Until February 28, 2010, Callaway Gardens has free admission. So, Nicki and I took advantage of this offer this past week. I grabbed my camera and took some photos. The picture above is a random shot of a stained glass window at the Ida Cason Callaway Memorial Chapel. I would have loved to have stayed longer if Nicki didn’t have to return to Atlanta by 4.   She joked I was taking her to the boonies to drop her off. It’s been a while since she’s been in that part of the state.

I’ve got to start looking into a new zoom lens for my Canon camera. I need to get my Fujiflim camera fixed. I’ve still been active at the 365 Days – 2010 set. Most of the photos have been taken with the Polaroid i1037 camera.

Since my last personal post, I’ve been busy with work. This time of the year when work is busy and all the big money projects are sent to my team. I’m usually put on the big money projects. I’ve been spending my free time with my family. Nicki, Daddy, and I watched the Super Bowl. It was a good game. My favorite commercial was the Snickers ad. 

My site has gotten a boom in hits from people wanting to know more about him since I posted a tweet about it.

I hope they find this fellow Pirate and God Bless his family.

Wayward Shoe by peachy92

At the moment, I am attempting to take a photo a day this year. So far, I’m 22 for 22. My Flickr set is called 365 Days – 2010

Today’s photo is of a wayward shoe.  I was leaving work today and saw this shoe as pictured.  Because it was so puzzling, I had to take a photo. How do you lose a shoe?  Anyone want to guess as to how this happened?

So how is my 365 set so far?

• 3 pictures of Graysie
• 2 pictures of Harri
• 1 picture of Scooter
• 2 pictures of graveyards
• 1 historical marker
• 1 photo of Darth Vader
• 11 various other photos

Yesterday, my father and I each were able to take some time off from work. He was told not to return until Tuesday. My boss, knowing the day was going to be slow, let me take the day off as well. After getting a new tire rim for my car, we went to the US Space & Rocket Center.

It was a nice day.  Not only did we get to see many items used in space exploration, we got a nice view of Alabama.  To get to Huntsvile, we drove on I-20 over to Birmingham and then took I-65 and I-565 to Huntsville.  We took a different way home.  We took US 72 east to South Pittsburg, TN to I-24.  From I-24, we took it to I-75 back to my apartment.  We both agreed that the way home felt faster between Hunstville and Atlanta.  There is no direct route between the two cities.

On our way home, I spotted a small cemetery on the side of the road. I took a few photos of it, along with photos from our visit of the US Space & Rocket Center.

I enjoyed the trip.  I would like to go back to North Alabama.  I want to see the Unclaimed Baggage Center, revisit the Helen Keller Birthplace, and revisit Ave Maria Grotto. So, does anyone want to go to Alabama with me?

Today on Fark, there was a discussion about an LA Times article about History getting into reality programming.  In the discussion was this gem of a pie chart:

It actually prompted me to write the History Channel a letter:

I just read enough of an LA Times article titled “History channel pursues updated look”.  I stopped at the part about an Annie Oakley related reality show.

What has happened to the History Channel?  I am barely watching the channel I used to love because they have removed the element that caused me to watch it: HISTORY!

I do not come to History to watch reality TV.  When I do have Ice Truckers on, it’s usually for background noise to fall asleep to.  I have no interest in it other wise. I don’t watch Pawn Stars, either.

I hardly see Modern Marvels on anymore, which was the show I enjoyed the most.  It showed discoveries and observations of the past that people used to improve things of the present.

And what is up with the UFO stuff?  Not everyone believes in UFOs.  That stuff should belong on Sci-Fi (excuse me, that’s SyFy now, which is another example of a cable channel abandoning its roots).  Same goes with all the Nostradamus and other guessing games of the Bible and physics.  Half of Nostradamus’s predictions haven’t even come true.

If A&E wants a Discovery Channel clone, turning the History Channel to that clone is not the way to go.

And believe it or not, I am a 31 year old female.  I have always enjoyed history. I had a professor in college beg me to become a history major because of my love of history.  I have learned a lot from the OLD History channel, and not this new impostor.  I come to History to watch documentaries.

I may be one viewer with a small voice, but many of your old fans feel like I do.  Abandoning the History may bring you higher ratings now, but who’s to say it will in the long run.  As it is now, your advertisers are loosing one set of eyeballs with me choosing not to watch you any more.

I doubt I’ll get a reply, but at least I got my opinion of my chest. I’m getting sick of all these cable channels becoming clones of each other.

Today, my father, Beth, Ben, and I went to see Avatar today. In 3-D. At the IMAX. For those in the Atlanta area, seems there is a new IMAX screen at the AMC Barrett Commons 24 in Kennesaw. The screening we went to was sold out. We bought our tickets yesterday for today’s show.

