Tag Archives: featured

ADM vs. Boone

30 days working from home in the book. Although for the first time, I had to go into the mine to do something that couldn’t be done from home. I can’t put into words how much I hate Apple products. The fire of a thousands suns. That is the heat of my hatred for Apple products.

There were only 5 people working in the physical mine when I went there. So I actually got to physically see Kim for the first time since March. I also got to physically see Vest because… let me reiterate how much I hate Apple products.

If you are running a business, buy an adult computer.

I’m not sure if I garnered any more positives from working from home this week. But good things did happen. Baier dropped off an order of 60 chicken wings from Buffalo Wild Wings. Took me some time to get through all of those, but I’m not even mad about it. Although it did set back the timeline for a project I’ve been working on, but that is okay. The fishies of the sea are thankful.

I still haven’t started on the basement. For those asking. Instead, I’ve done a bit of yardwork. Maybe I’ll start on the basement this weekend.

I’ve reached track # 1210 “Freak on a Leash” by Korn. Korn is a band I don’t listen to much any more. Not really at all. Was never a big Korn fan, but they were a part of my listening milieu at one point of my life.

“Freak on a Leash” probably isn’t the best song to ingest during physical distancing. Better than drinking bleach or injecting Lysol, but a sample of the lyrics:

“Sometimes I cannot take this place
Sometimes it’s my life I can’t taste
Sometimes I cannot feel my face
You’ll never see me fall from grace”

I did eliminate several songs from the Master Playlist this week though. All of them because the sound quality on them were really low:

#800 “Ironic” by James Corden and Alanis Morissette
#1052 “Tennessee” by Arrested Development
#1053 “Intergalactic” by Beastie Boys
#1054 “So What’Cha Want” by Beastie Boys
#1055 “Sabotage” by Beastie Boys
#1062 “Mama Said Knock You Out” by LL Cool J
#1101 “If I Were A Boy” by BC Jean

Hope to get to the end of the Master Playlist soon so I can start adding music to it.

+++++++

As I have been a cleaning fool, I’ve looked for more and more ways to get Naima’s fur under control. Not the fur on her body, but the fur she leaves everywhere. I have purchased 2 air purifiers. I’m thinking of breaking down and buying a full-sized vacuum cleaner. I haven’t yet, but one thing I did recently breakdown and purchase is the Furzapper.

Furzapper is a product that you throw in your washer and dryer and it zaps the fur on your clothing. It was relatively cheap, so I pulled the trigger and thought I would give it a try.


Furzapper

Furzapper

Wow! Looks great! But do they work? Boy do they!

I started with some gym pants that are by far in the worst shape.


Furzapper

I followed the directions:


Furzapper

In fact, I washed and dried the pants twice. Once alone, and this was the result:


Furzapper

Does that look worse? Cause it look worse to me. So I figured that maybe there were some missing instructions. So here is the complete list of “secret instruction” I discovered.

Step #1: Wash and dry alone.
Step #2: Wash and dry with other clothes.
Step #3: Drive real fast and hold them out the window.


Furzapper

Step #4: Pick off the really big pieces of fur.
Step #5: Run a lint roller over it for 15 minutes.
Step #6: Hang outside on a windy day.
Step #7: Run a lint roller over it again.
Step #8: Drive real fast and hold them out the car window.
Step #9: Wash and dry alone.

After those 9 easy steps, this is the result:


Furzapper

Not perfect, but I can wear them again. In fact, probably wearing them as you read these word!

So if anybody tells you that Furzapper is the worst 15 bucks they ever spent, just tell them about the secret directions that I have uncovered. That is all it takes to make Furzapper appear to work like a champ!

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Last fall Andy requested that I come to photograph Kyle playing in a Boone High football game. It was the first time I have attended a Boone High Football game since Brandon graduated.

