Learn to be Impulsive

Harrisburg from across the river
Originally uploaded by rorowe8

The past few nights, I've had optional things planned to get out of my apartment, avoid work, and hopefully have fun. I've noticed recently, though, that as the time nears, I debate whether I really want to go or not. Finally, I jump up, grab my go-gear, and head out the door, usually ending up having a great time. This post is a lesson in being impulsive so stir up an otherwise routine life without spending alot of money.
Friday I attended a benefit concert for Breast Cancer Research at Northern High School (featuring House Exit and Fink's Constant). I got to sit back and enjoy a great event for $3 in a pretty comfortable environment (where I teach, lol).

Saturday, I traveled up to Enola, PA to hear Fink's Constant again at the local VFW. That was a little stranger, as I was driving to a strange area, and going to a Veterans' hangout to see one of my colleagues play in a ska/reggae band. My best memory from last night was my colleague buying a beer for me (on the band's tab) and remarking about how nice it is to have a fellow teacher out to hear them.

On the way home last night, I noticed the lights of Harrisburg from across the river. "I must get some pictures of that," I thought, so that was today's event. I debated not going, but finally let my impulses take over, grabbed my camera and grabbed a bunch of shots. Unfortunately, due to my camera's limitations, I was only able to keep 4 pictures (the one above being my favorite).

This all comes about as I think about the life of a teacher outside of school. What's appropriate, what isn't, and how to participate in the world around us (both physical and digital). I'm anxious to see what my Monday brings me!

Photography (I'm back!)

Memorial Park
Originally uploaded by rorowe8

When I discovered a dust speck on the internal lens of my Olympus Stylus 300, life was over. When I stupidly didn't back up my photos, and consequently paid the price when my laptop failed, it was like erasing 3 years of memories.
So, imagine my surprise and joy when I booted up the camera and noticed the dust was gone! This past Sunday, I had planned on actually opening up the camera to see if I could clean the lens myself (definitely a last resort option, mind you). It was a beautiful day, so discovering a functional camera was just the perfect thing for my day.
Thanks to some friends at work, I went exploring, camera-in-hand, at the Memorial Park in Lemoyne. It's a small park stretched along the Susquehanna River, with City Island resting in the river between Lemoyne and Harrisburg. Here's one of my favorites from the excursion.
p.s. This is also my first use of Flickr's blog posting feature. Hope it works.