Honoring our home, our only home

I did just a few things on Earth Day, but they weren’t done particularly for that day only. That day I realized how much my habits and lifestyle have evolved over the years, and they are something I just do now on an everyday basis and not only for Earth Day. Our planet still houses all of us despite our abuse.

I do (or don’t do) many other things, but on that day I particularly:

• took a short 4-minute shower
• cleaned and unclogged the shower drain manually (instead of using Drano or some other poisonous liquid —I never use them). It took me scarcely 3-4 minutes to unscrew 3 screws, clear all the hair and buildup, and screw them back in place.
• took about 1 cubic meter of plastic to recycling —I tend to accumulate a lot to fill the car to avoid several car trips instead of one. But this time, I avoided it all together because serendipitously a guy in his “cargo” bike passed by and took all of it (they get money at the recycling station), so it was a win-win-win situation (good for him, good for me, and good for the planet).

I know that I still do many things that leave a footprint, but I know that I would have left much more of a footprint had I continued with my previous lifestyle.

I feel very blessed and thankful for such a beautiful and wonderful home, and I can only feel honored that it provides for me and all living beings every day.

See more progress on: honor Earth Day April 22

#2 down and some advance in other 2

Today I finally finished the VCM menus. I had finished them about three weeks ago, but then they decided that they wanted all of them in Word format, so I had to transfer them all. They’re now finished and delivered.

Tomorrow I’ll be working on #8 (bookbinding) & #14 (postcard), for which I already decided upon a photo and design. For #13, he came and went and we didn’t even sit down to see about his project. All other projects are with the same status.

1. CG logo refining and stationery DONE
2. VCM menus: currently working on this DONE
3. JE vet: need to recontact, he never sent last revision
4. S vet: need to recontact, he never sent last revision
5. PP: hasn’t replied email
6. JLC: check status of business cards
7. MS: present portfolio with proposals pending
8. M&I: bookbinding journal
9. ST: postcards Virgin of Guadalupe
10. JC: postcards volcanoes
11. AC: calendar
12. CC: check status posterized poster
13. AT: ask him again to send his work for his postcard design
14. 43T: select a Cholula photo and begin my postcard project

See more progress on: finish projects I have been procrastinating over

Digital pinhole

I made my own pinhole camera years ago in uni with a can. I remember painting the inside black and putting some sort of aluminum-foil sliding device to let the light in. You had to load the paper in the darkroom, go out and take your photo, and come back inside to unload your exposed paper and develop it —or put it in a protected box for developing later.

Now with digital photography, I learned there are special caps that do the trick without the hassle. I’m not just yet getting one of those, but I made a couple experiments with a black cardboard over my camera body without a lens. The first pinhole was too big, and everything came excessively blurred. So I did another one with just the very tip of the pin.

The photos are not great, but it was fun to experiment just a little. I don’t want to ruin my camera with dust or something —you can actually see a very visible and focused particle in the bottom left corner of both photos. If later on I want to pursue more of this project, I’ll just get a manufactured cap for the purpose.

The top photos are with the pinhole cardboard, and the bottom ones are their equivalent with an 18-55mm lens. The equivalence is not so much in the sunset one, which was taken at 18mm, something the cardboard is obviously not capable of achieving.

See more progress on: do pinhole photography

Digital pinhole

I made my own pinhole camera years ago in uni with a can. I remember painting the inside black and putting some sort of aluminum-foil sliding device to let the light in. You had to load the paper in the darkroom, go out and take your photo, and come back inside to unload your exposed paper and develop it —or put it in a protected box for developing later.

Now with digital photography, I learned there are special caps that do the trick without the hassle. I’m not just yet getting one of those, but I made a couple experiments with a black cardboard over my camera body without a lens. The first pinhole was too big, and everything came excessively blurred. So I did another one with just the very tip of the pin.

The photos are not great, but it was fun to experiment just a little. I don’t want to ruin my camera with dust or something —you can actually see a very visible and focused particle in the bottom left corner of the pyramid photo. If later on I want to pursue more of this project, I’ll just get a manufactured cap for the purpose.

The top photos are with the pinhole cardboard, and the bottom ones are their equivalent with an 18-55mm lens. The equivalence is not so much in the sunset one, which was taken at 18mm, something the cardboard is obviously not capable of achieving.

See more progress on: do pinhole photography

Door #43

I started this goal with one of my favorite doors, but I’m ending it with one of my non-favorite ones: it gives the impression of grand and wealthynouveau riche.
Treated metal gray garage doors with mirrors, gold appliqués, and the initials of the family. Cholula.

See more progress on: photograph 43 doors

Door #bonus

As a bonus, and to end this goal here on 43T —I’ll still be shooting doors for a little while—, here’s the door of my house. It’s not my favorite but not the worst either. It just lacks the personality of many of the doors I’ve been shooting. The rest of the exterior is also a block without personality —my neighbors’ house can be seen reflected on it. You can also see me kneeling to get the whole reflection in the glass. Uma is patiently waiting to get inside…
Glass sliding door with worn metal frame. Cholula.

And here’s the inside view —a little more personality can be appreciated here. Uma is now waiting to get outside…

See more progress on: photograph 43 doors

Door #43

I started this goal with one of my favorite doors, but I’m ending it with one of my non-favorite ones: it gives the impression of grand and wealthynouveau riche.
Treated metal gray garage doors with mirrors, gold appliqués, and the initials of the family. Cholula.

See more progress on: photograph 43 doors

2010.04.27

• I bought a bouquet of “inmortalis” flowers from a farmer in the nearby fields. Just $15 pesos a bunch (a bit over a US dollar). As I turned happy from my purchase, a woman who was running by stopped to ask me about them. “Are they inmortalis?” “Yes,” I answered, “Beautiful, are they not?” She nodded and told me she wanted to get some in another opportunity when she brought money. I smiled and handed her one and told her to select another one of her color of choice. She thanked me heartfeltly and asked if I regularly walked in the fields. We did a little chit-chat about her running, my walking, and the dogs. She introduced herself, and then I did so, too. She’s Vicky. She thanked me again for the flowers and gave me a hug. I hugged her back and then waved goodbye. This gave me a huge smile of how such a little interaction makes this a better world.
  Back home, I added the flowers to the sunflower another farmer gifted to me the other day :)
• And in my mailbox today, a postcard from AaroninsouthMN from Minnesota. Finding the postcard between all of my neighbors’ bills certainly lifted up my spirits :) I need to define my postcard goal to reciprocate…
• Hibiscus water. So refreshing and healthy!

See more progress on: enjoy life