Camera Review

This is the long awaited review, now that I have some down time (thanks to medical leave) and not on vacation anymore (also thanks to medical leave), I can finally review my new camera. I have taken a lot of picture with my iPhone but always wanted a really good camera because enough though my phone takes great pictures, I think I could be really good with a good camera. Several years ago an ex-boyfriend (that bought stuff to make up for bad behavior) got me a camera I did wonders with but I really wanted a DSLR so I could change lenses and do more with it.

The past couple months I started reviewing cameras and finally a few weeks ago I came across one that looked great for the price. I did a lot of research on it, asked some good photographers I know, and determined that for the price, this was the perfect camera for me. I didn’t want something too expensive, but wanted something that could grow with me too. I ended up getting the Nikon D3200, one of their new cameras. You can google search for hours and get thousands of reviews on this camera and more.

Before I review it, here are the specs from Nikon’s website.

Nikon Digital SLR Camera D3200 Specifications

Type
Type	Single-lens reflex digital camera
Lens mount	Nikon F mount (with AF contacts)
Effective angle of view	Approx. 1.5x lens focal length (35 mm format equivalent); Nikon DX format
Effective pixels
Effective pixels	24.2 million
Image sensor
Image sensor	23.2 x 15.4 mm CMOS sensor
Total pixels	24.7 million
Dust-reduction System	Image sensor cleaning Image Dust Off reference data (optional Capture NX 2 software required)
Storage
Image size (pixels)	6,016 x 4,000 [L], 4,512 x 3,000 [M], 3,008 x 2,000 [S]
File format	NEF (RAW): 12 bit, compressed JPEG: JPEG-Baseline compliant with fine (approx. 1:4), normal (approx. 1:8) or basic (approx. 1:16) compression NEF (RAW)+JPEG: Single photograph recorded in both NEF (RAW) and JPEG formats
Picture Control System	Standard, Neutral, Vivid, Monochrome, Portrait, Landscape; selected Picture Control can be modified
Media	SD (Secure Digital) and UHS-I compliant SDHC and SDXC memory cards
File system	DCF (Design Rule for Camera File System) 2.0, DPOF (Digital Print Order Format), Exif (Exchangeable Image File Format for Digital Still Cameras) 2.3, PictBridge
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Eye-level pentamirror single-lens reflex viewfinder
Frame coverage	Approx. 95% horizontal and 95% vertical
Magnification	Approx. 0.8x (50 mm f/1.4 lens at infinity, -1.0 m-1)
Eyepoint	18 mm (-1.0 m-1; from center surface of viewfinder eyepiece lens)
Diopter adjustment	-1.7 to +0.5 m-1
Focusing screen	Type B BriteView Clear Matte Mark VII screen
Reflex mirror	Quick return
Lens aperture	Instant return, electronically controlled
Lens
Compatible lenses	Autofocus is available with AF-S and AF-I lenses; Autofocus is not available with other type G and D lenses, AF lenses (IX-NIKKOR and lenses for the F3AF are not supported) and AI-P lenses; Non-CPU lenses can be used in mode M but the camera exposure meter will not function The electronic rangefinder can be used with lenses that have a maximum aperture of f/5.6 or faster
Shutter
Type	Electronically-controlled vertical-travel focal-plane shutter
