My girls & I were forced to wait at McDonald’s yesterday while our tire was getting repaired.  For like one whole hour!  Do you know how excruciatingly painful it is to sit in a McDonald’s when that is the very place you are trying to avoid for health reasons?  It’s like major temptation!  I had packed the girls a lunch & got myself a salad.  And stupidly…by habit…got a sweet tea as well.  I’ve been counting my calories with the Live Strong app & realized that a stinkin’ McD’s sweet tea is 230 calories!  That was more than the chicken Caesar salad had!  Ugh!  Good thing I went to Zumba last night with my sister-in-law!

Anyway….on to the above photo.  I thought this older couple was just so precious when they walked in to McDonald’s.  It was a bit chilly yesterday.  They came in, ordered coffee, and she sat down.  He took a little longer because he stopped at the drink bar to get ice & coffee fixin’s.  I just enjoyed watching them interact and I wanted their picture.  I STOLE their picture!  Now, when do you think it is okay to photograph people?  I know there are laws on this kind of thing.  My memory tells me that it’s alright to photograph people in public places, where they don’t have an assumed amount of privacy.  For example, say they are walking down the street, like in downtown Annapolis.  It is NOT okay to be in a public place and turn  your lens into a private place, like someone’s backyard, and start snapping away.  I was not in a public place.  I was in a private business – McDonald’s (aka fast food chain from the Devil) – and these people had an assumed amount of privacy.  So, in retrospect, I should have asked before or after I snapped this photo.  Hand slap on me!  I will do better.  What are your thoughts on photographing people who aren’t your clients?  What would or did you do?  You can write anonymously, too, if you’re scared.  I’m pretty sure I don’t have any law enforcement personnel reading my blog that will come & get ya.

Photos I’ve been looking at:  Jessica Claire.  Now most photographers know who the famed Jessica Claire is!  She’s one of the many OC/California photographers who are uber fabulous.  I really enjoyed this post that she re-posted from 2004.  I enjoyed looking at where she began…how she’s evolved…and that it IS possible to get better & better if you just work really hard.  Her 2004 photos were great.  Her 2010 photos are off the charts!

Oh, and sorry this post is a day late.  I’ll be doing a double today.  I’ve been having this mysterious pain in my right hand, my dominant hand, that starts in my wrist, goes up to my elbow, and even all the way back to my shoulder blade. I think I’m straining it too much on the computer with typing, editing, & reading (& commenting) on other people’s blogs.  It’s time for a little break.  Now I’m off to mail a check to Doctor’s Giving Back for my trip to Ethiopia that is exactly ONE MONTH AWAY!  Thank you to all of you who’ve donated & prayed.  I’m half way there & would really appreciate your continued prayers & support.  Thank you thank you thank you!

*Don’t worry Mom, I’m still the only woman for Josh.  Read on and you’ll understand.*

Josh has always been a coffee drinker.  When we registered for our wedding, we signed up for a Krupps Espresso/Coffee Maker combination.  We used it about 10 times, then I proceeded to accidentally break most of the moveable parts.  Then we switched to a cheap, regular coffee maker with a timer on it.  The idea was for me to make Josh’s coffee the night before and have it set to brew as he woke up.  You know, like those Folgers commercials…”The best part of waking up, is Folger’s in your cup!!!”  That worked, until I either forgot to make the coffee, or Josh forgot to take it with him.  So we just kept the coffee pot around for gatherings for our guests.  Well, the day before the “big snow,” we went to Target and invested in a Keurig Coffee Maker.  It’s one of those machines where you put the little “K-Cup” in the top, press it down, push a button, and by some miracle, it brews a single cup of coffee!  It’s perfect for my husband, because I don’t drink coffee, he does, and can still quickly make one for himself before he heads out the door to work.  He also discovered there are a variety of teas and hot chocolates available as well.  He accidentally ordered two 50 packs of tea and hot cocoa, so if you’re ever in the neighborhood, stop by for a cup!  I know the Keurig will never replace his love for me, but it comes in a close second, especially on these cold winter mornings!