New Year’s Day Party

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On New Year’s day, Terry and I hosted an all day party at our home. We figure not everyone goes out and party’s hard on New Year’s Eve. We ordered plenty of Lox, cream cheese and bagels along with a big ham shank. There were salads and vegetables and pastries for deserts. I picked up the pastries and bagels in the morning and Terry cooked on New Year’s Eve.

Kelly DeWayne Richards was the first guest to arrive.  Terry had hired him to play piano. He came with his electronic piano and a microphone. In the kitchen, Terry and I prepared mimosas. Outside on the back patio we had a huge cooler full of beers, cyders and sodas. Gradually, guests arrived throughout the day. There were actors, artist authors and musicians. The official excuse for the party was that Analog Artist Digital World is in its fifth year.

I started this sketch before guests arrived. I is odd that I have seldom sketched my own living room. I sketched people into the scene as they sat down. James and Jasmin Barone brought along their baby who had on a New Years sash.  On the Facebook invitation I had stated that it was a black and white themed party and the Barone’s ran with that theme. Terry was very pleased that Susannah Gilman and Billy Collins came to the party. Billy was once the poet laureate of the United states and his new book of poems, “Aimless Love” was just released in bookstores. I remember seeing a large display of the books in a Louisiana bookstore.

As the party warmed up, people got up to the mic to sing. Even I got up to the microphone at one point. Terry is quite a ham when she has a microphone in hand. I always like how Mark Baratelli sings his set to his own over the top cadence. I sang “Somewhere Out There” with him and it was a challenge to mimic his performance. I just belted out vowels here and there to hit the right notes. Susannah claims she is incapable of singing which means a performance would be all the more entertaining.

Terry’s writing buddies stayed all day and well into the night.  Janet Benge had to leave early because of a writing assignment. When the last guests finally left, Terry and I cleaned up as best we could. I made a resolution to loose some weight this year, but now the pantry and fridge were full of beers, pastries and other sinful fattening foods. I’ll start to diet once all that food is gone. Our refrigerator broke after the party which means many of those fattening perishables ended up in the trash.

Broadway Babes At The Historic Cheyenne Saloon

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On December 12th of 2012, there was a one night Broadway Babes extravaganza at the Cheyenne Saloon and Opera House, 128 West Church Street, Orlando FL. Joshua Eads-Brown, AKA, Ginger Ming, was the hostess along with The Minx.  They began the evening in lusty red can-can girl outfits. For this one night only the old otherwise abandoned saloon sprang to life.

Rainbow banners were hung with pride. The saloon is an absolute gem. It is a shame it hasn’t found a new owner yet. There was a small army of talented performers that night. I was seated on the second level near the stairs down to the main floor. Many numbers began at the top of the stairs, so at times I was blinded by the spotlight. Jimmy Rossi helped throw together the incredible talent in the show. Heather Barbor gave a particularly campy performance. Many performers came from Hamburger Mary’s (110 West Church Street Orlando, FL) next door, where Broadway Brunch happens every Sunday at Noon.

The show tunes were followed by a dance party with Cap’n Kirk Hartlage spinning the tunes. I slipped out as the dancing heated up.

Fountain Facelift

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I did this sketch in 2011 when the Lake Eola Fountain was being repaired. Lightning had struck the fountain, melting glass and killing the motor that pumped the water. As the fountain was being repaired, yellow floats surrounded it and docking bumpers were in place for the boat that went out to do the repairs. The overhaul cost $1.6 million dollars. It’s the most expensive update in the fountain’s
history. After the lightning strike, the city received about $300,000
from a private insurer, but the company refused to pay the full cost of
repairs because the fountain was in such poor shape before the storm.

Mayor Buddy Dyer insisted on the repairs since he considers the fountain an Orlando Icon. Most of the money for the renovation , about $1.2 million came from the city’s own self-insurance fund. A downtown taxing district provided about $54,000, and private donations added the remaining $32,716. Public Works Director Alan Oyler said the fountain’s electric bill will show big savings from new energy-efficient pumps and LED lights instead of incandescent bulbs.

Music is piped into the park at night thanks to speakers added to light poles. The music is synchronized  to the fountain’s water display giving a Las Vegas style water show. Some of the sculptures added to the park add to the Vegas and Disney flavored camp that marks Orlando as a tourist destination rather than a cultural hub. I walk around the lake every time I do a sketch downtown and though I’m jaded, I still might hum a tune if the mood strikes me.

