Wawa and wagamama

Hiatus

2005-06-01T00:12:00.000-04:00

Random Coolness - So I was bored the other day and was googling myself and came across this this. Notice the picture on the left and my name at the bottom! Nifty huh!?

My Boredom is Over! - I leave tomorrow at 1pm for Pittsburgh. I'm staying with my sister and photographing the National Senior Games from June 3 - June 18. I bought this sweet hat to keep myself safe from the dangerous rays of the sun. I'll fit right in with all the crazy outfits that they'll have on. Maybe I'll get some free media swag so I can support old folks athletes long after this event is over. Anyway, after the games are over I'm flying to Chicago, then driving to STL, then driving to Pittsburgh, then driving home. I'm visiting Dan & Lauren, Amy Semith, my sister, and my parents respectively! Let the hard work and fun times begin!

Change of Plans

2005-05-27T21:22:00.000-04:00

Last minute notice - One thing that I've had to get used to since graduating and working in this business is the way big plans change in a matter of minutes. Working for SI is the most extreme case. One minute, we are flying to one city to shoot some game, the next we are flying to another city to something completely different. Often times I find out the day before or the day of flying to some city for one reason or another. On Tuesday of this week I found at 9am, while still in bed that I needed to be somewhere by 10:45am. Good thing I didn't have anything planned.

Baseball Weekend - I had a fun Memorial Day weekend of baseball planned in the Baltimore/Washington area. 3 games in 3 days, all day games, and 2 with late starts. (Late starts mean the sun sets during the game, which means great light) Well the Orioles had a spot for me when it requested over 2 weeks ago, until on Wednesday when they decided to retract my credential. The Nationals, whose decision I was waiting on for more than 2 weeks, finally said NO on Thursday. Screw MLB.

Marie Claire - My fellow Philadelphian, and friend Julia, wrote a feature in this month's issue. It's a good read, really cute and funny, especially if you know her. There are even pictures of her too. I might add she looks very sexy! The article is about girls using wingmen...I think girls would be better off using wing-couples; think about it!

the bottom line; I can live last minute for now, but once I'm married with kids I don't think I could swing this lifestyle.

Finally!

2005-05-22T23:23:00.001-04:00

Life without Parole - It's been a year since that day...I was cleaning the fridge and answered the door with some fridge parts in my hand to find an officer wanting to come in and talk. The photo was gruesome and it took me a second look to realize who it was. Enjoy prison.

Realization

2005-05-21T23:25:00.000-04:00

Sideways - Decent movie, not great. It made me realize this...Making plans are necessary. I make plans. They exist so you can deviate from them. Spontaneity can only stem from a situation with direction, being spontaneous does not mean you thought of something to do as a result of boredom.

What up philly?

2005-05-20T00:54:00.000-04:00

Pizza - Best BBQ Chicken pizza that I've ever had...not saying it the best, but it's my current #1...Passariello's

Bar - My friend Steph was looking for a job...she applied at Eulogy, the best bar I've never heard of. I had a Leffe Blonde at 2pm. I was feeling it, that shit is strong. p.s. - check out their beer list!!!

the bottom line:Stellar pizza + yummy beer + cool city = fun day!

Congrats Grads! Now you can visit me!

2005-05-18T23:31:00.000-04:00

'B' to the 'ored' - I haven't worked for **orts Illustrat** since April 2. One would think this would lead to lots of blogging, but I literally mostly just sat on my boney ass. This lack of good paying work has cut into my income and I'm not happy about it because I didn't know it was coming. It also blows because I can't get a normal job doing some bullshit work because I can't work regular hours because I have to available to work for **orts Illustrat**. Thank god so my ticket buying skillz and my guinea pig skillz. I'd also like to thank Lauren for forcing me to update my blog!

KY Derby - I love the derby. It has a unique magic to it. If you've never gone, GO! There's thousands of beautiful woman looking hot and lots of fun hats. There's pretty and powerful horses and of course cute little jockeys than can fit in my pocket. I went with Travis, formerly of the photography profession, now a realtor. I ended up renting a Ford Freestyle, thank god for Hertz Gold Club. Cool car, but too wide and too much like a minivan. Fix that and I'll buy one. Anyway, for the race I was on the track at the finish with a long (telephoto) lens. Note: when there are 20 horses coming straight at you, it's REALLY hard to tell who is in the lead, especially when it’s by less than a horse length. That's why I followed the wrong horse across the finish line. This job isn't easy sometimes, but I made some nice pictures when he came back around. I also made a nice image from a remote camera with the winning horse in last place. What a great underdog story! Not sure if I'll be going back next year. I'm not really a big fan of spending $850 for a Fairfield Inn for 3 days, but I'll see.

Louisville Slugger - I had a free day on Sunday, the only day they don't have bat production, so I went to the Louisville Slugger factory. Cool place. VERY very small. They make 1600 bats a day in a factory that could probably fit inside my house. They have 26 or 28 factory workers that make all the bats. I bought a bat with my named engraved on it...it's pretty flippin' sweet.

Time Not Wasted - When I get bored, I get creative. Thus I present to you my new society that I'll be creating. I have only worked out 2 aspects of this new world, but they rock so the rest should be cake...

-College, as we know it will no longer exist. All colleges/universities will no longer be massive properties controlling the lives of so many impressionable youth. The new ones will merely be an office, like admission, but a little bigger, with lots of phones and computers. There will be dorms and welcome staffs and parties and frats and all that shit, but no classes and no teachers. You get accepted into a general area...business, political science, journalism, etc. The job of the university is to place you with a local business in your area of study. Basically, it's like an internship but it's college. The business teaches you what you need to know to do your job and they pay you. Yes you get paid to go to college. However, I feel that the dorm life and social aspect of college must be experienced, so that will remain the same. You just work in your assigned field. Maybe they'll move you around every semester or year, specifics aren’t worked out yet. You'll find your niche that you want to pursue when you are ready. Undecided majors? Screw you, make a decision and start somewhere. This way of life stems from my reflections that I learned more shit from working and living my life than I ever did from going to class and also from my hatred of paying to work at the Missourian. If you'd like to discuss this call me...

-Mark my word, the next big craze is going to be digital watches...implanted in your arm! Check it. It's a mini digital clock, I'm talking small, and it’s just the time, in digital format under your skin. It syncs with the world clock so it's always right and automatically adjusts for time zone travel and DST. Future modifications could range from GPS locators to track you if you get stolen, like they do for dogs (but dogs don't need to know the time). Maybe they'll link to your inspector gadget phone in your fingers, who knows. Stay alive for 50+ years and find out!

Strict Diet - I've been eating 6 olives a day and a turkey sandwich every day for lunch. I've been grillin' it on our new panini machine. I think it's going well, I haven't put on any weight or lost any...ha

Tiger grrr - Apple rules! 4 new operating systems in what 5 years? Bill Gates what you got? More blue screens and viruses? Suck it, but not too hard, because you own Corbis and I enjoy selling pictures.

Movin' On Out - I have begun the moving process. I moved most of all the cool stuff I own to my new place that we'll call 405. I'm excited. What excites most, besides the fact that Shannon is coming, is the hanging of the pictures and misc things on the wall. They can make or break a living space.

June 21 - That's the date I'll be OUT and in 405. Following a short escapade around the country. I'll be in Pittsburgh from June 1-18. Then fly to Chicago on the 18th (I think) then drive to STL on Father's Day the 19th, then drive to Pittsburgh on the 20th, then to Philly on the 21st. Hopefully chilling with Dan and Lauren in Chi-town and Amy Semith in the STL, and Anne, Beth, McNamara, etc if they are free.

Coming Soon - Going to my most favorite pizza place in the world in Jersey tomorrow with my friend Steph. Fiscus knows what's up! Going to Baltimore/DC over Memorial Day weekend to shoot 2 Orioles games and 1 Nationals game. Trying to stay with Autumn who lives there now! Got a shoot this week or next of a soccer player...still brainstorming how to shoot it. More fun presents are coming my way; courtesy of me. I had to return some light stands that I bought in my last massive purchase. They just sucked. So I bought new and better ones (also more $) and also picked up yet another camera. I had breaking the bank with all this damn equipment. I think I should be a stripper, then I won't need $40,000 of technology.

the bottom line - Get a real job, freelancing and doing cool things comes at a price. This should be easy using my newly implicated standards for higher education. Also plan your trips to or through Philly now as weekends are filling up fast!

