Vampires.

Thats what I like to call the good folks over at Stanford Blood Center. They call me without fail for a blood donation (in for an ounce, in for a pound). My first donation was in high-school...and I’ve probably donated on average once a year since then. When you finally settle down someplace and donate to a place that keeps records (like Stanford), they put you on a ’rewards program’. So this being my 8th donation to SBC, I get the gallon pin (seen here). Obviously, I’m in this for the gifts. I think when I get to the 10 gallon mark, I get a pen...or is it the scarf. But all joking aside, they really are a caring and dedicated bunch of workers and volunteers doing a great service. Just a day before my donation, I read an article about the shelf-life of blood being shortened from 6 weeks to 2 weeks. Needless to say, this would put a huge crimp on current inventory.

My father was always a blood donor, and I consider him a great person, so why not follow in his footsteps?

Thar she blows

I can't believe that I've been living in California since 1996, and the closest I came to a whale was from an overlook at Big Sur. I've always wanted to see one up close (preferably in their natural element). So on a recent trip to Mendocino with friends, we had the opportunity to book an excursion with Noyo Harbor charter boats. The sky was grey and the air misty with saline, but we were all excited to get up close with the migrating grey whales of the Pacific. Sure enough, we weren't disappointed. Much of what we saw was spine and tail, especially as they took a big gulp of air before their deep dives. I left the still photography to our most-capable friends while I handled the video. The swells were enough to put a few unlucky passengers clutching rails, but we had a blast.

Welcome to the madness

Archbishop Mitty puts on quite a show for their March "Monarch Madness" battle of the classes. I've been lucky to be a part of this since 1998, and I've seen many a freshman class lose only to triumph as seniors 3 years later. This is a loud, raucous and energetic exhibition of sports, dance and artistic skills that fills the San Jose Civic center with a crackling energy. The shoot is always challenging, as the events change and the floor is crowded. But with two cameras always rolling, we are guaranteed to get good results. Guess that is why they keep me coming back year after year.

Highlight Videos: The remix.

Every now and then, I like to mix things up and keep it fresh. When Brenda and Todd got married in Seascape (Aptos), they had everything nailed. The weather was beautiful, the guests nervously anxious, the location was scenic, the bride's dress elegant...you get the picture. In talking with them before the wedding, I knew that Brenda wanted a Shania Twain song for her highlights. Being that she is an up and coming country-rock singer, I knew that music was an important element for her. It is also quite inspiring to me, and I'm always on the lookout for fresh music that would help drive my editing. This particular video remix was from a song that I knew would take the visuals in a new direction.

Faster than a speeding bullet

What a weekend! I woke up to beautiful blue California skies (never get tired of that). I shook off the morning sleepies, headed downstairs for a light breakfast in anticipation of an afternoon hike, or trip to the gym. It was 8am, and I had all the time in the world. I didn't plan on doing much more than a short shopping trip for a TV stand. The new Sharp 52" LCD arrived, and was sitting in a box, waiting for our old rear-projection to move out of the way. But I digress. I decided to wake my wife around 9:30, and we spent a few minutes talking about work/life/plans...the usual. The phone rang a short while later, and it was my photographer friend Lisa Leigh . She was upbeat and cheery, but very intent on letting me know that this was going to be a most unusual phone call. I told her that strange requests are a daily routine, and if hers was the oddest, there was a Peet's Coffee gift card waiting for her.

Lisa: "Are you available for a wedding today at 2pm?"
Me: "Well, I guess so, I didn't have anything scheduled"
Lisa:"Great, its in Tahoe, can you leave now?"
Me:"Well, it would be a real stretch, seeing as how I'm 4 hours away"
Lisa:"Can you do it for $1200"
Me:"Ummm....no, I'm sorry. I think the gas alone would cost me that much."(have you seen the prices in the Tahoe area?)
Lisa:"Okay, I'll talk to the parents...let me get right back to you."

So the time is now 10am, and I'm guessing that this won't go through....but just in case, I start assembling my gear and getting dressed. I do a quick Mapquest check and see that their location will take me a shade under 4 hours. Quick math: 10am+4 hours+traffic?+setup time=missed ceremony, angry couple, distressed videographer. I call back Lisa and leave a message saying that I don't think its going to work (no matter the price). Unless the ceremony started at 2:30pm. No answer, minutes go by, I get worried (they are probably expecting me already). So I jet to the car, gear in tow, buckle up for a speedy ride and pray that there are no slowdowns. The handy GPS on the dash gives me an ETA of 2:14pm. Eeek! Still no word from Lisa and more minutes tick by while I cruise up Hwy 680.
Lisa:"They'll delay the ceremony until you arrive".
Me: {gulp}"I'll do my best to get there ASAP

To wrap it up, the gods must have been with me! I made it by 1:45pm, with enough time to tuck in my shirt, park illegally, and setup my gear. ITS ON BABY!

For the sake of my sanity, I surely hope that this isn't going to be a habit.

Many thanks to Stephanie Anderson the wonderful coordinator at PlumpJack for filling me in when I arrived and getting me up to speed. Don't forget to try their wonderful food (I had the Reuben, and it was delicious!)

This just in: the highlights have been completed and uploaded for you viewing pleasure.