Online Album: Atlanta

I know I've been a bit of a blog slacker this week, but it's not like I'm sitting here on the couch doing nothing. In fact, I just wrote comments and shared the first photo album from my trip to Atlanta. I know most of you are on my photo mailing list, but for those of you who are not, click here to view the album.

Enjoy!

Day 4, 5, & 6: The Weekend

Day 4: The Kilt
Friday night I met up with some of my old co-workers to celebrate one of their birthdays. We met up at The Kilt which has been in town for maybe 6 months. I LOVE The Kilt. They have the BEST salad there, (buffalo chicken), that I get every time and one of my new fave drinks, The Kilt Lifter. (They also have Irish cider, but not on tap.)

Nothing blog worth really happened, (I know shocker!), but it was still a lot of fun.

Day 4: Violet
Saturday I got my hair colored, and my salon had just moved locations. A new addition in their waiting area were these SUPER cool old hair dryer chairs. Check out the ashtrays in the arm rests! Just like old airplane seats.
At the old location they had these awesome 'Hollywood' lights on either side of the mirror. However in their new place the lights are no more. (Old photo is on the right.)I decided to have some of the unnatural color of my hair dyed back to brown. The hair only took to some of the color and you can still see some of the pink under the brown. My hair dresser said she could dye it darker, but I told her that I liked the muted pink. I decided to go with a new violet color which looks pretty good with the pink. It will be interesting to see how it fades. Since it is also a new bleach job the color will probably fade pretty fast.

Day 4: Cafe
Sunday morning John and I went to one of our fave coffee shops in town Steynberg Gallery. They have one of the best cappuccinos in town. Inside there is a small counter with seats that faces the main window. On the window ledge next to two seats are the following signs:
Once again I don't have an exciting story to go along with the photos. So I hope you enjoyed the photos.

Work of an Artist

A few weeks ago John’s sister Molly got hitched down in Pacific Palisades (north of Santa Monica). John and I were both very excited to be a part of her big day…I was a bridesmaid and John was the officiate. Molly and her husband Michael planned the wedding in three months and considering that time frame they did a great job.

One of the highlights was when one of Michael’s brothers got up during the toasts. Now Michael never officially named a ‘best man’ as he was worried what they all might get up and say. Needless to say that his preventative actions didn’t help. At the end of the brother's sentimental toast he finished with ‘At least we know Michael isn’t gay,’ and then walked off. It was so funny and uncomfortable at the same time.

I was going to post some of my photos, but why do that when I can steal…I mean copy and paste some of the professional photogs photos? I was lucky enough to convince my sister-in-law to hire my friend Ken to shoot the wedding. (Do you remember the awesome photos he took for John and I last year?) My sister-in-law was definitely hesitant with hiring a photographer that was way more than she had budgeted for but I kept telling her that when the day is over all she will have left is the photos. If you have to cut corners…cut it on the flowers. They are dead the next day anyway. I think a tiny miracle happened when she decided to take my advice and hire Ken…and let me tell you that she told me I was right. I mean take a look for yourselves!

I am still amazed when I look at these photos. During the day I thought ‘how is he going to make these photos look as good as his others?’ I was there…looking at the same things he was and I wasn’t seeing it. However that is why he is the professional.

What's the deal?

I woke up at 5am this morning. An hour later than yesterday...I guess that is an improvement? Does it even matter since I still feel like crap? I did get 9 hours of sleep, which always makes me feel good, but no such luck. I don't ever remember jet lag affecting me like this is. What is going on? I've come up with a few theories:

1. I don't really have to get back on a normal schedule since I don't have a job. Nothing is forcing me to get back into a routine which allows me the flexibility to do whatever I want. I'm not sure if that really is a good thing.

2. I am older. I really don't want to believe that this could be it...moving on.

3. My body is pissed that I'm sleeping when I'm supposed to be eating and vice versa. I'm really hoping that is the reason I have been feeling ill after eating each meal, and the reason I have no appetite. Last night when I was trying to think about what to eat for dinner my body thought I was joking. 'It's 2am in the morning! You can't eat right now!' is all I heard. It won that fight and all I had was a small bowl of Mexican rice and then passed out on the couch. Body is in the lead 1-0.

4. I am going through MAJOR food withdrawals. How can my body cope when I've just started this horrid, disgusting, unwanted detox? I really can't blame it.

I was having cappiccinis every morning:

Pasta for lunch and dinner:

Gelato two times a day:

Near the end of the trip I even started having pizza as an afternoon snack:

Now do you understand why I really need to move there?

Production Update

Remember that sweet 'to do' list I made 10 hours ago? Guess how many things I can check off it?

12? Nope.

10? Nope.

7? Nope.

5? Nope.

Only 4. Ok...I thought it was going to be only 2, but I just reread it and now I don't feel that bad. Scratch that...I do feel bad. Well I could feel worse if 3 our of the 4 were my multiple naps.