Leaving...on a jet plane...don't know when I'll be back again

2005-05-04T15:17:00.000-04:00

KY - That's KY, as in Kentucky, as in the Kentucky Derby...not KY- Jelly as all of you were thinking! Any who, I leave tomorrow morning and I'll be back Sunday night. I found some time to visit the Louisville Slugger bat museum. I'm thinking about picking up a personalized mini bat...anyone else want one? Weather looks great, warm and sunny, scattered storms on Saturday could be trouble...

Paint the fence...up, down - So this week I did some handiwork. I painted a child's bedroom. TLC style! Blue walls, red walls, rollers, brushes, paint everywhere, etc. I hated it. Painting sucks. Remind me to hire a painter next time I need something painted. I'm still sore, have blisters and I did a shitty job. Not because I didn't try, I tried my best, but I suck.

BJ - That's BJ, as in blackjack. You are all sick! Anyway, I'm beginning to master the game. I've been practicing. I made blackjack strategy flashcards. I'm still learning and often referencing my cheat sheet, but I'm almost there. It's a fun game with very good odds. Next time someone wants to go to AC or Vegas, let me know. I'll be ready. Next on my list of 'Casino Games to Master' is craps. It's the most fun game ever! It relies more on luck, but it too has very good odds (some bets).

Haircut - Got a haircut today. It's short. When I got shampooed the girl, maybe 17, washed my hair, then conditioned it, then did something else and washed it out...not sure what but I LOVE when people wash my hair and massage my head. Another bonus is the towel dry when they get your ears! I love that! I also got the second rinse after the cut, which is CLUTCH to a good haircut. Prices went up though, so next time I'm due I'm going to the 'Steve's School of Styling and Sexy Hair.'

Futbol - I'm headed to the Meadowlands for a soccer match between Ecuador and Paraguay. Please pray for me that I don't die or come home soaking wet from getting beer thrown on me. Last time I went to the Meadowlands was for the Eagles - Giants game. My car was covered in beer when I got back because of my PA license plates...I need team logos for every team whose games I attend!!

Easy Money? - I'm trying this... Not sure what's going on but I read all the stuff and can't really find any catches or serious acts of shady-ness...it just takes about 70 days to reach the payout amount. I'll let you all know how it pans out. It's free to sign up and only takes 5 minutes a day of checking your email. Since I check my email 50,000 times a day it's of no real bother me. We'll see..

the bottom line: You won't hear from me until Monday at the earliest. Maybe the mailman will have come by then, because he sure as hell hasn't come yet...look at the time! Shit!

Highlight of my Day

2005-04-29T13:59:00.000-04:00

Born Hunter - The day isn't even half over, but I'm sure nothing is going to even compare to this...After learning about mortgages and loans in the kitchen from my dad, we eyed a groundhog in the yard. We tracked him and I watched him climb into this hole in our shed. The whole led to a false wall so he wasn't actually in the shed. After deciding we didn't have enough time to get the pellet gun (we don't own one, we'd have to go buy it) we ran to the garage and grabbed our leather gloves. On the way to the shed we picked up some 2x4's from the garden. The plan was to open the side door of the shed, which leads to nowhere except this false wall. It's there for decoration, its one of those old wooden sheds. Anyway, my dad would open that and I'd be down by the hole he entered in with my 2x4. "At the first sign of movement, smash the shit out of it," my dad instructed. I had on flip-flops and was afraid he was going to eat my toes, but after psyching myself up for it I raised the 4-foot long 2x4 and was ready for some groundhog bashing...nothing. We have no idea where he went, but it was fun to try to beat an animal with a 2x4!

Making up for lost time

2005-04-27T22:21:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the Delay - The Snapple didn't kill me, I'm still alive! The main reasons for my absence are the visiting of Shannon and 2 fairly big shoots in 3 days. Due to the absence, this post is going to be large one. Strap yourself in and enjoy the plethora of senses my words can touch.

Shannon - She came Wednesday around noon. Instead of driving home after picking her up I drove to Atlantic City. She didn't know the difference and didn't realize what was going on until the 'Welcome to Atlantic City' sign. The weather forecast for the day was 85 and sunny. AC was about 78 and windy with a water temperature of instant foot numbing. We walked the boardwalk, watched the old people, discovered a secret colony of cats (if anyone knows what I'm talking about tell me), and tried to give Trump some money in his bankrupt casino. Instead I won $60 in craps in about 5 minutes after about 2 hours of breaking even on the slots; most notably 'The Price is Right' nickel slot! We had decent lunch at Evo and sat outside. We split a delicious Banana Cream Pie Martini. Yum!

Thursday we went to West Chester to take care of Shannon business. This is my blog so we can skip the details of that. From there we headed to the nearest KOA campground. We settled in to our Kamping Kabin (the only one without a porch swing) and began to enjoy the evening. On the menu were turkey burgers with cheese, baked potatoes, and Captain Morgan. Well, we only ate half of the burgers, forget to take the potatoes out of the fire and ran out of Coke for the rum. Shannon started taking shots, because I don't. She passed out early, but we were able to steal (by steal I mean use tools and precision teamwork) a porch swing from a nearby cabin.

Friday came around and we headed to the Herr's Potato Chip Factory Tour in central PA on our way to visit Katie Piper (click the link on that page for the larger picture, it's SO worth it). We stopped at some outlet stores in Lancaster where I purchased a very stylish outfit from GAP. We had time to visit Intercourse, PA. I bought my parents some apple butter from here. We finally went to Katie's, also a Kappa, and hung out for the rest of the evening. After leaving Katie's the next afternoon, the rest of the time with Shannon was rather uneventful, but I'm super glad she came, we had fun!

Shoot This! - A 5-hour shoot on Sunday in Princeton at a private boarding school of the #1 football recruit for the Class of 2005. That's 5-hours of shooting. This kid was AWESOME. So patient, nice, respectful; just a great kid. He wants to be a neurosurgeon and has a 4.0. I think I'm going to write a thank you note to him and maybe his parents too. Some good pictures were the result. Tuesday I had another shoot in Philly. We shot in the gym first then went to the 'practice field' to do some stuff outside. By 'practice field' I mean over grown lot surrounded by barbed wire with a discarded washing machine. We had to go somewhere else...

Free Until Sunday - Al got back Sunday from Bora Bora but left again on Tuesday and will be back Sunday. Basically, I didn't work for SI at all in April. Boo that! I did seal up a cool deal that I'm excited about. I'm going to be going to Camp Woodward to be a Digital Photography Lab instructor for 4 weeks in August. I'm also going to be shooting while I'm there and working on stuff as well as teaching little Tony Hawk wannabes. I'm really excited for it. I'm also going to be gone for almost 3 weeks in June at the National Senior Olympic Games in Pittsburgh!

Olives - On a completely different note, I've been eating lots of olives lately. if you didn't know, my favorite food as listed in my baby book is 'Green Olives.' I eat 6 at lunch everyday. Not sure what the health benefits/risks are but I just love olives. My mom bought my (2) 36-ounce jars from Costco. The jars in the stores that you are most familiar with is approx. 7 ounces...

Ponderings - If when using a land line phone only the caller pays for the call, why do both the caller and recipient pay for all cell phone calls? It's not this way in Europe. I think we are being double charged and the companies are charging us twice and making twice as much money as they should be. However, it is my understanding that this is the reason telemarketers cannot call your cell, because you the receiver of the call have to pay for the call too. Would ridding this practice open the door to telemarketing calls on our cells?

Business Cards - Some of you may have seen my prototype business cards that will be made in the near future. I'd like to announce that there will be a hold on those due to the following reasons: Ryan needs to give me the fonts and some font guidance, I may be changing my cell phone # to a 215 area code, I don't feel like researching printing options. When I get them, I'll be giving them out like dollars at a strip club so stayed tuned.

More? I'd type more but I think I have carpel tunnel syndrome and my wrists hurt. Also I need something else to write about later in the week.

the bottom line: I'm on the verge of greatness, someone important just needs to realize this. Olive you all very much! Thanks for reading.

Reject If Button Is Up

2005-04-17T13:26:00.000-04:00

Certain Death? - For lunch today I drank a Snapple Lemon Iced Tea with my sandwich. I shake it the cool way before opening. You know banging on the bottom so you hear the button on the top. Today there was no 'pop' to the safety seal button. It smelled fine and looked like tea. I drank it; all of it. If I'm not around tomorrow, this is why...

Long Awkward Silence

2005-04-16T22:43:00.000-04:00

Missed a Few Days - So much has happened since I last posted I can't even remember it all. I'll try sum it up the best I can.

