SimplyIntricate

A Fun Fall Day

2007-10-21T20:25:00.000-07:00

Where have I been?

2007-10-21T17:47:00.000-07:00

My dear, patient friends... I have been on vacation from this blog for some time. Enjoy this photo while I dig into my brain for more nonsense to post.

Time to grow up (or look like it)...

2007-08-12T20:25:00.000-07:00

I look young for my age. I always have. Also, I am petite. Not skinny. Petite. Through the years I have come to notice that people judge others ages by their height. If you are short you are assumed to be young forever. I know I look young and I know that someday I will appreciate it (yes, yes, I have heard this countless times). However, sometimes it can be quite annoying. For example, recently I was reminded of how young I looked on the way back home from Vegas. I left the hotel at 4:45 AM to catch the flight, so I didn't bother putting on make-up. I figured I was going to take a plane ride, drive an hour and a half and then go to bed so it didn't matter what I looked like. Besides, my complexion looked pretty good (no major pimples). Big mistake! Apparently the combination of no make-up, my comfy jeans (which my sisters have tried to get me to through out) and my glasses made me appear under 16. The flight attendant didn't believe that I was old enough to sit in the exit row. The guy next to me burst out laughing when I said I was 25.

The next week I flew again. I wore "grown-up" clothes and put on dark lip gloss. I still wore my glasses, as we left at a crazy early morning hour. Dressing like a grown-up worked, I didn't get asked if I needed an escort.

So the moral of the story is that it is time for me to shed my college clothes and start dressing like an adult. I still have a few months of college left though and I am going to hang on to my jeans and T-shirt days as long as possible. Oh, and my comfy jeans are never going in the trash! Hey, change is hard!

We can always share a cup of coffee....

2007-08-10T16:06:00.000-07:00

One night a friend and I were catching up, after going much to long without speaking, when we realized, after about an hour of gabbing (about everything of great importance under the sun) that we were both going to be passing though the same city on the same day! Before we could get too excited though we realized that my plane would be taking off as her plane would be landing! Such luck! So instead she suggested we "share" a cup of coffee at Starbucks and take a picture to prove it. Well, here is my photo of the nonfat latte I drank while waiting for my plane to arrive at 5:30 in the morning.

I think I should have had a venti, or at least a double, because the flight attendant though I wasn't old enough to sit in the emergency exit row, but that is a story for another day...

Hey lil this post is dedicated to you!

The dandelion's of childhood

2007-06-02T14:51:00.000-07:00

Last week, while working to meet a deadline for a crazy project, I spotted a dandelion. All alone the dandelion grew in a secluded little nook, not too far away from a nondescript parking lot. The dandelion stood there proudly. At one time I would have rushed to pick the little weed, now though I used the opportunity to practice focusing my camera. Gone are the days of sitting for hours under the scorching sun weaving daisy chains and blowing dandelions. Gone are the dandelion's of childhood, but new adventures are just around the corner.

just a flower...

2007-05-19T21:15:00.001-07:00

This was my first experiment with oil pastels in at least a year... I hope to have time to play around more soon...

Flower of nondescript botanical origin

Evel Knievel

2007-05-14T20:25:00.000-07:00

Today I was talking to a friend that stopped by my office about the Snake River. This friend didn't realize how close the Snake River is to us. Admittedly, the first time I went swimming in it I didn't realize it was the Snake. I remember asking, "what river are we swimming in?" "Oh, I don't know." "A wet one." "Does it matter?" were the replies. An investigation ensued...

I am deviating from my purpose. When I was talking to my friend about the Snake River I couldn't remember the name of the crazy guy who tried to jump the Snake River Canyon on a motorcycle. Well my friend, this evening on the treadmill Evel Knievel popped into my head.

As a child my family went on a road trip through Idaho. My mom was fond of detours to teach us about history, or anything slightly interesting. This was one of those times. We went out of the way to see the spot where Evel Knievel attempted to jump the Snake River Canyon in Idaho on a motorcycle. He didn't make it. His safety parachute went off and the drag prevented him from making it across. Evel Knievel floated down the canyon and survived.

