2008 started with our visiting our very good friend Nick in his hometown, Chicago. Many of you know this particular pr0fessional color pwnz0r as Gluwater, and over 2008 he has been a fantastic friend, Dgrinner, and eventually coworker. Matt, Trav and I flew to the Windy City while the midwest was having a cold snap to do some exploring. It was tons of fun, but even the locals were smart enough to stay indoors. Nick thawed me out, bought me hot soup and even introduced me to Penzey's Spices.
FEBRUARY
This shot hasn't not been posted before, as it was my Bio photo on my website for quite some time. However, February was a bit slow. I was sticking to our new way of eating and living, and I was quite happy with it. Additionally February was when I caved and finally called up Bethany, a local legend in the stylist world. Everyone I know knows this chick, and almost everyone swears by her. She's art with scissors. Seriously. Once you go Bethany, you can't go back!
MARCH
I turned a prime number this year. 29, the edge of nothingness. I know that older friends of mine will say it's no big deal, and younger friends of mine will just wipe their brows and be thankful. But, strangely, it meant a lot to me in 2008. I felt like I was at a crossroads, but the changes were only just beginning...
APRIL
One of the best things to happen this month was that a group of shooters from Dgrin came to DC to visit. I joined them for one long and wonderful afternoon of sightseeing. Although I have lived in the Baltimore/DC area for over 10 years, I'd really not spent much time taking advantage of all the great culture that is down here. I'm so glad that this happened. To Ann, Christina, Winston, Cassis, Eyal, Dave, Adam, Kate, and Kendall, thank you for coming and we can only be so lucky to have such a community as Digital Grin that brings us all together.
MAY
O, glorious May! This is probably the highlight of my entire year. I finally got to meet my wonderful friend and virtual twin, Ivar, in the flesh. This kind, generous soul has helped me from day 1 and I scheduled an extended layover in the Netherlands to visit with him on my way to Scotland. And... Scotland! A fantastic workshop that I will never forget. I don't know if I will ever return there, but the memories of the blue water, white sand and sheep-filled mountains will never leave me. Even though I have very few passable photos from that workshop, Scotland was a mind-boggling experience in many ways.
JUNE
Monumental changes. I quit my career in biotech and took a leap of faith. I started working for SmugMug and I have, honestly, never looked back. My week training at headquarters was a whirlwind of lesson after lesson, and I thought that was difficult! I hadn't yet experienced the holiday rush. This shot was one of my jet-lagged mornings at Hotel Zico. I will miss that hotel so much, since I will probably never stay there again. There's nothing like being awake at 4 AM Pacific Time to make you feel like... well, you're in California.
JULY
Since I started working from home, I picked up stripperobics to stay in shape. It's so much fun as well as being great for many different, um, muscle groups. This shot was one of the many outtakes I tried trying to demonstrate some tricks from class. Those are completely PG, of course.
AUGUST
Thanks to Bethany, I turned red. The color itself only lasted about 6 weeks before I changed it back to a more natural shade, but it was a lot of fun.
SEPTEMBER
My husband and I have been married for 4 years. It doesn't seem that long, that's for sure. We went down to New Orleans for our anniversary, since both of us love the city but have actually never visited it together. It was a perfect, wonderful long weekend, extended at the last minute just because. We had the perfect B&B, the perfect appointment-free itinerary, and the perfect time. Ignoring the food poisoning I got one night, it was just peachy. I'd do it again anytime. The company is what matters, as always.
OCTOBER
ROAD TRIP! October was the Dgrin Shootout for 2008 in Moab, UT. And my friend Ivar was coming for it, but somehow I tricked him into taking extra time off and coming out to the SF Bay Area first. I met him out there and we had the trip of a lifetime, first meeting coworkers and friends in San Francisco, then driving almost all the way down the CA coast. We cut in through the mountains and passed through Las Vegas to get to Salt Lake City and eventually Moab, where we met 58 other Dgrinners (and one husband.) Ivar and I are so alike, we are virtually the same person. I could never ask for more in a human being or in a friend - and fortunately he is both!
NOVEMBER
This holiday season I got to spend a lot of time with my parents, which is a great thing. They went to Italy this year and my mom brought me back some wonderful Italian, skid-free socks. Here I am working remotely from their house, on my favorite couch. It makes me extremely sad to know that once we are in CA, we can't just drive 3 hours and be with them anymore. I love these socks, particularly since their hardwood floors are unusually slick. (I think they planned that..)
DECEMBER
Once again... it's Thelma & Louise! I was back in CA for the Dgrin 5-year Birthday Bash and my favorite Flying Dutchman was on the bill, too. I had a fantastic week full of great weather, new cameras, gear, more cameras, jokes, sushi, skanky drunks, seeing friends... wow. I am so lucky to be a part of this all, and I sincerely hope that 2009 brings more great meetings, fantastic shots, and adventurous travels.
Have a wonderful, safe transition to 2009, no matter where you are in the world.
