1.1.21Delayed IntroductionIt rained on and off the whole day as I sat in my chair plugging away at a full list of work. Myrtle went outside three times to use the bathroom; three more times than I went outside. In fact, I didn’t even shower until 2:30 PM this afternoon because there was no impetus to do so. As such, I’ve yet to be acquainted with the outside world of 2021. This is perhaps the first time in my life that I haven’t even left the house on New Years Day. Intellectually I know superstitions and looking for “signs” in unrelated facts is totally foolish, but I cannot help but wonder if today’s horrible weather and lack of interaction with the outside world isn’t indicative of how this year will go. Hopefully that’s just my quarantine brain talking aloud. Because I didn’t go anywhere, I put my camera on the roof to get an atmospheric shot of the tree next door.

1.2.21As Good As It GetsWe love our weekend ritual of seeking coffee outside the house. It hasn’t happened every weekend during the pandemic, but today it did.

1.3.21Accidental AccuracyI could lie and say this photo is blurry because it’s an artistic reflection of the constant cloudy weather that’s always muddying up outdoor photos, but it’s truly just a reflection of my ineptitude behind the camera this evening.

1.4.21Un-Full-Phil-ledI saw a commercial for a Papa John’s stuffed crust pizza. Against my better judgment, I fell for the marketing scheme and ordered one for carryout. I got the pizza home and ravenously devoured my first piece. The crust was the only redeeming quality as the pizza itself was largely flavorless and boring. Has Papa John’s always been terrible? Whatever the answer, I will not be getting another one. Frozen stuffed crust pizza is better than this dreck.

1.5.21Enchanted ArtifactThis brass medallion is something we pulled from an abandoned trailer in middle Kentucky years ago. Recently it received a nice cleaning with Brasso to polish off the green patina that had formed in several spots over the years. I dramatically lit it because I thought the texture and shape would make for good shadows, and it didn’t disappoint.

1.6.21A Failed CoupA mindless hive of cultists descended on the Capitol Building today, lured by a dim insect lamp at the top. The United States' current and outgoing president decided to encourage his most loyal cultists, each with a questionable amount of grey matter between the ears (a requisite to be in the club), to march on the Capitol Building to protest the presidential election he fairly lost but refuses to admit. Unable to grasp the seriousness of the situation due to his infantile mind, he incited a mob that chose violence in an effort to stop the certification of president-elect Biden's confirmation as the 46th president of the United States. The horde clashed with security on the steps of the Capitol before eventually breaking into the building. The Capitol was evacuated. The mob lingered in the halls of the Capitol and accomplished nothing but embarrassing themselves before being removed by remaining forces. A woman was shot and killed during the assault on the building; it's unclear at this time if she was among the cultists. News organizations aren't saying it at the moment, but it's an attempted coup and should be treated as such. Afterward, to cover his own ass, the outgoing president told everyone to go home before telling him he "loved" them and that they are "special." I shudder to think what would happen if people of color showed the same amount of aggression toward the Capitol Building. This is a historic day and not in a good way.

1.7.21I Can See Clearly NowWhen we moved into our house this summer, I was clearing out the room that would become my workshop and found these old glasses beneath the old workbench. Designed with plastic on the sides to help shield the eyes, the glasses are big and non-prescription so as to fit the face of practically anyone who wears them. Thankfully my own prescription is light enough that I can work without glasses if I want, so I cleaned them up tonight with Windex and Brasso to make them look cleaner. There are scratches on the lenses and arms, but all of the corrosion was wiped away with the dirt. I like to imagine what these glasses saw before they fell under the old workbench. I wonder how old they are and who bought and wore them.

1.8.21A Technological Step UpI’m not one to need the latest and greatest technology anymore, though I do like to stay semi-current. My iPhone XS served me well enough to not make me want to upgrade when subsequent models hit the market over the last couple of years. However, I upgraded to an iPhone 12 Pro this week due having upgrades available and a high trade-in value for the XS, and Ashley was still on an iPhone 7 from what felt like 20 years ago at this point. The feature I was most interested to try was Night Mode on the Pro’s camera. While not fully manual, you can set it to do long exposures if the conditions are dark enough while shooting in RAW. My bathroom has a small light in it, so I decided to try out the long exposure feature to see how well it worked. I didnt use a tripod for the 5 second exposure and was surprised by how sharp the computer ended up making the final image. I realize there’s probably some quick realignment happening in the processing of the image to account for hand shake. It was an impressive outcome for a more-complex-than-usual photo. Having come from the days of cellphone use before cameras were even included, it blows me away how great the cameras on phones have become.

1.9.21Special SeatMonths ago, I made a wall-mounted vanity for Ashley to do her makeup and morning routine outside of our small bathroom. During that time, she was using a footstool as a chair, but the footstool was large and blocked the air duct to its right. With the temperatures dropping, this caused the flow of warm air in the room to lessen. Long story short, we looked for a chair at a ton of different places to replace the footstool and came up empty. So I built her a custom seat this afternoon using the same wood I used for the vanity. For this project, I really wanted to avoid seeing screws or nails on the finished product as much as possible. Except for some nail gun finishing nails on the legs, I achieved it while maintaining structural integrity.

