Travel Travel and more Travel

Mt. Sophris CO.

Ok, this is my second time writing the blog and I have a feeling you guys may have to adjust to a totally different writing style hope you all like it.  Since the last blog we have been all over the country.  We had just gotten back from Vegas and then I am sure Amber had been somewhere before we headed for Co on the 18th of Dec.  We stayed there a week and were supposed to be home on the 25th.  So, we drove to a town called Grand Junction the night before our 6:30am flight to come home on Christmas day and as we were settling in for the evening Amber checks our flight status and finds out all flight out of Grand Junction, Denver and Vail had all been cancelled for the 25th.  What there was to eat and open on Christmas Eve in Grand Junction was an Applebee’s so that’s what we had for dinner.  The 25th we spent in the room of the Country Wine Inn, it was fine just not where I or Amber wanted to be on Christmas Day.  The flight home on the 26th was uneventful and we were so glad to sleep in our own bed after 8 days away.  Next was Orlando, Amber had some business with Imagine Vacation Homes and our annual passes to Disney had 8 days to the expiration date so we loaded the kids in Caesar and headed south.  While there Amber worked and the kids and I headed to Animal Kingdom to let James ride Mt. Everest.  I thought I was ok with it and Annie was willing but hesitant.  First went through the tree of life with flick and then headed to the Everest Coaster.  We got on and while the coaster was moving forward I was fine then it climbed a steep hill and stopped.  Then came the backward part and it was all over for me.  We got off the ride and Annie shouted let’s do it again as I was trying not to vomit.  I guess she got over her fear of Space Mountain from a short year prior.    I didn’t share that the weekend was really overcast and rainy so after I almost lost my stomach we went back to the rental home that imagine vacation provided for us. The night before we left to come home Ambers clients and our family went to Arabian Nights a great dinner show that is perfect for families with kids.  We had a great time with our family friends Mike and Adam and we even brought some friends from Destin with us, it really was a great long weekend.   Ok we finished the Orlando trip got home Sunday evening and then we were home for 4 days and off to Dollywood yep you heard right, Amber has a client in Dollywood.  This time it was just her and I.   Uncle Rory and Aunt Lisa help us all the time, they are great and they helped out with the gremlins for a couple days before they were off to AL. with their Dad. In Dollywood Amber worked for 3 days straight and we had a day with David, Amber’s brother and Aleda his wife on Sat.  Then back in the plane we go come home Amber has a day to breath and then off to CO. she should be home Friday the 23rd at 3:30pm but there is really bad weather in Vail the airport she has to leave from so hopefully things will be ok for her.  Vail is about an hour from Basalt where she is working so everybody cross your fingers.   

Great Cabin in Dollywood TN.

I have been trying to keep our home clean.  1284 sq ft is just way too small for our family at this point.  The office at Destin Commons is finally finished and I am planning on having it somewhat decorated before Amber gets home and I haven’t started.  I am so excited for Amber the business is really going well, things are hectic but everything will be fine.

On the photography front my phone has been ringing way sooner this year than last.  I already have about a week of photography booked for July.  The Destin Photographer is going to be busy this year.  As always I brought my camera with me on all the above mentioned trips so there will be a couple attached to the blog entry.   I have been doing more condo photography and HD videos as well so I may need some help this year.

Published in:  on January 21, 2010 at 9:59 pm Leave a Comment
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There’s No Place Like Home

