A couple weeks ago my dad was down in Cincinnati, helping me with some house projects. Before we started, I went through my CD collection, found five that we could agree on and put them in the stereo on shuffle.
(It’s funny…when we went on car trips when I was little, there wasn’t much beyond Fleetwood Mac and the Beatles that we could all be happy with (especially when I was all about eighties glam rock)…now that I’m older, I find that I like a lot of “their” music…and they like a lot of “mine.”)
But I digress…
One of the CDs I pulled out that day was Arlo Guthrie’s Outlasting the Blues. When I was a kid, this was one of the albums everyone in the car could sing along to, but it’s not one that I listen to all that often these days.
One song in particular struck me as funny…. Here are the lyrics to “Telephone.” (If they’re not completely accurate, blame it on the lyric site I found…)
Every morning just as soon as it's light
Get out of bed and I'm feeling alright
Make me some coffee and I sit down alone
The rest of the day I'm on the telephone
Hang up, hold on
You got a dime so you come on so strong
Save your money and let me be
Hang up the phone and quit bothering me
I got a phone in my bedroom and one in the barn
A phone in my car and one in the yard
A phone on my saddle for when I'm out on the range
A phone in my pocket for when I'm down at the grange
Hang up, hold on
You got a dime so you come on so strong
Save your money and let me be
Hang up the phone and quit bothering me
Now with devaluation all over the land
The whole wide world has got more money in their hand
They'll be calling me up from Peking and Nome
I'm going to rip out my telephone
(It probably loses something if you don’t know the tune that goes with it…)
Anyway, I remember liking the song when I was a kid because it was just so ridiculous. How could you ever have a phone in your pocket? Or in your car? Hmmm…
3.24.2008
3.04.2008
Tyler’s the Ultimate. Just ask him.
Most people know I like to cook. My mom turned me onto Tyler Florence and I have to say his cookbooks look great, but I cant stomach his tv show, Tyler’s Ultimate. Typically I look through the tv guide to see what he’s going to make and if it looks good, I’ll record it.
Last night, I watched the “rainy day” episode. The recipes du jour? Tyler’s ULTIMATE chicken noodle soup and Tyler’s ULTIMATE grilled cheese. In case you were wondering, everything he does is ULTIMATE.
My thoughts as I watched:
1. ABSOLUTELY. Does he HAVE to use that word in every sentence? Does someone pay him per use? Also beautiful and fantastic. He must get extra points for 'absolutely beautiful' and 'absolutely fantastic.'
2. BOOM. Every time he puts something in the oven. Every time he puts something in a bowl. Every time he puts a pan on the stove. Boom.
3. ADJECTIVES. Somewhere in his contract it must say that every sentence must have at least three adjectives. "We're going to cut these onions. Look at how absolutely beautiful and fragrant these fresh delicious onions are." Some things don't need adjectives. Onions are onions. Just cut them and move on.
4. THE INTRO. It’s so forced and scripted. I saw in the title what you're planning to cook. I don't need a poem about rainy days and the sunshine in the kitchen. Fire your writing staff and just show me how to cook.
The man just talks too much. It’s a shame, because his recipes usually look really good. Last night’s grilled cheese – excuse me…“last night’s ULTIMATE grilled cheese -- glorious artisan bread with fragrant, beautiful pesto and fresh, delicious mozzarella cheese” – looked delicious.
But seriously...he's ABSOLUTELY annoying.
On the chopping block next week? Rachel Ray
Last night, I watched the “rainy day” episode. The recipes du jour? Tyler’s ULTIMATE chicken noodle soup and Tyler’s ULTIMATE grilled cheese. In case you were wondering, everything he does is ULTIMATE.
My thoughts as I watched:
1. ABSOLUTELY. Does he HAVE to use that word in every sentence? Does someone pay him per use? Also beautiful and fantastic. He must get extra points for 'absolutely beautiful' and 'absolutely fantastic.'
