Earth2Laura » iPhone

Me vs. iPhone

laura — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 04:26:45 +0000

I often wonder how my generation and the ones after will primarily communicate in the future. I also wonder what behaviors will become commonplace because of changing technology.

Lately, it’s become a game of mine to watch how other people are interacting with one another at restaurants. All too often, I see a group of people sitting at a table, feverishly thumbing away at their smart phones and completely ignoring those around them. It seems that everyone would rather be talking to someone else rather than the person sitting right in front of them.

I once had an argument with my husband while we were out to dinner because he was playing on his iPhone while I was sitting there doing nothing. I confronted him, saying it was rude and that he should actually be talking with me rather than playing on his phone. But I must confess, I’ve done it to him and other friends, and my friends have done it to me. I once sat with a group of friends and laughed silently as I watched my three other companions all typing away at their phones. At times when I’ve seen this, I’ve even pulled mine out, quipping, “I suppose I should just join in!” when I’ve felt left out.

This type of behavior has become commonplace, particularly among my generation, the 30-somethings and my younger sister’s teen generation. It’s simply just not seen as rude to whip out your phone and answer a text while simultaneously checking your Facebook, Twitter and chatting with your lunch date.

Although we may not think of it this way at the time, the signal we are giving off to our companion is that everything else is more important than that person at that moment. Or else you are giving the impression that the person you are with is somehow less entertaining than the people who aren’t there. And it shouldn’t be that way. If you are out physically spending time with someone, there’s no reason to be digitally entertaining someone else.

Certainly, if it’s just a quick reply, a genuine emergency, or something work-related, it’s harmless to answer a text or e-mail. But if it’s simply a matter of holding a digital conversation with someone else when your mind should be devoted to the person you are with, it’s just plain rude.

I am 100 percent guilty of being out to lunch with someone and spending a ridiculous amount of time with them texting, checking my Facebook or Twitter. And when I really analyze that, I’m ashamed of myself.

Usually, when I hear my text message alert chime or hear the ding of a waiting e-mail from my iPhone, I’ll assess the situation. Is the person I’m with also checking his or her phone? Am I expecting an answer to a question I need? Is the person texting me someone who I know will need my immediate attention (to which I might argue that he or she should just call me… rarely is there an immediate answer needed for a text, or you wouldn’t text).

But realistically, I know I should not be basing whether I answer a text on if the other person is doing it. After all, that’s only continuing the behavior. I know I need to be the example and do what I think is the polite thing to do.

I’m going to try to keep these things in mind this week when I’m out with people.

365-Day Project: Final photos and reflections

laura — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 20:12:13 +0000

I’ve gotten to the end of my 365-Day project. Overall, I am very happy with what I accomplished this year, although I’m disappointed in December. The project almost completely fell apart for me the last month, mostly because I got my new job that occupied a lot of my time… Pretty much everything fell apart for me in December.

I learned a lot about my camera and a lot about taking photos. I also like that my entire year is documented. I have so many fond memories that I recall just from looking at the photos I’ve taken. That was a side effect I hadn’t anticipated.

I also have become the sort of memory keeper and default photographer for my friends. They know I’m the one with the camera who will be there documenting the visual events.

Of the group of people I started this project with, I’m the only one who got as far as I did. Most of the people gave up after just a few months. I managed to get a photo on Dec. 31.

This last year has been a very strange journey for me. I joke that I’m having a quarter-life crisis; in truth, it has been a time of great self-reflection for me. It started in January, when I made the resolution to give up drinking soda, a move that led me to start evaluating my eating habits. I glanced over photos from a get-together I was at over at my friend Andrew’s house, and I realized I was getting to a place weight-wise that I just didn’t want to be.

I had never really cared about my weight before, and I had certainly never paid attention to what I ate. In general, I ate home-cooked meals, but, truth be told, I didn’t really try to make sure all of the food groups were balanced. My mom had decided to start Weight Watchers, and, in February, I joined her. In June, I joined the gym through a deal I was offered at LVAC. The result was that by September, I had lost 30 pounds and have managed to hold steady at that weight.

I also spent a lot of time contemplating my career. I wasn’t entirely satisfied with where I was earlier this year. I felt like I had been stagnant for a while, and there wasn’t much opportunity to move beyond where I was, although I had reached the position of copy editor. However, situations changed, and in November, I was offered a spot as editor of the new Boulder City paper. It was just the sort of thing I had been looking for.

