My hobby

So, I'm finally allowing myself time for a hobby...photography.  I've always enjoyed taking pictures and in college, carried a camera with me everywhere I went.  I'm now finally trying to learn more about taking pictures through photography classes and books and have moved away from using the auto settings on the camera and now control it manually (for the most part).  I still have a lot to learn and much room for improvement, but am having fun learning and practicing.  Here are a few shots where I was practicing motion/blur photography at a recent Rochester carnival.

Spring Football

Just like last fall, Eric and I volunteered this spring with flag football.  The spring league is with different kids, in a different part of Detroit, and with a different organization (Central Detroit Christian), but it is just as fun and rewarding.  The kids have a safe place to go for a few hours, one day a week, and people to provide words of support and encouragement.  They get a healthy snack, a free pair of used football cleats, and have a blast.  The season is much shorter (only 5 weeks), so, unfortunately, it's already over.  We had a great time once again and look forward to the fall league starting up.  To learn more about the organization, go to http://playbookfootball.org/.  Here are a few pictures of the kids.

Many of the homes in this area (and in Detroit overall) are abandoned.

Chicago

Eric and I took a mini-vacation to Chicago last week to visit a friend and for me to attend a work-related conference.  We spent the weekend with our friend Katie and her family in Plainfield, IL before heading into the city for the rest of the week. 

We spent one day at Navy Pier with Katie and her family where we enjoyed some of Chicago's great deep-dish pizza and a great view of the city from the top of the ferris wheel.

Katie and her family

Eric enjoying a slice of Chicago deep-dish pizza.

View of the city from the Navy Pier (tall black building is the Hancock building)

Eric and I crammed a lot into just a few days in the city...catching the architecture boat tour and taking in the view from the top of the sears tower.

Our hotel (Westin)

The tall building is Donald Trump's newest building. 

View of Hancock Building & Trump Tower from the Sears Tower

View from top of the Sears Tower

View from top of the Sears Tower

Sky deck at the top of the Sears Tower - over 100 floors above the street!

View to the street from the Sears Tower sky deck

We strolled through Millennium Park and enjoyed the interesting art work.

"Cloud Gate" in Millennium Park

"Cloud Gate" in Millennium Park

"Cloud Gate" in Millennium Park

"Cloud Gate" in Millennium Park

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Chicago sunset from the top of the Sears Tower

We had a great mini-vacation with great conversation, great food, and great sights.