Thursday, April 29, 2010

Photostory Friday: 365 Week 17

365
Hosted by Chris






Day 112


April 23: If I knew who came up with the idea for Chili's To Go, I would kiss them.

Right on the mouth.

After a long week, nothing sweeps away your cares like a sixteen ounce steak, and loaded mashed potatoes.

I'm happy to report that I made it out in three minutes and was neither crushed, nor melted.


Day 113


April 24: Emma's first 1K.

It's only about a fifth of a mile, and took about two minutes to complete, but she trained like it was the New York Marathon. She asked every night that week if we had washed her shorts, because she was running a race on Saturday, and needed to wear shorts. She also drew a track on the back patio, in chalk, to practice on.

Emma, being Emma, I was actually surprised that she not only ran the race, but when her older brother left her in the dust, she finished anyway.

I was very proud.

And so was she.


Day 114


April 25: I know what you're thinking.

"Does he always take pictures on the trampoline on Sunday?"

Yes. Yes I do.

These are my girls. There are six years between them, and they are at ages where it might as well be twenty years. Jordan is becoming a woman, and Emma is just learning to be a girl. They don't have a lot in common.

But the trampoline is common ground.


Day 115


April 26: A quarter ounce of relief -- when your lips get cracked and dry from the constant wind, when your stuffy nose causes you to breathe through your mouth while sleeping, driving your wife to the couch. (I didn't know until the next day!)

This makes no sense at all.

I was just running out of time, Ok?!


Day 116


April 27: I have a bad case of tulip envy.

We have dozens of tulips in our yard, and NONE of them are opened.

Well, I lied. Five of them are open(ish) -- three little purple flowers and these two sad little yellow ones.

All the plants have sprouted, but the flowers are not opening.

EVERY OTHER YARD is full of tulips! Why are mine taking so long? What do I need to do?

It's giving me a complex.

I feel very florally inadequate. Very horticulturally impotent.

Help me.

(By the way, do you know how hard it is to take a close up picture of tulips in 70mph winds?)


Day 117


April 28: Fearless.

I told Emma I'd let her jump off the back of my car, if she'd let me take pictures of her doing it.

That wasn't good enough -- she made me turn the car on, crank up the stereo, and play Taylor Swift's Fearless.

So I laid under the car, Emma jumped off the bumper, and Taylor gave the neighborhood an impromptu concert.

I often wonder what the neighbors think, when they look out the window...


Day 118


April 29: I blame this picture on Neil Diamond.

When you drive the same way to and from work every day, the only thing that changes is the sky.

I've always been drawn to dramatic skies.

When I was a kid, I used to haul my boom box (that's what we called them back then, ok?) up to the roof, and listen to "Be" by Neil Diamond, while I watched the sunset.

I know you're laughing now, but there was a reason I chose that song -- it contains the line:

"Lost, on a painted sky, where the clouds are hung for the poet's eye."

I still think of those words every time I see a scene like this.

22 comments:

Mom24 said...

If you were a flower, in 70 mph winds, would you open? Me either. :) They're still pretty though.

I envy your trampoline. Great common ground. My girls are 10 years apart, common ground is precious indeed.

Emily said...

Ok, that picture of Emma jumping off the car might just be your coolest one yet.

It's always good to have common ground.

And I love love LOVE Chili's Molton Chocolate Cake. And I craved it when I was pg...and ate it all the time. Until my husband cut me off. He made me quite cold turkey. How mean is that?

Emmy said...

Wow, you really were a geek ;) j/k I wish I could have gone up on the roof, that would have been fun!
And that trampoline shot is cool. And I thought it was just so awesome to hear a dad say and admit that his daughter is becoming a women.. you should have her read your post today, she will love that... but don't point it out or you will totally embarrass her :)

And that Chili's sign is awesome!

Kelly Deneen Raymond said...

That Chili's sign made me LOL. I've never actually read one. Do they all say that? And I heart Chili's. Mmmm.

LOVE the shot of the girls on the trampoline! So sweet and love the perspective.

The tulips are breath taking! I love them. I have tulip envy too because we have none.

Woo hoo, Emma!!! I don't think I'd even jump off of a car.

Kelly Deneen Raymond said...