Competence - If you are a high school football coach one might assume you have some level of competence, right? Even more so if you are the Director of Admissions at a private school. One would only dream...So I have to photograph 2 guys this month as some freelance work. I generally speak with the coach of the athlete to set them up because I don't like calling high school aged kids and asking them to take their picture; sorry just not me. I called this guy Friday, left a message. Nothing. Called him Sunday around 2pm. Sounded like I woke him up and he was still drunk. We got cut off three times. I had established the shoot would be Thursday or Friday of this week and told him I'd call back Tuesday to confirm everything. At the time I wasn't sure of the weather. Called Tuesday; cell and work. Nothing. Called Wednesday morning; cell and work. Nothing. Called Wednesday evening; cell. He called back sometime late Wednesday night when I didn't answer. He said he didn't have a jersey at the time and Friday would be best. Called Thursday; home, cell and work. Twice. Nothing. Called Friday morning; home, cell and work. Nothing. The shoot WAS Friday. I didn't go because I didn't have confirmation. How does this guy have a job? It's not hard to call someone back and say something. What if I was flying in for this shoot? Hopefully we get somewhere, otherwise I'm calling his parents and he doesn't want that!

Still A Loser - In another I stated I was a loser for some reason. Well, I'm still a loser and I'm out of shape! It's been nice like everyday this week and it's only getting nicer. I'm talking sunny and 70's. What do I do? Sit inside and watch TV, use the computer, download cool fonts, do photo stuff. What should I be doing? Anything outside! One day I got it together and rode my bike to the post office (our mailman still sucks) to mail my overly complex taxes. It's really not that far away; 1.5 miles at most. I was dead tired at the end of it and my legs were burning! I'm a sad excuse for an in-shape looking person. I hope to change that this summer. Be on the lookout for a 'bigger' Steve.

Website - I bought a website. I'm really excited about it. It's the first step in having a website. The next step is to design and build my site. This will approximately take 3-9 months because I'm slow and won't get to it. Any who, the address is www.steveboylephoto.com and it also gives me e-mail. So now you can also e-mail me at steve@steveboylephoto.com

the bottom line: Shannon comes on Wednesday and it's going to be beautiful outside!

Lowered Expectations...madTV....anyone?

2005-04-08T14:03:00.000-04:00

Still Hate Blockbuster - As you may recall they were going to refund me the $21 they incorrectly charged me. I thought the process was simple and easy, but I forgot what company I was dealing with. So what did they REALLY do? They charged me $21 again...so now there is $42 on my credit card for no reason. I called them back questioning the charge. Apparently they have a processing glitch or some shit in which all the credits for the past 2 days were actually debits. Yea, that's a real unfortunate error for you guys, whores. I'd like to convince them that I died, so they never bother me again.

Wednesday's Shoot - I had a shoot with a baseball player who's father claims he is #1 in the state by some group of people. He's a nice kid, that's most important to me. Well the rental place forgot to give me a key component to the lighting setup. Basically I couldn't use a soft box (it makes the light soft and flattering to the subject). The light I had to use was harsh, very harsh. (lots of dark shadows) I made it work. I also forgot to gel my strobes so the pictures looked a little blue. (I use a 1/4 warming gel to warm up and image...ever take art? blue=cool, red/orange=warm). Anyway, I hated the images and thought I could have done a much better job. Of course the magazine liked them, so I'm cool, but I don't like giving them average work. Al always told me, "Make your failures acceptable to others." I'm on my way there!

Merry (Photo) Christmas! - Five (5) boxes of goodies came via UPS yesterday. It was seriously like Christmas, except every gift was awesome. I spent the rest of the day playing with it and organizing the cases for optimum space, storage and protection. I haven't even tested it yet, but it really looks great and will prevent 50,000 trips to and from Philly.

Random... - My friend from down the street called me yesterday to go to a BBQ. It was hardly a BBQ, but it was fun nonetheless. I got there at about 6:30pm and we didn't eat until 9pm. We were waiting on this kid from Germany. Damn Europeans and their sense of time. Anyway, I had no idea he was coming and turned out to be a very intelligent and very interesting fellow. The best days are ones that turn out in some way you never would have imagined when you woke up.

Girl Theory - Bare with me on this, I think I might be onto something deep. This is a theory relating to girls from your high school and their level of hotness then and now. Don't ask me what spawned this idea, just listen. If a girl was hot, pretty, etc in high school, she has declined in the looks category 4 years later. Hot girls then are not hot now, in short. Girls that were marginal or average looking in high school are hotter now, surpassing the hotness of the hot girls who were hot in high school. In summary, the girls that were 8's or 9's in high school are now 5's - 7's and the girls that were 5's-7's in high school are now 9's and 10's! This holds true to over 85% of the girls from my high school, what about yours...think about it, take some time and really think of specific examples.

the bottom line: Wake up each day with zero expectations, you'll never be let down. Screw Blockbuster and those marginal girls from high school who are smokin' hot now!

I would have started my new job today...

2005-04-05T23:06:00.000-04:00

BOYCOTT BLOCKBUSTER! - Perhaps the worst company ever is Blockbuster. As you may know they are being sued for their "no late fees" claims. I also ran into trouble with them about 3 years ago when I returned a movie to the return slot. They never got it and charged my account and eventually suspended it until it was resolved. "Are you sure you didn't put it in the trash can?" Yes, I'm not blind. Since then I have always walked the movie into the store and handed it to the clerk. Screw the weird looks I get, it's not my fault your company is dumb. After having words with the manager and him changing his story on me, I went to Blockbuster Corporate and finally had everything taken care of. Since then I joined Blockbuster online. I canceled it after one month because it was so slow. My account ended on March 2. Yesterday I got an email from them saying I didn't return a movie and they were charging me. I called today ready to go off, but the nice girl solved the problem in 2 seconds. (They probably out source their customer service) As of today they will join the list of businesses that I boycott.

Mo Money - I spent lots of money on lots of lighting equipment today. I hate spending large sums of money. It makes me feel weird. The only brightside is when the package comes and it's like Christmas photo-style!

Highlight of the Day - Lauren called me around 8pm EST. "Hi Scuba, I'm really drunk on the train." We talked for a while and caught up on the all the gossip. It was good to chat, but I know the real reason she called. Dan wouldn't talk to her because she was drunk; smart man!

A New Face to Wagamama - I haven't peeped their website in a long so I did today. Their new "mascot" is the close relative of the little yellow AIM guy. Take a look...he's like the Asian American version. Still the greatest restaurant chain EVER!!! Whoever is the first to open these in NYC is going to be rich, real quick. I tried already, they turned me down. Something about they only let seasoned restaurant operators open new franchises.

the bottom line: - If a business screws with you, boycott them. If you have money, save it. If your friend calls you drunk, just listen. If the little AIM guy hasn't evolved in 10+ years, how does he have relatives?

Happy DST!

2005-04-04T00:30:00.000-04:00

I Recline My Airline Seat!! - When you fly on a plane the seats can be reclined. I recline mine as soon we are airborne. I don't give a shit about the people behind me because the seats are engineered not to compromise much legroom in the reclined position. It is every persons right to recline their seat and no one can get mad about it. With that said, after my first class flight from PHL to CMH I reclined as soon as we took off. I was tired and starting sleeping. I was awakening to a jolting of my seat. Someone used it as a handhold to get up and use the restroom. Back to sleep. More jolting, rocking, hitting, etc of my seat. Fuck this. My solution...I farted. You just ruined it for the whole cabin now. Bad idea. I kept my seat back until the attendant told me to put it forward. When leaving the plane I checked out the angry passenger. It was a smokin' hot girl aged anywhere from 16-20 with nice tits. She was really pretty...I wish it reclined further! Bitch!

I can see you... - With the help of my dear friend Ryan P. I have now activated a tracking device on my blog. Anytime you visit this site, you are being watched. I like knowing who comes here, what they do, and everything else this tracker provides me.

Opening Day - Tomorrow is opening day in Philadelphia. I'll be there, working. My excitement level is 7 out of 10. It's only going to be 56 degrees and I have stay in the workroom and transmit because the magazine closes on Monday. Also coming up this is a shoot of a baseball player for SchoolSports. It will be my last time renting lighting equipment as I'll be blowing my load on a bunch of new gear later in the week! I'm really looking forward to it!

the bottom line: - Contrary to what many of you may think, I get angry at hot bitches too and if she ever visited my blog, I'd track her sorry ass.

Road Trip

2005-03-31T06:12:00.000-05:00

...with a little help from a plane - Columbus (Ohio State) --> South Bend (Notre Dame) --> Rossburg, OH (Eldora Speedway) --> Columbus

the bottom line: Be back Sunday.

