(insert title here)

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.

Oh hi there

My friends had a birthday party for their youngest yesterday.
A bit of a miracle that one year old.
I like these friends and don’t see them enough.
Their house is filled with life.
Right out in their front yard is a vegetable garden.
On the day I visited, the back was filled with families and kids running all around.
There was a slip and slide,
tables filled with summery salads,
brownies and cake.
Inside, an activity room had these lunchbag puppets lined up saying, “photograph me!”

It's on

Man I'm unprepared.

Let's hope this coffee kicks in soon.

I'm up against this Greg Hubacek character.

We kicked off at 11am

In the UK

So somehow I ended up on a plane and a train and a bus, and now I'm in Minehead which is in Somerset I think, which is most definitely in the UK.

This marks my first time to this country.

Exciting.

I should be out experiencing things, but I thought I'd pop on and say howdy.

Hope to enjoy lots of the bands performing at this edition of All Tomorrow's Parties.

I'll be posting photos here through the weekend: UK Trip photos

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.

seen on the side of the road

Not really but kind of related posts:
- The new color of caution (Oct. 2003)
- Day-Glow road signs (Aug. 2006)

fractal nature

19 days ago, these ferns were just peeking out of the ground.

Amazing how quickly they grow.

The cycle of life is not lost during moments like these, but it is coupled with sadness as we learned our friend’s mom lost her battle to cancer this day.

Upon hearing the news, she made arrangements to fly out of Dayton–spending the night at our house before heading to be with her family.

We sat there on the patio that evening, raising a toast to her mom and reflecting on all sorts of life’s complexities that somehow neatly interlock.

All the while the ferns framing our outdoor space glowed by candlelight—waving a slow perimeter between us and the darkness of the yard, and everything beyond.

Caption

Attended a lovely ceremony for the union of Jenn and Laura on Saturday.

And though I sadly did not tear it up on the dance floor or hop in this conga line,

I did step in the awesome photobooth set up at the reception.

Quality pencils

Gearing up for another round of Layer Tennis this afternoon.

This time I'm hitting the virtual court with that fine upstanding Draplin fellow.

Calling out the play by play will be none other than Dave Cuzner, the man behind another favorite destination online, Grain Edit.

Spring happens quick around here

In lieu of incessant pictures of budding plants, I've started a folder with images of the yard coming to life this year.

It's been pretty dang enjoyable watching the seasons unfold around the house.

The only ding is the cherry tree. Not sure if it was the result of strong winds from the remnants of Hurricane Ike last year, or some other circumstance, but it is leaning something fierce. We have a tree person coming out this week to diagnose and advise.

Fingers crossed.

a carrot cupcake was a fraction of the awesome

The weekend closed out with a "BBQ extravaganza / authentic Guamanian fiesta" hosted by our new friend Jenny.

Her cousin Joe with a big smile and a wicked talent on ukulele was visiting.

Together they curated a feast of delicious-ness (ribs, steak, marinated cucumber, grilled pineapple, corn on the cob and apple slaw to name a few dishes) paired with seemingly never-ending pitchers of margaritas.

I'm salivating in recollection.

With a house full of well-fed musical folks, Joe coaxed out some sweet singing with his uke and it drifted beyond the dinner table and into the yard.

I think the appropriate word for days like this is blessed.

Starting off Sunday

As I catch up and reflect on the weekend that was, I have to admit it was pretty darn awesome. Fine weather, good eats, and a hanging with folks to round it all out.

Woke up Sunday and made a small breakfast, enjoying it out on the back patio before it got too warm under the canopy, reading the Times on our laptops.

I opted for rhubarb instead of preserves on biscuits. Doing my customary wiki'ing I found these uncited tidbits about the stalky red vegetable:

It is or was common for a crowd of extras in acting to shout the word "rhubarb" repeatedly and in an unsynchronised manner, to cause the effect of general hubbub. As a result, the word "rhubarb" sometimes is used to mean "length of superfluous text in speaking or writing", or a general term to refer to irrelevant chatter by chorus or extra actors. The American equivalent is walla. Stage actors in the United States also use word "rhubarb" repeated asynchronously in a low or murmured tone to provide background voice ambience in crowd or party scenes. A variation of this is the repetition of the phrase "peas and carrots"
- wiki : rhubarb

Interesting.

Previously: Not the best image, rhubarb on biscuits

Luckily it did not. Other toys were found to occupy their attention.

Saturday was perfect for a grillout, and friends down in Loveland had one fired up for a Draft Day party.

I'm not exactly sure what all the football stuff was all about, but since the chart of colleges and draft picks was on the table with the chips and dips, I would pop inside, nod, and graze.

Outside was breezy and perfectly sunny. If folks weren't old or pregnant we would have set up the Ladder Golf set (also known as Hillbilly Horseshoes, Bolo Toss, Monkey Balls, Chuck Your Nuts, Dangly Bits, Donkey Balls, Golfshoes, Twigs and Berries, Rodeo Golf, and many more... for real).

Instead we enjoyed spending time between the sun and the shade, nursing cool drinks, circling the grill, and running after kids. Good times.

a visitor in the back yard

Pardon the blur of this 2 second exposure, it was pitch black out there.

All you could hear was the munching from the patio.

The stale cereal was intended for the birds.

It's like a huge miniature city of electronics in there

Laptop flickered and made alarming beep noise again.

Dead.

Call to support, this time with proper screwdriver on hand.
Back in business but lost a tiny screw in the process.

Support fella said, "Just pop into the Apple Store for a little screw.
You should be in and out in 5 minutes."

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.

digitally, and physically

As promised, information on the aforeblogged album, plus a free MP3 and a movie.

Download "Fate to Fatal" MP3

Digital EP on iTunes | Amazon | eMusic

BUY THE LIMITED EDITION VINYL SOLD OUT

sprucing up the dining room

Though not the light I had my eye on, I think the proportions of this capiz fixture from West Elm suits our space nicely. (Thanks for the tip Garrison)

I secretly picked it up yesterday and Kyle came over to make it happen on the sly while Dan was at a performance.

It's always a gamble making decisions like these alone, but we'd been looking long enough to know what we wanted. When Dan came home, he apparently saw the excited expression on my face before he turned the corner and caught his first glimpse. Verdict? A big enthusiastic yes.

(Thanks Kyle and helpers)

sweet set

I didn’t actually take this photo, a kind stranger with a better view did the honors as I was pinned in a corner.

She might have been with the prevalent rollergirl contingency, but I’m not entirely sure.

Either way, I love what she captured.

It was an excellent set, my mom finally got to see the Deals perform, snagged some new music, and I ate at Melt for dinner.

All sorts of win that evening.