Finals Week

This is the start of finals week and I'm panicking! I have no laptop because it's at Circuit City getting cleaned. That's what I get for letting the family and husband surf the net on my computer. After all I preached to them about it being my personal laptop that I needed for school and blah blah blah. Now here I am going into finals without my trusty laptop.

Luckily one of my finals is over - Advertising where we presented a really cool campaign and were the ones to set the precedence for the class. Now all other groups are presenting with just one more group to go and then we're done. Woo hoo!

My other final is Saturday - Interm Algebra. This is the class I absolutely MUST pass. I have a "B" now and hope to keep it which means I must do well on the test! Wish me luck!!!

The class I worry about is Digital Video where my one and only video copy resides on my laptop. Sadly I can't afford to pay for the service yet not until my next pay period this Thursday but by then it might be too late. Sigh. The video lab is only open until Tuesday where all projects must be completed. I might just ask Circuit City tomorrow if they will allow me to come down and copy my video onto a flash drive so I can take it to school and render into a Qucktime movie in various speeds. I have to give two types of self launching videos made into a DVD to my professor for my final. In addition to that I have to give him a data disk so he can copy onto his laptop to use for future classes as examples. He even mentioned something about entering students' work in the Newport Film Festival. I don't know if he'll find my video worthy to enter or not.

So...I am at a standstill right now. I'm so sad. I miss my laptop! Boo hoo!

"intentional Walks" defined

Global definition: Used by managers and coaches in competitive upper level divisions or professional baseball as a tactic in which to strategize either for or against game-winning situations; or in most scenarios"respecting" the batter's ability to connect on a pitch for a likely homerun or a run-scoring base-hit.

My definition: Teaching [pitchers] adolescents the art of avoidance and not challenging themselves to face adversities much like in real-life scenarios. Rather than resolve conflict, hold up four and dismiss it.

A Year Gone By

It is truly hard to believe a year has gone by since I started my blog. Wow...happy anniversary blog! It might not seem like much to some, but to me it is surely something to celebrate.

I hear about blogs left and right. Some people start a MySpace or Facebook or similar type of web page or blog to jot down their treasured thoughts, share photos, and write about anything under the sun. I never thought I would be able to maintain a blog given my very busy schedule, family & life details. Who would have ever thought?

So, cheers to another year to come! I have to shoot for smaller goals these days as it seems things are not always set in stone. I feel as though I need to declare a resolution of some sort, but instead I'd rather set goals for myself:

1. Get to Cal State Fullerton
2. Take more photos and learn from the best sports photographers
   
3. Network and cover more events for newspaper articles, reviews & interviews
   
4. Get to Cal State Fullerton
5. Pass my classes this semester; and "walk" this May at graduation
   
6. Buy or fix our second car (anyone out there willing to part or sell their car????)
7. Get to Cal State Fullerton
8. Become a great photojournalist
9. Spend more quality time with my family
10. Get to Cal State Fullerton

There! That about sums it all up!

Photo Composition

In learning to take composition photos, I have put together the following sequence of Christopher's first at-bat against the Angels this week. Clarity, definition and content are my three major focuses. While although this at-bat the batter reached first base on error, it displays the power behind the swing and the intensity in Christopher determination to get a good cut off of the pitch.

>

BPALL Opening Day & A's TOC

In case you have not picked up a copy of the Event News or the Independent News, which by the way, covers the Cypress, Anaheim, La Palma, Buena Park, Stanton and other surrounding cities, here are some of the photos I shot during Buena Park American Little League's Opening Day Ceremony held Feb. 24.

Cool Slideshows

College Moment Podcast

Bookmark my College Moment Podcast page and start listening to news, sports updates and coming soon college sports broadcasts.

College Moment Podcast

Kicker Flash

Going through my archive CDs of sports photography, I came across this photo of a local high school kicker on special teams in his extra point attempt. The flash from a camera in the background illuminates a "spot light" as though he were a lone performer on stage delivering his monologue. Notice the intense focus of the players, coaches and fans from the opposing team as they hold their collective breath in hopes the kicker foils his feat.

What Tree Did You Fall From?

Giving credit where credit is due, although in this case, I don't know whom to credit? This is a great little self-realization test I thought you might enjoy reading.

