The BMW Ultimate Driving Experience: 2022

Note: This entry is being posted in late 2024, well after the event concluded.

Enjoy some highlights of BMW’s Ultimate Driving Experience in 2022.  This would mark my second time at BMW’s annual driving event which showcases some of their latest models.  This year we’d be getting spirited wheel time in the all-new BMW i4 M50: BMW’s latest all-electric sedan sporting 536 horsepower and a 0-60 in just 3.7sec.

I’ve driven many electric vehicles, including a Tesla P85D.  And while the Tesla certainly had a more explosive launch with its nearly ~700HP motors, this and its “full-self-drive” are mostly just party tricks packaged in a poorly assembled, low material quality body that simply feels cheap and unintuitive.   For two cars supposedly in the same class, there is simply no comparison - BMW has Tesla beat at its own game hands down.  Aside from the i40 possessing the quality in materials and build that one expects from the German maker, but it also comes with BMW’s famed handling; driving the i40, one wouldn’t know it isn’t a beefy V8 aside from the fake engine noise piped in through the sound system - while convincing, knowing the sound is a lie is the only thing that makes the driving experience less genuine.

2023 Annapolis Irish Festival • Gaelic Storm

To kick off my birthday week, and give myself a well-needed break, I took myself to the Annapolis Irish Festival.  Having the whole day to myself with no expectations or responsibilities to others hanging over me for the day was such a refreshing sensation I can’t remember the last time I felt, and filling it by being surrounded with my own Irish heritage with a backdrop of Celtic music, my soul felt overwhelmingly unhindered happiness and freedom.

I explored the vendors for some time, mainly in search of a Claddagh ring to hold me over until I settle on options for a bespoke piece; unfortunately, shopping for rings for myself is akin to shopping for pants, because I’m between sizes, and half sizes simply aren’t stocked at such a craft fair.  After browsing, and finally getting something to eat, I settled in to enjoy some of the music more purposefully.

Bastard Bearded Irishmen

Bastard Bearded Irishmen were in the later portions of their set once I finished eating, and I took some pictures of them playing a few of their last songs of the afternoon.

They finished their set with a cover of Sweet Child o’ Mine.

Gaelic Storm

The star act of the Festival was Gaelic Storm; a Celtic band headlined by Patrick Murphy on lead vocals, accordion, and spoons, and English guitarist Steve Twigger, the two remaining original members of the band that shot to fame after being featured performing in 1997’s Titanic.  They are joined by percussionist Ryan Lacey, Peter Purvis on bagpipes and flutes, and the group’s newest member, Natalya Kay, a talented fiddler who joined the ensemble last Summer.

I admit, I’d never heard of Gaelic Storm until a few months ago when a friend in another state saw them perform at an earlier stop on this same tour, and raved to me about them.  (I also have still somehow never seen Titanic in its entirety.)  Coincidentally, the Annapolis Irish Festival had already been on my radar for several months, so between the rave review by a friend, and a sense of reclaiming a tarnished St. Patrick’s Day, I was absolutely going to make sure to see Gaelic Storm play, whether at the Annapolis Irish Festival, or the night before at Leesburg’s Tally Ho.  In the end I’m glad my festival plan ultimately came to fruition.

Suffice to say, Gaelic Storm has a new “storm chaser” (what their fans are known as). I’m not new to Celtic music; I’m a lifelong fan of The Corrs, and was lucky enough to see The Chieftains perform a few years ago, but having already previewed and enjoyed some of Gaelic Storm’s music in the weeks before their concert, I was excited to finally see them live.  As the sun set, Gaelic Storm took to the stage, and I think the pictures will do the rest.

Video

I did take some video, but wasn’t intending on focusing on video, so the audio is trash using the internal mic.  This served me well, however, because it gave me a great set of files to learn on - I’ve been teaching myself Final Cut Pro, as Adobe Premiere Pro still doesn’t have a proper DolbyVision / HDR workflow (come on Adobe, get it together; it’s been 3 years, fix your Rec. 2100 support!).

