Paterno discussion

All the how should we remember Joe Paterno discussion is getting a little old. It is simple. You remember the whole story. You celebrate the great man he was and all his good works. But you also remember that despite all that he was just a man. And as a man he was falable as we all are, and he made mistakes. So don't rush to put men on pedastals as we are all human and fall short. I would also say when remembering a man's mistakes "Judge not lest ye be judged". How would any of us feel if no matter what we did in our lives, upon our deaths we would only be remembered for our biggest mistake or wrongdoing?

Its been a long day

My dog Mojo here is making it an interesting past 24 hours. He has always been a very unusual dog and has many peculiarities. One of these is that he does not like to come into the house on his own once he is outside. Another is that he doesn't really like to just come up to people and let them pet him or handle him. He will come within arms length. Inside he will come and sit on the couch or come to us to be petted but it has to be on his terms. As we discovered these tendencies we have made sure that he is either on his leash connected to a tree or has a long lead attached so that we can get a hold of him. He has no problem going into the house or being near us once we have a hold of his leash or color. It is very strange. There must be something about doorways that scares him, but I have yet to figure it out.

Yesterday at approximately 6:00 PM Mojo somehow got off his leash. He has been outside ever since. We have tried everything we can think of to try to get him to come inside. I even stayed home from work today to keep an eye on him and try to get him to come in. I have been unsuccessful so far. Thankfully the weather has been mild for this time of year. However, Mojo is a Husky and likes the cold and rain and miserable weather. But I would feel much better if he would just come inside. We recently put a dog house outside for our dogs to use if they want while outside, but Mojo does not appear to have any interest in using it. I am sure he will decide to come in eventually. Hopefully it will be sooner rather than later.

Upon further inspection there appears to be nothing wrong with the leash. So we are still not sure how he got off.

If you have any advice on the situation please feel free to share. Thanks.

Movie / Inspiration

Today I watched a very good movie. My wife and I went to see "We Bought a Zoo". It was the perfect movie for me to see at this point in my life. I found it pretty inspirational and moving. As my favorite photographer Moose Peterson often says about photography, this movie pulled all the right heartstrings for me. It was about love and passion and doing what you believe is right. It is about having that "20 seconds of courage". If you believe in something and believe it is worth putting every ounce of effort into doing and you have passion for it you can make it part of your life.

For me this is a very personally relevant message. I have been pursuing my education my entire adult life and I am reaching the culmination of that dream. I have been doing it because I believe in my heart it is the right thing to do and it is what I want out of life. I am about to begin my comprehensive exam for my PhD program and after that the final step will be to write my dissertation. Then I will have achieved all my educational pursuits. But leading up to this point I have been having doubts about my abilities and my self confidence has been lacking. Seeing this movie has helped me just regain focus and know that if I put myself fully into this I can do it.

I have also been pursuing a career in photography. I have been making modest gains each year. I try to expand into something new each year. But at times I wonder if this will ever be something I can do on a regular basis as a professional. I love my photography and I feel like I learn something new in the field of photography and its business aspects on a regular basis. I know that if I keep trying and I am not afraid to make mistakes I can do it. I just need to take on the challenges and do what is needed to push through it.

On top of all these things I have a regular full time job that pays the bills. This is part of doing what is necessary to make this all work out. I am just glad that movies with such positive themes are still being made. I don't know if this movie had as mush an impact on anybody else, but I am thankful it connected with me. Now just to read the book.

Remembering 2011

As 2012 begins I want to take a moment to reflect on 2011. I want to focus on some of the positive things that happened in my life in 2011.

1. I celebrated being in love with my wife for 11 years and being married for the last 7 of them.

2. Thanks to my wife I began volunteering at the local SPCA.

3. I became a member of a local arts association and started showing my photography in their art gallery on a regular basis.

4. Completed my final course in my PhD program.

5. Several newborn babies born into our family. (None of them mine, whew.)

6. Flew by myself for the first time.

7. Went out and took photos of nature on numerous occasions and experienced the wonders of this world.

8. Lost 50 lbs.

9. Began eating healthier and exercising more.