---- : ----

---- : ----, Originally uploaded by Pablo Mercado.

I hereby demand more drawings of socially awkward, slightly sheepish robot-type-people!

get it done.

Snow Day

Snow
Originally uploaded by TaggartCojanSorensen.

I am not quite sure how this is going to effect my work week.
I only have to shoot interiors today, but tomorrow calls for exteriors.

First Field Trip... cancelled

Adolfo Fidel Chavez IV
Originally uploaded by killy.

Adolfo's first field trip, first school trip on a yellow schoolbus and first visit to a farm was cancelled today. I was so looking forward to chaperone-ing this.

Joining the Club

My Sister, Paola
Originally uploaded by Adolfo IV.

Armed with a Fischer-Price digital camera, Adolfo IV enters the world of photography. Please check back as he'll be updating his flickr acct regularly.

A Certain Neighbor's Note

A Certain Neighbor's Note
Originally uploaded by killy.

A lady stopped by the house today. She lives a block away along Costa Rica, directly across from Scarborough High School. I didn't recognize her - she was carrying two lunchboxes in her hands.

"Recently, we had a garage sale and your little man wanted these," she explained. You can read the note she left him in one of the lunchboxes here. That's far better than me retelling it.

I find it amazing that he is already making trails into other people's lives, however small, as his own person.

Problem Solving

Paul always beats me at chess. Always. It's the most frustrating thing because i know all the rules and the basics of strategy; however, after about the fourth move I am overwhelmed with moves, uncertainty grips me and i choke. I hate and love playing chess with paul.

Recently, i began a new flash project for Dr. C - it came to me late and i spent the first day trying to figure out how to approach the project - do i do it all xml-ly and cool? Do i construct it author-time? Uncertainty gripped me. It wasn't until the next day that i finally started putting the pieces together in flash - mocking up menus (i ganked the look of the access wayfinding 'dot' although not nearly as expertly) etc...

I have a tumultuous problem solving process. It's like a hurricane of uncertainty, fear and doubt inside of me, so when i came upon this cool problem solving chart i thought there may be some hope for me. Some process that i can follow to help me overcome the whirlwind of emotions that paralyze me at the very thought of doing/making decisions/etc...

Anyone else have problems with this?

p.s. - cool link:

View your flickr photos fullscreen in safari!

DODO

DODO
Originally uploaded by TaggartCojanSorensen.

OH MY LORD, what has the world come too.

Awesome!

When I lived in Mexico city and was part of the tumbling horde of subway riders I would fantasize about somehow harnessing the power of the millions of daily footsteps. And now it seems my fantasy has become reality! nice!

Tokyo ticket machines powered by footsteps (via BoingBoing)

Go Back and get it.

Light Vertical
Originally uploaded by TaggartCojanSorensen.

Killy. Go back and wait for the light to come on.
Assignment #1

This ain't your middle school break dance competition

These two videos are insane.
The web sure brings us some outrageous stuff.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sj3xG81zgP4&NR

http://www.devilducky.com/media/25708/

Almost Normal

Self-portrait #1 - Adolfo Chavez III
Originally uploaded by killy.

This weekend, as a whole, came together pretty nicely. Friday night was my first back at work (Katz) since we had Paola. I worked on project after project for five hours. Carol kept adolfo busy and Paola slept.

Saturday morning i woke up, showered the sleep off my body and met the Katz guys at UH for a soccer game. The UH field was chosen after Rodrigo lightly twisted his ankle and a few others had taken some nasty spills on the field on Fairview, which we had moved to after having gotten kicked off the fields on Stella Link. I went into the game strong, with two solid goals, but lost my energy after 30 mins or so. The last 15 minutes i was useless. I passed as soon as the ball was given to me.

