everyday

Homework

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We got an amazing, really cool Canon 7D for work a few months ago. All my friends shoot Canon so I’ve seen it being done, but I shoot with Nikon and the user experience is a little different. You can do the exact same thing, but how you get there differs.

I have not really touched the Canon over the summer as we’ve had an intern that’s been in charge of all the photography within the company over the last couple of months.
I scheduled a photo shoot for our online magazine for Wednesday. Made sure a fitness trainer, a model and the intern was available, but Wednesday came and our intern had forgotten he had to appear in court for busting a red light. Not a big deal, I wanted him to be a part of the shoot so he would see what it’s like, and quite frankly, he should know the camera better than me by now, but I should be able to take care of it by myself.
The photos turned out no good. Unusable.
Crap! I sent off a quick email to my boss explaining what happen, that we had to re-schedule a photo shoot and that I would take the camera home over the weekend so I could learn how to operate it.
So here’s my first session with the Canon 7D.

Sid is Back!

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Sid went missing on Friday. When I came home from work, a window was open, it’s screen was on the ground and no cat to be found. He either fell out, or jumped out, but since we’re on the second floor he could not jump back in. A bunch of us went out looking, put up signs, notified neighbors, checked craigslist for found kittens and called shelters. Saturday morning at 5am I was convinced I heard him cry outside the window and went out to look for him, but no luck.

4 days came and went and no word from Sid. Did he find himself a Nancy? Was he still exploring? Did something happen to him? Did someone pick him up and wanted to keep him? We’ve heard stories about cats that been missing for weeks and even months that later found their way home, but Sid had never been outside and would not know his way around. For every day that passed I tried to get used to the fact that he might not come back, but then today at lunch I got a call; our neighbors found Sid, he’d been hanging out in their garage! Now he is back home, he had a bath and he is ruling the house as per usual. He think, that just cos he’s been gone for a few days, it’s ok for him to hang out on the kitchen table.

Downtown LA

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Downtown LA is pretty amazing, lots of great architecture, very different from the rest of LA. It’s great to walk around and take photos during the day, but it’s very unsafe when the night falls.

It turns out LA have a bunch of sister cities, none of them are Swedish though.
Los Angeles City Hall
Little Tokyo is part of downtown, it’s pretty small, but great, cheap food and a bunch of interesting stores.


Sushi for lunch, and this is when my camera decided to stop working, it wouldnt read the memory card. It happens from time to time and I usually just take the card out and plug it back in for it to start reading again, but today it just refused to co-operate. I tried everything that came to my mind; taking the memory card out, taking the battery out, try another memory card… nothing worked and I was bummed out. I think I’m gonna have to start saving up for a new camera.
Since I was so bummed out my friend let me borrow her camera for a while, as she didnt really want to take photos anyway, she just wanted to hang out and check out the buildings.







We had planned to check out Chinatown as well, but stumbled upon MOCA, Museum of Contemporary Art.
I read about this in design history class and should know more about it, but what I remember on top of my head is that it’s 1930 something, De Stijl movement, it’s Dutch and it’s cool.
Jackson Pollock, 1940 something, American, alcoholic and I don’t get it – anyone could do this! The ones who knows think this is awesome though for some reason. I just keep on thinking of Big Lebowski when I see Pollocks paintings.

Watermelon Vodka Birthday Party!

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It was my friends birthday and I was invited to a “Watermelon Vodka” party, it sounded a little scary to me but got a little relieved when I heard it was a watermelon and vodka party, not watermelon flavored vodka. When I got there I found out it was actually watermelon that was soaked in vodka. I’d been soaking since Saturday, and I tasted a piece that did not taste anything like vodka, so I thought it’d be beneficial for me to stay away from it.

But there were plenty of other yummy food!



Welcome Home!

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Came back from Argentina with all bags intact and only one hour delayed. It was nice to come home to piece and quiet!

