transfer type
We used to make things with this transfer type.
It started with a sketch.
A plan.
Then casting a baseline with mechanical pencil and metal cork-backed ruler.
Laying each letter down, one by one.
Man.
Talk about arduous.
In other news, we're using the last hour of the workday this week to super-clean the studio.
That's how we turned up this Letraset.
Current music: Ray LaMontagne "Lesson Learned"
as days sometimes go
I put some miles on the ol’ Rabbit, and today I woke up to a flat.
Before fussing with the jack and spare, I texted neighbor / almost-a-relative Amy
to see if she’d pop over with can of Fix-a-Flat.
She obliged and now I owe her big time.
Spent a good chunk of the afternoon sitting around a service bay while my trusty hatchback got a deluxe spa treatment and new rubber all around.
Then my laptop went broke again.
I figure after all is said and done, I’ve had more than enough bad mojo to satisfy the needs of an email chain letter my sister forwarded to me this week.
the things I pass when taking a different route to work
I was on the road earlier than usual that morning, which was nice because the sun was out.
I drove the long way to the studio, looping through two McDonalds only to press onward because the drive-thru lines were too long.
our ugly chain link fence
I started shoveling the driveway after lunch, determining that I would not take another day working from home. Which is odd because I've been particularly productive this week.
A quarter inch of ice between two thick layers of snow.
I lasted all of seven minutes before I justified hanging up the shovel.
Eventually it will melt.
I should have kept at it for the cardio workout, but no.
I went back to the warm inside, hopping from rug to rug until I could get my wet boots off.
Trubyte Bioform Shades
I have no idea, but I thought these were too neat to disregard.
In other news, the days are packed, absolutely packed with stuff, be it meetings or work or eating. Not enough chill time, not enough sleep, but lots logs on the fire.
Current music: T.I. "Whatever You Like"
Shirts were optional
No, I don't just wander around and shop every day. I was trying to get some supplies for the studio and I thought I could simply get them at the local Hobby Lobby.
I was wrong.
Sunshine Café, Yellow Springs
Random thoughts I did not utter, peep or tweet:
Too lazy to plug in memory card, hence the week-old fuzzy mobile phone photo above.
We didn't actually eat at this joint with the coffee cup collection because (insert long story).
As I get older, the desire to keep hitting refresh on a web page during a product launch decreases considerably.
All technological lust I have at the moment is currently reserved for a video camera with manual focus.
Breeders and National in Cincy on Thursday. I'll be there. (Also of interest: Beastie Boys and Sheryl Crow up in Dayton on the 30th)
I either need a beard trim or some way to work my look into a costume.
Current music: XTC "Books Are Burning"
It's Friday, that's all I got
lens distortion adds tension to this old checkerboard for kids
Maybe it was those fresh baked cookies at midnight, but I'm up and I should be back in bed. (insert shaking fist at 5am)
If it was later or earlier, I'd sneak out to my car and get my camera for a real image from the day (which was somewhat fittingly enough, a snapshot of a digital clock).
This piece above is from that day when we toured around Dayton. Aside: Had a few requests for info on that dream desk, I wonder if it found a good home.
Now that I've filled in a gap in the journal, maybe I can go back to sleep.
Left: Taking a picture of myself on security camera [ +zoom ]
Right: The beginning of swimsuit season [ +zoom ]
Dan and I ventured out yesterday for breakfast, and wandered around looking for houses, again. It's getting really old but we hope to be settled in time to put an election sign in our very own yard.
We also stopped by Target because that's what you do when you get a paycheck in these parts. Everybody was out clogging the shopping centers. Maybe it's the thrill of March and the end of glum winter.
I tried to buy some jeans, but you cannot be fat AND tall at Target. You must be one or the other, or shop online.
I did however, get a fountain drink. It was called Tava, a Pepsi product that touts itself as a zero calorie sparkling beverage. I had the Mediterranean Fiesta variety.
Website description: Black cherry hosts a festival of flavor, while the tang of tangerine and lime are the life of a spirited shindig. Tava Mediterranean Fiesta is a unique sparkling blend that leaves you with surprised taste buds and a thirst for the unknown.
