Nerd Breakthrough (Also Photos)

I totally had one today, y'all.

We started talking about geometric sequences in math class today (that's when you start with an initial value and multiply it by the same number over and over, like "2, 6, 18, 54" where you start with 2 and multiply by 3), and I noticed that powers of numbers are geometric sequences.

When I was younger especially, but still to a degree, I was obsessed with powers of two (two squared, two cubed, etc.). Even before I knew what exponents were, I loved them. It's just such a beautiful sequence of numbers. So I started writing out the sequence and noticed that after 4096 (2 to the 12th power), it doesn't look nearly so pretty anymore. And really after 1024 it's only mildly attractive.

(By the way, we're operating on the premise that numbers can have beauty. Just so you know.)

Then it hit me that computer memory/storage is measured in powers of two up to 1024. Man, did that excite me. It's like two separate parts of my brain - the part that loves powers of two and the part that loves computers - were suddenly so connected. It blew my freakin' mind, y'all.

Okay. Maybe that's not so exciting to most of you. Maybe you're all, "Who is this nerd and why is she so spazzy?" But it excited me - it made my morning better. This is what nerd joy reads like.

Anyway, let's get on to the real show, the reason you're here. My pictures from yesterday and today:

I only took two photos today (and one is on the project site of course), both on the challenge theme for today: something I collect. They're my journals!

Just a random out-the-car-window shot taken on the way to Girl Scouts yesterday afternoon:

I'm so sad that this is blurry... a big storm blew in yesterday evening, and the gray sky was absolutely gorgeous.

This is better - I like this. It's our very confused oak tree that's always a season or two behind the rest of the trees.

Not a great photo, artistically, but I like the bleak mood it captures.

This is my attempt to capture the wild motion of the tree branches as the storm blew in:

Random watch shot!

This was the first photo I took yesterday, on my way to the bus. I knew I was supposed to be capturing things that make me smile, and this is such a sad photo, but it's really pretty too!

That's all I have for you today - check back tomorrow! And thanks for putting up with my nerdy ramblings.

Day 100!

I made it! Today is the 100th day of the year, which means it's also the 100th day of my 365 project. Only 265 more to go! Here are my photos from the weekend:

Friday was a random day - this is the inside of the oven.

And here's TJ's class ring - it's sitting on top of my journal (the one I finished on Friday!):

On Saturday I took exactly ONE picture, with my phone no less, because I was out most of the day and then had to get prepared for my date with Ben. We saw the school musical, "Godspell," and went out for ice cream. As far as first dates go, it was a pretty good one!

The dogs had a lazy morning today - this is little Sassy curled up in her favorite spot: right against Mom's pillows:

And this is my baby Edward. I love the angle of this shot!

Daisy is forever hanging her nose off the edge - you'd think all the blood would run into it.

This looks a WHOLE lot like one I posted to the project site in early January: our dusty piano.

The one I posed on the project site today looks kinda like this one, but I did some major editing on that one. This one needs it, too, doesn't it?

More "old" stuff that mom has around the house - a pair of glasses:

What's the story behind this little doll above the fireplace? According to Mom, it belonged to my great-grandma Masters.

This is some of my dad's stuff - his watch and pocket knives. He passed away two years ago from cancer, and today would have been his seventy-first birthday.

This was an absolutely horrible photo. I asked Betsy if she could think of any way to salvage it (because Duchess looks so adorable!), and she said to make it black and white and add a funny quote. So there you go:

Final shot today: Daisy peering out the front door, watching the world go by. (You can tell her family has been at it as well, what with all the nose smudges on the glass!)

Today I started the 30 Day Challenge, as I mentioned in my last post. The first day is "anything you want." and tomorrow is to be something that makes me smile. :)

*NOTE: Whoops, I never hit post! Pretend this was posted yesterday. *is made of fail*

Tis Friday At Last

And boy, am I glad. It doesn't feel like Friday, though. All my days have felt "off" recently. But it's a rather big day - I finished my latest journal! For those who don't know: I began keeping a journal in the middle of 8th grade, in a 9x6 "Ideal Book." I filled that one and had by then gotten rather attached to the whole writing thing and so I bought another one. And another one. And so on. The one I just finished is the sixth, so tomorrow I get to start lucky number seven! I'm very excited. Look for photos to appear soon. In the meantime, here are yesterday's and today's:

I got home yesterday afternoon and realized I hadn't taken any photos, so I grabbed my camera and headed out to the yard. These little things are POLLEN. I hate pollen. *sniff*

Most of these lovely green shoots are gladiolas, which are spreading like wildfire amid the tulips.

