Novallo

Novallo

How do you move a shed that is sitting in the driveway?









Well, how about a winch?













Friend Steve is sitting down on the job, but he's like that ;)









Dark pics because the fellas decided to do this after dark











Thank the gods for country boys.

How do you move a shed that is sitting in the driveway?









Well, how about a winch?













Friend Steve is sitting down on the job, but he's like that ;)









Dark pics because the fellas decided to do this after dark











Thank the gods for country boys.

Who's peeking out from under a stairway...

If you click on these, you can get a closer look. This house around the corner lost a tree and it fell just within inches of the front porch. Why it didn't fall on the roof god and his ilk only know:

This tree is in front of a fraternity near Otterbein College. I think it looks like it is on an elbow trying to get up. The guys were standing around it later offering it as a jungle gym for money :):

This is at Otterbein Cemetery

This home is closeby and fortunately their deck caught it so the tree didn't crash into their roof. But too bad that they lost their pretty gardens, trees, deck and cover:

This is two streets over. I'd show you the tree that fell across our street, but our city workers actually removed it DURING the storm (Tireless and vigilant workers for days on end):

Right next to this street is our lovely nook called Hannah Mayne Park. To get there you used to cross a little walking bridge. The sycamore you can see on the right of the bridge lost it's top third:

Most people don't know how the midwest was affected by Ike, the hurricane that hit Galveston and Houston. We, ofcourse aren't suffering here, but the Columbus school system and many businesses have been shut down all week and over 100,000 people are still without power. I live in Westerville, which deservedly prides itself separate from Columbus; not even as a suburb, but it's own village. We have our own electric, water, etc... so our power was on within just hours and most people here within just a few days. Because our city workers are stellar. Yeah, a little hubris after a big storm, it happens. No one here was injured or killed, luckily; but there is still a lot of damage and we've lost a lot of trees.

(not editing any of this. I'm sick of dealing with blogger today)

Hi Douglas:

Who's peeking out from under a stairway...

If you click on these, you can get a closer look. This house around the corner lost a tree and it fell just within inches of the front porch. Why it didn't fall on the roof god and his ilk only know:

This tree is in front of a fraternity near Otterbein College. I think it looks like it is on an elbow trying to get up. The guys were standing around it later offering it as a jungle gym for money :):

This is at Otterbein Cemetery

This home is closeby and fortunately their deck caught it so the tree didn't crash into their roof. But too bad that they lost their pretty gardens, trees, deck and cover:

This is two streets over. I'd show you the tree that fell across our street, but our city workers actually removed it DURING the storm (Tireless and vigilant workers for days on end):

Right next to this street is our lovely nook called Hannah Mayne Park. To get there you used to cross a little walking bridge. The sycamore you can see on the right of the bridge lost it's top third:

Most people don't know how the midwest was affected by Ike, the hurricane that hit Galveston and Houston. We, ofcourse aren't suffering here, but the Columbus school system and many businesses have been shut down all week and over 100,000 people are still without power. I live in Westerville, which deservedly prides itself separate from Columbus; not even as a suburb, but it's own village. We have our own electric, water, etc... so our power was on within just hours and most people here within just a few days. Because our city workers are stellar. Yeah, a little hubris after a big storm, it happens. No one here was injured or killed, luckily; but there is still a lot of damage and we've lost a lot of trees.

(not editing any of this. I'm sick of dealing with blogger today)

Hi Douglas:

Reposted

Saturday, March 29, 2008

"People are going deaf because music is played louder and louder, but because they're going deaf, it has to be played louder still."
-Milan Kundera


It was kind of silly, very over the top with all the lights and advertisements, kiss cams and scantily dressed ice girls. I sat there thinking about it and not sure what was so strategic about this game of watching men on skates chase a puck around an icy oval, a game where there doesn't even seem to be any rules... And then, something strange happened. One of the players started fighting with another one from the opposing team. The crowd cheered and the referees stood in a circle around the two brawling fellows.... then, dramatically, the security people ran from the top of the steps down to the rink to hold back a potential outburst from an angry crowd (there wasn't any, the game had just started 5 minutes before, so they were still eating their pizza). Meanwhile, the two players beat the shit out of each other until one fell onto the other one, and finally, the refs interfered. No penalties, just roars of pleasure from the people in the stands. I was like, "What the hell was that?" My sister said to me, "Just part of the show."

The "show?" I really didn't get that. I thought that this was a hockey game? And yeah, I know I just wanted to be at home working on my kitchen project, so the eye I was looking through to observe all this was tainted with that... It does make a difference in perception of the present: being somewhere and wanting to be somewhere else.