Oh, and I am in AWE of dramatic skies. I have been shooting clouds tonight waiting for a big storm. Neither of those things have worked out for me yet.

kayerj said...

the chili's sign is awesome!

looks like the kids had a good week, my two youngest daughters are six years apart but it never made any difference, they were always great friends.

Niel Diamond--and perfect skies, I'm smilin'

I have tulip envy too, that's why I take pictures of my mother in laws flowers, she can grow anything.

She tells me--You have to dig them up every year and thin the bulbs. Also after 3 years they revert to their smallish natural state and are no longer those big beautiful hybrid tulips you see all over temple square. And they need tons of water and fertilizer in the fall. The bulb needs to be healthy to get healthy flowers.

Ah too much work!

Cecily R said...

I have tulip picture envy. It's SO pretty!

Good for Emma on the 1K!

I'm glad other people constantly feel like they need to crack out the camera when it come to the trampoline. It helps in my case, that I have an Evie who practically INSISTS that I take a pishur of her while she's jumping. I need to try some from the perspective of your shot this week. Very cool.

debi9kids said...

Oh wow! I loved SO much about this post this week!

Not sure if it was the photo or your words, but the girls made me teary :)

Very cool jumping off the car. LOL about the neighbors. haha

I personally LOVE Neil Diamond and what a great line! I feel the same way about the sky and find myself pointing my camera upward nearly every day :)

imbeingheldhostage said...

"I feel very florally inadequate. Very horticulturally impotent." Probably my most favourite quote ever from your blog :-)

You just keep enjoying those dramatic skys-- not everywhere gets them, you know?

cat said...

118 is just breathtakingly beautiful! I love your trampoline pictures so I love 114 and those tulips in 116 does not look sad at all. They are beautiful.

Serline said...

The sign is going to stick in my mind for a while... the clouds on Day 118 as well, very Old Testament-like.

Jenny said...

I have tulip envy. South Florida is great for many things...but not tulips! Beautiful!

Raise Them Up said...

Glad you weren't crushed and melted. It helps you enjoy the meal more.

And thanks for the laugh over the windy tulip picture. The picture is stunning, btw.

With my slow camera, a five mile an hour breeze makes a closeup look like it's going super sonic. So I get it.

Robyn said...

It is amazing how excited they can get over what seems to be a small thing to us, but is a huge deal to them. Yay on the 1K.

Honey Mommy said...

Does the sign at Chili's really say you will be crushed and melted? I go there all the time, but we usually go inside (because then I don't have to clean up ANYTHING when we are done).

I really like your tulip picture. I wouldn't worry about the rest of them... they are probably the smart ones. I wouldn't be blooming in this weather we have been having either!

Amy said...

what a week- love the tulip envy picture. mine haven't bloomed yet either and the wind storm broke a good dozen of them in half. :( The trampoline picture is so fun and it is a great place for common ground.

Alex@LateEnough said...

My son would be JUST like Emma about the race. We were supposed to do one back in December but it was rained out. It's so cool that she had a number and everything!!
And my VERY fashionable friend is obsessed with Carmax. I think that she's done a whole blog post on it !

Carrie and Troy Keiser said...

I love days 116 and 117 -- the flowers are beautiful, at least you have some flowers we still have none, we barely have green on the ground! The jumping story made me laugh right out loud and read it to my husband!
I never listened to that song on my boom box, but I do love that line.

Krystyn @ Really, Are You Serious? said...

That one of Emma jumping is priceless. It seems to capture her so well, too.

And, now I need Chili's, but I can't leave work for lunch. Bummer.

Lisa @ Boondock Ramblings said...

I think the story behind the car jumping photo is just as fascinating as the photo itself.

I bet your neighbors think you are just the most interesting (cough, cough crazy cough cough) people ever. :-)

koreen (aka: winn) said...

I love the photo and story about your daughter jumping off the car. Awesome dad.

And about the girls on the trampoline. Touched my heart, you did, which is awfully hard to do.

:)

stephbouf2 said...

Awwwww My fav is the one of your daughter jumping off the car! And yeahhh i wonder what the neighbors ARE thinking? I LOVE Taylor Swift! HUGE fan!!

I've honestly NEVER been to Chilli's before. I know you must think i'm crazyyy!