Lena and Emilio

Wow I love this song. It is the equivalent to grudging up Ave Maria.

Day off. Nice.

Took a 2 hour nap today. Was really really nice to have a day off. After 3 weeks of 18 hour days it was starting to affect me. (effect me? need a dictionary but its my day off so grammer pusses too bad)

Each day I start at by going to the gym. After working my butt off (literally) I either go to my home office and sit at the computer for 6 hours or go to the office, and sit at my computer for 6 hours. Each evening from 6 until 12 I meet with new couples. So remember I take my coffee black hehehe - Actually at the last bridal show 6 couples brought me black coffee and Lisa brought me a mint low fat, no sugar green tea latte when I shot her video engagement session. Nice.


We booked a couple weddings this week. Since I am taking a lazy day the rest of thise section I'm stealing from a previous post. heheheh

We will only shoot 2 weddings on Saturday and one on Sunday. At the show this weekend on photographer told me I was crazy - " Just hire another photographer. The problem I have with that is what if they do a bad job? Sub contractor are just that for a reason - they cant make it on their own.

Marianna, Natasha and I have more than 30 years of experience - I know were good (and modest) People have been asking for a list of available dates. Sorry.

I LOVE to turn people away. It means that our work is good enough and in demand enough that couples make the decision to book. The operative word is decision. If I had a list online of the dates we were available for than many couples would just look see we were not available and we would never really know how many couples were interested but either waited too long or decided too late.

For 2007 the number of people who wanted to book us but when they called to give us their wedding were politely told thank but unfortunately we are booked was 78.

For 2008 that number had reached 11. So between today and March 1st 2008 I want to say sorry we are booked to 100 couples. Weird goal huh?

I've taken to buying 90% of my books online. Not only am I saving money, I can always find the book I want. Amazon has partnered with other book sellers (like thriftbooks.com) and so when I search the Amazon site for used books I get the choice of buying from these retailers as well.

Below you will see a bunch of Science Fiction books that I read as a teenager that are out of print. I've been looking for this group of books for 10 years and was so freaking happy to get them online for next to nothing. In fact, usually I pay more for shipping then the book itself.

Another cool thing is that instead of dreading the post box, (bills bills bills) I cant wait to see if any books arrived!

I also am not a neat freak. So if I can save 2$ and get a book with a ripped cover - its mine.


Here is my latest book list. I'm behind on reading.

Books

Personal Fun Reading (Yea I'm a geek so what)

• 1 of: The Cross-Time Engineer by Frankowski, Leo a.
  Sold by: www-thriftbooks-com
• 1 of: The Radiant Warrior by Frankowski, Leo a.
  Sold by: www-thriftbooks-com
• 1 of: The Flying Warlord by Frankowski, Leo a.
  Sold by: www-thriftbooks-com
• 1 of: Lord Conrad's Lady by Frankowski, Leo a.
• 1 of: The High-Tech Knight by Frankowski, Leo a.
  Sold by: www-thriftbooks-com

Self Improvement books

• 1 of: The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference [Paperback] by

• 1 of: The Alchemy of Finance: Reading the Mind of the Market by Soros, George

• 1 of: On Dreams [Paperback] by Freud, Sigmund; Eder, M. D.
  Sold by: more_for_u
• 1 of: Einstein : His Life and Universe [Hardcover] by Isaacson, Walter

Here are a few numbers

1.5 - the number of pounds I lost this week
10 - the number of people we have turned away for 2008
11- the number of people I interviewed for an editor position in our compnay
14 - the number of appointments I did last week
246.8 - my weight as of March 26 2007
40.8 - how my I have lost
200- when I am going to have a huge juicy steak
185 - my ultimate goal
43- the number of days till we go back to Florida


2 - how many incredible beautiful kids I have
1- amazing wife

Its Rosh Hashanah!

And I got myself some sunglasses. Yves Saint Laurent Sunglasses just to be cool. My glasses are soo scratched from rubbing on the eye piece and me cleaning them that the enamel was taken off. So I'm back to contacts. Nice to see the world shine so bright, and my perpetual head ache is gone.

We had a very successful weekend. The show was packed with people and no less than 3 couples bought me black coffee. Much appreciated. Being around all the vendors made me realize how long I have been a photographer. We are entering into our 11th season! Part of me still thinks its all so new, I guess with us opening the office in Boca Raton, Florida this past March it is all new.

We have signed on to do 2 shows. One in Miami and the other in West Palm Beach. Of course, they are tiny compared to the Toronto bridal shows. We had over 2000 ballots in 3 days and gave away 3 $2995 videos. (congrats) But in Florida the show is only 5 hours long and you meet 200 people.

Anyhow the site is a work in progress and I will post a link when its show ready. In the meantime, we are opening an office in Buffalo next week. I had planned to go sign the papers tomorrow but forgot about the holiday. So if you try to reach me tomorrow I'll get back to you on Thursday.

Back to the show. Throughout the year we meet different vendors, DJs, Hall managers, florists etc and its nice to have the time at the show to sit down and talk.It kinda hard at the wedding.

For those of you looking for a DJ - let it be known that Good Vibrations are my favorites. Not only are their DJs all experienced but the owners Gino and Christine are the nicest people in the world.



Since today is the Jewish Holiday of Rosh Hashanah a jewish joke.

Moishe was passing by a florist when he saw a sign in the window saying, "Say it with Flowers."
He went into the shop and said to the assistant, "Wrap up one rose for me."
"Only one?" the assistant asked.
"Just one," replied Moishe. "I'm a man of few words."

