#50 - Lens Problems

The other day, my lens gave out on me. The auto focus no longer worked properly. Everytime I'd turn my camera on, it would make a nasty noise because of the auto focus being so messed up. It was just weird though when it first happened because I was using my camera, turned it off for less than five minutes, and when I turned it back on, it made a loud grinding noise. Ugh. So I took the lens to Best Buy the next day, and the Geek Squad took it to send off to get it either fixed or replaced. It definitely sucks that I don't have my lens - especially since my MIL and I took the boys to the zoo yesterday.

However, I did order a new lens from B&H Photo last night for my camera!! My damaged lens was an 18-55mm, and the one I just ordered last night is an 18-70mm lens. It should be here by/on Thursday!! I really hope that it is - because over the weekend, my dad, my sister, Michael, and I are going to meet some of the players and coaches of the Cleveland Indians!!!! Yeah, what is up!! HA. I'm definitely going to need a smaller lens [rather than my 75-300mm lens] for that event!! It's going to be fun!! I can't wait!!

The Good & The Bad That Turned Into Good

THE GOOD:
My books for two of my first three classes were suppose to arrive here today, but I was very happy to see the UPS man yesterday leaving a box by the front door!! Yes, that box had my books in there!! I was very excited!! Last night, I even started to read the first chapter of the art history book!! I haven't gotten to any of the incredibly interesting stuff in the book yet, but I'll get to it soon enough.

THE BAD [that turned into GOOD]:
Yesterday, I was getting ready to go outside with Michael while Brayden napped. Just like I always go, I grabbed my camera to take outside with me. I saw that my lens was a little smudged, so I wanted to clean it real fast. Now, I normally don't do this, but I was in a hurry to get outside because Michael just flies out the door the second he's asked if he wants to go outside - but I grabbed the bottle of Windex and lightly misted my camera lens, went to get a paper towel, then wiped off the lens. Everything looked fine, and I went outside after Michael. About 10 minutes later, I look at my lens because something seemed a bit off. Yeah, the Windex got in my lens!! I was so upset!! The Windex wasn't even on my lens for 5 seconds after I sprayed it!! I called the Geek Squad, then went to Best Buy to get it replaced. I get to Best Buy with my sister, and I go to Customer Service. After 5+ minutes of standing there, waiting for them to tell me what's going on, they inform me that I didn't have the protection plan and replacement plan!!!! I was FUMING because I definitely told the guy when I bought the camera that I wanted every little bit of protection/replacement plan and the longest warranty possible for my camera and all of the extra stuff!!!! They then told me that I would have to pay out of pocket for a new lens, but I might be able to get up to 30% off on that new lens. I go back to the camera section of the store, talk to someone who's working in that area, and they tell me that they don't sell my lens separately there, but that I'd have to go through Sony to get a new lens!!!! Are you kidding me?! I was about to lose it - right then and there!! My sister and I just decided to walk around Best Buy and look at pretty much everything else there. About 5-10 minutes later, I take my lens cap off to look at my lens, and guess what - my lens had completely dried out!! There was no more Windex in my camera lens!!!! OMG! I was so excited!! I was so excited that I decided to look at the iPods and accessories. [I've never had my own iPod. I've always borrowed Mark's, but can't now since he took it with him on the deployment. I told him I'd get my own while he was gone.] As I was looking at the iPods, some guy there was buying an iPod and talking to a worker at Best Buy. The worker told this guy about this iPod bundle deal that they have going on. I only heard bits and pieces of it, so after they were done talking about it, I asked the worker what the deal was. The deal was amazing!! It was an 8GB iPod nano, $15 iTunes gift card, iPod wall charger, and iPod arm band for just $179.99!! Yeah, pretty effing amazing!! The 8GB iPod nano is $149.99, the wall charger is $24.99, the arm band is $24.99, and the gift card is obviously $15!! So how could I pass that deal up?! I ended up getting that stuff, and I was so excited because they had only one blue 8GB iPod nano left!! Of course I got the blue iPod because blue is absolute favorite color!! I was so pumped though because that deal was absolutely amazing!! Also, I bought season three of "How I Met Your Mother" while I was at Best Buy. "How I Met Your Mother" is my favorite show!!!! I now have the first three seasons on DVD, and can't wait till season four is on DVD!! I have been watching that show since the very first episode aired on TV. I am a huge, die hard fan and know just about everything about that show!!

