GoooOOOOoooooal!

the other day I had the pleasure of photographing my good friend's baby, Liliana.

now, Liliana is part of a soccer family. her cousins play soccer and her mom is in to it because her dad is an avid fan... he coaches, plays, and has accumulated toys and outfits for Liliana that represent his favorite team.

so of course, soccer made it in to our shoot!

but "don't worry" her dad says to me afterward... "I'm not going to pressure Liliana in to doing anything she doesn't want to do". well dad... it looks like you don't have to pressure her at all. she is all over it!

I give you... Liliana... future futbol star!

Houston doesn't have a problem

revisiting customers is awesomely awesome. despite how short the meeting may be, it's like an entire catch-up conversation AND a photo shoot at the same time. like I said, awesomely awesome.

since their wedding last summer, and their family shoot in December, Rochelle and Kevin now have a son, Houston. they were so kind and patient on the day of our shoot... I was able to finish the morning training for my upcoming triathlon and then race on over to their place right after - thanks guys!!

of course, Houston has the Converse kicks... from his dad, as well as his mom's eyes. ; )

my sneak peek for you... Houston!

hail, lightening, and a wedding!

not too long ago I had the pleasure of attending my husband's cousin's wedding.

which just so happened to be in Copenhagen Denmark. and I have to say, those Danes have a very unique way of celebrating a marriage!

it was an intimate wedding of less than 60 people... in a cottage off a secluded highway somewhere near the water. Sweden was in the distance. lawns were long, open, green, and decorated with clusters of trees. it was humid and hot - making an ice cold beer a beverage of choice.

after a short, sweet, and chairless danish / jewish ceremony we were served cake and champagne. and then appetizers and alcohol. and then dinner. 4 courses of it. the food was amazing. the company was entertaining. the evening was hearty. we sat at the table for about 5 hours. between dinner courses there were toasts - lengthy and heartfelt ones requiring projectors, handouts, instruments... it was quite an experience. the night ended with a record rain storm for the area: 6 inches of rain in 2 hours... accompanied by thunder, lightening, and hail.

memorable... to say the least!

while I was not the photographer for the evening, I did snap some shots prior to the ceremony and throughout the evening.

Congratulations Jenn & Rasmus!!

zzzzZZZ

so I'm sitting down, minding my biznatch, and thinking of my friend that just got married last weekend - she looked so beautiful - and about this other wedding I will be attending next weekend, and a different wedding I am working at in 2 months, and yet another friend's wedding happening that same month when I realize - there are 5 different kinds of tissue in this airplane bathroom!!! FIVE!

that's just nutso.

tissue for the toilet,

tissue for my butt,

tissue for my hands,

tissue for my nose,

and - well - tissue for the ladies.

maybe I am in the wrong business. I mean, that still leaves lots of other body parts without the tissues they rightfully deserve.

I digress.

after all that tissue pondering, I now sit in a perfectly fitted chair and desk for my height, in a nautical themed unair-conditioned (but really should have installed that) hotel overlooking the Sydhavnen in Copenhagen, Denmark.

and now, after traveling all this way, I know what I would sound like with a mouthful of marbles: I'd be speaking Danish.

out of all the languages I passed through during my last European voyage, Danish was the most difficult - and that holds true for me still. maybe it's because locals think I'm local so they speak to me in Danish... while I stand there too dumbfounded to even feign a nod and a "yah". they don't seem to mind so much though. I simply respond with "uhhh - eng elsk?" to which they giggle (because frankly I'm just stupid), repeat in english, and then I compliment them on their watch. done.

since I'm currently lacking the brain power to string together beautiful sentences for your amusement, please settle for simple statements that sum up the Copenhagen experience thus far.

breezy

Queen Margrethe

boat shoes

outdoors

blonde braids

beach soccer

expensive

construction

cobblestone

stripes

camels with matching guns*

in other news...

...I don't care if you did nothing but stand there in the bathroom stall. WASH YOUR HANDS AFTER, you nasty

McNasty.

...Air Canada finally considers itself International at SFO. dummies.

...mexican food - not so good in Denmark. also? not so mexican.

...what was the first thing I did upon reaching my hotel on ~almost~ the opposite side of the world?

*just checking to see if you were paying attention.

"Mae espera - voce corta seu proprio cabelo?"

there is nothing that can make a Monday feel like a weekend...

*except for (maybe) a gigantic pearl tea at 2pm. with that obnoxious-sized straw, it not only reminds me of napping on my front lawn in the sun with the perfect infrequent breeze that prevents me from sweating while wearing short shorts and a wife-beater...

but also of being a kid sitting on the front porch sipping a Big Gulp while my dad and I take a break from pulling weeds.

stickers protrude out of our socks and the double-laces of my purple high tops. pieces of a dandelion are stuck on dad's mustache. a weed-wacker runs in the distance somewhere. the phone rings inside and mom answers in english but proceeds in portuguese... must be grandma. our springer spaniel, Clover, after snatching some figs from the tree rushes over wagging her nub of a tail - oblivious to the inconvenience of heat; sweat; as well as the feel-good of lemonade and a cool breeze.

oh summer.

I never really thought I was one of those crazies that preferred it but - I realize now how much my brain misses it.

in other news...

...there is absolutely nothing wrong with using such words as Beautiful, Stunning, Amazing - no one can take them the wrong way. so, say them.

...summer dresses would be more fun to buy if the stores would remember to remove the security devices. jerks.

