Die Fledermaus

12 of 12: September 2011

2011-09-12T22:22:00.002-04:00

Here’s what “12 of 12” is all about:

On the 12th day of each month you take 12 photos showing how you spent your day, post them on your blog, and then link the post back to Chad.

6:45 am: I take little Amélie out for a walk. The sun is just coming up.

11:37 am: I have lunch with Dan at a table along the newly opened "Scioto Mile" - a tad warm outside, but not nearly as intolerable as it was a month prior.

11:57 am: Cute water features along the "Scioto Mile."

12:05 pm: View of the "Scioto Mile."

12:20pm: Water feature at the end of the Scioto mile. With kids in school, there were no takers!

12:27 pm: A look back at the Columbus Skyline, from the South.

12:35 pm: Outside the department of education building.

12:45 pm: Back at work:

9:12 pm: Jamie and I have dinner at Maggie Woo's in Polaris. Spectacular weather, ok company.

9:45 pm: Final puppy walk of the 12th of September, the moon shines bright:

Goodnight!

Sept 11, 2011 - My Story as an American Expat in Venezuela

2011-09-10T20:43:00.005-04:00

(Scanned front page of "The Daily Journal," Caracas, Sept. 12, 2001. Click to enlarge.)

In September, 2001, Mark and I had lived a little over a year as expatriates in Caracas, Venezuela. Unexpectedly, we had just gotten the marching orders to return to the 'States by the end of September. On September 11, Mark happened to be abroad, in Indiana with family; he had been sight seeing in DC on September 10--the had visited the area near the pentagon just 20 hours before the attacks of 9/11.

The following is my story…

SEPTEMBER 11

I felt overwhelmed the morning of Tuesday, September 11: I was balancing several things: offloading my old job, onboarding my new job and working the relocation back to the United States. I felt like I was under the gun to finish paperwork for the house we were to buy. I was having problems getting the fax machines to work. The relocation process was so painful and time consuming.

André, a fellow American, poked his head out of his cube and said, “Hey, Matt. Where’s Mark at? He still in DC?”

“No,” I said. “He returned to Indiana yesterday.”

“Well, that’s good,” he replied. “A plane just hit the Pentagon. And another has already hit the World Trade Center.”

What a jerk, I thought. What a sick joke!

I needed to focus. Walking to the fax, I noticed that the HR people who worked next to us were talking low, in groups. Something was weird with the situation. Perhaps it was that they were talking low. I overheard mumblings “un avión…. contra el World Trade Center… si,.. en Neuva York.”

No. It couldn’t be.

I dropped the paperwork on my desk and I walked into André’s cube. He was at his computer and he had a picture of one of the World Trade Center towers spewing forth smoke on CNN.com.

“Yeah, and another airplane hit the other tower and the pentagon!” André said.

I was in shock. I just couldn't believe it.

André told me that there was a television in a conference room on the 5th floor that had live coverage. I wanted to see for myself. We walked upstairs to a fuzzy TV and a mix of a dozen or so Americans and Venezuelans. The coverage was in Spanish but it didn’t take much to understand what was happening. By then, both towers were smoking heavily.

As we watched, the first tower fell to the ground.

“My God. It’s 9:00 am. There’s probably 10,000 people in the office by now,” I said. There was silence in the room.

At some point, André said something on the effect that this is an act of war. That we would declare war on the responsible. Little did he know how true these words would be.

It was gruesome and sad and I was overwhelmed with emotion. I had had enough, for the moment. I was kind of worried and wanted to get to a phone, as I was really worried about Nark and my family who lived in Tampa and Boston.

At some point, we walked back downstairs to our cubes. On the way back to my desk, I had heard a couple of rumors: There were a half dozen more planes in the air, California was the next target, etc. At my computer, I tried to pull up CNN.com. It was slow but brought up the picture. I was thirsty for information. I had to know what was happening.

A MIXTURE OF FEELINGS

Here I was in Latin America, a continent known for its poverty, crime and political disorder. Throughout my time in Venezuela, I was always conscious of this in the back of my mind. I had the strangest feeling right then. For a brief moment, I felt completely safe in the rolling tropical hills of Caracas. Despite the obvious crime of the city, I was hidden from terrorists…

At the same time, I felt so very disconnected. I picked up the office phone and tried to get through to Mark, at his mom’s house in Indiana. To my dismay, there were no available lines at work. My cell phone service didn’t have service, either.

I was beginning to get a bit panicky. I checked my email and attempted to do work. But, even with the paperwork deadline, I tried to work, but I just couldn’t focus. André and I walked back and forth between offices, sharing tidbits of information. Productivity was low. I had gotten email and other messages from coworkers as far away as Poland asking if I was ok and if my family was ok.

LACK OF FOCUS, NEED FOR INFORMATION

At 10am, I decided I needed to leave the office. André invited me to join he and his wife in their apartment which was nearby. I needed to leave. Without consent from my boss, I picked up my laptop, current paperwork, crammed them into my backpack and headed out.

On the way out, before reaching the “bridge” to the other building, I caught glance of my Venezuelan coworkers, in a group. Desiree was in the group smiling. She made some comment to the effect that “the US deserved it.”

I lost it. I had to get out of the office.

I stomped out and sped my tiny Chevy Corsa up the hill to La Lagunita, to Jen and André’s apartment. I knew one thing: I needed to be around Americans.

I tried to call Mark again on my cell phone and I was so happy I got through! I talked with him very briefly and was so happy to know that he and his family was safe in the small town in Connersville, Indiana. I didn’t know what I would have done if I had lost him.

Like most Americans, we were glued to the TV. Fortunately, in Caracas, the DirecTV signal was very reliable. We watched CNN and other US news channels and got the latest news.

At one point, there was a break in the normal pictures of death and desolation. A person from the “Taliban” had a news conference. They claimed to have no part in the plot. Who were the “Taliban?” And why would they be worried about being blamed? I remember the name “Osama Bin Laden” coming up before in the past. The name was being mentioned repeatedly.

Some time during the day, I realized that there were a lot of bad things associated with being in Venezuela during this “time.” Although it wasn’t to clear who had committed these crimes, it was obvious that the Middle East was to blame.

A series of bad thoughts and questions went through my head: Will I ever get home? Will my belongings ever arrive back?

I ate with Jen and André, and, as dark came, I decided to head back to my apartment. They had invited me to take the bed in the spare bedroom, but I wanted to get home, talk to Mark and get some sleep.

At home, I lit three candles: “for the victims,” “for the families,” and the “those who mourn.” I cried, alone, in the candle light.

The next weekend, André, Jenn and I visited the US embassy. Since we couldn't find too many flowers on that particular day, we picked flowers from my apartment complex and from my own planters. Beautiful hibiscus and other flowers. We made a bouquet and left it outside the embassy gates.

12 of 12: August 2011

2011-08-13T10:57:00.002-04:00

Here’s what 12 of 12 is all about:

On the 12th day of each month you take 12 photos showing how you spent your day, post them on your blog, and then link the post back to Chad.

6:03am: Puppy walk. Sunrise in Columbus:

6:07 am: walk back in the apartment complex. The hallways are so inviting:

6:08 am: Puppy needs a haircut:

6:55 am: After shower and ironing clothes, I enjoy a surprisingly cool walk into work across my favorite bridge:

7:17 am: View looking east, from near my cube.

7:18 am: "New cube:" much better than being surrogated to the basement (see pictures below.)

4:07 pm: Realizing I've not taken any self portraits in a while, I strike a pose.

6:02 pm: Jaime and I walking to a happy hour at Level.

6:13 pm: flowers near Short North.

9:00 pm: Post-happy hour walk home

9:07 pm: things are hopping at the alcohol shop!

9:17 pm: The walk home...

12 of 12: June 2011

2011-06-13T21:34:00.003-04:00

Here’s what “12 of 12” is all about:

On the 12th day of each month you take 12 photos showing how you spent your day, post them on your blog, and then link the post back to Chad.

10:35 am. I get back from grocery shopping. Yuck! My vehicle is so dirty from hauling stuff and camping! He really needs a wash!

12:06 pm: I take a dip in the pool!

12:07 pm: View from the pool!

2:39 pm: My favorite bridge in Columbus. Unimposing, I walk across it every day to work.

2:40 pm: Arena District!

3:04pm: Buildings downtown.

3:11 pm: Cats guarding the entrance to the Columbus Main Police Station.

3:15 pm: My favorite building in Columbus. The LeVeque Tower.

3:18: Columbus skyline:

7:48: After eating, I head to my (3.5 hour) CGMC rehearsal at the Ohio Theatre. The "La Cage" number in our upcoming show is going to be a lot of fun!

9:35 pm: Some fellow CGMC members do an impromptu performance of "Dream Girls" at Union.

10:35 pm: I walk home in the flawless spring evening. What a great day!

12 of 12: April 2011

2011-04-12T21:18:00.010-04:00

Here’s what “12 of 12” is all about:

On the 12th day of each month you take 12 photos showing how you spent your day, post them on your blog, and then link the post back to Chad.

7:03 am: I ponder "crazy hair."

7:10 am: Better, but not good hair. iPod strapped on, I open the door and walk to work.

7:29 am: At work. "Don't need no steenking natural sunlight." My cube is 3 stories safely buried under the streets of Columbus. My favorite part parts of the cube are: the fluorescent lighting, comfortable chairs and the bobble head of the hockey dude with the faux-hawk.

12:20 pm: I walk up the corridor and see the chair coral--not horses, but for CHAIRS.

12:21 pm: It looks artistique, but it's more "downstairs," "in the basement," "we used to have cockroaches here" in nature.

3:50 pm: After taking puppy out, I walk by Goodale park, in the rain. Cherry blossoms in bloom.

3:57 pm: Sneek peek inside a pretty courtyard off High Street.

4:20 pm: Slurped down a delicious margarita. Yum.

5:30 pm: I walk back. There is light!

5:47 pm: I bring back my dry cleaning, leftovers and Maker's Mark. I remind Chase that Paul is coming. Chase doesn't want to share the Maker's Mark.

6:17 pm: I take puppy out and take a crappy pic with my iPhone 4. I run inside and grab my DSLR and take a pic I've been trying to take for a few months:

6:27 pm: Puppy deserves a quick pic.

12 of 12: March 2011

2011-03-13T22:33:00.006-04:00

Here’s what “12 of 12” is all about:

On the 12th day of each month you take 12 photos showing how you spent your day, post them on your blog, and then link the post back to Chad.

After the Columbus Blue Jackets game on the 11th, I decide to go on a pub crawl to several bars, on foot.

1:23 am: I end up at a Brothers Bar and Gille, on Vine street. I'm feeling no pain at this point.

I sleep in--yeah. Hanging.

After eating a bit with a friend, I return home, grab Amélie and take puppy for a puppy walk.

2:11 pm: Looking toward downtown Columbus, Ohio.

2:14: Electric.

2:18 North Market.

3:15 Cute Sign at "Three Dog Bakery," Columbus.

3:16 pm: Puppy loves a walk!

2:23pm: My "Roots" order came in the mail. After washing it, I tried one on!

3:03 pm: I study for my Certificated Business Analyst Professional (CBAP) test which is on March 23.

7:28 pm After studying hard for several hours, I go to Gordon Biersch for some chicken wings and beer. (Not so much WW friendly, but that's ok.)

8:17 pm: A look at the Arena District.

12 of 12: February 2011

2011-02-13T11:24:00.002-05:00

Here’s what “12 of 12” is all about:

On the 12th day of each month you take 12 photos showing how you spent your day, post them on your blog, and then link the post back to Chad.

7:05 am: I fix my coffee. The cat is infatuated by the sink for some reason:

8:03 am: The dog is very excited about the "ride in the car." She loves her "piggy toy."

9:05 am: Driving along the snowy fields of Central, Ohio.

9:20am: Stopping at a rest stop.

12:05 pm: After a nice massage, I treat myself to a Stone IPA at Cock and Bull, my favorite pub in Northern Kentucky.

1:07 pm: I take puppy for a puppy walk!

2:30 pm: On my drive back from the mechanic, I stop by the side of the road to snap a picture of the Cincinnati skyline.

4:07 pm: After briefly working in the studio, I pack up some stuff. [Looking back at this picture, I now realize that the important box that I left in Cincinnati was not on the cart, but rather in the studio.]

7:07 pm: I arrive back in Columbus, after an uneventful drive back.

120f12: December 2010

2010-12-13T23:01:00.002-05:00

Here’s what “12 of 12” is all about:

On the 12th day of each month you take 12 photos showing how you spent your day, post them on your blog, and then link the post back to Chad.

10:05am. After a nice breakfast, I take picture of the snow, completely not realizing that today was the 12th of the month.

1:45pm: I walk across the bridge in the snow to get some Lasagne take out from Buca di Beppe.

3:27: Puppy has her pretty moments.

~I realize it's the 12 of the month!~ (I can't let Chad down!)

9:05pm. I walk up a steep bank in the snow and snap some pictures of the Columbus skyline.

9:13pm. I take some pictures of my apartment:

9:35pm. North Market!

9:42 pm. I've always liked this Greek Orthodox church:

9:49pm: I arrive at the bottom of Short North.

9:53. I need to remember this cleaner.

11:30pm. The guy next to me has a specific list of songs he would like to sing at Karaoke at Level 1.

11:35pm. I am so wrapped up to deal with this cold weather!

11:55pm: Walking him, in the winter wonderland!

12 of 12: November 2010

2010-11-12T20:28:00.003-05:00

Here’s what “12 of 12” is all about:

On the 12th day of each month you take 12 photos showing how you spent your day, post them on your blog, and then link the post back to Chad.

6:30 am: Having gone to sleep at 9:30 pm the previous night, I had EVERY intention of getting up at 5:00 am to go to the gym. Needless to say, I took the dog out, separated the pets then went back to bed for 1.5 hours. I think intention should count when losing weight.

7:50 am. Drive to work in the GTI.

8:05 am. I arrive at work and try to snap a picture. I hold up traffic on the ramp into the parking garage which surprises a coworker immensely.

4:50 pm. After work, I drive into downtown.

5:04 pm. One of my favorite buildings. The Times-Star building.

5:11 pm. Fountain Square!

5:13 pm. The queen of the square.

5:17 pm: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poem describing Cincinnati and the Ohio River.

5:20 pm: Encouraging the trickle down effect/promoting the local economy: Pale ale at Rock Bottom on fountain square.

5:50: Further afield at On Broadway (note the curtain in the background.)

6:03: Drink whatever you want on the way to my house. I don't care.

7:23 pm: Huevos Rancheros à la Mateo. Watching "Outsourced" on my iPad. Great show! Quote: "Can't we just be happy the demon king is dead?"

12 of 12: October 2010

2010-10-12T21:47:00.003-04:00

On the 12th day of each month you take 12 photos showing how you spent your day, post them on your blog, and then link the post back to Chad.

6:45 am: Early puppy walk on the West End of Cincinnati.

7:10 am. I take the time to take a self portrait. How vain.

10:24 am: Have a big day in training learning about Agile development.

