Weekly iPhone Roundup {11.7 - 11.11}

 This week was fairly uneventful. I mean, we had the Monday ordeal which I posted about Tuesday. Then there was the Midterms and me running around and taking an insane amount of pictures. We've been cleaning a lot in preparation of Thanksgiving week because we start rolling out the decorations that week. I honestly think we're gonna do the Christmas village next week, but I'm not 100% yet.

LaVaughn's birthday is tomorrow, but since we'll be in Perryville working, we celebrated today. It wasn't really even a celebration, but Aunt Sharon made a cake and we took pictures, the usual. I mean, I guess it was a celebration, lol. 

I don't think I've mentioned this, but a lady contacted me last week about doing their family photos next Friday, but I haven't heard from her in a few days with a location. Speaking of, I need to text her. She said there will be 7 or 8 people, two of them being kids. I'm wanting to use my 85, but I'm scared it'll be too tight on my DX camera. I've been looking for a cheap, used FX camera, but it's extremely difficult.

There's a lady in Lesterville that has a D850 with like 5 lenses and extras for $2500. She's had it listed for months, so I doubt she'll sell it at that price around here. I mean, D850s are going for $1500 used, so she should really take her sale to eBay. I messaged her a couple months ago and asked if she would sell her tripod separately, but she said no. So I messaged her earlier this week and lowballed her a price for just the camera body, but naturally she declined. 

I'm shifting my gaze from the out of my price range D850 to the D750. There's a dude on Marketplace in STL that has one for $500, but he's only responded once and I'm sick of messaging him. I'm just super anxious about all of this. I'm anxious about the potential shoot next week, anxious about finding a good used camera and super anxious about spending the money. I don't like spending money, but if I can make it back on like 2-3 shoots, it's justified. 

I hate anxiety.

Okay, I guess I'll stop ranting for now. hopefully I'll know more about everything next week.

View from the drive to Cape Monday. This is highway 55.

A Dollar Tree Plus sign that my mom has been looking for.

Christmas lights on our fence at home.

Tis the season! Check out the Christmas tree!

Here's the World War Z game on PS4. So worth it!

From mine and Max's walk Tuesday.

Max is such a beautiful boy.

He's the prettiest Boxador.

Late night trip to DG Wednesday for cabinet cleaner.

View from my camera Thursday when I was out taking pics.

And lastly, LaVaughn's birthday cake that I decorated... not the best, but not terrible.

Time to remember 2015...

So, here we go again! It seems like my recap posts are getting closer and closer together. I addressed this last year -- time goes by far too fast anymore. I was able to slow down this year and really take in what good times the year had to offer. Of course, with good comes bad. Luckily the good outweighed the bad for the most part of the year. Lets take a look back and see what 2015 had to offer...

• January didn't start off awesome. It was nearly the end of the month when we received the news that my uncle, Donald, passed away. He was in very bad health -- I honestly didn't think he would make it as long as he did. I spend my summers in Florida with this guy. He taught me how to ride a 4-wheeler and pick fruit with the best of them. I still wait for him to call out of the blue just to say hello. It's unreal that he's actually gone.

• I don't know if this is buzz worthy, but we got a really bad snow storm in February and were literally snowed in for 2 weeks! I missed an entire 2 weeks of work, it was insane!

• Now for one of the most heartbreaking times of the year. In late February, our sweet Sally became so ill that we had to have her put down. We still kick ourselves that we didn't do it sooner. Rat lovers, animal lovers in general, know how hard it is to let go of your furry friends.

• This brings me to my next subject, losing our other 3 rattie girls. We had Melissa and Chelsea put down in the same day, Emilia made it a couple more months before she passed away in her cage. I can't even begin to talk about them. Losing them all was 4 separate and unbelievable heartbreaking times. It's never easy losing an animal, each one holds a very special place in my heart and each one of them always takes a piece of it when they go.

• So far 2015 is sounding like a super depressing year. Lets talk about something GOOD for a moment. After losing our girls, we knew it wouldn't be long before we added new additions to our brood. That's where Leo and Louie come in. I don't know what it is, but it seems with each passing year and each new rat that we adopt, they get sweeter and sweeter.

