Red Reading Chair

One of the things I like best about hotel rooms is that they usually have little chairs in the corner to read in but this is definitely the funnest reading chair I've had in a hotel room.


Also, you'll notice that the clock is unplugged. It's a good idea to unplug the clocks and phones when you get into a hotel room because I can't tell you how many times the person in the room before me had the alarm set for 4am or something whack like that...and phone's ringing are just annoying and it always scares me when the phone rings in the hotel room b/c there is usually one on the desk, one on the nightstand, and one in the bathroom so it's like surround sound ringing and I don't like that.

I've been reading all day and came across some really interesting stuff in the USA Today where it suggests backing up in the "cloud" just like I've been suggesting for the past year! Get your images on SmugMug and stop messing around with those crazy setups and RAID systems and what-not. Get it in the cloud! :)


Lastly I'm missing Amy, Vanessa and Emily tonight because every week we get together and cook dinner and watch Dancing with the Stars. Tonight I'll be ordering room service and watching it here in NY but I wish I was home with them! I read about how Steve Wozniak is using the web to up his ratings and stay in the race! He's one of my favorites along with the gymnast. She is so cute. Oh my gosh. I love her.

Made it to DC

Well I'm in another lounge in D.C. b/c my flight was delayed so I missed my connection. Not really a big deal. I'd be sitting in the hotel room if I had made my flight and at least in the lounge there is free food.

I got my orange juice and americano which is my favorite morning drinks.

On the last flight I was out cold. I took some Nyquil and fell asleep before we took off and was still sleeping when we landed. I woke up a few times but all in all it was a good flight and I'm glad I got some rest.

It's cold and rainy here. Very blah.....

Lonely Memories

I haven't been on the road much in the past couple of months and I actually forgot how lonely it is traveling alone. I can think of few things I enjoy less.

You walk alone. drive alone. eat alone. sleep alone.

There are no memories.

I try to spice it up by flying first or getting into the little airport sanctuaries (this lounge in SF is pretty nice) or eating at fancy restaurants but really even those things lose their appeal rather quickly and believe me I'm not ungrateful for my life...I just don't like this part of it.

I really just want to get to NY and then get home.

Community Events...and Showit post!

Flash Required to view this area.

Reality San Francisco Website!

My church is awesome! ... and they are planting another church called Reality San Francisco and the new pastor built their website using Showit and it's so freaking good!

Click here and check it out!

Showit discount code for OSP

Hey Everyone! As we get ready to release some big new upgrades to Showit I wanted to put out a Showit discount code for all the faithful OSPers! ... and for the record all upgrades come FREE for current subscribers. Yea!

Just type in "OSP" when you're signing up and you can get the first year for $32/month which is an $80 savings.

You can see more examples of what you're gonna be able to do with this new "embed feature" on MattDJ's blog. Checkout the header he created with Showit!

Rock on!
DJ

Checkout...

There's a great write-up for Showit today on the MCP Actions blog and a chance to win some awesome prizes!

Be sure to checkout the MCP website as well to see lots of awesome tips and actions to speed up your workflow!

...and checkout Bobby Earle's blog. He just used the new embed feature in Showit mixed with our drop down menus to create a blog navigation system...nobody is supposed to have the new feature yet but I couldn't help it. I'm probably gonna get a phone call from Todd in five minutes scolding me.

....and be sure to checkout Bobby's Raddest Photo Trip Ever! I'm so excited about it!

Testing a new Showit feature...

Just testing a new Showit feature.... :)

....too late :P .... you'll see it again soon.

Work or Play?

Here is another one of those posts where there is just too much to write so I'll just roll with it and see what comes out ...or what doesn't come out.

Amy Seeley came out to enjoy a little getaway in Santa Barbara and it was kind of a vacation for me too...but then again my life seems like a vacation. The lines between work and play are really faint. Most of what I do these days has to do with business development and creating new partnerships and the best part about that is that I basically just hangout and have fun getting to know people and then thinking about ways we can help each other.

