one for the road

Colorado was beautiful. Flew in to Denver, and rented a convertable for the 4 something hour ride to Aspen. It was cheaper that way, and turned out to be a gorgeous ride.My favorite part of Aspen (besides the cobblestone streets, dogs everywhere, and primo people watching) would probably have to be the gondola ride up to the top of a mountain. It was so high up though, I kept losing my breath, and not just because it was breathtaking.Here I am at the top. Trying to smile, but looking a bit like I'm going to pass out. Then, on the way back to Denver, I stopped to take this dorky photo, but it was so windy that my hair kept blowing in my face and getting stuck in my lip gloss. Independence Pass is supposedly one of the highest paved roads in the US, and is so narrow and winding that it is closed most of the year, except a few months in the summer, so i'm glad I was able to enjoy it when I was there.

I'm in Jersey again, but getting ready to head out in a few hours to Newark airport to leave once again. I'm off the the Rio Grande Valley of Texas this time, mere miles from the Mexican border, to meet the new nephew. Yee-haw... From one of the highest locales (altitude 12,000+) to one of the lowest (altitude 122) in a week. Giddy-up.

the event

The wedding I went to in Colorado was pretty spectacular. The ceremony was outdoors (thankfully it was not raining at that point), by a lake with a gorgeous view of the mountains...There were about a billion flowers shipped in from Europe, and amazing attention to detail (thanks to an m.o.b, mother-of-the-bride, with a lot of time on her hands), on everything from the floral lanterns hanging from the ceiling, to the theatre-style lighting, to the heart shaped butter...And there was even an oxygen bar, and a huge ice sculpture/fountain with the bride and groom's initials on the top and tubes carved in that poured Grey Goose into shot glasses...But the thing that really made it a great event, was that I was there...Or maybe it was the sushi bar.

welcome to the world, little one

I'm an Auntie again... Yay! William Merrill (named after his two grandfathers, who both passed away before his birth), aka Billy, was born yesterday at 6:30 p.m. He's a true Texas sized baby at 7 lbs. 6 oz. and 19 inches long, especially compared to his big brother Sam, who was born 2 months premature in 2002, at 3 lbs. 15oz. I will be going down to Texas for the bris party next week. I can't wait to meet him, and kiss that little Cabbage Patch Kid nose... Mazel-tov Stef, Bob, and Sam!

off to the mountains

My toes are painted, my hair is cut and highlighted, and my legs are extra smooth and lotioned... It must be vacation time!

Yes, it's true. My Honeydews and I are heading out first thing in the AM to Aspen to celebrate my childhood best friend's wedding. I hope the airport is not too crazy after what happened in the UK.

My return is scheduled for late Monday, but if my sister has her baby in the next day or so, I will go directly from Aspen to Texas for the rest of the week. I promise to return soon though, with photos and stories from my adventures... Tootles, for now.

Happy Thanksgiving

One of the strangest things about working at a magazine, is needing to work on issues months in advance. From 9-5:30-ish, five days a week, We have to sit at our desks and be virtually transported into the future.

Now, for instance, we are finishing up October and moving on to November. I no longer get to search through images and plan shoots involving hot people frolicking on beaches or enjoying fun summer picnics, I now have to hone in on people in coats and scarves. It's gotten me totally out of whack, especially with this past week's heat wave. I walk outside expecting it to be cool, and am totally caught off guard by the wall of drenching heat.

Last week, we actually had candy canes and chocolate Santas going around the office. Candy canes and chocolate Santas! It's the first week in August for goodness sake, I don't want to be thinking about snow. At least this is better than when we have to think about summer during the winter. Now that is really depressing. But alas, it is the life of a magazine photo fairy. I will continue living my duel life, and prepare myself to soon be decking the halls. Fa lala, lala, lala...

losing power

After many years of suffering, I have finally unearthed the source of my insomnia... Electricity.

It was 8:59PM last night, when it happened. After all the ads during Project Runway, and at the urging of several coworkers, I finally was giving the train wreck of a reality show Work Out a chance, and it was just starting to suck me in, when there was a jolting POP, and then darkness. A hush fell over the community. There was total silence for about two minutes, until I heard a woman's voice from outside yell, hell no... heeeeell no, and then there was a murmur as all the locals began to gather in the streets. Hell no, was all I could hear.

It's amazing how blackouts bring people together. Blackouts, ambulances, and firetrucks. As if they are mice who smell cheese outside their mouse holes... They gather. It feels a bit like a science experiment to me. Like some being with power, be it God, aliens, Tom Cruise, or an Exec at PSE&G who has a kid in need of a science project. I can see the title drawn on posterboard now... Watch as the otherwise anti-social and isolating loners suddenly become social creatures in times of potential crisis.

Then suddenly it hit me. It was 9:00. Heeeell no, I burst out. Not only was my TV not working, but I realized that the DVR would not be recording the results show for So You Think You Can Dance. The horror. 10 minutes passed as I sat on the couch motionless, staring at the blank screen. 10 more passed. I went from visualizing the show to imagining those unfortunate people in Queens who had to live for a week or so without power. It's hard to image, I had only been without television and internet for about 20 minutes, and I already felt totally lost. I'm so pathetic.

I was also sleep deprived after a nightmare of a Tuesday night, when I got out of bed at 2 or so and started taking long exposure photos of light sources, which is evidently what I do when I have bad nights these days. 84 of them to be exact. All photos of lights. I was convinced that they were the most amazing thing EVER, and that I was going to put them together and create an experimental film that would give the illusion of life and motion from the still photos. Genius. Until I looked at them the next day and they just looked like 84 fuzzy blobs. Needless to say, my midnight madness threw off my non-existent sleep schedule, so last night I was a zombie anyway.

It was 9:30 or so when I took a sleeping pill, walked Audrey, and within 20 minutes, I was out like a light. A fuzzy blob of a light. And for the first time in probably 5 years, I fell asleep before 1AM... and I have to say, it feels pretty great.

Now, if only I could sue the electric company for all those sleepless nights I spent watching stupid movies and blogging, I'd be a billionaire, and I'd really be feeling great.