(If I've posted this before or perhaps it looks familiar as something I may have posted before, please forgive me in advance...I've been having many senior moments lately and its pretty scary).

WHAT TREE DID YOU FALL FROM?

Find your birthday and then find your tree with definition below. This is really cool and
somewhat accurate. Then send it to all your friends, including the one that
sent it to you, so they can find out what tree they fell from

Dec 23 to Jan 01 - Apple Tree
Jan 01 to Jan 11 - Fir Tree
Jan 12 to Jan 24 - Elm Tree
Jan 25 to Feb 03 - Cypress Tree
Feb 04 to Feb 08 - Poplar Tree
Feb 09 to Feb 18 - Cedar Tree
Feb 19 to Feb 28 - Pine Tree
Mar 01 to Mar 10 - Weeping Willow Tree
Mar 11 to Mar 20 - Lime Tree Mar 21 (only) -Oak Tree
Mar 22 to Mar 31 - Hazelnut Tree
Apr 01 to Apr 10 - Rowan Tree
Apr 11 to Apr 20 - Maple Tree
Apr 21 to Apr 30 - Walnut Tree
May 01 to May 14 - Poplar Tree
May 15 to May 24 - Chestnut Tree
May 25 to Jun 03 - Ash Tree
Jun 04 to Jun 13 - Hornbeam Tree
Jun 14 to Jun 23 - Fig Tree Jun 24 (only) - Birch Tree
Jun 25 to Jul 04 - Apple Tree
Jul 05 to Jul 14 - Fir Tree
Jul 15 to Jul 25 - Elm Tree
Jul 26 to Aug 04 - Cypress Tree
Aug 05 to Aug 13 - Poplar Tree
Aug 14 to Aug 23 - Cedar Tree
Aug 24 to Sep 02 - Pine Tree
Sep 03 to Sep 12 - Weeping Willow Tree
Sep 13 to Sep 22 - Lime Tree Sep 23 (only) - Olive Tree
Sep 24 to Oct 03 - Hazelnut Tree
Oct 04 to Oct 13 - Rowan Tree
Oct 14 to Oct 23 - Maple Tree
Oct 24 to Nov 11 - Walnut Tree
Nov 12 to Nov 21 - Chestnut Tree
Nov 22 to Dec 01 - Ash Tree
Dec 02 to Dec 11 - Hornbeam Tree
Dec 12 to Dec 21 - Fig Tree
Dec 22 (only) - Beech Tree

YOUR TREE (in alphabetical order)

Apple Tree (Love) -- quiet and shy at times, lots of charm, appeal,
and attraction, pleasant attitude, flirtatious smile, adventurous,
sensitive, loyal in love, wants to love and be loved, faithful and tender
partner, very generous, many talents, loves children, needs affectionate
partner.

Ash Tree (Ambition) -- extremely attractive, vivacious, impulsive,
demanding, does not care for criticism, ambitious, intelligent, restless
lover, sometimes money rules over the heart, demands attention, needs love
and much emotional support.

Beech Tree (Creative) -- has good taste, concerned about its looks,
materialistic, good organization of life and career, economical, good
leader, takes no unnecessary risks, reasonable, splendid lifetime companion,
keen on keeping fit (diets, sports, etc.).

Birch Tree (Inspiration) -- vivacious, attractive, elegant,
friendly, unpretentious, modest, does not like anything in excess, abhors
the vulgar, loves life in nature and in calm, not very passionate, full of
imagination, little ambition, creates a calm and content atmosphere.

Cedar Tree (Confidence) -- of rare strength, knows how to adapt,
likes unexpected presents, of good health, not in the least shy, tends to
look down on others, self-confident, a great speaker, determined, often
impatient, likes to impress others, has many talents, industrious, healthy
optimism, waits for the one true love, able to make quick decisions.

Chestnut Tree (Honesty) -- of unusual stature,
impressive,well-developed sense of justice, fun to be around, a planner,
born diplomat, can be irritated easily, sensitive of others feelings, hard
worker, sometimes acts superior, feels not understood at times, fiercely
family oriented, very loyal in love, physically fit.

Cypress Tree (Faithfulness) -- strong, muscular, adaptable, takes
what Life has to give but doesn't necessarily like it, strives to be
content, optimistic, wants to be financially independent, wants love and
affection, hates loneliness, passionate lover which cannot be satisfied,
faithful, quick-tempered at times, can be unruly and careless, loves to gain
knowledge, needs to be needed.

