So, tonight I am writing you from Phoenix where I am attending a photography workshop. April 25 is one for the record books- as I, Kristen Leep, did not check any bags to come here and carried everything on. I can’t believe I did it considering I brought my laptop and my camera!

My flight was delayed for an hour and a half, but it wasn’t totally full so that was nice.  I picked up my rental car, stopped at El Pollo Loco for some dinner and then at Walgreen’s for some drinks for my room. I checked into the hotel and parked the car and brought my bags to the room- and the key didn’t open the door.  So then I had to schlep my stuff to the lobby and get new keys.  Then it was off to the introductory mixer (late, because of my flight).  Met some really nice people, some of whom had already checked out my blog. 

It’s kind of nice being back in Phoenix as I have some really good memories from here.  My Aunt Bonnie and Uncle Jim used to live here with my cousins Gina and James.  We’d often stop here on our way out to California back when my family was doing Griswold vacations.  There used to be some sort of castle-themed arcade and mini-golf place here (I can’t remember the name for the life of me), but it was awesome and I used to beg to go there when I was a kid.  But I remember playing a lot of basketball in the pool in my aunt and uncle’s backyard.  I can totally remember that house like it was my own. 

I am really excited for tomorrow and the first day of the workshop.  We get to shoot pictures of a bunch of kids in the afternoon after learning some techniques in the morning.

I miss Rob and the kitties, but I know they’re okay without me- even though I like to think I’m needed.  

Well I got a new computer and a new webcam this week, so I figured I’d give you a video installment of Stuff I Learned or Did This Week.  Actually, it’s more of a reflection on change and cycles and a couple things I learned.  Next time, I promise not to babble so long (5:43 yikes!).  The videos kind of weird.  I should probably get a different program for that in the future.  But for now you can just pretend like you’re on the phone with me and I’m talking your ear off or something.  My next videos won’t be so surreal looking and slow-mo.

Anyway, enjoy!

As we drove back from Chicago this week, I was disheartened. I don’t know if it’s because it’s winter and the lack of foliage allows things to blow across the plains with less resistance or what, but it seemed like there were plastic bags everywhere. Rob says this is my new crusade. I don’t know if it’s that, but I am determined to at least minimize my own impact and encourage my friends to do the same.

I’m not sure if the problem is really as bad as I perceive it to be or if it is just that I am more aware of it as I strive to not take any bags whenever possible.

The problems I noticed with the plastic bags are many.

1. They are abundant.  There are so many!  People give you a bag if you buy a bag of chips at the gas station.
2. They are lightweight; they have the potential to fly everywhere and get caught on stuff.
3. They are not recycled as often as paper bags.
4. They are a danger to wildlife.
5. They are a suffocation hazard to children.

Even though it takes more energy and resources to produce a paper bag, it is more likely to be recycled and they last longer and can be reused.  They are not as likely to get caught in trees or entangle wildlife.

I’m a big fan of paper when I need to take a bag.  I’m also a big fan of the Aldi approach of charging for bags or making people bring their own.  In the UK, after a charge was imposed on taking plastic bags at IKEA, it reduced plastic bag usage there by 95%.

Most importantly, buy durable ones that you can reuse or sew some out of old T-shirts.  I really don’t want to see it get any worse than this.

So, we were in Chicago for a couple days. I had a photography seminar yesterday and Rob shopped while I was out.  It was a great seminar with Corey McNabb and Amber Holritz, and as a bonus I got to meet another photographer whose work I love. Samantha Uphold, she’s in my blogroll on my site over here.  While I was in the seminar, Rob shopped for records and even ended up with a T-Shirt based on a Blue Note album that looks super cool.

Then I met my girl Blagica for a drink at the hotel bar before going off with the photo group and having dinner at the Billy Goat Tavern (Cheezborger Cheezborger from SNL). As much as I enjoyed dinner with the photo group, I could have talked to Blagica for like 6 more hours. Oh well, we’ll catch up more later. But it was kind of weird because we so share a brain on some things.

Dinner was a good time and the drinks at the Billy Goat are strong, so be warned. Then we walked back on the beautiful Chicago night.

Rob and I just finished some room service breakfast and now we’re going to head back to Indy.

We missed seeing Jenny and Dave.  But we’ll be back up soon.  Rob has more record shopping to do.

