The Boilover

Earlier today I was able to help out the folks evaluating basements on the streetcar route. Both in my property as well as those of some other owners in the area I’m working with, I was able to give the team of two access to our basements so they can measure existing vaults, utilities, etc for the planning of pole and stop locations. A small part that took a little over an hour of my day, I still felt good about doing something to further the process.

I was also sure to send this letter out a few days ago to TRAC@dot.state.oh.us as a showing of support for this light rail system. If you haven’t done so already take five minutes to write something in support of a project that will continue the great momentum the center city is currently experiencing.

To whom it may concern,

I wanted to express my support for the Cincinnati Streetcar project. As a resident of downtown Cincinnati I can personally attest to the changes this city has seen in the last 4 years. More residents, shops, and restaurants have popped up every year, and life and activity can be seen at all times of the day and night. I have been working on redevelopment in the Over-The-Rhine neighborhood for the last 4 years, and we have seen tremendous success in increasing the residential and commercial population of this historic area. While the neighborhood’s success does not depend on it, a streetcar that connects the two largest employment centers (downtown and uptown) through the largest intact historic district with large residential opportunity would simply add to the momentum and truly bring even more residents, jobs, and life to the area. I urge you to support this program as so many of us in the center city have.

Thank you for your time.

Whether it’s writing a letter, attending a fundraiser, or trudging through very old basements, do your part to support this worthwhile project.

So far four weeks, four words. This week’s? Colorful.

I’ve been sick with something nasty, but managed to push enough dayquil in my system to get off the couch when I saw a sunny Sunday afternoon sky and only half a day before I had to submit this weeks shot. I already had the idea picked out in my head–something involving the colored Queen Anne windows over at Parvis and the Color building. Glad the films cheap enough, I took a ton of copies of every shot trying to get the focus etc where I wanted it. I can only imagine what would happen if I had a real camera…I’d probably still be over there.

My choice for week 4

Here are some of my other favorites from that little shoot.

*It probably isn’t Jay Bruce’s Horizon Yacht. But it could be! I mean, if he has all those cars….

So the last day to upload a pic for week 3 of IH2Sw? landed on my birthday. I already had a bunch of other pictures in mind, but when my girlfriend made red velvet cupcakes and even better buttercream frosting I knew things might change. We ended up decorating them in a back and for battle of oneupmanship that produced the array of designs you see below. And of course, I had to have a 20 minute photo shoot with them.

While I like the ring of shadows around the cupcakes, and I used it since I was able to upload it on my birthday, the better shadow pic is one I took of some weird little ice things in my freezer. They produce their own little shadows in the foreground, while the background is one big shadow. It is a little blurry though, and like the rest of the pix, didn’t speak to me/trump the birthday photo. Plus those cupcakes were so good…

Normally I wouldn’t post about something as silly as building my girlfriend’s cat a small fort. However Juju (or Jubbs) is such a I-want-to-be-next-to-you-at-any-breathing-moment lap cat, that to produce a cat fort that keeps this feline occupied while we watch an entire movie is, well, worth blogging about. In fact, the Jubbs hasn’t gotten up from her new bed of beds in about 2 days except for the occasional food, bathroom, or playing with a cork (her favorite toy) break.

To think that two towels, two couch cushions, and my favorite chair could keep Juju occupied for hours, much less days, is almost unfathomable. Indeed, we have created the perfect Purrtress of Cattitude.

I’ll keep you informed as the situation develops.