No longer brace face!

Okay, here are the pics...

Before....

AFTER!

09-09-09

I know, cool right? I think 9 might be my new lucky number. I went to the orthodontist today for a check up. (For those of you who don't know, I've had braces since November last) I had been entered into their monthly drawing for "excellent brushers" that is aimed at kids to get them to brush their teeth. The prize is $100 to anywhere you want. Great incentive for 12 year olds right? Turns out it is a great incentive for me too because I was chosen for this last month! $100 free dollars!!! I get a hundred free dollars to anywhere I want! How cool is that? Then on top of it, the orthodontist looked at my teeth and said "I think we're done here." I get my braces off tomorrow! I love today.

This school year has taught me a LOT about myself. I have made some amazing friends in the last couple of years who have expanded my vision of the world and helped me to see things in a totally new way. I've learned that I am a hardcore femanist at heart, and that makes me weird in such a "traditional" state. My political views are closer to Democratic than Republican. I had the amazing opportunity to be in DC for the Inauguration. I even had tickets, but didn't get in because it was full. Had that been the primary reason for my visit, I might have been very miffed, but I was actually there to take pictures of an inaugural ball. Here are some of the photos from my adventures in DC.

I just got back from a week in Denver with a group of students from school. We were on "Alternative Fall Break" which is a trip dedicated to learning about social issues and providing service to different organizations. We studied poverty, homelessness and social/environmental justice. We went to many organizations that are doing amazing things to help the community. The most memorable for me was the Women's Bean Project. Check it out, because it was an amazing experience! We also focused on art, and graffiti as public voice. We visited a place called The Spot where kids from the community could go after school and have an opportunity to learn art. There was some amazing graffiti on the walls! I took a few photos for a class assignment on color as abstract form. We talked with a couple of guys that have worked there for the past few years about the amazing things that the program does for the kids. I was heartbroken when they told us that they were being shut down because of lack of funding just the next day. So we got to see the place and learn a little about it, right before they closed. It's tragic that programs like this one that are doing so much good for young people are the first to shut down when funding gets low. Stupid economy!

Here is another one I've been working on.  Also dumb, but it's all I have digitally.  Seriously, one of these days I will have a digital camera.  Maybe.

So, since I really have nothing interesting to write about, I thought I would share the crap that I am working on for my digital imaging class.  The last assignment was to take our "favorite" color and make an image about it.  This is what I came up with. It sucks, so don't judge me!

So, I may have fallen off the face of the earth. Sorry it's been so long. I have been super busy with school and work. This is the second to last semester of college (at least for my bachelor's degree) and has been the worst one yet. I don't know how much longer I'll hold out, but until I completely colapse, I am going 110 miles an hour. I am working full time and going to school full time. On top of that I am in the photo club presidency at school (http://www.utah-pac.com/ check it out!), and leading a fall break trip to Denver where we are doing service and studying issues of poverty and social injustice. Now I may complain about how busy I am, but truth is I am enjoying it so much! I feel super lucky to have the opportunities that I do right now, and to get to interact with such amazing people through the things that I'm doing. Our photo club is probably one of the coolest organizations in the universe(mostly because of the people involved), and the Alternative Fall Break program is truely amazing! I am attaching a silly photo I've been working on for my digital imaging class. It is dumb, but I am finally learning Photoshop. Shhh, I know. I am a "traditional" photographer who still only owns a film camera. All you techies out there can jump in a lake! (Or lend me money to get the digital camera I really want)