Green Windows (Well, technically, aqua, or turquoise, or something)

Well, who'd'a thunk? More pictures of the cement plant? What a surprise! (psst: You can see the window from the second picture in the first picture! 1000 points to whoever can find it!)

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This whole tonsil thing is pretty dumb. On Friday, when I got them taken out, it honestly wasn't so bad. But it's gotten progressively worse over the past couple of days. I'm not sure if it's the pain level or my annoyance with it that's increasing, but it's to the same effect. I can barely think; as per the doctor's orders, I've been fed a steady dose of Vicodin once every four hours since Friday. This has resulted in sporadic sleep, confusion, disorientation, difficulty keeping track of time, and general frustration. I don't really know why I'm whining here though. I mean, things could be a lot worse. I get a bunch of ice cream (even if all I really want is a Crunchwrap). I no longer have tonsils, which means I'll stop getting sick all the time. But no, I have to complain. Sorry. I'm also sorry if this paragraph made absolutely no sense; I'm having a bit of trouble thinking, what with being constantly drugged and all. Oh well!

Ariel will be around on Tuesday to talk to you guys about fonts!

Columbia-Portland (Ext)

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Columbia-Portland (Int)

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There's another set on the way, once I get it finished.

Cement

FINALLY made it to Columbia-Portland Cement. It was beautiful and awe-inspiring. Pictures tomorrow (so long as nothing unforeseen happens), but a couple of thoughts now:

- What am I doing wrong? The awesome overcast skies became vague overpowering white (see: above photo). Maybe I need to play with my light metering?

- I hope every tick dies.

- Gasoline is expensive.

- The Sheriff's Dept. uses it for training. There are giant signs at the entrances saying not to trespass, and that there is live fire, and that you'd better hope it kills you, because otherwise you're getting prosecuted. There were quite a few cars over by some outbuildings, and we started to get a little nervous. We heard an approaching car; inside was a policeman who smiled and waved, and then drove off.

- The bridge was so scary.

- Did you know that you can make a ghetto camera flash diffuser by taping part of a white grocery bag to the flash? True fact!

Bonus picture of me being badass/inches from death:

And because Kathleen was so kind as to take that picture, here's one of her being pretty badass herself:

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I figure this is the best place to tell you about a couple of really awesome things I found today

Pictaculous creates a color theme around a picture you upload. I can think of about a million uses for this. It's pretty snazz.

Foundation Cartier por l'art contemporain has a really nifty look at graffiti. I love graffiti, and this is really cool, and you should check it out. I haven't had much time to play with this, because I just found it when I got home, and have been up to my neck in photos, but I really look forward to it.

Alright, guys, I'll see you tomorrow.

EDIT: Oh, I forgot something really cool!

The building we went inside was FULL of cement dust. Over the years, the moisture leaking through the building had caused it to form stalactites and stalagmites. It was awesome. Cement is, what, limestone or something? Or it at least has some in it to account for these? Oh well. It was the best.

To Show For It

Yesterday, Kathleen and I went on an adventure to find the abandoned Columbia-Portland Cement Plant, south of Zanesville. For those of you not familiar (and I pray to God no one has had to go to Zanesville), it's about 2 hours south of home.

Zanesville and the surrounding area are very unsettling. In the nearby towns, I was reminded of my time on the Obama campaign, trapped in Pennsylvania's labyrinthine mining patch towns. There's a pervasive squalor and indifference that I know all too well.

We arrived in the approximate area of the plant, not knowing its exact whereabouts, around 7:30. Sunlight was going to be an impossibility soon, but we couldn't find even a suggestion of the monolithic structure. This drove me insane. After an hour or so of frantic driving (TomTom was absolutely no help and I wanted to smash it with a hammer), asking locals for directions, and chain-smoking, we finally found something promising, but by no means likely. We followed the path for as long as it went, and I took a couple of pictures, but it was by no means a cement factory. The sun had all but set by the time we got back to the car.

We drove around looking for a while afterwards, and found out we'd been on the property of an active asphalt quarry (oops!), but couldn't find the cement plant. So we left.

And then, as we were leaving town (by the same road we used to enter), we saw it. Enormous, white silos and towers rising from the treeline. I'm not entirely sure how we missed it, but I was beside myself with disbelief. The day wasn't wasted, but I could have done without all the stress of searching on narrow, winding Appalachian roads.

I'd chalk it up as a good day, though. Kathleen and I had a great time, and I'm glad I finally got myself to go do something.

Hayley's at RFKC this week. I've been missing her since before she left, and I know it's only going to get worse as the week goes on. My thoughts are with her, and I hope it goes alright for her.

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To Show For It

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