(somewhat) milestones

Sunday marked the one-year anniversary of my residency at 1451 24th St., Apt. 483. Although, in the grand scheme of things, a year lived in one location is hardly cause for celebration. However, the event holds a bit more clout when taken into account that it has been nine years since I have achieved such a feat.

Curiously, the 12 months at my current residence have felt like a lot shorter time than other places I have lived.Perhaps this is due to the fact that I have truly found a location that suites me. Or, maybe the last year has been such a whirlwind that the time has flown by. I would conjecture the reason is a mixture of the two.

Apparently, I have also reached a milestone in my dentistry status. As a nearly 30-year-old individual, I am now officially an adult in the teeth world, according to my dentist. What does this mean? Well, evidently it equates to having to endure a long series of individual x-rays, which were far from comfortable. The good news is, as a daily flosser,  I am ahead of the game on that practice, as 30 is the age when my dentist suggests making it part of the daily routine. This bit of information was unbeknownst to me, as I have been flossing daily since my teen years. Imagine what I could have done with all that extra time if I had only flossed a few times a week in my twenties. However, a change in my habits may have prevented my "excellent hygiene" (my dentist's words, not mine).

In other news, just when I thought I could put away the winter gear -- it's currently snowing in Denver. Actually, scratch that, we're in the midst of an indubitable spring blizzard. Good thing my Rockies tickets are for Sunday and not tonight's game. However, tomorrow morning's March for Babies event, for which I'm volunteering, should be pretty cold and miserable.  I really, really, really just want winter to be over.

commercial shoot

Last night, I had my first night-shoot assignment to cover the production of my company's new commercial. The shoot involved capturing the behind-the-scenes action, as well as a few photos of the finished set and filming. I was a bit nervous as I'm really a neophyte when it comes to photography, especially the more elaborate tasks, such as shooting at dusk and dark. However, I was pretty happy with the results and learned quite a bit about the inner workings of producing a commercial. It's truly impressive to witness the extreme thought that goes into each minute detail and how many individuals are involved in one small, 30-second commercial.

A portion of the commercial involves a shot of a cafe, located on a corner in a small, rural community. As is the case with most instances in films and commercial, we "faked" it, utilizing a restaurant in a Denver suburb. The one thing I do regret about last night's shoot was the fact that I didn't document better the transformation of the restaurant. With the exception of the actual building structure, the end-result really did not resemble the original restaurant -- it's amazing the difference a few signs, backdrops and props can make.

The commercial will be airing beginning in May. But, for now, a few teaser shots from last night.

The director setting up the camera while other members of the production crew work to transform the restaurant into a small-town cafe. Below, the end result -- a homey cafe in a rural American town (served by an electric co-op, obviously). The middle photo pictures the talent, who will be the spokesperson for the commercial. 

spring

It seems that spring has finally sprung in the Mile High City -- birds are chirping, buds are blossoming and, last but certainly not least, the Rockies are playing. Yesterday marked opening day 2010, which was quite the boisterous events, perhaps only outdone in Denver by the annual St. Patrick's Day celebration.

Although I wasn't one of the lucky nearly 60,000 fans who attended the game, I did experience the madness as a bystander, spending the day meandering around downtown with my best friend Grace and her fiance Dave, who were visiting from Jackson Hole.

It was the perfect day of relaxing and catching up with my friends and was timed just right, arriving on the heels of what is quite possibly the busiest workweek of my year -- annual meeting week. Although the time spent with Grace was short, as always, I enjoyed every minute of it. Expressed in the words that only she and I understand and appreciate -- I love that girl like a fat kid loves cupcake suits.

relativity

Every once in a while, I experience a moment, or a series of moments, that changes me. Sometimes, it's significant. More often than not, it's slight, but equally as important. Frequently, the experience is tied to an interaction with another person.

Within the past week, I have had two such incidents -- one involving my sister and her children and the other, a stranger.

The first occurred last week/weekend while my sister was visiting me in Denver. And, while it wasn't so much an identifiable moment, it was instead a culmination of our time spent together. Specifically, it was the first instance where I remember really relating to my sister and her life, which is ironic because at this point, they have never been further from the same. As a nurse, living in our hometown and the single mom of three children, to say our lives are different would be a vast understatement. However, spending time with her and my nieces and nephew last week, I began to see the similarities between us and the bond we share, as sisters and as friends. It was nice. And it changed me.

The second occasion was a conversation I had yesterday with the creator of the I heart strangers project, Joshua Langlais. I met with Joshua as part of the interview process for the Colorado Jaycees Outstanding Young Coloradoan program, of which I am nominating him. Having followed I heart strangers intermittently for the past few months, I was both intrigued and fascinated by the concept, which involves Joshua approaching a stranger and gathering their story and photo and then posting both on the project's Web site. Although interesting in and of itself, the fact that Joshua has not missed a day since September 2008 really exemplifies the project's existence and the dedication of its creator. Beyond the project, I found Joshua delightful. It was refreshing to talk to someone with such a big heart and amazing outlook and understanding of life. At 27 years-old, Joshua possess more insight than most individuals I have encountered. Although our conversation was just an hour, Joshua inspired me. And it changed me.

So, to mimic I heart strangers, thank you Joshua, and Brianna, for being you.