From there i sped home and picked up Adolfo IV for his 10:00 soccer game at the YMCA. We showed up right before halftime. It's a good thing he isn't really enthusiastic about playing or else i would have felt pretty bad about that. The problem is, he only wants to play soccer with his daddy. When he tried to play with the kids, he gets angry at them for taking his ball away and at his worst, throws a crying fit on the practice field. At the last practice (wednesday) i had to hold his hand while we were on the field in order to get him to follow the crowd of running little people that ran after the ball. It was positive, i think; he was laughing and enjoying himself.

When we got to the game, the ref blew the halftime whistle and while the rest of the kids ran in for a break, adolfo and i practiced together out near one of the goals. He kicked it in the goal and yelled GOAL! and threw him in the air (he loves that). When the kids ran back onto the field coach Ron Charle put Adolfo in. He had a good two minutes - he even managed to get his foot on the ball, but after a bit he just walked back towards his daddy on the sidelines. I wasn't going to let him get away with that so we played together there on the sidelines, until he just wanted to sit and watch the other kids play.

Liz and Taggart showed up while i was napping off my soccer game. What a pleasant surprise that was. It felt wonderfully normal. Adolfo was running around the backyard pretending to be Samurai Jack and Paola was, again, asleep. Infants are so easy.

What happened the rest of Saturday escapes me at the moment, prolly because i was really happy with how Sunday turned out. I woke up around 8, ironed shirts for both adolfo and i and we went to church. I hadn't been to church in awhile. It was oddly comforting - I guess cause i spent a good portion of my childhood in church with my mother finding particular comfort and support from it. We were heavily involved. I was a star altar boy (of course i was), an usher when i came of age, and eventually president of the youth group. My mother was a coach for the girls softball team for a number of years, she eventually became a reader, and then an euchaistic minister. She also happened to meet my step-father, Bob, there who was also a familiar face around the church. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus, and did all the BBQ-ing for various church functions, and i believe had a hand in the Bingo at St. Mark's before it went away. Sitting in the pews with Adolfo fidgetting next to me i indulged myself in these memories.

Back in the car Amber&Adolph called for a breakfast meet-up. We met at El Rey just down the street from their place. (Mental note: i'll be spending more money there). They looked great. Amber has such a wonderfully bright, freckly, smily face. Sitting there i realized i really had missed adolph. I'm looking forward to hanging out.

We managed to hang at his place just long enough for carol to feed Paola and Adolfo to run up and down the stairs a few times. We got back home just in time to take carol's parents to church for the spanish mass; for me to build a contraption to take holga type pics with my D80; and for us to be here for a visit from Sara Cress who brought us yummy homemade blueberry muffins.

It was a good weekend.

Visit to Richmond...

I finally made it down to Richmond to see my sister Susan and my new nephew Christopher (Dutch). I took the train. It was a about a 2 hour trip through some beautiful country…

We had a great time visiting the National Folk Festival and eating good eats and going to the park and just doing family stuff. It sure is nice to live close to my sister…

I put some footage of the trip up on youtube

We're Back in Houston!

Front Porch
Originally uploaded by Amber & Adolph.

It feels right to get back to the gulf coast--the humidity, the greenness. This morning I took a few photos. Even though we hired folks to put stuff in the truck and out of the truck, I'm pretty exhausted from staying up late packing boxes and moving stuff around. The place and the neighborhood are cute beyond belief. For breakfast we walked down to El Rey. I was worried about finding a good taco/coffee place. When I spied a Rancillo machine my final quibble about Austin over Houston evaporated. Our internet link won't be set up until Monday but there are a few open wireless links connectable from here (thank you whoever you are!). Hopefully they won't step on the WDS connection to the APE.

Doh!

Warner Rules Out Run for White House in 2008

We're Home

We're Home
Originally uploaded by killy.

We left the hospital this morning at about 8:30 or so. She is blissfully asleep in her new bedroom.

