Me, The Oligomaniac

Have I mentioned that I have 27 photo albums and have not yet reached my 27th birthday? Have I mentioned that my memory is sketchy at best and I rely on photos and journals to help me remember the things that have past, however inaccurate of skewed? Have I mentioned that I love the way it looks and feels behind a camera, that the world looks different through a lens, more beautiful, poetic, softer?

Well I do, it is and it does.

Amazon NEVER Forgets

This is a silly quick post but I am flabbergasted, yep, I said it, flabbergasted. I just bought something from amazon, my favorite place in the world, and that something gave me a sweet deal from Shutterfly in my 'media library' that I have never visited before today. Turns out I have had other sweet deals in the past that I never even realized but have long since expired. One of those sweet deals was for a camera that I bought after I thought my Nikon N60 kicked the bucket some years ago (I got the Nikon N60 as a gift and then it 'broke' four years later, but it really just turned out that the camera was acting funny and the guy at Ritz was an idiot because a year ago I gambled $12 on a replacement battery for it just for the fun of it and guess what it works, so I went without my favorite camera for years because some highschooler thought they knew something about 35mm cameras when he really didn't, but that's another blog really.....). Back to the camera, A Minolta Zoom 160c Date 35mm camera to be exact, purchased October 24, 2004 from amazon. Amazon still has all the information about the purchase and I didn't even remember that I bought it from amazon. It must have been in the beginning of our relatioship when I wasn't a prime member and have wish lists as long as Santas bad lists.

That Konica Minolta camera, it was purchased because I used to work at a photo lab and my favorite customer owned a Minolta and when I looked into it this was the only one I could find, I should have gone digital back then because that camera was AWFUL! Come to think of it that camera made me go digital, I bought my first digital camera in May of 2005 before visiting the Rocky Mountains. That Minolta sits in its carrying case to this very day, if I thought I could get a dime for it I would sell it, I probably should give it to my mother-in-law who's still using~gasp~ disposables!

But amazon, dear sweeet amazon, you are like the big grey elephant, ginormous and never forgetting, and I HEART you. I mean no one else not even me, remembers so much about me or my purchasing and that, that really means something.

-june

In All Of My Extra Spare Time

So recently I have taken up a Lynchburg Daily Photo Blog and have really thrown myself into taking more photos. As I have previously mentioned I sometimes take 300-400 shots a day (our poor children will probably go blind from the flash going off in their face). I have been reading about fully utilizing the features on the D80 and have looked into some Adobe software but haven't purchased any yet because the weather has been pretty dry in these parts and my money tree isn't very healthy right now. But then I thought hey why not divide what small amount of time you have left and take up another hobby.

Ward voted for exercise in some shape or another. I chose Scrapbooking. I would never have thought that scrapbooking would be so time consuming or difficult. When I say difficult I mean that I am a perfectionist but far from perfect, very frustrating. Scrapbooking is the perfect hobby for me. I can take one of my favorite things (photos) and pair them with another favorite thing (shopping at Target) and waste hours of time.

Originally I was going to make Bailey and Cooper scrapbooks. I bought the scrapbooks before they were born and have been stockpiling memorabilia to put in them since before they were born. But when I started thinking about how to begin their scrapbooks I decided that really I needed a pregnancy scrapbook as well which works out because I hope to pass these scrapbooks on to them when they are older and I can keep the pregnancy one for myself (I am so selfish like that). So for the past week or so I have been working on a pregnancy scrapbook. I haven't even gotten to the pregnancy yet because I think and design and rethink every step of the project. Did I mention my oligomania?

But despite the time drainage scrapbooking has proven to be...well fun. I have really enjoyed deciding what to put in the scrapbook and how to design each page. I am not an artist and I am not about to take a class at Michael's but I don't think it looks half bad for an amateur scrapbooker. Besides, the walk down memory lane has been worth it.

I have even thought of making a wedding scrapbook. That's just how bad the oligomania is.

