the Nonsense in Between

So it turns out the road of life can be pretty bumpy. It can take sharp and unexpected turns. Other times it can be a peaceful scenic drive. I dont know what the road ahead has in store but I do know that having Dominic to share the drive with makes it alot easier.

Dominic, thanks for driving with me.

Dominic: "Nicole, you live the life"
Me: "really? why do you say that?"
Dominic: "Because I put toothpaste on your toothbrush everynight"

A statement so simple yet so poignant. My initial reaction was a giggle but as I brushed my teeth I began to think about his words. I really do live the life. This life is not about how shitty or not shitty my job is. Nor is it about how much money we make or how many things we own. This life is measured by the simplest acts of love. And by that measure this life is full.

Dominic, as long as I have you to put toothpaste on my toothbrush I have everything.

Read the comment Marie left on this picture.

Thank you Marie, your comment made my day!

I woke up this morning feeling rested and full of life. As I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes I remembered last night. A night like any other. I came home to my beautiful fiance, we made dinner together, and enjoyed eachother's company before hitting the hay. As I laid next to him I remember feeling as though the world were a million miles away, my worries with it. He is my vacation.

I came to my computer to tell you all about this and on my way I stopped at his blog and read this. What can I say? We're retarded for eachother.

If you haven't read dominic's blog yet you might not know that the world woke up on the wrong side of the bed yesterday. This did not only include us and our neighbors but everyone I work with as well. I showed up to work a couple of hours late due to the one car dilemma. Showing up late to work was compouned by not only grumpy coworkers but also having to drive to the top level of the parking garage which seems to take an extra hour. I finally got to work and was bombarded by a number of complaints-not directed at me-but dropped on me. Then I worked extra hard, all day, to finish my project only to have everything disapproved by my superior. By five o'clock I was exhausted and depleated of anything I had to offer, so I left. I usually never leave before sunset so this was certainly a rarity. Frustrated, I rode the extrodinarily slow elevator to the 8th level of the parking garage. After what felt like an eternity, the elevator doors opened. Just then my tired eyes and life were awakened by the most beautiful sunset. I walked to the far west end of the top level of this garage and stood breathless at this incredible site. Tears welled up in my eyes and I'm unsure of whether it was because of exhaustion or for leaving my camera at home but one thing I am sure of is that I AM BLESSED. Blessed indeed, even in difficult times. The exhaustion, frustration and hate were all melted away by this spectacular moment.

I hope that some of you were as lucky as myself to witness and appreciate this beautiful moment.

Sean and Penny got engaged yesterday! They are two of the best friends anyone could have and they deserve an eternity of happiness. Sean doesnt get any points from me for popping the question on Valentine's Day but I'm still happy as ever for the two of them.

Sean and Penny, I can't imagine one of you without the other, congratulations on your engagement I wish you all the best. I just have one question: If both of you are my bridesmaids, whose side do I get to stand on at your wedding?

With the world falling apart around me it has been difficult if not impossible at times to see the silver lining. Last night Dominic and I were driving home after spending an hour talking to friends about "the situation" and I was exhausted. Exhausted from talking about it, thinking about it, and reliving it each time I tell the story. Half way home my heart rate returned to normal and my head stopped spinning. For the first time in a week I caught a glimpse of that silver lining. I turned to look at Dominic and that's when it hit me! I have a reason for living and he's right here next to me.

Dominic, Thank you for being here with me. Thank you for being my strength when I have none. And thank you for giving my life meaning.

Last week our friend Maggie (of Maggie and Drew) let me hang out with her kindergarten class. The experience was so inspiring it gave me the push I needed. For many years I've kicked around the idea of becoming a teacher but carried alot of fear around it. Being incharge of the development of an entire classroom of little people seemed awfully overwhelming, a job reserved for saints and angels. Then I realized that all the time I spent in the beauty industry left me wounded. Let me explain something: The beauty industry is full of ugly insecure people who feed off of others' misfortune. With that said, I do believe that I learned alot from the industry. I learned that I am a very strong person with strong convictions. I also learned how to deal with many different kinds of people and how to hold my ground with each of them. And if I had the courage to speak to groups of critical, narcissistic, pompous assholes I think I just might be able to handle children.

From the moment I entered Maggie's classroom I was accepted. I didn't have to prove anything to them as long as I was taller they just trusted me. This experience was so foreign to me. No one was asking me questions designed to stump me, no one challenged my authority or gave me evil looks. Okay, sure they are only five years old but that's just the beauty of youth.