You all know that we just started licensing Amy's music and it's going unbelievably well and we will be releasing a few more songs in the next couple of weeks so keep your eyes peeled for that.

Amy and I really clicked when we met and she has a spirit about her that is impossible for me to explain. She's a very soulful person and her words grab you and hold you in a stillnes that is needed in our marginless life. She causes me to pause...and that's not easy to do.

While she was here we got to see lots of Santa Barbara and even play a little tennis.

I got worked.

Seriously...It was three days ago and I'm still sore. Here's a picture of me peacing out after my poor performance.


...but the highlight was definitely the private concerts! Wow! I have no words to explain what it's like to hear her sing. I had no idea where to find a piano but then I remembered that there are a bunch up at Westmont so we cruised up there one afternoon and she played and sang and again I would be ashamed to even try and explain it.

It was quite surreal to have her playing there in this big empty room and then outside seeing the beautiful green leaves of life beginning to sprout on the charred trees that were just ravaged by the fire a few months ago.


After dinner I begged her to play again for Deyl and Paige and Brett and Annemarie and so we snuck back up to Westmont and I actually had to "break in" to this little theater by crawling through this tiny window and then ...


If you have never heard her play go to one of Jesh De Rox's workshops "Life as an art form" b/c she sometimes plays at those and if I do more workshops I will definitely be having her play there as well.

You just can't explain her. You must experience her.

Catalyst SB

In the last couple of years I've been through some big ups and downs. Such is the life of an entrepreneur but I'm super stoked to share some of what I've learned next week with a group called Catalyst which is in place to promote entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and philanthropy for entrepreneurs and professionals.

It's a group for business owners and entrepreneurs and is going to be very different from the audience (and presentation) I'm used to because it's not photography related. Pretty much the entire night is Q&A and I have no idea the questions that are gonna come up but it's gonna be fun!

Click here and sign up b/c it's only 10 bucks and it's almost full ... all the proceeds go to Opportunity International.

Praise God!

My dear friend Crystal Goss just had the most adorable baby - Nicholas Drayden Goss!

A lot of pain and prayer went into this little guy. Crystal was on bedrest for 15 weeks so hop over to her blog and give them some love and watch the beautiful slideshow!

Wedding and *Stuff*

I went to a beautiful wedding last night. Beautiful doesn't even do it justice but I don't have a very good repertoire of words so that's about as good as I can do to explain it. The ceremony, the couple, the guests, the way they met, the people they are, everything was just heavenly. It was one of only a handful of weddings I've ever been to and not been working. Sean, the groom, is the newest addition to our crew and is a total stud.

I ended up leaving a bit early and coming home to do one of my favorite evening traditions which is to grab a glass of wine and watch as the sun goes down and the city lights come up. It's the most peaceful time of the day for me and I love it but tonight I couldn't stop crying. When I look out over the city my mind always wanders to thoughts of people I know. I dunno why but it does and tonight I couldn't get a conversation out of my head that I had just had at the wedding with the sweet photographer there. We got chatting during the reception and she asked me, "DJ, do you get hatemail?"

my heart sank.

...and is still sinking.

Not because I do - but because she does. I can handle it and sometimes I deserve it! People write me the most random stuff on both ends of the spectrum. I hear things that *should* make me blush and things that should make me want to bury myself

...but God's given me a resilience to it. Growing up in locker rooms will do that to you! Words have little effect on me. I was talking with my friend Amy about this the other night. I guess this "resilience" effects other areas of my life but there's a reason for it and I can deal with it when it's directed towards me but other people have asked me this same question, for the same reason, and my heart breaks for them...

For those of you who have gotten hit with something like this - I'm sorry. Please know it's not about you. What they are saying to you are lies and are based in their own insecurities. It will probably still bother you and write me if it does. dj@davidjay.com. We can share in it together.

Happy Monday,
DJ

Amy Seeley

It's 2am and in one hour my biggest email ever will go out to over 23,000 subscribers. These emails take me a couple of days to prepare but I love putting them together. This one has some good videos in it about using Facebook for viral marketing and also announces a new agreement that I've been working on with an incredible artist named Amy Seeley.