-june

Fueling the Oligomania

This morning I discovered that my sister-in-law has a Daily Photo Blog of the city in which she resides. I was almost instantaneously inspired. So jumping as fast as I could onto her coattails and in a further attempt to strengthen my hold on the ole Internet, I joined the daily photo bandwagon.

Will I post a photo everyday? Ah, who knows. But doesn't everyone need at least a half dozen different blogs in which they contribute?

Oh, I though the answer would be yes.

Oh, well. At least my Nikon D80 will get some extra use and won't just get stored with the salad dressings.

-june

I Never Said I Wasn't Crazy

Yesterday, my sister and the X-man came over for a vist, a Playdate if you will. I made a healthy lunch (Frozen Pizza and Cookies) and the kids took toys from one another.

At one point my sister went into our pantry (which is a walk-in pantry) and she said Why do you have so many different kinds of salad dressing? Do you eat a lot of salad?

No, they were on sale.

Then she scoffed at me.

Later, we were talking about formula. I told her that I was mixing my left over free samples of formula with me regular formula. Because I am cheap.

I don't think your cheap she said.

And she scoffed at me AGAIN!

Then I turned the can to her and showed her that my 3 lb. 3 oz container was in fact Member's Mark and cost only 19.86 a can. A far improvement as I had been spending almost $25 on a 26 oz can of Enfamil before I took the advice of experienced mothers in the know.

So this morning I was looking through the pantry and I noticed all of those salad dressings, Ranch, Thousand Island, French, Balsamic Vinaigrette, Zesty Italien, and more Ranch. And I thought to myself. Self, why do you have all of those dressings, you don't even like French and you have never had Thousand Island.

And do you know what I said to myself. I said, because you are crazy... and obsessive.

Well that's June for you.

Ready For Their Close-Up

So this morning I took the twins to have their 'six month' pictures taken. Before I ever got pregnant and then before I had the twins I always thought that I would take my children to have their picture taken like every month or at the very least every other month. But then we had the twins and it was winter and I was worried about RSV and the general public that we didn't even take them to have pictures taken until they were nine weeks old. And then it cost so much that I thought I may never get pictures taken professionally ever again. But alas, those kids are growing so darn fast and they are so darn cute that I decided to take them again.

So I scheduled two appointments within two weeks of each other at two different places. But then Coop and I took a tumble on the stairs and I cancelled the first one. One appointment is enough for this month. I just want to use all of those coupons they keep sending you in the mail. But I have decided that is never going to happen because the coupons are just bait. Once they lure you in they try and take you for every penny you own.

I learned, at least a little, with my first experience with professional picture taking (when the twins were nine weeks old, these were supposed to be 'six weeks' pictures but with is being winter, the children being twins and the RSV being rampant we held off a little longer) and I was determined to not be taken this time. I feel a little better about today's experience but I am still not sure if and when I will ever do it again. Bailey was feeling a little under the weather so she was a little difficult and we didn't get all the 'poses' the lady wanted but she held up pretty well for a pint size gal who hates to have her clothes changed and had them changed three times in thirty minutes (man, I am mean). When I sat down to chose the shots the lady told me that I could get all the picture for over $200. Really, does anyone ever buy these packages? Why must these pictures be so expensive and why can't I afford a camera that takes shots like theirs because I assure you there is nothing really special about the camera people taking these shots. I know that sounds mean but it is true.

So I spent way less than I could have, more than I wanted to and still didn't get all the poses or very many sizes. But how many 8x10s can a normal person hang on their wall. (I, for the record, am not a normal person.) I changed their outfits only twice but I didn't get the classic bathtub shot because Bailey had a meltdown that resulted in the session ending prematurely (in exactly whose opinion?). They take three shots of every pose, one together and then one of each child by themselves. No wonder it adds up so quickly, is it so much cheaper if you have only one baby? Is this why there are so many more shots of the first child in a family? After the second child professional portraits are just not feasible because you have to get a shot of every family member alone?