11:43 am: I enjoy a some pizza, alone, at Chi-nnati's, still reviewing the same Agile presentation.

5:10 pm: Drive home. Light traffic

6:10 pm: Puppy and I are at Burnet park in Clifton, near the University of Cincinnati.

6:17 pm: University of Cincinnati. (I put my wallet in my front pocket. I didn't have to put my wallet in my front pocket at my alma mater, Xavier.)

6:24 pm: Walk through the park with puppy!

6:32 pm: Playground. The trees are beginning to turn color here in Southwestern, Ohio.

6:43: picnic tables

6:45: Fountain on Ludlow St.

7:15 pm: The Equire Theatre

12 of 12: August 2010

2010-08-13T22:08:00.003-04:00

On the 12th day of each month you take 12 photos showing how you spent your day, post them on your blog, and then link the post back to Chad.

8:05 am: Drive into work. I'm so excited to drive into work.

5:30 pm. At home. Cats are happy to see me!

5:35 pm. The grass is so dry from the hot weather in Cincinnati. There have been over 25 days of heat emergencies thus far in 2010.

5:37 pm. Amélie likes when I talk about treats.

7:01 pm. I'm late but I love the clouds and the cityscape!

7:03 pm. I'm late!

7:06 pm. I'm late!

7:07 pm. I'm late!

10:30 pm. Daniel and I at Hamburger Mary's

10:45 pm. Window at a downtown deli.

10:50 pm. Drive home.

12:15 am. Puppy likes humping her IKEA toy.

12 of 12: April 2010

2010-04-13T10:01:00.006-04:00

On the 12th day of each month you take 12 photos showing how you spent your day, post them on your blog, and then link the post back to Chad.

11:30 am. On the way to run errands I realize, "oops. It's the 12th of the month!" I go about my business, exchanging a defective printer at Staples, etc. By the end of my shopping spree, my GTI would hold: matboard, frames, tape, mailers, postits, Swiffer Wet sheets, potting soil, a pot, rug cleaner, lock nuts, screws–and more! All in the hatchback!

1:17pm. I'm at Home Depot, waiting for 10+ minutes for the idiot cashiers to try to figure out how to ring up four 3/4" screws which cost 10 cents each. I contemplate why I didn't just pocket the 4 screws.

1:36 pm. I contemplate the need for a makeover in my home. Hobby Lobby has some amazing possibilities.

2:31 pm. Amélie and I arrive at Mt. Echo park, overlooking Cincinnati. We enjoy a nice picnic under a tree until a van comes up, spewing rap. An African American man hops out, leaving the car windows open, to ensure noise polution. Out of nowhere, a very promiscuous tattooed woman appears and they walk around the park; he's likely a "John."

2:40 pm. I put on my headphones, as I dislike rap. Soon, a pickup truck arrives with two middle aged people with limited teeth. They stare at me. I ignore them. At one point the robust woman yells something. I glare over to them with my eyes saying, "Could you find another part of the park?" A bit jarred, I walk around taking pictures.

3:05 pm. I drive back home.

3:40. I take Amélie on a "bonus" walk to Union Station terminal, which is pretty with the blooming cherry blossoms.

6:30 pm. I check out the new iPad at the Kenwood Mall. It's cool! And YES, I'm a geek. I know this.

7:03 pm. I decide to make a quick stop at Trader Joe's. I ponder the purchase of flowers, but decide against it. They always seem to die on me.

9:45 pm. After dinner, Chris, Jonathan, Javier and I walk around downtown.

10:15 pm. We end at the Below Zero Lounge.

11:17 pm. I snag a quick picture of the city on the way home.

Spring Walk: Cincinnati Details

2010-03-29T16:12:00.001-04:00

I went on a nice walk with Dann on a little "photo hunt"–to investigate and document some of the interesting details of downtown Cincinnati's architecture, etc. Enjoy!

12 of 12: March 2010

2010-03-14T00:18:00.006-05:00

Here’s what 12 of 12 is all about:

On the 12th day of each month you take 12 photos showing how you spent your day, post them on your blog, and then link the post back to Chad.

8:05 am: Puppy waits patiently as I do my morning correspondence, and order my iPad. The iPad should arrive in about 45 days. Yay! (It occurs to me later that perhaps I should clean my desk.)

11:50 am: I'm home from the gym and from Subway. I obliterate a 12" sub. I am sooo hungry.

12:10 pm: Yay! My new shipment of photographs came just as I was taking puppy out to pee. I'm excited about the new prints to show at "Final Fridays" at Cincinnati's Pendleton Art Center at the end of the month. (Pics shown are taken in Tokyo, Montréal, Potsdam and New York.)

2:34 pm: I submit the GTI to Mr. Clean Car wash. It definitely needed to be washed after the fun weekend with the puppy in Tennessee. The interior was totally trashed after her last minute romp in the dirt before we left. Anywho.. Back to Mr. Clean Car wash...

2:47 pm: I arrive at Willie's Sports Café. This is a good way to spend an hour whilst waiting for the GTI. An hour later, I get a phone call. Thanks, honey. Car is ready.

3:32 pm: I'm back at the GTI. The interior looks great!

3:33 pm: It may not to occur to most people that I'm into origami. I have my own origami on the dashboard at all times:

4:30 pm: Dammit! I'm late for my massage! After a quick stint at IKEA to pick up photo frames and pots, I check out, and run the items back to the clean vehicle.

4:45 pm: On the road again! The weather gets a LOT worse until I meet up with rain and hail.

I eventually have a nice massage, by Shannon. He worked me into a puddle of flesh and I reluctantly head back home, into the rain.

6:51 pm: I arrive home. I want a nap and quite time, but I change into green and rush off to meet Glenn and Chris for dinner and Hamburger Mary's. (I have the meatloaf. Yummy.)

6:53 pm: Oops. Before I leave, I introduce Amélie to her new IKEA toy. She loves it! She is a sucker for IKEA toys.

10:21 pm: We are at a St. Patrick's Day Festival at a Church Hall in Price Hill. I'm wicked tired, but I drink "Green Beer" (Miller Lite) anyway.

12 of 12: February 2010

2010-02-12T23:59:00.002-05:00

Here’s what 12 of 12 is all about:

On the 12th day of each month you take 12 photos showing how you spent your day, post them on your blog, and then link the post back to Chad.

12:30am: I’m ready for bed. But take puppy out for one last potty break, outside.

8:10 am. Showered, I pull on some clothes.

9:29 am: Second potty break, I like the look of the sunrise on the park and bring out my good camera.

3:10 pm: I observe a new pattern: Amélie likes "her" cats and likes sleeping beside them.

3:52pm: I take puppy out for a walk. It's above freezing! And she is happy, since she's not had a proper walk in 3+ days due to the high snow. She leads ME, wants to walk for miles.

3:52pm: Looking back at the city.

4:28pm: Chase loves the front bathroom:

4:26pm: While attempting to take pictures of the kitchen, in macro, Mr. Patterson wants to be photographed.

4:47pm: I'm at the Apple Store, at the Kenwood Mall. I've just bought a new cord for my Aluminum MacBook.

4:48pm: I liked the back side of the cardboard figures in the Apple Store window.

5:45pm: I leave the maul. Yes. The nearby structure is still under construction (they ran out of money.)

11:32pm: I'm loving the opening ceremonies, despite only 3 of the 4 cauldrons going up.

January Midnight Walk

2010-01-18T20:16:00.002-05:00

Steve and I spent a quiet Sunday afternoon watching movies. After dropping him off, I noticed how quiet the city was and that there was an unusual fog cast over the city. What a perfect opportunity to shoot some nighttime pictures!

It was about midnight and I grabbed my camera at home then headed out, capturing a quiet evening in the Queen City.

Court Street:

Fountain Square:

Near Chipotle, just off Fountain Square:

Vine Street:

Backstage area:

Vine Street, further North.

Looking back at the center of downtown:

Garfield Plaza:

Court Street:

The Gateway Quarter:

January 2010: 12 of 12

2010-01-12T21:33:00.007-05:00

Here’s what 12 of 12 is all about:

On the 12th day of each month you take 12 photos showing how you spent your day, post them on your blog, and then link the post back to Chad.

9:40 am. I make a nice Weight Watchers (TM) breakfast consisting of egg beaters, canadian bacon and microwaved veggies. Oh, with a double cappuccino with raspberry flavoring and skim milk. How many points, you may ask? 6 POINTS (R)

10:30 am. First walk of the day for puppy. We walk counter clockwise, so I can take pictures. It's amazing that any of my pictures are in focus, as she constantly tugs on the leash.

10:41 am. We walk by the stadium near the house. Not much for the puppy to smell, so we walk on.

12:13 pm. After lunch, I go for a walk without puppy to retake some of the shots I had taken earlier in the week, including this church in Over-the-Rhine.

12:24 pm. Looking back at downtown Cincinnati, in Washington Park.

12:30 pm. Over-the-Rhine, Liberty Street...

12:35 pm. I then drive to Union Station Terminal. What an amazing building. (BTW--This picture will be displayed at "Final Fridays" at the Pendleton Art Center, Studio 414 on January 29, 2010.)

3:07 pm. After doing some work, I look down and puppy is taking a nap with "new puppy" after repeatedly biting it. (IKEA toys ROCK!)

3:28 pm. I go through my pictures to decide what to order for "Final Fridays."

5:21 pm. I talk Amélie for walk #2 of the day. Although I look sour, I'm not at all.

5:36 pm. It's nearing sunset in Cincinnati. Everything has a purplish hue!

5:40 pm. Sunset. I go inside and debate what I can cook for the 18 Points (R) that I have remaining to eat.

12 of 12: December 2009

2009-12-13T13:54:00.003-05:00

Here’s what 12 of 12 is all about:

On the 12th day of each month you take 12 photos showing how you spent your day, post them on your blog, and then link the post back to Chad.

11:01 am, after sleeping in, I take puppy for a walk. She loves the snow and ice:

12:35 pm. For lunch, I head to fountain square. It's extremely festive:

2:05 pm. I take puppy for a second walk of the day. We visit the nearby Betts-Longworth historical district.

2:15 pm. We walk North toward Central Parkway.

7:35pm. Chris, Steve and I arrive at "Ugly Sweater Party" #1, hosted by the lovely Teca.

8:05 pm. I take a picture of Steve's "Christmas Spawn" or "Christmas Sporran" depending on how you want to pronounce it or interpret it:

8:30 pm. After sampling "home brew" absinth, we play "Tip Cup," a drinking game involving two teams tipping cups, relay style.

9:30 pm. We arrive at "Ugly Sweater Party #2," hosted by the lovely Shelli. Katy doesn't show up to the party and that makes people sad.

11:30 pm. We arrive at "Adonis" nightclub in time for a show:

1:30 am (technically the December 13th... shhh) I say hello to Penny Tration before Chris whisks Steve and I home to our respective beds:

Oh Christmas Tree!

2009-12-11T14:39:00.001-05:00

I put the Christmas tree in the kitchen this year, so it gets maximum visibility from the street!

Merry Christmas!

November 12 of 12

2009-11-13T00:55:00.002-05:00

Here’s what 12 of 12 is all about:

On the 12th day of each month you take 12 photos showing how you spent your day, post them on your blog, and then link the post back to Chad.

9:01 am, after taking little Amélie for walk number 1, cleaning out the cat box, taking out the trash and fixing breakfast, I was ready to clean my desk and search for jobs. I spend the next couple of hours at my desk:

12:20 pm. I took puppy for walk #2 in Laurel Park.

1:05 pm. I arrive at Rock Bottom Brewery on Cincinnati's fountain square. I have a couple of pale ale beers, write in my (quite private, anti-blog) journal and make lists for the next week. I brainstorm ideas for my future and also for future world domination.

4:20 pm. I tell an rather plain looking elderly couple that I'm from Louisville. I ask for a picture and puppy and I, acting as Kentuckians get our picture taken in front of the Cincinnati skyline.

4:23 pm. I shoot pictures of the Cincinnati skyline.

4:25 pm. Puppy is sniffing around Devou Park. Puppy loves being off her leash and runs madly, loving the fresh November air.

4:38 pm. I take more pictures of the Cincinnati skyline; puppy is patient.

5:03 pm. Puppy waits in the car as I take yet more pictures of Cincinnati.

5:12 pm. Puppy and I walk farther, on the Ohio side of the river. I take yet ANOTHER picture of the Cincinnati skyline through the chain link fence.

6:30 pm. Out of the blue, Steve calls me up and invites me to drinks at Hamburger Mary's. I meet him for some beverages. I decide to forgo my evening of productivity and instead have drinks and delicious Indian food with him.

10:27 pm. Steve and I hit "Whole Foods" then drive back to his place. We drink some white wine and then red, then try some cheesese. We listen to some crazy Euro-musik. Steve pulls out his binder and we then watch reruns of "Eurovision Song Contest" 2009. Most notable are Bulgaria (puke,) Finland (puke-wannabes) and Norway (folksy, cute and fun with their cute dancers.

We chat and drink more wine. And more Eurovision Song Contest:

11:59 pm. I arrive at home just shy of midnight and offer the cats and puppy a helping of tuna before bed.

12 of 12 - October 2009

2009-10-13T12:50:00.002-04:00

Here’s what 12 of 12 is all about:

On the 12th day of each month you take 12 photos showing how you spent your day, post them on your blog, and then link the post back to Chad.

9:15am. Knowing that I am going to be in the car for a lot of the day, I get a good workout at Urban Active (gym.)

10:46 am. Then take little Amélie for a walk around the neighborhood:

11:43 am. For lunch, I have left over "firecracker" turkey chili:

1:23 pm. I pack the overnight bag for the road trip for little Amélie and me:

4:35 pm. We are well on our way to Bedford, Indiana:

4:36 pm. Amélie doesn't mind being copilot, but prefers copiloting from my lap.

5:03 pm. In Indiana, we see corn:

5:04 pm. We see more corn:

Bedford, Indiana:

Bedford, Indiana:

Bedford, Indiana:

Review: Sony DSC-H10 and a Cincinnati Field Trip

2009-03-28T11:27:00.005-04:00

As much as I love my Canon Rebel, I decided that just one camera will not be enough for the upcoming trip. I need something small that will allow me to shoot fast. The HP camera I bought last year is small but it SUCKS! No wonder why it was on sale for less than 50% off on Amazon.com!

So, I did some preliminary comparisons online. I really love the idea of the Nikon P6000. It has a great lens, shoots in RAW format and even has a GPS "stamp" on all pictures. Cool, in theory: However, the price point is a bit ridiculous: $400ish. The reviews called it a "first generation" camera that was "flawed." Plus, it was not possible to buy locally, which did not fit my needs.

I did some research online. I've just not been very excited about the point and shoot models out there. Most concentrate on megapixels and features at the expense of the ability to take normal, good pictures.

I had a coupon for a Nikon CoolPix and decided to look at the models at the store in Mason. I just wasn't impressed with the "S610" model. It had some really hokey features, such as Wi-Fi connectivity. Sorry.

