Friday, April 29, 2011

I Want a New Answer

I Want a New Answer by Dowbiggin
I Want a New Answer a photo by Dowbiggin on Flickr.
Via Flickr:
After going horseback riding in Half Moon Bay with four of my girlfriends from work, we went to Cameron's Pub to celebrate Cristine's birthday, which is this weekend. This was a toy fortune telling type thingy on our table. Instagram-ed it, X-Pro II filter.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Slurp!

Slurp! by Dowbiggin
Slurp! a photo by Dowbiggin on Flickr.
Via Flickr:
I took my son to Capitola for the day and we went to a place (new to us) called My Thai Beach along the Esplanade. He did pretty well with these egg noodles with chicken, shrimp, and vegetables. It took a few attempts to get what I was going for here. Used Instagram to edit ti and share it with people online. It's the X-Pro II filter with a tilt-shift.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Baby Blue

Baby Blue by Dowbiggin
Baby Blue a photo by Dowbiggin on Flickr.
Via Flickr:
This morning, I took way too many pictures of my son making way too many goofy faces. I have always wanted a picture that isolates his blue eyes.

So I cheated. I got in REAL close. I put it through Decolorizer on my iPad. And then I used Instagram to boost it even more with a filter.

But it made me happy.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Respite

Respite by Dowbiggin
Respite a photo by Dowbiggin on Flickr.
Via Flickr:
It was hard to pick a favorite from my visit to Skywalker Ranch, but I saw these two chairs, and they conjured up for me a fairytale romance of a long bygone couple. I loved what I could see and what the camera managed to somewhat pick up, considering it was all just a fantasy in my mind.

Monday, April 25, 2011

Paths Converge

Paths Converge by Dowbiggin
Paths Converge a photo by Dowbiggin on Flickr.
Via Flickr:
This one is also from Skywalker Ranch, but I had nothing for the actual day. I think I deserve props for not giving up and going back to put in 17 days worth of pics after the fact.

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Japanese Maple

Japanese Maple by Dowbiggin
Japanese Maple a photo by Dowbiggin on Flickr.
Via Flickr:
I actually took this from my Skywalker Ranch set, as I had a few days there with no pics, and this day produced so many great ones. I took this over my head where I couldn't really see what I was doing, and I am in love with it.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Cam with a Lolly

Cam with a Lolly by Dowbiggin
Cam with a Lolly a photo by Dowbiggin on Flickr.
Via Flickr:
I was working all day, so hubby took our boy to the church candy hunt event. I hear it was insane. But the boy scored. And that's what Jesus' Resurrection is all about, isn't it?

Friday, April 22, 2011

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Vanilla Amber

Vanilla Amber by Dowbiggin
Vanilla Amber a photo by Dowbiggin on Flickr.
Via Flickr:
On another trip to Target (I know, I know), my friend Sarah and I sniffed just about every candle. We decided that this one smelled like love. Or at least sex. But in a good way, nothing dirty!

It's even better when you light it.

The candle.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Wondering Where His Friend Went

Via Flickr:
I ate him.

Chocolate Mousse flavored marshmallow peep, dipped in dark chocolate. There isn't really anything more to be said, really.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

My New Tiger Cub

My New Tiger Cub by Dowbiggin
My New Tiger Cub a photo by Dowbiggin on Flickr.
Via Flickr:
As seven types of leader for my son's Cub Scout Pack and Den, I got to award our three boys who achieved their Tiger rank (and one or two elective beads as well!) at our Pack Meeting. This is my boy. Yes, I know I didn't take the picture, but it was with my camera. So there.

Monday, April 18, 2011

Let's Get It On

Let's Get It On by Dowbiggin
Let's Get It On a photo by Dowbiggin on Flickr.
Via Flickr:
It's Snail Central Station at my school any time it even gets a little damp. These two, out for a morning stroll, must have met and it was love at first . . . um . . . can snails see? Don't think of me as a perv. Consider me a wildlife photographer. Yes, with an iPhone.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

How Fortunate

How Fortunate by Dowbiggin
How Fortunate a photo by Dowbiggin on Flickr.
Via Flickr:
We like to get lunch after church with some friends of ours. Here's Bill's hands holding my fortune. Many people find me intimidating. It could be the hair. Admirers, please do feel free to approach. Especially if you have Dr Pepper.

