Category Archives: Work

Art, Bokeh, Michelle, Still Life, Street Photography, Tenderloining, Travel, Work

New Orleans Food Adventure – Day 5

July 21, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

Bokeh Picture of the Week coming up!

She’s a charmer!

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Time to share the food I knocked down on my work trip to New Orleans. This time I ate breakfast and it was so amazing that I wish I had eaten breakfast every, single day! So freakin’ good. I also ate lunch with Michelle at a food truck across the street from the Convention Center. Then I tried to eat supper at the Computer Mine Sales Team party but the food was just the worst thing ever. Hard to describe how terrible it was. So I ended up knocking down a street dog on Bourbon Street. No regrets there. One of the best hot dogs I’ve ever eaten!

I got the Breakfast Burrito with sausage.

You can’t get a good chocolate milk outside of Iowa, but this wasn’t bad.

I could have licked the plate, it was so good!

I got the Smoked Sausage.

It was pretty good.

But what Michelle got was better.

Sales “party”.

I was so excited for the fried okra, but you can’t serve fried foods like this!

This was the most serviceable food there.

Gross. But free at least.

A dang good Bourbon Street hot dog!

Jimmy J’s Cafe is one of my favorite restaurants I’ve ever been to. In fact, I went there for breakfast again the next day. Oh my, I’ve said too much.

So I haven’t been great about updating my quest to live healthier. But this is what I can say. I’m currently 3.8 pounds from my ultimate goal weight. And this week I earned a new FitBit Badge:

WooHoo me! I did a better job of getting steps in this week and I ate better… well until the weekend. I ate lots of Fair food. But that is okay. Not every day can be nutritional winners!

Art, Bokeh, Michelle, Still Life, Tenderloining, Travel, Work

New Orleans Food Adventure – Day 4

July 14, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

Another Bokeh Picture of the Week? You got it!

On Friday Bokeh went in for her final set of puppy vaccines. She now weighs 35 pounds. This picture is of her waiting on me to pump some gas.

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Time to share the food I knocked down on Day 4 of my work trip to New Orleans. I didn’t eat breakfast again. I ate lunch at the convention center concession stand, which was a mistake. Then got tricked into going to supper with the sales team by Michelle, but it was worth it. The Butcher was one of the best meals I had on my trip.

Shrimp Po’ Boy from the Concession Stand.

It was not good, but at least I got outside.

I got the Moroccan Spiced Lamb.

With marinated brussel sprouts.

Michelle’s meal.

The Butcher definitely made up for the Po’ Boy. It was a great meal!

Still 3 days left of New Orleans meals to share. Well 2.333333.

Art, Birthdays, Black & White, Bokeh, Candid Portrait, Christianity, Derrick, Flowers, Logan, Music, Night, Self-Portrait, Still Life, Street Photography, Teresa, Vest, Work, WPC - Alternate

An Eternal Love BS You Know You’ll Never Mean

July 12, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

Today is Logan’s birthday, so I have to wish him a happy birthday!

Happy birthday Logan!

I hope your day is filled with quality garage sale finds and a ton of photo opportunities!

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Today is also Derrick’s birthday, so I also need to wish him a happy birthday!

Happy birthday Derrick!

I hope your birthday is filled with camping and some tasty face melting guitar solos. Probably some Pink Floyd as well.

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Time to share more alternate BLACK & WHITE images for THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE. These BLACK & WHITE images I took on July 3.

3 days of glorious BLACK & WHITE images shared! 4 more days to go!

Art, Football, Night, Self-Portrait, Still Life, Street Photography, Travel, Work

The Big Easy – Day 7 Phone Pictures

June 11, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

Day 7 in New Orleans was supposed to be relatively short. Tony and I had a 10:20 flight. So we would leave for the airport a little after 8. We would grab a connecting flight in Denver and be back in the Cyclone State by 3:30. But the best laid plans of mice and men…

Here are the pictures from Day 7. The final day.

