and I filled the following requests today.

   requested by Luka

  
requested by Monique

  
requested by Jenn

Some of these shots will make my Beyond Focus photoblog. :o)

Thanks to those who have made their requests so far. I'll be filling more requests, so tell me what you want to see!

**
Edited to include a few details for the pics in the extended section.

Luka asked for:

1. a book
2. the inside of your medicine cabinet
3. the view from your car, of your place

I chose this book because I love Rumi’s poetry, and this translation is beautifully written; I’d always been drawn to his poetry. In my search, I learned Rumi was also born on a day as today, September 30. His birth year was 1207; mine 1971.

The medicine cabinet was a scary thought, as I’m sharing with all of you the freak I really am. LOL! I didn’t organize it before shooting –I actually keep it that way.

Shot this one on my way out… and yes, the panels are staying up till the end of hurricane season!

Monique asked for:

1. the view looking out your bedroom door
2. a piece of fruit on your kitchen counter
3. your favorite pair of shoes on your front steps

Knelt on the floor underneath my bedroom door and shot this one. Easy shot.

Snack time! Raided the fridge, pulled out a plum and… voila! I really enjoyed taking this shot, and the plum was just as sweet and juicy as it looks. Thanks, Monique, I knew you’d like this one. ;oP

Not very inspired to shoot this one, but what the heck. Turned out better than I thought. Walked in, took them off, shot them. They are really comfortable. I’ll probably use them till I wear the sole down.

Jenn asked for:

1. a favorite picture in your house
2. a warning label on something
3. your music collection or movie collection

My son holding my few minutes old daughter. This image and this moment is priceless, one of the most important days in my life. All of four years old, and I believe he had a clear understanding that his life had changed, that he’d been blessed with a sister, and he learned yet another meaning to the word love.

Need I explain? A girl’s prerogative… to have fun!

I boxed these up for hurricane season, since I had to move things away from the windows and move some media downstairs. There’s a few other boxes, but these are primarily mine. So you see, I wasn't so bored while boarded up during Charley, Frances and Jeanne. ;o)

A photo meme that sounds like too much fun to pass up. So here goes:

Think of 3 pictures you’d like to see. Leave whatever you’d like to see in the comments. Things around my house, or whatever .... something I can take a picture of easily. I’ll post them as the requests come in. If I can’t, or won’t, take a picture of something you’ve requested, I’ll let you know.

Snagged this one from Luka at incogoblogo.

I am:

Syntax Darkness

I find it fitting. :o)
This was a kewl one.

Get your new handle and show your l33tness --> Hacker Handle Generator

via Branille

Week 86

1. Diminishing:: waning
2. Fed up:: of hurricanes
3. 3:00 AM:: "i must be lonely"
4. Interfere:: interruption
5. Often:: regular
6. Hay:: is for horses
7. Prediction:: to see
8. Homophobia:: overrated
9. Booty call:: never a bad time for one
10. Enunciate:: something i try on regularly

Still windy, rainy and gusty here, but we're all ok. Might have some minimal roof damage, nothing significant. The lake behind the house looks like a little raging sea. Impressive. My little willow tree is laying flat on the ground, but is still hanging on. I really thought I'd lose it this time. Strong spirit, my willow.

Power went out just briefly. I know a few things have slammed against the house. Heard all kinds of things throughout the night. I haven't slept, so I might do so soon. Spent the night watching the news, looking outside, making sure the panels were holding and everyone slept ok, then watched a few movies. Let's see: Wrong Turn, Kill Bill Vol. 1, Matchstick Men, plus a few series episode reruns Stargate SG-1 and SFU. Played Monopoly and Poker with the kids. Fun way do wait out Hurricane Jeanne.

Family is safe, and some of my local friends I know are too. If we haven't communicated yet, drop a comment here and let me know you are ok too.

Did any of you wonderful readers record tonight's season premier of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation? Please, anyone?

I missed it! I cannot believe that I missed the episode I've been waiting for, over any other show I watch. **SOB** I had to another very important and pressing matter, and when I was done, so was the show.

If you have it, good! What can I do for you? ^_^

:::

Here's something that I thought might interest all of you. Makes you go "Hmm."

Check this out: http://www.nixtro.com/pentagon121.swf
(link opens in new window)

AWESOME!!! CSI: NY rocks... and it starts at the intro!

