Category Archives: Shannon

Andree, Angie, Baier, Basketball, Becky, Bill, Brandon, Cathie, Dawn, Derrick, Faust, Frank, Jesse, Laura, Linda, Lowell, Mark, Michelle, Micky, Nate, Portrait, Robert, Russell, Sara, Shannon, Tim, Toby, Willy

Roundball Oracles – Year 14

April 3, 2018 Christopher D. Bennett

I hurt myself today
To see if I still feel
I focus on the pain
The only thing that’s real
The needle tears a hole
The old familiar sting
Try to kill it all away
But I remember everything
What have I become
My sweetest friend
Everyone I know
Goes away in the end
And you could have it all
My empire of dirt
I will let you down
I will make you hurt
I wear this crown of thorns
Upon my liars chair
Full of broken thoughts
I cannot repair
Beneath the stains of time
The feelings disappear
You are someone else
I am still right here

It is done. College basketball is over for another season.

In 11 days Iowa State football will hold their Spring Game. After that, the only sports worth watching until college football kicks off in 5 months is the NBA Playoffs. I’m not sure what I’ll do with my spare time. Maybe I’ll clean my house. Now I’m really depressed.

Who isn’t depressed?

Paul Golden, that is who! For the second straight year, he is cutting down the nets for the Roundball Oracles. His name had been added to the List of Immortals:

The List of Immortals

2018 – Paul Golden
2017 – Paul Golden
2016 – Michelle Haupt
2015 – Derek Dohrman
2014 – Brandon Kahler
2013 – William McAlpine
2012 – Lowell Davis
2011 – Carrie Baier
2010 – Mark Wolfram
2009 – Mark Wolfram
2008 – Mark Wolfram
2007 – Tim Peterson
2006 – William McAlpine
2005 – William McAlpine

One more trophy and he will tie Willy and Mark for the most crowns ever!

I held onto Paul’s trophy from last year, when in became apparent he might win again, so I don’t have a picture of Paul with his trophy yet. But when I do, I’ll share it here.

I do however have a picture of last year’s The Sara winner:

Shannon with The Sara

However, Shannon did not have the guts to come back and defend her The Sara Title. Therefore, there is a new The Sara “Winner” this year.

“Congrats” to Robert Henning for being the last place adult, that tried to win. I have went over his bracket with a fine tooth comb and even though he picked Kansas to win it all, it would seem he was trying to win in good faith. He joins the List of Mortals:

The List of Mortals

2018 – Robert Henning
2017 – Shannon Bardole
2016 – Laura Priest
2015 – Derrick Gorshe
2015 – Sara Lockner

There were 35 entrants this year. A slight dip from past years, but that was to be expected with the lack of any local teams in the tournament. Most of us adopted Loyola as our team, since they were powered by former Cyclone Clayton Custer.

However, it was a clean, close competition. Michigan’s defeat of Loyola in the Final Four left it down to just Rachel and Paul battling it out for the trophy. Villanova’s complete shellacking of Kansas gave Paul the repeat.

But you didn’t come here to listen to any of that tommyrot. You want to see the final standings:

1 Paul Golden 248
2 Dawn Krause 243
3 Yours Truly 243
4 tim peterson 232
5 Michelle Haupt 232
6 Nate Miller 230
7 Jordan Toot 224
8 Corey Faust 223
9 Angie DeWaard 221
10 Rachel Johnson 219
11 Lowell Davis 215
12 Benjamin Baier 213
13 Derek Dohrman 205
14 Cathie Raley 204
15 Bill Wentworth 200
16 Sean G. 198
17 Linda Bennett 195
18 Jesse Howard 195
19 Olivia Baier 188
20 Toby Sebring 185
21 Russ Kennerly 184
22 Jackson Faust 182
23 Sean Clubine 173
24 Jason Baier 173
25 Micky Augustin 167
26 Brandon Kahler 166
27 Nader Parsaei 166
28 Andree Jauhari 165
29 Liz Nordeen 165
30 Carrie Baier 162
31 Laura Priest 158
32 FHMeiners 156
33 Becky Perky 152
34 Will Baier 148
35 Robert Henning 141

The good news is that next year is that the state of Iowa won’t be shutout of the NCAA Tournament. If nothing else, the first two “real” rounds will be held in Des Moines. Plus Iowa has a lot of young talent that will be back next year. Admittedly, they still have the same sub-par coach, but they should be good enough to go dancing for a short while.

