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Wednesday, October 01, 2008
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Breakthrough - hopefully
Current mood:  hopeful
Today Shaun and I went to Children's hospital for 3 different appointments for Aidan. The first being a classification of his Autism. (Autism, Austism- Spectrum, or none), the second a hearing test to rule out hearing as a part of his delayed speech, and a vision test.
The test with the speech therapist went rather well. He was attentive and is progressing hugely.
The hearing test was wonderful. His hearing is perfect.
The vision - we originally thought this wasnt necessary because we didnt think he had vision problems.... wrong. The doctor, after administering the test, said he was one of the most farsighted toddlers he's ever seen. Very impressive - not in a good way. He's having problems focusing and along with a low attention span may be the majority of his behavioral problems. For example, sometimes i'll ask him to point at something he knows in a book and he'll scan the page with his finger for a few moments before landing on it. A lot of the times he gets frustrated and gives up.
He's getting glasses. I'm very excited. This may be a huge breakthrough to progression. Or it may just help a bit. Either way it's positive and i wanted to share it :)
I've had a wonderful week so far. Amazing shoots, the fall is ushering in, and great friends.
I'm happy.
11:22 PM
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Sunday, September 21, 2008
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Love Is Not Enough
Current mood:  confused
The more that we take
The paler we get
I can't remember what it is
We try to forget
The tile on the floor
So cold it can sting
In your eyes is a place
Worth remembering
For you to go and take this, to smash it apart
I've gone all this fucking way
To wind up back at
Back at the start
Hey, the closer we think we are
Well it only got us so far
Now you got anything left to show
No no I didn't think so
Hey, the sooner we realize
We cover ourselves with lies
But underneath we're not so tough
And love is not enough
Well it hides in the dark
Like the withering vein
We didn't give it a mouth
So it cannot complain
It never really had a chance
We'd never really make it through
I never think I'd believed
I believed I could get better with you.
- Nine Inch Nails
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Currently
listening
:
The Fragile
By
Nine Inch Nails
Release date: 1999-09-21
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1:41 PM
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1 Comments - 0 Kudos
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Saturday, September 13, 2008
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Idle Hands
Current mood:  accomplished
I want to title a documentary involving my son who is struggling with Autism and Fragile X Syndrome; "Idle Hands." His mind is obsessed and his hands do what his mind tells him until society tells him not to.
Here is the first 8 frames of this;
Obsessively spinning a plastic coin that is for teaching him to put money in a piggy bank;
Progress, He has problems with pointing, and he is pointing out an image on a book that he likes;
Copying mommy on a workday (I honestly think he likes the sound he is creating with the keys);
This is based off of a band, my wonderful friend James Graham introduced me to;
http://youtube.com/watch?v=yEUmdjgW-r0
oh and here is the live version :
http://youtube.com/watch?v=YxrlOfHkl34
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Currently
listening
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Saturnalia
By
The Gutter Twins
Release date: 2008-03-04
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10:41 PM
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Sunday, September 07, 2008
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"Master Cleanse"
Current mood:  annoyed
It has come to my attention recently that a few models i've been in contact with and a few i've seen different places and even regluar everyday people who are ashamed of their appearance feel the need to constantly destroy their body.
It seems, through forums, interaction, and recent questions that cleansing has been the mode to do this in.The latest I have heard is a model who is pregnant on a "master cleanse". Cleansing is another word for starving yourself. It's just a "hip/trendy" way to say it. It is probably one of the most ludicrous things anyone could do to their body, much less a pregnant woman.
For those who do not know what a cleanse is, here;
The Master Cleanse claims to be a way to cleanse the body of toxins and remove the cravings associated with drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and eating junk food. "Coffee, tea, and various cola drinks, as habit-forming beverages, also lose their appeal through the marvels of the lemonade diet." The cleanse involves drinking only lemonade made from fresh lemon or lime juice, Grade B maple syrup, water and Cayenne pepper. No solid food is eaten for the entire cleanse. The master cleanse is technically not a "fast" and proponents say it is more gentle on the body because it does contain some essential vitamins and minerals. According to proponents it is recommended to be on the cleanse for a minimum of ten days, but some people stay on the cleanse for longer periods of time, even as long as 45 days.
