the weekend in photos

It was great, I'll write more later

The city, parks, flowers and bears...
(Colors adjusted on whim)

Memorial Day weekend

Mt. Adams as viewed from Newport, KY

There's been a handful of nice views lately, where I find myself saying, "Man, I like my hometown."

It doesn't feel dense and overpopulated.

Justification? Perhaps. Maybe it's been the nice weather.

For now though, I'll relish, but get outta dodge anyway. It's a holiday weekend and I feel the need to test my social claustrophobia.

power chords

   E5   F#5  G5   A5
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A--2----4----5----7
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Bughouse Video

Northside gets something it needed

It was my first trip to this new independent video store with art house bent. I tried to get What the Bleep Do We Know, but it was out, opting for Tarnation instead.

On a related note: there's talk that a Walgreens is going to move in on the main drag where a lumberyard used to reside. We've already got a pharmacy here in this small community. I'm not sure the big benefit of having this chain muck up the landscape.

What we really need is a nice laundromat and some good Chinese takeout. I thought it'd be fun to combine the two and call the place, Ancient Chinese Secret.

Bad name, I know, but better than (insert something) + Wok.

Monster

My truck can beat up your truck

My grandmother's birthday

And the building across the parking lot from the Olive Garden

I gave her a tattered book from my shelves, A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson. I gave her some flowers too, but they paled in comparison to the lovely Hawaiian bunch from my brother. I should've taken a photo of those.

We ate at Olive Garden and I still have some Tour of Italy leftovers in my fridge.

Moth

Not doing very good with the ol' camouflage

Up before normal on Sunday to move and plan some more walls to build.

I saw a moth.

Back track

Dag it's Tuesday and I feel perpetually not caught up

In brief:

Brandon went Westward on Saturday, and called 5 hours later to say his van broke down.

I spent the weekend up north tilling a pumpkin patch, a slow process, inching along, feeling the density of the earth through machine. Warm sunlight taking the edge off my pasty skin and a cool breeze.

The corner of 7th and Walnut

Friday evening

My friend Brandon came in town the other day on his way to Colorado—on his way I should add, to live in the mountains and be a rafting guide.

He got to see a slice of my life on Friday as I started the day frantically clicking on last minute projects, then off for a couple events where I wielded a camera.

At one point we found ourselves downtown by the theatre with musicians outside, mounted police and a lone protester urging folks to boycott Cincinnati.

I took a Sith day

My friend made that title up, along with "Wookie hooky."

So yeah, I went to see that new Star Wars twice in 24 hours.

A few thoughts:

1.) I think this movie is entirely appropriate for young children. 3 and up. Everyone should see this, especially Republicans.

2.) We can't let the robots take over, that is bad. We _must_ stay .in .control. Actually, that wasn't a theme of the movie, but I think if you take away all that Biblical stuff, it's basically about realistic textures and the beauty of laughter—and robots don't know how to laugh, except for R2, he laughs _and_ kicks ass.

3.) Our outfits must get simpler in the future.

4.) Lots of oral sex happening in the background when you're not watching the main stuff. But it's really obscure oral sex, still entirely appropriate for children... and Republicans.

5.) I love you more than you love me because your love makes me pretty. But only as pretty as that time, when you held me—back on Naboo, by the lake, with the rainbows.

6.) Lots of the best movies were blended together for this: sinking vessels just like Titanic, but with lasers. And Starship Trooper-like frenetic action shots without the iceberg. Good stuff, like that new PS3 demo thing.

7.) Full frontal wookie.

8.) I forget what 8 was was for.

*hat tip to Mike, Dave, Nick and Brandon for the most excellent and thought provoking company during this cinematic experience*

Park

Winding down

When the work whistle blew, I joined a friend and his daughter to enjoy a bit of the late afternoon at the park yesterday.

In the garden house, one of the workers there—a granola type with an excitedly relaxed vibe showed us some stamps he'd carved out with raccoon footprints. He beamed, "I get paid for this."