Hmm... I wonder what this one would look like with a tilt-shift effect added? I've been kinda into tilt-shift lately...

The purple daisies have bitten the dust, so we got some new pink ones!

This one had just been watered, so I managed to capture some of the drops of water on the petals:

This plum tree always looks like fall in the spring:

Its leaves range from this sort of pea green to a deep reddish purple.

Of course, it's an ornamental plum tree, which means this is the extent of the fruit it produces:

Hey, I photographed a red thing without it being overexposed! I achieved this feat by adjusting the exposure compensation on my camera. Hooray for technology!

Boy, did I have to coax my camera into focusing on this guy. It's such a pretty little bud, though!

We have some wild strawberries growing in our yard! They're very small and I think they're poisonous, but it is fun to look at them!

Another mini-forest scene, this time cannas. When they get bigger, they'll produce pretty red flowers.

Tomorrow is day ninety-nine! After that I'll be starting a 30-day challenge I found on the project website, which you can read about here. Until then, DON'T FORGET TO BE AWESOME!

A New Look

Hi, everybody! This has been a week of many changes, a few of them physical. I got a cute new haircut (a chin-length bob) and wicked new nail polish. I'm even thinking of picking out a new design for my blog here! So unless you're super-speedy and you're reading this as soon as I hit PUBLISH, it probably looks a little different around here. Let me know what you think in comments! Now, on to the real show: the photos.

On Sunday I only took one, so that went on the project site. But here are a couple from Monday - buttons from the lapel of Ben's jacket.

Lookie, it's the Doctor! And he's got a little Sonic Screwdriver...!

On Tuesday, I found these subway tickets in my purse. I've been carrying them around for some reason since we were in New York City.

This is part of a QR code I made (though it's not a full one, so don't try scanning it!). The full version, when scanned, reads "Don't forget to be awesome!"

Another version of today's Project photo: the clip Ben uses to attach his keys to his belt loop.

These were taken out the window of my old English teacher's classroom - I tried hard to avoid the reflections you see, but it just wasn't possible.

This one's better. I just loved the golden quality of the light this morning.

Stay tuned!

Happy April!

With Friday came the arrival of April, generally accepted as the most beautiful month of the year, weatherwise. And beautiful it was! See for yourself...

As I left the house to go to school, I noticed that some of the raindrops from overnight had not yet disappeared from these leaves:

My camera seems to have some sort of aversion to red things. They ALWAYS come out overexposed.

Mareth allowed me to photograph her stunningly aquamarine nails:

And her lunchbox. I'm glad someone so agreeable sits in front of me last period!

This is almost the same as a shot I took the other day, except this time it also features my agenda. I only have 7 pages left in my journal - time to get a new one!

The sky on the way home was an absolutely gorgeous shade of blue, and the clouds were to die for.

I love springtime skies - they just make me want to be outside.

Yes, the perspective here is a little odd. But does the lovely light make up for it?

When I got home, I immediately took to the yard and got some nice shots of our flowers.

I know, too many flower shots. I'm a madwoman! I can't be stopped!

At one time, this cage-like contraption held suet for the birds. Not anymore.

I wish I could have captured the movement of these shadows as the wind blew - it was very pretty.

Hooray, camera, you actually focused properly!

*blissful sigh* The lighting here just takes my breath away.

Random little branch growing out of the plum tree...

Two types of flowers growing next to each other... I had to dodge the carpenter bees to get this shot!

St. Francis looks very nature-ish with those leafy shadows on him:

Yes, another pinecone shot. I just think it's pretty!

The villain of spring... pollen. I have to take allergy medicine every morning now or else I can't even get through the day.

St. Francis again... I wanted to crop him onto the other side of the photo so the laughing kitties wouldn't be in the background, but then he would have been facing out of frame, and the photographer in me just couldn't let that happen.

On Friday night, I actually kind of had a social life! *gasp* Ben was trying out for a singing competition at a cafe and he invited me along to watch and to hang out. It was a lot of fun! I look forward to going again sometime.

Most of Saturday's pictures came out HORRIBLY blurry, but I do have a few okay ones. First, mum's feet. She thought it was pretty weird when I asked to take this shot, but since I'm her daughter and she loves me, she allowed it. :P

Last but not least, BAND KIDS! Betsy participated in the All-County honor band this weekend, and yesterday afternoon was their concert. I tried to get some nice pictures of the group, but the only one that really came out was this one, their "silly" shot. Poor Betsy looks totally creeped out.

No pictures yet today, but perhaps soon! It's another beautiful early-spring day...