my mom is hilarious

This is a recent ad she placed on craigslist....

Big Black Sectional Sofa / Couch - $25 

SAVE BIG BLACK!!! Big Black needs a new home. It has served us well for years, but we're tossing her aside for a younger model with microfiber and color.
The far left section of Big Black includes a reclining seat, which provides perfect comfort for watching both football and dancing with the stars. It also has put in many years of sci-fi and homework support. We have paired it nicely with both floral and striped pillows and it's always happy to keep a throw handy on a cold winter's eve. As the pictures attest, it is in pretty good shape although it is starting to show its age a bit on the most loved cushions. A couple of the back panels have small tears, but these are actually quite subtle and well hidden if against the wall (and could easily be disguised by a small strategically placed bit of black tape).
The right section includes a hide-a-bed that worked well until the "pig-pile incident" of late 2011. We thought 20-something adult children could count a bit better, but alas, The Black did sustain some damage that night. The hide-a-bed now hides well, it just doesn't un-hide to become-a-bed so well. If someone was handy and had the right sort of crow bar and patience, that could probably be remedied. However, as my husband's strengths run more toward IT and emergency response issues, and I'd rather play in the garden, we're happy to let someone else take a crack at it and help the Black regain some of her multi-purpose glory.
Big Black is actually REAL LEATHER on the front/facing cushions (we think the back may be "leatherette" or some similar cowhide imposter), which disguises a million faux and real paw prints and cleans up beautifully with a few clorox wipes and a vacuum hose attachment. It comes in three sections. The bed section is fairly bulky and heavy. The others are just bulky. So you'll probably need two people who can lift and maneuver well.
Not bad for $25, eh? We might even consider "OBO" as well if it meant the Black would be truly appreciated and well cared for.
p.s. We're hoping Big Black will go on Saturday so as to avoid an awkward encounter with her replacement. Please text 206-555-5555 to Save Big Black. 

It should be noted that my mom bought Big Black's replacement for $10 :)

culling

Everyone looks at their work and thinks about what they like and don’t like. But until you make an actual decision about each image-is it the very best image, is it good (but not great) or was it just practice-you won’t open yourself up to the learning that comes when you actively force yourself to separate the best from the throwaways. -Lara White

Culling is a word used by photographers for something I don't do too often.  It dates back to the 1200's where it meant "to put through a strainer" (see etymonline's second entry for cull... unless you want to read about testicles, in which case read the first).
I need to do this with my photography-- I have literally thousands of pictures that are simply mediocre that I have yet to bring myself to throw away.  Why shouldn't I?  Will I ever use them if they're mediocre and I have better ones?  Probably not.  Will the clients ever want them if I already provided them with the best photos I could produce?  Doubtful.
Ms. White concludes,

As photographers, I believe it’s our job to say something with the images, to add something more than just what meets the eye. I learned this more in the editing room than on any shoot. The editing or culling process allows me to see what works and why. And even more important, I learn what doesn’t work.

 And isn't this what we should be doing with life anyways?  Give it a try.  If it doesn't work, don't keep it.

About Me

In case reading my blog doesn't give you a clear enough picture of who I am, I've decided to share with you the "About Me" page I wrote for my English class.  It's written a little bit more boldly than I am likely to speak in person, but that's mostly because I couldn't figure out another way to fill up a whole page with information about myself without it being a boring life history or something.

My name is Cassànndrè Sager.  You may recognize me as the one who wears sunglasses.  Since we’ve been asked to share a little bit about ourselves, I’ll take this opportunity to explain why so you don’t think I’m just the sunglasses freak who is trying to be cool.  The high frequency flickering of florescent lights (as well as energy-saver light bulbs) gives me migraines.  So pretty much anywhere florescent lights are found I wear sunglasses.  It kind of sucks getting migraines but I happen to find studying them fascinating so that makes it okay.  If you ever have any questions about migraines or headaches feel free to ask me and I’ll tell you all about them, probably in more detail than you wanted.

I am aiming to finish my AA degree by the end of this year and then pursue a four year degree in biology.  I love studying anatomy-physiology and pathology and want to pursue a career in the healthcare field.

For the better part of the past two years I have been employed as a para-educator in the Kent School District, mostly recently substituting across the district.  It is usually a fun job as the kids in special education are usually sweethearts, and the staff are great.  School Adjustment classes get a little interesting (those are the kids with behavior problems) but I usually find it amusing.  The only times I mildly wonder if I am getting paid enough are when students lead me on wild goose chases around the school and I have to keep up because it is my responsibility to keep them out of trouble.

The love of my life is my family’s Labrador-Rottweiler mix, Bella.  She is a 100+ lbs of puppy love who sometimes thinks she is a lap dog.  She has a scary bark but the cat usually has her under his control.  She is currently lying on the floor next to me, wearing her lavender-colored floral bandanna and snoring contentedly.

 I do some custom photography on the side.  I’ve done portraits, engagements and weddings.  Engagements may be my favorite because couples in love are so fun to work with and photo-shoots are usually low pressure and laid back.  One of my favorite things about shooting weddings (aside from seeing the radiant bride and very proud groom) is getting to “shoot” the bride, groom and their entire families and afterwards “burn” the wedding dress (burning is an editing technique used to increase the exposure of specific areas of a photo).

Ballroom dancing is my favorite way to exercise.  I started when I went to Brigham Young University- Idaho (a magical place in the middle of nowhere) for a year and have kept it up since returning home.  I’ve been dancing for three years and absolutely love it.  Cha-cha, Tango, Waltz, and Rumba are my favorites.  And lindy-hop.  And West coast swing.  Foxtrot is pretty cool, too, but like Tango I rarely get the chance to dance it.  I’ve recently started learning more Latin dancing.  This is its own brand of awesome.  If you are interesting in learning how to dance or ever wanting to go dance, let me know.  I have a nice group of friends with whom I go dancing and we always welcome more people.

The rest of my free time is taken up by church meetings and activities with my young single adult congregation.  We have dances, games, lessons, potlucks, conferences, and more.  It’s a good group of people with diverse backgrounds.  I’m a Mormon and like so many Mormons I believe in being kind to other people, attending at least three hours of Church on Sundays, and having what we call funeral potatoes at any potluck.  I also happen to be ridiculously familiar with Utah for someone who’s never really lived there. 

And that’s me… in one page (phew!).