Hump Day

This week has been drifting away. Not racing past, but not dragging either, which is strange, as I am really looking forward to this weekend.

Friday night is the first football game of the year. Growing up baseball was my favorite sport, but right now I find it very hard to sit through a whole game. The two fall/winter sports,hockey and football, are where the action is for me now. I can sit and watch them on TV, but I would much rather be their in person.

High School football gives me the opportunity to be on the track, close to the field, to watch the game. I've gotten pretty good at being able to watch the refs and even get the yards to go right before it goes on the scoreboard. Plus, the group of guys I hang with down by the field, there is no way we could say half the things we do if we were up in the stands, so it gives me the chance to "be a guy" for a few nights a year.

Saturday we have the final 4H concert of the year. Its a way to celebrate a great year, and to say goodbye to some people for a few months. There is always a nice picnic after the concert, and as time has gone by over the years, how we picnic after the event has morphed quite a bit as well, as we have made closer friends. Its a very nice event that I really look forward to.

Sunday is a trip down to Mason to see Jackie, and then head over to my niece Joy's place. She has requested that we do portraits of her and the kids, so not only do I get to visit, I get to practice with the portraits as well.

All I have to do is make it these next couple of days and let the fun begin!

Fair Season

We are smack in the middle of one of my favorite times of the year, Fair Season. It starts with the Ohio State Fair, and usually ends in Circleville with the Pumpkin Festival.

So far we have been to the Ohio State Fair, The Hartford Fair in Croton, OH (several times), and hit the Pataskala Street fair last night for the first time this year. We'll go back for the parade Saturday as well.

Two of my favorite fairs are coming up still, the Sweet Corn Festival, and the Pumpkin Festival, which is my all time favorite fair ever. How can you go wrong with pumpkin anything?

I'm not sure why I love the fairs so much. Typically I hate crowds, but they don't seem to bother me there. I don't play many of the games that are there, I might ride a ride or two, but usually stay away from those as well. Oh, I know what it is....its the food. Not just food, but "fair food". You know what I am talking about. Corn dogs, gyros, funnel cakes, and anything in the world on a stick and deep fried.

All this while I am trying to figure out why these clothes don't fit. I'm not sure why. I walk all over at these festivals. And this Saturday, besides walking all over at the fair, I will walk the parade with the band, making sure they all have water. There is another mile or two of exercise, so I just don't get it.

Now, where is that funnel cake stand again???

(The above image was taken at the Hartford Fair this year, right after the sun went down on another wonderful day!)

Another vacation gone

The sun has set on yet another vacation. They are always too short. You plan for them for weeks, or months, and before you know it, a few days are gone and you are coming home.

The original plan this year was to go to Disney World for Amber's graduation. As time drew on, she seemed less and less excited about going there. That, and Disney is just plain expensive when you are trying to take 5 people for a week. So we decided to scrap that plan, and asked the kids where they wanted to go. The old standby won, lake Erie. More specifically, the Port Clinton area, where we have vacationed before. There was no complaining by us adults, as we enjoy it as well.

We did our usual activities while we were there, hitting a couple of wineries, going out to Put-In-Bay with my in-laws, hitting the beaches and visiting lighthouses. Everyone had a great time, including Albert, who loves the beaches.

This time last week, we were starting on our way home. Last night at dinner, we were already talking about heading back up for a weekend or two before winter hits. Maybe we could look into a real estate office while we are there as well. hmmmmmm.

The cold that never ends

I have had this cold for well over a month now.  Not a full bore cold, but bits and pieces of it have lingered, come on strong, fallen back and tried to come on again.  It's like two evenly match infantry battalions fighting over the same piece of real estate, back and forth, give and take, but neither side able to declare a winner.

A little over a week ago, the other side picked up a new weapon.  It decided to start clogging up the hearing in my left ear, and then several days later, the right side joined the fray.  The weird part is, and I don't know if this is normal in hearing loss or not, but it seems that certain frequencies are more affected than others.  My wife Andrea just so happens to be in that group of the "most affected."

I know there are guys out there who would think that this is a good thing, but really its not.  I have to do those little things like turn towards her to hear her and ask what a couple of times.  Its not that I don't like to look at my wife, I do.  I really do.  She's beautiful.  It's just after asking her "huh?" and "What?" several times, when I see her talking to me, it has that appearance of she's yelling at me.  That is never a good thing.

And things that happen in my own mouth are amplified a gazillion times as well.  I'm sure if I was to eat a pretzel right now, I would not be able to hear an AC/DC concert going on around me.  Enough is enough.

