Lit pumpkins

Lit pumpkins
Originally uploaded by Nick David Wright

As I promised here is a video and a couple photos of the lit pumpkins we made today.

I love Tori's comment in the video! "My pumpkin is beautiful!" (P.S. - I helped Tori carve hers!)

Matt-man!

batman
Originally uploaded by Nick David Wright

Here's my young nephew Matt Matt dressed up as Batman for Halloween.

Carving pumpkins

Carving pumpkins
Originally uploaded by Nick David Wright

I helped my niece, Tori, carve a pumpkin with a cat's face on it for Halloween today.

It was pretty fun. I'd never carved a pumpkin this way before.

Here's the finished pumpkin. I'll take some more photos of it tonight when it's lit up.

Intriguing possibilities

So I've spent a little bit of the day browsing online ads for apartments and such. And I find that living here may not be as far-fetched an idea as I originally thought.

We would have to earn quite a bit more money than we currently do. But there are more opportunities to do just that in the big city. And while some things would be quite a bit more expensive, other things would be less so. Such as being able to bicycle or take public transit anywhere we needed to go.

The ability to move around as we pleased was one of the goals of many of the major life changes we've been making over the last several months. We're not exactly to that point yet, but we're awful close. So moving to the metro would not be an option for a while yet, at least we have some things to think about.

The big city

My Beloved and I are in the big city of Kansas City visiting her sister and family.

For the largest part of my life, I have had no desire to live in the big city. I didn't mind visiting occasionally, but I did not want to live in one.

But this visit is different. I feel an almost overpowering urge to move here.

I love the quiet of the country life. Yet, I also miss a lot of things. I miss Whole Foods. I miss Barnes and Nobel and Borders and Books-A-Million and all the small used book shops. I miss the arts and music. I long to really have places to cycle to. And public transportation to take if we get too tired along the way.

The only problem is that -- generally speaking -- living in the big city takes big money. And one of the main pursuits of my life has been learning how to live on next to nothing. So while one really big part of me would really like to move to the city, I have absolutely no idea how we could possibly afford to do so.

Creating

I've long sought after some kind of hobby that I can do in my spare time, from home without having to purchase many supplies and such. Something artsy. Something through which I create something with my hands.

I've tried quite a number of things; drawing, painting, wood carving.

And while I enjoy those activities somewhat, they did not seem to give me what I was looking for.

But I've come to realize that writing is what I've been searching for, even though it is an activity I have engaged in for a good long while now.

So I resolve to put more effort into my writing. My thoughts, my experiences, and my fiction. And I resolve not to allow my writing to degenerate into the pontificating drivel I too often produce.

Hot Air

The metal cart banged on the swinging door of the cooler as the stocker emerged from the chilly room onto the sales floor.

A group of shoppers turned at the noise, and noticed the bundled-up young man.

"What are you wearing a coat for?" One of them asked, grabbing the collar of the garment.

"It's cold in there," he replied.

"Are you a pussy? I wouldn't need a coat to work in there!"

"Well if I was as full of hot air as you, I wouldn't need a coat either."

Tunesday: Orianthi - According To You

One of today's free giveaways over at the iTunes Store is the song, "According To You," by Orianthi.

It's got a good sound. Very catchy song. Kinda like the lyrics too.

Check it out.

Uplifting power of family

Thursday evening I was dead tired, very stressed out and just feeling pretty crappy. I wanted nothing more than to go home, pop in a movie and veg out the rest of the evening. But we'd promised the grandparents that we would come over for dinner. So following my afternoon bus route we headed for Fort Scott.

As we were just getting to town, I told Noel, "I really shouldn't have come, I am so tired. I wish we'd just called and said we couldn't make it." But we were there, so we went.

And I am so glad we did.

Grandma had made a simple pot roast that was delicious. And we sat around and talked and watched an episode of Survivor and I left still feeling exhausted, but the stress and crapiness was gone. I was tired, but having spent the evening with them I felt good.

My Life in Ruins

We watched this movie over the weekend.

It wasn't the greatest movie in the world, but we thoroughly enjoyed it.

I especially love the part where the tour guide lady is talking about the different nationalities. She says something along the lines of "When things are good, Greeks dance, when things are bad Greeks dance."

Then she's talking about a famous Greek movie in which two men have lost everything, and yet they dance!

Here's the clip they played in the movie:

We could all learn a lesson or two from the Greeks.

Let's dance!

OPA!

Matt Redman - You Never Let Go (Passion '06)

I love this song.

