Who sleeps this much??

Apparently, I do!!!

K and I went to see HairNation play at Greenfield's on Saturday night.  We got home around 3:30, I was in bed around 4:30.  I literally slept all day Sunday, less 5 mins here and there for bathroom breaks.  Come Monday morning, I was still exhausted and wiped out and there was no physical way I could stay awake.  

My eyes were heavy and my head was whoozey.  I slept until about 6 pm tonight, less bathroom breaks here and there when I finally forced myself to get up.  Although not as bad, my eyes are heavy and my head is whoozey ... but my body wont let me sleep anymore even though my head seems to want to.  Worst three things of all about it ... I slept away one of my last days of holidays .... I missed supper with my Mom, brother and sister ... and I didnt get to do what I have been craving for a week now - - work out.  Very sad, am I.  Hopefully tomorrow is a better day.

Enjoy your last days of summer.  The trees are already changing colour.

A tasty K9 treat?

So it's allergy season and my nose blowing is in full swing.  Just out of curiousity ... does everyone have a dog who is koo-koo for kleenex or is it just me?  The mere sound of a piece of kleenex being pulled from it's box is enough for him to raise his head, from a light slumber, and watch me.  If I pick one up, he just stares at me and watches and waits, hoping for the moment when I accidentally drop it so he can swoop in for a tasty treat.  Oh, and watch out if I dare let a few gather on the side table until I go to a room with a garbage.  He will skulk over and *boom* just like that grab it and hurry away.   What a strange, strange bird, my sweet Neely is.  I just wonder if he is alone in this obsession...

Chompin' at the Bit, I am.

After becoming pregnant last year, everything stopped.  All of the dieting (i was always hungry) and the working out (high risk pregnancy, wasn't allowed) went to the way side for work followed by evenings and weekends on bed rest.  When yet another pregnancy ended, I met with depression for the first time.  What an awful experience.  Again, more eating and zero working out.  When work started, so did school which left no time for working out and, if I am being honest, I still had no interest in starting again.  Interest, yes.  Motivation, no.  Well, it's a year later and where am I now ... CHOMING AT THE BIT to get back in to a pool again.  Even though I had been thinking about it, I believe that my day at Calypso filled my body and mind with a desire and pull that I haven't felt since I was in the height of working out last year.  My goodness how I love being in the water!

This past weekend, I put my mind to it and have created a fall schedule that works for me.  I have made a list of all that I need to buy (swim cap [5hrs/wk in the pool turned my hair to straw last time. disgusting.], waterproof mp3 player, etc) and planned how I am going to go to work, school and hit the pool 3x per week and guess what?  I'm excited.  I can not wait.  If it wasnt for the fact that K is on holidays this week, I would already have a few workouts under my belt.  I need to be active again.

Know what else I rediscovered in these past two weeks.  Drinking water.  I had forgotten how much I love it.  Super icey.  Super cold.  Along with my bad habits came my obsession for Caffiene-Free Diet Pepsi.  That, along with Crystal Light Iced Tea, was about all I was drinking .... and I do drink alot to begin with.  I suppose I could have been drinking worse but it feels good to get back to basics and enjoy water again ... with lots of ice, of course. 

Back to basics ... I like the sound of that.

 

Boy oh Boy, I must *heart* them.

I went to Calypso Waterpark today.  What I should actually say is "I finally caved and went to Calypso today."  My nieces, who have season passes and are staying with us for a few weeks (or indefinitely.  depends on whether I return them or not), have been telling me over and over again how much they want me to go with them when they go - which is often given I live no more than 15 minutes away.  As always I say that I am just too insecure and self conscience.  I remind them that I work in the community and the likelihood of me running into current and past students is very high ... and I will be in a bathing suit.  In public.  Where people can see me.

It was 3:30, overcast and later in the day so I decided why not.  Let's make them happy.  And it did.  Given my fears and overweighted-ness, I chose not to do any of the slides however, I did spend a great deal of time in Jungle Run while they went on other rides and we had a blast in the wave pool.  It actually drove me insane not going on the slides.  They looked like soooo much fun and, if you know me (I mean really know me), you will understand what this decision was like for me and how loathesome I felt in the body with these limitations.  I am truly more in my element when I am in water than when I am on ground.  (or so I think)  I adore swimming and being in the water and wet and playing and just hanging around.  I am certain that I was a fish of some sort in my past life given my history with swimming pools in this one. 

What today has taught me is that next year I will be getting a season pass of my own.  Even if its just to sit and relax with a book with occassional visits to the wave and lazy pools, or to get off my ass now and get myself in a comfortable place so that I can ride the hell out of the slides next year, I will be there quite frequently.   I cant think of a better way to spend my summers off.  Neices, friends and water!

I learned a valuable lesson on Saturday ...

i DO NOT want to be a wedding photographer EVER.  ever, ever, EVER.  I hated it every moment of it.  Sure, it was fine those couple of times for friends but Saturday ... how nerve wracking.  I finally fell asleep just after 7:30am (which is late even for this night owl.  I am usually pushing 4-4:30 these weeks) and had to be up for 10.  I pushed it off until 11.  I got to the venue 20 minutes early.  The tent was still being decorated inside.  The aisle and the archway were still in progress.  Bridesmaids and family members scrambled to get the cake set up, the tent secured and the tables set.  The groom was rushing around, unready.  He finally went in to get shower and dress around 3:45 - - - we were supposed to have pictures at 3:30.  He arrived around 4:15ish ... 15 minutes before the ceremony was to begin.  The pre-wedding photos with the bride and bridesmaids never happened.  After the ceremony, I had approximately an hour and a half to take photos of the bride and her bridesmaids, the complete wedding party, the bride and her family, the groom and his family, the bride and groom and then the bride alone.  Keep in mind that, of this approximate hour and a half, friends and family were approaching them to wish congratulations (naturally), the bride had to find time to pee (of course) and last minute discussions were taking place with regards to the reception.  The mood was pleasant and happy but I was a bundle of nerves and felt so very rushed.  At the end of the day, I am happy neither with the quality nor quantity of my work.  My camera isnt working it's best, I am learning and I think it's time for maintenance work.  Even in the auto mode, the pictures werent the best they should have been.  I guess after 10,000 clicks that happens.  Never thought of it before. 

