Lensography - Who is RiaB?

Hi! I am RiaB a.k.a. Maria Burgess (M Burgess - Photographer) Writer and - Chauffeur.

What makes me tick? Just like a good watch there are many pieces and parts to my interests and favorite things. I want to take time out to share some of them with you here.

Welcome to my crazy world!

No need to hang on too tight, I promise this will be a smooth ride. I am a professional driver and your comfort and safety is my #1 concern!

All Photo Images - M Burgess unless otherwise indicated - all rights reserved, please, do not copy! Thank you!

Watches are a necessity for keeping accurate time schedule. I need a good time piece for my job as a chauffeur. Being on time is a must -- my clients depend on it!

I'm A Chauffeur In Las Vegas!

During my day job -- which could be anytime night OR day, you will catch me in a black suit and tie and big black car.

I drive limousines in Las Vegas!

Chauffeur by career, I enjoy driving tourists around who visit this spectacular city.

Talking to people about this city's history and it's crazy antics is part of my routine. Everyday is a different adventure and I never have the same monotonous duties most jobs entail on a daily basis.

I have lived here a long time and have witnessed many changes in the city over the years.

I remember when Caesar's Palace was a little turquoise light in the desert...

The black suit is the standard uniform for chauffeurs in the industry. I like a suit that is sturdy in construction and can take a beating from the work I do. Being a chauffeur is not only about driving, it is about handling luggage and keeping my car clean. A badly made suit will cave under that kind of pressure. A starched and pressed white shirt is required for that professional touch. I only wear a black tie but --oh boy! would I love to add some color to my work wardrobe. If only I could wear girlie colored ties...

Raised In Las Vegas

I call Las Vegas my home for many years. My parents moved us here in the 60's. They will celebrate a 50th wedding anniversary in January 2013. I am the oldest of their six children.

Being raised in one of the most interesting cities in the world was really an experience. The city of Las Vegas is a very exciting place not only for the Strip and The Resorts but for the fantastic areas around the area. I love to travel close to home when I get some much needed time off.

Read more about my home town in the following lenses:

It's Party Time in Las Vegas!
Need to make plans for a special get away? How 'bout a little Party Time In Las Vegas? Bling, Heels,and Limos are part of our Neon Culture. The resort corri...

It's Christmas Time In The Las Vegas Desert
Christmas time in the Las Vegas desert comes with mild temperatures and it rarely snows here unless you create it. Our holiday decor is dazzling and brillian...

Activities In Las Vegas For Stay-cations
Las Vegas is a city so full great activities it would take years to see everything. Over the course of my life as a resident of this exciting city, I have st...

The Hoover Dam Tour
I love to tour Hoover Dam and it is a place I would recommend to history buffs and folks who appreciate engineering marvels. It is also a great destination f...

Mt. Charleston Memories
Fire! The one word in the English language that can spark panic and instant reaction in all that hear it. This week in Las Vegas a new history is being writt...

In Fact, He's An Awesome Mechanic!

I was Dad's first shop hand. At 5, I was handing him tools and helping in projects such as cleaning gaskets off of parts.

About 2 years ago my amazing Dad and I replaced the head gaskets on my '90 Mercury Cougar. The project was a great way to spend time with my father. It had been a long time since we had been able to work on cars together.

The engine came together great but the car then tossed it's transmission. The project was a success but the patient was terminal.

This time I spent with my father was priceless! It had been years since I was his little helper.

Here is a little something about my Dad, cars, and racing lenses:

The Mechanic and The Red Head
From the 60's building drag race engines to restoring a 1932 Ford Coupe Hot Rod, may I present someone who is not only an amazing auto mechanic but is also a...

Shirley Muldowney Drag Racing Queen
Shirley Muldowney, better known as Cha-Cha was the first female to take on the world of drag racing. She did so with great opposition and staked her position...

She Can Make ANYTHING!

My mother is a tailor and she has and can make just about anything. Mom taught her girls how to sew and other homemaking skills. I learned about canning, gardening, and preparedness from my dear mother.

Being a tailor has been an interesting life for her. She has made 9 wedding dresses, worked on jackets for magicians, made Elvis accessories and costumes, and has met some of the biggest entertainers in the world through her craft. Redoing the seats in a Corvette when I was younger had Mom in fits. She swears she will never do that again! She has some very funny stories which I will be sharing about in the future here on Squidoo.

Homemaking Skills And Arts - A Beginner's Guide
In the days before modern convenience and mass production, old fashioned homemaking skills and arts were the only way we could have clothing, warm quilts, an...

Part Of Our Family Focus

Preparedness was taught in our home. We canned, we baked, and even made our own root beer! I remember climbing trees to pick peaches or apricots for home made jam. Survival to us was just frugal living for the family budget. Now days it's called being a prepper!

