Buzzzzzzzed And Auntumn #17

 "Why should I wake when I am half passed dead?"

 

~Emilie Autumn

 

Isn't it weird? But if that chair needs a little caffeine, to feel more like the inner bar stool that it really is, who am I too laugh or deny it a little something to kick the day into existence? 

~Me

 

 

It Was A Good Day...

"There is a harmony in autumn, a luster in it's sky, which through the summer is not seen, as if it could not be, as if it had not been."

-Percy Bysshe Shelley

I had a nice day, it was one of those quiet, peaceful days that comes along all too rarely. I started out at my favorite coffee house here in Berkeley, Caffe Strada, then I decided to do a little Christmas shopping down in Jack London Square. Everything was decorated up so lovely for the holidays, including the presidential yacht the Potomac. But my favorite sight had to be the gorgeous Snowy Egret I saw. This is my favorite bird, so I am always excited when I have the chance to spend a little time photographing one. It was doing a little fishing alone the shoreline, and as you can see, it already has it's winter plumage. Beautiful. :) It isn't difficult to make me smile. :)

The view from Stradda, looking toward International House. The trees in Berkeley are still alive with autumn. Ahhhh. :)

Yum. My favorite breakfast. Hot chocolate with raspberry syrup, and a buttery croissant. I don't indulge in this often, which makes it all the more decadent when I do. :)

Oh yeah! I got my hair done yesterday! It looks like I will be a redhead for the holiday! Alan calls my new look, Nouveau Beatnik. Yeah... I agree. :) I wear a lot of black, and I love beat poetry, so it is definitely my style.

A beautiful ship

All decorated for the holiday. I would love to take a cruise on it next year, maybe when it warms up. :)

-OndineMonet
"Snowy Egret with Winter Plumage"
Port of Oakland
Jack London Square
Oakland, California
December 19, 2007
Afternoon

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Get Mugged

"Don't laugh at coffee. Some day you, too, may be old and weak."

-Unknown

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Take a picture of one or more interesting coffee mugs you might have. Because it's my experience that people have coffee mugs with interesting stories behind them. At least I do.

-John Scalzi (By The Way)

Coffee mugs. Tee Hee. Why am I laughing at coffee mugs? Well, see, coffee mugs, and I, have had quite a past! I am sure you remember the story of how, at one time, I had a deathly fear of ceramic coffee mugs. LOL. True story. It was so bad, that my heart would pound, my skin would become hot, and I would feel dizzy, if I even saw someone drinking from one. Sheesh. LOL. I can laugh at it now, but at the time, it was high drama! :)

That was back in the mid 90's, and I have since been cured of that fear. Thank goodness, because I have come to know the joys of a good, solid coffee mug. I am not a coffee drinker, I much more prefer Hot Chocolate, Herbal Teas, or my very favorite hot beverage, Caramel Apple Cider, but I also enjoy having soup in a big mug, like the one in the above photo. I got this Friends, "Central Perk," mug, when the show was in it's 6th season.

It was a gift from Alan, for having successfully completed the "Unreasonable Fears And How To Overcome Them" workshop/support group. LOL. True story. Now, I consider that mug among my favorite things. Oh, if the house were on fire I probably wouldn't go running back into the burning building to retrieve it, but I would sure miss my mug. It's a friend. :)

-OndineMonet
"Got Hot Beverage?"
Berkeley, California
September 11th, 2007
Afternoon

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Juxtaposition

"Somebody who thinks logically is a nice contrast to the real world."

-Unknown

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Take a picture of things that are juxtaposed in interesting ways. "Juxtapose" means "To place side by side, especially for comparison or contrast." In case you hadn't run up against the word very much (it's one of those Scrabble words). Basically, if two things you see next or near to each other make an interesting picture, or seem to comment on each other in an interesting or ironic fashion, you're good to go.

-John Scalzi (By The Way)

Ah yes, juxtaposition! It can be found everywhere... and yesterday... I found it at Starbucks. Here we also have the eternal question, well, one of the eternal questions anyway, coffee or tea? If we go with coffee, then you might enjoy the beverage Alan ordered, which was, Double Chocolate Chip Mocha Frappuccino, or if you are like me, you might go for something a little bit lighter, like, Tazo Passion Shaken Iced Tea. Actually, I enjoy almost everything Starbucks serves, but I am a little bit more health aware, since I was diagnosed last week with Type 2 diabetes. Anyway, no matter which drink you prefer, one thing is for sure, they are delicious, and very photogenic. Don't you think? Hmmm... which do you prefer? Coffee or Iced Tea?

-OndineMonet
"Juxtaposition At Starbucks"
July 30th, 2007
Castro Valley, California
Afternoon