I sort of wish they would just sell me a CD of all the prints but that would be too easy. And they may not make as much money. But I hate being under pressure and last time it worked out for the studio because I wanted to have one of every shot of my beautiful children but this time I knew at least a little better and I refrained from ordering one of every single pose. But I still ordered way more than I needed probably. And they won't even be here until the end of the month and when they come in you have to have an appointment set up (so they can try and force more pictures of your children on you that you didn't order and if you don't buy them they will just throw them away) but that is the deal and everybody seems to know it. I may miss my appointment and just go in on a busy Saturday to pick my pictures up.

All morning I was thinking, I could do this and I could make money and still be so much cheaper. I wasn't trying to scheme. I doubt I will ever own my own studio but it just irritates me how difficult and expensive the whole studio portrait thing is.

Does that mean I am never going to do it again?

No, I will probably do it again in a month or so. I will just continue to complain about it on my blog.

If you know of any great (fair) studios or any suggestions on how to survive the experience PLEASE, let me know.

I told Ward today that for our Anniversary I want to get a family portrait done. I am thinking of using a local photographer and not one of the local Franchised bigger studios. I want someone who claims to be a real photographer to take this photo. It is one of the nice things about having the twins, taking a family portrait. I never took senior portraits or a bridal portrait and we don't even have any good wedding photos of the two of us hanging up. Other than wedding photos we probably have about four photos of us together (I am always behind the camera). He didn't resist. That's a good sign.

I am some sort of picture nut.

Or is it my oligomania running rampant?

-june

Maybe Gift Cards Aren't So Bad

We are in the midst of spring cleaning. This is a very difficult time of year for me because I must admit that I have a shopping problem and a hoarding problem and a magazine problem and a guilt problem.

I shop too much at Target, it is still down from the old ten time a week habit, now I only go once a week. Do I spend a lot less? No, not really. Do I buy a lot less? No, not really.

I realize that I keep everything. The rose my sister gave me last mother’s day four days after I found out I was expecting. The dozen or so pillows with silly sayings on them. Every poster that hung on my wall when I was a cool teenager. All that sewing stuff I never use. That fourth vacuum. All those magazines that I want to read but never find the time to read. The Christmas stuff, a whole room in the basement is dedicated to trees and skirts, Poinsettias and tissue paper. All the fake flowers and rocks to fill vases during different parts of the year. All those Halloween costumes. Sofas.

The guilt issue? My very sweet grandmother buys us tons of things that should never have been invented and no one ever should have bought. Samples of these include (from this most recent holiday) massaging boots (the package says not to use them for more than 20 minutes and definitely avoid water while wearing them), two sets of Lullaby c.d.s (the poor woman thought that each of the twins needed their own), baked potato warmers, a locked jewelry box that I have never been able to open and a sewing kit from the 1950’s complete with rusted needles and chipped buttons. She means well folks, she really does. Which is why I can’t bear to part with any of it. The silly brass stars my half sister gave to me, gone. She probably just picked them up on clearance at Kirklands and later decided to give it to me but my grandmother really wants me to have this stuff. She truly thinks about every wacky gift. For example, this year I did not receive those battery operated ice scrappers which everyone else received (for at least the second time) because I have a garage.

My belongings will swallow me up one day because I felt to guilty about getting rid of anything.

I look at something I own. I don’t use it. It doesn’t match my décor. I don’t even understand why you would use it (i.e. rusted needles and battery operated ice scrappers). But I can’t seem to part with any of it.

We looked at the posters. We started to get rid of them and then I said “Oh, let’s keep this one of all the Beatles albums.”

So Ward said, “And let’s keep this one of The Pixies, Surfer Rosa.”

Ok, if you get to keep the one with the naked chick on it then I will also keep my Smashing Pumpkins and Luna posters.

And we didn’t get rid of any of them.

“What about this cat shaped buckwheat pillow from your Grandma?” he asks.

Well Bailey will love that one day. “And the pillow about cousins?”

Well Trauma and Trouble and X-man are going to be close and it will pertain to them.

“But we can get rid of the ‘Bad Chair’ though”, I offer.

“Now that we have kids we need the bad chair.” Ward chimes in.

The keep pile remains larger than the discard pile.

“We have enough to fill a mall.” Ward later complains.

