Sharon and Jesse: Engaged!

I'm going to be honest: you people who have photography blogs, who take pictures of human beings and then write a post about it--props to you. It's hard. I mean, how you find those words to gush about couples as you present the images you've captured of their love?

Because, seriously, the kids in these photos are awesome.  No matter all the pretty phrases I put together, I can't really do them justice :]

Chris and I met these two seven months after our move.  We were confused and lonely--we'd been trying to months to make friends and kept coming up empty.  So one summer night we nervously walked in the door to one more small group and sat down, terrified and little hopeful.  We stayed until nearly eleven o'clock and left giving hugs. As soon as we were in the car, I was giddily texting my mother (at 2 AM her time), "WE MET NERDS!!! WE HAVE FRIENDS!!!"

Jesse and Sharon (her name's actually Rose of Sharon--isn't that the coolest?) are a delight.  They're smart, funny, warm, and totally comfortable in their own skins. They have a way of making everyone in the room feel completely at home and laughing.

 If you read this post, you know I was privileged enough to capture Jesse's sweet proposal at Yosemite. So, when they asked me a couple months later to take their engagement photos . . . I was terrified. I don't typically photograph people. They make eye contact. And move. And stuff.  Landscapes and cats are much less intimidating. More than that, I was very much afraid I'd do poorly. Engagement is such a special time, and engagement photos become treasured keepsakes--the last thing I wanted to do was give them something crummy.

We ended up doing two photoshoots. For the first, we just wandered San Juan Bautista and had fun.

While we did get a couple of fun photos, we decided to do a second shoot to see if we could get better shots.  Sharon had the BRILLIANT idea of trying the stunning Point Lobos outside Carmel.

I mean, seriously, for a setting, does it get any better? No, it does NOT.

The only issue?  This stuff.

Most people would call this little green bugger "poison oak." We call it DEATH. And there were HOARDS OF DEATH all frickin over the area. For every photo opportunity, we had to scour to make sure this stuff wasn't anywhere nearby. I'm proud to report that our careful work paid off and no one developed the demon rash of itchy doom.

And now for more of Sharon and Jesse! Congratulations, you two! I can't wait until the wedding!

 

I still wouldn't call myself anywhere near professional, but they were happy so I am happy.  :] Huzzah for romance!

Nerdish Outbursts

First off, thank you SO MUCH all you lovely ladies who commented with great encouragement on my last post.  It really brightened my day and helped put on a new perspective.  Life's a journey, and it can only be a great one with a few detours and bumps on the road, right? Thank you so, so much! You're awesome!

And, now, on with the blog . . .

Some days, life is pretty slow. 

When you’re a cubicle minion oft forgotten, it’s REALLY slow . . . but that’s ok because I like slow, and, really, I now know about 300 different ways to prepare chicken and spray paint the living daylights out of any and all inanimate objects—thank you, Pinterest.

Then, you stop, and go, huh, maybe it’s not so slow . . . or maybe it is and the little things get that much cooler.

Friday featured the first time since Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (don’t judge—that movie was epic, Avengers worthy even, I’m not even kidding) that I chilled with the “English Department.” I might not be currently employed as one, but I will always be an English teacher, and my other literary pals totally get it.  Once you’re in, you’re in.  Your brain never quite gets out of that education-book-lover-must-love-and-share-all-the-literary-goodness mode.

Shelly, Jessica, and I all decked-out in Who shirts for the premiere . . . thanks, Jess, for the picture!

Oh, and we’re all Harry Potter, Tolkien, Lewis, Star Wars, superhero, and Dr. Who nerds. WORD. (That’s right, I said “WORD”).  We actually gathered, their hubs and kiddo included, to watch BBC America’s premiere of the new Dr. Who season.

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Holy freakin’ crap from heaven.

If you’re not on the Dr. Who fan train, I don’t know how . . . I just don’t.  The hubs shrugs and says, “I COULD like it—I mean, what I’ve seen is ok—but I’m just not going to invest the time in it right now.”
As far as I’m concerned, the man doesn’t have a choice. Not really.  I’ve won him over to Supernatural, Firefly, and LOST, I WILL bring him to the Who Side.
AND IT WILL BE TIME WELL-INVESTED, KID.

Anyways, highlight of the evening, being asked, “So, where are you and Chris going to be living again?”
“Well, he’ll be working in Salinas—“
And everyone in the room simultaneously burst out, “OOOH!!! STEINBECK!!!”
Are we book nerds or are we book nerds?

Speaking of nerds, I have to say that Guild Wars 2 is pretty much living up to all the hype. I’ve waited four years for this sucker to hatch onto the interwebs, and, now, here it is in all its pixelated glory. 

Yeah, I'm kind of loving the Sylvari Ranger . . . Such a super nerd . . .
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Sure, like any game, it has its downsides, but I’m loving it. In fact, I’ll probably never touch WoW again, sorry, Chris . . . though they will have Kung Fu Pandas in a month . . . seriously, kung-fu-fighting bloody pandas . . . who ride turtles . . .
I have been a nerd for far too long because think that this is just too cool.  I mean, seriously, it’s a PANDA on a TURTLE!!! How can this not be AWESOME?!?!
Still . . . I’ll let Chris have that one and I’ll just watch.  WoW is just too repetitive for me—it feels like a variety of random acts of violence with little to no plot. I know there’s a plot . . . but I can’t find it, so I’m kind of “meh” with it.

Chris sent me this pic . . . he swears that the "Gamer Girl" looks EXACTLY like me when I'm playing--coloring, expression, hair, the works--I'm simultaneously flattered and kind of bewildered . . . mostly because I only play after showering, geeze . . . dinner may take a backseat, but I'm gonna save Hyrule clean, thank you very much . . . now that I think about it, I'm not sure that that's much better . . .
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Could I be any more of a nerd? Why, YES, I could. For Labor Day, the hubs and I spent the day watching the ORIGINAL Special Edition (the ONLY edition, really) on VHS (we're THAT hardcore--Blu-Ray Lucas edits? Gimme a break, LAME) Star Wars Trilogy and eating Han-Burgers while drinking Yoda Soda. Are you embarrassed for me yet?

So that’s my nerd-overload. 
If you can still stand me, props to you, I'll be normal again this weekend when there are no more premieres or time to revel in sci-fi masterpieces.

It’s been a fun week as something new has come up--no house yet, but life continues to develop.   More to share later!

And, no, it's not a baby.
Why do I feel like I have to clarify that?

Night Out.

Peeps, I have a recipe for awesome. It goes something like this:

1. Gather up fabulous people . . . like your fellow literary nerds so you all can discuss things like the pros and cons of Game of Thrones, new witty lit, and the mutual disgust of the Fifty Shades of Grey phenomenon (BDSM Twilight fan fic? Gross . . . on so many levels . . .beyond, you know, the pathetic attempt at writing and grammar . . . geez . . . but I digress).

2. Get Hit On. You realize your age when it's suddenly a big deal that the dude at the ticket counter tries flirting with you. Like it's a highlight of your evening.  You see, the last person to hit on me was last November . . . and he was fourteen . . . and thought I was thirteen. "So . .. you're in eighth grade, huh?" *wink
"Um, no, honey, I teach eighth grade."
"Oh . .. OH! Wow, I'm sorry!"
No, kidding.

Anyways, tonight, someone my OWN age, the first since like college, tried flirting. Ego boost? Just a little.