Day 365 of the 365 Day Project

Here it is.

The 365th day of the 365 day project I took on 365 days ago.

You may notice a striking resemblance the last photo of the year has to the very first photo of the year.

(I thought a "full circle" approach was the way to go for the big finale.)

I've thoroughly enjoyed this year of taking pictures every godforsaken day. It has been challening. Enlightening. Frustrating and fun.

But at the end of the day, its pretty much just me and my dog in my mud-colored living room. 

So there ya go!

(Sort of anti-climatic, I realize, but we hope you will stick around for what's next....)

What is next?

What is next for this blog, you ask? 

I am not going to take on another year of POTDing... but at this point I plan to continue blogging on a regular basis, sharing photos that I deem worthy of posting on the web -  not just because I feel like I "have to" because another 24 hours has passed.

I  haven't decided yet if I'm going to try out a specific theme, time line, subject, or what (and I am open to suggestions) but in the meantime you can at least expect to see some pictures that I take that I like, coupled with my enchanting wit and over-use of terms like "hells ya!" and "redonkulous."

So, I hope you will continue checking in with "This Is Me, Getting a Life" from time to time and see what I'm up to, and what great directions my blog just might take!

And to all my loyal followers throughout the year (whether official, comment-leaving, or not) your thoughts, support and encouragement kept me going through it all!

THANK YOU!

365 Day Project - Day 315

PARTY AT THE TOP

Top of Tacoma shut its doors today for a private party especially for all its awesome employees, and die-hard supporters.

My Friend Chris let me use his crazy expensive wide angle lens, which didn't really match with my tiny stock flash (I'm getting a new one soon). So I used the night-time setting on most of these, which add to the blurry, tungsten look of them all.

(Although, the blurriness might have something to do with the fact that the photographer was drinking from an open bar...?) 

Anywhoo, here are a few of my favorite shots of the night...

"The Bar"

 "Buford"

"Addie and Justin + Addie's Ghost" 

"My dad actually keeping his eyes open for once"

"Le Pool Table"

365 Day Project - Day 294

Big Rockin' Daddy

With very little coaxing,  my dad took the stage at the New Frontier's inaugural "Open Mic Night" today. It was pretty awesome.
He jammed out a few super cool bluesy numbers, all tunes I can recall him casually strumming throughout my youth. It was heartwarming and nostalgic and all that... 

But more importantly, this event  marks the second time a parent of mine has been on stage at this venue in a little over a week, which was definitely unexpected but totally awesome (you may remember my mom's enthusiastic rendition of "These Boots Are Made For Walking" at my birthday party last Sunday.)
If you really sit down and crunch the numbers, it means 100 percent of my biological upbringers are shameless hams (and in turn solves the mystery of where I picked up that endearing trait...) 


I texted this epic picture of my dad on stage to my best friend, Rianne, and she said "I think the Jensen's missed their calling in life... you should have been the Partridge Family."

 And she may be onto something.

I'd be willing to bet the handful of us (including my sister Rachel on tambourine, brother Lars on bass, Dad on guitar, Mom on "backup" vocals, and me taking the lead with my often screeching karaoke-styled-singing) could make something of a musical super group.

I only wish we would have thought of this before we lost our drummer.

365 Day Project - Day 274

Rich & Rare

If the saying is true, and you are what you drink, I'd much rather be rich and rare than an Old Crow.

365 Day Project - Day 238

Beggin' like a dog...

365 Day Project - Day 237

The aftermath of a good ol' fashioned window smashing.

A big thank you to my baseball-bat-swinging neighborhood vandal for providing me with such a great POTD opportunity today!

It is totally worth the $200 I will be paying tomorrow for a new rear windshield...

365 Day Project - Day 232

This is a photo of some crazy looking clouds at sunset that I took on my phone. They're pretty cool, right?

Want to know what's even COOLER?

I got a NEW phone. Which lets me make blog posts from it.

WHICH I AM DOING RIGHT NOW.

I can literally update my blog at any time, from anywhere.

Sitting in a park? Blog.  Sitting at a coffee shop with NO wifi? Blog.  On an airplane with no wifi before they tell you to turn off your phones? Blog.  Behind-the-times hotel with no free internet (talking to you "Fabulous Flamingo Hotel and Resort" in Las Vegas)... BLOG! Blog at the grocery store.  Blog at the doctors office. Blog in my car. I CAN BLOG ANYWHERE (although, don't get your hopes up, I probably won't. But I COULD. And I might...)

It is AMAZING. Seriously. I won't tell you where I updated this post from though...

Anyways, I know I'm a little behind-the-times as far as technology and cool phones goes, but I seriously love my new Samsung Intercept smart phone. It's the bomb. Easy-to-use touch screen and keyboard, tons of apps (like Blogger Droid and Photo Shop Express).