I got up early to take one last stroll around. Saw this banner. I level of petty I can get behind.

About the time I was going to order an Uber we got a message from Southwest Airlines. Our flight had been delayed until noon! We decided to delay our trip to the airport until 10. That gave me time to go down and try to see the famous Saint Louis Cemetery No. 1. I didn’t get to see it because you have to pay for a tour, which is fine, but the tour lasted too long for me to take it. Anyways, saw this sticker. Enjoyed it.

On the way to the airport we got a text from Southwest that our flight had been moved back to its original flight time. Meaning that we missed our flight. Southwest was less than helpful. They told me to run and I might make the flight. Yeah, this was the security line. While waiting in it (this is TSA Pre-Check) Southwest sent me a message that my flight had left. Thanks!

I had to go back and get booked on a flight that wouldn’t leave until after 6. The fortunate thing for me was that they had checked my bags in. So I could go into the airport. They hadn’t checked Tony’s bag in, so he couldn’t go into the airport until 4 hours before the flight.

Not a fan of Southwest.

Another look at the security lines. This is the one that isn’t TSA Pre-Check.

Waited with Tony for a bit before going in.

Thanks airport.

NASA display.

Southerners love their Moon Pies!

Airport art.

Southerners love their Moon Pies!

Southerners love their moon pies!

Not in the mood for this toy at this time.

No lies detected.

For the Swifties that also love crawdads!

I know a big fan of the Golden Girls.

Southerners love their moon pies.

Finally in the air!

Bellisimo!

Landed in the home of Toasted Ravioli!

This sign made me so happy!

Goodbye Land of Toasted Ravioli.

Tony and Shannon dropped me off at my doorstep a little after midnight. It was a long, boring day. It was good to be home. 2 days later I would be welcoming Bokeh into my life and this trip feels like such a distant memory, even though it was only a month ago.

At some point I’ll begin sharing the pictures I took of New Orleans with the real camera!

Art, Cathie, Kim, Street Photography, Travel, Work

The Big Easy – Day 4, 5, & 6 Phone Pictures

June 4, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett 5 Comments

Time to share the cell phone pictures I took on Day 4 and Day 5 and Day 6 of my trip to New Orleans for the Big Meeting. I didn’t take many cell phone pictures on these days. Maybe not that many in general.

Day 4 is the worst day of the trip. It is over a 12 hour work day. And the last few hours is standing in the booth doing nothing because it is the “Big Meeting” Party”. So people flock to the booths that hand out free booze. We are not one of those. So nobody comes to our booth. Actually, now I think about it, that part is kind of amazing.

Here are pictures from Day 4:

Some street art from a morning walk.

I hope they find their fish!

I ate here for breakfast, but not on Day 4.

I like gumbo, but I prefer the version of this that references ice cream.

Getting ready to take on the day.

So Instagrammable!

The thing of nightmares.

I’d like a word with the designer.

It is almost like you are in New Orleans!

The convention center food court. More on this in a later post on my New Orleans food adventures.

Gina and I went down and had these made for Lowell and Leah.

I’m sure they get a ton of wear out of them.

On to Day 5. A sticker I enjoyed.

I took hardly any pictures on Day 5 that weren’t related to food I ate.

The statue in Lafayette Square is not of Lafayette. It is Henry Clay.

No lies detected.

Chicken & Daquiris. Pralines. Warm Boobies. That is Bourbon Street.

Day 6 – I also took hardly any pictures. And you are, like really pretty.

A Computer Mine competitor for people that don’t own adult computers.

They stole a few of our good chairs in Chicago.

The Big Meeting is over.

Now we wait for our crates.

Another Computer Mine competitor. Known for not wantING to give up their customer’s data.

Back at the hotel. This sign that explains what a fire alarm sounds like makes my head hurt.

Kim really wanted this picture taken.

Day 7. My final day in New Orleans. Tony and I had a 10:20 AM flight. We were going to be back in the Cyclone State by 4 PM. Sounds like an easy day.