World Oddities Expo - 2023

For the four years it was on, and the several years of reruns we got to enjoy, I always loved watching Discovery’s Oddities TV show, which followed the staff and antics of patrons of the Obscura Antiques & Oddities shoppe in Manhattan’s East Village.  I have a love of antiques, and the grim and spooky and offbeat, and I’ve sadly never been able to make it to Obscura Antiques & Oddities (which has since closed their NYC location and shifted to online-only after the COVID-19 pandemic) so naturally when I heard about the World Oddities Expo, I made sure not to miss it!

The World Oddities Expo is apparently not the only oddities expo on the scene, but it was the first I heard about, and is one of two that visit semi-locally.  The event itself wasn’t quite what I expected based on the website, but I was still very pleased - the WOE is more of a flea market than anything else.  But when the vendors are offering posed taxidermy, embalming supplies, obsolete medical instruments, steampunk treasures, and relics of the spooky and supernatural, of course I’m in love.

See a few photos of some of the offerings - out of respect, I didn’t photograph everything I saw.  At the end of the day, I had picked up a witchy gift for one of my best friends, an emerald green pinned butterfly in a frame for my own wall, and some smaller specimens in vials - the beginning of a collection I hope to slowly grow.

The World Oddities Expo visits the Baltimore-DC region at least once a year, and in 2025 will be here twice, and this isn’t counting other similar expos with many of the same vendors - I sadly was busy the day of 2024’s expo, but can’t wait to add to my collection in 2025!

Ilana and Chris: Married April 28th, 2022

In my blog post about Ilana and Chris’ engagement session, I explained my history with film; how I have never shot on it professionally, and only reached for it for fun, finding novelty in its charming imperfection, and how this appreciation of film for fun and interesting cars is what ultimately brought us all together.

For Chris and Ilana’s wedding, however, like their engagement session, I changed this history, if ever so slightly.  Just like Chris and Ilana love the artistry classic, quirky, and quick cars, they also appreciate share my appreciation of analog’s allure.  So while their big day wouldn’t be the first time I snapped Polaroids at a wedding, it would be the most film I’ve ever shot at any professional session, even if it was a few handfuls.

After getting prepped, and strategically keeping the wedding parties separate, Ilana had a first look with her family on the Anchor Inn’s dock immediately before the ceremony began.  In the refreshing breeze on the Patapsco River, Chris and Ilana took their turns going down the aisle, finally letting Chris choke up seeing Ilana in her dress; a tradition Chris was adamant to keep.

After the breaking the glass (mozal tov!), Ilana and Chris danced on a cloud to kick off their reception.  After dinner and toasts, they cut the cake to the tune of some zany TV theme songs that perfectly fit their silly personalities; King of the Hill, South Park, The Simpsons, and more.  Now it’s officially party time!

Winding down the evening, Chris and Ilana slow danced solo, just them and the music on the dance floor… and maybe a few excited guests who peeked inside through the portal window.  Under an arch of fiber optic sparklers, Ilana and Chris departed, but not before dipping for a kiss one more time, and one more Polaroid.

Natasha And Zach: Married April 8th, 2022

If you know Natasha and Zach, you know how in love and excited to tie the knot they have been since getting engaged in 2019.  Like so many couples in recent memory, their wedding plans became an exercise in hurry-up-and-wait for the World to regain some normalcy, but their patience was rewarded this April, joined by a gathering of friends and family able to converge upon the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts to join in celebrating their love surrounded by art from every continent.

The day began at one of Richmond’s historic rowhouses where the wedding party got ready and toasted with a special bottle of rum Natasha and Zach picked up in Cancún and were saving for a special occasion.  Next were first looks; the emotion on Natasha’s father’s face as she came down the stairs in her dress, and later on Zach’s face as he saw her walking down the aisle.

I don’t think I’ve ever met a couple so pumped to be married - immediately following their ceremony, Zach and Natasha led the wedding party outside for pictures, across the VMFA’s public gardens packed with hundreds of people picnicking in the beautiful Spring weather; Zach yelled at the top of his lungs pointing to Natasha, “THAT’S MY WIFE!!!” to the cheers of the entire lawn, some people coming up to congratulate and take pictures with the newlyweds.

After dinner, while everyone else was dancing and partying, the three of us stole away to go explore the museum - Natasha and Zach danced and joked among exhibits, with just their infectious laughter echoing the secluded halls.  As longtime Richmond residents, and lovers of the city’s thriving art scene, it was a fitting location to mark the occasion they’ve been looking forward to for years.