Since there is no intake of solid food, special precautions are taken to avoid constipation. Senna tea is taken every night, and in the morning warm saline is required. This passes through the digestive system extremely quickly, usually causing defecation in 30-60 minutes. It is essential to go off of the cleanse slowly. The lack of solid foods for such long periods requires careful breaking, as gut flora need to re-develop and mucus linings re-build. This usually involves drinking "full strength" juices for a day or two, while slowly adding in soups, then fruit, vegetables and nuts before resuming a regular diet. Some individuals have returned to their healthy diet the following day after stopping the program without any problems, but this is rare and not recommended, especially for first timers.
The so-called "Master Cleanse" is just another fad diet, with no basis whatsoever in reality. There is this thing called a LIVER. It removes the toxins from your body. It's worked like that for a MILLION of YEARS and it doesn't need anyone's help. What people like this are doing is starving their body.
I dont understand, if someone is truly unhappy with the image of their body and low self esteem due to it, why not just go on a low calorie diet and get exercise? I realize this is probably not the best option for lazy and ignorant people who would rather do a cleanse and starve themselves. But I mean, this is just getting ridiculous.
I truly have no respect for models or anyone for that matter that destroys their body in this fashion due to low self esteem. I am just absolutely astounded at the ignorance.
I'm happy with myself. I feel I could probably do more exercise than running after a 3 year old and sprinting through airports and I certainly am working on that. However, for people who are not it would be wise to consult with your doctor and find a method of losing weight that is healthy not life threatening.
In other news, Aidan is starting preschool on Tuesday. I'm excited about that. He's growing and progressing so much. I'm a proud mommy. :)
I'm off to North Carolina the same day and then Detroit, Allentown, Boston, New York, Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and Baltimore. Whew! Here I go again!
6:13 PM
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1 Comments - 4 Kudos
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Monday, August 25, 2008
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I Love Him
Current mood:  confident
My son that is...
I've decided due to the previous blog photograph and the rest of the candid photos he lets me take; I want to publish a book of him.
His struggles with Fragile X Syndrome and Autism and candid happiness. I'm going to shoot as much as I can of him.
He is my world and makes me realize we are only on this earth once. Life is too short not to be happy.
Most of all as I have said before; Normal is overrated.
We're not really exhausted... well we are just in a good way:
My little pizza face:
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Currently
watching
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Pulp Fiction
Release date: 1998-05-20
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2:10 AM
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1 Comments - 2 Kudos
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Thursday, August 21, 2008
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I Wish
Current mood:  fascinated
I was as good at being the model of a portrait this amazing as my son is;
I took this of him a few weeks ago with my 35mm. It isnt me, it was 100% him. All him.
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Currently
listening
:
L.D. 50
By
Mudvayne
Release date: 2000-08-29
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2:23 AM
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2 Comments - 4 Kudos
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Monday, August 18, 2008
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I’m Not Going to Pursue a Career in Mountain Climbing
Current mood:  groggy
Of all of my traveling i've done in the past 6 years, none have been like these past 2 weeks.
My trip started off with a flight to Portland that left at 6am. I arrived at 1:30pm PST. I leave the following morning to ride with 2 amazing photographers for 8 hours to the coast of Washington. Then comes the most grueling photo trip I have ever been on. With a 5 mile hike into lush forests through 3-5 inches of mud and water, hopping over tree stumps and rocks and sliding down 50 foot cliffs with a 20 pound pack on my back... it was worth it. Shi Shi beach is hands down the most gorgeous piece of land I have ever seen. With huge moss covered rocks hundreds of feet high and the clear, frigid Pacific ocean crashing against them, to the sandy beaches and tide pools/caves filled with the beauty of the sea in all forms. I could go on and on but here it is; 
 Shooting here was amazing. My first camping experience ever. I loved it, absolutely wonderful.... well the hike wasnt..
Then onto Seattle for 2 days and off to Vancouver for the remaining of the trip. Busses, trains, planes, ferries... name the mode of transportation and I was aboard. I liked Vancouver a lot. It reminds me of San Fransisco a lot. Except about 70% asian. Sushi, Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, etc for food. Nice clean and modern city. Mostly apartments and condos/hotels not many businesses. I had 2 shoots there with two wonderful photographers - personality wise and talent. I cant wait to see the results.
