Blackbeard - The Toy

12 February 2008
Edward Teach, the demon of the seas; the captain of the Queen Anne's Revenge; the scourge of many a sailor; infamously known as Blackbeard; a toy.

This is the only "modern" toy I carry at East Wind Games and I carry it solely for historical value (actually, I also carry Leonardo da Vinci and Anne Bonny). Right.
Cheers.

~KR (Written on 14 February 2008)

Listening to:
I Want You by Rock Runt Riket
from Absolute Music 03

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD850 IS
Exposure: 0.125 sec (1/8)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 5.8 mm
ISO Speed: 200
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV
Flash: Flash did not fire

Tags: PIRATE, EAST+WIND+GAMES, TOY, DOLL, BLACKBEARD, PHOTOBLOG

Light Cluster

11 February 2008
My wife loves our little house. If you have ever visited, or ever do visit, it's obvious. But, it's obvious in the little things, like the decorations. Me, I don't have the skill or patience to do what she's done to make this house a home. But, I love just about every aspect of her work. This is a cluster of lights on top of a curio cabinet. They're shaped like grapes and provide beautiful ambience to the dining room:
.
Just in the background there, you can see my blurry wife emerging from the kitchen.

Cheers.

~KR (Written on 14 February 2008)

Listening to:
Joan of Arc by Leonard Cohen
from Songs Of Love And Hate

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD850 IS
Exposure: 0.077 sec (1/13)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 5.8 mm
ISO Speed: 200
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV
Flash: Flash did not fire

Tags: GRAPES, DECORATION, LIGHT, BLURRY, MACRO, BOKEH, LEONARD+COHEN, PHOTOBLOG

Valentine Retail

10 February 2008
Ahh, the glory of an Hallmark Holiday, wot? My life with my wife is darn near perfect and I don't need an artificially created holiday to prove that, or tell her that, or show her that. I'll bring her flowers, or chocolates or take her to out on a date any time I want to, not because some greeting card salesman or a chocolatier or a florist tells me I must. I despise artifical holidays, I really do. But, to appease the mini-challenge for this week, I took my camera into a CVS and took this photo:


Now you understand the above tirade a little better while at the same time getting a small glimpse of the tiny cogs that make my brain whirl. We'd gone to CVS to get some Ester-C at the insistence of our friend, Mary. I took several photos while there and while none of them are great, this is the best. I may or may not use it as my mini-challenge entry. We'll see what the rest of the week brings.
Cheers.

~KR (Written on 11 February 2008)

Listening to:
The Factory Song by Seven Nations
from The Factory

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD850 IS
Exposure: 0.1 sec (1/10)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 5.8 mm
ISO Speed: 200
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV
Flash: Flash did not fire

Tags: VALENTINE'S+DAY, HEART, CANDY, CVS, SEVEN+NATIONS, LOVE, PHOTOBLOG

The World Within

9 February 2008
One of my wife's accomplishments of which i am most proud is her skill at glass blowing. Thanks to the wonderful tutelage of Shannon Morgan at Faire Maiden Glass, my wife has developed quite a talent. I've showcased some of her pieces in this journal before. Here's another one. This is one of the very first pieces she ever made.
It currently is in the living room and lit from underneath creating a beautiful nightlight.
Cheers.

~KR (Written on 10 February 2008)

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD850 IS
Exposure: 0.017 sec (1/60)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 5.8 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV
Flash: Flash did not fire

Stack

2 February 2008
As you've likely gleaned at some point in this journalling, both my wife and I are readers. Some would say avid, I would say convenient...that is, I read whenever it's convenient. I read in the morning, I read in the evening, I even read while sitting at stoplights in traffic. What do we read? Everything. From newspapers to magazines to books. This is a stack of consumed magazines:
The magazine is, I believe, Design.
Cheers.

~KR (Written on 8 February 2008)

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD850 IS
Exposure: 0.125 sec (1/8)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 5.8 mm
ISO Speed: 200
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV
Flash: Flash did not fire

Valentine's Day Cross

7 February 2008
Stll sick. Sick enough in fact that I chose to not go to my soccer game tonight. I just don't think I could have played with sufficient stamina to make it worth the journey. I also have no real desire to spread this joy to my teammates (work colleagues...that's a different matter). At least Marita Beth is feeling better. She's been sick for the better part of a week and has passed it back over to me. I hope we don't continue this flip-flop routine, because frankly I'm tired of feeling poorly. Marita Beth did lot's of cleaning & decorating around the house yesterday. Including this:

This is a small table under a mirror on the wall in the living room. She's decorated the table with red candles and red string-lights, but she left the fabulous Celtic cross that we picked up at the Milwaukee Irish Festival some years back. The whole arrangement is very pretty.
Cheers.