Popnea Vs the DMV

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A while ago I decided to take a motorcycle license, and it turns out it is easier said than done…

About two months ago I had a scheduled appointment at the Department of Motor Vehicles to do the written test required. But I got sent back with my tail between my legs and a note stating I had a pending ticket and a failure to appear in court from 2006. Thats all of the information I got, and a phone number to an automatic answer machine asking me if I wanted to pay the fine of $380 dollars. I thought it’d be ridiculous to pay $380 without knowing what I pay for so I got an appointment to appear in court a month later.
In court I was told I got a fix it ticket of $20 for having a broken stopping light on my car. I remember getting this ticket, and I also remember fixing it and got an “Ok, you are good to go” from the police station in Manhattan Beach, but since I had no record of it, I had to plead guilty of the violation and pay the $380. Ok, so that sucked, but it cleared my record.
After clearing my record, I got my motorcycle training done and all I had to do was the written test and I would have my license.
The DMV website says “To allow you sufficient time for testing DMV will not be administering written or audio exams after 4:30 p.m.” So I made sure I got there at 3:30pm. It turned out it was a huge line and by the time I got to the register it was already 4:50 and was told the test area was closed but I should go over there to have my photo taken and if I were lucky they would let me take the test.
I was lucky and they did let me take the test. I knew I had to take the regular drivers license test as well as the test for the motorcycle and was surprised when the gentleman pulled out a test, turned it over and scratched out the entire back, leaving half of the test out before handing it to me. I asked if that was it and he said yes. The test was super easy and when I returned to get it corrected, I questioned it;
Me – I’m not sure this is correct…
He – No, no one ever thing they got the questions right
Me – No, but I wanted to do the test for the motorcycle
He – Oh, OH, but there is no records of it on here (showing me the document I got from the other check in desk) she must have made a mistake. It’s to late for you to do that test today, but I will correct this one for you and you can come back tomorrow and do the other test, you wont have to stand in line, just come right over here before 4:30pm and you will be fine.
Great! He corrected the test and I got all questions right.
Came back to the DMV today to do the test and managed to get there right in time before they closed the gate at 4:30pm. I told them I was there to do the motorcycle test, gave them the document from yesterday that stated I had already passed the regular test.
I was handed a test with 45 questions and I was allowed to have 8 questions wrong and still pass, there was a couple of questions where I had no clue what the correct answer was and a few where I was unsure, but the lady corrected it and I only got two questions wrong.
Great I passed the test, now what, do I get my license?
Lady – But wait, you wanted to do the motorcycle test
Me – Right
Lady – But this was the regular test
Me – But I did the regular test yesterday, I was supposed to do the motorcycle test today
Lady – But this is the regular test, it says on here you passed it (showing the record from yesterday), I did not write this, who gave this test to you?
Me – The gentleman that was sitting over there, the same thing happen yesterday, they gave me the wrong test and I was told to come back today… how many questions is there on the motorcycle test?
Lady – 15, it’s really to late to do the test now (it was already 5:15 and they were supposed to give out the last test at 4:30 – and I was supposed to be somewhere at 5:45)
Me – But, they told me…
I’m looking at the watch and debating if I should come back tomorrow or just give up my dream of getting a motorcycle license all together… and she hands me the test.
15 questions, I am allowed to have 4 answers wrong. I am super stressed, having a hard time focusing and have to read every questions 3 times to understand them.
There’s 7 questions I am unsure of, some of which I had erased and changed my mind on.
I handed the test over to get corrected, exhausted, nervous and a little bitter. I got the first couple of questions right, then 4 in a row that was incorrect… OH NO! But then I got all the others right, and wohoo, I’ve got a motorcycle license!

The real deal will show up in mail in 2-4 weeks.

Just Chillin’

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I walked by a pet store today and saw this cat chilling in the window. I dont think it will take very long for this one to get adopted.

World Cup Finals

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I was invited to my adopted sisters future in-laws to watch the world cup finals. Those of us who knew a little about the world cup supported Holland, the rest did not know who was playing.

I usually dont drink alcohol between 12 midnight and 12 noon, except for bubbly wine, and Mimosas are acceptable.

English confectionery is rare around here. I have never been a big fan, its grown up sweets for me, my taste butts have not gotten used to some grown up things, like coffee and grown up sweets, but they look cool!

Half time fun

The company was great, but the outcome of the game was not so great.

Multitasking

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It’s my second week in class and I am excited about it. I am excited about what I am learning and want to go out and practice it. The class however is a lot of theory and I am not a theory kind of person. I was supposed to take notes during class, but decided to write my grandfather a letter instead.

Motorcycle Class

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I decided to take a motorcycle drivers license and spent the 4th of July weekend driving a motorcycle.

Driving a motorcycle is so much fun! I passed the class and they now think I’m ready to master a motorcycle on the streets of California (after 8 hours of practice on a closed parking lot), all I have to do is pass the written test at Department of Motor Vehicles and I’ll have my license. I dont think I’m quite ready yet though and will buy a scooter first that I can practice on and get a real motorcycle when I hit my 1/3 life crisis.