Master P-Nut?

The Snickers commercials on TV and billboards around town have caught my eye for a while now. I've wanted to get shots of some billboards, but they were always in places where it's hard to get a photo (at least the ones I noticed). Today while playing back The Closer, I noticed this even as I was fast forwarding through the commercials. I just had to go back and take a photo.

I just wish I could have captured the entire commercial all in one photo, but I guess this part sums it up well:

"Get some bling with Master P-Nut"

For Humans Only?

I decided to give myself a break from the heat at home today by going to see Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. It was a good movie, but the books are so much better. Anyway, I digress.

When I went to use the restroom before the movie, I was confronted by a poster claiming that the restroom was for humans only on the door to the Ladies' Room. I wasn't sure at first which movie it was an ad for (turns out it is for District 9), but I loved it!

I wanted to take a photo right away, but because I've had some not-so-pleasant experiences recently, I decided to wait until after the movie so I didn't get thrown out or scolded or some such thing that would end up ruining the movie for me. Anyway, no one said a word when I spent a couple of minutes trying to get a decent shot of the door and poster on my way out. I was just glad I had my camera because I usually don't bring my camera(s) with me to the movie theater!

On the Wall...

Back when I lived in Camarillo, I discovered Carol Tao and her beautiful paper flowers. I bought 2 at an arts & crafts fair (I think it might have been the Strawberry Festival but I'm not quite sure). I love them and get frequent comments on them (when people see them). Right now, they're hanging in the master bedroom. One of them is pictured here and the other will just have to wait for another day!

Soft Water!

I finally made it to Lowes tonight (though I put it off until close to closing because of the heat). One of the things I needed was salt for my soft water system. I have plenty for it to function, but I always like to have a bag on hand just in case!

Currently Reading...

I finished the first book in Michael Buckley's Sisters Grimm series and now I'm on to the second book!

Welcome to Mexico!

While I was home visiting my parents in Bonita (which is less than 10 miles from the border with Mexico), I got the strangest text message from Sprint (my cell carrier). I got a "Welcome to Mexico" text message even though I hadn't crossed the border (though I was far enough south that I could see over into Mexico.) I didn't take a photo of it at the time, but as I didn't have a photo for today, I figured better late than never!

Early Morning Storm Clouds

I have totally screwed up my sleeping pattern lately, so I was actually awake at sunrise. Since it's a pretty rare occurrence for me, I decided to take the camera and head out into my back yard. My first few shots were blah, but then I looked toward the South and saw these clouds. The way the light hit them really made them interesting. I took quite a few shots, but here is my favorite!

Nightlight!

A nightlight in the guest bathroom. It remains off unless I have a visitor staying over!

eBook Reader

I've been a big fan of eBooks for years (especially since I'm running out of bookshelf space). I tend to alternate between reading eBooks and paper book (yes, I still buy physical books). I'm in an eBook phase recently, so today's photo is of my current eBook reader. I've been thinking about upgrading to a Sony Reader, but I'm waiting a bit longer since the technology seems to be changing pretty quickly these days with regards to e-readers!

A Corner of My Life

A snapshot of a corner in my bedroom (sorry it's a bit messy).

My First Flat Tire

I drove back from San Diego today. About 110 miles from home, I started hearing a loud noise over the CD playing and I wondered why the car next to me was so loud. After a few seconds I realized it was me and not the car next to me. As I pulled off to the right, I realized (after a while) that I had a flat tire! It was my first flat tire ever, and boy what a place to have it-- in the middle of the desert! Thank goodness for AAA.

Chula Vista Center

It's my last day in San Diego, so I decided to head down to Chula Vista Center this afternoon. When I got home, my mom and I decided to go to Olive Garden for dinner, which is (of course) at Chula Vista Center!

Parents Back Yard

A shot of my parents back yard in Bonita in the late afternoon.

My Foot!

The light was fading fast when I went out to take a photo for today. Most of the photos I took were too dark, so I decided to use this one of my foot (which I hadn't intended to even take!)

Key Chain Memento

As I mentioned in a previous post, I collect key chains from places I travel. Recently, my parents re-keyed their house and when I'm home, they new key I use is on a duplicate key chain to one I have in my collection (pictured here). It's a "Recuerdo de Leon" or a key chain I bought in Leon, Mexico when I spent 3 weeks living in Irapuato the summer after my junior year in high school.

I Remember When...

I looked out from the top of this hill and looked at cows grazing on the hillside rather than a sea of houses. It doesn't even feel like that long ago. It seems so sad to think of all that land turned into houses that are so close together you can literally reach out and touch your neighbor. I just wish I had a "before" picture to post so everyone could see the difference.