Blue enjoying our new furniture

It’s not every day or ever that we get a chance to turn our work life as a Destin Photographer or computer connoisseur off and just relax but this past weekend that’s just what we did.  Amber and I hopped on a plane and went to Vegas for a long weekend to hang out with some old friends. The babies stayed at home with Rory and Lisa for a couple days then Dad picked them up until  they returned home Sunday.  Amber contemplated not taking her lap top which was a first by the way and I knew when she asked me if she should leave it what the answer should be.  Even though we wanted to turn off work altogether I knew if she were to leave it at home she would have felt naked without it and not been happy so I told her she needed to just bring it.  I was pleasantly surprised that she turned it on very little while we were away and most of the time it was for something that we needed not what someone else wanted or needed, it was nice.  Vegas is really neat but not for the reason you may think.  I am not a gambler and don’t care for Vegas that way it’s about the other stuff for me.  I was so excited about seeing Phantom of the Opera and the Cirque show Mystere.  We bought tickets to Blue Man which I have seen several times but Amber had never seen.  Unfortunately we didn’t get to Blue Man but saw the Titanic Exhibition and the Exhibition of Bodies kind of creepy but interesting at the same time.  We stayed at the Bellagio, I love the fountain there.   Amber is a fan of room service, I can take it or leave it…well I can leave it when breakfast is a hundred bucks!  But what the hell it was kind of cool I guess.  The drinks were all great I had a pumpkin pie martini which was fabulous, it even made it to facebook it’s the only sideways pic on my page.  Everybody knows I am a car freak so when we passed the advertisement for the car collection at the Imperial Palace I knew I was going to check it out.  I had never seen a concentration of so many Rolls Royces in one spot.  I really liked the Grand Nationals they had three and some old Jags as well.  Anyhow, the long weekend was exhausting as well as exciting.  I love traveling but at the same time there is no place like home.  I mean come on the emerald water and beaches of Destin are gorgeous and especially during the holidays I like to be in my living room watching the tree spin in a circle and watch the fire cracking.  Our home is small but extremely homey.   On the evening before we were to come home I knew I was ready to go and when I got on that plane in Vegas I was so looking forward to the nap I would taking in a few short hours.  Our weekend was fantastic and as we were waking from our nap, in walks our babies and we got to hear about the great time they had with uncle Rory and aunt Lisa.  Then it was solidified – there’s no place like home.

Published in:  on December 7, 2009 at 4:40 am Leave a Comment

Live Big. Hope Lots. Work Hard.

TravelStorm Celebration 2009 - Washington, DC

Celebrating the Merger of TravelStorm and Instant Software in Washington DC

I just realized that I had not written a blog about all of the changes in our life recently – other than the impending wedding (cross your fingers – it looks like everything is falling into place!). 

I was the biggest dork growing up.  We didn’t have a lot of money, and my parents could not afford designer wardrobes so for the most part – I wore my brother’s jeans and tshirts as he outgrew them.  To be honest though – I was comfortable like that and did not realize until later how awkward I must have looked.  I have extremely curly hair and my mother had straight, blonde hair - so she never knew how to deal with me and so it wasn’t until later that I tamed the fro.  I spent about a decade of my life with ten pounds of hair rolled into a tight bun like a librarian.  All the while – add to the fact that I wore a crimson harvard baseball cap from the age of 9 and then all thoughout my teenage years.  I grew up in absolute insane chaos, but I kept my eye on my future and hoped dearly that life could and would be different if I worked really hard in school.  From the age of 4, I was convinced that I wanted to be a lawyer.

Life has its own pathways, and I chose some well and others were a disaster – but all in all – I never stepped foot in a law school, nor walked across a stage to be handed a degree.  I’m learning to be okay with that.  Regardless, I have never stopped living big, hoping and working hard at whatever opportunities life has provided. 

A few weeks ago I had the most amazing change in my career.  All the while that I have been working as a Property Manager in Destin, Florida – running resorts, vacation rentals, golf campaigns, etc….. I have been quietly working with a business partner and developing a Travel Website Company and Marketing Consulting Agency called, TravelStorm.  (Well, originally it was called Viavacanza but no one in the south could say that so we quickly rebranded)  Over the past few years, I’d found a way to sleep less and work more and more on the side in order to focus on the potential of one day growing TravelStorm into something spectacular. 

I guess all those sleepless nights have finally paid off.  The majority interest in TravelStorm was recently acquired by the largest software company in the world in our industry, Instant Software.   No, there was no instant financial windfall… and the money is not the point of this post.  In fact, the money is the least important aspect of my story.  What I want everyone to understand is that I have taken a lot of risks over the years, leaps of faith and although I’ve had moments of self doubt (just ask poor Joe), I always brushed myself off and forged ahead, climbed the ladder and never looked down.  I have not been held back by my lack of degrees, my ethnicity, my sex, my race, nothing.  The only force that has ever been in the way of my successes and had any bearing on my abilities to grow – were my own fears.  Thank God, I have had dozens of great people in my life over the years that have convinced me to silence this voice of self doubt in my head and truly believe that the worst that could happen, is failing at something and being no better off than I was in the first place.

Several colleagues – while happy for me, have warned me to have a backup plan in case things dont go well.  I have always laughed, nodded, said – “I hear ya”, etc.  But here’s what I really think.  I don’t plan my life based on backup plans.  Life is journey and I’m on this road for a reason.  If this venture does not turn out to be everything I’m dreaming of – then I will work hard and find a new path, work hard, hope for the best and not look back.  People who want to get somewhere else in life have to give up the stability and focus on the possibilities. 

