Year's End

Now winter downs the dying of the year,
and night is all a settlement of snow;
From the soft street the rooms of houses show
a gathered light a shapen atmosphere,
Like frozen over lakes whose ice is thin
And still allows some stirring down within.

I've known the wind by water banks to shake
the late leaves down, which frozen where the fell
And held in ice as dancers in a spell
Fluttered all winter long into a lake;
Graved on the dark in gestures of descent,
They seemed their own most perfect monument.

There was perfection in the death of ferns
Which laid their fragile cheeks against the stone
A million years. Great mammoths overthrown
Composedly have made their long sojourns,
like palaces of patience, in the gray
and changeless lands of ice. And at Pompeii

The little dog curled and did not rise
But slept the deeper as the ashes rose
And found the people incomplete, and froze
The random hands, the loose unready eyes
Of men expecting yet another sun
to do the shapely things they had not done.

These sudden ends of time must give us pause.
We fray into the future, rarely wrought
Save in the tapestries of afterthought.
More time, more time. Barrages of applause
come muffled from a buried radio.
The New-year bells are wrangling with the snow.

1) Written by Richard Wilbur
2) Probably my favorite poem
3) Very appropriate for today
4) Try and guess which lines are etched into my skin

Photographtastic

Merry Christmas

Well, today was a lovely day. I think we were true to our original theme of "Christmas After Dark" and we also came up with a few themes along the way today including "Photographtastic", "Africa", and "Punk'd". What's even better is that no one really ruined Christmas and we all got to be together as a family. It's a Christmas miracle.

Christmas Eve

The animals are able to talk at midnight.

Seasons Greetings

It might be too late...But I think this should have been the Cartwright family Christmas card this year.

So Close

I got all of my Christmas shopping done today. This is exciting because I don't have to go back over by the mall anytime soon. The traffic there today was not pretty and I have a feeling that it will continue to get worse and worse until Christmas Eve. Just to let you know, make sure your blood sugar is good and that you have quality music to listen to if you are going over by the mall. I do still have things to mail off and gifts to wrap, but that should be no problem at all. I'm especially a big fan of creative wrapping. Watch out!

C is for Cookie

We may not make 1,000 cookies this year, but I'm sure they will be just as tasty. After all these years, my favorite kind of cookie that we make this time of year is the peanut butter cookie with the Hershey kiss in the middle. Do yourself a favor and go out and buy some or make some or just somehow get them into your life and into your stomach.

Comfort Zone

The thing about sweat pants is...THEYAREAWESOME!!!

I don't mean to keep making excuses for missing blog entries, but when you get to be with ALL of your family for the first time in a long time blogs are not on the front burner of your mind.

Here are the four kids!

Christmas Cinema

There are several holiday movies out there from "It's a Wonderful Life" to "Elf", and while I do enjoy traditional Christmas movies like these it's sometimes nice to switch it up a little. For instance there's "8 Femmes" it's a French musical/murder mystery that takes place in the French country side when a family (of 8 women) get together for Christmas. There's also "Angels in America". If you have 6 hrs to spare I highly recommend this HBO special that's out on DVD. I always watch it around Christmas even though it has very little to do with the holiday it still evokes all of the necessary emotions of a Christmas movie and it's just really really good so you should watch it anways. And finally there are the Christmas specials of your favorite TV programs. I'm a fan of the Office and 30 Rock holiday specials as.

Fail

Oh my goodness, I forgot to post something yesterday, but to be fair I was distracted with making hot apple cider and welcoming visitors from out of town. I was so close, I really thought I could do it. I'm still not gonna give up, but seriously, it's like only a week from Christmas. That's really close, and I haven't done any Christmas shopping. And while I think going on a date to Tim Hortons with me is a great gift, I've gotten some less than enthusiastic responses from folks. Looks like I'll have to think of something else.

Today I got a craving for gummy worms and peanut m&ms...not separately, but eaten together. It is really good. I first tried this combination of sugary treats when I was reading "Lolita" by Vladimir Nabokov. In the story Lolita goes on a road trip across America with Humbert Humbert and it talks about all this junk food that she's eating. I was inspired by this and combined my gummy worms and m&ms and it was awesome. Not many people can say they have a snack inspired by a great literary text. I still wish I had some right now, but I don't.

Poetry

Here is a poem that I was reading today, I opened up the book and there it was.

Saint Judas

When I went out to kill myself, I caught
A pack of hoodlums beating up a man.
Running to spare his suffering, I forgot
My name, my number, how my day began,
How soldiers milled around the garden stone
And sang amusing songs; how all that day
Their javelins measured crowds; how I alone
Bargained the proper coins, and slipped away.

Banished from heaven, I found this victim beaten,
Stripped, kneed, and left to cry. Dropping my rope
Aside, I ran, ignored the uniforms:
Then I remembered bread my flesh had eaten,
The kiss that ate my flesh. Flayed without hope,
I held the man for nothing in my arms.

by
James Wright

Part One

I got the first part of my tattoo done. When it heals, in about two weeks, I will go back and get the rest filled in. This tattoo is a lot of firsts for me...It's the first time I've gotten a tattoo in Ohio (all of my other ones were done in Indiana), it's the first time I've gotten a tattoo with out Kylie, it's the first color tattoo I've gotten, it's the first time my parents knew ahead of time that I was getting a tattoo, and it's the first time I've gotten a tattoo in a month other than March or July. It's my new favorite

Twelve

It's interesting how a month named for the number ten is so linked with the number twelve. For starters it's currently the twelfth month in our calendar. There are twelve days of Christmas and Christmas is celebrated in the month of December. On his album "December" George Winston has twelve tracks. Perhaps there are more links between the month of December and the number twelve, but I am far too tired to think about them now. So, happy 12/12 everyone.

