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!
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.
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.
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. =)
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.
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
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!
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
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. =)
Emerald Coast Coffee in Destin, Florida
Adam and Michael are extensions of the Mayer Family and we miss them the moment we know they are about to leave to go back to Orlando – so when we get a few moments together – we really cherish them. After a tasty breakfast on the Destin Harbor we strolled down to the Emerald Grande to check out the new retail shops and restaurants (okay, and the view too!).
Even though we had just downed some eggs, bacon, grits, bisuits and a gallon or two of coffee – we were instantly intrigued by the Emerald Coast Coffee shop on the second floor of the retail center. The decor inside is fantastic and the aroma is amazing. Locally owned and operated the coffee selection is delightful and surprisingly Diabetic friendly (Michael and I are both sugar-free).
Just a few doors down we found our favorite new clothing retailer – Luksus Clothing. It had our favorite type of clothing – rebelious casual – (also known as really expensive tshirts!). The owner of the shop was there and just delightful.
The view from the entire area is relaxing and refreshing – a perfect view of the Harbor and Crab Island…. combine the
Destin Bridge from Emerald Grande
view, the fantastic Java from ECC and Joe’s need to take even more Destin Photography – and we’ve finally found a spot that keeps us both occupied!
Michael and Adam will be back in a few weeks – and it will be for Joe’s 40th birthday! The photos are sure to please…. =)
The Cabbage
I recently finished reading the book, Tuesdays with Morrie. I highly recommend anyone contemplating their purpose in life and has the tendency to be a workaholic or is often described as driven, or career focused – should read the book. It’s a memoir about a man that was obviously a gift to our society and his last moments on earth. He spent his last days teaching about how the purpose of life seems so obvious when you’re dying.
Joe and I have been really trying to focus on the things that matter, even if it means giving up some of our income and “drive”. He’s officially going to back off of his photography except for beach photography, real estate and commercial so that he can have more quality time with the kids. We haven’t quite defined my sacrifices yet (well we have but I’m not revealing them in this blog – yet!).
With two slightly OCD perfectionists for parents, the children have really had little room to color outside the lines. We decided to lighten up a bit and let the kids make a few messes without getting aggravated. Never in my wildest dreams would I have ever imagined that Joe would take this new focus so literally that we have a cabbage growing in our front yard. Seriously – the next time we want some coleslaw – it’s only a few steps away. There is an entire backyard with plenty of room for a garden, but since James wanted it out front – Joe was all about it.
There are a few concerns – first, I didn’t know it until the cabbage was so large it could probably be entered in some sort of small town 4H contest – or is that just for animals? I grew up in Houston – give me a break, I’m not trying to offend anyone but we didn’t do anything with livestock except for eat it. The second concern is that you have no idea how bad it bothers me that we have a cabbage in our front yard.
I read the book, The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch last year and loved it. One of the most memorable passages is when Randy describes how his parents allowed him to paint all kinds of things that were important to him all over the walls of his bedroom and they never painted over it. It gave him the strength to “color outside the lines” for the rest of his life. Randy painted a rocket ship, and an elevator on his walls. At the time I read the words I thought that his parents must have really been understanding and patient. Although inspiring – I never fathomed it would mean that I would have to live with a cabbage in the middle of our yard for the rest of our life!
The things we do for those we love!
Blue getting after some turtles
Blue is one of those dogs that you can’t help but love but if she belonged to anyone else you would be thinking the owner should call the dog whisperer. Blue is a weimeriener and the breed is known for being high strung, but we rescued Blue from the pound and she is “special”.
Joe will tell you that she use to listen a lot better before I came into the picture. It’s probably true, but I think he enjoys Blue more now that she is so cuddly and allowed to be more involved in all of our activities – like snuggling on the couch in the evenings. Dogs are not meant for kennels – they are meant for companions and I’m not keen on sitting on the floor. =)
I’ve never seen a dog that screams like a child, but Blue can literally holler. Not whine, not yelp – she hollers. When we were about to leave on our Spring Break trip to Texas, Joe forgot about Blue’s anxiety and he put her in the kennel first and walked back in the house. Thirty seconds later our neighbors were outside wondering who was killing their dog. It was 3am – we’re definitely not going to be winning yard of the month for a while.
Texas is Blue’s favorite place on earth – she even knows when we get there before we pull in the driveway and she absolutely can’t sit still she is so excited. This was the first trip that we realized she is almost eight years old and we are starting to pay more attention to all of our “moments” with her. Still a puppy at heart – we took a break from our destin photography and snapped a few candid shots of Blue being intrigued with some turtles in the pond.