As a side note, I want you all to know that deep within my ambitious nature, is truly just a mom trying very hard to make sure the kids have a different pathway to success than my own.  I don’t think they need to feel awkward at school or fight their way through life in order to be strong people.  I have every confidence, that they see me and know that everything you get in life comes from the energy you give to this world. 

So on top of being able to marry the most incredible man I’ve ever encountered in just a few days, we’ve also had this incredible change in our work lives and now I can stop working at 6 or 7pm instead 2 or 3am and really get to live a little on top of all this hard work.  Its made such a huge difference.  I wake up excited about the day, looking forward to seeing the kids off the bus and get to play with Joe and the kids every night without worrying about getting behind on something.  Although I believe that finding balance was inevitable, I know I would not have gotten here without sacrificing for the past few years and I have no regrets.  Just as I had to convince Joe to take his leap of faith to become a Destin Photographer, I want to say thank you to all of you who have helped me overcome my obstacles and convinced me to never look back. 

Published in:  on November 7, 2009 at 6:16 pm Leave a Comment
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The Not so Friendly Skies

DC photos (41 of 112)

Museum of Natral History Washington DC

We just returned from a very long weekend in Washington, DC for the Vacation Rental Manager’s Association National Convention.  Amber had never been to DC and was looking forward to the monuments, sights and sounds – but of course she worked instead and never saw much more than a few restaurants, the inside of the hotel, and the airports.  We flew US Airways and had an extremely pleasant experience with great service, a clean airplane and a smooth ride most of the way there.  The only discomfort was Amber’s nails digging into my leg every time we hit an airpocket or encountered even the slightest turbulance.  (I love her anyway).  Coach is never comfortable for a man over six feet tall, but I can handle less than two hours at a time.   I had a feeling before we ever got on the plane that we were going to get sick on this trip.  Maybe it was due to the fact that we were somewhat exhausted from all of the changes recently – the wedding plans, still trying unsuccessfuly to purchase  a larger home, the kids have been sick constantly, Amber selling her company to Instant Software, etc.

All in all – I spent most of my time up in the room waiting for Amber to finish her networking and classes each day and I slept a lot.  We had purchased a new matress a few months ago and spent a fortune, but neither of us have been sleeping very well.  I now know that it must be a mattress issue because the Omni mattress had us both sleeping like babies in the entire length of our trip.  Poor Amber was exhausted every single night by the time she got done, so I had no idea that her need for shut eye had anything to do with some invisible germs that must have paid us a visit during our trip.

By the last evening, Amber could barely walk up the hall to our hotel room.  I initially blamed it on the high heels she wore the entire trip – a big departure from jeans, a tshirt and flip flops (welcome to corporate America).  At four in the morning though – she could barely put on her shoes she was so weak and I never thought we’d make it to the airport.  On the first leg of our flight we encountered the rudest, most obnoxious stewardess I have ever seen in my entire life.  US Airways, I hope you read this blog!  The woman looked like a stick version of Barbie, but with a scowl on her face.  Apparently, she is not a morning person and had probably been out drinking all night long because she kept her hand on her forehead and drank from a gallon size bottle of juice in the back of the plane.  As people were putting their luggage in the overhead bins, if they made too much noise or took a little too long – she would say, “Enough already, sit down!”.  An older gentleman inadvertently took too long sitting down at his seat in the rear of the plane and Bitter Barbie barked at him that she was going to move him somewhere else on the plane since he was sitting so close to the restroom.  He said he was fine with his current seat, but Thank You.  She gave him the dirtiest look and said, “I’m not asking you, I’m telling you that I’m moving you.”  The man must have been in his late fifties or early sixties and looked at all us in the surrounding seats, like – “what did I do?”.  He continued sitting bewildered in his seat as Bitter Barbie struggled to remove his bag from the overhead bin – literally ripping it out because it was too heavy for her.  She stomped up the aisle and tossed in another bin, put her hands on her hips and said, “You really are moving right now.”  The older fellow said nothing, got up and moved towards the middle of the plane.  Bitter Barbie then walked to the front of the plane, flirted with the pilots for a few minutes, threw her bottle blonde hair back and laughed before returning to the back of the plane, sitting in the gentleman’s previous seat and guzzling her gallon of juice. 