Weekend Top 6 Picks

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Saturday February 22, 2013

1pm to 7pm Free. Art in the Park Redux. Dickson Azalea Park 100 Rosearden Drive, Orlando, FL. An informal gathering of visual artists creating in the park together.

6pm to 9pm An Evening With Fabulous Friends. The Alfond Inn at Rollins College, Winter Park FL. Each year, The Friends of The Mennello Museum of American Art host an elegant gala to raise funds for the museum’s collections, exhibitions, and programs. The Eleventh Annual Gala celebrates The Mennello Museum of American Art, located in Orlando Loch Haven Park, which is owned and operated by the City of Orlando. The Gala also celebrates the passion of its founders, Michael A. and Marilyn L. Mennello. For additional information and to purchase tables or tickets to any of the Friends of the Mennello Museum events, contact Elise Frost, by phone 407-246-4278, ext. 4870, or email themennello@gmail.com.

7:30pm to 11pm Free. Contra Dancing. Secret Lake Park, 200 N Triplet Lake Drive, Casselberry, FL. Contra dance is … Easier than walking. More exercise than jogging. More fun than you can imagine. Sample of dancing with caller. All Ages Welcome – Instruction Provided at 7:30 pm

No partners necessary.  http://orlandocontradance.org/schedule.shtml

Sunday February 23, 2013

10am to Noon Free.  Super Joy Riders. Eastern entrance of the Lake Eola Farmers’ Market. You + Superhero Costume + Bike = Best Sunday Ever. Participants dress as superheroes and ride en masse around the city as they check off their scavenger hunt-like list of Do Gooder Duties; collecting litter, helping senior citizens cross the road, returning shopping carts, basically performing small acts of kindness for an hour and a half of hilarity and love. The Super Joy Riders: Do Gooder Bike Ride is an exercise in community organizing and active engagement. We hope to use the ride as an opportunity to show how helping people can be simple, fun, and easy, especially while wearing a cape.

http://www.superjoyriders.com/

1pm to 3pm Free. Yoga. Eastern shore of Lake Eola, Lake Eola Park, Orlando, FL. Weekly free yoga in the park.

1pm to 3pm  Free, but order some food. Irish Music. Olivia’s Coffee House, 108 North Bay Street, Eustis, FL. http://www.oliviascoffeehouse.com/

My Pecha Kucha Presentation

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I love to draw.

On January first of 2009 I set a New Year’s resolution to post one sketch a day online. 

I had wanted to start a blog for over a year. 

It was surprisingly easy to post my first sketch and copy on Analog Artist Digital World.

My wife Terry and I moved from New York City,
and for ten years I worked for Disney Feature Animation here in Orlando.

Perry, shown here, worked in the office next to me.

The studio was shut down in 2004, because Disney executives felt,
that audiences didn’t want to see hand drawn animation anymore.

They only wanted to see computer animation.

I purchased a computer and taught myself CG animation at home.

After years of sitting in a dark room staring at a computer screen, I needed to get out and sketch.

Many early sketches were of buildings downtown, like this sketch of Church Street.

As I sketched, people would often stop to tell me their life story.

I help keep the tradition of hand drawn animation alive at Full Sail University, by teaching the principles of animation using pencils and paper before students start pushing buttons on computers.

When I began doing one sketch a day, I honestly thought Orlando had little to no culture.

I had spent ten years driving to and from Disney, and felt that Orlando must only have the heart of a theme park animatronic.

 I found these drummers in the Creative Engineering warehouse downtown.

I couldn’t imagine much culture happening in this service industry town.

 Yet with every sketch I did, I began to discover artists with talent.

I found people in every field, like Toni Taylor, shown here in her studio,
who are striving to express themselves.

 I seek out artists who love what they do and promote them with a sketch and an article.

By promoting them, I get to share with my readers what I feel is the true heart of Orlando.

I am NOT an extrovert.

 I’m only comfortable when clutching pencil and paper.

When I drive to events, I pump up the music in the car to overcome stage fright.

 I used to walk around the block several times to work up the nerve to start a sketch.

That feeling has slowly subsided, being replaced by stubborn determination.

In a crowded room, I find it impossible to focus on any single conversation,
I hear the overall din.

Small talk is not my strong point.

If I start to sketch however, a sense of calm washes over me.

While focusing on the sketch, nothing else matters.

By going out every day, I began to meet people who frequent the same events.

