Dave's Blog

Brushes

The iPhone is predictably dangerous for an obsessive compulsive like myself. Last night the sickness expressed itself in a digital finger painting session with Brushes, which I immediately downloaded after stumbling upon this article about a recent New Yorker cover made entirely on an iPhone. Just look at this piece and tell me you can't see the words The New Yorker, in their distinctive deco font, across the top. Don't ask me how I do it; it's a gift.

White

A random shot out the window on a drive down to Rochester the other day. You can't really tell here, but when you relax your brain and take in a view like this you can see about a hundred shades of white. Almost makes the prospect of freezing your ass off when you step out into it bearable.

Christmas Party Horror

Actually, it's just a wine spill by my new friend, Joan, at her and Tom's place late Christmas evening. Taken with my new iPhone (I'm obsessed) and altered with Color Splash.

Humbug Bread

Baked up a garlic-eyed grouch this morning. Alright, the garlic is an outboard add-on. Now I head out into the blizzard for points north. Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas

The MagPo crew came over to my place last night for a nice little party with all the requisite food and booze and cheesy music and games. And also Snuggies. Happy Holidays, y'all!

Words Come Apart

I think I'll start a series called Words Come Apart. Sort of an amateur etymological curiosity and shit-kicking session conducted in my own mind (at least to begin with; I hope you join in and edumacate me). Lately I've been taking random words apart in my head and putting them back together, and they don't always work the same afterwords (there's a word to take apart: Afterwords). This morning's word is "unbecoming." It means something like "undignified" or "not befitting," but when you look from a different angle it could also be taken as "not turning into something" and or even "falling apart." Which makes a certain kind of sense... when you behave in an unbecoming manner, your image falls apart, or at least doesn't become better. But go even smaller, to "be" and "coming." "Coming" must be related to "comely," as in beautiful, but I also wonder if it isn't related to "comfort," as in "come, come, now..." To "be coming" in that sense would mean to "be comfortable," like say to be comfortable in a certain job or uniform. That makes a little more sense. Okay, I'll stop now. Hope to hear from you!

Aebleskiver

This is Chad Gillard from Aunt Else's Aebleskiver doing a demo at MagPo, showing us how to make the delicious little hollow flavor balls that have become an instant family favorite, even though we're Swedes, not Danes. Hell, I think even Martians would love these things, and they'd like Chad even more. Talk about a nice guy; I saw these Minneapolis-made pans on a favorite website, heavytable.com, ordered one online out of pure curiosity, and got it the next day not only delivered to the office personally but with a free lesson on how to make them (they're super easy) and a slew of tasty skeevers for the whole crew. I like them filled with cheese and dipped in marinara sauce, but they're really great filled with apples and cinnamon sugar and dipped in jelly. Check out Chad's video, and order the starter kit; it'll be the some of the best fifty bucks you ever spent.

Ornament

My sister, Becky, had an ornament exchange party last night. I always like to make a gag ornament, so my contribution this year was this thirty pound concrete Santa/Krampus number made with the help of our Stone Faces - Greek God kit (are you familiar with Santa's demonic Austrian enforcer?). For some reason nobody at the party found it either funny, interesting, or creepy (c'mon, people!) so I stole it back for myself. It's hanging from a tree in my front yard now; Santa faces the neighbors and I get Krampus.

Mele Kalikimaka!

...is Hawaii's way to say "Merry Christmas" to you. The Meteor Boys also said it that way last Friday night at the Bryant Lake Bowl.  I'm the one on the left, stage-named Buster Hart, and that's my friend, Jim, AKA Lon Putter. Thanks for the great photo, Betsey!

I'm Going To Give It To You Straight...

Poor Don. Made with our Mixed-Up Carols kit.