NOTE: If you didn’t watch tonight’s episode of CSI: NY ---> GO AWAY!! I’m talking about it, and reading this will spoil it for you. Maybe.

I love CSI: NY! Love “Mac” (Sinise) and Stella (Kanakaredes), and the rest of the crew, great team, and a good overall feeling. Chemistry and pace in the show has got me hooked.

The episode was great. Really interesting to me was the way the killings took place, since I've been studying medical terms and anatomy lately. Trying not to say too much about the episode here.

I also like how different the characters are, now that there are three shows… I mean, Grissom, usually so cold, his emotions are hard to show, and then here’s Mac, who has been scarred by the death of his wife -of course, how could they not weave it in there- on 9.11.01. Emotions everywhere.

My favorite line in the show: “[…] Her breath is still in there.”

Same time, same place next week, you know exactly where I'll be. ;o)

Something my son started doing today, another category for his blog. I'm totally jazzed about it, because he's always telling me all these yummy details about spiders, snakes, gators...

Smart little man. I'm loving the way he writes, and how he loves to do research on his chosen subjects. He even found pertinent links to his topic online!

Yeah, I bask in the blissful makings of a geek.

Go read about two of his new favorite subjects: Blog Boy Blues.

Why couldn't it have been one of the ladies?

Sad. Still, made for a good CSI: Miami premier.
[Note the use of the word good, not great.]

I still deeply love the original CSI: Crime Scene Investigation over the spinoff and watch it daily, back-to-back, on Spike TV; hoping CSI: NY does the name justice. ;o)

Link to me from you blog or webpage, post the URL in the comments section of this post so I can go see, and you get a Gmail invite.

First come, first serve; 6 to go. Sweet and simple.

Easy way of getting yourself some Gmail. :o)

Borrowing this from both Sean and Jason.

Now: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (back to back)
Later at 10PM: CSI:Miami Season Premier - someone is going to die.

These series just keep getting better and better.

Orlando MeetUp MeetUp tonight at 8PM, but no place was selected. Bummer.

Orlando Art MeetUp is Thursday, but I'm not sure I'll make that one, since I had previous plans in place.

My calendar is fillin' up!

1. Pointless:: getting up in the morning sometimes
2. Sadistic:: hmm, gotta think about this one
3. Bunny:: books i've read with my children
4. Betrayal:: woven in everyone's life
5. Oliver:: I wonder how many people will write "Twist"
6. Star Wars:: can't wait till the next movie
7. Let it ride:: wanna take the bike out for a weekend away
8. Ray of light:: inspiration for painting
9. Tight:: black
10. Gadget:: thing-a-magig

That's right, I'm walking. Join me on this five mile walk to make breast cancer history -just drop a comment below. :o) Of course, you can also help by making a donation on the personal page I've set up for online donations only. I've set my online deadline to September 30, (my b-day). Remember, a little goes a long way...

Do it for you or someone you love.

Death in the family on Tuesday, in-laws side of the family, but since they're located in Puerto Rico and we weren't able to travel there... not much to say in here.

It's hard not to be able to say goodbye, or be with loved ones through times like these.

All that plus Jeanne tearing the lil Island apart... family on both sides are without power or water, but safe and in good health.

*sigh*

I'm blue, dark and very blue.

And I posted his picture at Beyond Focus.

Pay him a visit at Blog Boy Blues.

.... AND here's a drawing of him I did a while back, yup, about 5 years ago.

I told Jen earlier I'd post these pics I took a back on August 17. I was on the road when I saw this, and immediately pulled over to take a quick shot.

I've never seen anything like this before? Do any of you know what it is?

(Click on the images for a bigger view)
(edited: moved them to the extended entry section)

OMG!

Awesome! Just asbolutely-fucking-awesome.

Gonna watch it again in an hour. Yes, it was that good. :o)

Go there: HBO: Six Feet Under

What Kind of Drunk Are You?
Brought to you by Rum and Monkey

Too funny! Thanks Monique. ;o)

Like the title said. Today was very relaxing day. I needed it. I'd gone insane had I stayed indoors. So, I decided to draw for a bit, but I wasn't really into it. Kids wanted to go to the pool, so I decided I should join them. Took along Mists to continue reading, but the water was so inviting! I'll curl up with the book as soon as I finish this post. (I just realized it's tomorrow already, sheesh.)