The other day Dominic posted about the gift we received from Chris Conley of Saves the Day. Last night it finally came to fruition.

Let me start at the beginning...
A couple of years ago the Saves the Day song "This is not an Exit" gained a special place in our hearts and lives. The words in that song have meant more to us than any other. Later, when Dominic and I agreed to getting tattoos as a symbol of our commitment to eachother it seemed appropriate to have that title be the symbol. Just weeks after we made that decision Saves the Day was playing a show at the Aztlan Theater. We attended the show and as always had an amazing time. After the show we met up with Chris. We told him how much that song means to us and asked if he wouldn't mind writing it in his handwriting. He graciously obliged. That moment that we shared with him, the words we exchanged, the connection we made is forever burned in my mind, and now inked on my skin.

It being my first and probably only tattoo I feel the need to describe the experience...

In our short time together Dominic and I have had no shortage of epic moments. Moments we experience together that beg to have their stories told even though words cannot do them justice. Moments that burn such intense memories in our minds they defy time. Last night we were lucky to experience more of the same.

We thought the last encounter we had with Chris Conley was unbeatable, that was until last night! Saves the Day was playing at the Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom and we, of course, were there with bells on. Dominic and I were walking up to the doors and saw the STD tour bus outside. Inside the bus we see a pink haired kid who was unmistakeably Chris Conley. We decided to write him a note thanking him for the unforgettable gift. Dominic lifted me up to the window, I gave a knock and handed Chris the note. He quickly closed the blinds, surprised that he'd been spotted by fans. As Dominic and I turned to go back inside Chris opened up the window and invited us over. He asked us to show him the finished product and his reaction was priceless. With the window open he hung half way out to see the tattoos and talk to us. We thanked him and he thanked us. He said he loved our tattoos and he was happy to be a part of it. We talked for several minutes but i cant recall everything that was said, just that what we were experiencing was incredible. After the show we talked to him again and he let us know that he had told everyone about our tattoos. He seemed really excited about them and told us we're the only people with tattoos hand written by Chris Conley.

It's really crazy to think that we've made such an incredible connection with someone like him. We certainly will never forget him and I don't think, after last night, that Chris is likely to forget us either.

There were some other noteworthy events that took place last night but they dont quite match the tone of this story so I will let Dom post about them.

After what seemed like a storm that would never end the clouds have finally parted and the sun shines brighter than ever before. Yes, I am proud to announce that things are looking up these days. And with a recent visit from my best friends Sean and Penny we celebrated appropriately. Thank you Sean and Penny for driving six hours to smell my dog's farts all weekend. We miss you already and Oni misses you so much he stopped farting.

In other good news: I'm employed again, Dominic got a raise, Oni's pneumonia is gone, we have a digital SLR (thanks Gary and Dave), and with summer on its way I'm sure there are more good things to come.

Wonder, excitement, chance, childhood, adoration, clarity, endless, serenity, reverence, innocence...

This picture was taken two nights ago from our balcony with our new Canon Digital Rebel XT. (click the picture to enlarge)

After being a little apprehensive about getting old a wise man (my dad) said "It sure beats the alternative".

Twenty-three was full of life lessons. I'm looking forward to learning more and using my newfound wisdom and strength this year.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this the best birthday ever! Your friendship, support, and bar tabs make growing old fun.

and there are pictures here

We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful wedding. Thank you all for coming, supporting us, and celebrating. We hope you all had as grand of a time as we did.
We'll put up more pictures in the gallery when we return.

Thank you Jenny and Megan for recording our memories.

There's so much going on these days I'm not sure where to begin. The wedding is over and I'm left with a sense of relief and of accomplishment but at the same time I'm sad it has come and gone.

I'm back in school full-time and I'm being reminded this week of how exhausting student life can be. I'm really enjoying filling my head with knowledge but none the less its tiring.

I have a new job (again). I'm still a nanny but with a new family that has significantly less issues. They're a really cool couple with twin boys. The boys are really well behaved and respectful, what a concept. I think we're going to have a lot of fun. Yesterday, we made cork launchers out of a beer bottle, baking soda and vinegar. We shot corks into the sky until we used up the whole gallon of vinegar. Gotta love kids, especially well behaved ones.