Boone has a super young team and I don’t remember the score, but their opponent, ADM dominated the entire game. I think Boone was lucky to get off the field because I think something like 8 Boone players left the game with injuries. Including a kid that had to be taken off the field in an ambulance in the last minutes of the game.

Here are some picture from the night. Kyle is #30. You will also recognize some photos of Autumn and Taylan:


Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

Boone vs. ADM - 2019

It was quite the experience, but a tough environment to photograph. At least from the stands. It was so packed in there, could barely move in any direction.

I’m sure, if there is high school football this year, I’ll be at a game again this year.

Camping World Bowl Road Trip Day 4

Day 4 of the road trip was a grind. We left Orlando and drove for like 15 hours to get back to Kuttawa, Kentucky.

The only real stop we made was a fancypants gas station in Georgia that sold pecans. I kinda thought the pecans down there would be cheaper and maybe they are, but they were still crazy expensive. But I’m not a pecan expert.


Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 4
#wafflelife

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 4
The hotel we stayed at had a sweet aquarium.

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 4
Attached to their phones. Worse than traveling with teenagers.

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 4

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 4

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 4
Crane in the hotel parking lot.

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 4

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 4

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 4

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 4

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 4

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 4

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 4
Bikers?

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 4

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 4

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 4

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 4

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 4

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 4
I got so many yard decorating ideas from this place!

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 4

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 4

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 4

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 4
Damn right we hit another Zaxby’s!

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 4
Good night from Kentucky.

This wasn’t my style of road trip. I like to be able to stop at random things and meander and photograph. I hope this year’s bowl trip is either closer (I already know it will be in a better city) or I’m able to space it out over a longer time frame. Otherwise, flying might be the way to go.

I would love to go back to Memphis, but there are a lot of people laying down some pretty high expectations for Iowa State this season. I think it will depend on how well the offensive line comes together though.

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This is your reminder that this week’s THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE theme is TREE:



TREE

A TREE image is any image that involves a TREE or a TREE byproduct.

Happy photo harvesting!

The 2019 Howards – Subset Dos

One of the products of all this home times is that I have started up on THE CANVAS WALL PROJECT again. What started as the accent wall in my living room and then turned into the Friend Wall and then became the 9 Emotions Project wall, was turned into the Canvas Wall about 2 years ago. The ultimate goal is to cover at least 95% of the wall with canvas photos.

I recently added 7 more canvases to the wall. These are all smaller canvases that are meant to fill around the doorway that leads to my hallway.

Here are the 7 canvases that have recently been added:


Canvas No. 46

Canvas No. 47

Canvas No. 48

Canvas No. 49

Canvas No. 50

Canvas No. 51

Canvas No. 52

The pictures that have been selected for THE CANVAS WALL PROJECT are meant to be a combination of every day life pictures and my more artistic pictures.

I’m getting pretty close to the bottom of the wall now. The next collection of pictured added to the wall are definitely obstructed, but that is okay. It matter less that they can be seen, and more that they are there.

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Time to reveal a second collection pictures from the 2019 Howard Family Photo Shoot:


Howards - 2019

Howards - 2019

Howards - 2019

Howards - 2019

Howards - 2019

Howards - 2019

Howards - 2019

Howards - 2019

Howards - 2019

Howards - 2019

Howards - 2019

Howards - 2019

Howards - 2019

Howards - 2019

Howards - 2019

Howards - 2019

Howards - 2019

Howards - 2019

Still plenty more Howards to go!

Camping World Bowl Road Trip Day 3 – Alligators

After the game we went back to the hotel and took a nap. Well some of us took a nap. Some of us might have scrolled through Cyclone Twitter while everybody else napped.

Once the batteries were recharged, we went to a Brazilian Steakhouse that Jorge knew about. It was ridiculously cheap and made cheaper because Dre had found some coupons for it. It cost us like only $30 to eat there. Plus, I think it was the best Brazilian Steakhouse I’ve ever eaten at.

