Inauguration of Barack Obama

On January 21, 2009 I watched our new President, Barack Obama, navigate through his lengthy inauguration.    Times have definitely changed!  Via the web through CNN Live on Facebook, I watched the event and was able to chat live with my friends about what was happening.

It was a very cool use of technology.  It was the first time in history that I was able to communicate with friends regarding a live event being broadcast on the web and across the globe.  Quite an exciting day!

I hope that our new President can bring us many things the previous administration failed to accomplish.  With a motto like “Yes, we can!” I sure hope he actually can!

My mom has recently come into the modern age and has begun text messaging me, emailing me and apparently…. reading this blog.  So, I’d like to say officially, HI MOM!  Glad to have you stopping by now and again!  Hope everything is going well up there in the great state of Michigan!  =)  *hugs*

I absolutely love icanhascheezburger.com. For those who don’t know, it’s a website that allows users to submit everyday pictures of cats, and caption them for us human types to laugh hysterically at.

This one cracks me up! I laughed for about 10 minutes straight.

It is so strange to me to have days where I have no obligations. Sure I have plenty of things that I’d like to work on: photography, PhotoShop, genealogy, family archives, Rock Band world tour, piano… There’s nothing that I *have* to do. It’s a foreign concept to me, having completed my Master’s degree and not having to work 24/7…

I find myself sometimes walking around the house, trying to figure out what to do next.  Top that with absolutely no vacations planned in our future, and it’s a bit overwhelming to have all of this freedom!

So you might ask, what does someone with soooo much free time do with all of it?  Aside from those things I listed above, and traveling as much as possible, I do watch a lot of television.  I enjoy shows like:

• Mythbusters
• Good Eats
• Ace of Cakes
• Beyond Tomorrow
• What You Get for the Money: Homes
• House Hunters
• Dancing with the Stars
• Samantha Brown (any of her shows)
• anything new on Discovery, Food Network or Fine Living

I surf the web briefly every day, but I find it hard to stay occupied doing it for long.  I check out the following websites on a regular basis:

• icanhascheezburger.com
• www.cuteoverload.com
• www.happynews.com
• www.azcentral.com

By the time I finish with these sites, I am usually ready to move on to something else.

So there you have it.  All of my newly found free time is taken up by the above.  I’m just so glad to be done with case briefs and group projects!

On September 2nd I will start a Portrait Photography class at the community college.  I’m sure that will be lots of fun!  I’ll probably purchase my own studio light kit, so if you have any tips on those, please let me know!

In a shocking turn of events, Andrew has actually decided it is time to update his blog.  Wow!  Check it out at floatingcat.com.

He found this nifty site called Wordle.net which shows a graphical representation of a current RSS feed for a blog or site stream.  Here is what this blog currently looks like.

Click on the image to see a larger view.  Make your own at wordle.net.

Okay so I decided to get with the program and join flickr.com for photo sharing.  The Gallery software I have been using on this website is mundane and archaic, so it’s onto the next big thing.

Check out my flickr photostream for photos from our trip to the Midwest and Alaska.

If you’re looking for some very inspiring photographic art, head over to Splutphoto.com.  The images are breathtaking… and a little nuts, too!

If I had to choose a favorite, I think it would be Dino Run.

Yes, I know.  I’m almost 30 years old, but I just can’t help myself. 

I’m in love with Webkinz.

If you’ve never heard of Webkinz, let me give you the abbreviated 411.  You go to the local gift shop and buy a Webkinz stuffed animal.  You open the tag which is tied to the foot.  You log onto www.Webkinz.com and adopt your pet online.  Then you spend countless hours, days even, playing games, feeding your pet, buying it furniture and dressing it up like a cowgirl.

If you’re lucky enough like me to have two neices playing on Webkinz, you can send them presents and letters and visit their pal’s homes when you’re both online.  At least I have a partial excuse for spending hours upon hours collecting Kinzcash and concocting secret recipes in my virtual sandwich maker.  It’s all about spoiling my neices with virtual presents….  Yeah!  That’s it!

Webkinz.com: It’s cute, it’s fun, it’s easy… It’s absolutely addicting!

I know it doesn’t seem like it, but that’s the best part…  I’ve been working on some behind-the-scenes updates recently (thanks to Andrew, of course).  WordPress and Gallery versions have both been updated, and the site has changed to a Dreamhost one-click install of WordPress. 

I’ve removed the Weather section from the sidebar panel to help speed up the load times.  It wasn’t as interesting as I originally thought it might be.  I’m also considering ousting the calendar entries too, because of all the trouble the Google calendar RSS feed has been giving us.

Hopefully I’ll have some time to create new festive header backgrounds pretty soon.  We’re fast approaching my favorite holiday: St. Patrick’s Day! 

It’s not easy being Green, you know…