4th of July With A View

Myra invited me to her friends house to watch the fireworks this year. Little did I know that her friend happened to live on the 30th floor of the Aspire, one of the high rise apartments in downtown Orlando. His balcony had a perfect view of the lake.

Lake Eola right before dusk. The Orlando Orchestra was warming up to perform in the amphitheater. 

The view from his back patio overlooked the highest rooftop pool in the city and the gorgeous view that comes with it.

A sparkling explosion over the glittering cityscape. 

This one reminded me of a Palm Tree.

Crackling as it fell back down toward the lake.

Another firework over the city. That pale orange orb in the sky to the right is the full moon slowly climbing up to meet the night. 

I love this one. I caught a firework in full bloom, its reflection over the lake, and the moon all in one shot.

Overlooking the city facing the South. If you look closely you can see the crowd filing the streets on the way back to their cars. 

A clear view of the city with the fountain lit up in red, white and blue. 

I love the way the moon lit up the surrounding clouds. 

One last look at the pool with the city shimmering behind it. 

Soul Mate

Before I turned 29 I had the misfortune of knowing three people who assumed that they would spend the rest of their lives with me. This is a bit of a persona poem about my least favorite word and how it has been used against me.

This poem is called "Soul Mate". 

Even though I talk about what a good provider I want to be, I’ll never look for a job. I know you’ll understand because you’re my soul mate.

I want to introduce you to every woman I’ve ever slept with and still have feelings for. How could that possibly hurt your feelings? I’m just being honest, soul mate.

I will interrupt and talk over you every chance I get because my thoughts are more important than yours, soul mate.

I will pick fights with you just so I can feel like a bigger man. Seeing you cry and knowing I’m responsible makes us feel like equals again, soul mate.

I know I said I’d never do drugs, but I only meant when things were going good. Besides, I’ve got you to put me back together, soul mate.

I have never, and will never, ask you about what you think or feel. I don’t have to learn anything new about you. All I need to know is that you are my soul mate.

Of course I will continue to sleep with other women. I will never be satisfied, but you are the one who loves me best. That must make you my soul mate.

I would rather hold a grudge against you then work through my problems, because love is forever, soul mate.

No matter how hard you try to help me I will only add to these walls I build and insist you break them down for me. I don’t have to be a better man now that I’ve found you, soul mate.

I can insult you as much as I want as long as I use the word soul mate every now and then. If I keep repeating it maybe you’ll believe it, soul mate.

Insects and Invertebrates

I've been running into some strange creatures lately.

This tiny lime green bug was waiting for me when I got out of work at the top of my car door.

A few days later I found a dead wasp on the hood of my car. 

On my way to the DRIP venue after a rain storm I saw this cluster of large snails next to a hotel walkway. 

I found this lady bug, with wings wide open, face down on the outside of my car window. 

When my sisters were helping me move they had to drive my car while I drove the U-haul. Once we reached our destination I asked my them what was under my windshield. Apparently it was a plastic, glow in the dark cut out of an ant. Neither one of them had any idea how it got there.  

My cat enjoying the view from my bedroom in my new place. The hedge is home to many of Florida's enormous, colorful grasshoppers. 

I was sitting on the patio talking to one of my friends when this giant walked across the screen. A wolf spider the size of my outstretched hand, missing one of her legs and craddling what appeared to be an egg sac. My new roommate Myra was able to capture her and release her safely back into the wild. 

Walsingham Park

A while ago on one of my visits home my sister Jenny wanted to go for a bike ride. I hadn't ridden a bike in years and decided to be spontaneous. She had her bicycle and I had to scrounge around in the garage to find something halfway decent. After a bit of work we rode to the local Walsingham Park and embarked on a much longer adventure than anticipated. In the end I was sore and tired but the trip proved well worth it. Here is a collection of photos taken at the park. One of my favorite things about photographing the sky is that you are only able to capture one specific moment at a time. A few moments later you may take a photo that makes it seem like you are in a completely different location.

A lovely view of the lake. 

Breathtaking cloud formations. 

The sun setting behind a small tree. 