After the meal we parted ways with Andree and his brother and went out on my personal, very personal quest. We had been in Florida for about 24 hours and I still hadn’t seen an alligator.

There was a couple miniature golf courses that claimed to have alligators that we drove past on the way to supper. We drove back there, got some ice cream and checked them out.


Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3

The first miniature golf course alligators were kinda sad. They clearly weren’t well cared for and the water was filthy.

At the second miniature golf course we met Joshua and we got to hold an alligator. That place was awesome! It was clean and the gators were clearly loved. For a brief period of time I thought Orlando wasn’t so bad.

Just kidding! Orlando is the worst!

A & P #1

Tonight would have been the last youth group of the year. Late last week I had to officially cancel the mission trip because the organization we go with cancelled all mission trips before July 12. We would’ve had an opportunity to reschedule, but none of the potential dates really worked for us.

In honor of what could’ve been, below I’ve posted our church service from Sunday. I wrote part of the service. That part of the video starts around the 7:50 mark:



Of course, if you are subscribing to this blog via email, you will have to go to the website to watch the video.

Despite our governor deciding to “have a peeing section in the swimming pool”, the Bishop for our conference has decided not to open up churches until June 1. We will keep having our church services on KWBG and on the social medias.

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Scottie D. and I went out to McHose Park to do the annual Porter and Austin photo shoot. Here is a set of the pictures I like.


Degeneffe Boys - 2019

Degeneffe Boys - 2019

Degeneffe Boys - 2019

Degeneffe Boys - 2019

Degeneffe Boys - 2019

Degeneffe Boys - 2019

Degeneffe Boys - 2019

Degeneffe Boys - 2019

Degeneffe Boys - 2019

Degeneffe Boys - 2019

Degeneffe Boys - 2019

Degeneffe Boys - 2019

Degeneffe Boys - 2019

Degeneffe Boys - 2019

Degeneffe Boys - 2019

Degeneffe Boys - 2019

Degeneffe Boys - 2019

Degeneffe Boys - 2019

Degeneffe Boys - 2019

Degeneffe Boys - 2019

Degeneffe Boys - 2019

Degeneffe Boys - 2019

Degeneffe Boys - 2019

Degeneffe Boys - 2019

More pictures of them Degeneffe boys still to come!

Camping World Bowl Road Trip Day 3 – The Game

Day 3 was the only day we spent entirely in Orlando. It was one full day too many. Orlando is flat out one of the worst cities I’ve ever visited. It is dirty. It is poorly laid out. There is no culture. There is no music. There is no historical significance. There are no beaches. There aren’t any parks. There isn’t much to do.

I would rank Orlando just above Omaha for worst cities I’ve ever visited. Frankly, if I never go back to Orlando again, that is just fine.

The Camping World Bowl Stadium is in the worst part of Orlando. Most of the businesses that surround it are liquor stores or bail bonds. There is also a high school.

There is hardly any parking around it. What is there is poorly organized.

The stadium itself is okay. It isn’t a festering dump that ought to be burned down like where Kansas plays. However it isn’t all that nice of a stadium either.

There was a great fear that we were going to be rained on all game. That didn’t happen. It rained for a little bit. But we thought we had won the jackpot because we were sitting under the ledge of the upper deck, so we were protected from the rain.

However, we actually lost that hand. We sat under a pipe that leaked on us the entire game. So instead of being protected from a rain that barely showed up. We were the only wet people in the stadium. It is a shame we weren’t on the Notre Dame side of the stadium. It was pretty much empty. We could have sat anywhere we wanted. Instead, we sat there getting dripped on.

Here are some pictures from the morning:


Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3
#wafflelife

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3
I ate walnuts in tribute to my Grandpa Paris, the man that introduced me to Iowa State football.

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3
Lagoon behind our hotel.

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3
Yeah, they have these dicks in Florida too.

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3
I think this statue is a tribute to pedophiles that also play football.