But the Sony DSC-H10 caught my eye. It's a bit bigger than the other models but featured a Carl Zeiss Lens, high speed settings and a decent zoom lens. It was $179 for my $150 budget. I pulled out my iPhone and looked at the reviews on Amazon.com. Very positive. No, it's not a DSLR, but it met the needs pretty well.

Overall, I've been pleased with the camera. Here's the review on Steve's Digicams

So, I took the camera for a walk in downtown Cincinnati, mimicking SIMILAR CONDITIONS for the upcoming trip.

Overall, I'm pleased: (Note: These were retouched in Adobe Lightroom!)

But, like most SLRs, there is a certain amount of blurriness and chromatic aberration which is noticeable as you blow up the shot:

I will definitely need my DSLR for the "good" shots.

12 of 12 - March 2009

2009-03-13T21:28:00.000-04:00

Here’s what 12 of 12 is all about:

On the 12th day of each month you take 12 photos showing how you spent your day, post them on your blog, and then link the post back to Chad.

11:30 am. Jason prepares an espresso and reminds me it's the 12th. Oh crap! I forgot to take pictures earlier in the morning.

11:45 am. I eat upstairs at my work desk. Soup and Wesa crackers.

12:05 pm. I iron for work.

12:06 pm. The cats seem interested in me ironing. They like Jason's messy desk.

12:10 pm. I'm late for work. But not too late for Jason to snap a quick picture.

12:25 pm. I stop and get gas before work.

12:45 pm. We work on needs & requirements for the upcoming enhancement release. All three of us are tired.

4:45 pm. I drive home on Spring Grove Avenue.

7:30 pm. We pick up Steve and go to Cactus Pear restaurant. Steve is pretty excited about the Women's medical centre.

7:50 pm. I get my burrito. Yummers.

8:30 pm. Steve, demonstrating the layout of London using the plates on the table. Can't wait to go.

10:15 pm. Steve and Jason standing outside the "Serpent."

Weekly Roundup

2009-03-08T21:39:00.002-04:00

SPRING – Around the corner? It's been in the 70s here in Cincinnati! While we are far from declaring it "spring" in the city, this short thaw has been wonderful.

BRETT CAJUN'S LIST (ON/OFF IT?) – Brett is threatening to remove people from his blog roll who are "lazy." I thought "Jeez!"—it could be me! It's not that I don't want to blog. I love doing it, but at this particular time, I have bigger fish to fry. I've also been a bit introspective, writing in my own personal journal.

PMP CLASS – I'm so happy that my Project Management Professional Certification review class is over! Woo hoo! I'm so excited to have my Saturdays back again! I still have to study for and ultimately take the certification exam, but for the meanwhile, it's nice to have a 5 day work week again.

TRAVEL – I'm excited about two upcoming international trips, one in the next month, the other later in the year, to Asia—where I have never been. I definitely need a break!

NEW TOY - I love espresso...

WEEKLY ROUNDUP

2009-02-14T19:00:00.001-05:00

MAC @ WORK – I’m excited and amazed that I can use my spiffy unibody Macbook with work! Entourage works great. For good or for bad, I’ve got full access to work stuff. I’ve already used it to extend my work day. Wait.. is that good or bad?

NO TIME – Last week, I worked 3 nights for several hours after the normal work day. This week, I’ve had two nights like that. And I’m also studying for my PMP certification at night. This means I have almost no time for things like going to the gym and doing hobby type stuff. My schedule has been so hectic, I didn’t even have time to get my hair cut. (Fortunately, I was able to get a trimming on the rat’s nest.)

PMP COURSE – I’m surviving the all day Satuday courses to prepare for my project management institute exame for the PMI (“Project Management Institute.”) Thankfully, I’ve found some not-so-smelly people to sit next to. I’m fortunate that I have this coming Saturday off. I can get caught up on things, which is good because I’ve felt borderline “burned out” recently.

WW – Yah, yah. I’ve been back on the bandwagon for a few weeks. I’ve lost 5 lbs, but have flatlined a bit. It’s frustrating as I want to be healthy and look good for the pool

OBAMA’S FIRST THREE WEEKS – I’ve been pretty content with the new president. Sure, he’s had a bit of egg on his face, but I see him as a humble person who wants to do well. He has a certain amount of credibility and wants to be bi-partisan. I do like his oratory and push for hope. I’m cautiously optimistic!

Weekly Roundup

2009-01-18T22:10:00.003-05:00

NEW PRIORITIES – The big news in 2009 is that I’m revisiting my priorities. In order to pull through the next 6 months, I’m going to need to be very focused. The top priorities are:

(Not in any particular order:)

- My relationship with Jason
- Job – The Big Project
- Career Development – building my résumé
- Diet/Nutrition/Health/Gym

LESSER PRIORITIES – What this means is that I’m de-prioritizing several things, such as things having to do with the arts. Although I am going to continue on with this blog, I would not expect more than 1-2 posts per week.

CAR WASH – Gosh. The GTI really needed it! I like Mr. Clean Car Wash.
I honestly forgot that the vehicle is black, not grey.

PUTAIN, ÇA CAILLE – It’s been outrageously cold here in the ‘Nati! I took these screenshots on my iPhone on Friday:

FACEBOOK MILESTONE – I’ve really come to enjoy Facebook. I just hit my 200 friend threshold. What’s interesting is that 90% of the people are people that I know or have known in my past. It’s fun in that I’ve become reacquainted with a lot of people from my high school and college years.

SPOILED CATS – The cats got two new things this weekend. Firstly, their automatic cat box motor died over the weekend (after close to 600 days.) I spent upwards of 3 hours executing the following tasks: buying box #1, cleaning the area, setting up the box #1, testing box #1, determining box #1 to be defective, packing up box #1, driving to Target to exchange for a new box, driving home, setting up box #2, cleaning the area a second time, etc. The new box is a bit smaller, but they’ve taken to it.

Secondly, whilst visiting IKEA, Jason and I bought a really cute cat bed for the cats. They love it!

… Spoiled…

PROJECT MANAGEMENT – I began my PMI Preparation course yesterday morning! I think it will be a really good review program. And I have a good feeling that this review course will be just what I need to get ready for the exam in mid-March!

INAUGURATION – I’m so excited about the inauguration. Like no other time in my life, we need new leadership in the white house. Obama is just the person we need. Although he has a ridiculously rough challenge in front of him, I am confident in his abilities.

WEIGHT – The good news is that I’m back on Weight Watchers. I know my body and I know how to lose weight. The bad news is that I gained 12 lbs in the past 4 months, mostly due to stress eating, and vacation. So, while, I’m not where I was 6 months ago, I’m reading and willing!

The Restart Button

2009-01-14T21:41:00.000-05:00

My Macbook crashed in mid-December. It was frozen with the spirally umbrella icon. F***!

I tried the OPTION-COMMAND-ESC combination, but nothing worked.

I cursed some more. I got angry. I blamed. I cussed again.

My hand was forced. I had to press the restart button on the top right of the machine.

The button was pressed and the boot up time took a long time, with a lot of sweating and anguish wondering whether the laptop would start up again. The startup screen eventually came up.

I’m logging in, although it’s not logging into the system I knew before.

Things will different, but that’s OK. Somehow, laptops always end up ok. You know you can rely on them. I’ve got a damn cool MacBook. It’ll be good.

12 of 12: January 2009

2009-01-13T23:49:00.004-05:00

Here’s what 12 of 12 is all about:

On the 12th day of each month you take 12 photos showing how you spent your day, post them on your blog, and then link the post back to Chad.

6:45 am. The alarm goes off. I take a pic on my iPhone of us sprawled out, cats at our sides and fall back asleep.

8:30 am. After working a bit and prepping for work, I grab my backpack and head into work.

9:05 am. I arrive at the cube farm.

11:10 am. I walk to the cafeteria to get some food.

11:20 am. I have some soup, fruit and Wasa crackers. After all, I theoretically start up Weight Watchers again today. (Theoretically.)

5:30 pm After a brief meeting with Rico, downtown, I walk to Nicholsons to meet Steve/Gary.

6:50 pm. I finish my 3rd Guiness. It’s time to go!

7:00 pm. I walk back to my car passing the dark towers.

7:20 pm. Mr. Patterson manages to sneek out the door as I arrive home. While picking him up and shooing him indoors, I manage to get scratched. I put on some bandages.

7:43 pm. I enjoy some left over chili from the night before. It may look like a lot of food. It was rather low in fat and delish.

8:03 pm. Chase poses in the kitchen, pondering whether to have more cat grass.

9:30 pm. Jason is home and works on his computer. I hit the sack.

Weekly Roundup

2008-12-07T21:05:00.000-05:00

ALIVE – Yes! I’m alive! I know I’ve not blogged in a while. Two reasons: bronchitis and a bit of writers block. Being sicky, I’ve not been in the mood for much. Fortunately, after a single Z-Pack dosage, I did manage to kick it!

MICHAEL CRICHTON – I’m kind of sad to have heard of the passing of Michael Crichton. It kind of hit me while wondering the library last week. They had a display of his books, in his memory. I have to say, I’ve probably enjoyed his books more than any other author. My fav? Timeline. Yes, the movie sucked, but I loved the book. He was so talented and researched the heck out of his books; it saddens me.

WORK – I’m not very content at the moment. It’s a very long story.

WINTER – Has come early for Cincinnati!

Car Mixup?

2008-11-24T22:22:00.003-05:00

Jason and I were picking up some groceries at Meijer. After shopping, we walked through the lot searching for the VW.

We searched a little and found a VW. But on closer inspection, it was not ours. Hmm.. What was the give away?

For your reference, our car:

See?

A SHOW GOES DOWN

2008-11-18T21:18:00.001-05:00

On Saturday night, in front of a full house of admiring G&S fans, the lights went down on H.M.S. Pinafore.

It's always a strange/uncomfortable thing when a show ends. As Steve said, it's kind of like after your final examinations are all over. You feel a bit disoriented:

On one hand, you have your life back and can resume relations with your spouse and friends whom you have ignored. You have more time to do laundry and clean up the sprawl. (Jason is hoping for this.)

Still… you wonder what people do with their time?

How do people use up all that free time that comes on weeknights?

It's odd to think that every night this week, I can do what I want. I could even theoretically watch TV (if it didn't bore me so much.)

… On the other hand, I'm missing the adrenaline rush. I miss being on stage. I miss performing and I miss the laughs, especially from this show. Am I shallow to say I like taking a bow?

I miss the cast a bit. I think I will take away 2-3 new friends from the show, which in itself is a cool thing; I get along well with theatre people. Theatre is addictive, a passion.

On Hate

2008-11-15T10:42:00.000-05:00

Last night, at a cast party, we were playing some very silly group games, including the Name Game. To make the long story short, the name that I was trying to get my gamepartner to say was "Michelle Obama." My clue: "The president elect's wife."

"Bitch," he loudly blurted out, much to the delight of the people in the room. He said, "Hmm. Not even sure what her name is" and thought a minute before stating her name.

I let it roll off. It didn't bother me then, but I thought about it on the longish drive home.

I know the cast member has ideological differences with democrats, but why would he have such a strong dislike for certain people themselves?

Oh, I have my opinions, too, but to say that I hate "W" is not fair. I'm so frustrated with his policies I could scream, but I realize that he believed he was doing good for his country. I can't bring myself to hate him, in fact, I wouldn't say I "hate" anyone.

A common perception of Americans is that they don't like to think for themselves. Some let political pundits and their churches spew out hateful ideas, singling out groups whom they can blame, discriminate against, judge and persecute.

12 of 12: November 2008

2008-11-12T22:41:00.005-05:00

Here’s what 12 of 12 is all about:

On the 12th day of each month you take 12 photos showing how you spent your day, post them on your blog, and then link the post back to Chad.

It's my day off! I wake up at 6:30 am and clean the office. It may not look too clean. You should have seen how messy it was beforehand!

I make an appointment at the Kenwood Mall Apple store to get the casing on my old white Macbook repaired (before selling it.) Here are Woody and Vincent. Attractive, smart and helpful. They rock!

I have a sandwich and a couple of beers at Friday's in Kenwood and pull out the new laptop.

I take a nap. Chase is more than happy to join me at my side.

I wake up and decide that I need to get off my lazy arse and go to the gym. I take a picture from outside the gym at the city of Cincinnati.

Working out. While I'm not out of shape, I realize that I don't go enough.

I arrive at the Aronoff Center late late. At 6:20 for a 7:30 performance of HMS Pinafore. I hurry to get my microphone, do the vocal warm up and do the microphone check, without makeup. I manage to rush to get the makeup on and head to the dock for "green room."

Later in the evening, I take a picture of my fellow seamen in the dressing room:

Tara is a crack up. I take this picture at intermission.

These are the infamous staircase that I've run up and down dozens of times (especially during a previous show, during CHESS.)

Charlie and I in the dressing room:

After the show, I take a picture of the rainy Cincinnati street:

Photo Friday- SHARP

2008-11-11T18:10:00.002-05:00

Last March, I bought a new Swiss Army knife whilst on business in Geneva. Here is the photo demonstrating the knife.

Jason added a "300" filter in Lightroom for effect.

WEEKLY ROUNDUP

2008-11-08T14:10:00.003-05:00

PRESIDENT ELECT – And, we have a new president, after 18+ months of agonizing. I’m extremely pleased that the US people spoke up, went to the polls and voted for Barrack Obama. I'm excited for so many reasons.

THE SHOW – Cincinnati Music Theatre’s H.M.S. Pinafore is a smash! The word on the street is that it is a great production and our audiences continue to get bigger and bigger, nearing capacity of the 400 seat theatre. It’s quite gratifying to see a full house!

HELL WEEK & OPENING NIGHT – In theatre circles, the week leading up to the opening of a show is sometimes called “Hell week”—with very good reason. There are last minute tasks, marathon rehearsals, etc., etc. Anyway, I survived the past week without too many problems. Opening Night went very very well. Our energy was great.

APPLE CULT – Ya, I know…

CELEBRITIES – Jason, Chase and Paul were recently featured in Citibeat, online. Here is the pic of these dashing men:

PALIN - Pray, tell me, why is the press still giving Sarah Palin air time? Who cares? Ser-i-o-us-ly.

REFLECTIONS AND SHADOWS – Cats are a bit funny in that their behaviors can change over time; they act in phases. Chase, for example, has recently taken up a strong fascination with shadows and reflections. Sure, he did this before. But now, he spends more time staring at walls looking for shadows and reflections. Either that or our townhouse was built on an ancient Native American burial ground…

Election Day in Cincinnati

2008-11-04T15:15:00.001-05:00

After lunch today, I took a quick walk with Jason to check out the noise coming from a block away. Specifically, I wanted to see democracy in action--without going to the polls the proof that an important election was happening.

My hope is that we can paint the city "blue" at the end of the day today!

Matt's USA November Madness Bracket

2008-11-04T06:40:00.000-05:00

The following is my "bracket" prediction for "the big game" today. Let's hope that this one is more accurate than my NCAA bracket this last March!

Move In: H.M.S. Pinafore (Updated!)

