Photo Challenge: FORGET

Oof. And then I forgot what the prompt was when I promoted the challenge on Monday. My brain is on overload. Oops!

Enjoy these from the FORGET challenge and scroll down for a prompt which I hope to hell I can remember!

It is impossible to forget that this is Our Bethany's boy. It's written all over him. (Look at his hand!)

Speaking of things that are impossible to forget...I was too afraid to even ask Our Ana about the story behind this.

Something from Our Sara for a holiday that is all about remembering and moving forward.

I wonder if someone forgot something when they painted or just didn't care?

Our Janet never forgets her sense of humor.


I'm just going with whatever pops into my head. That is NEXT. So, whatever that may mean to you, please bring it!

Please enter by 9am Tuesday April 7th for posting on April 8th. Tag your photos with PHOTO CHALLENGE and NEXT. Check out the wonderful work in our Flickr Pool for inspiration. Also, let me know if you have any questions. The  appropriate email for that is Kizzbeth117 at gmail dot com.

100 Word Challenge

I’m spinning from one thing to the next. I’m wondering how to keep track of everything. I remember how this used to feel. It was constant when I was 14, 20, 24. Then I consciously worked to stop it. I smoothed out a linear path in front of me and I plodded along it. Recently, though, the opportunities have been so obvious and so numerous that I’ve got a foot on this path and another on this one and yet another over there. I have a lot of feet. I walk a lot of paths. I’m lucky.  I’m scared.

Casey Carey-Brown's 100 word blog post challenge. I came in at 99 words. Go me! Also, from decision to posting was less than 10 minutes. Hurray!

What the Hell is Going on Here?!

It's been an emotional week on a number of levels. I haven't done one of these posts in a while, despite the fact that I've been saving links to share for ages, so now seemed a good time.

I loved this quick bit of advice. I hope she got her proportions right!

I save stuff from Whatever Etc. ALL THE TIME. You really need to check in on her regularly. It's a Tumblr so it's easy to skim over things you're not interested in but she's always saying smart, funny, relevant, intriguing, important stuff. Do the world a favor and keep your eye on her, please.

OK, one more, even though I could have linked every word of the above to a post from Lindsay I want you to read I am separating this one out because if it changes the way you see one young woman then maybe you'll see other young women differently, too.

I am constantly contemplating cutting the cord of my cable addiction. (Not until Sons of Anarchy is over, no, wait last season of Justified, no, then Mad Men, AUGH!). Free legal streaming services?

If I did not have a dangerously extensive stationery collection already I'd be buying all of these greeting cards.

You have more than a month to submit an essay for this amazing sounding anthology put together by two internet celebs. This reminds me, I need to submit for this!

This is an article by a colleague about how far to push your kids. I kind of wonder about this in terms of myself. It feels like other people are always pushing themselves harder so am I lazy? Or do I just know where I function optimally?

Is it crazy that I want to do this little science experiment?

This is not how I envision a love letter from Johnny Cash but it's one of those cases where it's kind of awesome to be wrong.

I don't know about this experiment on motivating children. I have to believe there are nuances not being tracked for her. This podcast bears me out on that, too. (Seriously, take the time to listen to that podcast. It's incredibly important.)

This is a check in with the life story of an amazing girl that much of the internet adores and roots for.

I'm not sure everyone understands this stuff about dog training. Please remember that every trainer should be able to clearly articulate what will happen to your dog when she gets something right and what will happen when she gets something wrong. You are entitled to ask that before you hire them. I encourage you not to hire them if you are uncomfortable with the answer and I encourage you to be uncomfortable with any answer that involves pain for your dog.

Did you know that SCOTUS thinks it's ok to fire a woman for breast feeding? Fuck. All right, to be perfectly clear what they said is that it is not discrimination which...fuck.

This set of photographs about how New Yorkers eat dinner (it's not instagrams of people's food in restaurants) is interesting. I hope the project continues. I want an even wider variety of subjects.

It has begun with miscarriages causing legal trouble for women. This is out of old sci fi novels. It's insanity. Please make it stop. (Vote.)

