Filed under: tidbit
I had one of the strangest experiences of my life today. Did you know that there is a gigantic treehouse in Crossville, TN? I didn’t either. Leon told me about it a few days ago and tried to describe it, but I was seriously not prepared for the enormity of the whole thing.
The amount of background I have on this place is absolutely zero. I’ve found a very few scattered references to it online and even those are just someone mentioning having been there or having heard of it. I can’t begin to tell you who built it, or why, or how long it took. The most I can say is that the guy must have liked Jesus ’cause there are several references around.
Okay, so, let’s see. Apparently there was once a barn on this property in Crossville. Then someone had the bright idea to remove the roof and build on to the top. And from there, more levels, and more levels, and then some more, and then a spiral staircase leading even higher than that, finishing somewhere at least four stories off the ground, maybe higher. Five or more if you count the ladder climb to the bell tower.
I’m now realizing how impossible it is to describe this thing. Leon tried to describe it to me, and he’s good with words, and the concept didn’t really come across. The magnitude and enormity of this undertaking is … mind-boggling, to say the least. The haphazardness of it makes it far more interesting – at every turn it seems like there’s a staircase or a landing that leads to a whole lot of nowhere, a boarded-off dead end. If not that then it leads to a new area in a way you can’t anticipate, perhaps down a half-flight and under a previously-explored room, or around the outside of a tree and up through the floor of a different room.
There’s a large main ‘hall’ in the middle of the second floor complete with old elementary school chairs and a basketball goal. There are bedrooms in several locations, complete with mattresses, couches, dressers, pictures in frames, candles, and so forth, all in various states of disrepair. There’s a wood-burning stove somewhere up around the 3.5th floor. Around every corner there’s a new discarded piece of furniture, or maybe a hanging poster, or length of mirror. The walls are very open in some parts and closed, complete with windows, in others. There’s zero rhyme or reason to the layout.
Leon and Jennifer and I (oh, and their dog Malachi) traveled damn near every square foot we could find our way to, and it seemed like we didn’t cover even half of the whole structure.
I’m running out of ways to describe this thing and feeling overwhelmed just contemplating the enormity of it. It’s made even more odd by the fact that it’s not an official attraction, there’s no gate, no guard … it’s just some guy’s treehouse.
Oh, and the location apparently is a closely-guarded secret, so I’m afraid I can’t tell you exactly where it is.
Filed under: tidbit
Yesterday was, by far, the best day I’ve had in the last, oh, seven or eight weeks.
A bit of background – wait, first, a poem.
gentlemen and gentle ladies
i urge you to begin your snoring
though i have typed quite long and hard
this post has turned out rather boring
I graduated high school in 1994 and was just barely mature enough to know that I wasn’t mature enough to yet attend college. I figured I’d take a year off (story of my life, recurring theme, etc.) and then go to college. Well, one year turned into five before I finally weasled my way into TTU. I stuck there for two years before departing this fair land of Tennessee for the muggy nastiness of New Orleans to be with my sweetheart. We both figured we’d be down there for one year (her senior year at college) and then we’d move somewhere and I’d go back to school. Well, one year turned into five, and there I was in a wonderful job with great people, debating whether or not to take night classes at UNO or something.
[INSERT HURRICANE KATRINA HERE] and bang! we were off to Portland. After a stretch of what-do-I-do-now-edness it came up that I should go back to school. And why not! I applied to PSU, had TTU fax my transcripts, all that jazz.
Then this whole separation thing came about and I left Portland, most likely for good. Now I’m back in TN, wondering what to do with my life. I keep thinking about visiting Asheville, NC and not getting around to it. Finally it occurred to me that the reason I was so excited about this photo job opportunity was that I’m eager to stay in Cookeville for a few years. I kept saying that all my friends were moving away, no one was going to be left, Cookeville was boring, blah blah blah – but it really appears that most everyone isn’t going anywhere any time soon, and I’ve just been enjoying the hell out of myself since I arrived. I’ve made new friends, reconnected with old friends, so on, so forth, et cetera, ad nauseum. I’m content to stay here for a few years.
So I said to my father the other day that I had decided that I should probably go back to TTU. I mean, I won’t have to worry about transferring credits, I’ve already completed two years of classes in my major (international business), it’s so cheap as to be unbelievable, and it’ll offer me an opportunity to see if all my friends really do move away. I was thinking of the spring semester but Dad reminded me I had two weeks to squeeze into the fall semester. I realized he was right (I have lost a bit of my ability to keep track of time lately) and Sunday night I made up my mind to go in there Monday and inform the school that whether or not they wanted me to be there I was coming back.
Turns out I didn’t have to fight at all. I went in, they confirmed I hadn’t attended any other schools, they confirmed I left in good standing with a high GPA, and told me, “Well, we’ll get you in the system in two to three days – check back then. Oh, wait, since you’re returning … well, just let me call downstairs.” That call confirmed that they would get me in the system that very day. I called the Business department and set up an advisement appointment for that afternoon.
