Gina's Grad - Notre Dame

Gina is so Cool! If I had half her brains when I was 18....well, I'd remember a whole lot more about being 18 wouldn't I? She's also screamin' gorgeous. Kaylin, her super-nice boyfriend brought her a perfect wrist corsage to go with her green with pink dress.
What a nice couple.

See the slideshow...kind of makes me want to graduate again...but I think I'll stick to photographing the neat people who are graduating.

Sunset at the lake

About six years ago we came out here on summer vacation. On our very first trip out to Sylvan Lake, we got the money ready. You know, coming from Saskatchewan, a lake is usually a provincial or regional park, and some kid from the Uni is making $20 an hour to take your $$$ to get in to the park and sit on a paltry strip of beach in front of a giant pond undergoing eutrophication.
Imagine our surprise not to find that overpaid kid in a miniature hut with no loo attached.
'Where do we pay' we asked. 'You Don't!' our friends replied.
Now we are a little more used to going out and enjoying the beach, but we are still thrilled by it.

Lucky Guys

This gal is getting an album for her fiancee made from just a few of over 200 gorgeous shots. In the interest of all you nice people viewing from your work computers, I've left out some things....but you get the idea.

ZoooOOOooom!

That's the sound time makes as it goes rushing past my head. Where does it go?
Last week I was a humble (heavily worked) cook at Grade 5 Camp out at Crimson Lake.
Back on Friday, and Kevin wants a date...I'm not saying no to that! We tried the Tony Roma's Lounge where we were expertly ignored by the blonde waitress in the lounge. I should thank them, really, because the goods at the Rusty Pelican are to DIE for. We had the Portabella & Prawns in a tequilla sauce, which mercifully, did not taste like tequilla. The Calamari was also unreal delicious, and my chocolate martini went down like...like Chocolate! Very nice.
Great shoot Tuesday morning with the lovely and unreal tall Kelly.
Then for a birthday lunch, I was right back at the Rusty P with my friend and fellow photographer Vicki. (that's her in the pics) Her treat! Blackened Prawns & Salad - awesome.
Then, like silly photographers sometimes do, we drove around looking at locations and possible locations. For that trip she got us coffee & dessert from Second Cup. I didn't even spill in her Jeep.
Today was my son's birthday party at Lazerforce. So much Fun! I didn't think two games would be enough, but the kids had sweat pouring off them. Maybe they'll sleep.
The most annoying news of the week came last Friday. Vicki & I have been considering sharing studio space, and we found a perfect, tidy, well priced space that totally suited our needs. Unfortunately there is another photographer in the building, known by many as simply "He who must not be named". (apologies to J.K. Rowling!)
After being told that these two photographers wanted in to the building, he said no.
Cue the Fred Flinstone string of 'almost curses'. Just not pleased, but I'm taking it as flattery.
...and a rather steely gust of motivation.
Not that it'll end our search, but it was just such a lovely space.
This morning I had a super walk around Riverbend golf course with June Traptow, who can walk like I run. Man, she's fast! As always, she is absolutely lovely to talk with. She is one of those people I have unlimited admiration for. Class and brains all the way. June has also recently been elected to the board of the Chamber of Commerce. She is a great role model, but I'm pretty sure she doens't see herself that way. She's so humble.

Grade 5 Medieval Feast

Cool place for a birthday party!!!

Today I booked little #2's 10th birthday party at LaZerForce, which is new in the a&b Sound building.
It's so gorgeous inside! Every science fiction meets tribal mystery fantasy you can think of is airbrushed on the walls by some kind of airbrushing genius.
The party rooms look really nice, and there is an observation deck. We haven't played laser tag since Vegas! (cue the giant air quotes Dr. Evil :LASER: ...Or the frickin' sharks!)
I'll be playing too, but there's no going easy on the kids at the party. No way! I play for keeps in Laser tag. A deranged, overcompetitive condition only made better by birthday cake, chocolate, and coffee...not necessarily in that order.

Some shots from last week (minus the face)

35!!!

For my Birthday I got a grand worth of office furniture from Ikea. I've been assembling it for 3 days, and the office cleanup will be a project in perpetuity. Won't the recycling people be surprised! The horizontal filing (not Fling! - that's a photo package) system will never be vanquished. Like so many photographers, there's a darn good chance the ADD jokes aren't just jokes. I got beautiful flowers from my mom, $$$ from my Auntie Gladys, $ from my little Granny, and an e-mail 'OH, by the way' from my brother.
The cake is my husband's doing. It was delicious....and yes...it really does say Warden. He's been calling me that since our first two kids were toddlers, oddly enough, back when I was most un-warden like. Ha ha! It's funny now, man. Lights out!!!

Looking back

Last night our girls decided that we simply must have a video camera. I just so happens that we have an old one that records onto a tiny vcr tape - 8mm maybe.
We haven't used it forever, since our first daughter was little wee and I was pregnant with little #2. We started watching the tape through the little eyepiece because I can't figure out how to make the thing play on the tv right now. It's amazing to see the funny happy baby making faces and learning to blow kisses and know that she is now steadily gaining way up the bridge of my nose. I'm not sure why it made me cry to see it. It feels like mourning some wonderful stage of life, the loss of her as a baby. That sounds nutty, because this is a wonderful stage right now! She's a gorgeous, smart, self reliant 11 year old...and sometimes I just wish I could keep every part of her, including the baby. At her first xmas, my husbands cousin Sean (14 at the time)is on the tape. He's a gentle, funny kid who strongly resembled my husband. I'm not sure I'll ever get over encouraging him to take up wall climbing. After that visit, he went home to New Zealand and tore down his tree house to make a climing wall; he loved it that much. He died four years later in an avalanche during a climb with friends.
Next on the tape is our daughter's first birthday. Among all the balloons and cake are my Granny and Grampa. (that's them in the picture - Loooong before I arrived)They are a funny story, divorced, but after many years, became friends again. When my brother and I were kids, we spent so much time with them. Grampa took us everywhere, like the park and the pool, and he never wanted to go unless we were ready to. He'd make us goulash and pudding for dinner. I'm not even sure what goulash is, other than yummy to a six year old. Granny was always slipping us chocolate bars, money, books, anything! She always said ,"Anything your little heart desires, dear" and she meant it. She even let me think I was the first grandchild; that's a totally different story.
They both died when I was 28. Grampa died four days after Sean, and seven months after Granny. Add to all that that I'm tired today and we have the makings of a good hard sob with an old video camera up to my face.
In spite of the sense of loss as I look back at the tape, and my old pictures, I'm so glad I have them. Every day is a going forward day with new plans and bright promises, but there is something about those happy memories and the bittersweet nostalgia of looking back.

Field Trip to Sunnybrook Farm

Sunnybrook Farm was a fun field trip with my son's grade four class.
They have the neatest old stuff!