shoot.

"if we had more guns, then this wouldn't have happened!"

"if we had more gun control and less guns on the street this wouldn't have happened!"

"if we had better mental health coverage this wouldn't have happened!"

"if we were a more loving people, this wouldn't have happened!"

"if we didn't allow our kids to play violent video games, this wouldn't have happened!"

"if there were two parents in that household raising that boy, this wouldn't have happened!"

and to take the cake, I just read this morning:

"if there were more men in that school.... this wouldn't have happened!"

Here's the thing... you.just.can't.prove.that.

There are thousands of people who have guns, and have never shot up a school/theater/etc.

There are thousands of people who don't have guns, and have never had a time where a gun would have been a useful form of defense.

There are thousands of people who have mental illnesses, who have never gone on a killing rampage.

And I could go on, and on....

I've been following along, and thinking and wondering and thinking some more about this whole Sandy Hook shooting [which is tragic and so sad and wrong].... but the thing I've come to realize is that no one  knows.

No.One.Knows.

This isn't like the common cold [remedy = drink plenty of fluids and take some DayQuil/NyQuil]

I think it might be a bit more like cancer [remedy = do something, even if it kills part of your body, 'cause we're just hoping this works!]

I'm probably a bit of downer, because I don't believe that there is a quick fix to any of this.  I really think though that pointing fingers at EVERYTHING, and ANYONE associated with this is not helpful [*maybe it was the layout of the school! if the architect had designed it better, then this wouldn't have happened!* [okay, no one has actually said that, but I wouldn't be surprised].

I read somewhere a thing that said something like, "Now is too LATE to be taking about gun control"... and while this may be true, I believe two things when it comes to talking about how to fix this problem right after it was announced... 1. People just lost their people.  Grief is hard enough to go through.  Why would you push them into anger right away?  Why can't you let them be sad for some time, and then move into anger?  and 2. What huge big messy problem have you really solved in a couple of hours?  You want to band-aid it, okay, go ahead... a band aid is temporary though.  You can't put a band aid over a broken bone and hope that it heals.  It just covers up a bigger problem.

I really think this is something that does need some thought, and research, and more thought, and more research, because I don't think this sort of stuff should happen!... but causation and correlation have to be considered.  And research has to be done so that we're talking about facts.

So, all that to say, I'm tired of getting angry at people who are heartless, and who think, "if we had just, blah, blah blah, this wouldn't have happened"....

You.Don't.Know.That.

-mrp-

holidays...

Just stayed in the car a bit longer to finish the song on the radio.... Ave Maria by Celine Dion. So beautiful.

-mrp-

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grinchy blog post....

"Grinchy" might be a little to strong of a word [shut up, "grinchy" IS a word!].  But pretty much I keep having to talk myself down from freaking out... cause my stupid computer has gone ape shit!

Seriously.  I move my mouse around to wake it up this morning, to find it completely different than I left it.  My desktop background, replaced with some colorful swirlish thing that comes with new computers.

Initially I thought, well, maybe Ronald hooked up his computer to mine, or something... so I look around... nope.

Then I'm like, okay, well, maybe it updated it, and this is not all bad... and as I hold my breath I click open the C drive... whew, still there.

Okay, so it's there, and I've got shit to do!  So I open up indesign, get my book exporting, and realize I need to do some photoshop-ing of a few images before I send it off... okay, open up photogshop [ha ha, funny typo that I'm totally leaving in], drag my photo in, and then hit my quick key to run an action... ... ... nothing.happens.oh.shit.

I realize all my actions are missing... [not a huge deal, I can re-load, whatever]... so then I open lightroom... all my presets are missing, and all my catalogues of past work... what.the.hell!

Okay, so for most of you, you have no idea what all that means.  It means, that if this happened at any other time, I would be super duper freaking out, but luckily, I've been kickin out all my projects earlier this week, and don't have anything that's REALLY pressing.

Unluckily though, what the hell happened?!?!

I look into my Documents folder.  Everything's gone.  My Pictures folder, same story.

Right now I'm approaching it with a "I'm gonna go ahead and work on crafts instead until Ronald get's home.  Then he can take a look at it and either we fix it or I'll start over again... and look into investing in the cloud backup.

Meh.

-mrp-

ps: it would be some work, but I assure you, as a professional photog, all my picture files are backed up multiple times, so my clients have nothing to worry about.  Random documents, and advertising files, not quite as well backed up unfortunately :(.