I’m also in a constant state of evaluation about myself personally. There’s many things about my life I just wasn’t quite satisfied with, and I’m finally looking at everything honestly and brutally. Sometimes because of it, I have bad days. Other times, I have good days, where I feel like I’m accomplishing things I want to accomplish. I’m grateful for all of my friends who have been there for a shoulder to cry on or have offered an ear to listen.

Right now more than ever, I’m growing and changing. One of my friends said most of the women she knows have gone through something like this in their mid-twenties. I hope I come out of this a stronger and more well-rounded person.

I don’t know where I’m going to be at the end of 2010. One thing I have learned is that you just can’t predict the way things go.

At any rate, here is the final entry in the 365-Day Photo Project. It was fun. After this, I guess I’m going to use this as a regular blog for my thoughts.

Robert drinks a fruity drink at Elephant Bar in the District on Dec. 6.

The light shines in the Prius saying that the headlights are on Dec. 7.

Ginger's new baby Adam hangs out in Boulder City on Dec. 8.

Robert grins on the couch on Dec. 9.

The Las Vegas Philharmonic practices for the holiday concert on Dec. 10.

I interviewed this young woman who lives in Boulder City on Dec. 11. She had been in a car accident that left her paralyzed from the neck down, but she was so cheerful and happy.

Yummy drink at Bahama Breeze between concerts on Dec. 12.

This woman is one of our columnists. She poses for a photo on Dec. 14. I had to take a lot of photos of her because she wasn't satisfied with any of them. haha.

These crystals decorate the Love theater. We saw Love on Dec. 16. for a special fundraising performance.

Anne's cat hangs out in the salad bowl at her house on Dec. 17.

Amie toasts a marshmallow at Anne's house on Dec. 18.

Ron's birthday gift arrived on Dec. 21.

A room in Boulder City Hospital on Dec. 22.

The sun sets in Boulder City on Dec. 31.

365-Day Project: Nov. 15-Dec. 5

laura — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 23:27:10 +0000

This is strange. I thought I had updated my blog, but I guess I didn’t. I had half of a post in my drafts…. Very weird. So I guess this is all the way back to the post that was in my drafts but didn’t get published.

White chocolate brownie from Black Pepper Grill on Nov. 15.

My new office on Nov. 16! It's on the main street in Boulder City

The sun sets behind Boulder City on Nov. 17.

OK, so, I forgot to take a photo on Nov. 18. So I took this photo right before I went to bed.

It's too early for Christmas. I think Christmas should not start until after Thanksgiving. Here's a display at Town Square on Nov. 19.

Here's our new reporter on Nov. 20.

My friend David performed in a flash mob at the Fashion Show mall on Nov. 21 to promote "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat." It was very cool.

OK, here’s where I really left off… So strange.

I forgot Nov. 22 and 24. I got a little busy, and I forgot to take photos those days.

Robert puts together a desk for the printer in my office in Boulder City on Nov. 23.

Ace Hardware in Boulder City puts up Christmas decorations for the holidays on Nov. 25.

A flower in my mom's house on Nov. 26 for Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is by far my favorite holiday. I love that it's not commercialized and the the whole point is just to get together with friends and family and eat food.

This is an outtake from some photos I took at Eclectica, a craft and art store in Boulder City that just opened. I think it's cool that I got the open sign in the photo, but I don't really feel this photo captured the store, so I didn't use it.

Cory slices the turkey at Crystal's Thanksgiving on Nov. 28. Yum!

A plant at Town Square on Nov. 29.

A koosh ball on Nov. 30. I wish it weren't on an orange sheet. haha

Robert left this cute note for me on the bar that keeps the water heater from being hit on Dec. 1.

A snowman waves in our front yard on Dec. 2. Maybe we'll have real snowmen again this year.

Lauren checks her iPhone at Cafe Deia on Dec. 3. This is the first photo I got of her, finally.

Big horn sheep come down from the mountains in Boulder City and eat the grass in this park. Dec. 4.

One of the floats in the Boulder City Christmas parade on Dec. 5. I was almost in it, but I ended up just watching.

365-Day Project: Oct. 16-Nov. 11

laura — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 07:46:06 +0000

This is the longest I’ve gone without updating. Part of it was self-fulfilling simply because after two weeks, I knew it would take me an insanely long time to download, edit and upload these photos. It’s almost a 1 and a half hour project now. I can’t let it get this out of hand again.

Jane smiles during Amie's rehearsal lunch the day before her wedding on Oct. 16.

It's probably weird I don't have a photo of Amie, but I was so busy doing stuff that I didn't actually get that many photos. My friend Abe hijacked my camera and took many photos, though, for which I am grateful. Jane gets her makeup done on Oct. 17.