I'm even "cutting" coupons and learning Italian. ON MY PHONE! What!? 

Sometimes crazy technology freaks me out, but in this case, I'm totally embracing it.

Goodbye Motorola flip phone, outdated Blackberry and My Faves.

Hello world at muh fingatiiipss!

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.3

365 Day Project - Day 219

Meet Anthony.

The new accordion.
He's noisy, but fun to play with.
I think he's a keeper.

365 Day Project - Day 217

THE MELVINS

Buzz on guitar. Who says turtlenecks and farm animals aren't rock and roll?

Jared on bass. This was after he took off his sequined cape.

Dale and Coady's  double drum finale.

The Melvins (which currently consists of founding member Buzz Osborne, long-time drummer Dale Crover, and the bass and drum duo Big Business ((comprised of former Karp front man Jared Willis and The Murder City Devils drummer Coady Willis))... get all that?) ROCKED Hell's Kitchen tonight.

I can't say I'm totally surprised, because the Melvins (especially in their current, aforementioned line-up) thoroughly rock, but I have to admit- I enjoyed the show even more than I thought I would.

For a band that has existed longer than I have been alive, the Melvins are a far cry from being old (even despite the gray hairs). 

They are as deafening, energetic and creative as ever, and delivered a line-up that could do no wrong (they EVEN played a KARP song! I about fainted...)

Prior to the show, I was lucky enough to interview Buzz for a preview article in the Weekly. 

At the show, I got to actually meet Jared and gush over his musical makings for a few.

(He said he didn't mind- his head can only get bigger. And for the record, his hair is already damn huge. I think even has Sean 'fro envy.)

Monday night has never rocked so hard.

365 Day Project - Day 203

Eddie v. Hose

Eddie goes back and forth on whether or not he "likes" the hose.

Some days he runs from it with his tail between his legs.

Other days, he'll literally eat the hose if I leave it unattended for too long.

 This is how he reacted today...

365 Day Project - Day 201

Mt. Rainier 

part II

Just  49 days ago, I made my first ever trip to Mount Rainier (I know... right?!)

Today, Sean and I took another trip to the other side of the mountain, to check out Sunrise on the verge of Fall.

It was gorgeous. And I got to wear a hat and scarf... (!!!)

Lovely!

365 Day Project - Day 190

Close encounter

These two have never formally met.

I'm pretty sure Rio would like to keep it that way...

365 Day Project - Day 182

Summertime, and the living is easy...

I hate to be a downer, but in a few weeks, all the luxuries of our Northwest Summers will be no more.

I'm gonna miss you Sun, Porch and Seasonal Watermelon!

365 Day Project - Day 180

Celebrating Mr. and Mrs. Holstine

Today, my beautiful friends Felicity and Brian tied the knot.

Here are a few of my favorite shots from the big day....

 Felicity and her dad walking toward the alter at Thronhill Castle 

 The first dance

 CHEERS! 

 Right before the garter toss... she is so cute!

Group shot of the bride and friends.

Fun with the self-timer on the over-sized Chess board. 

We were going for dramatic/theatrical.

365 Day Project - Day 174

God Bless America !

 Here's a sneak peek of what I will be donning Saturday night  possibly one of the biggest nights of my life so far   at the Lady Gaga concert in Tacoma's very own dome. 

I had the hot-pants/suspenders/boots idea rolling around in my head for a while now, but it wasn't until Kat and mine's concert-gear-shopping-trip today that I took the patriotic-Gaga theme full force. 

Because, let's face it: 

if there were no such thing as America, 

there would be no such thing as Lady Gaga, 

and if there were no such thing as Lady Gaga, 

this world would be 

much

less 

funky.

And frankly, I don't want to be apart a less funky world.

365 Day Project - Day 173

Ain't no party like a kiddie pool party...

Today, it was freaking 100 degrees out. That means I spent a lot of time in my air-conditioned car, in front of fans and running through the sprayground at South Park. And of course, Sean filled up the kiddie pool.

And for as hot as the day was, the icy cold tap water took some getting used to...

As you can see here, we started out slow. 

This is us "easing in" to the pool...

Next, we got a little more comfortable.

Butts down, bottoms UP!

Finally, we're all in... 

Putting the 'party' in the pool, I guess?

365 Day Project - Day 170

Playing with Ed on a lazy summer afternoon

365 Day Project - Day 166

Tacoma, the beautiful

*View from East 34th Street bridge

365 Day Project - Day 164

HOTROD - A - RAMA

I truly enjoyed both days at (my first ever) Hotrod-A-Rama... sad to hear it is rumored to be the last.
So many great cars, hot rods, rat rods and rockabilly folk, what's not to love?

I especially loved how everything was so shiny!
...especially J-Lo's sparkly toes.

365 Project - Day 162

I love my dog and I love taking pictures of him.
Don't have much more to say about that.