Adolfo Fidel Chavez IV (Big Brother) and Paola Isabel Chavez (Little Sister)

Adolfo Fidel Chavez IV (Big Brother) and Paola Isabel Chavez (Little Sister)
Originally uploaded by killy.

carolina
i wasn't sure what to expect
but again was dealing with a strange sense of
what's the appropriate word
loss is not it
but something similar
something sad and private
when i checked in
killy was gnawingly nervous and excited - my mother was dutiful - my mother-in-law was electric with anticipation
and there i was - sort of forlorn and sort of reverential (???)
in any case
checked in
and taken through every step of registration, admission and prepping quickly and without any problems
the anesthesiologist was very nice - talkative, not overly friendly nor inapporpriately personal - simply a genuinely nice guy - competent, knowledgeable and warm - and quite tall too - he and killy started talking camera - my nurse was named poppy - and she looked like one too - teeny, delicate and sweet with the most straightforward gaze i've come across - it made me aware of how much her surgery mask hides from view - and it made me wonder if with that strong gaze she could see the mysterious sadness i felt - maybe she could tell me what it was
i was splayed flat on a table bed
killy was placed to my right amid wires and guages and beeping machines
i couldn't feel a thing
everyone was smiling
so was i
it was my auto-response to strange situations - try to make everyone comfortable - smiling ensures everyone that i am ok and do not require any special attention
i took a personality test once - my main color was yellow in conflict - i tend to become friendlier in difficult situations in order to avoid conflict
so there i was - smiling a bright yellow smile - trying clearly toidentify and place each and every emotion that was ricocheting all around inside of me
anesthesiologist told killy - twice - stand up stand up and look
he pulled down the blue curtain and killy stood up
he had a full view of the doctors actually pulling her out of me
and he got those shots too
and then i heard her
and all i could see was blue and killy's chin under his camera
and tears welled up in my eyes
then killy was sitting again and i looked over at him - he was crying too - soft deep personal sobs - almost not even there they were so quiet
then killy whispered
carol look
carol look
the curtain was pulled down lower - i stretched my neck to look aover the top
and there she was
they let me look at her
and i couldn't see anymore
there were too many tears

i was aware of an emptiness

i held her while they sewed me up

when adolfo came into the room later - he was wearing his school uniform - i'd made careful arrangments for mamalynda to be the one holding paola so that adolfo wouldn't freak out - i didn't know what to expect

he walked straight towards her in his grandmother's lap - he didn't even notice i was in the room - he approached her and said something like
there's paola my little sister isn't she beautiful
and he rubbed her head

all my sad feelings disappeared

here is my son holding his little sister and here is my beautiful daughter - together in this world

everything is complete

Camera RAW Photoshop Plug-in 3.6

For those of you who own a D80, Adobe has released a Beta Version of the 3.6 Camera RAW plug-in. Get it here.

The birth of Paola Isabel Chavez

The birth of Paola Isabel Chavez Originally uploaded by killy.

I was right! Babies are hardwired for screaming!

Congrats to Carol, Killy, L'il Killy and the various and sundry grandpeople on the timely arrival of Paola Isabel Chavez, all happy and hairy!

The Morning of the Birth of Paola

The Morning of the Birth of Paola
Originally uploaded by killy.

carolina
i slept fitfully this morning - i 'd like to say that it was the anticipation that kept me tossing and turning at three o'clock in the morning - but it was something less exciting and more torturous - i was plagued by indigestion and reflux again - but then this has become a nightly (daily) ritual for the last 3 weeks - i'd almost forgotten about this - the best part of my pregnancies - it's the part when modesty is a forgotten and impractical concept and all you can do for comfort is stroll around scratching your belly in the glorious familiarity of your own skin - regardless of who is around - it's a good thing you all stayed away

but now - in the romantic and soft misty morning - killy hovering like a nectar intoxicated drone is going over the final checklist - diaper bag, overnight bag, magic marker - my mother and father quietly bickering back and forth about the health pros and cons of oatmeal (translate: mucho popo in the coco) - and paola - roiling around in my belly, silently screaming for food - it is becoming all too real