Elm Tree (Noble-mindedness) -- pleasant shape, tasteful clothes,
modest demands, tends not to forgive mistakes, cheerful, likes to lead but
not to obey, honest and faithful partner, likes making decisions for others,
noble-minded, generous, good sense of humor, practical.

Fig Tree (Sensibility) -- very strong minded, a bit self-willed,
honest, loyal, independent, hates contradiction or arguments, hard worker
when wants to be, loves life and friends, enjoys children and animals, few
sexual relationships, great sense of humor, has artistic talent and great
intelligence.

Fir tree (Mysterious) -- extraordinary taste, handles stress well,
loves anything beautiful, stubborn, tends to care for those close to them,
hard to trust others, yet a social butterfly, likes idleness and laziness
after long demanding hours at work, rather modest, talented, unselfish, many
friends, very reliable.

Hazelnut Tree (Extraordinary) -- charming, sense of humor, very
demanding but can also be very understanding, knows how to make a lasting
impression, active fighter for social causes and politics, popular, quite
moody, sexually oriented, honest, a perfectionist, has a precise sense of
judgment and expects complete fairness.

Hornbeam Tree (Good Taste) -- of cool beauty, cares for its looks
and condition, good taste, is not egoistic, makes life as comfortable as
possible, leads a reasonable and disciplined life, looks for kindness and
acknowledgment in an emotional partner, dreams of unusual lovers, is seldom
happy with its feelings, mistrusts most people, is never sure of its
decisions, very conscientious.

Lime Tree (Doubt) - intelligent, hard working, accepts what life
dishes out, but not before trying to change bad circumstances into good
ones, hates fighting and stress, enjoys getaway vacations, may appear tough,
but is actually soft and relenting, always willing to make sacrifices for
family and friends, has many talents but not always enough time to use them,
can become a complainer, great leadership qualities, is jealous at times but
extremely loyal.

Maple Tree (Independence of Mind) -- no ordinary person, full of
imagination and originality, shy and reserved, ambitious, proud,
self-confident, hungers for new experiences, sometimes nervous, has many
complexities, good memory, learns easily, complicated love life, wants to
impress.

Oak Tree (Brave) -- robust nature, courageous, strong, unrelenting,
independent, sensible, does not like change, keeps its feet on the ground,
person of action.

Olive Tree (Wisdom) -- loves sun, warmth and kind feelings,
reasonable, balanced, avoids aggression and violence, tolerant, cheerful,
calm, well-developed sense of justice, sensitive, empathetic, free of
jealousy, loves to read and the company of sophisticated people.

Pine Tree (Peacemaker) -- loves agreeable company, craves peace and
harmony, loves to help others, active imagination, likes to write poetry,
not fashion conscious, great compassion, friendly to all, falls strongly in
love but will leave if betrayed or lied to, emotionally soft, low self
esteem, needs affection and reassurance.

Poplar Tree (Uncertainty) -- looks very decorative, talented, not
very self-confident, extremely courageous if necessary, needs goodwill and
pleasant surroundings, very choosy, often lonely, great animosity, great
artistic nature, good organizer, tends to lean toward philosophy, reliable
in any situation, takes partnership seriously.

Rowan Tree (Sensitivity) -- full of charm, cheerful, gifted without
egoism, likes to draw attention, loves life, motion, unrest, and even
complications, is both dependent and independent, good taste, extremely
generous, artistic, passionate, emotional, good company, does not forgive.

Walnut Tree (Passion) -- unrelenting, strange and full of contrasts,
often egotistic, aggressive, noble, broad horizon, unexpected reactions,
spontaneous, unlimited ambition, no flexibility, difficult and uncommon
partner, not always liked but often admired, ingenious strategist, very
jealous and passionate, no compromise.

Weeping Willow (Melancholy) - likes to be stress free, loves family
life, full of hopes and dreams, attractive, very empathetic, loves anything
beautiful, musically inclined, loves to travel to exotic places, restless,
capricious, honest, can be influenced but is not easy to live with when
pressured, sometimes demanding, good intuition, suffers in love until they
find that one loyal, steadfast partner; loves to make others laugh.