I also photographed a model named Candy there. She is a well known art model and is such a wonderful and gorgeous person. We shot for all of 15 minutes - 20 frames. Then had dinner and hung out a bit. The results from those;
I then come back to Portland and meet a photographer for a wonderful fish dinner and a tour of the cleanest city in the US. I dig it, a lot. But Seattle and the whole Washington area I like better. Overall it was a very successful trip and very hard. Lots of traveling, hiking, and just moving. I'm beat, jet lagged, and ready to shoot again!
The moral of this story is; "Sarah is not a hiker." :P
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Currently
listening
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The Very Best of the Smiths
By
The Smiths
Release date: 2001-06-11
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12:14 AM
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0 Comments - 2 Kudos
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Saturday, August 02, 2008
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Wooo Hooo!
Current mood: excited
Ok I can say that i'm quite excited. I love traveling... but to get the chance to travel for 2 weeks for once is well.. exciting.
My son went on a 2 1/2 week adventure yesterday morning with Shauns mom, Shauns sister, and two little cousins. A roadtrip from Ohio to Seattle and then down I-5 to San Diego. I hope my little man is having fun so far.. I miss him already. But of course this gives me time for a vacation/work as well....
I decided to go to Portland and then Seattle and onto Vancouver for these 2 weeks. I fly to Portland tomorrow morning and then i'm off for 3 days on the coast of Washington for lots of shooting! I am shooting with an amazing photographer - who still uses medium format cameras and paper- shocking. Then i'm off to Seattle for 2 days. I love Seattle and the Washington area in general. Such a great city. Then I am taking a train to Vancouver on the 8th where i'll be staying until the 15th. I havent been to much of Canada and I hear Vancouver is one of the best cities in the world to live.. we shall see about that. I have 3 shoots in total there (I didnt want to make this entire trip work related).
I'm sure by the time I return I will be exhausted. But for once I get a vacation and I can tell you, I am very excited... did i say that already? :P
P.S. I'm not bringing my laptop with me so I will not be online. I'll have plenty of updates upon my return!
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Currently
listening
:
Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!!
By
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Release date: 2008-04-08
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1:30 PM
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Friday, July 25, 2008
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This Is The New Shit
Current mood:  creative
I FINALLY recieved 2 of my 4 rolls of film back a week and a half later from the lab. I have no idea why they took that long but I was on pins and needles waiting for it!
I shot this model from Kenya 2 weeks ago. I was nervous about shooting her. I knew what I wanted but as usual I was overthinking shit. :P She turned out to be such a wonderful person and very intelligent. She's a much better model than she gives herself credit for. The girl is just drop dead gorgeous. She has an amazing look to her and I think she'll be big one day. Chip shot her and so we were talking one night and decided I should. So I did and here it is;
These are self portraits I did an hour before she arrived to test the light;
and of course it wouldnt be a complete roll of film without my little man;
He means serious bizness.
:)
10:47 PM
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1 Comments - 2 Kudos
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Friday, July 18, 2008
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Professional = Making a Living
Current mood:  worried
I am a professional art model. Meaning this is my living. I work 2-4 days a week. I'd travel and work 5-7 but I have my wonderful son who is much more important. Lately it seems the more people I work with or the more I climb on the art ladder, the more i notice how there are a few people who express intrest in hiring me, do not take what I do for a living seriously.
I have had 3 cancellations in the past 2 weeks. Some, no email, no confirmation, no phone call. Nothing. Some send a note 1-2 days before the date of the shoot. This isnt a hobby, its my life.
It's frustrating when as a working model, like any other working person I rely on this income for bills/shelter/food/traveling. In this case it is shelter. It just saddens me a few people do not either understand this, or care. I am working. People who work deserve to be paid for their labor. In this business when you get a certain level that's a given.
Then of course there are those small minded people who believe that if you are working in this business you dont do it for the love of it. I'd tell them to venture out of their small box they live in and well....I do not want to get into that.
I love what I do and I put every ounce of myself into every shoot.
But I digress...
12:16 AM
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