 They recognize my desire to sketch what is unique, and they include me in amazing sketch opportunities, like this gut wrenching blimp ride over Universal Studios.

Finding interesting stories is an ongoing challenge.

Though I tend to sit quietly observing, I am at times thrust into the limelight.

To get this sketch at the Bob Carr, the director, John DiDonna, suggested I sit onstage with the audience watching at the Red Chair Affair.

The act of sketching became a form of performance art.

I forgot about the audience as I struggled to capture the Cirque du Soleil performer on stage.

Doug Rhodehamel created this Sea of Green florescent fish hanging from the ceiling at Stardust Video and Coffee.

When I am in a room full of creative people, I feel motivated to create.

 Being isolated in a studio makes little sense, when there are so many vibrant events to sketch all around Orlando.

I found Bluesman Maxwell seated among the clutter of a flea market in Mount Dora.

He sang, “Flea Market Blues.”

No one else stopped to listen.

Each sketch usually takes about two hours to complete.

Time stands still.

When you stay in one spot for that long, some drama always unfolds.

At the Enzian Theater during the Florida Film Festival, the projectionist had to splice together the “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” reels.

I always remain open to snippets of conversation which I often jot down on the back of the sketch.

Writing helps me to complete the bigger picture.

Benoit Glazer invites people to his home called “The Timucua White House”, once a month to experience live music and art.

It is amazing how often lyrics of a song, or the plot of a play, will seem to mirror what is happening in my everyday life.

The emotional message of some productions often hits home.

Andrew Spear created a mural at the annual Snap Photography Exhibit.

By meeting so many artists, and sharing their stories, my own art grows richer.

 Listening to a theater director talk about the creative process, the conversation could just as well relate to the process of creating a sketch.

I have often been asked to stop sketching by security guards, ushers and police.

In our fast paced world, someone who stands still tends to be suspect.

This accordion player at Earth Day was asked to stop performing by Lake Eola grounds keepers.
Silence can be deafening……

I don’t believe art should be profiled as a deviant behavior.

Jazz still thrives in late night dives.

 The city grows smaller as I meet the same performers again and again.

 I’m starting to feel very much a part of the culture that I document.

Since starting the blog, I have posted over 2000 sketches about Orlando online.

Every art form has uncertainty, and blind searching, followed by revelation.

 I’m never satisfied with any sketch as I am working on it.

Only looking back, can I acknowledge that it isn’t the worst sketch I have ever done.

I love keeping track of all the arts organizations in town, on Analog Artist Digital World.

At times, I feel I have my finger on the pulse that helps keep Orlando alive and vibrant.

Some organizations have had to close, but there are always people who strive to make this city an interesting place to live.

Every time I sketch, I fall in love, be it with a gesture, setting, or people’s stories.

Mary Oliver gave simple instructions for living life, “Pay attention, be astonished, and tell about it.”

By sketching daily, I discover so many people who astonish me, in a city I now call home.

I love my wife, life and Orlando!

Mark Your Calendar! The next PechaKucha V13 will be on Friday June 13th at the Orange Studio, 1121 N. Mills Avenue, Orlando, Fl. I hope the presenters aren’t superstitious!

Post PechaKucha Blues

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Pecha Kucha, pronounced (petsha  kutcha) means chit chat in Japanese. Eddie Selover organizes Petcha Kucha events here in Orlando. I had sketched several of these events in the past and I decided to do a presentation myself. The evening consists of Power Point presentations by about 9 presenters. The catch is that each Power Point slide is on the screen for only 20 seconds and there is no way for the presenter to pause or talk for too long. 20 slides for 20 seconds results in a concise six minute presentation. The original organizers came up with the format because they realized that if you give some people a microphone they might never stop talking about the first slide.

There were just two rehearsals held at the Orange Studio, 1121 N. Mills Avenue Orlando FL, in the weeks before the presentations. I simple picked 20 sketches and then wrote copy about my artistic journey since starting the blog. In theory it sounds easy right? WRONG! Being able to time the talk and knowing the slide is about to change any minute is nerve wracking. I have never given a talk in front of 300 people so this was a big step outside my comfort zone. The same week I had to lecture to a room full of students for the first time as well. When it rains it pours. With the writing in hand I felt comfortable but it is hard to slow down and sometimes pause, so there is time for the slide to change. It is much like driving 100 miles an hour down a highway and then having a traffic light every mile. In the first rehearsal I realized that when nervous, I speed ahead and then the slides never have a chance to catch up. Rehearsals were a supportive, safe atmosphere since we were all walking the same tight rope.