2008-11-02T23:09:00.003-05:00

Yay! We moved into the Aronoff Center today! CMT's H.M.S. Pinafore is coming to life!

I tried on my sailor uniform for the show. I'm really happy with the outfit Patrick made:

I spent 3+ hours working with Don, the Sound designer, on the wiring for the show.

Here's an early picture of how the set looked as we were moving it in and reconstructing it:

Updated! Here is what the finished set looks like:

Weekly Roundup

2008-11-01T08:54:00.003-04:00

NEW GLASSES - I finally decided to upgrade my wardrobe and get some new glasses with my Flexcomp money. Jason helped pick them out. They are pretty modern and fun!

NEW BLOG HEADER - I thought it was time to change the header for die Fledermaus! Thanks to Jason for helping to clean up an image.

MEIJER - Since being in Cincinnati, I've usually shopped at Kroger, as there has always been one nearby. With moving downtown, Jason and I have had to "shop around" for grocery stores as there are none in the immediate vicinity. While the place I know the best is the Kroger is Westwood, I've found that I actually like Meijer the best. There are certain favorite products that Meijer almost exclusively sells:

Premade, non-frozen pizza
Fresh Cat grass plants
Inexpensive carbonated water (Meijer brand 2-liter bottles cost only $.69!)
Organic lettuce and milk
Multi-vitamin juice (favorite brand, from Poland.)

A QUIET HALLOWEEN - With all of my rehearsals and time spend with theatre in the past and upcoming month, I was glad to have had a relaxing night last night with Jason. I picked up a pre-made pepperoni pizza from Meijer (see above.) We opened a bottle of wine and turned on the outdoor light. We had a laid back meal despite being interrupted by about 15 cute trick or treater kids from the neighborhood. We turned the front light off at 8:30 and snuggled, watching "Nightmare Before Christmas" on Blu-Ray.

OPEN ENROLLMENT - It's official. Jason and I are now "domestic partners" from a company perspective. I've signed him up for company benefits starting January 1, 2009. I'm very grateful to my employers for recognizing same-sex partners.

OHIO RIVER - Talking with a coworker, I learned that her husband is a fishing aficionado and especially liked fishing on the Ohio River. About 5 year ago, while routinely fishing, he "bit" the line (that contained Ohio river water.) Just from that exposure, he got a parasite and was sick for 6 months. Hmm.. We swam in the Ohio (in a similar stretch) a few weeks ago and yes, I would say I swallowed some water...

My Strengths!

2008-10-30T18:48:00.002-04:00

In order to better "mesh" as a team, my manager proposed that we take a couple of self-tests to understand what we are like and how we can work better together.

I performed a self test for work called "StrengthFinder," which is part of a book called "Now ,Discover Your Strengths," by Marcus Buckingham. While the book itself was less than useful, I found the test pretty useful. Here are my top 5 strengths:

WOO (Making friends and winning people over)
STRATEGIC
COMMUNICATION
MAXIMIZER (Striving for excellence)
FOCUS (Having goals and being focused on getting to the goals)
The results don't surprise me. It confirmed what I already knew: I thrive in project management, which uses all of the above strengths! I also love meeting new people and communicating (both in writing and, say, on stage.)

The real learning is that I'm in a work group where teammates do not share these strengths (or, sadly, VALUE these strengths.) At the meeting, I was asked to explain my differences and I was mildly mocked for being "focused," for example.

Believe me, I'm not a sensitive person, but I left the meeting feeling uncomfortable-the discussion became not about strengths but about values: it was determined that my values were different than the rest of the team.

I have done a fair amount of reflecting and these revelations are definitely useful!

Progress: HMS Pinafore

2008-10-30T16:53:00.002-04:00

The show is coming along very well! Which is good because Cincinnati Music Theatre's H.M.S. Pinafore opens one week from tomorrow!

The set is built and painted and up to last night, we were practicing in the warehouse (in which the set was built.)

We have now ran the show 4+ times from beginning to end and things are feeling good, more natural.

Still, there is a LOT of things to concentrate on.

Along with us reinforcing our lines and songs and dance, we are getting a lot more used to more subtle things like fine tuning timings, making impromptu noise and more dramatic facial expressions and body gestures.

It's coming together very nicely. All in all, I think it will be a very pleasurable show.

Say, did you buy tickets yet? Click here for ticket info!

A cold practice at the warehouse, with our fearless leader/director, Rick Kramer.

Vote!

2008-10-22T17:48:00.002-04:00

I did my Civil Duty and went to the polls today! I opted to do early voting in Ohio (technically as an absentee ballot.)

The whole thing was very easy, actually. I went to the Hamilton County Board of Elections on Broadway (conveniently located across from the gay bar, "On Broadway.")

After being asked about who I was and where I lived (as verified by a kind woman at a computer,) I filled out a general form, as well as an envelope in which the absentee ballot would be placed. I was given 2 very large pieces of paper and an envelope. While I was expecting something more electronic in nature, it never materialized.

Damn right I'm mad! I'm so mad at the current administration I could scream! The government asked me personally, "Matt, who do you want to run the nation."

I unapologetically gave my feedback to the government, shooting down every Republican on the ballot! Nope. No vote for the grandpa/caribou Barbie ticket.

After voting in a huddled group of divided stalls, I walked to the exit and used a glue stick to seal the envelope.

I wish I could have taken a picture of the scene. I would say there were 40+ people voting at the same time. The crowd included a small number of older white people and a larger percentage of African Americans of various ages and genders. I was pleased by the interest!

I left feeling really good. Where my schedule is so busy, it's now assured that I have voted in such an important election!

I felt empowered! And very pro-American!

Sailing in Soon! CMT's HMS Pinafore!

2008-10-20T23:57:00.001-04:00

WHAT

H.M.S. Pinafore was written in 1878 and is one of three well-known Comic Operas by Gilbert & Sullivan. (The other two famous ones include The Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado.)

Pinafore tells the tale of love between members of different social classes as a naval captain's daughter falls in love with a common sailor. The opera also pokes good-natured fun at the British Royal Navy, parliamentary politics and the rise of unqualified people to positions of authority.

The show is fun and light, with hilarious moments of slapstick and gentile satire. Like other Gilbert & Sullivan shows, H.M.S. Pinafore concludes with a surprising twist ending.

As a sailor in the ensemble, I guess I'm a bit partial to the show: I'm very proud of the direction and the cast of Cincinnati Music Theatre's production and I'm confident you will enjoy it!

WHEN

H.M.S. Pinafore has a total of 7 performances at the following dates and times:

Friday, Nov. 7, 2008 8 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 8, 2008 8 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 9, 2008 2:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2008 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 13, 2008 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 14, 2008 8 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 15, 2008 8 p.m.

(The show weighs in at 1 hour, 45 minutes including a 15 minute intermission.)

WHERE

Jarson-Kaplan Theatre (Seating Capacity: 438)
Aronoff Center for the Arts, 650 Walnut Street, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45202
http://www.cincinnatiarts.org/aronoff

HOW TO GET TICKETS

The tickets are $20.50 for Orchestra or $19.50 for Balcony 1+2.

You can order online. Click here.

Or, you can order tickets via phone: (513) 621-2787.

Hope to see you there (from the stage!)

12 of 12: October 2008

2008-10-12T22:07:00.000-04:00

Here’s what 12 of 12 is all about:
On the 12th day of each month you take 12 photos showing how you spent your day, post them on your blog, and then link the post back to Chad.

I had a late night playing "Rumikub" with the boys and so we slept in a bit. After a quick breakfast, we head to Eatern Cincinnati to meet up with Rico and Manuel to go on their boat:

Oh, man, the weather was beautiful! 87 degrees. Not too shabby for October 12! Jason and I:

The "Big Mac" bridge:

Cruising along:

The Cincinnati skyline:

Swimming in the Ohio! I can't believe we swam in the Ohio!

Diving into the Ohio:

Back at home, I found Chase curled up in the box (which shipped my jazz boots.)

I had to prepare for my HMS Pinafore rehearsal, so I put on said jazz boots. Jason laughed at me so hard:

Choreograph rehearsal. (Honestly, I was in good shape with the dance beforehand, but it was short and sweet:)

We made pizza for dinner. Twas delish:

We watched a movie: "Gattica"

So. Very. Tired.

Palin

2008-10-07T21:30:00.002-04:00

"She is very pretty! I would love to see her as a KTUU, Channel 2 anchorwoman. She is charismatic and scripted! I can picture her neither as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, nor Approving Legislation, nor Executing Laws. Wait, perhaps the current anchorwoman, Annie Davis, should run for president!"

Weekly Roundup

2008-10-05T22:54:00.000-04:00

JAZZ BOOTS - The men in HMS Pinafore are supposed to all be wearing matching "jazz boots." Why not just wear the jazz boots you have?" I got meself a pair from Discount Dance Supply. While they look real spiffy, and they fit, they are soo uncomfortable. Best I can hope for is to get gel supports to put in them.

BRITISH - As HMS Pinafore is a British play (with strong British overtones,) we are expected to have some degree of British in our accent when we sing. I'm quite familiar with the accent, but it's the first I've performed with it. Thankfully, Steve has given some brutally honest feedback. I just hope to not sound like a cross between Monty Python and Borat.

AUTUMN - The temps have stayed into the 80s during the day. Still, the nights have been cooler and the quality of the sun and the shadows remind me of Autumn. It's here. Jason and did a lot of walking and did a nice photo shoot on Sunday. More pictures to come soon!

NEW PROJECT - I'm enjoying the new project at work. While no work is really "fun," I very much like the new people and it's gratifying to me as things are a bit messed up at the moment. With my past experience, I'm uniquely qualified to step in and make the changes that need to be made.

OBAMA for PREZ - While the rhetoric is out of control, I've participated a lot in this election! I'm excited about it and am very exicted that many Americans are getting off their couches and taking the time to learn the positions of the candidates. Having an entertaining baffoon like Palin has made the circus even more of a circus.

4 Year Blogiversary Repost #7: Vondel Park, Amsterdam

2008-10-03T23:03:00.000-04:00

It was a hot August, 1994 and I had just finished my summer internship with Siemens. Although my internship paid enough to live by, I didn't have enough money for much more. The cheapest flight back to the Midwest was through Amsterdam. There was a direct Amsterdam -> Chicago route.

I won't go into the details of how poor I was. No, I didn't hustle myself. AnyWHO, I ended up in Amsterdam. I had about $20 in what was then "Guilder" and enough to stay at a hostel near Vondel (what I affectionately called "Vögeln"-Park. It's funny in German.)

Knowing that I had to stretch my money for a day in Amsterdam, I went to a Supermarket, bought some cheese and some bread, chips and a beer.

I walked to the park. It was the end of summer. It was green and I was happy.

"Komm, tourijst, saat bej uns. Kom. Dreijnk" (someone help me with the Dutch. I'm slaughtering the poor language!!!)

They were asking me to sit and drink with them. Well, I had a beer and a sandwich, so I hung out with them.

They were nice people. I made them giggle with my Dutch and we chatted in English about this and that. Who knows, we were all students. We chatted then we talked and gossiped.

A woman came by with a cart. She was vending beer. They all bought one. I fell in line and bought one too. Amsterdam is expensive. I spent a lot on this beer and worried about the rest of the money that I had. I considered going back to the hostel to sleep.

But there was a nice group of 4-5 students, men and women. We talked about life, Amsterdam, beer, other things. I told them that I was on my way back and we made a toast. We talked for a long while.

The cart came back. They bought me a beer. I was flattered.

… (snip)

The cart came around again. They bought me another beer and asked me how I could be an American without a credit card. I told them that I really had no credit and that I could not buy anything else. I had just enough money for the train to the airport.

… (snip)

We talked more. The one couple fought a bit. It was after 2:00 am and we were all buzzed. I hugged my new friends. I asked them for their contact information as they were lovely people. Staggering, I told them that although I could not repay them for the wonderful night, I would repay them by sending them something special from Iowa. (There are nice things in Iowa.)

I made my way back to the hostel. They really were nice people, I thought. They gave me a small piece of paper with addresses. I was really going to do them right where they had been so kind to me, a total stranger.

I slept for a couple of hours before I had to leave for Schiphol.

…(snip)

When I returned to Iowa, I realized that I had lost the small piece of paper! I looked again over the next couple of weeks. Gone.

So, I never "re-paid" these kind people. But, I think I have. I have told dozens of people about the generosity and the impression that was made by a few kind students in Vondel Park.

North to the Future!

2008-10-02T23:19:00.003-04:00

You who knows
Locations between Dillingham and Bethel!
And who knows how to eviscerate a moose carcass!

You, who talks carefully, from a well rehearsed script!
You, in your sharp glasses and sharp suit!
We love your Alyeska accent!

"Doggonnit!"

Answer the questions!
Don't Condescend!
Don't use scare tactics for votes!

Oh, you pretty little thing!
I want to pinch your cheek!
Tell us about your darling energy producing state!

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Negativity/Unnegativity

2008-09-30T23:25:00.000-04:00

I received some news today that, while expected, upset me a great deal. To be blunt, I was very uncharacteristically pissed off and defensive.

In the parking lot while waiting for rehearsal to begin, I posted a rather negative comment on facebook. Suddenly, I looked at my iPhone 3G and the name of my lovely aunt called me. I hadn't heard from her in a long time. I told her about my foul mood and she empathized. Seeming to sense things, she had some very reassuring words.

We talked some time, then we both realized it was past 8:00. We had been talking about HMS Pinafore.

As it turns out, my dad had sung in Pinafore before! To my surprise, both my grandmother and grandfather had sung in performances of Gilbert & Sullivan, as well. I felt completely different going into my rehearsal!

I became immersed in the music (it was just a vocal rehearsal.) Happily, I sang a fair amount of Act I without book. Much of the music that Kathy rehearsed was my favorite and Charlie/Ralph performed well. I really dig the 4 part male passages.

Safe bet, I left a much less negative person.

Sunday Afternoon Lunch in NKY/RENT Showing

2008-09-29T05:20:00.000-04:00

Jason had planned for several weeks to see an engagement of RENT. Not at a theatre, but in a movie theatre, to see a taped version of the final performance of RENT. Steve had no plans and joined us. Before going to the theatre, we stopped at one of my favorite bar&grills, in Covington, Kentcuky. We sat outside.

It was such a beautiful day! There were a lot of people roaming about in Benglas attire getting ready for the game and getting their drunk on. (In retrospect, it probably wasn't a bad idea, as they lost to their rivals, the Cleveland Browns.)

I had a most delicious Reuben sandwich, washed down by a couple of cold, frothy Guinness beers. The beer was actually Weight Watcher friendly, the Reuben was not.

We left the lovely outdoors and sat in the movie theatre, in Florence. Beyond the amazing performance, the quality of the recording was very good! It really did feel like you were watching the show, perhaps even a bit better than if you were there as you could make out extreme details, such as fillings in singer's teeth!

At $20, the showing was a bit more expensive than a regular show. But it was worth it!

The Economics Quote

2008-09-23T06:55:00.000-04:00

"The issue of economics is not something I've understood as well as I should. I've got Greenspan's book." -- John McCain, Boston Globe Quote, December 17, 2007.

