Building Grandpa's barn

Chicago Navy Pier

An oldie but a goodie!

Making butter at the Carlson house

Making butter: Simple (shockingly)

Take raw milk that has set (to let the cream rise). Skim the cream.

Shake.

Shake.

Shake.

And ... shake.

Then pour off leftover milk (buttermilk).

Fold a bit with fork.

Form a bit.

Salt.

Done.

(Eat).

Top of Blue Ridge range

Where am I?

Decadence.

Rainy summer evening.
My first beer in a long long time.
First nachos in an even longer time.

With "Tipping Point" and "In the Name of Love" (U2) in the background.

Big :)

Blais - Summer Day

After swim practice AND dive practice Blais is now getting ready for guitar AND piano practice :)

Happy little kid!!

Alls well that ends well.

Blue Wisp Jazz Club

Tajci and I went to the CPI (Cincinnati Playwrights Initiative) banquet at the Blue Wisp (very famous jazz club).

And I had an amazing idea: I want to open a bar in NYC (or similar place separated from hands on labor) and have men rebuilding engines, making pottery, cabinets etc with their HANDS while people in suits watch...

Tajci said it would be an art exhibition.

And so ... watching jazz makes me creative (in that it would be more interesting to me to watch a random guy rebuild an engine.)

Walter E. Cameron III

After six hours of Kings Island coasters and soaking wet - still smiling at 73 years!

My boys said "Grandpa ROCKS"!!

Kings Island

I grew up coming to Kings Island as a kid. I have many many good memories of coming and riding the rides with my Dad and brother!

I've been waiting for a few years to get season passes (till Blais was over 48" tall) and this year we made it. Fortunately - ALL three are rough and ready for ANY ride. (As is my 72 year old Dad who with my 12, 10 & 7 year old rode THE BEAST and many many MANY serious coasters this afternoon.

Note: benefit of living in Cincinnati - I worked till 1:30 and split early and spent from 2:30 - 9:30 at KI (which is plenty of time on a cloudy Monday with no lines - ideal day!)

Opening Mladifest with VATRA

I asked Marco to ask if we could move the fire to the other side of the stage (the wind was blowing the smoke across the stage).

A minute later I see Marco holding fire pit (with burning fire) walking holding it on high.

A few thoughts ran through my mind
- WOW he is strong
- he moves quickly
- I hope his hair doesn't catch fire
- OSHA would NOT approve

June 10 - 2013
Norval, Ontario, Canada

Beautiful!!!

Vegas sunrise
(It is raining a little right now oddly enough.)

Sigh ... Looked along the Hudson from Dobbs Ferry to Yonkers. Didn't go wonderfully ... ESP Yonkers. Going to meet realtor on Sound side tomorrow morning.

Left around 3pm to head to Christina's house (NJ - just across the Hudson) to talk about "Tajci & Tumblweed" and to look at housing options in Westchester County.
The first step...

Starting to sand LinMarie's floors

The drive - final stats

Tajci and I drove straight through from Redding CA to Cincinnati OH stopping only for gas and food (three food stops).

The boys (and Lauren) were troopers!!

The total drive was 2,380 miles and took from 9:30pm Saturday to 1pm Monday (both PST to make it simple).

Here is what the drive looked like:

9:30pm - 5am (Matt = 7.5)
5am - 10:15am (Tajci = 5.25)
10:15am - 11:30am Breakfast & gas
11:30am - 2:45pm (Matt = 3.25)
2:45pm - 5pm (Tajci = 2.25)
5pm - 5:45pm Dinner at Dairy Queen

Change the clocks:
(5:45 pst = 8:45 est)

8:45pm - 12am (Matt = 3.25)
12am - 3am (Tajci = 3)
3am - 4:45am (Matt = 1.75)
4:45am- 9:30am (Tajci = 5.25)
9:30am -12:30pm (Matt = 3)
12:30pm - 2pm Cracker Barrel
2pm - 4pm (Tajci = 2)

Total hours driven =
Tajci 17.25
Matt 18.75

Stages 5-8

It is very hard to drive at night. ESP if you just drove 1,300 miles and are ready to be "done". Both Tajci and I have tricks and tips (I eat ice and spicy sunflower seeds - cuts back on bathroom breaks and keeps me busy).

We both listen to audio books. Last night I finished C.S. Forrester's book "The Commodore (the Hornblower series)" and started the last book of the series "Lord Hornblower". I find it nearly impossible to feel sorry for myself while listening to stories of men enduring incredible hardship and deprivation!

However, having only this view (above) for hours and hours on end and sitting (unable to move the blood) requires quite a lot of mental concentration.

Stage 4 (1,000 down - 1,300 to go)

Tajci took over at 2:45pm and, of course, she gets a GIANT rainbow!

How very ...

:)

Maybe we can move to Wyoming!! That would be awesome (for me). Tajci rolls her eyes at me and ignores that comment.