Hello blog readers and welcome to the first edition of Notes from my Noodle in 2012. I hope you all had a wonderful New Year’s and holiday season as this world gets back into full gear.
Alas, another weekend is upon us. There is good weather in the forecast in my part of the Northeast, so I’m looking to go out and geocache/letterbox/photograph for a while Saturday. Why not take advantage of it?
My January 4 choice for my 366 Project.
With this year being a leap year, I’ve opted to do the Project 3656 again. I was successful in 2010 with it, so I thought with the extra day, it would be cool to do it again.
Now I just have to make sure to get a photo each day!
I’ve been good with it so far. And I plan on heading out today to find a photo. As I peer outside right now, there are blue skies, the sun is shining and the temps are in the upper 40s.
Score!
There has to be something out there to snap photos of, I would think.
And though I have the iPhone, which has an excellent camera, I am hoping to do the bulk of the 366 this year with my Canon 7D. I love the use of the iPhone — I really do — but for this project, I’d like to challenge myself artistically a but more with my DSLR. Plus, I got a really cook bokeh kit for my lenses for Christmas and I’m looking forward to trying that out for sure.
If any of you have some cool and fun ideas for photos I should look into taking for my 366 project, post them in the comments section. I want to keep a small notebook of ideas, in case I get in a pinch!
I know a few others doing the 366 this year. One of them is fellow Flickr/Twitter user and fellow geocacher Mike, who has been doing the 365 since 2010. That means, unless he somehow skipped a day this year and hasn’t said anything yet, he has been taking a photo a day for 736 straight days (or more)! (For readers of this blog, Mike was a guest poster in November).
That’s insane!
Keep it up Mike. By the end of this one, you’ll have reached nearly 1,000 days, which is no small feat!
***
I wish I had more to report on the job hunt. Applications are still being sent out. But, for the next batch, I’m taking a different approach.
Being that the first approach hasn’t worked too well, outside of the few interviews and such I’ve had, I’m going to change the tone of my cover letters. At this point, what’s it going to hurt? I think I am going to attempt to make them a little more edgy, a little more cocky. I imagine that it will, at worse, get somebody’s attention. Maybe it will get me a few more interviews. And maybe (gasp!) an offer.
Something has to change.
I want to try and re-work my resume a little, too. I don’t think it’s awful, but a tweak or two probably wouldn’t hurt.
My big thing is trying to make it so my block of not working doesn’t stand out so much. I have to work on that as well and hope something comes along soon.
This has, by far, been one of the most trying things, professionally, I’ve ever dealt with in my life. I’m just hoping the light at the end of the tunnel gets big soon!
***
This past Sunday, I went and played a round of disc golf. On January 1, in the Albany area in New York, it was in the high 40s. Me, my niece Nicole, Darren and his wife Jodi played 18 holes at Schenectady Central Park.
My niece sizes up a putt.
What a day.
I played a round of disc golf last Jan. 1 as well, but it was not nearly as warm as this!
But it was a perfect day to go out for a nice little walk and play a round. We only came across people a couple of times, but no major issues. We stopped for a couple of letterboxes and pretty much took our time.
Without a doubt, though, it was great just to be out walking around and moving.
I haven’t played in a while (I think my last round had been on Thanksgiving), so I didn’t throw as well as I would have liked. Still, it wasn’t bad. I had some decent shots and hopefully my game will improve as this year moves on. My niece has only been a few times, but I think she’s starting to get the hang of things and hopefully she can keep improving and liking the game as well. Starting at a younger age will only make her better as she continues to age and play. It’s also a great game to be able to just get out and play.
Now if we can get a course in our local area…
Speaking of disc golf, I continue to work on a certain disc golf project I have going on. I am hoping within the next two weeks to be able to announce something here about it. I’m extremely excited about it and hope it works out for the best!
Until then, keep clanging the metal and rattling those chains when you are out on the disc golf course!
***
I’m sneaking out of the area this weekend to do a little day trip. I’m not going far, but I’m meeting up with a friend to do a day of geocaching/letterboxing and catch up on some things.
Here’s something I’ve figured — it’s not as easy planning a trip to involve letterboxing as it is geocaching.
See, with geocaching, you have a map you can open up and see where everything is. That way, you can plan a route that is somewhat economical and such.
With letterboxing, you can bring up a google map — for each box. Then you have to figure what’s close etc., and try and keep them somewhat in a route to make it worthwhile.
