Pictures!

Brace yourself, it's high volume picture season. This summer I've added about 8 GB of pics to my computer, but during this week alone, another 8-10 GB are added to my computer for the Delaware County Fair. With the addition of Amanda on the photography staff at the county fair, I'm thinking it's about time she got a Picasa album of her own to showcase her good shots. She has some really good pictures, especially from the sheep show last night and we both also have winnings this year again in the open photography show!

I'm toying around with some watermark ideas as well. Some pictures are getting put this year on the county fair website, so I don't want something obnoxious, but I do want something which draws more people to my Picasa album and hopefully eventually some photography gigs someday. I'm still in the growing stages and so looking for practice rather than contracts with expectations - this freelancing for Del. Co. Fair has been perfect. I'd appreciate commentary on two things: 1) watermark locations - I don't want to be obnoxious, 2) keeping the ScotchPine Photos name is a go?

Speaking of pictures, I'll share the MSU photos through this link for the jazzy uniforms to be used in the Michigan game this year (which we'll be at!). There's a lot of debate going on about the MSU uniforms and I agree with most people's intelligent commentary. I realize the traditions of school colors, and also the history lesson in the bronze inclusion - but to paraphrase a LinkedIn comment, "Why bronze, isn't that third?".

Nostalgia

I know that life is an onward progression and there is never any way to go back re-experience or re-create the past; there's no point in trying either because it just puts a taint on the good memories you have. But listening to Pandora today, Keith Urban's "You'll think of me" came on and all I ever think about when I hear that song is Dave in the lab, singing away on his guitar.

I'm glad to be in a new place with new co-workers, but I really miss the lab environment that we had up there (even the leaking biohazards and broken oven fiasco). It was fun to feel the combined energy circulating the labs and to come in during lunchtime and hear the guitar strumming away or picking out bluegrass. So in honor of MSU today, I embed the more bitter version of Keith Urban - live.

Why I love the Columbus Zoo

Amanda and I went to the Columbus Zoo on Saturday. I had previously planned with Mom to go with her, Amanda, and Jacob for my birthday and after calling Mom to tell her about how awesome the new polar bear exhibit was I realized that in all the hullabaloo that surrounded this week's crazy schedule, I had totally forgotten to figure out the zoo time with Mom. Instead, Amanda and I went alone (Dear Mom, we are still going, and once again I'm sorry I forgot.). This in itself was also good because as a newly married couple we are very short on alone time. Between her job and our school, we haven't gotten much time to do all the things we thought we'd get to do once we were married like weekends in or evening walks to enjoy the sunset. Instead we've been just taking each day at a time and supporting each other through what we call "life".

We didn't spend a whole lot of time at the zoo due to the necessity of getting back to see the Buckeyes pull off the victory over Illinois in what is always a conference struggle for OSU and then Liz, Chris and Jeremy came over to see the Spartans pull off a great and unexpected win vs. Wisconsin. I can't even believe that MSU is now 5-0, and it happened the first year that I wasn't there as a student.

As you'll be able to see from a few pictures I'm putting at the end of this blog, the new polar bear exhibit consists of a much more natural-appearing habitat for the animals. The brown bears are moved into this exhibit with a more expansive pen and a waterfall into a fish pond. The polar bear exhibit is similar but with a fun new twist. Visitors can go underwater and watch the polar bears as they swim around. Very few visits to the zoo can rival Amanda and I standing underneath the water exhibit, looking up at the polar bear swimming over us. I'm posting the picture and definitely plan to enter it in next year's county fair. I absolutely love it, and witnessing the beauty of God's creation is exactly why I love the Columbus Zoo. Thanks Amanda for going with me this Saturday! :)

I love Gordon Gee

And for today here is reason number 1. That's the spirit! We have a picture with him from the Pelotonia which will be posted as soon as I have it from Liz.


It's great to be a Columbus area native and to feel that rush every fall when football season comes around. Today, Amanda and I picked up the first 3 tickets of the season from the Schottenstein Center. I'm not going to lie. I'm stoked about having OSU tickets, but there's no way that these games can be as exciting as going to an MSU game because when OSU plays a team, their opponents nearly never have a chance of winning. However, with MSU while I was a student there we were almost always the underdogs or fighting some form of adversity. I will miss you MSU, and Shadows runs through my mind more often than I thought it would. Captain Joe, you were right. KIN is where I practiced the 2 most important things from MSU: Position A and the Shadows.

For your entertainment today I credit 2 friends for posting this on Facebook this morning. I will warn you that this is definitely potentially offensive for language (for those readers who might be offended - don't visit it) but I know there will be those who find it humorous and in today's culture there is nothing in it as shocking as what kids have to hear in elementary school.

Coach Izzo

Dear Tom Izzo, you would make me so sad if you left MSU. I would have trouble even watching basketball games anymore. You are MSU basketball and we need you there.