Jess ambushes me with a snowball on the Boardwalk. Awesome!

Jess really wants me to unlock the door. hehehe. Funny story… The snow was covering up the median, separating the parking 28th Street Plaza’s parking spaces from Coastal highway. In my attempt to park, I jumped the median.

his photo makes me laugh. I like how Elvis looks like he’s staring at me. Jess ordered steamed shrimp, which she loved. I had a subpar greek salad. I guess Ocean City is a place to get good seafood, not necessarily vegetarian cuisine — which Coins had none of. At this point we haven’t found a place to sleep. Winging it was part of our plan for the weekend. if the weather was better, I was planning to pit hotels against each other, seeing who was willing to give us the better deal for our business. But as it turned out, we really just needed a place to park and sleep.

Jess made this photo. She’s pretty good, huh? We got stuck in the snow a few times over the weekend. Parking lots were particularly aggravating to get in and out of. I was kicking snow away from my car’s tires. Gotta love snow boots.

Jess leads the charge to our hotel suite at the Princess Royale.

Once we opened the curtains, they stayed open. We also cranked the heat, a luxury we rarely let ourselves indulge in at home.

I love how delicate this image is. The still, almost frozen plastic chairs, practically submitting to the weather while the curtain gently sweeps on Jess’s leg.

Jess’s silhouette shot through the curtain.

I LOVE the infinity effect in mirrors. This was shot in our bathroom.

Jess, reflected in the room’s mirror, checks her e-mail during a Hallmark movie she watched on the room’s flat screen TV.

Jess was in and out of a sleep in the morning. I got a little creative with this shot, juxtaposing her reflection in the window with the snow covered beach dunes.

Dough Rollers was one of the only places open for breakfast. They also did a pretty good job clearing out their parking lot. So, they were awarded with business. I realize the local chain is one of the more beloved Ocean City establishments, but for goodness sake, their coffee is horrible! The last time I ate there I remember thinking the same thing.

I’d be willing to bet the bird population far outnumbers the human population in Ocean City in January.

Dinosaurs seemingly try to escape the Ice Age at the Old Pro Golf course on the 6800 block of Coastal Highway in Ocean City in the off season Sunday, January 31, 2010.

This is the second of three posts from Jess’s and my recent workcation trip to off-season Ocean City, Maryland . Here’s the first.

I also wrote a first person travelogue for The Howard County Time’s travel-ish section called Go! — as in, “go” here and/or “go” do this. Check it out if you have the time. It’s a pretty quick read.

The moon, still prominent in the sky, moments before the sunrise at Ocean City in the off season Sunday, January 31, 2010.

An ocean bird flies past the rising sun in Ocean City Sunday, January 31, 2010.

A dune fence pokes out from a snow drift Sunday, January 31, 2010.

The parking lot at the infamous Ocean City beach club Seacrets is snow covered and bare Sunday, January 31, 2010.

The boardwalk is sparse in Ocean City in the off season.

The amusement park in the inlet, formerly known as Ocean City Pier Rides, now known as Jolly Roger at the Pier, is locked up Sunday, January 31, 2010, and inactive until Easter weekend.

Snow falls in front of the Dunes Manor Hotel. Rates for the ocean front hotel are as low as $71.00/night in the off season.

Jess and I went to Ocean City for her 27th birthday at the end of January. For some reason, I decided to incorporate work and play into our weekend. Over the next three days, I’ll post three different series from our trip. I also wrote a first person travelogue for The Howard County Time’s travel-ish section called Go! — as in, “go” here and/or “go” do this. Enjoy.

One of the Jolly Roger Amusement Park’s golf course is dusted by the snow storm Saturday, January 30, 2010. The Ocean City park’s giant ferris wheel looms in the background.

The view from our Princess Royale ocean front suite at night was eerie and beautiful, Saturday, January 30, 2010.

Hotels and lodging on the 9000 block of Ocean City.

Cut palm tree trunks line the Princess Royale’s beach front area.

A pedestrian walks down the snow covered Coastal Highway, Saturday, January 30, 2010.

The Princess Royale’s upper parking deck holds two-to-three feet snow drifts instead of cars.