The theme for Pecha Kucha V12 was “Love” in honor of Valentines Day so many of the presentations were intensely personal. Going through this experience, I got to learn quit a bit about each of the presenters.  Our presentations got better at each rehearsal. The group as a whole grew stronger as we gave each other suggestions and feedback.  Becky Lane who teaches public speaking at Full Sail, actually took the time to coach me and give me pointers right before the last rehearsal. Based on her suggestions, I removed titles from each slide and instead added a sentence about the person or place pictured. I was writing these notes on the script only minutes before doing my rehearsal run through. I tripped up on a couple of notes that literally made no sense.

On presentation day, February 7th, I rehearsed in my studio all day till the timing clicked into place. I kept adding words or deleting them till the flow was just right. I felt confident but nervous. I had to get to the Orange Studio two hours before show time. I  ran out of the studio and drove several miles in the rain before I realized that I forgot my script which was sitting on the desk at home! I quickly did a 180 in a panic. David Russell of Sac Comedy Lab had us do warm up exercises. We stood in a circle and threw Zip, Zaps, and Zoops at each other. It was a good way to get us to bind together and laugh.

I was the eighth presenter being sandwiched between Carolyn Moor and Kristen Manieri. Each of us got up to the mic for a sound check before the audience arrived. There was a computer monitor about three rows back in the center isle that would show the slides. My voice echoed and bounced around the room. Before me was a sea of white empty folding chairs. Since it was raining, I hoped no one would show. We had to be sure to stay right on top of the mic. I adjusted the mic and it slipped free of the stand and crashed to the floor with a loud thud. Well, that is what rehearsal is for. It better not happen again. One more thing to worry about.

The event was sold out. 300 people crowded into the folding chairs. Emily Empel gave an inspiring talk about how Orlando needs to find a quirky, creative and inspired future. Max Jackson talked about love and the human brain. He spoke with a machine gun fast delivery offering so much information that it was almost hard to keep up. He had memorized his entire talk. It was impressive and daunting. I was strictly “on book.” I had to read what I had written on 8 1/2 by 11 sheets that were stapled in the corner. Being visual, I needed to see each sketch beside my words. Carolyn delivered an incredibly honest and emotional roller coaster with her story of love, loss and strength found in supporting others. I had to wipe away tears, and I heard Kristen equally moved beside me. In the end, her story was uplifting and showed how people become stronger when they care about each other. It was a hero’s journey.

I was still choked up when I stepped up to the mic. “I love to draw,” I began. I started off on a good footing but after several slides, I glanced up at the monitor and instead saw a young woman  three rows back who looked a bit like Caroline, but with jet black hair and straight bangs. I realized after a moment that it was Carolyn’s daughter. I wondered what she thought of her mom’s presentation. As these thoughts rattled through my head, I flipped forward in the script by mistake. I was not in the moment. I improvised a bit as I re-found my spot. I was getting close to panic mode. I might crash and burn. Then I spotted a woman seated in front of Carolyn’s daughter. She smiled at me reassuringly. That smile saved me. Everyone seated in the room wanted me to present this material well. Back on track, I delivered the rest of the talk with confidence.

Kristen Maneri’s presentation seemed flawless. She had so much on the line letting the crowd know how she and her husband saved their sex lives by marking Tuesdays and Saturdays on the calender for evenings of intimacy. Her advice to also schedule romantic date nights to nice restaurants is being worked into my own calendar. My wife Terry wasn’t able to go to the presentation. She was seeing a client down in Miami. She did see a rehearsal and on that evening I finished the talk with, “I couldn’t do what I do without the love and support of my wife Terry.” It is very true. But, partly because of the lost time in my stumble, I left the final line off.

I have never stood in the front of a room full of people clapping. That kind of validation is usually for the performers I sketch. When I stood in line with all the presenters, for the final bow, I felt so proud and happy. It was a euphoric feeling. Then, as the crowd dispersed, people kept coming up to shake my hand and tell me about creative projects that might interest me. Caley Burke spoke about a NASA Tweetup event I should document, Roger Gregor told me about a children’s book he wrote that needs an illustrator, Carynn Jackson offered an opportunity to document the Winter Park Paint out. I had put business cards and posters on a table and only a few cards were left behind. Emily told me that her goal, in being a presenter was to find one new friend. That thought made me happy. That should be my goal anytime I try something new.

