You can make up your own title on this one

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You can make up your own title here, I'm not really making a religious statement right now. I just wonder how many people are convinced to change their mindsets because a person holds a sign and yells into a microphone or bullhorn, or just plain shouts.
But this is America, and I love that we have the freedom to do this, no matter what the sign says, or the person is shouting.

Just a little off the sides please.

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Child's Play

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Phoenix

This is the much less seen member of the Spicuzza Zoo, our Dumeril's Ground Boa named Phoenix.  I was going to post a picture of Phoenix eating his lunch, but spared you from the violence.  If your interested in seeing those pics, head over to my flickr page and see the rest of the pictures.  Nothing gory, no blood and guts or nuthin', but if you like small, fuzzy rodents, this is not for you.
This pic is shortly after he finished lunch, you can see the big bulge in his middle.  I like how he looks as he is still coiled up a bit, wrapped around himself.

The Celebrity

Our sweet pup Ninja has gone viral. He is the hottest canine celeb of the moment on the web. Even with his high demand schedule (trees to mark, butts to sniff), he wants to thank his legions of adoring fans.

So to all those little people that made him the Brad Pitt of pups, he'd like to say thanks.

Hopes and Dreams for $ale

Today, I found Hopes and Dreams for sale at of all places, Ross.

Along with the saddest little clearance shelf you ever did see.

At night, I bet the bunny puts on the shoes and dances while the elephant plays the trumpet.

Venus

Venus is visible in the early night sky for just a short while. It looks like a very bright star to the naked eye.

I use just a point and shoot camera these days, a nice one, lots of bells and whistles, but nothing exactly professional. (I will accept all donations toward new equipment) With this camera, I have gotten a few really awesome pics of the moon.

So, I took aim at the really bright dot in the sky. This is a hand held shot, at 80x zoom, with a half second exposure. Pretty cool.

punch-buggy

Let me just add a small thought along side this picture. Had I known I would be living in Cali, I think I would have never taught my daughter the punch-buggy game many years ago. Now, I get punched several times a day thanks to Californians embracing the vintage Vee-Dubs so much.

Self

Sometimes, It just feels that way

Sapphire vs Roboraptor

Scourge of the Playground

I never could make it across these things.

Yeah, I know, I'm reachin' for it today (no pun intended, well, ok, pun intended).

A Walk Down Pruneridge Ave

There is so much more to see when you get out of the car and take a stroll. There are so many small things you never notice before, little details that need some attention paid to them. Today, I took a walk down Pruneridge Ave.

I stopped to smell the roses, so to speak, and these beautiful gems too.

I stopped to take my picture in the shiny hubcaps of this cool classic car. We were matching in powder blue, so it seemed fitting.

I think these are olive. But I don't really know.

I haven't had to push one of these buttons in a while.




I just held the camera at my side as I crossed Lawrence Expy and snapped away. Kinda cool, I thought.

And just exactly why did I decide to take this stroll down Pruneridge Ave? It wasn't for fresh air and excersize, it wasn't so I would have a cool blog topic. It's because this morning, while driving down Pruneridge Ave, the new brakes on the car gave out on me.



I really need to consider getting rid of my mechanic, but I think I'll keep him as a husband.

limeade

It was a scorcher by the Bay today. My little lime tree won't be giving me limes for a few years, so thank goodness they are 10 for $1.00 at Sprouts. Tastes so nice on a day like today.

Mad Dog

I was taking a picture of my dog, Ninja, mid-yawn. It came out really wicked, and a wee bit frightening. Try hard not to let it give you nightmares.

How to Make a Cake, by Alexis (age 10)

Add oil, water, and eggs. If you get some egg shells in the mix, try to get out as much as possible. A little crunchy is ok, right?

Mix with cake beater thingy.

Shake extra batter off beaters.

Clean beaters.

Pour evenly into baking pans.

Bake.

Remove and allow to cool.

Prepare icing.

Proper tools required.

Ice.

and ENJOY!

