My life...just not on the road I expected (but it's still dang good).

Me

Let me preface this by saying that I feel kind of odd & vain posting these.

But let me also say that my friend, Tanya Webster did a great job of making me look like a slightly improved version of 'me'. (Thanks for that Tanya.)

And she had her hands full because I'm not exactly a 'cooperative' subject.

In fact, I tried to get out of the whole thing by telling her that I couldn't have my picture taken unless I curled my hair and when she said, "Well, lets go home and curl your hair then." I replied by telling her that my curling iron was broken, to which she replied, "Well, we'll go to the store and get you a new one then."

And that we did.

And she even helped me curl it (because it's hard to curl the back all by yourself you know.)

And I thought of some other excuses too, like the fact that I didn't have a clean pair of jeans because I hate doing laundry and the fact that my roots are dark because I hate getting my hair colored and the fact my arms are flabby because I hate exercising.

But I didn't even bother trying those excuses on her because I knew she wouldn't fall for them.

 

 

 

 

And while we were shooting, a nice, older gentleman walked by and said, "I've got something for you girls to take a picture of."  Feeling uncomfortably obligated, we followed him to a big, shiny, red motorcycle.  He said it was a Ducati.

But we of course, had no idea what Ducati was.

And that's when he suggested I sit on the Ducati for a few pictures which only served to magnify my discomfort because...I didn't have a red bikini and matching stilettos with me.

And so I obliged him, crawling uncomfortably onto the Ducati, nearly knocking it over while a few onlookers gasped and a few others laughed, all the while, smiling awkwardly at Tanya Webster who was trying to take pictures while holding back her own laughter.

And then he asked if she'd be so kind as to take his picture and email it to him.

And then he asked if he could have a 'bonus' which left Tanya and I looking perplexed, wondering if this sweet, old guy was a perv.

Turns out he wasn't a perv.  He just wanted us to send him one of the pictures of me on his Ducati.

 

Thanks again Tanya.

Tanya Webster

I'm no good at making friends. 

I'm just kind of awkward and anytime I have a conversation with someone I don't know very well, I walk away convinced that they think I'm a complete moron.  I'm not shy.  I'm just socially inept. (And I blame it all on high school.)  When I use photography or scrapbooking as a conversational crutch, I don't sound like a moron but once I venture into small-talk...it all goes downhill.

And for the most part, I'm ok with that.  I've had the same best friend (Jill) since grade school, another best friend (Dawn) since college and an amazing sister (Leigh Ann.)

And quite honestly, those three girls could fill the shoes of 100 friends.

And they don't think I'm a moron.  (Even when I act like one.)

I made a new friend (Tanya) a few years back though and regardless of how many times I've sounded like a moron...she seemed to like me anyhow.

So the friendship just kind of stuck.

And we don't talk or see each other all that often but anytime we do, it feels like we just pick up where we left off and I like that.

So Friday, she drove five hours to come see me.

As soon as she got here, I showed her around the new, old house (because she hadn't seen it before) and then I took her to dinner at Porters where we both had two mojitos and laughed about horribly inappropriate things until almost midnight.  We talked over coffee/tea at Mellelo's the next morning and then we decided to grab our laptops/camera gear and headed to Jacksonville to shoot and edit over mud pie at Bella Union.  And then we went back to my house to edit and talk some more.  We ate peanut butter M&M's, designed a new logo for her business and took the kids out to Mexican food at 10 o'clock at night (which isn't so easy on the stomach when you're almost 40.)

And when I tried to go to sleep that night, I just laid there, wide-awake with ideas for her new website swirling around in my head.  (And when I get an idea in my head like that, I might as well get up and work on it because my brain won't let me rest otherwise.)

And Tanya has the same kind of brain so it didn't bother her at all when I made her get out of bed to come work on it with me.

And then she headed home the next morning after helping me curl my hair and pack up all the kids (since we were heading to Klamath.)

And as soon as she left, I missed her (which must mean that I finally let down my guard enough to let her be a friend.)

And a few shots I took of her in Jacksonville...

 

 

 

 

And, after a bit of resistance on my part and a bit of persistence on hers...I let her shoot me too.  (Will post those tomorrow.)

Thanks for everything Tanya Webster.

Captain.

He was promoted to Captain yesterday so the kids and I drove over to Klamath Falls for the ceremony.  (Thanks Cali for taking this shot.)

You're a good man Josh Downs and I hope you know how much respect I have for you.