Kenji Hirata

Coming soon to a household near you.

Dead Presidents Come Back to Life

Today while Cailtin and I were on our way to a sushi lunch date we were stopped at a light and next to us was an Abraham Lincoln impersonator eating a banana. We knew he was a professional impersonator because 1) He looked exactly like him, I mean I really only know what Lincoln looks like from money and 2) He had a decal on the back of his car advertising his impersonating services. So, this holiday season if you want "Abraham Lincoln" to spice things up at your office party...do some google research 'cause I didn't get the chance to take down his info.

Dang!

So, the last few blog entries have been pretty lame. I was sort of hoping this wouldn't happen, but for now I'm just gonna have to apologize and do a better, more interesting job next time.

Back in OH-IO!

We collected Caitlin from the airport this morning and shortly after hit the road. A couple few hours later we're back home. It's nice to be back and it's even nicer to have Caitlin home.

Driving to DC Today

...and we're off like a herd of turtles.

Blah

I was busy this morning baking donuts, and busy this afternoon getting ready for the Clifton Mills Winter Fest Craft Show. Therefore I had no time for a nap. Someone has their grouchy pants on...it's me. Also, I need to get ready to head out to DC tomorrow. I'm am very excited about seeing Caitlin though. Can't wait.

It's Everywhere

I'm not the biggest fan of Christmas music, and this time of year it's nearly impossible to avoid. However, there are a few exceptions. I am a fan of Sufjan Stevens' "Songs for Christmas". He mostly does hymns and songs of that nature like O Come, O Come Emanuel, Angels We Have Heard on High, and Come Though Fount of Every Blessing. He also has some original numbers with festive names like It's Christmas Let's Be Glad, Put the Lights on the Tree, and Did I make You Cry on Christmas? He also has a gem in there called The Winter Solstice so all you Wiccans will have something to enjoy. It is a really good five part album. Check it out!

Fierce

Today is Tyra Banks' birthday. I was under the impression that she never aged, but I guess I was wrong. I am happy to discover that she is a Sagittarius as well, I knew there was a special bond between us. To celebrate I'm going to wear a wig and smile with my eyes.

I'm ready for snow. We've certainly got the cold, now let's get the picturesque views to match.

Artistic Corn Holes

Last night I was hanging out in Yellow Springs and was looking around in this art gallery I had not been in before. It was in one of the stores in King's Yard, it had been various other stores before...I think it was a music store at one point...anyway, the art gallery was not too bad. There were some really nice photographs taken of downtown Dayton and the Yellow Springs area, there were also some nice paintings, and some really really tacky things as well. I think my favorite thing in the gallery was a corn hole set. Painted on one board were a bunch of dinosaurs drinking cocktails and playing corn hole while a meteor headed toward them. On the other board were two naked people (Adam and Eve maybe) in an outdoor setting holding a snake with a dead coyote on the ground with its throat slit. Genius. We still have not decorated our corn hole set, I'm feeling pretty inspired.

The Cash Cab Rolls On

I am a big of fan of the show Cash Cab on the Discovery channel. Every day from 5-7pm I am watching it and yelling out answers at the TV. It's like my version of "my soaps", "my stories", "my pictures"...you get the idea...I was thinking that it would be cool if the Discovery Channel did like a Cash Cab for Charity where they had various Discovery Channel personalities stationed throughout the city. Ben Bailey could drive around picking up people like the Mythbusters, Bear Grylls, Mike Rowe from Dirty Jobs, and so on each one waiting to be picked up at the next location. I mean, I feel like these guys are pretty smart and who doesn't love giving money to a good cause. Think about it Discovery Channel ('cause I know you read my blog).

Shady Business

Today I had a fun adventure after work. I was going to meet a "client" in a McDonald's parking lot to exchange goods for money. When you put it that way it sounds sketch, but that's the truth. In other words I was delivering a special order bracelet to someone who was running errands and happened to be near a McDonald's that we were both familiar with (I knew it because they have the best McFlurries in town...that's not exactly true. I'm sure their frozen treats are delicious but I know it because I get my gas from the BP across from it). Doesn't sound so shady now.

'Tis the Season

In the spirit of advent (and One-a-Day vitamins) I'm going to try posting something everyday until Christmas. It'll be like those paper chains I made as a kid where you tore one off every day leading up to Christmas, or like an advent calendar where you open one compartment a day to reveal something fun! preferably a chocolate. So hopefully I will have something interesting to say everyday for the next 4 weeks. Is it possible? Can it be done? Stay tuned.

Better Than Football

This year was the first Thanksgiving that we had cable (which after about two and a half months of having I am still super excited about) and because we have the cable we get all sorts of bonuses, especially holiday programming. Take today for example...on Bravo they had a Top Chef marathon/special holiday themed challenges. I was so excited, but I barely got to watch any of it because there was so much other stuff to do today like cook, participate in family outings, and hang out with siblings...which I am all about, by the way, but I just wish the networks planned these things better on less busy days so that we can take time to enjoy them.

