2009 February — Minneapolis Wedding, Event and Portrait Photography by Austin Images

TOOT-TOOT

February 28, 2009 By Susan 1 Comment

Anne here, for another installment of
Sweet Queen Sister doing the blog!

Hey, can you hear that?
TOOT-TOOT!
There it was again!
Oh, wait that’s just me tooting my own horn
about my sister! Is she not just the best?!
I love her dearly and was thinking about her
this morning while it’s zero here and she is in
Playa enjoying the 80+ degrees. I was thinking,
can you all help me surprise her please?
She is still unable to get online so when she
gets home she will have to read all that I have done
on her blog in her absence.
So, lets cram up her comment box here on Blogger
with a fun memory of her, or kind word to make her day!
Whatever you want to say would be great! THANKS!

I’ll start it out here by saying how
I LOVE the way you are with my kids.
They love you so much!
Thanks for being an awesome aunt and the
BEST Sweet Queen Sister in the world!

WAY to many memories to pick just one!
Cookies, Mexico, hair, kittens, 12:34.
See this fold in my shirt?…..

Oh, BTW…
Susan wanted me to say that she and Gary
found Nedi down in Playa. They had not
seen him yet when I talked with her last
but, had his number and knew where he was working.

Enjoy your weekend!
Peace.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Uncategorized

Scuba Sue and Boo!

February 26, 2009 By Susan Leave a Comment

It’s Anne again.
Susan is fully certified as a scuba diver!
She called tonight and was so excited!
She wanted me to say that Scott at Sea Ya Diving
did a great job teaching her, she used everything
that he taught her. Pete, my husband, was
instrumental in getting her into scuba diving
and is very proud of her. Good job Sue! Way to go!
We all love you BUCKETS!

Here is Pete, Susan and Benji in Cabo last March.

On to the Boo news.
Today is his birthday!
Happy 1st Birthday Boo Boy!

Peace.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Uncategorized

Computer trouble, or maybe just user error

February 24, 2009 By Susan Leave a Comment

Hello to all of Susan’s faithful followers.
This is Anne, Susan’s Sweet Queen Sister.
For some strange reason things are not
working the way she would like with her computer
and/or her internet access so I have stepped in
to inform you all that Susan and Gary are safe
and sound in Playa. Loving every minute.
At 2 o’clock today Sue is doing her 1st of 4
check out dives to complete her scuba certification.

I hope everyone here in Minnesota is able to enjoy
the 40 plus degrees today!

Peace.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Uncategorized

Playa, Playa, Playa, Playa….

February 22, 2009 By Susan 1 Comment

Well, the time has come.
Gary and I head off to Mexico this morning.
We will be in Mexico by 2:00 today!
I will more than likely be uploading
some mobile images from my phone as well as
from my camera so feel free to check in
periodically each day for up to the minute
updates! This is going to be a good one!

Dean and Lois, we’ll call you in a few days.

Abbey, thank you for staying with our boy, Boo.
This is such a wonderful thing to know that
you are there with him. He needs to play, a LOT!
Jacquie, can you remind Abbey that I am
expecting a package from whcc today, as well,
so it doesn’t sit on my front step too long.
Gracias, Jacquie.

Will, if you happen to join you sister at
our home and help out, let me know by
commenting on my blog and Gary and I will be
certain to bring you home a little ‘somthin’
somthin’ too!

Peace.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: vacation. Playa 2009

MILK.

February 21, 2009 By Susan 2 Comments

Gary and I saw the movie Milk last night. WOW!
True stories always seem to be favorites for me.
I will pray that Sean Penn receives the Oscar
for Best Actor! Amazing talent! We will be watching
the Oscars in Playa tomorrow night.

But first we have to clear all this snow
we got last night! What happened to 1-2
inches? Looks more like 5 to me. Sven…
At least it looks clean and, dare I say,
pretty outside again.

Brenda and Jorge are coming to pick us up
at the airport tomorrow! I can’t wait to
see them, Vaughn, Judy, Alejandro and the
whole wild Mayan bunch!
When you are in Playa del Carmen, please
stop in and visit these wonderful folks at
their restaurant on 4th…1/2 block west of
the famous “5th Avenue”. And bring your
dancin’ shoes! They provide live music every
night at AJUA (pronounced ah-Hoo’-ah!)
Jorge will salsa the night away with you in
the street and their staff will entertain
you like no other restaurant in town!

My sister is coming over this morning and
we are going to hit the gym together!
I think she just wants to come and see Boo!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: movies, restaurants, Wedding resources

About Face(book).

February 20, 2009 By Susan Leave a Comment

This will be the last time I talk about Facebook.
Having been in the news a lot, recently, regarding
their “privacy policies” just seemed to tip the scale
for me. That said, I made the decision, on Wednseday night,
to yank my account for the last time. I mean, really,
I can get across everything I need to right here on my blog,
you know, the old fashioned way! So, freedom once more!
If you need to know what projects I’m up to or planning,
just c’mon back here to my blog as I will attempt to
make a move in the direction of keeping this more about
my work than my life. With the wedding season just around
the corner, that should be easy!

