Photo Per Day #20: Gingerbread House

By the time young boys masterfully glue the roof and walls of a gingerbread house together using a thick, sticky, viscous confectioners' sugar and water combination, thereby staving off structural collapse by a thread, they've lost total interest in decorating. Eat a disgusting green, mint, jellied candy. Spit it out. Throw the rest of the gummies on the roof (or at least the parts that you've bothered to frost). Open the other bag of candies and and throw it on the "ground." Call it a day.

Less Martha Stewart. More foreclosure.

Photo Per Day #19: Frozen Ropes

Yesterday was Son #2's last indoor baseball game for the season. With the exception of the other team's coach loudly and continually criticizing (er, I mean coaching) his team, Frozen Ropes is eerily quiet. The sound of the ball hitting the metal bat echoes off the walls. And since it's shrowded in nets to keep the bystanders safe, the rules are somewhat bizarre. Hit the nets on the ceiling directly above the pitcher? Assumed catch. You're out.

Son #2 up to bat and, later, on second base.

Photo Per Day #18: Oh Crap!

Last night, six sets of neighbors gathered for our annual gag gift swap. The kids did their secret santas. Son #1 got a GameStop giftcard; Son #2 got an iTunes card along with a bucket of faux snow balls that he loves and continues to chuck at us all day today.

My favorite pic, however, is of my girlfriend's chocolate dip with animal cracker poised atop. Yum? Thank heavens it wasn't steaming . . .

I asked if I could snap a photo. She responded, "If you must." (I must.)

Photo Per Day #17: Pittsford Wines

Tonight is our annual neighborhood Christmas party and gag gift swap. I shopped at my neighbor's fabulous wine store. Great wines at reasonable prices and right smack dab in the village. No need to navigate the mall. Amen. Amen.

I didn't just buy anything; I bought local. In this case, I purchased a bottle of Cherry Liqueur from Finger Lakes Distilling. Just this week, I discovered this local distillery via my good friend Google after being entranced with the idea of establishing my very own distillery. Alas, someone beat me to the punch (pun intended, really). It just sounded so enticing in a recent article about a moonshine business that was published in my favorite magazine, Garden and Gun (where everything sounds so damn romantic). Maybe, at a later date, I'll try the Finger Lakes whiskey or gin. I want them to be successful, after all, right?!

Altruism never sounded so good.

Photo Per Day #16: American Picker

Would have posted last night but got home from Christmas with the bible study girls too late. Before the party, my girlfriend Meg and I stopped for a happy hour cocktail at Abilene . . .

. . . to see this guy. Fun!

Photo Per Day #15: Fly Rabbit Press

Why, when I am out shopping for gifts, must I always buy something for myself? Oh, I know the answer! I know exactly what I like! In this case, I recently bought a cute chartreuse print for my new office from local letterpress/graphic design artist Fly Rabbit Press.

And if you look through her posters, many of which were made for my favorite watering hole, Abilene, you'll note that she created the local poster for one of my favorite singers Eilen Jewell. It's a triple whammy!

Photo Per Day #14: 80's Perm

Sure, you can dress me up with a red nose and antlers (that have since fallen off ) but there's no escaping the 80's perm.

Photo Per Day #13: Les Misérables

Sorrow found me when I was young . . .

Son #1 may not think he looks or acts like me but he does (on both accounts)!

Photo Per Day #12: Ornaments

Tis the season to decorate the Christmas tree. As such, it's that time of the year when I open a box filled with my very own, unique ornaments. Ornaments that my loving friends and family created and hung on the tree at a surprise party for my 30th birthday 17 years ago this month. (Sheesh!) You know that you're loved when everyone, bar one, selected the worst possible pictures of me. (It's really not that hard.) Ornaments of me as a baby with food all over my face. Looking miserable as a kid. Kicking my leg in the air at parties (i.e., knickers shot) as an adult. Holding cocktails at parties. You name it, I have it.

After almost two decades in a box, they're not faring so well so I decided to capture a few on "film." Today's image may explain why I am shorter than the rest of my 6' tall family.

Photo Per Day #10: Plum House

Last weekend, TGI Fridays. This weekend, Plum House. More urban. Less gentrified. Tastier. Well worth it. All's fair in the game to remind the kids that there's more to life than Crapplebee's.