Preparedness Keys - Survival & Food Storage For Beginners
Preparedness keys are the key points of gathering food, water, and shelter items to protect you and your family by planning for emergencies. We never know wh...

Survival Foods Requirements
No, we are not talking about Grandpa's MRE's! Nutritional requirements for survival foods are the same as your regular meals. They just come in slightly dif...

Survival Food Storage - My Favorite Tips and Tricks!
Survival food storage ~ What IS the best way to properly store your survival food for long term? Below you will find my favorite tips and tricks. There are s...

H2O - A few dozen healthy reasons to love water!
What is water and why is it called h2o? In science class we are taught that water is two hydrogen molecule to one oxygen molecule. It is a wonderful addition...

A Lady's Survival Kit List
If we are going to go through heck I AM bringing my handbag! Why? Because I have a few things in my purse to get me through all kinds of disasters. Here you ...

Emergency Management at Home
A contingency plan for home and family preparedness keeps your family safe in times of trouble enabling you and your loved ones to be riding the storm out sa...

Karaoke Night

Sometimes I take a break in my busy routine and there is a call for some music. I head out to Karaoke and belt out a few tunes from bands like Journey, Juice Newton, Jewel, and even a Rush song now and then.

Trained in choirs in middle school I love to sing all kinds of different music depending on my moods.

My favorite music is Christmas carols but at Karaoke I am a bit of a rocker and I do play guitar as well as sing. This image is from after work one night at Dino's. It is the best dive bar in Las Vegas and the host Danny G. is a fun fellow to have working the lists. He will sing back up with you or help you along in a tune if you need a little boost of confidence.

You may even find me caroling when I do my window paintings.

Play The Acoustic Guitar With The Ultimate Fake Book
The Ultimate Fake Book is by far one of the easiest ways to learn how to play guitar on your own. It contains many fun tunes and melodies to hold a beginners...

In order to warm up the pipes so to speak when singing karaoke I enjoy doing soft ballads before I start the rocking out. One of my all time favorite songs is Time After Time by Cindy Lauper. The video is a little dark, but this is my voice in the video from karaoke at a little Philipino joint I love to visit now and then. They are a great bunch to hang out with!

You can see that I am wearing one of those neat fashion jewelry scarves in this clip.

Because I never get a weekend off and work freaky hours, I am not able to attend my favorite functions in the city, like karaoke night at the pub near my home. I don't have to go far from to sing, these days, as I was given a karaoke machine to use at my place. With a collection of my favorite tunes, I am able to be the star of my own show right in my living room. It is a great way to pass time and keep the pipes in shape. If I ever have friends over we have a built in karaoke party ready to go. I have been thinking about bringing my machine along for karaoke night in the limo. It might work if I have the right equipment to plug into the sound system!

Yes, I Am One Of THOSE Crazy Christmas Artists!

I have been a window painter in Las Vegas since I was 14. I acquired first set of paints for holiday window decorating at that time. You can read the story in A Day In The Life Of A Holiday Window Painter. Since then my art has taken many a turn and has developed into a neat side business.

In my lens list you will find lenses that describe in detail what you will need if you want to paint windows for Christmas, Valentine's Day, and Halloween.

There is a lens, too, written about the ins and outs of running a window painting business and how I got started.

A Day In The Life Of A Holiday Window Painter
The story of how I started painting window art began in a tailoring shop in 1978. I refer to it as being one of Santa's Elves. Yeah, I am the one with the paintbrushes...

So, You Want To Paint Holiday Windows?
If you have ever thought about painting beautiful Christmas art on windows, this is the how to guide you've been looking for! Painting Christmas windows has ... (Purple Star)

How To Do Halloween Art For Window Painting
Halloween art is a great way to attract ghoulies and goblins to your festivities and share your favorite images of the season. Pumpkin paintings are bright,... (Purple Star)

So, You Want To SELL Window Painting?
When you can paint Christmas designs and other images on a consistent basis you can use window painting as a business. You'll need a few supplies and and lit...

Valentine's Day Window Paintings
Are you the type of person who goes all out for Valentine's Day? A personalized window painting would be a great addition to your Valentine's Day festivities... (Lens Of The Day)

This lady loves critters!

This picture from the early 90's shows one of my favorite creatures, snakies! There were all kinds of critters in the home. Fish, lizards, cats, dogs, chickens, and cockatiels have part of our lives at one point or another.

My son and youngest daughter's Dad used to bring home all kinds of creepy crawlys to our home. It was ok with me as I love all kinds of creatures large and small. Which explained our relationship. In time I will share my knowledge of reptiles and other unique creatures. Snakies are some of my favorite critters but my favorite pets at home at the moment are....

Guinea Pigs (Aka Cavy's)

My current family pets are guinea pigs or Cavy officially. They are wonderfully, kind animals.