Weekly Roundup

2008-09-22T22:11:00.000-04:00

HURRICAN IKE - You'd think by looking at my desk that the hurricane had hit inside my office. Dang! How did it get this messy!?

STORM FALLOUT - What a crazy week! The wind storms really caused havoc on Cincinnati, with most people not getting power until 3-4 days after the storm. It really impacted people at work, especially early in the week.

PINAFORE - I'm still having fun with Pinafore, despite the fact that we continue to have 3-4 rehearsals per week (plus a half day a week for set construction.) We're still blocking certain sections. Here is what blocking looks like:

WORKOUT - I've not had much time to work out lately. I feel like a bit of a lump. But, when you have a full time job plus 3-4 rehearsals per week, you're just happy to find the time to get your laundry done, much less have the luxury to hit the gym.

DOWN - I weighed in at weight watchers on Saturday and I am happy to report that I was down 3.4 lbs! So, I'm at 196.6, which is a bit higher than my low at the beginning of the summer (around mid-June.) However, I'm on a downward spiral with just 20 or so pounds to go!

4 Year Blogiversary Repost #7: On Sleepwalking

2008-09-18T22:15:00.002-04:00

Little known fact... I walk in my sleep.. Enjoy the repost!

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Ever since I was a kid, I have always had wild dreams and done interesting things in my sleep. I have early memories of waking up in different parts of the house or being awoken, standing in front of family members.

The move from Boston to small town Iowa was a big adjustment and it was the height of my sleepwalking. Having lived in a fraternity, it was, well, embarrassing waking up in other’s beds. On one situation, a friend “woke me up” as I was walking. I had walked down 3 flights of stairs.

Most of my sleepwalking these days is more subtle. For example, I’ll have a dream that someone is visiting me and I’ll tidy up a few things… in my sleep. Good recent example: I dreamt that Chris got kicked out of his house and for a night needed to crash at my place. Not wanted to settle for the couch, he opted to sleep apart from me, on the other side of my bed. Apparently, he needed a pillow. Although my pillow was downstairs, I walked to the linen closet, got a new, fresh pillow case and went back to bed. In the morning the pillow case was there. I would say these things happen twice a month, on average.

GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN

My most interesting sleep walking experienced happened in January of this year when my team at work, collectively went to Green Bay, Wisconsin to visit AC Nielsen's corporate offices.

We were all staying at the hotel with the casino, across from the airport. On the second night, we all kind of did our own thing. We are 16 people. Some went to the bar, some the casino, some to their beds. I was real tired and opted for bed.

I was soon asleep and I was dreaming away. I’m not 100% sure the content of the dream, but it was very vivid. In my dream, I was in the hotel and I needed to get up for some reason, having heard some voices outside the door. I opened the door to the hotel room and looked outside. Mike was there and I started yelling obscenities at him. Mean, bitter words. I closed the door and went back to bed.

The next morning, I woke up and had a vague recollection of what had happened. I was embarrassed. Especially because what I remembered was that I had cussed out Mike.

Now, Mike can say his version of the story a lot better than me. His version always gets a lot of laughs.

According to Mike, he and Eric were walking from the casino bask to their rooms. They were talking and all of a sudden, they heard someone messing with the lock in their room and yelling something inaudible. The door crashed inward and I stepped out into the corridor, in my boxers.

Apparently, I started ranting on about missing the bus. I was talking in huge rush. I then, abruptly, ducked back into my room and shut the door and locked it.

Mike mentioned afterwards that it was “quite possibly the most random thing that had ever happened to him in his life.”

When I arrived at breakfast the next morning, everyone starred at me. I had thought it was because I had bitched out Mike. No, Mike had recounted his story to the group.

“It’s just a good thing that I were wearing my bottoms,” I said timidly. This story became infamous and made for an interesting impression, an interesting way to begin in my new group.

Wind Storm!?!

2008-09-15T23:09:00.000-04:00

We got a small welcome from hurricane Ike yesterday (Sunday.) Around 2:30, some trees came down in the park across from us as large gusts blew across Cincinnati. There was no rain or hail or inclement weather, just gusts of up to 78 MPH.

Governor Ted Strickland declared a state of emergency. There have been widespread reports of power outages, as you can see:

It's had a very odd effect on work. Because something like 1/3 of all homes are without electricity and because schools are closed, many people are working from home--or not at all. So, I immediately cleared my schedule today.

In my 37 years (am I really that old,) I don't really remember any wind storms. When Rob told me that they had to do with hurricane Ike. It roughly followed just South of this pattern:

Odd!

12 of 12

2008-09-12T23:59:00.001-04:00

Here's my first ever 12 of 12 blog entry! It was an odd day, that ended very very late. Thanks to Chad" for the 12 for 12 idea.

8:12 - Arrival at the technical center. 12 minutes late due to an accident on I-71

8:13 am. walk through corridors. When did the company start to promote men as sex objects?

8:58 am. Boring meeting to talk internal controls documentation. 30 minutes of information in 1.5 hours. Just shoot me!

11:43 am. The meetings are over. Heading home.

12:20 pm. Back at home office. Lunch.

12:21 pm. Weight watchers value: 15 points. Oops. Will have to cut back later.

12:34 pm. Installing iPhone SW version 2.1. Yes. I'm a geek.

3:24 pm. Checking in on the cats. Sacked out, as usual.

7:33 pm. Art show tomorrow. Lots of work. Jason working on framing artwork.

7:56 pm. Eating mango salad.

8:06 pm. The matting machine. My best friend all night.

10:56 pm. Wrapping more prints in cellophane. I did this until 2:00 am…

4 Year Blogiversary Repost #6: : September 11, 2001

2008-09-11T17:41:00.002-04:00

(Scanned front page of "The Daily Journal," Caracas, Sept. 12, 2001. Click to enlarge.)

In September, 2001, Mark (the ex) and I were expatriots, living in Caracas, Venezuela. We had just gotten the marching orders to return to the states by the end of September. On September 11, Mark was abroad, in Indiana with family; he had been sight seeing in DC on September 10.

The following is my story…

SEPTEMBER 11

I felt overwhelmed the morning of Tuesday, September 11: I was balancing several things: offloading my old job, onboarding my new job and working the relocation back to the United States. I felt like I was under the gun to finish paperwork for the house we were to buy. I was having problems getting the fax machines to work. The relocation process was so painful and time consuming.

I felt out of control because I had so much to do. I had told myself that the key to me getting ahead for the day was to keep my head down and focus on what I needed to do.

André poked his head out of his office and said, “Hey, Matt. Where’s Mark at? He still in DC?”

“No,” I said. “He returned to Indiana yesterday.”

“Well, that’s good,” he replied. “A plane just hit the Pentagon. And another has already hit the World Trade Center.”

What a jerk, I thought. What a sick joke!

I needed to focus. I walked back to the original fax machine because I was too lazy to go across the bridge to the other fax machine.

Walking to the fax, I noticed that the HR people who worked next to us were talking low, in groups. Something was weird with the situation. Perhaps it was that they were talking low. I overheard mumblings “un avión…. contra el World Trade Center… si,.. en Neuva York.”

No. It couldn’t be.

I dropped the paperwork on my desk and I walked into André’s cube. He was at his computer and he had a picture of one of the World Trade Center towers spewing forth smoke.

“Yeah, and another airplane hit the other tower and the pentagon!” André said.

I was in shock.

André told me that there was a television on the 5th floor that had coverage. I wanted to see for myself. We walked upstairs to a conference room with a fuzzy TV and a mix of a dozen or so Americans and Venezuelans. The coverage was in Spanish but it didn’t take much to understand what was happening. By then, both towers were smoking heavily. The first tower fell.

“My God. It’s 9:00 am. There’s probably 10,000 people in the office by now,” I said. There was silence in the room.

At some point, André said something on the effect that this is an act of war. That we would declare war on the responsible. Little did he know how true these words would be.

It was gruesome and sad and I was overwhelmed with emotion. I had had enough, for the moment. I was kind of worried and wanted to get to a phone, as I was really worried about my family who lived in Tampa and Boston.

We walked back downstairs to our cubes. On the way back to my desk, I had heard a couple of rumors: There were a half dozen more planes in the air, California was the next target, etc. At my computer, I tried to pull up CNN.com. It was slow but brought up the picture. I was thirsty for information. I had to know what was happening.

A MIXTURE OF FEELINGS

Here I was in Latin America, a continent known for its poverty, crime and political disorder. Throughout my time in Venezuela, I was always conscious of this in the back of my mind. I had the strangest feeling right then which most people wouldn’t understand: For a brief moment, I felt completely safe in the rolling tropical hills of Caracas. Despite the obvious crime of the city, I was hidden from terrorists…

At the same time, I felt so very disconnected. I picked up the office phone and tried to get through to Mark, at his mom’s house in Indiana. To my dismay, there were no available lines at work. My cell phone service didn’t have lines, either.

I was beginning to get a bit panicky. I checked my email and attempted to do work. But, even with the paperwork deadline, I tried to work, but I just couldn’t focus. André and I walked back and forth between offices, sharing tidbits of information. Productivity was low. I had gotten email and other messages from coworkers as far away as Poland.

LACK OF FOCUS, NEED FOR INFORMATION

At 10:00 am, I decided I needed to leave the office. André invited me to join he and his wife in their apartment which was nearby. I needed to leave. Without consent from my boss, I picked up my laptop, current paperwork, threw these into my backpack and headed out.

On the way out, before reaching the “bridge” to the other building, which would lead me out, I caught glance of my Venezuelan coworkers, in a group. This image will stay in my mind: Desirée, a coworker, was standing in front of the cube area.

She was actually smiling. She had made some comment like “the US deserved it.” She was treating the situation as if the images were a scene in a shoot-‘em-up Hollywood film. She was extremely insensitive. I had to get out of there.

I sped my tiny Chevy Corsa up the hill to La Lagunita, to Jen and André’s apartment. I knew one thing: I needed to be around Americans. Strength in numbers.

I was happy to see Jen and gave her a big hug. Soon thereafter, she was able to get through to her family in the US.

I tried to call Mark again on my cell phone and I was so happy I got through! I talked with him very briefly and was so happy to know that he and his family was safe in the small town in Connersville, Indiana. I didn’t know what I would have done if I had lost him.

Like most Americans, we were glued to the TV. Fortunately, in Caracas, the DirecTV signal was very reliable. We watched CNN and other US news channels and got the latest scoop.

At one point, there was a break in the normal pictures of death and desolation. A person from the “Taliban” had a news conference. They were not claiming any part of this plan. Who were the “Taliban?” And why would they be worried about being blamed? I remember the name “Osama Bin Laden” coming up before, in the past. The name was being mentioned repeatedly.

André eventually came home and we ate lunch. I eventually got my laptop out and did a small amount of work. The focus of the day was spent in front of the TV.

Some time during the day, I realized that there were a lot of bad things associated with being in Venezuela during this “time.” Although it wasn’t to clear who had committed these crimes, it was obvious that the Middle East was to blame. A series of bad thoughts and questions went through my head: Will I ever get home? Will my belongings ever arrive back?

I ate with Jen and André, and, as dark came, I decided to head back to my apartment. They had invited me to take the bed in the spare bedroom, but I wanted to get home, talk to Mark and get some sleep.

At home, I lit three candles: “for the victims,” “for the families,” and the “those who mourn.” I cried, alone, in the candle light.

The next weekend, André, Jenn and I visited the US embassy. Since we couldn't find too many flowers on that particular day, we picked flowers from my apartment complex and from my own planters. Beautiful hibiscus and other flowers. We made a bouquet and left it outside the embassy gates.

4 Year Blogiversary Repost #5: D. Raithby Pictures

2008-09-04T20:36:00.004-04:00

I just love this post. It was one of the first times I posted and an early set of experiments with Photoshop. Raithby is a great sport and a generally nice guy.

The rule for these pics is there is one "real" Raithby and one "fake" Raithby. Can you tell which is which?

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Bush Visit...

2008-09-04T20:13:00.000-04:00

I saw this on The Onion:

Click on the image to check out this important journalistic story!

4 Year Blogiversary Repost #4: Where the Boys (and Girls) Are

2008-09-02T20:20:00.000-04:00

I have several single friends who are always trying to find a date! With a bit of creativity and comedic spirit, you can get a date! The following is an updated reprint of my blog entry from August 2004 which describes some places to meet quality boys and girls:

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WHERE BOYS/GIRLS ARE (Difficulty: Easy)

- Blogging at Starbucks (Pickup line: "Sorry to bother you, but may I ask what it is that you have. It looks delicious.”)
- A friend's party (Pickup line: "Oh, how do you know The Weatherman?")
- The Mall (Pickup line: "Sorry. I'm lost. Might you know where the 'Express for Men' store is?" Note: You know very well where the store is.)
- Barnes & Noble or any other bookstore (Pickup line: “Have you read anything else by the author? Is he very good?”)
- Local theatre or musical group (Pickup line: "Wanna practice some time?")
- Running/Walking trails (Pickup line: “Say, how far is it to the next water fountain?”)
- Amusement park (Pickup line: “Pretty long wait, eh? What rides have you been on today?”)
- Karaoke night (Pickup line: "That guy sounds like a cat in heat... So, what are YOU going to sing?")
- Petsmart (Pickup line: “Nice cat. Can I touch him?”)
- Locally sponsored sports tournament at a local bar. (Pickup line: “Project Runway could have made much better costumes, don't you think?”) On second thought, scratch that one.
- Speed dating (Pickup line: "You're interesting. Do you do everything this fast?")
- The company's GLBT organization (if one exists.) (Pickup line: "Do you have a business card? Would you like mine? Wanna do a join-up over lunch some time?")
- Opera (Pickup line: “What did you think about the sets? Oh, did you understand who that one guy was?”)
- The Apple Store (Pickup line: “I got one of those at home... Nearby.”)
- At volunteer events, volunteering with local non-profit organization. (Pickup line: “Wanna get more involved?”)
- Target (You're in the family planning aisle with the other person. Wing it.)

WHERE BOYS/GIRLS ARE: (Difficulty: Difficult)

- Gym (Pickup line: “Need a spotter?” – was used on me! Response: casually bring up going to a neutral bar, like Rock Bottom, after work.)
- Church
- Home Depot (Pickup line: “That sounds complicated. Do you know if Home Depot does home installations? Do you have a business card?”)

WHERE BOYS/GIRLS ARE: (Difficulty: Not worth the Excruciating Effort)

- NASCAR Game (Pickup line: "Them thar kars runs real good.")
- Any social gathering in the state of Indiana (Pickup line: "Them thar kars runs real good, no?")
- Funerals
- Encounters with your friends ex's.
- Encounters with your ex's ex's

WHERE THE BOYS/GIRLS ARE NOT:

- Abortion clinics
- Happy Hours (at least in downtown Cincinnati)
- Gas stations and highway rest stops
- Bingo Halls
- Video arcade/comic book stores
- Prisons
- The Urologist offices (even if they do make gentle passes at you!)
- Taxidermy “shops”
- Republican party conventions

Have any more places to check out? Or any good pickup lines? Please write a comment!

