Those of you (Heather, Heidi, etc) who are photographer types won't be surprised to hear that one of our Xmas gifts between my husband and I was a new...camera! hehehhe P is constantly upgrading, downsizing in quantity, etc etc - - we are selling my Canon Rebel and he sold the Olympus EP-1 that we shot our Vegas elopement video blogs on and we got each other the new EP-2 . Here is P trying out the video. And to my photographer-friends - - we WERE going to get the new Mark II 5D - - but decided it was just a huge price and a big camera while I am still such a beginner.... hehehe I give it a year and we will have it...
By Martinez standards - this prayer-ditty is NOTHING - - usually we sing songs, say a huge prayer, read excerpts from the Bible - - well, we DID have to do the whole Jesse Tree thing before opening gifts - - hehehhe
Happy Birthday to my momma and blessings to us all!
You have to substitute 'paddy' for the Aerosmith song 'Jaime's got a Gun' - and you will hear what was in my head at the time I was shooting this - hahahah
OH YEAH - - my man brought a gun and I wasn't happy about it - until as we were driving late in the darkness to our remote destination we saw a caravan of cars blocking the dirt, bumpy road waving us down. I am NOT lying to you when we both thought it could be a trick and they can kidnap and eat us or (at the very least) keep us under the floorboards like that horrific episode with the inbred people of XFiles.
So with gun on his lap when we approached the people we found out it was a professor from Cal State Fullerton and about 30 geology students who had caravaned to the Rocks and one of the trucks on the way out dropped its carburetor, I think. (Scary). Although they were there about an hour, and we had to wait for them to repair as we couldn't pass - - they DID have a boy or two who knew about cars and were able to repair it - Most impressive!
We went along and then took out the gun another time when almost at midnight we saw a lone truck miles away slowly making its way towards us. Now, at this point WE had even arrived and travelled late on that desolate, dangerous road. To see another coming at that hour was a little curious. So out came the gun again. This time it turned out to be a group of Russians (accents and all) - E was in heaven - - led by a very knowledgeable Russian young woman who was driving the truck and stopped to chat with P and I at the fire while the others went out searching in the dark for the racing rocks and their trails. She was very cool and gave us insight that we would get moonlight around midnight - which we did. We couldn't believe that group went out there in the pitch dark with only flashlights to try and see the rocks - nearly impossible to find in the dark with so many stolen or washed away this season, not to mention you can't even do it justice seeing it with only a flashlight. I give them props for making the 2-hour journey from the main road to come out for an hour to search. But she said they had spent the last couple days hiking and seeing everything else and were leaving in the morning so this was their last chance to see the rocks so they had to come out even in the middle of the night. Whew - -that's appreciation!
So here is P the next morning - we had left the Playa and were heading slowly back to the main road and on to other sights. Kids - Don't try this at home - -
Back in October (told you I was back-blogged) P and I went for the 2nd time (see previous blogs here) to Death Valley National Park. (and here and here.)
We love this place. There are canyons, dried up huge sea of salt, ghost towns, sand dunes, Europeans running around sun burnt (Elsa is a euro=phile) and a quaint cafe and gift shop in the middle of it all (to escape the midday heat with a good lunch or cold ice cream is welcomed).
But our favorite spot here is the Racetrack Playa. A photographer's dream - this huge, desolate flat area (the Playa) where almost magical rocks inexplicably slide across the dried surface so slowly that you can't see it happening - all the while leaving an inch-or-so deep trail and indentation... is just amazing!
Getting there is a challenge. It takes us almost another 2 hours once you turn off the paved main road in the Park. We have 4 wheel drive in P's car but still we have to be careful - to get a flat tire out there or to overheat could be a life and death situation - no cell phone coverage, hardly any other passing traffic to help you out, the intense heat during the day and cold at night plus if one did not bring enough water - there is no way we could walk back all the way to the main road.
So I always have huge respect for Mother Nature out there - it's worth the drive - - not many make it our there that far - just the hardcore campers and photographers.
