It's a Sign

Many of you know that I like taking pictures of signs. At first, my criteria was that they had to be funny, but I've expanded to include any sign that is meaningful or interesting in some way. I especially like old neon signs, or the hanging wood signs you tend to see in quait little towns. If the name of a place is interesting, such as "Catawampus Fudge and Funk," or "Diva Lounge," that will definitely stop me in my tracks. Sometimes, like in Ireland, or in San Francisco's Chinatown, signs will be in two languages. I find that intriguing. Some of my signs are well-known around the world (Pike Place Market, Fisherman's Grotto), and some are meaninful only to me, like the Cooper House sign I snapped in Davis, CA.

My friends and family have gotten used to me stopping, saying, "Oooh, that's a good one!" as I point and click with my Kodak EasyShare.

Anyway, I have a few extra minutes on my hands tonight, and thought I'd make a slide show of some of my best sign pictures. This is not all of them, just the best ones. I look forward to adding to my collection.

Enjoy! (Oh, and it's kind of big--70 pictures in all! Click here if you can't see it on my blog)

Daffodils

Almost three years ago, I was struggling with a lot of indecision and stress. As I walked to work one day, I noticed new daffodils coming out of the ground. It made me think of how hardy they are in the cold, and how tenacious they are, poking their sunny faces out early every year. They reminded me of myself in a way...and they still do.

I can bloom just about anywhere you plant me. I can take cold weather and other non-hospitable conditions. But even the strongest daffodil can be damaged by hard times.

I learned an important lesson this week; one that is going to change the course of my life and career, yet again. It was shocking, unexpected, and it bruised my pride in a big way. It was also, possibly, the best thing that could have happened to me. I have a lot to look forward to now. I said it on New Year's Day and I'll say it again. I have a feeling, in my gut, that 2008 is going to be a good year for me. I'm a little bit scared of all of the "unknowns" right now, but I'm excited for the good things that I know are coming.

Bring it on.

Unofficially Tagged By Shae

She didn't actually tag me, but I read her blog and thought I'd play, too.

Here's the game:

1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages).
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people.

My book is High Five by Janet Evanovich.

"We better hurry," Grandma said. "I don't want to be late for the viewing. I want to get a good seat right up front, and there'll probably be a crowd, being that the deceased was shot."

Gotta love Grandma Mazur!

Clutz

Yet another graceful move by your friendly blogger...this morning I managed to close a heavy metal gate on my ankle, causing considerable pain, some not-so-ladylike language, and half a day of limping.

But, being me, I coordinate well--my pajamas almost perfectly match the enormous bruise on the back of my heel.

Don't worry, I know it's not broken...I'd know if it was, as I've been there, done that, plenty of times. No, I'm just a pretty shade of purple, and feeling all sorts of chagrined.

It's a beaut, eh?