Happy Halloween

Busy Busy Busy

In case anyone's been wondering - yeah I'm still here. Just been getting sucked into the daily grind (as usual), and it's been a month since I've blogged last (ugh! I hate it when that happens).

Fear not (or be afraid, depending on your outlook) - I will be back blogging soon enough, and get everyone caught up on things...

Better Living Through Chemistry

Better Living Through Chemistry, originally uploaded by CraftyGuy.

I'm on on 800mg Motrin (pain relief) and 10mg Flexoril (muscle relaxant aka "jacuzzi in a pill" according to a friend) so that I can deal with my post-accident back discomfort (to put it mildly). Not a big fan of medication here, so I'm planning (at least preferring) to be off of both before weekend is out.

In the meantime, I'll be wicked mellow.

Crunched

Crush-Hour Traffic, originally uploaded by CraftyGuy.

I was in a bit of a accident this morning. Ok, fine, more than a bit. It was a 4-vehicle pile-up. The usual nasty solar glare on Rt 2 caused the first pickup truck to slam on its brakes, then the second pickup (left, in photo) hit its brakes - in time, no crash yet. I hit the brakes in the Blazer (right, in photo), again in time, no crash...yet. However the minivan behind me was not so lucky in getting the brakes applied in time. Rammed the blazer, pushing me into the back of the pickup truck, which in turn hit the pickup truck in front of him.

I ended up with a very sore back and neck, and along with two of three others, got an ambulance ride to the hospital. No one was seriously injured (thankfully), but the pickup truck in front of me, as well as the Blazer are totaled.

Arrrrrrrrrrr

Day 314: 2007 09 19 - Arrrrrrr, originally uploaded by CraftyGuy.

Today was International Talk Like a Pirate Day. Do I get to make Bill Gates walk the plank?

Until next booty, mateys...

The Utatan is Here

It's here! It's here!

(Well, it's been out for about a month now, but this is the first I've had a chance to blog about it).

This year's big Utata project is called "The Utatan", and is basically an e-zine showcasing a lot a great photography - stock photography, protraits, landscapes, photojournalism, and more! Check it out!



And believe it or not, I actually have some stuff in there too!

Scrambled

Scrambled, originally uploaded by CraftyGuy.

I hate being so busy! Everything has been a spin of activity lately, and it's making me dizzy!

Stop the ride, I'd like to get off please...

Splash

Splash, originally uploaded by CraftyGuy.

A (not so) little splash of water. What might be an annoyance to some can become a most welcome thing under the right conditions.

At least the yard's looking better!

Day 259 2007 07 26 Reject, originally uploaded by CraftyGuy.

As much as I had wanted to keep up on my blogging since returning from New York, it just wasn't meant to be. Work's been keeping me busy during the day, and my evenings and weekends have been spent in the yard.

I try to mow the lawn every other week, which I love doing - it's another opportunity to attempt to get some color (which you can see I'm in serious need of!) The last time I mowed, however, I got a bit exasperated with all the low-hanging branches that I would have to dodge (not loving that too much). Not to mention the various shrubberies that would reach out and snag the pull-cord of the lawnmower (grrrrr).

The "big" project for the yard this year is supposed to be putting up a new storage shed, so that the garage can actually be used to - say - park the car in instead of the lawnmower, yard waste barrels, etc. (how novel would that be!) The location for the shed has already been selected (against the fence behind the tree over my right shoulder in the photo). I have managed to take down the old "lean-to" that was in that spot to make room for the shed. There was also a miscreant maple tree that had taken root near that spot as well which simply had to go.

Between the maple tree, and the annoying branches and assorted misbehaving shrubberies along the fence, a new project was afoot.

I have been spending the past week pruning low-hanging and dead branches, and taking down the smaller trees and bushes. The kids have been helping (once the branches get broken down enough) by filling up a bunch of yard-waste barrels and bags. But it seems that as soon as the number of piles dwindle down, I make a whole bunch more!

I haven't been keeping up on my blogging, but at least the yard's looking better...

In other news, I did manage to complete my stuff for the big Utata project! I have 21 photos submitted, and all that is left is for me to write my artist's statement (which I look forward to like a root canal). But it, like the yardwork, will be well worth the effort...

On Vacation

Day 233: 2007 06 29 - Goin on Vacation, originally uploaded by CraftyGuy.

Ok - so I left for vacation back on the 29th and got back yesterday... this was the first chance I had to say anything.

Went back home to Oneonta, NY to visit family (we have our annual reunion around July 4th weekend every year). It was fun (in it's own 'visiting family you might not otherwise visit' kinda way), and the kids had a good time. I made a few "photo runs" while I was out there; I just need to get all the pics uploaded, that's all.

But I'm back, and will be visiting the blogosphere a little more often now...