Ready for April?

2005-03-30T23:18:00.000-05:00

I am!! - It was mostly sunny and 65 here today. I washed and waxed my car. She looks great, just needs an internal cleaning to complete the makeover. My dad was remulching the yard so the air was permeated with that ever associated smell of spring...wet mulch.

Not Just April Fool's - April 1 is also Drive Your Lawn Mower to Work Day according to the April 4th issue of Sports Illustrated. While this is common practice in the Midwest, I invite all you city dwellers, especially those in NYC to warm up their X-Series, throw it into rabbit and be in the door by 9!

Alternative Lifestyle - In a brief mention in this week's SI, it notes that the Japan Amateur Sumo Federation has declining participation. Their solution is to allow the youngsters to grapple in bike shorts (finally I can get a good price for all of mine) with cloth thongs over top. I assure that this was the precise reason I did not join the swim team when I was young. I despised those banana hammocks. If current swimsuit technology were in place today, i.e. bike short looking suits, I would have had a great swimming career. My life would have been drastically different. I would have swum for at least 5 years before I joined my high school's team. FACT: My high school swim team was ranked #1 in the US during my senior year. Michael Phelps and I would have been best friends although I probably would have been in the car with him when he got his DUI...

Back to Earth Now - Since I am who I am and not an Olympic swimmer (damn Speedos) I am trying to get something together with Camp Woodward. I'd like to go out there for a few weeks and work with their campers and pros. I applied for their 'Digital Photography Lab Instructor' to see where that leads.

the bottom line: Could you imagine me riding a lawn mower to a photograph a sporting event wearing a skimpy crotch cover? Of course it would be sunny and 65 out!

It Was A Good Day...

2005-03-28T23:05:00.003-05:00

Thanks! - I want to thank all my friends for all of their birthday wishes. All day today my e-mail, cell phone (both with calls and texts), my instant messenger and my facebook page were blowing up with birthday greetings. I'm not trying to sound extra or popular. I owe it all to technology and the facebook birthday reminder feature. Even though I have no friends around here, I think that if I had a wedding or I died, lots of people would come and that's nice to know. It warms the heart, especially when it pours rain all day long. Thanks God.

Fez - I'm all for trying new things and the Moroccan (located in Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Western Sahara) restaurant we went to was really cool. I loved the food and the atmosphere of the place. It was small and dark and moody. There were rugs/sheets covering the walls, ceiling, and floor. We sat on low couches with tons of pillows and ate off of a large golden tray with our hands. Let me walk you through the courses of the 'Fez Feast,' which I devoured.

1. Harira (Traditional hearty soup flavored with tomato and lentils) - It was yummy. We ate with huge wooden spoons. Good times.
2. Salads (CARROT SALAD...Carrots, garlic, onion, white vinegar, oil and special spices. EGGPLANT SALAD...Eggplant slowly simmered in oil, special spices, tomato, garlic and onion. Served cold. GREEN SALAD...Tomato, cucumber, sweet pepper, garlic, onion, vinegar, oil and special spice) - We had all three with traditional Moroccan bread. You use your hands so it got messy real quick. I wasn't a fan of the Eggplant.
3. Bastilla (Sweet, seasoned pie in the best Moroccan tradition. Baked layers of thin pastry sheets (ouarqa). Stuffed with minced chicken, almonds and saffron. Sprinkled with cinnamon and powdered sugar. - As weird a combination as this sounds it was really really good. My favorite food of the evening.
4. Lemon & Olive Chicken It was your basic chicken with lemon and olive seasoning, nothing new here. It was really tender and fell off the bone.
5. Lamb with Honey & Almonds So yummy, plain and simple. Pretty messy/sticky, oh well, that's why my napkin was a small towel.
6. Vegetable Couscous I'm not a huge fan of any couscous, so I left most of this dish to my parents.
7. Hot Herbal Mint Tea Best tea I've ever had, hands down.
8. Moroccan Pastries I don't know what the hell these were, but mine had a candle on it!

The highlights of the evening were the Fez-wearing waiter and the group washing of hands performed before the meal. It would be a great place for a small group of friends to go or a fun date. For you smokers, they have hookahs too!

Gifts - I got some money from friends and relatives. I got a paycheck from Time Inc. and SchoolSports in the mail today too! Shannon got me a clock. It's so fucking money, you have no idea!

Annually - Bad things happen on this date throughout history. Some eerie examples...1979 - 3-mile Island nuclear accident...1982 - First NCAA Women's Basketball Championship (eventually gives way to WNBA, worst league ever!)...1964 - 9.2 earthquake strikes Alaska, the strongest ever to hit North America...1766 - Mt. Vesuvius erupts, again...1969 - Eisenhower dies...2005 - aftershocks frighten Indonesia...I think other volcanoes have erupted on this day too, but I can't find them right now. Also annually my dad takes a picture of me. I sit in the same wooden rocking chair, in the same corner of my room. I know have 23 pictures like this. It's fun to look at. I got from little tiny Steve to huge Steve that is bigger than the chair!

the bottom line: Don't be anywhere near a fault line or volcano on March 28, just be near me!

It Was A Good Day...

2005-03-28T23:05:00.002-05:00

It Was A Good Day...

2005-03-28T23:05:00.001-05:00

2005-03-28T23:05:00.000-05:00

Soy Un Perdedor

2005-03-27T10:15:00.000-05:00

Happy Easter! - Forgive me father for I have sinned, it has been 4 days since my last blog.

Easter Thoughts and Ideas - As of last week I wasn't going to be home on Easter. We were supposed to be shooting the NCAA Women's regional in Philly. Plans changed and instead I went to Ohio on Saturday and came back early Sunday morning. Not early enough though. I got to my house at 9:05am. My parents were just returning from church. They couldn't wait and went to 8am mass. Thanks mom and dad! On another more serious life changing note, I'm redefining Easter. All of the other holidays have some type of drinking associated with it. Examples - St. Patrick's Day with green beer, Thanksgiving, with the night before being the biggest drinking night of the year, Christmas, with eggnog, New Year's Eve, with the parties, 4th of July, with the family BBQ's, Memorial Day, all those Monday holidays, etc, etc. The list goes on, but it doesn't include Easter! I'm proposing a change. Easter will now be the wine-drinking holiday. Easter=drinking wine. Let's put Easter on the alcoholic map, together we can!

New Career - Maureen thinks I should become a writer because I have great writing skills, hunting skills, bow staff skills...I agreed, but with one condition...Fiscus would be permanently attached to my hip during all working hours. I like to write, I like to be myself with my words. I just hate all the damn rules. You must spell shit right, follow grammar rules, too many things have to be perfect. Also, Maureen beat me in my NCAA pool.

23 and.....something something la la la - It's part of a DMB song. Someone help me out. Since I have no friends I'm going to dinner with my parents to celebrate my birthday tomorrow. We are going to Fez, a Moroccan place downtown. I found it by flipping through a coupon book and chose it based on one picture. It might suck, but you get an 8-course meal and are able to sit on pillows! The belly dancers are only there Friday and Saturday. Damn!

the bottom line: I'm going to remain a photographer because I'm used to being neglected, even on my birthday, the day after Easter.

You Know That Song From Empire Records About Money? The Title Of This Post Is The Title Of That Song

2005-03-23T18:50:00.000-05:00

Taxes - To those who have not done their taxes for 2004 yet...I have some recommendations...do not get w2's and 1099's from 6 different companies while living in 2 states, being a student and claiming as self-employed...it really just complicates things...a lot! I met with my (read father's) accountant today. Our appointment was supposed to be one hour, we thought it would be fun to stay for 2! We aren't sure what I'm going to get back or owe...she has to consult her peers to figure out the best things for me. I always have problems that no one else does. I'm a problem pioneer!

Beef of the Year - Show-Me States Games - I did some work for them last summer. I was their "official photographer." I was paid a sum of money for my work; not nearly what I should have been but a sum. The rest of the money was written up as a "donation" and I was told I could use it as a tax deduction come April. Guess what, that's a load of shit. You cannot put a value to your time and consider it a donation. i.e. - what makes my time worth more than yours? the money I can make in that time compared to what you can make in that time is the answer...but to prove that you need to get paid, then write a check back to them for a donation. I was screwed. I emailed them to alert them of the truth. I'm not looking to start a fight or get money out of them. I want them to know that they lied to me, screwed me out of money, and shouldn't do it to other people in the future.