I first came across Amy's music on a photographers website and I've never been the same since. After buying every song she has put out I contacted her and begged her to allow photographers to license her music - she agreed and if you're on my email list you'll get the amazing offer but keep in mind it's a very limited offer so get your license now!

Watch this slideshow to see what I'm talking about. Wow!

Skiing Video

The Ski trip was so fun! Checkout the video I threw together. You can also see it on Facebook by clicking here.

Fun times!

Don't sell basketballs!

*this post is rated PG13*

Imagine with me for a minute that I started a business selling basketballs to people and I had just started the business so I hadn't even made any money but I knew that in history there have been some people who have made a lot of money selling basketballs and when people play basketball they get exercise and that's good for them so wow this is great...

....but imagine then if I tried to get all my friends to also sell basketballs because when they sold a basketball I got a little piece of their sale and so I also wanted them to get other people selling basketballs because if the whole world was buying, selling and playing basketball the world would be better - right?

No...the world would be incredibly annoying because I don't need a freaking basketball and I don't need a business selling basketballs and nobody is gonna listen to me give them a sales pitch about a business selling basketballs except my friends who feel bad for me...so then it gets worse because now I don't really have any friends anymore because all my friends are now only business prospects....do you see where this is going. The world is not better because of this crap.

One of my business mentors Jeff Jochum told me a long time ago to "never shit where you eat" or you'll have no friends and people without friends don't succeed.

If you already have a business I suggest sticking with your core business and building that up. This is not the time to branch out - it's time to buckle down and get some solid relationships and a foundation.

so there's my 2 cents...ciao.
DJ

New Table A+

I got a few more things for the dining room today. Two pot-like things but they are barely visible in this picture and an incense burner. I still have a ways to go before this room is complete but I'm still enjoying it.

Anyway, had some wonderful friends over for dinner tonight and the table totally passes the test. Amazing. I love having a place to sit and eat and hangout. I also picked up a case of the Virgin Shiraz and it's totally worth it. 7.99 a bottle and it has the funniest label on it. I'll post it later b/c I'm really tired right now and all the Christian photographers come over at 8am so I better get some rest...and my pops is coming in to town tomorrow too. :)

Decorating and business idea...

I really enjoy decorating. It's super fun. I'm not very good at the details but I like getting big stuff and then slowly piecing it together.  My downstairs room has been a real tricky room to figure out what to do with but I've finally decided to make it a dining room with a spa feel. I have most of the big pieces but now I really need to fill it up with lots more stuff to make it a bit more cozy. I don't like a lot of stuff so my house is very open and free of clutter but this room is gonna need to be filled up for it to be comfy. 

Just yesterday I got this rug. It's handmade in Afghanistan and I did a little wheeling and dealing with the guy. I bargain for everything now. It's really fun and it was cool b/c he asked me what I did for a living and I never know what to tell people anymore so I just told him I was in software and he said "oh I want to make a website for my business" and I was like no way. Let's swap. I need another rug for upstairs and rugs are crazy expensive so I'm gonna whip him up a Showit site and get a rug. Very cool. 

We've been really stoked at how many people are using Showit to build new businesses or as an extra product in their business. Several web designers have popped up because now someone doesn't need to know code anymore and I know of a few photographers who have sold their photography services along with a website so it's cool to think of  a website as another product you can offer potential clients or just use it to barter and get free stuff! 

:)

Lunch and the mothership

Lunch and the mothership, originally uploaded by davidjay13.

Nutella and peanut butter and pretzels is a great lunch.

Sleep?

Sleep?, originally uploaded by davidjay13.

The past couple of nights I haven't been able to sleep. I don't know
why but what do you do when you can't sleep?

Great weekend

Great weekend, originally uploaded by davidjay13.