Ardath cuts up carne asada for dinner at her house on Oct. 18. Ardath made mine and Robert's Halloween costumes.

My iPod on Oct. 19. Enough said.

"The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" sits in the passenger seat of the Prius on Oct. 20. A very good book. I highly recommend it.

Robert grins during a surprise lunch with me at Cafe Ba-ba-reeba on Oct. 21. We don't get to go to lunch often, so this was nice.

Robert scans the field during his indoor soccer game on Oct. 22.

Andrew and Robert pose under a light pole after our Master Singers concert on Oct. 23.

I am so so so proud of this photo.... A boat glides on the water at Sunset Cliffs in San Diego on Oct. 24. Robert took me on a surprise trip to the beach because he knew I just needed to escape for a few days.

This is where Robert and I are going to retire: Coronado. On the beach, Oct. 25.

McMullan's on Oct. 26. That was an interesting night.

Andrew looks at his phone on Oct. 27. I'm not allowed to take any more photos of him on his phone.

Robert and Jonathan smile for my pitiful iPhone camera on Oct. 28 at BJs in Henderson after our Master Singers concert.

My celebratory martini with my parents on Oct. 29 after I was offered the position of editor at the Boulder City Review.

Robert models his Monarch costume on Oct. 30 before work. I had to stay home from the gym and help him put it on.

The main drag of Boulder City, where I start work on Monday. My office is on the right. I went there on Oct. 31 to check things out.

Robert shows off his facial hair he did for his Halloween costume on Nov. 1.

An unimpressive dish at Yardhouse on Nov. 2. Don't get the giant California roll thing. The ahi is good, though. Also, the martinis are good.

Robert sits at Mimi's Cafe on Nov. 3.

I have a pepper on my plant on Nov. 4! I don't know when I can pick it. It's little right now.

A fire burns at Brio on Nov. 5.

Pepper snuggles with a stuffed animal on Nov. 6. She just looked too cute.

Boats are docked at Fisherman's Wharf on Nov. 7. I love San Francisco.

The Titans intercept a pass by the 49ers at the game on Nov. 8. It was quite an experience wearing a Titans' jersey in the opposing team's stadium... Robert owes me!

A corner near Union Square in San Francisco on Nov. 9.

Life isn't like a box of chocolates, because it doesn't come with a map like this! Nov. 10.

The source of my addiction on Nov. 11.

365-Day Project: Oct. 11-15

laura — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:32:54 +0000

This weekend is Amie’s wedding. I’m heading out to her rehearsal lunch in a couple hours. Here’s a quick update.

Kristy stands in her very own apartment on Oct. 11.

Robert check out his iPhone on Oct. 12.

Weekly Andrew photo. Andrew sits in the Prius on Oct. 13 after rehearsal.

Ra Sushi on Oct. 14. I haven't actually ever eaten there. My friend Lauren and I went to Cafe Ba-ba-reeba, but she wouldn't let me take a photo of her.

Grammar Girl signs a copy of "The Grammar Devotional" for me on Oct. 15. She runs a podcast show about grammar that I listen to.

365-Day Project: Oct. 4-8

laura — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 04:37:32 +0000

A crab roll and a spicy tuna roll sit waiting to be eaten at Kobe Sushi on Oct. 4. Kobe Sushi as Rainbow and 215 is by far the best sushi I've ever had. Go at happy hour for half off!

I think Robert is cute in his glasses on Oct. 5.

Robert makes a face after getting a haircut on Oct. 6.

Samantha sits on the bed on Oct. 7. I left my camera at work, so I had to take it with my iPhone.

A close up of Mr. Miyagi the bamboo on Oct. 8.

365- Day Project: Sept. 15-20

laura — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 23:37:05 +0000

Well, if you’re wondering why there’s a couple missing days… I think I accidentally deleted last Sunday’s photo in a mad dash to free up space, and Monday’s photo, I took with Julia’s camera, and she hasn’t sent it to me yet.

My weekly Andrew photo starts up again. Andrew holds up an iPhone photo of himself on Sept. 15 at the Artistic Emmys, where he went to see a friend win an award.

My bedside table is messy on Sept. 16.

The waiter at Ventano's restaurant opens a bottle of Francis Ford Coppola's Zinfindel on Sept. 17. Julia turned 18!

We walked the Strip on Sept. 18 for Julia's birthday because she no longer has a curfew.

Samantha sits in one of her favorite spots in the loft on Sept. 19.

Samantha sits in her favorite spot in the whole house on Sept. 20... on top of Robert!

365-Day Project: Aug. 26-Sept. 12

laura — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 01:21:35 +0000

Here’s the next round of photos. I’ve been really busy the last few weeks.