At my advisement they told me that I had indeed been taking all the right classes and I was set to go, on course, full steam ahead, damn the torpedoes and all that mess. I have to thank Mrs. Kumar for being so nice, polite, energetic, helpful, and caring. I have a schedule of classes laid out now and everything. I just have to officially complete late registration on the 25th and I’m set.
Are you asleep yet, dear reader? If not, grab your pillows and cuddle them tight, knock back some NyQuil for me, ’cause I ain’t done yet.
So!
Monday! Great day! I got up early for breakfast with my parents and a family friend who had spent the night. Hardee’s biscuits and gravy with laughter and Gridge’s coffee was the perfect way to start the day. Sounds like a commercial. I should probably fix that.
Afterwards I went over to TTU ready to send out shockwaves of pure awesome in order to blast my way back in and turns out they had the doors open, arms spread wide in welcome.
Having some time to kill before my advisement appointment I went and kidnapped Jim and forced him to go to The Dog House with me. That is one fine establishment wherein one can procure true Detroit-style coneys in exchange for a rather modest amount of money. Seriously, these people are dedicated – they have been in business for six or so years now and still travel to Michigan to get their dogs. They may even be better than my traditional favorite, the Hebrew National All-Beef Frank.
Man. I may have to go over there for lunch today. I’m getting all worked up just thinking about it.
After my most pleasant lunch with a good friend I returned to TTU for advisement which went so smoothly it made butter look like Yellow Extruded Sandpaper Log (available in the angst section of your local grocery store).
Feeling high on life I left there and headed to Poet’s to get a refreshing chilled beverage of the non-alcoholic but certainly-caffienated variety. As I stood in line I got a call from the photo job I want, asking me to come in for an interview. That put my spirits up to Toadally Awesome.
I hung out with Trey, attempted to do some portraiture work, saw Maaron and E.V., hung out MORE, and then it was time for dinner. We went over to TT and RK’s house where apparently red beans n’ rice are served every Monday, either in honor of that old New Orleans tradition or because they’re mentally unstable. I have not yet determined which.
I managed through smooth talking and much waving of hands to receive from them one of those super-spanky KitchenAid burr coffee grinders which I have salivated over for many months. In return I am to bring them a pot or two of my Gumbo and several Abita beers for a Monday dinner. I feel this to be a rather fair deal, do you not?
After dinner we jetted over to the pool where poor Jim and Ariel and Ross and Derek (Derick? Derrikk? Daric?) were waiting patiently as the mosquitos consumed them. I am the Keymaster, you see, and they were the Gatekeepers. Yes, have some.
When swimming was over it was Donut Time and I stuffed my fat face with not one but two buttermilk donus (plural of donut) as we played Donkey Konga. This game is just like Guitar Hero but entirely different. JJ and Trey and Maig and Jim and I took turns beating the crap out of the controller. We also found that during the parts where one is supposed to clap one can instead yell loud angry words and it works just as well. It is also infinitely more entertaining for those watching.
After that? AFTER THAT? Sweet, sweet blessed sleep.
The interview went great today, by the way. I am rather confident I will soon be employed and we’ll see if it can destroy my love for photography.
That’s it!
Wake up, go brush your teeth, and go to bed.
Can you hear Ringo yet?
Close your eyes and I’ll close mine
Good night, sleep tight
Now the moon begins to shine
Good night, sleep tight
Dream sweet dreams for me
Dream sweet dreams for you.
So far I still haven’t heard back from that photo gig. However, when I went by there recently the lady at the front told me the bossmanager hadn’t called anyone yet because she’d been so busy.
And speaking of busy, I haven’t been busy at all on my new photography site. No, really, I haven’t. Trey helped me make some changes to the layout and styles and then I stopped moving on it. I finally tonight finished sorting through the 2000-plus files in my font library and decided that exactly none of them were what I was looking for. Oh well, the header links will stay as text for now.
Oh, so yeah, should anyone anywhere near me (or you, should you be near me) need anything photographed, send them to klophoto.com to see my ‘work’. I use the phrase ‘work’ to denote self-deprication of some sort though I haven’t yet sorted out which sort it is I mean. Anyway, I put that thing on a separate site because, well, not that I don’t want strangers to read my blog … if that were the case I sure wouldn’t have it on the internet, and then what kind of blog would it be? A diary, that’s what kind of blog it would be. I just want that when someone says, “Oh, I know this guy that takes pictures” they can follow it with “and you can see them at his site” and I don’t have to worry about them getting caught up in admiring my masterful use of the English language. Or thinking I’m retarded. Words are for the words site and photos are for the photos site. Y’dig?
