Coincidences, Cameras, & Costco

Okay, as I continue on my mission to watch Season 1 of Felicity, I keep finding strange coincidences that parallel my own life. For instance, after Ben and Felicity are robbed at gunpoint, they begin to bond over the trauma of the experience. Felicity reveals that a necklace, which was stolen in the robbery, was a family heirloom. Her grandmother gave to her mother at thirteen, who then handed it down to Felicity when she turned thirteen too. So here's the thing...my great-grandmother gave my grandmother a ring when she turned thirteen, who gave it to my mom, who then gave it to me...all at the age of thirteen. Then a year after I began wearing, it was stolen (though not at gunpoint, just from my locker). Made me very sad at the time. Anyway, just a really strange sense of dejavu. *twilight zone music is playing in my head right now*

What is really odd about the whole thing is that I don't remember them from when I originally watched the show. It's just very eerie, but solidifies this show as one that will stick with me for years to come. Shouldinteresting to see what other coincidences pop up as I make my way through the series. Gonna be a little time lapse though as I have to wait for the next volume to become available from the library.

And in yet another odd coincidence or maybe just a random act of the universe, I met a lovely woman today at the park. The kids and I had a little picnic at nearby park, not our usual one, and struck up a conversation with one of the other mothers there. As the kids played, we discussed how hard having lots of children can be and books we had read. I began chattering away like squirrel about Desert Wives, the polygamy murder mystery described in an earlier blog. I begin to rattle off all sorts of things I've learned about polygamy like a little kid who just learned how to read. As our conversation continues, this woman tells me, "oh yeah, I'm Morman by the way." I literally turn beat red and respond with the requisite, "open mouth insert foot." She laughed and took it all in stride and confessed she thought polygamy was way out there too.

Thankfully, I never actually said anything about Mormonism, let alone something derogatory. As we continued on, I learned that she knew a nearby girlfriend of mine that is also Mormon...small world. I kept babbling on and tried to save face by explaining that I had grown up with various friends that were Mormon and had even attended church with their families on occasion. I was rambling on about way too many things and finally K came to my rescue in the form of a potty accident. I felt very much like Chandler Bing...the way he acts in uncomfortable situations...not knowing how to just stop talking. The woman was wonderful and had such a great sense of humor. I of course was a blathering idiot, but she didn't seem to notice or care one way or another. She seemed happy just having another mom to chat with and said she hoped to see me around again. Good sign. Moral of this story is make sure you know who you are talking to before opening your mouth...or keep it closed so your foot stays out of it.

So completely different note, I've playing around with our digital camera a lot lately. I've also been taking portrait-style photographs of my kids and my friend's children. It's cheaper to do it and gives you more options to do it yourself. Though only about one out of every ten or so actually turn out the way I want it. I admit that I am a perfectionist when it comes to pictures. The pose, facial expression, clothing, and setting must all be just so for me to be happy with it. My mom and brother were always avid photographers, while I never paid much attention to cameras. Maybe I'm just a late bloomer, but I think I got a little bit of the photographer in my blood after all. My mom will proud to hear that. Anyhow, I finally got off my duff and ordered some photo prints from Costco. What a great thing that photo center is! So simple too! I just when online and ordered my picture enlargements, and picked them up the next day. Well, I noticed that the 8x10 cropped off part of my daughter's head in the photo. The gal behind the counter gave me tips on how to fix that, so I went home and fiddled around with it. She said bring it back and she'd just switch it out for no cost. I came home and reordered the 8x10 set and picked them up within just a few hours. Talk about fast service! The quality was pretty decent too. Maybe not high end studio quality, but good enough and much more within my budget. Now if I can only convince hubby to sit still for a couple and/or a family portrait.