« June 2005 | Main | August 2005 »
July 28, 2005
Children's Books
Karen and I have read loads of children's books over the last four years-- many of them hundreds of times. No matter how many times I read them, there are certain pages that give me great pleasure. Francesca has started to grow out of some of these books, so before forgot all of these odd little phrases, I wrote them down. Enjoy!
Miss Spider's New Car
David Kirk
This matchbox dream has lots of ZOOM!
But look out for that tree - KA-BLOOM!
Oh, the Places You'll Go!
Dr. Seuss
So be sure when you step.
Step with great care and great tact
and remember that Life's
a Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.
The Bear Snores On
Karma Wilson
An itty bitty mouse,
pitter-pat, tip-toe,
creep-crawls in the cave
from the fluff-cold snow
Mouse squeaks, "Too damp,
too dank, too dark."
So he lights wee twigs
with a small, hot spark.
The Big Red Barn
Margaret Wise Brown
When the sun went down
In the great green field,
The big cow lowed,
The little pig squealed.
The horses stomped in the warm sweet hay,
And the little donkey gave one last bray.
Time For Bed
Mem Fox
It's time for bed, little goose, little goose,
The stars are out and on the loose.
Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear?
Nancy White Carlstrom
Sleep in my eyes
And stars in the skies
Moon on my bed
And dreams in my head
That's what I'll wear tonight.
McElligot's Pool
Dr. Seuss
WHALES!
I'll catch whales!
Yes, a whole herd of whales!
All spouting their spouts
And all thrashing their tales!
Posted by Rich at 2:31 PM | Comments (2)
July 25, 2005
Fold-Down Desk
Sabrina, our Alaskan Malamute, is old. Her weak back keeps her from getting around on our hardwood floors. She has even more trouble on the slippery kitchen floor. To extend her life, we moved her water and food bowls out of the kitchen and into the dining room. We added a series of long rugs that allow her to move from room to room. She even has a pair of doggie hiking booties on her back legs to give her more traction.
With her bowl out of the kitchen, we ended up with a little extra space. Last weekend, Karen got the idea to make a little work station that we could fold into the wall when we needed the space. I had run out of things to do around the house, so I was glad to have a new project. (please re-read the previous sentence with the appropriate amount of sarcasm.)
The Space
I started last weekend by designing the desk, getting the top cut and sanded, and buying the needed hardware. This weekend I got the top painted Saturday. Sunday I attached the base to the wall and built and painted the enclosure for the base.
The Base
By mid-afternoon I was attaching the hinges with the satisfaction that everything was coming together according to plan. I looked great, and then I tried to fold it down. The word "fuck" has never escaped my mouth in front of one of my children in such a clear manner. (I am very good to keeping my use of foul language in check around the kids...I'm even better at it than Karen!) To distract Sophia who was coloring a few feet away, I went into some Yosemite Sam-like garble which did not change the fact that the desk I had made did not fold down all the way because it was too wide.
I had to take it down, pull all of the hinges, figure out how to solve the problem, cut it, apply new edging, prime, paint, and re-attach it. If it weren't for Karen's "diagonal folding leg solution" I'd probably still be scratching my head. Although it went pretty smoothly for something I designed entirely in my head.
The Finished Deck
Folded Up
Karen and Francesca Washing Dishes
Posted by Rich at 2:31 PM | Comments (2)
July 21, 2005
Green Screen Shoot
In May, we did a fairly complex video shoot that involved green screen compositing. The process involves shooting your subject against an uncommon color (in this case green). The green is then knocked out of your image during the post production process, creating a matte. The image that is left (your subject) is composited onto a new background called a plate.
For our project, we had one day to shoot our talent in studio and place him into 6 different locations. Each location he would be in dictated a change in wardrobe and every shot had to be done 6 different ways for coverage; silent (or MOS), with an American accent, with a British accent, and all of these in a wide shot and a tight shot.
Fortunately we were using a real professional, Alan Ackles. Alan uses an ear prompter(an small audio device) instead of a teleprompter (a screen in front of the camera lens that allows an actor to read his lines while looking at the lens). He records his lines (in this case in both accents), and then cues it up right before the take. It was still a difficult task to switch between accents...