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Kanji Pics Boy

Kanji Pics Boy by Dowbiggin
Kanji Pics Boy a photo by Dowbiggin on Flickr.
Via Flickr:
Like I said, we don't do anything just a little, and that includes obsession. Might as well channel that into something productive. Enter the Kanji Pics app for the iPad. My first grader is learning some Japanese.

Friday, April 15, 2011

Ring of Fire

Ring of Fire by Dowbiggin
Ring of Fire a photo by Dowbiggin on Flickr.
Via Flickr:
The boy is reading a book about tsunamis from the school library. Because when we get obsessed, we do it right. I forget why I took this picture, but it was the only one I had from this day. So there.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Bridge Over Troubled Butter

Via Flickr:
Lunch with my son is always fun. This is his standard fare at Pasta Pomodoro. He told me the fork was a bridge. I made the Simon and Garfunkel connection.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

No Chips for YOU

No Chips for YOU by Dowbiggin
No Chips for YOU a photo by Dowbiggin on Flickr.
Via Flickr:
Because I spend a lot of my time in retail stores, apparently, I was in Freasy (what my husband likes to call our new Fresh and Easy), and I had planned to pick up some Sea Salt and Malt Vinegar potato chips for my friend Jeremy. They weren't just out of them, there was, like, an echo.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Glasses for Mike?

Glasses for Mike? by Dowbiggin
Glasses for Mike? a photo by Dowbiggin on Flickr.
Via Flickr:
I was in Target, where I spend WAY too much time and money, and I saw these. Again. Since I just sang a Stones song with my friend Mike last Saturday, I thought of him. I also took this picture and sent it to his phone.

Monday, April 11, 2011

If Loving You is Wrong....

Via Flickr:
...I don't want to be right!

I tried this from the new Fresh and Easy by my house. And I am hooked. Note small person in the background eating his own yogurt. Some fruit flavor.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Little Purple Flowers

Little Purple Flowers by Dowbiggin
Little Purple Flowers a photo by Dowbiggin on Flickr.
Via Flickr:
There are loads of these in the grass near the soccer field and baseball diamonds at the school where I work. I wonder what they're called.

Saturday, April 09, 2011

Labeling Japan Map

Labeling Japan Map by Dowbiggin
Labeling Japan Map a photo by Dowbiggin on Flickr.
Via Flickr:
Cameron came with me to the CVCUE Spring Tech Conference at Minarets High School in the Central Valley. He was itching to try out the SMART Board at the IVS booth, and so he went over and introduced himself and charmed them into letting him mess around with maps, his favorite. Here he is labeling locations affected by recent earthquake and tsunami activity in Japan. He learned this stuff from watching the news. He's seven.

Friday, April 08, 2011

Hammock Swing

Hammock Swing by Dowbiggin
Hammock Swing a photo by Dowbiggin on Flickr.
Via Flickr:
We were visiting our friend Jon Corippo at his house way out in the country near Yosemite. Cameron wanted to try out this hammock swing, which he could neither get into nor out of on his own.

Thursday, April 07, 2011

Life Lessons

Life Lessons by Dowbiggin
Life Lessons a photo by Dowbiggin on Flickr.
Via Flickr:
Here's my colleague Mindi with one of her groups during a geocaching activity. In some ways, this captures the essence of what we do with kids that's so important. I also like that it's outdoors, where Mindi does a lot of her best connecting with kids.

Wednesday, April 06, 2011

Palms and Hills

Palms and Hills by Dowbiggin
Palms and Hills a photo by Dowbiggin on Flickr.
Via Flickr:
This time of the year rewards us for putting up with winter rain by greening the hills. The view from our campus (once the rain is over) can be breathless. Never saw views like this growing up 7 miles from midtown Manhattan.

Tuesday, April 05, 2011

Puppy Shoes?

Puppy Shoes? by Dowbiggin
Puppy Shoes? a photo by Dowbiggin on Flickr.
Via Flickr:
So, at le-Tarzhay again (where I spend perhaps a bit too much of my time and money), I saw these infant shoes. Too cute. I took this picture to send to my friend Sean who has two dogs. These would be perfect, especially for Shasta, who likes to tussle with coyotes. She's badass like that.

Monday, April 04, 2011

Parallel Lines

Parallel Lines by Dowbiggin
Parallel Lines a photo by Dowbiggin on Flickr.
Via Flickr:
In a little stroll around campus recently, I decided to take a picture of all the parallel lines I saw. In just a few minutes, I found about eight examples. This was my favorite.

