A sneak peek of the novelist-in-making

We have been friends for about 21 years now, only live about a half hour away from each other, and visiting is always a treat. 

We planned a visit for Thursday and managed to squeeze what daylight we had for a small shoot.  She's beautiful, huh?  You should read her writing.  When her work is finally published, I will definitely be sharing it on my blog.

Stamp me...

Inspiration

About me

Do you remember this boy?

For anyone who was alive in the '80s, this is likely an image you will never forget. 

Here's something you may not know about me.  I am a true crime buff and have been ever since I was about 10 years old playing hide and seek (more like hide and "they won't seek") and found a book under my aunt's bed where I was hiding. 
I have been hooked ever since. 

I am a licensed court reporter by trade and have been licensed since 1999.  I only practiced one year, but spent ten years doing captioning for the deaf and hearing impaired at University level.  My proudest professional work was captioning for one student in particular for nearly five years, including captioning her oral qualifying examination, and since then, she has held a Ph.D. in Immunology from the University of California Davis. 

Stenography, while not my passion, is something I am very good at.  I "retired" four years ago to stay at home with our girls and work on getting pregnant again.  ;-)  I still keep my CSR license current.  A smart move, in my opinion, in the current economy. 

If I had it to do over again, I would mix my two passions:  Photography and forensics.

But alas, I am a housewife with a perspective all her own. 

http://www.aolnews.com/crime/article/recurring-nightmare-did-jeffrey-dahmer-kill-adam-walsh/19419628

The recurring question:  Did Jeffery Dahmer murder Adam Walsh?  He was in Florida at the time Adam disappeared from the mall.  He had "access" to a van that resembles the one apparently used in Adam's abduction? 

Sounds like wishful thinking to me.  This is not to say that I am even convinced that this man...

Ottis Toole...

...did the unthinkable to that beautiful little boy. I think he would confess to downing the Twin Towers if given the chance.  I do think; however, that he is more likely a suspect than Jeffrey Dahmer, a man who murdered and mutilated (mostly) mature, gay men.  Keeping them around him in an effort to ease his loneliness.  Dismembering a little boy and disposing of his body is not Dahmer's MO. 

As much as human nature yearns for closure in situations that make us uncomfortable, stretching possibilities, while sometimes fruitful, often ends in false closure.  And honestly, I'm not even certain that's a bad thing sometimes. 

The tragic loss of Adam has turned John Walsh into a warrior.  And even though he looks like The Hoff in this picture...

he, too, is a face that brings our thoughts back to his little boy, and all John has done in his memory. 

Baby B with Brother and Mama

Daddy had to work and couldn't make it to the shoot. 

We will be rescheduling.

Big Brother shakin' his groove thang

(yah yah)

Little B wasn't havin' it.

So Mama gave him something to squick on.

Hush little baby don't say a word...

(Until Xty's done taking a bunch of pictures.)

Eskimo kisses.

A Leave-It-To-Beaver moment with our dog, Memphis.

It's Black...It's White...

View...

...from a television.

Trip to Nevada

We had some business in Reno last weekend and decided to extend the trip and have a min-vacation.  We took the kids to Virginia City, NV.  I have always wanted to go to a real "ghost town."  It was anything but.  I expected Old West, and what I got was Old Town.  It was much like Old Sacramento, or Old Folsom, Ferndale, CA, very quaint and picturesque and full of businesses and people.  Anything but a ghost town.

The cemetary was my favorite part of Virginia City.

This is the steeple you see in the background

of the first photo.

I couldn't believe how many babies are buried there.

So sad.

I took a bunch of pictures of headstones...

...but these guys are a bunch of hurry-me-alongs.

"Put down the camera already!"

.

.

.

.

WhatEVER!  Uh!

Somehow

These people are lucky I take my camera everywhere...

Right?

(One day 100GB of photos will mean something to them!)

Mr. Man here decided to take off his shoes

leave his socks on

step in the snow

then walk in the sand.

Let's hear it for Eden.

Our HERO!

The kids now share a bedroom...

I wish!

This would is what their beds would look like.

Nice and cozy, yeah?

A little something for the men in town.

I'm sure the majority can relate to this feeling.

We also went to the Dog Splash show. 

 I have yet to thoroughly go through those photos. 

I will post those when I get a chance.

Here's one for everyone:

Why is the liquid blue in all diaper and maxi pad commercials?  For some reason, those advertisers need to try to convince us that their products work because they hold blue liquid. 

Meanwhile, is that "truth in advertising"?

Just for ONCE I'd like to see a diaper commercial with some yellow liquid, and add some brown appropriately-sized butt bricks -- and see the difference.  Now that's TRUTH in advertising.

As for maxi pads, some red liquid and perhaps some random gelatinous variables might be more realistic.  Sick, but realistic. 

I'm just sayin'...why the blue?  Is it because it is a safe, "sanitary" color over all other colors?