I Can Get in the Most F***ed Up Situations - So lately when I'm bored and waiting for the mail I've been looking at jobs again on lots of different sites. Yesterday I applied for a photo editor position. Today I got offered the job. Um, small problem..I sort of have a job and was just seeing if I'd get a response. Well I did. Then I learned more about this job and had to really make a decision about it. The details are as follows. It is a 3-month contract with AOL as a photo editor working in news and sports in Dulles, Virginia. The hours are 5:30pm - 2:00am Tuesday through Saturday. Pay is $40/hour (about $80,000 a year) with benefits. I would start April 3. I don't think it's going to work out. I have nowhere to live, I have a commitment with Sports Illustrated, and Shannon is moving here 2 months. Perhaps in the near future...cause that's good money!

the bottom line: Money is the center of the universe. Life revolves around $$$$$, until you start your own village (see previous post)!!

Home Again, For Awhile

2005-03-21T22:41:00.000-05:00

Indy - I had a good time. The games at our site were probably the least exciting of all the sites. No real upsets and no super close awesome games. I ran 2 remotes during all the games, everything went smoothly. I made one picture of Jihad Muhammad from Cincinnati getting upended. I doubt they use it since they lost. The days of the games were very long and I got almost no sleep. Our days off were relaxing and eating good food. I like Indianapolis, it's a nice little city.

Places NOT to go while in Indy - Mo's - The atmosphere is great, the waitress' are hot, but it's overpriced and not that awesome of food. My dinner got me $75 and all I had was an 8-ounce filet mignon, spinach, potatoes, and water.

Places you NEED to go while in Indy - Fountain Square Theatre Building - Caution their website does not do the place justice. I ran into Jeff Thompson, a fellow Mizzou grad and all around great guy. Myself, him, and his co-worker Ted went to lunch and then got bored. I had peeped the booklet from the NCAA about Indy and found out they had Duckpin Bowling. I have been trying to find a place to play that game since I was a teenager!! I convinced them both to go...it was a great idea! Not only was duckpin bowling really fun and really hard, but also the place that houses all this stuff was magnificent. This building was 'the spot' in Indy from like the 1920's until the 60's I think. I got a milkshake at a 50's style diner that made me feel like I was in Back to the Future. After talking up the elevator operator of 11 years, we got a tour of the building. The 4th floor was a 1920's themed duckpin bowling alley. It was honestly one of the beautiful rooms I've ever been in. I had the urge to change into dress from the era, but I didn't have any...I'd love to through a party there, it would be a rockin' good time. Anyway, if you go to Indy you have to go this place, it's just spectacular.

Sleep Study - I talked to a friend of mine who is a nurse at a hospital downtown. She knew about the sleep study. Here's the scoop. They are studying the sleeping habits of people when there is no condition that tells time of day. ie - no day or night, no clocks, no newspaper, no TV, no cell phones, etc. She said you could watch movies and I'm assuming you can read books. They feed you anytime you say you are hungry...here's the kicker...you don't know when it's over. Think about that, it'd be weird. Pay is for sure over $2000 for 12 days. I really want to try it. I don't care if I suffer, I want to experience it, have that story to tell, and $2000 in my pocket. I'll find the time soon enough.

I Love Mail - If you didn't know I love mail; voicemail, e-mail, USPS mail, whatever! I got home on Sunday and my neighbor had taken care of our mail. I retrieved when I got home. I could have sworn it was Christmas!!! I got Sports Illustrated, Maxim, ESPN, a FedEx package with some Cubs tickets, a UPS package with the February issue of School Sports (looks awesome), a package from Amazon.com, a package from Lands End, checks from TIME and Show-Me, and lots of other less important mail. I was in heaven!!!

Random Link That Scares Me - Toothing The combination of wireless technology and sex.

the bottom line: I'd live in Indy if it was on the east coast. I'd live in a room similar to a cave and escape from reality for weeks, but I'd get mail in my cave!

See Ya

2005-03-16T04:58:00.000-05:00

Missouri is Great - at losing and making sure that people who can't do their job well stick around! You suck TIgers, goodbye Quin!

Peace - Gone to Indy, be back Sunday!

Change of Pace

2005-03-15T21:13:00.000-05:00

New Hair - Went to the barbershop today. I like my hair, Shannon hates it; says it's too short. Good thing she didn't know me when I took a Bic razor to my entire head. She's not here either, so it's all good. News Flash about Barbershops!!! They aren't cheap anymore! $15 ($13+$2 tip) for the trim today; last time I went it was like $9.95. I also forgot that when you go to a barber you have to shower/wash your head when you come home just to make it through the day. That's not the case with a salon.

WWYD? - What would you do? While in the barbershop chair, minding my own business, sitting still, raising my head, you know, being a good customer. A guy comes into the shop, little overweight, about mid-40's, sits down pretty close to 'our' chair; well the chair with the action in it. He proceeds to tell the guy cutting my hair that isn't doing so well. The way I'm seated, I'm facing right at this guy, like 2 feet away. His father was just killed in a hit and run in NYC. "He got hit so hard, his brains and insides were all over the street." What do I do!? The barber says 'I'm Sorry,' but what do I do? Do I say 'I'm Sorry' and act like I'm close with this guy? I tried to keep staring at the floor and luckily after a few seconds, I was spun away from the heartbroken man. Seriously, how awkward is that situation? and why do you get a haircut right before going to NYC to visit the rest of the family?

Time for Change - Today was busy; a stark contrast from the past 5. I had to run all kinds of errands, both personal and work related. The real fun of the day was that I got to act like Mr. Electrician/Mr. Fix-It. I had to manufacture some cords for use in Indy this week. These cords would probably cost $45 dollars from a photo store if they actually made them. I made 4 for about $20. I used a soldering iron for the first time. My novice skills left 4 burn marks in the table and one slightly desensitized middle finger. Oops! The cords all work though and they look good too!

Sleep Study - The people from UPenn called me back. Here are the details of their next study. You must stay at the hospital in a lab from March 31 - April 11. That's 11 nights and 12 days, 24 hours a day. There are 3 screening sessions required before that, one must be completed this week. Holy Shit! 12 days in a hospital! I would have done it had I not had to attend a screening session this week. I'm guessing the pay for this one was around $2500, though they didn't say. The woman said I could call back after this study to get info about the next one. I'm really curious and want to do it. What goes on in these studies? I want to know! Maybe they suck and are really boring, but maybe its like a freakin' party and you live like a king! Who knows?

Lack of Sleep - Speaking of sleep, I have to leave at 5:45am tomorrow to go to Indianapolis. I'll be hitting the pillows at the conclusion of the Real World special.

the bottom line: There probably aren't awkward situations in a hospital lab, which is what I'm preparing for by cutting my hair this short.

Fun Day So Far

2005-03-14T13:40:00.000-05:00

I'm In - I got a call back from the smoking study people. I made the first cut and set up a visit on April 4th. It's a study about the effects of smoking on heart disease. I'm the control. I get a free health check-up, EKG, ultrasound of my arteries, etc. all the good stuff...which is great when you don't have good health insurance. Anyway, after the screening which takes 2 hours I have to go back for one full day (8 hours). They pay me $300...Still waiting a call for the sleep study.

Boredom Leads to Great Things! - A great example of that is this video that I produced, directed, edited, and star in. Be sure to have Quicktime and your sound up! Not really a good idea for the workplace though! Click here. (3.8mb) Enjoy!

...more later...have a good Monday!

2005-03-13T23:52:00.000-05:00

Great Morning! - Let me tell you about a little friend of mine. His name is Pisa Crapp, I call him P.C. for short. We hang out no more than once a week. I don't miss him one bit, he usually sucks. Not a reliable friend, you know the type. He's not very compatible with anything and always gets sick. He craves attention, but he's still grumpy after he gets it. Anyway, I had to hang out with P.C. today, he helps me buy tickets, it's the only way I can. So while getting started he says to me, verbatim...WARNING: Immediately back-up your data and replace your hard disk drive. A failure may be imminent....who says that!? Fucking PC, piece of shit.

Mo' Money - During lunch I was reading the classifieds, because well, when I don't work I feel worthless. I found a sleep study at UPenn that pays $400-$2300. I'll call in the morning and get back to you.

Even Mo' Money - I had to run to the airport to pick someone up. Best part is I got a day rate plus mileage. Not bad for sitting around 95% of the day being bored.

TBS - Still at the top of the charts. The Truman Show, Ace Ventura, Road Trip. You can't touch them.

the bottom line: Don't ever buy a computer without an apple on it; it's ok, you can afford it, just whore yourself out in the name of medicine!

