the last ten days

tulips on the square

Oxford, OH

Made a detour on the way home for these tulips that we saw over lunch and I lamented not having a camera over my shoulder.

I'd so plant these at home if the deer didn't like 'em so much.

On Black Friday I learned how to make colorful scarves

Now I just have to learn how to use a sewing machine

Video of the whole process coming soon.

(The how-to-make-a-scarf bit, not the me-trying-to-sew bit).

Domo (domo)

Domo (domo) [ +zoom ]

The mascot of Japan's NHK television station, now at a Target near you pimping Halloween.

Galaxie

A fine specimen of a Ford in Fort Recovery, OH [ + zoom ]

Busy weekend.
A wedding up in Mercer County.
In-between the ceremony and reception, a quick trip through a car show.
A recital with trombone.
A realization that I still don't have the knack to make omelets with grace.

another perspective

Unicorn, rainbows

So we got together yesterday, shared our work and chatted about our visions of the future. Tom made a fun collage, Wendy was the most organized, and I had the post-it notes.

Time slipped right through our fingers and all of a sudden it was lunch time and we had to break. We'll pick things up again next week.

Unrelated sidenote: I haven't mentioned here, but our cable operator (Time Warner of Dayton) is fighting with the local NBC affiliate and as of last Friday, they pulled the channel out of our line-up until they can renegotiate some deal. This displeases me greatly.

Another view of Tom's work: The Paperwork Devil

Current music: Elbow "Weather To Fly"

mums

in the front yard

Mellow Saturday.
Some good use of minutes on the phone.
A trip to Yellow Springs to meet up for dinner.
An acoustic playlist and a book in the evening.

Some hot cider sounds really good right about now.

charge

bordering on chaos

Weekend spent with kids.
On the way home, remnants of Ike swirled around the area.
Trees down.
Electric went out.
Haven't had any lights since.

Candles, handy.

Outage did not stop orchestra rehearsal for Dan.
We braved the stoplight-less roads and made our way to downtown Dayton.
The rehearsal space had power.
I charged up what I could.

Things'll continue to be slow around here.

branches

the cherry tree sheds

The sky was an unusual color this past weekend.
We had company over and Dan noticed it, motioning everyone outside.
Like fiddling with hue sliders in an application, it moved from purple to gray in moments.

The next day it was bright blue.

marigolds, bee

buzzing around the yard

I've never been much for marigolds. Maybe it was the fact they often resemble potted plants strewn about the place, and seldom big clumps that look natural.

I don't know for sure, but I do know they bring some nice color to the place as everything else shrivels up and turns brown.

Current music: XTC "Season Cycle"

080808

Flowers in my mom's backyard

I got to my mom's house a few minutes too late. Missed connecting with a traveling band of fellas out to tackle the World's Longest Yard Sale. Dagnabbit. Look at some of the neat stuff I missed (I, II, III, IV)

Though that was sad, I got to see my mom and brother, and that is always a good thing.

They're cleaning out the basement, so I had to take all my boxes of stuff back that I stored there a long, long time ago. Gocco printing machine, four Magnavox Odyssey II consoles (some for parts), boxes of photos and correspondence, and a Kermit the Frog puppet.

Maybe I need to have a yard sale.

Current music: Yes "Big Generator"

Fetching

Minnie I believe her name is, here with bated breath

Went over to see good folks who just moved in to their new home down the road.

Now I always thought home ownership was one of those activities that automatically enrolled you in an unspoken association... Similar to the secret clubs when you have kids, get married, go to graduate school, or join the Masons.

Turns out, it's totally true.

Entry into this loose guild requires one to face things like property taxes and understand ease of yard maintenance. It doesn't really matter how much or little you pay, there's a certain level playing field in these details that abound.

All of a sudden, understanding water heaters takes on greater import.

It's not all wet and dry responsibility, it's also fun.

There's joy in bending elbows after the boxes are unpacked. So we had a couple brews and played fetch with eager pups in their new backyard.

I noticed the nice edging around the mulch that was holding its color, and wondered out loud why those darn brass light fixtures became so ubiquitous.

In addition to the photo above, I took a tiny bit of video. I've been doing that off an on over the summer, and I haven't figured out what to do with it until I had enough footage to cobble together some 5 second clips.

Random video from the summer thus far:

1. Minnie goes long for the fetch
2. Kings Island
3. American Sign Museum
4. Removing cork from the hallway floor
5. Music box at antique store
(Fetch return)

Soundtrack by Bang on a Can (they're not always this... intense)

ice cream truck dispatch

Somewhere around Lockland (north of Cincinnati)

Turns out this is the Captain Tom's Ice Cream truck yard.

I got there by wandering around the city streets trying to feel my way north as every major artery in Cincinnati was shut down because of accidents.

Current music: Nico Muhly "A Hudson Cycle"

Forgetting

The kid area at Kings Island

I haven't forgotten about the ol' journal, but the days have been packed and I went to a wedding on Saturday and I'm behind on my list of work duties and I think we're closing on our house in seven days and I haven't packed anything and and and...