Times Are Hard

There's no more need to spend all of your money on fancy grapefruit flavored juices. Apparently when you brush your teeth and then drink blue gatorade it tastes just like grapefruit juice...I just discovered this like five minutes ago.

Oh My Stars!!

It's the week of Thanksgiving...that little nugget just sort of snuck up on us. I'm pretty excited about this week for multiple reasons. Probably I'm most excited about my brothers coming home. I no longer have to feel like an only child. The house will be full again...almost. I'm also pretty excited about the pies my mom will be making at the Culinary Institute of America on Tuesday. I do enjoy a good pie.

Someone's Rediscovered the Paint Program...It's Me!

I've been meaning to do a drawing based on the song "Jezebel" by Iron & Wine...two years later it finally happened.

who's seen jezebel?

she was born to be the woman i would know

and hold like the breeze half as tight as both our eyes closed

who's seen jezebel?

she went walking where the cedars line the road

her blouse on the ground where the dogs were hungry, roaming

saying, "wait, we swear we'll love you more and holy

jezebel, it's we, we that you are for only"

who's seen jezebel?

she was born to be the woman we could blame

make me a beast half as brave

i'd be the same

who's seen jezebel?

she was gone before i ever got to say

"lay here my love you're the only shape i'll pray to, jezebel"

who's seen jezebel?

will the mountain last as long as i can wait

wait like the dawn how it aches to meet the day

who's seen jezebel?

she was certainly the spark for all i've done

the window was wide

she could see the dogs come running

saying, "wait, we swear we'll love you more and wholly

jezebel, it's we, we that you are for only"

Can't Get Enough of This Cat

Here's a paint program rendition of Phineas for you all to enjoy

Mythical Beasts

These guys are a reality...Think about that. Blows your mind don't it.

ZebdonkNarwhal

Albino Buffalo

Jackalope

Another Kind of Mission

In life there are certain things that people are constantly searching for...love, happiness, the perfectly shaped rock, and all sorts of other nonsense. To add to this list of things, I am interested in finding the best ginger ale ever and also the best spicy dark chocolate ever. These two tasty treats come in varying degrees of gingerness and spiceyocity. So far the best ginger ale I've had I think was in Namibia with a brand called Stoney, and the best spicy dark chocolate I've had came from a Wal-Mart in Pigeon Forge, TN (true story)...but there are still other varieties to try.

On a Mission

So, I'm still reading this book I started back in September , "The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles", which is very good, but I can't seem to finish it. I'm just a really slow reader when I'm not travelling. There are too many distractions at home like the internets and the cables. So, except for this blog entry and maybe a few others, I need to keep my eyes on the prize and finish this fine piece of Japanese literature. Also, Caitlin is setting a deadline for me that I need to have it done before she gets home. I don't think I win anything for finishing it though, dang.

F

The first thing I tried to do in the "studio" today was put the rocks I found at Sugar Creek in wire settings, but when I went to fasten the wire with my pliers the rocks broke. Apparently the rocks around here are too delicate to handle the awesome power of jewelry fabrication. I am not going to give up on this idea though. I would just pick up and road trip down to the Smokies and get more rocks from there (and I totally would) but I feel there must be a more practical way...Maybe I'll check out Caesar's Creek.

ps
Speaking of the awesome power of things, Ellen is going to be on Oprah today. What will happen when two Super-Lady Television Talk Show Hostesses share the same stage? Tune in to find out.

What Are You Huntin'?

...or as they say in the north "What are you looking for?" Well, since you asked, I'm looking for rocks. I had this idea to use rocks in my jewelry, it looks better than it sounds. I had some river rocks that I may or may not have illegally taken from the Great Smokey National Park, I don't know. However, I threw them all away 'cause I didn't know what to do with them, but apparently I had one that was saved, and I figured out what to do with it, and I want to do more stuff like it, but I have no more rocks. I was hoping to find more river rocks that are thin, round, and black, but looking around Sugar Creek I found grey/brown, square, fossil filled specimens. Not too bad, but not what I was huntin'. Just another regional difference between the north and south.

ps
They have classy rocks up on the beaches of Maine with recognizable names like Jasper.

November

Time to get out the sweater vests and mittens, it's getting cold.

I Meant to Do This 6 Hours Ago But Fell Asleep Instead

Sorry Caitlin. Today is 2 November, the sign of Scorpio is upon us, it's Day of the Dead in Mexico, and in Namibia Caitlin is celebrating her 27th birthday. This week's shout out is a Happy Birthday shout out...heyo!!!

I know I only sent you a card for your birthday, but trust me, there is a bountiful gift basket waiting for you at home...something to look forward to.

I wish I had a few more pictures chronicling the life and times of Caitlin, haircuts and all, but all I have are recent photos. Here are a few when she came home right before heading off to Africa.

Happy Birthday Grrrrl!!!

More Pumpkins

Halloween has come and is almost gone and soon Christmas decorations will be going up (I've already seen hints of Christmas here and there)...So, before we move on I just wanted to share this one last Halloween nugget. Here is the pumpkin I carved today, gutted by Pa Cartwright, but the face and carving was all me, can you tell? Yes, I am an art major.