Sunday, April 03, 2011

Pain at the Pump

Pain at the Pump by Dowbiggin
Pain at the Pump a photo by Dowbiggin on Flickr.
Via Flickr:
I filled up my gas tank the other day. Oh my gosh. Yeah, don't bother telling me to get a Prius. It's not really an option. I'll just take out another student loan or something so I can keep driving to work every day.

Saturday, April 02, 2011

Snoozy Stu

Snoozy Stu by Dowbiggin
Snoozy Stu a photo by Dowbiggin on Flickr.
Via Flickr:
This is right after he insisted he wasn't asleep. After a sad incident involving the possible death of his blue white board marker, and many more tears than were really necessary, Super Mommy came to the rescue with cuddles and kisses of comfort. And I make a pretty decent mattress too, apparently.

Friday, April 01, 2011

A Little Light Reading?

A Little Light Reading? by Dowbiggin
A Little Light Reading? a photo by Dowbiggin on Flickr.
Via Flickr:
My husband, who is both British and football-mad (that's soccer to us Yanks), is far more literate than I. And I was an English major. Bleak House is thick enough to double as a weapon in a pinch. Yeah, I don't read books that heavy. Or books, really.

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Ninja Watercooler

Ninja Watercooler by Dowbiggin
Ninja Watercooler a photo by Dowbiggin on Flickr.
Via Flickr:
Tragic recent events meant my building at work was without a working water cooler for about a week. But oh, was it ever worth the wait. This new, shiny, black and silver NINJA watercooler even smelled like "new car" for the first few days. (The water tasted just fine though.)

I hesitate to turn my back on this sleek devil.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

King Eggroll

King Eggroll by Dowbiggin
King Eggroll a photo by Dowbiggin on Flickr.
Via Flickr:
Cameron had teriyaki chicken skewers with white rice, but I had to get me some chow mein and the Famous King Eggrolls. If you live in San Jose, you know what I'm talking about.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Ta Ti-Ti Ta

Ta Ti-Ti Ta by Dowbiggin
Ta Ti-Ti Ta a photo by Dowbiggin on Flickr.
Via Flickr:
We were in the Business Office at school at my son spotted the t-shirts for the Summer School and Summer Daycare program. Showing off his musical education, he pointed to the music notes and declared "ta, ti-ti, ta." I didn't have the heart to tell him they're really ALL TIs, because they're all eighth notes.

Monday, March 28, 2011

Did Somebody Call For a Rockstar?

Via Flickr:
I was at le-Tarzhay when I saw these and, given my Rockstar status in the California EdTech community, I had to snap a shot. Jon Corippo later said I should buy them. I almost did. But . . . . really, now.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Outside Old Spaghetti Factory (San Jose)

We met friends for dinner downtown tonight. I liked the composition of these features on the outside of the building, and it just took getting a little bit below them to really get a nice balance for this shot.

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Getting Dressed

Getting Dressed by Dowbiggin
Getting Dressed a photo by Dowbiggin on Flickr.
I was getting dressed, sitting on my bed, and looked down and saw my first tattoo looking up at me. People generally don't get to see this, as I need to be in just a swimsuit for this to be visible.

Friday, March 25, 2011

Hills Near Work

Hills Near Work by Dowbiggin
Hills Near Work a photo by Dowbiggin on Flickr.
The iPhone camera, with me zooming in, really doesn't do this view justice. I was walking in to work and the sunlight on the nearby hills was really beautiful -- too lovely to not at least try to capture it.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

LadyBeer

LadyBeer by Dowbiggin
LadyBeer a photo by Dowbiggin on Flickr.
If you ever see me refer to LadyBeer, this is what I mean. The new Fresh and Easy a mile from my house carries this. It smells and tastes a bit like FrankenBerry cereal, and somehow that's not really a bad thing.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

LaughCry in Fish Island

LaughCry in Fish Island by Dowbiggin
LaughCry in Fish Island a photo by Dowbiggin on Flickr.
This is actually one of my son's worksheets from school. But he decided this was a map of Fish Island. In the butt area of the fish is a country named LaughCry (pronounced LAYF-cree) where they speak LaughCrinese, which my son is inventing both as a spoken and written language. I later declared the capital of LaughCry to be GiggleSob. It's pronounced (GEEG-luh-sohb) of course.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Smile! (What, here? Now?)

