Gyms

Yesterday I went to GoodLife Fitness with Chris' friend Anne [note the e ;)]. She is a member there and it was a free day at the gym since it is their 29th anniversary. It wasn't exactly what I was expecting but it wasn't far off. There were tons of equipment, so much that even in the high peak, there was still space for Chris and I to workout next to each other. We spent 30 minutes on the treadmills running, jogging and speed walking then we snacked on the healthy anniversary food they had laid out and spoke with Anne's trainer. If I ever land a job, I am definitely going to look into gyms and this one will be on the list to research.

Painting

I spent the weekend at Chris, Jerrica and Emily's new place painting up a storm. For some this would be a major task that they would only do for the best of friends, this is true for me in the respect that I would normally not partake in that much physical activity for just anyone, but I do love painting. When Chris mentioned that she wanted me to help out, I was thrilled and RSVPed instantly. I just love everything about painting, it is so much fun. You get to change a room drastically and give it a whole new feeling - new emotion, it's great.
We painted the three bedrooms and the kitchen this weekend, as well as the bathroom. They had to be primered first which was a little boring, but after that the colour came and that is always exciting. The colours they chose for their rooms are great and mesh together well actually, despite the fact that they are quite different. I think their place looks great!
Next weekend is the spare bedroom and main living room - again we have to start with primer which will once again be bland and boring, but after that two new colours :) yay!

Bored

Without a job and without the equipment and resources I need to advance my photogrpahy skills I find myself completely and utterly bored. There is nothing I want to do around the house and nowhere I want to go - at least not that I can think of. Fortunately Chris has a gathering at her new place this weekend so that will give me something to do on Saturday at least. Perhaps I can find something to do to fill tomorrow - although right now I can't think of anything.

Yet Another Blog

I badly want my own personal website - but since I do not have the funds to pay the fees for one, I have created yet another blog. This time the blog is specifically for my photography. I am going to try to post one of my photos on a regular basis once I get everything set up - which might take some time. But don't fret, I will keep everyone posted and let you all know when it is running - as it is currently up. http://stephaniebeachphotography.blogspot.com/

Two Eyes

I love photography. Recently I have come to a conclusion that I seem to have to very different eyes. One sees the world normally, as everyone else does, but the other sees the world as if through a camera lens. I do not mean this in the sense that I watch the world go bye or do not partake in the events of my life - I believe I enjoy life full-heartedly. My second eye simply sees the world as if through a lens in a creative way. I am always on the lookout for a great photo and believe that I see things a little differently than most, not all as there are many great photographers out there and to be quite frank, most of them are light years beyond me in not only talent but experience and know-how. I love my second eye and I love feeding it by placing the camera in front of it and allowing it to go to work.

Proverbial Saying

"There is a proverbial saying chiefly concerned with warning against too closely calculating the numerical value of unhatched chicks,"
~Quintus of Neil Gaiman's Stardust.

Parliament Lighting

Creative Rights

I am starting to think of my photography more and more seriously lately and in doing so I have actually become more and more frustrated. I sometimes feel as if my creative rights are forgotten and my talents in general are taken advantage of. Many people 'borrow' my photos from Facebook or other sites and it has always bothered me on some level, but recently it has really struck a nerve. There is only one person who ever credits my work (for which I am very grateful, just so you know) while others do nothing of the sort. In fact, some don't even ask, just right click and save image. I realize that in posting my images online I have lost protection of them, until the day I learn to limit right-clicking that is. I realize that when people are in photos, and they like the photo of themselves, they will want a copy of it. I completely understand that - and I am glad people like my photos of them. But, shouldn't some credit be given to me for taking a nice photo? I know the legal rights, I have taken courses on them and understand them for the most part, so the logistics of it are not in question on my part. Just because I understand the legal aspect of it, and just because I have a strong respect for others art, does not mean I will get such fair and just treatment in return.

