Ramblings of Renegade Ren

Holy Smokes Batman!

It has been far too long since I’ve made a post.  I was fairly determined to keep this thing alive, so here is my attempt of breathing some life back into this blog.  :)

The past 10 or so months in a nutshell, new job, car broke in half,  promotion within that job, new house, new boyfriend, trip to Vegas, new camera (oh yeah baby) and I think that just about sums it all up!

Here is a goody:

 I guess maybe my title for this blog should have been Spidey related…I guess Spiderman gets texting breaks in Vegas!

Ren

My new “old” cameras

I have a new hobby - collecting vintage cameras to someda have as conversation pieces in my soon-to-be studio.  I’ve searched many antique shops, second hand stores, EBay and Craigslist to scope out the best cameras and for the best deal.  There is something about sorting through junk to find my treasure that pacifies me.  It honestly just makes my soul smile.

My first camera purchase (I have two total so far) was made a few weeks ago at an antique shop in Arundel.  It is a “Jiffy Kodak Six-16” and the art deco style face of this camera is what sold me.

This camera was manufactured in 1933.  This is the camera that I believe gave us what we know as the compact camera today.  It was advertised as the simpliest folding camera ever devised.  Also a very inexpensive device at a sale price of $8.00 in 1933.

PRICE I PAID - $13.00          TODAYS VALUE - Around $25.00

My second camera purchase I made the other day, but it was delivered to me today.  This one I am most excite about as I got a fantastic deal and just holding it makes this dork smile her dorkish smile.  The “Ricoh Auto Half E” is a camera that was manufactured in 1964 and it is a stylish half frame camera.  What this camera lacks in size - it is extremely tiny - it makes up for with its iconic design. 

PRICE I PAID - $10.00          TODAYS VALUE - Around $65.00

New found hobby, I love you!

Your turn boys…

I have often wondered why it is that women so often will flaunt their bodies around seeking the approval, and quite often a buck, from a man.

One of the most common ways that pops in my head is the restaurant business, particularly Hooters.  Hooters is where you will find your larger chested than average woman flaunting around in little clothing, while serving food in the anticipation of getting a good tip provided she can flaunt her sexuality just a little more than the next girl.

The women in Seoul, South Korea must be cheering, not only to finally see a restaurant there flipping the Hooters model on its head, but to see first hand that we don’t have to be the only ones begging shamelessly for a buck.

The new restaurant, called Miles Container, hires an all-male staff and has designed the eatery’s interiors to look like a factory construction site.  It possesses a “macho” atmosphere, not only by the appearance of the interior but also by the little details such as giving customers hard hats with their order numbers. 

Since these men don’t (err, at least shouldn’t) have big breasts to throw in our faces, I wonder how they are able to flaunt their bodies for the customers (reportedly mostly women in their 20’s) pleasure?

My vote is to have these men serve my food in the skimpiest thong possible.  C’mon that would be appropriate, right?  Look at it this way, at least their sweaty body part wouldn’t be hanging in my food as they served it!  Work it boys!

How have I arrived here?

I’ve come to a point in my life where I feel a little lost.  And sadly it usually comes around August for me so this is nothing new.  So maybe it’s not the folks around me who have cause me to feel lost, maybe it’s my own insecurities, sadness and just life in general stuff.

I’m big on the little things - holding hands, a hug just because, a phone call out of the blue to say hi - you all know the things I’m talking about.  When I loose those things in any relationship, friendship or otherwise, I tend to wonder why. 

I wish more people would love each day like that day could be their last.  Don’t take the people in your life for granted.  What if you never saw them again?

Everything

It’s hard to wait around for something you know might never happen; but it’s even harder to give up when you think it’s everything you want.

I love my son’s new teacher for this year

Today was my 5th graders first day of school and I will tell you that I already LOVE his teacher.  Even though today was probably more than chaotic for her, and even though today was only the very first day of school - she sent home a newsletter to the parents.  Bless her.  She even passed the ultimate test.  Yesterday was the real first day of school but it was canceled due to power outages.  I thought for sure the date on the newsletter would have been yesterday’s date - but it was today’s!!! 

This made me smile.

As a parent, it annoys me to no end when a teacher of elementary age children do not take the 5 or 10 minutes out of their week to send home a newsletter to their parents.  In my opinion a parent newsletter is a critical part of communication between teacher and parent.  I mean parents deserve to know what is going on in the classroom.

Too many teachers do not do this and honestly, I feel it’s a shame.

An attempt is everything

Call me weird - but I try harder at something when I’ve got a group of folks (or even one person for that matter) who sat that I cannot do something.  I find this annoying when this thing (whatever it may be) is something that I really want to do.

I’m a person who wants to experience all life has to pffer - what is the point of living, if you are not truly LIVING?!  In my opinion, an attempt is everything, and we all should be making attempts.  It doesn’t matter if you pass or fail, the point is that you tried.

On Friday I got the opportunity to make my attempt at something new.  I was given the chance to go lawn mower racing.  A lot of my friends either poked fun at me because of it or they looked at me like I was crazy for even considering it. 

