Wedding-less Weekend

No weddings scheduled this weekend. A little reprieve from the fall rush. Plenty of editing to do...but I'm hoping to spend some well overdue quality time with the ones I love. Every now and again I need to remind them that (1) I do in fact exist and (2) the camera isn't physically attached to my body.

The daily regime (lately) leaves little room for anything spontaneous. Here's a typical week day:

• 5AM - Rise and shine -- ugh, it's way too early!
• 5:30AM - Feed the furry kids....Henry, Penga & KC...and myself; Note, I'm a cereal junkie
• 5:45 AM - Walk Henry
• 6:00 AM - Off to the day job; Camera on lap in hopes to capture content for Drive By Shootings
• 4:00 PM - Head for home...Fred Flintstone style...Yabba Dabba Doo; Camera on lap
• 4:45 PM - Arrive home; Take Henry out; Capture some shots of Mady for the Daily Dose; Spend some time with the little one & Sara
  
• 6:00 PM - Dinner
• 6:45 PM - Clean up dishes; Bath time for Mady (with Mommy)
• 7:30 PM - Bedtime for Mady; editing, blogging and emailing time for Daddy; emailing/blogging time for Mommy
• 11:00/30ish - ZZZZZZ if I'm lucky

Wash, rinse, repeat.

We have 2 kid parties in the neighborhood this weekend. Lucy will be 2. Max & Colin will be 1. Crazy to see these kids growing up so fast. Our street is overflowing with little ones. It's pretty wild.

Sunday, Sara will be running in the Susan G Komen race in Hunt Valley. I'm so proud of her. Mady and I will be there to cheer her on and take a few photos. Wedding consult at the house after that. When that wraps up...we're off for a drive to take in the fall foliage.

We love this time of year! Wish it lasted longer.

Hold On...

These are crazy times we are living in. Historical on so many fronts. Watching the news from the comfort of my home provides me with a very detached, spectator-like view of current events. Insulation from the chill. Control. Mute -- instant quiet from the "noise". Channel -- the luxury of tuning out the rhetoric. One look at the 30% loss in my 401k provides a reality check that is truly tough to swallow.

Coming to terms with this crisis is not easy. When times are good no one questions why. No need for Plan B. When times are bad, like a light switched on in a dark warehouse, the rats scatter. The aftermath is silencing. Your eyes adjust and what's left....well....is not quite what you envisioned.

It's times like these that those funny little things that our parents, grandparents and great grandparents used to say (and do) seem wiser than the day is long. SAVE. Spend wisely. What do you need that for? It's soooo expensive. Back in my day....

I'm chuckling. There will be a day in the future. Sara and I will be gray and wrinkled. Our words of wisdom will echo those of the past because of events of today. No doubt, our advice will be watered down and shrugged away. Good times will come again and the cycle of prosperity (real or perceived) with it. The cycle will repeat.

The roller coaster of life continues on. Hold on and enjoy the ride.

Fatigue

Folks, it's been a loooong week. 1 day and counting until Mady's 1st birthday.

Our house has been full of activity....and people. My in-laws (Saram & Synath) are in town for the party; they've been with us since this past Saturday. They really go above and beyond the call of duty helping out around the house, cooking dinner, fixing odds & ends and watching after their grand daughter. Sometimes I imagine myself telling them to sit down and relax, but then reality hits and the old saying....you can't teach an old dog new tricks....plays over and over in my mind. All parents want to help out, like it or not. Your always a kid in some respect. You have to chose your battles wisely or submit yourself into the psychiatric ward. My therapy involves large doses of Guinness and Irish Whiskey.

Sara has been fine tuning the details for Mady's day. She is the ultimate planner and wants the very best for our little girl. I love her for being so meticulous. I love her attention to detail. I love her ability to incorporate something for everyone. I love her for sparing me deep involvement in the process :) She is a keeper.

I've had some late nights this week. For someone who gets up at 5 AM, it's really beginning to take its toll. I managed to watch Obama's acceptance speech last night. I do believe this man will be President. I'm hopeful that he'll be able to deliver the change that he promises and inspire this great nation of ours. He definitely can move a crowd and motivating the masses can have a serious domino affect. We need someone like this. OK...enough politics. For the record, I'm an Independent.