Alan Rehearsing
Alan's POV
The Final Result
Posted by Rich at 8:28 PM | Comments (0)
July 19, 2005
Deeto
I have fallen into a bad habit over the last three weeks. I have begun to call my youngest daughter "Deeto," as in "Deeto, deeto."
If that didn't make much sense let me put it this way, that's how Francesca started saying "twinkle," as in "Twinkle, twinkle." The rest of the song, had there been no melody, would have been unintelligible. Every time I would say, "Hey Deeto!" she would start to sing it.
Her pronunciation has gotten better since she really started belting it out, but with my aversion to video cameras away from work, I missed that version. It's more of a "dankle" than a "deeto" now, but the version I caught on tape has a true Francesca style ending.
Posted by Rich at 8:56 PM | Comments (1)
July 15, 2005
Master Bedroom
After over 3 years of sleeping in a room with unpainted, nail-hole-filled molding, and after 2 months of sleeping with all of the furniture pushed into the middle of the room, the bedroom is complete. With the new windows installed and the blinds put up to replace the sheets, we slacked off a bit (and had a busy May).
As June came to a close, Karen and I made a push to finish our bedroom. We took down and painted all of the closet doors. The baseboard molding was installed and all of the molding painted. We pulled the sashes out of each bank of windows to paint them over the course of two 100 degree days. It was hot work, but the sense of accomplishment was worth the sweat. We officially have more than 50% of the downstairs complete! Too bad we have an entire upstairs to finish when we’re done downstairs.
Our goal is to get the downstairs done before the holidays. But we have to get some painting done outside first. (It is sad when you think about the fact that we moved back into our house in fall 2001, and there are still a few things that need to be painted outside.)
Karen Primes
It's Hot Without Sashes
Make-shift Workshop
Karen Cleans
The Finished Product
Another View
Posted by Rich at 3:17 PM | Comments (7)
July 13, 2005
Mysterious Skin and Typing
I saw a good movie Friday that I cannot recommend. That's not quite right-- I can recommend it. Like I said, it is a very good film. It’s just that I only have one friend who would enjoy it, and he saw it with me.
I don't know if I have run into this problem before. Five or six years ago, Karen would have been a good candidate, but in the last few years (due in part to having children), she has sensitivities that would keep her from watching the film. (By the way, I have plenty of my own sensitivities, they are just less acute.)
Everyone else I know would hate it, get too uncomfortable and walk out, and/or end up unhappy that I had suggested that they go in the first place.
Have you ever seen a good movie that you felt this way about?
I am finally learning to type. At the age of 35, I am sick of being merely a somewhat fast two-finger typist-- which is still fairly slow. I took a typing class in eighth grade on an old IBM typewriter (a "Selectric" maybe?). You might have guessed that my teacher wasn't the best...
Now here I am, about a week into the switch and it is frustrating and at the same time exciting. I have been through all of the introductory lessons in a nifty little freeware program (isn't the internet handy?), and now I am forcing myself to practice on every thing I type. A brief email (did I say, "brief"?) takes 15 minutes. A blog entry takes an eternity. (Although going slowly makes me better at spelling...)
On the plus side, I am typing at a much faster rate this week (maybe half as fast as my two-finger state versus a third as fast.) I find I do much better when I stop over thinking it and just let my fingers instinctively go where they want to. I can't wait until I don't have to think about it at all.
And the weird thing is that unlike the times in the past when I didn't have it in me to stick with it long enough, I may not be thinking about it in 2-3 weeks!
Posted by Rich at 1:18 PM | Comments (2)
July 11, 2005
Willie's Picnic
In High School, the Doobie Brothers were my favorite band. (I'm not sure if that says more about me or the small Texas town that I grew up in.) Earlier this year, I helped out a friend with a little pro bono project for the band. When he found out that the Doobies were playing at Willie's Picnic, Glenn was able to get everyone tickets and backstage passes.
Walking from the car, the ladies were accosted by two drunk red-necks in the back of their pickup. Their calls of, "Hey! Hey!" were not enough to get our wives to leave us (sigh of relief).
