Kingsley, Wesley, & Jack

When I was eight I used to ride my bike about two miles from my house to the edge of our town. Of course, memories tend to grow grander with time, but it seems to me I did this at least once a week, and sometimes two or three times during the summer. I continuously made this trek so I could visit the first girlfriend I ever had.

Her name was Angie, and her family owned a small convenience store. Her, mother, Ms. Lizzie, was--and still is--perhaps the kindest person I've ever met. Ms. Lizzie would give me a soda, a candy bar, and a handful or quarters so that I could play Pacman until my hands wore out. So the time I spent with my first girlfriend was primarily around a video game.

Well, years later Angie married another friend of mine--Jim. And I won't even begin to tell any stories about our childhood and teenage adventures. They now have three beautiful children, daughters Kingsley and Wesley, and new son Jack. recently, Angie asked me to create some headshots for her business, and that session actually turned into a family sitting.

The kids were great. Kingsley and Wesley dote over their new little brother and are such great sisters to him. Hopefully, I was able to show a bit of that with these photos.

So, without further adieu. . .

It's never as good as you think, and it's never as bad as you think.

My wife jokes that I say this all the time. It's true, I think (or it wouldn't be my mantra, I guess). But it so often is easier said than done.

This has been an especially trying week for me and my wife. One of those weeks where you just want to scream into a pillow. But it's easing off now, especially since I just got an email from a friend of mine with a link to this video. I laughed out loud when I first saw it. Not because it is necessarily the funniest thing I've ever seen, but because I just needed to laugh.

The moral here? I don't know. None really. Except go hug a friend, family member, neighbor. Heck, hug the guy in front of you in the line at the coffee shop. 'Cause isn't that what's really most important?


So, anyway. Take a look at this video. I hope you get a little chuckle out of it like I did. And remember, it's never as bad as it seems.

glumbert - Bad Day at the Office

If you can sit, you can get fit

I check out a lot of other photographers blogs for inspiration and participate a bit in some photography forums for the same reason. Today on OSP (Open Source Photo) , Araxi Dertavitian, a photographer from Los Angeles, posted about this great new work out tool--the Hawaii Chair. Since it's Valentine's Day, I thought I might post it here as well in case anyone needs to do any last minute shopping.

A quick one from Monday

The banquet at DSU was a huge success. Over $100k was raised for the athletic department. That may be a drop in the bucket for large universities, but for a small school like Delta State it made a tremendous difference. Mr. Grisham was warm and gracious. He took no payment and even donated a bit of money himself. One attendee even paid $15k to have his name used as one of the character's in Grisham's next book!

I wish I could include more images,, but I promised university officials I would keep things under wraps, so this is all I can show. I had a great time, and I'm really proud and excited by the images that were created. Check back with me in a few weeks, or contact the Delta State Alumni Foundation to receive a copy of their magazine. It should be printed in a few weeks and will feature a big article about Monday's fund raiser. Many more of the images will be included there. Until the publication comes out, this is all I can show.

In the meantime, check out this column by The Clarion Ledger's Rick Cleveland. It's a great read and gives you a little more insight into the great character of Mr. Grisham and Coach Boo Ferriss.

John Grisham to speak at Delta State

This Monday night, February 11, John Grisham will be speaking at a fundraiser for the Delta State University baseball team. Former Statesmen head coach Boo Ferriss and Grisham go back a long way (Grisham walked-on to the Statesmen baseball team but was cut by Ferris because John "couldn't hit a curveball") and the event should be great for the program, the school, and our community. It will be a busy evening of meet-and-greets culminated by a dinner and presentation by the author about his path and how the Delta State baseball program was its start.

I am very excited not only because I am a baseball lover, but because the university has asked me to capture a very specific image they would like to use in a University publication. Before all the hoopla begins, Coach Ferriss will be meeting with Grisham so that they can visit a bit in private. He'll also be showing the author the new museum built at the entrance of the baseball complex which bears his name. It is during this time that school officials hope to capture an image of the two men that illustrates the admiration and love they share.

It will be my job to deliver this image. The catch--I only have about 20-30 minutes and I can't direct them in any way. As a matter of fact, school officials would prefer that I be so incognito that Coach Ferriss and Mr. Grisham not even know that I am there. I'm not sure I can pull off a disappearing act, but I will certainly do my best. It will be famous author John Grisham, Boston Red Sox Hall-of-Famer Boo Ferris, and me. They will be catching up on old times, and I will be doing my best to record the meeting without interfering in it. I'm nervous about delivering the image the school wants, but very excited about the opportunity.

If you are going to be in the area and might want to attend the dinner, tickets are $100 to the event and are available at the Delta State Department of Athletics or online at www.GoStatesmen.com. For more information, please contact DSU Athletics at (662) 846-4289 or email them at athletics@deltastate.edu.

ELI !

I feel like a proud father. Wow. What a game.

Congrats to the Giants.

Eli ?

Only two hours or so to go until kickoff of the Superbowl. Although I watch this game every year I usually don't have much of a rooting interest in either team. Most often, I only hope for a close game. I don't really care who wins. But this year I find myself rooting hard for the Giants.

And it's all because of Eli.

I'm not unlike a lot of other Mississippians. The Mannings have a special place in many of our hearts. Especially Eli and Archie. And add to the fact that the Manning roots originate just 15 miles from my hometown, I feel even more of a kinship to them. They still have family here in the Delta, and so many of Archie's former high school classmates are living here in Cleveland. It's great fun to hear first hand stories of his high school exploits.

A sobering, but admittedly truthful article was written about Archie's hometown of Drew recently by Time-Picayune columnist Billy Turner. You can read it here. It is sad and heartwarming at the same time and gives you great insight into how this family has been shaped.

So while again I want a great game, this year I wouldn't mind a blowout. Just so long as it's in the Giant's favor.