Oh, the other part of the reason for a photo site is that I put a lot of pictures on my Flickr site and not all of them are of the awesome quality I’d like to show to a new viewer. Plus, it’s hard to tell people how to get there, how to force them to leave out the E in flicker, etc. So! Those of you who are my Flickr friends, you’ll see everything that ends up on the klophoto site before it even gets there. You’re the lucky ones.
I hain’t been up to NUTHIN lately, ‘cept the following:
+Eating Thai food and barbeque, but not at the same time
+Hanging out at Poet’s now that Gridge’s is gone (insert single tear shed here)
+Watching Mr. and Mrs. Smith with Ross and Ariel. I’ll admit, it made me laugh in parts.
+Drinking Ross’s beer. I am so fortunate to have friends that make quality products like coffee and beer. That’s really the good life right there. If only I could grow decent grapes here maybe in five years I could be that friend making wine.
+Playing Guitar Hero for the first time ever, and totally kicking ass. I was born to rock. Ariel was astounded at my incredible scores. So astounded, in fact, that she made an inedible pie.
+Seeing people (Leon and Crit) that I’ve not seen in years and years. They and Jim and I hung out for hours today doing a whole pile of absolutely nothing.
I’m sure there are more things I’ve done, but I felt that list was boring enough.
The Putnam County Fair is winding down as I type, and I never went. I couldn’t bring myself to spend the money to go take pictures of crazy people. Somehow my heart wasn’t in it. Maybe next year. I’ve already been drafted to take pictures of … um … what do they call that thing they do here in Cookeville in September at the square? The Fall Cook-Off and Child Disaster Screaming Day? I can’t remember. Regardless, they want me (and probably several other people, I am not that special) to take pictures to commemorate the whole hot muggy mess. Apparently I will get paid a grand rate of nothing per hour! I’m very excited!
Okay, no, I actually am excited. It’s true. Anyone wanting me to take pictures for any reason makes me happy. I have several ideas about things and people for upcoming photographicalizationated excursions.
I really need a job. I hope the photo place calls me and soon. If not, I’m gonna have to start doing more than looking at Craigslist and reading the classifieds. I’m one of those people that says that if I won the lottery I’d spend a few years running around and then go back to work. I need structure during my day and right now I got jack. I just keep putting it off for various reasons, just like I keep putting off my trip to Asheville.
MUST HAVE JOB.
MUST TAKE PICTURES.
MUST HAVE JOB.
MUST TAKE PICTURES.
Filed under: tidbit
A friend who I have not seen in many years, Mr. Ryan Denning of Brooklyn (Zoo), New York, just sent me one of the coolest things I have ever received in my entire life.
Behold:
So. Things. Right? You’re very excited about what’s going on in my life, right?
I know I am.
I haven’t done much during the day because I’ve been working at my Dad’s office. I went by to say hi to him last week and he said, “Okay, show up on Monday” and so I did. I now know far more about pleadings, depositions, discovery, notes, research, and so forth than I ever wanted to.
This weekend was going to be my trip to Asheville, NC but I’ve changed my mind. I’m going to go early next week instead of this weekend. It’s not ’cause there’s anything fun going on here (in particular, that is, no offense to anyone that has plans, which I don’t know about, you should call me with these ‘plans’) but just that I originally wanted to go during the week and then shifted my plans to accomodate my temp work, and just decided that I still wanted to go during the week. I dunno why.
I’ve applied for a job here in Cookeville which is something I didn’t envision doing. However, it’s a job that would require me to be on the business end of a camera, and I can’t pass up the opportunity to have ‘professional photographer’ on my resume, even if it is studio stuff, pets, kids. It’ll be fun – if I get it.
The most exciting thing that’s happened to me lately was breaking into Jim’s apartment after he locked his keys inside. His cat was most definitely not used to seeing people come in through the window. “Out your door and innuendo,” I always say. Or have said. Once. Last night.
Past that? Man, nothing. I’ve been swimming a lot. It’s my new second-favorite thing (aside from taking pictures). I’m trying to enjoy my vacation but it’s slowly (read: sloooooowly) sinking in that it’s permanent and I really should start looking for a job and a place to live (should the photography thing not work out).
Time to go pull a fresh pile of pics off of the camera. I’ll call you if there’s something good.
Filed under: tidbit
I’ve been keeping myself so busy lately that I can’t even remember what all I’ve done. Friday consisted of … a whole bunch of something. I don’t remember what. Oh, yeah, a whole bunch of errands, getting ready for Saturday. I do believe it ended with more night swimming at the pool.