It was a nice movie.  It is one you have to see to understand.  No words I can use to describe the experience of the art in the film.  My family joked that they will never be able to see another movie in the standard way again. I enjoyed the night scenes on Pandora.  Pure eye candy for me.  I wanted to kill Giovanni Ribisi’s character, Parker Selfridge, with a bullet straight in the forehead.  Everytime Colonel Miles Quaritch was on the screen without a mask, I kept waiting for 4 minutes to pass by.  I could recognize CCH Pounder as Mo’at, but I couldn’t remember the actress’s name.  Michelle Rodriguez was actually likable in the film.  I never did care for her in other things I saw her in.  Sam Worthington needs to lose the standard military hair cut. Just not flattering to him.  They also did a good job of making him look like he lost use of his legs.  My dad asked was he really crippled. I had to remind my dad that Terminator Salvation was shot after Avatar.  Sigourney Weaver’s Avatar looked like her.

While not a life altering movie, I am speechless in describing it more without spoiling it.

Photo originally by Optical illusion.

2. Did you keep your New Years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don’t make them because I’m destined to fail with them.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No, but my last great-aunt on my mother’s side did die this year.

5. What countries did you visit?
Stayed in the US, as usual.

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
A new car.

7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Sept. 11 – Saw Amy Grant in person in Peachtree City
May 22 – Pikachu died

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I don’t have too many lofty achievements this year. This year, it’s all the small achievements, like #1.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Gaining some weight. I’ve got to cut back on my Coke consumption.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Just a day here or there of exhaustion.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
That Amy Grant ticket. Second row!

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
For me, there was no one behavior to merit celebration.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Joey. Enough said about him.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Living expenses and savings. My remaining income to play with went mainly to activites like Braves games and going to Chattanooga.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
The Amy Grant concert. That was my big thing of the year.

16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
“You Belong With Me” by Taylor Swift

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
happier or sadder? Some may sadder, but I think I am happier.
older and wiser? Yes
thinner or fatter? Fatter. I’ll admit that. I need to be more active and quit drinking Coke.
richer or poorer? Richer

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Taken more pictures while I traveled.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Worrying about stuff I have no control over.

20. How did you spend Christmas?
At home in Savannah with my family.

21. Question #21 must have fallen into a crevasse on Mt. Everest. I wonder if they ever found it.

22. Did you fall in love in 2009?
No. Thank God!

23. How many one-night stands?
0.

24. What was your favorite TV program?
CSI, The Amazing Race, NCIS, disaster documentaries

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
I wouldn’t call it hate. I would call it a mix of pity, anger, and disappointment.

26. What was the best book you read?
The only book I recall reading last was The Choice by Nicholas Sparks. Honestly, it was disappointing. Great buildup to Gabby and Travis getting together, but when it came to the choice Travis had to make years later, the story went flat.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
The new John Mayer and Train albums are good. I also loved Michelle Branch’s “Sooner of Later.” They have got to release her album soon!

28. What did you want and get?
Furniture

29. What did you want and not get?
A new car.

30. What was your favorite film of this year?
Star Trek was the best.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 31 and took the day off from work to sleep in. Actually, the weekend before my birthday, I celebrate it in Warm Springs and Pine Mountain with Lindsey and Chris.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Having my mother around.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
What fashion sense?

34. What kept you sane?
Photography and travel.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
None, really. I didn’t even take the day off to see Barry Zito pitch in Atlanta!

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
The health care debate. Look, we know we all know it needs changes, but don’t punish me for being successful.

37. Who did you miss?
My mother, as always.

38. Who was the best new person you met?
I met new people are work that are cool.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009:
Only I can make myself happy.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
“Oh half of my heart’s got a grip on the situation / Half of my heart takes time” – “Half of My Heart,”  John Mayer

Wishing you a Merry Christmas!

Once my father and I got into Savannah and it became dark, Beth, Christina, and I went out to look at Christmas lights.  First, we went out to the Roddenberry home in Windsor Forest. Christmas just isn’t Christmas without seeing the display.  I didn’t get to see it last year.

After that trip, Christina took us one of her favorite displays: the Haldeman Christmas Display. For 16 years, this family has has a lot of lights up on their property.  They give out hot cocoa and coffee. The only things they ask for in return is that you place your name in the guestbook and leave a donation for the Salvation Army.  This display is a nice little fundraiser for the Salvation Army.  In 11 years, the latest the tally the couple had on display at their home, the display has collected $45,000.00.

More photos from the night are in my Christmas in Savannah photo set.  The set is full of various Christmas shots taken in Savannah.

Before getting back into Savannah, my dad and I stopped to find the geographical center of Georgia.  When we got to the place the historical marker is located, it was missing!  So, I have a picture of the pole it used to sit on.

Now to have fun and enjoy the holiday with my family.