Iowa State on the other hand will be one of the most interesting teams in the country. This year’s team was very young and was decimated by injuries. The only major loss from last year’s team is Donovan Jackson, which Kansas fans know, is a major loss. However, assuming Lindell Wigginton comes back (and almost everybody assumes he will), they return a future first round pick in Wigginton and fellow freshman stud Cam Lard. Plus you bring Babb and Solomon back from injuries. Bring back a big time contributor down the stretch in Zoran Talley. A much improved Terrence Lewis will fight for playing time with super impact transfer Marial Shayok and impact transfer Michael Jacobson. Then add stud freshman Talen Horton-Tucker to the mix. One guy you don’t want to sleep on is Zion Griffin. Plus they are adding Tyrese Halliburton and George Conditt. I don’t expect those 2 to contribute next year, but they will be huge in the coming years.

This will be the most talented roster since Iowa State had 5 NBA players on the roster a few years back. That team lost in the first round of the tourney. I expect much bigger things from the Cyclones next year. The future is bright in the Cyclone State!

Andy, Black & White, Carla, Cathie, Kim, Macro, Photoshop, Shannon, Tamara, WPC - Submissions

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 132 – AGRICULTURE

March 26, 2018 Christopher D. Bennett 3 Comments

The weather this weekend might have been a little tough on AGRICULTURE for this week’s WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE. I know it damaged my plans. May have damaged others.

But you didn’t come here to listen to me talk all tommyrot about participation rates. You came to see the submissions:

Cathie Raley

Kim Barker

Shannon Bardole-Foley

Christopher D. Bennett

Tamara Peterson

Andy Sharp

Carla Stensland

But enough dwelling on the past. Time to look to the future. We are all interested in the future, for that is where you and I are going to spend the rest of our lives. And remember my friend, future events such as these will affect you in the future! This week’s theme:

BLACK & WHITE

BLACK & WHTIE! What a great theme! Also my favorite theme. Also, one of the easiest theme. Take a BLACK & WHITE picture of literally anything and it qualifies! Or you can take a color picture of something that is BLACK & WHITE and that qualifies too!

I look forward to seeing your interpretations!

HOUSEKEEPING

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 RULES DIVISION

1. The picture has to be taken the week of the theme. This isn’t a curate your pictures challenge. This is a get your butt off the couch (my personal experience) and put your camera in your hands challenge. Don’t send me a picture of you next to the Eiffel Tower, when I know you were in Iowa all week. I will point out that I have let that slide some in the past. I will not in the future. Since it is literally about the only rule.

2. Your submission needs to be emailed to bennett@photography139.com by 11 AM on the Monday of the challenge due date. It should be pointed out that this blog auto-publishes at 12:01 on Mondays. So it wouldn’t hurt to get your picture in earlier.

That is it, them’s the rules.

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION DIVISION

Nobody showed class, taste, and sophistication this week by signing up for a Photography 139 email subscription. I’ll try and do better next week.

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That’s all I got for today, so if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we will commune right here again next Monday. Hopefully it will be a very monochromatic Monday!

Alexis, Basketball, Black & White, Boone FUMC, Brandon, Carla, Christianity, Elainie, Event, History, Holidays, Jason, Jaycees, Johnathan, Mom, Music, Shannon, Teresa

03-25-08

March 17, 2018 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

These are the pictures from the folder 03-25-08:

By restoring these photos to the Photography 139 Photo Gallery, I was able to restore the following classic blog entries to their former glory:

MY HAPPY EASTER
THURSDAY NIGHT WITH KOUNTERTOP (PT.1)
A NEW GIG
RELAY FOR LIFE

The picture of me dunking is not a photo trick or a lowered hoop, I’m sure.

I’m not quite sure why I took the religious photos. But I like them.

The Easter photos are interesting because this year we won’t be celebrating Easter on Easter for the first time that I can ever remember. Mom is heading to Virginia with her favorite child that weekend. I might have my own private Air Fryer Easter that day.

The pictures of Shannon are from when she started at United Way. She needed a head shot for some kind of press release or newsletter or to hang in the company bathroom. I’m not really sure. However, I am 100% sure that Shannon will continue to work at The United Way for the foreseeable future. She will probably retire from there.

Next week’s walk down memory lane will involve snow.