I should've gone into agriculture.

Rilo Kiley

at the Southgate House

I missed the DJ set from Rilo Kiley at the studio today, and have decided to get one of those emergency car kits that have jumper cables and flares. I did however, make it to see them perform across the river this evening.

I'd be lying if I said I knew their music really well, but that's the fun of going to see a live performance—there's always a layer of personality and sound that doesn't come across through headphones.

I did try and get acquainted by streaming tunes from their website before heading out. Much of it was familiar from songs on compilations and the radio station.

I believe at one point I said to a friend that the lead singer was Sissy Spacek for the new millennium—but that was mostly due to the slight twang and cavernous voice. More haunting that one would expect to find in a rock band. Categorization fails.

Summary: Packed venue, great show. I missed the boat by not digging this band before.

Music

Blame the Cosmonaut

1. Total amount of music files on your computer?
A good chunk. More on an external drive.

2. The last cd(s) you bought acquired... (I'm gearing up for record store spree, I promise)
- The Eels "Blinking Lights..."
- Nikka Costa "Can'tneverdidnothin'"
- Architecture In Helsinki "In Case We Die"
- Spoon "Gimmee Fiction"
- Headphones Self titled
- Fiona Apple "Extraordinary Machine" (bless her heart)
(also, Tarwater, The Mountain Goats and Mike Doughty)

3. What was the last song you listened to before reading this message?
"Be Good To Them Always" The Books

4. Write down five songs you often listen to or mean a lot to you you've played more than once recently?
"Mad World" Gary Jules (a cover of a Tears for Fears song that gets under my skin in a nice sad way)
"Air" The Owls (not Owls)
"Of Angels and Angels" The Decemberists (I can sing along to them with my nose stuffed up)
"Earthquake Weather" Beck (from his new disc)
"Live Like You Were Dying" Tim McGraw (shut up)

5. What new music are you really excited for in the coming year so far?
Stephen Malkmus, Flaming Lips, Weezer (guarded expectation, edit: I only like one song), Gorillaz (ditto), Royksopp, Bob Mould, Kate Bush, Death Cab..., Grandaddy, Primal Scream (maybe)... (These taken from the most excellent upcoming releases page on Metacritic)

6. Which five people are you going to pass this baton to and why?
Wasn't it painful enough just to read this?

I'd be curious about the perspectives of some folks that don't "blog" much:
Tommy D (master compiler),
Reenies Dad (his last mix from many months ago is still in my car)

7. What I'd like to buy when I go to the record store (I made this one up)
Decemberists "Picaresque"
Lou Barlow "Emoh"
Beck "Guero"
The National "Alligator"

Recital

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of the Musical Arts

I need to fill in a few events, but I feel compelled to get an entry out for a percussion recital I attended on Monday night. If only, to give Heather Brown some hits on Google.

I've only been to a few recitals at The University of Cincinnati's College Conservatory of Music, and I always walk away thinking to myself, I could never do that. I'm a behind-the-scenes kinda guy. The anxiety of performing on a stage to a silent auditorium searching for flaws would reduce me to a soaked mess of flopsweat.

I've known Heather for a while now, but her musical ability has always been a background facet I don't get to see (or hear) very often. And although these recitals are more about proficiency than entertainment, my attention was rapt. Perhaps by the diversity of the pieces—held together by Asian compositions.

Unconventional stuff. Meditative to an extent. Intense and calculated with a laid-back touch, like I'd imagine a pastry chef putting the final touches to a delicate confection.

Filler

No caption

Rainy-ish day that cleared at sunset.

Where I walked out of Best Buy empty handed again to find that Chipotle may have changed from 4 crispy tacos to 3.

14 loads of laundry, and there's still more to do.