I'm just so happy that my camera lens dried out!! I don't know how long I'd have to wait for a new lens to come in and how much money I'd have to spend. I would be a major crab till I got the new lens if I had to get a new one!!

One Month, One Day.

In one month and one day, not only will I be turning 22 years old, I will be starting school!! I am seriously looking forward to it!! I am so ready to be going to school for photography!! I feel that going to school, especially through The Art Institute, will definitely help me become a great photographer and help me get at least a decent photography job when I'm finished.

I called the school today because I had a question to ask. I wanted to know when I would be getting the "voucher" for my software since I got the one for my books. I was hoping that I'd get it real soon, but I won't be getting it till after I start my first class [which is just an "orientation" class]. That blows that I won't be getting it any time soon!! I was really hoping that I'd get it within the next week or two. Oh well, I guess. I just can't wait till I can get the software for school!! I am going to have so much fun editing photos and learning new things on all of the different programs I'll have!!

So I got an e-mail today letting me know when my books should arrive. I should get them in five days [June 17th]. I can't wait to get them and start reading them!! [Yes, I do love reading school books in my spare time. HA. I have school books that are at least 5 years old that I occasionally pick up and read.] I am definitely looking forward to getting my book for my History of Art in Early Civilization class. I love history!! History has always been one of my favorite subjects, and to learn the history of art is really exciting to me!! I still have to order my books for my Computer Literacy class, but that class doesn't start till August 20th. But I need, like, five books for that class alone - and two of them are for the Adobe CS4 series. Those books will definitely help me out with two of the Adobe editing programs I'll have to get for school.

I am getting more excited about school as each day goes by!! This is going to be absolutely amazing!!

"Two out of Three ain't bad!!"

HA. I love Meatloaf!! Such an awesome singer!!

So, my first three classes for school are scheduled!! AND, I ordered my books for two out of the three classes!! I'm just going to be taking one class for the first 5.5 weeks, then take two classes the next 5.5 weeks. [The Art Institute divides their quarters in half, which makes each class normally only 5.5 weeks long.] I am just so excited about this!! It's absolutely amazing!! I can't wait to start school on July 13th [my 22nd birthday, BTW]!!

Right now, life has been really good to me!! I don't know the last time I had so many days in a row where things just felt right!! I love this!! Hopefully this is a wonderful sign letting me know that things are only going to get better - even though it doesn't feel like things can get much better!!

Photography School...HERE I COME!!!!

OMG!!

This is way exciting for me!!

I am almost ready to start school NEXT MONTH!!!! Really!! Today has been one busy, yet amazing, day for me and getting things taken care of with the school!! All I have left to do is schedule my classes, then order my books and software!! Holy crap!! AND, I will probably have my classes scheduled within the next few days, which I will then be able to order my books and software!! YAY!

The only thing I hate about going back to school - loans!! Yuck! I hate money!! Money is the root of all evil, I kid you not!! Going to The Art Institute is way expensive - so much so that I won't have enough money through loans to cover the schooling by quite a hefty chunk of money!! Ugh. But I know that things will work out - as long as I keep my head on straight, work toward my goal, and stay on track with everything. I'm just going to have to start working on a portfolio ASAP so I can network myself and build a reputation and get clients. That way, I'll make money, save it, and use it in any way possible toward school and loans.

I am so ready for this!! I am going to make the absolute best of this experience!!

ONE MONTH TO GO!!!!

