11-10-2010

11-9-2010

The only thing more sophisticated (read "super trashy") than a real moustache is a silhouetted moustache in profile.

11-8-2010

This is pretty much exactly what it looks like.

11-7-2010

I would consider today a pretty typical weekend for us. We went to a camera show at a hotel and I saw lots of fancy (nerd) things I couldn't buy (you're seeing that fanny pack right? That about sums up the camera show). Then we went and explored a haunted castle...you know, normal stuff.

No peeking yet, but I started new oil paintings for a show next month. I sure hope I can finish them with enough time for them to dry.

p.s. The main picture doesn't really do Nicole's jump justice, so here's a crop of her Mary Poppins leap.

11-6-2010

Have you ever wondered what a rainbow and a sunset would look like if they happened at the same time? I never even considered it until I saw it happen tonight. It was exciting.

We saw the rainbow while driving down the highway after we were by the lake taking pictures. We had spontaneously decided to check to see who was playing at The Beachland Ballroom tonight and were pleasantly surprised. Now you may or may not know, but I've developed a strong affinity for super hillbilly hoedown bluegrass music. I think it stems from my past interest in the railroads and train hopping hobos, and my current obsession with road trip traveling across the desert to the middle of nowhere (while wearing a cowboy hat). Regardless of the origins, Trampled By Turtles, one of my current favorite bands in this genre just so happened to be playing tonight. They have a fiddler, a mandolin player that wears overalls, a banjo, and a singer that looks like my friend Jon. The Infamous String Dusters were also playing. They have a slide guitar player and a stand up bass player refuses to stand anywhere bright and will only play in the darkest corners of the stage.

11-5-2010

WTFOMGGTFO it's snowing. Like for real snowing a lot. Like staying on the ground and not melting snowing. It's like the physical form of depression falling from the sky.

On a brighter note, I often collect small random gifts throughout my day at work that I stuff into my camera bag and bring back to present to Nicole when I get home. Today's haul included a fortune cookie, an individually wrapped rice crispy treat, and two small plastic toys from a vending machine.

p.s. I took the last picture with the "free lens technique"...it's pretty fun.
p.p.s. that squirrel looks like it has a bra on it's face.

11-4-2010

As I was leaving work today, there was some precipitation on my windshield so I mindlessly and innocently turned on the wipers. Much to my shock and disappointment, I saw a line of this go across my window. We are no longer in Hawaii and that is not shave ice. I do not approve.

Totally unrelated, I was reading today about the "free lens technique" of detaching the lens from the camera and moving it around separately to throw off the focal plane/kind of work like macro extension tubes without the tubes. This is the most interesting one I came up with.

11-3-2010

Look closely at these hands. These are exquisite professional male hand model hands.

11-2-2010

The tattoo healing process is the worst. My whole office smells like Dial soap and I have a Y2K-esque stash of bottled water on my desk so I can ritualistically wash and moisturize my leg...every few hours...for the next two weeks...as if I wasn't OCD enough as it is.

11-1-2010

Although we made it home in time to hand out candy last night, we missed the main onslaught of children that were supposed to consume the festive saturated fats and carbohydrates sitting in the giant plastic bowl in our house. This is not a good thing for a pre-diabetic person like myself.

I know I've been posting way too many nerdy cat pictures, but this one is special. We have an electronic fountain that's supposed to filter and aerate our cat's water. I recognize that this is a grossly lavish application of technology, and that there are many human beings with a lower quality of drinking water in many places around the world. I'm ok with that. Those humans aren't fluffy and don't curl up on my legs when I'm watching TV. In anycase, we know that the cats use said device since we're constantly having to refill it, but I don't ever actually see them drinking from it, and if they are they just drink out of the bowl part where the water collects. So look everyone! (who I'm sure doesn't care). They do actually use the flowing part.

10-31-2010

Dave and his girl are about to have a baby, and this is pretty much the cutest thing you can do with jack-o'-lanterns. Ever. I hope his family looks exactly like this some day.

No one really cares too much about the actual Halloween day when it falls on a Sunday/weeknight. All the girls ditched their miniskirts and heels to change back into their Eskimo slumber party costumes of pajama clothes that say "pink" all over them paired with UGG boots. After saying goodbye to Dave, Jon and JP, Nicole and I went shopping for antiques which is pretty much our fate whenever we go on a weekend trip. Then we left Columbus and spent some time on the highway seeing scenic rual Ohio and avoiding these guys.

We made it back home just in time for Nicole to hand out candy and take halloween pictures with our cats, the butterfly and the vampire bat.

10-30-2010

The day before Halloween, we saw the holiday mascot cross our path. Luckily, he didn't put a curse on us for our trek down the highway to Columbus to see Jon and Dave. Yeah, I always blog about food, but we went to the North Market which is kind like if the West Side Market actually had lights inside or a half size scale model of the Reading Terminal Market. Places like this always make me choose between vegetables or meat. I chose ice cream. The spinning meat at this place was also notable.

Tattoo time with Dave is really more about dudes shavin' dudes and dudes coloring on dudes than anything else. Though art supplies, comic book characters, and handguns also sum things up pretty well. I don't know if I'm more embarassed about getting caught eating pepperoni pizza or the plaid on plaid outfit.

I'm kind of disappointed with the shots I ended up with/didn't get from the costume night, but just imagine a lot of drunk girls in incredibly trashy costumes and how I discovered why Halloween is the scariest night of the year.

10-29-2010

I wore my yachting gear to work and took a picture with my German coworker. Then had an after work drink with my other coworker who was kind of dressed up as Nicole's new hair.

Then we went to see Nicole's family for her father's birthday. I got to see childhood pictures of Nicole like the formative years of her tri-colored cat obsession, and back when she used to wear glasses.

10-28-2010

Yeah yeah, all I blog about is food and I go to Melt all the time too much whatever...I've had every one of their monthly specials this year and all their bonus specials like the fake shark one (10-1) and the one they had for Valerie Mayen from Project Runway tonight since tonight was the finale party and we went to the premiere party on 7-29 too blah blah blah. None of that is really important. What is important is that we tried on Sienna and Mushroom's Halloween costumes tonight. Nicole spent some time getting hers ready.