...riding in my 2nd Tour de Cure in just 4 weeks! want to make a donation?

http://main.diabetes.org/goto/KathleenLindenmuth

...Dear Black & Decker, I curse you. Hugs, me.

that reminds me - I need more band-aids.

there is nothing like 15 days of straight rain to remind me of the indoor boredom I experienced as a sunburned kid wearing scabby knees and dirty shoes. swings would squeak with exhaustion and no pocket would return home unsandy from the park. I never ended a game of tag as being 'it'... nor did I leave not bleeding. soccer, tennis, basketballs were never caught flat as they were all kicked, thrown, and bounced more than they wished to be.

being outside, on the ground, in the dirt, kicking things, feeling the sun, squinting, rolling up sleeves...

was.

amazeballs.

but these days? being outside results in hail bruises, a wind-stricken face, and a feeling similar to running through a waterfall.

I guess it is allowing me more than plenty of time to drink in my cave while watching Jackass 3D, Winter's Bone, The Bourne Supremacy (for the 8th time - and still awesome), A Cinderella Story (yes, awful), The Box (even worse), MacGruber (couldn't finish it), the madness of March, and Top Gear (no complaints there).

if only the tv pushed out enough rays to give me a tan, this wouldn't be so bad.

oh sun and youth. how I miss thee.

in other news...

...happy Holi to my Indian pals. if I was okay with strangers smothering their color-filled hands all over my face, I would be celebrating with you!

...my friend's laptop recently hit him in the face and scratched his glasses. the revolt has begun - you have been warned.

...got a "Kathleeeeen.. ? Youuur coffee is ALMOST ready" warning announcement while at Peet's the other day. good way to get me to take two steps forward... turn red... and then take two steps back. douchebags.

...Words with Friends phone app has very quickly turned to Words with Enemies.

...skydiving before reaching age 30 won't happen thanks to the weather. but I was lucky enough to witness other crazies doing it while I was racing cars recently.

The Evolution of Unicorns

evolved.

it is what we did to look less like the hairier ape-ish creatures that sauntered around yesterday.

it is also what happened to unicorns between approximately 1984 and 2011.

let me explain...

do you remember ever receiving something from your parents, or grandparents... that - as a 5 year old - you thought was so amazingly amazing that you wore it every day; showed all your friends (who thought it was equally rad); wore it to the playground; dance recitals; gymnastic tryouts (that you didn't make but at least you looked good); a walk to 7-11 with dad; soccer practice (even though you were required to remove them during play); and 6-piece chicken McNugget Happy Meal dates?

well - I do.

I loved those unicorn earrings that my Papa got me. I loved them so much that he got me another pair the following year. a unicorn t-shirt the year after that. a unicorn necklace after that. unicorn folders for school. unicorn beach towels. unicorn coloring books. unicorn magnets. unicorn stickers on my scooter. unicorn stickers on everything.

SWEATpants.

with unicorns on them.

until eventually - on my 20th birthday - I told Papa I preferred money.

now I get fake money with President Unicorn heads printed on them. good one old man.

the point of the moral of the story of the evolution is that... the best time to be in to something is when it's OUT (but - be sure to obtain proof that you were in to it before it was cool. otherwise you just end up writing crap like this to explain to no one about your obsession with unicorns that you then grew out of and are now wishing you had some leftover memorabilia of in your parents' basement).

sigh.

in other news...

...I witnessed a mom accidentally drop her toddler's pacifier in the Safeway parking lot the other day. she cleaned it by putting it in her own mouth. I then proceeded to barf.

...Easter candy is now available at the grocery stores. I continue to buy purple Peeps even though I have perfectly good marshmallows and sugar in my cabinets at home. in my defense, it's the bright colors that get me.

...Girl Scout cookies are being delivered this week. g dammit.

two thousand and ten

wow. February? where did YOU come from.

2010 went by like a very low-flying plane... you freeze - mouth agape - remember the dumbest memory you have on the top of your brain (like sucking up a row of skittles off the dining room table like an addict and almost choking), and hold your breath as it eerily passes over you going much much faster than it looks like its going. and then lands at the airport nearby that you forgot about.

at least - that's what happens to me.

I'm not saying 2010 landed at a nearby airport. I guess I'm saying... it was thrilling, scarey, humorous, lovely, angry, and then... somewhat of a relief. maybe.

2010. in 3,000 words or less.

. welcomed the new year Jersey Shore style .

. went to a party as Lady Gaga. was it a costume party? no .

. gave indoor soccer another kick .

. had an enormous amount of caffeine .

. jumped for joy when one of my besty's got engaged .

. had important decisions to make .

. *Biebered... everyone .

. like I said. everyone .

. raised money for Diabetes in the Tour de Cure ride .

. completed a duathlon .

. meandered in India .

. learned that... you can only plan parts of your life. the rest? you need to spend living .

. swung .

. watched my best friend experience the happiest day of her life .

. saw Lady Gaga .

. loitered in Europe .

. experienced football in Seattle .

. performed an epic Top Gun musical for Halloween at work .

. cried at a good friend's wedding .

. took wedding photos for a close friend. and then drank. and danced. a lot .

. made an awesomely ugly sweater .

I'm exhausted.

so what did you do? what is your numero uno item that 2010 brought you? best submission (according to yours truly) gets a high 5.

in other news...

...baby, it's cold outside. but - not for long

...* Biebered. verb. (bee - burr - ed) refers to the action of surprising someone with the amazing face of current hip hop star Justin Bieber. is usually accompanied by a gasp and then the sudden appearance of Kathleen Lindenmuth.