Which brings me to my next point...How cool would it have been to have an art department pumpkin carving contest except instead of carving the actual gourd each department would fabricate pumpkins in their celebrated medium (ceramics would make clay pumpkins, metals would make metal pumpkins and so on). Fun!

I Want to Go to There

Yes, so this is the name of my blog I guess, and yes it is a phrase I borrowed from 30 Rock (Thursday nights @ 9:30 on NBC, great show)...but I suppose there are some places that I do want to go to. Several of the places that I would like to visit are museums such as the Winchester Mystery House in California. It is a house that never stopped being built. It has staircases that go nowhere, doors on the second floor that open to nothing, passage ways and all sorts of odd fixtures. And of course it's haunted. Also, some museums I would like to visit are the Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore and the Museum of Medical Oddities in Philadelphia also known as the Mutter Museum.
Of course there are cities and states and countries and all sorts of other places that I would like to go to that aren't museums such as Alaska...exotic Alaska. But for now Dayton will do.

Punkies!

Creative
TraditionalObscure

How are you going to carve your pumpkin?

Also Brought to You by I75

Shout Out

This week's shout out goes to I75 connecting retired Canadians to vacation homes in Florida. The best part of this highway is definitely the drive through southern Kentucky into northern Tennessee, through the mountains. Also, going north bound when you can see Cincinnati from Kentucky is awesome. There are other good parts and really really boring parts of this highway, but you'll just have to travel on it to find out.

I found this on the Internets

Here is a picture of the Smokies for you to enjoy!

Oral Care

My toothbrush is made out of recycled yogurt containers, what's yours made out of? I came across such a toothbrush when I was at the Kroger's shopping for...a toothbrush, imagine that. I found myself in the health food section as I often do. Mostly, I was there to look at their selection of ginger ales when I saw that they had a healthy alternative to a toothbrush. How could I resist it with its funky shape and quirky color selection? I couldn't. In the literature provided I learned that its packaging is reusable as a carrying case, it's made from old yogurt containers (yum), and when you're done with it you can send it back in and they will make it into a bench or something. Fun! And after all that I can't remember what the brand is. Oh well, just check out the health food section at your local Kroger's, but beware of the sugar free ginger ale. That stuff is not as fun as the regular kind which brings me to my next point...always double check your purchases, sometimes sugar free is not the way to be.

A Visual

For this poll it might help to visualize Phineas in a sailor outfit. Just a fun suggestion.

Road Trips aren't just for Sing Alongs

So I have been doing a lot of driving over great distances recently which means two things. 1) I am consuming many Red Bulls and 2) I have a lot of time to think. Today I was thinking about my metal work and what I want to do with it. I have been making a lot of jewelry for selling and that's wonderful, but I need to get back into making Art. For a while now I've been thinking about doing something with masks. When I would doodle I would draw masks, when I couldn't think of things to cast or enamel I would design masks (all about 1.5" tall)...but as I was expertly navigating my way north on 75 today I was thinking of a new project focusing on making a larger, perhaps even life size mask. That's all I have to say about that right now...stay tuned.

Something Wicked This Way Comes

I'm starting to see Halloween decorations being put up...in the suburbs and in expanded aisles of grocery stores. I'm a big fan of this holiday especially the movies and poorly acted ghost hunter themed programs on the cable. But what you may not realize is that there is also music appropriate for this holiday as well. Here is a fun Halloween play list I put together (last year actually).

Herald! Frankenstein by Cursive
Dig Up Her Bones by The Misfits
This is Halloween by Marylin Manson (cover from the Nightmare Before Christmas)
Devil Town by Bright Eyes
John Wayne Gacy, Jr. by Sufjan Stevens
Deeper Well by Emmylou Harris
Angry Chair by Alice in Chains
We Are the Dead by David Bowie
Ghosts of Memory by Tiger Army
Your Neck by Alkaline Trio
Michael by Son of Sam
Bleed Black by AFI
How Long is the Night by Thursday
Halloween by The Misfits

These songs are a creepy collection about vampires, serial killers, things that go bump in the night and other dark scary things...you get the idea. Check them out if you are compelled, or make your own bone chilling playlist for some extra holiday fun

Success!

Yesterday, was a successful day all around. The weather was a bit overcast and chilly in the begininng, but then the sky cleared up and the sun came out. I had quite a few sales which is always nice, and I did my fare share of spending as well. There was a new vendor there selling screen printed clothes and accessories. I got two of her shirts. She hand prints everything and all of her cloth is organic (in case you were wondering).
Check out her stuff at vivisect-apparel.com.
Thanks to all who came out to support the craft fair!

It's that time of Year

Yes, tomorrow is the Yellow Springs Street Fair and if you are in the greater Dayton area I encourage you to come out and see the sights and eat some funnel cakes and all that. There are a lot of quality vendors that show up to this thing. My personal favorites are of course Urban Handmade specializing in everything handmade from soap to jewelry and lots of stuff in between. I also like Basho, they're a clothing store in YS and have some really nice screen printed numbers. There are also several pottery vendors if you're into that sort of thing and a lady who sells fused glass pendants. I can't remember her name or the name of her operation, but I see her at all of the time at craft fairs and she has nice things.
Of course I will be there in all of my metallic glory. I spent all this week getting stuff together. I got through three seasons of "30 Rock" and many delicious programs on the Food Network while in the process of getting everything together. Nothing really new although I will be featuring silver cancer awareness ribbons to benefit Making Strides (woot woot!!). Hope to see you out there!

