I've a few updates for everyone.

I've done my first photo shoot last Friday. A co-worker asked if I could do some portraits of her children for her for Christmas cards and after warning her that I'd never done it before we both agreed.
The experience was pretty fun. Her children are adorable if not a little hyper. We decided it would be best to take the shots in her home since her kids would be more comfortable there. They stared at my equipment strangely as I set up and asked tons of questions which I happily answered. After a while of shooting indoors we went outside and I learned an important lesson. Always bring my polarizer even if I don't foresee outdoor shots. Luckily I had other lenses and another polarizer so I merely switched things around for her.
In the end she was pretty happy with the results as was I. It was a fun positive first time experience.

Also, I discovered that last January the renewal of my contract meant an increase in pay. I've been given a retro pay since last January to compensate for the lateness with my raise. Basically that means a bonus of nearly 500 bucks in my checking account this pay. I'm still trying to decide if I should blow it or do the smart thing and put it towards my student debt. I'm thinking that purchase of the 10 seasons of Stargate looks pretty damn good.

Also, a last update which has potential for being petty damn worrying at some point in my life. A few weeks ago I found the beginnings of a lump on my cheek and thought nothing of it. Last Friday I discovered that it had grown substantially and realized that it wasn't just acne or a slight bruise from the way I slept. My first initial thought was "oh shit, cancer" mostly because of the chemicals I use in the summer to remove graffiti. The bottles do warn of the stuff causing cancer with prolonged use. 5 years of using it could be considered that. Anyway, before I started to panic too much I decided to book an appointment with my doctor.
I had that appointment this morning and am quite relieved to discover that it's a cyst. My doctor did warn me to keep an eye out on it because it does have potential to turn cancerous. Which brings me to my current dilemma. The doctors can have it removed free of charge if it's considered a threat to my health but right now it isn't so it would cost something since it'd be considered cosmetic surgery and my insurance doesn't cover that (they will however cover work on my breasts. Go figure. :sarcastic: ). I'm trying to decide if I should pay to have it removed now or just not worry about it until later. I didn't think of asking how much it would cost but I can't imagine it costing that much. There's also the consideration of work. Can I afford to miss a few days over this? (At least a day)

I guess that's about it for now. Its mostly good stuff. I swear I keep meaning to update stuff as they happen and not a week later.