Mom-Speak

We were in the dollar store this past weekend getting things for Gabby's upcoming birthday. The following conversation took place between a mom and her two-year old daughter.

Daughter: "Mommy, what are these?"

Mom: "That is lip gloss honey"

Daughter: "How do they work?"

Mom: "They don't"

Haunted Haus

Pictures from the Sig Pi Haunted Haus on College Avenue. This was kind of a last minute (read rushed) photo shoot.

Todd did some video as well. Apparently the house is applying for a philanthropic award and required some video and/or photos of their event.

It was definitely spooky.

Good Drummer Gone Bad

When I showed up Saturday night to shoot a group photo and some candids for my brother-in-law's 40th High School Reunion from Houghton High School, I ran into my friend Mark. It turns out Mark was at the same venue celebrating his 30th reunion from Hancock High School. Can you smell the rivalry?

I've known Mark since our college days and played in several bands with him. We've also made a couple trips to Jamaica together when we were in the MTU Jazz Lab Band and he's married to one of my High School classmates. Most recently we backed up Hannah Bethel for two performances. Mark is the epitome of the professional musician and is one of the best drummers I've ever had the privilege to play with. Mark does have a dark side though. He's got one wicked sense of humor and at times its so off-the-wall you need modified military radar to pick it up.

Anyway, as I was trying to get a bunch of 58-year olds with a couple of drinks in them lined up for a group photo with Portage Lake in the background, Mark shows up again. This time he planted himself along the left side of the group with this goofy smile on his face like he just belonged. He was going nowhere. My sister-in-law who helped organize the whole event started freaking out and kept saying things like, "Who's that guy" and "He doesn't belong in the picture" and "Is he going to leave"? If you know Sharon, you know she's a pretty cool cucumber, an excellent Emergency Room Nurse and doesn't get easily riled so I was playing this out for all it was worth just to get a little reaction out of her. After all it was a night for a Houghton/Hancock rivalry and I knew Mark would eventually bow out of the photo (at least I thought he would).

Well...after about five minutes of this, I thought maybe he wasn't going to leave. The guys with their creaky 58-year old knees were on the ground (probably wondering how they were going to get back up), the ladies would not stop gabbing long enough to look at the camera and there's Mark with this goofy smile going nowhere.

So finally Mark left the immediate area and we were able to take the picture with most of the ladies stopping their gabbing long enough to look at the camera. As you can see from this series of photos Mark was introduced to and made-up with my sister and brother-in-law afterwards and all was well. I have to tell you it was one of the more humorous photo sessions I've been involved with.

Howie Mandel

Pictures from the closing keynotes at HP Technology Forum and Expo 2008 featuring Worldplay once again and comedian Howie Mandel.

Of course there were speakers from Intel, AMD, HP, and Brocade as well.