Congratulations.

The 1/2 Bike.

Took Annie riding the other night (Everyone else is still gone.) after figuring out a solution for her short legs and lack of endurance...

Josh remembered that someone had given us one of those half-bike thingies that you can pull behind your regular bike so he went looking for it in the storage  unit.

About 30 minutes later, he had attached it to his bike (The bike he paid $10 for, ten years ago at a garage sale.) and we were on the bike trail.

 

I'm guessing that some day, I'm going to crash my bike while taking pictures...and it's not going to be pretty.

 

Not far into our trip, the half-bike thingie started going all sideways, leaving Annie holding on for dear life so Josh kept having to stop and straighten it.

 

Perhaps that's why someone gave it to us for free.

 

We rode about six miles.

 

 

And then the half-bike thingie really broke and we had to walk the last 1/2 mile back to the truck.

So last night, Josh ordered one of these and I think it's the answer to our biking prayers.  (She can ride her bike as far as her little legs can take her and then Josh can hook her up to his bike.)

Magic Blue

Magic Blue is my favorite color (and Annie's too.)

And though I've never seen a paint swatch or a fabric swatch or a Crayola called 'Magic Blue' (not even in the 64 pack,) I'm quite sure that if they ever create one, it will be the exact color of that wall you see behind us.

So you can just imagine my delight when I stepped into a Magic Blue public restroom the other day.

Of course, no shade of blue will prevent me from squatting or flushing with my foot while holding my breath and rushing out the door, trying to avoid all those germs that I'm convinced come shooting out of a toilet upon flushing.

Not even Magic Blue.

It Just Got Away...

Yesterday just kind of got away from me. 

In fact, every day since Courtney and Cole and Ross left (Courtney is with her mom, Coley is with my mom and Ross is in Hawaii) has gotten away from me.

I've slept in until 7am almost every day (I normally get up at 6am.) and tip-toed around the house hoping to let Annie sleep in until 8am.

And I've just let Annie kind of get ready in the morning at her own pace (she goes to a summer preschool program) figuring that we'll get there when we get there.

Yesterday, Josh Downs called around noon and asked what I was up to.  I told him that I was teaching Annie how to wrap her baby in a blanket the way I used to wrap her when she was little and that I hadn't eaten, taken a shower or even brushed Annie's hair yet.

That's when he said, "Do you know it's almost 12:30?"

Having no clue it was 12:30, I kind of hesitated and said, "Ya, of course I realize it's almost 12:30.

And that phone call was immediately followed up by Annie's school, calling to see if she was coming in or not.

And today kind of got started the same way (except I did manage to brush her hair.)

Thankfully, Aunt Misti called needing to borrow swimsuits for Brook & Taylor (who go to the same summer program) so when she stopped by to pick up the suits, she offered to take Annie to school.

And I would normally feel guilty about being lazy but all the kids are coming home soon and I'm just going to laze it up while I still can.

Oh...anymore problems with my pictures looking weird???

Me & Josh Downs.

I think 'regular life' (schedules, bills, kids, stress) just kind of has a way of slowly working it's way in between a couple until they start to forget why they chose one another in the first place.

And unfortunately, Josh Downs and I are no exception.

I love him.  I really love him.  But we have our own fair share of issues and sometimes we let the outside stresses of life separate us rather than bring us together. 

Josh always says, "It's you & me against the world baby."

But sometimes, I'm quite convinced it's me against him or perhaps, the other way around.

But anytime we get away by ourselves (even if it's only for a couple of hours to have dinner) we always end up on the same side again.

So, our goal is to go out to dinner by ourselves once or twice a month and to get out of town by ourselves (even if it's just for one night) every now and then too.

So last week, we had decided to head out of town for one night (Friday.) But when Friday rolled around, we still didn't know where we were going. 

It wasn't until a few hours before we left that we finally decided where we were going (Portland for the whole weekend, thanks to Grandma Jo who offered to babysit.)

So Friday at about 4 p.m., we got in the truck and headed to Portland.  (About a 4 1/2 hours.)

Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending upon how you want to look at it), I am a creature of habit.  Once I find something I like, I stick with it.  And fortunately (or unfortunately, depending upon how you want to look at it) Josh Downs could care less what we do so long as it makes me happy.

Quite fortunate for me, no matter how you look at it.

