i make things

Accounting and Rock

There's nothing like doing Accounting and listening to rock music, Guns 'n Roses' Welcome to the Jungle. Yeah. Seems like an oxymoron or whatever the term is but hey, work hard, listen to hard music.

25 things

Here's a link to Download 25_things_about_me.doc . It's one of those quizzes that asks you questions about yourself and then you give it to your friends and they answer it so you can learn about them. I haven't done one in awhile because they get very repetitive but this one seemed more original to me so there it is.

Alotta posts

I know I posted several times tonight but I seem to have a lot on my mind. Must be the hour. Around midnight. I am a night owl through and through. I can't seem to escape it. I get my best ideas, my greatest thoughts and most creativeness in the late hours of the night and wee hours of the morning. I try to be more of an early bird but I just can't. I've tried and it just isn't me.

Never enough

Okay, so I was in Owatonna for over a week for the SCFF (fair). I took the week off because I love the fair and you can't just go one day so might as well take the whole week off. I stayed the whole week at my sister and brother-in-laws house. I know that fish and guests start to stink in three days (Farmer's Almanac) but I stayed for the whole week anyway. I know my brother-in-law was probably getting sick of me at that point but he didn't say anything. (Thanks Guy, I know you read this sometimes.)

Anyway, I get home after not seeing Ryan for a very long time. He was in Canada while I was in Owatonna and he asks me, "So Jen, have you had enough of your family for awhile? Have you got it out of your system?" I sort of sat there for a couple seconds, my mouth dropped open, literally, shock shooting out of my eyes like daggars and then I said, "Ryan, you don't 'get your family out of your system.'" He seemed to think that seeing my family for a week would make me glad to be home but in fact it's quite the opposite. It makes me very sad because I have to go back to Wisconsin and leave my family. When I'm with them I have so much fun, even when they make me mad and all I can think about is what I'm missing when I'm not home.

Ryan comes from a very small family and his aunt and cousins on his mom's side (one aunt, 2 cousins) live in Ohio. They never go see them, ever. The last time Ryan saw them was on our honeymoon, five years ago. So he doesn't really get it. Doesn't understand how being with one's family could be fun and create sadness when they aren't around. It seems to me that is the real tragedy. That he doesn't get it and that I, loving my family, have to be so far away from them.

I know and have met many people who do not have a family or they have a family but they don't get along with them, dispise them, hate them or only get together with them at Christmas or Thanksgiving. Some of those people wish their circumstances were different and some do not. The ones that want to change their families envy my relationship with my family. Which makes me sad because I have the greatest thing in the world (my opinion naturally), a very close family, and I am not even around to enjoy it. That's like winning the lottery but stuffing all your winnings in a mattress and never spending it. What a waste.

Note: I realize that not everyone wants a close family and that is fine because not everyone can be the same or we'd all similar and that would be boring and unoriginal.

Different People

So Kimmie, Thomas and I were at the Twins game and I was thinking on the way home of all the different types of people we encountered and we were just sitting in our seats. Here are some of them:

1. Families with small children in front of us who spent more time gossipying, messing around, getting up for food and bathroom breaks and standing up than watching the game.
2. and older couple behind us who were irritated every now and then because of mistakes.
3. A group of guys behind us who commented on every play and added their own insight and opinions about what was going on and how the Twins have been doing throughout the year. Mostly it was pessimistic. talk. (Annoyed me and little Kimiie quite a bit.)
4. A father and daugther beside me who didn't say anything at all. Barely talked or clapped or said anything.
5. Thomas - didn't say much to me but talked to Kimmie.
6. Me and Kim who yelled and screamed and clapped and danced and discussed stuff.
7. A group of girls down at the fence trying to get autographs and gushing over Joe Mauer.
8. A stairs vendor who looked like a porn star.
9. An idiot who ran out onto the field while the players were still out there.

Just thought it was interesting.

So I was thinking...

I was thinking today about something. Here it goes.

