Cleveland: Firework Photos

After the Indians game on Friday, there were fireworks. [There are always fireworks after Friday night games, as long as the weather permits.] I LOVE the firework shows they put on there!! They play music and set the fireworks off. AMAZING!! They play the song "Cleveland Rocks", and then songs by Jimi Hendrix, Beach Boys, The Who, and a bunch of other great artists/bands!! But it only makes sense that they play the best music because, after all, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is in Cleveland!!

Here are some of the photos I took of the firworks. They aren't great, but it was my very first time photographing fireworks.

[Click on image to enlarge.]












I can't wait till the Fourth of July because then I'll get another chance to photograph fireworks. I really want to work on photographing fireworks and having great shots!!

Looking forward to the game.

The Cleveland Indians game, that is!!

Last night, Mark and I decided to go ahead and change the day we're going to go see the Indians play in Cleveland when we're home on leave. We were originally going to go to the game on the 20th [a night game], but since we're heading to Columbus on Wednesday morning [all bright and early], we decided it'd be best for us to switch to Thursday's game in the afternoon. It just would've sucked getting home late Tuesday night from the game, then barely getting any sleep before we woke up early on Wedesday to head to Columbus to meet with an ROTC Instructor at Ohio State. Plus, with driving for 12 hours on Monday, we probably would've been zombies come Wednesday morning for the meeting with the ROTC Instructor. HA. So we changed our schedule a little bit, and that's a good thing.

I mean, sure, I would've like to have taken some night shots of the Indians game, but now I'll have natural light over the field to take pictures, granted the weather isn't shiteous. [Keep your fingers and toes crossed that the weather is BEAUTIFUL on the 23rd in Cleveland, Ohio!! PLEASE do that for me!! HA.] And since we'll be going to an afternoon game, we'll be able to walk around Cleveland for a little bit after the game, and I can possibly get both day and night shots of the city!! I just know of a few places that I really want to take photos of!! But the bad thing about the afternoon game is that we may not be able to go IN the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame & Museum!! BOOOOOO!! Maybe we'll just have to go another day while we're home. We'll see what happens. I'm just really looking forward to going home!! It'll be nice!!

Not Photography, But Still Art

Last night was the 2009 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. This year, the ceremony was held in Cleveland, Ohio. Every three years [at least that's the current plan - so let's see if they hold up to it in 2012], the ceremony is held in Cleveland because that is where the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum "lives". [Now, I think it's completely effing stupid to hold the induction ceremony in Cleveland every three years since the dang place is in Cleveland. But whatever, the people who decided on that need to be slapped - hard.]

Anyway, the ceremony was in Cleveland!! YAY!! Some of my family members hold passes to get into the R&RHoF&M, and it's really cool what they get with their passes. There are many different types of passes you can get, but they're still cool, nonetheless. But since they have passes, they get some "priority" when it comes down to the induction ceremony and getting into it. Well last night, two of my uncles, an aunt, and my dad went to the induction ceremony!!!! Ummm...JEALOUS, RIGHT HERE!!!! I can't even begin to explain how jealous I am of them for going!! When my mom called me and told me that my dad was going to the induction ceremony, I starting screaming/yelling about how cool that is and how jealous I was!! If Mark gets into MECEP and we move to Columbus, you better believe that we'll be holding passes for the R&RHoF&M!! I would LOVE to be able to go to the induction ceremony in three years!!!! Do you know how AMAZING that would be - to actually be there and experience it?!?! DO YOU?!

If you know me, you know I LOVE music - everything about it. I will listen to just about any type of music [some not as much as others though]. I've been to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum twice - both times during last year, 2008. My whole life, I lived about 30 minutes south of Cleveland, but never went to the R&RHoF&M [since it was built]. However, that changed last year. I'd always wanted to go there, to see the artifacts, learn about some of the artists' lives, etc. Let me tell you, IT WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!! I can't even begin to tell you how awesome it was!! Then during the summer, Mark and I went there again, but this time with two of my uncles and two of my cousins. We went and saw a film on Bob Dylan. Right then and there, my love for Bob Dylan started. I'd heard some of his stuff growing up, but not very often. I was raised more on classic rock and "psychedelic" rock [as I call it]. It was such an amazing film, though, on Bob Dylan. Ever since then, I have downloaded around 20 songs of his, memorized just about every word to all of those songs, and have watched everything that's come on TV about him. [FACT: Bob Dylan is a genius!!]

I love the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum!! Mark and I are actually planning on going there again when we go home on pre-deployment leave later this month!! I want to go and see the new artifacts they have of the new inductees and see the new exhibit on the top floor. [The first time we went, the top floor's exhibit was of The Doors. It was SPECTACULAR!!]

You know how some people say "you have to do that/go there before you die"?! Well, I think everyone should go to the Roll & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum before they die - especially if they love music!! I suggest not going during the winter though because it's right by the lake and Cleveland gets some nasty snow. But if you go during the summer, it's amazing. There's so much to do right in downtown Cleveland. I love going to Cleveland to go watch baseball games, go see the Rock Hall [that's what us Ohioans call it], go to Tower City and shop and eat, go to Quicken Loans Arena, and other stuff. It's truly an amazing city. I hope that Mark and I get to spend a whole day there when we go home on leave. If we do, I hope that I can get some wonderful photos of the city and then share them on here, MySpace, and possibly Facebook [I don't go on Facebook often because I find it to be L-A-M-E].

Seriously though, if you're ever going up toward Ohio, add a day to your trip and just go to Cleveland and go to the Rock Hall if nothing else!! It's WORTH IT!! It's, like, $22 per person to get in, but only $17 per person to get in [due to military discount]!! The only sucky thing is that you can't take photos in the museum. [However, I am going to call to see if there's a way that I can. I'll pay extra just to take some damn photos in there - I don't care.] But just go there - see and experience the Rock Hall!!!! You will only regret it if you DON'T go...SO GO!!!!

Here are some pictures I took back in early 2008 when Mark and I went to the Rock Hall for the first time:

Click on images to view them larger.