I headed straight to bed after the speech, only to be awoken at 1:30 AM by some sort of animal, shrieking outside of our bedroom window. The scene from My Cousin Vinny, when Joe Pesci comes running out the log cabin...shooting in all directions....comes to mind. After a Google search this morning, I think it was a fox. Sara (my sweet night owl) was still up when I popped up. I think I remember her laughing...saying she thought the sound was her stomach at first. I could be wrong on that. I was delirious.

3 cups of coffee so far today; I'm starting to get my legs under me ...

One of these days I'll catch up on my sleep. It could happen.

Mid July - Weekend is Upon Us

July has been pretty crazy. Fortunately, I've been feeling better lately...which is breath of fresh air. I'm headed for a stress today to see if I can tax this ole body of mine. Hopefully all will check out just fine.

I've been doing a lot of photo editing from weddings over the past several weeks. Should have a new blog entry soon on that front. Sara has been engrossed in home projects -- prepping our front door for paint and tearing up the 1st floor powder room. The projects are endless :)

We're headed to Chicago this Sunday. Similar to our Miami trip, Sara has a seminar and Mady and I are going along for the ride (or should I say flight). We are really excited to check out the city. Sara has a few places scoped out for us to visit. I'm looking forward to the photo ops and the chance to get away and relax for a few days. We'll be back to reality on Wednesday.

Mady's 1st birthday is coming up on 30Aug08. So hard to believe. Sometimes I still feel like we found this really cool kid and decided to keep her. Unreal to know we made her. Still. Her smile can't be beat and her hugs....oh, her hugs....well let's just say they make her Daddy's heart beat strong. She's on the verge of walking unassisted -- she takes the 3 and 4 step adventure from where she was leaning to our arms. Laughs. Does it again. When she crawls...she's like a crab; motoring like you wouldn't believe -- irritates the cats and also serves as a fairly decent lint brush (for the oodles of pet hair floating around on the floor -- thanks Henry!).

Good times. Very good times indeed!

On Tap...

An eventful weekend awaits.

It's Ladies Night for Sara. She's planning a night out on the town with 4 friends -- tapas at Pazo, followed by a movie . Mady and I will be hanging out at home...soaking up the father/daughter time. Hopefully, I'll be able to finish up some final edits for a wedding that I shot on the Eastern Shore.

The HonFest is Saturday & Sunday in Hampden. We'll probably check it out early Saturday. Never been before, so it should be an eye-opener. All things Bawlmer Hon! Jaime Windon is the official photographer for the event. Her work is really awesome. Later that day, I'm shooting some coverage for the Leukemia Cup Regatta in Annapolis.

Sunday is Father's Day. My first. We're starting the day with a 5K run to benefit the GBMC NICU in Towson. If I survive that, we're meeting up with my bro (Tim) and family (Cindy, Erin & Lauren), as well as my rents (Ginny & Tim) at Padonia Swim Club. We'll top off the day with dinner/drinks with my father in law (Synath), brother in law (Bory) and wife-to-be (Anne) at my favorite Irish Pub... James Joyce. Ahh...I can see the cascading pint now. Guinney up!

Weekend

Friday...just saying the word makes me smile. The extended weekend is upon us. Woohoo! Sara, Mady and I are running in a neighorhood 5K tomorrow morning -- the Stoneleigh Stampede ( http://www.charmcityrun.com/eventdetail.cfm?eventid=461 ). There's also a 1 mile walk...which is sounding more and more desirable at this point :) I never was a runner. I run when chased I tell most people...and that doesn't happen very often. Temps are in the 70s and couldn't be more perfect.

I've got a great family shoot set up for Saturday afternoon in Federal Hill. Sunday, I'll be meeting with Sherri & Jason at Fiore Winery ( http://www.fiorewinery.com/ ) to discuss their wedding details in June. I love the place, the owners and their wine. A mixed case is bound to end up in my trunk. My arm is easily twisted.

My in-laws will be in town this weekend as well -- eager to see Mady. Sara and I have long been forgotten. Steamed crabs will be on the menu at some point. Gibby's Seafood has treated us well and should not disappoint. Hopefully they can accomodate our order for a bushel :)

Jeans on Friday

It's the little things in life that give you that mental "goose". For me, jeans on a Friday is that little perk that puts me in a good state of mind. People tend to be a little more laid back, often letting down their typical guards that accompany corporate attire.