Aaron Riveroll | Photographer

Back in the day, there was this show on television. It was called Wings and featured the dude from Ned and Stacy and some other people. It revolved around the antics of a bunch of people at a Nantucket airport and it was absolutely hilarious. I miss the reruns on USA.

I am reminded, though, of an episode involving Joe and Helen’s wedding…and the food of choice was none other than “The Big Sandwich.” Now, The Big Sandwich, which is appropriately named, is a staple for almost any large gathering of people. Just like the miracle of Jesus and the fishes and loaves, The Big Sandwich is large and hearty enough to fill the bellies of many, many hungry folks.

Well friends…today at work, I am enjoying such a Big Sandwich. I am a huge fan of any type of large sandwich. Ours is cut in pieces.

I’ve been really busy these past couple of days, but I’ve been enjoying myself. This weekend was exhausting, but perfect. Friday night, I was able to finish a bunch of little projects for a client of ours. Nothing feels better than getting a job done and doing it well. Saturday morning was a model shoot at Point Loma. Brian and I met Jennie, a really fun girl from Oceanside, and her boyfriend. We photographed her in about 3 different casual outfits and then hiked down to the beach and shot her in three swimsuits. The weather was amazing; although, the tide was so low we couldn’t shoot in the water. But we made it work…and got some nice results. Jennie really had the cute and the sexy working at the same time…she exuded this flirty, fun energy and was awesome to shoot with. And she had the sexy lip bite down. ;) I have added a few samples to my portfolio on the NGS Media site and will be adding more as the post processing phase continues.

After the morning shoot, I was tired and wet and hungry…so we grabbed a bite at Chipotle and reviewed the pics. After lunch, we got ready for our second shoot of the day with two hot nurses: Melinda and Rachel. Again, we shot around campus and then went to Coronado for a couple photos. The weather became gray within a matter of a few hours, so I was a little disappointed. But they are still cute photos. All in all, it was a really long, but fun, day.

Sunday I just lounged around and got some more work done. Sunday night, I went to The Flood with Melinda, Brian, and Cousin John…good times…and I think I’m going to make it a priority to go on a more regular basis.

This rain has been amazing, for those of you in San Diego. I slept with the windows open last night so I could feel the coolness of the air and hear the sound of the rain hitting the pavement. This morning, I woke up to the water pounding the ground…it was amazing.

And I’m thinking about starting a new section to this blog. Most of you know my favorite radio station to listen to in the morning is Star 94.1 and the Jeff and Jer Showgram. Laura Cain, a host on the show, has her Crushes of the Week. I figured since I’m girl crazy myself, I would have a crush of the week as well. And trust me, they won’t just be, “‘Cuz she’s hot,” kind of crushes…although, they most likely will be hot. :)

Well, I’m going to enjoy my big sandwich and the rain outside my office window. Happy Tuesday.

I’ve had my cute little Mac Mini for about a week now and I’ve been apprehensive about using it for anything other than surfing the web and a little email. It’s hard taking the plunge into the unknown; but you know, it’s getting easier. :)

I just imported about 5000 of my favorite tunes from my PC onto my new Mac and I must say it sounds…

…about the same as it did on my PC.

But the coolness factor comes into play. :) And I, of course, reformatted my iPod as well to use with my Mac because…well…Apple products need to hang out once in a while. I’m going through my old playlists and recreating them, so it will be some time before I have a good selection of playlists to listen to But I’ve got my podcasts subscribed to and my Audioscrobbler running and everything is right with the world.

I can’t wait for the weekend. I have about a handful of photo shoots scheduled and it’s going to be great. :) I haven’t photographed anyone for two weeks since my assistant has been out of town…but I realize when I have nothing to get up for on Saturday mornings, I feel pretty pathetic. And when I have something or someone to photograph, I always feel a little better than when I don’t. I have become addicted to photography. It’s an itch i can’t get rid of. I like it!

I’m excited…I put in some OT this evening making sure a file got out (yes, I’m a dedicated employee)…so I get to sleep in tomorrow. I think I’m going to stay up a little longer and watch some tube. And who knows, I might wake up and watch Chrissy on channel 6 tomorrow.

Hello, Nurse! ;)

I don’t know…maybe it’s her cute Southern Accent. Or perhaps it’s her sweet innocence. Usually it’s the bright smile that does it for me. And the girl can sing too. But maybe it’s because she’s freakin’ hot.

Whatever the reason, Kellie Pickler has definitely captured this guy’s heart. There’s something about her that makes you go “ga-ga.” Her story and her voice just captivates you from the beginning…and from her audition in Greensboro, NC, I still believe that she is going to go far.

The dudes and the chicks of American Idol went up this week and there are several favorites. Kellie is one of them. Another cutie with a voice like gold is Katharine McPhee. I don’t know, dawg, it’s gotta be the smiles. :)

On the other side of the fence, Elliott Yamin got my vote tonight (yes, I voted, but only once). Although he ran very close to Gedeon McKinney, who in my humble opinion gave a really outstanding performance. Other honorable mentions were Taylor Hicks and Ace Young, who I think will go far in the competition. We shall see.

But I ask you this: who killed the video star?

I got to go home early today, so I have been kicking back watching a little tube. The channel somehow found its way to MTV, for “Music Television,” as it was known in back in the day. I tell you friends, there was no music to be had … and as I continued to watch, I could feel the chunks rising in my throat. Yes, it was that bad.

