new old photos

I've scanned and uploaded photos I took for an Introduction to Photography class during my senior year of college. There's also an 8-part series of Nick's messy dorm room (so messy that mushrooms start growing), but I haven't gotten around to editing them yet.

College B&W Class

I've also updated the Spring Flowers page to include shots from a recent trip to Kingwood Gardens in Mansfield with Becki.

I have some really nice ones to add to the Autumn Scenes page from last October, but haven't made them web-ready just yet. With the weather lately, I haven't been in the mood to work on fall images.

And I swear I'll get that graphic design page updated one of these days (I've taken it down for the time being).

new toy

I've been saving up for this purchase for a LONG time. At last, I now have my own portable 88-key digital piano, with way more bells and whistles (literally and figuratively) than I could ever hope to understand how to use. It's a Yamaha S90 ES and has one of the best key actions I've ever felt and the most realistic piano voice I've ever heard in a digital.

I was going to wait until I moved out and was living in my own apartment before making this purchase, because I was originally planning on a Clavinova (the kind that looks more like a spinet), and there's no way I would have room for one here. But a guy I know from college sent me an mp3 he recorded with his S90 ES, and I thought it was a real piano until he told me it was digital. I was hooked.

It's made to be a "stage piano" and a synthesizer workstation, so it doesn't have internal speakers, because they assume you'll be using an amp or some other hookup. There are also no built-in legs, so it's portable -- it even fits in my Civic, with the back seat folded down. So I also bought an amp, music stand, piano stand, sustain pedal, a music light, and a bag with wheels for easier transport. This means I can stand it on end and can more easily find a place to stash it in the house. Or so I thought. This all happened rather quickly, so I haven't had time to clear out a corner even to do that. Still, it's more convenient than a Clavinova, especially since I'll be able to transport it in my own car, and if necessary, even carry it around by myself (although it's infinitely easier with two people).

Unfortunately, the S90 ES was sold out at Sweetwater, where I was ordering it, and the May stock order was already spoken for. The next shipment won't be in until June 19th, then I would probably get it on the 22nd or so. That would be cutting it pretty close to my brother's outdoor wedding on the 24th, where I'll need this thing in full working condition. I was kicking myself for not ordering it two months ago when I was first researching this machine.

But I called Guitar Center in North Olmsted, and they let me have the floor model without a box or manual. They're going to call me when a new, factory fresh one comes in, then I'll give them back this one. Sweet! So if you're shopping for keyboards at Guitar Center, ask for E.J. He's cool.

Not only is there no room in this house to store the keyboard, there isn't even a good place to set it up. Most of the electrical outlets are only 2-prong, so I found a spot near the TV that had two free 3-prongers, just so I could test it out. I'm not so good with audio technology, so I didn't quite get the equalizer set properly (the treble seemed "buzzy" to me sometimes), but it's still an incredible sound.

Yamaha sampled an actual Yamaha grand piano to create the voice of the S90 -- actually, they sampled it several times. Generally, an electric keyboard with touch-sensitive keys will simulate dynamics by increasing or decreasing the volume based on how hard you press the key. But the S90 actually uses a different voice sample when you're playing softly, and even reproduces the effect of string reverberation on sustained notes. Read about it here.

I wish I had the room (and electrical outlets) to leave it set up so I could play with it, but for now it'll just have to sit in the corner. So I guess that was a birthday present to myself. :)

Oh yeah, did I mention I had a birthday yesterday? Something possibly significant happened yesterday as well, but I'd rather not announce it here until I know for sure it's going to happen. Feel free to ask me about it off-blog though.

mad tea party

OK, just one more childhood 'toon: The Mad Tea Party from Disney's Alice in Wonderland.

Where's Luke/Scary Kermit Guy when I need 'im? "MUSTARD?! Let's not be silly!" "Mad watch! MAD WATCH!"

more cartoon flashbacks: The Critic

I know I was only one of two people who actually used to watch The Critic, so for those who didn't...

Well, first off, you should know that Orson Welles once attempted to record several British TV commercials, but eventually walked out of the recording session, citing the poor writing material and direction. The incident is usually called "Frozen Peas," after one of the products being advertised. Bootleg audio of this has been around for years, and it has been parodied numerous times. Animaniacs did a full reproduction of the incident, with Brain in place of Welles (video here).

Now then, on to my favorite series of Critic clips:

(And yes, the same actor, Maurice LaMarche, does the voice of Brain and Welles.)

The Living Will
Rosebud Frozen Peas
Blotto Bros. Wine
Mrs. Pell's Fishsticks

memory book

I found my "memory book" from my senior year of high school. I think it came with the Jostens graduation announcements package. Anyway, in 1998...