Andree, Angie, Baier, Basketball, Bill, Brandon, Dae Hee, Dawn, Derrick, Faust, Frank, Jen, Jill, Jorge, Laura, Logan, Lowell, Michelle, Micky, Nader, Nate, Robert, Russell, Sara, Shannon, Tim, Toby, Willy

Roundball Oracles – Year 14

March 12, 2018 Christopher D. Bennett

It is once again time for the Roundball Oracles NCAA Tournament Pool.

I want to start by saying that Paul and Shannon, your trophies for last years accomplishment and “accomplishment” are on order. They will be in your possession by the end of next week.

Here is the proof that I ordered the trophies:

The pool is your pretty standard pool. Pick the games. Pick the final score of the championship game. Win a trophy. This year, I’ll deliver on the trophy much earlier.

The pool doesn’t cost anything, but pride, but the winner gets a trophy and the last place adult (that tried) gets The Sara Trophy.

Here is a list of past champions.

The List of Immortals:

2017 – Paul Golden
2016 – Michelle Haupt
2015 – Derek Dohrman
2014 – Brandon Kahler
2013 – William McAlpine
2012 – Lowell Davis
2011 – Carrie Baier
2010 – Mark Wolfram
2009 – Mark Wolfram
2008 – Mark Wolfram
2007 – Tim Peterson
2006 – William McAlpine
2005 – William McAlpine

Last year 38 people took their shot at mortality. Paul Golden came home the winner. Shannon Bardole came home with The Sara.

Last Year’s Standings:

RANK TEAM NAME SCORE
1 Paul Golden 260
2 Frank Meiners 252
3 Angie DeWaard 247
4 Michelle Haupt 242
5 shawn lockner 238
6 Jen Ensley-Gorshe 231
7 Jorge Rios 231
8 Andree Jauhari 226
9 tim peterson 226
10 Jordan Toot 225
11 Carrie Baier 225
12 Toby Sebring 224
13 Lowell Davis 222
14 JJ Baier 221
15 Logan Kahler 220
16 Jason Baier 218
17 Dae Hee Yoon 213
18 Jackson Faust 211
19 Dawn Krause 209
20 Jon DeWaard 208
21 Nader Parsaei 204
22 Derek Dohrman 203
23 William Baier 202
24 Robert Henning 194
25 Christopher Bennett
26 Bill Wentworth 193
27 Rachel Johnson 192 36
28 Russell Kennerly 190
29 Nate Miller 189
30 Michael Augustin
31 Derrick Gorshe 181
32 Elizabeth Nordeen 164
33 Laura Priest 162
34 Corey Faust 160
35 Jill Gorshe 152
36 Shannon Bardole 149
37 Olivia Baier 143
38 Benjamin Baier 121

If you are interested in participating this year, drop me an email and I’ll get you hooked up.

If this post seems kind of low energy, don’t worry, Iowa State and my passion for the tournament will be back again next year!

Animals, Becky, Bowling, Jaycees, Macro, Shannon

03-22-08

March 10, 2018 Christopher D. Bennett

A small collection of photos reside in the folder called 03-22-08:

By adding these images to the Photography 139 Photo Gallery, I was able to restore the following blogs to their original glory:

GOING BROKE
SORTING MAIL

1 picture is of a Jaycees newsletter. The dogs are Shimmer and Destiny from the Stensland family. The final picture is from the bowling alley, from back when I was in a bowling league.

Next Saturday’s walk down memory lane will involve Easter.

Andy, Kim, Macro, Micky, Shannon, Tamara, WPC - Submissions

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 128 – OLD/ELDERLY

February 26, 2018 Christopher D. Bennett

Despite the nicer weather, participation rates for the WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE haven’t rebounded. Might be time to consider retiring it at the end of this 52 week run. THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE must be getting OLD. Maybe even ELDERLY. Perhaps time to put it out to pasture. Perhaps ready for retirement!

But you didn’t come here to listen to me talk all tommyrot about participation rates, you came to see the submissions:

Kim Barker

Micky Augustin

Shannon Bardole-Foley

Tamara Peterson

Andy Sharp

Christopher D. Bennett

A solid week of submissions!

SHADOW!

SHADOW! What a great theme! But what is a SHADOW photograph. A SHADOW photograph is a photograph where a SHADOW plays a prominent role in the photo. It can literally be a picture of a SHADOW. But it can also be a picture where a SHADOW lands on your subject. A silhouette photo is an example of a SHADOW photograph.

