Halloween

So around Cincinnati trick-or-treating is limited to certain times. It just ended in my neighborhood. My sister and older nephews teamed up with their neighbor to hand out candy around a fire in the driveway.






Here are the Jack O'lanterns.






I'm not sure what this is.






This one was made from a pattern though, somewhat cheating.






~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2009 iWolff Ltd.

Dessert at Bible Study

Here is apple crisp in progress. I am sure it will be delicious.





Yes, just your friendly neighborhood papparazi ambushing unsuspecting people.

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2009 iWolff Ltd.

Bible Study

Some strange people show up.












It is a good evening though. We're going through Why We Believe the Bible by John Piper. It is really good so far.

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2009 iWolff Ltd.

Weird

I just saw this bumper sticker yesterday.



~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2009 iWolff Ltd.

Staff Photo

Today was the annual staff photo at work.

Lining up:



The staff were acting a bit like guests, ;-).



Guest Services had more people than other uniformed Museum departments.



Guys had to wear ties. Here was one creative solution (by now traditional each year):



~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2009 iWolff Ltd.

Mongol

I recently watched the movie "Mongol."



It was a good movie. I'm not sure about all of the historical details but am inclined to be lenient. First, how many historical films are 100% accurate anyway? Secondly, it was a wonderful piece of cinamatography (sp?). And finally, I think some details of Genghis Khan's early life are sketchy--it isn't as bad as some of the fiction we see in the newspapers masquerading as fact.

The movie was in Mongolian, but that didn't hinder my enjoyment. It was similar to the manner in which Apolycapto and The Passion were still very understandable despite the foreign language. Sometimes I think I catch more dialogue in subtitled films, e.g. whispers.

If you like historic films or grand epics give this movie a shot.

I read that this movie is hopefully the first of three. I hope this is true, and I'll definitely look for the others (reportedly the sequel The Great Khan will be released in 2010) when they are made.

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2009 iWolff Ltd.

Preparation continues

for Christmas at the Creation Museum.







~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2009 iWolff Ltd.

Cribbage

I've always enjoyed playing games. It must have come from my mother's side as my dad never plays board games and only rarely plays cards.

My (maternal) Grandad was a great game player, even near the end of his life when his dementia grew worse. Until nearly the end he could still beat the best of us in a game of Rummikub. However my favourite game memories are of playing cribbage.

I'm pretty sure that my grandfather taught me how to play the game. I certainly remember that I rarely beat him. When browsing the iTunes app store for games recently I stumbled across a cribbage application. I had to download it soon thereafter.




Playing this game on the computer isn't the same as with a board and deck of cards. However I don't have any local friends who play, so it is better than never playing any more. It does bring back some fond memories, even if this time around I'm playing solo on my iPhone.
~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2009 iWolff Ltd.

Breakfast Supper

Delicious! :-)




~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2009 iWolff Ltd.

Hungry Dinos

I came across this scene when passing through the Museum's bookstore yesterday.


~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2009 iWolff Ltd.

New Addition

I just completed the addition of a small stable to my castle layout this evening.



This is the outside, forming the corner wall of the castle itself.

The inside is the first thing travellers see when they pass over the drawbridge and under the portcullise.



~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2009 iWolff Ltd.

Daylight?

Here is the view out of my garage when I have to leave early. I took this picture shortly after seven this morning from the same position as the Fall picture posted this morning.



Here it is lightened up a tad with the free Photoshop app.



Pretty soon I'll be leaving in the dark and getting home after sunset, ;-).

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2009 iWolff Ltd.

Fall

This is the view out of my garage. Fall is here! :-)




~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2009 iWolff Ltd.

Snakes!

Here is a picture from the Creation Museum's Snakes Alive program. Rick Teepan, a local herpatologist comes in many Saturdays to run these programs with his snakes.







~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2009 iWolff Ltd.

LEGO

Recently I've been reading many LEGO blogs and seeing the amazing things made by AFOLs (Adult Fans of LEGO). I dug out my bricks, bought a couple sets and went to work.

This castle city is very much in progress as I don't yet have enough bricks to do what I want. When cleaning yesterday I moved it from my dining room table to the coffee table in my bedroom.




Barn and corn field:




Cottage (modified from a purchased set):




Outdoor tavern:




Swamp area:



~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2009 iWolff Ltd.

The New Configuration

Here are pictures of my living room after a day of cleaning and rearranging.









Perhaps it is because it is new and I like changing things up every so often, but this arrangement seems more open than the last.

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2009 iWolff Ltd.

In progress

I'm in the middle of cleaning and rearranging my living room.




~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2009 iWolff Ltd.

I like the new logo

I really like FOX News, especially the more that Obama slams them. :-)


~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2009 iWolff Ltd.

What is Coming?

Can you guess


what is coming


from these pictures?

I'm guessing that my sister Laurie will be churning out plenty of applesauce soon! :-)

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2009 iWolff Ltd.

Your tax dollars at work!

Aren't you glad the government spent money on this sign? It is a good thing they didn't let the citizens keep that money and spend it on useful things!

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2009 iWolff Ltd.

Well

are you thirsty?



I love the contrast of red leaves against the grey stone.

This was taken at Grant's birthplace.

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2009 iWolff Ltd.

Cat sitting again

I'm cat sitting for another friend. Bella is a small cat though.

She is still quite tiny, but fun to play with.

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2009 iWolff Ltd.

Cause and effect

Cause:



(uncooked pork chops)

Effect:



(patient dog trying for puppydog eyes)

Any questions? ;-)

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2009 iWolff Ltd.

Working all day

I clocked in at the Creation Museum by six this morning to work the Raptor Run and am currently at the Myseum Center working an evening event.






The Myseum Center is in the middle of a huge campaing to get a tax levy passed. Personally I don't like many taxes, but this one is worth thinking about. Union Terminal is a beautiful old Art Deco structure well worth preserving.





The problem is that the building was abandoned for many years. When the Myseum Center was created it inherited a beautiful but somewhat fragile building. They have done a spectacular job preserving the structure and creating a world class museum. But museums don't make money like other places. So if people want to vote in a small tax to help the place it is at least better than all the taxes imposed from on high with less rationale and no discussion.

Here is a scale model of Cincinnati from the 1940s: part of "Cincinnati in Motion."



I love the History Museum and always enjoy an event in here.
Old station wagon, just inside the Museum's entrance.




World War II section:




These "cartoons" were oil painting samples for the mosaics in the Rotunda.




Namesake of Cincinnati, the Roman statesman Cincinatus.




And finally a three-quarter scale steamboat on the Public Landing.



The Museum has so much more, you should explore it for yourself!

~Matt

-- Posted from my iPhone
(c) 2009 iWolff Ltd.