Speed	1/4,000 to 30 s in steps of 1/3 EV; Bulb; Time (requires optional ML-L3 Remote Control)
Flash sync speed	X=1/200 s; synchronizes with shutter at 1/200 s or slower
Release
Release mode	(single frame),  (continuous),  (self-timer),  (delayed remote),  (quick-response remote),  (quiet shutter release)
Frame advance rate	Up to 4 fps (manual focus, mode M or S, shutter speed 1/250 s or faster, and other settings at default values)
Self-timer	2 s, 5 s, 10 s, 20 s; 1 to 9 exposures
Exposure
Metering	TTL exposure metering using 420-pixel RGB sensor
Metering method	Matrix metering: 3D color matrix metering II (type G and D lenses); color matrix metering II (other CPU lenses) Center-weighted metering: Weight of 75% given to 8-mm circle in center of frame Spot metering: Meters 3.5-mm circle (about 2.5% of frame) centered on selected focus point
Range (ISO 100, f/1.4 lens, 20°C/68°F)	Matrix or center-weighted metering: 0 to 20 EV Spot metering: 2 to 20 EV
Exposure meter coupling	CPU
Mode	Auto modes (  auto;   auto [flash off]); scene modes (  portrait;   landscape;   child;   sports;   close up;   night portrait); programmed auto with flexible program (P); shutter-priority auto (S); aperture-priority auto (A); manual (M)
Exposure compensation	-5 to +5 EV in increments of 1/3 EV
Exposure lock	Luminosity locked at detected value with ( ) button
ISO sensitivity (Recommended Exposure Index)	ISO 100 to 6400 in steps of 1 EV; can also be set to approx. 1 EV above ISO 6400 (ISO 12800 equivalent); auto ISO sensitivity control available
Active D-Lighting	On, off
Focus
Autofocus	Nikon Multi-CAM 1000 autofocus sensor module with TTL phase detection, 11 focus points (including one cross-type sensor) and AF-assist illuminator (range approx. 0.5 to 3 m/1 ft 8 in. to 9 ft 10 in.)
Detection range	-1 to +19 EV (ISO 100, 20°C/68°F)
Lens servo	Autofocus (AF): Single-servo AF (AF-S); continuous-servo AF (AF-C); auto AF-S/AF-C selection (AF-A); predictive focus tracking activated automatically according to subject status Manual focus (MF): Electronic rangefinder can be used
Focus point	Can be selected from 11 focus points
AF-area mode	Single-point AF, dynamic-area AF, auto-area AF, 3D-tracking (11 points)
Focus lock	Focus can be locked by pressing shutter-release button halfway (single-servo AF) or by pressing ( ) button
Flash
Built-in flash	, , , , : Auto flash with auto pop-up P, S, A, M: Manual pop-up with button release
Guide number	Approx. 12/39, 13/43 with manual flash (m/ft, ISO 100, 20°C/68°F)
Flash control	TTL: i-TTL flash control using 420-pixel RGB sensor is available with built-in flash and SB-910, SB-900, SB-800, SB-700, SB-600 or SB-400; i-TTL balanced fill-flash for digital SLR is used with matrix and center-weighted metering, standard i-TTL flash for digital SLR with spot metering
Flash mode	Auto, auto with red-eye reduction, auto slow sync, auto slow sync with red-eye reduction, fill-flash, red-eye reduction, slow sync, slow sync with red-eye reduction, rear-curtain with slow sync, rear-curtain sync, off
Flash compensation	-3 to +1 EV in increments of 1/3 EV
Flash-ready indicator	Lights when built-in flash or optional flash unit is fully charged; flashes after flash is fired at full output
Accessory shoe	ISO 518 hot-shoe with sync and data contacts and safety lock