Smile! (What, here? Now?) by Dowbiggin
Smile! (What, here? Now?) a photo by Dowbiggin on Flickr.
Spotted in the staff restroom at work. At eye level, if you know what I mean. So MANY thoughts raced through my head.

1. Really? This is what you do in the can, Mystery Colleague?
2. I know He does. But I'd really rather He not watch me in here.
3. Even with my pants around my ankles? Now, that's my kind of God!
4. If I smile, will He see it? If not, will He be sad?
5. Smiling all alone in the restroom is creepy, even if no one other than The Big Guy ever finds out.

And so on.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Do We Really Need a Poster?

M'colleague Sarah "Curfew" Glossop is our vocal music teacher, my co-teacher on Thursdays, and the Queen of the Honor Choir. They got new uniforms/costumes/outfits this year, and now they're working to pay for them. Chocolate Sale! But do we really need an instructional poster to guide us in the getting excited? I know, a sales tactic. But you had me at "chocolate." Really.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Hey Mom, did you know there are 37 countries in Europe?

I kept hearing people talk about Instagram, and then some more this week at CUE in Palm Springs. So when I saw some fun pics my friend Sean took using it, I got the app, and started messing around with it when my son approached.

My first Instagram attempt. Cameron comes up to me with this map card thing. Then attempted to read me all 37 country names. He's seven. It bordered on comical.

Saturday, March 19, 2011

During Ken's session

During Ken's session by Dowbiggin
During Ken's session a photo by Dowbiggin on Flickr.
I credit my friend Ken Shelton with getting me motivated to take more pictures and do the 365 Project.

Speaking of my photography mentor, here's something Ken showed us as a great source of images for fantastic presentations that are primarily visual. This would be where Ken gets most of his slide fodder.

Friday, March 18, 2011

Carpet in my session room. OUCH.

While I was restarting my laptop to get ready for my presentation on Google Earth, I looked down and couldn't let this memory slip away.

In case you're wondering, my session went VERY well. Bigger and better than I had expected, and I was really pleased. I just avoided fixing my gaze on this floor.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Lobby at Riviera

Lobby at Riviera by Dowbiggin
Lobby at Riviera a photo by Dowbiggin on Flickr.
It's what Palm Springs is all about, baby.

We had a lot of laughs about some of the decor. Took this while waiting for a cab to go down to Street Fair. The Riviera wasn't bad, it's just 2 miles from everything we needed to get to. Won't stay there again if I can help it for just that reason.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

On the way to Palm Springs, from the air

Couldn't resist snapping some pictures of the snowy mountains on my way down to Palm Springs by air.

When I needed to get an earlier flight, I ended up paying to upgrade to first class so I could switch the flight for free. (Also saved $20 on my checked luggage, I later realized.) Would have cost the same amount to change flights. First time flying first class. 85 whole minutes.

But that meant enough room to dig out my camera and snap a bunch of shots of the mountains from the air. Cameron helped me pick this one for the 365 project because it had a lot of snow.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Tejas Tulip

Tejas Tulip by Dowbiggin
Tejas Tulip a photo by Dowbiggin on Flickr.
I just love the tulips that have popped up at work lately. And the new Tejas lens in Hipstamatic.

Monday, March 14, 2011

Messin' With Tejas

Messin' With Tejas by Dowbiggin
Messin' With Tejas a photo by Dowbiggin on Flickr.
Yesterday, my good friend Ken Shelton turned me on to the limited-time free download of a special SXSW lens and case for Hipstamatic. The lens is called Tejas, and I like how this sample shot turned out.

This was at the end of a meeting of my school's technology committee, of which I am 25%. The cup is from an event I worked last month and I love it as a way to make me remember to drink more water.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Daddy's Boy (Underpainting 2)

This is in a covered bridge in Felton, California (in the Santa Cruz Mountains), taken a year or two ago.

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Old Time Garage (Underpainting 1)

This is at History San Jose at Kelley Park. I took it a while back, but I only just tried applying this BeFunky effect to it.

Friday, March 11, 2011

Exploring (Underpainting 1)

This is a couple of years old, but I just applied the effect using BeFunky now. I love how the grass and tree trunk get all swirly.

This was originally taken during a geocaching outing when my niece was visiting from New Jersey. Cameron was convinced there was a geocache hidden here (there wasn't) and wanted to explore.