1.10.21Today’s ProjectMy sister moved to Washington Courthouse, OH recently. She bought a house with many rooms for her, her significant other, and his daughter. The house needs a little updating in a few places (what homes don’t?), mainly on the cosmetic side of things. In my laundry room, I built an over-the-machine shelf to hold laundry detergent and towels. She liked the idea, so I went up to Washington Courthouse and made her a shelf of her own. The cabinet on the left side of the machines boxes in water pipes and valves—things she shouldn’t need to get to often, but will still allow her access should she need access. I designed the cabinet around the pipes to conceal them since they’re the first things you see on the wall when you walk into the room. While I wanted to do 45º cuts, my mitre saw would chew through only about seven inches, and these were 1x8 boards. Because the 45º setting wasn’t able to be mirrored on the saw/s settings, I decided to just make it easy and go with 90º cuts. Glad I did in the end because it made it far easier to make overall.

1.11.21Is There a Draft in Here?I haven’t been to the barber in months. Ashley has been cutting my hair on the deck so I can avoid having my face close to someone else’s due to COVID. But it’s as frigid as can be at the moment, so cutting hair on the deck isn’t an option. Shaving my head for the second time and not worrying about getting a style right was the only logical next step. I love choosing not to have hair for a variety of reasons, but I definitely underestimated how much of a draft I’d feel just sitting in the house. The last time I did this, we were living in the apartment—a much newer, warmer space. With the exception of taking this photo (linked my phone with the camera so I could take it), I had a soft hat on all day out of necessity. Don’t shave your head in the middle of winter, kids.

1.12.21On the MarketI photographed 111 E Elder today. It's going to stay a commercial rental space and has three interested parties according to the owner. It's relatively move-in-ready at the moment, so whoever does decide to set up shop won't have to majorly renovate it before opening their doors. Fingers crossed they can find a tenant. I don't like seeing empty storefronts.

1.13.21Oddities In DaytonOn a walk through Dayton, KY this morning, I passed this odd little building on the Avenue with a fun color scheme, some heavy vine action, and an odd plinth on the front lawn. Dayton is strange and filled with interesting stuff like this. I want to photograph more of it.

1.14.21Return to Forest AvenueI returned to the Forest Avenue house for updated photos this morning because the sun was shining. The realtor asked if I could go back on a sunny day to update the images because when I went last time, the sky was grey. This view is from the living room, which points due north and frames the city skyline perfectly.

1.15.21Words to Live ByListened to the radio a lot today. There was a doctor on All Things Considered who advocated for unconditional love for family members caught up in a popular conspiracy theory whose name finds itself between the P and the R in the English alphabet. It’s easy for all of us to mock them and ridicule their decision to choose misinformation over facts, but the doctor said the best way to get through to those people isn’t to bully them or insult their intelligence. What they believe is based in emotion; the only way to combat what they believe must be done with counter emotion. Citing facts from the sources between-P-and-R claims are wrong will make your relative believe you’re a dupe who’s misinformed yourself. Offending them with accusations will make them retreat further into their madness. Accountability, she said, is with the leaders and the creators of the conspiracy who enabled this, not the family member who believed it. I’m not sure how much of what she said is believable, and thankfully I don’t know anyone personally who believes in that conspiracy, but I like the approach of unconditional love. Being a nice human makes everything better, even if just a little, tiny bit. You don’t have to fix or cure everything, but there’s never a situation where being kind isn’t helpful.

1.16.21Quiet NightI spent the majority of the day building shelf inserts for improved kitchen storage, making plant stands, and messing around with my new router. I am never truly happy these days for a variety of reasons, namely because of the pandemic and my lack of social life, but working in my workshop of little projects makes me feel better while doing them. When I have those days, though, I don’t really think about photography. So tonight, before I go to bed, I tried out the night mode on my phone and snapped a photo of the yard behind ours.

1.17.21Mobile SolutionsBuilt a combination mobile cutting station and storage rack today. Around noon, I got the idea to make what is essentially a mobile work station and put it together in the garage. Because I do the majority of my cutting with a mitre saw, I have been using sawhorses with a piece of wood as a table in the garage instead of using it on my workbench because the saw throws so much dust into the air. The garage is far easier to clean up after the job is finished due to there being very little in it, but it’s a hassle to set up the sawhorses and board every time I use the saw. This allows me to wheel my saw and tools out on one mobile cart when I need to cut without setting anything else up. Everything is contained in one unit on wheels (that lock when I need them to). And because I still don’t know how else I want to use the space in my workshop, the storage in the cart is great because I can move everything around where I want it. The flexibility and utility really improve my whole setup considerably. I may mess around and put a piece of 1x2 around the top to make the work surface look a little nicer.