So we stopped in Eugene to eat at P.F. Changs (even though Josh doesn't like stopping in Eugene because of all the liberal Ducks) so I could have vegetable potsickers and green beans dipped in potsticker sauce.

And then we made our regular stop in Albany for coffee.  (He loves stopping in Albany and/or Corvallis because of all the conservative Beavers.)

And once we were back on the road again, we called to see if they had any rooms available at the Embassy Suites in downtown Portland because it's old and beautiful and because it doesn't gross me out to use their pillows.  (And because they make the worlds best spinach au'gratin right across the street at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse.)

We didn't make it to Portland until about 11 p.m. but had decided on the drive that we were going to go whoop it up at 80's night at the Crystal Ballroom when we got into town.  (Josh was still an infant in the 80's so he doesn't really have an appreciation for the decade quite like I do.)  Once we actually got to the hotel though, we somehow, non-verbally agreed to watch cable T.V. in bed instead.  (We can listen to 80's music anytime, but we don't have cable television at home...)

And when we started discussing our plans for the next day, Josh said, "We should drive out to Columbia City in the morning."

And if were possible, I would have fallen even more in love with Josh Downs at that exact moment.

Back when I was a single-mom, I bought a lovely, little old house in Columbia City, Oregon with the world's largest magnolia tree in the front yard - and although Josh has heard me talk unendingly about Columbia City, he'd never actually been there.

And technically, it may not be the largest Magnolia tree in the whole-wide-world...but I'm sure it's close.

I could hardly fall asleep just thinking about it.

So the next morning, Josh left for free breakfast at the hotel (his favorite thing about staying at Embassy Suites) and I walked down the street to Starbucks (where you have to pay for your coffee.)

And then we headed to Columbia City (which is just three miles past St. Helens.)

We made a few stops along the way; the new house in Scappoose that I bought (and had to sell) after my ex-husband actually became my ex-husband.

The office where I used to work as a dental hygienist in St. Helens.  (The best place I have ever worked.)

The scrapbook store where I taught my first scrapbooking class, though it's no longer in business.  (If you're reading this Pat, thank you for always believing in me.)

The coffee stand where I used to get coffee, the bar where I sang karake for the first time, the old theater that Ross and I used to go to every Tuesday for $1 movie night, etc., etc., etc.

And then we got to Columbia City.

 

And drove past my old house (three times) with what is probably the worlds biggest Magnolia tree in the front yard.  (That second story window in the front was Ross's old room, the dormer window was my scrapbook room and Coley's window was at the back of the house.)

And I missed it (and that tree that would draw crowds when it was blooming...ok, maybe not crowds, but once, I looked out my window and saw three people looking at it simultaneously.)

And then we went down to Pixie Park where I used to take the boys to skip rocks almost nine years ago.

And it just kind of hit me that I had stood in that very same spot, more than once, watching the boys skip rocks, hoping for the man of my dreams.  (I apologize if you just chocked on the cheese.)

And then we headed back to Portland and walked to have lunch at Kell's Irish Pub.

And then we walked back to the hotel.

 

And Mapquested directions to Sellwood.  (Antique Stores!)

 

And then we headed to Sellwood.  (Antique Stores!)

 

And though it may look like he's interested in whatever he's looking at...Josh Downs had absolutely zero interest in antique stores.  (Antique Stores!)

 

I had that very same Fisher Price House (and the matching Fisher Price barn) when I was a kid.

And I'm quite sure that if it were the 50's and if I baked...I would totally hang out in the kitchen all day baking cookies in that dress.

 

And when he had enough antique shopping (Antique stores!) he sat down outside at a close-by Mexican restaurant and ordered a beer.

And then we were unknowingly videotaped for an online Dodge commercial while shopping at another antique store.

I'm not even joking.  (That lady standing next to me is an actress.)

Will save that story for another time though. 

And then we headed back to the hotel, watched a movie, ordered take-out from Ruth's Chris Steakhouse (two orders of spinach au'gratin for me and shrimp and sweet potato casserole for Josh.)

He hates Ruth's Chris Steakhouse because of the prices.  (And complained all night about paying $15 for five measly shrimp...because that's $3 per shrimp you know.)

I on the other hand, think two sides of spinach au'gratin are worth their weight in gold.

And then we walked to the 10 p.m. show at the comedy club where Josh ordered me (without my consent) some sort of Red Bull and Jagermeister concoction that went down about as easily as cough syrup.

And I'm not sure if it was the comedians or the cough syrup...but they were hilarious.