While going to the track, I will admit I was pretty nervous.  Who wouldn’t be after all of the “you’re going to kill yourself,” comments?!  I thought for sure falling or breaking a bone was going to be on my agenda that night.

The moment I sat on the mower I was going to be racing - every single fear I had of getting out there vanished.  A smile covered my face and I knew that I just wanted to race.  I didn’t care if it was going to be hard, I didn’t care if I turned my mower over, hell I didn’t even care if I got lapped 50 times.  I wanted to make my attempt.

I was able to complete my time trials and my heat race without any issues.  When I was asked if I was “sure” I wanted to get out there and race with the boys I couldn’t stop smiling.  Oh heck yes - I was sure!  I think Steve asked me at least twice if I was sure I wanted to go out there and do it.  I’m pretty sure everyone thought I was going to seriously get hurt.

A few laps into the race I was coming off turn three and the left side of my mower was in the air and I thought for sure I was going in the mud.  When I finally wrestled it back onto all four tires, I lost control and crashed into a fence.  Crew cam running over and asked me if I was alright and if I wanted to stop racing.  “Yes” I was alright and “heck no” I did not want to stop racing.  I went there to try it, not to get scared and quit.

A couple or so more laps I lost control and had my mower sitting on top of tires that created a barrier on the inside of turn three and four.  I felt like an idiot at this point.  At least until the crew came over to help me get my mower off, they told me that they have all done it and to not feel like a fool.  Tey asked me if I was ok and if I wanted to stop.  “Yes” I was ok and “heck no” I did NOT want to stop!  I was having way too much fun, I didn’t care if they had already lapped me a few times or that I lost control of my mower, I was new at this - I didn’t expect anything to go perfect.

So, Renegade Ren got to finish her 30 lap lawnmower race in one piece.  The mower didn’t have a scratch even after my run in with the fence and tire barrier.  I even want to get a mower of my very own to race it next year, but almost no one I’ve talked to about it thinks that its a very good idea. 

The only reason they can give me as to why they don’t think it’s a good idea is “you could get hurt.”  True.  Actually very true.  But I “could” die in a car accident driving to work tomorrow.  Does that keep me from going?  No. 

We also “could” get attacked and eaten by zombies.  But, I’m not too worried about all that either.  :)

Paranoid much?

For kids, sleepovers rule as the activity of choice.  Girls get to watch their favorite movie with their best girlfriends for the 100th time this month, paint each others nails and have pillow fights.  Boys get to stuff their face with popcorn, have a poker round and play their favorite video games together until almost sunrise.

The newest trend I’ve been seeing is co-ed sleepovers.  The thought of my boys sleeping with girls scares the living daylights out of me.  I mean sure it can promote positive, healthy relationships between the two sexes - but that is only if the parents are working in shifts with being up around the kids and keeping a clear line of supervision.  Kids like to dare each other, they like to see what limits they can push before they really do get themselves into trouble, and they have no true understanding that if they push the wrong limits they are setting themselves up for dissapointment.

In a recent US study by Teen People Magazine, 83% of respondents reported that their peers were “fooling around” at co-ed sleepovers.  A sleepover provides an intimate opportunity for this and kids will feel pressured.

Parenting will always be about setting limits.  I am a firm believer in saying no (and yes!), setting curfew, and having bedtimes - and sticking to them!   If a child doesn’t have limits or has too many “gray” areas - it sets them up for lots of confusion and that leads to disaster!

Despite the trust we have in our kids, raging hormones and intimate conditions are not a good mix.  By allowing our kids to have or attend co-ed sleepovers we’re sending these kids the signal that we as parents probably are not too worried if it goes one step farther, from sleeping in the same room/house to exploring each others bodies.

Attempting to prep these young people for adult life and positive relationships, can be extremely disastrous.  It can lead to regret, shame and life-changing consequences.  I think I’ll just stick to co-ed parties - the kids can sleep in their own homes.

My passion…taking pictures that tell a story

RIP English Language

The English language is dying at a rate that I can’t even believe.  You may not notice it at first, or even care because folks are probably only misspelling when using shorthands for texting or talking on Facebook, right? 

Think again.

Kids are using text message shorthands (i.e. lol, shizz, aight, ima, cuz) in reports written and submitted to their teachers.  Eventually these kids will use the same shorthands or misspellings on college applications or even worse, cover letters and resumes when applying for a job, will we notice it then?

Maybe.  Or maybe not.

What if we look past the possible misspellings in their High School reports, or the College Application, or even their resume?  What happens when they get hired for a major clothing business and they totally screw up by giving the ok for the printing and distribution of this t-shirt:

The website calls this a fun and trendy tunic because I suppose not knowing the difference between “your” and “you’re” is awesome!

Check out this major grammar fail from Old Navy:

Here you see the phrase “Lets Go”, but “Lets” should read “Let’s.”

Where is our society going?  What ever happened to the importance of education and self worth?  Will the people who had their hands involved in these two projects learn their lesson?  I fear how stupid that our society as a whole has become, and am embarrassed by it.