Gary and I met Tim and his wife Kristi in Playa del Carmen
about 4 years ago. We kept running into one another the
same week at the Mimi del Mar hotel (our not so secret
spot anymore). Tim had a Canon Rebel and was admiring my
10D and my grand assortment of lenses and we began talking
(well and drinking…let’s not let a few details get in the
way of a good story, right?)

I think I had Nedi take this one..that’s Kristi’s brother
behind my right shoulder.

This night, we got into some trouble….

I’ve since graduated into other lenses, equipment and added
my Mark3 (a year ago) but that darn 10D, you couldn’t pay me
to part with it. It’s still a FABulous camera and the day it
runs out of frames will be a sad day, let me tell you.

It’s become my bring along, vacation, point & shoot SLR camera.
Once I break it down, it fits nicely in a bag. Throw on the
1.4 and it can go from day to night! Wow, sounds like an outfit!
Toss in Brooke Shields…”I won’t let anything come between me
and my 10D & 1.4.” OHHHhhhhh, I digress. Besides, I think that
photographers are not normal…..who is really..?

I guess what I’m trying to say is if you own a camera, and
I think pretty much that’s everyone, right?, um, don’t stop
learning. Shoot, shoot, shoot. Save the shots you like,
print the ones you LOVE and dump the rest. Also, very important…
back your stuff up. Get those darn images OFF your camera!!
If you lose your camera, lose a card or, God forbid it gets
stolen you are outta luck. Those images are GONE, PERIOD. FOREVER!
Get yourself a nice 250-500 GB hard drive that’s primary purpose
is to store your gems!!!
Oh,….and…DO IT NOW!!!!

after getting up and running out to get coffee
and cream and then cleaning, gary’s brother
came over to, among other things, install my
new leopard program on my G5, my G4 powerbook
and my imac. i know you are asking yourself~
“why does sue need so many darn computers?”
my answer is…i like them. happy?

well, soon after, i experienced a bit of
sickness and had to just lay down…3 & 1/2
hours later? a million bucks! i like napping
anyway so i got to, you know…kill 2 birds.

well, this operating system is quite amazing
and so far everything they said it would be.
and for me, lately, that’s a relief!
it’s very futuristic looking and the interface
is as well…so cool! i mean, it’s not a baby
like ian or anything but nonetheless, i love it!
i’m pretty certain that i will mention it again
so watch for a more in depth review from
yours truly!

okay, moving on…
i met two amazing families yesterday at the
airport hilton (the hotel with a heart!).
first a 15 year old young man afflicted with
cancer that can’t wait to turn 18 so that he can
marry his sweetheart (who was also in attendance)

then a bit later the other family arrived.
this little guy is quite the inspiration.
he’s 7 and a boatload of energy! he and his
11 year old brother were a little concerned
that we weren’t staying (that was totally aDORable!)
but before we left i had little “m” give me
one of his best “bed~jumps” for me…not bad
for a kid battling cancer!

megan flew to town from chicago and i told
her to pop by the hilton so we met in the
lobby and i had her follow me home where
gary was preparing a nice dinner.
we sat up late and talked and looked a photos
until she needed to head out (she is shooting
a wedding at the st. paul historic museum today).
she’s worried that i will take over all the
bella weddings in minneapolis now that i am
certified with them.
thanks megan, for making the time to get
together. i know you had a busy schedule.
we will be down to see you very soon.
(NWA has like $50 one way tickets to chicago).

well, now it’s about 8pm and gary and i just
got back from a lite dinner at the green mill
and we are going to venture outside for a
little bon fire. ron and cindy are going
to join us….good night.

it’s become more of a quest for him really, i think.
okay, so there has actually been a couple where he
didn’t show up but i was constantly wondering where
and when he would! gotta love him!
he makes gary happy so that matters to me.
so, happy birthday jimbo whether it be today or tomorrow.

my lens arrives tomorrow! i am very excited.
i adore my new camera but my 1 year old wide angle
does not work on that camera, only the 10D so i had
to add to my arsenal!

more rain today. this is getting old.
can’t imagine what it would be like to live in C@L!

mom’s looking at a condo. anne & i went along yesterday.
it’s really nice. she’s looking to purchase the model.
it had a lovely chandelier…nicki would be jealous!

the new leopard software for apple is coming out on
friday the 26th (my sister’s birthday) and i have a
5-pack pre ordered!! lots going on in october!