But, I wondered when I was up in the VIP area, what is so great about being a VIP? The beer is still watered down and the nachos still come in a cellophane bag and are dumped onto a plate. Sure, they take a little extra time dripping the processed cheese onto them and they do serve them on a black plastic instead of paper, but come on: they are ground corn, water and salt pasted together at a factory, baked, wrapped, delivered in a truck, opened up by someone who makes minimum wage, and then dumped out to be covered with something that only slightly resembles cheese. They aren't really real or any different from being in the regular people section. Except that there are more of them. And you have a choice of chicken or beef. And you can get more salsa on the side. And zesty jalapenos. But, am I the only one who sees the things that aren't really real? Sometimes it seems like it.

Well, I tried to enjoy it, I'm a good faker ..and then, I did think to myself, Ok this is where I am, I am meant to be here to see this. (It's nice to pretend we have reasons for things we do, so that it makes them seem worthwhile).
I thought, I am with my sister and she loves taking me places like this and she is buying, sooo... it's not costing me any money... (except for the $4 hot fudge sundae with a scoop of watery "ice cream" and a teaspoon of hot fudge).
And I said to myself, Be Here Now. Eckhart Tolle says so. (So did Ram Dass. I think Ram Dass said it first. But Eckhart Tolle said it recently).

So anyhow, "Be here now." It's really good advice so as not to miss out on any life opportunities and lessons. Being present to your current reality is some pretty good counsel.

So, I took it all in and remained aware of it. I kept my focus on the "now," and as each moment weaved intself into the next, and eternity became the present, I was cognizant enough to realize the idea of "exactly where I am is where I need to be."

And I came up with this profound conclusion: that my kitchen could have been just a little closer to being done if I would have stayed home.

Reposted

Saturday, March 29, 2008

"People are going deaf because music is played louder and louder, but because they're going deaf, it has to be played louder still."
-Milan Kundera


It was kind of silly, very over the top with all the lights and advertisements, kiss cams and scantily dressed ice girls. I sat there thinking about it and not sure what was so strategic about this game of watching men on skates chase a puck around an icy oval, a game where there doesn't even seem to be any rules... And then, something strange happened. One of the players started fighting with another one from the opposing team. The crowd cheered and the referees stood in a circle around the two brawling fellows.... then, dramatically, the security people ran from the top of the steps down to the rink to hold back a potential outburst from an angry crowd (there wasn't any, the game had just started 5 minutes before, so they were still eating their pizza). Meanwhile, the two players beat the shit out of each other until one fell onto the other one, and finally, the refs interfered. No penalties, just roars of pleasure from the people in the stands. I was like, "What the hell was that?" My sister said to me, "Just part of the show."

The "show?" I really didn't get that. I thought that this was a hockey game? And yeah, I know I just wanted to be at home working on my kitchen project, so the eye I was looking through to observe all this was tainted with that... It does make a difference in perception of the present: being somewhere and wanting to be somewhere else.

But, I wondered when I was up in the VIP area, what is so great about being a VIP? The beer is still watered down and the nachos still come in a cellophane bag and are dumped onto a plate. Sure, they take a little extra time dripping the processed cheese onto them and they do serve them on a black plastic instead of paper, but come on: they are ground corn, water and salt pasted together at a factory, baked, wrapped, delivered in a truck, opened up by someone who makes minimum wage, and then dumped out to be covered with something that only slightly resembles cheese. They aren't really real or any different from being in the regular people section. Except that there are more of them. And you have a choice of chicken or beef. And you can get more salsa on the side. And zesty jalapenos. But, am I the only one who sees the things that aren't really real? Sometimes it seems like it.

Well, I tried to enjoy it, I'm a good faker ..and then, I did think to myself, Ok this is where I am, I am meant to be here to see this. (It's nice to pretend we have reasons for things we do, so that it makes them seem worthwhile).
I thought, I am with my sister and she loves taking me places like this and she is buying, sooo... it's not costing me any money... (except for the $4 hot fudge sundae with a scoop of watery "ice cream" and a teaspoon of hot fudge).
And I said to myself, Be Here Now. Eckhart Tolle says so. (So did Ram Dass. I think Ram Dass said it first. But Eckhart Tolle said it recently).

So anyhow, "Be here now." It's really good advice so as not to miss out on any life opportunities and lessons. Being present to your current reality is some pretty good counsel.

So, I took it all in and remained aware of it. I kept my focus on the "now," and as each moment weaved intself into the next, and eternity became the present, I was cognizant enough to realize the idea of "exactly where I am is where I need to be."

And I came up with this profound conclusion: that my kitchen could have been just a little closer to being done if I would have stayed home.

My candidate is more Maverick than your candidate...

I'm the most Maverick!!!!.

Grrrrrrrrr

John, yes, ofcourse you are. You are. You are seriously Maverick, but I'm sorry, not the most....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hey, I'm Maverick!

Yes Car, you are a Maverick, but not the Maverick, at least not anymore. They stopped making you.... sorry.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hey there missy, I AM Maverick.

Well, yes, maybe for a little while... until you turned into Jim Rockford. But O.k. you can be Maverick again, but I don't think you're the most Maverick... (nice holster, btw)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yeah, because that would be ME, Mav Maverick.