Soon as we were out of the pool and all showered, I felt the itch to grab my camera and take shots of my kids. They were exhausted, but they are always so eager to let me take pictures of them. Like today, they usually forget that I'm holding the camera, and they start talking, and all these wonderful things start evolving. I love how openly they talk to me, without censoring or choosing their words. It's so awesome! Anyhow, I didn't know exactly what I was looking for, but once I got into it, I couldn't stop shooting. Of course, 40 minutes and 32 pictures later, I started fiddling with my results.

I posted one of my faves at Beyond Focus. I submitted to the PhotoFriday challenge "Blossom". Go see, and tell me what you think.

Because I know the drill...

1. Self-esteem:: unconditional
2. Migraine:: i had one all week. all gone now!
3. Phoebe:: Charmed
4. Nervous:: yes, very, more like anxious
5. Puntual:: hmm... assuming this is punctual, i usually am.
6. Liver damage:: cleanse your liver daily with lemon water early in the morning, otherwise, you're screwed
7. Legal disclaimer:: i should add one here ;o)
8. Reverend:: who?
9. Supple:: my ass
10. Binder:: my BA binder must be updated with the latest info

What a wuss.

She left and called today from NC saying she is now headed toward NY. Why would she leave knowing Ivan is very likely headed this way?

Beats me.

My son just wrote a most interesting post. It's a true story of when we had to give our dog up, due to health issues in the family. It was very interesting to read my son's point of view of his loss, and it brought me to tears.

This is something he's working on in school, and that it's not finished yet, but he felt it was good enough to post it. I think so, too. He even asked me to put a picture of him and our dog. I believe it added the perfect touch.

I sure hope he continues writing. For a nine year old soon to be ten, I think he writes pretty swell. :o)

Read it here: Blog Boy Blues

What? You don't currently have a Gmail account? (How sad.)
Are you a loyal reader? (Hmm... there's still hope for you yet.)
Have you commented on my blog before today? (Things are really starting to look up for you!)

I have 3 invites left.
Want one? Good.
Meet the requirements stipulated above? Better!

Leave your name and email addy in the comments.

First come, first served. ;o)

The next couple of shots just before retreating indoors at 2PM on the 4th. Stepped out of the house, took a shot to the left, immediately turned and shot to the right. See the difference in lighting? It was eerie to be outside.

Below, on the extended entry section, are shots just before 7PM the same day, when the wind was really picking up and the clouds were showing a most beautiful and colorful display. The spot you see near the bottom of the image is a football, from the kids upstreet getting their game on just before heading indoors.

Took this shot from behind the house. Might work this one into my photoblog. :o)

I'll be posting some pics here, ones I shot throughout Frances' visit.

I'll start with the ones just before Frances arrived.

See them in the extended entry section.

These past few days have felt like a week. I've gone through pretty much all the moods know to man, specially today. I was immensely irritated, and a bit bored. I was also excited, chasing after storms from the comfort of a room upstairs armed with a camera and a TV remote.

Now I’m feeling for all those folks that have lost everything to this hurricane. The sights on the tube are unsettling. We were lucky, and I’m grateful. Some of the people I know have lost power, and in some cases slight property damage. For the most part, all of them are ok.

I didn’t get to formally mention, only placed a link on a post, that I’m now writing for MetroBlogging Orlando. Check it out! We're a nice group, all from our city, talking about how we live and what we do in our City Beautiful. Of course, our City Beautiful is quite a bit frazzled now. As you can imagine, most of our posts had to do with Hurricane Frances, as she came through and unleashed all her fury on us. Now we are left to deal with the aftermath, and it’s not pretty.

There was a beautiful break in the sky, and I did snapped a picture of the clouds. They were doing this amazingly beautiful dance! I was able to step outside for a few minutes and capture it, a little calm within the storm.

Now we're left to pick up the pieces, or prepare for Ivan, 'cause he looks like he's wanting to pay us a visit.

Only slept about 5 hours since Thursday. I'm headed to bed.

I hope you got a chance to see the earlier clip (two posts down). Here are some more webcam clips for you. I apologize they are so tiny, but this is all I have working right now.