2. BOOM. Every time he puts something in the oven. Every time he puts something in a bowl. Every time he puts a pan on the stove. Boom.
3. ADJECTIVES. Somewhere in his contract it must say that every sentence must have at least three adjectives. "We're going to cut these onions. Look at how absolutely beautiful and fragrant these fresh delicious onions are." Some things don't need adjectives. Onions are onions. Just cut them and move on.
4. THE INTRO. It’s so forced and scripted. I saw in the title what you're planning to cook. I don't need a poem about rainy days and the sunshine in the kitchen. Fire your writing staff and just show me how to cook.
The man just talks too much. It’s a shame, because his recipes usually look really good. Last night’s grilled cheese – excuse me…“last night’s ULTIMATE grilled cheese -- glorious artisan bread with fragrant, beautiful pesto and fresh, delicious mozzarella cheese” – looked delicious.
But seriously...he's ABSOLUTELY annoying.
On the chopping block next week? Rachel Ray
3.03.2008
Jon Stories, pt 1
A few people have said that the Jonathan entry should be a series. I don’t know if I’ll make it a series, but I do have a couple funny Jon Stories worth sharing.
My parents went out for his annual progress meeting the other day (they were called IEP meetings when he was in school…they have a name now, but I don’t know it off-hand). Overall, Jon is doing well and everyone there loves him. But they did share these three stories that my parents and I got a kick out of…
They’re always working with Jon to become more independent (as much as he can be) in everyday tasks. Over the years, they’ve worked on getting him to bring his dishes to the sink after meals, putting his clothes in the hamper when he changes and putting things away. And the latest – bringing his clothes hamper to the laundry room when it’s full and back to his room when it’s empty. Amazingly, he does it…but as soon as he gets back to his room, he empties his closet of clean clothes into the hamper because hampers are supposed to be full of clothes. In his head, having an empty hamper isn’t right, so he fills it. In the meeting, it was suggested that maybe they put a towel in the hamper that can always be there – so it’s never empty…and then someone suggested a shirt or other article of clothing – because knowing Jon, the hamper should have clothes. Not towels.
As long as he’s lived in his current home, they’ve had issues with him unrolling the toilet paper onto the floor. Who knows why…he never did it at home that I can remember. Given that the staff at his home wont really get in his face and yell at him for it, he’ll probably never stop. Anyway, they’ve realized that there is a pattern to his paper unrolling… He does it when he has snow days or other interruptions to his usual schedule…almost like he’s mad about not being able to do what he’s supposed to do, so that’s his little way of lashing out.
The third one is my favorite… Just inside the front door of his home, there’s a bathroom. Mostly intended for guests and the staff, I assume. There are bathrooms for the residents in both hallways by their bedrooms. For whatever reason, Jon has decided he’d rather use the bathroom in the foyer. When the staff sees him head for that bathroom, they redirect him to the one by his bedroom. I don’t know if he makes a fuss about it or not, but he hasn’t given up. The staff has watched him sneak out the back door, walk around the house and come in the front door so he can get to that front bathroom without being seen.
Just makes you wonder exactly what that kid knows. He doesn’t know today is Monday, but he knows how to outsmart the adults who don’t want him to use the bathroom in the front of the house. There are plenty of other similar stories that have made us all shake our heads over the years…I’ll post them as I think of them.
My parents went out for his annual progress meeting the other day (they were called IEP meetings when he was in school…they have a name now, but I don’t know it off-hand). Overall, Jon is doing well and everyone there loves him. But they did share these three stories that my parents and I got a kick out of…
They’re always working with Jon to become more independent (as much as he can be) in everyday tasks. Over the years, they’ve worked on getting him to bring his dishes to the sink after meals, putting his clothes in the hamper when he changes and putting things away. And the latest – bringing his clothes hamper to the laundry room when it’s full and back to his room when it’s empty. Amazingly, he does it…but as soon as he gets back to his room, he empties his closet of clean clothes into the hamper because hampers are supposed to be full of clothes. In his head, having an empty hamper isn’t right, so he fills it. In the meeting, it was suggested that maybe they put a towel in the hamper that can always be there – so it’s never empty…and then someone suggested a shirt or other article of clothing – because knowing Jon, the hamper should have clothes. Not towels.