CRISIS AVERTED: turns out my crazy computer decided that it didn't like me as a user anymore, so created a temporary user... all I had to do was restart it and it started in as user Maike... [sigh]... I sometimes hate technology...

too many numbers!!!!!

I'm trying to figure out what I owe for my annual sales tax... too.many.numbers.

I need to hire someone to do this crap.

-mrp-

ps: suggestions on accountants are welcome.

sometimes...

Sometimes it's hard owning your own business... especially when you think you're good, but not getting a TON of business, so wondering what you're doing wrong.

And it's easy to get disheartened.  And discouraged.  And to start to believe you should get another day job cause some day you would like to be debt free.

And then something like this is sent:

******************
Maike,

This is from the boy's Mom:

Mom,

 

I absolutely LOVE them!!!!!  The are awesome!  I am going to show them to Chris, he will be so excited, can I order directly from her site? 

 

XXOO CSL
I was looking at the pictures again and I just can't thank you enough--there are so many great shots of the boys!!!  I really like her style of photography, it's like the pictures tell a story, really cool!

***************

How sweet, and awesome, right?  And this lady that wrote this, I've met her once before.  Which in my mind just means... she truly likes my stuff, not just because she knows me, or whatnot.  She likes it.  Which is awesome.  I hope she puts images all over her house, and sends many clients my way :).

Hopefully  :).

-mrp-

Cake...

I was just thinking about Cake... not this Cake... but this Cake:

We did play the linked Cake when we cut our Cake... :).

Did you know before this happened:

I looked right at Ronald and said "be nice"... then smiled and we fed cake to each other :).

Awww... marriage... [smile].

-mrp-

Mushroom Soup for the Soul

I'm a bit sick [recovering.. how awful, right, to be sick through a holiday weekend!].  Luckily, it wasn't too bad, I suffered through most of it with only a few wrong turns [ya, I totally took nyquil, and a minute later was drinking an awesome glass of wine... I have short term memory for do's and do not's together... whoops :)].

In any case, Ronald left yesterday on business for the week, so I'm solo... and being solo and sick, I decided I was going to make some soup.  Mushroom soup.

Ronald and Whitney both think it's weird that I eat mushroom soup, just as soup.

But what I think is weird, is thinking something that is called soup wouldn't be used just as soup.

That's all.

Back to coughing, blowing my nose and rubbing my aching muscles.

-mrp-

ps: for those of you wondering, yes, I had a GREAT nights sleep after the nyquil and wine cocktail :).

EDIT: pps: I wrote this as I was making the soup... freakin boiled over.... I suck at soup. [shakes head].

tday 2012 = Creole food

This is the fifth year we've done non-traditional thanksgivings... as a result of our new tradition, thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. So much anticipation and newness and excitement and learning.

I also think it reflects America well. We are a melting pot of cultures, religions, race, and many more differences.  Today, I am thankful for those differences and the freedom we have here to live them.

2011 = Thai food
2010 = Greek food
2009 = steak
2008 = Chinese food

-mrp-

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a lot..... A LOT....

Although I am a passionate person occasionally, I don't too often get really worked up/annoyed by things, especially posts on the internet..... except for one thing.  A lot.

I'll self proclaim that this was one of those things that I had to learn the hard way too, I thought it was just a tiny small word meaning many, or a plethora... alot..... It didn't really sink in the meaning of it until probably  I was in 4th grade.

Every time I see it on a facebook status, I have to restrain myself from correcting the offender... and then I have to restrain myself from making my own status update on the fact that it's freakin two words.

How ridiculous, right?  Of all the things to get worked up about.  I think though, I find myself reading posts and status' of people that I look up to/think are educated and know a lot, and I just wonder... wtf?... We learned a lot in elementary school, where were you?!

So, although there aren't A LOT of things that piss me off, when you don't listen to the auto correct in your blog post, or on your facebook status, I have to wonder about you...

two words people, just like the following:
a bunch

a crowd

a bushel

a gaggle

a group

a gathering

a lot

-mrp-

ps: I would like to officially thank my mother for beating a few of these grammar things into my head when I was in elementary school.  I am thankful to know that alot is not a word... even though people use it a lot.

pps: I am far from the grammar police; I did misuse loose, or lose in a facebook status a few months ago... and was corrected.

this never happens... but it is....

I hate saying I'm addicted to facebook, but it's probably the closest to the truth.  I realize it's ridiculous, and [shakes head], pointless, but I just can't help myself [shrug].