Saw a free screening of Last Kiss this week. It is an amazingly well done movie, too well done. Each scene evoked more emotion than the last and now I cant stop thinking about the characters and their heartache. As hard as it was to watch I would still recommend seeing it.

Everyone's been asking about the honeymoon so I thought I'd post about it.

For those of you who dont already know we spent our honeymoon in Los Angeles. Not the typical honeymoon destination, I know, but what else would you expect from us? There we visited museums, architectual sites (bet you cant guess why), and beaches, saw sunsets, and brushed elbows with celebrities.

The highlight of our week had to be our stay at the Roosevelt Hotel. I must note that we would not have found the Roosevelt without the help of my myspace friend Tyler Shields. We were planning on splurging for one night in a nice hotel and thanks to Tyler ended up here. But the best part came after being let down, disappointed and then frustrated. Our first room was nice, as it should be, but the A/C wasnt working, then the shower didnt drain. Not what you'd expect from a luxury hotel. They moved us to a second room that was the same as the first but with working a/c. The best part came when our keys to our new room didnt work. Upon returning the keys we encountered a hotel manager named Saye. Saye treated us like stars. After all of our disappointment he came through and rectified our stay. Saye moved us to a poolside cabana room, worth nearly three times what our first room was worth, but it didnt end there. He asked us to meet him in the bar where he bought us drinks and then he went a step further and had strawberries and a bottle of champagne sent to our room. We were so impressed we ended up staying a second night.

Our honeymoon would have been perfect regardless but this made it over the top perfect. Dominic are luckier than we even know sometimes. I'd like to take a second to thank the powers that be for all our blessings.
Thank you.

Below are a few pictures from our stay at the Roosevelt.

Laughing so hard you almost pee your pants.

Can you believe Dominic and I have been married for a whole month? Today almost passed without us even acknowledging it.

Dominic, thank you for a beautiful first month of marriage. You are an incredible husband. I hope I'm half as good at being your wife.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of finishing one of the best books ever created: House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. If you've not read it you should.

It's easy to spoil the book by saying too much so for your sake I will refrain from spilling my thoughts out here. I will say that Danielewski has an amazing mind. House of Leaves is 709 pages long and not one of them is lacking the cryptic meaning that flows throughout the story. Danielewski's experimental take on literature has left me in awe.

The best thing about my encounter with this book is how it came to be in my possession. On our wedding night as we sorted through a mountain of gifts this book sat unwrapped in the mound. At first we thought it might be a mistake, like perhaps it came off of a bookshelf in the house but we asked and everyone was sure it was a gift to us though no one knew from whom.

After reading it I can see why someone so thoughtfully and anonymously gave this to us on the night of our wedding. Though there is so much to take away from this book I find it appropriate to leave you with a quote that I believe captures, at least in part, it's marital message:

Passion has little to do with euphoria and everything to do with patience. It is not about feeling good. It is about endurance. Like patience, passion comes from the same Latin root: pati. It does not mean to flow with exuberance. It means to suffer.

Thank you anonymous gift giver(s), House of Leaves has been an incredible experience.

With my ear against my husband's gurgling belly: "I think there's a man with a machine gun in there."

Husband to me: "let me hear your belly."(listens)
"I hear a man in a sombrero making tortillas"

i used to have a hard time seeing through the noise.

Yesterday, while at the store with my husband, I overheard a homeless guy preaching: "oh, what a lovely day."
I rolled my eyes and thought: "yeah right. its a horrible day. its cold and windy out. i've gotten nothing but bad news. life sucks for me how can this guy be having a better day?" He must have read my face because he stopped and addressed me directly, "Well, ain't it a lovely day?" I replied, "yeah," like "sure dude whatever, please just dont ask me for change." I'd hoped that was all he was going to say to me, i just really wanted to get home and forget about my day.

Fortunately, though, he didnt stop there. He could see that I wasnt convinced it was a "lovely day" and he was determined to make me see it his way. He went on:
"Everyday above ground is a lovely day!" I laughed and repeated his little addage to Dominic. This made the man happy and he repeated it again in singsong: "Everyday above ground is lovely one! Some people didnt make it through the night to see today. Praise God it wasnt anyone I know. Praise God I'm above ground."

I made through last night, I really hope that guy did too.

Even with school cramping my style I was able to enjoy a very important day: My husband's birthday. We rode his new (old) motorcycle to Cheesman park where we enjoyed eachother's company and tried not to get robbed by some meth-heads. It was so romantic. There are a few pictures from our excursion here.

