Christmas time is heeeere

happiness and cheeeer

fun for aaaall

that children caaall

their favorite time of yeeeear

Tree Commission

I was commissioned to do a reproduction of a 3-panel piece to hang in a living room. It isn't super glamorous work, but I had fun doing it. I realize I didn't get a photo of the piece after painting the sides and varnishing, but maybe I can get one in situ after it's hung.

If life had video game style achievements, this would be something like:
*BWZING!* ACHIEVEMENT: COUCH ART!

Each panel measures 18x36".

Pumpkin Carving

Had a pumpkin carving session tonight with Paul, Kim, Deanna (and briefly Natalie).

 Kim's spiderweb in progress

Paul's sketch

Paul's finished carving. It kinda goes all the way around.

Mine in progress

Deanna making some final adjustments on the harlequin pattern

Deanna's pumpkin with a color-changing LED inside

And here's my finished carving.

"I smell an angel, Daddy!"

BWZZZZZ!

KA-POW! 

BRAAAGGHHHH!!

Imagine

At almost every family get-together, my brother and I bring instruments and play songs, to both the delight and chagrin of our captive audience. Among the many familiar covers—David Gray's "Babylon," Paul Simon's "Me and Julio," a myriad of Guster songs—my Dad always requests that we play John Lennon's "Imagine."

The version I play came from a long while back, when I saw a video of Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora doing an acoustic version which went directly into the chorus of "Give Peace a Chance." The idea of a mashup was pretty new to me and I thought it was great... so I promptly stole it and arranged it (with the help of my friend Rich Ryan) for my college a cappella group, Much More Chill.

After performing it many times with MMC and many times at home, the most notable performance might have been when Erik Reinhart and I played it for the memorial ceremony for my Dad's close friend, Jim Nowak. I was honored to perform it—Jim had always been a fan of song and of the ideas it represented, and all his close friends and relatives were there in remembrance of him. With Erik by my side, I think we did well to pay tribute to Jim, and to John Lennon's original motives in writing such a simple, beautiful song. By the end, local jazz musician Bill Tiberio had joined in with an improvised saxophone melody, and every person in the room was singing along with the chorus.

With my Dad's 65th birthday approaching, I thought it would be fitting to finally give him a version he could listen to whenever the mood struck him so I recorded this rendition, playing all the parts myself so I could say it was truly from me!

I'm happy to share it with everyone now, but for my Dad as well as for Jim and John listening on in the next world—I hope you enjoy it.

Glass

is everywhere in Corning and I like it.

And if it weren't for the obnoxious family with their loudly whining kids in a quadruple stroller with super squeaky wheels, I would have spent even longer in the Corning Museum of Glass. I mean... really? Quadruple?

Despite that, we spent quite a while there and it was all surprisingly well designed and thought out. There's something really cool about the way that the whole main floor is suspended walkways directly over the lower floor gift shop, with a huge black egg-shaped room and giant glass wheel floating stretching between all three floors.

Then we walked on the main street a bit, had ice cream, got some coffee... fun was had by all. In the terms of an eBay transaction:
A+++, WOULD DO BUSINESS WITH AGAIN!!!!1

I shot my parents' cat

with insulin, because he's diabetic, silly. But while I was there I couldn't help but shoot a couple other things too. WITH GUNS. Okay, no, with my phone camera. There were thousands of beech nuts on the driveway and the light was neat because it had just rained, but was turning sunny. Hipstamatic may be a crutch, but it's kinda perfect for times like this.

And I don't know who invented the turkey hat or why, but it's amazing. Available in both pre and post-roasting varieties.

Wooo, Fall! And orchards! And stuff!

I mean, Deanna wasn't the only one who went to the countryside and took photos. And spent most of the day driving around looking at Fall stuff. Fall stuff like trees. And leaves and grass and stuff. And farm markets. And Schutts, where whoever organizes their herbs and spices has a sense of humor.

And orchards. I also took pictures of orchards, Deanna! So there! That shadow is me!

And after my little Holga ran out of film, I had to switch to shooting with my phone... but this photo is one of the many reasons I love my iPhone.

  And no, I'm not the only one who stares up, bewildered at apples.

 And yeah, we were kind of on someone else's property, but it seemed innocent and friendly enough. 

Stare into the sun, stare into the sun...

Then we stopped by the Bear Creek boat launch to see my Dad's plaque at the military memorial there. It's great to see a local memorial, honoring the military persons from their own town.