I Almost Forgot

I forgot about my weekly "Shout Outs" that I was doing on this blog. This week I would like to give a "Shout Out" to the Canadian province of Alberta, capital Edmonton. I was driving along today in quaint downtown Centerville and saw a car with a license plate from Alberta. If I had to live in Canada it probably would not be there, it would probably be in British Colombia. However, I think it's important to be able to recognize a Canadian province when you see one. That's all, just remember Canada exists and has places too.

Don't Judge

It's 2:30 am and I should be asleep right now. I still have the lingering traces of a cold, I have to get up early tomorrow to finish making jewelries to deliver to Urban Handmade (also tomorrow), and dang it I'm just tired...and a little cold and nothing sounds nicer than curling up in my covers and drifting off.

Well, the reason I'm awake is because I just got back from the AFI show in Cincinnati (and I saw them in Columbus the night before). I know some people don't like AFI and think they're lame or they aren't hardcore anymore or any of that business, and I've been given shit for liking them, but whatever I still like their music and they do put on a great show. The opening band for AFI was a band called the Gallows. These guys are from England and they are ridiculous. The lead singer performed the majority of their set down on the floor among the crowd. He stood in the center of the circle screaming while thrashing dancers buzzed about him. It was awesome. I had only read about them in magazines and hadn't heard any of their music until just yesterday, but I want to hear more and you should check them out if you're into that sort of thing.
AFI's set was also ridiculously good. I was right at the front, about three rows away from the stage. It was packed, personal space did not exist. They played a lot of newer stuff, especially off their new album which only makes sense, and they also played a couple of my favorite songs which was a bonus! It was high energy all the way and by the end of the concert I was soaking wet and looking like I had just taken a shower, but in a gross kind of way. It was super hot inside, but pretty cold outside which felt good for about five minutes.
After the show in Columbus the drummer, Adam, came out and took pictures and signed autographs at the show tonight I got to meet Adam again and also the bassist, Hunter and the lead singer, Davey. Of course this was after everything was taken down and packed up which took a while, but it was really cool to meet them.
Wow, I'm really tired and it's 3:05 am.
Also, Cincinnati is a really pretty city and continues to be one of my favorites.

Not Your Grandma's Reading Rainbow

I've been doing a lot of reading lately...mostly because I've been spending long hours traveling, but I do enjoy a good read and should be better about reading even when I'm not going anywhere. I've recently been interested in two specific authors 1) Chuck Palahnuik and 2) Haruki Murakami. I've only read about two books by both of these guys but they were really good. I also read this book called "Shadow of the Wind" that's like on the top of all these best seller lists...I haven't seen Oprah say anything about it though, so I don't really know how legit it can be if it doesn't have her stamp of approval.
So yeah, for a good read...and sometimes for a disturbing read (especially with Chuck Palahnuik) check out these books

Haunted by Chuck Palahnuik
Lullaby by Chuck Palahnuik
Dance! Dance! Dance! by Haruki Murakami
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles By Haruki Murakami
Shadow of the Wind By Carlos Ruiz Zafon

There are plenty of other quality books out there, but these are just the ones I have read recently. Pretty dang good.

Top 10

Caitlin and I often talked about this, but never actually got around to writing it. We came up with the Top 10 Moments of our visit. They aren't in any real order, but here are some of the things we came up with.

1) When I got off the plane and Caitlin was on the phone with dad, mom got on the phone and the only thing we could hear on the other end was sobbing

2) The 24 hrs from when we got to the hotel at Raucana on Friday night to the next evening on Saturday, it was full of delicious food, TV, running water, real beds, beautiful landscapes, and Himbas!

3) The first three breakfasts at Caitlin's homestead which were only packets of camping food but they were so good. Pasta with alfredo, teriyaki rice, and beans and rice.

4)The baby goat.

5)All of the girls in Girls Club. Especially the athleticism and poetic skills of Sesilia, the intensity of Manoria's flared nostrils, and the enthusiasm and passion Paulina displayed when talking about sweets.

6) Watching Grade 6 do traditional dances.

7) Watching "Freedom Writers", starring Oscar Award winner Hilary Swank, in Caitlin's shack and then watching those scenes play out in real life with Caitlin and her classes. It was weird how Caitlin's classroom experiences paralleled the movie.

8) Touching a crocodile

9) Baby O...Caitlin's youngest host sister, Cecilia, who looked a lot like Oprah. I could watch that child for hours.

10)F...I can't think of #10...oh well

In Other News

Well it seems as though "Where the Wild Things Are" is the popular kid. Yeah, I'm pretty excited about it too.

Hello!

Wow, it has been some time since I've been on here, but now I have access to the internet, a comfortable bed, indoor plumbing, and so on. These are nice things to have, but it was also a nice experience being away from all of these luxuries. Well, I have lots of photos and lots to say, but I'm not quite sure how to organize it all.

