I’m almost caught up to “today”

Rawr

I had all these aspirations to sort through photos and get caught up to “today,” but that didn’t happen.

I know, I seldom update in this ol' journal, but I have been snapping up photos every day this year. Diligently, but oh so slow when it comes to sorting and posting.

Sidenote: Folks write in and ask what process I use on images and I'm not ashamed to say I start with an action set called Vintage Film for Photoshop. It's free! Though, I should mention the cost of Photoshop isn't included. The good news is that most of the techniques used in the automated set can be achieved with free or inexpensive photo editing programs and websites.

Once I run the default set I go through and fiddle with many of the layers—usually toning down the sepia, vignette, center fill light, magenta cast, and so on.

Why do I do this? Well, in January I set out to make the entire year of 2010 appear as a cohesive set when viewed together. I honestly don't know why but I always think things will make more sense once you get everything together and take a step back.

Oh, and it's fun!

But all this takes time away from writing more long-form entries, (though I do add some details here and there).

All is well though.

You know how summer gets.
The calendar gets packed.
Things are busy.
Piles of potential.
You try and carve out time to enjoy the sunlight and folks.
And sweet corn, I really need to pick up some of that.

View the latest photos in the Album

ineffable

2/27/10 - Thanks to Tom for snapping this photo.

Hats off to my friend Mr. Pratt for bringing the wine a very long way to dinner.

It was serendipity that his travels brought him to Cincinnati on the last week of February, as the final Saturday of the month is a holiday of sorts. Open That Bottle Night (OTBN) is an annual event coined a decade ago by John Brecher and Dorothy Gaiter, former wine columnists for the Wall Street Journal.

The intent of the occasion doesn't fit neatly in a greeting card.

In Dorothy & John’s words:

This is why we invented OTBN, which is celebrated on the last Saturday of February every year. Whether it's the only bottle in the house or one bottle among thousands, just about all of us have that very special wine that we always mean to open, but never do. On OTBN every year, thousands of bottles all over the world are released from prison and enjoyed. With them come memories of great vacations, long-lost loved ones and bittersweet moments. The whole point of our wine column is that wine is more than the liquid in the bottle. It's about history, geography, relationships and all of the things that are really important in life.

(from Sprucing Up for Wine's Night. 26 January, 2007)

That's pretty kick ass. During their tenure at the WSJ they rated wines on a scale of "Yech", "OK", "Good", "Very Good", "Delicious" to "Delicious!". That's also kick ass.

So it was a good set-up as we met Tom & Wendy at a favorite restaurant that allowed outside beverages (see corkage).

Mr. Pratt brought the wine. Each bottle, carefully considered, was coupled with stories both dear and auspicious.

When I asked him what he thought after having a sip from the second bottle he said "ineffable." With some shame I asked him what that meant.

"There are no words. It means it can't be described" but he went on to mention that it had a feeling, a sort of tingling.

Great, I thought. Here I said it had the aroma of a freshly painted room—which it did—but what I didn't say is that a freshly painted room was the smell of new beginnings! But I felt a little tingle too; and I don't think it was from embarrassment.

Tangent? I once worked with a designer that never said anything negative when a client offered lame input. He'd simply say, "Well, that is really something!" with palpable excitement.

Luckily my friend isn't one to mince words and he regarded the paint fume comment without visible distress. He's also very patient.

I always thought patience was one of the most important components of wine, but this day gave me the perspective that it's not always about waiting, it's also about sharing the experience, and this evening was exceptional.

RELATED LINKS:

• Full Pour - Mr. Pratt contributes tasting notes with Mr. Coldrey who lives on the other side of the globe. Their site celebrates wine, favoring context over scores.
• My favorite exchange from the movie Sideways - You probably know the scene, with Maya and Miles.
• The Mysterious Heart of Deliciousness - The last column from Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher in the Journal.
• Lastly, I should probably mention the wines from dinner: 2005 Cayuse Cailloux syrah and 2003 Clonakilla shiraz viognier

Ignite Cincinnati

Kate's random shoes-ings

Ducked out of work a few minutes early to head down to the Know Theatre in Cincinnati to catch the second Ignite Cincinnati thing.

What is this thing? 5 minute presentations, each with 20 slides that automatically advance every 15 seconds. Topics are both voted on and curated, spanning the gamut from local, global, personal and business.

These events are happening all over (view a list of cities), and I think its pretty darn great. Get people together, share ideas and keep it tidy.

Oh, and there's beer. (Your mileage may vary)

The dozen or so presentations were varied, with touching, humorous and insightful moments. Sure some rolled better than others, but to nitpick would be a disservice to the notion.

Which makes me wonder, what would I say if I had 5 minutes and 20 slides? It's a great question to ask ourselves even outside the framework of an event like this or TED or that wedding toast.

I definitely wouldn't talk about consistent blogging or how to use an iron.

Anyway, it was a most excellent evening; I met lots of folks again or for the first time — and it got me to think.

Dunno when the next one will be but those sorts of details can be found on these websites: Ignite Cincinnati or Ignite (all over)

10 years ago

I look less pained now, I think

Sent out my passport to get renewed yesterday. Looks like my old one was issued in July of 2000.

Back then I was gearing up for a vacation to Europe with an unknown destination. A friend from high school and I met in Heidelberg, flipped a coin, and ended up in Greece for a week.

It was awesome. We took a boat out to Skiathos (to give you a visual - parts of Mamma Mia were filmed there). We ate excellent food, drank like fish, hit the tiny discos at night and spent the days on the beach where I finished reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

So what else was going on a decade ago? Let's see...