More like a junk shop really but he has a point. I have a really hard time separating with any of my stuff.

My therapist says that it’s because I claim attachments to material things because my mom left me when I was so young.

-June

PS- I DON’T really see a therapist. It isn’t tax deductible. Ah, taxes. Have I posted about that yet?

What did you do this weekend?

This weekend we accomplished many things.

As I am one who loves to make lists here's one.

1.On Friday I went to the bank to make a deposit and ran into 3 of our employees cashing their checks, and by cashing I mean taking the dough not making a deposit. One of the employees missed a day this week because his wife was out of town and their three-year old daughter was "kicking his butt", she wouldn't finish her breakfast or get dressed for school. The guy is a know it all, always telling you what you should do and illustrating how much more intelligent he is than whoever he is talking to. But he can't handle his own daughter. He loves to talk about how his daughter was potty trained by age two but I would guess that had very little to do with his involvement. Recently, he went on vacation for a week, snowboarding in Utah, without his wife or daughter. I imagine there is really only one active parent in that household and at age three his daughter probably thinks the same thing.

2. I made cookies from questionable dough. The dough hasn't "expired" but it has sort of changed colors. This would never happen at my sister's house, they would never allow dough to reach the "best by" date. As a side note though I would like to add that I have been using my Kitchenaid Mixer to make homemade cookies. The questionable cookies were not bad though, if we get food poisoning I'll let you know.

3. Ward made dinner tonight. I know it's sad but I love tater tots. It's a wonder how two people who eat loads of cookies, frozen pizza, cherry coke and a whole lot else aren't bigger (we are headed in that direction though). You would think that as lovers of literature and history and science and knowledge in general, we would be more health conscience. I like naked juice for example, but is 16 oz. of that stuff at a time really that good for you?
4. We made a T.T.D.B.J.A.M.C.T.S. (Things To Do Before Jon and Misty Come This Summer) list today, basically it's a revised spring cleaning list with a later deadline. We started organizing the garage today and I wore this shirt. I thought it was funny when I bought it pre-election 2004, but then Kerry lost and I just felt stupid ever wearing it. Plus around here this shirt is like wearing a big anti-South shirt, you just don’t do it. I was a little embarrassed wearing it to clean the garage.

5. We've decided to add on to our house. By add on, I mean Ward is going to build a little deck onto the side of our garage for trash bins and pet water bowls. Of course this is on the same list as building the mega playground and those bookshelves, so it may be a while.

6. While organizing the game area in the basement, Ward found that old archaic camera of my dad's I was telling you about. My brother must have brought it over because I haven't seen it in some time. Someone hasn't been giving it much love though, the lens is dented and pretty badly scratched, poor old thing. Man I love that strap.


7. Ward started on the bookshelves, but only because he's anxious to get started on the playground, which seems to get larger by the hour. The bookshelves are higher up on the list than the playground (X-man's birthday is in a little over a month and the twins are only ten weeks old and can wait a little while for their massive pirate-ship-tower-crazy play yard).
8. We are looking for extra space to store all the playground equipment. The dining room looks like that space right now. We have decide though to move the office into the bonus area above the garage and make the now office a play room, another thing added to the very, very long list that is always growing, never shortening.
9. Ah, the battle over the dining room table is over. I won!
I felt really bad for Ward though because the battle was only just beginning, but he's OK, the playground has him pretty preoccupied. He also recently made the decision to re-work his novel into a trilogy (possible explanation for his recent absence on blogger?)
10. I made plans for Monday to go to the grocery store with my sister. We didn't get around to it this weekend and one person cannot attempt the grocery store with twins who can't yet sit and need to ride in a car seat. The car seats take up any space in the cart that would be available for groceries. We're having lunch at her house and then going to the grocery store. No La Carreta I'm afraid. Taking three under one to a mexican restaurant is just not as fun as it sounds.

11. We FINALLY took the coffee maker I bought eight months ago out of it's box and put it on the counter. Why? Because Grandpa is coming for Easter and has a tendency to spill coffee everywhere. I bought this carafe style coffee pot months ago but have just been a little intimidated by it's modern look to unpackage it. But with the twins here now and so little time I figure I need it so we won't be following behind Grandpa cleaning up spilt coffee.