Later that evening we saw one of Dominic's favorite comedians, Doug Stanhope, at the Oriental theater. It was shockingly informative and only slightly offensive.

Dominic seems very content since turning 24 and I couldnt be happier to see him so. I'm glad I was able to take a break from school to help him celebrate his day.

If any event in recent weeks months years has been blogworthy it is this one!

How many times have I started a blog that said something like "last night we saw saves the day and it was amazing blah blah blah"? Well I'm at it again only this time it was over the top. Have I said that before? Maybe. But this time even that is an understatement.

Last night we had the pleasure of seeing Saves the Day play an amazing acoustic set at Cervantes. During the opening band's set we spotted Chris Conley hanging out so we went over to chat with him. We reminded him we were the couple with the tattoos and he was very excited to see us. I asked him if he'd be playing "This is Not an Exit" and he replied with a smirk and said that he didn't know if they'd play that one. For the next hour we'd just have to wait and see if we'd get the chance to see STD play our song live.

It was worth the wait because what happened next was totally unexpected and beyond incredible. Chris opened the show by playing our song! But not just playing our song but dedicating it to us and telling our story to the entire audience! I couldn't believe he remembered everything but he did. He told about how we came up to him a couple years ago and asked him to write those words and he remembered how we knocked on his tour bus window a year later with the finished product. He told everyone what a cool couple we are and he even thanked us there infront of everyone!!

After the show, we met up with him again to thank him and I told him i couldnt believe that he had remembered all those details and he said, in a way that can't be captured in type, "I have a good memory". A good memory?! I can't imagine how many people and stories he encounters over the years and across the country. I feel so honored that ours was one he's committed to memory.

Chris Conley, there aren't words to describe what these tattoos have meant to us and your words last night were another gift from you that we will cherish for a lifetime. One day, when we are old and so wrinkly that the inked words on our skin will no longer be legible we will still have these memories. The stories we will tell our grandchildren about Chris Conley will defeat time. Thank you. We will never forget.

pictures here

Today I watched the sun set behind trees.
I sat and counted my many blessings.

The wind blew,
the leaves moved,
and the sun winked.

We all laughed.

I could sooner count that tree's many leaves
than list my countless blessings

(inspired by a conversation with a tree)

1. loving him
2. being loved back
3. something new everyday
4. hearing the words: "everything is going to be ok"
5. having an amazing family
6. we are strong
7. fall break is finally here
8. the feeling of relief
9. knowing lots of really amazing people
10. having friends that are better than me
11. the good in this world
12. getting better at seeing it
13. getting through it together
14. it didn't kill us
15. becoming someone better everyday
16. having 25 years of experience
17. exploring all possibilities
18. knowing culture
19. making something of it
20. enjoying the little things
21. laughing at myself
22. it's good to be home
23. we were meant for this
24. it gets better everyday
25. stronger
26. smarter
27. open
28. getting paid to do something that is hard to call "work"
29. being on the honor roll
30. teaching each other
31. learning from each other
32. laughing
33. laughing so hard we cry
34. seeing it fill a dark place
35. watching clouds burn off in the sun
36. feeling the warmth
37. seeing the horizon
38. sleeping in
39. having dreams
40. capturing a moment in a frame
41. expressing
42. developing a passion
43. seeing them smile
43. hearing their thanks
44. having ability
45. seeing it grow
46. being dedicated
47. giving
48. things made with hands
49. building it together
50. knowing it's forever
51. holding hands
52. thrift store finds
53. seeing what isn't there
54. appreciating
55. memories of galaxies
56. days that call for bare feet
57. sitting by a fire
58. handmade quilts
59. stitches sewn with love
60. history
61. maternal instincts
62. intangible value
63. being resourceful
64. fresh air
65. lightning
66. cumulonimbus
67. having a little brother to share it with
68. weightless dreams
69. a hot cup of tea
70. healing
71. being healed
72. feeling like a puzzle piece
73. sometimes fitting in
74. sometimes not
75. knowing where i belong
76. having a voice
77. learning how to use it
78. the road ahead
79. the places we've been
80. what we've become
81. the stories we'll tell
82. seeing reflections in their eyes
83. taking time to reflect
84. putting feet up after a long day
85. clean sheets
86. ending the day with him
87. starting the day with him
88. a cup of coffee
89. never settling for less
90. earning it
91. forgiveness
92. having a shoulder to cry on (or many)
93. hugs
94. high fives
95. smiling eyes
96. old concert tickets
97. polaroid pictures
98. singing in the car
99. making silly faces
100. knowing this list could go on

"Home" has felt like a question for the last eight years. For a long time I had hoped it would change; that I would replace old home with new home and solve the whole dilemma, but now that I'm older (and wiser?) I'm trying to embrace the dilemma. Sure, it's inconvenient to have to travel several hundred miles by two types of transportation just to see my family but at the same time i realize it's a blessing to have such strong roots -- even if I do feel guilty for being so far away sometimes.