Nikon Creative Lighting System (CLS)	Advanced Wireless Lighting supported with SB-910, SB-900, SB-800 or SB-700 as a master flash and SB-600 or SB-R200 as remotes, or SU-800 as commander; Flash Color Information Communication supported with all CLS-compatible flash units
Sync terminal	AS-15 Sync Terminal Adapter (available separately)
White balance
White balance	Auto, incandescent, fluorescent (7 types), direct sunlight, flash, cloudy, shade, preset manual, all except preset manual with fine-tuning
Live View
Lens servo	Autofocus (AF): Single-servo AF (AF-S); full-time-servo AF (AF-F) Manual focus (MF)
AF-area mode	Face-priority AF, wide-area AF, normal-area AF, subject-tracking AF
Autofocus	Contrast-detect AF anywhere in frame (camera selects focus point automatically when face-priority AF or subject-tracking AF is selected)
Automatic scene selection	Available in and modes
Movie
Metering	TTL exposure metering using main image sensor
Metering method	Matrix
Frame size (pixels) and frame rate	1,920 x 1,080, 30p (progressive)/25p/24p, ★ high/normal 1,280 x 720, 60p/50p, ★ high/normal 640 x 424, 30p/25p, ★ high/normal  Frame rates of 30p (actual frame rate 29.97 fps) and 60p (actual frame rate 59.94 fps) are available when NTSC is selected for video mode; 25p and 50p are available when PAL is selected for video mode; Actual frame rate when 24p is selected is 23.976 fps
File format	MOV
Video compression	H.264/MPEG-4 Advanced Video Coding
Audio recording format	Linear PCM
Audio recording device	Built-in monaural or external stereo microphone; sensitivity adjustable
ISO sensitivity	ISO 200 to 6400; can also be set to approx. 1 EV above ISO 6400 (ISO 12800 equivalent)
Monitor
Monitor	7.5-cm/3-in., approx. 921k-dot (VGA) TFT LCD with 160° viewing angle, approx. 100% frame coverage, and brightness adjustment
Playback
Playback	Full-frame and thumbnail (4, 9 or 72 images or calendar) playback with playback zoom, movie playback, photo and/or movie slide shows, histogram display, highlights, auto image rotation and image comment (up to 36 characters)
Interface
USB	Hi-Speed USB
Video output	NTSC, PAL
HDMI output	Type C mini-pin HDMI connector
Accessory terminal	MC-DC2 Remote Cord (available separately), GP-1 GPS Unit (available separately)
Audio input	Stereo mini-pin jack (3.5-mm diameter)
Supported languages
Supported languages	Arabic, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (Portugal and Brazil), Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian
Power source
Battery	One EN-EL14 Rechargeable Li-ion Battery
AC adapter	EH-5b AC Adapter; requires EP-5A Power Connector (available separately)
Tripod socket
Tripod socket	1/4 in. (ISO 1222)
Dimensions / weight
Dimensions (W x H x D)	Approx. 125 x 96 x 76.5 mm/5.0 x 3.8 x 3.1 in.
Weight	Approx. 505 g/1 lb 1.8 oz (with battery and memory card but without body cap); approx. 455 g/1 lb (camera body only)
Operating environment
Temperature	0 to 40°C/32 to 104°F
Humidity	Less than 85% (no condensation)
Accessories
Supplied accessories (may differ by country or area)	EN-EL14 Rechargeable Li-ion Battery, MH-24 Battery Charger, DK-5 Eyepiece Cap, DK-20 Rubber Eyecup, UC-E17 USB Cable, EG-CP14 Audio Video Cable, AN-DC3 Camera Strap, BF-1B Body Cap, BS-1 Accessory Shoe Cover, ViewNX 2 CD-ROM