So here’s the rotten part….. we had commented all throughout our trip that we had a great experience with US Airways and were surprised at the comparison to other airlines we had used over the years.  However, due to Bitter Barbie – we are wondering who will get our next airline purchase when we fly to Wilmington in December for another meeting.  Suddenly, life has gotten too short to just buy the cheapest ticket, hotel room or anything else – we will spend our money and search for the best experience from now on!  SHAME ON YOU BARBIE – if that were my father that you treated that way - I’d have knocked your head off! 

So not only did we have a horrible flight home – but we both walked in the door with horrible fevers and the flu!  So much for the friendly skies!

 

Published in:  on November 1, 2009 at 4:51 am Comments (1)
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In Retrospect

beach wedding photo glasses (4 of 7)Who would have thought three years ago that Joe and I would be planning our own wedding?  It seems unreal, but we will be making our union official on November 14th and now we know the emotions and stresses that so many of Joe’s photography clients have experienced! 

We announced everything  with very short notice thinking that no one would be able to make it, but either everyone has just been waiting with baited breath hoping Joe would get married some day, or our friends and family do love us as much as we hoped because everyone has been able to find a way to the beach in order to celebrate with us.  Surrounded by my father, Joe’s mother and both of our siblings and their family – with both of our best friends standing beside us (Rory for Joe and Oliver for Me) … we’ll seal our fate as husband and wife.  Although we’re going for a casual atmosphere, the wedding has taken on a life of its own with outdoor speakers, bamboo walkways and arbors and a waterfall of cala lillies (my favorite).  I originally requested a wedding with jeans and a white tshirt but Joe swore he wouldn’t kiss me unless I wore a dress – so yes, I’ve got plans to become one with the tanning bed so that the guests are not blinded by my slight affinity to Casper, the friendly ghost!  Oliver will make a fantastic Maid of Honor – or is there a term for when the Bride is supported by a male instead of a female?  I’m going to google it – hold on….. “Man of Honor”… if any of you know Oliver then you know how ironic and funny that title is!

We have the most amazing friends who have graciously offered their Destin Vacation Rental home for us so that our entire family can stay in one place for a few days and have the rare experience of being together (I’m in the business – so I could have stayed anywhere, but this home is fantastic for a large family vacation and my favorite rental in Destin so if you’re still trying to decide, check it out – and no, they didn’t pay me to say that… I really just love the house).  My father from Houston;  Joe’s mama from Philly;  Joe’s sister Tina, Robert and the boys from Bedias, Texas (yes, no blinking or you’ll miss it); my brother David, his wife Alida and their son little David from Nashville; Oliver and his beautiful fiance Angie from Houston and more friends and family from all over.  There will just be two important faces missing from the crowd and I’ve been wondering how to honor their memories.  Joseph’s father passed away about ten years ago, and my mother a little over two years ago.  I never met Joe Sr. and Joe never met my mother – but he did speak to her once on the phone, and she saw a photo of us about a year before she died on MySpace and left us a foreshadowing comment… “That guy sure is handsome beside you.”  Even then, just freshly divorced and certain that I’d maintain my single status for the rest of my life – my mother told me I’d spend my life with Joe – and she hadn’t even met him yet. 

James and Annie are estatic about their wedding roles (and of course Annie is thrilled with her new dress).  Joe is an amazing father and the children adore him.  I’m a handful on my own – ask anyone who deals with me on a regular basis!  But Joe is marrying me and the children – and only a very special man has room in his heart and energy in his soul for such a big task. 

I’m sure there will be several more updates as we experience our own wedding journey.  Thank you all for your business and support this past year and we hope to continue as your Destin Photographer for many years to come.

Published in:  on October 20, 2009 at 2:48 am Comments (3)
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Smells like Autumn

Rory's 33rd

Rory's 33rd

The air felt different today, and no it was not because Joe had one too many last night at Rory’s 33rd birthday.  The surprise party was suppose to launch at around 6:30pm, but the ever diligent worker spent the last few hours on Saturday dealing with more Cash for Clunkers customers and didn’t pull up the road until closer to 8:45pm.  We all rushed into the very humid garage and waited in less than silence because of all of “Shhhhhhhhhhing” going on and Lisa’s mom’s outburst of giggles that almost sent the entire room into a fit of laughter.  The roar of his engine in the drive way (he has the most gorgeous 1971 Chevy Camero Z28 that is red with  black stripes) - we are all sweating with anticipation and well – we’ve all been drinking since six and have a heck of a headstart on him….

