Friday, June 18, 2010

Flower Power

Well, when I read about Rep. Joe Barton's apology to BP this morning I was seriously pissed because it sure sounded like he was saying that he didn't want to live in a country where people and companies were held responsible for their actions, and all I could think was, "Well, go ahead and resign your post, buddy, and make sure your passport's up to date." I just knew I'd come home and rant political here, which I haven't done in quite awhile, but then something happened, Barton was reprimanded (quite roundly, too, from the sound of things) by his fellow Republicans, and it sort of took the wind outta my sails.

(Sorry if I seem a bit preoccupied. I'm keeping a watchful eye on the spider working its way across the ceiling. It passed by my desk staying close to the wall and thankfully far from my head. But now he appears to be circling back. One of the drawbacks to having a home with high ceilings is that I can't reach it to kill the bugger.)

Other than that moment when I worked up a head of steam I had a pretty good day. Nothing special, and yet special in it's ordinary uneventfulness. Started the day with hugs and fresh strawberries and things just seemed to get better from there. I actually got to pretend I was geeky smart today (and yesterday, too). We're working on laying out specs for a new iPhone app and I was selected as an iPhone Power User Geek and asked to be part of the product development group. Well, if checking email and Facebook, and playing the occasional sudoku game on my iPhone makes me a Power User, so be it.

Yet another project group where I'm the only member not in a managerial or directorial position. Scoob is very optimistic this means a promotion in is my near future. Me? Not so much. Oh, and the other smart things I got to do were to help another team out with their Excel spreadsheets, because apparently I'm the office Excel go-to person, though I do know at least two other people in the the office with at least the same (and probably better) Excel skills.

(Okay, that darned spider is right back where he started. You know, I used to solve these little problems with a can of Aqua Net. The pink extra super hold stuff. I figured if it shellacked my hair so it wouldn't move, it would do the same to a hairy spider. And it always worked. The spider would become immobile, drop from the ceiling, and since it was coated with hairspray, it couldn't scurry away to hide and that's when I would kill it. It's a crying shame I don't use Aqua Net any longer.)

Oh, and speaking of work, I had an email this morning titled "Exciting News about Your 401(k)." Apparently they're moving the employee 401(k) accounts to a new brokerage firm. Yeah. That's exciting. No, exciting would be telling us that the company is going to resume the employer match benefit that was suspended December 2008.

Okay, enough of that. On to the Flower Porn!


Dewy California poppies



Gorgeous red poppy, though the unopened ones do look a wee obscene



Ahhh, the elderberry tree. These flowers are teeny tiny. I really like the pattern that a group of them creates, it makes me think of something familiar that I can't quite put my tongue on. It also makes me think of molecular structures. Oh hey, there. I put my tongue on it. Very feminine molecular structures. They're just cute!



An iris we practically watched open. You know, it's difficult to take good pictures of white flowers on a super sunny day. But when it's sunny in Oregon, you don't complain.



Nine Bark mom uses as a hedge along the street in front of her house.
I've never been there when it's blooming before.


Close up of a Nine Bark bloom. There were just lousy with bees, too.

(Crap. I've lost track of the spider. Okay, now I'm getting the creepy crawlies.)


I tried to do some high-contrasty stuff here with these black and white iris.
They were stunning.




This is a bloom from one of the two tulip trees mom planted in her front yard. I had to use a massive zoom to get this shot because the blooms are high in the trees, and they're so subtly colored. Mom says the blooms have now turned solid orange.



Not a flower, but still a pretty girl. This is Gracie, mom's new dog.



And this, this is my favorite shot. I hope I had the resolution set high enough, because I think I want to blow it up and frame it.
The focus is a bit off though, so I won't be able to blow it up too big.

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