June 30, 2005
June PhotoQuest
Once again, I’m in right under the buzzer for this month’s PhotoQuest. (I guess it’s a good thing I don’t live in Europe, or I’d already be out of time, huh?)
For those of you who don’t know, I’m moving. I now live in the basement of an older house owned by an older couple. Though the apartment and the furnishings are nice, they’re, well, old.
In honor of my new pad, I’m using only things found in/around my apartment for this PhotoQuest. I didn’t go further than 10 feet from my door to take any of these shots. And with the exception of my shoes, everything in the photos belongs to the older people who own the apartment.
So, without any further delay, a glimpse into my new home via the June PhotoQuest:
The first task was to photograph something I’ve collected. I always interpreted “collected” as a self-chosen job; it doesn’t seem logical to collect things that don’t bear any personal importance. In my new home, though, I was greeted with a rather unlikely collection: fondue pots. Here are two of the fondue/whatever pans; there are two more that I couldn’t fit into the picture. Anyone up for fondue?
The second task was a flag. There are perfectly good flags in the neighborhood, and I even own a small paper version of the flags of each country I’ve visited in recent years. But to be a little different (and to give you, as I’ve promised, a glimpse into my new surroundings), here is a flag from a book left on my coffee table. (By the way, the book is The Grand Ole Opry by Robert K. Krishef, 1978)
Third task is something I’ve grown. Well, I’ve grown more tolerant of my surroundings since moving into my new place. What with all the knick-knacks and odd furnishings (for instance, there were originally 9 end tables randomly placed around the living room when I moved in!), I’ve grown more patient and tolerant. Does that count? If it does, here’s something I’ve been forced to grow more tolerant of simply because I don’t know where else to put them: old records. The record on the end there is Guy Lombardo, in case you were curious.
The fourth task was to photograph where you put your shoes. Unlike Flip, I don’t have any certain place where I put my shoes when I’m not wearing them. And since I’m still moving out of my old place, I haven’t yet established a place to put them. So for now, my sneakers go under the coffee table…
Finally, a tree stump. Luckily, there was one in my new backyard. There aren’t a whole lot of tree stumps in the city…
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May 31, 2005
May PhotoQuest
As I tend to be with everything, I'm in right under the buzzer. OK, so I procrastinate. Get over it.
Here are my May PhotoQuest items. If you want to learn more, check out Flip's sidebar:
The first task was to photograph a household tool. Unlike a few of the other PhotoQuesters, I don't have a toolbox. I do have a multi-head screwdriver. The six interchangeable tips are just great. Wanna know what makes it even better? I got it for a dollar at the Dollar Tree!
My second task was a grocery bag. The grocery store near me where I usually shop only offers plastic bags. You can see some of the things I purchased last time in their bag!
The third task was to photograph what I would wear when it's a bit chilly outside. Well, I don't wear jackets. I just don't. I avoid coats in the winter as well. So, just so you don't think I'm being lazy in securing my photographs, here is a picture I made for my bulletin board. Oh, and the fine print says "Not a realistic portrayal" and "Real item may vary from illustration." I don't own a sea-foam green jacket. I was just playing with my markers.
I must admit, I don't recycle very much. I should, but I don't. I do, though, save newspapers and then donate them to schools to use in art projects. Here is a box of newspapers that I will pass along to a daycare soon.
Now, let me explain the last picture. I was supposed to take a picture of a playground. My apartment complex doesn't have one, and I wasn't near any other playgrounds that I knew of. There is a small child that lives across the hall, however, that has decided that the hallway is his play area. A few nights ago, he had a crayon. So, here is the evidence that my young neighbor enjoys playing in the hallway:
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April 30, 2005
In Celebration of My 100th Post...
First off, this is my 100th post. So as a marker for this milestone, may I present…my April PhotoQuest. To see PhotoQuest assignments or participants, check out the sidebar on Flip’s blog.
Of course, there are just a few hours remaining in April, but let the record show that I got it in under the deadline.