Saturday was a blast – I had a few friends over for a wine tasting, something I haven’t done since I left New Orleans. We served a flight of three whites (Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay) and then a flight of three reds (Pinot Noir, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon). It was a very beginner’s wine class, an introduction to six basic varietals that one is likely to encounter. I think … no, I know that everyone had a good time. As soon as we were done talking about and evaluating the wine we dove into the fruits and cheeses plates and stuffed ourselves silly. That was the cue for Dad to go fire up the grill and cook five different kinds of brats, which we then consumed to stuff ourselves sillier. By the end of the day when I thought I couldn’t even walk any more a few of us decided to go float in the pool for a bit. I think that made three consecutive nights of swimming for most of us. That’s the way life should be.
Tonight I went with Bisc… um … Mary and Tony and their kid Jonathan to the drive-in theater in Sparta, TN. I had never been to a drive-in movie before, or if I have it was while I was too young to remember. It was like sitting in the front row of the theater except you didn’t have to break your neck, and you could sit in whatever chair you wanted to. The mosquitos were nonexistent but I did get a ladybug or two on my shirt. Also, they broadcast the movie audio over the radio, so all you have to do is tune in and listen. However, when you’re sitting outside of your car you need a different method, which Mary and Tony have down to a science. They have speaker jacks in their trunk and they plug in this great-sounding speaker and set it on the hood of the car, right behind your head. It was a perfect setup. The movie, Talledega Nights, was as funny as I expected it to be, but my heart wasn’t really into it. Ah, well, I’ll catch it again on video some day.
Next week, or I guess this week, since it’s after midnight, it looks like I have a full schedule. I’m working at my Dad’s office for a day or two helping him and his awesome paralegal get some case files straightened out. I’m not sure how I got drafted into that. I also may be doing a courier run to Nashville for them, but the subject of my couriering is top secret and I can’t discuss it further. Regardless of what you may think, it’s not what you think. It’s bizarre.
I plan on going to visit Asheville on Friday through Sunday, though I have not yet booked my hotel room. We’ll see if this town really is as cool as everyone says. Perhaps I’ll take a few hours and go see Biltmore again.
That’s it! That’s my exciting life. That’s all I got to say. Go read some other part of the internet now.
Filed under: tidbit
The past couple of nights I’ve gone swimming with friends in my neighborhood pool. I’d almost forgotten how serene and relaxing it could be.
This picture shows one of my favorite things – to go turn on the pool light while the water is perfectly still and just have the whole thing glow like one giant jewel. It becomes this vat of intense aqua liquid and I feel that if I stuck my toe in it would come out glowing, like the water itself is infused with the light. I could splash it around and paint the entire neighborhood.
But I never want to stick my toe in. I never want to be the first one to disturb the perfect surface. It’s worse than freshly fallen snow in some ways. You know you have to go out in the snow, you know you have to make those tracks. But do you really have to get in the pool? What if everyone comes over and you all end up just wanting to admire your giant jewel?
But of course no one does, not even me, and I end up jumping in. Soon everyone’s there and it’s a little party, but everything feels kind of off. Sure, there are the treading water contests, and the throwing of pool toys and frisbees, diving, splashing, laughing, floating, relaxing – everything you would do during the day.
But as soon as everyone’s quiet for a second it starts to sink in that it’s night. There’re no lights around aside from the pool itself and a feeble street light several yards away. Voices seem to carry so much farther once everyone outside the pool is asleep. Our conversations echo. The pool becomes all the light, all the activity, and all the life. You can lay on your back and stare at the stars overhead and feel assured that there’s nothing else out there because everything that’s going on is right here in the water with you.
Filed under: tidbit
Nothing, really. I’m back in Tennessee for an extended or perhaps permanent vacation. I just got back from visiting my brother-in-law and his awesome tiny creature that just appeared out of nowhere a few weeks ago. It was really nice to see him, my sister-in-law, and the baby, though the two adults mentioned there were a bit zombie-like at times. I understand from various sources that babies don’t necessarily come out as fully functioning humans. They don’t know how to drive cars or have Flickr accounts or anything.
Very strange.
Anyway, past that I’ve been doing a whole lot of tiny things to keep myself busy, including setting up this new site and new blog. I’ve hung out with friends of all shapes, sizes, colors, smells, hairstyles, and otherwise. I’ve cooked dinner for my parents many times, sometimes even using edible objects. I’ve been swimming, driving, drinking, concert-going, eating, and … I guess those aren’t all in order.
I’ve also been thinking about where I want to live. Everyone and their brother tells me that Asheville, NC is the place to be. I’m planning on taking a multi-day trip over there to check it out. I’ve even subscribed to the Craigslist feed for jobs, though that’s a bit sparse. Sure would be nice to be right there in the Smokies, and in a state with a far more open wine (and alcohol) culture.
I think I’m going swimming again tonight. There’s something nice about swimming in a warm pool after dark, everything lit by that one bright bulb at the deep end of the pool. This time I’m gonna bring my camera to see if I can capture the moment.
Wow. How clichéd is that? “Capture the moment”? Next thing you know I’ll be working for Hallmark.
Anyway, in the immortal words of Leon Henry:
well i go