My Favorite Critters: The Cavy or a.k.a. Guinea Pigs
Cavys a.k.a. Guinea Pigs are some of the best pets I have ever owned. I think they are just awesome critters for a family that doesn't have room for a dog or...

My Guinea Pig's Most Favorite Foods
My Guinea Pigs are spoiled rotten little creatures! I did it, yes, I am *GUILTY!* I want my Guinea Pigs to be healthy and happy. I cave into my nurturing sid...

I love plants - especially the ones that grow edibles. Every spring I replant my tiny patio garden and watch it bigger day by day. I have been growing vegetables in containers for a few years now and you can read about my projects in the following lenses.

Drip System Irrigation For Container Gardens
Recently I installed a drip irrigation system in my container garden to help with watering. Hauling water from the kitchen sink to the patio is a lot of wor... (Purple Star)

Creating A Miniature Vegetable Garden
I am a gardener. I love to grow edible foods but my little apartment does not have a yard. I am limited to the space on my patio deck. My solution was settin... (Purple Star)

Growing Armenian Cucumbers In A Window Box
If you think you have no space for a vegetable garden, think again. A spot big enough outside to hold a window box or a 10" pot -- can be a spot to grow... (Purple Star)

How To Grow Cherry Tomatoes In Desert Climates
Desert climates are not ideal conditions for growing anything but sunburns and sweat pools, but I have found that cherry tomatoes thrive during our growing s...

Making Your Own Onion Salt And Chives
Making your own onion salt at home is simple and cost effective. The results are an organic seasoning made for pennies on the dollar. I love making my own ho... (Purple Star)

Glamour Shots and other pics

I have always been a tomboy of sorts until I reached my late 30's. I have had to learn to be a diva so to speak. Over the past few years I have been working on this though I am still not high maintenance. I am just as comfortable in sweats or a t-shirt and jeans. On the mountain or at home I enjoy working with my hands and getting into various projects.

Having the nails on has been a serious alteration in my routines. My hands have to look good for work so I have had to make some sacrifices to maintain them. Giving up my guitar is one of them.

The Glamour Shots here are by photographer Carlos Fuentes of Las Vegas (Used with his permission!). If you are in Las Vegas and interested in having a photo shoot done, either a family portrait session or some creative photos, contact me and I will get you his information. I had him do my glamour shots so I had some fun pics to leave behind for my children and grandchildren.

Yes, I am a grandmother of 3 beautiful little girls!

Any of my other photos are taken by me or family members and my camera phone or my little Nikon COOLPIX L26. I just love this digital camera!

Squidoo is a great arena for organizing some of my creative juice! I have made money here by creating and posting lenses. It does work! I am gathering a few dollars month after month. Please, note I just started writing in February 2012 so I am still a work in progress. It is a blessing that some of my writings have done as well as they have. Being successful on Squidoo takes hours of research and fine tuning to get your lens just right. When it is right, it does earn money. So, keep trying!

I became a Giant Squid and a Squid Angel in May of 2013 and was really excited to receive this status change. Though it has been a rocky year for a lot of folks on Squidoo, I strive to keep on creating useful and creative lenses on various topics.

The key to Squidoo I believe is writing right from the heart. Let your personality settle into your work and images and say what is on your mind. Sprinkle your lenses with personality and thread a bit of humor into them and share them with others. Be kind in your travels. It is important to leave comments behind where you can. If you really like a topic and lens - SAY SO! The lensmasters will be delighted with what you have to day and appreciate your activity. If you see something that is out of whack, contact the author. I have run across many lenses with typos or grammar errors. If someone let's me know I have an issue in one of my lenses it is much appreciated. Sometimes a lens needs an extra pair of eyes to streamline and perfect.

These lenses have made me money here on Squidoo:

I will update these figures soon. My earnings are a bit over $40 total for Squidoo at this time.

• So, You Want To Paint Holiday Windows? to date has made $19.00 on Amazon, a few cents from a sale on eBay, and I am waiting anxiously to see what the earnings and royalties will be for the month of December. This lens jumped to a Tier 2 lens at the end of November and totally freaked me out! =) Merry Christmas!
• Survival Foods Requirements has made $3.65 earnings and $.51 in royalties. This isn't going to have me running to the bank screaming "I WON!" but it's a great little piggy bank in the making!
• Survival Food Storage - My Favorite Tips & Tricks does earn a little bit every month as do a couple of my other lenses. If you can get them to rank under 80,000 (?) you will earn some change for them.

Find additional information on the survival and preparedness topics my lenses have covered in these links below:

Well, now you know a little bit more about what makes me tick! What makes you tick? Find out and write about it here on Squidoo! You might even earn a dollar doing it!

Thanks for visiting, have a great day! =)

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