Blog Motherf***er!

2005-03-12T21:47:00.000-05:00

TBS - When did TBS become the coolest station out there? They play the most money movies and have great re-runs all day long. Kudos to TBS for stepping it up and reaching out to the cool kids.

Full House - True Hollywood Story airs Sunday night at 8/7c. Be sure to tune in because you want to know what really went on behind the scenes and want to see all the girls grown up. FYI - Stephanie is hot.

Eurotrip - Viewed this flick tonight. It was all right. The main guy, Scotty, has this computer that says, 'Mail Motherfucker,' every time he gets an e-mail from this hot German girl with nice tits. Anyway, when I get a blackberry, I'm going to make it say that!

Driving Tip of the Day - Imagine this situation...You are driving down the road and are approaching a red light. There's say 15 cars in front of you, so it's backed up for a little while. It's a line of cars long enough to block a couple streets. Say there is a car waiting to turn into the huge line from one of the streets that the line blocks. Do you approach and hug the bumper of the car behind you screwing the guy trying to pull out? or do you stop a car length back and let the guy pull out in front of you because you can't go anywhere anyway? ANSWER: fuck you 3 people that felt the need to not let me out, you got, what, 15 feet closer the red light? what's the point?

Tickets - Bought some U2 tickets today. I would have had more but the program we use fucked me in ass and got 4 primo seats canceled. Hopefully I can redeem myself on Sunday and Monday.

Hair - I've decided to go to Mickey's Barbershop. I'm going Tuesday before I leave for Indy, around 10am. I have to leave time for all the old guys to leave, but have to get there before the lunch rush.

the bottom line: I'm getting bored being alone, all I have is TV, movies, and asshole drivers.

So I Was Thinking

2005-03-11T21:57:00.000-05:00

The Village - I've seen this movie, have you? After watching Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring during dinner and nearly 3 hours past completion, I've decided not only that it's way to long, but that I want to return to the olden days of which I never knew. I want to live in an era where my sole purpose in life is to crow crops, raise animals and have male children. I want to barter with my neighbors and wake up with the sun. I'm going to work out the plans for a small community like the one in 'The Village.' I'll search for the land and some old Halloween costumes. I'm going to need a diverse mix of men and women to join me, I'd say 5 of each. Homosexuals won't cut it, sorry, but all races are welcome. Keep in mind the 10 of us will all be procreating with each other so no diseases or anything. Who's with me!?

Another Slow Day - The mail came early and I put my iTrip on eBay.

Corn - Some may think this is gross, but too bad. I just visited the restroom and it prompted a question. What is the purpose of corn? I like to eat it, it tastes good, but it looks EXACTLY the same when it comes out the other end. Does my body take anything from it at all? What can it take without changing the appearance whatsoever other than the butter!?

the bottom line: The world we live in sucks, I'd rather live stress free like in the old days, except there would be no corn.

Slow Day

2005-03-10T20:50:00.000-05:00

Highlight of the Day - New jar of mayonnaise and bottle of mustard for lunch today! A new jar of mayonnaise is so pure and perfect, until I destroy it with my knife! The mustard is nice, but just not as cool. All it offers is no shaking for delivery.

Movies of the Day - I watched 'Breast Men' this afternoon during lunch. It's David Schwimmer's first (I think) movie. It's about the silicone breast implant. It's an OK movie. I think I had only seen it on TV in the past, so the plethora of breasts was a good mid-day snack. Next possible viewing: > one year. During dinner I viewed 'Mean Girls.' If not for all the smokin' hot ladies, it would have sucked. It's for sure a chick movie about how girls are catty sluts. Next possible viewing: never.

The Future - I leave for Indy on March 16 and return March 20 as of now. There are onsales Friday-Monday so I can make some cash this weekend. I booked a room (read cabin) for when Shannon visits in April. My birthday is in 17 days.

Product Thoughts - This is just like a product review but different! It will be my thoughts on something, in these cases, some things that I like yet ponder.

ChapStick - Like Kleenex and Rollerblade, ChapStick is a brand name that has become the standard. I firmly believe that this company makes 95% of its sales based on the facts that no one ever finishes a tube, they just lose it. If you did a survey of all the people that use the product, I predict that each owner owns at least 3. They probably think they have 2, but they really have 3 in their possession; one is just lost and not yet found. I have yet to meet a person that actually has finished a tube. When I was younger I emptied one and thought it would be cool to stash drugs in. The problem was I never did drugs so I never tested it. So congrats to the people at ChapStick who continue to sell people the same thing over and over again even though they already have it. Genius!

The Refrigerator - If you can't tell, kitchen appliances really fascinate me. Today I was fascinated by the current design of the standard refrigerator. I would like to thank the man that decided to put shelves on the doors. Surely the first 'cooling boxes' did not have door shelves. I know they don't increase the storage volume of the unit, because you just extend the shelves, their genius lies elsewhere. By placing the food items on the door it doubles the 'front and centerness' of your food. Without door shelves there was only one row of items that could be on the frontlines and be effortlessly picked up. The door shelves doubled that number. Genius! What's next, a door to open after the first door? Refrigerators designed after accordions? Who knows? The future of kitchen appliances is bright!

the bottom line: I like girls, boobs, gadgets and love to wonder about senseless ideas. One of these days one of my ideas that I ponder will be the next craze!

Hello Wednesday!

2005-03-09T10:44:00.000-05:00

My Personal Hell - would be driving at 5mph in heavy traffic for eternity. Some people that have ridden with me think I'm an angry driver, have road rage, etc. It's not that, honestly. I just have a ZERO tolerance policy for stupidity. If there is a sign that says 'No Turn on Red' and you turn, you are stupid. Also, related to driving, people that own the Hummer H2 are wannabes. The people that deserve to own those vehicles we ourselves should never see because they live in the middle of nowhere. Even then, the original Hummer is the shit, even at $130,000 or so. The people at Hummer are going to keep making it smaller until it’s just like an Explorer or Expedition or Suburban. I guess they have to to make any money, but they are still pointless. The whole concept of the car is lost in the luxury versions of the vehicle. Even now, the newest luxury Jeeps can't handle 2 seconds off-road and that's bullshit. These vehicles were designed to do ill shit that no other car could do. Now they are just as mainstream as Taurus and as useless as those car-trucks from the 70's that never took off. People that live in a city that drive a Hummer are even dumber than the snobby suburbanites that do.

Hold it...Hold it - Photographing seven guys at once is hard. That's it, it's just plain hard. There's always one that fucks up the shot. Equally hard is arranging 4 people for a cover that isn't boring or stupid looking. To add to the level of difficulty we were in a gym while the basketball team was practicing. The pictures would have been better had we been on an actual track, but the weather outside yesterday mimicked the frozen tundra of northern Alaska.

Dream Job - If I couldn't be a photographer I would be a product evaluator for Consumer Reports. Perhaps when I retire I'll be a traffic court judge or police officer assigned to traffic law. I'd love to make cops and citizens alike, feel dumb for not knowing the rules of the road.

I'd be awesome at it - I think on my blog I'm going to evaluate some products that I use. Whether the products rocks or blows ass, I'll be straight with you and speak in a language you can understand. Listen and Learn...

Griffen iTrip - I thought it was cool at first, but this useless piece of shit is only for people who live where there are no radio stations. But why would they buy it? If they live where there is barely any radio, they clearly don't enjoy music! Don't waste your money, this thing sucks like your momma.

Glade Scented Oil for your Car - 5 stars here. This little gem has a high upfront cost, but I have no problem paying money for good shit. It clips onto any vent and instantly makes your car reek like mountain air or tropical moment (my fav). These things last for months, seriously. You get tired of looking at it and anxious to change it before it runs out. You can buy refills so it’s economic, right!? Just be sure you remove the clear plastic top covering the little stem, otherwise it won't smell.

Home Alone - My parents leave tomorrow until the 21st for vacation to Cali. I'll be bored with nothing to do, unless I get called to go somewhere. If anyone wants to party, give me a call!

Hair Raising Dilemma - It's time for a haircut. Last time I cut my own hair, I just shaved it all with a #3. For my new cutting I'm debating the following options. #1 - I could go to my hot girl at the nearby salon. The reason I go to salons are because I love when people shampoo my head. It feels good. I also like looking at all the hot girls that work at them and go them for various services. Salons also do a good job on my pseudo widows peak, which is ugly if not taken care of. The only drawback is the cost and ease of appointments. #2 - Go to a barbershop. I haven't been to a barbershop in like 6 years. These guys master the fade, which I require on my next do. The price is cheap and they really clean you up well. I hate sitting there for what seems like hours watching fat ugly men get their hair cut. Striking up a conversation with an old man is much less appealing to me than talking to a freaking hot chick whose boobs rub against the whole time she's cutting my hair. Please voice your opinions on what I should do. Be sure to note there is more to a haircut than the end result.

the bottom line: My Birthday is March 28th.

