Baby Geese

Look what I caught outside early this morning. So much cuteness :-)

Lake Nokomis Art Walk

Over the winter, I was doing a bit of walking around town and discovered there are a number of sculptures near Lake Nokomis. Though I passed fairly close by on the bicycle trails, I never saw them until the day I took the walking trail.

"Baying at the Moon" is just one of the sculptures. Appropriate considering how many
dogs are down there on a given spring or summer day. :)

May 11, 2012

Lake Nokomis 50th Street Beach

Video from Minnehaha Falls

lololol This is why I don't do videos where I speak.

A.) I feel like a dork wandering through a park talking to myself.
B.) Because it's not scripted, I'm all unsure of what to say which makes me hem and haw.

I'm sure I could improve but it doesn't seem to be worth the effort.



It would've been a little longer but I came across people walking through and didn't want to film without their consent.

Cabbage Soup

I came across a web page talking about the Cabbage Soup Diet. I have no desire to actually do it since it seems to be a fad diet gimmick. But the recipe for the soup itself sounded delicious (and low-calorie).

Cabbage Soup

All it is is water, cabbage, celery, tomatoes, green bell peppers, and Lipton onion soup mix. I didn't follow the recipe exactly because a whole head of cabbage was NOT going to fit into the biggest soup pan I had. And I hate green onions so I didn't use them. But, it still turned out well. Maybe next time I'll add carrots.

Midnight Moon

I've always loved the night-time so I'd love to do more night-time photography. Even with a tripod, though, night shots aren't really going to work with my point and shoot camera. I'm sure I could improve it a little bit but  not enough to make it worth my time.

My Personal Pros and Cons of Quitting Smoking

Yay! It's been over five months since I quit smoking and I figured I'd list some of the pros and cons of doing so. And, yes, there ARE negatives.


CONS


*Weight Gain: Argh, I did NOT need that extra 20 pounds. Granted, that's partly my fault because I replaced cigarettes with Jolly Ranchers and other hard candies. Think I'm going to have to replace those with carrot sticks, broccoli, and cauliflower. It's acceptable to snack on lettuce, right?


*Improved sense of smell: I seriously hate this. Do you realize how awful car exhaust smells? I preferred it when I was in my little bubble of deadened senses.


*I STILL really, really want a cigarette. It's not as horrific as it was the first three weeks but the urge is still there.


NEUTRAL;


*I imagine I don't smell like cigarette smoke anymore. To some people, this would be a pro but I've never thought of cigarette smoke as a bad smell. So, I really don't care.


*Social: I never cared about what others thought of my cigarette habit. And, even if I had, I'm sure there are plenty of smokers to hang around. So, my 'social profile' has probably gone up but, eh, doesn't matter.


PROS


*Extra money: This is pretty much the only reason I quit and have stayed quit. Before I did, I was dipping into my bank's Direct Deposit Advance loan service every month. Now, I'm back in the black.


*Everything's cleaner: There are no more cigarette ashes to pick up from the floor. And my garbage fills up at a slower rate because I'm not throwing away cigarette packs and butts.


*Health: My chronic cough went away almost overnight. I'm sure there are other health benefits but that's the one I've actually noticed.


*More Time: There are things I don't have to do anymore. I don't have to go to the tobacco shop or Walgreen's to get more cigarettes. I also don't have to run outside at the mall or stop bicycling for a smoke break.


*It's better for the environment: Even though it doesn't affect me personally, I still think this is fabulous. I'm not creating unnecessary work for people who have to manufacture the cigarettes. The tobacco fields can be put to better use. And all those cigarette butts, cigarette boxes, and plastic wrap can be kept out of the landfills.