• Lets see, I guess my aunt's back surgery needs to make the list. I'm really, really close with my aunt, so you can imagine how difficult her surgery was for me. Luckily she did amazingly well and healed up in no time!

• I guess this is something to remember, but LaVaughn and I tried sushi for the first time this year. That's something I NEVER thought we would do. Aside from it being a kind of crappy sushi bar, it was a decent first try.

• Now for one of the most exciting things of the year... our new car! I still can't believe it sometimes, but we had a gorgeous 2011 Chevy Impala! It's been an amazing ride, one I feel so blessed to have. And come on, it's a Chevy!

• July 1st probably stands out the MOST! LaVaughn and I traveled to Mount Pleasant, Iowa to witness our best friends, Doug and Kyan, get married! LaVaughn was the witness (they only needed one other) and I was the wedding photographer. We almost opted out of going due to how far away it was, but we made it happen by spending the night in a hotel the day before. Definitely one of the most memorable and exciting things ever!

• Speaking of Doug and Kyan, we got to spend the day with them in September -- we even got to hang at their house for a while! This was a triple threat of exciting days... We got our BFBB boy and Creme Mosaic girl that day! Both were being flown in, which was super stressful. Thankfully my lovely, Doug, drove us to the airport and back twice. I love him.

• I know this isn't really anything, but we got Una spayed this year and it was incredibly heartbreaking. We have unusual attachments to our cats, so parting with her for 2 days is just too much. At least it's done now -- no more heat cycles!

• One last awesome thing that happened this year -- I won a photo contest! This wasn't a small contest either, it was a contest held over 4 different Facebook groups with thousands of members! Mind you not everyone entered, but still. It was exciting and something to be proud of.

As you can see, a lot has taken place this year. We've experienced new things, traveled to new places, had extremely exciting things happen in our life. It's been a good year. Of course, there's always bad things that happen in a year, always, but for the most part it was good. I don't want to say anything that will jinx 2016, so I'm going to leave it at that.

Now it's the time we've all been waiting for! What exactly DID I accomplish on my bucket list this year?? I kept my Bucket List fairly simple this year, so my accomplishments are small

What I accomplished:

• Starting my photography business. Yes, I said it! I am now the proud owner of Megan Pritchett Photography! Before you get too excited for me, it's just in the beginning stage. I'm still putting together my portfolio, but hey, at least I have it, right? I even got to do my first OFFICIAL photoshoot this year! It wasn't a paid shoot, considering they're basically family, but it was a shoot all the same. I also have a few other small shoots, plus Doug and Kyan's wedding -- which was amazing! So I guess it's safe to say I did partially accomplish this. I wanted to start my photography business and I did just that. Yay me!

• Buying a prime lens. I was lucky enough to be able to do this in late June. I haven't set it down since I picked it up out of the package. My 50mm 1.8g is one of the best things that's ever happened to me.

• Using my camera in full manual. Check! I honestly don't remember the last time I used auto? It was back in January sometime. I've finally grasped the basics of my cameras setting and can now use them all to my advantage. Whoop whoop!

• Project 365. I can say this with honor... I DID IT!! I took a picture every single day this year! Some were on my phone, some were of something horrid as a worst case thing, hell, some were even of me! But hey, a picture is a picture and I took one every single day this year. And because of that, I feel unbelievably accomplished. Now I just need to get them all uploaded before midnight! 

What I didn't accomplish:

• Traveling. I set the bar low when I said I wanted to go to the zoo this year, which didn't happen. When we hung out with Doug and Kyan all day we did drive past the zoo. I saw the sign and everything! I know that doesn't count, so I can't check going to the zoo off of my list.

I think 4 out of 5 is pretty damn good, wouldn't you agree? I didn't have outrageous things to accomplish, but they were all things that I wanted to do and luckily, I was able to do 90% of them.

Now, what you've all been waiting for. What exactly IS on my Bucket List for 2016?

• Photography. Of course I would start with that! I want to actually get paid o 2016 for doing what I love. I just need a few more shoots for my portfolio before I can start advertising my services. This is the front runner for everything that I want to accomplish in the coming year.

