Meet my hubby, aka Joseph "Joe" Bautista! :) My extremely better half, as I like to refer to him ... the smarter one, the better looking one, etc. I also dub him the camera-shy one, because he's the most camera shy in his family! He usually shies away from the camera and hates it when I take photos of him, which makes this photo even more rare and special. (Do note that he did scold me after I snuck this photo of him ... :-D) I've been married to Joe for nearly 10 years now, and he is the love of my life! We met online, via AOL! One of his best friends -- who was 5 years younger than me -- was trying to pick me up but I vowed not to date any more younger guys after my last relationship. I asked his friend if he had any friends closer to my age, and he said he could introduce me to his best friend. Joe and I then began to talk on AOL and met in person two weeks later. The rest is history! =) The person that I am today is thanks to Joe. Believe it or not, I used to be pretty insecure about myself and very judgmental of others. He taught me to be open and to look at both sides of the story, and he encouraged me to believe in myself and to pursue my dreams. Pretty tough things to teach to someone such as myself, who has always had low self-esteem (even now); but the person that I am today is a testament to the amazing and wonderful person that is my husband. I feel truly blessed to have him in my life, and look forward to our future together. I would do him wrong if I didn't make him the 1st non-stranger in my stream! ;) Other facts about the hubby: - Is half-Filipino, half-Irish - Is finishing up his Bachelor's in Biology at CSULB, with the plan to obtain a Master's Degree in Physical Therapy - Is super smart! (went to Whitney High School, a Magnet school in the Cerritos area) - Loves video games (he even re-plays games he's already completed!) - Loves cycling (mountain and road) - Loves motorcycles and riding (all I know about motorcycles is because he talks about them near-endlessly :)) - Father of three cats - Is the one who encouraged me to find a hobby! I think he somewhat regrets that I chose photography, because it means less time I spend with him! (But I think he's secretly thankful I found photography anyway) :-)

Day 57 ~ Sept 13, 2009 Can anyone identify this little guy? He was perched on the wall at the restaurant at the Bluewater Marina. (The name escapes me at the moment! LOL) Anyway, I have spent some time researching online to try to identify him, without success. How many of you reading this know that my bachelor's degree is in Biology? :) He's very interesting, isn't he? I promise you he's real...not photoshopped!