HMS Pinafore - My First Rehearsal

2008-09-01T23:18:00.002-04:00

Because I was vacationing in Puerto Rico, I missed the kick off meeting and first 3 rehearsals of HMS Pinafore. So tonight was my first rehearsal.

I had recognized several people on the cast list and was happy to see some familiar faces at the vocal rehearsal tonight.

I've done enough shows to know the early signs drama and obnoxious personalities (there is one person in the cast of "CHESS" which stands out as being an exceptionally obnoxious person…) OK. I just met the men tonight, but I can imagine us being a cohesive group. Many people were laid back, outgoing, friendly and well grounded. I felt very welcome.

Most importantly, we sounded really good together. The casting of the sailor chorus totally exceeded my expectations. Gilbert and Sullivan's music is not terribly difficult, but the harmonies--which I love--add some complexity. One piece tonight was 5 part male (including the lead.) I was a bit worried, but the quality of the voices and the balance were both quite good. I could tell the dialect coach (to help with the Brit accent) was very happy with our sound.

I would go as far to say that there was a certain professionalism with the rehearsal tonight from both the choral director and the cast. For example, when the director said certain notes needed to be "staccato," I saw people quickly marking the notes with dots in pencil, in their score. The rehearsal was effective.

Ah… Rehearsals! I will be having no less than 3-4 rehearsals per week for the next 8 weeks! Unlike the last couple of shows I've been in, as a member of the sailor chorus, I'm on stage for 75% of the show. This comes at the price of being required at 80% of the rehearsals.

In all, I'm passionate about this and I got a good vibe going into the show!

Weekly Roundup

2008-08-31T22:28:00.001-04:00

PUERTO RICO - We had a very unique and exciting 1 week vacation in the tropical island of Puerto Rico. The first half of the trip, we stayed at a hotel in San Juan and enjoyed all that the capital city had to offer. The second half we stayed in a friend's guest house on the extreme other side of the island. The second half was characterized by sun and relaxation. Fortunately, hurricane Gustav did not affect us as all.

RELAX - Sometimes going away reenergizes your batteries and gives you an appreciation for what you have at home. More pictures and stories of our trip to come soon.

KAREN WALKER FOR VEEP- Our Brit/limey friend, Steve (shown above at his first time at Costco, contemplating a gun safe) pointed out the following: doesn't Sara Pulin resemble the character Karen Walker from the hit show Will and Grace? On top of being an inexperienced leader, a soccer/hockey mom with a pregnant daugher, do moral leaders such as her pop pills the same way as Karen?

BACK TO LIFE - With 8 days traveling plus a long weekend in Cincinnati (for Labor Day,) I've had a nice break from work. But tomorrow, it's back to the grind: closing out work on my old assignment and beginning to onboard to my new gig which is a system that deals with scents.

BACK TO DIET - Yes, I did not make my weight goal with Weight Watchers. Summer came and derailed that train. I've gained a small amount back, but I've had one heck of a summer. Now, comes Phase II of the my Weight Watchers goals. I will go back on Saturday and post my first weight in a couple of weeks.

EXCITING NEWS - Jason and I will be doing our first photography show in a bit under 2 weeks to promote and sell our photography. We have started a small company with a really fun name. Again, more to come soon.

4 Year Blogiversary Repost #3: What is "die Fledermaus?"

2008-08-27T22:31:00.000-04:00

die Fledermaus?
(Pronounced: “Dee FLAY-der-mouse”)

Several people have approached me in person and via email to inquire about my new blog title. They've said, "Matt, I know that “die Fledermaus” is a well known opera by Johann Strauß, but, pray tell, why the heck would you name your blog after it?"

Well, let me tell you!

- Die Fledermaus is fun, lighthearted opera; its music is upbeat and melodic. The plot involves a lot of practical jokes, disguises, trickery, with a splash of alcohol. Yah. That's kind of my life, in many senses.

- I wanted a blog name with an international flair to express my love for international things, especially of German/Austrian heritage and culture.

- Fledermaus means "bat,' (or literally, "the flying mouse.") I used to collect mice as a kid. So cute and cuddly.

- Bats are kind of misunderstood and have a bad reputation, like gays.

- Bats "fly" (or soar through the air) — the concept of flying, rising above challenges, is uplifting, motivational.

- The name came into my mind when an an acquaintance told me of his plight trying to catch a common bat.

As a note, I liked the name even more after I FINALLY saw the opera in Berlin on December 31, 2007.

Weekly Roundup

2008-08-20T21:28:00.014-04:00

STRESS RELIEVER - The cats know something's up. They hear me bringing out a suitcase and their tails lower and twitch. Beach. Sun. Cultura latinoamerican. Me gusta mucho!

STRESS - I've been under a considerable amount of stress in the past few weeks regarding some unfinished business relating to settling my dad's estate. It's one thing for my step brother to act in a selfish, manipulative way, it's quite another thing when your own flesh & blood relatives do things strictly in their own self interest. It's sad. While I'm not going to stoop to their level, it's unfortunate the events of now. Let's tally the scores:

FAMILY GAME SCORES:

- STEP BROTHER (Financial Game/Gain): Score 2-0

- SISTER/"Doc Davy" (Financial Game/Gain): Score 1-0 (volley against Matt)

- MATT/JASON (Moral Game): Score 2-0

At the end of the day, it's on the conscience of the players. And karma is a bitch.

OLYMPICS - Jason and I have throroughly enjoyed the Olympics games this year! Not just the amazing Michael Phelps races… The whole thing, from opening ceremonies up to now. Our favorites have been the gymnastics, diving and beach volleyball. I'm especially a big fan of Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor. Go team USA!

4 Year Blogiversary Repost #2: An Interview with Matt Vant

2008-08-19T22:51:00.005-04:00

This one published in 2004 was a doosy! See the original article and comments here.

Note: While the responses to the interview below are, in fact, factual, the interview with Betty Klipsch and the Betty Klipsch character are not. Any similarity to persons, dead or living, is purely coincidental.

Betty Klipsch, a married woman in my department recently interviewed me. She knew that I had had a rough week at work and wanted to get the “inside scoop.” I’m publishing the transcript here.

BETTY: So, you’ve effectively come out to all the people in the office here; how does that feel?

MATT: It feels good! It’s basically the last group of people in my life that I needed to come out to. Even so, this was a stressful, rough week. It’s not a comfortable thing talking about something so personal. And I’m always conscious of the fact that my sexuality is not really work related, but I’m bringing it into the workplace. I hate the thought of forcing ideas on to other people. Another stress is that you never know how people are going to react to the news of being gay.

BETTY: How did people take it?

MATT: You know the group. They were pretty good about it, for the most part. One person, who I’ll not name, went out of his way to tell me that he didn’t “understand or approve.” Even after I told him that I specifically was not looking for anyone to validate who I am. At this point in my life, I really don’t care. I really don’t.

BETTY: Well, that’s a good attitude to have.

MATT: That’s exactly what [my boss] said. Well, I didn’t think I’d ever be coming out until that CHET training.

BETTY: There have been a lot of changes for you. I also understand that in April of this year that you broke up with your partner of 6.5 years. I imagine this has been a difficult time. How are you dealing?

MATT: Well, I’m in a strange place right now. I really having a hard time understanding where I am with ex. On a certain level, I guess I still have feelings for Mark, but I also dislike him. He’s been jerky during this separation. Granted, it’s not easy for him, but he’s been outright mean.

BETTY: So, you’ve told us.

MATT: Yeah, well, I guess I kind of miss having someone around the house and someone to go out with once in a while. That would make me a bit lonely. What’s crappy is that I wish I was in a relationship but I’m definitely not ready for a relationship. Also, It’s not comfortable for me to meet people at bars. At the moment, I’m just kind of content hanging out with friends and trying not to get too tied up in my emotions.

BETTY: So, just out of curiosity, do you like women?

MATT: Although I am gay, I really can appreciate the beauty of a female body, mind and spirit. I have female friends. I love comparing notes with women and I appreciate their feelings. OK, I’m on thin ice here.

BETTY: So when did you find out that you liked guys more than women.

MATT: (Smiling) I was always a bit different as a kid and I got teased for it. For example, I remember playing with Barbie dolls with a female friend who lived a few blocks away in Reading, Mass. where I lived. As a teenager, I had bad acne and wasn’t popular. By the time I came out of my shell in my final years of high school and in college, I was still too shy to date. I dated a few women but didn’t have very deep relations. When I moved to Cincinnati, in my adult life, I dated some amazingly beautiful, intelligent women, but found that things wouldn’t work. I realized the problem was with me, not them. At 26, I admitted it to myself. The rest is just history.

BETTY: Wow. Doing the math, if you’re 33 and you were with Mark for 6.5 years…

MATT: Yeah, I dated for only a few months before meeting Mark. Mark was, in fact, the second person I’ve dated in my life. This is why I’m kind of naïve about the dating scene. I’m learning through trial and error. Thank God, I’ve got friends to help me understand what’s going on.

BETTY: So what does your family think about the break up?

MATT: Well, I think that my parents were a bit disappointed to hear about the break. Through discussion, I think that they understand that a relationship can only go so far without both people putting in an effort. My dad has been overly supportive. He told me to learn from my mistakes and look forward.

BETTY: Getting back to the work thing, do you think coming out at work will help?

MATT: Oh, I’ve seen where me making an effort to open up has already made a difference in the workplace. Things seem much more relaxed in the office. People seem more likely to approach me. There’s more camaraderie.

BETTY: So, now that you’ve come out, can I ask you, are you a health risk; do you have AIDS?

MATT: Oh my God! I can’t believe you’re asking me this. No, I am not HIV positive. I had a test very recently. Oh, my vaccinations are up to date. My cholesterol is down. Wanna see my latest doctors report? Can I see yours, Betty?

BETTY: (Clearing throat) Just one last question. Do you take a more passive or active role?

MATT: (Laughing) Betty, I’m sorry it’s going to far to ask that one. Although I’m glad you feel comfortable asking me anything, that’s just something I’m not going to divulge. Heck, the people in the group will be watching this! This interview is over.

Photo Friday: Self Portrait

2008-08-15T20:32:00.002-04:00

This blog post serves two purposes: to present a self portrait for Photo Friday and also to show what I'm wearing out to the bars tonight.

No. They are not "clam diggers." Or "culottes." Or "Capris." They are standard issue H&M shorts bought in Berlin a couple of years ago and I happen to like them.

...

No. They also sold men's clothes at this particular H&M. So shut it!

...

I happen to think they are cool and will wear them out tonight. An Italian coworker of mine wore almost the exact same pair last week, in Warsaw.

...

No! I'm not going to change.

Shut it!

4 Year Blogiversary Repost #1: "Indiana Shower:" Etymology/Word Origins

2008-08-15T17:49:00.001-04:00

So, your girlfriend is all on your ass because you haven't showered in days. While you don't have to shower for watching NASCAR with your buddies, your bitch girlfriend just won't shut up until you do.

You have no water in your trailer because you spent the rest of your paycheck buying Kentucky Good Times bourbon.

So you hook a water hose to your neighbor's trailer and feed the other end through the window, being careful to not spill your plastic glass of bourbon that's sitting on the back of the toilet.

10 minutes later, you're brand spankin' clean. Your wife ain't a fussin' and you're feeling pretty good.

But still, you can't think of nothing else to pawn.

Ein Prosit: To FOUR Years of die Fledermaus!

2008-08-14T04:30:00.001-04:00

DRINK UP!

It all began on Saturday, August 14, 2004. I had just come back from a laborious weeklong company training session out of state. One big learning was that I was not open enough. (At the time, I was still in the midst of a very bitter breakup of the ex of 6.5 years.)

I was healing and I was just in a mood to express more! And expess I did! The first month, I published some of the best material!

During the upcoming 4 weeks, along with the regular (quality!) material, I'm going to re-publish 10 of my favorite posts over the past 4 years.

Thank you, readers, for tuning in! Thanks for your encouragement during the past 4 years!

Warsaw Artwork

2008-08-13T19:10:00.004-04:00

Click on the photos or here to see the online gallery!

On Tuesday of last week, in Warsaw, my internal alarm clock went off at 5:00 am and I just could not fall asleep. I told my body that if it refused to sleep, that I would exercise it. I threw on some clothes, grabbed my camera and I headed out into the morning light on what was to become a personal date: just me and Warsaw.

There was an abundance of light at 6:00 am!

I have a love/hate relationship with the Palace of Science and Culture. This large building was given to the city of Warsaw by the communists at a time that most Warsavites were struggling to eat. It's both pretty and ugly. I love/hate it.

I then grabbed a taxi and went to the Stare Miasto where I got some beautiful early morning pictures and watched a couple of people parades (one a military parade of sorts the other a pilgrimage, of sorts.)

Anyway, click on any of the pictures to see the online gallery.

Please let me know what you think of this beautiful, vibrant capital city!

Weekly Roundup

2008-08-11T21:23:00.000-04:00

BREAK - I hadn't really planned on taking a blogholiday! It just happened. I was so very busy before the trip to Warsaw. While I did have some time after work, in the hotel, I was usually pretty tired and wanted to just sit and do nothing. I have several interesting blog ideas that I'm working on that you can expect to see soon!

ROBOT CHICKEN - I breezed through Seth Greene's Robot Chicken. The show is so funny and so wrong! But I love it!

BACK IN THE US - I arrived back home on Saturday afternoon. I hadn't been home 1 hour, when Jason suggested going on a walk across the river to Hofbräuhaus, in Newport. Having sat on a plane for 8+ hours that day, the exercise sounded nice. After our meal and a walk back, we drove to Westwood and walked around a few stores. Honestly, I was a bit of a zombie that evening, being that my internal clock was still in Warsaw time. I slept like a log for 9 hours.

On Sunday, Paul, Jason and I had a nice Chinese buffet (can you say carb loading) and then saw Pineapple Express. I napped during the movie. We ended the evening on the patio enjoying drinks and the beautiful weather! We then watched the recorded version of the Olympics opening ceremonies in Beijing, on Troy's TV. Amazing!

OLYMPICS - As you remember from 4 years ago, I've always been a huge olympics fan. No, it's not just because of the hot athletes. I'm a bit of a competitive person and I like to see the best of the best. I'm a bit of a softie for the human stories behind the athletes, as well.

BIRTHDAY - We had another birthday this week. On August 9, our cat, Chase, turned 5 years old. Happy birthday, poop!

Olympics & Politics

2008-07-31T22:22:00.002-04:00

I've always been a big fan of the olympics as it is inherently dripping in international stuff: people from all nations competing. I can't wait for it all to begin!

While driving to Target today, I came across a great program on NPR, which dealt with the history of the olympics, and how different countries (including the US) have used the Olympics to further political gain. It was very well written and insightful.

For the complete program, click here.