As long as he’s lived in his current home, they’ve had issues with him unrolling the toilet paper onto the floor. Who knows why…he never did it at home that I can remember. Given that the staff at his home wont really get in his face and yell at him for it, he’ll probably never stop. Anyway, they’ve realized that there is a pattern to his paper unrolling… He does it when he has snow days or other interruptions to his usual schedule…almost like he’s mad about not being able to do what he’s supposed to do, so that’s his little way of lashing out.
The third one is my favorite… Just inside the front door of his home, there’s a bathroom. Mostly intended for guests and the staff, I assume. There are bathrooms for the residents in both hallways by their bedrooms. For whatever reason, Jon has decided he’d rather use the bathroom in the foyer. When the staff sees him head for that bathroom, they redirect him to the one by his bedroom. I don’t know if he makes a fuss about it or not, but he hasn’t given up. The staff has watched him sneak out the back door, walk around the house and come in the front door so he can get to that front bathroom without being seen.
Just makes you wonder exactly what that kid knows. He doesn’t know today is Monday, but he knows how to outsmart the adults who don’t want him to use the bathroom in the front of the house. There are plenty of other similar stories that have made us all shake our heads over the years…I’ll post them as I think of them.
2.09.2008
Amazing what a few coats of paint can do...
Said Sara, "You're the poet in my heart
Never change, never stop
But now it's gone
It doesn't matter what for
But when you build your house
Well, then call me home."
-Stevie Nicks
I know I've been promising before and after pictures of the house for six months now... And finally -- here they are. They're not so much "after" as "now." There is still plenty to do and plenty to rearrange. Havent decided what to hang where, so the majority of the walls are bare. But plenty of you have asked for pics, so here's how the place looks so far.... (I apologize for how long this list is, but blogspot is less than cooperative placing photos...if anyone has mastered placing pictures side by side, please let me know. I finally gave up...)
The Guest Bedroom... (Yes, those are two shades of blue on the walls -- it's not just the photo. I'm inheriting some bedroom furniture with my grandparents' move, which will allow me to throw out my last piece of Sauder, nailed together particle board "furniture," which furnished my entire first apartment. The dresser pictured has broken and missing pulls and the bottom drawer wont open. It's time to turn the poor thing into firewood....)
My Bedroom... (Oddly enough, the white, flowery curtains the previous owner left behind match my childhood bedspread -- and they make good paint drop cloths... I have some leftover fabric from the blue curtains -- eventually I'll make a couple matching throw pillows.)
The Family Room... (When I first looked at the house, my realtor said it would take some "vision" to love this house. Exhibit A: The Pink Family Room. Truly hideous.)
Never change, never stop
But now it's gone
It doesn't matter what for
But when you build your house
Well, then call me home."
-Stevie Nicks
I know I've been promising before and after pictures of the house for six months now... And finally -- here they are. They're not so much "after" as "now." There is still plenty to do and plenty to rearrange. Havent decided what to hang where, so the majority of the walls are bare. But plenty of you have asked for pics, so here's how the place looks so far.... (I apologize for how long this list is, but blogspot is less than cooperative placing photos...if anyone has mastered placing pictures side by side, please let me know. I finally gave up...)
The Guest Bedroom... (Yes, those are two shades of blue on the walls -- it's not just the photo. I'm inheriting some bedroom furniture with my grandparents' move, which will allow me to throw out my last piece of Sauder, nailed together particle board "furniture," which furnished my entire first apartment. The dresser pictured has broken and missing pulls and the bottom drawer wont open. It's time to turn the poor thing into firewood....)