:::
Update: Sorry. I deleted the clips because they were not working. I'll post them up again when I have them all figured out. ;o)

Oh joy, it's Labor Day. This weekend totally sucks.

I know, I should be grateful. [tsk, tsk] I'm here, safe, with my family, keeping in touch with friends. I'm also lucky to have power and water. There are so many others that will return from the shelters only to find that their home isn't there anymore. :o(

Frances is still looming above, bringing with it endless rain, and some serious gusts of wind. Today, the focus is on the possibility of tornados being spun. Most of Central Florida is under a Tornado Watch or Warning. wheeee...

I'm tired, sleepy and bored.

I shot this tiny video clip outside today, when the wind broke for a little bit. Time was 6:50PM.

Make sure you see this now, since I'll be taking it down later.
I hope the link works for you.

[Edited to delete the clip because it wasn't working.]

We're all doing fine right now. So far, so good. Still have water and power, and I'm hoping it keeps that way. I'm just simply exhaused from playing and waiting. And waiting. And waiting.

I'm feeling quite irritated and bored. Kids want to go play by themselves now, so I'm thinking coffee and a bit of reading.

My friend just called me a freak. But she was the one that asked the question. Geez...

After Charley she asked if I thought that we would be hit again by another hurricane this season. My answer was a simple yes. She couldn't leave it at that, so she asked why. *sigh* I said I didn't know why, but I had a good sense that we were going to be slammed by several of them. I told her that they might not be huge, but very close between, and that they would hit us inland strong. She rolled her eyes and walked away.

She called me a few minutes ago, "just wanted to let you know we are holding up alright, and by the way, did you hear about Ivan?" This was followed by an awkward silence, 'cause I knew what was coming next. "You know, Zee, you really are a freak."

I knew it was her calling; I shouldn't have answered the phone.

There you have it, another one *might* be coming. Charley #3, Frances #6, will the next third number (Ivan #9) make landfall? I'm just glad it wasn't me who brought the numbers thing up. That's just scary. I'm just hoping Frances doesn't strengthen when she hits the Gulf, cause that still leaves her with all her baggage being dumped right on us.

Power flickering, but we still have it. It's already gone out less than a mile from here. Stopping in as promised to keep you updated. Posted a bit at Metblog Orlando.

We are getting slammed here, and this is nowhere near over yet. Seems amazing that this storm has been on land for over 11 hours and relatively hasn't weakened as much as originally expected.

Anyway, since I still have power, I'm going to venture with some coffee. Perhaps some French Vanilla or a tablespoon of Kahlua? Since I have practically gone without sleep, its technically not early for me to be drinking... LOL!

Some ugly gusts are sweeping through this area, Waterford Lakes, right now. It's 3:38am, and the pressure can be felt against the sides of the house.

So far, we're all ok here at home, thankfully. I'll keep you all posted here and at Orlando MetroBlog.

I'm hoping all my fellow bloggers in the area keep safe.

... and she's feisty... and she's feisty. I was out earlier this morning, and could see Frances’ rain bands coming in, moving really fast. Then the calm. Later, another band.

It’s gusting winds for the most part outside. An infinitesimal prelude of things to come. This storms eye has begun to shape tightly, and it’s a little more than 70 miles wide itself. When it hits land later tonight, touching down in Melbourne it seems, we well be feeling those hurricane force winds all the way here in Orlando.

Curfews are in place throughout Florida; Orange County-wide curfew begins tonight.

For the most part, people have been cooperating with state officials, and communities are coming together tightly.

All for now; more updates later.

There's a lot of this going on around here. IMHO, there's gonna be a lot more to come.

There's this one tree in particular I thought might not be there after Charley struck. To my surprise, it's still standing. And I'm glad. I lost my reference photos through one of our moves, and I was able to shoot a few more.

See.Tree.Here.

That's almost what it feels like out there. Just got back from purchasing panels. They were sold out at the first 3 places we went to (i.e. Lowes, Home Depot). I'm not exagerating when I say everyone is out there, purchasing supplies and getting ready to board up their doors and windows.

Doesn't seem to be as much about the hurricane and how massive it is, but about the debris that will be sling-shot and rocketed when the winds start gusting.

Category 4 with sustained winds of 140 MPH, and gusting much stronger than that.