The High Desert Stock Photo

Just north of Los Angeles, if you drive up I-5 or I-14 across the pass, you come to what is known as the "High Desert".  It's also known as the Antelope Valley because there used to be herds of antelope in the valley.  Go figure. 

As much as I heart the beautiful desert of Phoenix, I am not a fan of this "high" desert.  It is not very pretty.  Basically, there is one month in the spring where there are lots of flowers and everyone takes pictures and then the summer hits and it's hot and all the flowers die.  This is where the standard "Joshua Tree in Silhouette" photo comes in.

The fine people of the Antelope Valley need something pretty to represent their desert when all the flowers are dead, and the next best thing is:



So I took my own "Joshua Tree in Silhouette."  You have to have at least one if you've been there!

Butterfingers

I have a tendency to drop small, expensive electronic items.  A lot.  Mostly cell phones.  (I don't think I've dropped the iPod yet, although I can't say the same for my portable hard drive.)

Have you ever known someone who insists on carrying around their old, outdated cell phone because it is "so indestructible"?  And who then proceeds to prove that fact to all their friends by throwing it across a crowded bar, to bounce off a wall and land, unharmed and functional, on the floor?  No?  I can't be the only one who knows someone like this.

Well I should probably carry around one of those phones.  Except, they are not very cool looking.  (Trust me, Friend at the Bar may have had an indestructible phone, but he also looked like a huge goober any time he had to take a call.)


Instead, I opted for the standard Razor.  It was small, and I figured, more compact = less potential for destruction when dropped.

Let me tell you, that phone was a trooper.  After three years and many, many trips to the concrete, IT STILL WORKED.  I say "worked" because two months ago, it finally started showing its age.

At first, the speaker started sounding scratchy.  Then, the battery started running down really quickly.  Then, the phone stopped recognizing its battery all together.  So basically, it only worked if it was physically plugged into a wall outlet.  Which, of course, is counterproductive to the whole "portable telephone" design thing these cell phones are so popular for.

I took it to the store, and they offered to switch out the battery for free.  Sweet!  Except... they couldn't even get it to work when it was plugged in to the wall.  So I took it home and it sat on the desk for several weeks.  I finally decided it was time to retire the phone, so I plugged it in and turned it on, with the intentions of letting everyone know to contact me at my other phone number.  And, of course, the phone was miracuously "cured" and fully functional.  Dunno, I guess it's like when your car starts making a funny noise, only as soon as you get it to the dealership it won't make the noise anymore.  And the mechanic just looks at you like you're crazy.


But, hey, I've got a phone!

Backyard FAIL

On the bright side, at least we know the new sprinkler system is working!

The Couch Vortex

We love the New Couch. It is so big and cushy that once you sit down, the couch will suck you in to its Vortex of Comfort and you will never want to leave.

It's true power, however, was best demonstrated this past weekend.  We had some friends over to watch football, and our one friend made the mistake of sitting smack dab in the center of the Vortex of Comfort.

It, LITERALLY, took him five minutes to get out of the couch.  He had to struggle quite a bit to un-wedge himself from the corner and find his way back to standing on the floor.

I have included a picture of the couch, and the approximate location of its vortex (swirly circle):

The other thing in the picture that the arrow is pointing to?  That orb-looking thing?  Those appear in almost half of the photos taken in that room of the house.  With both of my cameras.  And other people's cameras.  For as many years as I have been taking photos in that house.  The scientific theory would be dust spots.  Or, you could go paranormal and call them ghosts.  Regardless of your theory, it is pretty crazy how they continuously show up in photos of that room.