The first shot: my sock drawer. Yes, that is a pair of tie-dye socks, just in case you noticed. A lot of my socks are in my dirty laundry basket, but you can get the idea. Separated by socks I wear with sneakers (on the left) and socks I wear with everything else (on the right).
Second shot: an electric socket. Since some of the PhotoQuesters are from other countries, this is a method of comparison.
Third shot: a frying pan. And no, that’s not grease sparkling on the pan. It’s clean, I promise. It must be some material in the lovely T-Fal non-stick coating.
Fourth shot: a sign at a gas station. This is a shot of one of the cheaper stations around. I wanted to go to a franchise that others outside of the US might not have heard of (I think Shell is pretty universal—or at least it seems to be according to The Amazing Race, because I seem to see a Shell station in every episode). I even drove to a more obscure gas station, but a group of guys that looked like they might be in a gang started edging over my way, so I quickly got back in my car and drove off. Oh, and the picture’s crooked. Drives me nuts, but I can’t get it cropped right in my photo software. Deal with it.
Final shot: my shampoo. Flip and Wyn both said that they use the same kind…and that’s also the brand in my shower. So to spice things up a bit, here’s some shampoo that my aunt gets for me sometimes. She’s a hair stylist, so she gets the Great Clips brand for me. The bottles are even on the ledge of my bathtub and that’s my shower curtain behind them! So you get an even bigger glimpse into my life!
I wasn’t in last month’s PhotoQuest because of some, um, extenuating circumstances (like homework), but one item on the last quest was a fake animal. I have lots of stuffed toys around (what kind of preschool teacher would I be without them?), but here’s one I’d like some ideas on. A student gave this to me last summer when I was in Belarus. It's either a bull or a buffalo--people have said both. (I was actually looking at the animals’s butt instead of his head, which would explain the delay in identifying the animal) Someone told me that a buffalo is a sign of good luck in Eastern European culture. Can anyone confirm or deny this? I’m just curious…
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February 13, 2005
My First PhotoQuest!
OK, so I've been intrigued by the PhotoQuest that I've read about on Flip's blog. So now that I have a computer, a digital camera, AND a blog, I figured it's time to join in the fun. I think I got my photo files reduced so hopefully it won't take incredibly long to load...but I make no guarantees.
The first assigned photo was a shot of where my videos and DVDs go. So...
Please note this is where my DVDs should go. Unfortunately, most of my DVDs were on the floor when I took the first picture:
The second assigned photo was a shot of a bookshelf. I chose the bookshelves that hold most of my children's books. The books are usually crammed onto the shelves instead of sliding over, but I've got about 50 of them scattered all over my apartment because I'm using them in my Advanced Children's Literature class:
The third photo was one of bread, preferably the bread I eat for breakfast. I ate the last of the bread before I took the picture and before I had new camera batteries, so I went to the store and bought more bread and more batteries. The problem is, the person who loaded my bags at the grocery store seemed to think that my loaf of bread would make the perfect cushion for a sack of apples...which mashed the bread. Therefore, this picture is what it looked like when it made it home:
The fourth picture was to be of an emergency exit. I have two for you; one is the traditional emergency exit, and the other is a sign on the door leading to the stairs. I'll tell you why I included that one in a second:
The second photo always makes me smile. The sign says "in case of fire, do not use elevators, use stairs." There are no elevators in my building, nor are there elevators in any of the buildings in my entire complex. Makes no sense to me why there would be a warning about elevators if there isn't any chance one would escape in an elevator anyway...
The final photo for February was to be one of a hobby. I had a problem choosing, because to me "hobby" implies something that one enjoys doing and spends time doing. I like sleeping, but I don't have much time for it. On the other hand, I spend a great deal of time reading textbooks, but I don't particularly enjoy that. But since I wasn't sure I could take a photo of my textbooks for copyright reasons, I just took a picture of my bed because it's what I would like to do...
And that's it. This was fun. I'm glad I got to join in! :)
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