Tomorrow morning I leave for Roswell, it will be the first time i've been home in over a year and half. I have felt the distance between me and that place growing, I used to push it away even, but now I want to hold on to it; preserve it like an old photograph. I realize that even if when I do find a new place to plant my roots (Denver? LA? An Island in the pacific where clocks are forbidden?) Roswell will always be home and I hope that it is always there for me to go back to.

This trip is going to be hard because I have to leave my (new) family for an entire week. I realized today that Dominic and I haven't spent a night apart since he was having an affair with an architectural model, that was nearly three years ago! I know that in the grand scheme of things one week away is not a big deal, especially when you consider we spent the first six months of our relationship in separate states, but I'm still going to miss him terribly. I guess it will be good practice for when I leave to Mexico for three weeks (oh yeah, most of you don't know about that, its actually quite blogworthy. expect a post soon, my parents actually have internet that's not dial up now so I'll try posting from home)

As it turns out, internet access in rural Mexico is almost non-existent. There is, however, one computer with internet access in a teeny tiny library in the “big” town of Rayones, Nuevo Leon, where we are currently staying. Unfortunately, the hours of operation haven’t allowed us to really access the internet but today is probably the last chance I’ll have so here is my very long blog post from Mexico...

Currently, we are staying in “big town” Rayones but on Monday we are heading up to the mountain villages where there are no phones or computers and virtually no running water or electricity either. As excited as I am to get to the meat of what we’re doing here I’m a little nervous to be so far from the outside world. Even though we haven’t had much time to use the phone or the internet here in Rayones it has been comforting to know it is there.

Since we’ve been here most of our time has been spent on orientation, training, and setting up. Our main focus has been on tourism because the nonprofit we’re working under has been asked by the Governor of Nuevo Leon to give a report on issues and suggestions regarding tourism. Basically, the Governor has decided they ARE going to start advertising and pushing tourism so Fifth Sun has gotten involved to help identify potential issues and suggest possible solutions. Our job has been to go out to potential tourist sites and report back on problems we see both from an American tourist perspective and from an anthropological perspective.

I personally wish tourism wouldn’t come here because I fear tourists may cause more culture change and damage than the revenue could ever make up for. Most of the students believe the same but Fifth Sun justifies our involvement by saying that applied anthropology is not going to stop tourism from happening but we can mitigate change.
Since being here I have learned so much and am beginning to understand how anthropology can (and can’t) save the world.

Since we can’t save the world in three weeks I think I may return home, with a group that is leaving a week early, and come back for the second session at the end of summer. I truly enjoy being in the field and I think I may have found my calling, its just unfortunate that my calling doesn’t pay in dollars, or pesos, or money of any kind. Fifth Sun hopes to be able to pay project leaders in the future so my hope is to stay involved in whatever way I can and maybe one day they’ll be able to hire me.

My main focus here is the literacy project and since the organization hadn’t previously done any work with literacy I’m starting with nothing, which is wonderfully frightening. So far I’ve discovered some major barriers to teaching literacy, for example: locals believe that “school” and “classes” are for children only so we have to find a way to teach literacy to adults without asking them to attend a “class”. I have some ideas but we have a ton of research and surveying to do before anything actually happens, which means nothing is going to get off the ground during this session.

By this point many of you have stopped reading because I’m breaking Dan’s number one rule of blogging: Don’t make long posts. Sorry Dan-o but I’ve only got one chance to get all this out there. And there’s more…

Wow! What a whirlwind life has been lately! A lovely, dizzying whirlwind that has landed us in Los Angeles, California.