The coolest things this year
Clothes: t-shirts with an unbuttoned flannel shirt
Music Styles: alternative, whatever they call this new stuff (alternative music literally went off the air in Cleveland a year later)
Cars: Kia, the new Beetle

The price of life
Gallon of gas: $1.12
Candy bar: 60 cents (school vending machine)
Pair of jeans: $30 for Levi's (these are actually *cheaper* today, probably because they've moved their business to China since then)
Haircut: $8 at the place I went to (it's $10 now)

Our [group of friends'] favorite sayings are/we always laugh at:
(keep in mind these will make NO sense to anyone outside of our group; Tom, Hasko, have at it)
Mwa mwa mwa... (lizard)
Could it be a... MEAT HOOK?!?
Huzzah! {open Altoids tin}
McCloud!
Look out! It's the iceberg! (Titanic)
Is that the iceberg? {point to random object}
Is that the comet? (Deep Impact)
Is she the comet? (Tea Leoni in Deep Impact)
...Almost as much fun as getting a paper cut and rubbing lemon juice all over it...
Does anyone want this lesbian salad?
That's so budget.
That's so ghetto.
Unit elastic! Strawberries! Truck farmer! Bowed-out! (AP Economics class)
Inside joke with myself, just like the coffee maker, or the copy machine.
Let's break out the book of Arbor Day Carols and sing, Sing, SING!
Sometimes you get the elevator, and sometimes you get the shaft.

My favorite weekend thing is:
Watching movies with friends and making sarcastic comments and inside jokes about them MST3K-style

I hang out with:
Holly, Tom, Bond Steve Bond, Schitz, Erin, Psycho

Winter vacation:
Had a few Madrigals gigs, then Christmas, then played Civilization II for days on end

Prom
Theme: One Last Dance
My Date: Holly
We traveled to the prom by: Mom's teal Thunderbird (which was still in style at the time)
At our dinner table: Hasko and "Buffalo Girl" Alison, Steve and Sarah, Amanda and Dave, and the two JVS lesbians who never showed up (hence the leftover salads).
Afterwards, we: went to Holly's house with our table companions to watch Airplane!

Advice from my family and friends: Don't change... they all say that. I hate it when they say that.

Now here's the truly funny stuff:
Future Plans
My career will be: Syndicated freelance cartoonist.
Marriage outlook: Yes. To a woman.
Family plans: Yes. Two or three kids?
I'll drive a: Car. Maybe a minivan for the kids.
I will live in: A house, perhaps in Elyria.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to wipe the coffee off the screen after laughing so hard.


The last page is scrawled chock full of inside jokes and other such references to senior year, such as:

Ajijuy
MONORAIL! Mono-- doh!
Great flaming oogleykerkles!
Qxzbnm (new letter of the alphabet)
Jon = Sling Monkey, Sling Mono, Chim-chim, Chimothy, Boris Yeltschim, Monica Lewchimsky
"Larry!..."
Grelngjz (also a letter of the alphabet, but with two invisible, silent x's at the end)
"Trumpy! You can do stupid things!" "It could be a small potato... or a flying potato... I like potatoes..."
Bleng!
Nnergh!


And lastly, the haikus of Steve Bond:

Stupid cat climbs up
Up on the table she eats
She likes potatoes

Stupid me climbs up
I saw the cat do this once
I like potatoes

To write a haiku
All you need is the correct
Number of syllab--

I like Fruit Roll-Ups
Mm mm mm mm mm mm mm
Do you have any?


Ah, memories.

Thanksgiving in May

On a whim, I thought this would be a worthwhile post. Every now and then -- and it seems to be happening to me more of late -- I get hit with this feeling of gratefulness for the things I have in my life, or the things that make life worth the effort. When I'm feeling less-than-great, I try to remember these things and tell myself to have the patience to stick it out. Here's a brief list:

• Dogs - The most honest and true companions of the human race. Even if they don't really exhibit all the wide-eyed silly-voiced personalities we project onto them, they're great to have around.
  
• I beat cancer - This should be a pretty obvious one. I'm also glad I updated this blog as often as I did, because it's nice to read the archive and remember what I went through.
  
• Health insurance - I really got a sweet deal on the coverage for my cancer treatments. Since my employer's health insurance is a "group" plan, my premium is based on age, not physical health. Because there's a yearly out-of-pocket limit of $1500, after a few months, everything was free. Of course, switching to a new health plan could be tricky when the time comes.
  
• My parents - They let me live with them without hassle until I can properly afford to live on my own. They accompanied me to doctor appointments and chemo sessions. They paid for piano lessons. And even though my dad's propensity for gathering information to give his advice often annoys me (what I'd write off as "being nosy" but others would call "just being a dad"), when I'm truly open and actually give him the information with which to make a sound judgment, he does so.
  
• My friends - This is probably the one that hits me the most. I don't think I can properly put into words how much I love my friends. Maybe it's just because I had so few when I was younger, that it still feels like something new. When I think of all the stuff we've done together... weekends at the cottage... taco/wing night... New York City... Cedar Point... going to see each other's shows... Fox animation night at Stu & Laurie's... well, like I said, I can't really put it into words. But I feel very fortunate to have the friends I do. In a Kevin-Baconesque way, I have Sarah Gemmel to thank: she gave my name to Jeff Caja, who gave my name to Deb Wentz about playing piano for Forever Plaid way back in aught-2. I had a lot of fun doing that show, and if it weren't for that, I probably wouldn't have become the community theatre regular I am. The next show, at the same theater, was Cabaret, and that's when things really took off. After the show closed, we started our weekly "taco night" at The Rush, and the rest is pretty much history. You guys rock. (And that's not to slight my friends from college and before; I just never see you guys on a regular basis. :) Although I do talk to Justin daily over IM.)