An expensive trip to Target where I bought tissues and lots of other stuff, including a sheet set that was so cheap, thread count wasn't even mentioned. Why only one pillow case I wondered? It wasn't until AFTER I laundered them and threw away the package that I realized I had selected twin instead of full for the spare bed.

I didn't even remember how to fold a fitted sheet, then again, I think those instructions are lacking. Origami is easier.

Lime

Tic Tac

Bacchanalian Society

Pictures got blurrier as the evening progressed

I enjoyed an evening of mega-wine tasting at the Old St. George Church (now a community center with questionable legs for the future.)

It was my first experience with The Bacchanalian Society—a small event that ballooned to venue bursting proportions after an article appeared in the local newspaper a few years back.

The premise is simple—teams of three people bring 3 bottles of a certain wine. Categories change each go round, and this time it was all about Merlot. Two bottles are bagged and numbered and placed on tables. Rating sheets and pencils are provided. The highest bottle I tasted was, I think, #251—I'm sure there were more.

At the end of the night, the "best" wine gets everyone else's third bottle. The loser has to take their remaining bottle back.

There's money raised for charity, but also, it's an opportunity to mingle and check out the latest hairstyles.

Even with my flop sweating, ill-fitted khakis and disdain for Merlot, it was good times.

Pop-up

Back to the kid stuff

My friends' daughter is totally into Maisy. I'd never heard of this mouse character before, but after having a few shows play in the background, it seems pretty innocuous.

There doesn't seem to be any of the annoying chanting of Barney/Teletubbies/Boohbah/ etc. etc, and there's a great heavy line illustrational style.

There's also some nice product tie-ins, like this pop-up book activity center - Maisy's Farm.

It folds out and has lots of cardboard props, along with a mini-book where you can actually pull a story together with the book acting as a set.

Dinner Club: Anne & Johns

With bonus tour of new abode

Since two of the couples from our monthly restaurant hop have newborns not weeks old, we moved our normal date back a week.

We also decided this was a good time to try something in a more family friendly atmosphere. This offered many benefits:

1. We got to check out our friend's new house
2. Ability to hang out in a yard
3. Kids and newborns welcome
4. Easier on the wallet
5. We like to shake things up

Turns out, we really like this format. Everyone brought something interesting and tasty. Though I think I need to find a few more recipes that don't require Miracle Whip.

It was much easier to talk without the confines of a long table and restaurant din, upping the social aspect several notches.

I could blather on, but I'm stuffed and ready for bed.

Dessert compartment

...Just another sheep boy, duck call, Swanson, idiot song of Donkey Kong...

I remember TV dinners growing up, they were special diversions from my mom's cooking. The little dessert thing with the cherry goop that burbled up over the crust in its little aluminum compartment.

Oh how I tried not to eat it first.

Thank goodness there's the wikipedia to pick up where Encyclopædia Britannica has blank pages. I can now find out that these meals started in Omaha, Nebraska in 1954 as a way to use up leftovers.

Aside from scarfing down a Healthy Choice entree today, I made buttons and stuff for the web and am thinking it's time to put away all the winter clothes.

Oh and my mom's cooking is now the special diversion.

Breathing

50¢

I went to bed congested and woke congested.

Tired of suffocating, I decided to take my friend Anne’s advice and get some Afrin nasal spray. A brief chat with Ben and I learned that Afrin is the new tina... Let's compare!

I think I'll stick with the Afrin. I FEEL GREAT!

Okay, off to clean the house with a toothbrush...

Housewarming

Hide and seek

Kids are welcome, the electronic invitation read—and plenty of kids were in attendance at a house warming party this afternoon. A nicely appointed place at the end of a modest and well kept street with plenty of trees. The weather was great. There were brats and metts and burgers with and without meats. Horses ran around on the TV. Packed coolers on the porch and cornhole in the backyard.

In the converging circles of friends I have, cocktails are fewer and priorities are shifting.

It'd be handy if someone just wrote a simple outline for life so we knew what to expect. Maybe we are aware all along, but refuse to abide by these invisible milestones — insisting upon experience.