The first two rows were full of friends and family of Carolyn’s. They enveloped her in loving support. Kristen’s husband held her close. I suddenly felt alone. Swami World Traveler asked where Terry was. When I told him, he said, “That’s kind of ironic considering the evening’s theme.”  He suggested I join him and a friend at a new restaurant a few blocks away on Virginia. I needed to go out and sketch to clear my buzzing head. My calender showed an event by Kitchy Kittens at the Caboose in Ivanhoe Village. It was drizzling as I drove over to look. The Caboose is a real smoke filled dive bar and nothing was happening inside so I decided instead to go to Washburn Imports, 1800 N Orange Ave, Orlando, FL. In the back of the huge antiques shop is a bar called “The Imperial“. I ordered a raspberry flavored beer and sat at a round table with two other men who didn’t mind me joining them.

They talked about the one in a million chance that a friend of theirs had found the perfect girl. I felt hollow as I sketched. This sketch outing was a self inflicted exile. The road less traveled. I identified with the guy standing in the middle of the room, sipping his beer and wanting some human connection while I hoped for some sketchable drama.

The two guys at my table left and they were replaced with a birthday party of three couples. The birthday girl wanted to see what I was up to and she complimented the sketch. One guy said to me, “Hey, I recognize your sketches, I’ve seen them online. Great work.” We introduced ourselves and then he returned to the ongoing conversations and I returned to the sketch. Is this what my life would be like, quick exchanges with people who know OF me, but who aren’t really friends? Working alone in a crowd usually doesn’t bother me. But I had just rubbed shoulders with some of the most brave, honest and inspiring people I have ever met in Orlando. This is what actors must feel like every time a show ends. When I got ready to leave the Imperial, I used the men’s room. When I came out, I noticed a couple kissing passionately on an antique couch removed from all the bustle near the bar. That could be such a good sketch, I thought, but no, I have my sketch already and I have to work in the morning.” When I got home, I couldn’t sleep.

The Boathouse Oyster Bar

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The return trip to Orlando from Louisiana involved a stop over in the pan handle of Florida. Breaking up the drive made the trip much easier. This was the first time I was allowed to drive Terry’s new Porsche. I don’t think it is a good idea for me to have that much power in my hands. I revved the engine loudly on some quaint gulf-port town startling people walking on the sidewalk.

We stopped in Destin and walked along the docks. For lunch we went to The Boathouse Oyster Bar,  288 Harbor Blvd, Destin, FL. Locals refer to the place as Destin’s best kept secret. Dollar bills covered the walls. Locals crowded around the bar watching a football playoff game. Terry and I decided to sit outside overlooking the water. Sea gulls swooped down hoping to grab our lunch. I put a sketchbook over my sandwich when I wasn’t eating it so it wouldn’t disappear.

Terry was trying to identify a sea bird and an older couple next to us identified it for her. The bird kept diving down looking to catch fish. Terry wanted to snap a photo with her iPhone but the bird would disappear under water right before she could click the shutter.

Fishing

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We went on the bayou one more time, to catch fish. Most everybody had to get fishing licenses except me since I knew I would be sketching. It was a long drive to a spot down near Houma Louisiana, a town on the bayou leading into the Gulf. A friend of Clare Brown‘s brought his kayak which we tied down inside the Sea Ark. As we got close to the destination, our two car loads of people piled into a 7-11 for a bathroom break and lunch supplies.

It was a cloudy and cold day. The boat launched without a hitch. We motored to a spot where two tributaries converged. The thought was that the swirling currents would be a good feeding ground for the fish. Terry cast out and quickly her fishing pole bent. She reeled in and the pole kept bending down. She must have caught a whale! What came on board was a twisted tangle of ropes from a fishing net. Her hook also kept catching on the bottom. After several hours, Clare’s instructor actually caught a fish. It was too small to keep however. Clare’s classmate in his kayak also didn’t catch anything.

The lunch food was in the other boat, and they threw some food over when we pulled side by side in the middle of the bayou. There was cheese and crackers and some fruit. The bottom line is that no one caught any fish. Joseph Brown, being an experienced fisherman is used to the disappointment. What is important to me is that is did catch the sketch.