I was actually one of those that were happy when facebook stopped showing me everything from everyone. I know I miss things, but I'm sort of anal when it comes to checking my news feed and making sure I scan down to the last thing that I read the previous time.  So by not showing me every little detail, my brain is happier to not have to read through that many posts, status updates, links, photo's, etc.

I think it has to do with not wanting to miss anything.  Wanting to be included and not excluded.

In any case, I'm off facebook for a couple days.  It never happens, but it is... totally giving up fb this week.  I read through the news feed this morning, and I just cringed... the.entire.news.feed.... it was awful!... things like "Great, let's get another 5.7 gazillion dollars in debt!", to "America has disappointed me", to "It's a sad day for Christians today"...

I hate all the hate... it's horrible.

Hate is one of the reasons I don't like politics.  So much of it is about slandering the opponent.  Coming up with all the things he failed at in life.  Is it so hard to instead focus on what one has done good.  During Obama's last four years, the US's unemployment rate has fallen... he's put a plan into effect to get more of our troops out of the middle east... and his wife has pushed to educate children on how to be healthy.

I didn't want Romney to be our president, but I hope he goes on to do really great things, like Al Gore did after he lost.

I think, all in all... we ALL make up America... it's not just a president.  It's not just the Senate or the House of Representatives.  It's all of us.

-mrp-

backwards

The other day one of the blogs that I watch was like, "Hey, want a free sample to try this new brand/product?"... and I was like, "Yes!... actually, I do!".
...
...
... then it turns out you have to like the companies fb page to request a free sample.
...
...
[squinty eyes/shaking head]...
..
..
see this is NOT how it should work.  I should not have to like your page, and then get the sample... I should be able to get the sample, like it so much that I THEN decide to like the fb page...

gah.

I have loved fb since I got addicted 8 years ago in college, but seriously?  Lately all my newfeed gives me is info on the shit that I have liked... where are my friends, why aren't they up there, and newsflash, I have no money to spend on your junk!

Grr...

-mrp-

also this

... I took this at the last wedding we were at up in St. Joe, Michigan... it was freezing, but so pretty!

and ya know... since I'm already wasting time, I figured I'd go ahead and add this :).

-mrp-

productivity of the self employed

I am most productive when I am avoiding something...

Example:
yesterday I
-vaccumed
-gave the dog a bath
-stripped the bed and laundered the sheets
-washed some other pillows
-went to the farmers market
-uploaded a senior session
-check fb a million times

what I was avoiding was working on editing a wedding

today I have
-painted a few papers for a future project
-made bread in the bread maker [okay, this only took like 10 minutes tops :)]
-did a load of laundry
-opened and inspected an album that was delivered [yay!]
-took a shower
-cleaned a little bit off my dinning table
-wrote a quick blog
-checked groupon
-checked fb a million times

still avoiding culling and editing that wedding

Although today I did get a few hours of the wedding in... so that's good.  And don't get me wrong, I LOVE my job.... I LOVE photographing weddings, and I even LOVE editing those images! [you get to see so many details that you missed because I doing the job takes precedence over getting emotional at the groom crying/bride blushing etc.].

BUT, it doesn't have that short task instant gratification.  It will probably take me 8+ hours to fully edit, color correct and enhance a wedding.  So... not a quick job... oh well...

Must.get.back.to.wedding....

-mrp-

m + r = 2

And despite what the crazies on facebook are saying, that does not mean that we're pregnant with twins... [thank the Lord].

But we have survived being married for 2 whole years... :).

I'm a lucky girl.

“The human body is the best work of art.” ― Jess C. Scott

As a portrait photographer, I often encounter people who don't like this or that about their bodies.

And although I know there is always room for improvement, it really makes me sad.  I recently came across this website: http://www.bodyheart.com/

And although I didn't read a ton on the site, I did come across one woman, who makes a conscious effort to say how she likes her body in front of her little girl.  She talks about how that was never said in front of her, and about how when it isn't said, we sometimes start to believe we should never be happy with our bodies.  We should always hate our hips, or think our feet are too big, or our cheeks are too fat, etc.

I was thinking back to how I grew up, and I thought... damn, my mother was soo, sooo good at teaching me to love myself.

When she was young, my mom had surgery on her leg to remove a cantaloupe sized tumor [I think].  It left a scar all down her left calf, and although I noticed when I was young that she rarely wore shorts outside our house, she never once said anything about how she "hated her scar".  As I grew older, and tried to convince her to wear a knee length skirt, she explained that she didn't really like showing off the scar, but it was never in a "I hate this part of my body" type way.