I've Been Waiting

This morning, on the way to the gym, I heard a song on WITR that I've liked whenever it came on the air for years but never bothered to pay attention beyond that. I never even knew what band played it. And, for the first time ever, I suddenly realized that it is a man singing. A man. Now it's so obvious. Especially when he starts screaming. How could I have ever thought otherwise?

It's the room, the sun and the sky. The room, the sun and the sky.

Photo Per Day #8: Thursday Night Football

I sometimes wonder: 1) Is everyone else's entire house one giant playground? 2) Do other moms come home at night and relax?

Photo Per Day #7: Oh Conference Tree Oh Conference Tree

So why is the quality of my iPhone pictures getting worse? What am I doing wrong? Anyhoo, today's picture hails from Monroe Country Club -- the location of today's offsite. I've decided that there should be a Christmas tree present at all corporate functions to make the atmosphere more festive.

Photo Per Day #6: OMJeeb

The box containing our nativity scene as labeled by the hubby.

Photo Per Day #5: Genesee Beer

Went to see itinerant artist Jim Mott speak yesterday at the ROC-ART exhibit at High Falls. This exhibition contains local paintings which I loved: Irondequoit Bay, Gibbs Street, the Little Theater. I wanted them all! And the paintings hang perfectly in the gallery which overlooks the falls and the High Falls Brewery.

Afterward, my girlfriend and I walked along the bridge at Pont du Rennes and snapped pics.

Makes me wanna sing. I got a Genesee beer at home, in the fridge, with my name on it.

Photo Per Day #4: Keuka Christmas

Spent the night last night at my girlfriend's house on Keuka Lake. We sat in the hot tub for hours and drank a lot of wine. We thought we might go swimming (in December!?) but we all chickened out when we got down to the dock.

Mary's front deck is covered with white Christmas lights . . .















But her tree is not yet adorned.

'Twas very, very peaceful this morning.

Photo Per Day #3: Hungerford Urban Artisans

I'm trying to buy local this Christmas. As such, Son #2 and I went to the Hungerford building today and bought a few awesome presents from the temporary stalls of the Rochester area Etsy craftsmen's Craftmas sale and a gorgeous something-something from one of the resident artists.

Such amazing talent from traditional artists (e.g., painters, scupltors, jewelers) and non-traditional artists like a guy who recreates children's books with balloon art. Run, run, as fast as you can . . .  

There was a great design studio with heaps of colorful, adorable girls fashions.  I would have bought Son #2 a great monkey skirt but he declined.

Not only did I want to buy a few thing for myself (e.g., knit cap, bunny yoga statue), I want a studio of my own. For what, I know not. I just want to dance.

Photo per Day #2: TGIF

Literally. After driving around the city, trying to find parking spaces to no avail last night, the kids decided that they wanted to go to Friday's instead. I caved.

Photo Per Day #1: Stella! Hey, Stella!

After a fabulous Thanksgiving at Belhurst Castle with my family and amazing nephew who was in town from (no sleep till) Brooklyn, I spent the rest of the weekend -- until this very morning -- in bed with the flu. The Christmas tree is literally half decorated as the first wave hit me like a hurricane as I was attempting to affix the (not tacky at all, thanks for asking) black Labrador angel to the treetop. Blech.

I did have a momentary lapse in sanity when I thought that, perchance, I was okay, so I went to the pool on Monday a.m. and then to the 6:45 a.m. mass at St. Louis only to get the sweats and shakes and run like hell.

Today, I am back to my sunny office, feeling on top of my game (and who wouldn't after working 36 hours from M-W this week in bed!?) only to discover that, hey, I'M A WIENER (insert hotdog wingding here)! I won a Stella + Dot bracelet from local blogger Chic and Green.

Who's the coolest chick in town? I am! I am! Thanks to my new best friend, whom I've never met, Karley. #winning

And now for fun, I'm reprising last year's photo-a-day series (taken during the month of November) with my second annual photo-a-day series (a month later). My audience loved it. Critics adored it. I think I even had a comment or two. Fans galore!

So without further ado: my sunny office as taken from behind my desk. Exciting, right? It doesn't get much better than this. You can't see me in the mirror because, I'm skillfully hidden behind the white door panels (well, except the arm taking the picture). I'm amazing like Kreskin.

Happy December y'all.