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3
We met up with Dre and his bro before the game.

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3
View from backside of the stadium.

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 3

The game didn’t go the way we wanted. Iowa State finished the season decimated by injuries and it showed when they played one of the best teams in the country.

We left the stadium wet and down, but ready to see if this awful city called Orlando had anything to offer.

Camping World Bowl Road Trip Days 1 & 2

How many weeks of lockdown it has been has me really thinking about vacation. I have a ton of places I want to go, but I know none of them are smart. Instead, I’ve started curating the pictures from the Camping World Bowl Road Trip. Spoiler: there isn’t many of them.

The Camping World Bowl is in Orlando. Which is a forever drive from Iowa. But regardless of this fact, Jesse, Jorge, Randi, and I loaded up into a rented Cadillac and left for Orlando the day after Christmas.

On the first two days I took hardly any pictures because there it is a long, long drive. We stopped only for gas and food before we hit Kutatwa, Kentucky for the night.

Ernie hooked us up with a hotel room there and we met up with him for supper.

Here are the Day 1 pictures:


Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 1

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 1

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 1
Great sign. Smoking shouldn’t be allowed within 15 feet of anywhere!

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 1
Where we supped.

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 1
Ribs!

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 1

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 1

Day 2 was a ton more driving. From Kentucky to Tennessee to Georgia back to Tennessee back to Georgia and finally to Florida.

Here are some pictures from Day 2:


Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 2
Free continental breakfast, but the punishment is you have to listen to the morons from Fox & Friends

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 2
Day 1 Home

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 2
Gas Station in Georgia

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 2
My first ever trip to a Zaxby’s.

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 2

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 2
2 happy Zaxby’s customers.

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 2

Camping World Bowl Road Trip - Day 2
Stopping in Florida for gas.

We got to our hotel in Orlando pretty late, plus we lost an hour with the time change. I was ready for sleep that night. Ready for the Camping World Bowl the next day.

WPC – WEEK 241 – NOSE

30 straight weeks with double digits!! The second straight week that I didn’t send any reminder text messages this morning and still made double digits easy. You dig?

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


WEEK 241 - NOSE - ELIZABETH NORDEEN
Elizabeth Nordeen

WEEK 241 - NOSE - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler

WEEK 241 - NOSE - TERESA KAHLER
Teresa Kahler

WEEK 241 - NOSE - ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp

WEEK 241 - NOSE - SHANNON BARDOLE-FOLEY
Shannon Bardole-Foley

WEEK 241 - NOSE - MICHELLE HAUPT
Michelle Haupt

WEEK 241 - NOSE - TAMARA PETERSON
Tamara Peterson

WEEK 241 - NOSE - AARON BARNETT
Aaron Barnett

WEEK 241 - NOSE - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker

WEEK 241 - NOSE - ANDY SHARP
Andy Sharp

WEEK 241 - NOSE - KIM BARKER
Kim Barker

WEEK 241 - NOSE - CHRISTOPHER D. BENNETT
Christopher D. Bennett

WEEK 241 - NOSE - CATHIE RALEY
Cathie Raley

WEEK 241 - NOSE - MICKY AUGUSTIN
Micky Augustin

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:



TREE

TREE! What a great theme! But what is a TREE image? It is any image that involves a TREE or a TREE byproduct. You know. Like wood. Or paper.

I look forward to seeing your interpretations!

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HOUSEKEEPING


A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 RULES DIVISION

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.

Your submission needs to be emailed to bennett@photography139.com by 11 AM on the Monday of the challenge due date.

OR

I now allow people to text me their submissions. In the past, I had made exceptions for a couple people that aren’t real computer savvy, even though it was an inconvenience for me and required at least 3 extra steps for me. I am now lifting that embargo because I have a streamline way of uploading photos. I’m not giving out my phone number, but if you have it, you can text me.

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.

+++++++

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 woody Monday!