Naples, FL

Financially, I am struggling. But I want to talk about the good things. This week, two incredible individuals (under completely different circumstances) insisted on paying my dinner tab. A nice woman told me about a cheap motel in town with a real fireplace and a fridge! Then, the motel only charged me $20 for the night..  without even knowing my financial situation... good things have been happening when I truly need them to. 

While booking work this week, I was sitting at Panera and this really nice guy invited me out to dinner. We drove to a little seafood place on a waterway, split a pitcher of beer, and ate Blackened Grouper until the sun disappeared. It was so nice to break up some of these lonely days that I have been having. He was saying that meeting me was the most entertaining thing that had happened to him since he moved to Florida. Afterwards, we went to see a movie together (because why not?) Sweeny Todd .. I don't know. Randomness. Adventure. Good company. A six hour sidekick is better than being alone anyday...

I did not originally want to post about it (because we all know, if I do, it never happens) but I finally got to shoot with Oliver Regueiro (work on left) out in the Everglades yesterday for the EnvironmentalRefugee Project .... It is really exciting for two reasons - one, because how many models get to shoot in the Everglades? .... and two, how many people get to shoot with Oliver? Ha. We did not get eaten by alligators ... so the shoot turned out pretty decent... also good company. 

Sarasota has Oyster Bars. Why have I never heard of these before?. Bars and Oysters - how perfect is that? Went out with a photographer lasy night - I learned that some dildos are made from airplane parts and you can boil them in acid, and they don't change form. 

I am staying with a Couchsurfer here in Sarasota.... who is moving to Portugal this weekend to study spiritual massage for three months. She is amazing. She is a Personal Shopper. Meaning that she goes to fancy upscale stores, buys people clothing, and gets paid for it.... Tonight we are having a going-away party. I am bringing the wine - she is bringing Key Lime Pie... It's going to be a shin-dig. 

Everglade City, FL

Now that Miami is over.... I can move on to the awesomeness of the last two days..... Yesterday, I went to the everglades and did a two hour tram tour! Twenty five old folks and myself, "Oooohed" at birds and "Ahhhed" at Otters and gasped at fish. I made a friend. I met a man in his late sixties who bought a giant motorhome after his wife passed away and now he travels all the time. We were both lonely and happy to have someone similar to talk to.... we spent the entire ride back talking about National Parks and all the places we want to visit. He invited me over for dinner and campfire. It was a good break from road food.

Last night I stayed at The Meth Motel (it was called the Sunshine Inn but it would have been better titled Meth Motel)... I walk in and the lady at the desk is like, "Do you do drugs?" And I am like, "No"... and she goes, "Are you sure? No meth? We don't let people who do meth stay at our motel." And I am like, "No." So then she continues to go on about all the people staying at the motel. "The guys in room #3 - they have Homosexual-Sex at night, if that bothers you there are earplugs. The lady in room #10 had her kids taken away because she is a mean drunk." .. I went to bed that night, knowing EVERY one-single-sided story that a person could know... Being in FL, I have to compromise my rates to $25 an hour...... I barely had enough money to leave Miami the other day. I absolutely hate using my credit card, like I feel like I am scrawling out the dollar signs in my own blood when i use it. Hopefully things pick up or I am unsure what my game plan is.

Video Blog - #1

Jacksonville, FL - Big Talbot

TBig Talbot Island State Park is like a dream - beautiful. Shot there yesterday with all this old driftwood. The photographer and I were approached by a park ranger who said 'You must stop shooting. It is the law - illegal illegal illegal' So we packed up all our stuff and pretended that we were finished and then we kept shooting anyways. The beach was empty and we were not bothering anyone. I stopped to talk to some fishermen on the way back to my hotel. So many incredible stories. I wish that I had time to write them all down.

Mom was going to send me my tent on the road but she forgot .. so instead of camping in Key West, I need a Plan B ... Anyone know of some cheap, fun place to stay while I am down there? I don't want to stay in motels while on vacation.

While in Jacksonville I am staying with my aunt, who is part of a Biker Club called The Outlaws - I guess the club originated in Chicago but it has spread all over the world - When she first mentioned to me that she was in a 'a biker gang', I kept thinking "Yea... lots of people ride bikes in Florida. I am sure that it feels like a biker gang." But last night she invited me to tag along with her and let me tell you, it's not like a biker gang, it is a biker gang. She took me to their club house, full of surveillance cameras and full bar and everything. I have never been around something like that in my life. She is in a legit biker gang.

Into The Wild....

Because I spend so much time on the trains, riding between Long Island and NYC, doesn't come as much of a surprise that I have been devouring more books than usual - Finished Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, Water for the Elephants by Sara Gruen a few days ago (which was incredibly hard to put down). This week was Into The Wild...perhaps you have seen the movie?... Other than the fact that I cannot stand the dry writing style - the story itself was moving. I am nothing like Christopher McCandless's character, yet he is someone that I could imagine meeting on the road .... I wish I had known him.... 

Been working a lot - Eating lots of Gummi Bears - Had to try to learn how to pee upside down for Aeric, that was... interesting? I am really starting to push some of my own boundaries for photographers that I am, personally, interested in shooting with. 

The Central Park topless pretzel guy.... chased me for twenty blocks screaming, "Me love you! Me want to get married. Me love you! " It was silly and perhaps a little bit scary having him chase me for two blocks but nonetheless silly.... Went to a photographer's house, asked to use the bathroom, and he informed me "The toilet paper is just for show, please do not use it. Use the one under the sink." Stop - ponder - think? Huh? 

The Staten Island Ferry is free, did you know that? You can ride it back and forth all day - not a dime needed. You can feed the birds, see the Statue of Liberty, the NYC skyline - any time, day or night - it is really neat. I have been sitting on it between shoots. I just love how peaceful it is on a weekday at 2pm.

Nekkid Party in the Subway....

Christmas was fun! My mom bought me a 3-person pink tent for Christmas! Camping in Key West!? I think so! Decided to go visit Matthew for New Years. 

Been in NYC all week.... Got naked on the subway the other night with photographer Will Springfield. For 2am, the subway was surprisingly packed. He is shooting a coffee table book with actual coffee-tables so we took turns dragging Will's coffee-table onto the D-Line subway. Will set up his lights, train started moving, and we shot 50 frames. Train stopped, went to put my coat on.... Will says, "Wait! Lets just keep shooting... I don't see anyone" Yea, so Will is shooting, not paying attention to anything and four or five people get on the train behind him. An MTA cop boards the train and I am sure that we are going to get arrested... but Nope... The cop just goes, "Ooooweeeee... this NEVER happens on my shift! This just makes my night, mind if I watch?"

Things happens at Will's place that night and I am having very mixed feelings about it.