Here is a map of Namibia (I don't really know what that side bar action is, but this map had all of the cities I drove through to get to Caitlin's village). Right, so I arrived in Windhoek sporting two lovely back packs that looked like bumble bees. Caitlin was there to collect me, she was wearing one of the backpacks, I had the other. And we were off! I felt like I was on the Amazing Race what with our matching gear and semi matching outfits and being in a foreign place and all that. Anways, we got in a taxi and drove through Okahandja to Otjiwarongo were we spent the night. At the time I didn't realize it, but Caitlin made the off hand comment about how German the city looked, having been to Germany I was all like, "Umm, no. It looks pretty dang African to me." Later I would understand what she meant. It was in Otjwarongo that we saw the crocodiles tear through some dead chickens. It was awesome! Next we kept on our path north through Otavi and Tsumeb (home of the Copper Festival!). These were the last of the "German" looking cities before we crossed the Red Line into the "Real Africa" as the Afrikkaner man in short shorts put it when we were in Otjiwarongo. Within Namibia there's a border crossing called the Red Line, I don't know a whole lot about why it exists but once you cross over it is a totally different place. Now you are seeing goats, cows, and donkeys wandering all over even in the road. Here is were you see the Shebeens or bars with names like the Y2K bar. Homesteads are everywhere and access to resources is not what it's like in the south. It's harder to find Cadbury chocolate. Ok, so then it we went through Ondongwa and Oshakati. From Oshakati we headed west towards Tsandi which is the last town on the map before going to Elando, which is definitely not on any map and in the middle of nowhere. Caitlin and I got there by pick up truck. We were in the back with 7-9 ladies in their traditional get up, we were all crammed up on each other for the bumpy ride to Elando. So, that was our journey from Windhoek to Elando.

Then for the next two weeks I helped Caitlin with teaching English at the Nambula Combined School. While I was there we taught the Learners about antonyms, synonyms, and adjectives. I believe they are having a test on this material right now. The only other touristy thing I did while I was there was to visit the beautiful town of Racauna which is right on the border of Angola. They have an awesome waterfall that we saw, only it was all dried up and we also got the chance to tour a Himba village. And of course we got to stay in a fancy hotel with real beds, running water, TV, and food that had no sand in it!

Greetings From Namibia

Hello! I have been traveling since Wednesday and I am still not to my final destination (that will be happening later today). Right now I am in an Internet cafe sort of thing in Oshakati. Caitlin says "Whoop!" by the way. I asked her if she had anything to say, and that was what came tumbling out of her mouth.
So far Namibia has been really nice. Caitlin picked me up in Windhoek then we traveled up to the town of Otjiwarango. It's really nice there. We went to go see the Nile crocodiles that they have there. It's called a crocodile ranch where they breed and kill crocodiles for meat and leather. It was so cool. I really faced one of my biggest fears on that adventure. They have about 40 adults and 200 babies. Caitlin and I got to hold a baby croc. That's right I've touched a shark and a crocodile. We also watched them being fed dead chickens. The chickens were whole and all that and you could hear their bones crunching as they were being eaten. We spent the rest of that day traveling to a place that I can't remember the name, but it was a peace corps volunteers house. There was a peace corps get together their. And now today, more traveling!
Right now, in the north it is very sandy and flat and has lots of palm trees. In the south (between here and Windhoek) it's got a lot of mountains. It's like flat for a while and then there are just these huge mountains sitting in the distance. And there are more trees, not palms, I don't know what they're called. Besides crocodiles I've also seen oryx, kudu, a giraffe (but it was in captivity) and lots of goats, cows, and dogs.
I look forward to the rest of my stay here. Perhaps I will find the internet again at some point.

One last thing before I go

I've started doing polls, you know in an effort to make my blog a bit more interactive. They are located to the right of my postings. My first poll had two participants and that was really exciting that someone besides myself voted! Check out the new poll, and if you aren't familiar with the movies check them out on the google. Those were just the first four I could think of. Anyways, enjoy!

Gone for a Bit

So, I should be sleeping and resting up for my upcoming three days of travel. That's right, Namibia is just around the corner. I'm so excited to a) See my sister and b) Get out of Dayton for a little bit. By the way, I'm not hating on Dayton, I love this city, but sometimes you just need to get away.

I feel that it's time for my weekly shout out...This week I want to give a shout out to Direct TV. Yes, we just got Direct TV set up and plugged in and all that last Wednesday and it is awesome. I especially want to give a shout out to my top three stations 1) The Food Network 2)Bravo and 3) Logo. There's so much going on out there in the vast space of Direct TV. But no worries, I don't just sit around in my sweatpants all day watching the television, I do other stuff too. I'm just really enjoying all of these fancy channels right now. Top Chef on Bravo is totally the best thing ever.

Big Ups

Well, I'm done with the Holiday @ Home Craft Fair, and I'm happy to say that this was probably the best I've ever done at a craft show. Thank you to everyone who came out to the event, I hope y'all had a good time. I personally enjoyed all of the people watching as well as dog watching. There were some interesting little nuggets, especially this one Italian greyhound that was wearing an OSU shirt.

PS

For a good time google Italian Greyhound

Labor Day Weekend is the Most Exciting Time of the Year

If you happen to be in the greater Dayton region this weekend (and I don't know why you wouldn't be...it's great in Dayton!) you should come to the Holiday at Home Craft Show. I will be there, set up at booth B1. Yeah, so you should come and check it out.