Hopefully by the end of tomorrow, we’ll have piled up a bunch of finds for both. And I also hope to have had several cool photos taken before the end of the day.
Though the temperatures are supposed to be slightly cooler tomorrow (not too bad, though), it is still supposed to be sunny and nice out. So I look forward to a day of finding stamps, caches and photo opportunities.
***
I have finally gotten back into reading books on the Kindle again. I’m reading one of Jodi Picoult’s latest books, “Sing Me Home.” So far, so good. I’m a big fan of Picoult and always enjoy what she brings to the table with her books. Well-written and well-researched make things a good and smooth read.
I have a couple of other books lined up as well.
Anyone get a Kindle Fire over the holidays? I’m curious to see what people think. I have a 3rd or 4th Generation Kindle and I like it. But down the line, I might look to upgrade, though if I really want a tablet, the iPad seems like the way I might lean. I like my reader to be just that — a reader.
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I’m still clicking! Once in the two years, I used a photo someone took of me and I have no problem counting that. It was more interesting than what I had. So far, I’ve only used photos taken with my 5D, although I usually grab a JIC photo with the iPhone ASAP, for those days that get away.
My sister bought a Fire around Thanksgiving and sent it back to get an iPad. She said it crashed constantly. A friend got one around Christmas and loves it. He said the firmware update fixed the crashing. It’s a good size tablet. The screen looks good, too. I think the iPad has a longer battery life though.
Good luck on the job hunt (and the letterbox/geocache hunt).
Mike
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Mike — You really are an inspiration when it comes to the 365. Amazing what you have done. As for how you do it — smart move. So far, I am doing well this year, but I know somewhere along the line I’m going to have to just have a “JIC” photo.
As for the Fire, I’ve heard a lot of things. Interesting. I like my Kindle for what it is. Once I land on my feet better and can afford a tablet, I’ll probably look toward an iPad and can have it all sync up with my iPhone etc.
Getting a little disc golf in with the fam, huh? Sounds like good times! I still can’t believe Ry and I haven’t played at all – and it’s so huge around here. I think we need to find some people to go with first, though, rather than buy our own discs and realize we’re horrible at it. Ha.
As for the Kindle/Fire/eBook discussion, I was asked if I’d be interested in one of those for Christmas and said no. I’m too in love with books.
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Seriously, you guys need to do it. I bet you would have a blast. If I was closer, I’d come down and play. But that might be a tough car ride!
I was totally in love with books, too. Still do like them. I just like the ease of them on the Kindle. Many are cheaper and with the Kindle there are SO many books that are free or very cheap from lesser-known authors and it’s been great finding those books and reading them.
Well, I’ve never done the Project 365 thing before, but I made it one of my 101 goals in 1001 days to do it at least once, and the leap year seemed like a fun time to do it…
I’ve decided to make it more of a photo diary than worry about the photographs themselves being masterpieces, so I’m just taking a snapshot at least once a day to mark something significant that’s happened, or, on days when nothing particularly noteworthy has occurred, just anything that struck my interest at the time.
I’m not lugging my DSLR around with me everywhere, so most of the pics will probably be taken on my phone or my little compact camera, both of which are fairly naff in terms of picture quality in poor or artificial light, but ok in daylight, and perfectly adequate for my purposes, really.
My pics so far really aren’t of interest to anyone except me, to be honest, but here’s a link if you’re curious 🙂 http://are-you-flowin.blogspot.com/p/project-366-leap-year-in-pictures.html
I’m hoping to get some more interesting ones taken later in the year when we’re out and about more…
The 365 is a great project and it’s great you are doing it. And your outlook on it is perfect. I don’t use it as a diary, per say, but I use it as a forum to show something I saw or sought out that day. And, sometimes, I use stuff that was done as a joke or accident. Looking back on it at the end of the year is really cool, too. The way you are looking at it is perfect though!
As for the DSLR, I won’t always lug it around. But I want to use it more than not this year. I don’t fear not using it, however, as I think the iPhone is a solid camera as well as a phone. So, I’ll be ready for whatever situation.
I will definitely check yours out. As for interest — it’s all in an eye. Don’t be too hard on yourself as everyone will lulls and such, Good luck with it!
I have Kindle and it collects dust.
I prefer real books (sorry trees!)
Sometimes i smell it so hard my head spins 😛
You know in the middle at the folding yeah……and if the book is new…oh my oh my…hehe
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I love real books, too, but the Kindle is way better in my eyes — I just love the ease and all of it!