As always, I will be interested in seeing your interpretations.

HOUSEKEEPING

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 RULES DIVISION

That is it, them’s the rules.

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION DIVISION

Nothing new to report. I’ll try to do better next week.

Want your own Photography 139 email subscription? Call, email, or text me and I’ll get you the hook up.

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That’s all I got for today, so if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we will commune right here again next Monday. Hopefully it will be a very shadowy Monday!

Commercial, History, Shannon

03-09-08/Little White Lye Soap

February 24, 2018 Christopher D. Bennett

The following images are from the folder 03-09-08/Little_White_Lye_Soap:

These pictures were taken for Shannon’s soap company Little White Lye Soap.

Next time we walk down memory lane, it will involve the downtown First United Methodist Church.

Andy, Becky, Cathie, Kim, Photoshop, Shannon, WPC - Submissions

WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – WEEK 126 – SMALL TOWN

February 12, 2018 Christopher D. Bennett

The old WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE seems to still be suffering from a case of the winter blues. Hopefully participation rates will rebound in the next few weeks as the weather gets warmer again.

But you didn’t come here to listen to me talk all tommyrot about participation rates. You came to see the submissions:

Cathie Raley

Christopher D. Bennett

Cathie Raley

Andy Sharp

Kim Barker

Shannon Bardole

STILL LIFE!

STILL LIFE! What a great theme! What is a STILL LIFE photo? Here is a good definition:

Still life photography is a genre of photography used for the depiction of inanimate subject matter, typically a small group of objects. It is the application of photography to the still life artistic style. An example is food photography.

As usual, I can’t wait to see your interpretations!

HOUSEKEEPING

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 RULES DIVISION

That is it, them’s the rules.

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION DIVISION

I’m pleased to announce that Shadi Mubaidin is the latest to show taste, class, and sophistication by signing up for a Photography 139 email subscription. I used to work with Shadi back in another life. In my days at the Campus Outpost of the Evil Clown Empire. If you see Shadi out and about walking the mean streets of Des Moines, feel free to give him a knowing glance and show him the super secret Photography 139 Handshake.

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That’s all I got for today, so if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we will commune right here again next Monday. Hopefully it will be a very still Monday!

Becky, Event, History, Music, Shannon

03-08-08

February 10, 2018 Christopher D. Bennett

The pictures from the folder called 03-08-08 were taken at an Inebriated Saints concert:

As far as I know, The Inebriated Saints no longer exist. But I could be wrong about such things.

By adding these pictures to the Photography 139 Photo Gallery, I was able to restore the following blog to its original glory:

THE CHURCH OF THE INEBRIATED SAINTS

Next Saturday’s walk down memory lane will possibly involve soap, but will definitely involve a picture of me mailing.

Andy, Carla, Logan, Pastor Sarah, Photoshop, Shannon, Tamara, WPC - Submissions

Weekly Photo Challenge – Week 122 – High Perspective

January 15, 2018 Christopher D. Bennett 4 Comments

I usually start this blog post with a statement on how participation rates went this week, but this week I’m going to start the week differently.

A recent subscriber and often contributor to the WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE Tamara Peterson’s husband Glenn recently got a tough diagnosis and they have a long fight ahead of them. They are legitimately 2 of the best people I have ever known. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers. Thoughts are good. Prayers are better.

Also, Jesse’s Dad has been going through some complications with his cancer treatments lately as well. Keep him in your thoughts and prayers as well.

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Looks like HIGH PERSPECTIVE was not a super popular theme, but that is okay because we have a submission from Andy Sharp. His first submission!

But you didn’t come here to listen to me talk tommyrot abut participation rates. You came to see the submissions:

Sarah Karber

Tamara Peterson

Christopher D. Bennett

Andy Sharp

Carla Stensland

Shannon Bardole-Foley

FOOD!

FOOD! What a great theme! I don’t think I need to explain FOOD to you. Hopefully, all of you put enough of it in your mouth every day. If not, I know some people that can help you out.

As always, I’m interested in seeing your interpretations!

HOUSEKEEPING

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 RULES DIVISION

That is it, them’s the rules.

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION DIVISION

Nothing new to report. I’ll try to do better next week.

Want your own Photography 139 email subscription? Call, email, or text me and I’ll get you the hook up.

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That’s all I got for today, so if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we will commune right here again next Monday. Hopefully it will be a very foodie Monday!