January 3, 2005

After a long break for X-mas and New Year (and a bunch of photo work in between), I'm finally resuming this blog.

So much has happened, it's hard to even try and catch up.

The good:

- I got a totally new bathroom for X-mas from my boy! The old low tub is being replaced by a nice deep soaking tub, so I can hang out in the bath while he watches some mind-numbing Nascar race. Do I care? No! I also got beautiful oil-brushed bronze bathroom accessories, and I've already sort of picked out the new tile also. It's gonna rule when it's done! I cannot wait.

- eBay rules. For a miserly 100 bucks, I bid on and won an awesome copper sink for the new bathroom. Looking around online, those things are all running 300-400 bucks retail. Ouch. I'm so psyched.

- I got not one, but two, sets of kick-ass poker chips for X-mas. One from my boy who probably secretly hopes that somehow he's gonna have better luck playing against me with *those* chips than our old ones. The other set I got from my dad-in-law who tried to bluff me a few times at a game at Thanksgiving, and totally tanked. I suspect he's sharing the same hopes as his son ... So - anybody up for a game?

- I shot another assigment for ole' Bend Living mag over the holidays. The topic was fine woodworking, and I got to go hang out with a couple of really awesome craftsmen. They all treated me so nicely, it really was a joy. And I don't think that was just all X-mas spirit... Look for it in the March 05 issue.

The bad:

- I gave my boy a new Playstation 2 game for X-mas, and he's been totally obsessed with it. I fear for my sanity.

- Someone really screwed with my boy's business last year, and I can't find a freaking lawyer in Bend to even talk to, because the a-hole defendant has obviously already hired every damn guy in town at one time or another. They must have all gotten rid of him after defending him once, and finding out what a prick he is. New Year's resolution: I shall commence my quest for justice - and kick that guy's ass.

- I just lost a potentially very profitable photo ad job to a young rookie who (quote by the client) "was gonna do it for next to nothing". That sucks - for me *and* for the rookie. The only one who's coming out smelling like roses will be the client, and he will be spoilt forever, knowing that he will be able to get someone to work for him for very little money. And the rookie will never be able to charge the proper rates, because he sold out cheap in the beginning, in turn not really motivating himself to produce outstanding work ...Sigh ...
So another New Year's resolution will involve educating clients and peers on the value of paying for photography so the photographers can actually make a living - and afford to focus on creating outstanding work for the clients instead of having to go flip burgers.

And the ugly:

The tsunami disaster. How aweful. I silently weep every morning when I read the paper and see the pictures of the poeple who lost their families, their homes, their livelyhood. It's so sad. I'm just grateful I didn't follow through with last year's resolution to go to Thailand - I would have been there right now. And I'm also grateful that my friend Aubrey (who is travelling in Thailand right now) wasn't on Phuket, like she originally had planned, but rather decided to spend time in the Northern part of Thailand just before the wave hit. What incredible luck.