The ad was created by BBDO-Atlanta and directed by Academy-Award® winner Wally Pfister.

“We are tied to the ocean… and when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch it … we are going back from whence we came,” President Kennedy says in his distinctive voice heard by viewers as they see illuminating scenes of the ocean’s natural beauty.

In the commercial’s full voice-over, representing a short clip from his speech kicking off the 1962 America’s Cup, the President’s remarks describe the emotional and innate connection that people have with the sea.
[via gCaptain]

The passing of my father I see as a release. He led a hard life and his body had lost its ability to heal. My uncle, however, I look upon with more tragic eyes. He had just decided what he wanted to do with his retirement, buy an Airstream and explore the wilds of the Pacific Northwest. His death seems unfair, not to me but to him. He spent every New Year’s that I can remember sequestering himself somewhere peaceful and reflecting upon his year. This year I’d like to take the same time that he used to, but I haven’t been able to fit it into my schedule yet. A cruel twist of fate I suppose.

A resolution I do tend to put forth is to resurrect this blog. It’s been through so many iterations, so many domains, formats, platforms & themes. I like where it’s at right now, how it looks, what it says about me, my life. It started life as dartanyonrace.com, then moved on to toomanyshinythings.com & now it’s current form.

There is more to be said on this concept of beginnings. More resolutions, new thoughts, old thoughts that are becoming clearer, but I will leave you with just this one for now. I miss my uncle Swan.

I am sure that there are extenuating circumstances; I’ve got a big project going for a client I love to work with, the eldest boy spent a good deal of time over at Children’s Hospital having spine surgery, I’m not happy with my holiday light choices …

All things and more seem to be conspiring to leave me feeling wanting. I have a bunch of things in my head that I can’t seem to make any real life progress on. Some things that popped into my head, and just as quickly slipped out before I even had the chance to write the idea down. It’s just got me feeling … overwhelmed? underwhelmed? uninspired?

I think this happens. I think that when you are a freelancer working in a vacuum on a big project that spans weeks and months that it’s easy to not feel a sense of accomplishment. I’m not sure what to do about it.

I want to find my grove. The better half has the house all prettied up for Christmas. Sitting in the living room immersed in the casual holiday flare she is going for this year, leaves me feeling warm. She’s filling the kitchen with yummy smells. The kiddos are starting to get excited. The pups seem to be happier with the chill in the air. Still, even with all of that, my grove hasn’t found me yet.

It’s perhaps that very circular nature that has compelled me to want to write here again. On Sunday the 9th of February 2014, I lost my uncle Swan. Svante Edwin Mossberg was just barely retired, had only just recently decided “what he wanted to do with his life“

Thanks babe.

First a little back story. On the 23rd of February The little lady picked up 3 chickens [a fourth came the next day]. To say I was annoyed was understatement, but you can read her perspective over on Season for Cake. I didn’t really want anything else to take care of, but within a week, these little chicks we’re definitely my “flock”.

The long and short of it is, I completely take care of them, the little lady has already lost most of her interest in them, and the boys are indifferent.

I was thinking of buying one of those internet coops for a few hundred bucks, but I started to think that they are mostly pressboard, which doesn’t do to well with out Pacific North Wet weather. Next idea, Craigslist. Apparently everyone and their brother has a coop making business in their garage [a fact I was blissfully un-aware of].

Certainly around Seattle Backyard Chickens are becoming pretty common, but the coop making business is crazy. A small coop around here is $550 and the bigger ones with attached runs are $750-$1100. I like my chickens and all, but that’s nuts. So I decided to build my own.

A few facts about my coop.

• First, I used no plans. Not that you shouldn’t but I had an idea of what I wanted.
• It’s 8′ wide, 5’8″ deep and 6’4″ tall inside the run.
• It’s probably going to cost me about $550 when it’s all said and done
• However, It’s built to last: Should take about 500 lbs of snow load, and survive any earthquakes we may have.
• The corner posts are 4x4s and it’s framed entirely with 2x4s and pressure treated lumber where it comes in contact with the ground.
• The coop itself is 1/2″ OSB and then sheathed in cedar shingles.
• It’s got a skylight. In the coop, not just the clear roof over the run.
• It’s completely enclosed [even underneath] in 19 gauge 1/2″ galvanized hardware cloth, which should keep out even the most persistent predator.

The framing went up on the first weekend. Like I said 4x4s, pressure treated sill plates and perimeter [to keep the bedding in], all solid, real solid … and heavy. The hardware cloth wraps essentially all the way around the coop width wise in 2 36″ wide lengths that are “stitched” together with 17 gauge wire. I was going to order 66″ wide hardware cloth but it was ridiculously expensive.

The following weekend I built the roof, the roosts, and the nesting box [which isn’t getting attached right away, so they don’t try to roost in it], built the box of the coop, and sheathed it almost entirely [still have a bit to finish]. Final pics and the big reveal hopefully in a few more days.