Random Pictures

My family never listens to me when I ask for presents. That's why it was such a momentous occasion last year when Grandma Holbrook asked me what book to get me for Christmas. She finally gave in and stopped trying to get me "useful" stuff! Anyway, after several years of asking for a digital camera, begging and pleading and suggesting they combine efforts, etc. I finally just broke down and bought myself one just before SLAGG 2008 so I could have one for that party.

One of the reasons I've wanted a camera for so long is because, well, I really enjoy documenting my life, and that includes all of the random things that happen. Ask my friends here in DC. I like to take pictures. My screensaver is a default Apple one where it takes my entire photo library and uses the pictures to make photo mosaics of those same photos. It's really fun to be able to see all the memories, starting in about 2008, when I bought my camera. So here I'm going to share some of the random pictures I've taken over the years.

This is a picture I took while jogging in Provo. The sprinkler system attached to this fence had been leaking.


This greeted me at the airport when I went to visit Claremont Graduate University to decide if I wanted to attend that program for my Ph.D.


Saw this in Provo and snapped the picture while these random girls were doing the same.


My former roommate Russ would go bowling every week on Thursday. I don't remember what he did, but I remember saying "you have angered the bowling gods." Shortly after this is what happened-a perfect 7/10 split.


Shortly after the election.


Me on Harvard campus, February 2009.


Someone doesn't want Randy to come in.


Some dude drumming on the Metro.


My roommate Russ eating donut holes with a fork. He's not pleased with me taking the picture, apparently.


Kids at my job last year drumming on their playground.


Discovered that someone doesn't like the bus stop glass, apparently.


Welcome to Washington DC, and Change We Can Believe In.


My sister took issue with how dirty I let my computer get.


Playing Dungeons and Dragons one week Steve, the Dungeon Master, pulled this out to describe the monster we were fighting. We asked Steve where he got it. "At a cereal party," he responded. "You mean a serial killer party?" asked Sam.


My high school swimming coach finally won state, the year he retired. I took this at my 10 year HS reunion.


Taken while jogging on Beach Drive here in DC. Don't mess with the Kay Hager family. They have their own SWAT team, apparently.


Deer on the Beach Drive jogging trail.


I don't know why there's a coffee machine in the backrooms of the DC temple visitor's center, but there it was. So I took a picture.


This picture, more than any other, demonstrates why you want to take random pictures. You never know when you'll snap a picture that turns out to be more important than you thought. This was at the first Shakespeare in a Box performance we had, and I looked over to see Laura Winder holding a tuning fork to her head. She's an audiologist and it just seemed to fit. Months later at the second Shakespeare in a Box performance I showed the picture to Laura. Turns out that was the night she and Ben, now her fiance, started to fall for each other. This is now her facebook profile picture. Makes me happy I could document such an important night for these two.


For bookclub we read Great Expectations, and Melanie Steimle made Miss Havisham's wedding cake for our snack that month.


For our ward Xmas party we went to Ford's Theatre. This is the booth President Lincoln was in when he was shot.


I love how phones have taken over our lives. I swear this wasn't staged. It's my roommate Adam, his then girlfriend Merry, and my girlfriend Susan. I looked over and all 3 were on their phones.


Mormons are so weird. Stephanie Meyer on the same shelf as President Woodruff and Elder Talmage. *sigh*


What movie did this sign at the University Mall in Orem remind me of?


Large, medium, and small. No I'm not going to shave my head like Russ and Bryce. This was right after we saw Avatar together.


This is the Do-It-Yourself-Fixit Manual my girlfriend has. I took this picture because I know my Mom would like it.


This is a steak I grabbed from my roommate Steve's freezer o' meat. Took forever to cook, and me, my girlfriend, and her roommate couldn't actually eat the entire thing.


My friend Ciara is awesome. I took this during our dance party at the end of the second Shakespeare in a Box get together. Edit: I just noticed that this is Ciara's facebook profile pic as well.


The snow dripping off of the roof turned into icicles that eventually bowed this tree over and then the icicles merged with the snow on the ground. Right outside my door on the way to the Metro station.