So there. I just had to get that out.

childhood cartoon flashbacks

Sesame Street

That ball that rolls through the obstacle course thing

One two three FOUR FIVE, six seven eight NINE TEN, Eleven Twelve

Kermit, Cookie Monster, and the guessing game

The Martians!


Animaniacs

The German International Friendship Song

Yakko's World (with lyrics) (at one time in my life, I had these lyrics memorized, thanks to the sing-along video... I still know most of it)

Yakko's Universe

Good Idea Bad Idea: Alpine Skiing

Good Idea, Bad Idea: Being Served


Alvin and the Chipmunks theme


The Snorks theme


The Gummi Bears theme


Ducktales theme

OK, that's enough reminiscing for now.

Cedar Point opening day!

Stu and I attempted to get our season passes last week, not realizing the office was closed on Tuesday. However, we did eat dinner at our new favorite Sandusky joint, The Thirsty Pony, which has awesome teriyaki wings and barbecue sauce. Unfortunately, this meant we had to wait until today to get our new passes, and we waited in line nearly two hours to do so. That's fine; it was both our faults for not double-checking whether the season pass office was open on Tuesdays, and I'll concede that Stu being home with his new baby during a busy week (we'd originally planned to do this a few weeks ago) is more important than our two hours in line. We'll be more organized next year.

Unfortunately, in a span of seven days ahead and back, this was the coldest day, at a Lake-Erie-wind average of about 55 degrees. It wasn't too bad in the sun, but it was rather chilly in the shade. As it had been just over six months since I'd had a hot-dog-on-a-stick, I didn't much care. Using my new camera phone, I had my picture taken with the Snoopy statue in the Snoopy Boutique.

Raptor had a long line, and MaxAir had apparently lost its brakes, so we went for Wicked Twister first. I allowed myself to ride Power Tower again, and this time I actually enjoyed it. The newest ride, Skyhawk, was pretty cool. It's similar to MaxAir, in that it swings you back and forth several times, but with a few key differences: MaxAir turns the seating area, so you get a different view throughout the ride, and Skyhawk swings much faster and goes beyond a 180-degree arc. In truth, I don't think Cedar Point needs both of these rides, fun as they are. However, it's nice to have something over in the Frontier Town area of the park, which is normally pretty dull for those of us between the ages of 10 and 50.

Nearby are the remnants of White Water Landing, the old log flume ride, where Project "Maverick" is rumored to be taking place. The park is being very hush-hush about it, and some think a "family-oriented" (read: fairly tame, water-based) "coaster" is going in. Others are hoping for "dueling flyers": think Gemini, but suspended prostrate facing the ground. There are also rumors of a "four-dimensional" coaster, of which there is only one other in the world (Valencia, CA), with another under construction in Japan. It's like a normal coaster, but the seats can rotate in a controlled spin (so it's not just a vomit-inducing free-spin). I'd love to see either of the latter two. In 2007, it will have been four years since Cedar Point's last coaster, Top Thrill Dragster, and even that was a two-trick pony, so I'm hoping for something more substantial this time. They could also do everyone a favor and burn the Mean Streak ("the mean squeak"). What a waste of space that thing is.

We took the train over to Millennium Force, but it closed not long after we got in line. We did Wild Cat and Raptor before heading home. We both remarked that these were some of the smoothest rides we'd ever had on these coasters. If we hadn't been at the front of the park, we might have taken Magnum for a spin as well, just to see if the trend continued (we tend to avoid Magnum these days because it's so rough). It was also neat to go on opening day and see everything so clean and freshly painted.

As far as I'm concerned, summer has begun!

petrichor

The word of the day is petrichor. That's the "fresh" smell when it starts to rain. It's an oil released by plants during dry periods that soaks into the earth, and diffuses into the air when the rain hits the ground. Cool.

no more seeeats for Wickeeeed

According to Playhouse Square's website, every performance of the two-week Cleveland run of Wicked is sold out, except for a few single seats. I've already seen Wicked from the upper upper balcony in Toronto, so I was hoping to get a closer glimpse this time, but since 80% of the seats were already taken in presale (before they went on public sale Friday), I guess that won't happen. Even Friday morning, when I checked online, a "best available" single seat was putting me in row UU of the orchestra.

They've already added additional performances for other cities, so maybe they'll see the success of the Cleveland run and swing back this way. It looks like the earliest would be next summer. Hopefully all the Richie Riches will have Wicked out of their system and not gobble up all the tickets again so us poor slobs can see it without opera glasses (or at all). Or if my friends really want to see it again, we could make a trip to Chicago to see their permanent installation of it.

Plain Dealer article here