Someone needs to fire their copywriter.
It tasted like diet cherry sparkling water with a splash of Mr. Pibb.
How boring, all of this.
Bring on spring.
Current music: Lyrics Born "Hott 2 Deff"
Yesterday, at the ol' feed store — Oxford, OH
I suppose technically you could call what is on the ground snow, with a layer of crud ice on top. I was so prepared for an epic The-Shining-type blizzard. It was bad enough to stay off the roads.
In work-from-home news, for a moment I thought it would be nice to have a firewall or feature that had a "limit net access" productivity toggle switch. Then I realized that is what it's like to work in certain cube farms and this would be bad for my personal style. Then again, maybe the feature could be a governor that allowed 10 minute surf windows at the top of each hour.
Good thing I'm a night owl to catch up on stuff.
Current music: The Black Keys "Strange Times"
West Chester, OH [ +zoom ]
Since my car was still in Dayton after the Atlanta trip, my mom offered to drive me back to a midpoint where Dan would pick me up. The Rave Theater is that point on the map. I like this place because they have pretty lights and big screens.
I thought the similarities between these two posters was mildly amusing for no good reason.
In other news: It's about time to retire these tulips. I want to see The Breeders on tour but they're not playing anywhere close. It's almost 5am and I should be in bed.
Current music: none
Candles (L), their shadows on the ceiling (R)
I wouldn't say the winds were howling, but they were making instruments of the trees and buildings last night.
Right before bed, all the electrical things dimmed, repeatedly—then went out, decidedly.
We lit all the candles set around the place, and located a bag of tealights to extend the warm glow.
And all of a sudden it was not now, but another time.
For some reason I think of a mall on Sunday. Back when they were closed and we were forced to spend time with each other.
But that's a bad example.
Maybe it was more like pioneering days.
My imagination is limited at this hour. I keep seeing Laura and Mary Ingalls braiding each other's hair.
Anyway, the lights came back on too soon.
Current music: Cat Power "Don’t Explain"
View from the back window
The pretty snow from this week is getting beaten into the ground by rain.
Not much else going on this Saturday. Dan's down for two shows in Cincinnati and I left my wallet at the studio. This prevents me from buying things, which is fine.
On a day like this, it's good to stay inside. It's also days like this I wish I could suppress from the RSS feed.
Current music: Sonic Youth "Im Not There"
Holiday decor
Can't decide if it's the weather or my age, but the length of time it takes for my legs fall asleep while sitting on the toilet gets shorter and shorter each day.
Oh and that cold from two weeks back? It lingers with a cough that's particularly excitable whenever I try to lay horizontally, which is inopportune.
In other news, got my car outta the garage yesterday and that means reuniting with my camera. Two and a half days without seemed like an eternity.
I rode in the passenger seat as we went to the t-shirt distributor to pick up shirts, and I snapped images left and right. None turned out nice, or pretty, but they are here:
Random photos from the gray day. Most centered. Quite possibly painful with detail and light.
Current music: No music, but a train is in the background.
I'm trusting my gut to turn the car around and take photos more often. Now to get the gumption and use that same instinct on humans.
Today there was either drizzle or steady rain.
There was also an outage at Yahoo stores which means broken shopping experiences. So if you tried to get something at Wire & Twine and failed, it should be working now.
(insert frustration)
Current music: Les Savy Fav "Scotchgard The Credit Card"
Today's fun google image search? Holiday sweaters
Got up on schedule, with daylight savings shift this now means "on time."
Drove home in darkness, stopping by the grocery store for a diminutive whole cooked chicken.
Avoided the ground beef, but took a picture.
Halloween 75% off.
Seasonal aisle updated.
Current music: Grizzly Bear "Plans" (Covered By Band Of Horses)
Hamilton, OH [ + zoom ]
No trick-or-treaters in the apt. complex, but I did manage to snag the image above with the pocket camera while sitting in backed-up traffic.
Originally tried to use the big camera, but the battery was dead. Let me tell you about the 20D—I seldom use the flash, and charge the battery about every 3 weeks. I wish all electronic devices were so laid back about sipping electricity.