A glimpse of the rising moon through the lacy leaves of a tree turning red with fall. 

"I Hope You Enjoy This, As I Do Enjoy Our Friendship"

A while ago my friend Matt bought me a book. It was called "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood. It is a wonderfully written, heartbreaking distopia, and I highly recommend that you read it if you get the chance.

Matt and I were supposed to hang out one weekend, however, he got held up in Tampa. When he returned he presented the book to me with a handwritten note on the inside cover expressing his hope  that I would find the same love and inspiration that he felt through this book. Shuffled amongst the pages was another handwritten note. This one was written after he found out he wasn't going to make it back to Orlando in time. He apologized for the lost weekend, expressed more love for the book, and most curiously of all - included an illustration on the back.

The end of the note read: "I drew this fairly recently, and I like it. Actually, I really like the woman, not so much the man. But it was an attempt at realistic art. (When I draw real art, I <3 <3 <3 the 40's.) Anyways, I hope you enjoy this, as I do enjoy our friendship."

I turned the note over to find this little illustration:

A Matthew Dodenhoff original

I've become accustomed to Matt leaving notes and illustrations all over Starbucks when we work together. Almost everyone is meant to draw laughter, especially when accompanied by a silly caption. However, this one was different. No silly phrase, no goofy characters, not even any context. It just looked like to people who's lives intersect briefly on a street corner without so much as a word.

I was touched by the book and the note, but the illustration stayed on my mind. Maybe because it was so unusual, maybe it was because being an artist I don't receive much artwork. 

A few month's later Matt endured a difficult move. Although he remained in Orlando he moved across the city to be closer to work and struggled to get out of a living arrangement with a bad roommate. I had some rough living situations and I could definitely sympathize. Once he settled into his adorable apartment I set to work on his housewarming present.

I took inspiration from his note and decided to recreate his illustration with my style of drawing. I also pulled some ideas from Mad Men and I ended up with this:

From start to finish it took about seven hours and it is one of the first pure illustrations I have done in a long time.  For the most part I create illustrations for myself but this one was made for Matt. 

The 21st Annual Orlando International Fringe Festival

The concept of the Fringe Festival started in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1947. Artists who were not invited to perform in the official festival formed their own festival- literally on the fringe of society. All performances and art work are completely uncensored and all of the sales are returned to the participating artists. The Orlando International Fringe Festival was created in 1992 and is the longest running Fringe Festival in the United States.

My first involvement with the Orlando Fringe Festival was in 2008. It was a monumental experience not only because it was my first Fringe Festival but it was also my first time performing with DRIP. Working with DRIP over the years and attending the Orlando Fringe Festival every year have turned out to be life altering experiences.

The 21st Annual Orlando International Fringe Festival would be no exception.

Tod Caviness, writer for the Orlando Sentinel, host of the Speakeasy Open Mic at Will's Pub and the man behind the Poetry Vending Machine. I got introduced to Tod through Mariko years ago because they happened to be roommates. At Mariko's request I booked Tod to read poetry at one of our DRIP Fundraisers. I was so interested in Tod's poetry and performance that I reconnected with my own writing and have become a regular fixture at the Speakeasy Open Mic.

This photo of Tod was taken while he was hosting the Poetry Smackdown at the Fringe Festival. The Poetry Smackdown is a competition where poets perform their best works in front of an audience for prizes. It always promises to be one of the funniest and most sexually explicit shows at the Fringe  Festival. This year the Poetry Smackdown won the Audience Choice Award for best performance at the outdoor venue. 

This was my first year trying a Fringe Festival delicacy - fried Oreos covered in powdered sugar. I have no regrets. 

Curtis and Robbi running the Poetry Vending Machine. For five dollars (or a beer) they can write you a poem of any kind in twenty minutes or less. All you have to do is pick a title and three words you would like to have in the poem. If you are on a tight budget they can write you a haiku for one dollar. 

Curtis and I meet at the previous Fringe Festival in 2011. He performed a piece about literacy called "Future Incryptid" for the Poetry Smackdown that was unlike anything I had ever heard. 