I just got home from a great weekend and am so happy to be home. There
were some weird things that happened this weekend and weird things
happen in my life all the time but I've been trying to do better about
taking time to think through them instead of just moving on so I'll be
sitting here watching the sunset with a glass of one of my new
favorite wines - Virgin Shiraz 2006 - thinking about it.

Hope you had a wonderful weekend too!
DJ

Sweet day

Sweet day, originally uploaded by davidjay13.

Wow it's gorgeous here.

Really?

Really?, originally uploaded by davidjay13.

We are on our way up to June mountain for a little ski trip and
stopped off and saw this ... Lol

My first dinner on my new table

So I'm really fascinated by cooking. Last week Mike Larson came down and we hand made butternut squash ravioli which was unreal and I was so amazed at how he knew how to do this. He even grows some of the ingredients in his garden... and then this week Vanessa came over and cooked up a wonderful dinner soup for our bachelor night that was sooo good and Ashley made some of the yummiest treats.


There is a big difference between these types of meals and the way I cook. I just open a trader joes bag in the pan and seven minutes later I eat it. Tonight I went all out though b/c Vanessa left some leaves here and so that spiced up my Gnocchi and made my first dinner on my new table look really pretty!

Notice the water in the wine glass. That is because I ran out of red wine. I'm not sure that has ever happened here at the Freedom House but it's a good thing. I don't drink nearly enough water. I usually just drink an americano in the morning and then wine at night. I am like a dolphin. Did you know that dolphins don't drink water. They get all the water they need from their food. I learned that on my trip to Cancun with Gary, Missy and Amy where we got to swim with the dolphins and they tried to kill me.



The food shots are at 6400 iso with the 5dm2. The lowlight abilities are amazing and I've been shooting some videos too which I'll put up them on my Facebook page shortly. You can get to it with the link to the right ------>

Sweet

Sweet - Techcrunch just announced (again) that Facebook said they were gonna lift the friend limit. They announced this a year ago and it didn't happen so hopefully this is real. Facebook is a phenomenal tool and it keeps getting better. I love how two directional it is and they are working to make it more "real-time"

All this to say don't spend too much of your life on there. Get out and be with people in person! It's way better. :)

lol

Thanks Mike - this is hilarious!

An ASAP World

Is there space in your life?

... or do you fill every second with a distraction.

How much silence does it take before you reach for your iPhone to see if you have any messages, or posts on Facebook, or until you send another meaningless twitter text to someone who doesn't need another distraction in their life?

Why do we do this? In our overly urgent "asap" world why can't we enjoy even a fraction of silence? Why can't we be still?

What's the hurry?

Are we afraid of missing out on something?

Maybe we're missing out on something more important by hurrying?

Marvelous Light by Charlie Hall

Ok .... so the song I posted yesterday is amazing and when Pandora played it they backed it up with this song by Charlie Hall which made me think it was all the same song. Ha! Cool.

Anyway - listen to this and see if you can keep from dancing. praising. worshiping.



p.s. this dude has a gnalry goatee!

What a morning

I woke up this morning to a sweet drop of rain on my forehead. I had decided to sleep outside last night b/c it was such a beautiful night but what I didn't know was how incredible the morning was going to be.

About an hour after that little sprinkle came the sky was aglow with the most glorious sunrise I have ever seen. I really was tripping out because I've never seen a sunrise so vibrant. The (unedited) picture doesn't do it justice. The sky looked like it was on fire and the ocean was a royal purple. When I first saw it I was like whoa that is probably what doing acid is like.

So after snapping a few pictures I clicked on Pandora which I've been loving! Seriously great invention! I selected my "Matt Maher" station. He's a worship leader from a Catholic church right across from my high school but I had never heard him until my friend Shannon took me to see him and I've been addicted ever since.

I spent the next hour watching, singing, praying, dancing, and crying as I couldn't help but feel so thankful as I looked out over this gorgeous little city I live in and was reminded of the people I have in my life and the things God is teaching me.

This song has really hit me. It's from Daniel Doss and buy the song and listen to the entire thing b/c this piece is only a short clip of the song.

Happy Monday.

Bless somebody today.

DJ