As Newsy as It's Gonna Get

2005-03-08T11:07:00.000-05:00

Shannon got accepted at West Chester! Woohoo! Ryan what do have to say...still waiting...

It's Going To Be A BIG One!

2005-03-07T23:01:00.000-05:00

It's been one hell of a long week and I've got lots of random shit to share and get of my chest. Approx amount of your time this post will waste: 3-4 min.

Florida I left on Tuesday right after I shoveled some of the driveway. It was so nice and warm down there. I really enjoy wearing a pair of shorts after a long winter of covered legs. If you haven't seen my legs, you are really missing out. Portrait of some Blue Jays players on Wednesday; Yes, the Blue Jays...the writer dressed, practiced, played and was cut during 5 or so days of Spring Training. Thursday we basically had off. I started my day with an alligator omelet at Lenny's. It tasted like a cross between chicken and seafood, I wouldn't eat it again. However, the cheesy twisty fried doughy cheese twists are yummy!! It was freaking cold and gray and rainy and windy too! I saw Million Dollar Baby. Little long, but great movie. I loved the lighting, well done. Wednesday my friend's dad passed away. He was 57. My roommate James, from NY, you probably remember him. I found out late that night, I cried myself to sleep. I can't help but imagine my dad passing and trying to feel James' pain. Friday morning, Jim Thome was on the to do list. After waiting for hours in the 70-degree sunny weather while watching BP, Thome finally came over to see me wearing his jersey and sitting in his spot in the dugout. (I fill that thing up better than him, by the way) We smushed 2 shoots into 1 and a half and called it a day. A pic from this event will come shortly and be linked here. Bye bye Florida...

TPA to PHL Usually when I fly I don't sit next to anyone cool. I'd love to talk to my temporary neighbor for any flight, but 19/20 times that person sucks. Not this flight! I peeped this tall blonde in the gate area and cut in front of her to board the plane. She was about my age. (23 in 20 days!) She ended up being in the middle seat while I had the window. I first spoke to her when I asked her to return my wet blanket to the overheard compartment. I have no idea how it got wet, but I certainly didn't want to snuggle with it. She showed no emotion during this one-sided exchange of words. She was uncomfortable the whole flight; I read her body language. She looked shy and inexperienced as an air traveler. She spoke to me when she bumped me with her huge purse and when she handed the trash to the 'trash lady' (new term for stewardess). I tried to think of something to say but she looked so awkward with her bright pink CD player. When the lights went out on the plane, I turned her light on for her so she could continue to read. Thinking I'd get an "Aw, that's nice, thanks;" not only was she too dumb to figure out to turn on the light herself, but she didn't even notice that I did it for her! Where the fuck did she think the light came from? Anyway, the older uglier fatter guy to her right (aisle seat) started talking to her. Fine, take her, I don't want her. She goes to school in Rhode Island and lives in Albany. She was visiting a friend in Florida who played volleyball and was most likely hot. Her name was Lauren. By the time we landed and sat on the runway for 45minutes she wouldn't shut up. Her connection was at 8:20pm, we landed at 8:05pm. I'm confident she missed it. She was freaking out, calling her mom and yelling at her, pushing the 'call' button, calling the airline, etc. She got way out of control. I pretend to sleep with my face on the window. So much for making a new friend.

Welcome to NY James lives 2 hours away and no one else from school could make it out for the services this weekend. It was a very exhausting weekend. There were 3 wakes in 2 days, each 2 hours long. A mass on Monday morning and reception in Yonkers. I went to everything minus the reception. I cried every time I looked at James for more than a few minutes. I can't imagine what he is feeling. Luckily, his mom is like a rock. I have no idea how she held herself together the entire time. All of his friends and I lost it when she and James spoke at the mass. A very tough weekend. Please pray for James and the rest of his family. RIP John.

New Friends! James' mom has good logic. "Nora lives in Philly. Introduce her to Steve, so they can be friends in Philly." Sounds good to me. Nora is a very nice girl teaching for Teach for America in an inner-city school. She hates it. I need to get her number so we can chill. I'm always open to new people. FYI - her birthday is March 24, 4 days before mine. I plan to call her once I get her number and go to Cosi in the city to chill. We talked for a while on Saturday night and she is a good person. New friend #2: Beth. Beth has amazing eyes. She went to Syracuse, studied English, worked on the show "Guiding Light," worked at MTV, and currently works at Comedy Central doings some post-production editing. She likes writing and wants to get into that too. She gets the hiccups frequently; I showed her my magic solution. Anyway, I didn't get her number either but James has it. We talked for a long time while I caressed a suede pillow filled with soft bean-like objects. FYI - I was drunk, not nervous. The kicker is that her birthday is March 24th too! I wrote this down and plan to remember to wish my new friends Happy Birthday in 16 days!

Not My Shoes This random older guy who I later found out was a huge cokehead spilled red wine on my PIMP shoes. I chose not to do anything about it, other than clean it up.

Do you know anyone famous? Do you know me? I am currently talking with mtvU about filming me for a day while I work. It's for their show called...I forget. It's something about recent college graduates and their jobs that relate to sports or some shit. They want to follow me around in Indianapolis while I'm at the first/second rounds of the NCAA's. I'll keep you updated. Does anyone know how you view mtvU? I have no idea where it airs.

Let's Catch a Session A portrait session. I'm finally shooting those track guys from Philly. Of course the weather is going to suck so we have to do it indoors. Fuck! If you are good, I'll post some selects tomorrow or Wednesday.

the bottom line: Choose your friends carefully and live in the now, you just never know.

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

2005-03-01T10:47:00.000-05:00

In Florida, be back later this week.

the bottom line: It's sunny and 70 degrees.

I Know What You're Thinking...

2005-02-28T16:21:00.000-05:00

You thought I had given up. You thought this blog was done. You thought I couldn't keep up. WRONG. Blame Comcast, they fucked up my Internet for 90% of Sunday and I was gone all day Saturday!

Gymnastics I went up to Long Island for the American Cup; lots of gymnasts from around the world competing for a glass cup, ugly medal and some flowers. I've decided men's floor exercise is a bullshit event, its too short, uneventful and not appealing to any of my senses. Now men's high bar, that's another story! The sound of a guy falling flat on his back from about 20ft after missing the bar rivals one of the best sounds there is. At this meet I also met a girl...her name is Alicia. There I was crawling around on the floor photographing the rings competition and there she was about to do her gold medal vault. I like to say, "she fucked me with her eyes," but we really just exchanged smiles. Speaking of hot short gymnasts, there was this girl from China who came up to my waist! She didn't weigh an ounce over 60lbs, I swear! I could never be a male gymnast; they are all about 5 feet tall and look like they are 12. Never mind the fact their arms are the size of my thighs, I could still take them.

Newark I met Maureen and her main man Brian at the Newark Airport Marriot for some snacks and drinks. I'd like to confirm that he in fact does exist and seems like a great guy. I don't have photographic evidence, just trust me!

iPod Heaven It's official. I am the coolest person you know with an iPod. Forget fancy headphones, neat covers, and slicks cases. My iPod works in my car! No I don't have an FM Transmitter that doesn't work (fuck the iTrip, piece of shit) I have the real deal. I bought a new car stereo for just a little more than the price of those fancy FM Transmitters. This *new* car stereo was installed by yours truly and my father. Features include, a zillion radio presets, CD player, MP3-files-on-a cd player, neat buttons, and better sound the factory stereo. Here's kicker...it has a front panel auxiliary input. Translation: I can plug my iPod directly into the receiver with a simple cord for flawless sound and compatibility. The best part is you'll never be this cool because they stopped making it and no other reasonably priced ones with the same feature exist. My coolness is immortal!

Idea / Revelation for the day You heard it here first...the next big craze is going to be dishwashers with clear fronts! Think about it....keep thinking. No one knows what goes on inside the dishwasher. How do your plates get clean or broken? What does it look like when there is food from last week flying around at high speeds? Washers and dryers now have clear fronts, so do stoves and microwaves. Courtesy of MTV Cribs, Omarion showed me his fridge with a clear front and the freezer section in the grocery store has glass doors. The dishwasher is the only thing left. Mark my words, the next trend in kitchen appliances is going to be see through dishwashers.

the bottom line: Dishwashing and driving will never be the same again; especially for my new acrobatic wife, Alicia!

