My GPS Camera Phone

It’s not even halfway through January and I’m lucky enough to be recognized by two fellow bloggers, Susanne and Shiera.

A few days ago, Susanne recognized me, along with three others, as one of her inspirations in 2007, which is pretty amazing, considering some of the photos she has taken. She’s picking up and moving a bit north from Key West, so the scenery will change, but not by much. Maybe there will be a few more buildings and a few less palm trees. Either way, it’s bound to be good.

Shiera took time to post an incredibly flattering write-up of my site, going so far as to say I’m a Photography Idol. I wouldn’t go so far, but I am my own worst critic! Being able to affect someone through what I like doing is rewarding and gives me the motivation to continue. You may recall Shiera’s photo contribution of Toji Temple for the first guest post on this blog.

Both awards have been posted to the “Respect” page. Thank you Shiera, Susanne and all of my readers.

Image credit: Pam Roth of Creating Online

Well now, here we are, Sunday evening and not a post to show for my past few days. Bear with me, I do have a good reason.

In a grand effort to sabotage my present good fortune regarding side work, I blathered on about how much the freelance work picked up. I’ve got some good work on the table, which could really help out with the seasonal gift giving (and bill paying). Well it wasn’t blathering, but just mentioning it was enough. I couldn’t keep my mouth shut.

What do you think happened on Friday night? I asked Nancy why everything smelled like onions. She replied with something similar, yet more colorful. I noticed what appeared to be a leaky water line to the dishwasher and resigned to tighten it up on the weekend. Once the weekend came, that “leak” turned out to be a corroded, copper drain line. The bathroom sink drain line. In the wall. Behind the sink.

The drain is shared by the kitchen sink, which also drains the dishwasher. So, I couldn’t use the bathroom sink, the kitchen sink or the dishwasher until this got fixed. The hole turned out to be about 2 inches long and wide enough for my index finger to get covered in bathroom sink sludge that smelled far worse than any onions I’ve ever smelled.

After cutting a hole into the wall with my trusty drywall saw, I did some creative engineering and managed to cut out about 8 inches of the offending drain line, re-plumbing it with a variety of PVC parts. Thankfully, it is no longer leaking, but the fans have been running in a futile attempt to dry the water damaged walls and cabinets. The dishwasher is back where it belongs and the mess is cleaned up. Just in time for Monday.

What does all of this mean? Well, I was going to post about the award I received from Susanne. I was also going to give Dan some major props for his awesome butterfly photo and the continued linkage he’s throwing my way. I planned on giving Opal a much deserved shout out, just for being so helpful and inspiring. I even had some link love for Joanne, but I guess I’m too late, since she’s probably in Japan already.

Maybe even Debo Hobo would have seen me lurking. I planned on mentioning Mike Goad’s, Daily Chronicles of the American Civil War, which is definitely worth a visit or two. AntiBarbie got me riled up with a video of some atheist family, but I didn’t have time to tell her how I felt. Bobbie and Jerry at The Right Blue are visiting the Blue Penguins in New Zealand and I’m fixing smelly drain pipes. Diane is probably having more fun in dreary Dorset, even though her vacation is over.

I would have addressed the near-loss of Jon, but I didn’t have to because he is blogging again (for now). And I would have told Joeprah to stop hacking his own site, although he did manage to fix the line spacing issue that has been bugging me ever since I met him. And the Monetizer probably thinks I fell off the face of the earth, but I doubt it since The Monetizer is busy making money and talking in third-person.

I guess it could be worse. My traffic is slightly up, I’ve made a few positive changes regarding ads and affiliations, and my two-week vacation is quickly approaching. I’d better make sure that I have everything fixed so I can get some posting done. This self-sabotage really keeps me from my work.

Hello everyone! I’ve got some things to report that are pretty exciting, all leading to the ultimate goal of…well, you’ll have to wait and see.

Recognition

First, I have to apologize to Opal, as I have been remiss in sharing the good news of an award she bestowed upon me. Sometime last week, I received the Be the Blog award from her, which originates from Mark at Me and My Drum. The best thing about this award is that it comes in three colors! Seriously, it is an honor to have been acknowledged like this and I’m happy to add it to my growing collection.

And now, (drumroll) I’d like to pass the Be the Blog award to Joe at Joeprah.com. Joe excels at being a dad and he revels in the challenges it brings. His experiences are transferred to his blog in great, humorous detail, making me laugh every time I visit. If you have kids and a sense of humor, visit Joe. You will not regret it.

I’d also like to pass on Hawk’s Shibumi award to Lisa McGlaun at Lifeprints for posting stories about people working to leave a positive mark. We hear too much about the negative, so seeing Lisa’s blog is a welcome refresher. One visit to her blog is all it took. Like her tagline says, her blog is definitely “Good News for a More Compassionate World.”

Ratings

If you look at the posts for November, you’ll see a new feature added to the bottom of each entry. Now, you can rate all of the photos I post by using a standard five-star system. If you want to go back and rate November’s photos, I’d appreciate it. Alternately, you can just start with the last or next post. Either way, I appreciate your honest opinion. Don’t worry, I won’t tie you to your vote, so rate them honestly! The best photos will be showcased or something, I haven’t decided yet.

Relaxation

Wow, what a busy time of year this has been so far. The holidays and time off seems to be amplified by all of the school events, hurried meetings and quickly approaching project deadlines. All I know is that I’ve got four days off starting Thursday and another 12 come December. While I hope to stop freaking out for at least a full day, I will not stop posting regularly to this blog. I’m attached to it and you all have become my way-extended family.

As more people stop by, I’m energized by the positivity and community, and it pushes me to keep on going. So while there may be a day or two without any signs of life, I can assure you that I’m at least lurking about, waiting for a few moments to respond to comments or post new material.

As a reminder, make sure you start saving your best camera phone shots. You will soon have the chance to submit them for a chance to be a featured blogger just like Shiera! I can produce lots of photos, but seeing what everyone else can do is great complementary material. Stay tuned for details.