Some rough thoughts I might refine later... or not:

• You're going to chase the opposite sex or run from them on the playground. It's okay. Embrace diversity, it can get boring without it.
• No, you're not going to use long division that often.
• Don't experiment with your hair, you will regret it.
• If you think no one knows how you feel, you aren't listening to enough music or reading enough books.
• Anything you are not supposed to have seems very desirable. Get it out of your system and don't let it rule your life.
• You may have kids, or some of your friends will. Plan accordingly.
• You may have pets, or some of your friends will. Pet the ones that don't bite.
• Some things mellow with age.
• Mellow is not bad by any stretch of the imagination.
• Own your abode.
• Death happens.
• You have a choice in what you remember.
• Make it good.
• If you're bored, do something else.
• Even if you can see your friends hiding behind that tree, play along. It's more fun that way.

Hmm, that's all over the place and I'm not sure where it's going, but I suppose I'll figure out more as I go along. Maybe I'll revisit this in 10 years and have notions on elastic waistbands.

Bad Lunch

Nozzle

Spring might be back, so I decided to break up the day of mouse clicking with some outside time. I took photos of leaves and whatnot while walking up the street to a greasy spoon.

The bartender, a woman of her late fifties, was on the phone crying. Her husband is dying of cancer and refusing a feeding tube.

A young thing relieves her to sit in the stool next to me, sobbing while counting her bank—which is short. She begrudgingly makes up the difference in tips.

Locals are strewn across the place, little chimneys with pronounced rural accents trying to console her. Hollering stuff about God, beer, and not being able to smoke in the new Lincoln.

Someone puts Patsy Cline's "Fall to Pieces" on the juke and I feign interest in the community newspaper with a horrible print job. The burger was barely edible.

On the way back home, I see this sign in the alley...

If you can't make that out, it says NO PISSING OR SHIT

I should've written about the leaves.

Current t-shirt idea: "Call me Sunshine"

Having a blast

with powder actuated tools

I spent the past few days framing walls for a darkroom. It was more fun than building a website.

It'll last longer too.

Don't get me wrong, I still love building websites, but learning something new and totally different is invigorating.

Clutter reduction

Ready for the dump

Somebody decided they didn't need this sewing box anymore, and I don't need it either.

So I drove by.

Borrowing

Note to self: do not use Sharpie without glasses

A friend came over and we spent a good part of the night talking about everything from politics to music over some (good) cheap wine. I burned an already 'borrowed' copy of the Decemberists new disc and marked off the calendar for their stop in town.

Now I need to follow through and pick up the actual CD, or perhaps they get more kickback on t-shirts at concerts? Hmm, not sure. Regardless, their latest album, "Picaresque" has been one of the bright spots this year, and even though there are all these great music festivals, I'm looking mighty forward just to see them on their own.

First Daughter

Hi, my name is Chris and I like cheese.

Wendy's dad once wrote a song about chick flicks, in which the narrator pines for movies with blood, buildings blowing up, car chases and aliens from outer space.

This movie had none of those. It did have lots of gaps though, and plenty of schmaltz.

Even though the President's daughter is going to college, we don't see too much of the inside of a classroom either. There were lots of parties though, giving Katie Holmes some bikini screentime. Politics were also safely left in the shadows, giving space to the puppy love story.

Cut to morning scene where Katie and desired beau are still giggling after staying up all night talking.

Insert some angst, embarrassment, some table dancing that would make the Bush twins proud, and some tearful apologies, then wrap it up and roll the credits.

Perfect.

Worth every penny on the small screen and some microwave popcorn.

And now, I need to google if clothes dry faster with a full load, because the first lady said it in the movie and I've never heard that...

Results:
- Full loads and consecutive drying improves energy efficiency
- Clean the lint trap
- Dry towels and heavier cottons in a separate load from lighter-weight clothes
- and use the sun when possible