School drop off and Dangerous Mommies

The last week or so I have been getting back into the groove of school drop off and pick up. High School and Elementary school - and this is not something new for me. I have been taking my daughter to and from school or about a decade now. Juggling an early drop and then the later drop for my son before I even begin my day can be kind of stressful, but in relation to the entire world...not so much.
Last week, I picked up my son and noticed in the parking lot the abundance of cars parked illegally and dangerously, blocking emergency exits, using handicapped spaces, etc. I thought, "what a bunch of inconsiderate people". Early this week, as we drove home from school, one of these working Mom's pulled out of traffic, to the side of the road and whipped her door open, then screamed, "Watch where you're going" to me as I tried to manuever past her open car door. I stopped and looked into the rear view mirror, a tad shocked, while contemplating waving my middle finger at her. I proceeded on, glad that I wasn't such a raging Bitch.
This morning, I pulled to the side of a curb as I approached the school, let my son out, and waited patiently to pull back into the carpool lane of trafic which was growing in front of the school. I noticed a gap in the traffic and before I pulled back into the flow, I noticed in my rear view this screaming Mommy, on her cell phone, waving her hands frantically at me to "get it moving", apparently my concept of safety first in a school zone was taking way too long for her to get her kid out of the car.
To think these women are on their way to or from work, their kids are in the car and can see their madness (and by madness I mean crazy, not anger), and we are talking about driving in school zones, not on the Autobahn.
What in the world is wrong with these bitches?

Concept of Sexy

I had the privilege of shooting a project for my close friends today. When I originally accepted the offer, I didn't really think much of it. It was a favor for a friend. No questions asked as far as I was concerned. Later, I received more information about the project and thought "that's cool", but still didn't really wrap my head around it.
I didn't really "get" how awesome this project was until I saw the initial shots of myself after the afternoon of shooting was completed. 1 day of being the center of attention for 15 photographers.
Generally, that is not what a day of print work looks like for me. Usually there is one photographer and the client. They have a strict agenda and a series of shots which need to be attained for one specific ad campaign. The client dictates what shots are to be taken and the photographer does his/ her best to attain those shots. I try to listen to what they need and give "the look" they need. It's not difficult. In fact it's easy and fun.
This event today was so different because the photographers were in a learning environment and could creatively decide what the best way to produce their art form via all the elements they had available to them, including me. Also great about today is that I didn't have to determine what "look" to give. It was their creative synapses which initiated what I should do, how I should move and how to love the camera, so to speak. Creativity is always fun. I got to play.
My play time translated into beautiful shots interpreted by 15 different sets of eyes.
Which translated into so many great opportunites for a beautiful product.
I realized today what an amazing opportunity I stepped into. I would never think of myself deserving of such a great gift to myself. At age 40 I don't look in the mirror and think "you sexy thing you, go capture this age with some sexy Boudoir photos". I see myself as a mom, and a friend; as a writer and student of life. This was the sweetest moment to get to see myself through the many eyes of talented photographers who decided to make me look fabulous and real, in photos I will treasure as a moment of my life I almost overlooked because it swept by so fast.

The concept of sexy almost lost on Mom.

Summertime Travel

Today my horoscope read, "It's time, today, to add a little bit of breathing room to your schedule! You've been in a hurry lately, getting things done left and right. Your productivity is admirable, but it cannot be sustained. So go slow, today, and if you can put a few things off for another day, do it."

Generally speaking, I try not to put things off at all, because I feel like procrastination is the downfall of society. I was brought up to believe that you get your work done first and fast and then take time for yourself.
After a summer of full blown travel, I know I have taken time for myself in theory, but really these expeditions were for others as well. My brother's wedding was not a vacation. It was great to get to spend time with my family, but organizing travel for 5 people, arranging family meals for groups of 10-15, and driving all over the city of Los Angeles was work. After 2 trips to Vegas, a trip to LA, a weekender soccer tournement to Steamboat and an upcoming trip to D.C., I will admit, I'm beat. Just plain exhausted and none of these events was for the maxin' and relaxin' beach time I like to invest in for vacation.
When I woke up this morning, I thought to myself "self, what is on the agenda today? I am so tired, I can barely open my eyes, and the thought of driving kids to school, making lunches, breakfast and combing hair, is just not appealing to me right now." But, that's what you do when you have kids, you suck it up and get out of bed. Kids first, Mom second.
When I returned from walking my little one across the street to school, he's the last out of the house in the morning, with a late start of 8:30AM (that's a joke for you that don't get up at 5:30 to get 2-3 different shifts of people out of the house on time), I came in to read my horoscope.
This is generally how my day starts - 3 hours of family rise & shine'ing, then on to my day.
Meetings, client proposals, presentations, and then back in time for the 3p-5p pick ups. It never ends. Then who's responsible for dinner - oh, yeah that's me too.
So today I am spending a large portion of the day catching up with my writing. Then I will work on a pressing presentation, then I will take a nap. The first nap I have had in years.
Everything else, I will put off for tomorrow. Why?
Because I can.