He gets out of the car.  He walks up to the front door.  (We realize the windows of the garage are open and we are still shhhing).  He walks back to the car and over to the garage to punch in the code and open the door – we scream, he smiles, we all take a deep breathe of exhaust and we scatter back to our pre-surprise spots.  Joe rushes back to the kitchen because he’s almost positive he has burned the last batch of chicken wings in the fryer.  There was so much food it was unbelieveable!  And by the end of the evening – it was ALL GONE!  There were apparently dozens of hungry, thirsty friends and family at Rory’s last night to heave him a positive push into his 33rd year of existance.  Hopefully he had a great time, slept in and enjoyed the celebration.

***Note to self:  Do not let entire birthday crowd drink for three hours prior to having to SHHHHhhh long enough to surprise birthday boy, nor choose a hot, humid, garage with the windows open for the “hiding” spot.

Published in:  on August 24, 2009 at 12:58 am Comments (2)
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Time Flies

Its much prettier than the cabbage

Its much prettier than the cabbage

It’s hard to believe that it is already August and I skipped an entire summer of blog posts. To be honest though – I’ve been writing them all along in my head and now I just have to take a few evenings to pour them out here on the world wide web. 

Busy would be an understatement to describe our Summer.  Joe has been incredibly blessed to have worked with some of the finest clientel any photographer could ask for!  The resort has been full steam ahead and in between work we have found a little time for play so that the kids don’t blink and summer is over.

This summer has been truly memorable.  Family visited for five weeks in a row and we survived, Michael Jackson died but I’m fairly sure we spotted him at Disney World, our dog is still lively but naps more than she used to and has gray in her muzzle, my son and I can wear the same shoes and he’s only nine, my daughter looks like Daryl Hannah and we’re terrified, our hearts were broken over losing a house three days before closing, we mended our wounds with brand new vehicles and have no room left in our driveway, and had the most beautiful sunflowers in our front garden that replaced the cabbbage.

In retrospect, it is probably one of the best summer’s I’ve ever had – nothing terrible to report, lots of laughter with the family (just imagine 11 Italians in less than 1300 square feet for over a week….), I didn’t gain any weight even though all anyone wanted to do was eat or cook during the visits and I passed my milestone – I have not been sick for two years! 

So as I delve into these next few posts  – everyone please accept my sincerest apologies for the delay on reporting our most intimate and hilarious moments these past few months.  =)

Published in:  on August 4, 2009 at 2:44 am Leave a Comment
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14600 Days of Life

Joe’s 14600th day of life was shared with a houseful of special people and yes – we do mean ”special” in the most loving way.  =)

No one thinks Joe looks 40 - I firmly believe it’s because he’s accompanied by a 29  year old (10790 days) spunky, often mistaken for teenager – life partner.   (He’s rolling his eyes reading this I’m sure!).   I ordered BBQ from a local restaurant for the entire houseful of people and even the young kid delivering the food commented that  “he would never have thought Joe could be turning 40 when he saw him.”  I told him if he wanted a tip then he should run away quickly before I choked him.

The entire family came  out for the occasion  – mom mom from Philidelphia; Robert, Tina, Blake and Brent from Bedias (It’s famous for it’s overflowing green pastures and one very well maintained stop sign. ), Amy and Ashlynn from Panama City Beach; Heather, Tony and Barney from Baker, Florida; Christiaan and Tony from Niceville; our favorite young cousin – Michael and his hilarious friends from Atlanta, Georgia and all of our other friends.   (No offense  if you’re not  specifically mentioned but listing guests is somewhat boring for those  who don’t know the quirky personalities of each and every one of you.)

We stayed in a fabulous Seagrove Beach rental courtesy of Sandcastle Escapes/BeachSeekers.  The owners, Justin  and  Taylor are just an amazing partnership that truly create a Vacation Rental management company worthy of note.  With personal service – and a sense of humor throughout everything…. those boys are a delight to work with.

The house was called Seahorse XXI – a 5 bedroom/4 bathroom home with a private pool, sand volleyball court, fabulous Gulf Views from all three levels and plenty of parking for all the friends and family.  We hosted Joe’s entire party inside because the weather was awful all weekend but on our last day (of course)  the sun came out and the family and kids went across the street to the beach.   It was absolutely the perfect location – offset from 30A Highway enough to avoid the road noise, but convenient enough to take a very short walk across the beach to  the public beach access.