Do the Math

No matter how often I try and convince myself that Math is my friend, the more I realize there's a reason I hate it altogether - it's purely evil.

I am reminded of its practicality in real-life situations and work-related scenarios but quite frankly, it ranks up there with cleaning house or doing laundry - I simply despise it!

Intermediate Algebra is the (new) death of me. How on Earth am I going to get passed this class, I ask myself constantly. Just when I think I understand a concept, I get thrown another curve ball. Linear equations, domain, range, functions, graphing, etc.

Give me something to write, to photograph or something on which to report and I'll have it to you in 10 minutes flat. But put a hideous equation in front of me and expect me to know off the top of my head which formula to use for a given situation, I just want to spit.

The tutors in the Math Lab are cringing each time they see me come through those doors. They always make you feel two-inches high. I was 5 feet tall (sad, I know) upon arriving at the Math Tutor Lab but when I leave school I feel as though my brain got fried, tied and baked beyond recognition.

Will someone explain this stuff to me? I can't take it anymore.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

I trust you all had a wonderful Christmas celebration and a wonderful New Year thus far.

As I reflect back on 2006 I am overwhelmed at the many hurdles the Riveras have overcome. It's been a very rough year but a great one nonetheless.

Where do I begin? First of all...my Fall semester is behind me now and I must boast about my accomplishments. With a grueling 18 units (1 unit shy of the 19 unit cap), I obtained a 4.0 semester!!! Six (6) straight A's. I'm thrilled to death! I owe it all to one professor in particular, Mr. Mercer, who pushed me to my limit and allowed me to discover hidden talent I knew was just itching to be unleashed. Alas, it has earned me a spot as an editor for our school newspaper publication, an internship at the Event News (a city of Cypress newspaper publication), and the title of Producer for our online newscast - CyChron Newscast.

I must also thank my photography professor, Mr. Burchfield, and another photography professor Mr. Lester for recognizing my artistic potentials and for recommending me for the Sports Photographer internship.

Mr. Degrassi has made my Physical Geology class very interesting and I have learned so much. You ROCK!

Thank you Teresa Wang for trusting my creativity as your photographer. I hope you were truly satisfied with the photos. I had tons of fun! (please see some of my photos on http://arivera626.deviantart.com).

Thank you L'Oreal and Frank at the Event News for giving me the opportunity to report, photograph and write for you! I enjoyed every minute of it! You taught me the importance of meeting a deadline and for producing your best work the FIRST TIME around!

Thank you Mr. Ghamsary for your help with Algebra. Variables are now my best friend!

To MaNerriza, Jason, Hung, Alex,and Sandra....the BEST newspaper editing team in the west! You guys made my semester a fun one! I am going to miss you MaNerriza and Jason as you move on to bigger and better things -- UCI and UC San San Francisco. I'm so envious! I want updates! Tell me all about your experiences! I can't wait.

Thank you Jessica for being my intern buddy. You crack me up! You're the best!

To Nicole -- for always sharing in my accomplishments! I know you would truly appreciate how hard work is rewarded with good grades! You inspire me!

To Professors Bryan Seiling, Melanie Nabahani, Barbara Marshall, Susan KIein (thank you for the scholarships!), Mark Mayo,....oh my goodness...I know I'm forgetting someone (please forgive me)...to those who I have inadvertently omitted....THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for believing in me and pushing me to my fullest potential.

To my counselors: Velia, Renee L., Renee S., Penny, Dennis, Alan, Jane and others...without your guidance, I would be wandering around aimlessly.

Thank you Mike Yolo -- my former work buddy for all of recommendations. I would not be where I am today if it weren't for your encouragements and for believing in my talents! You go with your Masters!!!!

A VERY BIG THANK YOU, HUGS AND KISSES to my family -- Steve, Christopher, Elysse, Aaron and Ariana for putting up with the biggest control-freak, anal and demanding wife and mother. Thank you for allowing me to be ME and for giving me "breathing room" and study periods around the house! I owe you EVERYTHING!!!!

Thank you Mom, Dad and Ronnie -- for having faith in me. You are the backbone of my foundation!

As I embark on the last semester-and-a-half at Cypress College prior to transferring (FINALLY!) to CSUF...I must say - I have had the time of my life here. I look forward to another productive semester.

With my deepest gratitude,

-Annie