I broke down yesterday and called the doctor to get an appointment.  It seems that this is going around as well, but, and there is always a but, I can't have the normal treatment.  A touch of background here.  I have an irregular heartbeat that has my regular Dr. more concerned than the cardiologist he consulted with.  So because of this, he is being extra careful, and will not prescribe things that have any kind of affect on the heart, like a decongestant.  So now I am trying to fight this with antibiotics, which will take longer to clear up.  

Now, if I could just get Andrea to stop yelling at me....

The good and bad of iPods

I love my iPod.  I'm on my 3rd one, and I love it.  One of those gadgets I'd be lost without.  It has totally revolutionized the way we listen to music.  And it keeps evolving.  The Genius feature on them now is just brilliant.  The ability to make a playlist based off of a song is, well, genius.

One of the other ways we lie to use it is to make what we call vacations lists.  When ever we travel a distance, we create a list where everyone gets to pick the same number of songs to go on the list.  That way, no one can complain that their music is not getting played.  As the years go on, the variety gets more and more diverse.  I don't know how many families can go from Slipknot to Mickey Mouse Clubhouse to Reba McIntyre then to Billy Joel.  They are some fun lists to say the least.

Every once in a while though, I put it on an album, and play that all the way through.  Typically, its an older album, late 70s era.  It reminds me of the old days.  Back when an album came out, and you listened to the whole thing, over and over.  There were good songs, there were songs that weren't as good, but you listened to it all.  The album had a feel to it, and that was part of the beauty of an album.  Many times, the song I liked best on the album was not the "hit" that you heard on the radio.

I believe a lot of that is missing today.  I am as guilty as anyone.  A lot of times I just go into iTunes and get that one song that I want.  For some bands though, I do get the whole album, and it takes me back to the good old days.

Not all change is good, nor is it bad.  It's just, well, change.

Here is something that hasnt changed much.  This is a cathedral in the Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati, OH.  If you ever are in the area, be sure to check out the grounds, it is very beautiful there, and will be worth the time you spend.

It's official

Holland Photography has had a paying job, and now it has a website.  Nothing of any substance is there yet, but its a start.  If you don't take the first step, then nothing will ever happen.

I received a bit of feedback from the first job, which was pictures of the Confirmation Class at St Joseph's parish in Galion, OH.  I would have never gotten the job if it hasn't been for my Father-in-law, so I am grateful that he gave me the chance.  I must admit I was nervous as hell when I went to do the job, but for the most part everything went really well.  I learned a few things from the trip, so that should make things better in the future.  The feedback was really good, and there is a possibility of future work from this, which is even better.

I do have a wedding on the schedule, for this time next year.  While I do not want to get into wedding photography, I agreed to do this one as Beth is Family, and has been for almost 30 years.  She knows my apprehension, and doesn't care, so I hope that is a good sign.  With that being said, I really would prefer her wedding not be the first.  I would like to be able to have some experience before I do that, so if you are close by, getting married soon, and need a photographer, let me know.  We'll work something out  :)

So the website that is up and running is at Holland Photography (http://www.hollandphotography.net).  Be sure to use the net instead of com, or else you will be talking to someone in Missouri, and I'm sure the mileage fees for those jobs will be outrageous.

Big Apple

Last weekend Andrea and I went to New York City.  It was part of her everything wrapped into one present, and it was just get away time for us.  Time to recharge our batteries, and time for us to have each others full attention without all the distractions that we have on a day to day basis.

Don't get me wrong.  We love the kids, and enjoy being around them.  There is just times that after looking after the needs of two teens and a toddler, plus taking care of the house, each of us with a full time job, Andrea's Pampered Chef business, and me in the very early stages of starting a photography business, that quality time between Andrea and I is basically non-existent.  This trip gave us the opportunity to just be husband and wife for a few days.

We did prove to ourselves that you cant come close to seeing NYC in a weekend.  That's OK, we have reason to go back.  I would love to go there and Christmas shop sometime, and see the city all dressed up for the holidays.  I just imagine it would be beautiful.

I think the nicest thing is how nice everyone was.  Granted we were in Manhattan the whole time, and they are used to tourist, but we never had any problems.  We stopped and asked for directions several times, and everyone was nice in helping us out.

One of our favorite things to do while we are out, and even around home sometimes, it avoid the major players when it comes to eating.  I can eat at McDonald's anywhere, so no sense doing it in New York.  Besides, the big companies have enough money.  The little people are the ones working hard to survive, so we tend to gravitate there.  Not once were we given a bad suggestion on where to eat, and the places we just decided to go into on a whim were outstanding as well.

If you have never been, I recommend going to NYC once.  It is a place that cant be described, and has to be experienced.  Take in a show.  Eat in a little Deli.  Walk down to Times Square at night.  Stand at watch the hustle and bustle of Grand Central Station.  Go to the Top of the Rock.  Be amazed.  We were.