~KR (Written on 8 February 2008)

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD850 IS
Exposure: 0.05 sec (1/20)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 5.8 mm
ISO Speed: 800
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV
Flash: Flash did not fire

Tags: VALENTINE'S+DAY, SOCCER, SICK, CELTIC+CROSS, CROSS, CELTIC, PHOTOBLOG

The Pincushion

6 February 2008
I seem to have gotten back whatever it is I gave Marita Beth. I'm hacking and coughing & wheezing up a storm. Not pleasant, not fun. It also interferes with the ability or desire to take photos. So, this is what we get today:

This is one of the many pin cushions you can find littered throughout our house. My wife being a seamstress, pin cushions are part of the trade. But, this one lives in the living room and is more decorational than functional. In fact, I'm not sure I've ever see the darling girl use it. It sits on top of an antique sewing machine, so may be an antique in itself. However, whatever, it's one of those many knick-knacky things in the house that make some people say, "Your house is so cool...it's like a museum." (ohh, and I edited it with Picnik - that's a cool tool)
Cheers.

~KR (Written on: 7 February 2008)

Listening to:
Finnegan by Kila
from Mind the Gap

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD850 IS
Exposure: 1 sec (1)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 5.8 mm
ISO Speed: 200
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Flash did not fire

Tags: PINCUSHION, SEWING, ANTIQUE, KILA, MIND+THE+GAP, PHOTOBLOG

7 the Hard Way

5 February 2008
It's that time of year again when my thoughts start to turn toward faire and the task of running my store at Scarborough Faire. East Wind Games has done well the past two years there, and I look forward to what this year might bring - along with all attendant challenges that are bound to surface. So, with East Wind Games on the mind, I took this photo of a pair of dice that I happened to have at the office with me:

Cheers.

~KR (Written on 7 February 2008)

Listening to:
This Town's Disaster by Blackpool Lights

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD850 IS
Exposure: 0.1 sec (1/10)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 5.8 mm
ISO Speed: 200
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV
Flash: Flash did not fire

Tags: EAST+WIND+GAMES, DICE, GAME, GAMES, BLACKPOOL+LIGHTS, PHOTOBLOG

CD Backup

4 February 2008
I was going to post this one into the Mini-Challenge: Mundane Tasks for what could be more mundane than putting in a CD for a daily/weekly/monthly backup?

But, I eventually chose the Apple bin shot instead. Not that this isn't freakin' mundane, but I like the other shot better. And, the whole thing is moot now anyway as the challenge ended yesterday.
Cheers.

~KR (Written on: 7 February 2008)

Listening to:
I'll Hold You In My Heart (Till I Can Hold You In My Arms) by Elvis Presley
from Elvis By The Presleys

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD850 IS
Exposure: 0.3 sec (3/10)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 5.8 mm
ISO Speed: 200
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV
Flash: Flash did not fire

Tags: CD, BACKUP, COMPACT+DISC, ELVIS+PRESLEY, PRESLEY, PHOTOBLOG

Greenman in the End

3 February 2008
The wife is sick, so the Super Bowl was watched from home. But, you know, that wasn't so bad. I got to spend all day with her which is so very rare. I did have to run out at one point to get my number from a squares pool in which I participated. My numbers were 9 for the Giants and 0 for the Patriots. If the Patriots had kicked a field goal rather than trying for a touchdown on 4th and 13, I'd be a $100 richer. Oh well. I took this photo while driving back from NFG (that's where the squares pool was).

It's a closeup of the end of a knife I own. The handle and end are bone and hand-carved with the end being a Greenman head. The blade is Damascus-like, but I'm not even of an expert to know for sure. I took it out of my backpack when I recently took a trip and it's lived in the car ever since.
Cheers.

~KR (Written on 5 February 2008)

Listening to:
Stairway to Heaven by Led Zepplin
from Led Zeppelin IV (aka ZOSO)

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD850 IS
Exposure: 0.04 sec (1/25)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 5.8 mm
ISO Speed: 200
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV
Flash: Flash did not fire

Tags: KNIFE, LED+ZEPPLIN, DAMASCUS, PHOTOBLOG

Mundane Defined

2 February 2008
After being out late the night before with Tullamore, I'll admit to being a little groggy when I dragged myself out of bed. But, I had to because footy practice was soon to start and with the season start being imminent, I'm badly in need of both fitness and touches. Even if I do hang up my boots, I'll likely continue to train with the team whenever I can just so I stay in some semblance of shape. I returned home from the session and almost immediately left again to head to the Rahr Brewery for the weekly gathering of friends. While there Terrill called; he was out and about and wanted company, so Marita Beth & went to the Baker Street Pub to play pool with Terrill. From there, it was time for the necessary, mundane task of grocery shopping.
Mini-Challenge: Mundane Tasks

This is my wife checking out the apples. Very mundane, very necessary.
Cheers.