The following have been complete:
- Called my hairdresser, and left her a message. Found out from a mutual friend that she just got home yesterday from the hospital. She broke her ankle in two places and then had to have surgery on Friday night. All she did was take out the trash and stepped on some uneven ground. I feel so bad for her!
- I did get to chat with a few of you out there, and talk to a few peeps on the phone too, however I have yet to reschedule my hair appointment and schedule my next body scan. Ugh.
- I got John a breakfast burrito this morning. Does that count for the dinner one I was planning on getting him? I think it might cancel out since I had to DRIVE to get the food. Let me tell you I still hate driving. Hence one reason I have yet to leave the house again. Since 9am.
- I did download all the photos, but had a set back when the camera battery died and I had to wait to recharge it.
- I am currently doing laundry. Only 5 loads...2 more to go, but I can't cross that off until they are done.
- The only item I am proud of marking off my list is that I'm down to 962 items in my Google Reader! Yeah! However due to the fact that I've been sitting here for most of the day I feel like total crap. I can't believe how sedentary I've been all day. Plus my breakfast and lunch have also made me feel bad. I really hope it's because at lunch time my body was feeling like it was 11pm, and not that I've become allergic to ALL American food. Well maybe that wouldn't be so bad. I might have to move for health reasons.

I am planning on walking to the store after I publish this blog, so at lest when I get back I'll be able to mark off 5 things. Oh maybe I'll mark of two and count the walk as getting some vitamin D. However that is still sad since I haven't even completed 50% of the items.

Since I'm sure this post has been so uplifting for you all I thought I really would try to end it on a positive note. I resized a few photos from the trip today that I sent to John at work and they are below for your enjoyment.

The first day of our trip, (in Roma), we headed to the Colosseum. It was too cool for words.

I had the BEST pizza in Rome. However I was not happy that the majority of my cheese was sliding off the crust.

On our last day we climbed up to the top of St. Peter's Cathedral in the Vatican City. We got their early to avoid the crowds. Once again it was too cool for words.

After Roma we took a train to Sienna. Behind us is the main clock tower and square, which we did climb, however we realized that it was smarter to climb this other structure to get a good shot of the tower. Do you agree?

A 5 Year What?

Over the last few years I've become extremely jealous of the advancements in engagement/wedding photography. I can't believe how much is has changed for the BETTER over the last 5 years...and I'm so disappointed that my photos are now totally old school. John and I didn't even get an engagement session with our photographer. (GASP!) We had to settle for Sears. (Don't get me wrong, they turned out as best they could, but I still feel gypped).

One day while I was looking on my Google Reader for more blogs to subscribe to, it suggested a blog from a local photographer. After I read it for a few months, I blogged about it thinking that some of you would enjoy it as much as I did. Well once I did that my cover was blown, and Ken, (the photog), found out that I was in full stalker mode.

Over the next few months I realized that there was NO WAY I should go through life being disappointed that I never got to have the creative fun photo shoot and that I had to do something about it! So, lil' 'ole crafty me decided that John and I needed a 5 year anniversary photo shoot! How brilliant is that? I mean it all makes perfect sense, right? Let me put it to you this way...if we had a kid by now, you know we would have wanted some family portraits taken. Why should I deny myself something I want just because I haven't gone through the hells of childbirth?

John, being the good husband that he is, agreed to have the shoot although he had never heard of a 5 year photo shoot. However he knows me well enough to know how much I love photos...and to do what he is told.

So the date was set a week before our anniversary for the shoot, and let me tell you it was SO MUCH FUN and so much better then I ever expected. I guess I should have been a model? Well I don't like getting my photo taken that much...I just like the end result.

We decided that the location should be downtown SLO since that is a huge part of why we love living here. Ken was game in meeting us super early while the streets were pretty empty. We spent about 2 hours shooting all over. I can't tell you how hard it was for me to restrain myself from asking to see the photos in the camera view finder.

Once Ken started taking photos I could just tell he loved it and was such a pro. You can't ask for a better photographer then that! If you are like me then that is the type of person I like to hire. He was so easy going and even made John feel comfortable, which isn't the easiest task.

Ever since the photo shoot I have been doing my best in not trying to bug Ken about the photos. However I couldn't help myself! I was totally DYING to find out how they turned out...and then this morning he sent me an email titled 'THE HARASSMENT MUST STOP!' Just kidding...but he did tell me that the photos were up on his blog! I cannot tell you how much I love them. I think I've gone back to look at them like 15 times today. They bring a smile to my face every time I look at them.

I really love them all, but I think these might be two of my faves below. I don't know how I'm going to decide which ones to print. I may just have to print them all, and frame them all...all on the same wall. A shrine to ourselves. That is classy isn't it?



Now go over to his blog and check out the rest of the shots here! NOW!