Random Photographs, Thoughts, and Tales | September - December 2024
Random photographs, thoughts, and tales acquired between September and the end of 2024 that didn’t have a place in a larger story or post.
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“Honk or be Tonkin.” Lammi and Chris pouring one out for Deme Kitchen, a neighborhood spot that’s dearly missed.
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My friend/neighbor’s former funhouse climb.
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Downtown Cincinnati from Butler St:
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Sixth and Main alleyway.
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It’s around half past seven on a fall night in a West Virginia college town. The local pizza place, seemingly the only spot open on a Sunday evening, is blaring the “Pure Imagination” song from the original Willy Wonka movie through some speakers that hang over the sidewalk. I hate this place.
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Rigacci Remnants:
These buildings along downtown Cincinnati’s Court St. were once home to the Julius Rigacci Box Co.
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Did the generation that Billy Joel sings about in “We Didn’t Start The Fire” actually “light it” despite claiming they “didn’t” and had in fact “tried to fight it?” I feel like their only advice about the situations they caused (shared via their joint couple Facebook accounts), has been: “Wanna put it out the fire? Try pissing on it.” Sound advice from people who don’t trust what’s in the water.
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The Goodyear blimp waiting out an approaching storm at Cincinnati’s Lunken Airport the day after it flew over the Bengals getting crushed on Monday Night Football.
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Religious mural. Edgewood, KY.
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Florence Mall classic retail architecture. Florence, KY.
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Somewhere, KY.
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One last beer with my neighbor/friend, Chris.
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Scene from Leanne and Kyle’s wedding.
Two wonderful friends of mine held their wedding and one of the aspects I loved was this cool “retro” project they had going on. The television itself no longer had a working tube, so it was retrofitted with an LCD display. During the ceremony, a friend of ours filmed with an early 2000’s VHS camcorder (rigged up to a digital drive). The video was then able to be quickly uploaded to the tv screen for all guests to enjoy. The visual effect turned out great and even a cynical prick like me—who hates weddings after having worked so many—really enjoyed this. It was especially appropriate since I was working on this story at the time. Also, Kyle and Leanne are just two really great people who I am so happy to know.
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Central Parkway, Over-The-Rhine. Cincinnati.
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Years ago I had this German photo magazine which featured these amazing images of various Oktoberfest festivals. I’ve never been able to accurately mimic those at any local, similar celebration and the closest I’ve ever gotten was the scene above—a beer I was drinking after my day job.
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Downtown Cincinnati.
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Downtown Cincinnati.
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Still life of work I’m published in.
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Egypt supervising the still life shoot.
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Imagine walking down the street and the only sliver of the bus ad that you can see is this.
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Mural near the West End Stadium. Cincinnati.
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New Murals That Debuted for BLINK 2024:
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When I was a kid, my Dad had (and might still have) a hat that commemorated the “Original Six” teams of the National Hockey League. I would love to have a modern version that commemorates the “Original Eight” of the first version of the XFL from 2001.
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Egypt in the morning (Egypt in the evening (Egypt at supper time (Egypt doesn’t know about bagels, because she’s never been to the bagel place (it’s too far for a walk for her poor attention span))))..
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On October 29, 2024, I went to the Northside Yacht Club with some friends. Coincidentally, it was the 17-year anniversary of when I first published to this website. After ordering a fresh beer, the bartender came over and said: “sorry to bother you, but I love your blog.” It was truly one of the coolest compliments I’ve ever received. Stuart, if you’re reading this—thanks for chatting with me about “Surf Cincinnati” and thanks for following all these years. I hope you’re well and I love your bar.
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Fall on Sycamore Street. Cincinnati.
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Over-The-Rhine. Cincinnati.
The liminal space cafe at The Party Source in Bellevue, KY.
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“Pan! I see you! You too, Tinkerbell! You’re both lookin’ great! Me? I’m a hot dog!”
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Sometimes this building is brown.
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Proctor & Gamble Headquarters. Cincinnati.
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A list of dive bar thoughts (open to debate/limited feedback):
People like to rattle off the ones they’ve been to in a well-meaning, yet braggadocios manner to prove their dive bar bonafides (especially if they can claim to have once been a regular at one (you won’t have to ask, they will tell you)).
Conversely, those who are listening, are silently judging based on their own dive bar opinions.
All this to say: dive bar attendance discussions are a delicate dance and a daring duel between folks who can just as easily become friend or foe depending on the establishments listed.
The presence of some sort of quasi-legal gambling ticket game is a sign of a good dive bar.