In short, if you use an image of mine, wherever you got it from, please credit the work. If you are in the image, yes you have a right to have a copy of said image, but if you like it, if you think it is good, do you not think that perhaps a mention or a thank-you to the photographer would be polite? Perhaps I am being too sensitive, perhaps I need to just shut up, sit back and let others do what they want to do. Perhaps I am being too bitchy, perhaps I am asking too much. I know I am not thinking too highly of my skills, for I know I have a far way to go before I could ever do anything with them professionally - I have plans to better my skills but at the same time, I know I am no longer a beginner. I like to consider myself a serious amateur photographer and her way to becoming a serious professional photographer. Perhaps I need to wait until I have some sort of degree, diploma or certificate to request recognition for my work. Perhaps I should not post this, but as there are few people who read this - I will.

Parliament

House Frustration

After writing this huge rant I feel I should place a warning ahead of it. It is a rant about the current house drama - selling. The people who are mentioned in it are not personally to blame as most of these things could have been avoided (except for the events taking place and damaging my birthday) and I do understand that most of these events needed to take place. There may have been better recognition of the hardwork and effort imparted throughout this entire ordeal that I was, and still am, unaware of, but at the current moment I am at the end of my rope. I am tired of being sickingly nice and polite, and desperately need to use my personal web space, which is quite possible the last place I have left, to get everything I am feeling off of my chest.

Our house was put on the market Friday, March 28, 2008 at approximately noon. Showings started the next day at 10am. There were non-stop phone calls all Saturday (you know my BIRTHDAY) and showings up until about 10 minutes before my birthday party was scheduled to start, a time which all participants knew of including the old landlords, the people seeing the house and the real estate agents themselves. Preparations for my party took literally 4 hours longer than normal due to the showings and the need for the house to be spotless and quiet at all times. Not only did these people walk around the house free of will and demand all the lights be left on (wasting our electricity and raising our bills, for which we were not repaid) but there was even one who damaged our fuse box making the fuse blow later on and our hot water heater stop working. We were out of hot water from Friday night until Monday night, how inconvenient.
Showings continued the next day despite the fact that offers had been given and, for the most part, accepted. The invasion continued into Monday where the proposed new owners had a house inspector come through. This took over 2 hours and involved him poking and proding every aspect of our house dishing insult after insult about the place I not only call home, but the place in which I PAY to live. He climbed over my belongings without asking and moved any adn every object that got in his way.
The children of the new owners were no better. They pranced around the house as if it were their own - touching and moving anything they so wished. People went in and out of every room making it impossible to keep any of them warm. They left the front door wide open letting all of the heat out - you know that heat we paid through the nose to get. When they were done there was relief for a little while.
The old owners called and told us they had received documentation ending the ordeal. However, this was not true. Apparently there is yet another condition which must be met for the deal to be final - a mortgage appraisal. They will be coming tomorrow afternoon. When the real estate agent (or rather their secretary) called I asked them if they could please stop telling us that each step was the final step when they knew full out that it was not. I told them how incovenient and stressful this is to all the tenants and how we would appreciate it if they would start taking us into consideration - since no one seems to care about us.
This house is an investment to everyone but the five of us who live here. To us it is our home and I would really like it if people would start looking at it like that. It is our home - the things in it are our belongings. I am sick and tired of people walking around my home without care or thought to those of us who live here. I am sick and tired of people touching, moving and breaking our belongings. I am sick and tired of this entire thing.
I have one last statement - who benefits from all of this. Well the real estate agent makes a huge commission and of course the old owners make money from selling the house. The new landlords get a new investment opportunity and once the current tenants move out, the new landlords can raise the rent and make even more money. But what about those current tenants - what do they get? The old landlords are paying for a buffet dinner and getting the male tenants a case of beer. Good for them really, they realize a tiny fraction of how stressful this has been. But really does it make up for the invasion of space and privacy? Considering how much work we did for them (well some of us) and how much that work increased the amount they received, one has to ask whether or not it really makes up for it. In my opinion, the main thing I received from this hole event, the thing that resides in the front of my mind, is simply frustration, anger and stress.