My Bedroom... (Oddly enough, the white, flowery curtains the previous owner left behind match my childhood bedspread -- and they make good paint drop cloths... I have some leftover fabric from the blue curtains -- eventually I'll make a couple matching throw pillows.)The Family Room... (When I first looked at the house, my realtor said it would take some "vision" to love this house. Exhibit A: The Pink Family Room. Truly hideous.)
The Kitchen... (These pictures are a little out of order, but you get the idea. The kitchen was ugly. Then it was gutted. Now it's burgundy.)
The only room left to paint is the dining room -- it's still sort of a dingy mint green on two walls, but I cant decide what color to paint it yet. Seems to be a trend with me. I also have some trim to paint, but that's fairly low on the priority list. I think that's enough for today. I'll post the dining room when it's finished -- it too is inheriting some new furniture soon, so I'll probably wait until then to take any "after" shots.
It's funny...It seems like I've accomplished a lot since I've moved in....But the to-do list never really goes away, does it?
1.31.2008
Jonathan
“Maple syrup is supposed to be on the table before the pancakes.
Of course when they bring the maple syrup after the pancakes, it'll definitely be too late.”
-Rain Man
My friend Robin recently pointed me towards a blog – “Confessions of a Pioneer Woman” that has gotten me thinking recently. The Pioneer Woman writes (a lot), she takes pictures (gorgeous ones) and she cooks. One topic of interest to me? Her brother, Mike. Her first entry about Mike starts like this:
“I Have a Retarded Brother. His Name is Mike.
I love not having to whip out annoying euphemisms like "Developmentally Disabled" or "Mentally Challenged" or "Intellectually Delayed." As a blood relative of a retarded person, I’m automatically exempt. I get to say retarded. Retarded.
I love Mike. He’s my big brother. Well, he’s my older brother. I’m bigger. Taller. About 8 inches taller. Overall, having Mike as a brother has been a good thing.”
Most anyone reading this probably already knows why it struck a chord with me. I, too, have a retarded brother. His name is Jon. I nodded knowingly when I read her comments about euphemisms and the rights afforded a blood relative. Because Jon is retarded. He’s not developmentally delayed or challenged. He’s retarded. I realize that’s not the PC way to say it anymore and I absolutely hate how that word has morphed into the common vernacular. I cringe every time I hear someone say “You’re retarded…That show was retarded…This game is retarded.” When I say something “un-PC” about Jon or the people that surround him, I usually preface it with, “he’s my brother, I can say that.” I had no idea that other siblings of retarded people also said that.
I too, catch myself having to explain that he’s my older brother but more like a younger brother. I admit sometimes I dread when someone making small talk asks if I have any siblings. Because you can never leave it at just “Yes.” It’s always followed up with “older or younger?” No one ever expects that there isn’t a short way to answer that.
“Well, he’s older, but he’s mentally retarded, so he’s sort of like a younger brother.” That usually gets a tilted head and an “Aww, I’m sorry to hear that. That must have been hard on you.” I never really know how to answer that. Would life have been easier on all involved if he had been “normal?” Who knows. Would he have been an angelic, straight A student with an equal aptitude for athletics and the arts? Probably not. He probably would have had his own “normal” issues that we, as a family would have to deal with. I was “normal.” And by “normal,” I mean a moody, bratty teenager. I got good grades, but I argued and back-talked daily. Jon is what he is and, not knowing anything different, I’ve gotten used to that.
It’s funny. I don’t think of myself as different because of Jon. It’s just not something I think about all that often. Over the years, people have said that I’m probably a more compassionate person, more patient, more understanding of people who are different. Obviously everyone is a product of their surroundings – I sometimes wonder what I would have been like if Jon had been a normal big brother.
As I read through some of the reader comments attached to Pioneer Woman’s blog, they’re all positive. They all commend her for her funny, heartwarming stories. Because that’s all they are to them. Sweet stories. I read her entries about Mike with tears in my eyes, understanding every word, feeling like I’d just met a kind of kindred spirit. Even tho it seems her experience with her brother is worlds different from mine, everything she said rang true to me.