Do you talk to your kids (if you have them) about money? I seem to have an ok handle on money matters but I never feel like I do. That seems like an important part of the puzzle.

Usually I end on a high note but, you guys, let's end with impact. A cop drew his gun on kids having a snowball fight. A snowball fight! Unarmed children playing in the snow. Stop the motherfucking madness. (Vote.)

Sir Robert Smellyfart of Lower Snaggletoothington

After being given 6 months to live over a year ago Bobby finally left us last evening.

I was thinking this morning that the popular phrase "man's best friend" is misleading. They are our friends but, most of the time, it feels somewhat different. To me Bob felt like an actual friend. He was good company, good comfort, casual fun, and always up for a laugh and a bite to eat.

He was one of the greats and our world is immeasurably diminished by his departure.

As is our custom, please give your pets (and yourselves) extra treats and love today just for being here. Being here is the most important part.

Tripped

The thing is, for a story to be interesting it needs a hook. You want some conflict or a tragedy or at the very least an incredibly silly mistake you can build up to and then paint as a lesson for your heartwarming ending. My trip to Oklahoma for Misti's wedding was basically perfect. I mean, yes, one of the dogs took a cat claw to the eye and we had the OKC equivalent of snowmageddon on the day before and day of the wedding but those things didn't touch us.

The most important thing I want to say about it is that I had a glorious time. I haven't had that much fun for so many days in a row in a very long time.

Secondly....well, it's that I realized how much a lazy person like me values work. This is not to say that I want to be busy all the time because I do not. I emphatically do not and I emphatically was not during this visit. I'm talking about what a comfort and, really, joy it is to work with the people you love. I love some people I don't work all that well with but for the most part I love people who are, almost literally, on my team. So, I met a bunch of Misti's team members and it turned out that we all found uniforms that fit and knew when to ask for coaching and when to just put our helmets on and get the job done. More often than not that job was eating more artichoke dip which was just fine by all of us.

I don't have any pictures of the ceremony. There was a professional for that and I was having too much fun hanging out with my teammates. I do have great memories and a soul full of gratitude that I was able to be part of the enormous team that celebrated Misti & Mark's wedding.

Oh, and there was that time that Dion and I almost got in a car accident but, really, totally not worth telling.

Photo Challenge: ELSE

I have never completely forgotten about a photo challenge before. First time for everything! Even while promoting it and thinking about it and considering it I completely forgot to post it. I've been having a little trouble getting myself together lately. I blame it on Daylight Savings. For now.

Good things happening in this one. Sorry it took me so long to show you! There is a new prompt below. I promise to try really hard not to forget when to post it.

The house was full, there were two dogs, Mistiridiculous was making her bouquet, and Sammy decided that somebody needed to to pay attention to him or ELSE. Luckily I was there to capture his majestic profile.

Our Janet always finds the most interesting slivers of the world. The ones screams, "OR ELSE" to me.

When someone moves out of New York I always check in with my own devotion to the place. I can't imagine leaving but I can imagine surprising Our Alisun by showing up to camp on her couch for a week. (Just kidding, Alisun!) (Maybe.)

I told Our Cindy, "Show us the puppy or ELSE!" No I didn't. But I would if I'd thought of it.


I think the new prompt is obvious. FORGET. I will understand if we get only submissions of my face.

Please enter by 9am Tuesday March 24th for posting on March 25th. Tag your photos with PHOTO CHALLENGE and ELSE. Check out the wonderful work in our Flickr Pool for inspiration. Also, let me know if you have any questions. The  appropriate email for that is Kizzbeth117 at gmail dot com.

They Pass In The Blink Of An Eye

Last night I walked into my apartment after work and as I was taking off my gear the following happened inside my head. It took less than two seconds.

"I should call Auntie Blanche.
"That doesn't sound right. Why?"
"Because I haven't heard from her in a while."
"Right, we haven't."
"See?"
"Wait, it's because she's dead."
"Oh. Fuck. Guess I don't have to call."

There are a lot of factors that may have contributed to causing this but it's better just to sit back and think, "Well, that happened."

And it'll probably happen again.