Life's inconveniences

On a note in our hotel a while back:

"Out of Order

We apologize for the inconvenient
management"


Coincidentally, this was written by someone in management.

Relaxation

Happy Bear, originally uploaded by Lostfiniel.

Relaxation is something I could really use right now.

Carlsbad has many athletic events through the year and one of the biggest is the Carlsbad Marathon. A running/walking marathon that spans the length of the city and back. We are always listed as one of the recommended hotels and we are always agitated when the event comes around.

The biggest problem is the road closures. Carlsbad has seen fit to close off all the roads along the course more than half an hour before the race starts. Even despite the fact that the races all start several miles away and I doubt anyone would get to our hotel within half an hour. One of the closed roads is the only road that connects with our driveway.

Our shuttle cannot leave the property between 6am and 2pm that day. Guests will have trouble as well, especially if a heavy congestion of runners will be at our area of the trek.

The other problem is with checkouts. How does this sound to you?

~Most guests are only staying one night and that is the night before the race.

~Check-out time at the hotel is noon

~We have already reached our limit for late check-outs

~The race ends at 2PM

~The runners want to take a shower and dress before leaving

I have been scheduled to work the shift with all the check-ins for the marathon as well as the one with all the checkouts. That means I leave at 11PM and have to be back by 7AM. Hopefully I will fall asleep quickly.

Anyway, enough of my complaining about the damn marathon.

Moon

, originally uploaded by Lostfiniel.

I'm so tired and I wish I could fall asleep.

Alex

Alex, originally uploaded by Lostfiniel.

I really do like photography. One of my ex-boyfriends never believed it to be a form of art. I could never convince him because, up until now, I didn't have any idea at all of what needed to be done for good photography.

As I read more into it, I feel swamped in all of the technical information. So far most of what I have been trying to teach myself is almost purely technical, nothing creative. Aperture values and how those relate to shutter speed and iso values and such. I also have to admit that I had never noticed how many of my favorites photos are over or under exposed. The underexposed ones are not usually as much of a problem because they seem easier to fix in photoshop.

Overexposure seems to be something I have a great deal of trouble with.I love bright pictures. I love color. I love warmth in pictures. I think that tends to make me try and get brighter pictures. It's what seems to appeal to me. I need to learn how to take colorful, bright pictures that still retain all of the information and textures. I also need to stop over-boosting the highlights when I get to the editing phases in photoshop.

I keep hoping that at some point I will know the technical information so well it will come as second nature. Then I can focus on the angles, compositions, etc that I want. I know I am getting closer. I have tried to throw myself fully into the lion's den. I no longer use the built-in flash and I rarely deviate away to the automatic settings.

Experimenting has been tedious at times but I find it gives better results in the end. I take a lot pf pictures. I take the same picture a couple times with different shutter speeds. I change the angle a bit and repeat. Zoom in, closer, closer. I try a different aperture setting to see how that will affect my background. I'm learning. It's slow.

Commandeering the Bonsai

Commandeering the Bonsai, originally uploaded by Lostfiniel.

Tomorrow will be a busy day. My plan is to get in some good photography time and also finish up some errands I have let slip thus far.

The photographing will be taking place in the Encinitas Meditation Gardens. It's in the Self Realization Temple down there. Beautiful stuffs., really.

Ant World

Ant World, originally uploaded by Lostfiniel.

I took this photo today. The original has a much different focus because when I was taking the photo, I didn't notice the ant. When I was editing, I saw it and fell in love.

I wonder what else I would find if I change my focus.

Sucks

There once was a young girl named Kitty
Who came from a small sort of city
But despite being pretty
She only felt Pity
For she knew her sister more witty

My man

My man, originally uploaded by Lostfiniel.

This is my Thomas. All mine. I love him, I adore him and I am a very lucky girl for having him.

Nobody else can touch.

Mine, mine, mine, mine, mine.

<3