• Microsoft and Windows, Windows 7 are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.
• Macintosh and QuickTime are registered trademarks or trademarks of Apple Inc. in the United States and/or other countries.
• The SD, SDHC and SDXC logos are trademarks of the SD Card Association.
• PictBridge is a trademark.
• HDMI, the HDMI logo and High-Definition Multimedia Interface are trademarks or registered trademarks of HDMI Licensing, LLC.
• Google, Android and Google Play Store are registered trademarks or trademarks of Google Inc.
• Products and brand names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.
• Images in viewfinders, on LCDs and monitors shown in this website are simulated.

Memory card capacity

The following table shows the approximate number of pictures that can be stored on a 8 GB SanDisk Extreme Pro SDHC UHS-I card at different image quality and size settings. Note that buffer capacity drops at ISO sensitivity of 1600 or higher.

Image quality	Image size	File size1	No. of images1	Buffer capacity2
NEF (RAW) + JPEG fine3	Large	31.9 MB	171	10
NEF (RAW)	–	20.4 MB	259	18
JPEG fine	Large Medium Small	11.9 MB 7.4 MB 3.8 MB	509 853 1600	80 100 100
JPEG normal	Large Medium Small	6.2 MB 3.7 MB 1.9 MB	1000 1600 3200	100 100 100
JPEG basic	Large Medium Small	3.0 MB 1.9 MB 1.0 MB	1900 3200 6300	100 100 100

• 1All figures are approximate. Results will vary with card type, camera settings, and scene recorded.
• 2Maximum number of exposures that can be stored in memory buffer at ISO 100. Drops when noise reduction or auto distortion control is on.
• 3Image size applies to JPEG images only. Size of NEF (RAW) images can not be changed. File size is the total for NEF (RAW) and JPEG images.

Approved memory cards

The following SD memory cards have been tested and approved for use in the D3200. Cards with class 6 or faster write speeds are recommended for movie recording. Recording may end unexpectedly when cards with slower write speeds are used.

SD memory cards	SDHC memory cards2	SDXC memory cards3
SanDisk		2 GB1	4 GB, 8 GB, 16 GB, 32 GB	64 GB
Toshiba		2 GB1	4 GB, 8 GB, 16 GB, 32 GB	64 GB
Panasonic		2 GB1	4 GB, 6 GB, 8 GB, 12 GB, 16 GB, 24 GB, 32 GB	48 GB, 64 GB
Lexar Media	2 GB1	4 GB, 8 GB, 16 GB, 32 GB	–
	Platinum II	2 GB1	4 GB, 8 GB, 16 GB, 32 GB	–
	Professional	2 GB1	4 GB, 8 GB, 16 GB, 32 GB, 64 MB, 128 MB	–
	Full-HD Video	–	4 GB, 8 GB, 16 GB	–

• 1Check that any card readers or other devices with which the card will be used support 2 GB cards.
• 2Check that any card readers or other devices with which the card will be used are SDHC-compliant. The camera supports UHS-I.
• 3Check that any card readers or other devices with which the card will be used are SDXC-compliant. The camera supports UHS-I.

Note: Other cards have not been tested. For more details on the above cards, please contact the manufacturer.

The one thing that appealed the fact that this camera has 24.2 megapixels and it’s only $699. Most with this cost well into the thousands or more! I started looking into the other features of it too and decided that this was just going to be the perfect camera for a beginner like me. I went to the store to hold it and it felt great in my hand too. A lot of the “cheaper” DSLR cameras out there have a small frame, which is fine for me because I have small hands. However my man does not, so I wanted something he could use to because I’m getting him into photography as well, the larger grip on this camera made it comfortable for him too. The lens that comes with it includes the vibration reduction feature which is helpful as well when on the move. So I bought it that day and don’t regret it one bit!

The next day I had to work so I took the camera with me and tested it out. On my previous post you can see just a few pictures I took in the early morning hours testing the camera’s quality. That evening we also tested it with the sunset as well and this camera really preforms! It does great on portraits as well but you’ll have to wait for those pictures because I need to do a little editing. Right now I’m using Photoshop to edit because I just really like that program. My mom’s work had more copies so I got to add it to my computer, score! But it’s an older edition, either way it still works great for me!

For the price, quality, features, and everything on this camera I am VERY happy with my purchase! I will be sure to post many pictures as I take them. Let me know what you think. : ) I always love hearing back from my readers.

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I want this if it ever comes out!

Gigaom

My iPhone (s aapl) is so handy and so much better at getting good pictures than it used to be that I find myself taking out the DSLR kit less and less these days, and just doing a little more work on the editing side, something Annie Leibovitz says is the key to great shots anyway. But a new iPhone accessory concept brings the best of both worlds via a single device — albeit one that doesn’t exist, yet.

The iCam is a simple case for the iPhone 5 (yes, iPhone 5), as conceptualized by Italy’s ADR Studio. The studio used a mock-up it had created for the iPhone 5, featuring a larger edge-to-edge screen and oval home button, as the base device for the iCam add-on, but it’s not hard to imagine it working with the iPhone 4 either.

Basically, it provides a slim case you…

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To the Fashion Industry

After a short chat with another blogger, World of Mini Figs, I realize that I am not the only girl out there that can’t stand the “clothing” they make for women these days, if that’s what you can even call it! I can’t stand the crap they are making these days, it’s not built for someone like me, unless off course I want to spend $500 on a pair of pants, maybe then it might be made properly.