Gone are the music videos of yesterday … they have been replaced with a nauseating shows. Granted, these are the people that gave us Laguna Beach and Cribs. And I have to admit, watching the really cute Greek girl learn how to skateboard was an intriguing story. But once you mix in the cheesiness of a dude dating three moms and a girl who has to let her parents choose her boyfriend, you realize you can only take so much.

I watch MTV now and then … but seriously, what happened to the tunes?

That is all.

I passed my RLA exams!!

Go me.

I don’t know, kids. The more I read about this stuff, the more frustrated I get.

It’s like the RIAA just doesn’t get the argument. I don’t care if you are trying to make a buck (which, by the way, is a sizeable amount)…the point is the more you fight and take away the methods we consumers enjoy our music, the more upset and angry the consumer will be.

And really, who likes an angry consumer?

So now they are saying that using music that I have purchased on my very own iPod, which I also have purchased, is not allowed? A-hem…I don’t think so. I’ll make it really easy; I’ll just stop buying my music. How do you like them apples?

EFF: DeepLinks

I am one tuckered little guy. Today has been a good, but really long, day. For starters, let me just ask…where in the heck did this rain come from?? I mean, seriously, it isn’t unusual for this season…but it’s totally unexpected given the gloriously wonderful weather we have been having…that is, until now. I kinda like the rain, though…it’s arrival, however, is totally random.

Today was mostly errand day. I think I have spent more money in the last 24 hours that I care to disclose. It’s too painful to think about. But I do have some really neat toys as a result. The first of which, as you all know from my previous post, is my new Mac Mini. I’m loving it, to say the least. I also picked up some various accouterments at Nelson’s Photo Supply in Little Italy. Now, for those of you who don’t know about Nelson’s not only do they have a fully equipped store with everything ranging from cameras (of course) to lenses, but they also carry lighting equipment, softboxes and the like, reflectors, filters, binoculars, bags, tripods, and everything else your little photography-loving heart could or would ever desire. Not to mention, the highly- knowledgeable and enthusiastic staff were there to make suggestions and answer any questions the consumer would have. A great place that I will definitely be visiting again. Not to mention that a Fillipi’s Pizza Grotto is right down the street. But among my purchases there was a new lens; an 85mm fixed focal length that should help me to turn out some nice portraits. I shot around my grandparents’ back yard this afternoon and was terribly impressed with the results. Now I just need to get a really hot model in front of my camera now. :) I was really impressed with the sharpness and the speed of the lens, which Ben the Sales Dude told me about. He wasn’t kidding.

Anyway, I think I’m going to go to bed now. The weekend is just beginning…that’s the nice part. :)

Everyone likes waking up feeling refreshed and ready to start the day. Well, I have to say, I’m definitely awake…and feeling refreshed.

For some reason, unbeknownst to me, we have no hot water. So I took a cold shower…and I’m just now starting to get the sensation back in my fingers.

Alright, more later…I’m off to run some errands.

So ends another gloriously long and exhausting week. I’m so glad it’s over and I have a three-day weekend ahead of me. It will be glorious. I have some exciting things in the works, so it should be a blast; I’l keep you posted. :)

Right now, I have some exciting news. I am coming to you live from my very first Mac. Yes, I broke down and jumped on the Apple bandwagon with the purchase of a new Mac Mini. It’s so cute. And so white. And so fabulously wonderful. I’ve always said that good things come in small packages…and the Mac Mini is no different. Katrin has probably fainted, so let’s all take a minute while she comes to (she and I have been on the warfront between Macs and PC’s for years, right along side Steve and Bill). But I am loving is so far. For those of you who think I am weak, don’t fear; I also bought a KM switch, meaning that I will be using my Mac for fun and my PC for video editing and my laptop for, well, just about everything else. And I also bought a handy KM switch so i can switch between my dual monitor PC setup to my single monitor Mac desktop. It all works out.

Anyway, I will be reading all my blogs, listening to all my music, and doing all my browsing via Mac. It should be cool. :)

And speaking of fun stuff, you may have noticed that my little “Listening To” section is off the blog. And if you haven’t noticed, that’s okay too…that just means you aren’t paying attention. :) But I did install a new WP plugin that lets you see the 10 most recently played tracks on my iTunes playlist. It’s a handy little tool to let you know what I’m actually listening to at the very moment I’m listening to it. Right now, it’s Caedmon’s. Just an FYI.

Well, I’m going to get carpel tunnel if I don’t take a break from playing with my new Mac, so I will talk to you all later.

I. Hate. Tests. I hate them…I really despise them. I’ve always been a pretty decent test-taker, although I have always been horrible at studying. And I hate the feeling…quiet room, the dude with the sniffles a few seats away, the constant scribbling of pencils. And I bet when I’m concentrating really hard and writing, I make my kissing face. Any ladies care to make out?

Alright, I’m off track again…see how easily that happens? It’s my short attention span, I tell ya. I hate the insecure feeling I have about everything. Like most other times, I was the first one done…but I ALWAYS (and I mean always) wait until at least 2 or 3 other people turn in their tests. I don’t know why I do that…maybe it’s that fear of being the first one done and then failing. I went back over my answers and check and rechecked and checked again to make sure I had answered every question the best that I could. It was so nerve-wracking. And now I’m done. We’ll see if I fail or not.

Have I mentioned how much I hate tests?