Fun with Photoshop

Okay, I don't want to fall into the bucket of amateur-photographer-discovers-photoshop-plug-ins but I will admit it is a lot of fun. Sure it's easy to go overboard (overprocessed images on Facebook bug me too) but I think they might make for neat prints framed on a wall.

I will probably stick to the more traditional method of touching up through Photoshop for my regular photos but why not let loose once in a while and go click-crazy? :)

I used 3 different presets for this shot of Cora. I wanted to get an extremely burnt, but not overexposed, contrast since the original image was so boringly brown. Brown dog on brown carpet against a brown background. I also played with a pixelating tool which made for a cool shadow around her head.

I had a nice, clear outdoor shot of Max that was, well, almost too clear. This was a good way to practice with "airbrushing" tools to eliminate blemishes, minimize pores and do just about everything my collection of Bliss products promises to do.

My last picture was a "happy accident" that Aai took with the camera as she was trying it out for the first time. Again we had a white dog against a white shirt in front of white cabinets so I wanted to play with color and contrast to add dimensionality. Adding the frame was a fun way to add balance to the edges.

Wii Fit: Finally!

Max and I went to Target last night in Cerritos and were *shocked* to find the Wii Fit in stock. Finally! We couldn't wait to get home to try it.



The enthusiasm was short lived when I finally got on the balance board to test my Wii Fit Age. Somehow in the last 3 months since I've tried this game at Ie Ing's house, my age has increased rapidly to 40. I am more out of shape than I thought.

Lulu had a fine time watching us make a fool out of ourselves hula-hooping and dancing around the balance board.




Joanna hula-hooping to burn some fat.


Max working on his balance by practicing some yoga poses.


After about an hour, the dogs realized that the pilates mat was better suited for resting than doing actual exercise.

Max bought a bike today!

We stopped by Cynergy Cycles on the way home from work today to pick up Max's Rockhopper Comp Disc that they built out for him the week before. After 20 minutes of searching for his "Satin Charcoal" mountain bike we realized they built out the wrong one -- they reserved a Rockhopper Expert Disc for him instead, which was $330 more than the one he originally wanted.



But that's the thing with bikes... it's too easy to always look at the model above and want more, justifying the extra $1-200 along the way. They ended up giving him an awesome discount to make up for the mistake so that he could take the bike home with him that night. So now I have to get a mountain bike to be able to ride trails with him, or convince him to get a secondary road bike so he can catch up with me.

Rockhopper Expert Disc Features:

• The Fast Track Control 29x2.0-inch tires feature a dual compound tread for superior traction and durability, whether you opt to go 2Bliss or not.
• The Indie XC saddle uses our patented Body Geometry design to protect your soft parts.
• The Rockhopper Expert Disc 29’s M4 manipulated alloy frame features our 29er-specific geometry for a lower center of gravity and increased stability. A fully butted tubeset adds to its lightweight strength.
• The front suspension features 32mm Cr-Mo stanchions and a smooth 80mm of coil-sprung travel, rebound and preload adjustments, and lockout.
• The Specialized 3D-forged alloy stem is stiff and strong and features an oversized 31.8mm bar-clamp area for precise steering.
• Tektro’s Auriga Comp dual-piston hydraulic disc brakes feature smooth lever action and easy-to-control stopping power.
• Shimano’s Deore 9-speed rear derailleur uses a wide-link parallelogram design for increased rigidity, which means accurate shifting and long life.
• Shimano’s Deore Rapidfire trigger shifters feature Dual Control for extra-fast shifts from thumb and/or forefinger.
• The triple-chainring crankset features Shimano’s splined Octalink BB connection, which gives maximum power transfer and smooth pedaling action.

Technical Specifications:
FRAME Specialized M4 Manipulated Alloy frame, fully butted, ORE DT, forged dropouts w/ replaceable 98954020 hanger, disc only
REAR SHOCK FORK RockShox Tora SLite, 100mm, alloy steerer, 32mm Cr-Mo stanchions, magnesium lower, coil spring preload and rebound adj. w/ LO, 13-15": standard spring, all others: "stiff" spring w/ preload adj., disc only
HEADSET Specialized 1-1/8" threadless, loose ball
STEM Specialized 3D forged, 4-bolt, 7 degree rise, 31.8mm clamp
HANDLEBARS Specialized butted alloy, 31.8mm, 25mm rise, 640mm wide, 8 degree back sweep, 8 degree up, 2.6mm thick
GRIPS Specialized Enduro, dual compound Kraton, no flange, 131mm
FRONT BRAKE Tektro Auriga Comp, hydraulic disc, dual piston w/ 160mm rotor
REAR BRAKE Tektro Auriga Comp, hydraulic disc, dual piston w/ 160mm rotor
BRAKE LEVERS Tektro Auriga Comp
FRONT DERAILLEUR Shimano Deore, 34.9mm clamp, bottom swing, dual pull
REAR DERAILLEUR Shimano Deore
SHIFT LEVERS Shimano Deore SL- M531, 9-speed
CASSETTE Shimano HG-50, 9-speed, 11-34t
CHAIN KMC X9 w/ reuseable Missing Link
CRANKSET Shimano FCM442, forged alloy arms, Octalink Spline w/ replaceable rings
CHAINRINGS 44A x 32S x 22S
BOTTOM BRACKET Shimano BB-ES25, Octalink spline, cartridge bearings, 68mm x 118mm
PEDALS Alloy body and cage, 9/16"
RIMS Specialized RHD 26", double wall disc, pinned w/ eyelets, 28/32h
FRONT HUB Specialized Hi Lo, forged alloy, double sealed, ground race, 28h
REAR HUB Specialized, forged alloy, double sealed, ground race, cassette, QR, 32h
SPOKES 1.8mm (15g) stainless
FRONT TIRE Specialized Fast Trak Control, 26x2.0", 60TPI, aramid bead, 2Bliss ready
REAR TIRE Specialized Fast Trak Control, 26x2.0", 60TPI, aramid bead, 2Bliss ready
INNER TUBES Specialized schraeder valve
SADDLE Specialized Indie XC, Body Geometry, 143mm width, front and rear bumpers
SEATPOST Specialized alloy two bolt, micro adjust head, 30.9mm
SEAT BINDER Specialized alloy w/ QR, brass washer