I'm still trying to convince my brain that this is our new reality but everyday something fantastic happens that makes me think we're dreaming. Yesterday I had an interview in West Hollywood at an amazing private school. I think the interview went well and the school's philosophies mesh well with mine. Even though they are a private school in one of the wealthiest areas in the nation they work hard to make sure their staff and students are diverse, and at least 1/3 of the students are from low income families that receive financial aid. And because it's private they get away with not having to take those worthless standardized tests and they can focus on more important things like actually TEACHING! Oh, they even do everything they can to tap into students' unique talents! The best part about their school is that they believe in social responsibility and every year each grade level participates in a community service project, even the preschoolers!

The position I applied for isn't my ideal job as I'd be working with the infant group (3 months to 2years) but I think it could be the start of something great. I'm really trying to lean on faith here but waiting for the call always kills me. I promise to let you all know what happens. Send good thoughts this way!

I've been trying to put into words how amazing life has been as of late but my words fall short every time. The title here actually came from a few different people commenting on our blessed situation and it really does feel like there's some order in the universe, even amidst all the chaos. Life's funny that way, I guess.

Our move to California seems to have put us on a path that feels right, perfect even. I know that Dominic deserves all the happiness and blessings he has been receiving and I'm just lucky I get to tag along. He really took a leap of faith by moving us out here and it's really paid off. His job is A-mazing! Its too bad for most of you that his work is so confidential because otherwise it would make for some good blog posts. You know what else would make for a good blog post? Updating you all on my job hunt...

My hunt started and ended in one place. I know you're not supposed to put all of your eggs in one basket or whatever but Dominic and I both had a "good feeling" about the job I interviewed for so I went with it. I talked to my mom and told her that I felt like I was going to get the job but I had no proof just a feeling and she told me if I believed it I didn't need to apply anywhere else, so I didn't. The most incredible part is that I ended up with an even better job than I originally interviewed for!! I've been hired as an assistant kindergarten teacher!! It's pretty amazing how it all happened and I have every reason to believe a higher power worked some magic on that one. I am so grateful.

I hope you all are finding some good in your lives despite the whirl of fear and madness around.

One might expect that a world famous photographer, who works only with the most rich and famous, would be as pompous and pretentious as the rest of them. If one expected that of TSP (can't say his full name here) one would be utterly mistaken. The world class photographer I had the extreme pleasure of spending a day with is a genuine and good-hearted man; with an abundance of unmatched artistic talent, I might add.

I have to admit that I was a bit intimidated at first but once I got to know him a little the tension cleared and we got to talking, and talking, and talking. We talked about everything-- pets, culture, economics, travel, jurkupa, the changing world, and, of course, photography.

He told me this really inspiring story of how he got started in photography and how it had more to do with luck and passion than anything. At the time he was going to school for architecture but half way through he realized he really didn't want to be an architect but it was too late to turn back so he continued school. To pass the time and feed his creative side he picked up a 35mm camera, he'd go to school all day and stay up all night doing photography. At some point someone saw his photos and hired him for his first job but all he had was his little 35mm so the guy loaned him a Hasselblad. He went to the site with his loaner Hasselblad and realized that he didn't even know how to load the film! By chance, the site was just across the street from a camera store so he went there and asked for help. He now shoots effortlessly with a Fujifilm GX680 III. With his permission, I took a photo of his other half:
(copyright Nicole Filosa)

You would never know by his perfectly composed photos that he was not formally trained, but if you were to watch him work you would see that he is a true artist unfettered by rules, methods, and procedures. He lets the space become its own thing, he talks about what makes the space and about the "personality" of the room that he's trying to capture. The words "strong", "glamorous", "wild", and "unique" came up over and over during shooting. Once while shooting some vases in front of a series of large framed snake pictures TSP used the word "creepy" and moved on quickly -- it's not that he hates snakes, in fact he used to look for them when he was a kid, but these pictures gave him the willies. Most of the time, though, he worked slowly and patiently -- it took us two and a half hours to get the perfect shot of the office!

He admits that the condo we were shooting is one of the more difficult spaces he's had to capture and even though it's relatively small it is very complex and every corner has its own story. We found ourselves experiencing the space as more of a modern art museum than a living space, at one time getting caught by the interior designer admiring this very large piece of photographic art in the hallway. We talked not about the artists' clout or extravagant rates, nor did we discuss colors and compositions, our museum tour was all about the feelings and environments captured and created by the artists. It was an experience I won't soon forget, he even let me take one of the polaroids home to remember it all by.

I left the Sierra Towers feeling informed, inspired and complete. I also have the strange feeling that it wasn't the last time I'd see my new mentor. Time will tell.