One room is lit in the 9400 Condominium building. The Coastal Highway similarly, is barren.

A night view of the hotels lining the beach in Ocean City in the off season Saturday, January 30, 2010.

So… this is our China Bus Driver.  He’s smoking “something” out of a Sprite bottle. Most of us on the bus think it’s pot. This other modern dancer we met at the bus stop, Andrea, worried it was opium. Maybe this guy just likes the way Sprite makes his tobacco taste. right? Well, we didn’t crash, and I think our bus driver was probably doing the responsible thing and “chilling out,” after a breakfast of blow. I made this photo in December, 2007. Jess and I were on our way up to NYC.

As usual, the 10am update is a regular feature from my archives.

Deep Creek vacation, August ’09.

If you wanna check them out, there are more photos below the jump.

A view of Downtown Atlanta. Due to wing maintenance, my flight was delayed for an hour and a half. I’m all about making sure our flight is safe. BUUUUUT, it would’ve been nice if they delayed the flight BEFORE we boarded the airplane.

We ended up physically switching planes and departed ATL 30 minutes AFTER we were supposed to land at BWI.

It wasn’t a major inconvenience for Jess. I didn’t have to do anything right after landing either. no harm. no foul.

Hartsfield Airport

landed safely at BWI.

Mom’s sad I’m leaving.

Grandmommy bought lotto cards for us to scratch off before I left Atlanta Friday, December 11, 2009.

Hartsfield Airport in Atlanta Friday, December 11, 2009.

Grandmommy’s getting out of the van to give me a hug before getting on my flight.

Mom and Me. Grandmommy shot this.

More tears from Mom.

It was great seeing them.

This post is all about……Mom and Grandmommy.

where mom lives.

I’m allergic to cats…

but Mom has one anyway.

This is Tinkerbell

I get food on my shirt, too. the apple doesn’t fall too far…

Grandmommy’s famous lemon meringue pie.

We had pizza and pie …

and really good guacamole.

Mom stole my camera.

Grandmommy, walking to the van. We’re got Chinese food that night.

Mom Drove.

Pouya and I rescued a toy poodle from the treachery of an I-85 on-ramp In Atlanta Thursday, December 10, 2009. We named him Rufus.

Pouya shot some of these.

…and I shot some of these.

We were supposed to go to a bar, but ended driving from the southside to an all-night emergency vet clinic in the northern suburbs.

There, we found out he was recently groomed, fleasless, was about two or three years old, and also had his teeth cleaned.

We also found out he Rufus didn’t have an ID chip. So, we brought him back to Pouya’s house.

We fed him. He pooped, peed, and sniffed around.

At this point we didn’t know where we were going to keep him. The backyard seemed like an okay idea when we first got him, but a massive cold front moved in over night.

Plus…

Pouya was worried that his dogs would make a midnight snack out of the lil’ guy.

So, he slept on a blanket, in the tub, behind closed doors, where he was safe and warm.

The next morning Pouya dropped Rufus off to the SPCA. For some reason they renamed him Hunter.

Obviously we were both worried he might get put down. Luckily for Rufus (and us) strays are kept for seven days before getting injected, allowing owners enough time to look for him.

The lady Pouya talked to said she wasn’t even worried about it. She’d be surprised if a mature, house broken, quiet, pure bread, clean, HYPOALLERGENIC, non-pit bull, dog wasn’t adopted in two days.

Sure enough, he found a home. We did good.

There are a bunch more photos from my trip to Atlanta below the fold…

Pouya shot this of me.

Jeff Furticella, Pouya’s dogs, and Sandy Hooper.

Pouya’s dogs lickling Sandy and Jeff.

Pouya’s neighbors moved. and some how this tiger found its way from in front of their house all the way down the street. Weird, huh?

hehehe. some guy put a sunflower in the bushes. …not sure why.

At my office. ie. the Caribou Coffee down the street from Mom’s pad.

Sandy Hooper

Sandy’s cats are friggin’ nuts.

‘Sup?

Olivia and her mom, Liz.

Stephen Michaels

Pouya

Johnny Simon