Weekly Roundup

2008-07-27T18:57:00.000-04:00

PUERTO RICO - I'm really excited about our trip to Puerto Rico and quality time with Jason. The trip is just 4 weeks away! With Jason's school and work schedule (along with my schedule,) we have not been seeing so much of each other lately. This will be a week of walks on the beaches, sunbathing, snorkeling, etc. As an extra bonus, two very low maintenance friends, Glenn and Chase will be going with us (staying in separate rooms, of course.)

POLSKA - On Monday, my boss gave me the ok to travel to Warsaw the week after next for a technical/training event. I've had my head down, concentrating on getting my past project done (which I largely did, on time, on budget, I might add.) This is a huge opportunity to meet people in my larger global group and learn about the technology for my new project. It's going to be a great opportunity. (Worry not: I'm bringing my DSLR with me.)

MIA - Don't be surprised if I'm not Missing In Action for awhile. This is going to be a crazy 6 weeks.

RELAXING SUNDAY - Both Jason and I have busy schedules at the moment and I was happy that Jason was able to take Sunday off for us to spend the day frolicking. We had a nice breakfast and long nap. Then went to the pool at Adonis with the Boys. Afterward, we walked from our home to Rock Bottom and enjoyed a couple of beers.

THIRTY SEVEN - Another year slips by. On Monday, I turn 37. While I do have more grey in my beard, I feel I've become wiser in my old age.

First Annual Cincinnati Blogger Convention

2008-07-26T20:16:00.002-04:00

I was invited to the event which took place in Cincinnati's Mercantile Library (a privately owned library which was founded in 1835 and hailed as one of the oldest cultural institutions in the Midwest.)

Jason had to work so I arrived on the 11th floor of the Cincinnati building alone. I immediately saw someone I knew! Barry, of Queer Cincinnati greeted me as I walked into the tall, tastefully furnished antique room. I hadn't seen Barry in a while and we talked as more people arrived.

Although the setting was a bit formal, the conversation was not. The conversation was light and animated.

Soon, Albert spoke and welcomed us to the event and to his library. He encouraged us to talk, to share ideas and to network.

I didn't know many people but I took some pictures and continued to mingle. I had a couple of glasses of wine and enjoyed talking to other bloggers. It was actually quite inspiring to meet others with the same passion for writing (and who mostly had ties to Cincinnati!)

The library:

I was excited to meet other people that I had read before! A while back, I mentioned Katy from Katy's Random Musings. She was there! As was 5chw4r7z and Dan!

I had some nice conversation with Wine Girl and Beer Guy. They write about booze.

After about an hour and a half, a small group realized they were hungry. There was a suggestion to break off from the group and go to Rock Bottom. Being a lover of beer, they didn't have to twist my arm very much to get me to go.

At Rock Bottom:

Julie demonstrating the new American Sign Language (ASL) sign for "brew pub." We laughed at this and planned a future (drink-encouraged) trip to the Creation Museum, which happens to be located just across the river in Northern Kentucky.

We drank and ate for another couple of hours before saying our goodbyes. All in all a great evening!

Photo Friday: AWFUL

2008-07-25T06:25:00.000-04:00

The theme for this week's Photo Friday is "AWFUL."

What to put? I had some pictures of tragedy, and some pictures of things like funerals which document some pretty awful images. I decided to go the playful route and present you this picture:

Two years ago, I let my hair grow out for a role in "Honk!" - when the show was over, I was left with an awful hairdo.

Weekly Roundup

2008-07-20T22:26:00.003-04:00

CAPTURE CINCINNATI - CIN Weekly magazine is sponsoring another installment of "Capture Cincinnati," a sort of contest for residents of Cincinnati to submit pictures that will go into a hard bound book. Jason did this last year, but basically entered photography too late for it to be considered. We both started early this year. You can vote for my pictures here and, Jason's here. Please vote! Here's one of Jason's pics:

WORK - Although I am being assigned to a new assignment at work, it is gratifying to see the rewards of the blood, sweat and tears spent on my previous project, as the software goes into production. It feels good to be recognized for getting results and moving the business forward!

PSYCH'ED - At the gym today, I steped onto the elliptical machine; I was listening to the current audiobook, "Thousand Spendid Suns." Being a gay, I tried to tune into HGTV, but it just would not pick up channel 58 on the small TV. But channel 56 worked. USA Network. I watched it a show without the sound. I didn't know what show it was but I liked the way the people carried themselves. It made me smirk. I found out it was the show "Psych." I looked it up later.

TWO ACTORS - At the moment, there are two guys that I really dig. OK they are not the best known. But they CRACK me up:

James Roday - Shawn (at right) in "Psych" is cute, fun, very smart and a bit crazy. He manages to get out of some interesting predicaments.

Interview on Nirali Magazine

Maulik Pancholy - He's been in two of my favorite shows, 30 Rock, and Weeds. I especially love his role in Weeds, playing a young struggling, insecure, but hilarious drug dealer, catering to gay bars. In one scene, he wore ridiculous leather.

SUMMER - Every year for the last few years, it has appeared that summer has gotten away from me. I look back and wonder where all those summer nights went. This year, although we have been camping twice, I feel the summer slipping away.

WEEKEND - I'm generally so busy during the week, I often have to make time in the weekend to get small projects done, such as cleaning the garage. I'm happy to say that I made some strides! If I can get just a couple more hours in, I will be FINALLY ready to show my IKEA "before" and "after" shots for the area (as well as finally be able to park the GTI inside.)

OK. I did manage to grab this quick shot of the garage. With the GTI inside. Notice the IKEA shelves on the right and how dirty the vehicle is.

Photo Friday: FLIGHT

2008-07-18T09:50:00.002-04:00

Ah, the "Drag Races..." It all began years back when two Cincinnati gay bars decided to make a fund raising event/pride event around the time of the Cincinnati Gay Pride Parade.

The "race" is done as a relay, consisting of teams of four (male) runners that don dress, purse, wig and high heeled shoes and race. The winning team gets a prize and a coveted title.

I'm sharing this picture of one of the runners "in flight" at the 2007 Drag Race event--in this week's installment of Photo Friday!

Weekly Roundup

2008-07-14T22:25:00.001-04:00

SAILOR, AGAIN? For the second time in my theatre "career," and for the second time with Cincinnati Music Theatre, I will once again be a sailor. This time dressed in turn of the century garb in CMT's H.M.S. Pinafore. I was offered the role on Friday and accepted! Rehearsals start in late August!

NEW iPHONE 3G - Over 1,000,000 of the new iPhone 3G phones were sold this weekend! Interestingly, I don't own one of them. I had contemplated unlocking my my current one and sell it on eBay. Honestly, it would not have been that much of a financial investment. But, I decided against it for several reasons: I don't like the tacky backing of the Phone. Also, I don't think it is sensible to pay $10/month MORE just for the 3G service. That's $120 more per year! Finally, I bought an extended warrantee on my current phone which extends out another couple of years. By then, I'll be chomping at the bit for the latest and greatest.

NEW iPHONE OPERATING SYSTEM - I'm really digging it. Although it doesn't have as much offerings as the jailbroken alternative, I have found some applications that I really like, such as a nice version of Soduko, a Weight Watchers calculator, AIM and a wireless remote control for our AppleTV.

CAMPING - Jason and I left on Thursday for camping at Buckwood. We enjoyed a quiet evening alone on Friday night. The place was quite empty and pieceful:

Glenn, Troy/Romeo and Paul arrived on Friday. I liked Pauls miniature, rather nelly purple tent:

We spend hours and hours in the pool. We ate two meals at "El Rodeo," a Mexcian restaurant in Greenwood, Indiana know for its inexpensive food and mammoth drinks:

It ended up raining fiercely on Saturday morning, but we surived the wind, rain and thunder and lightning.

Photo Friday: THE OFFICE

2008-07-11T23:13:00.000-04:00

My old group at work contained several interesting "characters." I'm fortunate that I can share this cube farm picture in this week's installment of Photo Friday! There's something about the cropping that is a bit off putting about this pic.

Call Back Audition for "HMS Pinafore"

2008-07-09T22:39:00.002-04:00

I got a casual voicemail message from the director of the show for which I had auditioned on Sunday. She called me back for a dance audition tonight.

I showed up right on time, but people my age were already lined up, ready to dance. I dropped my hot tea and folder and joined them. I was expecting a cakewalk, maybe some light movement. It's for a Gilbert & Sullivan piece, after all.

It was kind of warm in the basement of the church.

The choreographer introduced herself and started showing us the dance routine. It began with a kind of skipping, then box steps, then other dance terms I was not familiar with.

I wouldn't say that I struggled through it, but dance is not my forte.

After 30 minutes of learning a the new routine, we were ready to split into groups of four to perform in front of Rick, the director.

My performance was not stellar, but it was not the worst. And people know that I require rehearsals to be at my best. I need repetition. Repetition. Repetition.

After I had had my "audition," a cast member from a previous show who would have no real reason to compliment me said I did relatively well. I wouldn't say that I was out of breath, but I was VERY wet with sweat after 30 minutes of dancing in this basement.

Rick promised us we would know by the end of the week.

Before leaving, we were asked for measurements. I hurried in line and was near the front of the door. I was so sweaty!!! Gash!

Weekly Roundup

2008-07-07T22:53:00.003-04:00

BUSY WEEKEND - I didn't get to feel too much of the holiday in the holday weekend. I worked my derrière off, acting as a taskmaster. Most importantly, I did manage to spend some time cleaning the garage (pictures to be shown soon.) I also worked on my transition of photos to Adobe Lightroom. I also prepared for my audition of HMS Pinafore…

GILBERT & SULLIVAN - I was first exposed to Gilbert and Sullivan as a prepubescent teenager, when my middle school attempted an abbreviated version of "The Pirates of Penzance." I loved it. It totally shaped my love for musical theatre (and, apparently set the path for me being in the chorus.) Among other music, my dad loved the musicals of Gilbert and Sullivan. He would be proud to know of my audition…

OK, THE AUDITION - I crammed a bit to refresh my knowledge of "The Pirate King" song, as my audition piece. When I arrived in front of the producer, musical director, director and conductor for the show I was clearly nervous. I knew everyone in the room, including the accompanist. I smiled and I calmly stated my name and the piece I would be singing.

Oh better far to live and die
Under the brave black flag I fly
Than play a sanctimonious part
With a pirate head and a pirate heart.

MY PERFORMANCE - My entrance was a hair too late, and despite practicing "brave black flag I fly" with a full trill and operatic intonation, I kinda failed and, to my disappointment, it came across normal. The next few strophes were better. I was a bit operatic for the next measures before going into the "Pirate King" bit in full force. It wasn't bad, but I wished I could have practiced the piece just once before with Mark F. beforehand. It would have been 200% better.

WAITING - I should know in a couple of days whether I'm in the show, I have a minor part in mind, but I'd be happy just being in the Chorus/Ensemble, as well.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT - Despite my boss not being supportive of me getting my project management certification, I've begin and will continue to study for the PMI exam. (There is a lot of down time at rehearsals.) I want to sit the exam in September.

WEIGHT - It's there. I need to concentrate on getting it off before our planned trip to Puerto Rico. I want to look slinky in my bathing suit. Time is ticking.

Photo Friday: SPIRAL

2008-07-05T09:43:00.002-04:00

This my latest installment for Photo Friday! This picture was taken during a spring walk in Boston, while on a business trip. This building is in the heart of Boston's financial district, but the average person would not take the time to look up and see this gem.

Photo Friday: Religion

2008-06-27T18:25:00.002-04:00

This my latest installment for Photo Friday! This was taken in a quiet spot at the Basilique Notre-Dame de Montréal

iPhone - Steps to Un-Jailbreak

2008-06-25T20:32:00.003-04:00

I'm so excited about the new iPhone Software Release 2.0. Not just because I'm a geek, but I really love the gadget and can't wait what new stuff I'll be able to do with it. I've heard rumors that the new software release will be available on Friday. My Friday night just got a lot more crazy!

I've had a jailbroken for the past few month. Not sure how it got that way.

I did some research and I found the steps to un-jailbreak the phone. The steps were not quite complete, so I thought I would put them in plain English:

Step 1: Plug your iPhone into your computer (preferably an iMac,) and make sure that iTunes is open.
Step 2: Hold down the top button and the round "home" button at the bottom of the iPhone for approximately 30 seconds.
Step 3: When the Apple logo appears, continue holding down the round "home" button at the bottom of the iPhone.
Step 4: Hold down said round "home" button until the iTunes/Plug diagram (not show) appears.
Step 5: Follow the steps. It will ask if you want to restore your iPhone. You do. If nothing happens, press the "Restore" button in iTunes. It will then take a few minutes to download version 1.1.4. iTunes will then clear the contents of your iPhone and install the newest release.
Step 6: The software asked me if I wanted to restore from the lastest archive on my iMac. I selected "no" as I didn't want it to attempt to restore junk files from the old phone (probably no harm, but I wanted to have a prestine phone.)
Step 7: iTunes will prompt you if you would like to syncronize your information (address book entries, calenders.) I chose "yes" as I have these things set up (and use .Mac.)
Step 8: After all this, your iPhone is virtually empty! Re-add your music (via playlists, or whichever means you use to sync.)

WATCHOUT: You will lose your basic iPhone settings, such ringtones, wifi settings, favorite phone number designations in the iPhone, etc.

Photo Friday: THE GREAT OUTDOORS

2008-06-20T06:16:00.001-04:00

I took this photo at the Loveland Little Miami Scenic Trail that I took last Fall.

Opera - Supernumerary

2008-06-17T21:56:00.001-04:00

Another show is over and gone! I had a very interesting experience being involved with the Cincinnati Opera, as a supernumerary or “extra” for their production of Madame Butterfly!

My first impression was of how cool it was to with these professional opera singers! Many of the “artists” (the opera word for “performers”) were pretty well known, from New York and other large Opera cities. As you’d expect most of the people have very large voices. Even the stage managers, directors and stage hands whom I encountered were exceptionally professional. I especially liked the announcements from the stage manager, who had a calm, pleasant voice as she sexily made it known that the show was to begin in 15 minutes.

Although there was a sense of formality, I was surprised at how grounded many of the people were! For the first rehearsal, the woman who portrayed "Butterfly" went out of her way to introduce herself and thank me for helping with the show. On down time, at rehearsals and at performances, I had some interesting conversations about their impressions of Cincinnati. Since I know Cincinnati pretty well, I offered up suggestions for food, nightlife, etc. (Although when asked about fun straight nightclubs in downtown Cincinnati, I was at a bit of a loss.)

Because of this sense of professionalism, I took my two short appearances on stage very seriously. Although minor, I tried to really listen closely to the director for the initial blocking and tried to think about Japanese mannerisms. More importantly, I listened to the stage managers and tried my best to stay out of the way and not interrupt!

My most memorable moment was right before the final performance. I offered the two female leads each an intricately folded origami flower that I made. They both were thankful and, despite being an hour before the performance, they were quite happy to talk not only about the show, but my interests, my theatre experiences, etc.

I also talked quite a bit with the male chorus singers with whom shared the dressing room. I would love to audition to be a chorus member.

All in all, it was an amazing opportunity, one that I hope to get again next year!