Hummingbird

I took this picture in my parents' backyard. My maternal grandmother loved hummingbirds and every time I see one (alive or not) I think of her. I wonder if that's what motivated my mom to hang this out in the yard.

It also reminds me of a saying I discovered in the package when I recently bought a Papyrus greeting card. It says:

Legends say that hummingbirds float free of time, carrying our hopes for love, joy and celebration. The hummingbird's delicate grace reminds us that life is rich, beauty is everywhere, every personal connection has meaning and that laughter is life's sweetest creation.

King's Fish House

I went down to Mission Valley with my mom today, and this sign for King's Fish House caught my eye. It was a bit bright, but I walked over to get this shot anyway!

Turn off that AC Please!

Here's Sophie yet again. You notice she's pictured with the same blanket. Today was hot so we had the AC on quite a bit. Sophie tends to like it warmer, so when she gets cold (or wants to hide) she burrows under blankets. She had a hard time with this one, and I tried to help her out. It ended up being pretty hilarious in the end when she poked her head out through the fringe.

The Perking Lot

The Perking Lot is a local drive through coffee stand here in Bonita. I've wanted to get a shot for a while, but I kept forgetting. I finally remembered today when I stopped by Lolita's for a snack.

Sophie or a Fur Ball?

I know it's hard to tell there's a cat in this picture, but I promise there is one! Sophie just loves curling up, especially on this blanket on the sofa.

Swarovski Crystal Fan?

My mom and I were at Plaza Bonita (the mall) tonight and we parked head to head with this Range Rover. My mom noticed the license plate before I did (as I was on my cell phone) and pointed it out. It takes personalized plates to a whole new level. I wonder who glued on all the little white and blue crystals to fill in the front plate. It wasn't repeated on the back plate, so I figure it was probably tedious (or expensive). I seriously doubt they are real Swarovski crystals, but it gets the point across! Even the words "Range Rover" across the front and back of the car were spelled out on "crystals."

I took a shot that had both the Range Rover crystals and license plate, but I liked this shot better.

Boll Weevil Lives!

Boll Weevil has been a part of my life for longer than I can remember. It was always the place where we could go for dinner that was close by and had good food (though it wasn't so reliable in recent years). I was so sad to discover when the Boll Weevil in Bonita (where I grew up) closed. Then I found out that Boll Weevil went bankrupt and closed all its locations.

What I didn't know was that 4 non-corporate owned stores remained open! My mom found a coupon for this location in Imperial Beach and we decided to go down there for dinner tonight. We were so glad to find a Boll Weevil again. It prompted me to look up the other 3 locations still in business: Lemon Grove, Clairemont Mesa, & Ramona. This one is still closest to my parents (though Lemon Grove is about the same distance but in a different direction).

Dragon Fly

I was a bit desperate for photos as evening was approaching, so I walked outside to see what I could find. I decided on this dragon fly garden sculpture my mom has near the house.

Old Chevy Truck

I passed by this old Chevy truck with advertising on it while I was out and about today. The light wasn't too great, but I stopped to take some photos anyway. The next day I drove by and saw a For Sale sign in the window!

Two In a Row!

I can't believe I missed two days in a row (though I didn't realize I missed yesterday until I reviewed my recent pictures). I knew I missed today when I woke up the next morning. I drove to San Diego today, and didn't stop to take any photos along the way (though I did look at the couple of places I made pit stops). When I got to my parents house, I thought about hunting down Sophie for a photo shoot, but I was tired and I just didn't get around to it. No more missed days!

Grrr. I Missed Another Day!

I could have sworn that I took a picture today, but it is nowhere to be found :( Maybe I confused myself because I stayed up so late that my picture for yesterday was technically taken today (though before I went to bed yesterday). Oh well.

Other Side of Home Office

Here's the other part of my home "office." I still have a ton of boxes full of stuff from my move. The problem is I don't know what to do with it all. A lot of it is notes and stuff from college.

New Desk Put Together

My desk is all put together! Now I just need to clean it off and get everything set up.

New Laptop

The last day of summer school. Yea! Now I just have to grade all the final exams :|

Here's a picture of my new laptop. It wasn't a planned purchase, unfortunately. When I went to visit my parents back in May, the old one decided it no longer wanted to boot. Of course, right after ordering the new one, my dad and I figured out how to "fix" the old one (though it's still not working right). And guess what, the new one isn't working quite right either! Sheesh. I have to send it back to be fixed because it's not fully charging the battery and none of the online (or tech support) fixes worked. Oh well...

Another Missed Day...

Things have been crazy with the end of the summer session and I went to bed tonight and totally forgot to take my photo. Grrrr.

(In fact, I missed a few days at the beginning of July without realizing it!)