It’s funny. I read things all the time that I agree with or that “speak to me,” I don’t know why these particular blogs have gotten me thinking about Jon. One comment Robin made was that if PW’s blog did anything to open the eyes of her zillions of readers, that she’s doing a really good thing by talking about her brother.
And maybe in my own rambling way, I can do the same thing.
Of course when they bring the maple syrup after the pancakes, it'll definitely be too late.”
-Rain Man
My friend Robin recently pointed me towards a blog – “Confessions of a Pioneer Woman” that has gotten me thinking recently. The Pioneer Woman writes (a lot), she takes pictures (gorgeous ones) and she cooks. One topic of interest to me? Her brother, Mike. Her first entry about Mike starts like this:
“I Have a Retarded Brother. His Name is Mike.
I love not having to whip out annoying euphemisms like "Developmentally Disabled" or "Mentally Challenged" or "Intellectually Delayed." As a blood relative of a retarded person, I’m automatically exempt. I get to say retarded. Retarded.
I love Mike. He’s my big brother. Well, he’s my older brother. I’m bigger. Taller. About 8 inches taller. Overall, having Mike as a brother has been a good thing.”
Most anyone reading this probably already knows why it struck a chord with me. I, too, have a retarded brother. His name is Jon. I nodded knowingly when I read her comments about euphemisms and the rights afforded a blood relative. Because Jon is retarded. He’s not developmentally delayed or challenged. He’s retarded. I realize that’s not the PC way to say it anymore and I absolutely hate how that word has morphed into the common vernacular. I cringe every time I hear someone say “You’re retarded…That show was retarded…This game is retarded.” When I say something “un-PC” about Jon or the people that surround him, I usually preface it with, “he’s my brother, I can say that.” I had no idea that other siblings of retarded people also said that.
I too, catch myself having to explain that he’s my older brother but more like a younger brother. I admit sometimes I dread when someone making small talk asks if I have any siblings. Because you can never leave it at just “Yes.” It’s always followed up with “older or younger?” No one ever expects that there isn’t a short way to answer that.
“Well, he’s older, but he’s mentally retarded, so he’s sort of like a younger brother.” That usually gets a tilted head and an “Aww, I’m sorry to hear that. That must have been hard on you.” I never really know how to answer that. Would life have been easier on all involved if he had been “normal?” Who knows. Would he have been an angelic, straight A student with an equal aptitude for athletics and the arts? Probably not. He probably would have had his own “normal” issues that we, as a family would have to deal with. I was “normal.” And by “normal,” I mean a moody, bratty teenager. I got good grades, but I argued and back-talked daily. Jon is what he is and, not knowing anything different, I’ve gotten used to that.
It’s funny. I don’t think of myself as different because of Jon. It’s just not something I think about all that often. Over the years, people have said that I’m probably a more compassionate person, more patient, more understanding of people who are different. Obviously everyone is a product of their surroundings – I sometimes wonder what I would have been like if Jon had been a normal big brother.
As I read through some of the reader comments attached to Pioneer Woman’s blog, they’re all positive. They all commend her for her funny, heartwarming stories. Because that’s all they are to them. Sweet stories. I read her entries about Mike with tears in my eyes, understanding every word, feeling like I’d just met a kind of kindred spirit. Even tho it seems her experience with her brother is worlds different from mine, everything she said rang true to me.
It’s funny. I read things all the time that I agree with or that “speak to me,” I don’t know why these particular blogs have gotten me thinking about Jon. One comment Robin made was that if PW’s blog did anything to open the eyes of her zillions of readers, that she’s doing a really good thing by talking about her brother.
And maybe in my own rambling way, I can do the same thing.
1.03.2008
Happy New Year
"Sixteen springs and sixteen summers gone now
Cartwheels turn to car wheels thru the town
And they tell him,
Take your time, it wont be long now
Till you drag your feet to slow the circles down"
-Joni Mitchell
I know it’s cliché to say that I cant believe it’s already 2008…that I cant believe it’s already January…that I cant believe I’ll be HOW OLD? in another month. But just the same, I really cant.