I am an active, can’t stand sitting still, hate dressing up kind of girl. I’d rather t-shirt and gym shorts any day. I’d say jeans but have you seen the jeans they make today?! Honestly…what is that crap?! The pockets aren’t big enough to hold a freaking quarter, let along phone, keys…whatever else you want to carry. I carry a purse but sometimes I don’t want to, I’d rather not take it with me, but with the pants they create today I don’t have a choice, I must carry a purse all the time or keep it in my hands.

These pockets are probably a creation due to the shorts they have created…or haven’t, depends on how you look at it. How much shorter could they get?? I saw one girl at the dentist that everyone was staring at…her ass cheeks were literally hanging out! I can’t believe she walked in like that with her dad!! She was MAYBE 15…if that! All I can say is my child will NEVER dress like that! EVER! I could probably pull that look off, I don’t want to. I don’t want to show my whole body off. I like the longer shorts, down to my knees which are so hard to find. Currently I own 3 pairs of shorts, that’s it. The rest of the time I’m wearing pants or guys gym shorts since girls gym shorts are just as short.

Back to the subject of pants…I like jeans, not spandex! Why must they put any bit of spandex in jeans?? Why?? I want my jeans to be JEANS! No other material added but cotton. I want jeans that are built to last, stand up to my use, and not feel like freaking spandex. I want jeans to feel like jeans! Anyone else with me on this?? Even 1% of spandex is too much, they are uncomfortable. I hate stretchy pants, it’s just wrong and feels wrong.

Sometime I like to dress up a little, or even dress more like a “girl” according to society. I don’t mind all the clothes, but why must I show so much off?? I’d dress more like a girl if things fits better, didn’t show everything off, and weren’t so tights I can’t breath. You’re probably saying…go up a size…it doesn’t work like that. Going up a size means it’s not so tight, but then it doesn’t fit properly. There’s just so much wrong with today’s fashion. I want guys to like me for me and my looks, not because I’m showing off my body. And believe me…some people don’t need to be wearing that clothing but that’s all that’s out there so they don’t have a choice…

Geocaching and GPS Devices

I’m currently doing anything I can to keep my mind occupied. I’m SO hungry! Starving!! Surgery isn’t until 5pm therefore I’m dying of hunger! Ok…so I’m not “dying” but I am VERY hungry. To keep my mind off the hunger I’ve decided to blog…again. You getting tired of hearing from me, aren’t you? Sorry. This will be the last until after I recover. Today I’ve decided that I’d like to share a few things about geocaching. Recently I had a fellow cacher contact me because they couldn’t find my cache. They are new to the geocaching community and I decided I would help them out. A few e-mail exchanges later and they found it. I found out that this new geocacher is using a smart phone, nothing wrong with that, that’s how I got started, but if you really want to get into this sport I suggest you look into getting a GPS device.

You can go to the Geocaching website and search GPS reviews or visit the Guide to Buying a GPS Device page as well. You can also use the trusty google and see what’s to be said on there. In all my time reviewing, I’ve found Garmin to be the most popular device. I’ve also seen many cachers on the trails using a Garmin device. There are several other options out there, but around here Garmin is the most popular. I am currently caching with my iPhone and two Garmin devices. I use the iPhone geocaching application to look up information and hints on the caches but I use the GPS device to get me to the cache.

The first device that we use the majority of the time is the Garmin eTrex10. We have the older version but it works great for us! It’s small, reliable, durable, and waterproof. It gets us very close to the cache then we use a little geosense and hints to find the actual cache. No GPS will get you exactly to the spot because you don’t know how good the gps device is that the person placed the cache with and even if your device is the same it won’t read perfect. The eTrex gets us very close and has a great battery life. I love this little guy! Another advantage to this device is it’s relatively cheap making it great for people just getting started or anyone who doesn’t want to spend a lot.