Hello crazy summer.

I did steal a day to Kings Island with everyone at work. We braved Sahara desert temperatures and battled the cicada armies.

Squeezed myself into a few kid rides, rode a few of the grown-up coasters, and when I was simply too tuckered to walk anymore and it was time for the kids to head out, I went to the parking lot to find out... I lost my keys.

The resulting ordeal took two hours. A trip around the park retracing my sore footsteps, a concession to give up and exit, and then... just as I was leaving... a manager stopped us and said, "Aren't you the one that lost your keys?" (insert nod) "They found them."

(and then I walked all the way back to the coaster to retrieve them)

My dogs barked over the sigh of relief.

Current music: MGMT "Weekend Wars"

$600.00 OBO

cheap ride

They're doing some work on Interstate 75 so I'm finding new ways to get to the studio. This will take me down some rural roads, and instead of making photos of the full-on-spring / almost-summer, I snap this van.

Seems to be a pattern with me. I should consider asking a professional what this might mean.

03.06.06	10.13.07	06.17.06	07.17.06

Current music: Islands "I Feel Evil Creeping In"

Two of a kind

Caption [ + zoom way out ]

This, another shot from the trip this past weekend.

I can't figure out if this is shoe sign price list is saying something politically or not.

Today is so jam packed, I shouldn't be writing this.

Current music: Spiritualized "Yeah Yeah"

Taking the kids to Target

[ + zoom ]

I passed by this family earlier today while driving to lunch. They were crossing a four lane road and traffic was completely stopped to allow their passage.

A combination of timing and bad angles prevented a snapshot at the time, but the image burned into memory. Though concerned for their safety, the small event was ultimately filed under "things to smile about."

And this evening as I left a parking lot, I saw them again.

No excuses this time. I stopped the car and made with the camera.

Current music: Annie Lennox "Many Rivers to Cross"

Yo

Danny, Donnie, Joe, Jon, Jordan (or something like that)

If I had a motorcycle...

Hamilton, OH

...today would have been a great day to skip work.

Current music: The Black Keys "Strange Times"

tulips

cheering spring on

furry feathers

at least it wasn't raining

I don't even know what this bird was promoting, but the more I think about it... maybe this person just likes to dress up in a chicken costume and be in public situations.

Current music: Bang On A Can "Believing"

wrapped up

on the edge of downtown Dayton, OH (not a house we are considering)

Checking things of a TO-DO list is as rewarding as a good bowel movement. If only heavy duty stuff like taxes could be eased along with bowls of oatmeal.

If this doesn't peg me as aging, then you should ask me about the increasing number of times I find myself staring at an open drawer wondering what I'm trying to find.

I didn't do my taxes, but I did get some numbers crunched this week. That means bills were paid, invoices issued and checks cut. It's far from over, but this money stuff is one thing I need to be more regular about anyway.

On the nerdfront, I've somehow corrupted the Magpie RSS parser that serves up delicious links on my site. This and all things PHP perplex me. Perhaps it is time to jump from the delicious ship and find a system that allows for attribution and integrates without complex hoops.

In other news, this time fake: I've heard through unreliable sources that Maxim magazine is going to start reviewing websites. Apparently my journal got really horrible marks and I'm not even done yet. (insert groan)

Current music: WOXY - Devotchka "Head Honcho"

3 from the phone

A book cover I like, plate of food from Golden Corral, clouds

Cleared off the images piling up on the phone.

These three were the best of the bunch.

trinity

Staging a house

I know that if you bring along a camera to a showing for a house, you're supposed to make photos that capture the rooms or the entire space, not the decor.

Current music: John Zorn "Three"

more knobs

I have no idea what this device does. A mystery and reminder that there's still lots to learn.

Ever since that classic computer, I've been thinking knobs and buttons and dials and cords. I collected a few and took some new ones and started putting them in this set:

knobs & buttons & dials & cords

In other news, it's Friday, and I've lots of pixels to push before the work whistle blows. Next week, there will be lots of ink to be pushed through screens on to shirts and tags.

This weekend: I think I'll be seeing whatever movie the Cincinnati Movie Bears see tomorrow. Here's a link to the Yahoo Group, oh, and the movie is Cloverfield.

Current music: Les Savy Fav "Pots & Pans"

Ever heard of a store called Spencers?

A sculpture in The Cricket Lounge

We had our holiday dinner for the studio last night. Well worth the wait, every last bite was delicious.

Decided to have a night cap afterward at The Cincinnatian Hotel— a well appointed place downtown that looks like a boring office building at street level.

They had some neon sculpture in the bar area. I was enamored (and sober) and taking pictures. My cohort at work asked if I had ever heard of a store called Spencers. Since he was slurring from the rare stiff drink or he fact he avoids sleep by having a teething child, I let his joke slide. I still liked the neon sculpture thing.

Oh, I should mention, I was wearing a tie. Here is proof in the alternate pictures that almost made it for this entry.

I thought the neon was neater.

