Brittney and Minh's Wedding (10-26-09)

What an experience! It was the first time I was part of the wedding party and now I can check off the following from my Bucket List:

* Be a groomsman in a traditional Vietnamese wedding - √

* Witness an engagement ceremony (Dam Hoi) - √

* Shoot a wedding from start to finish - √ √
(that's a super combo for shooting an engagement and wedding in one day).

* Surprise the groom and bride by "honeymooning" their suite - √
(btw, Hyatt is weaksauce! they do not offer honeymoon packages)

* Score some shots to be very proud of - √
(Yes, I am very proud of the results but feel it's more luck than anything)

I had so much fun being involved in the backstage. Of course everyone asked why Kim and I were not partners. I guess the bride and groom didn't trust us being together =p

It was an awesomely productive week and I'm honored to have been a part of it. Congrats to Brittney and Minh, it's been a very eventful journey for you two. I can be one of the few to say that I was there from the beginning.

By far, my FAVORITE picture of the year!!!!!



...and my favorites out of the collection.

Thi and Nicholas' Wedding (10-19-09)

Kim and I are on a wedding rampage. Five weddings in six weeks. Although a stress to the wallet, we're happy to celebrate the union of our close friends. As a plus, I'm a master of the double knot tie and I'm having plenty of practice with shooting. Congrats Thi and Nicholas!! We'll miss having you as our neighbor.

Backyard Bammer

Finally got bored enough to take some pictures of our backyard and post them. I wish I took some pictures before to give a taste of how much work was involved. Digging tree trunks, scrapping mounds of weed and misc. brush with only a shovel is like trying to paint the house with a toothbrush. It SUCKS and takes FOREVER!!! But in the end, it was worth it. I love our backyard now. It's been put to good use already with our house re-warming party and will come in handy for my 30th "Over the Hill" birthday party when we rent a Moon Bounce and hire the Taco Cart Lady.

Testing Testing

Sang and Will's Wedding (8-21-09)

Sang tied the knot last month, and we were honored to share this special day with her, her husband, and her family. Of course, my camera was out of the bag in full force. As much as I like the ridiculous amount of food at eastern style receptions, this reception was a breath of fresh air. I got to admit that the front of the "Croatian/American Cultural Center" did not look promising, but never judge a book by its cover. The back area is a hidden gem, completely disguised from the barren streets of this banjo loving neighborhood.



I had a great time catching up with Sang's family, who I have not seen in over 10 years. The baby cousins I used to play with are now driving cars, playing high school sports, and looking like adults. Holy Toledo, time just passes me by!!! Being at this wedding got me nostalgic and I really felt like it was my own "Cheers" where everyone knew my name. Lots of fun; however, the drive from SJ to Sac for a few hours then back made for a long day.

CONGRATS SANG!!!!























Sometimes I stop to think about how my friendships and relationships evolved through the years. Most I can understand and predict, but on a few occasions I get baffled. From the deep past and 13+ years of history Sang and I share together, I'm pleasantly surprised how things turned out. What surprises me more is how my significant other respects our friendship, and how they ended up being friends. Times like this makes me appreciate my girl even more than I already do.





Below is a pic of Sang's Dad, "Slim", or who I call "Pops." He was kind enough to lend me his garage and tools when I did my LS motor swap in the Civic almost 10 years ago. He used to, actually he still does, give me grief about my "lawn mowers" and "fart cans." We used to talk smack to each other about our cars even though I knew his classic cars would whoop the living crap out of me. He was always kind to me and treated me like family, something I will never forget.



Sang's Mom taking care of her Grandson, Billy.

Random Pic of the Day

Culling my photos and I came across this picture of Baxter. As much of a brat that he was, we really miss the guy...especially Freddie.




It's rare to have Freddie run directly towards me when I call for his attention. I'm glad I captured that moment.

Winding Down

Exhausted...the most fitting way to summarize the physical fatigue and mental strain I've been going through the last month, and I don't mean that in a bad way. It's been a very eventful month that jump started with Vince and Janna's departure.

The moment they left, Kim and I have been frantically working around the house preparing for Crystal's move and the house warming party. Within a month, with no extra time to spare, the garage has drywall with new shelving, the downstairs bathroom floor was re-done, and the entire backyard was laid with mulch. The house went through a major face lift. (Pictures to come)

My weekends would be spent at Home Depot. I felt like "Frank the Tank" from Old School. I was lucky if all of my clothes wasn't splattered with mud or paint. The best feeling, besides having it all completed, was taking a long, warm shower after being outside all day to rinse the filth and grabbing a cold one during dinner. I seriously felt like I shed a few pounds.

Now that everything is done, I can focus my attention back to photography......and school (ugh!).

During Grandma's birthday dinner, Jamie and I were looking for something to drink. After working in the yard all day fighting with tree roots, I wanted something to keep me hydrated. What do they call that again??? oh yeah, a "thirst quencher" or in the words of Chingish,