• Buy a new (better) camera body. Possibly a new lens, but I'm perfectly content with my 50 for now. My camera body is having shutter issues, so I really need to replace or upgrade before I start doing anything on a super professional level.

• The Walking Dead Comics. I want to own an read ALL of the volumes! I have volume 1-8 and I've read 1-6. I know it's a silly thing to want, but I really want to own them all and be completely caught up on everything that Kirkman has written. Reading these comics has become a passion of mine, something I look forward to every day. It's something small and hopefully something I can accomplish.

• Project 365. You heard it here first! I've struggled to take dynamic and professional pictures this year, but I've taken a picture every day. It's something I'm used to now and something I'm not ready to give up yet. Here's to Project 365 2016! 

• I know this will probably be another fail, but I still want to travel. I honestly don't care where I go at this point, I'm just leaving it open. I want to go to the zoo, still, so let hope that actually happens this year.

• I'm going to be brave with the last item on my list... get a tattoo! I don't have one, I've always wanted one, so I'd really like to make it happen this year. LaVaughn and I have always wanted to go in together and get a tattoo. I think 2016 will most definitely be that year.

So there you have it, folks. That's my 2016 Bucket List. I just wonder how much of this I'll have accomplished this time next year. Only time will tell.

I raise my glass to you, 2015. You've been good, a little sad at times -- hell, there was even a couple time that I wanted to throw in the towel for good. Somehow you allowed me to prevail and for that, my hat is off to you.

Here's to 2016 and all the good that is has to offer!

Happy New Year, everyone!

-Megan

I'm so lonesome I could cry...

That song speaks true to me at the moment. I don't know what it is, but I'm having a major rough patch in life right now. I guess I'm just depressed. This has happened twice before in my life. Once when my gran passed away, then again a couple years later. Once it hits, you can't kick it. I try to be happy and look at the bright side of everything, but sometimes it's just hard. I find it hard to enjoy things I once looked forward to. How's that for a classic case of depression.

It's just been an all around bad day. Like seriously, things were okay for an hour or so after I got up, but then they went from okay to completely unbearable! It's amazing how one wrong move and set the motion for the rest of the day. My luck.

Dare I bring forth the terribly depressing news about Sookie? She passed last night. I don't know what happened. She had recovered from her wet tail just fine. It doesn't look as if she suffered in the end, she was curled up in a little ball -- like she was sleeping. I'm happy that she went in her sleep. I can't talk about it too much right now, I'm just not in the right state to do so.

I went against my better judgment today and took outdoor joey pictures. I've been slacking TERRIBLY in the joey picture department. And it wasn't until after Viktor almost got away from me that I realized that he was too damn big for outdoor photos. He's 6 weeks already, what was I thinking?! That's a perfect example of how my mind is working at the moment.

I did, however, get some cute pictures of Wanda and Pietro. They held fairly still in my hands while I took their picture. It was nearly past sunset, so the lighting was terrible. It didn't help that it was cloudy, muggy, and foggy outside. I had to jack the ISO all the way up to 3200 -- way too grainy for my taste, but I had to.

Speaking of cameras, I have to use the kit lens for joey pictures anymore. I use the 50mm for basically everything, but it's a fixed zoom and that doesn't work well for joey pictures, not at all! I need a macro lens, I've already stated this to LaVaughn, so she knows. And if I ever get my photography up and running, I'm going to invest in a 85mm. That will be AFTER I purchase a new body, of course.

Well I guess one thing still excites me, talking about cameras.

I'm going to call it a day and enjoy what time I have left before work tomorrow. It's been a terribly sucky day, I honestly can't wait for it to be over...

Love & Peace

-Megan

Random (and rare!) food finds:

Baby yellow tomatoes!

Salad cucumbers.

AND mascarpone cheese! Do you have any idea how long we've looked for this?

Random pictures from the day:

Love Bart's face.

I managed to clean the drop trays today - go me.

A caterpillar I harassed:

The joeys:

Viktor

Marcus

Pietro

Wanda