Bikes and Monsoons

Due to a complete lack of funds, I've started riding a bike regularly. I can't afford to buy gas or pay for parking, or in two months pay rent or any other bills, so having my mom ship me her old bike and riding that to and from campus is my solution. Also, it will hopefully get me in shape and help me lose weight, while also being good for the environment. I just can't lose!

At least until some brainless 18-year-old student who is too busy texting to watch where they're going while darting around campus in their brand new shiny car that Daddy bought them hits me. And no, I'm not just being paranoid. I've only been biking for a week and that has already happened -- yesterday. If I hadn't swerved away just in time I would be road rash right now.

Anyway, other than having to watch for those idiots, there have been some drawbacks. For example, when I left class at 6:30 pm Monday it was to find that yet another monsoon had arrived and I was going to get very, very wet on my half-hour ride home. So much for the long-held belief that deserts are dry...

But just to show that every cloud (ha, ha) has a silver lining -- something good did come out of that trip. I've been carrying my camera to campus with me every day, so on this particular day since I was already soaked and knew there was no way I could avoid looking like a drowned rat by the time I made it home, I figured I might as well go with it and stop to get some photos.

I love the way the lights look on the wet pavement and had always wanted to get a shot of it, but since I was always in a car before it wasn't exactly convenient to jump out and snap a photo. Being on a bike makes it much easier. So this night I stopped and took multiple shots.

Unfortunately, as tends to happen with my photos, most of them didn't work out. I guess I just don't know enough to fiddle with all the settings and make sure they are correct for the situation.

The very first photo I took, however, did work out quite well and I love it! What do you think?

An Antique Land

I'm a nerd. Not in that computer-genius, off-the-charts-IQ, Big-Bang-Theory-way because I'm not actually that smart, but in the boring, like-to-go-to-museums, addicted-to-Firefly-and-Doctor-Who-way.

When I travel to new places I like to visit museums, see the sights, take in culture and art as well as walk the streets to participate in daily life. As contrasted with most of my peers who go to bars, drink, have random drunken hookups, and wander around drunk.

So when I visited New York for the first time during one all too brief weekend last year, of course one of my priorities was to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

One of my good friends from high school (and middle school, and even college too -- we went to the same one) who now lives in DC came up and met me in New York. She had been there several times before but being less of a nerd than me, she had never been to the Met before. She sounded pretty doubtful when I said that I wanted to go but, being a good sport and a good friend, agreed without any argument.

We spent several hours on a Saturday morning wandering through the museum looking at any exhibit either of us was interested in, me with my ever-present camera constantly snapping away and her patiently waiting for me (she's a great friend).

I really enjoyed it and my friend did too, which rather surprised her. When we left the museum she told me that she had thought it would be boring but actually ended up having a good time. And trust me, she's not the type to say things just for politeness' sake. If she says it, she means it, which is yet another reason why we're friends.

I particularly liked the exhibit on ancient Egypt. Again with the nerdiness: I've always been fascinated by ancient civilizations, and Egypt was one of the largest and most influential, not to mention seeming particularly exotic and strange to a small town girl growing up in Iowa. So even as a kid I read a lot about ancient Egypt -- about their cultures and traditions, gods and goddesses, myths, architecture, art, etc. When I was younger thought it would be fun to learn to read hieroglyphs, but so far it hasn't happened yet.

My interest is actually strong enough that early last year after I had decided to return to school but was trying to decide which discipline to pursue, I was seriously considering archaeology, possibly with an emphasis on Egyptology.

I've always wanted to visit Egypt, and I still hold out hope that someday I will be able to go. But for now I'll have to content myself with visiting museums like this and dreaming.

"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"

New Photos

I was talking to one of my coworkers, who is also interested in photography (and exceedingly jealous of my new DSLR!), during our lunch breaks yesterday about how I haven't been taking any pictures lately, even though I have this nice new camera. I was telling her how I would usually go for a walk downtown, and that's where I would take most of my shots, but since my ipod disappeared I've had no inclication to walk anywhere (I know, I know, I'm pathetic). Her suggestion was for me to try take a picture every day. It doesn't have to be great, or even that good, just. . . . a picture. Of course, seeing as how I'm slightly a perfectionist, I'm going to end up taking dozens in an attempt to get one good one. Oh well, that's the advantage of going digital :)

This isn't 100%, but I'm at least going to try taking one photo every day. I might not post it here, but I'll try, as, after all, this is what this blog is for. A medium for me to display my photos and to encourage myself to take more.

So, for better or worse, here is my first attempt at posting a daily photo. Enjoy!