The Big Easy – Day 1 Phone Pictures – Beta

May 22, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett 1 Comment

When we last checked in on Day 1 of my trip to New Orleans for work I was just about to get on the plane in Saint Louis to finish the trip to New Orleans.

Goodbye Saint Louis!

Thanks Southwest! I’m sure I won’t hate you by the end of this trip.

Southwest! The last of the great romantics!

Well, what is yours?

Getting close!

On the ground!

And they didn’t even lose my luggage!

We have to find our own transportation from the airport to the hotel now. Like commoners!

View from our room. Not bad!

So this is Bourbon Street.

My church is getting new shirts. I’ll just say this idea was shot down.

“So I lay prostrate before the LORD for these forty days and forty nights, because the LORD had said he would destroy you.”

I don’t get why this is such a popular combination in New Orleans, but it is.

Kim!

I wish I would have had some Fat Boy’s Pizza on this trip.

I know a few.

Seems like the kind of church that has credit card swipers in the sanctuary.

Never had any ice cream on this trip either.

Best shirt I saw in New Orleans.

Trolley!

3rd best shirt I saw in New Orleans.

Most of Day 1 was spent resting in the hotel and wandering around Bourbon Street and the Jackson Square area. This was by far the day I took the most cell phone pictures. However, there are plenty more pictures to share from the rest of the trip.

Andy, Art, Jesse, Still Life, Street Photography, Travel, Work, WPC - Alternate

The Big Easy – Day 1 Phone Pictures – Alpha

May 15, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

No time like the present to start sharing pictures from my work trip to New Orleans for the Computer Mine. Going to split up cell phone pictures and pictures from the real camera again. This first collection is from Day 1 of the trip. Which was mostly a travel day.

The trip started out terrible. I hit, what I think was a sign, or something that was on the middle of the interstate. It shredded my front passenger side tire. I was stranded on the side of the road at 4 in the morning. Roughly. It sucked. Fortunately for me, Tony was able to pick me up on the side of the road and we got to the airport on time for our flight to New Orleans via Saint Louis.

Here I have to give a big shoutout to Andy. He was able to get to my car, change the flat tire (with the help of a sledgehammer) and get it back to Boone. Then Jesse was able to get the tire fixed. Fortunately it was mostly covered under roadside hazard. So that part of the bill wasn’t too expensive. Although there is still more to come. Thanks guys!

Here are the pictuers:

On the plane before sunrise. Yeah.

Flying.

Saint Louis Airport.

I took a lot of these type of pictures for potential THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE LETTERS OR NUMBERS submission.

Saint Louis swag.

This guy looks like he knows frozen custard.

That would suck if you were still in the airport the next day.

Airport art.

The most annoying fans in all of baseball.

Toasted ravioli?

You know I picked up some St. Louis stickers!

I thought about it.

Coffee is gross.

By far, my favorite piece of art in the Saint Louis Airport.

So many stickers.

Still another collection of images to share from Day 1. We eventually even get to New Orleans!

Adam, Alexis, Andy, Angie, Animals, Becky, Bill, Brandon, Carla, Cathie, Dawn, Deanna, Elizabeth, Jesse, Kim, Kio, Linda, Logan, Lowell, Michelle, Micky, Mindi, Monica, Nathanial, Ruins, Sabas, Sarah Toot, Scottie D., Shannon, Sheri, Suzie, Teresa, Vest, Work, WPC - Submissions

WPC – WEEK 452 – RUINS

May 13, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

RUINS! A great theme! But were enough people interested in it to make it a popular theme or will many streaks lie in ruins? You will have to keep scrolling to find out!