The second device we use is the Garmin GPSmap 60CSx which they don’t make anymore but here is their comparable device. This is also a great device, durable, reliable, and waterproof. Battery life is also great on this device however it’s larger than the eTrex. For guys this may not be a problem, but women’s pants have crappy pockets! I can’t get this device to fit so I prefer to carry the eTrex when we’re doing short caching and not carrying anything with us. However on longer trips and times when we are carrying more stuff this device is great! It’s slightly more accurate than the eTrex but they both get us relatively close and we just search from there.

The advantage to both these devices is when we’re doing a random, not planned, geocache adventure we can enter the caches right into the device. We can also plan the adventure and upload them into the devices before we leave. Either device is great! There is a reason why I decided to do a little review on the devices is because today in the mail I received a flyer from Cabela’s for their father’s day sale. My father will be receiving nothing more than a card from me, but on the flyer they had a section of GPS devices for sale. So check it out, there will be plenty of sales this father’s day. Find the device that is right for you.

And So It Begins

Warning: This post will be random and all over, I’m not sure where exactly this post will go, just so you know.

First, the game has begun. The Captain was notified that he is to report to the Assistant Police Chief as soon as he reports for duty. He if flipping out! He’s texting everyone, asking why he needs to go there, and honestly, the people he is texting do not know. I know why but I’m not about to tell him, besides he never asked me.

This guy is the type of person that if you told him his mom was here looking for him, he’d flip out and question you non-stop until he got here on why his mom was here, he’s just that guilty and scared all the time. I have this problem too, but it’s not because I’m guilty of anything, it’s a product of my past, something that I am also working on. So now we wait…in about 3 hours he should be arriving from class, given his letter, escorted to his car, then escorted out of town by PD, mostly for the safety of those employees on duty today, more specifically for me. The Chief is concerned about him trying to come after me and blame me for this given our history. Honestly I could take the guy, but I’d rather not have to try.

More on this soon, for now, the next topic.

While I’m discussing topics, let’s talk about Topix for a moment. Have you seen this crap?!?! If not, it’s probably better you never look at it, especially if you live in a small town like where I work. People are brutal! It’s horrible! Posting peoples full names, addresses, bad things about people..it’s just horrible! I am all for protecting my First Amendment right, but this site really needs to go. It’s cause a suicide in one of the towns I currently work in…it’s just bad news bears!

People recently got on there and started bitching about the ambulances being left running when the crews go out to the store or eat and just being out of the station to begin with…I’d like to discuss this a moment for all you people out there, especially those that are bitching about this.

First, crews leaving the station in the truck…”you’re wasting our gas and tax dollars”…fair point, but let me show you more sides of this. Where I work we are allowed to take a pager and go anywhere within the city limits we’d like, cool, but we RARELY do this if we are on the next up truck to be dispatched. So lets say I’m on the next up truck, you don’t like us using the trucks to run and get food, I decide to take my own car (not a big deal). I drive down the street, have to cross the highway because the stores aren’t on this side, wait in traffic and stop lights, get down and start getting my food from the store. As I’m inside getting food the pager goes off. I have to drop everything, go to my car, get back across the highway and wait in all the lights because it’s illegal for me to run them, get to the station, look up the address, then respond. How long do you think that takes? No instead, we took the truck to get food…a call came in. We drop everything, go to the truck, look up the address, and respond…no driving to pick the truck up. If you were the one that needed me at that very second, you’d be happy I had the truck right? It’s only ok if you need me, right? Is that how it works?

