24. Stripes

There are actually 24 stripes in this photo.

Fashion was my first thought when reading today's photo-a-day challenge, of course.  Stripes are difficult to wear as a female with super short hair, especially bold horizontal stripes.  The two sweaters at the sides are sleeveless with cowl necks, two feminine details; the dark sweater second from the left is a 3/4 sleeve belted cardigan, again two feminine details.  Coincidentally, the sweater with the tan stripe is a simple tank style with thicker straps and is somewhat boxy in fit which is not very feminine, I have never worn it.  I have tried it on with various skinny jeans, capris, boots and heels yet have never been pleased.  The weight and feel of the cashmere blend is quite luxe so I hold out hope that I will eventually make it work.



2013.01.24.
[Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM]

21. What you do

Today was my first day off work since enduring a nasty cold and ignoring household chores for the past week.  Less medicated and more motivated, I had a long list to tackle.  I allowed junk mail, cardboard boxes, receipts and tea mugs rest in unsuitable places.  Knowing our rental company practices unannounced bi-annual inspections was incentive enough to at least make the place presentable, and if I worked to make the house nice why shouldn't I be presentable as well?

As an early birthday gift my Mom sent me an incredible gift box from her favorite coffee shop, Espresso Elevado.  Due to extreme sinus congestion I had not had any coffee drink for over a week, why waste deliciousness on a muted palette?  Since I can once again taste I used my french press to brew an incredible cup of Ethiopian Sidamo light roast coffee and it was divine, especially with the lemon biscotti from The Biscotti Bar, included in the gift box.

I was ready to begin my day of housework... almost.  The pair of Summertime Moonbeams by John Fluevog that I had so fortunately found have gone unworn.  Sacrebleu!  The only answer was to wear them.  Today.  So the subject of my photo-a-day, "What I do", is what I did -- housework in Fluevogs.

Clearing the kitchen table
Recycling/shredding junk mail
Breaking down boxes
Recycling packing material
Five loads of laundry
Changing bedding
Sweeping the kitchen floor
Scooping the litter box
Hosing out the garbage can
Taking out the trash and recycling
Hand-washing fragile glassware
Scrubbing the hallway bathroom
Vacuuming the entire house

All this and some incidentals were performed while wearing my gorgeous and comfortable Fluevogs.  I may not have put on makeup or deodorant (oops) but I wore fabulous footwear.

Oh yeah, I also got my much-anticipated rental lens this morning, the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM.


2013.01.21.
[Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM]

"Suspend Disbelief"

Current thought to ponder:

"I think there’s one rule of thumb in creativity: when you’re brainstorming, you have to suspend disbelief. That’s a key ingredient. There’s time enough to challenge it and poke holes, but not at the time of generation"

 Kon Leong, co-founder, president and chief executive of ZL Technologies, from The New York Times Business Day article, The First Rule of Brainstorming: Suspend Disbelief, by Adam Bryant

 

15. An ordinary moment

Lousy cold, lousy photo.

Waiting for water to boil.
Too tired, too medicated to set anything up, what you see is what you get.

2013.01.15.
[Canon EF 50mm f1.4 USM]

14. Something yellow

After receiving my late-in-the-season flu vaccine I began experiencing cold-like symptoms and, afraid of reducing the vaccine's effectiveness, I did not begin an Oscillicocum regimen.  Now I am in full-on head cold discomfort -- severe nasal congestion and horrid sinus pressure.

Last night it became evident that store brand DayQuil was not going to cut it and the only other medicine I had to supplement was store brand TheraFlu and store brand Sudafed.  Don't judge me, but I topped off that pill cocktail with a sleep aid for a fitful night of light sleep knowing that I would have to brave a shopping trip the next morning.

Doing something I never do, I left without makeup, my hair in it's natural, fuzzy state, braced myself for the 37 degree cold and icy wind and headed to Walmart.  First stop, pharmacy for pseudoephedrine, the only decongestant worth taking I believe.  I paid for it, immediately took one and quickly gathered the other items on my mental list such as Puffs Plus with Lotion (the four pack), nighttime cold medicine, nasal spray and zinc.  I do not handle colds well.  Finally at the front of the store, I spotted the rotisserie chickens and got the first one of the day fresh off the spit.  Time to go home and make soup.

I pulled an 8-cup container of homemade chicken stock from the freezer and began melting it in a medium sauce pan while starting water for noodles in a larger pot.  I used about 6 oz. of whole wheat, wide noodles.  While the noodles cooked I began pulling thigh meat off the chicken in small pieces, saving the white meat for something else and the bones for stock.  Before the noodles were fully cooked I scooped them into the heated stock, adding some pasta water to thin the richness a bit, then added the chicken pieces and let it simmer for about 20 minutes.

Voila!  Homemade cold relief.  Had I been feeling better I would have added celery, onions, carrots and some extra garlic, but I wanted simple.  Had I been bedridden and unable to get to the store I would have simply warmed up the stock and sipped it alone.  This is exactly why I always try to keep stock in the freezer.  With this new rotisserie chicken I will begin the process again.  When I am feeling better.

With a sneeze and a sniffle, I bid adieu.


2013.01.14.
[Canon EF 50mm f1.4 USM]

11. Water

Or what my brother would describe as "dirty water".

Knowing the side affects of the flu mist vaccine, waking up this morning (well before my alarm) with a sore throat was no surprise.  I opted for hot oatmeal instead of my usual cold cereal as to avoid dairy, whether that is beneficial or not I am unsure, and made hot black tea instead of my usual espresso or americano as I prefer it as a warm carrier for honey and lemon.   After two mugs and two acetaminophen my throat is soothed and I am again prepared to proceed with my afternoon pre-work ritual for another closing shift.  Today is a new moon which can make for a challenging night, something most service industry workers know well.



2013.01.11.
[Canon EF 50mm f1.4 USM]

10. One o’clock

On this particular day at this exact time I took a minute (literally) to take a photograph.  I was getting myself together for a 1:30 pm closing shift and noticed the time just as I was selecting my shoes.  My phone and iPod are usually set on the bed like this while I am dressing and I check the time frequently to ensure I am on schedule.



2013.01.10.
[Canon EF 50mm f1.4 USM]