In other news:
Watched The Great Pumpkin last night. Hearing Lucy say "good grief" never gets old.
Today we put a calendar on the wall at work, that nice gal behind the bar at J. Alexanders knows I will order veggie burgers, I have a hole in my sock, and need to burn some midnight oil.
Current music: Fionn Regan "Be Good or Be Gone" (video)
my normal pose while at the computer
So I'm looking at a video I uploaded to try out Vimeo's new HD capabilities, and I can't stop looking at how crooked my beard is.
See for yourself. (mind you, the video is senseless, but kudos to the Vimeo team on the quality)
Then I just realized, it's my own dang fault.
I need to become mouse ambidextrous and alternate which hand I rest my chin in.
When I've tackled that, I'll learn how to end sentences without prepositions.
Current music: St. Vincent "Now Now"
yesterday, it rained
I'm hoping the rain helps the trees hold on to their leaves (and change into pretty colors), instead of just dropping them to the ground in a fit of dried-out exasperation.
In self news, my desire to maintain a set schedule wasn't so successful this week.
I've decided to point fingers and blame the internet.
Despite the overall lack of coloring within the lines of time management, it's been a productive week. But I am dedicating tomorrow to physical endeavors around the studio.
That means organizing things into piles, and hopefully checking off a reprint to replenish stock for the store. We set out a goal to reprint one shirt a week, and while that sounds easy enough, it's much easier to push it to next week.
Current music: My Morning Jacket "One In The Same"
Star Cleaners — Hamilton, Ohio
Same day service.... I can't say the same about my posting these days. Though pictures are piling up in virtual corners, by the time I get home I tend to be wiped.
I even watched a movie last night without opening my laptop. That doesn't mean the flick required my full attention (it was The Departed, and though it was long in the tooth, it was much better than say, Chariots of Fire).
Current music: Wang Fan "Xuanzhuan De Tuoluonidi" (from Jukebox Buddha)
anti-decor
Sitting on the floor in the hallway are just a few of the things that are supposed to be on the walls, but are not.
A decoupage project from 2003, a Boy Scout "Be Prepared" wooden lid, a Smokey the Bear reproduction metal sign, and a poster about bees in french.
I'm wondering if I had a set of those Hercules Hooks that Billy Mays shouts about on the TV would do the trick. My luck with drywall is spotty at best. [ Fair warning: the aforelinked page kicks off with a flash video and Billy’s boisterous pitch. Oh for the days when websites were silent ]
In other news, I'm having a heckuva time with a revolving to-do list. I think a haircut would help out with an easy check-off.
Current music: Uncle Tupelo "Still Be Around"
rampin up
Today I bought new registration stickers for my car.
Even though they expired in June, I was under the 90 day grace period. There was no line to wait in. I was shocked—as was the lady behind the counter that I hadn't gotten a ticket.
--
I caught this picture while admiring the flowers outside an office building.
Going up the elevator a fella asked me if I was a photographer.
"No," I said. "I just take a picture every day for fun."
We talked about the new Sony branded dSLR and he seemed genuinely jazzed about getting behind a lens. Cool.
--
Later I watched the (parts of) the video music awards on MTV and loathed most every moment of it. Again. Feeling bad about the state of music, tv, culture, and videos—that was, until I switched over to The Office and all was better.
To combat the MTV malaise, I have resolve to stuff my chest with bouncy things and shoot them in slow motion set to a generic beat.
Two references to the Pretenders in about a week!
Though it made more sense than a White Stripes nod (insert rimshot)
I'm driving north, heading out of the city.
The transitions are concise: gritty concrete landscape with old storefronts converted to cell phone joints with brands unfamiliar, check cashing places, dollar stores and then – a curve or a dip in the road.
Then you have the strip malls that are still operational with the Radio Shacks and chinese food. The dilapidated grocery stores and clusters of fast food drive-thrus. The Blockbusters all covered in gaudy window stickers to disguise poor interior space planning.
An underpass.
Construction for a new super Wal-Mart is poised to be visible from the highway. A mall that looks semi-deserted from the outside surely has space for lease on the inside. The fast food joints without drive-thrus take over newly constructed strip malls— the Chipotles and Paneras. They share space with brand name mobile phone carriers and GameStops, IHOPs.
