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Threadless (Critique): Everybody Loves Eye Scream

Olaf — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 04:01:34 +0000

This design has been sitting around on a couple of drawing pads for a while now. I finally got it finished up to a point that it’s ready for some critique. I think I may still be an image off from original goal of one submission per month. However, I still have several ideas to put to paper, as it were.

Also, this is a pretty big departure from my most recent submissions. It had started looking like I was going to be a one-trick pony with only bones in the repertoire. I decided to get this one out before submitting another anatomical piece.

Cloudberries

Olaf — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 01:58:29 +0000

From the folks that brought you surströmming, a kind of fermented herring, comes something a bit different to entice your palate! When I first heard “cloudberry,” I thought it a playful term for flatulence. Turns out, it’s an indescribable fruit found in northern latitudes. It’s rare, and rather difficult to cultivate as I understand. The smell reminds me of some sort of baked fruit pie. It’s thick like a meal and very sweet – kind of like figs, though nothing like a fig. It was recommended that I try it on ice cream, which I can say that I have now done. It’s very good as long as you’re okay with the seeds; almost pomegranate in size and texture. I first had it on a biscuit and enjoyed it there. It’s sweet enough that ice cream tastes a little diminished in its presence.

Twitter Updates for 2008-07-22

Olaf — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 04:59:59 +0000

Just ran out to Darling’s Coffee on 20th and Pine. Lox and cream cheese bagel, finally! #
I ate the center of my son’s cinnamon bun. There’s a special place in Hell for me. #

Starbucks: Eco-Unfriendly

Olaf — Sat, 21 Apr 2007 03:08:40 +0000

I have a sordid history with Starbucks and my mug. I can speak singularly about my mug even though years have passed because I’ve been using the same mug now for…jeez…probably 5 years or so. Before that, I had another one. And before that, I think it was the mug I used in High School. Needless to say, I’m a regular mug user and expect some respect for it.

For as many years as Starbucks has had a drive through in Atlanta, I have had difficulty getting across the understanding that I have a mug and I’d like coffee poured into it. No cream, no sugar, no flavors – just coffee. Isn’t that what Starbucks is famous for? Countless times, there is simply no understanding my simple request over the drive through speaker.

Me: “I have a mug I’d like to get filled with coffee.”
Starbucks: “You’d like a spiced tea latte and what?”

That’s just one very memorable example of my problem. This evening, I asked for a small milk and a fill-up for my mug. What I got surprised me beyond anything I could have imagined. I handed over my mug, confirming that I need a small milk too (for the boy). They handed back my mug, but no milk. Without thinking much about it, I drive forward (I’m not much of a “let me tell you how to do your job” kind of guy) realizing at the same time that they forgot the boy’s milk. Then I take a sip from my mug and realize that’s no more than a mug full of pure, white milk. I’m not against milk – I enjoy it as much as the next 4-year-old. It’s just a bit of a shock when you pay $2.00+ for 16oz. of Mayfield milk. And expect 180°F dark roasted coffee. Come on Starbucks! You totally screwed me! And damn it – I’m not the guy that bothers to fix my food order in a drive through.

The thing is this: Starbucks should support the environment a little better and have some expectation that their customers will have mugs they’d like to reuse for coffee products. Don’t fill a paper cup and hand it to me to pour into my mug. Don’t make me repeat myself like I’m an unintelligible buffoon at your drive up. For god’s sake – don’t fill my coffee mug with virgin-white milk! Surely there are other customers out there that have some secret handshake with the speaker attendant to get their request handled accurately and efficiently. What is your secret?!?

Panera Wins the Sitter’s Choice

Olaf — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 12:37:12 +0000

Panera Bread Co. in Gainesville, GA (I presume it’s the same everywhere) won my choice in a place to sit early this morning before the county tag office opens. I first went to Starbucks from habit, though I quickly remembered that Starbucks would not due to sit a while. If you’re there for people-watching, Starbucks is a fine choice. However, their WiFi is at a premium (> $0). I enjoy the bold coffee at Starbucks, but I’ll sacrifice for midrange coffee for the free WiFi. Technically, I could have picked up Starbucks coffee and taken elsewhere, but I find that in poor taste. So here I am at Panera’s – enjoying a thoroughly delicious bagel and cream cheese. The coffee is sub-par, but not gas station grade. There are old-timers that can be amusing to talk with. Other coffee houses reading this, learn from your mistakes. Figure out how to make free WiFi work and it will work to your benefit.