I almost forgot to take a photo on Aug. 26. Ha ha. So this is when I went to sleep that night, taken with my iPhone.

Robert always gets mad at me because I don't put my shoes away. Ha ha. Here's some of my shoes on Aug. 27.

Tina and Crystal taste test the sangria I made for Amie's bridal shower on Aug 28.

Jane and Anne share a laugh at Amie's bridal shower on Aug. 29.

Samantha plays in a roll of newspaper on Aug.30. I still have to give it to Andrew and my mom.

A light decorates Ricardo's on Aug. 31.

The kitchen of Robuchon, a nice restaurant we ate at on Sept. 1. I took this with my iPhone because I felt weird using my real camera, hence the bad quality.

I accidentally forgot to take a photo on Sept. 2.

Amie studies by a booklight on the drive up to Sacramento on Sept. 3. We went up there to see John Legend and India Arie in concert for Amie's bachelorette party.

Sacramento was very beautiful. My friend Anna lives there, and her house was built in 1890. It was a small-ish city, about 1.5 million in population. I loved the culture of it. And, it was extremely walkable.

Jane's cappuccino is ready to be enjoyed on Sept. 4. We had this at a cute little coffee shop called The Temple that Anna likes to frequent. There were so many alternatives to Starbucks.

Jane smells a flower on a beach in San Francisco on Sept. 5. We spent that Saturday in the city. Beaches in San Francisco aren't like San Diego beaches. It was chilly and windy, definitely not weather for laying out.

Amie holds up a strange vegetable I forgot the name of on Sept. 6. We visited a farmers market that Sunday. It was so big, and I bought a lot of food. It was all delicious. I wish we had something like that here, but we just don't have the variety of farms that California has, for obvious reasons.

Some of the grapes I bought at the farmers market dangle in my kitchen on Sept. 7. They were tasty grapes. Robert and I enjoyed a feast of fruits and cheeses I bought at the farmers market the night I came back.

Me trying to be artsy with my iPhone on Sept. 8. OK, it didn't work. Also, I was going to take my weekly photo of Andrew since Master Singers started up again, but we forgot.

Jonathan and Julia play Beatles Rockband. Robert bought the game for me. I love it. I can't wait for them to add more songs that can be downloaded for it.

I know I've taken a photo of my fans before, but this one was really cool. I took this on Sept. 10 with my iPhone. One thing that I can work with on the iPhone is that it doesn't really stop motion that well, so it can create cool effects like this.

Jane stands at the Las Vegas Farmers Market on Sept. 11 at Fremont East. This was literally half the farmers market. There were two vendors, both from California. We knew it wasn't going to be anything like Sacramento's, but I think we both expected a bit more than two vendors. It made me sad. I wish we could support something like this here, but we just can't.

Pepper howls along to a clip of a harmonica I found on YouTube on Sept. 12. It's so funny when she does it. At first I was worried it hurt her ears, but I read online that it doesn't. She's just trying to imitate the sound she's hearing. I bookmarked a couple clips she really reacted to so I can watch when I want.

365-Day Project: Aug. 14-25

laura — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 04:49:30 +0000

Yeah, I don’t have any excuses really anymore. It’s a combination of being really busy and being lazy when I’m not busy.

Samantha stares out the window from on top of the wine rack. This has become one of her favorite pastimes. Cats always long for the outside world.

A view from our seats at the Las Vegas 51s game on Aug. 15. I actually took this from my iPhone, because I wasn't sure if cameras were allowed. They actually were, so I could have gotten better shots. The 51s always lose when we go. I'm not sure why. I don't think they're a losing team. Robert and I have very bad luck with sports teams.

The intersection of Durango and Warm Springs on Aug. 16. Don't worry, I was stopped when I took this photo.

A flower smiles from a bouquet of flowers Robert sent to my work for my birthday. This was taken on Aug. 17, six days after my b-day. I'm happy to say most of the flowers are still alive. It's the miracle bouquet. Robert got the flowers from our friend Marek's flower shop. We get all of our flowers there. They do a great job. Check them out at www.lasvegasbouquet.com.

A candle burns in Bar Louie on Aug. 18, the ill-fated visit. You can read more about the on-going saga of horrible service at www.darqbyte.com.

Robert shows off the tickets for the Titans-49ers game on Aug. 19. We're going to see a game in San Francisco in November. It will be our first NFL game.

The sun sets behind the valley on Aug. 20. A view from Aliante Station. I went with my friend Lauren to Pips, an Italian restaurant. They have a great happy hour on Thursdays with half-price appetizers and half-off glasses of wine. The two of us ate three appetizers and each had a glass of wine for $30 total. Not a bad deal. A cute place that was dead-empty.