In one month, I'll either still be on my way or already in INDY!!!! Ah, so exciting!! It's going to be simply amazing!! I so look forward to watching 5 days worth of swimming [which will be aired on NBC, BTW]!! I really look forward to taking some hundred [maybe even over a thousand] photos!!!! I really do hope, though, that I do get to meet some of the swimmers there!! That'd be such a HUGE thing to happen to me!!!! I'm not even kidding - I'd be happy for the rest.of.my.life!!!! Of course, there are a certain few swimmers that I am dying to meet!! [::cough cough:: Ryan Lochte ::cough cough:: Dara Torres ::cough cough:: Aaron Piersol ::cough cough:: There are a couple others, as well, but those are the three I'd love to meet the absolute most.] I am just so ready for it to be July 6th, so my sister and I can be on our merry way to Indy, then wake up bright and early on the 7th and haul ass over to the Natatorium!!!! It's going to be so amazing photographing and watching the swim meet - for 5 days!!!! It'll be so cool having photos of Olympic swimmers [some of which are Olympic gold medalists]!! Those photos will definitely be cherished - as well as on display in our house once we move back down to NC!! Plus, those photos can be passed down to my kids, grandkids, etc., and they'll be able to see that I was able to go watch Olympic swimmers swim at a meet. I think that'd be really cool.

Also, in a little over a week, I'm planning on going to another Cleveland Indians baseball game!! I hope to get some really cool photos while I'm there. [Maybe Grady Sizemore will make a diving catch at this game, and I'll actually be able to get a photo of it.]

I love going to sporting events and taking photos. I really want to be a sports photographer!!

Finally Back!!

I am finally back in Ohio!! Let me tell you, I am very happy!! To me, it is very important to have family around, and it's my main reason for coming home while Mark's deployed. [However, this will be the last time coming home during a deployment since Michael will be old enough to go to school next year.] I grew up surrounded by family, and I look back at all of that family I had around me and truly appreciate it. Actually, we got in yesterday morning around 3:40, and today we went to a birthday party for one of my cousins. [I'm telling you, my family is very close, and I will never take that for granted.] I want my children to be able to have as much family around as possible growing up. I don't want them to wonder who their family members are and what they are/were like.

But now that we're back, that means that I am just that much closer to starting school!! In a couple of hours, I will be able to say that I start school next month!! HA. Within the next few days, I am going to be filling out my student loan application. Once that is taken care of, I will just have to schedule my classes and order my books and software, and then I'll be ready to go for school!! YAY! You have no idea how excited I am to start school!! It's going to be so exciting!! I am so ready for everything that's to come!! I am ready to learn something else that I am so passionate and serious about!!

Today, I stopped at Staples and finally got my 1 TB external hard drive!!!! I've started to transfer some important stuff to it, and once that's all taken care of, I am going to see if my cousin can wipe out the laptop and start over from "scratch". Something's still wrong with the laptop, and I just need to wipe everything out. I'm just transferring my fonts, music, and photos that are saved on the laptop. Then after the laptop's been wiped out, everything's been restored, and I get my new $510 16-program editing set, I will be ready to go!! I can't wait!! I am going to be doing some serious "damage" around here with all of the photography stuff!!

I have a BRILLIANT idea!!

Today, I was watching TV and a commercial for this one show kept coming on. It's about this religion camp thing. I don't know, I can't stand to watch the commercials because the lady loses her damn mind and scares me. There's a difference [and fine line] between teaching children about God and shoving everything you interpret from the Bible down children's throats and scaring them half to death.

But anyway, the commercial gave me an idea for a photo shoot. I'm not going to say what my idea is because I want to keep it to myself for now. I want to be able to pull it off, and have no one know about it till I start asking people to be a part of it, then show the photos. My plan is to do this shoot during the summer while I'm in Ohio. I hope that I am able to do it at one of the local parks with a good number of people. It'll be about an issue that I am very passionate about. If I am able to pull off this photo shoot, I can't even begin to tell you how amazing it will be!!

I have some people in mind right now that I want to ask to do this photo shoot with me, and I am also thinking about just posting on my MySpace and Facebook telling people in the area that if they would like to be a part of a photo shoot I'm doing, then they will just have to get in contact with me and I'd give them the information. And even though there's a subject/purpose/reason for this photo shoot, it shouldn't be hard to find people willing to do such a photo shoot.