~KR (Written on 4 January 2008)

Listening to:
Object of my Desire by Starpoint
from Billboard Top 100 of 1986

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD850 IS
Exposure: 0.013 sec (1/80)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 5.8 mm
ISO Speed: 80
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV
Flash: Flash did not fire, auto mode

Tags: APPLES, SHOPPING, POOL, PUBS, RAHR+BREWERY, BEER, SOCCER, FOOTBALL, PHOTOBLOG, MUNDANE+TASK

Tullamore at the Plaza Pub

1 February 2008
There are few thing I like more than music. And live music is especially dear to me. Live music as being performed by friends who live far away but are in town for a gig: that can't be beat. Marita Beth, Ronnie & I went to the Plaza Pub in Arlington to watch Tullamore play. We've known 2 of the band members for many, many years and have followed their career paths with joy. Thankfully, their paths and ours do, on occasion, cross.

This is Mary & Mark (the two we know). Mary is playing the dulicmer and lends her voice to the group on occasion. Mark plays guitar and sings every so often. The third, non-visible (in this photo) is Rachael. She plays the fiddle and joins in on the singing as well. If you ever get to see them, do so. It's worth the time.
Cheers.

~KR (Written on: 4 February 2008)

Listening to:
Have a Drink on Me by AC/DC
from Back in Black

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD850 IS
Exposure: 0.125 sec (1/8)
Aperture: f/3.5
Focal Length: 10 mm
ISO Speed: 800
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV
Flash: Flash did not fire

Tags: TULLAMORE, PLAZA+PUB, IRISH+MUSIC, LIVE+MUSIC, ARLINGTON, PHOTOBLOG

The Checkered Tablecloth

31 January 2008
After a lousy, crazy day at work, we decided we wanted pizza and quiet time. We tried to order pizza through our local Pizza Hut, but when we were told that our coupon was no longer valid and it would be an hour and a half for delivery we said, "no thank you" and went out to the new pizza joint just down the street. Johnny Brusco's Pizza opened up a few months back when Nizza Pizza left the center. This makes the 4th pizza place in that location in the last 10 years. When will they learn? While sitting there discussing the turns and turmoils of our lives and the lives of those around us, I multi-tasked into photo taking. I didn't take a whole lot of photos, but I do kind of like this one for some reason.

It's simply the traditional red & white checked table cloth on our table. I think every New York style pizza place has to have these tablecloths by law.
Cheers.

~KR (Written on 1 February 2008)

Listening to:
Breathe by Faith Hill
from Breathe

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD850 IS
Exposure: 0.167 sec (833334/5000003)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 5.8 mm
ISO Speed: 200
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Flash did not fire

Tags: PIZZA, ARLINGTON, TABLE+CLOTH, TEXAS, PHOTOBLOG

The Juggler

29 January 2008
Many years ago, I worked in the Comic Book industry. While in that job, I found a product line called "Pocket Dragons." They're a wonderful creation by Real Musgrave who happened to live in the DFW Metroplex. Real Musgrave had also done posters and sculptures for both Scarborough Faire and the larger Texas Renaissance Festival close to Houston. I find his work to be comically engaging and full of fantastic life. My wife and I both are fans of his work and own several pieces. These are two of them:
.
Cheers.

~KR (Written on 31 January 2008)

Listening to:
Arthur's Theme (The Best That You Can Do) by Christopher Cross
from The Very Best of Christopher Cross

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD850 IS
Exposure: 0.125 sec (1/8)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 5.8 mm
ISO Speed: 200
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Flash did not fire

Tags: POCKET+DRAGONS, FANTASY, DRAGONS, PHOTOBLOG

The World As I See It...

29 January 2008
...through the bottom of a glass.
What a day. Luckily I managed to sneak in a photo early in the day because the rest of the day got shot to hell. There are two caveats to that statement. First, my wife came home from Floriday yesterday after a nine-day visit with her family. Welcome home, sweetheart. Second, the day ended in fine fashion playing trivia with good friends at No Frills Grill in Arlington. We played a number of games, and with the exception of one game, one of the three of us won each game (my wife doesn't actually control her own trivia box, she just feeds us answers). That was fun. So, the photo:

This is a glass tumbler that my wife made with her very own hands. It's hand-blown in traditional manner and I couldn't be more proud to keep it on my desk. I also have a "blob" that was one of her very first pieces, but I can't drink out of that.
Cheers.

~KR (Written on 30 January 2008)

Listening to:
I Can See It by Blancmange
from Best of Blancmange

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD850 IS
Exposure: 0.125 sec (1/8)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 5.8 mm
ISO Speed: 200
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV
Flash: Flash did not fire

Tags: GIRL+GLASS, FAIRE+MAIDEN+GLASS, GLASS, HAND+BLOWN, BLUE, PHOTOBLOG