Birthday Cheers. Skål!

Olaf — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 16:40:15 +0000

…And upon the third decade of life, such an elaborate scheme was laid upon the woolen eyes of their victim.

Never before have I been so bewildered and pleased in the same breath. Here’s the skinny on one of the greatest sting operations of all times.

Jeff calls me early in the month of February to schedule me for a stilt-walking gig on the Saturday after my birthday. He asks me if I’m doing anything then and I tell him that it’s the day after my birthday, so not that I know of. Jeff is sketchy on the details as usual, but it’s nothing unusual. Amy even feigns irritation at Jeff’s inability to offer up all the details of an engagement. When my birthday finally rolls around, nothing much happens. I mean nothing. I turn 30 and there’s no recognition, no hazing, no free coffee at Starbucks. “Oh well,” I think – not a big deal. I planned to leave early Friday because it was my birthday. I got out at 3:30pm – big whoop! Traffic was painful, but I get home in time to have daylight that I need to work on my brakes for the Mazda3. It doesn’t go well and I’m stuck in the end with a caliper that I can’t fit back on the rotor. But that’s another story. We meet Jeff and Amanda for dinner, ice cream, and a Darth Vader costume fitting (in that order), but I tell them I need to get back home to work more on the brakes. If I don’t get the brakes done, I won’t have a way to get to the stilt-walking gig Saturday evening. Saturday morning breaks early and I’m off to AutoZone to equip. The boy insists on “helping,” which any parent of a 4-year-old understands the purpose of air quotes around that, so it takes a bit longer than it should. I prepare all my stilt-walking gear and costume and head out to drop Balthazar off at the in-laws for baby-sitting. Pick up some coffee, grab a bite to eat, and drive like the wind to make it to StarTime for a supposed corporate event in which I will be entertaining drunken employees. I call Jeff as I arrive in the parking lot to coordinate logistics. He tells me he doesn’t know where we’re going to be setting up and that he’s looking for the client to get information – wait outside and I’ll come to you. I’m game, because that means he’ll help me load gear into the building. While I wait, I notice a red Toyota Prius near my car that looks just like Isi and Missy’s car. I didn’t check the license plate, which proudly reads “LORAX,” but I don’t really assume it’s their car. I even have half-a-mind to call them to see if they happen to be at StarTime where I’m doing a stilt gig. When Jeff finds me, he tells me that we’re an hour early instead of 30 minutes early so decide to just go in and check the place out – maybe play some games while we wait. As we enter the building, I start eying the ceilings and flooring to gauge the relative ease of transitions and where I can and cannot walk with stilts. We get to the Funny Farm, where everything is going down, and I see a girl taking pictures through the door that looks like my wife…and she’s a photographer…how ironic is that? Even as my mind slowly realizes that it is my wife, I continue to structure my perverse reality and include her in it. Hmmm…that’s weird. Jeff must’ve hired Amy to come out and take photos at the party. Even as thirty people scream “SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY” from across the room, my mind is still sizing up the room and my obstacles for the night. It’s not until I see Missy’s hot pink hair that I finally realize I’ve been duped. The cogs in my brain slam against each other and break a few teeth before finally reversing. I can’t believe how oblivious I was for weeks! I can’t believe how well my friends kept their major secret. Turns out, I almost broke Amanda at the Dairy Queen on my birthday. I told them it was my birthday at the DQ and they had to act like they didn’t remember. Amanda didn’t want to be the asshole friend and it nearly stripped her of her secrecy.

So kudos to everyone in on this – especially my esteemed wife! Thank you one and all for my birthday surprise…and thank you for not making it a Batman costume gig in favor of stilt-walking. I couldn’t have hoped for more than a room full of friends and laughs for my 30th birthday.