her bedroom is ready and waiting - killy did a beautiful job and now it's fully stocked (lots of adolfo inspired clothing) - finished up some last minute shopping for the room last night - had to change the lightbulbs and get a bassinet sheet and a couple of other things i can't remember - but it's all there - in it's peaceful pink and yellow - waiting

i'm so tired - and so excited - and worried

will my beautiful boy suffer at all - will i neglect him to care for her - will he grow to hate her because she has taken me away from him

how do i address these things if they come up

she will buy him a bike and will present it to him upon her arrival - he will have a gift for her - a project that his grandmother will help him to realize - when he first lays eyes on her, she will be in his grandmother's arms - he and i will continue our nightly bathtime/reading/prayer ritual which will become our time

i hope it doesn't break his heart

killy buzzes by

so what songs will paola inspire?

here's adolfo's list

- popo in the coco
- baby's got the hiccups, hiccups, hiccups
- baby, baby
- chon-cua-ton
- cheepees

we have a camera, a video camera and all sorts of other goodies to capture fleeting accomplishments

she'll fill a book - just like adolfo

next question - do we spend 45.00 for adolfo's pre-k yearbook?

The night before the birth of Paola

Dad! Come see what I did!
Originally uploaded by killy.

Carol is too excited to sleep, not to mention too uncomfortable. She is double checking our bags, doing last minute tidying up. I hooked up the baby monitors and changed the lightbulbs (20 watt bulbs). I borrowed a lens from the office (a nikon compatible Tonika) and ran a quick test. Results, it's slightly sharper and results in better contrast than both my exisiting lenses (Nikon 24mm and 50mm). Mental note: lenses.

I'll use that one for Paola's birth.

Adolfo came home wth a smiley face on his conduct sheet. We walked home together today, just he and i. We watched for cars as we walked down Georgi Ln, and crushed leaves beneath our feet on the sidewalks. He picked up lost acorns and said hi to the neighbors. I wish i could do that more often...

Traditional Santorini-style Blue Dome

IMG_1175
Originally uploaded by brew...beans.

Diana went to Greece. She is still a punk, but she is now a well-traveled punk. She really wants everyone to look at her pictures.

The day before...

Adolfo and his new Helicopter
Originally uploaded by killy.

...Paola Isobel is born and i am at a loss for words. I'm not quite sure what to expect. Some people say it will be easier, others harder. I don't listen to them anyway, i've just allowed myself to be swept away in the whirlwind of life's chores.

Yesterday, Adolfo comes home from school with a 'sad face' on his conduct report and i take him for a talking walk. We walk to the end of the street and i ask him what he did today. He is coy about it - talks softly. I let him get it out and then get on my knees and explain what he did wrong and what he did right. I tell him what not to do and why he shouldn't. I explain his punishment and he sighs heavily like his mother.

I slept in Paola's room last night. It was cool, clean, and inviting. The crib is swollen with pink linens and the changing table is fully stocked with all the familiar supplies. We are prepared for the usual, but as i'm lying there i can't shake the feeling that i am forgetting something; something important. In the dark i realize that i haven't been touching her belly as much as i did with adolfo. I didn't play the guitar nearly as much as i did when adolfo was in carol's belly. I haven't read to her. I haven't spent the time considering what i would do when she was born, I've taken it for granted that i am ready for what she has to dish out.

Soon after that i fell asleep. I didn't come to any conclusions - i'm still not sure if we are ready, but i know for sure we were just as jittery when adolfo's birth neared - i was full of regrets (i didn't have a home for him) and full of uncertainty ...

Yesterday, we bought batteries for this super-ultra-cool toy. He loved it. He was shrieking with laughter in the backyard. Shrieking. Laughing. It was a sound like i'd never heard as potent as his first shrieks of birth. I watched him from inside and then ran out to join him with my camera.