In more exciting news, hints of Fall are all around. I was walking about the Sugarcreek Metro Park this evening and was happy to see some leaves turning color. I also saw a deer. It wasn't changing colors or anything, it was just prancing through the woods. What I'm trying to say is that you should support your local metro park as well as your local artists and crafts people.

Hometown Pride

I was just on the Wikipedia looking up Namibia's Skeleton Coast. I don't plan on going there during my visit, but I think it sounds like a fascinating place and wanted to learn a little more about it. According to Wikipedia the Bushmen of Namibia call the Skeleton Coast "The place God made in anger". That is a pretty heavy title to give a place. The Portuguese too were impressed enough by this place to call it "The Gates of Hell". That's a strong visual image. I feel kind of dinky now being from Ohio.

"I'm from the 'Gates of Hell', you know 'the place God made in anger'"
"Oh yeah? That's pretty cool...I'm from the Buckeye State"

Springbok

I'm looking forward to seeing some of Namibia's majestic animalia.

The Final Countdown

I now have less than ten days until I leave for Africa. That kind of snuck up on me. I haven't really hyped this event at all, but I am super psyched to be able to go to Namibia. I started thinking of all the stuff that needs to get done and there is much to do between now and then. Time to lace up my sneakers.

Eyes on the Prize

I just wanted to give a shout out to the hard working folks in Radiation Oncology at Kettering Hospital. I know you have a busy week this week and just wanted to say you guys rock, stay strong, K 4 Lyfe!!

ps
I'm thinking I should have a weekly shout out. It would give some structure to this blog.

Wizard People, Dear Reader

So, I was recently introduced to this awesome phenomenon called "Wizard People, Dear Reader". It is an alternate soundtrack to the first Harry Potter movie. It is presented as though it is being read (like a book on tape) while the movie plays silently along with it. Kind of like how one might play the Dark Side of the Moon along with the Wizard of Oz. Brad Neely, who came up with this idea, has apparently never read the books, but loosely follows the storyline of the movie, changing characters names and embellishing the plot with his own details. It is truly amazing.

Here are some good quotes from the movie, although like most quotes they are better in their original context

Look! A Turkish Massage Owl! And look! It's a bat! Sweet Mustache! Willikers!
This is when Harry first goes to Diagon Alley.

The look into each other's eyes, like two serpents on a honeymoon, Professor Snake, astonished that she has an admirer, and Mouthoil, astonished that he likes women.
In his version, Neely presents Snape (Snake) as an ugly woman. Draco Malfoy is Mouthoil. This scene takes place during the first potions class

Now, the most hideous boy in the world has the ball. He has a lumber pile in his mouth that he is calling teeth, and he is a mean S.O.B.
This is a description of one of the boys on the Slytherin quidditch team

"Say, Ron, you look tired, have you ever been tested for diseases?"
"At least I'm not a hideous fucker."
"Are you going home for Christmas? I'm going home. My family's got money."
"No, we’re staying here. We’re going to find out who that fucking Nick Flannel is, and rule the fucking school. So run home and open your presents. I hope you get a new pillow to cry into."
This is a dialogue between Ron and Hermione right before Christmas break. No one likes Hermione and she is known as "Harmony the Wretch" and often made fun of for being ugly and pathetic.

But lo-ho-ho, dear readers. It is a cloak, a cloak indeed! A cloak with a cloaking device!
This is when Harry gets his invisibility cloak

Dazzler is a man who obviously has never heard the laugh of a lover, never heard the phrase, "You are fine," from a doctor.
This is a description of Filch (Dazzler).

Breaking News

Well the brass and the copper do look nice after tumbling about in the tumbler. In fact, they look so nice that if they were a song by Reba they would be "Fancy"...I may just have been poor white trash but Fancy was my name...great song.

A Glimpse Into My Way Too Exciting Life

It's Friday night and I'm hanging out at home by myself (with the dogs) watching Man Vs. Wild and polishing metal in my new tumbler. I must say the tumbler is giving the silver a very nice shine. I just put in some brass and copper. It should be done soon because the Man Vs. Wild episode is almost done (it's acting as my timer, about 40 min.) I hope the brass and copper look as good as the silver. I hope you all are having a more exciting evening.

Enamel Work

Here is only a sample of the enamel work that I did while I was at Touchstone. These are some of my favorite pieces that I did. All of these took multiple torchings...some were only 3 others up to 10 torchings. I sifted the enamel as well as used techniques called wet packing and painted on pigment.

I like the way this picture looks. Fun fact: that is a postcard that Caitlin sent to me from Namibia (Hey Girl!). It gives this picture exotic flair.

Forge Work

Here are some pictures of the forged pieces I did at Touchstone. The copper pieces were forged from 6 gauge round wire and the silver bracelet was forged from 8 gauge round wire. This piece is about 4" long

The top view of the fork, about 4" long

The side view of the fork...I totally used my blacksmithing skills on these pieces. I stole the design elements from the blacksmiths as well.

The first piece I forged at Touchstone, it is an example of both kinds of hammer blows. Both elongating the metal and widening the metal.

