Before There Were Condos

Destruction of material. There is just something about it that draws me in. Much like my affinity to pop the bubble wrap enthusiastically, I revel in awe at demolition sites that have quickly popped up all around the Tampa Bay area. In anticipation of the mass building of condos for the wealthy, small shops and old warehouses have crumble in the hands of these machines of destruction. Just a replacement of one's prized possession to another's. So the cycle continues as there is no end to new ideas.

As we drove around the area we noticed that the warehouse that once housed an art exhibition for several local upcoming artists was now in shambles. It was partially demolished. Two of the walls were still up which left a very eerie and lonely atmosphere. It's destiny was set and there was no turning back.

Do you like it?

The Little Green Bags

I have been trying to be as eco-friendly as possible. Recycling, being less wasteful. Only the beginning. A few weeks ago I opened up my storage closet and what do I find? Bagfuls of plastic bags tumbled to my feet. Yes, this was from several months of grocery-, clothing-, household supply-, whatever-I-feel-buying shopping. It was enough to provide a small country with a years supply of bags for their small room size garbage bin. I grabbed them all and drove over to Publix, where they have several green plastic recycling bins. Unfortunately, anyone one coming in after me to throw their bags in was out of luck. I completely filled it, and it sure as hell felt good.

So my next step on this war on plastic bags: Just today I went grocery shopping at Publix and at the register I picked up a couple of the "Green Bags". These bags take the place of about 4 plastic bags and are reusable. Good enough for me. I was beginning to get annoyed with those pesky plastics anyway.

Now to figure out what next to do....sometimes taking little steps get you further.

Out To Nowhere

Florida Aquarium - I didn't drive so we didn't get lost

We decided to head out to the Florida Aquarium this past Sunday. I was debating whether to bring my camera or leave it at home. If I brought it than it becomes a photography excursion and I wouldn't get to really run around and enjoy myself. Of course, with this in mind I decided to leave my Canon EOS 20D camera at home. Instead, my boyfriend's brother brought his point and shoot Nikon. Not as bulky but very limited in its capabilities. Especially after working with a DSLR. It was a bit frustrating and I kept putting the camera up to my eye. The one good thing I was able to do was record a video at the Shark Tank. The subject was good, but lets just say that no one will be hiring me as a videographer anytime soon. Of course it seems I am also not very good at uploading the video.

I haven't been to the aquarium since I tried volunteering there while I was attending USF. I kept getting lost in downtown Tampa every time. I even held up traffic on I-275 one time when I didn't have the proper change to get through a toll. How I ended up at a toll is beyond me. Needless to say, the volunteering was a no go. Anyway, it was a typical aquarium. Although I was not as impressed as I was hoping this time around, I still had fun. My boyfriend and his brother were quite taken by the attractions, so I guess its always good the first time. After that its been there done that. Next time I'll take my camera.

Hello...I'm back

With the help of an awesome friend, John, I got my computer back and rolling. No more sitting at the library waiting for a computer to open up so I can surf the internet and continue my blog. I didn't get my files back. What do I take from this? Always back up your sh*t! You just don't know how much you depend on these things until they crash and burn on you. But, hey, positive thoughts, right? I got it back and going for now, so let the good times roll!

Moody Days

I woke up earlier than I should have this past Saturday. I had vowed all week long that I was going to sleep in as late as possible to make up for the missing hours. And what do I do? Wake up at 10. Okay, for some people 10 is late but not for me. The morning hours did do me some good, though. I always thought I was more creative at night but it seems that the morning hours can kind of crank my brains a bit too. The result of churning creative juices? This lovely but oh so sad of a poem:



The Naive Adult


My eyes are tired so I close them wearily
As this harsh world hungrily tears itself into me
Not just one gaping hole but inflicted by many
Maybe, if I close my eyes then I won’t see any

Like a child who hides behind innocent lies
Hiding to be seeked, out in the open I’ll close my eyes
The world will disappear with the quick flicker of my lash
But sadly, I know that this momentary peace won’t last

So I’ll just close my eyes but do so wearily
As this harsh harsh world continues to tear into me
Not just this one gaping hole but so so many more
Until I close my eyes once again and seal the door


Yes, sad I say. I wanted to post this poem but wanted to have a picture accompany it. So Sunday we drove over to Clearwater beach in the evening to get some “moody” type shots. I got some pretty good ones and was anxious to get them up. Then the tragedy occurs. After uploading them and slaving over them for a couple of hours I finally finished. I got up to get my boyfriend so I could show off these wonderful pictures, but of course we got back to the computer only to find that it has crashed.

Aarrgh. So here is the poem. No picture so you’ll have to use your imagination.

I'm Not Scared...Really!

So after work yesterday I downed a large bowl of spaghetti before I headed out to Downtown St. Pete. I figured I could walk it off while I scout the area for some hopefully amazing shots. As I headed towards St. Pete the sky was perfectly blue with just a tinge of orange from the oncoming sunset. But as I got closer to the downtown area my heart dropped slightly. I could see the clouds brewing in the distance. No, I am not scared of clouds, rain, thunder or even the lightning. Well, maybe the lightning. You have to admit that we have some crazy lightning storms here in Florida. I could see flashes of light here and there across the murky ominous gray of the clouds. I didn't want to be caught in the rain, but if I wanted to be a photographer I would have to learn how to work through any condition. At least to be the kind of photographer I wanted to be. Sigh.

My first stop would be the Holocaust Museum. I use to live in downtown St. Pete and absolutely loved the area. I use to walk by the Holocaust Museum endless times and although I couldn't afford to pay to get in (I was a starving student at that time…$5 was even too much for me) there was an outdoor installation on the back of the building covering the electricity meter that took my fancy.

As I turned in to the back parking space I noticed that they had moved the installation higher out of reach of most hands. I parked my car and being the only one there, of course, the security camera followed my every move like slimy anemone fingers constantly gliding over my body recording the slightest bodily function….(take a deep breath) and now you know where I stand on big brother. Anyway, I grabbed a few shots of what I call 'Caged Hands'. This installation consist of multiple black bodiless metal hands grabbing at barb wires. Very telling of the past years of torture and genocide in our worlds history. You would think as humans we would learn from such historical atrocities, but we don't and we doom ourselves to repeat the hell.On a lighter note, I spotted a couple of colorful buildings over to my left. Very artsy design with stenciled logos next to the door that I took as a signifier of the business type. I didn't bother checking to see if that is what it was as I was more taken by the motif of the building.

As soon as I heard the thunder I hurried into my car. I briefly contemplated heading home but decided to go ahead and charge into the storm. It would be cool to get some shots of those dark clouds and the feel of the breeze from the storm was so welcoming after enduring the heat during the day. Of course, I totally underestimated the 'breeze'. When I got to the beach, the breeze turned into strong wind. I'm a petite girl, so trying to stay steady while snapping the pictures got a tad bit difficult. I managed to anchor myself on a palm tree. The cloud and lightning show over the bay was amazing. Its too bad I wasn't able to catch any lightning shots. It seemed like it struck only when I put the camera down. As I sat there my fear subsided and watching nature at work brought me a temporary inner peace.

Is this a good idea?

I finally broke down and started a blog. Not quite sure why I was so against it. Maybe it's the fact that I was never able to maintain a handwritten journal before. God knows I always had the good will to start one but to actually keep it going...that was a different story. But here I am. I am more of a typer than a handwriting person anyway so this should be good. I have to say I am quite excited about this. It should get my butt more active in writing and photographing again. It never hurts to try, right?

Well , here we go.