cracks, to visit the mother ship and add a few more tricks to my professional arsenal. I found myself wondering if the streets of New York still have a constant odor of trash in the winter (I've only been there in August or September). And for some reason I found myself feeling like I should set aside some time to peruse some of the iconic festive sights.
It's funny, because in Chicago I steer clear of the festive areas, clogged with tourists. Of course, I've seen them all before, too. No reason to subject myself to pandemonium when there's nothing new within it. And after musing about the possible wintry smell of NYC, I walked outside into the Chicago twilight and it smelled like chocolate chip cookies. It's one of those little things about the city that makes me smile.
And it sort of makes me think, for just a nanosecond, that the streets are going to start flowing with chocolate and my life will transform into a Willy Wonka movie. Of course, there's always the dirty wet dog smell to convince me otherwise. After four years, I'm pretty convinced that it tends to waft around the city on days with a combined high humidity and pollution level.
Do you remember, as a kid, when you got a new toy so coveted that you couldn't even consider leaving home without it? That's how I'm feeling about my camera. I'm afraid that if I don't have it with me at all times, I'm going to miss a prime photo opportunity. And my Android camera just isn't going to instill the same giddy feelings in me.
Since I don't currently have a bag for my camera, I'm tentative about bringing it out into the wild. Not to mention that I don't have a strap attached to the body, and the cold air makes me afraid of fumbling through gloved hands. I did go for a little test drive through the Lincoln Park Conservatory today, after an owners manual reading session.
Although the camera managed to catch some interesting shots, I'd attribute that more to the naturally amazing baseline of a dSLR and some luck. When playing with manual adjustments, I was just fooling around with only a scant idea of why I'd nudge the setting up or down a level. The good news is that I'm excited to learn; being the nerd that I am, learning and projects are exciting to me.
If anyone happens to know Chicagoland locations that would provide rich atmospheres for test driving my gear, I'm all ears.
miss scarlet, in the conservatory \11.25\
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Labels:
coffee,
flower,
holiday,
industrial,
tree
Do you remember, as a kid, when you got a new toy so coveted that you couldn't even consider leaving home without it? That's how I'm feeling about my camera. I'm afraid that if I don't have it with me at all times, I'm going to miss a prime photo opportunity. And my Android camera just isn't going to instill the same giddy feelings in me.Since I don't currently have a bag for my camera, I'm tentative about bringing it out into the wild. Not to mention that I don't have a strap attached to the body, and the cold air makes me afraid of fumbling through gloved hands. I did go for a little test drive through the Lincoln Park Conservatory today, after an owners manual reading session.Although the camera managed to catch some interesting shots, I'd attribute that more to the naturally amazing baseline of a dSLR and some luck. When playing with manual adjustments, I was just fooling around with only a scant idea of why I'd nudge the setting up or down a level. The good news is that I'm excited to learn; being the nerd that I am, learning and projects are exciting to me.If anyone happens to know Chicagoland locations that would provide rich atmospheres for test driving my gear, I'm all ears.
I bought myself a little present today. It just couldn't wait any longer. When faced with the option of turning left, entering the expressway, and heading back to Chicago or continuing straight, directly toward the camera shop...my instincts took over.
I already felt good about buying my camera from this shop. It's a locally-owned joint, so I was supporting the lesser known cousin to Black Friday and Cyber Monday - Shop Local Saturday. Sales tax in Michigan is only 6% (by local, I meant my home state). The guy who showed me the cameras yesterday talked to me like a knowledgeable and intelligent being, despite knowing I'm a novice. Then to top it all off, today we bonded over a desire to own hectares (a.k.a. property) in Costa Rica.
And so I have become the proud parent of a very feature-rich piece of electronic equipment. Part of me wishes that I could already have it mastered by tomorrow, so that fabulous photos are only a snap away. The other part of me relishes the learning curve, something to throw myself into. I've probably never been so eager to read an owner's manual; generally I don't even crack the cover open.
So today I bring you two shots: one of my new baby (yes, by the way, I did go Canon in the end) and the second being a casual test shot on auto mode from the lens of that new baby. If that's what images look like in auto mode with low light, you cannot imagine my excitement for what else is on the horizon.
everyone loves new toys \11.24\
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Labels:
apartment,
blanket,
camera
I bought myself a little present today. It just couldn't wait any longer. When faced with the option of turning left, entering the expressway, and heading back to Chicago or continuing straight, directly toward the camera shop...my instincts took over.I already felt good about buying my camera from this shop. It's a locally-owned joint, so I was supporting the lesser known cousin to Black Friday and Cyber Monday - Shop Local Saturday. Sales tax in Michigan is only 6% (by local, I meant my home state). The guy who showed me the cameras yesterday talked to me like a knowledgeable and intelligent being, despite knowing I'm a novice. Then to top it all off, today we bonded over a desire to own hectares (a.k.a. property) in Costa Rica.And so I have become the proud parent of a very feature-rich piece of electronic equipment. Part of me wishes that I could already have it mastered by tomorrow, so that fabulous photos are only a snap away. The other part of me relishes the learning curve, something to throw myself into. I've probably never been so eager to read an owner's manual; generally I don't even crack the cover open.
So today I bring you two shots: one of my new baby (yes, by the way, I did go Canon in the end) and the second being a casual test shot on auto mode from the lens of that new baby. If that's what images look like in auto mode with low light, you cannot imagine my excitement for what else is on the horizon.