BlogHer and ABC asked why my family’s extraordinary.

And I wrote a fairy tale to tell them.

What about you?

I’d love to hear why YOUR family is extraordinary in the comments there. :)

A few weeks ago, my hard drive died.

Jonathan told me last night that every single effort and trick he had up his sleeve for recovering the data was futile.

Everything on it was gone.

And no, I hadn’t backed anything up.

I kept meaning to, but I kept putting it off.

The thing that hurts the worst to lose?

My photos.

Even though most of them suck.

I never print out photos because I don’t scrapbook.

(Also? I don’t have a printer.)

(I know.)

A lovely reader gifted a Pro Flickr account to me and I was waiting for a rainy Saturday to upload and tag everything.

You know, when I “had time”.

And now?

Every single photo I have of anything since December ’09 that didn’t make it online (which is most of them) is gone.

The photos from trips.

The photos of family reunions.

The only photos I had of former friends.

(Which shouldn’t bother me as they are in the ‘former’ category, I guess. And yet…)

The photos of my children.

The photos and videos of Butterlump from 7 months until now.

I’m so tangible and physical mementos like photos and video are big time important to me.

Since they are so important, I should have backed everything up.

I hate loss.

I hate it–especially preventable loss.

Epecially, especially when I have only myself to blame for it.

I know this is my fault.

And it. just. blows.

I’m home.

I had an extremely late flight but it was worth it to be able to wake up to this:

You’ll have to pardon Jonathan…he’s sick.

We’re all sick.

Blarg.

Even though I came home to everyone having THE PLAUGE and getting it myself, I am so glad to be back home, even though I had the best time on my trip. For those who didn’t know, I just got back from attending The Creative Connection Event in Minneapolis.

It was amazing.

There were so many experiences that moved me, things I learned, saw (each meal was like a flippin’ gorgeous wedding banquet) and walked away with.

I’ll be posting about it when I get photos from people who, well…don’t suck at taking them. :)

Speaking of sucking at taking photos…

Yeah, I do.

Suck at it, that is.

And after being surrounded by so many fabulous photographers at this conference I swore to myself that needs to stop.

One thing I’m going to do is read the manual of my camera (Thank you,Heather Bullard.)

The other thing I am going to do is buy an external flash.  I’m pretty much a newbie so I had zero idea what on earth they were until Kami told me  what they did when we were talking about how much I hate the effect of flash in photos.

Then she SHOWED me what it could do.

Without external flash:

With external flash:

I was sold.

So, a question for all you photo-types: If you had one other thing you would have me purchase along with an external flash as a beginner, what would it be? (I have a Nikon 3000)

Now, to buy it and read the freakishly boring manual on my camera.

You know…after I stop barfing up a lung n’ stuff.

P.S. You can totally barf up a lung you know.

P.P.S. For reals.

P.P.P.S. It’s slightly different than “*cough* *cough* I have the black lung, pa!”

P.P.P.P.S. Now I want to watch Zoolander.

P.P.P.P.P.S. Exept I want to take Nyquil more.

P.P.P.P.P.P.P.S. Which should tell y’all just how sick I am.

P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.S. Because I LOATHE green cough syrup.

P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.S. It tastes like Satan.

P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.S. Not that I would know what Satan tastes like or anything.

P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.S. But IF I DID I am pretty sure I would put the verdict in that Satan tastes does, in fact, taste like green cough syrup.

P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.S. Or chicken.

P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.S. Oh, jeesh. Now I want Kentucky Fried Chicken.

P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.S. Where the freak did THAT come from?

P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.S. Weird.

P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.S. (Yeah, because of everything in this conversation, having a craving for fried chicken is the most weird thing, Loralee.)

P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.S. But yes…I want some KFC.

P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.S. I totally blame the Colonal and his wee beady eyes.

P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.S. He puts chemicals in his chicken that make me crave it fortnightly.

P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.S. Or you know…when I’m sick and putting off taking the devil-tasting-cough-syrup a little longer.

P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.S. So, if anyone has any KFC sitting around you could totally come by and bring it to me.

P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.P.S. And hey, if you bring me Diet Coke and chocolate to with it you MAY get me to flash you Derek Zoolander’s “Blue Steel” as payment.

:)

**Last day to enter my $100 gift card giveaway to The Gap, peeps. :)