Sadly, this year there weren't as many rocks out - - people disgracefully steal them. So we had to really hunt and walk far to get our pictures.
A great time - I love my road trips with my husband and feel so blessed that we have this in common.... as I tell him, "I would get in a car with our cameras and hiking boots and go ANYWHERE in nature" with him.
This hilarious video was later in the day to the previous video blog. Staying true to the Martinez girl tradition of playing 'dress up' my nieces took it a step further by entertaining us with a modeling show.
The show was led by the gregarious Ariela who adlibs and mugs like a pro - and her momma better know she is headed towards the Theater at the very least. My goddaughter Olivia smiles prettily and daintily the way they show the little kids to do at her dance studios. Then my stepdaughter Ciara comes out - absolutely embarrassed and self-conscious at the whole thing - - total teenager, even though she is only 11 -ahahhahah. Lastly, Ilysah trots out with a swoosh sound that would make Tyra Banks proud - - Aunty Elsa was proud of all of them - AHHAAHHHAA - This video is total blackmail when they are older by the way....
To go along with this past blog here, my sister Sylvia hosted a lovely small (not even all my immediate family was there) gathering at her and Tim's house in Kensington. We weren't expecting any of it, the food, the toast, the flowers, my niece making me wear a bridal veil... all lovely :) Gracias, hermana de nuevo...
On the way back from the Grand Canyon Ranch we enjoy a lovely helicopter ride at dusk.... you see me at the end of the video gesture an 'okay' and 'thumbs up' sign showing my engagement ring - - it was our last evening before we were to make the committment to wed.. ;) xoxoxox
After enjoying the stunning views of the Grand Canyon we landed at the Grand Canyon Ranch - a real, working cattle ranch that has a small area where tourists can opt to stay the night and experience a real ranch (riding, cattle, cookouts, outdoor fires, etc...you get the picture.
I loved this place and was extrememely disappointed that we would have spent 3 hours there (instead of 45 minutes) had we not had the technical difficulties with the helicopters :(
So, here we are after yet another attempt and descent (that I did NOT bother capturing on video) - - at the majestic Grand Canyon.... It is a sight to behold - - but I must admit I like walking it by foot even better and look forward to the day I hike down again to the bottom of the Canyon and touch the cool water of the Colorado River.
By the way, my sister Sylvia remarked after seeing these videos that her brother-in-law is a lawyer for aviation crashes and says that tourist helicopter cases are many due to them not keeping the 'birds' up to par, maintenance-wise.
Good thing I didn't know that going in or I may have not booked it to begin with...yikes!
ohhh yeah... this is takeoff number three - you see me say it at the beginning.
And guess what??? We went right back down AGAIN as Captain Michael was of the opinion that the helicopter was just not safe and we needed a new one again.
Besides the inconvenience of it cutting into our time spent at the actual Grand Canyon - this back-and-forth bologna was doing nothing for my nerves....
So guess what...? This is our 2nd foray into the air about a half hour later - - after dumping some fuel. You see me make the sign of the cross at one point in this video - - I think Patrick's face shows it all = = we smile nervously but then turn somber because the truth is we were thinking, "We are gonna DIE!!"
Part of our deciding to elope in Las Vegas was so that we could have one of our beloved road trips (P and I love our roadtrips) and to also take our first helicopter ride ever on a trip to the Grand Canyon.
After already having our first helicopter taken away from us after mechanical delays we finally start to go up in the air an hour after schedule. Bad thing was 3 minutes later we went straight back down..evidently someone was lying about their weight and we had more weight than the original calculated weight of the 6 passengers and captain - plus a full tank of fuel.
Back from getting our marriage license I nervously and happily show it off...the only thing left to do was to book a chapel and exchange vows and rings - - but first we decide to spend the day on a helicopter tour to the Grand Canyon.
I am in a total state of Happy Shock at this point by the way...
Continuing the saga of Elsa and Patrick spontaneously deciding to elope in Las Vegas last September - - here we are the next morning bright and early at the Courthouse getting our paperwork done and paying for our license to marry....