1.18.21Bird FeederAshley saw a bird feeder online and was going to buy it, but after looking at how basic the design was, I told her I could make it instead. So tonight I did just that. I used spare wood and plexiglass leftover from other projects to build the housing. The black chain, hook, and birdseed required a trip to Lowe’s, but overall the whole thing was cheap to make. There’s a caged suet hanging from the bottom of it, too. Just hope a squirrel doesn’t take the whole thing out. I reinforced the grip of the chain to the hook with a black zip tie, so hopefully that maintains its balance.

1.19.21Midwest WinterWinter in the Midwest is a drug. It can go days, even weeks, without sustained direct sunlight, muting my soul’s chant to keep going. I want to sleep, and when I can’t sleep, I want to hide away in a windowless room to open up the possibility that maybe it’s sunny beyond those walls if I can’t see it isn’t. And then we’ll get a sunny, beautiful day that reminds me of the little things I knew I missed but didn’t realize how much I truly did. Sunlight on the bathroom wall, a patch of radiant hardwood floor, a reflection in the eyes off a glass picture on a shelf, a golden and purple sky on an old building as I take an evening walk, sunlight through the fabric of an American flag; it’s all so beautiful and I take it for granted in the summer months. Only when we’re deprived of it does it feel so potent when it returns.

1.20.21Return to PrideThe White House and the seat of our federal government have finally been filled with adults for the first time in four years. I can fly the country’s flag on my home without feeling ashamed again, and I’m thankful for the step forward we’ve taken today. Time to get back to what’s right.

1.21.21I Am 35 TodayI turned 35 today. Took the day off. Walked to the Honduran coffee shop. Walked the dog. Cleaned the house. Got a COVID test. Are Skyline Chili. Had lemon cake. Built a shelf for under the sink.

1.22.21Gettin’ GoettaHad to get some goetta from Eckerlin’s this morning and stopped to get a photo of the approach to Findlay since it was such a nice day.

1.23.21Red River GorgeWe went to Red River Gorge last night and rented a cabin on the mountain. We hiked 7 miles today, then went back to the cabin to relax. This is a four minute exposure of the cabin under moonlight.

1.24.21Optimizing Existing FurnitureAfter getting back to Cincinnati, I immediately resumed workshop activities by building a plant stand and this piece of furniture that’s made to custom fit an existing filing cabinet. The cabinet is this ugly grey thing I bought years ago that I’ve always wanted to spruce up but could never figure out exactly how to do so. Ashley throws a bunch of loose papers that need to be sorted onto the top of the filing cabinet, so I built a frame around the cabinet with tiny little half-inch slots where she can organize her loose documents that need to be filed while simultaneously providing an attractive slatted aesthetic. The structure is made more stable once the cabinet is inserted thanks to the tight fit and base board that pulls the bottom of the walls together. I also experimented with wood glue and joining dowels to avoid showing screws and nails so the whole thing would look more finished.

1.25.21They’ve Found ItLast week, I made a bird feeder and hung it on a hook in the backyard. For days, the birds ignored it. Friday, however, they started congregating on it. And now the tree rodents have discovered it, too. They hop on the birdbath and stretch over to it, hopping up once they’ve gotten ahold of its side. Initially, I was annoyed that the squirrels were getting into the birdseed, but honestly, if it makes their little lives better, so be it. I cannot imagine being an outdoor creature with it being so cold and gloomy all the time.

1.26.21Not a VampireThis image is actually two in one. I stood in the center of the mirror to get the foreground straight-on, then turned around and took a photo of the wall behind me. Then, in Photoshop, I removed myself from the mirror and replaced that area with the image of the reflected wall. In the end, I was able to simulate taking an impossible photo. I made this for the architect.

1.27.21Repurposed ContentI shot a coworking space in Brighton for work today, and in the men’s bathroom, there was a sink that was once used in a darkroom from somewhere else. It has a beautiful stained basin from all the chemicals that were flushed through it over the years. I thought it was interesting.

1.28.21RemnantsWent back to Peters Cartridge today to get photos of finished common areas for an upcoming piece on Refined, and while there, I snapped a photo of an exterior door that’s obviously no longer in use. Seeing that place teeming with life is so strange but in the best way possible.

1.29.21New DigsRonny’s moving into an apartment above the Bay Horse tomorrow. I met up with him on my lunch hour and he gave me a tour of his place before everything’s moved in. We’re going to work on building him some custom shelves and such so maximize the use of his space.

1.30.21The Weasel WatchMy sister’s dog, Luna, is a little wiener dog. She wanted Luna to be able to see outside at the house, so I built her this little platform with a cabinet built into the bottom. She has stairs already that will go against the left side of the cabinet. I built the cabinet to fit the dimensions of those stairs. My sister loves Lord of the Rings, so I made the door to the cabinet round, like a hobbit door. They both liked it.

1.31.21History Revealed3CDC purchased “the Chong building” on Race Street Downtown and started removing the brick facade. Underneath is a beautiful Victorian framework that was hidden for decades.