Now the second, leaving the trucks running, and this seems to be a major problem with people, especially with “tree huggers” (pardon my choice of words). We carry life saving equipment, including medications which are designed to only be stored within a certain temperature range, some of which is about 10 degree range. Without the truck running, it’s unable to maintain a certain temperature. In the winter it can keep the cold out better, but in the dead of summer those trucks heat up FAST! It can be very bad and VERY expensive to replace all the medications. Have you ever noticed that trucks are always parked inside “bays” when at the station? These bays are temperature regulated and help protect the medication from hitting the temperature extremes. So you don’t want us to leave the truck running…fine, lets turn it off and let it heat up in our 100 degree summer. Now you call 911…we respond but can’t use the medication to help you because the temperature is too hot. You’re also mad at us because it’s burning up inside the truck. Sorry, you bitched about it being left running. It takes a while for the AC to be able to catch up, we don’t have the money to afford specific AC units for the box part of the ambulance like some places. Have you ever tried to warm up or cool off a van or SUV from the 1990’s or older…takes a while, doesn’t it?

It is a proven fact that you can’t please 20% of people. You can offer 100 people $100 and 20 of them will not be happy. Some will be mad that they now have to pay high taxes because they are in a different tax bracet. Other’s might complain that your $100 “gift” means they have to pay $120 to their accountant to fill out different paperwork, so now it costs them more money. You can never please everyone. So despite everyone complaining, we will still continue to eat and when the temperature is extreme, we will be leaving the trucks running. Sorry, you’ll just have to bitch and complain, it’s not going to change. I’m off my soapbox…for now. : )

I’m still looking for another good book to start reading. I feel lost right now not reading anything. I loved Fifty Shades but man I wish I hadn’t read it so fast! It was SO good and I couldn’t wait to keep reading, but it ended too fast for me. I miss it, miss the story and heading the next adventure in their lives. Now what…? I don’t know what to read now, I need another good book! Help!! Any suggestions out there? I really hate when a good book ends!

The wait continues…I have typed all that within 30 minutes and now I wait some more…

Tonight I’m going to meet my man and we plan on talking some, discussing our future together. I can’t wait to spend my life with him and we have the same ideas about raising children. He currently has 3, and though I get along with them, they are pretty useless. The oldest has no job, bumming off his dad, living at home, about to lose his car cause it can’t pass inspection. The second youngest got knocked up early, living with her unstable boyfriend, no job for either of them, living off state money, and bumming off her dad. The youngest at least has a job, but she’s a royal bitch and downright evil to her dad. They are horrible. And he feeds it a lot, though that has changed more recently with my guidance. He gives them everything and allows them to feed off him. He complains that they are independent but he continues to allow that, which he’s been working on. I can’t blame him fully, his wife ran off when the youngest was just 4 and he’s been on his own, giving them what they want to make up for what she did.

We’ve both agreed how we want it when we have kids, we want the same things. We want them to be independent and strong, hard workers like both of us. I refuse to be a crutch for my child, not having that from my parents made me the person I am today, however I refuse to treat my kids the way my parents treated me. I want them to grow up in a loving, caring, and nurturing house but teach them the skills it takes to succeed in life. I really hope I do ok. I’m determined to break the cycle! I pray I will not treat my children like my parents treated me, I don’t want them to suffer and be on their own, I want them to know I’m there for them! I don’t want them struggling with suicide like I did. I just don’t want that.

This has been quit the post today. I don’t want it to get too long. I have been full of words more lately, opening up more, this is all thanks to my friend/counselor. He has helped me SO much and is helping me get to the place I want to be. One day I will be where I need to be and it will be thanks to him. I can’t wait to be “normal” and have a “normal” life and get past my past. One day.

Now, I continue to wait…if I am unable to entertain myself, expect more posts…don’t worry, I will update you once the Captain is escorted out. I really do hope, for my sake and any other girl that might start working here, that today is the last day we ever see him.

Fifty Wonderful Shades

Back when the Fifty Shades trilogy came out I started to read it but schooling and study requirements ended that as quickly as I started. Once the books hit the New York Times list I figured I better read them like the rest of America. Let’s just say you will NOT be disappointed. I hated putting it down the first time I read it, it was very difficult, so when I picked up the books again I was hooked right away. They were so good and addicting that I was basically obsessing over them. I couldn’t put them down, it was like reading the Harry Potter books all over again. I would stay up way later than I should have at night to read. I had it on my phone and my iPad and every second I got to read a few words I did it. If you have not read the books yet then now is the time to stop reading this post…

I was attached to Christian Grey from the beginning and felt every struggle he was going through because I myself deal with the internal demons. I knew from the beginning that Christian and Ana would stay together, she had the ability to change him. I was glad she walked out on him the first time because it really changed their relationship. He gave her “more” just like she wanted. Her birthday present from him brought a smile to my face, he was so caring and thoughtful with it, both the bracelet and the car. This is one of those “love stories” that make you wish some rich guy would come along and you could sweep him off his feet. It was a well written trilogy, just great in every way.