Headed home the next morning.

And it's me & Josh Downs against the world again.

Oh, and you know I'm not smart enough to embed a video here but if you want to hear a song that reminds me of how that little house in Columbia City helped me rebuild my life (after my divorce), here it is.

Summer.

We've had more rain the last few months than I ever remember having here in Southern Oregon during May or June.  But alas, it feels like summer...

 

And the plums are getting close to being ripe too.

The little girls in this house don't mind eating them before they're ripe though.  (That's the neighbor girl, Lexi.)

Oh, and Josh Downs bought me a new picnic table (because our old one literally fell apart.) 

Going to paint it white this weekend.

Going to paint that fence too.

And I might just finish painting the dining room.

Or...I might just do nothing.

Another test.

I'm not computer savvy in the least so I'm struggling a bit, trying to narrow down the problem (see post below for the details of my problem.)

I am noticing a common denominator in the problem though and that is that almost everyone noticing a problem with my images is using a PC. 

So I think the easiest solution would just be for all of you to switch to a MACs.

Joking of course...kind of.

Actually, I think Roberta (Thanks Roberta!) might have gotten me on the right path here with this comment:

"Hi Karen, I think it has to do with the final size of the image. Your blog is displaying the images as 600x400. Images 1 & 3 are 500x333 so they are being slightly stretched when displaying causing the blurriness and jagged edges. Images 2 & 4 are 900x600 so they are being reduced when displaying."

Prior to April 22nd, I was saving images for my blog at 900x600 and had never used a web sharpener and after April 22nd I was saving images at 500x333 and was using a web sharpener.  Like I said, I'm not in the least bit computer savvy and prior to today, have never once taken into account the final size of my images when posting them here on my blog.

What can I say?...I love my camera and hate my computer.

So I'm going to repost those images at 600x400 and would like your input again (please!)

Image 1 (below), sharpened for web and saved at 600x400.

Image 1 (below), no web sharpening and saved at 600x400.

Image 2 (below), sharpened for web and saved at 600x400.

 

Image 2 (below), no web sharpening and saved at 600x400.

The images that have been sharpened for the web should be sharper but not jagged/overly-sharpened.

And the images that have not been sharpened for web should look less sharp (in comparison with the web sharpened images since posting images on the internet decreases sharpness a bit) but shouldn't look soft/unfocused.

And when you double-click on them, their appearance doesn't change.

What do you think?

One.

Sunday after the BBQ, Courtney Lee went to her moms, Coley left for Idaho with my Mom and Ross started packing up to go to Hawaii.  (He earned a free trip to Hawaii by getting 15 other seniors to sign up for the same trip.)

And just like that...we went from four kids to one.

Annie thinks the whole thing stinks. 

Josh and I on the other hand are kind of enjoying the quiet.  In fact, with only one kid to take care of, we're feeling like very successful parents.

Granted, we're only two days into it.

And a few other things...

1. Shelly Vanwormer, I can't find your email address but I wanted to thank you for the Beavers fabric you sent me!!!  (And sorry if I botched the spelling of your last name!)

2. I'm teaching the One Day Photographers' Workshop at Raffia Sisters in Billings, Montana on August 7th.  (406 256 0812)  There's already a ton of people signed up for it (44) but thankfully, they've got a nice, big space for me to teach so they're going to keep allowing sign-ups for a bit longer.  It's been a few months since I've taught this workshop and I'm giddy just thinking about it.

3. I've received quite a few emails from people who have said that some of the image on my blog are looking fuzzy, overly-sharpened, jagged but when they click on them to enlarge them, they look fine.  Other people say they look just fine so I'm trying to figure out the problem.  So, if you've noticed my images looking fuzzy, overly-sharpened, jagged, I'm hoping you can answer a few questions for me (in the comments section) to help narrow down the problem:

-  What internet server are you using (Foxfire, Safari, Internet Explorer?)

 - What kind of computer and operating system are you using (Mac or PC?  Windows Vista, Mac OS X?)

-  Do any images prior to April 22nd, 2010 look fuzzy, overly-sharpened or jagged? (Over in the 'archives' column on the left side of my blog, just click on April to view my April 2010 posts.)

-  Can you tell me if any of the images below look fuzzy, overly-sharpened or jagged? 

Image One (below)

Image two (below)

Image three (below)

 

Image four (below)

 

Thanks a ton, I appreciate the help.