Incidents and accidents

John’s black belt test started at about 2:00pm and went until about 5:00pm. He showed up and got changed while I got settled and tested the light with the camera. There were about 6 black belts there, one brown, two purples, two oranges and a white. One we got there, John calmed down, but my stomach was flipping around. On the way there he’d said “There’s really only three ways I can fail this test. If I pass out, if I give up, or if I get pinned.” The test got started after warm-ups, but instead of working through less-advanced techniques into more difficult ones, they started him off with the tough ones first. They worked him through all kinds of throws, then a kata, then decided that a randori would be good. A randori (for us laypeople) is where more than one person comes at you, and you need to keep them from attacking you all at once. This is most often accomplished by throwing the attackers into themselves.Anyway, he randori’d with three lower belts, then two blacks. After another kata and some more throws, they put all 12 people up there with him. I was so nervous I bit off all my fingernails. If he was going to get pinned, that was going to be it. I had to get up and leave, actually, I was so nervous. After that was done, more throws, then a blind randori. He was exhausted by the end of it, and I was shaking.

The black-belts went back to the office to discuss while the rest of us talked and John rested. The black-belts were closeted for a good 15 minutes, then came back out. Sensei faced John and said “So… when would be a good time for a re-test?” My heart just sank, and I almost cried right there. John pandered a little about it, then Sensei asked him to stand up and remove his belt. I thought “Oh, it was a joke! They really are going to give him his black” John stood there with no belt on, but Sensei didn’t immediately produce the black and I thought “Oh, shit… John failed so badly they’re taking his belt and kicking him out of the school!” I really DID tear up then, but then Sensei pulls John’s black out of his gi. He’d had it in there the whole time! I was so relieved. I cried as he put the black on John and tied it for him for the first time. It even had his name embroidered on it. Evereyone congratulated him, then bowed out. I wasn’t allowed to be on the mat, so I had to content myself with a flying hug once he got off the mat.

We all went out for dinner, then John came home and crashed. I was too worked up to sleep, and was up until 4am. John’s one stiff puppy today. His arms are a mass of bruises, he got knocked in the head at some point, and his back is covered in pruple too. Anyway, 5 years of work had led to this, and I’m proud of him. You can see all the photos right here.

John is officially a first dan black belt in Akido now. Pictures and longer story to follow.

The last of the pictures from a few days ago that I’ll subject you to… unless you want more!

Her mommy said I could borrow her anytime, so I’ll probably be doing just that!

The storyboards I designed for this shoot. Each one is a 10×20 print mounted on a foamcore board, so it’s easy to display in a decorative plate stand on a desk.

The white dress with red flowers was a flea-market find. It had a nasty brown stain down the front. Soaking it got rid of the brown in the underdress, but didn’t fix the brown flowers, so I hand-dyed them red with a dye marker. Total spent on the dress: $6.

From my photo-play yesterday. More to follow later, she’s just too cute not to share.

Imagine a bored photographer gets called gorgeous by one of her LJ freinds. What happens when that same bored photographer finds some petticoats in her closet?

This entire week, I’ve been agonizing over a long-awaited life path change. Do I chuck the teacher career and go for portrait photography or stick with teaching because it’s safe? There are pros and cons to both, but Larken made three of the best points in favor of changing to photography. She said, “I think you’re too unstructured for the regular 9-5 job. Plus, you’re sick ALL the time!” and then she played to my ego with “You’ve got so much talent it’d be a shame to not do photography.” While I was at the gynecologist on Wednesday, the doctor I was seeing asked me what I did and I told her “‘portrait photographer’ because it sounded better than ‘unemployed daycare teacher’. She then immediatly told me that she wanted photos of her two-year old daughter, Emma and asked me for a business card. I had to tell her that I didn’t have any cards or a website up yet, but that I’d leave my e-mail with her and she could e-mail me with questions.
Later that night as I was thinking about it, I came to the unpleasant conclusion that more thinking isn’t going to get me anywhere and if I’m going to do anything I need to get off my ass and just make the choice. So I did. I’m going to go for portrait photography. Thank you Larken and John. Now, to go about getting it done.
This is my battle plan for now:

1. Come up with names.
2. Buy a new domain for the website
3. Install PixelPost to power the website.
4. Split the website into two parts: family and not-so-family oriented.
5. Set prices and print package prices.
6. Have two sets of business cards made to cater to two seperate crowds.
7. Have two sets of brochures made.

So far, the name has been the hardest part. I have a few freinds *coughAtariandTimcough* who work int he graphics industry and can do cards and brochures for me. I can do the webpage on my own, but the names are killing me. The problem that I’m facing is that I am unmarried. If I use my first and last name, that’s what will become known. When John and I eventually get married, I’ll be changing my last name to his and I’ll have to go back and re-do all of my contacts and cards and brocures.. etc. The best I came up with was ‘Elle photography’, elle sounding like the letter L, which is what both of our last names begin with. Larken came up with ‘Heather in the field’ (punny, but I like it) or ‘Nightingale Photography’ and ‘Nightingale Nights’ for the not-so-family (boudior) oriented site. I love the ___ Nights part, but I’m not really fond of Nightingales. Suggestions anyone?

I’ve already packed what I can. I’m so keyed-up abount being in Arizona that I’m starting to try and pack what I can’t. Like the cat. No, not really… but like the pajamas. If I pack them, I can’t wear them to bed, duh. All the camera batteries are already charged, all of the memory cards emptied. The maps are found, directions printed, hotels called. I’m so ready to be gone already! I find myself looking around and going “Next week at this time, we’ll be doing ________.”
I’ve been talking on and off with Sheri Williamson, a co-founder of Southeastern Arizona Bird Observatory. I was hoping to catch a Hummingbird Banding session, but it turns out that she has workshops to do the entire time we’re out there, so we won’t get to see her at all. That’s a shame, really. I’d wanted to meet at least someone I’d been chatting with out there. None of my Hummingbird Forum people are going when I’ll be there (not for lack of trying on my part). It’ll be pretty much John and I, plus anyone we happen to meet out there.

I just walked to CVS and bought 4 bags of 50% off Hersey’s Eggs. I don’t know why they’re so much better than the Kisses, but they are. I’m always upset when I don’t have any left.

In other news: Kitty (the last surviving mouse) died over the weekend. She’s now buried out back with her sisters. We’ll never ever have mice again. Ever. I do, however, miss bird sounds sooo much. I want a handfed baby parakeet (blue and yellow), since I’m so allergic to cockatiels now. I’d really love to have a Green-cheeked Conure, but they can get pretty loud at times and John would kill me.

This week’s Day in the Life is just too damn cute for my own good. I wasn’t going to put borders or anything on them, but they were just so adorable I couldn’t leave them alone. Go see!