Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Ready for Another Holiday

Thanksgiving came and went, but the leftovers stuck around! I think I've eaten enough turkey for a year. I'm starting to understand how the cavemen felt after they brought down a big, hairy mammoth. After a month of eating mammoth burgers, mammoth steaks, mammoth meatballs, mammoth soup, braised mammoth, etc. they must have been sick of mammoth. Maybe that's why man invented the fishing rod...he wanted to eat some fish instead.

I had a nice, relaxing four day break from the daily grind called work. Watched a lot of football...and USC demolishing UCLA. The Trojans drove another UCLA coach to the unemployment line....poor guy.

Now, all I can think about is my next holiday. Christmas can't arrive quickly enough....

About the photo: here's a picture of me on this past weekend. My brother came over and force fed me a fair amount of sake on Saturday night....that's what I looked like in the morning.

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving

Love

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope everyone has a nice, relaxing day with family and friends...and maybe a bit of football. I may even sneak in a quick jog to help off-set the on-set of calories. We will be roasting a big turkey, with the usual sides of mashed potatoes, stuffing, and fresh cranberry sauce. I even spied a freshly baked pumpkin pie from Sweet and Savory.

I know I personally have a lot to be thankful for. I have a nice wife (most of the time), a pair of great kids (most of the time), good health, a job, food on the table, and a roof over our heads. When I'm not tired and grumpy (some of the time), I often sit back and reflect on how lucky I am. Sometimes life gets busy and hectic, and we lose sight of the many blessings in life. We all should treat every day as Thanksgiving. Who knows when the good Lord will be calling upon us, so remember to live each day as if it were your last.

Please say a quick prayer for Cyle, an 11 year old boy who lost his battle with Leukemia yesterday. If you're interested, you can read about him here. I didn't know him personally, but I was touched deeply by his story and the love of the people around him.

Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving. Here are photos of a few things I'm thankful for.

"Alright, I'll let you take my picture...but will you please hurry..."

19 November 2011 - A Day in the Life

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

AVHS JV Basketball

Watching the Action by Wayne-K
Watching the Action, a photo by Wayne-K on Flickr.

I had a great time shooting the Amador Valley High School freshman basketball season last year. This year, I will be following the Junior Varsity team's season.

The American High School team hosted the Dons yesterday evening in Fremont, California. It was a dark gym. I shot at ISO 1600, f/1.8, and 1/320 shutter speed...pretty much at the limits of my Nikon D80 camera. I might need to leave some homemade cookies and milk out for Santa Claus this year.

Overall, the Dons played a nice game, although they had a number of second half turnovers. It was sort of like the USC Trojan football game against Oregon last weekend....oops, I wasn't supposed to bring that up! But, like the Trojans, the Dons secured a win.

The Dons travel to San Francisco on Saturday to play Sacred Heart High School. My basketball photos should have a new look to them...stay tuned!

Falling

Inbound Pass

21 on 21

Looking for the Rebound

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Go SC!

Wow, the Trojans survived a fourth quarter comeback from the Oregon Ducks last night! It was a great game and it came down to a missed Duck field goal attempt in the final seconds.

Bryan, Grant, Kevin, and I drove down to Los Angeles a few weeks ago for the USC-Stanford football game. There is nothing like watching the Trojans at home in the Los Angeles Coliseum...the energy in the stadium was amazing! Unfortunately, the Trojans lost in triple overtime, but it was a great experience.

Next week...UCLA.

UCLA is USC's cross-town rival. It never seems to matter which team is favored, the games end up being a dog fight. USC is on probation and ineligible for post-season play, so the Bruin game will be their bowl game.

RIP UCLA

30 October 2011 - A Day in the Life

Go SC

Friday, November 18, 2011

Hello Autumn

Pumpkins by Wayne-K
Pumpkins, a photo by Wayne-K on Flickr.

We seemed to have a long summer this year, with wonderful weather extending into October. Today, however, it was apparent that autumn was officially here. It was a cool and dreary day today, with occasional drizzles.

I planned to shoot some B&W photos with my FM2 camera today, but when I saw the beautiful pumpkins in our front yard, they begged to be captured in color. The orange seemed to brighten up an otherwise gray day. Earlier in the week, I noticed how the kitchen lights lit up the pumpkins in the evening darkness. I decided to wait until the sun set before shooting these little guys.

I like the still life feel to this outdoor image. It just feels like autumn and Thanksgiving. I am looking forward to some time off from work next week...and spending some quality time with the family.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

TGIF...

TGIF... by Wayne-K
TGIF..., a photo by Wayne-K on Flickr.

...but too bad it's only Tuesday.

Days like today make me wish I had Faye's job. If you know Faye, you know what I'm talking about!

Monday, November 14, 2011

Fleet Feet

If you're ever in Pleasanton, California check out the local Fleet Feet store in the lovely downtown area. Fleet Feet is a locally owned and operated store, specializing in running shoes and apparel. They are active in the community, sponsoring fun runs and Saturday training runs. As a runner and a local photographer, I was thrilled to have a few of my images adorning the store. If you're in the area, check it out...and get yourself into shape!

Trail (2x1)

Trail Through the Oak Trees (2x1)

Kermit's Pond (2x1)

Friday, November 11, 2011

Happy Veteran's Day

For Our Country

I'm not sure "happy" is the right emotion for today. Given the ongoing operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the number of service members who have made the ultimate sacrifice in these wars, today has more of a solemn feel for me. Many thanks to the men and women who serve in our armed forces and who have served in the past. Your service is what keeps this country free. So, a big "Thank You" and please enjoy your day. I urge everyone to support the troops...and kiss a veteran today!

Happy 11/11/11! Not sure why I'm happy about that, but any reason to be happy is a good reason, right?

San Francisco National Cemetery

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Na Hula 'O Moku 'aina

My Favorite Hula Dancer by Wayne-K
My Favorite Hula Dancer, a photo by Wayne-K on Flickr.

The girls of Na Hula 'O Moku 'aina performed again at the Ia 'Oe E Ka La Hula Festival. Here are more photos from the Alameda County Fairgrounds.

Olivia

Hula Competition

Kami

Kami and Kumu

Ia 'Oe E Ka La Hula Festival

Kami Hula by Wayne-K
Kami Hula, a photo by Wayne-K on Flickr.

Kami's halau (hula school) is competing this weekend in the Ia 'Oe E Ka La Hula Festival. Groups from as far away as Hawaii travel annually to the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton, California for this hula competition.

Here are a few photos from yesterday's performance.

Kami and Lexi

Ia 'Oa E La Hula Festival

Hula Girls

Kami

Lexi 2