Seriously, I can't even explain how great it would be to pull this off. Honestly, it could be a little bit "ground breaking", for a lack of better words. I think it would maybe make people open their eyes and minds a little bit. It's just something that means so much to me. It's something I believe in that goes "across the board" and involves everyone, which is why it shouldn't be too difficult to find some models.

If I can pull this off, I will submit the photos to the school [The Art Institute], to contests, and use them in my portfolio. I might even contemplate submitting them elsewhere, making it known that now is the time for things to change with certain issues. I know my idea may be "controversial", but I don't care about that. Something being controversial is something that can create change - and right now, we need this change.

I one day hope to win some small award or be recognized for the photos I'll take, and this idea of mine can get me started. I normally don't set my expectations high, unless it's something I know I am, or can be, good at doing. Photography happens to be one of those things, and I hope that I am able to accomplish at least two of my goals.

HOLY MOLY!!!!

So last night, I was looking through some of the stuff for The Art Institute that was on the list of things to do before starting school. One thing on the list is about the software and they have a website for the school to order the software you need, as well as extra stuff. I looked at the website last night, and just browsed through the software, hardware, and all of that stuff. The one cool thing about The Art Institute is that, if you order stuff through their website for school, you get 85% off of everything!!!! AMAZING! There's this one thing I've been wanting to get [Adobe Creative Suite 4 Master Collection], but it's about $2,500!! Yeah, there's no way on God's green earth that I'd spend that much on software right now. But as I was browsing the school's website last night, they sell the collection to students for $510!!!! One of the programs I am required to have is in the collection, and it's about $100 by itself. So Mark and I talked last night, and he said that I could go ahead and get the CS4 Master Collection. Why pay about $100 for one software program when I can pay a little over $400 more and get 16 programs?! It just makes sense to us if I just got the whole collection. And I have to admit, I am so happy that I have a husband that is supporting me 100% with going to school for photography and letting me get some new things so I am able to start at a semi-professional level with all of it. Gosh, I love him so much!!!!

Speaking of Mark, he left this morning. I miss him like crazy already!! We were lucky enough to be able to text each other for a while before he got on the ship. It just sucks that I won't be getting a million texts from him a daily basis for the next 6 months or so. He did send me one last photo though from his phone before he left. He was frowning in the photo. He's not thrilled one bit about this deployment, but we're hoping that this is the last one for a while. The boys have no idea that Mark's gone and not coming home for a while - they were asleep in the stroller when he left. It just hurts because they don't know. But at the same time, I'm glad they didn't see him leave because Michael was such a mess the last time Mark left on deployment. I just hope that this transition without Daddy and the move go smoothly with the boys. I know it's going to be a lot on the right now, but I'm happy that we're getting it all done with within a short period of time. [I hate dragging things out.]

So here's to deployment #3!! I hope that this deployment goes smoothly and that we're an even happier, closer family in the end!!

It's O-F-F-I-C-I-A-L!!!!

Today, I got a small package in the mail from The Art Institute...I'VE OFFICIALLY BEEN ACCEPTED TO THE PHOTOGRAPHY PROGRAM!!!! YAY! Now all I have to do is get everything set so I can start class(es) in July!! I am probably going to call in a little bit or tomorrow to speak with someone so I know exactly where I am on the list of things I need to get taken care of. I'm pretty sure I only have to take care of my accuplacer exam, scheduling my class(es), and getting books and software!! AHHHHH! I can't believe that this is actually going to happen - I'm going to school!!!! HA. This is absolutely amazing!! I am so ready for this!!

But, with this wonderful news comes some sad news - my husband should be gone in less than 12 hours!! Yuck! I'm really sad that we have to go through another deployment, but I've been able to keep myself together and just enjoy the time we've had together. And let me tell you something, not being such an emotional mess [like the last two times] has been nothing short of wonderful!! I'm glad that I've been able to just have real conversations with him rather than breaking down in front of him every 5-10 seconds. It sucks that he has to go, but I know it's what he has to do.