Lightning 1, Tree 0

Lightning 1, Tree 0 Originally uploaded by Rich Terrell This tree was struck by lightning tonight at approximately Woolridge and Genito - it was so powerful that it blew parts of the tree all the way across the road into the far bank. Pretty awesome force of nature.

Tilt Shift on the Cheap

Tilt Shift on the Cheap Originally uploaded by Rich Terrell This was a random photo from our trip to Rome to which I applied a technique in Photoshop that emulates a tilt-shift effect. Ideally I would really like a Tilt Shift lens, but they're all over a grand and thus are perpetually number 6 or lower on my top 5 things I'd like to buy. The Photoshop effect is not as good, but it's a fun trick. It works a lot better with a photo that has a little more elevation, but this isn't a bad photo to try the technique out on.

Howard and Woobie

Howard and Woobie Originally uploaded by Rich Terrell My mom bought Howard a toy for Christmas. I was a little skeptical about it since Howard is a little rough on toys, and this was a plush stuffed Chipmunk. He ripped the eyes off almost immediately, and we took those away to prevent a nice big vet bill. But now he seems to have settled into this being his favorite toy to trot around the house with and occasionally bury under the pillows of the couch or bed.

Nostalgia

Six sided die Originally uploaded by Rich Terrell I was cleaning up my study and in the process of putting a lot of stuff away, I came across some dice from role playing games I have not seen in decades. This baby really saw some wear and tear. The die was really cheap to begin with, but still - the fatigue evident on the face and edge is fantastic. And it fills me with nostalgia.

Eastern Bluebird

Eastern Bluebird Originally uploaded by Rich Terrell This is a photo I took a few years ago in the backyard of our previous house. I'd like to get back to some bird photography in the near future; I have not really done that in ages. This photo is refreshing to me on a hot day.

I am easily entertained.

Howard with Woobie Originally uploaded by Rich Terrell This is Howard with his favorite toy. Every day when he gets home, he tracks his woobie down and then paces around and whines for 5-10 minutes because he can't find a suitable place to hide it. This has so far never failed to amuse me. Even when I found the guest bed coverings completely strewn about and the pillows in a state of upheaval - because that really WAS a good place to hide the woobie.

Giada Junkie

Lasagna Rolls Originally uploaded by Rich Terrell I spent a good part of Saturday afternoon in the kitchen, which is just a good time to me. It's like organic shop class. You get to work with tools, sometimes open flame, and on top of that you get to eat the results. That's a good time in my book. I watch several food network shows, among them Everyday Italian, hosted by Giada De Laurentiis. The show appeals to me for it's subject matter - Italian cooking is easily my favorite style - and Giada is a good host. Not too bubbly, not too subdued. She does a good job with it. I made two recipes she had on recent shows (I can't remember if they were from the same show or not). My last blog post was about individual lasagnas I had made in ramekins. These Lasagna Rolls are what got the individual lasagnas in my head in the first place. They came out really well, I would make them again for sure. Espresso Panna Cotta Originally uploaded by Rich Terrell For dessert I made another Giada recipe - Espresso Panna Cotta. The main ingredients are milk and cream, espresso powder, sugar, and unflavored gelatin. So basically it's coffee flavored pudding. But Panna Cotta sounds ever so much more elegant. And it has very good visual appeal when prepared this way. I confess to buying martini glasses simply for this dessert, which is how they were prepared on the show. They really do look good this way.