My Job, A Job, and Possible Jobs

2005-02-26T00:02:00.000-05:00

MLB Cubs tickets went on sale today for the regular season. I bought a total of 42 tickets, 6 tickets to 6 different games. My computer didn't get through until three hours after they went on sale! Using the phones was getting no one anywhere. I was done by 3pm, started at 11am. I made anywhere from about $250 - $500. How long did I work? Yes, five hours. From home nonetheless; while watching TV the whole time. Does it get any better? Not only that but its fun, I get a rush from it. I guess it's adrenaline, but it keeps me on the edge of desk chair the whole time. Will I get through on the phones or the computer? Is this game sold out? Can I get 6 together or just 4? Opening day or Red Sox or Cardinals? It's like a roller coaster! Some highs (buying the tickets you want) to the lows (waiting around for 3 hours and listening to busy signal for an hour), but it's all worth it when the checks come. To add to all these positives, I get the points on my credit card! Sweet!

Snow I shoveled more snow today. Snow removal is a weird business if you think about it. You have to pay to remove stuff that just goes away naturally. It's not like trash, which takes up space and takes years to go away. Snow just needs some heat or sun. I often wonder why no one uses flamethrowers as a means of snow obliteration.

March is coming in like lion, or is that May? This weekend and next week are crazy! If I don't write on here, don't cry. I've got a lot lined up, but it may all fall through. I'm still not used to this lifestyle of not knowing, it really takes a toll on me and those close to me.

the bottom line: When I work at any of the jobs that I have, I think they are the best and really love them, but when I don't work, it fucking blows; I sit around and check my e-mail 50 times and wait for the mailman.

Not Again...

2005-02-24T18:58:00.000-05:00

Snow It snowed again today, 3-6 inches, I didn't measure but that was the forecast. Frankly, I'm sick of snow. Don't get me wrong, I love the fluffy white stuff to frolic around in and it really cleans up the scenery around here, but this area doesn't handle it well enough for my liking. The disadvantages of snow in this part of the world outweigh the advantages. People around here think they can drive in the snow, but they can't. The snow removal methods are nothing like upstate New York, but they sure as hell are better than Missouri. It's almost March and it can't snow in March, not with all this global warming going on. Don't tell me about history, I know about blizzards in March in this area. Just not this March and not to this guy!

Villanova I have been to three (3) Villanova games this year. Ask me how many times they have rushed the court in those games...ask me! THREE! What gives? The first was a win over Kansas. Fuck Kansas, this time it was warranted, plus it was at the Wachovia Center, so the crowd was huge. Sunday, a game against Pitt (screw marketing, it's always Pitt in my world) they stormed the court again. Not everyone, just the crazies. Last night, a home game against Boston College and once again they were on the floor. This time was the worst though; not only did BC give up before halftime but the whole student section and some alumni made their way to the floor. How'd they all get on the court you ask? They all jumped over me! I nearly got trampled; not cool. If you remember the lighted ads that were on the front of the courtside tables at Missouri, 'Nova has the same deal except they wrap around the ends of the court on the one side. Think hard; you can picture what I mean. I was curled up in ball in the corner of the tables right in front of the student section. I was protecting a remote camera and myself. Everyone jumped the tables, pushing one over, relocating one from its original spot, and some stepping on me. What I believe was a full 60-seconds of students pouring over my head ended when the main table protecting me was about to break. I saw an opening and bailed, camera and all. I hope you win another game 'Nova so you get to do it again and really ruin the effect/meaning of the tradition.

the bottom line: fuck snow and screw storming the court!

Note: 'the bottom line' is going to be a fixture on this site and you are going to like it

I'm a Celebrity, Overnight

2005-02-23T11:46:00.000-05:00

Perhaps you heard someone hacked Paris Hilton's cell phone. Hilton Hacked A plethora of names and numbers were published on the web, who cares right? I do! Anna Kournikova, Ashley Olsen, Lindsay Lohan, Christina Aguilera, and Andy Roddick (for the ladies) just to name a few. Why only Ashley, maybe they only have one phone and she handles it. They are together 24/7 anyway, plus cell phones and plans are getting pricey! Drop me a line if you want their most recent cell phone number...right before they changed it. The hacker also downloaded all camera phone pictures too. Highlights include topless Paris (nothing new), Paris w/ misc. big names, and topless Paris making out with a random hot girl!

Note to my female friends: Delete X-rated pictures of yourself from your cell phones, just to be safe!

Why do you take X-rated pictures of yourself on your cell phone? So if you lose it the person who finds it can see who's phone it is and have some incentive to return because you are hot and will get naked for anything/anyone including a phone? Maybe she took them in preparation for her phone getting hacked and wanted to reach a wider market than her videos did. I personally think she took them because she is exactly like me if I were a girl. I'd play with my boobs all day and love to stare at them and show them off, don't we all? I'd make a great lesbian, trust me!

the bottom line: Only weirdoes, stalkers and perverts would actually call these numbers; I don't even know what to say. "Hi Ashley, I'm Steve...what's up?...I got your number from a hacker and was curious if you wanted to fly to Philly to have lunch or something...aight cool...yea, I don't want to get arrested...sorry to bother you."

A Slow Day in the Neighborhood

2005-02-22T19:30:00.000-05:00

Highlights of this post-President's Day Tuesday

• the mail came at 2:22pm
Not a bad day by our inconsistently tardy mail carrier, usually he delivers in the 3:30-4:00pm range. He did bring me a check from Sh*w-Me Tickets (greatest job ever) and the new Maxim (J-Love graces the cover) but no movies and no real gems. Tomorrow: SI and maybe another credit card application that I can tear up into little pieces.

• filled up for $29.00
Someone please tell me why gas is considerably cheaper in the armpit of New Jersey. I'm talking 20+ cents per gallon AND THEY PUMP IT FOR YOU! I should have got it in while I was there yesterday, I could have saved $3.00. (hint: that's a lot)

• trying to set up a photo shoot with Simon Gr*tz HS in Philly
The magazine wants seven (7) people in the opening spread, seven. For those who don't know, that's a lot of freakin' people in one picture. This poses several problems, which I have to have resolved before I take these pictures. Lucky for me though, I've got my trusty father as my assistant...I'm on my own.

• new real world tonight
Call me whatever you want to make me feel dumb for watching that show, but honestly its the only one that I watch on a regular basis. I've been dying to see MJ's hot girlfriend since the first episode.

• mailed the goods to fiscus
Not only does this get her off my back, but also it frees up approx. 2 cubic feet of space on my desk. Sex and the City Seasons 3, 4 and 5 can be checked off my 'to do' list. This makes Shannon very happy and also my dad, don't ask...please don't.

• marriot's new mega bonus points earning promotion
I don't know what it's called; I just know its simple. Register online (takes 2 seconds), stay in Marriot's between March 1 and June 31 (3 months), get 5,000 points for every third stay up to 25,000. This is INSANE. They ran the same promotion for a few months ending January 31, the only difference was you had to pay with your Amex. 15 nights in 3 months = 25,000 points plus the points I'd already get (1 night @ 199.00 each = 1990 points + 20% bonus because that's what I get = 2388 x 15 nights = 35,820 + promotional 25,000 bonus = 60,820 + what I already have = HAWAII!!!!)

A New Beginning

2005-02-21T20:12:00.000-05:00

Bienvenue...Willkommen...Benvenuto...Welkom...Bienvenidos...Welcome

After much pressure and various forms of bribery, I have succumbed to their evil and will now aid in wasting your time like so many that have come before me. I'd like to dedicate this inaugural post to Angela, who last updated in 1986 while wearing pink Jellies.

I'd also like to take this time to explain the title and address of this sensory overload web space so you don't waste my time by asking me later. phillyphotog.blogspot.com is really wild-n-crazy address, but who I am to talk, I'm a photographer from Philly. Wawa and wagamama comes from my list of "Greatest F*cking Establishments in the World." For those that have heard of or been inside a Wawa, you truly understand. To the rest of you, keep dreamin'. I credit my love of wagamama to the lovely Gulia. Her insight and knowledge of a truly unique establishment were passed on to me and my love has grown since my first bite. Delicious cuisine combined with 21st century restaurant technology, its no surprise this place tops the 'Must See' lists of world travelers.

I invite you sit down on your exercise ball, practice active sitting, and check back daily for insight into the greatest mind of north latitude parallel degree 40 12'39''