one last thing…we caved in and dug out the electric
mattress pad. i love to rip it off in the spring but
there’s something sad about getting it out in the fall.
it sure felt great tho’!

stay warm and dry today.

jacquie…2lbs!

say, did any of you take this survey yet?
i just received it this morning. click here
and fill it out. no one is looking over your
shoulder…just answer as honestly as you can.
i was surprised to find hilary dead last.
i mean, i wasn’t really, but when you really
get into the meat of the survey…it might
surprise you who rises to the top.
pretty cool, just takes a few minutes.

okay, i wasn’t going to do this but now i am.
the other day i met kiki & owen at a park
near their home and brought along my camera.
i got some sweet shots of some of their
friends and, without names, i want to post
them here for them to see…

and a couple more of owen…

i love my new 1.4 lens! can you tell?

i’m thinking about throwing an outdoor portrait
party this fall…portraits at a discount for
groups. interested? e-mail me.

sorry…one more thing….paris

it nearly killed me to wait the 2 hours to
charge the battery. OMG!!!
i used that time to read my manual
and locate everything. this capture
device is CRAZY cool, unlike anything
i have seen and everything they said
it would be!

upon heading out the door to dinner
with this camera in hand gary says…
“could you just leave it for once!”
and i’m like, “ahh…new camera…
9th anniversary??”
gary won this one.

we went to campiello in eden prairie.
wow! why don’t we go there more often?!

this place, albeit in a strip mall,
is so fabulous! seriously!
first, they tried to seat us across
the table from one another and i
insisted, in that it was our anniversary,
that we sit next to each other.
soon everyone knew that it was our
9th anniversary and we were treated
like celebs!
our waitress, nicki, was incredible.
everything she recommended we ordered.
even the desert which to me tasted like
Christmas! sooo delicious.

thanks nicki for all the perfect
suggestions and making our anniversary
dinner a night we won’t soon forget!

oh, a shredded green apple/crushed walnut
and fetta salad with a balsamic/dijon dressing,
short ribs…pork tederloin in a fig
reduction, and this scrummy blueberry/almond
cakey~cookie thing with vanilla gelato!
holy hanna!! you gotta go…..NOW!!!

sorry, no photos cuz “herr gary” wouldn’t
allow me to bring it along…turd.
no, seriously…love you, mean it!

gotta run….again!

jacquie, call me the instant you are
on the ground tomorrow!!!!!!

today, gary and i celebrate our 9th
wedding anniversary. here we are
in hawaii for our honeymoon the
following february @ maui westin.

we sat around a little bonfire last
night talking about ourselves and
our growth as people and as a couple.
pretty amazing when you look back
at your relationship how you can see
where things twisted & turned to
take you where you are today.
all worth it, honey! i love you.

love changes over time too.
i’m so grateful for gary and every-
thing he brings to our marriage.
i bring more, of course,
but what woman doesn’t, right?!
seriously, he is so wonderful~
he is even taking me to meet a new
man today and is allowing him to
live with us. i can’t wait to get
my hands on him and press my face
up against his body and push all of
his buttons. all this, with gary
standing right there~a gift to me…
ahh, alas, ours is not an open
marriage…i speak of my new Mark III!!

(yes, dean and lois…it’s my new camera!)

did i have you going for a minute?
a second? a split second?

no matter.
beware of all images to come captured
with my fabulous, long awaited, Mark III.

yep, my flash arrived! it is
magnificent! it’s so great i want
to order another one.
i’m told that it was created for
my new camera~the mark III…which
i still don’t have and may not be
released until december! ugh!!
i hate waiting for new releases.
these cameras are currently going into
the hands of photographers like the
getty folks and pro sports photographers
and the like. us commoners are left to wait.
i’m not bitter. really.

i’m getting excited for megnan & randy’s
wedding tomorrow! the church is close
so i’m going to pop in on the rehearsal
tonight!

jacquie is coming over today for a foil
and a cut…we’ll discuss our game~plan
for tomorrow. she is going to be camera 2
and i will assist her next saturday for
her wedding in eagan. fun!

hey g…any prospects for senior portraits??
better get going on that, time’s a wastin’!!

and when shall we do yours!
hey, ask j when she wants to cut her hair!
thanks…..

i’ll be introducing you to megnan & randy
in tomorrow’s blog.

don’t let anyone work harder than you today!!