I was twenty-eight years old and working (probably too much) with a web design company I had started with friends in Cincinnati.

This was our heyday and super enjoyable even with the extended hours. I'm pretty sure all said and done there were 10 of us working together—a close knit group of friends from high school, college and beyond.

We had a warehouse studio on the edge of downtown, afternoon breaks with fresh fruit prepared by our office manager (my mom) and sometimes we'd even take to the windows and let off steam by blowing bubbles down to the sidewalk three stories below.

It wasn't all lollipops and rainbows. As work was going great, I was closeted and pretty disgruntled by the challenge of opening that particular door. (Fret not, the following year would see everything change for the better on that front.)

Other tidbits from the year 2000:

• Rung in the new year in Salida Colorado with good friends, thinking it would be a fine way to ride out any glitches from Y2K bugs.
• Shot photos with questionable skill using a little APS film camera and a Sony Mavica that stored photos on a 3.5" diskette.
• Listenined to Grandaddy's "The Sophtware Slump" on repeat.
• Also enjoyed David Gray, Crowded House, Coldplay, Adrian Belew, Guided by Voices, Moby and Travis.
• Cried at Erin Brockovich in the theater and caught other flicks including Cast Away, Gladiator, Chocolat, High Fidelity, Godzilla 2000 and Requiem for a Dream.
• Drove a VW Passat.
• It was an election year, so you can imagine it was crazy (I went with Gore and felt good about that).
• Didn't have a beard, just a goatee. Couldn't grow one proper for the life of me.

And now here I am sporadically posting in my journal. Hi!

Hello Brooklyn

When I say "Hello Brooklyn," in my mind, I hear some Beastie Boys beats immediately drop afterward

I got here to New York yesterday and it's been go! go! go! ever since.

This is why I live in Ohio because otherwise I'd be dead from sheer exhaustion.

Heck, I should be sleeping now.

Last night? The Long Count opened, which is part of the reason I'm here. I had no idea what to expect from this visual and musical collaboration and I found it to be weird and wonderful and exhilarating. I'm not good with words, Brooklyn Vegan puts them together real good (and has a sample MP3) as bonus.

Today? Woke up way early and made it down to the chock-full-of-awesome-people Studio 612a where I finally, after years of online fawning, met The Swiss Miss live and in person.

First words? "Oh my you're tall!"

A bit of chat, gushing, 30 questions, some of the most excellent coffee one can make without a barista on hand, then it was time to get down to survey the possibilities with FictiveKin.

Not sure exactly what will be packed in the next few days, but I am reminded that any trip to New York is too short.

Current music: The Long Count "Bull Run" (featuring Kelley Deal)

backlog

so many days, I lost count

So those 60+ days that just rolled by? Well, I was taking photos all along the way. Don't worry, I'm fine, really. Just remiss and have lots of stories and news to share.

At one point I thought I'd never get my act together and post them. So I spent this week sorting and selecting and did a push on Sunday, filling in all the visual blanks.

There were a lot of moments that deserve their own journal entry - but for now? This'll have to do:

Scroll through all the snapshots at the "album," ten days at a time.

Current music: Oingo Boingo "Just Another Day"

The Breeders

Various backdrops in a Dayton alley

The Breeders kick-off show at the Southgate House last night was awesome.

They played a mix from every album and sounded extremely great.

Man I love this band.

And this type of succinct articulation is exactly why I am not getting paid to write about music.

Extra bonuses of the evening:

- Sushi.
- Running in to Shiv from WOXY before he heads down to big hot Texas.
- Seeing for the first time, the new full color version of the Fate to Fatal EP.
- Hanging out with lots of friendly folks I haven't seen in a while.

Music | |

July 31, 2009

Knowing is half the battle

Designed by a nerduo, printed by us

We're going to get a good workout at the studio when this BATTLE shirt goes to press.

Its been the fastest selling design on our site.

In commemoration of G.I. Joe, I present my favorite fake PSA.

Look at all your different colored hats!

Tshirts, Work | |

July 28, 2009

The weekend zipped by

A Shriner in Celina, Ohio

Perfect weather this weekend.

Squeezed in some bike riding which is fast becoming a favorite activity to combat my pear-like shape.

Also hit up a Celtic Festival in Dayton and a Lake Festival Parade in Celina.

Good summer fun.

More photos from the Lake Festival Parade

| |

July 22, 2009

Oh hi

Long time no see

So we're having a fine brunch and my visiting friend says I never update my journal.
And he's right.
I've been awful remiss.

Then just yesterday I read an interview with Jeff Harris, a fellow that has been taking a photo of his life for the past 10 years.

His site was one of the biggest inspirations for me to start playing with a camera. As he faces cancer, he reflects on the past decade and his work.

"Even the repetition makes it interesting." he says.

And I remember that's one of the things I got out of all this — I was always hoping to see patterns emerge from my own life through these photos.

But more than that, I wanted to share the days with my friends and family.

Then things got muddled somehow. Self imposed deadlines, comment guilt, forlorn with my own visual repetition, wondering if I was thinking too much. This, that, and the other thing.

It just wasn't simple.

So I stripped it all down and started anew over here in the album. And I hopped on that short update thing and the yearbook exploded site.

Yeah, I'm still around.

And things are well outside of the screen!

Just trying to stay outta trouble.

Sleeves rolled up.

Tipping my hat whenever possible.

Trying to make sense of it all and keepin' my eye out for patterns.

Current music: OMD "Of All The Things We've Made"

Pondersome | |

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