Marie, Marie, Marie

You know, I don't even know what to say.

I Love L.A.

A couple of weeks ago I visited Los Angeles on a business trip and was reminded why I like it so much. I have people in my life who think I am crazy for liking L.A. for the following reasons:

1. Traffic
2. Traffic
3. Sprawl
4. Real Estate prices
5. Dirty ghettos
6. People with fake body parts
7. Earthquakes
8. Wild fires
9. An army of wanna-be's
10. Britney Spears
11. Traffic

And yes, I agree that although none of the above are appetizing, as I sat in the Century Plaza hotel and overlooked both the MGM building and the GORGEOUS CAA building (which I couldn't stop staring at - see above), a familiar feeling washed over me and I was finally able to articulate why I love L.A.

There is an underlying current there. It gets into the pores of your skin and under your tongue and its not the weather. It is, in fact, the feeling that anything is possible.

I don't feel it anywhere else in the world like I do in L.A. Whenever I stay there, I go home believing that I could try just about anything and it would work out for me. What a gift. I try to hold onto it here in Utah and although it exists inside me, it is never quite as palpable as in L.A.

So, while the fires burn in the west, I'm hoping that they do not burn away the underlying feeling of potential that I love.

Perhaps instead, we could lose the Spears-paparazi-frenzie? Hmmm. Does anyone have a lighter?

Real People Who Inspire Me

Everyone who knows me knows I love an inspiring book or movie. And, yes, a good tale of redemption or triumph is a great escape. But, the inspiration that seems to resonate loudest in my ears and linger the longest is the kind I get from the people in my life. The real people.

For some reason, I seem to be particularly lucky with having a lot of REAL people in my life who have recently REALLY inspired me because they took a risk.

Here are just a few...

1) Jake Bryant who is living 2 of his dreams - he bought THE camera and is in a film this month.
2) Anganel Davis for taking a risk and changing it up - love the new hair!
3) Jill Harmon - She bought the bike! Now she's an easy rider and living one of her dreams!
4) And last but not least, my brother Larry. For taking a chance on two of his passions he has had since childhood. Congratulations to my favorite award-winning racing photographer!


"Blue Blur" by Larry Knight, 1st place Amateur Photography, Utah State Fair

Warming Your Heart

This was sent to me by a friend and I couldn't resist...


In 1986, Mike Membre was on holiday in Kenya after graduating from Northwestern University .

On a hike through the bush, he came across a young bull elephant standing with one leg raised in the air. The elephant seemed distressed, so Membre approached it very carefully.

He got down on one knee and inspected the elephant's foot and found a large piece of wood deeply embedded in it.

As carefully and as gently as he could, Membre worked the wood out with his hunting knife, after which the elephant gingerly put down its foot. The elephant turned to face the man, and with a rather curious look on its face, stared at him for several tense moments.

Membre stood frozen, thinking of nothing else but being trampled. Eventually the elephant trumpeted loudly, turned, and walked away. Membre never forgot that elephant or the events of that day.

Twenty years later, Membre was walking through the Chicago Zoo with his teenaged son. As they approached the elephant enclosure, one of the creatures turned and walked over to near where Membre and his son Cantri were standing. The large bull elephant stared at Membre, lifted its front foot off the ground, then put it down. The elephant did that several times then trumpeted loudly, all the while staring at the man.

Remembering the encounter in 1986, Membre couldn't help wondering if this was the same elephant.

Membre summoned up his courage, climbed over the railing and made his way into the enclosure. He walked right up to the elephant and stared back in wonder. The elephant trumpeted again, wrapped its trunk around one of Membre' s legs and raised him high into the air and slammed him against the railing, killing him instantly.

Probably wasn't the same elephant