Preferably the pull-tab bingo type tickets, but a modern state lottery vending machine still (kind of) counts (don’t play it, though, because state lotteries are a scam).
It’s a good sign if the physical bar has one of those old-school “touch tv” arcade games.
Don’t get your hopes up about playing it, though. If it’s even working, there’s probably a drunk regular named “Don” sitting right in front of it and it’s not worth talking to that guy just to play off-brand Tetris.
The outside furniture is a hodgepodge of mismatched, plastic patio chairs purchased over the course of time via various Walmart clearance sales.
Most of the chairs have pools of rainwater in them even though it hasn’t rained in awhile.
The few dry chairs are cracked and require the occupant to be mindful of their balance.
The term “dive bar” =/= “good.” Dive bars can be bad. If you encounter a crowd enthusiastically belting out Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” unironically, it’s in your best interest to go elsewhere.
A good dive bar shows NFL games by default, but a bad diver bar advertises that they have Sunday Ticket and actively hopes to attract drunk transplants who’s happiness hinges on the 1999-expansion-team-known-as-the-Cleveland Browns winning (a bet worse than the state lottery).
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Cincinnati.
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Modern “ghost sign” at a business that is already closed despite proclaiming via hand-painted signage that it was established eight years ago in 2016.
I mean no disrespect to the proprietors of “axe throwing” establishments, but… I never “got it” and I still don’t “get it” despite having once gone axe throwing myself. Now, the photograph above was from a local business in my home town that unfortunately didn’t last and that sucks. I certainly appreciate seeing my city thrive and I appreciate businesses that try to make a go of things, but the concept of “axe throwing” just never seemed to make any sense. That’s not to say I’m some business savvy, LinkedIN-lurking doofus—but, I think I have a relatively good understanding of the common person and I sincerely doubt that the idea of axe throwing had much appeal beyond the casually curious, or, people who genuinely admire Joe Rogan.
The one time I went axe throwing, it was for a friend’s bachelor party. Me and the other guy who planned it thought the axe thing might be a fun activity before dinner and some bar hopping across Ohio’s capital city.
And it was.
Until an axe bounced off the target wall, onto the concrete floor, and within inches of a pitcher of Miller Lite that now seemed suspect for us to be consuming while throwing bladed weapons through the air.
Our “guide” wasn’t concerned, though, but he did give me an insane amount of attitude when I said we were going to Venmo him a tip (that was how we had paid for the whole thing anyways) in lieu of cash. That place seemed like it was one unintentional lobotomy away from closing, but according to Google (today, six years later): it’s still open behind Columbus, Ohio’s psuedo-abandoned lifestyle center.
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Eating Bugles at Leo’s with Lammi while he was home from Orlando for the holidays.
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Donald Trump ain’t gonna save Frisch’s.
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Downtown Cincinnati loves a good “deal mall” aesthetic.
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Where your bootstraps take you.
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Christmastime in the City (of Cincinnati):
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“The Iliad and the Honda Odyssey: A Christian Father’s Tale of Family Road Trips and Faith,” would be a good title for a (dubiously truthful) book that inspires an original movie on the Chick-Fil-A streaming service.
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Downtown Cincinnati.
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I have no desire or plan to do this, but: it would be a bad idea to use a string of Christmas lights as an extension cord, right?
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Downtown Cincinnati.
I made this photograph with my phone while walking the dog in front of the John Weld Peck Federal Building, but figured I’d want to re-shoot it with the “real” camera at some point down the road. So, I added it to the list.
I ended up re-shooting the scene a few hours later with a different focal length (once again with the dog, but this time also with the sounds of a couple loudly hurling vulgar accusations of infidelity at each other). I ended up liking both compositions, so one’s in this collection and one’s over here since I apparently enjoy making arbitrary organizational rules for myself.
Anyways, this is an easy shot to get, because the streetcar sits here at the mid-block until the traffic light cycle allows it to move forward. That wouldn’t be a big deal if the lights and signals were timed (as originally envisioned and planned), but the city hasn’t gotten around to actually programming this technology after eight years (even though it’s already installed).
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“Call that boy ‘Mao Zedong’ cause he’s throwing up more red flags than the Chinese Communist Party.”
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Exit 62 Truck Stop & Yum Yum Restaurant — Glencoe, KY:
Some of the best onion rings I’ve ever had…
…enjoyed while sitting directly below a television that was blaring the melancholic music of a St. Jude commercial where a child described having their leg amputated to prevent the spread of cancer.
Really, really good onion rings, though.
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Back with more stuff in 2025.
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