I was finishing packing this morning in my hotel room at the Sofitel and it was such a lovely room that I took some pictures of it. At the time I was taking the pictures I didn't really think of why I was doing it, just that I wanted to. As I was doing it though, I felt a little strange, like I was a dork or something because I took pictures of a hotel room. Granted I've done this before (when in Germany) so it's nothing new to me but I felt a little awkward.

When I left the hotel and got in my car to drive away I suddenly and without provocation realized why I take pictures that might seem strange and unusual and definitely unnecessary to some people. The truth is they are not unnecessary. Pictures of this hotel room depict an experience in my life. It might seem insignificant but if you think about it, it's not, really.

Here's how I see it. First, I stayed at this fabulous place, french inspired and expensive. How often am I going to do that? Generally I don't stay in fancy and expensive hotels so this will be the only time. It just doesn't work with the budget. It was like a whole step up in the caste system for me. A new experience if you will. Feeling what it's like to stay at something I normally wouldn't be able to afford. Getting a glimpse of something normally out of my financial reach. Why not document it? Say what I liked or disliked about it. Show what this place looked like. Document how different it is from my normal accomodations. Show that I have gained some experience and have a greater understanding of the differences in hotels.

Is this experience going to shape my ideas about the world? Probably not in a deep and meaningful way but it gives me more experience and I believe, at the root of it all, the more experiences you have, even if they seem small and insignificant, the greater your understanding will be of the world and yourself, and that is, above all else, more valuable than anything.

So that, in a nutshell, describes why I take pictures that at first seem insignificant but in the long run will be valuable and interesting to look at when I turn 80. Isn't that really the point?

Twins Game

Kim, Thomas and I went to the Twins game tonight. They played the Kansas City Royals. Lost 4-3. Not Good. Cuddyer had two home runs with an RBI. Joe Mauer and Torri Hunter batted like garbage. It wasn't a good game to see them in tip-top shape. Boof pitched and was pretty good.

It was fun to go to a game though. We had seats on the 3rd-base line 20 rows up. Not bad. I walked down to the rail and watched them warm up. I took some good pictures too. Up close.:)

During the middle of the game there was an idiot who ran out into the middle of the field. It was hilarious to see the guards running after him. He nimbly evaded them for awhile until one of them tripped him up and he did a barrell roll. I think I have that on camera. hee hee

We got up on the jumbo-tron but only I noticed and before Kimmie understood what I was telling her we were off. Thought that was kind of cool. The jumbo-tron is funny because most people don't know they are on it, so you see them for real and then somebody points out to them that they are on the big screen and they go crazy. It's hilarious.

Garrison Keillor

Last night Traci and I went to the horse show at the State Fair in MN and we saw Garrison Keillor! Isn't that neat. I should have taken his picture but didn't want to be rude. I'll post more later, gotta go.

Constant Diligence

Okay, so I just saved this post but evidently it didn't save so I'll try to quick write it again.

Sorry I've been bad with posting but I've been busy all around the place. I'll try to do better.

So this week I'm staying at the Sofitel in the cities. It is an awesome hotel. Generally I don't say much about hotels because they are pretty much the same but this one is awesome! Granted, you pay for it, but it's still nice. The rooms have beds with feather comforters, feather mattresses and feather pillows. Feels like a bed from heaven! Not kidding. If you get a chance you should stay here. Really, you should. The bathroom has a nice glass and tile bathroom with a huge sunflower showerhead and a robe for your use. Uh...a fainting couch. Very classy. Impressive artwork and photographs.

Tonight I'm going to the State Fair with Traci. That should be fun. I can't wait for all the food and cool stuff to see. I really wanted to go to Poison but nobody would go with me. How sad. Usually I'd go myself but you can't go to a rock concert alone, that's just wrong. So I'll be sad tonight. Later!

Jack Crawling

Here is jack-jack crawling with his peg leg. Well that's what we call it. He sort of cheats when crawling.  Download 100_4248.mov