One nice perk in my office is that we shut down between Christmas and New Years, so we all have a nice long break without having to use vacation days. I spent several days up in Dayton with my parents and my grandparents, which was nice.
A good bit of my time was spent in the kitchen… Last Thanksgiving I attempted a new apple pie crust recipe… I thought I had blogged about it then, but I think I just commented on Robin’s site when her husband tried it. Anyway, I was impressed with it at Thanksgiving, but apparently I really got the hang of it this time, because, if I do say so myself, the Christmas apple pie put all my other attempts to shame… I think I’ve finally mastered the unwritten stuffing recipe (tho I’m still a bit squeamish about actually stuffing the bird…) and mom taught me how to make gravy. Not sure I could fly solo on it just yet. Mom and I have a running joke at Christmas about whether or not we’ll make “Grandma’s Butter Cookies.” We always intend to, and always run out of time. I made them (covering the kitchen, myself and even the dog at my feet with flour), but we never did get around to decorating them. Maybe next year…
It was nice to have some time to relax -- I confess, I did have to bring some work home with me…but if the company is giving me more than a week off, I’ll live with having to work for a few hours (from my couch in my PJ’s with my feet up, of course).
The big news from our family is that my mom’s parents have finally decided to move up to Dayton – a difficult decision, but one that I think everyone feels good about. They will be moving to the Lincoln Park retirement community in Kettering – about 20 minutes south of my parents’ house. Hard as it will be to leave their home of 25+ years, they feel it’s important to be closer to family and want to make the move while they can do it together. Fingers are crossed all around that their house sells without too much hassle and they’ll be in their new apartment early this spring.
I swore I’d take a much-needed theater break after Dearly Beloved wrapped up in the fall, but I was asked to take on stage management duties for Mariemont’s January show, Give ‘Em Hell Harry, and I just couldn’t say no. It’s a one-man show -- performed by Bill Hartnett and directed by his wife Ellie Shepherd (both of whom have more talent in their little fingers than most of us have altogether!). The bonus for me is that I didn’t have to attend rehearsals until tech week, so it hasn’t been a huge commitment yet, time wise. I’ve worked with Bill and Ellie several times now and it’s always a pleasure. They’re both so professional and there’s never any drama or ego…I cant say enough about them. They cast me in my very first Cincinnati production back in 1998-ish and again in 2001-ish and both shows rank pretty highly as my favorite theater experiences to date. But I digress. The show opens this Friday and if there are any locals reading this, I urge you to check it out: Give 'Em Hell Harry
And because no post is complete without mention of the never-ending (or constantly-procrastinated, depending on how you want to look at it) kitchen project is that I FINALLY picked a color (burgundy wine -- was finally talked out of brown) and primed the walls and painted the ceiling a few days ago. Probably wont get around to the actual painting (anyone want to take bets on how many coats it will take? I don’t want to think about it…) until after the show closes, but I feel like it’s still an accomplishment.
Guess that’s all for now. Hope everyone out there had a lovely holiday and a Happy New Year.
Cartwheels turn to car wheels thru the town
And they tell him,
Take your time, it wont be long now
Till you drag your feet to slow the circles down"
-Joni Mitchell
I know it’s cliché to say that I cant believe it’s already 2008…that I cant believe it’s already January…that I cant believe I’ll be HOW OLD? in another month. But just the same, I really cant.
One nice perk in my office is that we shut down between Christmas and New Years, so we all have a nice long break without having to use vacation days. I spent several days up in Dayton with my parents and my grandparents, which was nice.