Rosh Hashanah in a Nutshell

To learn more please follow the links of the highlighted words

The festival of Rosh Hashanah --the name means "Head of the Year" --is observed for two days beginning on Tishrei 1, the first day of the Jewish year. It is the anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve, the first man and woman, and their first actions toward the realization of mankind's role in G-d's world.

Rosh Hashanah thus emphasizes the special relationship between G-d and humanity: our dependence upon G-d as our creator and sustainer, and G-d's dependence upon us as the ones who make His presence known and felt in His world. Each year on Rosh Hashanah, "all inhabitants of the world pass before G-d like a flock of sheep," and it is decreed in the heavenly court, "who shall live, and who shall die... who shall be impoverished, and who shall be enriched; who shall fall and who shall rise." But this is also the day we proclaim G-d King of the Universe. The Kabbalists teach that the continued existence of the universe is dependant upon the renewal of the divine desire for a world when we accept G-d's kingship each year on Rosh Hashanah.

The central observance of Rosh Hashanah is the sounding of the shofar, the ram's horn, which represents the trumpet blast of a people's coronation of their king. The cry of the shofar is also a call to repentance; for Rosh Hashanah is also the anniversary of man's first sin and his repentance thereof, and serves as the first of the "Ten Days of Repentance" which culminate in Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Another significance of the shofar is to recall the Binding of Isaac which also occurred on Rosh Hashanah, in which a ram took Isaac's place as an offering to G-d; we evoke Abraham's readiness to sacrifice his son and plead that the merit of his deed should stand by us as we pray for a year of life, health and prosperity. Altogether, the shofar is sounded 100 times in the course of the Rosh Hashanah service.

Additional Rosh Hashanah observances include: a) Eating a piece of apple dipped in honey to symbolize our desire for a sweet year, and other special foods symbolic of the new year's blessings. b) Blessing one another with the words Leshanah tovah tikateiv veteichateim, "May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year." c) Tashlich, a special prayer said near a body of water (an ocean, river, pond, etc.) in evocation of the verse, "And You shall cast their sins into the depths of the sea." And as with every major Jewish holiday after candlelighting and prayers we recite Kiddush and make a blessing on the Challah.

So sorry Seb and Meda

We at the International Centre doing a bridal show, while I'm shooting Michelle and Kevin's wedding.

Got wi-fi so I'm adding this photo as promised last night at the show.

Oh shout out (don't I sound, down with dat) to Renata - no chance spelling your last name.

Marianna and I shot her wedding 10 years ago and I ran into her at the show last night!!

Oh no!!! I gain 4.5 lbs. I'm a cow

I'm back up to 209.5 lbs. I know its the escargot, the 22 oz rib steak, the oysters at Bianca and Kane's weddings, and the Chocolate Fountain at Pauline and Stanton's wedding, of course there was the day I ate deep fried calamari and 4 pieces of corn on the cob dripping with margarine and salt. All in the past 2 weeks.

So I'm going back to basics and state unequivocally that I will lose 18 lbs by the end of October.

Just a note. Most of the year we can usually meet with customers within a week. During the day its even easier, usually anytime Mon-Thurs 11-3 and you get me there. But in the months of September and October we book fast. In fact as I write this Marianna is telling a customer our next available appointment meet with me at 6 pm in the evening is October 8th 2007.


If you are looking for more stuff for your wedding visit the Bridal Show this weekend. Of course I will not be there Saturday but be nice to Vitali and bring him a tea triple triple. (Seriously he drinks sugar tea)

http://www.nationalbridalshow.com/

BOOKS:

Pretty heavy stuff lately.

• Einstein: His Life and Universe
• Frank Lloyd Wright by Caroline Knight (Hardcover - 2005)
• The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World by A. J. Jacobs
• The Interpretation of Dreams by Sigmund, Freud
• 
  

The Secret con't

Two really cool things happened at my wedding yesterday.

The first thing. When I got to the bride's house it was (as expected) an Armenian zoo. About a hundred people all wanting photos with the bride. I love it. My family is pretty tiny. My parent emigrated from Quebec and are solitary people. With most of my relative 500 miles away, we never had big gatherings.

Yesterday within the craziness, I noticed out of the corner of my eye a red box mark Paradis. I'm not much of a drinker but I do love Cognac. To me a good Cognac is a celebration of perfection, history and the scences.

If there was a Wayne Gretsky of Cognac, Paradis would be it. Now there are many differnt levels of Cognac, ranging from VSOP to XO to Imperial. This bottle was the best.

The bride's father had it out in the open and only I mentioned how impressed I was. He bought this bottle in 1979 in preparation for his first daughters wedding. After my wedding (over ten years ago) I bought a bottle of "Louis 13th," as a gift to my father in law. We opened it when Sammy was born.

Anyhow, sharing a shot with the Father of the Bride is one of this years highlights. Took me about an hour since I sipped then savored every drop.

For those who don't know me - no I don't drink a weddings, parties events. But if someone offer were to offer you chance to a) party with Brad Pitt b) drive a brand new Ferrari most people would jump at the chance.

the second cool thing..



Yesterday the reception was held at Le Parc on hwy 7. During the recieving line I climbed on the marble stage behind them bride and groom and took a few photograhs of the bride and groom. Then it hit me. This was the exact spot I stood when I was married over ten years. As I was telling this to the bride a freaky thing happened, I acidentally kicked someone's glass into another cuasing a huge mess.

In a Jewish wedding ceremony the last thing that happens is the groom crushes a glass with his foot.

I broke a glass in the exact same spot 10 years, 2 months before.


freaky huh!!