And now I will seek out the people of the world that share a wonderful day with me to wish them well on whatever year they have successfully reached…

Medieval Times in Atlanta

Olaf — Sun, 28 Jan 2007 04:49:15 +0000

Amy’s birthday was celebrated this year at Medieval Times in Atlanta. I had heard some bad reports on Medieval Times in general, but nothing was going to stop me from experiencing it on my own. I’m certainly glad I did my own investigation. Medieval Times was a raucous good time for 8 friends that went. We ate like noblemen, screamed at knights, had the birthday girl dubbed lady of the realm by the king, and shopped through the wares of a medieval bizarre. I will say that you had better plan on spending around $150 a couple. It’s $50/person to get in – the food was very good and completely filling – there’s a big bar dishing out plenty of alcohol, and inevitably you’re going to want to remember the day with a special memoir; a picture, a certificate, or a souvenir. Despite the heavy cost, I really had a good time yelling at everyone in the arena. Some fighters were better than others, but all risked personal injury for our entertainment. They also do some nice horse work. There’s jousting, weapons combat, and some magic. If you can get over the cost, you really owe it to yourself to have a go at it.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreaker’s 30th Year

webmaster — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 13:11:04 +0000

We attended the Tom Petty and the Heartbreaker’s 30th anniversary concert in Atlanta this past Friday. What a cool concert! The band put together some new renditions of some old songs – many from the Full Moon Fever album. My favorites included grandiose piano solos in place of some of the guitar solos we all know so well. As a bonus, Stevie Nicks came out at one point and continued to sing three or four songs with Tom Petty. They didn’t do “The Apartment Song,” but I never really thought they would. It’s my personal favorite with the two of them, but seemingly no one else’s. He also never does “Wildflowers,” though I would very much like to hear it live. We went to the concert with Isi and Missy, whom we also enjoyed dinner with in Atlanta. A good evening of music and friends, despite any threat of impending rain.

Drunken Goat Cheese

Olaf — Tue, 18 Apr 2006 20:10:51 +0000

In what could very well be a new *thing*, I’ve indulged in a new cheese never before known to my palate. It was Isi’s (soon to have a linkable blog) inspiration that got me to do this. That is, Isi talked about a “Tour de Cheese” to have a chance at trying lots of different cheeses. There are so many unusual cheeses at the local grocery stores; it’s a shame to think they’re just sitting there…molding. So today we tried “Drunken Goat Cheese.” It’s an extrememly sharp mozzarella-like cheese with a sweet and creamy after-taste. Actually, the after-taste was really good. We decided that it’s too rich to be eaten by itself and should be sliced onto fruit or crackers. I’m now thinking that this cheese would be outstanding on apples (mental note: buy apples). By the way, the “drunken” aspect of the cheese was a purple rind that was the result of soaking the cured cheese in wine. I couldn’t necessarily taste the wine, but that may have been what gave it a very pleasant after-taste.

Trading Spouses: The Eclectic Edition

Olaf — Thu, 10 Nov 2005 03:19:43 +0000

Is anyone watching this show?!? Tonight’s episode of Trading Spouses on the FOX Network must have been the best comedy drama on TV in a long time! I didn’t even see the whole thing, I just came in for the finale. The gist was that they put a fanatical Cathoholic woman into the home of New Age hippies – Universalists perhaps – and watched the fun! The woman totally freaked out in ways I could not have imagined. I started to think it might have just been an act. She tore up her $50,000 check and dispersement instructions to rid herself of the demons. Idiot. I noticed in the epilogue that she reconsidered later. I think they should have kept their money. Mrs. Perrin got her chance and threw it away. The drama part was when her children were subjected to her over-done act of hostility towards the D’Amico-Flisher family. From what I understand, the Perrin family seemed to like Mrs. D’Amico-Flisher, so they were reasonably jolted when mom came home and screamed fire and brimstone at everybody. Worth a watch if FOX is still showing the clip from the outburst.

*UPDATE* The Wikipedia has some referencial data on Marguerite “Psychosis” Perrin. Looks like her fame has brought some unwanted attention. Way to go FOX.

And also Perrin’s appearance on Access Hollywood.