Baby did a bad, bad thing

And it feels so good.

After a year of working mostly twelve hour days and complete devotion to my employer, they rewarded me with a good performance review and a small bonus.

Instead of saving the money for a rainy day like a good girl would do, instead I went and did a naughty thing, and it looks a little like this:




I certainly don’t *need* an this bit of electronic gadgetry, and yet…the power of the iPad compels me.

Damn those Applearians. They got into my brain again.

Meanwhile I’m already ridiculously attached to my new device.

Just doing my part to help the economy.


Go Read!

I have a story published in the September issue of New Mexico Magazine!

And the story just happens to be up on the NMMagazine website too.

Click here to read.

Then go buy the magazine because I’m featured in the Storytellers section of the print edition!







Image from the New Mexico Magazine website.


Pardon Me, Waiter. What Is this?

Over the past few days The Good Man and I had some things to celebrate, so we got out of town for a few days.

We headed up north and checked into a really fancy schmancy hotel. The Good Man had planned the weekend to be a surprise for me, and it was amazingly good stuff.

I’d been advised to bring one nice outfit for a night out, and so I did. Friday night I put ‘er on and off we went to dinner at a Michelin starred restaurant.

(In case all Michelin means to you is tires, a starred restaurant is a really big deal.)

So being the New Mexico hayseed that I am, I made sure I worked very hard to mind my manners, use the right fork and not laugh too loud inside this very expensive and fairly quiet restaurant.

Of course, that only lasted through my first Sidecar martini drink.

Once the sugary brandy took hold, all bets were off.

Which just happened to coincide with the end of appetizers, when our fantastic server began setting up our table for entrees.

Ok, so a nice sold fork was laid down. Good. Then kind of a funky scroll sided knife, but a knife nonetheless.

And then another utensil was put next to the knife.

It looked like this:



Shaped like a spoon, but flat like a knife. I was perplexed. I had NO idea what in the sam hell it was.

Then I watched the waiter lay out a similar place setting for The Good Man.

Before the server could get away I blurted out “Excuse me, sir? But what is this?” and held up the alien utensil.

He took a step backward. I reconsidered my manners.

“My apologies,” I said. “It’s just that my mother taught me all the forks, but I have no idea how to use this.”

He laughed, “It’s a sauce spoon, your entrĂ©e comes with a wonderful sauce and this will help you get all of it.” Then he showed me how to use it.

And, well, by god that flat spoon did work pretty darn good on that tasty sauce.

I mean, where I come from we sop up all the good sauce with a biscuit, but whatever. I guess if they want me to use a fancy spoon, I will.

Didn’t stop me from licking it when I was done.
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(ok, no, just kidding about that last part)



Image from Connox Living Design Shop.


There’s This Tree Out On the Bosque…

Today’s Theme Thursday is tree, and since I’m on the road today (doing the vacation thang and all) here’s a photo of one of my favorite trees.

This old friend lives out on the Bosque in that little slice of land between Los Lunas and Belen known as Los Chaves.

My folks used to live out that way and I alternately loved and was afraid of walking in the Bosque. Lots of wonderful stuff and lots of ways to get lost and encounter odd people in that underbrush.

Over time this particular tree became my beacon. I knew I was headed in the right direction as long as I could find this little tree and it’s natural archway to my favorite path.

This photo was taken back in 2005 with my simple Sony point and shoot. I went back a couple years later with my good camera gear and better photographic knowledge, but that wonderful arching branch had been cut back. No doubt trying to control the overgrowth due to annual fire season. I was a bit sad, and that makes this photo all the more dear to me.

Good memories. A little homesick now, actually.
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Aug 15th Edit: I talked with my mom last night and she told me she knows and loves that tree too. Seems the beautiful tree is a family friend.



Cottonwood on the Bosque


Photography at Your Own Risk

Trying to step up my photographic game a bit. Recent feedback I’ve received says I need to work on light and light balance.

So to work through some of this, I bought a not-super-expensive light tent from the good people over at ThinkGeek.

It’s a nice little kit with a handy carrying bag. In one neat kit there is a light tent, two lights, a desktop tripod and clips.

But in order to get the light tent into this fun little carry bag, they made the tent itself with those flexy bendy wires that they use in some sun shields for cars.

I pulled it out of the bag and it did this:


(double click the box below to get it to play, click again to stop)




Or click here


Holy Crap! I almost peed myself.

Once I did finally sort out the ding dang thing, *someone* decided it was their new house. There was a lot of biting when I tried to remove the object obstructing my photographic progress.



Who knew I needed protective goggles, chain mail gloves and a helmet to take some simple desktop shots! Sheesh!



Photo and video Copyright 2011, Karen Fayeth, and subject to the terms of the Creative Commons license in the far right column of this and every page.