Home Depot marks the edge. The transition to greenery. Fluorescent signs for lobster bakes and local festivals.
And then I saw the temporary road sign that said, "CHAIN GANG AHEAD."
Prepping a screen (bigger, uncropped)
Often I'll browse a photoblog and pine for details of what is going on behind the camera.
And though my writing skills could use sharpening, it is something I'm letting slip around here. I'll regret not knowing the context of images when I'm older and decrepiter.
Yesterday was the scooter shot, something captured after taking photos of Wussy down at the radio station (They're the first set up on Flickr).
The image above? It's a t-shirt screen for an upcoming music event here in Cincinnati: The Music Now Festival (April 26-30) at the Contemporary Arts Center. Aside from opening reception ticket costs, it should prove to have some sparks.
I should note: the design of this shirt is pulled from an illustration created by Spike Press and a poster by Powerhouse Factories — two outfits with beautiful work. I'm not really involved in anything save for moral support and pulling ink. When I turned around and saw the capillary film getting hosed out this afternoon, I thought it looked neat so I grabbed the camera.
In other news:
Inflation
An orchard yesterday. Now the branches are covered in a light dusting of snow
Ohio, as viewed from Ludlow, KY
For the brief time I spend with my barber, I feel I should be paying extra for therapeutic consult along with the beard trim.
She can tell when something's wrong simply by having you sit in the chair. It's a combination of clues one could cram into the last 5 minutes of a Murder She Wrote episode, and then something a little less blatant.
"The eyes" she says, "tell me everything."
I'm not about to deny I'm the gullible sort, but I think she's right on when she says, that 7 out of 10 people aren't happy with their life at the moment. A sad arbitrary statistic for sure, but not too far off I'd surmise.
Now, I don't want to come off as one of those unhappy people. We were talking about others, as I am well adjusted and content.
I'll find out for sure after my next session haircut.
Extra nice bonus of the day was leaving the barbershop and seeing hills across the river covered in changing leaves.
Maybe a scarier shot at night...
So I don't feel all guilt laden, I'm going to start posting pictures with captions and trim out the yada yada yada part of entries from time to time.
Nice
I'm skipping all the good parts from the previous week that was so chock full there wasn't much time to note everything. And then on Friday it sort've went downhill...
I could blather on about congestion, sore throat, fever and then some.
The weekend went by and the most interesting thing I did was dishes, in between a haze of Tylenol pills and Chloraseptic spritzes.
So I went to the doctor yesterday, which provided some comfort excusing myself from work and responsibility. Littered in the waiting area were no less than seven copies of People magazine with Rene Zellweger and Kenny Chesney on the cover.
Driving home, I realized somewhere in my hermitism, the weather became wonderful.
I decided to stop by the park and breathe outside air. Looking at the leaves that won't be green much longer, the sky was this unusually bright Simpson's blue. I've been told I need to explore more colorful adjectives, but "nice" pretty much summed it up.
With toothpicks for legs
Today I made a janky ethernet cable to replace the one that didn't work last week.
Still didn't work until I got some expert opinion.
Made yet another and presto, there's now Internet in places it wasn't before.
Oh, and it's been raining a ton here, so I'm wearing big boots.
E5 F#5 G5 A5
D--2----4----5----7
A--2----4----5----7
E--0----2----3----5
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"
The hills are alive
Basement floor paint dry, I started to help piece together bits of the screen printing equipment this afternoon. At one point, I pulled up the wiring diagram entry so we could make sure all the 'lectric parts worked.
Driving home, the overcast day made greens pop.
In other news, I took each key off my keyboard and removed 3 years of dirt and hair.
I have no idea what the "R P E" means
Another perfect day to get the ride shiny. This time I went through one of those places that makes you get out of the car. I splurged and got the nice package with the Polish Wax (and here I thought they just made sausage.)
That was bad.
Maybe not as bad as documenting every time I go through a carwash, but I kinda liked the photo. I'll like it better when I have a filter to correct lens curve.
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