Click HERE to learn more about the wild and crazy ways of Evel Knievel

For those of you that are thinking of visiting the spot where Evel Knievel attempted his jump I must warn you: it is a dirt pull out with a sign on the side of the road...of course that was years ago...maybe someone made it nicer now...

The view of the river is nice.

Funny Vocabulary

2007-05-12T22:15:00.000-07:00

Some time last summer I decided that I should increase my vocabulary. I felt that my vocabulary has been steadily decreasing since high school. At this rate, pretty soon I may sound as educated as a second grader. To facilitate the learning of new words I subscribed to various on-line "word a day" services. Some of the words are useful and I try to incorporate them into my everyday life. Other days the words that filter into my "inbox" provide me with a few moments of amusement. Below are some of the words which may not become part of my everyday vocabulary, but brought a smile to my face at an early hour.

Why is it that some words just sound funny?

Pratfall (noun)

a fall on the buttocks

Doyden (noun)

the senior or most experienced member of a group

Weltschmerz (noun)

a mental depression or apathy caused by comparison of the actual state of the world with an ideal state

Bonnyclabber (noun)

sour milk that has been thickened or curdled

Obviously, my research does not involve the impact of literature on modern society...

Graduation

2007-05-11T18:41:00.000-07:00

Now is the time of year where graduations are as ubiquitous as ants at a summer picnic.

The next time you attend a graduation remember the ants, because that is what your beloved graduate will most likely look like to you from the nose-bleed section of the bleachers.

Happy Graduation!

One Tulip Many Ways

2007-05-06T17:56:00.000-07:00

As a (very) amateur photographer I am just beginning to explore all the ways in which a digital photograph can be manipulated. In this series of photographs I started with one photograph of a tulip, cropped it and continued altering it...

Altering the hue and saturation ratio...

As a negative...

Color added...

A little madness in the spring
Is wholesome even for the King.
- Emily Dickinson

A Tribute to Asparagus

2007-05-04T21:45:00.000-07:00

This post is dedicated to a very dear friend who works with asparagus everyday of her beautiful life…(forever and ever...or until something better comes along)

ASPARAGUS

Always

Surprisingly

Pleasant.

Ravishing

Arrangement of

Grand

Unique

Spears.

Asparagus comes in different colors!

Green Purple & White

Of course, which color tastes the best? Have you tried them all? Can you taste the difference? What about if you close your eyes?

Did you know?…In case you care…

In 2004 the United States produced 102,780 tons of Asparagus (China and Peru produced more)
Most Asparagus produced in China is white
Most of the Asparagus produced in the United States is green
The average retail price per pound of fresh Asparagus is $1.67

If you love asparagus then you should attend the National Asparagus Festival!

http://www.nationalasparagusfestival.org/

Hey asparagus expert I added a photo for you!

Persimmons

2007-05-03T22:11:00.000-07:00

This post is for my friends who looked at me with blank faces when I talked about persimmons.

Persimmons are pretty!

Persimmons are delicious!

A Road Trip Around the Pallouse

2007-05-03T20:52:00.000-07:00

Graduate students are notorious for becoming isolated, so with a trusty sidekick I left my isolated little world (if only for a few hours)

Ah, the joy of the road trip (like most things - driving in moderation is fun, especially when there is no time schedule involved) All of the following photographs were taken on road trips in the Pallouse Region of Washington/Idaho:

The trail head to Elk Creek Falls, ID was buried in snow, so we kept driving and came upon a beautiful lake

On a much brighter day, though not considerably warmer, we drove off into Washington...

At last - the Pallouse Falls!!! How long before I made time to see you my friend? You were worth it...

On the road again...

A barn along the side of the road (somewhere)...

A pristine courthouse in a little WA town...

Almost home ...

My First Entry

2007-05-03T20:06:00.000-07:00

Simple.

Intricate.

Two words opposite in nature.

Is it possible for an object, a person to be both simple and intricate?

Nature seems simple enough, look a little deeper and complexities continue to emerge...