And I think the way she went about that while we were growing up, really shaped how I love my body.  I love my nose, and my cheeks, and my chin, and my thighs, and my butt, and my fat calf's [although, that does pose a bit of a problem for buying skinny jeans, and taller boots].

I can remember being in high school and saying something along the effect of being dissatisfied with my hair, or something else, and my mother telling me I was fine, and perfect.

As long as you are living a healthy life style and taking care of your body... I really do think that it's okay to not hate any part of your body.  To love it all.  To be satisfied with how God made you.  He created your nose, your hips, your feet... he created you, and could you really say, "God, my nose, what the hell were you thinking?"... he would say to you, I created you just the way I wanted you to be and I love you that way.

-mrp-

Edit: HA!, the woman who's story I read about [one sentence actually], was Kate Winslet... she's so cool. http://www.bodyheart.com/2012/09/28/are-you-proud-of-your-body/

ten

Ten years ago I had just completed high school, traveled to Germany/Sicely by myself for a month, and moved into Smith hall at Drury University.

I can't believe it was that long ago.

Marahall class of 2012 had their 10 year reunion last night and just the fb updates and whatnot have got me thinking about high school, insecurities, growth and contentment... as well as jealousy, and general feeling of unimportantness... and classifications in school, etc.

Perhaps there will be a better thought out post sometime later.

-mrp-

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a bit political... just a tiny bit

Whit and I had a discussion the other day about how some people put political posts up on fb... and while in general, I'm okay with people sharing their political beliefs and voicing what they believe to be true/good on facebook, I HATE when that's the only thing they EVER post.

Because that's not all there is about life.  While that might be REALLY important to some people, there are SO many other things to post and share that will encourage others and just make for a better, happier world.  Why not mix a few of those posts in too?!

In any case... since I have had this talk with Whit, I have decided that I'm not posting anything political on there... but here, well... you came here to see what I was thinking!  So you get to see it :).

This is great:

http://front.moveon.org/five-guys-took-a-boy-band-anthem-and-created-one-of-the-best-romney-parodies-hands-down/

-maike rinaye-

ps: I don't like Romney... okay, sure... but I also know that I don't know a TON about him... so there... I still like this though.

“People can have the Model T in any color – so long as it’s black.” ― Henry Ford

Back in 2007, I went from this:

to this:

It was the first adult purchase I REALLY made... all.by.my.self.

I remember driving it off the lot for the first time, and listening to Colbie Caillat.... I also might have teared up driving it off the lot... how bizarre, right?  I'm not sure exactly why, but it was such a cool feeling to feel like I was making this huge decision, and I had gotten through it, and I had a brand new car.  That's right, 2007, 600 miles on it [they drove it in from like, Pennsalvania or something], first owner of it... not my best financial decision, but I don't regret it.  I was single in a city with not a lot of friends and no family.  I needed to have security in my car not breaking down.

The first year I had it, someone not only broke the drivers side mirror off of it, but it was also walked over; literally  someone [with huge feet], stepped on the hood of the car, up the windshield and over the top of it... who does that?!].... [that's what we get for living in the sketchy part of town], and miraculously my sunroof didn't break.

In any case, I love my car.  And now, it is no longer owned by the bank :).  COMPLETELY PAID OFF!

I'm so excited; you have no idea.  I know we still have a long way to being debt free, but this big monthly payment is no longer on my list.

Yay.

*maike rinaye*

dirty

I don't take a shower immediately after I complete a run. I think it's because I fear I might accidentally drown by attempting to gulp air but only getting water.

-mrp-

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Hmmm...

This morning I was thinking about art.. well, more or less.

I was designing a t-shirt in my head and thinking that I could make it for so-and-so, and I like the idea, but I couldn't actually sell/make money from it because of the likeness to a certain Disney character....

But then I thought... damn, tattoos do it all the time: make money from Disney characters/trademarked logo's, etc... what's the difference?  Each artists sells his/her work on a canvas of sorts, each artist creates it with their own hand, each get's paid for the end results.  So why do tattoo artists get to tattoo trade marked characters and other artists don't?

Hmm....

I think the world might be a better more creative place if tattoo artists weren't allowed to tattoo trademark characters on their clients.

But I suppose that's another conversation in general.

-mrp-