A bracelet made of sterling silver. There's a hook on the left side and you can't see it too good in this picture but there's a leaf on the right side of the bracelet. This started out as a 3" piece of wire and I believe the final length is 6"

Dusting Off the Cobwebs

Hello? Is there anybody out there...Just nod if you can hear me...is there anyone at all?
I know it's been awhile since I've been on this thing, but I'm back now from Amish country and plan to keep this thing updated regularly. I just got done with my week of enameling. I made over 30 pieces of enameled goodness. That's a lot to do in one week seeing as how the other students made about 5 pieces. Just saying, they call me quick hands for a reason. Some of my pieces are better than others, but I think they are all successful in their own way. I still need to post pictures of my forged projects and I will also be posting some pictures of the better enameled pieces. That was on my mental to do list and hasn't quite gotten done yet. I did get my screen printing station set up in my work area today. I can check that off my For-Real-To-Do-List. Check.
Well, I just thought I'd let y'all know I was alive and living in Dayton.

How Many Hammer Blows to the Center of a Tootsie Pop

Hello there...it has been a while since I last updated this thing. About a week ago one might say. I have been busy this past week working on my forging and fold forming skillz. Mostly just my forging skillz though. I learned a lot and will post some photos of what I made. Starting out with bits of 6 gauge wire I made a knife, a fork, a spoon kind of thing, a little figure (looks like a cave drawing in 3D), and a bracelet. I made all these things using only two kinds of hammer blows. Using the cross peen you either hit perpendicular to the metal or parallel to the metal.

The rest of my Touchstone experience was pretty good as well. This place is by far the smallest and most rustic of the craft schools I've been to. There were about 30 students there. There are dorm like rooms but I stayed in a cabin that had no plumbing or heat or air conditioning, and very minimal electricity with extremely limited internet access (you have to go to the lodge for that sort of thing and I spent my time either in the studio or sleeping) and almost no cellular service. I was lucky on a few occasions, but if i did talk to you on the phone last week you can picture me standing out in the middle of a field wandering around it trying to get a good signal...I must have looked awesome. This is kind of getting me pumped up for Africa!

I actually kind of liked just being on my own, not being connected to anything...I didn't know anyone eithder and I was the youngest person there so I just sort of did my own thing.

OK, one week down one week to go.

1, 2, 3

How many craft schools can I go to in a summer...well, the answer so far is three. I've done nine weeks at John C. Campbell, six weeks at Arrowmont, and now two weeks at Touchstone in Pennsylvania. The weeks keep dwindling with each craft school I go to. This time, however, I will not be doing work/study. I will be attending just as normal student. Oh my goodness, just think, I will be able to stay all through class with out having to rush off to the kitchen to make lunch or dinner. Maybe I won't be so sleep deprived this time. On the other hand, I will be working in the studio and I do tend to stay up til un-godly hours when I'm working in the studio. Who knows, I guess we'll just have to wait and see how it all plays out. Once again I find myself talking about my sleep habits. Dang.
Well then, I will be taking two metals classes. The first week is fold forming with my friend John Cogswell from SUNY New Paltz and the second week I will be taking enameling.
I haven't really packed yet. I should get on that.

Epic

So there's this whole idea of the Bucket List...popularized by the film of the same name starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. Right, it's a list of things you want to do or achieve in your life time. I don't really like the name "Bucket List", I prefer to call it an Epic To Do List. I started writing one out recently. I had all of these ideas in my head and decided to put them on paper. It's mostly places I want to visit things I want to see. Like I want to see the Northern Lights at some point. Stuff like that. And it's not one of those things where I put something down that I've already done just so I can cross it off to feel accomplished. It's more like stuff I want to work towards, things that I am excited to do.

Famous People Keep Dying

I learned, from another blog, that today John Hughes died. You all probably learned this by reading an internet news source, the radio, the television...or just now from this blog. Well, I can't say I was a die hard fan. I've only seen few of his films, my favorite being Ferris Bueler's Day Off and the Breakfast Club was pretty alright. Mostly I know about John Hughes from all of the times he was mentioned in Kevin Smith movies, which are more my generation.

New Muzack

I recently got two new cds. One, a burned cd from a friend featuring Roger Miller's greatest hits. The other, a cd I purchased by the band The Casting Out. Both are really good and also total opposites in sound...I think there is some common ground in the lyrics department. Heartache knows no genre. But both band and musician sing about other stuff as well. I'm just saying.
Anyways, you may remember Roger Miller from such great hits as King of the Road, Do-Wacka-Do, England Swings, and the Disney version of Robin Hood (Oo-De-Lally). Although, my personal favorite is the song Chug-A-Lug
Chug-a-lug, chug-a-lug
Make you wanna holler hi-de-ho!
Burns your tummy don't ya know
Chug-a-lug, chug-a-lug
Grape wine in a mason jar, homemade and brought to school
By a friend of mine after class me and him and this other fool
Decide that we'll drink up what's left chug-a-lug so we helped ourselves
First time for everything, mmmmmmm...my ears still ring

Quality song right there.

A Magical Weekend

Here are some pictures of our adventures in Traverse City
The vineyards at Chateau Chantal...You can see both bays from the Chateau, but not in this picture, sorry.

Swings are so FUN and not nearly as dangerous as slides.

A beautiful day to be at a Mid-West beach
Colin learns that Michigan is parallel to the south of France

It's a lighthouse! They're all fun and exciting at first, but then you go up in it and it's not that great. Also, this picture documents the perfect place to have a wedding at this location. Just saying, it's a fun game I like to play. Where would the best place be to have a wedding at this historical location?