So even though Joe has crossed a milestone as far as society goes – you really can’t tell.  He’s looks great and has the demeanor of a big goof – he’s constantly playing tricks on me and the kids and has an active spirit.  When I turn 30 this year I’m hoping I do 30 as much justice as he’s done for 40.

Published in:  on June 8, 2009 at 11:44 am Comments (1)
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McGuire’s Irish Pub – A Sunday Tradition

 

McGuire's Irish Pub in Destin, Florida

McGuire's Irish Pub in Destin, Florida

My father (Joe’s father-in-law) is truly a pain to take out to eat.  Peter considers himself a gourmet chef and is highly critical of anyone else’s cooking.  Even in a five star restaurant Peter will say after a perfectly delicious meal – “ahh, well – it wasa alrighta”.  Yes – I just typed in English-Italian accent … justa lika my fathera speaksa.  

 

Low and behold we took my father to McGuire’s one evening during his annual coastal retreat to spoil the grandkids and we figured that no matter what he said or did – McGuire’s is an original and regardless of Peter’s opinion – it would always be at the top of our favorites list.  Starting out with an order of Irish Boxty’s (these delectable little balls of fried potato and cheese that you can dip into salsa, sour cream or guacamole) and the most scrumptious bread ever delivered to a table (It’s like pumpernickel only lighter and fluffier and fresh made and then drenched in a honey sauce over the top).  My dad’s smile broadened.  No sign of complaints on the horizon…. 

Salads were delivered on time with fresh fixins including our favorite dried cranberries to add just a bit of zing to the normal rabbit food mix.  Balsamic vinegrette for half the table and a gallon of ranch for the other half – no one was talking.  (At a table full of Italians – no one speaking while eating is a very good thing!)

The entrees were of course, the house special – Prime Rib.  Let me just say, McGuire’s offers one of the best cuts of meat without having to wear a tie and full length gown to get in the door.  Completely casual, McGuire’s is the “pub atmosphere” with a perfect affinity for us cow eating connesiuers.  As a side – huge potato with fixings or very yummy garlic mashed potatoes for the carb consuming crowd, while we lowly diabetics enjoy crunching on some grilled asparagus and long for the smooth taste of buttery, cheesy potatoes … mmmmmmm.

 

McGuire's Bar in Destin, Florida

McGuire's Bar in Destin, Florida

Then a miracle happened.  My father (Peter) clapped his hands together with big smile on his face and said “This is some of the best food I have ever eaten.”  Jackpot – OMG – I’ve never heard him say that ANYWHERE in the almost thirty years that I have been conscious upon this earth.  I was speechless and just looked at Joe – (he had a big smile on his face, like see – I know your dad, I know how to do it… )

 

My father making that statement is truly the biggest endorsement that McGuire’s could have ever gotten and they have no clue.  So here’s to you McGuire’s – my heartfelt thanks for providing another culinary masterpiece and the first evening out with my father where I wasn’t embarrassed when he wanted the chef to come out so he could give him a few pointers!

Published in:  on May 19, 2009 at 2:02 pm Leave a Comment
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Thunderbeach – 2009

 

Starbucks Thunderbeach 2009

Starbucks Thunderbeach 2009

Joseph and I are complex individuals – most people would think we are most comfortable with an elegant martini, designer clothes and a chic atmosphere (Blue Point… ahem) but actually I think we are most at home in the eclectic world of motorcycle enthusiasts.  From raunchy stereotypical riders to sophisticated doctors and lawyers – motorcycler riders come in all shapes, sizes and demographics.  I’m not sure where we fit into the mix – we like to think we can hang with all walks of the crowd – but I’m sure we lie somewhere in the middle…. (sitting atop of our designer bike in designer tshirts purchased at ROSS sipping on a Starbucks latte).

 

This was our first endeavor into the Panama City Beach Thunderbeach venue and I’m fairly positive that we’re hooked.  The bike’s were amazing – true works of art.  The originality and vision were evident in every single masterpiece – from custom metalwork to the painstakingly handpainted bikes – it was a cultural victory for everyone in attendence.

 

Thunderbeach at Pier Park 2009

Thunderbeach at Pier Park 2009

Considering that Joe has to navigate (I have no skills on the bike!) I was able to play Destin Photographer for the day and often wondered might come out once we downloaded the pics.  I am completely intimidated by Joe’s skills so please excuse the photo quality – this half of the Mayer family is an amateur.  =)

Published in:  on May 18, 2009 at 2:30 pm Leave a Comment
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