My computer.  Has crashed and died. Really, what else is there to say.

All my clients pictures are safe and saved in both an external hard drive (that is currently hooked up the boys laptop where I’m writing from) and online storage too. My personal pictures too. So, at least I don’t have to worry there.

My email (all my saved emails, my address book) and my photoshop actions? I dunno.  I guess it’s a wait and see…

The IT guy we use around here just came and took my tower away and I’m waiting to hear the verdict. In the meantime…

Looks like I’m getting a Mac. I had done some research into going Mac a while ago and decided against it because of email issues with moving email from Outlook Express into the Mac (you can’t) and for my actions in Photoshop which are all Windows based so I’d have to run Photoshop in the Mac in Windows to get those to work. But with today’s development of possibly having lost all that anyway, I think I’ll just go with the Mac.

Mr. Mark at Rockville Camera has very graciously offered a Mac (G5 I believe) for me to try out and keep if I like it. I pick it up in the morning.

And in the end, if this had happened even a week ago, you would have seen me on the news going out in flames of torturous death. But now, even though it’s a giant nuisance at least all the major holiday work is done and I’m not on any strict deadlines.

Still…. just oy.

See, told you I was behind. With 10 days left until Christmas (holy crap, I haven’t started shopping yet!) I thought I should get these up before posting Christmas stuff I have waiting in the wings.

Here’s Grandpa Jack’s speech for this year’s Thanksgiving. He does one at every family gathering and they are so, so great!

So here we all are in 2009

As the days wind on down in the month of November

And the people assembled are all doing fine

Cause it’s Thanksgiving Day and they all remember

How lucky we are to be here together

And waddaya know, it’s even good weather

There is Grandpa Ken, a juridical fellow

When Marilyn’s with him, he gets very mellow

And then there is John who’s my first born son

A loyal, steady, reliable, son of a gun

but there was a time when he pulled a boner

And decided on Fordham instead of Iona

And his sweetheart Beth who’s really the one

Who merits a first class and triple A booking

Cause she got Uncle Nelson to do all the cooking

And then we have Jack, our eldest Grandson

He reminds me of me, well that can be fun

And his brother Patrick whose talent’s revealed

When he hits a baseball it goes to left field

Only last week was Grandma’s birthday night

So I called up the boys and asked them to write

Just a few lines that they could recite

And what they produced was a total delight

Now they may be young but they’re both pretty wise

As you may have gathered we’re proud of these guys

 

And they’re joined by Timmy, a boy who is clever

Does he misbehave? The answer is NEVER

The list it continues as onward we forge

And so we acknowledge my dear brother George

When I get up to say grace, he’ll listen and then

After each line he’ll shout out “amen”

We turn now to Bobby who’s laid back and cool

He went to Connecticut Broadcasting School

And his brother Billy who can split your sides

But watch him at weddings- he likes to moon brides

And now we have Joseph, what a guy! Holy cripes

One of these days he may bring back my pipes

Of course there’s Aunt Gail, she’s married to Joe

Just why she did that we’ll never know

On Thanksgiving weekend people watch games

But Grandma and I get to host Baby James

Now I’ll finish this speech as fast as I can

But I can’t forget my sweet sister Anne

Of course we have Jen, now a comely young lass

but when  she was a kid, what a pain in the ….

She came here with Mike, a most welcome guest

He’s FDNY so we know he’s the best

And of course there’s another, we can’t forget him

How ’bout some applause for old Uncle Jim

Finally my bride, the lady I brought

Las on the list, but first in my thought

So three cheers for Nelson, our chef of the day

We’re lucky he came and we hope that he’ll stay

He’s a really nice guy with nary a hassle

I see good times in store when he buys a White Castle

So the story is over, the long, short and tall

So Happy Thanksgiving…and God Bless us all!

And yes, I certainly did hire Nelson to cook the entire meal (less the brownies, paper bag cookies and apple pie- that was still me) and it was the best idea. Ever.

Thanks for reading if you made it this far. And happy Thanksgiving! Yeah, I know…too late.