The Range

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Clare Brown took her parents, Terry and I for a tour of where she does her research and work on the Louisiana State University. We started in the basement where she showed us huge freezers that house thousands of tiny test tubes full of bird muscle samples. These samples are used to find the birds DNA sequencing. Another basement room was full of formaldehyde filled jars with birds inside. That room would have made a good sketch.

Upstairs, Clare showed us her office which was a tiny cubicle. About four other researchers shared the same room. On the walls of the cubicle were hints of the exotic places the researchers travel to. On the same floor were the schools art class studios and stepping into those made me feel quite at home. The hallways were full of nude figure studies. Since it was a student break, I suspect only the worst paintings were left behind.

We then went inside the LSU Natural History Museum on campus.  Large dioramas with stuffed animals inside recreated environments from natural settings. The display for birds of the word was a tight hall where stuffed birds in flight were enclosed in glass cases. Only a stuffed owl had escaped the glass enclosure and he flew up towards the ceiling. The star attraction of the museum was a stuffed tiger. The school athletics mascot is named Mike the Tiger.

Mike I was born in 1935, he was purchased from the Little Rock Zoo
with money raised by collecting 25 cents from each LSU student for a
total of $750. Originally named Sheik, the new mascot was renamed in
honor of Mike Chambers, LSU’s athletic trainer at the time, who was the
person most responsible for bringing him to the school. Mike assumed his
duties as the living symbol of LSU only three days after arriving on
campus in 1936. Mike was kidnapped by four Tulane students. He
was not abandoned, the cage was not painted Tulane green, but decorated
with green and white crepe paper. A return
was negotiated, and escorted by police, Mike was returned shortly before
the game. Mike I lived for 20 years before dying of kidney disease in 1956.When you press a button next to the display, Mike I roars.

A huge room next to the museum is known as “The Range”. The room is filled with row after row of metal lockers. Inside metal drawers can be pulled out to inspect stuffed birds from every continent. Rachel is an avid birder so this was a birder’s paradise. Terry refused to go in the range. She had been here once before and Clare showed her the stuffed Cockatoos. They reminded Terry of our pet cockatoo, Zorro, and thus saddened her. She likes to argue with her sister that cockatoos have feelings just like humans. That debate raged for our whole visit. Rachel and Joseph inspected drawer after drawer of birds. Rachel got to hold and inspects birds she had never seen before. The birds plumage remains vibrant and bright and if kept as they are they will last hundreds of years. Some specimens are already that old. They say the eyes are mirrors to the soul. These birds eyes were missing. Cotton hinted at what filled their inner void.

Hotel Lobby

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We spent Christmas day in Baton Rouge Louisiana. Clare Brown‘s college professor invited several students, who couldn’t go home for the holidays, over his house for a lavish Christmas Dinner. Clare’s parents, Rachel Lawson and Joseph Brown as well as Terry and I were invited as well. After dinner the professor showed Clare a blow dart weapon he had picked up on his travels. The blow tube was perhaps three feet long. The darts were lethal metal with a plastic disk expansion at the end. He put a cardboard box across the room as a target and raised the tube to his lips. He exhaled quickly and the dart ripped through the box leaving a tiny clean hole. Students in his class study ornithology and they travel the world looking for exotic birds. One of their tasks is gathering specimens and that means cleanly killing birds.

Apparently Clare is rather good at killing, documenting and properly stuffing the birds for display. Using a gun to kill a bird would result in a highly damaged specimen with a large hole ripped through it. Nets capture most birds which are then killed by hand. Clare described one gruesome situation in which a bird just wouldn’t die.  A quick clean kill is preferred to reduce suffering. Clare took a turn with the blow dart. She missed the box. Terry, who had once been a professional French horn player, wanted to test her chops. Sure enough all those years of blowing into a horn payed off. Her dart ripped cleanly through the center of the box. There was talk of darting the foot high Santa statue but the fun was stopped short by the level headed.

We ended Christmas day in the lobby of the hotel. Clare discussed the premise of her thesis research and Joseph seemed intrigued to use the population estimate theories to figure out how many Sock eye salmon migrate to the rivers of Washington State each year. The more varied the genome sequencing in an animals DNA, the larger the population. So with a rather small sampling of genome sequences it could be possible to estimate a species population. 

On a different note, Rachel gave me a stuffed animal monkey whose arms are made of rubber. He has a red cape and if you wedge your fingers in his hands, you can pull his legs and tail to slingshot him into flight. The first time I did it I was shocked when he screeched loudly as he arched in flight. This was definitely a memorable Christmas present.