We made our way through the massive crowd to the backstage area and complete with a shaded bar. Prior to the Doobie Brothers taking the stage, we had the ability to view parts of the show from the rear of the stage. As the day progressed, security started to clamp down. I got the chance to meet two of the founding members of the band, Pat Simmons and Tom Johnston, and a longtime member, John McFee. (see below)
When the Doobie Brothers took to the stage, we faced a dilemma, where were we going to watch the show? We couldn't get up on stage and didn't want to brave the masses. I decided to squeeze through some rigging to get into the press area in front of the stage. It seems that I wasn't the only one with that idea. It was soon crowded in our little pen and the concert goers who had been holding down spots in what had previously been the front were less than thrilled with our invasion.
The set from that vantage was exhilarating. The band sounded tight with perfect harmonies. They played all of their hits and finished the set with Listen to the Music with help from Willie Nelson. After the Doobies finished, our not-so-secret spot was closed down by the overly large Texas lawmen who were acting as security for the show. We tried to watch some of the rest of the performers from the crowd, but once you have been that close, it is hard to go back to the outlands.
On our way back to the car, only one of our drunken lady-killers was still in the back of his truck. "Uh-huh!" he called, still trying. I admire a man with such dedication...even in such a futility.
Pat Simmons, Glenn, and Rich
Rich, Tom Johnston, and Taco
Rich and John McFee
The Angry Crowd
The Doobie Brothers From in Front of Front Row
Taco and Rich
Willie Comes Out on Stage
Rich, Karen, Natalie, and Steve Backstage
Posted by Rich at 9:47 AM | Comments (0)
July 9, 2005
Lakewood Parade 2005
The morning of July 4th, we took a spot on the curb for a small little neighborhood parade. Last year, the sun beat down on us during the parade. The plan this year was to find a spot in the shade, but it didn't matter due to light rain.
As we got settled in, a police helicopter flew just overhead with an officer waving out the door. This was a welcome change from the once every month or so nighttime fly-by of our alley with a very bright searchlight.
The parade was loads of fun as usual. The kids collected more candy than they will be allowed to eat, and some of the floats were quite creative. There was a large UFO with aliens, men in black, and abductees. There was also a KISS float cranking concert recordings of the band, guys in full makeup and costume, chicks in another trailer also made up in full garb, and actual pyrotechnics.
One of the funniest moments was when a teenager sitting near us got into a water cannon fight with some 12ish boys on a float who had been randomly squirting people in the crowd. As the teen and the boys had emptied the guns, the teen grabbed a huge bucket of water that he had been using for refills and dumped it right onto the boys on the float. The crowd laughed and cheered.
The Gang
Francesca Waits (and Jumps)
The Start
Kiss Chix
Sophia's POV
Posted by Rich at 2:50 PM | Comments (0)
July 8, 2005
July 3rd Celebration
As part of an action-packed weekend, we spent Sunday afternoon cooking and cooling off. Grandpa and Grandma made their way to the elephant pool to have a relaxing drink. Steve and Natalie brought the kids over for dinner. I grilled corn on the cob topped with feta cheese. I also grilled zucchini in a "Romanesco" sauce made from roasted red peppers and ancho chiles. For the main entree, we had some rib eyes topped the slices with a honey mustard and thyme sauce. Karen made Jenn's salad, but with strawberries.
After dinner and cigars, Karen and Natalie made fried blueberry and blackberry pies. Oh, and the kids didn't get seriously injured playing with sparklers...
Grandma and Grandma Know How to Relax
Enjoying Some Churchhills
Karen and Natalie in the kitchen
Fried Pie and Ice Cream
Sparklers!
Posted by Rich at 9:39 AM | Comments (0)
July 7, 2005
Blueberry Hill
As the sun came up Sunday morning, we got the kids and the grandparents ready and headed out for Blueberry Hill Farms. In atypical fashion, we did not look up directions the night before, but waited until we were rushing out the door to grab them off of the farm's site.
I of course read the map incorrectly and took us out east on the wrong freeway. There is nothing like making an hour and a half navigational error just outside the city you live in. We had left early to beat the scorching heat that we were able to experience in full after this delay.