12. I took, let's see, I think about 150 pictures this weekend as well. My oligomania would explain why there are so many pictures of what we did this weekend in this post. Every time someone turned around I had my camera ready. The lady at the bank gave me a very funny look when I snapped a picture of her ATM card. As a rule (for at least the next few weeks) prepare to see a lot of photos in posts, I just can't seem to help myself. Yesterday we went to Ritz and the lady there seems to know me, not because we're friends but because I am developing about 100 pictures a month there. I know you're proabably wondering why because they're digital. I am old fashioned I suppose, I want tangible shots in photo albums on my custom built (but not by Ethan Allen) bookshelves.

Next weekend, we plan on getting ABSOLUTELY NOTHING done because we're having family in.

-June

Captured by Nikon

The short of it:

I want a new camera.

The long of it:

I have always loved to take pictures and record video. My parents gave my sister and I 35mm Kodak cameras in 1989 and I took hundreds of pictures with that little camera, if it hadn’t been for a scratch on the lens I would probably still have that camera (OK, probably not but the point is it was a nice little camera). When I was thirteen I asked for a camcorder and my dad did all he could to see that I got one, he couldn’t afford it that year but the following year he saw to it that I did get one.

When I was in high school I really enjoyed taking pictures and was fortunate enough to take a photography class the first year it was offered at my high school (my junior year) where I learned about pinhole cameras, shutter speed and color tinting. Because the class was new the class had to take turns with the three enlargers the teacher had supplied and only five of us could be in the small dark room at a time. I didn’t have the money to buy a new camera so I used my father’s archaic SLR. Dated as it was, it still took decent shots.

When I graduated high school I was given the gift of a new SLR camera by someone very sweet. It was presented in the form of a coupon with a little clip art camera in the center, I was to chose the exact camera I wanted. At the time I was employed by C.V.S. and working in the photo lab. I asked several of our routine customers for recommendations. When I went to Ritz to make my purchase I had all but decided on getting a Minolta. But instead, at the last minute I went with a Nikon N60. My first few snapshots were of the cat and the parking lot of our apartment but they were great shots, even though they were of nothing. This camera has surpassed all of my expectations and helped me fill several photo albums. Several years ago, it just up and died on me. I bought a much cheaper and smaller Minolta, I was very disappointed but it got me through for a little while. Before a summer of trips to Colorado, Emerald Isle and New Orleans we made the decision to go digital. Upon the recommendation of the Ritz salesman I purchased a Fuji film E510. It has always done an OK job, the photos of the Rocky Mountains and French Quarter were not disappointing but I have always wanted a little something more.

This Christmas Trauma and Trouble (before they were born) gave me a most awesome gift (Thanks, Ward), a HD Sony Handycam (Full HD 1080i with 4 mega pixels ClearVid Sensor, though I’m still trying to figure what all that stuff truly means). After Christmas I bought a small Kodak Easy Share digital camera. It has been truly disappointing. I got one for my brother that was cheaper and it takes way better photos, oh well.

Recently though I have really started wanting a new camera. With spending way to much at Sear’s Portrait Studio on pictures taken by someone who I would never call a photographer and seeing some of those old snapshots taken by the N60, I have decided that I truly, really badly, beyond words, want a new Nikon. I have the Nikon D80 in mind unless I hear from someone recommending a better camera. I used to want a smaller camera that was easier to tote everywhere but what’s the point if the shots are sub par?

I have expressed this desire with Ward, expecting to be laughed at, but he (like me) wants to record this time in our family’s history and has agreed (with one condition, I cut out online shopping through May, I can do it folks, I really want this camera!).

So I’ve started looking and I am very excited. I hope to be as pleasantly surprised as I was when I bought my first Nikon.

Does anyone know where I can get albums cheap? I take too many pictures with a bad camera, if this camera meets my expectations the bookshelves could be in serious trouble.

-June