Current music: Amiina "Glámur"

mailbox

All the packages, out the door

Today, we stayed out of the studio. Even though next week is official time off, it was vital to take this pause. Sometimes calendars need tweaked.

I spent the day between the virtual mailbox and the grocery store.

Cupboard's stocked, and I've gotten through a few handfuls of backlogged messages.

In other news: I'm attempting to shoot in RAW more often. The above photo is an example. No tweaking. There's a certain quality to capturing images this way. I still don't have my head around it, but it's fun to keep it spicy.

Current music: Daft Punk "Too Long / Steam Machine"

#5 Hickory Dickory Dock

Record head [ zoom ]

Tom and Wendy are getting ready for their big yearly bash (the fabulous Farm Day) and they're finally hanging things on their walls at the house.

One big blank wall warranted something special so Tom photographed three "albums" from a classic Fisher-Price Music Box Record Player. (If you don't remember, here are some examples)

And though I was a doubting Thomas, they turned out awesome—certainly a bright spot as the day was gloomy with fog outside the studio.

Current music: Frank Zappa "Son Of Orange County"

Harper in my backseat and iPhones are cheaper

A bargain from the antique store

My mom and I will get together with a few bullet points of things to accomplish, and invariably we always forget whatever they were and enjoy our time blissfully.

She scored this Charley Harper poster a while back and I finally picked it up over the holiday.

It's since been in my backseat until I moved it this afternoon to make room for boxes of t-shirts.

This poster, though a bit marine lifey for my tastes, has a color palette and Harper's lovely illustrational style that I could look at endlessly. It's one from his series for the National Park Service titled Atlantic Barrier Islands (small version available here).

[ Mental note: do not forget (again) to write mom a check for it ]

The bargain that this was makes me feel less miffed over the price cut that Apple unleashed today. Please don't rub it in. I'm trying to curb regrets in life and doing a pretty good job all by myself.

Current music: De Novo Dahl "Rub You Wrong"

journey

RV parked in Ludlow, KY [ +zoom ]

3am and I'm not going to let another day tick by without posting something.

S’times like this when I throw quality out the window—though it pains me to upload a photo without context, so here's a recap:

On Friday I broke down under the weight of my hair and went to see the barber in Kentucky. I thought having my ears exposed would help me focus.

Passed this beige and brown monster on the road after a sweet Westfalia in mint condition escaped my lens. What these vehicles have in common? (Aside from the desire to experience a nomadic lifestyle.)

I'm reminded, I need a vacation.

It's not quite time yet. I'm still working on a project that tugs at the noodle, but I'm finding that I need to plan these trip things as I get on in life. Or maybe it's because flying out of Cincinnati is so oddly expensive. Oh wait, I live in Dayton now.

See? Confused. Light at the end of the tunnel.

Hopeful.

I believe the left coast will be involved.

Current music: Amína "Seoul"
Sample their quiet, lovely music (on a site that shouldn't use a pop-up)

The commute

jobs that will be replaced by technology [ +zoom and uncrop ]

I'm posting mainly because of the flak someone gave me for being erratic with my journal updates. I'm totally honest when I say the 'net connections I had while traveling prevented uploading photos.

Excuses aside, today is gray and on the drive into the studio I passed these folks updating a billboard with a fancy vertical-blind-like system, I'm guessing. This is considered excitement on my commute. I've been meaning to gather some statistics of my ride, and all I've come up with is this:

All these numbers represent one way of the journey

Miles traveled = 45.7
Turns made = 8
Starbucks passed = 0
WalMarts passed = 3

Current music: Unbunny "The Path"

12,000 Girl Scouts Sing “Swing Low Sweet Chariot”

The view from my keyboard [ +zoom ] or [ view notes ]

Today is going well.

Just finished up printing a boatload of shirts and now have a moment to breathe and figure out the next thing. It's Friday though, my brain is starting to shut down, and I'm getting lost in the tidbits I've taped to the wall.

It reminds me of my desk in 2003. All of that stuff got blended into a decoupage project.

In other news, beer sounds good.

optometrist

things were getting blurry

A handful of years ago I was suffering from heavy duty headaches. I went through a list of possible causes, even going to a chiropractor for evaluation. Of course, that trip shed light on the fact(?) that I was all out of alignment and my electrical systems were also out of whack.

I decided to visit an optometrist just in case. Turns out that was the likely culprit and I entered the world of the bespectacled. The headaches stopped and I looked more distinguished.

That was 5 years ago, and now I'm feeling some eyestrain and experiencing the need to take Advil® more than usual (which is seldom to never).

Today I broke down and went to get another checkup and indeed, my prescription has changed. The arduous task of selecting frames followed.

There's not much else to write about the experience. Besides, things are still blurry from the dilation.

healthy swimming

handy rules poolside [ + zoom in and view all ]

I have a couple handfuls of words I always have to look up to spell correctly.

Diarrhea is one of them.

Silhouette is another.

The others escape me right now.

Organ Breaker

St. Paul's church - Sharpsburg, OH

yellow truck + Sunoco

Spring Grove Avenue