As of 12:01 PM on Monday, May 6, this was the current list of ACTIVE streaks (ignore everything in parentheses):

1-Johnathan Stensland (IA) – 1 week
2-Mary Green – 1 week (IA, MI, IN) <2>
3-Alexis Stensland – 2 weeks (IA) <2>
4-Monica Jennings – 3 weeks (IA)
5-Sabas Hernandez – 4 weeks (IA, OH)
6-Jen Ensley-Gorshe – 6 weeks (IA, CO, MO, TX, TN, VA, IL, FL)
7-Willy McAlpine – 7 weeks (IA)
8-Deanna McClain – 8 weeks (IA)
9-Adam Gordon – 10 weeks (IA, MS, MO) <2>
10-Becky Parmelee – 11 weeks (AR, IA, OK)
11-Sara Lockner – 15 weeks (IA, BHS)
12-Lowell Davis – 18 weeks (IA)
13-Michelle Haupt – 18 weeks (IA, MO, KS, LA)
14-Brandon Kahler – 19 weeks (IA, MN)
15-Scott Degeneffe – 37 weeks (IA, FL, UT, CO, KY, IN)
16-Sheri Fakhouri – 47 weeks (IA, NE)
17-Logan Kahler – 48 weeks (IA, MN) <2>
18-Nathanial Brown – 49 weeks (IA, SD, GA, TN)
19-Jesse Howard – 49 weeks (IA, MO, NE, FL, ABW, CUW)
20-Tamara Peterson – 61 weeks (IA, MN)
21-Mindi Terrell – 64 weeks (IA)
22-Linda Bennett – 93 weeks (KS) <2>
23-Sarah Toot – 94 weeks (PA, NY, VT, NV)
24-Angie DeWaard – 98 weeks (IA, IL)
25-Dawn Krause – 102 weeks (IA)
26-Kim Barker – 109 weeks (IA, CO, LA) <2>
27-Joe Duff – 109 weeks (TX)
28-Teresa Kahler – 120 weeks (IA, NE) <2>
29-Carla Stensland – 120 weeks (IA, MO) <2>
30-Micky Augustin – 122 weeks (IA, IL)
31-Andy Sharp – 123 weeks (IA, NE, AR, MS, MO, TN, LA)
32-Bill Wentworth – 124 weeks (NE)
33-Cathie Morton – 127 weeks (IA, FL, BHS, MO, LA)
34-Elizabeth Nordeen – 129 weeks (IA)
35-Shannon Bardole-Foley – 131 weeks (IA, CA, NV)
36-Kio Dettman – 133 weeks (IA)

Here is the list of rules for Year 11 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE:

1. The picture must be taken between 12:01 PM today and 11 AM next Monday. This isn’t a curate your photos project. This is a get your butt off the couch and take pictures challenge!
2. There is a limit of 2 submissions per person per theme. If you send me more than 2, I will use the first 2 that you submit.
3. Deadline to submit your submission is 11 AM next Monday.
4. To be considered the photographer of an image, you have to be the one that clicks the shutter. If you hand your camera over to somebody else to take a picture of you, you are NOT the photographer of that image.
5. No screen captures. This is a photography challenge. Not a “look at what I found on the internet” challenge.

There are still 2 ways to submit:
1. Email your submission to bennett@photography139.com.
2. Text your submission to my Google Pixel 8 Pro.

But you didn’t come here to listen to me talk all tommyrot about participation rates or streaks or the rules of the challenge or how to submit. You came to see the submissions and what streaks continued and what streaks flamed out:

Adam Gordon (Boone, Iowa) – 11 weeks

Adam Gordon (Boone, Iowa)

Alexis Stensland (Pilot Mound, Iowa) – 3 weeks

Alexis Stensland (Pilot Mound, Iowa)

Andy Sharp (Boone, Iowa) – 124 weeks

Angie DeWaard (Iowa) – 99 weeks

Angie DeWaard (Ames, Iowa)

Becky Parmelee (Bella Vista, Arkansas) – 12 weeks

Bill Wentworth (Omaha, Nebraska) – 125 weeks

Brandon Kahler (Ames, Iowa) – 20 weeks

Carla Stensland (Ledges State Park – Boone County, Iowa) – 121 weeks

Carla Stensland (Highway 169 – Between Ogden and Harcourt)