I loved the first book, then fell in love with the second too. The third I loved but I felt like the author was losing focus. The days between their e-mails got longer and the events happening in between were written shorter and with less detail. It was almost like they author lost focus for a bit then came back. I love that Grey’s side of the story was told about the interview at the very end but I didn’t want that to end. I almost want there to be a whole series with Grey’s view and what he was thinking. His mind seemed to work much like mine, though I’m not sure I have Fifty Shades of fucked up to me, I do have the mood changes he does and being trapped inside my head. They just work so well together and I’m glad he offered Ana what she wanted.

I did not want these books to end, they were just addicting! Have you read the books? What do you think about them?

Not So Silent Sunday!

I’m back! Did you miss me? 4 days without any cell phone service, no contact with the outside world, living the simple life like I used to, just camping and not caring about a thing…it was wonderful! My man took such good care of me! And two of my friend came along, they had an awesome time too. He really knows how to do the camping get away and make it enjoyable for everyone. He took really good care of us all. I got plenty of good food, backrubs, feet rubbed and just had an awesome time! When someone talks bad about our relationship, I just think about times like this weekend. Even the “bad” days are better than him not being in my life! He just makes my world a better place!

We spent 2 days of our vacation floating down the river, checking out all the springs and caves, it was amazing. Then the other two days were spent just relaxing and swimming around camp. I did rescue someone off the water. Some idiots decided to take their friend, who can’t swim, floating down a swift moving, deep river in a tube WITHOUT a life jacket…stupid! We heard her screaming, she was stuck in some trees with the water pulling her under and her friend was having a hard time getting her out. We paddled up to shore, I grabbed the rescue rope we just bought, made a text book throw and we got her safely to shore. My awesome man got her taken care of and went on our way. I think I spend more time helping people off duty than I do on duty. It’s an amazing feeling being able to help people in need! : ) And to make the day more successful, we found the only geocache along the river.

Below are a few pictures from our adventure.

 

Anyone looking for a good tarp used for camping shelter, I highly suggest the Kelty Noah’s Tarp! It comes in several sizes, we got the 12’x12′ and it seems perfect for us, but depending on your use, you may need the bigger one. Be advised though, this is designed to go between two trees, we know that there are not always two trees the perfect distance apart…therefore we got the optional poles to go with it too…the poles were $40 a piece!! Ouch! The stakes that come with it are the standard tent stakes like this, but we bought these heavy duty stakes just in case and I’m sure glad we did! They held excellent in the sandy campsite condition. Be advised though, they may not want to come around of the ground, we actually had one bend from trying to remove it, we had to dig it out! We also bought this rope with the easy ties to tie it down, also a wise investment. The rope that comes with it had the nice hooks so you don’t have to tie knots, but it’s black and we all know at night black is not easy to see! The reflective rope saved us several times! We got extra of the reflective rope, but this time did not need to use it, depending on how tall you make the tarp you may need some extra rope, always better to have too much! As you can see from the picture, we set it up like the directions, however there are many different ways to set it up and tie it down. There are black loops all over to make it more secure if needed too. This is one quality built item and well worth the money. Packs light and small, even the poles, we plan on using it for some kayak float/camping trips down river. I know a few people that pack it for backpacking too. You can get cheaper, much lighter poles, but I really recommend these because they don’t feel as cheap, very good quality but still light enough.

Had an amazing weekend, now back to the real world of work at 5am…time to finish unpacking and getting ready. Hope everyone had an awesome weekend too! : )