UM, well, I won't bring up Goose ... and you look good in a flight uniform, so o.k. yes Tom, very Maverick, but not quite Maverick enough...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yup, yup! Because I'm the NEW Maverick

Very mavericky manicure Sarah, yes. But bad job on the local librarian firing/almost-book-banning which would've been a big Maverick thumbs down. So, no, sorry, not the most Maverick....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What can I say?

Maverick.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Origin: 1865–70, Americanism; after Samuel A. Maverick (1803–70), Texas pioneer who left his calves unbranded] (who doesn't like trivia?? )

My candidate is more Maverick than your candidate...

I'm the most Maverick!!!!.

Grrrrrrrrr

John, yes, ofcourse you are. You are. You are seriously Maverick, but I'm sorry, not the most....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hey, I'm Maverick!

Yes Car, you are a Maverick, but not the Maverick, at least not anymore. They stopped making you.... sorry.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hey there missy, I AM Maverick.

Well, yes, maybe for a little while... until you turned into Jim Rockford. But O.k. you can be Maverick again, but I don't think you're the most Maverick... (nice holster, btw)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yeah, because that would be ME, Mav Maverick.

UM, well, I won't bring up Goose ... and you look good in a flight uniform, so o.k. yes Tom, very Maverick, but not quite Maverick enough...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yup, yup! Because I'm the NEW Maverick

Very mavericky manicure Sarah, yes. But bad job on the local librarian firing/almost-book-banning which would've been a big Maverick thumbs down. So, no, sorry, not the most Maverick....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What can I say?

Maverick.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Origin: 1865–70, Americanism; after Samuel A. Maverick (1803–70), Texas pioneer who left his calves unbranded] (who doesn't like trivia?? )

When I was in Seattle, a few weeks pregnant with Lea, so that has been over 12 years ago, I left a green rain jacket on a rail like that one in the photo.



I left it there because I was late. In a panic I considered going back and even if I missed my plane, I impulsively considered taking a later flight so I could find it. But, it was a red-eye and Nicholas was only 7, so I had to go. I begged my friend who I'd been visiting to please go and retrieve it for me. She said she would and I boarded the plane.


My heart was in my throat the entire way to Houston and then on to Ohio. I watched my little boy sleep and I read to him some of the time. When I arrived home I called her right away and asked her if she'd found it, my fingers hopefully crossed, and she said when she went back to the rail where I'd hung it, she said that she had tried, but it was gone.


A sucker punch to the soul. I went to my knees, devastated.


I didn't believe her. I didn't believe that she tried, I mean. For me, I would have searched for it until I found it. Because I've been so stubborn as a searcher for lost things and believing that there is always a way to find or fix anything. I can't help it that I would have needed to find it, not just given up because I was scared to ask someone, or too tired or lazy. I'm compelled to believe in this way. It's what I have, it's my way of faith. It's my short life's eternal.


In the days after in my imagination when I could bear to consider it, I believed that someone picked it up and took it into the building. It was in the lost and found in a box, in a drawer or behind a desk and it would have been there and waiting for me. I knew that when I got it back I would have put my hand inside the right pocket, and in deep relief I would've found the used tissue of living molecules and the wrapped Werther's candy that my mother had left there the weekend before she died, and a year later remained there for safe-keeping.

When I was in Seattle, a few weeks pregnant with Lea, so that has been over 12 years ago, I left a green rain jacket on a rail like that one in the photo.



I left it there because I was late. In a panic I considered going back and even if I missed my plane, I impulsively considered taking a later flight so I could find it. But, it was a red-eye and Nicholas was only 7, so I had to go. I begged my friend who I'd been visiting to please go and retrieve it for me. She said she would and I boarded the plane.


My heart was in my throat the entire way to Houston and then on to Ohio. I watched my little boy sleep and I read to him some of the time. When I arrived home I called her right away and asked her if she'd found it, my fingers hopefully crossed, and she said when she went back to the rail where I'd hung it, she said that she had tried, but it was gone.


A sucker punch to the soul. I went to my knees, devastated.


I didn't believe her. I didn't believe that she tried, I mean. For me, I would have searched for it until I found it. Because I've been so stubborn as a searcher for lost things and believing that there is always a way to find or fix anything. I can't help it that I would have needed to find it, not just given up because I was scared to ask someone, or too tired or lazy. I'm compelled to believe in this way. It's what I have, it's my way of faith. It's my short life's eternal.


In the days after in my imagination when I could bear to consider it, I believed that someone picked it up and took it into the building. It was in the lost and found in a box, in a drawer or behind a desk and it would have been there and waiting for me. I knew that when I got it back I would have put my hand inside the right pocket, and in deep relief I would've found the used tissue of living molecules and the wrapped Werther's candy that my mother had left there the weekend before she died, and a year later remained there for safe-keeping.