Cathie Morton (Iowa) – 128 weeks

Christopher D. Bennett (Saint Louis Cemetery No. 1 – New Orleans, Louisiana)

Dawn Krause (Carlisle, Iowa) – 103 weeks

Deanna McClain (Iowa) – 9 weeks

Elizabeth Nordeen (Iowa) – 130 weeks

Jesse Howard (Iowa) – 50 weeks

Joe Duff (Texas) – 110 weeks

Kim Barker (Nevada, Iowa) – 109 weeks

Kio Dettman (Boone, Iowa) – 134 weeks

Linda Bennett (Kansas) – 94 weeks

Linda Bennett (Kansas)

Logan Kahler (Perry, Iowa) – 49 weeks

Lowell Davis (Iowa) – 19 weeks

Michelle Haupt (Iowa) – 19 weeks

Micky Augustin (Ames, Iowa) – 123 weeks

Mike Vest (Iowa) – 1 week

Mindi Terrell (Iowa) – 65 weeks

Mindi Terrell (Iowa)

Monica Jennings (Boone, Iowa) – 4 weeks

Nathanial Brown (Hancock County, Iowa) – 50 weeks

Sabas Hernandez (Iowa) – 5 weeks

Sarah Toot (E. Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania) – 95 weeks

Scott Degeneffe (Boone County, Iowa) – 38 weeks

Shannon Bardole-Foley (Iowa) – 132 weeks

Sheri Fakhouri (Ankeny, Iowa) – 48 weeks

Suzie Brannen (Baltimore, Maryland) – 1 week

Tamara Peterson (Iowa) – 62 weeks

Teresa Kahler (Iowa State Farm Museum – Iowa State University – Ames, Iowa) – 121 weeks

Teresa Kahler (Iowa State University – Ames, Iowa)

34 participants this week. A drop of 3 from last week. That is the lowest in a minute. Sad.

There were submissions this week taken in the following places:

+ Arkansas (1)
+ Iowa (33)
+ Kansas (2)
+ Louisiana (1)
+ Maryland (1)
+ Nebraska (1)
+ Pennsylvania (1)
+ Texas (1)

Suzie’s trip to Maryland adds yet another state to this year’s map! WooHoo!

Here is the Year 11 list of places where submissions have been taken (submissions taken in each places):

+ Arkansas (11.5)
+ Aruba (1)
+ Bahamas (2)
+ California (3)
+ Curacao (1)
+ Colorado (5)
+ Florida (85)
+ Georgia (1)
+ Hawaii (2)
+ Illinois (5)
+ Indiana (4)
+ Iowa (661)
+ Kansas (28)
+ Kentucky (1)
+ Louisiana (8)
+ Maryland (1)
+ Michigan (5)
+ Minnesota (6)
+ Mississippi (1.5)
+ Missouri (10.5)
+ Nebraska (27)
+ Nevada (2)
+ New York (12)
+ Ohio (1)
+ Oklahoma (1)
+ Pennsylvania (14)
+ South Dakota (3)
+ Tennessee (2.5)
+ Texas (28)
+ Utah (1)
+ Vermont (1)
+ Virginia (1)

29 states so far! 3 foreign countries! Not bad! So far, the following people have submitted from multiple places:

+ Jen Ensley-Gorshe (IA, CO, MO, TX, TN, VA, IL, FL) – 8
+ Andy Sharp (IA, NE, MO, AR, TN, MS, LA) – 7
+ Scott Degeneffe (IA, FL, UT, CO, IN, KY) – 6
+ Jesse Howard (IA, MO, NE, FL, ABW, CUW) – 6
+ Christopher D. Bennett (IA, MO, NE, IL, IN, LA) – 6
+ Cathie Morton (IA, FL, BHS, MO, LA) – 5
+ Michelle Haupt (IA, MO, KS, LA) – 4
+ Nathanial Brown (IA, SD, TN, GA) – 4
+ Sarah Toot (PA, NY, VT, NV) – 4
+ Kim Barker (IA, CO, LA) – 3
+ Shannon Bardole-Foley (IA, CA, NV) – 3
+ Adam Gordon (IA, MS, MO) – 3
+ Mary Green (MI, IA, IN) – 3
+ Becky Parmelee (AR, IA, OK) – 3
+ Micky Augustin (IA, IL) – 2
+ Susanna Funk (IA, CO) – 2
+ Brandon Kahler (IA, MN) – 2
+ Logan Kahler (IA, MN) – 2
+ Sara Lockner (IA, MN) – 2
+ Tamara Peterson (IA, MN) – 2
+ Carla Stensland (IA, MO) -2
+ Mike Vest (IA, MO) – 2
+ Teresa Kahler (IA, NE) – 2
+ Sheri Fakhouri (IA, NE) – 2
+ Angie DeWaard (IA, IL) – 2
+ Sara Lockner (IA, BHS) – 2
+ Sabas Hernandez (IA, OH) – 2
+ Suzie Brannen (IA, MD) – 2

Jen is in the lead to be crowned “The Most Travelled THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE Photographer!” Jesse and Andy Scott are in striking distance though!

Suzie joined the list of people to submit from multiple places!

The big milestone this week was Elizabeth joining the 2.5 Year Club! WooHoo! WooHoo! Woo!

But it wasn’t all fun and games. There was a literal bloodbath of streaks that bit the dust. Johnathan and Mary couldn’t build on last week’s submission. Jen’s streak is over at 6. Willy’s streak is over at 7. But worst of all Scarecrow, Sara’s streak is over at 15! Sacre bleu!

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:

WORK

WORK! What a great theme for Year 11 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE!

I look forward to seeing your interpretation.

That is all I got, so if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we will see your idea of WORK in this place that hardly feels like work most days next Monday.

Commercial, Elizabeth, Event, Kim, Michelle, Work

Computer Mine Gift Exchange

December 23, 2023 Christopher D. Bennett

Back on Wednesday we had our annual White Elephant Gift Exchange at the Computer Mine. I snapped a few photos of the event for the Computer Mine social medias.

Here are a few pictures:

If you are wondering, I ended up with the tortilla blanket. I stole it from Amy because I thought it would make a perfect addition to Taco Tailgate and nobody stole it from me, cause of the general fear my co-workers have of me. So much fear.

Back before the pandemic, there were like 30 or so people that participated. This year there were 13 methinks. It is still a fun little work tradition. Even if this year nobody showed up drunk. Maybe next year.

Animals, Art, Black & White, Candid Portrait, Flowers, Macro, Naima, Nature, Railroad, Self-Portrait, Still Life, Street Photography, Vest, Work

About Someone Who Loved You More

September 27, 2023 Christopher D. Bennett

This collection of alternate images for last week’s theme for THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE will include pictures I took on Wednesday and Thursday of last week. Most of them I took on my lunch break from the computer mine on Wednesday. I went to downtown Ames to talk to Derrick about the upcoming football game on Saturday, but he was actually at the bank. So I did wander around a little bit and do some street photography.

I got stuck working late yet again on Wednesday night, so I didn’t take many pictures in the evening.

Here is the collection of images from Wednesday:

On Thursday I woke up to a foggy morning. I had to work at the Computer Mine worldwide headquarters. So I snapped some pictures on the way there. Then I snapped a few pictures at work and then did some shopping after work. Then took a few more when I got home.

Here are the Thursday pictures:

A lot of examples in this collection for why I love black & white photography so much. Or one of the reasons. There is just so much play in the exposure control that you get with black & white that you don’t get with color photography. Which isn’t to say that it is less demanding, because if anything, it can be more demanding. However, there is so much latitude in exposure and some of the things that can destroy a color photo like grain (or digital noise) can actually enhance a black & white image.

4 days down, but believe you me… we are just starting to get warmed up.