thank you...

it's not everyday that i get something in the mail other than bills. imagine my surprise to open this incredibly awesome thank you from katie & chris! wow. thank you both....for the thank you :) is that proper etiquette? :)

james joyce...here we come...

(click on the image to read)

james joyce pub...

back in august i took some pro bono photos to help on the marketing front. ok...truth be told...maybe i was hoping to secretly gain a norm-like tab for life :) the images found their way on the pub's myspace page...which put a smile on my face. i thought that was the end of the story.

apparently the james joyce website received an over-haul...and the images that i thought were once banished to myspace came to life. pretty schweet! what an awesome surprise.

you can check out the site here.

if you're in the area...please stop by. like ireland, it's the people that make this place special. trust me.

thanks katie!!! slainte!

1/2 Way to St Patrick's Day

For all ye Irish...or Irish at heart...today marks the official 1/2 way point to St Patrick's Day. James Joyce will be celebrating with $3 pints of Guinness. Not too shabby in times of uncertainty. Hell...it may even help you to forget that hit to your 401K. As if we needed another reason to partake.

Seems like a trivial thing considering the upcoming election, energy crisis, wall street debacle, etc....etc....but sometimes simple is good. Times with family, friends, and even strangers helps to reinforce that we're all in this together. I have no doubt that we'll muddle thru these times. Restoring confidence is the key, and like most things.....time heals all wounds.

Did I mention $3 pints? Slainte!

Daily Dose O'Mady

Mady and Denis, one of the managers at James Joyce . She's the poster child for this pub :) See you tomorrow night at the Baltimore City Irish Festival in Canton.

James Joyce

This is my home away from home. You'll often find Sara, Mady and I there on a Friday night. Anyone who knows me...knows James Joyce. I hold this place near and dear to my heart. I can't say enough about the great staff....Denis, Boyko, Colin, Seamus, Petra ; they are like family. Mady is passed from person to person.

You gotta love a place like this. Try the Guinness Stew. Slainte!

Father's Day

Well, my first Father's Day has come and gone. It could not have been any better. I really had a great time spending the day with my family. I felt a special kinship with my brother and father... finally joining their ranks. It felt good to share that with them. It's really awesome to be Dad!

We kicked off the morning with the GBMC 5K. Sara, Mady, Anne and I participated. Supporting these causes makes me feel like a better person. Running the race itself makes me feel like a crazy person :) I managed to struggle thru it, pushing Mady along in the jogging stroller. I placed 500. Following the race, the Sheraton Hotel hooked us up with an outstanding breakfast -- it's so easy to put those calories back on:)

Later, we met up with my Tim, Cin & the kids...along with Mom & Dad...at Padonia Swim Club. Tim found the perfect table, nestled under a tree which provided shade the entire day. Schwew! An open tab at the bar (yep..a bar at the pool) kept a smile on my face thru out the afternoon. My niece Erin was sporting a new dew...growing up so fast before my eyes. This girl can really swim. It's amazing. Lauren was happy to cozy up on her Hannah Montana sleeping bag....which my Mom surprised her with. Dad, as usual, manned the grill. Mady surprised us all by standing unassisted for about 15 seconds straight.

We finished up the evening at James Joyce. We met up with Bory, Anne, Synath and a few pints of Guinness. Ahhh...me beverage of choice. A shot of Jameson to top off our dinner and I was good to go. Well, not entirely. A final pint back at the house sealed the nail on my coffin. 11PM...I was snoring away. What a great Father's Day!

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!