A Not-So-Normal Sunday and Three "Looks"

2008-06-16T22:05:00.003-04:00

On Sunday, I had the opportunity to show off several new "looks."

First, a couple of pictures of Troy/Romeo and Jason and I at the pre-pride brunch that Troy threw for our group of friends. (Neither Jason nor I could go to the actual parade as I had a Madame Butterfly performance and he had to work.)

As I got home, Jason took a picture of me in Asiatic makeup, after getting out of Madame Butterfly:

Later in the afternoon, Jason and I changed into trailer trash people, for a fund raiser for the Ensemble Theatre.

Which look do you like the best?

Photo Friday- MOVEMENT

2008-06-13T23:48:00.004-04:00

This is my first blog post for Photo Friday!

Westfest, street fair and street party in Cheviot (Western Cincinnati,) 2004

Weekly Roundup

2008-06-07T00:12:00.003-04:00

ANNIVERSARY – Amazing to imagine but I met Jason 2 years ago this week. We toasted each other in two different ways.

Jason brought me a dozen roses:

I offered him breakfast in bed, in the nude.

I'm hoping we can have an official anniversary dinner here after a while.

DANG - The high prices have really shown at the pump:

TRAINING – I had a two day training in project management this week. Despite my workload, it was really worthwhile as I learned some techniques for dealing with projects that have gone a bit astray. Definitely applicable to current work. I've decided to team up with some people at work with the goal sitting the exam and eventually getting my Project Management PMP Certification within the next few months.

WEIGHT - I am still in the downward slope for weight and I find myself at my 12 month (?) weigh LOW, at 195 lbs! This is despite pigging out while camping. While I have been watching what I've been eating, I have not been writing down my points. Also, I've been lazy with my gym stuff. OK. I've been eating a lot of soups and salads. Still, I was tickled and shocked that I had lost weight!

Another Technology Fatality

2008-06-06T22:37:00.002-04:00

I bought an iPod Shuffle within a few days of it being available for sale at the Apple Store in Kenwood. I loved the sleek size of it—it was perfect for the gym. So small!

But its strength was also its downfall. It was so dang tiny! I found that if I did not immediately put it into the small pouch in my gym bag, that it would be immediately lost. Sometimes I would lose it for a week or two. I mean, it’s so small you can’t feel it there!

Another downfall was that I also hated the fact that I never knew what I was listening at the gym. If it was a good song, I would have liked to have marked it as good. Same for bad songs. Marking music is important to me as I have so much of it.

As I was doing laundry, I put my hands into the rolling barrel of the (front loader) washer and grabbed onto something cold, with a wire. It was the iPod Shuffle.

While I am REALLY good about checking pants/jeans pockets for items, I had apparently missed my gym shorts, so the poor thing went through the washer.

He put up a fight. You can tell because the edges of the iPod were a bit worn. I was bummed.

I dried it then tried to turn it on. No dice. I tried to plug it into my computer. No dice. He was dead. Forever.

The upshot is that I took the plunge and bought a new iPod nano. Now, I could have bought the 4GB one for $150, but I decided on the black 8GB one. A bit of overkill for something I will almost exclusively use at the gym, but I did get a gift card to counter the cost. And it meets my needs better. (Yay for rating music!)

Introducing.. Gay Pride Month

2008-06-02T23:09:00.001-04:00

I had an interesting beginning to gay pride month. It began with watching Sex in the City (with friends, see below.)

Then my day today began walking into work and being greeted with a large gay pride month advertisement on the LCD panel at the entrance. (I was kind of surprised.) Then, on my way to lunch, I saw 2 known homosexuals. Then, at the gym, my iPod played a perfect mix of Andy Bell and disco hits from the 1970s. A few minutes from home, I honked to Chad, another known homosexual who was happily walking his dog on Central Parkway. Oh, and after my opera rehearsal, Jason suggested watching a movie called “Boy Culture,” which we watched holding hands.

Understand, most of this stuff was not planned. It’s just gay fate.

In observance of gay pride month, like last year, I'm posting Kelly's gay pride picture from this year. Kelly writes for Rambling Along Life... With a Stern Point of View.

Weekly Roundup

2008-06-01T23:11:00.002-04:00

JUNE – It’s amazing to believe that June is already here. It seems like yesterday that we were celebrating New Year’s. Fortunately, the Winter and Spring in Cincinnati were not that painful. Indeed, summer is right around the corner. It is to be in the 90s by the end of the week.

HOW TO SUCCEED IN PUTTING JASON TO SLEEP – Jason, Glenn and I scored tickets to Showbiz Players’ production of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. I’ve known the music for some time and was anxious to see the show. While my local theatre friends put on strong performances, I thought overall that the play had pace issues; with slow set changes, delayed entrances and slow tempos for songs, it span just under 3 hours. It was so long that Jason kept falling asleep. Also, because it ran so late, Jason had to leave at the intermission and go home to submit a project for school that was due at midnight. (He later drove back to Xavier to pick Glenn and I up.)

SEX IN THE NATI – A group of 6 gay friends went to Newport on the Levee to see the new Sex in the City movie. We had supper at Claddaugh and enjoyed the beautiful weather, breezes and view of Cincinnati from across the river, in Newport, Kentucky. While the show had some great moments, I was largely fidgety. In case it’s not obvious, I get anxious when I sit thought long productions. It became almost a reunion, with various characters from Cincinnati gay bars taking seats around us, in the audience.

WEIGHT – I’m still on a haitus for WW. I will weigh in next week. With the stress of the week, I didn’t subject myself to a Weight Watchers weigh in. I know it’s going to be hard to diet this summer.

DOING THE BEST YOU CAN – I’ve not been optimal in the past month. It’s true, but I’m doing the best I can (weight loss, work, home life, my interests, etc.)

Camping Weekend

2008-05-27T22:17:00.002-04:00

Glenn and I survived another weekend of camping at Campbuckwood, in Indiana.

THURSDAY – I took a half day vacation from work and we left shortly after noon. After a brief stop at Meijer and a late lunch at e arrived at 4:45 pm, just before their cut off time. (The owners don’t allow people to check into the campground while the people in the lodge are eating.) We set up camp. Glenn encouraged me to weather proof the brand new tent which ended up being a very good idea. Tired, I went to bed pretty early.

FRIDAY – In the middle of the night, it started raining. It was cold and I couldn’t get the sleeping bag to properly close. I couldn’t find my winter’s cap. I did my best to bundle up, but still was frozen. I was one of the first to wake up to the grey clouds and rain outside. I sat under the porch of my new tent and read some magazines, enjoying the quiet.

The rest of the day slipped by. We met some people, cooked, and just hung out with other campers. I ventured into the pool, alone as it was frightfully cold.

SATURDAY – I awoke to a much sunnier, warmer day! Glenn and I decided to go into town to get more ice and we had some lunch at “El Rodeo,” a Mexican restaurant. It was deliciously fattening. To add to the calories, the smallest draft beer they had was 36 ounces.

Saturday was the big loud party night; there was utmost fun. Drinks flowed very generously and often.

SUNDAY – Some people left on Sunday and the camp became quieter. Again, it was a nice day. We ate breakfast at a biker/church diner not too far from the campground. Early in the day, I lathered up with SPF 15 and put on my Australian bush hat. This day was spent in the pool, as the heating had finally kicked in. I managed to not burn. I prepared my favorite meal of the trip that night. Stir fried veggies with chicken sausage and taco seasoning served over couscous.

Later, the owners threw a barn party with karaoke. There was much frivolity, gaïté and loud drunken singing. Glenn and I wandered around to different campsites until after 3:00. We were told the next morning that we were talking way to loudly. Glenn. Not me.

MONDAY – I woke up to the sound of people loading things into their cars. Even at 9:00 am, I spotted several clear spaces where tents had vanished over the night. It was quieter. Glenn and I had brought a lot of stuff and I dreaded folding everything up and cramming everything back into his Honda Element. Without even so much as going into the pool, we said our goodbyes, and left after noon.

We arrived at 4:00 pm back in Cincinnati. I had just missed Jason as he went to work. It was so strange being back home. You have a different perspective on your life after you get out of your element for a bit.

Weekly Roundup

2008-05-18T22:01:00.000-04:00

WORK/LIFE BALANCE – I need to see how that works. I’m not having much luck with it. For the past week, it’s been all work and very little else.

CAMPING - Fortunately, Glenn and are packing up our tents and going camping in Indiana for the long weekend (Jason will be working.) I even got a new tent and new air mattress for the trip! I’m pretty excited. More than anything, I’m really stoked on the idea of lots of pool time, reading, listening to music, sleeping and just generally recharging my batteries. I’ve not had a huge charge lately.

GODSPELL – I went with Rob to CCM’s version of Godspell. I’m pretty familiar with the music from the show but didn’t know the actual dialog. While the soundtrack is about an hour long, this production was 2.5 hours in length, most of which was “performance” art versions of the parables. The music was solid, but it was too damn long. I’m not complaining, tho’. The show was free.

CAPTURE CINCINNATI – Jason is participating in this year’s Capture Cincinnati contest. The idea is that the organization accepts photography from residents and gets votes on pictures. The result will be a coffee book. I think I will post some pictures as well this year.

BATTLESTAR – I’ve been a big for the past couple of seasons. This season has not been as strong. I’ve been a bit bored and maybe a bit confused. It’s a bit disappointing.

CINCINNATI OPERA – I’ve got some exciting news! I was cast this weekend as a supernumerary (“extra”) in Cincinnati Opera’s production of Madame Butterfly. I’ve always wanted to do this! At an early age, my father had encouraged my interest in opera. He would be very excited about this news.

WEIGHT – It is what it is. I had a zero loss and a zero gain this week. Blah. I’m in charge of the menu for camping, so I’m subjecting Glenn to Weight Watchers recipes. Still, I’m sure there will be a lot of partying. While I want to lose and don’t want to gain, I am going to have fun, even if this means me pushing back for a week.

More Issues with Electronics

2008-05-15T20:52:00.001-04:00

Over lunch, I defrosted some veggies and made a low-fat fried rice with chicken sausage. I was in a good mood, surfing the net whilst the garlic and veggies were frying.

Then came the twirling Apple beach ball of death. Everything stopped. I had problems switching between screens. I waited. Nothing

I listened closely and there was a click-click, pause, click click sound. Click click.

I know computers. I'm in the industry.

I shut off the computer and cussed some more.

The drive was dead. Just like my lamented microwave.

I ran Drive Genius. No luck.

I attached my WD bootup disk. It would not recognize the drive.

Nope.

So, I made a reservation for an Apple Genius at the Kenwood Mall Apple store.

I arrived on time and they had no record of my reservation. They worked with me and I explained the issue. John, the genius (not quite as cool as my fav guy) told me that they had parts to replace the drive but that they could not retrieve anything from the drive. I nodded.

A few hours later, I had largely restored all my apps and data to the drive.

I had made a backup of my drive about 2 months ago. The only major thing that I lost were the Cincinnati photo shoots from the last couple of weekends. (I keep all of my important financial and other documents in a safe place.)

Fortunately, Cincinnati isn’t going anywhere and I can take my favorite shots again.

To My Departed Friend

2008-05-14T21:40:00.000-04:00

Your life was short.
You were a trusty friend.
You prepared my low-fat soups.

But, it happened, and your lights went out.

You are missed by Jason and I.
You with the warmth.
Especially at meal time.

Alas, you will be reborn and your light will shine bright one more.

Weekly Roundup

2008-05-10T10:52:00.005-04:00

OLD MUSIC - As much as I like to listen to classical music, I've been in the mood lately for rock, especially at they gym. For some reason, two somewhat rare songs from the 80s have been going through my head: Duran Duran's The Chauffeur and Electric Light Orchestra's Calling America. Like, Awesome Man!

EDAMAME? I just wasn't familiar with the stuff, but Jason encouraged us to by a frozen bag at Costco last weekend. I didn't know much about it but came across this great recipe in Rose Reisman's The Complete Light Kitchen which I got out of the library. I love this cookbook. I served the side dish with marinated baked teriyaki chicken (with marinated onions and baby portabello mushrooms) and simple Japanese white rice:

CAT BATH - It needed to be done to BOTH cats:

If you think this is fun, I'd remind you that such activities get you wet, belly scratches. Inexplicably, I also bit my own lip.

DISAPPOINTED - OK. I've been on Weight Watchers for 13 weeks now. The good news is that of those 13 weeks, I've lost 10 times. Three times, I've actually gained weight, including this last week. I am not completely surprised. I ate out a few times and a couple of days, I drank beyond my 2 drink suggested daily maximum. While I am not making excuses, I did have a LOT of stress this week. And, with my weight training, I am likely gaining weight muscle. Anyway, it really sucks:

Springtime Walk and Photo Shoot

2008-05-05T22:46:00.001-04:00

Spring has sprung in Cincinnati and Jason and I took advantage of a pretty Sunday. We grabbed our cameras and hoofed it from our house to downtown Cincinnati and across the river to Northern Kentucky, taking pictures along the way.

We had a nice lunch at Cock & Bull on Mainstraße.

Weekly Roundup

2008-05-03T22:55:00.000-04:00

CONTENT - This whole blog gay/Cincinnati thing (mentioned below) has actually made me reading some old blog posts. Wow! I had some great stuff! My blog content has been lacking lately and I'm committed to change this. With more writing.

LOSS - I lost 1.8 this week. Going to the gym 5 times this week helped I'm sure. I've been trying to do weight training at least 2x per week. I don't like it as much as "low impact," "weight burning" cardio exercise, but I do think it has helped my general metabolism and I can feel the subtle difference in my arms, etc.

Holy Schnikies!

2008-05-01T20:26:00.003-04:00

So, a blogger reader pointed out something interesting...

In your browser, go to Google: http://www.google.com/

Click on the "images" tab as shown below in pink:

Then do a search on "Cincinnati Fag" and press the "search" button.

This is the search result. Hmm.

Weekly Roundup

2008-04-28T22:17:00.000-04:00

PAINTING - I'm not the painter. Last time I painted, I messed up my wrists and had walls that I was not happy with. So, Jason is painting several rooms in the house, adding color to both bedrooms and two of the 3 bathrooms. It looks great! I'm pretty excited about getting this done. The house has been a mess for a couple of weeks.

GO FLY A KITE - We flew kites in Devou park, overlooking the city.

WEIGHT - Having gone to the gym 4 times this week and having stuck to the program, I managed to lose 2.6 lbs this week. Yay! As an extra bonus, I managed to fit into my favorite "Lucky" jeans--they fit perfectly!

Tattoo Design?

2008-04-16T22:23:00.009-04:00

I'm 10 points from my next weight loss goal and I have already thought of my reward. As of now, I have no tattoos on my body.

I took this design from a 50s German bier poster. The original didn't have consistent weight and detail and the fleur-de-lis was not so prominent.

This is my altered design that I brushed up and altered in pencil, then rescanned and retouched:

What do you think? I'm thinking about this as a meager tattoo on my upper arm.

I think the "V" is too much. There are 10 wings, after all...

Say, is this impossible for a tattoo artiste?