I laugh when I watch this because you see my big eyes darting around nervously as I don't know what is going on, everything is hush hush - it was only us and 2 other couples there at the morning - a far cry from a Friday eve, I am told - where you see drunk people and even celebs deciding to get hitched.
The gypsy in me was starting to get nervous and excited - I mean, I am 37 years old and although a prolific monogamous and long-term relationship kind of gal, this was me taking the last steps to becoming a life partner with my best friend and lover...
Is it worth noting that I also didn't even know P was filming as I am sure it would have been frowned upon.??? ..heheheh
Showered and a short nappy later (Elsa loves her cat naps) - - we step into (literally) the lights of downtown Las Vegas - otherwise known as 'The Fremont Experience'. Again, I don't like Vegas, in fact I hate it. But I hadn't been to downtown Vegas since 1998 when I flew out to audition for the national tour of "Les Miserables". There is something about walking around in the hot, dry desert air at night that puts me in a fantastic mood for people-watching and holding hands with my handsome Irish beau..
P and I had decided to bunk out in downtown Las Vegas (Freemont Street) - - I hadn't been for 12 years and like it's different charm. Those of you who know me know I don't really care for the glitz of Vegas and the Strip anyway. Never have, never will. We did get a room with a jacuzzi in it, though - hhahahaha!!!
Here Patrick surveys the view, sorry to say gool ol' Lady Luck didn't smile upon him until 2 days later right before we went to the chapel... :)
after my tear-stained first video (hehehe) we arrive 5 hours later to Vegas --- you can hear how tired and hungry I was - - my blood sugar level was dropping and my energy was down.... :)
oh, yeah--- we eloped in late September (see blog here) and it has taken me ages to get these uploaded. Mostly because in our Olympus EP-1 camera with HD video - - the files are so large - even at 30 second to 1 minute videos that I shoot - that it takes almost 2 hours to upload each one (!) Not only that, but half the time youtube is so busy that it crashes.
**Don't even get me started, Patrick has heard me grumble for 2 months now both about the crashing as well as the use of having that new camera with HD video that is almost impossible to upload - grrr (love you, honey)..
So here are some short vignettes of our impromptu roadtrip to elope in Las Vegas last September. Enjoy my gift to gab....
Taking the line of the famous 'Arm and Hammer' poster of a woman in the 1940s flexing her bicep triumphantly in a moment of woman's lib I write a quick note as a follow up 2 previous blog where I was called out by name and picture for modeling for the Airport Authority of San Diego and accused of having tax payer's dollars spent to hire me.
After contacting the bloke who wrote it (it's his own online newspaper where he can say everything he wants to because it's him publishing it) - he he he .... I clarified with him that I spoke with an Airport Authority employee who told me not only does that particular writer have a vendetta against them but that also his facts were wrong - - it's not a taxpaying organization. The revenue is accrued by charging $3.50 to every ticket that flies to and from San Diego airport. So I was paid by the organization and their decision to hire me as well as the makeup/wardrobe stylist and the photographer and his assistant, not by all of you ;)..
I was still thrown 'under the bus', so to speak - as he sheepishly replied that he used my name and pictures to prove it really was a model used, etc etc....
Just thought the general public would feel better knowing you didn't pay me...what a relief, hahaha, right?? Now get to spending that on holiday cheer!
I have not once in my life participated in "Black Friday" - the busiest shopping day (the day after Thanksgiving) of the year. It took being paid and having a job to do it this year - hehehhe. Gretchen Productions who have hired me to do a number of shows and Bridal shows throughout the past several years booked me and a few fellow models from my agency to help out with their Horton Plaza Mall show featuring clothes from various stores there.
Always an interesting time, I received some pictures from one of the mothers. Another treat - my husband surprised me showing up as well - - and shooting me in black and white film. That said - it will be ages for him to work on and get me my pics so I am putting up these ones from Akiko's mama. Thank you!