This week I had quite a few observations and learned some random things:

1. I realized that if I can avoid buying the display pair of shoes at DSW or Marshall’s or wherever, I need to.  I bought a super comfy pair of Adidas shoes last week and this week upon wearing them, I realized that the right one is considerably looser than the left, probably from people trying them on at DSW.  But the were the only pair anywhere close to my size, so there is that.  But it’s kind of disconcerting to walk around with one shoe that’s almost falling off.
2. We went to First Friday in Fountain Square last night.  Saw our friends the Cocaine Wolves and saw some art.  Kind of meh on the art we saw.  A couple gems, but on the whole pretty mediocre.  Perhaps Mass Ave had the better art scene.
3. I walked around my property and took some pictures of the first signs of spring.  Plus, I wanted to document how shabby my property looks, so I can measure the impact of the spring cleanup.  Those pictures will come in a future post.
4. The Pioneer Woman posted a new chapter in her Black Heels to Tractor Wheels love story.  Seriously, if you haven’t read these, you should start from the beginning.  Here’s a link to all of the posts by chapter form the beginning.
5. Just think, air travel used to be a luxury.  I can’t believe 3 airlines went out of business this week.  I am curious to see what will happen with the Open Skies agreement and what will happen when some European airlines can run some flights in the USA.
6. What April Fool’s Story did I fall for? Annie Leibovitz moves her photos to Flickr for $25 mil
7. I ended up at the Melody Inn during the Ron Paul info night. A guy sang a song called “Big Bad Ron”.  We made up Ron Paul lyrics to his other songs.

We’re going to Chicago on Monday.  I am going to a photo workshop, and Rob will be doing some record shopping (he has been dying to do some record shopping since we got the bookcases out in and he purged some records as he was filling it).  He’s going for quality over quantity.

And I will now leave you with what has to be one of the most ridiculous campaign videos ever.  Watch it all the way through:

 

Tonight I met with my group for one of my classes.  It was so helpful to just think out loud together and talk our way through our ideas and feed off each other’s energy.  Compared to last semester, this group experience is much better.  My group last semester was kind of reluctant to meeting and when we did meet, it was really just to approve things we had done on our own.  The gals I’m working with this semester are smart gals and very easy to work with.  Tonight we met and figured out who was doing what, discussed our vision for each section so that we are all on the same page, and figured out when to meet next.  It was just so much easier than going back and forth via email.

Personally, I’ve always preferred human interaction over electronic even though I am tech savvy.  I’d much rather catch up with someone over the phone or in person rather than via email.  

I promise I will have a normal blog post for you later.  Right now it’s off to the IUPUI library to meet with my group for a project.

But for now, you can admire this very cliche punk rock bathroom picture of yours truly.  In black and white AND color.  And if anyone reading this could just test my comments for me (I had to mess with them earlier) and let me know if they’re working OK that’d be great.  And if they’re not, tell me what browser you’re on.

Even though I have been eating better and taking better care of myself than in the past, this year I got sick more times than in the past two combined.  I don’t know if it’s the adjusting to living with someone again or what, but I am on what I feel like is my 3rd or 4th cold this year.  And I don’t feel like it’s just me.  I feel like tons of my friends have been sick multiple times and there always seems to be something “going around”.

I was just reading and it doesn’t seem that there isn’t a superbug connection for antibacterial stuff anymore (but we can’t for get all the antibiotics we get through our food supply), so I can’t blame you germ freaks.  

Now, I’m off to bed since I have the Benadryl eyes-rolling-back-in-my-head-because-I’m-so-drowsy.

This week learned or did a wide variety of different things:

1. I learned in my Nonprofit Management class that people get weirded out if a NPO has too much money invested and not enough going to programs.  It makes sense in hindsight, but I figured that it was good to be cautious and prepare for the future  by making some of the money grow.  According to my Prof. that ticks people off.  Fair enough.
2. I found an Automator action to watch a folder that I use to download my pictures, and now when I drop them in this folder they are automatically sorted by date into subfolders. Cool.  Now I can extend this to a bunch of different ideas for automating my computer.
3. I made a helpful post on a message board when someone had a hard drive issue.  I usually lurk on the board, but this was my first post because someone needed help and I figured it could benefit others in a future board search (or else I would have used a PM).
4. I tried out the online version of Photoshop.
5. I fell in love with the work of Timothy Greenfield-Sanders all over again through a documentary on Ovation TV (should rerun on Sunday- check your cable or satellite listings)
6. I measured and weighed all the food I ate and pre-made single portions of pita chips and hummus.
7. We cleaned the Litter Robot!

Here’s me taking some Cauliflower Cheese to Rob’s family’s Easter in my Pyrex Pack’n'Go thing.  

Did you see the Peep Show???