Once we got on the correct interstate, we found the place without much effort. It was hot, but there was a small breeze, not to mention, some great blueberries. Sophia was a good fruit picker, but she did manage to eat about 40% of her take. Francesca is responsible for all of the under ripe berries that made it into the bucket. Her favorite activity was swinging her bucket until blueberries started flying out.
After the girls had had enough, Karen and I retired to a shaded porch outside the country store for some blueberry lemonade-- delicious! Grandpa wouldn't quit picking until the big bucket was full. We ended up with just less than 6 pounds for about 8 bucks!
Francesca Scopes Out the Berries
The Berries
Sophia Eating and Picking
Hot and Tired (after only 30 minutes!)
Posted by Rich at 9:12 PM | Comments (0)
July 3, 2005
Concert in the Garden
As soon as Grandpa and Grandma flew into town, we rushed home and then fought traffic to the Botanical Gardens in Fort Worth. Karen and I had been to the store earlier to pick up every conceivable picnic supply you can imagine-- summer wine, crackers of every sort, bleu, cheddar, camembert and various other cheeses, salami, prosciutto, and even braunschweiger, grapes, apples, cherries, and juice boxes for the girls.
We were all excited about having a nice evening picnic in the gardens, but even more exciting for Karen and I was the chance to see a local and a favorite band-- The Polyphonic Spree. The Polyphonic Spree experience is one of incredible energy. I've seen them 3 times prior in smaller venues. The entire crowd enthusiastically jumps and dances. Singing along is encouraged and the upbeat songs are innocent and infectious. The average cynic looks at this group and smirks (not to say I'm not a cynic, but I can overcome it occasionally). Even so, I think most people can see the sincerity with which this 25 member, choir-robed group of musicians and singers approaches the performance.
The evening was cooler than normal due to an afternoon rain. We got settled much farther away than I imagined we would be. But it was comfortable and relaxed. We chowed through the picnic supplies like large, ravenous ants. The girls were treated with loads of powdered doughnuts that the Mrs. Baird’s rep was passing out.
The girls enjoyed the concert. Sophia's eyes lit up when they went into "Hail to the Sky" one of many songs she knows. Francesca and I danced lots. She is an amazingly loving and cuddly child at times, which is surprising considering her early days as a "surfer girl." (Karen and I gave her that nickname because she always wanted to be held but only on her terms. When you held her, she would put her arms to either side, to balance-- so that she wouldn't have to lean against you.) She had fun bouncing on my shoulders, or putting her forehead against mine and laughing.
At the end of their last song, the fireworks began. We all thought they would let them loose after the show, not during it. The effect was fantastic.
Grandpa Carries Francesca
Our Spot, Away from the Stage
The Picnic
Francesca and Grandma and Doughnut Remnants
A.B.B
Sophia and Her Magical Glow Ball
Posted by Rich at 3:22 PM | Comments (1)
July 1, 2005
Ol' South Pancake House
We took the girls to Ol’ South Pancake House for the first time. It had been years since Karen and I had been in this old TCU haunt. I remember spending many coffee drenched nights in this diner, cramming for a test or starting a paper due the next day. I was a horrible procrastinator when it came to school work. It wasn’t that I didn’t do the work; I just liked to wait until the last possible minute to actually get started.
Ol’ South was also a great place to nurse a hangover. Of course you wouldn’t end up there until around 11am…because that’s when you would have rolled out of bed. Sleeping-in that late is a concept so foreign to me now I can hardly believe the ease that I could do it in the past. As far as college staples go, Ol’ South and the Pub have been around long enough to span generations of Horned Frogs.
Little has changed at Ol’ South. The outside got a spiffy paint job, but the inside is still exactly the same; fake wood paneling, sprawling faux leather booths, and surly waitresses. There used to be a bowling alley right next door, but that part of the building was demolished years ago. I chuckled at the sight of their “International Specialties” section of the menu. I had my first German Pancake there, a tradition in my wife’s family. Though, I have never tried an “Israeli Roll-up.” Maybe next time…
Ol' South Pancake House
Sophia Just One Step Reemoved From Writing a College Paper
Francesca Likes the Waffles
The Sausage and Cheese Omelette
Posted by Rich at 10:17 AM | Comments (3)