I’ve also decided to give mobile me a go. It’s totally
awesome! I’ve kind of been lurking around it for a year
or so but decided, Wednesday, to take it for a spin.
This will simplify everything for me as it magically
connects my laptop, my iPhone and my desktop computers
without docking my phone!
I enter a meeting in my phone and it goes to both of
my other computers and vise~versa. TOtally cool!
I mean, I rarely pulled up my iCal on my laptop because
it wouldn’t be current…problem solved.
This is really a no brainer, I’ll be signing up in 60 days.
Thanks Apple!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: RANT, spiffy tools, TECHNOLOGY

WPPI 2009.

February 18, 2009 By Susan 1 Comment

Stands for Wedding & Portrait Photographers
International. It’s the biggest trade show/party
in the industry and perhaps even on the planet!
Unfortunately, it seems to always comes on either the
heels or the toes of our annual vacation so I always
miss it. Sounds like everyone is there (according to my
facebook page), it’s always tauted as the “who’s who”
of my industry. There are always a TON of awesome speakers,
classes, location shoots, product releases and deals not to
mention the late night “networking”!
Megan Bearder and I were talking last night and we think
it’s high time she and I go…so NEXT year.
(btw, Sawer (aka “the Bear”) was finally located and returned!)

The count down is at 4 today so that means that I’d better
find a suit SOON! Guys have it so easy…shorts, done, duh!

This is Nedi’s home where we spent a couple of
long afternoons in front of the spanish/english-
english/spanish dictionaries and downed a LOT
of beer! Love these people…this is Nedi’s new home.
WE bought them a new oscillating fan as a house
warming present (um yeah, we had to explain that
American tradition to them!)

This,of course, is Hotel Mimi del Mar!
Our room will be one of the two front end
rooms with the big balcony. LOVE it there!
SUPER laid back…if you stay there, please
tell them that Susan and Gary Austin sent you!

If you need a winter warm up, be sure to visit the
PLAYA BEACH CAM to the right under “check these out”!

I’ve been invited to join in on a wedding shoot on the
28th down in Playa, VERY honored and excited. I guess that
means I have to bring more equipment! oops, sorry Gary!
Here’s a few from 2 years ago…

Oh, and my dives are scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday!

Peace.

Filed Under: Personal Tagged With: education

Always Pack A Camera.

February 17, 2009 By Susan 1 Comment

Now, you might consider that it was a lofty
goal for me to even think that I wouldn’t bring
my camera along on our trip~and you’d be right!
I am actually starting to feel beads of sweat
building up just thinking about it.
Therefore, I’m going to at least bring the 10D.
That then leads to packing the laptop as well!
Gary always says, “can we unplug on this trip?”
my response this year is, “only if we sit in the
shade and don’t drink any beer!”
I think it sounds like a good compromise!

This is a shot that Anne took when we were in
Mexico a couple of years ago. The hotel lied
about having internet connections for guests.
Well, more like stretched the truth.
The day the girls got their braids, I found a
computer and they charged about a buck a minute!!

There’s WiFi at the Mimi so it pains me not
to bring the laptop. And AT&T told me that
as long as there’s WiFi I can get on my iPhone
and so I may even mobile upload shots to my
Facebook account! Trust me, this is how I relax.
Gary likes to read and float, I like to write!
However, I just write in the morning, he’ll read
all afternoon. hmmmm
Thank goodness we both like the beach and buckets
of beer!

Again…me, relaxing!

…and Gary relaxing.

…me relaxing.

Gary relaxing.

Woops…here’s Jimbo relaxing!

Gary’s best friend, Jimbo, likes to
join us from time to time when we hit
Playa del Carmen…I’m certain this year
will be no different!

Good times. Noodle salad.

Filed Under: Vacation

SCUBA Update.

February 16, 2009 By Susan 2 Comments

Well, it’s official!
I passed my written test and spent a few
hours in a pool yesterday brushing up on
my skills to prepare me for my 4 check out
dives in Playa! Ben, my nephew and I went
together and had a blast.
I am so ready for my open water testing!
Even whipped off my mask (under water),
put it back on and cleared it with no problemas!

Carpet’s going in as I type and I’m anxious
for this whole mess to get “squared away”, as
my dad would always say!

I have to say that the pregnancy shots I took
on Saturday are awesome, I just haven’t been
able to work on them much…perhaps later today
when the carpet installer is gone.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: SCUBA

Reggie.

February 15, 2009 By Susan 1 Comment

On a very, very, sad note, our good friends
Ron & Cindy had to put Reggie down yesterday.
He was only 7. Typical for the Doberman breed
but so so sad. We toasted Reggie, Hobie, Katie
and Lucius with Champagne last night and just
sobbed! Pray for Ron & Cindy that they find
peace.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: pets, prayer requests