My friend Emily (Jane's sister) cradles Kaliana at Pho Kim Long on Aug. 21. That place is so yummy. I tried to get photos of her son, Xavier, but he was moving too much.

A candle in Jane's window on Aug. 22. I took photos of Amie trying on her wedding dress, as well, but, alas, they involve her dress, which is top-secret to the groom, who may be snooping around to find it.

Samantha hangs out on Robert's lap on Aug. 23. That cat loves Robert so much.

The return of Andrew to the project on Aug. 24!! As always, he is on his phone.

Martin + Osa at Town Square Las Vegas on Aug. 25, where I was taking Pepper for a walk with Jane's dog, Maddy. Cute store, but a bit pricey.

One of these days, maybe I’ll get back to at least updating every other day.

San Francisco, Days 1 and 2

laura — Fri, 29 May 2009 15:24:29 +0000

So, I whittled down the few hundred photos I took in San Francisco to 66. That’s still a big number, so I’m just going to slowly put them up on my blog. I already loaded them all on Facebook, but it’s a lot faster to do it that way. heh.

I learned a lot of things in San Francisco. First, the city itself is a seven-square-miles-by-seven-square-miles box. Really not that big. Nothing was really that far from anything else in the city.

I learned how to navigate public transportation. Although I was a bit worried at first, we figured it out and were practically pros by the end of our trip.

I also learned you can live with a lot less furniture than you think you need to. At least, you can if you live in San Francisco. My friend Jonson’s cute little apartment in Union Square is a 400-square-foot studio.

I tried a lot of different foods. While we were there, we had seafood, authentic Chinese, Mexican, Indian, Burmese, deli, Italian, Caribbean, Vietnamese and Japanese shabu. It was my first time having Burmese and Vietnamese.

It’s true when Mark Twain said the coldest winter he ever spent was a summer in San Francisco. It was in the 50s and 60s the entire time we were there. Much different than the triple-digit temperatures we left here.

My iPhone was invaluable on this trip. With it, we plotted out bus routes and got directions from the middle of San Francisco’s crowded streets. Yelp.com’s iPhone app was extremely helpful in finding food. A lot of people use Yelp in San Francisco, which hasn’t really taken off here. I think it was responsible for us only eating good food while we were there (aside from recommendations from our friends). We didn’t eat at very many touristy places, and I think Yelp is why.

The culture of San Francisco was awesome. Everyone we encountered was so nice, and there was this very caring attitude about the entire place. And it’s awesome how much they obviously care about the environment.

The official entrance to Fisherman's Wharf. We stayed just about two blocks away from the main part of Fisherman's Wharf, which is a very touristy part of San Francisco.

Robert enjoys a bread bowl of clam chowder at Boudin Bakery. He had been looking forward to having clam chowder ever since we booked the trip.

We took a bay cruise that went beneath the Golden Gate Bridge, around Alcatraz and then overlooked the Bay Bridge. It was extremely windy and extremely cold. And my hair was a mess when we docked.

The Golden Gate Bridge from the bay cruise.

The Golden Gate Bridge from below.

Alcatraz, where they used to keep the really bad criminals. We learned a lot about it on the cruise. They say no one ever escaped, though there were many attempts. A lot of times if someone tried to escape, they just shot them.

The city of San Francisco from the bay cruise.

A view of the Bay Bridge and some boats from Pier 39 at Fisherman's Wharf, which is the big shopping district there.

A little farther down the wharf.

This statue is at the entrance of Pier 39.

I have a photo of this thing from the first time I went to San Francisco in high school. I actually rode it then, I think.

We managed to avoid getting anything at this chocolate shop. Mostly because we'd already bought fudge at another shop.

Now, day two. There’s not as much from this day since we were mainly doing a lot of window shopping. At first, we were going to go to the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park, but we found out that day, the museum was letting people in free, which meant it was crowded.

So we hopped back on the bus and went to China Town and walked back down to Union Square.

That evening, we got Mexican food near the AT&T stadium and went to “Wicked,” which was absolutely wonderful.

Me in front of the San Francisco Opera House. Nothing was playing that week, or I would have asked Robert to go. One of our bus stops was right in front of it.

A typical street of San Francisco.

Lanterns adorn the street of China Town. We were almost lured into a bad restaurant with only white people in it, but we left and found a more authentic one that was much better.

Art at Union Square. There's no random art in Las Vegas aside from UNLV, another sign of San Francisco's superior culture.