"And I will fear no evil,
For my God is with me.
And if my God is with me,
Whom then shall I fear? Whom then shall I fear?"

Water meter crawdads

So I went to shut off the water the other night because it was supposed to get close to freezing.

On the way there, I noticed a couple of crawdad holes near the water meter, and I thought "I wonder if there are crawdads living in the water meter hole?"

See it's been raining here like crazy and the hole that houses the water meter is usually full of water.

And sure enough when I opened the cover to the water meter there was a nice big crawdad sitting on top of the dial.

I just hope they never decide to attack my hand when I put it down there.

Crossing over

On the very front of a school bus are two mirrors.

They are rounded in shape and allow the driver to see the front of the bus and the space in front of it.

This allows a driver to know whether or not there is a child in that dangerous blind spot.

The other morning I was driving an early morning country route, and the horizon was just beginning to lighten directly behind me.

I happened to glance at that mirror and it was a very beautiful sight. The mirrors distort the view, and it was a very interesting effect.

The sky above the bus was darkest blue, getting lighter and lighter as you moved towards the bus. Then there was the bright yellow bus itself with all of its lights. It was quite something, and I'm afraid my description leaves much to be desired. I'll have to try to capture it with a camera at some point.

Splinterheads

This looks like a very fun movie!

Advice for Aspiring Photographers

The Online Photographer: Advice for Aspiring Photographers:

"I get asked all the time, during workshops, in e-mails, in private messages, what words of wisdom I would give to a new and aspiring photographer. Here's my answer."

This is a great piece for anyone wanting to make a go at making money with their photography.

I especially love:

Style is a voice, not a prop or an action. If you can buy it, borrow it, download it, or steal it, it is not a style. Don't look outward for your style; look inward.

Gimmicks and merchandise will come and go, but honest photography is never outdated.

Some really great words of wisdom.

fall color - 2

fall color - 2
Originally uploaded by Nick David Wright

Out of all the tree photos I shot today, this one is my favorite.

Marlene and Jeromy Wedding

Marlene and Jeromy Wedding - 090
Originally uploaded by Nick David Wright

Here's a photo from a wedding I photographed some friends of ours.

Halloween costume idea

So there was this kid in WalMart last night. He was in the cart being pushed around by mommy. I'm assuming he was 3 maybe 4.

He had a corn dog in his hand, but he had pulled his arm all the way back into his sleeve.

So at first glance, it looked for all the world as though he were eating his own arm.

Really made me do a double take when I saw it.

Simon's Cat

I love the "Simon's Cat" videos over at YouTube.

I saw today that he'd put up another one, I think it's one of the funniest yet!

Fall color

In bottles

drink coke in bottles
Originally uploaded by Nick David Wright

Tunesday: Porcupine Tree - Time Flies

iTunes gives away free material at the iTunes Store every Tuesday. I love it.

One of today's giveaways is the music video "Time Flies," by Porcupine Tree.

It's a catchy song and an okay video. Check it out.

Man power

This is one of my favorite commercials ever. And I don't even drink beer!

Destroying families

There’s a group of Christian fundamentalists that have recently been picketing the local video store because they have a selection of pornography.

They stand on the sidewalk holding signs proclaiming that they are boycotting the destruction of families.

So I’d like to join them the next time I see them out there. I’ll make a sign and everything.

On the one side it will say “Boycott the destruction of families.”

And on the other side it will quote Jesus’ words recorded in Luke 12:51-52:

"Do you think I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I have come to divide people against each other! From now on families will be split apart … "

I'm a bird!

I subbed on a bus the other day.

At one of the schools I picked up a little girl who exclaimed, "I'm a bird!" And then commenced squawking and making all kinds of noise.

About half-way through the route, Little Bird says, "Mr. Bus Driver, will you tell the high schoolers to be quiet? I have a headache."

I just laughed quietly.

Weather

We're getting a great reprieve from the cold and wet today.

Temps in the 70s, sun shining bright. I love it!

Just wish I had a bicycle to ride.

Yes, that's right, the writer of the blog "Pedals and Prose" does not currently own a single bicycle. It sucks.

I'll be remedying that very soon though, stay tuned.

Hello

My name is Nick Wright. I am a 30-year-old man living in Missouri with my Beloved.

We were married at sunset on the beach near Destin, FL, on March 6, 1997.

I love art in its many forms, especially photography, drawing, painting, movies, books, and music.

I love to think and write. I love to grow food. I love to ride my bicycle.

I have been a professional photographer since 1999, but since 2008 I’ve made the majority of my money through other endeavors seeking to find my path in life.