I have two shoots left to edit. Well, two shoots that need to be done before Christmas anyway. The two don’t include the wedding from October, my 40th bday party from September, Thanksgiving, Christmas stuff like our trip into NYC, and the 40th and 30th parties from December. But at least there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, and that tunnel is no longer 100million miles long.

Being that winter officially starts in about a week, I figured I should at least finally get the fall pictures I took of random stuff up. Today’s the day. Some from Hempstead Lake, some from Central Park and some from around NYC, and the grass from my front yard.

So unmotivated and tired today. Gotta keep on pushing thru. Almost there.

A few weeks ago, I played Spiderman photographer up at the big boys school.

In order to get the shot for the front cover of the yearbook, I went up to the 2nd floor, climbed a ladder (yes, a freakin ladder), climbed out a window, and onto the 2nd story roof. Here’s the result.

I think it was worth it. But a ladder? Seriously? I’m 40 years old.

And I just have to mention that it worked out really well with my boys on the points of the star! Big thanks to all the moms who helped out with the star formation and getting the kids lined up and looking up! And Nancy for climbing out on the roof with me and not dropping the camera bag. Obviously, couldn’t have done it without all of you!

I’m not done with posting client shoots yet, just needed a day off  from blogging clients to catch up on the editing.

There’s been no time lately for a ‘5 for Friday’, ‘6 for Saturday’ or ‘7 for Sunday’ post, so I figured this would be a good substitute. Hope everyone is having a happy Thanksgiving so far.

Throwing in some previously unposted pictures too.

I am Thankful for…

1. My family. All of them. Without them, everything wouldn’t mean anything. So happy we will be together for Thanksgiving.

2. John, my husband who drives me insane on a daily (hourly?) basis but is an awesome husband and daddy to our boys. And a very hard worker and provider for our family.

3. My three sons- Jack, Patrick and Timmy. They are the best boys; smart, handsome, sweet, good people with big hearts, and funny as anything. Usually unintentionally.

4. My parents and inlaws who are always there when I need them for support, babysitting, or just to chat. Or really, just for everything!

5. My friends who are always offering help and an ear to listen, and a shoulder to lean on. And lots of laughs and fun and just for being themselves. I’m so lucky to have all of you. And especially for understanding that I will be normal (well, I’m never really normal but back to ‘normal crazy’) again in January. See you all then!!

6. That I was able to build a business from nothing to THIS. That I have the BEST clients who are just a pleasure to work with. That I get to take pictures and make them into something that really means something to people. That I get to be creative and do something that I love so much everyday.

7. Nelson. That he’s been doing all my errands, cooking us delicious dinners, packing orders, and making the ENTIRE Thanksgiving dinner. Yay!

8. That we are all healthy. This should’ve been higher on the list but I don’t feel like going back to renumber everthing. This year is pretty scary with all of the flu going around (I am also thankful that I was able to get all the boys both the seasonal and H1N1 shots this year and that we have health insurance to do it with). Hopefully we will all remain that way!

And now onto the more superficial things that I’m thankful for:

9. The internet. Oh, how I love it. That would include Facebook and my blog- my two main (really only) sources of  ‘advertising’. Shopping, research, games…. all of it.

10. My Kindle. The best invention. Ever. I’m thinking seriously about getting the big boys each their own for Christmas this year (well, giving them my Kindle 1 and Ken’s Kindle 1, and then getting Ken and I the Kindle 2’s). I drop about $300 on books for them every 2-3 months, so I think this would be a very sound investment especially since the kids titles on Kindle are increasing a ton.  Jack will go thru a new book every 3-5 days. No, seriously.

11. My cameras and lenses. Ahhhh.

12. Sleep. It’s something I’ve been doing without much of for quite a few months. Can’t wait to get some again. Soon.

13. Disney Vacation Club and Disney World, hour long massages, Florida vacations, Sushi, Photoshop, my cell phone, email, dark sunglasses (see #12 above), blond highlights, Lost (wish it was starting sooner and that this wasn’t the last season though), GPS, good music on my ipod touch, school and super teachers for the boys, the Twilight series, food… of all kinds. I’m sure I’m missing things, but that’s all I can come up with for now with my unrested brain.