8.1.20Thumbs UpMy father comes over every Saturday to help us work on the house. This weekend, we concentrated on demolishing the horrible drop ceiling in the basement. It was a dirty job, but we got it done. Now we just have to fix all the wiring and make it look nice.

8.2.20LiftoffWhile in the garden center of our second home, Lowes, I found a bee pollinating a flower. Thanks to iPhone’s live photo feature, I was able to identify and freeze the pivotal liftoff moment.

8.3.20Runway LightsIn the bathroom at Crane, there are these tube LED lights in the bathroom. There’s a small grate on either side of the light, so I stuck my phone up to it and took a photo of the inside. I think it looks pretty cool.

8.4.20The FolderI had an idea for a folding tabletop that would make use of the utility sink’s existing space. It folds up and back to allow for an unobstructed sink or a clean surface upon which we could repot plants, give the dog a haircut, etc.

8.5.20The TrainI * almost * got the engine of the train going under the Washington Ave bridge today. We were driving when we heard the train about to roll through, so I jumped out and ran to the bridge, but it was already gone by the time I had my phone’s camera app up. Either way, it was cool to stand over it as it passed beneath me.

8.6.20Please Come BackWaiting on her mommy to return from the store.

8.7.20IconicLittle Gary next to Vince’s motorcycle. A classic Bellevue image.

8.8.20A Fresh CoatJust a painter doing his thing on Fairfield Avenue.

8.9.20Sleepiest Snootzzzzzzzzzz…

8.10.20There’s Always OneEyes rolling so hard they’re in danger of falling out of my head and falling into the river.

8.11.20Corner BeautWashington Ave and Center Street, Bellevue

8.12.20Not a Van GoghThis photo is unedited, aside from slight cropping. It is a weird iPhone photo of some yellow flower things with flash against a window that’s frosted for privacy. Combine all three elements and you get an odd visual effect that looks like a Van Gogh.

8.13.20The Blonde's PerspectivePhotographed The Blonde this afternoon. It’s the newly built 13-story apartment building at the corner of 8th and Main. It has balconies along several sides, allowing for unobstructed views of Downtown. This corner is a favorite of mine, as it’s been part of my daily life for years. Seeing it from The Blonde’s perspective 6 stories in the air was a nice change od pace.

8.14.20ReminiscingMy mom gave me a manilla envelope of some old literature her father kept back in the 60s and 70s. Included was a spread by the Enquirer celebrating the bicentennial of the USA. This excellent bit of artwork for a Shillitos ad was included on one of the pages, and I really loved how it brought together so many Queen City classics into one image.

8.15.20That’s a Big NOPEI had to install a cap for the dryer ventilation pipe and that required getting to the end of the pipe under the deck (pictured with bright reflective tape on its tip). I couldn’t remove the boards with a crowbar, unfortunately, so I planned to put a tarp down and crawl up under here to get to it. Before doing that, I took a broom and brushed it below the deck to first rid the area of any cobwebs I couldn’t see, and two massive spiders wriggled out of their hiding places. I got the circ saw and cut a hole in the deck from above instead so I didn’t have to go under here.

8.16.20An Evening WalkWe went to get ice cream at Schnieder’s. After eating a pint (yes, a damn pint) of strawberry sherbet, we walked up Washington back to the house. I saw these two walking the alley before getting to B-List, and snapped the photo. They were walking a little dog and I liked how wholesome they looked.

8.17.20Kind GraffitiIt’s not every day you see graffiti that’s positive and accessible. Then again, not everywhere is Bellevue.

8.18.20MemoriesWe used to live there. Late-2016 to late-2018 were extremely good years. We moved into our first apartment together. We hosted parties. We traveled. We got engaged. We brought a tiny baby Myrtle home. But that place had changed by the time we left it. Management was less than great, issues with residents and their visitors arose, and the garage door was busted open and presented a major security concern. It was relatively cheap to live there for Downtown and for as much room as we were given, but our move to Crane was much needed and a smart decision. I do miss how much natural light that south-facing apartment received throughout the day, though.

8.19.20New OfficeI moved my office over to the house. this is the corner with my desk. The windows are open and the fresh air is flowing. Nothing to hear but an AC unit on the side of the house, birds, and the occasional truck shambling down the street. I cannot believe how quiet it is in this house.

8.20.20A Playful MorningI took Myrtle to the house this morning and played ball with her in the backyard while I worked on Refined at the table. The yard needs work, so there are numerous patches of dirt between the grass and weeds. Because the yard is in the shade for so long in the morning, the dew sticks around, making everything muddy. Her paws were filthy and she was happy.

8.21.20IdyllicPhotographed a house in a subdivision in Anderson earlier today. The backyard was enormous. This scene reminded me of being a kid, playing at the edge of the woods, and the swingset we had. Back before we all had phones, the internet was part of our daily lives, and the biggest worry you had for the day was what hour it was so you made it back home for dinner on time.

8.22.20Slowly EmptyingThe apartment is slowly emptying. The big stuff will be left for movers, but we are moving the smaller, more movable items ourselves. Today I moved chairs, TVs, lamps and more over to the house with help from my dad. We got back to the apartment later than expected and I took this photo from the corner of the room. You can’t see the couch, but it’s the only remaining thing in the living room.

8.23.20Foote StreetLooking north up Foote toward Cincinnati from Grandview in Bellevue.

8.24.20An Infrequent MeetingI don’t get to hang out with Ronny and Travis as much as I’d like. The pandemic is hard, schedules are difficult to align, and moving has really dented my social life. Tonight we ate Rusconi’s Pizza, drank Brewdog, and hung out on the roof until 10:45 PM.

8.25.20Looking UpHeld the phone out of the car as we made the last trip of the night over the bridge to Bellevue. Almost done with this move.

8.26.20Moving DayThe construction workers, who assured us they would accommodate our moving truck days ago, unsurprisingly didn’t give a shit this morning, so we had to physically block off Ninth Street while the movers loaded the truck up with our heavy furniture. I stayed down on the street the whole time to make sure no one would tow it or anything. The entire time I was there, I was so stressed out about blocking the street that I felt sick. Thankfully, no one yelled at us and we got all the stuff to the apartment without issues. We still have our downtown address until the end of November, so we’ll be back to Crane regularly to get our mail.

8.27.20West EighthThough I’m on a staycation this week, I did a side job in Covington this afternoon and came back to get a night shot around 9 PM. Because of the cars and the tree, I had to set up the tripod in the street. Luckily it was a quiet night with very little traffic.

8.28.20CSXI was taking the steps up to the house when I caught the beginning of a train rolling down the tracks.

8.29.20A Powerful SunsetI didn’t adjust the lighting or color to this photo. That’s how it actually looked, or at least that’s how the iPhone saw it when it happened. The vibrancy of this sunset lasted only briefly, but it was a sight to behold while it happened.

8.30.20ReshootsI shot this place the other day, but it was cloudy and the daylight photos didn’t turn out well. This morning, I went over and shot it again because it looked much better with a blue sky behind it. I’m glad I did because I need to turn everything into the client tomorrow.

8.31.20Crappy Gender Reveal?These two portable toilets were sitting at the edge of the woods in the parking lot of the Bellevue Kroger. I thought the scene looked like something from an engagement photoshoot or the precursor to a bad gender reveal.