One of the elements I really like about the kitchen in our house is its breadboard -- a pull-out cutting board. It's like magical counterspace. You're cooking and you've got crap all over the counters, but you need to put this one thing down -- what to do? Viola! A place wondrously appears with a simple pull of the hand. And even though I have a large butcherblock, I find myself using the breadboard for more than just bread. Since it pulls out, I don't feel awkwardly smashed up against it. And it's easily cleaned. So when I remade the kitchen, I had to include a breadboard.

Well two years later and I finally got around to making it. The old one was made out of plywood (hey, just because it's old doesn't mean it doesn't suck) which I'd worn through the top layer. So solid maple strips with a bit of walnut for some style. It's wide so I have to glue up the wood in two pieces, plane both to thickness, then do a final glue.
One of the flaws in the original was with cutting juicy stuff -- the juice would run off if not paid attention to. So I routed a small channel in the new one which works quite nicely. So there's two side to work on, with hand pulls on each side.

The pic is the Christmas country ham before its boiling, broiling, and slicing ordeal.

I've got two more songs before that third ghost appears.

Joseph Spence, a musician from the Bahamas, "sings" Santa Claus Is Coming to Town. I love this recording because the only line he knows is the title -- yet it doesn't really matter. You know the lyrics, there're stuck in your head. So you can sing along with his muppet-like delivery.

On the other side of the 'meaningful song' continuum is I Heard the Bells On Christmas Day. This version is by Pedro the Lion is spare and plaintive, focusing the attention to the cynic-challenging lyrics

Happy Eksmas to all!

So last week we saw Aimee Mann's Christmas show at the Birchmere. It's the third time she's doing it and the third time we've seen it -- always a hoot. Which reminded me that I should post some Christmas music on this fine website you are now perusing. Just a couple of songs related to the show.

In his stand-up bit, Paul F. Tomkins mentioned a pet peeve of mine. Song: It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year. Line: "There'll be scary ghost stories..." No. There's really only one Christmas-related ghost story. Don't exaggerate. But despite that line, I actually enjoy that song. It's as American of a Christmas song as you can get: big, happy, and full of hope. It's not really the most wonderful time of the year - the weather sucks, it's stressful, and full of obligations. But during the song, you actually believe that it is.

Here's the original by Andy Williams:

And here's a Shrift remix version (a bit less saccharine):

And Nelly McKay, another singer at the show, has a really catchy and sweet Christmas song, Take Me Away.

First started journeying into the countryside to cut down a Christmas tree back when I lived in Richmond, mid-80s. For a number of years recently we drove out to Milltown Creek Tree Farm to fetch a tree. Didn't do it this year, though. Without a young child or a holiday party, I just can't seem to put all that much effort into the festooning. But it's a good excuse to show off my MINI with the tree right on top. Continue reading »

As a parent, you measure the milestones of your child with those that you yourself experienced growing up: losing teeth, first day at school, first time at summer camp, and all those other markers. And up until now, those parallels have been rather theoretical for me. I don't have a lot of clear memories from my childhood. Nothing traumatic, just being an only child with rather uncommunicative parents there wasn't much repetition to build those memories.

But now Zoe is 16 -- and that's an age I actually remember being rather vividly.  And I don't just remember being 16, I still recall what and how I thought at 16 -- my conflicts and my complexity. And the things I did at 16, well, I just hope...

It's also a way of viewing how things have changed in the world. Zoe's 2008 is my 1979. The big struggles for my 1979 world was disco versus rock, and US versus USSR. You know you're reached middle age when events you read in the newspaper get written into the textbooks.

So I'm pretty amused by this, and the way it's making me feel -- reflective, a bit weirded out. Enjoy the pic. Continue reading »

The last line of McCain's 2000 convention speech was the enigmatic "And I am haunted by the vision of what will be." Which seems an appropriate starting point for a Halloween ringtone. This is the last one, so after this we'll be back to the pretty pictures and non-controversial topics. ;)

Download haunted.mp3
Download haunted.m4r (iPhone)

On 28 Oct 2008.

This one is the first one I created, because nothing is more easily mocked this season than that disasta from Alaska.

Download russia-from-my-house.mp3
Download russia-from-my-house.m4r (iPhone)