A good bit of my time was spent in the kitchen… Last Thanksgiving I attempted a new apple pie crust recipe… I thought I had blogged about it then, but I think I just commented on Robin’s site when her husband tried it. Anyway, I was impressed with it at Thanksgiving, but apparently I really got the hang of it this time, because, if I do say so myself, the Christmas apple pie put all my other attempts to shame… I think I’ve finally mastered the unwritten stuffing recipe (tho I’m still a bit squeamish about actually stuffing the bird…) and mom taught me how to make gravy. Not sure I could fly solo on it just yet. Mom and I have a running joke at Christmas about whether or not we’ll make “Grandma’s Butter Cookies.” We always intend to, and always run out of time. I made them (covering the kitchen, myself and even the dog at my feet with flour), but we never did get around to decorating them. Maybe next year…
It was nice to have some time to relax -- I confess, I did have to bring some work home with me…but if the company is giving me more than a week off, I’ll live with having to work for a few hours (from my couch in my PJ’s with my feet up, of course).
The big news from our family is that my mom’s parents have finally decided to move up to Dayton – a difficult decision, but one that I think everyone feels good about. They will be moving to the Lincoln Park retirement community in Kettering – about 20 minutes south of my parents’ house. Hard as it will be to leave their home of 25+ years, they feel it’s important to be closer to family and want to make the move while they can do it together. Fingers are crossed all around that their house sells without too much hassle and they’ll be in their new apartment early this spring.
I swore I’d take a much-needed theater break after Dearly Beloved wrapped up in the fall, but I was asked to take on stage management duties for Mariemont’s January show, Give ‘Em Hell Harry, and I just couldn’t say no. It’s a one-man show -- performed by Bill Hartnett and directed by his wife Ellie Shepherd (both of whom have more talent in their little fingers than most of us have altogether!). The bonus for me is that I didn’t have to attend rehearsals until tech week, so it hasn’t been a huge commitment yet, time wise. I’ve worked with Bill and Ellie several times now and it’s always a pleasure. They’re both so professional and there’s never any drama or ego…I cant say enough about them. They cast me in my very first Cincinnati production back in 1998-ish and again in 2001-ish and both shows rank pretty highly as my favorite theater experiences to date. But I digress. The show opens this Friday and if there are any locals reading this, I urge you to check it out: Give 'Em Hell Harry
And because no post is complete without mention of the never-ending (or constantly-procrastinated, depending on how you want to look at it) kitchen project is that I FINALLY picked a color (burgundy wine -- was finally talked out of brown) and primed the walls and painted the ceiling a few days ago. Probably wont get around to the actual painting (anyone want to take bets on how many coats it will take? I don’t want to think about it…) until after the show closes, but I feel like it’s still an accomplishment.
Guess that’s all for now. Hope everyone out there had a lovely holiday and a Happy New Year.
12.19.2007
Already December....How did that happen?
“If you wrote me off, I’d understand it
Cause I’ve been on some other planet.
So come pick me up…I’ve landed.”
-Ben Folds
Yeah, I know it’s been a while. A long while. Sadly, there isn’t much new since the last post. Work has been absolute madness and I still haven’t painted my kitchen. (I am closer to taking before/after pictures, tho…which I still promise I’ll post…)
Let’s see…Work. Back in October, we were pulled into a new project for a “Major Camera Manufacturer” promoting their digital SLR camera. We’ll call them MCM for short. Essentially, they had a bunch of money to spend before the end of the year, and needed help spending it. Enter LMC. Unfortunately the turnaround time on this project was insane. And every time MCM gave us feedback on anything, it was filed under the category “Things that would have been helpful to know a week ago. Or even yesterday.” Fortunately the program is up and running, seems to be going really well and the client is happy about it. As an amateur photography enthusiast, I admit it’s been fun to work on a product that interests me and I have learned a lot about photography (digital in particular)…I guess the silver lining makes the headaches worth it…
What else. Theater… I spent the fall working at Mariemont Players on their production of Dearly Beloved. I stage managed a wonderful production of Murder of Crows there last fall, and when the director of that show asked me to stage manage this one, I jumped at the chance to work with him again. The only drawback was work – the fall is busy anyway and after the MCM was added into the mix...let’s just say I took a really long nap when the show closed. Anyway, the production was a lot of fun, audiences loved it -- and when MCM required a trip to NYC for training in the middle of the show's run, Delta got me home in plenty of time for the performance that night!
