Green Ideas: Electricity #2

Switch to a laptop instead of using a desktop computer and cut three-quarters off your electrical use. Turn off the laptop at the end of the day.

Quotable Thursday #40

“Civilization is unbearable, but it is less unbearable at the top.” – Timothy Leary.

Way Back Whenesday: Goosebump Novels

I know Goosebumps novels are still around today and can be seen in book stores and catalogues on a regular basis, but I remember when these novels first became popular and I especially remember sitting in front of the bookshelf at the Brockville Mall trying to pick out which Goosebumps novel I would buy next. I would save up my money and once I got the roughly 10 dollars they cost I would lay out the options and spend way too long determining which one I was going to purchase this time. R.L. Stine definitely hit the nail on the head when he started this series.

Full Yet Relaxing

This weekend was a pretty good one. It started off with Dave's sister Jessica coming down on Friday evening. The three of us took some photos around town and played lots of Rock Band and Rock Band Beatles - and by lots I do mean LOTS!
We went out for a few big meals and pretty much eliminated the need for cooking by doing so which was awesome because Dave and I don't really have much food in the house right now and I wasn't in the mode to go grocery shopping.
I also got the chance to do a photo-shoot with our friend Kate, which was really fun. I am hoping to get the photos edited and to her shortly and will be sharing them everyone on Flickr and Stephanie Beach Photography after that.

Quotable Thursday #39

“Born again?! No, I'm not. Excuse me for getting it right the first time.” – Denis Miller.

Happy BDay Dad!

Happy Birthday Dad!!
The above photo was actually taken over two years ago at Tyler and Lynn’s Rehearsal Dinner. I have several others I could have used, more recent ones as well, but he just looks so happy in this photo that I can’t seem to use any other photo. I love you Dad.

Quotable Thursday #38

“Humor is just another defense against the universe.” – Mel Brooks.

Way Back Whenesday: Beverly Hills 90210

I do not understand for the life of me, how I was allowed to watch this show. But to be honest, I don’t really care because I loved it – and still love it to this day.
Beverly Hills 90210 started out as a less dramatic sort of show than what it is remembered for. The first three seasons were much more after-school special-like in that Brenda and Brandon or one of their friends, would get into some sort of troubling situation. Someone would make a bad decision but it wasn’t likely to be either of the twins. The Walshes would come to rescue of whomever was in trouble and everything would be solved by the end of the episode. Later one, shortly before Shannon Doherty left the show started to get much more dramatic and much more mature.
I remember being in love with Dylan (played by Luke Perry). I had legging and a shirt with 90210 on them which I actually wore during our family trip to Disney in 1992 (that’s right, I wore the shirt and watched the show when I was in grade 2!).
The show ended in 2000 but a new version of it has since started and is similar to the later, more mature version of the show. I haven’t watched too much of the new series, not because I don’t like it but because I don’t really watch television. The ones I have seen though, give me happy memories of watching the original series.

How-To Tuesday: Make An Elf Ranger Costume

Last year I blogged about Dave’s Kisame Costume and it seems to be a rather popular post, though this may just be because it is based on a character from a fairly popular anime series. Either way, Halloween is coming up and being a big fan of the holiday I decided that I would do another Costume How-To.

My costume this year is more-or-less the same as last year, an Elf Ranger. I created the cape in a similar fashion to Dave’s Kisame cape by using the Simplicity pattern 5840. I made it using a heavy green material. I purchased a gold tassle for the hood and a wooden button to hold it shut (the loop was made with gold cording). I sewed gold cording around all the edges (around the cuffs, bottom edge, front opening and around the hood) and gold ribbon around the chest for added detail.

I got elf ears from a costume shop here in Ottawa, Malabar, and after gluing them on I put cover-up/concealer over them and my ears to blend the two together a bit better. (the trick to the ears is not where to buy them or how to get them on, but rather getting them off at the end of the night. It was a true ordeal last year that was incredibly uncomfortable, but apparently not too bad as I am wearing them again this year.) I

wore black yoga pants and a black shirt. I would have liked some sort of dark brown vest with a slot for a knife, but couldn’t find anything and ran out of time to make it myself.
For a bow, I actually used Dave’s bow but brought no arrows to the party as it is an actual weapon and that mixed with alcohol could have resulted in some very bad things.
I will be wearing the same costume this year but with the addition of

fantastic brown boots I purchased from Town Show at a discounted price recently. I may even get around to finding/making the vest I wanted last year.
Perhaps this year I will actually get around to taking some photos of me in my costume…but I wouldn’t place any bets on that.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today is turkey day...officially. Yesterday was Turkey Day #1 for Dave and I as we headed up to Peterborough and then Newmarket to have Thanksgiving Dinner with his family. We also celebrated Christmas at that time to make things easier for everyone as with children growing up and parents moving further and further away from their siblings, it is harder for all of us to get together as often as we would all like.

We will be having my family's Thanksgiving dinner next weekend (Turkey Day #2). As per usual, the Beaches got moved as both in-law families have tighter schedules (and more people to fit into said schedules). Luckily no one really minds as this actually means we get to spend more time together than we would have if we just squeezed it into the actually Thanksgiving weekend. And as an added bonus, with Christmas being taken care of for Dave's side of the family, we will have more time to spend with my family then too! Though it will be a little weird to not see his family during the Christmas season.

Beverly’s Birthday

 

Today is my Mom’s Birthday. I hope she has a fantastic day.
The above photo was taken at Tyler and Lynn’s wedding back in 2008 – don’t we look great.

Today also happens to be my parent’s wedding anniversary…it’s actually harder to find a photo of the two of them so we will just have to stick with wishing them a Happy Anniversary.

10/10/10 10:10

Make a grand wish!

A few interesting 10/10/10 events and facts:
- 101010 is 42 in binary code;
- Slang for a person who spends too much time on the computer;
- Global Day of Doing;
- Global Work Party;
- A Family Celebration for Women & Babies Hospital;
- lots of weddings will be occurring today;
- many bloggers and photographers are encouraging people to commemorate this day with a photo;
- Hooha Fun Run; and the final fact/event is:
- Nothing significant appears to have happened during the year 1010 or 10.

To celebrate I will be having Thanksgiving lunch/dinner with Dave's extended family. You?

One Minute Writer #57

Write about a purchase you made that was not worth the money.

Some time ago I bought a 70-300mm telephoto lens for my photography. I love the ability to shoot at this distance and the only reason I am unhappy with this purchase is because I bought the older, non-Vibrance Reduction (VR) version. For only about 100-150 dollars more I could have gotten the newer, VR version. I find that my current lens is hard to focus and get exactly the shot (composition) that I want because of the vibration I get when it is at the maximum focal length (300mm). I plan on upgrading this lens but am not sure if I will get the VR version or wait until I can afford the f2.8 version.

Quotable Thursday #37

“Champagne, if you are seeking the truth, is better than a lie detector. It encourages a man to be expansive, even reckless, while lie detectors are only a challenge to tell lies successfully.” – Graham Greene.

Rock Band

Oh Rock Band…how I love and loathe thee simultaneously.
Justin’s parents were up over a week ago and brought his Rock Band with them. It is now set up in our living room and we have spent quite a while playing it. In fact, Justin and Dave are playing as I blog.

I like the drums the most but am still not very good at any of the instruments (guitar, drums, vocals). I do however, really like the free drumming parts like at the end of certain songs and when you want to activate your star power (I think start power is the guitar hero term, but I can’t think of the rock band term).

(image from Google – our version is also for the PS3 though the photos is the XBox 360 version).