Merry Christmas John, To all who serve and their Families, Merry Christmas Everybody…..
So this is Christmas
And what have you done
Another year over
And a new one just begun
And so this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear one
The old and the youngA very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let’s hope it’s a good one
Without any fear
And so this is Christmas
For weak and for strong
For rich and the poor ones
The world is so wrong
And so happy Christmas
For black and for white
For yellow and red ones
Let’s stop all the fight
A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let’s hope it’s a good one
Without any fear
And so this is Christmas
And what have we done
Another year over
And a new one just begun
Ans so this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear one
The old and the young
A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let’s hope it’s a good one
Without any fear
War is over over
If you want it
War is over
Now…
A recent portrait of Stacey, Jessy and Geri
Three Generations
My Mother-in-Law
My Daughter
My Wife
Adrian Turns Four on Wednesday
“THANKS FOR COMING”
The Party will be on Sunday at Las Vegas Mini Grand Prix. Adrian finally requested an ‘INCREDIBLE HULK‘ theme for this years party. He changed his mind several times just as he did with his Halloween costume. As parents know, at some point children have to made up their minds. So with the party almost near I went to work in photoshop to create this ‘thank you’ card to put in the goodie bags. The photo was taken on Thanksgiving and Adrian unknowingly gave me the perfect mug pose to pull off the Hulk transformation. Happy Birthday Adrian – Papa loves you!!! XOXO
Black & Gold Friday (No, not the Pittsburgh Steelers)
Dear Santa,
I just had and an incredible 50th Birthday. To be honest we have had an expensive year and we have our second grandson on the way. So I will have to count on you Santa to fill my stocking this year. I have been good even by my standards this year. If you have been watching me from the North Pole you may be aware the my wonderful wife purchased me a Nikon D300s for my birthday. So I hope you or your elves have some connections with Nikon because here is my list.
12-24mm f/4
14-24mm f/2.8
24-70mm f/2.8
17-55mm f.2.8
70-200 f/2.8 VR
18-200mm VR f/3.5 – f/5.6
50mm f/1.4
200mm f/2 VR
10.5mm f/2.8 ED DX
1.4 Teleconverter
200-400mm f/4 VR
Nikon Micro 105mm VR f/2.8 G ED-IF AF-S
Gitzo GT3540 Tripod Series 3 Mountaineer (or equivalent)
Really Right Stuff BH-40 Ballhead (or equivalent)
Now my stocking would be very happy with any or what the heck all of these Nikon lenses. When I was a child I wrote everything I could possibly want on my list knowing I would not get all of the items. So that’s cool.
Thank You, Michael
Prostate Biopsy – In a word: UNCOMFORTABLE
On Tuesday I had my back door violated by what felt like a rocket booster from a previous space shuttle mission. Aside from my birthday weekend so far turning fifty has been filled with scheduling one unpleasant experience after another. I have included a simulated photograph just so you get to share the undignified image of my experience. Let me also share having to meet for my first time a company names FLEET. I could go another fifty years without having another enema, thank you very much. Now this is all been precautionary procedure and I won’t know of any results this month. So go, as my doctor said, “enjoy your Thanksgiving”. How ironic as I laid on the table with a seemingly ungodly amount of stuffing ….. nevermind!
GOT JEWELRY?
Every year I help my wife Stacey in preparing a Holiday newsletter to send out to her loyal clients. I give it my best effort to make it look professional and whimsical. I would not like to look back at previous letters as I believe they have improved over time. This is the letter for 2009. Now go see my wife…!
Baby Shower – EXTRAVAGANZA – Well it was good anyway…
Here is a few pic’s from Sunday
It was a great turnout for Jessy’s baby shower. We had family, friends, and co-workers. We catered some good food from Rubio’s that went over really well. and rich and delicious cake as well. Jessy received plenty of diapers, baby clothes, and all the usual baby contraptions they need when they are first born. Jessy was also surprised with a COACH diaper bag from her mom and me. Here are just a few pictures I took Click HERE to see all the photo’s.
Aviation Nation 2009 • Las Vegas • Nevada
LOST MY WING MAN – AGAIN
For the second year in a row I get my hopes up and make preparations to take my grandson out to the annual air show at Nellis A.F.B. in Las Vegas. I take the day off and prep my camera, get some snacks, learn to work the stroller again. All to get ready for a long day out in the elements. Things don’t always go as planned though. Adrian just has been struggling with some kind of bug just as he did last year. He was better today but I could tell he is still not himself. Poor guy did not get to see the jets up close again but next year he will be five and we’ll shoot for it again! They put on an amazing show and challenged my photographic skills.
Grandson #2 ~ The Baby Shower
On Sunday friends and family will be at our home to celebrate the coming of our second grandSON. That’s right it’s another boy. I am O.K. with that because I come from the school of as long as my daughter and grandchild are healthy. When the baby is born Adrian will be the four year old big brother. I think he is starting to warm up to that idea of that but I am sure he has no idea of the pending change.
Now about my invitation design. Pretty cute I think. The photo was from a photo shoot from JC Penney when Adrian was about one. I cut Adrian out and placed him on the bottom and added the text. I used a fantastic company called MPix to print up 50 invites. I uploaded my design into their template and sent it off in the morning and received an email four hours later that my order has shipped. A few days later the package arrived and I was blown away. The quality was top notch. The printing was my personal design on the front, back, inside, and outside. The printers got everything correct and they used quality stock with a professional glossy finish so it looked like a real store bought invitation.
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michael.cortina
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