Barefoot Coffee Roasters

I had an epiphany about ice cream a few years back. I have always been a lover of the chilled treat, lactose intolerance and all. Then I discovered those little premium pints full of decadent flavor and richness. I realized, it only took a few small spoons of the really good stuff to satisfy my craving. I could eat a massive serving of the cheap stuff, 500 calories or more of it, and not feel as good as a few small spoons of the other. It was quality over quantity.

Alas, I have found the equivalent for coffee. Now, when I first walked in and ordered a latte at Barefoot Coffee Roasters in Santa Clara, I was very disappointed at the peewee sized cup I received. Until I tasted it. It was pure and complex, with nothing but expresso and soy milk. How could they make it taste like that with just two ingredients? It was life changing. No longer do I need a sugar laden venti blah blah blah from that super coffee conglomerate. Give me a tiny cup of joy from Barefoot Coffee Roasters any day.

BCR recently upgraded the counter a bit, and added this new Handpour Bar. I can assure you, nothing like this has ever come out of my home coffee maker. So todays pictures are from my morning coffee at Barefoot Coffee Roasters.

Lexi in the kitchen

I told Alexis yesterday that she could make a cake on Friday. Friday is the next dessert day, she's only allowed dessert two days a week, Tuesday and Friday were her choice. This morning, she was already in my pantry pulling out cake mixes to decide what to make. She really wanted to bake something today. "How long will a cake last?", she asked several times, hoping she could bake it today and eat it Friday. I wouldn't let her make the cake today, but compromised with her on a muffin mix she could make all on her own. She reminds me so much of my younger self, my mom let us bake on our own from an early age.

She has no idea I even took this picture, she is not a "picture person". I had to sneak around the corner and shoot very quick. So, this one is just between you and me.

Chewable Vitamin Army

Triceratops vs T-Rex with Brontosaurus spectators. Boy, I am glad Alexis didn't catch me shooting this one. She already thinks her mom is bizarre enough for some of the things I photograph.

I'd say it's more yellow and bumpy, than green

The success in my little backyard garden is rather hit and miss this year. I have one tomato plant that has grown to great lengths, overtaken it's little cage, yet hasn't given me one single tomato. I have two others which remain pretty small and on the verge of death that are producing tomatoes. My cilantro it about 5 feet tall. There is a strawberry plant I planted last year and died, but relives this year. There's mint growing that I never even planted. I planted stevia, which is holding up well, and the most interesting thing I think I tried growing this year. My squash plant is absolutely gigantic. But apparently my green thumb is a little more yellow and bumpy. This bizarre yellow thing is the squash I grew. I am hoping someone with some gardening knowledge can tell me just exactly what happened here. I'm am clueless.

Brain Freeze

It was free Slurpee day at the good ol' 7-11 stores. Alexis was ever so excited. Then she saw the 7.11 oz size of the free one, and was not so happy. A little lesson in expectations.

So, she took mine.

But she got a good case of Brain Freeze, so the Slurpee wins in the end.

Blue Moon and Candlelight

Today, I had nothing for you. I spent today going to open houses, playing with my new bread machine (new to me, thank you Freecycle!), and relaxing on the back patio with a bottle of Bordeaux. It was in the back of my mind all day that I needed to find something to photograph, and I did take my camera with me everywhere I went today. Then I began to ponder the reason for the blog. Was it to merely post a picture a day? If so, I was going to post another one of my stunning self-portraits from yesterday. Or was it to actually take a photograph every single day. Ultimately, I knew it was the latter. So, I have for you a photograph of very little thought. The candlelight was glowing on the table on the patio and reflecting off Terry's bottle of Blue Moon. It's a picture of no merit, not even very interesting. Something I might have taken as a freshman in college. But, I did photograph it today, moments ago in fact. So, I continue to keep to my promise of photographing every day.

And just in case you came here to see something interesting, here's that really awesome self portrait I was going to post.

Sugar and Spice

WTF?!?

Seriously, this is a statue at one of the city pools in Santa Clara. It's a statue of George Haines, and Olympic swim coach, to which this pool is named after. Could anyone tell me why he is making what looks like an obscene gesture? Who really thought this was the best way to immortalize this man in bronze? And then put it out where hundreds of children pass by?

I'm just baffled by this one.