What’s left… The house. It’s coming along. All the boxes are unpacked (or hidden in the basement, but we don’t need to talk about that…), curtains are up in the guest room and my bedroom (I made tie-up shades for the guest room and roman shades for my room)… I bought a new ceiling fan to replace the tacky monstrosity currently hanging in the dining room and I have zeroed in on a paint color for the kitchen….but haven’t had the guts to go get it. It’s called “warm brownie” – sort of a yummy reddish brown. It’s really dark. I love it and I’ve been aching to paint something brown – a few of my friends are all for it and a few have hinted that I might be crazy to paint a small kitchen dark brown. Yes, it’s only paint… But cutting around all the appliances and cabinets is going to be enough of a pain that I know I wont want to redo it if I hate it. (Yes. Painting before cabinets/countertops/appliances were installed WOULD have been smart. But if I’m having trouble picking a color now that the whole kitchen is in front of me, imagine how I would have done it with a 1-inch square of countertop material, a brochure indicating the cabinet color and the faint memory of the appliances I ordered.)
I think that’s about it. See? It’s been months, but nothing has really changed… I promise not to stay away so long next time…
Cause I’ve been on some other planet.
So come pick me up…I’ve landed.”
-Ben Folds
Yeah, I know it’s been a while. A long while. Sadly, there isn’t much new since the last post. Work has been absolute madness and I still haven’t painted my kitchen. (I am closer to taking before/after pictures, tho…which I still promise I’ll post…)
Let’s see…Work. Back in October, we were pulled into a new project for a “Major Camera Manufacturer” promoting their digital SLR camera. We’ll call them MCM for short. Essentially, they had a bunch of money to spend before the end of the year, and needed help spending it. Enter LMC. Unfortunately the turnaround time on this project was insane. And every time MCM gave us feedback on anything, it was filed under the category “Things that would have been helpful to know a week ago. Or even yesterday.” Fortunately the program is up and running, seems to be going really well and the client is happy about it. As an amateur photography enthusiast, I admit it’s been fun to work on a product that interests me and I have learned a lot about photography (digital in particular)…I guess the silver lining makes the headaches worth it…
What else. Theater… I spent the fall working at Mariemont Players on their production of Dearly Beloved. I stage managed a wonderful production of Murder of Crows there last fall, and when the director of that show asked me to stage manage this one, I jumped at the chance to work with him again. The only drawback was work – the fall is busy anyway and after the MCM was added into the mix...let’s just say I took a really long nap when the show closed. Anyway, the production was a lot of fun, audiences loved it -- and when MCM required a trip to NYC for training in the middle of the show's run, Delta got me home in plenty of time for the performance that night!
What’s left… The house. It’s coming along. All the boxes are unpacked (or hidden in the basement, but we don’t need to talk about that…), curtains are up in the guest room and my bedroom (I made tie-up shades for the guest room and roman shades for my room)… I bought a new ceiling fan to replace the tacky monstrosity currently hanging in the dining room and I have zeroed in on a paint color for the kitchen….but haven’t had the guts to go get it. It’s called “warm brownie” – sort of a yummy reddish brown. It’s really dark. I love it and I’ve been aching to paint something brown – a few of my friends are all for it and a few have hinted that I might be crazy to paint a small kitchen dark brown. Yes, it’s only paint… But cutting around all the appliances and cabinets is going to be enough of a pain that I know I wont want to redo it if I hate it. (Yes. Painting before cabinets/countertops/appliances were installed WOULD have been smart. But if I’m having trouble picking a color now that the whole kitchen is in front of me, imagine how I would have done it with a 1-inch square of countertop material, a brochure indicating the cabinet color and the faint memory of the appliances I ordered.)
I think that’s about it. See? It’s been months, but nothing has really changed… I promise not to stay away so long next time…
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