This Praying Mantis landed on the Poetry Vending Machine and decided to become friends with Curtis. 

A view of all the outdoor tents just after sunset. 

This is the ceiling of one of the indoor performance venues. The main overhead light was obscured behind layers of stretched fabric and projected upon with small, glittering lights.

An outdoor performance by Paul Strickland and Chase Padgett. I had the good fortune of seeing one of Chase Padgett's one man shows earlier in the year called "6 Guitars". In his performance he portrayed six different musicians and their history with six different genres of music. I had seen Paul Strickland's show "A Brighter Shade of Blue" in a previous Fringe Festival and loved his insightful take on life. I was actually very sick during his show but still remember how it lifted my spirits. I saw his new show this year "Paul Strickland: Jokes, Songs, A Hat, Etc!" and had just as much fun. 

At one point during the Fringe Festival I found myself wandering through the main venue looking at the artwork on the walls. I happened upon Paul and Chase stilling in an out of the way corner practicing songs for a future collaboration. I watched for a moment then asked if I could join them. They welcomed me into their corner and I continued to watched them practice. They sang the sweetest, most soulful version of "Georgia On My Mind" that I have ever heard. I felt privillaged to be present for their jam session. The following day they were able to get time on the outdoor stage which is when this photo was taken. 

On a side note, Curtis and I wanted to see another show at the festival but since the alternator in my car had to be replaced during the Fringe Festival I was too short on funds to purchase any more tickets. Curtis had four "Fringe Bucks" - just one shy of being able to get a ticket. He asked around and it was Paul Strickland who gave one of his Fringe Bucks so that I was able to see one last show. That kind gesture was very much appreciated. 

And when it was all said and done I saw a lot of great performances. If something catches your attention please feel free to follow the links: 

The Screw You Review Presents Lady Winifred for President -A hilarious drag show about running for office and trying to avoid scandal. Screw You Entertainment

Paul Strickland: Jokes, Songs, A Hat, Etc - Paul sharing some wonderful stories and life experiences with some musical performances. Paul Strickland

Scientist Turned Comedian - He studied for years to get his PhD, and then he realized that he wanted to do stand-up. Tim Lee

AAAAAAGGGHHH ZOMBIES!!!.. Because Zombies $ell - This silly 10 minute puppet show literally took place in a closet.

Dog Powered Robot and the Subsequent Adventure - Some former DRIP members put this amazing show together. A futuristic play about robots featuring an unbelievably elaborate cardboard set and a very well behaved pomeranian. Dog Powered Robot

I Married a Nun - A 77 year old world traveler's incredible journey through life and love. D'yan Forest

Connected: An Interactive Experience - An interactive show with dance and storytelling about connecting to other people in your life. The Connected Experience

GGG: Dominatrix for Dummies - A surprisingly heartwarming story about a woman who trained to become a dominatrix and now gives self help advice. Self Help Dominatrix

Voice Activated - An acapella group that will blow you away with the maneuverability and scope of the human voice. Vox Audio

The charming glow of the Poetry Vending Machine disco ball during one of the final nights of the Fringe. 

Curious about the Orlando Fringe Festival? Check out http://orlandofringe.org/

The Birds of Prey Center

The Birds of Prey Center is one of the lesser known gems of the Orlando area. Located on the corner of a residential area, it has a lakeside view and beautiful accommodations for its birds - many of which will become rehabilitated.

This is a Red -Tailed Hawk - one of the largest and most wide spread raptors of North America. Interesting side note: this bird's screech is so iconic that it is used as the go-to sound affect for any bird of prey depicted in television and movies. You may not have realized it, but you have probably heard this bird's call more than other.  

As I was walking around I happened to look down and see this little door tucked away at the base of a tree. 

This Great Horned Owl is part of their out reach program. He injured his wing during a fall from his nest and due to his ease around being with people his is one of the birds at the center who makes regular trips to schools to support awareness. 

Two of Florida's smallest birds of prey - The American Kestrel (in front) and a falcon, poised on their tiny perches watching the rain behind the safety of the screened in patio. 

A couch inside the center decorated with crochet and hand sewn pillows.