Under the Arch

Guess who got a new camera for Christmas? Guess who hasn't completely figured out how to use it?

As far as New Years goes, I don't really do resolutions. (I think last year I called them self-delusions, though I did manage to follow through on a couple.) I do have the new camera that needs to be broken in and Moosh in Indy mentioned a 365 project she will be participating in, so I thought I'd give that a try.

I do have some ideas for things I'd like to try this year, but I think I'm going to keep those secret a bit longer til I figure out if I can. ;)

I did volunteer to write about my online dating experience and to round that out a bit, I'd love to hear stories from others, blogger or not, especially guys. Email me, k?

Yes, I did start dating someone new since Christmas and we are getting along swimmingly. My head is sort of spinning actually and I'm not sure whether to be thrilled or terrified. ;) (He's not a blog reader, isn't that nice? lol)

Until, I can get the photos I've already taken uploaded, here are a few posts from last year that I especially liked.

My resolution to keep knitting is off to a roaring start

Making fun of my brother

Enjoying the weather

Where I first talk about my issues with food

Taking a walk in the park

One of my more popular Naked Monday posts that was discussed over drinks

Bossy's visit

The first time I was mistaken for a hooker

Meeting a Cardinal's baseball player

My cat goes crazy

The post with the most hits (it's the bikini post, are you surprised?)

The ones about my car accident

The BlogHer posts, plus the hostel and my first troll

Exposing my messy side

Blogging while online dating can be hard

I went to a community college near my hometown. I graduated with an Associates Degree and was supposed to go to Eastern Illinois University. I can't remember what happened exactly, though if I had to guess, I would say that there was a paper I forgot to fill out, I'm notorious for that sort of thing, but I couldn't go to Eastern, because their education program was full and I would have to wait a semester before I could go. My mom was not at all thrilled and she said that I was going to Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. I can point to that one decision for changing the course of my life. I can tell you where I would be now if I had waited the semester and gone to Eastern. I would probably be married to my high school sweetheart, the first great love of my life. I would also be absolutely. fucking. MISERABLE. I would already be a teacher for 6 years, but I would probably be contemplating divorce and have children. I would have the life I thought I wanted but I would be unhappy. I was already unhappy and dissatisfied with my choices, I just didn't know it yet. If I had stayed at Eastern, I would have never met my 2 best friends, Dan and Sarah, or my second great love, J. I wouldn't be the same person I am today. I wouldn't have had any reason to explore myself and discover my love for fashion or photography. I would still be the girl who had never had her own room or her own apartment. I would have never lived, not really. One choice and it completely changed the direction of my life. Thank God.

(And, thank you, R, for breaking up with me and allowing me to be free to discover myself and what I want out of my life. I'm still figuring that out but I'm also honestly enjoying the journey. I don't regret either our relationship or it's end.)

Can you point to any one decision, either one you made or one that was made for you that changed the course of your life? Share in the comments!

My good friend, Sarah, asked me to read off my url to her last night and when I did she commented on how it has travel in it, but I never talk about travel. Yeah, oops. I always intended to write about places I've been and vacations I've taken, but there always seems to be more interesting things to talk about or I start writing and end up deleting it in frustration.

So, for fun, I'm going to put it out there for debate. What shall I talk about? Which of these trips sounds the most interesting? (or at least the idea of reading about it doesn't make you want to stab yourself in the eye)

1. RockFest '97- I drove to Texas with a four friends in my mom's minivan to go to a music festival.
2. '98- big road trip with my sister and exboyfriend-Grand Canyon, 29 Palms, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and then drove back up through Colorado.
3. '95-High school trip to Texas and Mexico
4. What is Camp Jeep? '02-'06 Includes Virginia, Washington D.C., Niagara Falls, Pennsylvania, Chicago, Wisconsin, and New York.
5.Xmas trip to Florida with the exboyfriend, includes Disney and the Florida Keys

Any ideas?

This is pretty self-explanatory...three pillar candles with no other light...soft focus so that you can barely tell what they are...I just like it

Self-portrait

This sculpture is in front of a building at SouthWestern Illinois College (SWIC) in Belleville IL. I took a couple of art classes here one semester and this was my self-portrait shot. You can see the figure that is me just about in the middle of the reflective ball. It's mini-me. :)

Alright, that's all I've got for today, I promise to be more interesting tomorrow.

I was unpacking this weekend (yes, I'm still doing that) and came across some old photos of myself that were kinda fun, so think of this entry as show and tell.

That's me in the middle, my senior year in high school...my god, look at all that hair! Yes, I was a scrawny little thing, and no, I'm not anymore. I wore that sweater practically every day until it disinigrated in protest.

This one isn't of me, but I did take it. It's my nephew, Hayden, at about 2 months. He was such a great subject and made all kinds of funny faces for me.

This one is me, my brother, Jared, and our Dad at Niagara Falls. We look like stairsteps..if my Mom weren't taking the picture she would have to stand to the right of me...I got the tall genes. As soon as I find the rest of the pics from this vacation, I'll post them for the "reminiscing about when I had the money to take vacations" part of this blog which I have been sadly neglecting so far.

This is me...I'm one. I was actually blonde originally, but it went away in grade school...the chubby thighs...didn't.

This is my kindergarten photo, one of the last cute school photos. I had a really loooonnng awkward period.

This is me and my brother, Jared at Holiday World in Santa Claus, Indiana. I was in high school when this photo was taken, but I'm not sure on the year. We went to this theme park several summers. I'm still this much of a dork, maybe worse.

Dorkiness runs in the family..that's my brother, Jared at Niagara Falls again. We were on the Maid in the Mist boat, the blue ponchos were supposed to keep you relatively dry, but I think they make quite the fashion statement. I'm sure Jared agrees with me.

This was in high school again, my senior year...also at another theme park..Six Flags St. Louis this time. That's my old buddy Travis...it was raining, so this is how we entertained ourselves. Gah, again with all the hair and the eyebrows. Would you believe that I put off taking care of that until I was 27?

One last one for the night, this was taken in Texas on a church trip when I briefly flirted with organized religion. (And apparently both of these guys.) That's Travis again and on the other side is Billy, both of whom are happily married. (still with the hair and in this photo you can tell that I had no boobs)