So ... now I sort.  Now I reflect.  Now I know that me doing weddings will not happen.  Studio and on location work only.  Families, babies, toddlers and pregnant bellies only please!

 

Can you believe it's tomorrow?

Or today, technically, since it's past midnight. 

It's the day I fly solo for a wedding.  I am scared beyong all belief.  So afraid that things will go wrong.  That they won't be happy.  It was different when I was doing it as a 'favour' but, now that money is being exchanged, the pressure is hard core and much more intense than it was with the other two.  I don't think I am ready.  What have I done?

In the meantime, I am taking a break from making a cheat sheet of poses from the past weddings I did.  I have a list of the poses that the bride and groom want that are out of the norm.  You know, that aunt who is something special or the old college roommate that you havent seen in 5 years?  I am new at this.  They know I am new at this.  This should be okay ..... right?  I just want to be thorough and quick so I can capture as many poses as possible.  I am even toying with bringing my youngest niece (13) as my assistant just to carry things around for me.  I need to stop second guessing myself.  I need to be full of confidence.  I can do this!!!

Recapping this past week, it has been a busy one.  In the course of about a week and a half, I took Tanya's daughter out for some photos.  I did a maternity shoot.  My sister and I went to different locations trying different things ... and are heading out again in a couple of weeks for a few more location shots.  I was also present at a wedding in which I was invited by Anzans Photography to shoot and observe.  What an experience.  It took place at the Westin Hotel where my day began in a penthouse suite.  Seriously, it had a living room, a massive bedroom, a conference room the length of my house and 4 bathrooms.  The view of the Parliment Buildings was nothing short of perfect.  Unfortunately, due to transportation issues, there was no room for me to join the bridal party at the location shoot but I got to play around in the grand ballroom, taking pictures of decor.  It was also an opportinuty for me to play around with a speedlight.  It was way harder than it looks.  I am completely oblivious to how it truly works but I did manage to get a few shots despite my lack of abilities.  It would have been most helpful if they had the lights turned up but that didn't happen until after they were done prepping.  Well .. so much for that.  Another "so much for that?"  My battery died and my spare was at home.  Can you believe that???  I was sooooo mad!!  I have never, ever left without my spare battery charged and, of all days, this was the one.  I had it in my hand.  Put it down by the front door to pack a few things, then walked away without picking it up.  I missed so many photographic opportinities but, on the plus side, it did leave me free and clear to help Oya.  I got to hold the reflectors, fluff the bridal dress for her, smooth the lumps in the bed, remove placemats and chairs and hold the remote flash when she needed it.  Watching her in action was amazing.  Seeing how to transition from one pose to another.  Hearing those key words to use to get the bride to look exactly where you want them to but not too far that you lose the colour in their eyes.  And the results ... wowsa!  This is one talented woman.  She captured the bride's beauty flawlessly.  There was even one shot, where the bride was laid out on the conference table and in between two massive chandeliers, that I swear looked like a couture pose you would see in a magazine.  Unfortunately, none of the images can be shared on the internet because of religious reasons and at the bride's wishes.  So sad.  I only got to see a few through Oya's camera display and can only imagine how beautiful they are on the computer and in print.

The wedding itself was an experience.  I knew going in that it wasn't a traditional Western wedding but I still wasn't prepared for what the day brought.  The bride and groom are Somalian and let me tell you, they do it in style.  I learned that night that a traditional Somali wedding actually happens in 3 parts.  Week 1 is the wedding ceremony.  Week 2 is the reception (this was my week) and week 3 is something else.  All equally lavish and festive.  On this particular night, imagine my surprise when I walked into the reception about 97% of the guests were women.  There were about a dozen men there.  This is their custom.  Sometimes the men and women celebrate in different locations.  The music was loud.  The dancing was non-stop - literally.  I would say that well over 50% of the tables were on the dance floor at all times, dancing to both traditional Somali music as well as some good ole dance tunes that had me shimmying in my seat.  (or I was just glad to finally understand something that was being said ... LOL)  The hospitality was a treat.  I was welcomed by many groups, invited to join them at tables and forced to eat, eat and eat.  And the food was good, good and good.  I stayed right til the end that night and got home at 3am.  I think I smiled the entire drive.  I can not thank Oya enough for inviting me and allowing me the opportunity to experience this day.  Just meeting Oya herself ... well ... let's just say it was an honour.  This is a woman who knows what she is doing and captures it flawlessly and, to top it all off, she is one of the nicest people I have ever met.  So warm and friendly.  She made me very at ease when I was feeling most overwhelmed.  I was actually quite sad when my time with her ended.  Hopefully our paths will cross again one day.

Alright ... another long post --> procrastination over.  Back to planning for tomorrow/today. 

ETA:  it is now 6:33 am and I haven't slept a wink since yesterday morning.  Can someone please have Mr. Sandman check his GPS the next time they bump into him?  He keeps forgetting to visit me.  ugh!

Happy Weekend to all.