the laanba blog

#1 Go Texans

Remember that I am posting all my mirror shots this year over at mirror me.  I've decided to pick my favorite for the week and post here as a way to keep myself on track for my goal of at least one mirror shot a week.  

Since there were only two shots this week it was easy to pick my favorite.  We got to wear Texans gear on Friday to work.  I only have this Texans shirt since I got rid of a second one in a fit of cleaning before I moved into town.  I'm either going to have to commit the fashion faux pas of wearing the same thing twice or buy a new shirt before Friday.  Small price to pay to see my Texans advance in the play offs. 

 

Go Texans

reflected christmas

My New Year's Resolutions are starting to shape up.  It is going to be a departure from the last few years and especially from last year's hippity dippity resolution.  One of the things I am going to do is a 52 weeks reflected self portrait and I *will* do it.  I always say I'm going to do these things then I let them slide.  No sliding anymore on any of them. 

 

MP4: Lines

My weekends are so lazy.  I went out yesterday morning to a choir workshop (where I took this image) but otherwise I've done nothing but play on the computer, sleep and watch TV.  I need to find a way to stop being so incredibly lazy during the weekends.  Even now I should go grocery shopping or process photos and I don't feel like doing either so I'm not going to.  I'll go later.

On a mirror project note, I'll be glad when I don't have the white iPhone anymore.  It is a little jarring in photos.  And I haven't really figured out where to place the phone when I'm taking the picture.  I find myself putting it in front of my face which is weird, but I lose framing control when I move it to the side.  I literally just right this second discovered that I can take Hipstamatic photos in portrait orientation.  That may solve a lot of my problems.  We'll see next week.

MP3: Museum Day

Last week was a weird week.  I worked very long hours, but it doesn't seem like it was for any particular reason.  And it doesn't seem like I got a lot done.  But they were long hours nonetheless.  

Then Saturday I had a great day going to the Museum District Day.  I really hadn't planned on going, but I found myself taking part.  I saw the Star Wars exhibit at the Health Museum, hit up the Czech Center Museum, the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft (where this was taken), Lawndale Art Center, Richmond Hall, had amazing tacos from the No Borders Truck, and renewed my membership for the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.  And then I came home and crashed and have been mostly crashed the rest of the weekend.  

I spent today reading, sleeping and playing with my iPad. Not a bad way to spend the evening. And now on to another busy week.

MP2: In Praise of Hot Showers

You know why. 

MP1: Medical Me

The return of the Mirror Project posts!  I just looked it up and I haven't posted regular mirror project entries here since 2008.  Wow!  I've been taking them and they have appeared on Flickr or my blog or even here randomly but as a regular feature they have been missing for almost three years.  Well we are back baby and I rebooted it to MP1.  I'm finding it harder to take mirror projects than I used to.  I'm hoping that once I do it for a few weeks I'll be back in the habit, because right now I just don't think about it.  And it should be so much easier because my iPhone is always with me and has so many neat photo apps.  

This was at my doctor's office this week.  I went for a check up with my asthma doctor after being so sick I had to take myself to the clinic.  Basically I checked out fine, but he did bring up that I might have to go back on allergy shots if I keep having flare ups.  I really don't want to do that so I'm going to try very hard to be good about taking my medicine. In fact I'll go do that right now.

MP24: The Return

You may or may not have noticed that there haven't been any mirror project entries here in a few months.  When I redesigned my photoblog I decided to make the mirror project a weekend feature on the photoblog itself.  But I missed posting the photos here too because the photos always gave me a chance to ramble on about something or other which as you know is my forte.

So I am making a return to mirror project entries here.  I am still reserving my very favorite for the photoblog (you can see the photos go by on the sidebar), but I usually have several other photos that I don't get to use there that I will be able to share here.

Today's photo is similar to the one that will post this weekend.  There were two shots I took in the same location, but there were differences in composition.  These are the glass blocks at the Glassell School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.  

MP23: Silver Piggy Back

I'm not feeling very chatty in real life or in blog life. I have worked hard to make sure this is a place that I feel free to share what I'm going through, and I *am* dealing with stuff, but I just don't feel like sharing it and I think that can be ok too. I have the freedom to do what I want.

This is from my dinner this weekend with Jay and Cynthia. I am grateful that I had such a pleasant distraction from my stresses and of course nothing beats a home cooked meal by a wonderful cook.

MP22: The Dark Knight

I went to see The Dark Knight on Tuesday. It is everything you have heard. Well maybe not everything. I've heard the term "best movie ever" and I don't think it is that, but it is certainly one of the best super hero movies ever, one of the best action movies ever.

Movies are very subjective. What one person may love, another person may hate. I'm trying to decide how to describe my movie tastes. I actually don't go to very many movies. This summer I've gone to more than ever. Indiana Jones, Sex and the City, The Dark Knight on my must see list. Get Smart was an impromptu visit and it was ok. You will never catch me at anything that is just slapstick or stupid humor. I'm also not into overly weepy dramas. Maybe epic action best describes it. Indy, Harry Potter, The Dark Knight, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, etc.

Taken with the iPhone and processed in Lightroom.

MP21: Mola and Me

This is a Mola made by the Kuna women of Panama. If you didn't know I'm half Panamanian. That is where my dark curly hair and dark eyes come from, not to mention my difficult last name. I lived there until I was three years old. I don't speak Spanish unfortunately and I haven't been back, but I would love to go someday. I have a huge family that I don't even know.

I have a piece of Mola that I am going to get framed someday (hopefully sooner, rather than later) and my mom has several pieces that she had made into a quilt. It was very cool to see this in the Houston Museum of Natural Science. As you can tell it was hard to photograph, and I wasn't going for the reflection, but once I saw it I ran with it.

You can read more about Molas here.